[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/16a8bf35-d965-4909-ac95-0db9781b733e.png [/img][/center] [center] [@Ariamis] [@Card Captor] [@FamishedPants] [@AtomicNut] [@BrokenPromise][/center] Before Alex could even reply to Connie’s request, Sakura’s furry Patron took care of Emily’s intoxication problem himself. Then, to Connie’s considerable shock, the creature transformed a nearby pink motorcycle into a large, equally pink [i]helicopter[/i], before transforming itself into a grey-haired woman. Connie was still trying to make sense of things, when the furball-turned-woman produced a jar and emptied its contents on the ground. Connie gave a sharp gasp as the disgusting pile of goo formed itself into a blonde-haired girl. A blonde-haired girl with giant, slimy [i]tentacles[/i] coming out of her waist… Clinging tightly to Gaia, Connie watched in stunned silence as the girl happily ran over to the helicopter like an excited child. A helicopter Sakura seemed to want them [i]all[/i] to board… Connie felt her heart begin to race at the thought of that. While she was certainly appreciative of the transport Sakura’s Patron had provided to help them reach the park faster, she was also terribly frightened. She had a rather large fear of flying, after all, and the stormy skies they’d be flying through certainly didn’t help. Then there was that girl with the tentacles… Lily had screamed in horror at the sight of her, before firmly refusing to get on the helicopter, choosing instead to travel via her own motorcycle. In the blink of an eye, Lily had hopped onto the machine, with Alex joining her a second later. The next thing Connie knew, the pair had raced out of sight. Connie found she really couldn’t blame the excitable lightning girl. The new arrival certainly seemed friendly, but still… Those [i]tentacles…[/i] (shudder!) Nonetheless, Connie was determined to overcome her fears. She had friends who needed her, so acting like her normal, cowardly self simply wasn’t an option. [color=DarkOrchid]“O-Okay, Mia,”[/color] Connie said, swallowing hard. [color=DarkOrchid]“L-Let’s go.”[/color] [color=SpringGreen]“Are you sure?”[/color] Her friend asked, while giving her a worried look. [color=SpringGreen]“Once you get on that thing, you won’t be able to get off until the trip is over.”[/color] [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I k-know…”[/color] Connie replied hesitantly. [color=DarkOrchid]“B-But I p-promised myself I’d g-get stronger. As l-long as y-you’re by my s-side, I t-think I c-can d-do this.”[/color] [color=SpringGreen]“Very well, little sister. Then let us be on our way.”[/color] [color=DarkOrchid][i]I can do this… I can do this… I can do this…[/i][/color] Connie repeated to herself as she approached the pink vehicle and shakily climbed aboard, followed by Gaia and Emily. As the helicopter began to rise off the ground, Connie clung tightly to Gaia, burying her head in her friend’s verdant hair. For her part, Gaia made use of the flowers embedded in her emerald tresses to envelop Connie in a cloud of soothing fragrance, which helped to calm her friend’s trembling body. [color=SpringGreen]“You’re doing great, Connie,”[/color] Gaia encouraged her friend, while giving her some affectionate head pats. [color=SpringGreen]“I am so very proud of you.”[/color] “Yeah! It’s okay!” the tentacle girl told Connie cheerily, before attempting to wrap her tentacles around her. Although the eldritch girl clearly meant it as a gesture of comfort and support, Connie was understandably terrified by the sight of the tentacles’ approach. Clinging to Gaia even more tightly, Connie summoned her own inky black tentacles to keep the blonde’s tendrils away. “Oooh! You have tentacles too!” the blonde-haired girl exclaimed with glee, while sparkles twinkled in her eyes. “That makes us sisters! Tentacle sisters!” Connie was less than pleased by the other girl’s enthusiasm, and her tentacles tried even more desperately to keep the blonde’s tendrils from coming any closer. “That’s the spirit, tentacle sister!” the eldritch girl cheered with a happy giggle. It was actually a rather cute and amusing scene, with the two sets of tentacles gently slapping at each other, and Gaia had to work very hard to keep a giggle from escaping her lips. Of course, she still felt bad for her friend, and placing an elegant hand over her mouth to hide the smirk that had formed, she politely asked the other girl to stop. [color=SpringGreen]“I know that you mean well,”[/color] Gaia told her serenely, [color=SpringGreen]“but you are greatly upsetting my dearest friend, so I would kindly ask you to please refrain from attempting to touch her.”[/color] [color=DarkOrchid]“Y-Yeah… C-Could y-you p-p-please n-not d-do t-that?”[/color] Connie whimpered. