[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/5pj6KWO.png[/img]
Mariette | Lea | Esther | Taihei | Tullia | Suzette | Mayra
Eli | Freya | Jelena | Josefin | Victoria | Ronja | ???[/center]

… So, Mariette just shut Nuncio and Sammy inside one of the rooms of her mansion. She was currently having her arm be healed, Ronja keeping it webbed up by several spider-limbs while she was looking down at it in light interest. It was in the foyer of the gothic mansion that belonged to Mariette, with the portraits of the various champions spread across the walls. The same champions stood across the floor, while Mariette currently stood at the top of the stairs facing down at them. The only exceptions were Ronja, currently healing her arm, and Eli, who stood as always on her side. Behind her stood the Black Mirror, ominous in its appearance, echoing in its dark colours.

[color=077ae6]‘Today, Justine von Visceral was discovered once again to be in Penrose,’[/color] Mariette told. [color=077ae6]‘She, or more accurately, her companion, is the one person in the world we know of that can break through into our dimension at will. She’s also hostile, vengeful for the past incident and potentially planning an attack. We cannot sit idle. We have to assume that she will one day come with a full frontal assault. Hence, we must be prepared.’[/color]

[color=077ae6]‘Tullia. Victoria,’[/color] Mariette told, looking towards the two ice-Magical Girls in the group. [color=077ae6]‘The area outside our doors is looking a little bleak. Create a blizzard. Use your powers to freeze the dimension over, create a howling blizzard among the glaciers that will freeze anyone who’d arrive into our dimension unprepared. Create a field within which our traps can be plentiful and difficult to discover, a field within our monsters can destroy our foes with the advantage on their side. The Bifrost Staff should be powerful enough to achieve such.’[/color]

[color=9c87c9]‘Heh. Alright, you handle to creation of all the ice, and I’ll decrease the temperature,’[/color] Victoria said with a little grin to Tullia, frostbite growing along her arms.
[color=6cbad4]‘Very well. It’s the first time I get to sculpt a whole world…’[/color] Tullia mentioned, and breathed out somewhat in anticipation, grasping the Bifrost Staff with both hands. [color=6cbad4]‘Frostbite and the Cold Sculptor will not let you down!’[/color] she then told, her gaze serious while Victoria smirked, thinking of those who’d run into their cold little world.

Mariette nodded. Then, she turned to… [color=077ae6]‘Taihei. We are going to need a lot of traps and detection systems. I want to know the moment someone sets foot inside our dimension, and I want them to be greeted with firepower. We’ll assign specific areas where we’re allowed to walk, and others that will be trapped. And Josefin…’[/color] Mariette sighed a bit.  [color=077ae6]‘Just stick close to Taihei. We’re hoping your luck will cancel out her lack of it.’[/color] 

[color=4e5478]‘It may be that my bad luck is more powerful than her luck…’[/color] Taihei muttered over there, but the aquatic monster girl quickly got hugged from behind by a cheerful and bubbly blonde. [color=fcedae]‘Aw, don’t be like that! Come on, let’s tackle this problem, together!’[/color] Josefin told, happily. [color=fcedae]‘The Artificer and the Perky Pilferer is on the case!’[/color] 

[color=077ae6]‘Good. And when the fighting starts, I want you close to me,’[/color] Mariette said, looking to Josefin. Yeah, abusing that luck is for the best. [color=077ae6]‘Ronja. I want your webs [i]everywhere[/i]. Reinforce every surface of every wall, every mirror, strengthen everything. And above all, web up the Black Mirror. We will need it to stay safe for a minute should we come under an attack we cannot defend against. If that web is laced with psychic traps, that’s even better…’[/color]

[color=fa898b]‘Leave it to me. The Psychoarachnid has you covered,’[/color] Ronja said, spinning some web in her spider-hands while her own hands were clasped together in a bit of delight. [color=fa898b]‘Tihi, such teamwork…!’[/color] 

[color=077ae6]‘Mayra,’[/color] Mariette looked to the dragon-kin among them, who looked a bit surprised to be spoken to. [color=077ae6]‘It’s time to use that Darkness specialization of yours. [i]Curse everything[/i].’[/color]

[color=fc6828]‘Oooooooooooooooooooooh now you’re talking…!’[/color] Mayra said, grinning widely. [color=fc6828]‘Don’t you worry! The Flame Demon’s on it…!’[/color]

[color=077ae6]‘Esther,’[/color] Mariette said, looking towards the wood-girl standing perpetually silently to the side. [color=077ae6]‘The inside of the mansion is yours. Overgrow it. Make it your garden. Spare the mirrors, of course, but otherwise make it a jungle for anyone who attempts getting in. Make it all a part of you.’[/color] 

Esther made no reply, but the growths of wood on her started to breach into the floor beneath her, preparing to expand her wood-element and make herself a part of the mansion. The Wilted Wanderer spread her influence… 

[color=077ae6]‘Suzette. The girls you’ve been training. We’re going to need them. Give them a final few training sessions in combat, soak yourself in all the emotions you need, then bring them here,’[/color] Mariette told, looking to the blonde empath. 

[color=ffd230]‘You’ll be proud of their development. They can actually fight worth a damn, now, haha,’[/color] Suzette told, giving a giggle as she did. [color=ffd230]‘You’ve got the guarantee of the Emptiness Empath.’[/color]

[color=077ae6]‘And send Annie Marchand to my room,’[/color] Mariette added.

[color=ffd230]‘Oh, it’s that time? You got it~!’[/color] Suzette replied cheerfully.

