[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/16a8bf35-d965-4909-ac95-0db9781b733e.png [/img][/center]

[center] [@Ariamis] [@Card Captor] [@FamishedPants] [@AtomicNut] [/center]

[color=DarkOrchid]“E-Emily?”[/color] Connie asked after hearing the other girl’s slurred plea. [color=DarkOrchid]“Y-Yeah, I know… I-It’s h-horrible,”[/color] she agreed, the eyes of her mask looking incredibly sad. [color=DarkOrchid]“B-But what c-can we e-even d-do? My m-magic c-can’t h-help anyone, a-and you c-can’t even s-stand! W-We n-need t-to help you get b-better f-first, t-then you c-can come b-back and help t-them!”[/color]

Before the intoxicated girl could even reply, Lily, having apparently realized her earlier mistake, handed Sakura to Connie, while also putting Emily’s other arm over her shoulder. On the one hand, this greatly helped Connie to bear Emily’s weight, but on the other, she now had to carry the pink haired bunny girl in her one free arm. Despite Sakura’s small size, Connie was still forced to squeeze her against her chest in order to maintain her grasp on the grumpy bunny girl. The next thing she knew, Mia was standing next to her.

[color=SpringGreen]“Connie! Are you all right?!”[/color] her verdant friend asked urgently.

[color=DarkOrchid]“M-Mia?! Y-Yeah, I’m f-fine! B-But Emily got p-poisoned or something, and w-we need to g-get her out of here!”[/color]

Then, Connie heard Lily shout something about following Alex, and before she fully realized what was happening, the small group began picking up speed, the reinforcement specialist leading the way. Unfortunately, it appeared that a sizable group of imposing girls was currently blocking the exit. To Connie’s surprise, just when it seemed that Alex would plow through them with his barrier, they formed a gap allowing the small group to pass unhindered. Moments later, they had climbed up the steps and raced out of the warehouse, where they were met with yet another obstruction: an energy barrier that completely blocked their path. But, once again, fortune seemed to be with them, and the barrier opened just as they were about to strike it, only to close once they had safely reached the other side. 

They had scarcely come to a stop when Lily gave a triumphant cheer and, grabbing Emily swung the inebriated girl around like a carnival ride.

[color=DarkOrchid]“U-Ummm… L-Lily? Emily’s not f-feeling very well. M-Maybe you s-shouldn’t do that…”[/color] She advised hesitantly. Then, remembering that she was still holding Sakura, and also remembering that the little girl had once been a not-so-little [i]man[/i], she quickly set the bunny girl down, the cheeks of her mask turning red. [color=DarkOrchid]“S-Sorry about t-that, M-Miss Sakura,”[/color] she said timidly. [color=DarkOrchid]“E-Everything was h-happening s-so f-fast, I…”[/color] Her words trailed off as she caught sight of the fluffy little creature that had just materialized before them. [color=DarkOrchid]“O-Oh my gosh!”[/color] she exclaimed as the eyes of her mask formed little stars. [color=DarkOrchid]“He’s so [i]cute![/i]”[/color]

Sakura seemed to know the creature, as she was now talking with it. Make that yelling at it. Then she started violently shaking it.

[color=DarkOrchid]“Oh, um…”[/color] Connie mumbled, suddenly a little confused by the situation playing out before her. That was also about the time she finally noticed that they were all currently in the middle of a torrential downpour. [color=DarkOrchid]“Eeek!”[/color] Connie cried as the feeling of the cold raindrops finally registered. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-It’s s-so c-c-cold!”[/color]

For her part, Gaia greatly appreciated the downpour, the nymph-like girl finding the cool rain to be most refreshing after the stifling confines of the underground rave hall. Still, she could see why Connie might not be feeling the same, and so she used her magic to create a plant to serve as a makeshift umbrella.