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I’m r-really s-sorry, b-but y-your t-t-tentacles r-really s-scare m-me…”[/color] “Oh! Okay!” the eldritch girl replied. “Maybe later!” Connie noticeably relaxed when she saw that the other girl’s tentacles were no longer attempting to reach her body, but rather, had gently taken hold of her own tentacles and were now patting and caressing them. Connie couldn’t help but be moved by the sight. As unnerving as she was, this girl was truly a kind and caring person. [color=DarkOrchid]“T-Thank y-you,”[/color] Connie told her softly, while giving the eldritch girl what she hoped was a friendly smile. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I’m Connie, b-by the w-way. W-what’s y-your n-name?”[/color] “Shoggy Nebula!” the other girl declared. “But you can call me Shoggy, tentacle sister!” [color=DarkOrchid]“S-Shoggy?”[/color] Connie asked, testing out the name. [color=DarkOrchid]“T-That s-sounds… r-really c-cute…”[/color] she added, a small blush forming on the cheeks of her mask. Gaia smiled at the exchange. It appeared that her little sister had just made another friend. After that, while the flight to the park was still nerve-wracking, with the help her friends, both old and new, Connie did her best to be brave. Or at the very least not [i]completely[/i] freak out. That all changed when the chopper was struck by a mighty blast of mystic energy, which blew off the tail rotor. Even with Kamy’s expert piloting, the subsequent crash landing was still a heart pounding experience. To make matters worse, no sooner had they reached the ground, than a missive wall of vines lashed out at the wrecked vehicle, threatening to consume it. Noting the danger, Kamy dispelled the vehicle, gently ejecting its passengers a safe distance away from the vines, before winking out of existence. As Connie tried to get her bearings, she saw that Gaia, Sakura, and Shoggy had all escaped the crash relatively unharmed. The latter was even now happily blasting away at the bizarre vegetation with beams of dark energy. Further afield, Connie also noticed that Emily had also escaped the crash, and was currently in the process of battling a warrior incased in dark armor. A warrior who was now leaping towards them… Casting a worried look toward Gaia, Connie saw that her friend’s eyes were closed. Clearly she was communicating with her Patron, but now [i]really[/i] wasn’t a good time for that! [color=SpringGreen][i]Yes, Mother, I know that these horrid things are an affront to your very being,[/i][/color] Gaia told her Patron, [color=SpringGreen][i]and I am only too happy to expunge them from existence, but I fear your daughter has more urgent matters to attend to![/i][/color] She added, as the armored warrior landed before them with staggering force. The shockwave of the warrior’s impact caused Gaia’s robe and hair to flutter behind her, but the verdant magical girl did not budge an inch, having rooted herself in place. Looking to Connie, she saw that her friend had been knocked off her feet, but had managed to use her tentacles to stabilize herself. Gaia smiled at the sight. Her friend’s abilities were definitely improving. Before the dark warrior could make another move, Gaia stretched out an elegant hand, her eyes glowing a brilliant green. The next instant, dozens of roots and vines surged from the ground to entwine themselves around the warrior’s armored form, pinning it in place. [color=SpringGreen]“Okay, Connie!”[/color] Gaia called. [color=SpringGreen]“Just like we practiced!”[/color] [color=DarkOrchid]“R-Right!”[/color] Focusing her mystic power, Connie summoned her Nightmare Barrier, but this time, the sphere of warped reality did not appear around herself, but rather, the entangled dark warrior. Within the confines of this horrific pocket dimension, the warrior would find herself surrounded by manifestations of her darkest fears. At the very least, this would hopefully occupy her for the time being, while the twisted plant horrors were dealt with. Of course, it also had the potential of making things much, [i]much[/i] worse… [color=SpringGreen]“Nice work, Connie!”[/color] Gaia congratulated her friend. [color=SpringGreen]“Now that [i]that[/i] is taken care of, the [i]real[/i] work can begin.”