[color=077ae6]‘Lea…’[/color] Mariette swallowed a bit as she looked up to the floating girl that was the only one here she did not outrank. [color=077ae6]‘We’re going to need more monsters to throw at our enemies. Can I trust you to arrange them for me?’[/color]

[color=c1eb9b]‘For Asengav,’[/color] Lea replied, raising her head a bit. [color=c1eb9b]‘This mission is of great importance to our lord. Because of that, the Windfall Sprite will do what she can.’[/color]

[color=077ae6]‘Freya,’[/color] Mariette then turned to her half-snake-monster girl ally, who was looking modestly discontent. [color=077ae6]‘We can’t know what’s going on inside Beacon. We can, however, find out what’s going on inside the sanctuary. I’d like you to go there and see what you can find out. As a monster-girl, you should fit in well.’[/color]

[color=C5DBE7]‘Very well,’[/color] Freya simply said, while she internally gave a thank you for that the mission she was given involved her being in Penrose. There was someone she wanted to talk to in Penrose.

[color=077ae6]‘Jelena,’[/color] Mariette then said, turning to the girl with metal arms. [color=077ae6]‘It’s time we employ [i]that[/i] trick.’[/color]

[color=a699ad]‘[i]THAT[/i] trick!?’[/color] Jelena asked, grinning from ear to ear.

[color=077ae6]‘[i]That[/i] trick,’[/color] Mariette confirmed.

[color=a699ad]‘Ooooh, boy, I can’t wait~!’[/color] Jelena called, looking super excited.

[color=077ae6]‘… You can also head with Freya, she might need your Third Eye,’[/color] Mariette added as an afterthought.

[color=a699ad]‘Yes, ma’am~! Black Rabbit will support the Union Beast!’[/color] the girl saluted with a giant metal hand and looked elated, Freya raising her eyebrow over there.

Mariette now looked towards the final girl. The one that was keeping them all updated. The one that spent the majority of her time inside a room with computers and that gathered information for them. It was… honestly hard to look at her. The moment one looked away from her one could forget how she looked like. She never looked the same when she stalked the streets. She’d been the one to tell Nuncio where to find Mariette when she was in trouble. She was the one who’d briefed Mariette on everything that had happened…

[color=077ae6]‘… With the recent riots, I believe we have an opportunity to increase the public opinion of us. While the rest of our forces work to make us as strong as possible, I will make alliances, break up fights, destroy monsters and save those in need. You will guide my hand, will you not?’[/color]

[color=A2DFF6]‘Not like I was about to stop, was I?’[/color] the girl told. [color=A2DFF6]‘The Trespasser will guide your hand.’[/color]

[color=077ae6]‘Excellent. … In addition, when you have the time, could you go back to your world and bring back some weapons and grenades? I predict they would be useful…’[/color] Mariette asked, feeling a bit bad, because…

[color=A2DFF6]‘I already don’t get a lot of rest,’[/color] the incognito girl said, sighing a bit. [color=A2DFF6]‘But very well. I will see what I can do.’[/color] 

[color=077ae6]‘Thank you,’[/color] Mariette said. Then she realized a certain slime-girl next to her was looking at her expectantly, almost eagerly. The portal girl had initially not intended on addressing her, for her duties hadn’t changed, but… [color=077ae6]‘Eli,’[/color] Mariette said her name, and Eli tensed up at her side. [color=077ae6]‘You will continue to support me by my side, will you not?’[/color]

[color=57a345]‘Yes, mistress! The Darkness Harpy will support you, always!’[/color] Eli said, smiling a sweet little smile.

[color=077ae6]‘… The Reflective Witch thanks you,’[/color] Mariette responded, pulling title only because everyone else was. Eli looked happy enough with that response. The portal girl nodded, and then simply looked to everyone else.

[color=077ae6]‘Alright. To work.’[/color]

With that, everyone turned and departed in different directions, all with work to do.

[hr]

[hider=To Give Character To Those Who Lack It][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/P2tVfst.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/u1b416E.png[/img][/center]
The frost dragon roared, as ice and blizzard was blowing past the two Magical Girls and freezing everything around them. Neither of them were the slightest bothered as ice and snow built up around them, glaciers forming wherever the breath of the frozen dragon touched. The might all came from the shining staff in Tullia’s grasp, the girl frowning and keeping watchful eyes at everywhere her magical might blew her storm of ice and snow.

And beside her was Victoria, not even nearly as magically powerful, standing somewhat awkwardly just making sure everything was properly frozen, doing what she could but honestly looking more like she was giving herself frostbite. Now, in a physical battle, Victoria would positively smash Tullia’s bloody corpse into pulp so was their stat-difference, but that really didn’t mean much in a situation like this where it was an effort of sheer magic that was needed. Victoria gazed at her partner enviously.

[color=9c87c9]‘Man, I wish I’d pleased a god, too,’[/color] Victoria said with a chuckle.

[color=6cbad4]‘I’m sure there are other means of getting significantly powerful magical weapons,’[/color] Tullia said, breathing hard as she focused the depths of her Mana Font to sculpt out this world with the help of the frost dragon behind her. Then, with a whole blizzard formed, the dragon started to dissipate a bit, as Tullia stumbled back in spent magic. [color=6cbad4]‘Th-there. Now just… wait for my mana to recharge a bit… and then…’[/color] Tullia said, breathing heavily, sitting down on an ice-chair that spontaneously formed behind her. Victoria kept looking at her, and Tullia slowly calmed down, then…

[color=6cbad4]‘Besides, having all this power is not a good thing, always,’[/color] Tullia said.