[color=DarkOrchid]“T-Thanks, Mia!”[/color] Connie said, offering her friend a smile as she huddled with her underneath the plant’s oversized leaves. [color=DarkOrchid]“Ummm… D-Do y-you think there’s r-room for my n-new f-friends under here, t-too?”[/color] 

[color=SpringGreen]“Of course,”[/color] Gaia said with a smile of her own. Infusing her creation with more of her magic, the verdant magical girl caused the plant’s leaves to grow even larger, so that the entire group could easily be sheltered beneath them. [color=SpringGreen]“And you seem to have made quite a few new friends at that,”[/color] Gaia noted approvingly.

[color=DarkOrchid]“Y-Yeah,”[/color] Connie agreed. [color=DarkOrchid]“Y-You already k-know Lily. T-The girl she’s h-holding is Emily. S-She’s not f-feeling to g-good right now. I t-think that b-boy’s n-name is Alex, a-and that p-pink haired girl is Miss Sakura. S-She used t-to be a g-guy…”[/color] she added in a softer tone.

Gaia simply raised an eyebrow at this last revelation. She had heard rumors of such things happening in the magical world, but this was the first time she’d seen the results first hand. From the looks of the little drama playing out between the man-turned-girl and what Gaia supposed was her Patron, it was not something she wished to encounter any more than was absolutely necessary.

[color=SpringGreen]“So, they all kept you safe when everything went crazy in there?”[/color] Gaia asked, to which Connie confirmed with a nod. [color=SpringGreen]“I see. Well then, you all have my sincerest thanks. I am truly in your debt. If there is any way I can repay you, I would be only too happy to do so.”[/color]

[color=DarkOrchid]“Um, Mia?”[/color] Connie spoke up. [color=DarkOrchid]“D-Did you make any n-new f-friends?”[/color]

[color=SpringGreen]“Indeed I did,”[/color] Gaia confirmed. [color=SpringGreen]“I suppose you could say she was my very own guardian angel.”[/color] 

[color=SpringGreen][i]I only hope that she managed to escape that infernal rave as well…[/i][/color]

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[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/rSlSWzD.png[/img][/center] 

Meanwhile, in the main hall, the Angel of Hope soared over the crowds, overjoyed that she had succeeded in bringing some semblance of peace to the chaotic rave. Tossing her head back, the angelic girl closed her eyes as feelings of rapturous delight flooded her once more.

[color=DeepSkyBlue][i][b]Yes! It’s working![/b][/i][/color] she thought exultantly. [color=DeepSkyBlue][i][b]Their rage is subsiding! Such exquisite bliss fills my heart! I did it! I truly…[/b][/i][/color] her joyful thoughts suddenly trailed off as a new sensation made itself known. 

[color=DeepSkyBlue][b]“Oh!”[/b][/color] she gasped as a feeling of growing weakness began to suffuse her entire being. [color=DeepSkyBlue][b]“My power! I-I have used too much! Forgive me, everyone!”[/b][/color] she cried out in sorrow. [color=DeepSkyBlue][b]“I am afraid your humble servant has done all she can! I have given you my all! I… have nothing left…!”[/b][/color]

With that, her strength completely failed her, and the Angel of Hope plummeted out of the air. Luckily, an Ascendancy girl with a metal arm took notice of her plight and leapt up to catch her.

[color=DeepSkyBlue][b]“T-Thank… you… sister…”[/b][/color] the Angel of Hope told her rescuer in a voice filled with exhaustion. However, the words had barely left her mouth, when the other girl began yelling at her, commanding her to stop interfering and telling her that the monster girls deserved to die, and that her own actions were causing even more death.

The girl was also starting to crush her in her metallic fist.

The Angel of Hope gasped, as the other girl’s ever-tightening metallic grasp squeezed the air from her lungs. [color=DeepSkyBlue][b]“N-Nooo…”[/b][/color] she cried pitifully as she struggled to remain conscious. [color=DeepSkyBlue][b]“T-They’re… only… victims… Can’t… help… themselves…”[/b][/color] But her voice was too weak to be heard, and before she knew it, the Angel of Hope found herself being hurled into the far wall. Impacting against it with a loud thud, the utterly drained magical girl groaned in anguish. 