[/color] Conjuring Nature’s Blossom, she plunged the staff into the ground. It glowed an even more vibrant green than usual as it filled with mystic power, the large flower at its top opening to reveal the Orb of Spring. The purification artifact was being infused with increased mystical power, far beyond what it would normally possess. Kneeling down, Gaia her closed her eyes while placing her forehead against the staff. She called upon her connection to the Earth itself to grant her even greater strength. Plants and flowers of every kind sprouted around her as she made her request. [color=SpringGreen][i]Mother, I humbly beseech you, please lend me your aid, so that I may bestow your blessing upon this place, and cleanse it of the abominations to your sight that reside here. Fill me until I overflow![/i][/color] Gaia could feel her mother’s power blooming within her, and it was not long before a whirlwind of shimmering green energy began swirling around her nymph-like form. It grew in power with every second, before Gaia called out, [color=SpringGreen]“Foul perversions of flesh and bark! Be gone from this place, for you are no longer welcome here! So commands Gaia, Daughter of Mother Earth!” [/color] At that, the emerald whirlwind seemed to explode in all directions, surging out to bestow Mother Earth’s blessing on the entire park (or at least a small piece of it), purifying it of Aighorost’s twisted abominations. Gaia only hoped it would be enough… [hr] [hider=Forgettable Nonsense] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/FIQ7PpZ.png[/img][/center] Back in the game room, things were not going well. At first, the situation seemed to be under control, but then came the sounds of horrific screaming, which thoroughly unnerved everyone present. The screams had scarcely quieted, when a massive barrage of dragon-headed lightning surged throughout the rave halls. It slammed against Danica’s barrier with staggering force, completely shattering it, while simultaneously blasting through the walls. It was only due to Danica’s quick thinking that they had survived the onslaught, the dancer having swiftly erected an array of overlapping barriers to shield everyone from the terrifying tempest. Thankfully, the attack ceased a moment later, but the game room’s occupants were still badly shaken up. Even the courageous Scarlet felt a tide of worry threaten to overwhelm her, although her anxiety was not for herself, but for everyone else in the makeshift shelter, as well as those who were still unaccounted for. The thought of one girl in particular refused to take leave of her mind. That shy girl in the mask, Connie, was it not? Scarlet fervently hoped that she was okay, that she had somehow survived the horrific carnage that had just played out, but the armored magical girl knew this was not the time to be distracted by things beyond her control. As she cast a concerned gaze over the tired and frightened faces around her, Scarlet saw that over a dozen people had chosen to take refuge in the game room, and, being a natural leader, she felt it was her duty to see that they all survived this accursed rave. To do that, they would need to escape it, and [i]that[/i] was easer said then done. Inventory had already been taken, and they had confirmed that none among them possessed Interdimensional Homes, or the ability to teleport, shift to the Overcity, or anything similar. The only way out would be the way they came in, which meant leaving the relative safety of the game room to face whatever unknown horrors awaited beyond. Still, Scarlet knew that it was something that had to be done, and soon… Stepping into the center of the room she called out, [color=Crimson]“Excuse me, everyone! May I have your attention, please? I know you would all prefer to remain here, where there is some measure of safety, but if we are to survive this dreadful night, we must leave this place, and do so at once! We have escaped the worst of things thus far, but how long will that last? If we remain here, I fear that it is only a matter of time before we are faced with something we cannot repel. Therefore, I implore you, please allow me to guide you to safety. I am certain that if we work together, we can make it through this.”[/color] [color=LightCyan]“That’s a really nice speech and all,”[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/URBgKgZ]an ice girl[/url] noted, [color=LightCyan]“but how exactly are we supposed to [i]survive[/i] out there? You saw that crazy lighting. It broke apart barriers like they weren’t even [i]there.[/i] If whatever did [i]that[/i] does it again, I don’t see how there’s [i]anything[/i] we could do to stop it.”[/color] [color=Pink]“She's right!”[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/4kR5kSf]another girl[/url] spoke up. [color=Pink]“I mean, I’d, like, totally love to leave this icky place, but, like, if whoever did that sees us, we’d be, like, totally dead!”[/color] [color=DodgerBlue]“My friend Melissa has Illusion magic,”[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/QPAmA71]a soft-spoken girl[/url] offered with a tentative smile, while gesturing to [url=https://imgur.com/1rIVXDy]a girl wearing her dark blue hair in a ponytail.