[color=9c87c9]‘Any particular reason why?’[/color] Victoria asked, raising her arms and placing her hands behind her head, elbows in the air.

[color=6cbad4]‘Well, it attracts the attention of horrors, for one thing,’[/color] Tullia shrugged. [color=6cbad4]‘I was a normal unremarkable Magical Girl, and then I was given the Bifrost Staff because I saved a bunch of frost giants, which made me really powerful… and then Asengav kidnapped me and I haven’t been able to go home since,’[/color] she told, sighing out. [color=6cbad4]‘Just because of the staff. Since then, I’ve been more staff than myself. I’m the accessory that’s only relevant because I hold this staff. Because of this staff, I can never see my friends and family again…’[/color]

[color=9c87c9]‘Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii see,’[/color] Victoria sounded out. [color=9c87c9]‘Well, hand it over?’[/color]

[color=6cbad4]‘I sincerely doubt I’d be let go even if I were able to hand it over. No, it’s tied to my soul,’[/color] Tullia said with a bit of a smile. [color=6cbad4]‘Besides, it’s not like I mind my current existence.’[/color]

[color=9c87c9]‘Huh, really? Because you just sounded a lot like you were blaming the staff and or Asengav for not being able to see your friends and family again, heh,’[/color] Victoria said with a little grin.

[color=6cbad4]‘No, that’s not it. I was just cautioning about that getting more power might change one’s life forever. Asengav just did what horrors do and secure the greatest power available to him, which was me. I can’t fault him for that,’[/color] Tullia said, unknowing of the mind-bending’s influence on her words.

[color=9c87c9]‘I… see,’[/color] Victoria sounded out, unconvinced. [color=9c87c9]‘Eh, I’m already in Asengav’s employ and have already lost my original friends and family! More powerful weapons to me!’[/color] she called, reaching out and made a sword out of ice in front of her, swinging it pretending it was a mighty artifact.

[color=6cbad4]‘You… lost it all, huh,’[/color] Tullia repeated.

[color=9c87c9]‘Yepp!’[/color] Victoria said with a grin. [color=9c87c9]‘I hadn’t even been a Magical Girl for long before I became employed by Asengav! I was just some noble brat in a state that suddenly decided to overthrow all nobles, so we fled, but we ended up dying in a blizzard. I would have died too, but a Lesser Force offered to save “me”. I thought he meant “us”, but that was a misunderstanding, he saved me and left my family to die, so I ditched him immediately, and then just… happened to run into Asengav. Huh, I wonder why?’[/color] Victoria mused, but then shrugged. [color=9c87c9]‘Eh! Who cares! I’ve been at this for a hundred years or such, now, memories are getting foggy, hahaha!’[/color]

[color=6cbad4]‘… So any friends you had would be a hundred years old, huh,’[/color] Tullia said, sounding a bit sad.

[color=9c87c9]‘Eh, don’t care about me! Everyone I knew is dead! Your friends and family! Don’t you miss them? There might be a shot at seeing them again! I know Suzette and Josefin still regularly visit their families, even under Asengav!’[/color] 

[color=6cbad4]‘… Uh, I’ve, sort of grown used to being apart from them…?’[/color] Tullia asked, looking sort of confused.

[color=9c87c9]‘Nonsense! Let’s go see them whenever we can! Alright, partner!?’[/color] Victoria called, lightly punching Tullia’s arm.

[color=6cbad4]‘Er, alright…!’[/color] a confused Tullia winced as the punch was still hard enough to hurt, looking at her companion somewhat confused. Guess she just got plans for after all this…?

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[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/sKJ5riZ.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/rMgrdyA.png[/img][/center]
There was a room within the mansion called the Void Room, where it was easier to enter and exit the mansion as long as you were a chosen of Asengav. Suzette smiled a bit as a bright shining portal opened before her, and- 

[color=fa898b]‘That's not the way to our soldiers,’[/color]  Ronja commented, the arachnid girl standing by the door in the void behind her with crossed arms and some web hanging from her arms..

[color=ffd230]‘Did you come here specifically to make sure I didn't go anywhere I shouldn't?’[/color]  Suzette asked with a little giggle.

[color=fa898b]‘No,’[/color]  the spider girl said. [color=fa898b]‘I just figured that if Justine's going to spontaneously appear, it would be in the Void Room, so I thought I should reinforce that, first.’[/color] 

[color=ffd230]‘How sensible. Have a medal,’[/color]  Suzette smiled again.

[color=fa898b]‘So, where are you going?’[/color]  Ronja insisted. Suzette took a moment before replying, with a sad little smile..

[color=ffd230]‘My family still lives. To them, I just suddenly disappeared. Now, I could try to comfort them, but I now look younger than my daughter. I can't see them as I used to, but I'd like to take a look every once in a while.

And… we might die in the coming conflict. It doesn't matter much to older Magical Girls, but I'd suddenly miss [i]decades[/i] of my husband and daughter's life. I wouldn't be able to bear it. I’ll avoid it at all costs. But just in case, I’m going to go have a look at them.’[/color] 

[color=fa898b]‘You’re… sort of jinxing yourself, aren’t you?’[/color] Ronja asked, tilting her head a bit.