As she desperately fought to keep her eyes open, she knew with dreadful certainty that she was completely spent. In only a few short moments, she would be forced to revert back to her mundane self. She only hoped that she had done enough, but in her anguished heart she knew that she had not. The Ascendency had refused to heed her pleas, had not even given them a second thought as they continued their brutal slaughter. Those poor misguided souls… They were now behaving just as monstrously as those they claimed to oppose. 

[color=DeepSkyBlue][i][b]Such horrible hypocrisy… But… Am I any different…? I promised… to save them… But… I failed… Wasn’t strong enough… I wasn’t…[/b][/i][/color] 

Her eyes now refused to remain open and she could feel her thoughts slipping away. With the last of her strength the Angel of Hope managed to weakly call out, [color=DeepSkyBlue][b]“Master Chiichuu… Please… [sub]help…[/sub] [sub][sub]me…[/sub][/sub]”[/b][/color] before finally surrendering to unconsciousness.

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[hider=Uninportant stuff you needn't bother reading]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/pOPwjKY.png[/img][/center]

[center][color=Crimson]Um, we're D-list non-combat NPCs, so why do we get a fancy banner and even a BrokenPromise style quote thing?[/color]

[color=888888]-Scarlet[/color]

[color=Plum]Because we're [i]awsome![/i] And also 'cause I don't think anyone's actually gonna read any of this...[/color]

[color=888888]-Danica[/color][/center] 

As it happened, there were at least [i]two[/i] people who benefited from the Angel of Hope’s presence. Thanks to the angelic girl’s actions, both Scarlet and her companion Danica had been afforded the opportunity to escape the insanity of the dance floor and make their way to the relative safety of the game room. A wind girl ensured that the room remained smoke free, while an ice girl kept everyone cool. They might have sucked at video games, but when it came to matters of survival, they were invaluable. After arriving, Scarlet had instructed Danica to assist them by sealing off the entrance with a barrier. 

[color=Plum]“All right, that should do it!”[/color] Danica announced with a confident grin after the barrier was put into place. [color=Plum]“If anyone else has a good reason for wanting to come in, y’know, like not wanting to die, just give a shout and I’ll open a hole for them, ‘kay?”[/color] Then twirling into an open space near the center of the room she struck a flashy pose. [color=Plum]“Now with that out of the way, the rest of you get to enjoy a special treat! A private dance from yours truly! Just sit back and feast your eyes on me, okay? I’ll show you a performance you won’t soon forget!”[/color]

With that, her performance began. Even Scarlet had to admit it was quite mesmerizing, and it certainly helped to keep people calm. While her friend continued to show off her dance moves, the armored magical girl took a seat next to where a bespectacled girl was laying against a wall, apparently asleep. Hearing the girl groan, Scarlet turned to see her begin to open her eyes.

[color=Crimson]“Oh, good! You’re awake!”[/color]

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Uuugh… W-Where the hell am I?”[/color] the girl asked groggily.

[color=Crimson]“You’re in the game room,”[/color] Scarlet explained. [color=Crimson]“When my companion and I made our way here from the main dance floor, we found you laying unconscious on the ground. In fact, we nearly tripped over you! You were very lucky! With all of the sizable monster girls in there, you could have easily been trampled to death! In any case, after seeing your predicament, we brought you here.”[/color]

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Yeah… Now I remember,”[/color] the other girl said slowly. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“I went into the main hall to see what all the fuss was about when I got caught in this crazy powerful blast. Then I got punched around by a tag team of kaiju girls, just before one of those Ascendancy losers fired a grenade filled with sleeping gas at me.”[/color]

[color=Crimson]“Oh, how awful!”[/color] Scarlet exclaimed. [color=Crimson]“But you are safe [i]now[/i], so there is no need to worry.”[/color]