[/url] [color=DodgerBlue]“Perhaps she can help?”[/color] [color=Crimson]“It would have to be a very large illusion to cover all of us,”[/color] Scarlet mused. [color=Crimson]“Are you capable of doing something like that?”[/color] [color=Blue]“Well, I’ve never tired to conceal so many people before,”[/color] the illusionist replied, [color=Blue]“but I’m always up for a challenge!”[/color] [color=Crimson]“Splendid!”[/color] Scarlet commended. [color=Crimson]“You have my sincere thanks. Now then, let us all take up position! I shall lead, while Danica brings up the rear. Please try to stay as close to one another as possible, so that Miss Melissa’s illusion can more effectively cover us.”[/color] [color=Plum]“What are we gonna do about her?”[/color] Danica asked pointing to the bespectacled girl who seemed to have once again fallen asleep. “Oh, she’s simply regaining her strength,” the girl’s Puchuu explained from where he nestled between Danica’s breasts. “She can replenish her mana much more rapidly when she is asleep, although I can perceive how that might be somewhat inconvenient at this juncture. If one of you would be accommodating enough to carry her, or perhaps to find some form of conveyance to transport her, I would be immensely grateful. If not, I completely understand. She did perform rather poorly tonight, after all,” he added, casting a disdainful glare at the slumbering girl. [color=DarkGray]“I’ll take care of it,”[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/Q1dglHW]a grey-haired girl[/url] declared in a deadpan voice. Using her Metal Specialization, she disassembled the various computers, game consoles, screens, and tables to create what looked like an oversized baby carriage. It lacked wheels, and instead simply hovered a little over a foot off the ground. The girl then took some of the pillows and cushions and placed them inside. [color=DarkGray]“How’s that?”[/color] she asked. “Oh, how wonderful,” the Puchuu replied. “Fit for an infant, or an infantile [i]brat.[/i]” he added, jumping onto the metal spec girl’s shoulder while she placed his agent in the “carriage”. “What would you like for compensation? I shall consider any reasonable request.” [color=DarkGray]“Oh, just permission to take a few pictures would be fine,”[/color] she said, taking out her phone. “Certainly,” the Puchuu said with a nod. “Permission granted.” [color=Crimson]“All right,”[/color] Scarlet announced as she stepped up to the door. [color=Crimson]“Ready everyone? Very well, then let us be off!”[/color] With that, they made their hurried dash for the exit. While short, the trip was not a pleasant one. The first thing they noticed, upon leaving the game room, were the corpses. There were dozens of them, all in various stages of mutilation, dismemberment, consumption, or [i]worse…[/i] There were so many, in fact, that they seemed to cover nearly every inch of the floor. Paradoxically, although they did act as minor impediments, they also served to hasten the group’s flight, the horrific sight providing an excellent motivation to place their escape above all else. Not even the battle raging between the shining knight with the enormous hammer and the even more enormous dragon/hydra/monster queen was enough to lessen their pace in the slightest. Before they knew it, they had emerged into the rain-soaked night air, at which point the entire group seemed to give a shout of elation. They were so overjoyed, in fact, that they completely failed to notice the unconscious form of Violette laying a short distance away. [color=Pink]“Yay! We, like, totally made it!”[/color] one of the girls cheered as she danced around and took selfies. [color=Pink]“And, like, I don’t even care that it’s raining!”[/color] [color=DodgerBlue]“W-We did it…”[/color] another girl said slowly as the realization slowly sank in. [color=DodgerBlue]“We really did it!”[/color] [color=Plum]“Well, [i]of course[/i] we did!”[/color] Danica said with a confident laugh. [color=Plum]“We make a pretty amazing team, especially for a bunch of girls who only just met! Oh, and [i]boys[/i], too”[/color] she added, eyeing a pair of magical boys on the outer edge of the group. [color=Plum]“Yeah, I see you two checking me out,”[/color] she called to them playfully, at which point they turned away, clearly embarrassed. [color=Plum]“Aww, there’s no need to be shy!”[/color] Danica told them with an amused giggle. [color=Plum]“It’s okay, you can stare at me for as long as you like. After all, I just [i]love[/i] it when handsome guys drool over me,”[/color] she added, striking a sexy pose. [color=Plum]“It feels [i]so good…[/i]”[/color] [color=Crimson]“Danica! Behave!”[/color] Scarlet scolded. [color=Crimson]“We don’t want a repeat of earlier do we?”[/color] [color=Plum]“Whaaat?”