[color=ffd230]‘I jinx myself if I [i]don’t[/i] go, too,’[/color] Suzette replied with a grin. [color=ffd230]‘How about you? Don’t you have someone in your previous life you’re missing?’[/color]

[color=fa898b]‘No, not really. I was an orphan, not really close to anyone,’[/color] Ronja said. [color=fa898b]‘I had a talent for sorcery, though, so I used that to hypnotize people and become a psychiatrist, but then I accidentally made a mob boss kill himself, and… well, if it weren’t for Asengav, I wouldn’t be alive. I wonder why me? I was just a little kid with some psychic abilities…’[/color]

[color=ffd230]‘Heh, guess you had significant talent,’[/color] Suzette smirked about. [color=ffd230]‘Similarly to me. I became famous in my area for being an incredibly powerful empath… and guess Asengav wanted an empath.’[/color]

[color=fa898b]‘Heh, guess so,’[/color] Ronja stated.

The two stared at one another for a bit, and then…

[color=fa898b]‘Hey, you know how I wanted to have little spider babies?’[/color] Ronja said with a little giggle. [color=fa898b]‘If you die, I’ll take your daughter and make her my daughter.’[/color]

[color=ffd230]‘Over my dead body,’[/color] Suzette said, realized what she’d just said, and her face twisted into honest concern. [color=ffd230]‘Damn, then I REALLY need to stay alive.’[/color] 

[color=fa898b]‘That’s the idea~’[/color] Ronja said with a giggle. It was infectious, and Suzette started giggling a bit, too. [color=fa898b]‘Here, give her this, will you?’[/color] the spider then said, handing over a woven yellow sweater…

[color=ffd230]‘Oh, you bastard, you knew exactly where I was going and caught up with me to hand me this, didn’t you? Is there spider-web in this?’[/color] Suzette asked with a smile.

[color=fa898b]‘It’s practically body-armour, if she felt like getting into a fight in it,’[/color] Ronja said. [color=fa898b]‘A result of my weaving practice.’[/color]

[color=ffd230]‘Oh, you little-’[/color] 

And then the two laughed together and Suzette hugged her spider friend, before Suzette finally departed and Ronja looked on until she was gone before she took to reinforcing the place as intended.

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[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/qXVwWBs.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/UZad3rZ.png[/img][/center]
[color=4e5478]‘… What am I doing?’[/color] Taihei asked, looking up from the device she was making. It was within Taihei’s workshop, the shelves littered with materials and tools… 

[color=fcedae]‘Hm? You’re making items?’[/color] Josefin asked, holding her hands forward and focusing her power to help out with the development.

[color=4e5478]‘I’ve been doing that for the several hundred years. It’s never changed. It’s never going to change. Even when I die, I come back later, and keep making items. The whole time, I am plagued by constant horrific bad luck. I don’t even enjoy it. Why am I doing it?’[/color] Taihei asked, as she kept striking her staff at the artifact she was creating, unable to really stop working.

[color=fcedae]‘Why, it’s because Asengav wants you to work, isn’t it?’[/color] Josefin told, and as one of the girls actually aware they’re all mind-bent, she could imagine Asengav having made sure Taihei never stopped working.

[color=4e5478]‘That’s my sole purpose, is it?’[/color] Taihei stated. [color=4e5478]‘Once upon a time, I was a legendary craftsman, people showered me with gifts for my items, people loved me… and then they went to war for my things. They couldn’t agree who’d use them, so men started killing one another, whole armies mustered just to make use of my magical artifacts. My wife, my children, my friends and my country. They all perished because of my talents. My ability to make was my greatest curse. I was unlucky before I was ever a monster. I signed a deal with Asengav to get revenge on them… but after that, everything felt so hollow. Now I make items, to an eternal dark being that will never let me go, reminded day after day that I am using the very talents that all those I loved was killed for…’[/color] Taihei sighed.

[color=4e5478]‘Sometimes I wish I could just end it all,’[/color] she finished on.

Josefin winced. In comparison to Taihei, she was the most normal of all normal. She’d been a regular girl, a regular Magical Girl, that’d just been exceedingly lucky except for that one moment she decided to walk through a portal and ended up in the thrall of Asengav. More than that, her luck had given her [i]A Way Out[/i]. She could bid her farewell to Asengav at any moment, mind-bending be damned. Could she somehow use that way out on Taihei? It was theoretically possible, since using her powers she could- [color=fcedae]‘NO!’[/color]

Josefin made Taihei look at her with that shout, and Josefin shook her head and frowned. [color=fcedae]‘That’s not the way, that’s not the way at all!’[/color] she frowned more and glared at Taihei. [color=fcedae]‘I’ll find a way! I’ll find a way to make you happy again! Anything that’s within my power! There’s got to be some way…!’[/color] and in all of that, she couldn’t even imagine somehow turning her back on Asengav, because mind-bending.

[color=4e5478]‘… Ah, I see,’[/color] Taihei said, looking with weary eyes at Josefin.

[color=fcedae]‘Huh? See what?’[/color] Josefin asked, confused.

[color=4e5478]‘… You… were recruited specifically to be my companion, with your luck and your pep. Asengav recruited you specifically to try to make me happy. With other words, I ruined your life, too. Doomed you to eternal servitude, just by existing…’[/color]

Josefin recoiled, eyes wide.

[color=4e5478]‘… I must ask you to leave me be. I’ll get sad just looking at you, for a while,’[/color] Taihei said, turning back to her devices.

[i]You’re wrong![/i] … Josefin thought. [i]I wasn’t recruited to keep you happy, if he wanted you happy he could have mind-bent you to be happy! I was recruited because, at the final phase of the plan, I’m gonna-[/i]

But she couldn’t tell Taihei. Because her mind-bending specifically forbid her from talking about it.