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Who says I’m worried?”[/color] she asked, a noticeable harshness in her tone. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“I would have kicked the shit out of those cocksuckers if that fuckin’ blast hadn’t taken me by surprise!”[/color]

[color=Crimson]“Oh, um, my apologies,”[/color] Scarlet replied, more than a little taken aback by the girl’s antagonistic demeanor and vulgar speech. [color=Crimson]“I did not mean to belittle you.”[/color]

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Yeah, whatever…”[/color] the girl said, turning her head away. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Never should have come to this fuckin’ shithole in the first place…”[/color] she grumbled.

The next moment, the room erupted in thunderous applause.

“Wow! That was amazing!” a girl cheered.

“Yeah! You really [i]are[/i] the dancing queen!” gushed another.

[color=Plum]“Well, of [i]course[/i] I am!”[/color] Danica said with a laugh. [color=Plum]“These hips don’t lie!”[/color]

Having finished her performance, the dancer made her way over.

[color=Plum]“Enjoy the show?”[/color] she asked Scarlet.

[color=Crimson]“Very much,”[/color] her companion replied. [color=Crimson]“I noticed you made some additions to your usual routine.”[/color]

[color=Plum]“Yeah, I really don’t want to get stale, or anything,”[/color] she explained. [color=Plum]“Oh, wow! I didn’t notice earlier, but you’re that ‘Number One Best Magical Girl’, right?”[/color] she asked the sullen girl sitting next to Scarlet. [color=Plum]“The one who said they were gonna put my dance moves to shame? OMG, this too great!”[/color] she declared with a laugh. [color=Plum]“There you were, talking all that smack, and we had to drag your scrawny, passed out ass all the way back here, so you wouldn’t get stepped on!”[/color] she laughed again, even louder this time, causing the bespectacled girl to growl with rage.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Keep laughin’ and I’ll shove my fist right up your— ”[/color]

“Ah, I see you’ve returned,” a small, furry creature observed as he wandered over. “Did you enjoy your little trip to the main hall?”

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“The fuck I did!”[/color] she roared. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“And where the hell were [i]you[/i] all this time, ya stupid furball?”[/color]

“I was here,” the Puchuu replied calmly. “Eating.”

[color=DeepSkyBlue][i]“Eating?!”[/i][/color]

“Yes. That other girl you were playing against left her pizza when she ran out of here, and veggie pizza is my personal favorite.”

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Fuckin’ furball!”[/color] she snarled as she picked the Puchuu up and flung him against the wall. Curling its small body into a ball, the creature bounced off it and landed between Danica’s breasts.

[color=Plum]“Why [i]hello[/i] there, little guy,”[/color] the dancer said with a giggle as she smiled down at the furry creature. [color=Plum]“Normally, the rule’s ‘look but don’t touch’, although, since you’re such a cute little thing, I think I can make an exception. How does that sound?”[/color]

“Absolutely splendid,” the Puchuu replied, while it nestled itself more snuggly in the girl’s cleavage.

[color=Plum]“So, wanna have that dancing challenge now?”[/color] Danica inquired, placing her hands on her hips. [color=Plum]“Or are you still too tired from having the crap kicked out of you?”[/color]  

[color=Crimson]“Danica!”[/color] Scarlett scolded, before the other girl could reply. [color=Crimson]“This is neither the time, nor the place!”[/color]

[color=Plum]“Yeah, I guess you’re right…”[/color] Danica conceded. [color=Plum]“I mean, there really isn’t enough room in here for [i]two[/i] dancers…”[/color]

[color=Crimson]“That is [i]not[/i] what I meant,”[/color] Scarlet replied indignantly.

For her part, the bespectacled girl seethed with pent up fury, but she did not say a word.

[color=DeepSkyBlue][i]Why in the fucking world did I ever think coming to this shithole was a good idea?[/i][/color] 


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