[/color] Danica whined petulantly. [color=Plum]“I’m not [i]doing[/i] anything. I’m just [i]standing[/i] here…”[/color] [color=Crimson]“A little modesty would not hurt,”[/color] Scarlet noted. [color=Plum]“Who needs modesty when you’ve got a body like [i]this?[/i]”[/color] the dancer asked, running her fingers over one of her shapely legs and clearly enjoying the sensation. [color=Crimson]“Oh, whatever am I going to do with you?”[/color] Scarlet said with an exasperated sigh. Then, stepping up to Danica, she grabbed the dancer’s ear and gave it a forceful pinch. [color=Plum]“Oww!”[/color] Danica cried out in pain, having ceased her preening to comfort her ear. [color=Plum]“Scaaaarlet… W-What was [i]that[/i] for…?”[/color] [color=Crimson]“Just a little something to bring you to your senses,”[/color] Scarlet informed her. [color=Crimson]“In case you’ve forgotten, we have some important matters to think about.”[/color] [color=Plum]“Like what?”[/color] the dancer asked, clearly puzzled. [color=Plum]“We got out of there, didn’t we?”[/color] [color=Crimson]“We did, but now where are we going to go? We do not hail from this city, and I suspect many of our group have joined us from afar as well. Would that be an accurate suspicion?”[/color] she asked the others, all of which nodded their heads. [color=Crimson]“With most of us low on mana, it would do well to decide upon a place to stay for the night.”[/color] [color=Plum]“Hey!”[/color] Danica shouted, pulling a folded piece of paper from out of her bikini top and placing a small barrier above her to shield it from the downpour. [color=Plum]“I just remembered! Some redheaded hottie gave me this flyer earlier! I didn’t think much of it at the time, but, look, it’s an advertisement for a hotel! A hotel for magical girls!”[/color] Taking the flyer, Scarlet looked it over. It was well designed, and boasted a Chinese theme, with dragons featuring prominently. [color=Crimson]“The Golden Trove,”[/color] she read aloud before giving a small nod. [color=Crimson]“This looks like it will do quite nicely. Does this meet with everyone’s approval?”[/color] After all gathered had given their agreement, Scarlet began leading them in the direction of the hotel. [color=Crimson]“Well done, Danica.”[/color] Scarlet congratulated her companion as they walked along the rainy streets. [color=Crimson]“It would appear your promiscuity has served us well, for once.”[/color] She added with a grin. [color=Plum]“Hey! Just because I happen to appreciate attractive people doesn’t mean I’m a slut!”[/color] Danica retorted. [color=Crimson]“I never said that you were.”[/color] [color=Plum]“Yeah, but you were [i]thinking[/i] it…”[/color] [color=Crimson]“Perish the thought.”[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/GBVojb6.png[/img][/center] As the two continued to snipe at each other, a groggy Angela slowly opened her eyes. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Wha… What’s goin’ on…?”[/color] “Ah, good, you’re awake,” her Puchuu noted approvingly. “I hope your nap was beneficial, as there may be further need of you this night. Many of the monsters and dark magicals escaped the rave and are now causing considerable mischief. After your lackluster performance earlier, this could serve as a way for you to redeem yourself.” [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Up yours, furball,”[/color] Angela spat. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“What happened? Where the hell are we?”[/color] “Thanks to some actually competent magical girls, we successfully managed to depart the rave and we are now making our way to a place of lodging for the night. More precisely, [i]you[/i] are in a carriage.” [color=DeepSkyBlue]“A [i]what?![/i]” [/color] Sitting up, she forced herself out of the carriage and onto her feet. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Whose fuckin’ idea was this?”[/color] the bespectacled girl snarled. [color=DarkGray]“Mine,”[/color] the grey-haired girl replied. “We did not wish to wake you,” the Puchuu added. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Ah, screw this shit show!”[/color] Angela spat. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“I’m outta here. C’mon, furball, let’s go deal with those fuckers you were goin’ on about. Maybe shovin’ their heads up their asses’ll help me blow off some steam…”[/color] she muttered. [color=DarkGray]“Hey, before you go, can I have your autograph?”[/color] the grey-haired girl inquired. [color=DarkGray]“I wanna be able to prove that I actually pushed the Best Magical Girl herself around in my carriage.”[/color] Angela’s only response was flipping the girl off, just before she slipped and landed face first in a puddle. [color=DeepSkyBlue][i]This. Fucking. Place.[/i][/color] [/hider]