[color=fcedae]‘Kh-!’[/color] Tears in her eyes, Josefin turned around, and ran out of the workshop.

Taihei sighed at the act she’d just committed, to inflict a happy girl wishing her well with such despair. Just her luck, that something like that would slip out of her mouth. Taihei instead let her mind drift to traps she could device.

… So, they were going to remove the Black Mirror in case of an attack, right? That would mean that… oh. And then she could… Oho, what a cruel, [i]cruel[/i] little idea that had just occurred to the Artificer.

[color=4e5478]‘… Heh,’[/color] Taihei cracked her first little smile in a long time, out of sadistic pleasure, perhaps the only pleasure she still felt. And with that, she started to work again…

And then her bad luck made itself known due to Josefin’s departure as one of her Magma Bombs spontaneously exploded and flooded the room with magma, forcing someone to bring Victoria so she could freeze the magma and then Mayra had to come shovel it out.

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[color=c1eb9b]‘… It’s been so long,’[/color] Lea sighed, standing in front of Esther still in the foyer, the wood-being silent as always as her roots spread through the walls of the mansion. The fae-looking monster girl felt just the tiniest nostalgic looking over Esther’s unmoving features. [color=c1eb9b]‘The two of us are the oldest remaining champions of Asengav. How does it make you feel, seeing all these young things running operations now?’[/color] Lea asked. Esther, predictably, did not respond.

[color=c1eb9b]‘You know, I still remember… I remember being a Lesser Force,’[/color] Lea said, reaching forward to gently feel the wood of Esther’s body under her fingers. [color=c1eb9b]‘I was tasked with looking after Asengav when he was small and impulsive. I cleaned up his messes and taught him about the world… he was my everything, and I followed him. Followed him until his reach crossed dimensions and he no longer had any use of me. And so… I was reduced to a Magical Girl so that I may still serve as his champion, where my status as Lesser Force would have prevented me from doing so,’[/color] Lea said, mostly to herself, as Esther silently listened.

[color=c1eb9b]‘Do you think he appreciates what I’ve done for him? Or am I simply another, if the very first, pawn of his?’[/color] the fey asked, staring at Esther’s unchanging expression.

[color=c1eb9b]‘… Did we break you too hard?’[/color] Lea asked, leading her hand up to cup Esther’s wooden cheek. [color=c1eb9b]‘Maybe my pain is pitiful compared to yours. You were the queen of a magical bee-hive, after all. In your world, all magic responded to a single queen. Then we took it, corrupted it, made a loyal monster out of it, and then the whole world was ours because we took the queen… How does that feel? Do you cry, thinking of all the subjects you lost? Are you even capable of thinking about it?’[/color] Lea asked, knowing fully well that the mind-bent Esther could never think negative thoughts about Asengav’s actions against her people. Esther did not react at all.

[color=c1eb9b]‘… You don’t make for very good conversation, do you?’[/color] Lea sighed, and backed off, floating a couple meters back. Looking at the utterly unchanging Esther was somewhat annoying her. Fortunately, she did know what the wooden girl liked. From herself, Lea spawned multiple colourful butterflies, and she sent them fluttering around her before sending them over towards Esther. Almost at once, Esther’s eyes opened a little wider, and her wooden hand reached up to make branches for the little butterflies to settle on, which they did. Esther immediately became a bit more colourful, with butterflies of varying colours brightening up the tree girl’s wilted persona.

[color=c1eb9b]‘… And that will do,’[/color] Lea said, personally satisfied in having triggered some form of reaction from the wooden girl, before turning around herself and flying off, leaving Esther to infesting the mansion and integrating herself into the whole dimension. Suppose Lea had her own duties to attend to. She flew to see to them.

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[color=a699ad]‘Oh, come on! That’s totally unfair! If I can’t react to that with Magical Girl reflexes, [i]nobody[/i] can…!’[/color] Jelena complained loudly, gripping a controller and mashing buttons with her metal hands, glaring at the TV inside this particular room of Mariette’s gothic mansion. This particular room was loaded with games across all the walls, a TV for gaming, a computer in the corner, and definitely gave a completely different vibe compared to all other rooms in the mansion… and here came a dragon-monster girl through the door.

[color=fc6828]‘Hellooooo~! I’ve been told to curse everythiiiiiiiiiiiiing~!’[/color] Mayra told happily as she spread her arms enthusiastically… then stopped short as she saw Jelena completely ignoring her and just cursing at the TV-screen.

[color=fc6828]‘Huh? You’re gaming now? Weren’t you supposed to help Freya?’[/color] 

[color=a699ad]‘Freya’s off searching for some boy or other, wanted to be alone! So, I’m using this time, to [i]finish this god-damn video game![/i]’[/color] Jelena said.

[color=fc6828]‘FREYA’s looking for a BOY!? Why aren’t we spy-’[/color] Mayra started in an amused tone, when-

[color=a699ad]‘WHAT!? They seriously want me to collect-!? Oooh, but that’s gonna take so long and be so tedious…!’[/color] Jelena lamented over the new quest she’d just been given, making Mayra look very confused.

[color=fc6828]‘Um, if you hate it so much, why do it? And why [i]now[/i]?’[/color] 

[color=a699ad]‘Oh, I love gaming! It’s just, I [i]need[/i] to finish this game, I crave closure! With Mariette running us ragged and a great battle looming, I have precious little time to focus on gaming, and I just… I want to finish this game… before the next event…!’[/color] Jelena said, mashing buttons again to fast-travel faster.

[color=fc6828]‘Huh,’[/color] Mayra made a noise, not really getting it. [color=fc6828]‘Why gaming?’[/color]

[color=a699ad]‘Huh?’[/color]

[color=fc6828]‘Of all the things you could spend your time with, why gaming?’[/color]

[color=a699ad]‘Ugh…’[/color] Jelena looked a bit pained to recall. [color=a699ad]‘Back when I was a regular girl, it was the only thing I enjoyed. I didn’t enjoy people. My family hated me. So I shut myself off. I think I hadn’t left the room for two years before that Magical Girl battle destroyed my wall, took my limbs, and forced me to swear a contract to save my life. It was just me and my video games. That’s how I preferred life.’[/color]

[color=fc6828]‘Huh,’[/color] Mayra looked a bit astounded. She then grinned happily. [color=fc6828]‘Can’t relate!’[/color]

[color=a699ad]‘Hahaha! I know you can’t!’[/color] Jelena laughed. [color=a699ad]‘Bet you were the social spirit reincarnated, going to all the parties, doing all the sports, whatever!’[/color]

[color=fc6828]‘Eh… Not really? We didn’t have a lot of those social activities in dragon-land,’[/color] Mayra told.

[color=a699ad]‘What? Does humans in dragon-land have no such activities? I knew you didn’t know anything of civilized lands, came from somewhere with no technology, but some social structure you had to have, right!?’[/color] Jelena chuckled a bit as she kept playing.

[color=fc6828]‘Um, I was never human,’[/color] Mayra told.

[color=a699ad]‘Huh?’[/color] Jelena looked at her with a frown. Mayra grinned, reached her arms out, and looked super-excited.

[color=fc6828]‘I was born dragon!’[/color] Mayra explained happily. [color=fc6828]‘My childhood was just spent chasing wildlife and headbutting my siblings! Then I got cornered by some magic mermaids but a black void saved me, and then I…’[/color] she gestured at herself.

Jelena took a moment to pause the game and just stare at Mayra for a bit of time…

[color=a699ad]‘Ya know, that explains a lot.’[/color]

[color=fc6828]‘I thought it was obvious!’[/color] Mayra declared, enthusiastic and amused.

[color=a699ad]‘Eh, alright. Do your curses, I’m going to keep on playing…’[/color] Jelena said, turning back to her game…

Mayra looked on, curiously, and then got a nasty little idea. [color=fc6828]‘Heeeeeeey, how about I curse your controller?’[/color]

[color=a699ad]‘Don’t you dare!’[/color] Jelena replied, with honest fear in her voice.

That’s when Mayra dived forward, Jelena jumped to dash away, and then some laughs and giggles could be heard from the room as they dodged one another in the room while Jelena somehow still made progress in the game…

________________________________

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/QJth3oI.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/Ih8oH7W.png[/img][/center]
In a room full of computers, a lone girl was eating a hamburger as she was looking across the many screens. … Then the door behind her opened, and a snake-like monster-girl slid inside.

[color=A2DFF6]‘You know I don’t like people coming here, right? Someone might have followed you,’[/color] the girl in the computer chair said, as she inspected the city from her seated position chewing on a hamburger.

[color=C5DBE7]‘… I was worried that if we used phones, someone would eavesdrop. I don’t like the radio-waves,’[/color] Freya said, imagining someone picking them up magically over a distance…

[color=A2DFF6]‘Yeah, [i]I’d[/i] eavesdrop, but since you’d be talking to me it wouldn’t matter. I personally guarantee that none of the phones I’ve given you can be listened in on, unless it’s by someone better than me,’[/color] the girl said, before stuffing the rest of the hamburger in her mouth.

[color=C5DBE7]‘That’s what I’m worried about,’[/color] Freya said, not convinced that doesn’t exist. Still… [color=C5DBE7]‘I heard about you,’[/color] she said, and the girl in the seat took a moment to just sit still and listen. [color=C5DBE7]‘You were a man who conquered his entire world. You used your connections and your skill as a hacker to overthrow the system, taking complete and utter control of the system. Everything looked perfect, except you had no idea the magical community existed. All it took was a single angry Magical Girl that decided to kill you for your crimes, and your whole mundane empire fell apart…’[/color] Freya shook her head a bit, internally disliking this former tyrant, reduced to an incognito magical girl after she lost everything.

[color=C5DBE7]‘You no longer have that weakness. You’re a Magical Girl yourself. Why have you not used your skills to take over this world through your computers, like you once did?’[/color] Freya asked.

[color=A2DFF6]‘… You need to understand,’[/color] the girl said, putting her hands behind her head, leaning back and looking at the screens. [color=A2DFF6]‘My world is far more advanced than yours. Technology is integrated into everyone, and there’s an enormous amount of automated robot military that I could control. This world doesn’t have that, so I can’t really take it over with hacking in the same way… But also, now some forces have their eyes on me. Patrons that remember how I conquered a world, wary of seeing the signs I’m trying the same again. Asengav knows this, and keeps me under a steady leash where I’m still useful, but entities don’t come to destroy me.’[/color]

[color=A2DFF6]‘So, I focus on doing what I can. That is to say, gathering information,’[/color] she said, and clicked a button twice to display a picture of a young man sitting at a park-bench…

[color=A2DFF6]‘Oh, and I found your boy. He’s a bit tricky to actually catch, what with him teleporting everywhere, but I can tell you where to stand to have the greatest luck catching him.’[/color]

Freya had simply been standing there with arms crossed, frowning at the girl’s explanation and not being entirely convinced by it, but then it turned out she had the info Freya had asked for. [color=C5DBE7]‘Alright. I will head out. Guide me as best you can,’[/color] the lamia-girl told, as she spun around and headed out. The incognito girl in the seat gave a smile and then picked up the phone so she may guide her way…[/hider]

[hr]

… Later, Annie Marchand walked into the office. She was a Light-specialized girl among those who had been kidnapped by Mariette and brainwashed by Justine, after which she’d once again been saved by Mariette only to be collected by Asengav. Mariette was seated in her own chair in front of her, and turned to analyze her.

[color=408597]‘Annie Marchand reporting for duty, mistress Mariette,’[/color] the new arrival told, looking clearly nervous. Mariette nodded to her, and uncovered her reward for helping to save Sammy. The Red Coin she recently got from Nuncio..

[color=077ae6]‘You are prepared, then?’[/color] Mariette asked, looking towards the girl.

Annie swallowed. She knew that she could never again show up in the real world looking as she did. Mariette had explained it. They were doing this to save the world. What they did may seem like evil, but in the end, it was the only way to save the world. It required Annie, and all the other girls, to abandon their identities with Red Coins so they could no longer be identified as the girls that Mariette had once upon a time kidnapped, it gave them free reign to act without being noticed.

Yet it meant leaving their whole identity behind. Annie Marchand had been lucky. She was more or less identical to how she looked before transforming, she still had friends, she still had a (fake) family… using this coin meant she could never again return to that life she once had. She’d been kidnapped and done odd-jobs for Asengav for quite a while, sure, but this was the final step that confirmed that she’d never be able to return. Annie couldn’t help it, her eyes moisturized. Yet, she already knew she had to.

[color=408597]‘I am prepared, ma’am!’[/color] she called, even as tears were dripping down her cheeks.

[color=077ae6]‘You remember what to do?’[/color] Mariette asked.

[color=408597]‘I am going to be SMUG!’[/color] the girl called, taking a deep breath as she announced. [color=408597]‘And then follow your specifications to the letter! I am going to be the magical girl that you specifically requested, mistress Mariette!’[/color] 

[color=077ae6]‘Good! Then take it!’[/color] Mariette joined the intensity of what the girl said, and then reached forth to offer the girl the Red Coin. All absorbed in the energy of her announcement, Annie snatched the Red Coin from Mariette’s hand. A few more tears dropped from her cheeks as she stared with a determined frown at the coin, but then she closed her eyes.

The time for regret had passed. It was now or never.

A red light shone through the room. Mariette lightly shielded her face as Annie’s magic shifted completely. She grew older. She grew wings. Her hair turned blonde. She gasped out loud as she landed on her feet again, breathing heavily as all of who she was had completely switched. Mariette stood up before her, and asked.

[color=077ae6]‘Who are you?’[/color] 

[color=D6AD7F]‘I…’[/color] the girl started, noting how her voice was different. She was… she wasn’t Annie no more. Annie Marchand had disappeared from this world. A new name was required, so that nobody would associate who she was now with who she once was. Besides that, she now had a title. She was... 

[color=D6AD7F]‘I am Olivia Giles, the Coin Crafter.’[/color]

[hider=Coin Crafter, Olivia Giles][center][url=https://i.imgur.com/PJVoVrZ.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/PJVoVrZl.png[/img][/url][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la_b5AUmJMs]Olivia Giles[/url]

[b]Age (Magical Girl):[/b] 12

[b]Age (Before Magical Girl):[/b] 14

[b]Gender:[/b] Female

[b]Gender (Before Magical Girl):[/b] Female

[b]Appearance:[/b] A young 12 year old girl, with shoulder-length blonde hair, red eyes, white stockings. She wears a little blue/white dress that counts as elaborate, showing off her sides and shoulders a bit. On her body she wears small skull accessories, in her hair and a bigger one at her hip. A halo floats over her head, manifested along with her spirit powers, and behind her a couple wings have manifested. She’s an angel-monster girl, somehow, and her mind is suitably warped. 

[b]Specialization:[/b] 
[i]Oddball: Magical Coins[/i] - Olivia is an expert at researching, breaking down and developing magical coins. She can apply her magic to generate new effects, understand existing ones and reconstruct it according to her will. Her work takes time to do and won’t work as smoothly unless she has the inherent power of magical coins to work with, but nevertheless she’s able to create entirely new coins with new effects the more she works. 
Out of costume, she’s never going to run out of spare change.
& [i]Spirit[/i] - Specifically, the power over five specific really powerful spirits. Fighting Styles describe it in detail.

[b]Weapon:[/b] 
[i]Mystic Menus[/i] - When Olivia works, menus manifest in front of her. Using them she can see what sort of effect anything she does has, it gives her status-updates and also allows her to select what to do next. Reading her Fighting Style should clarify a bit, but she also gets a crafting menu that remembers all she’s tried to do in the past when working on coins.

[b]Power:[/b] 
[i]Third Eye[/i] - It helps Olivia identify the magic she’s working with, having the sight.

[b]Perks:[/b] 
[i]Gifted[/i] - It wouldn’t make sense unless Olivia was good at what she does.
[i]Enhanced Sustenance[/i] - So Olivia can work all night if so needed.
[i]Training[/i] - Olivia knows everything about the development of magical coins.
[i]Get Out Of Jail[/i] - If she’s ever kidnapped, Olivia will slip out of the kidnapper’s grasp.
[i]Hammerspace Handbag[/i] - So she can store her things/coins somewhere.
[i]Wings[/i] - Earned from Wings Monster Girl thing.

[b]Monster Girl[/b]:
[i]Devourer[/i] - Olivia will occasionally need to devour some flesh. Mariette provides it to her.
[i]Weakness:[/i] - Light. To ensure that Mariette can always subdue her.
[i]Second Specialization[/i] - Spirit. She can command souls to help her work. 
[i]Wings[/i] - Just a couple wings. For appearances sake. 

[b]Patron:[/b] Asengav, Interdimensional Horror

[b]Patron Benefits:[/b]
[i]Magical Overload[/i] - She became a monster girl.
[i]Supplier[/i] - In order to facilitate her work, Asengav provides her with money.
Like all other Asengav girls, she has Creeping Doom, Reasonable, Retrieval and Mana Font.

[b]Patron Drawbacks:[/b]
[i]Monstrous Form[/i] - She became a Monster Girl.
[i]Bane[/i] - Foreclosure notes. Notes of overdue bills. As a girl focused on wealth, her power doesn’t work well with proof of poverty. 
Like all other Asengav Girls, she has Quick-Tempered, Mind-Bent and Insomnia.

[b]Fighting Style:[/b] 
A spectral unit of five characters appears before her. These are the archtypical five members of any team, the swords-wielding DPS, the magic-wielding DPS, the strong tank, the booster/healer and the quick thief/assassin-like character. Olivia controls them like she was playing an RPG, commanding the frontline fighters where to attack and the magic-wielders who to boost and heal, and all-in-all the five of them are much harder to destroy than regular spirits.

Olivia herself is exceedingly vulnerable, but count on these five protecting her at all costs, as far as Mag 20 will let them.

[b]Stats (Untransformed):[/b]
STR: 3
AGI: 3
VIT: 4
MAG: 4
LCK: 3

[b]Stats (Transformed):[/b]
STR: 4
AGI: 7
VIT: 7
MAG: 20
LCK: 5

[b]Personality:[/b]
A girl made subservient, quiet and submissive, made to do nothing but focus on her work as a drone of Asengav’s production, not meant to rest or sleep for Enhanced Sustenance keeps her going. She’s a quiet girl that follows her orders, and that’s all Mariette needs her to be. She still has the material to become excited in there, it’s with honest curiosity that she continues her work on the coins, but otherwise she desires little else than to focus on her work. She’s an utter scaredy cat when it comes to actual danger.

[b]History:[/b] Annie Marchand was a common Magical Girl, new and inexperienced, recruited by a distracted Puchuu in a small town. She’d grown up an orphan but gotten fake parents when she made her contract, and was defending her home with a Light-specialization. All-in-all, she was hopeful for her future as a Magical Girl. … Then Mariette kidnapped her out of nowhere, handed her over to Justine who brainwashed her, then Mariette took her back with some charismatic speech or something. 

She was then embraced by Asengav, who properly mind-bent her. After that, Mariette required someone to make coins for her. As such, she ordered Annie to take a Red Coin, and to follow exceedingly strict orders for how to create herself afterwards. A new name was required in order to remove all attachment to her former identity as Annie Marchand… and as such, Olivia Giles was born.

[b]Incantation:[/b] [color=D6AD7F][i]…[/i][/color]
She’s never untransformed, why would she need an incantation?

[b]Additional Info:[/b] 
She is not ever meant to be in battle.
Annie was a bit of an RPG nerd. She took a few artistic liberties with how her powers manifested, hence the RPG-like setup.

[hider=Rolls and Decisions]Smug.
14 years old
Underdeveloped (+1 Mag)
Oddball - Magical Coins (+2 Mag, +1 Vit)
Mystic (+1 Mag)
Elaborate (+1 Mag)
Third Eye

Enhances Sustenance +1 Vit (so they can work all night)
Gifted +1 Mag (good at coin development)
Training +1 Vit (expert coin maker)
Get Out Of Jail +1 Agi (so she can’t be kidnapped)
Hammerspace Handbag +1 Lck (so she can carry what they made + supplies)

Extra Benefit
+Magical Overload
+Supplier

Removed Benefit
-Minions (she doesn’t need them)

Monster
Wings - Because the image has them. +1 Agi, then +1 Agi for the perk.
Devourer - Need to eat stuff.
Second Specialization - Spirit (+3 Mag). Also because of the image.
Weakness. To keep her in check.

Str: 4
Agi: 4+1(get out of jail)+1(wings mutation)+1(wings perk) = 7
Vit: 4+1(oddball)+1(enhanced sustenance)+1(training) = 7
Mag: 4+1(underdev)+2(oddball)+1(mystic)+1(elaborate)+1(gifted)+3(spirit) = 13
Lck: 4+1(hammerspace handbag) = 5

2 silver, 3 bronze = 7 points. All into Mag.

Str: 4
Agi: 6
Vit: 7
Mag: 20
Lck: 6[/hider][/hider]

[color=077ae6]‘Excellent,’[/color] Mariette said, standing up and walking over to a set of double doors, throwing them open and letting the girl’s eyes widen as she saw what was inside.

[color=077ae6]‘This is the remaining wealth that we stole from Justine von Visceral’s treasure room,’[/color] Mariette said as she turned and let Olivia gawk at the coins. [color=077ae6]‘I trust that you will be able to make good use of it?’[/color]

[color=D6AD7F]‘A… absolutely, ma’am,’[/color] Olivia winced, looking upon the sheer wealth gathered in this room. [color=D6AD7F]‘But…’[/color] she then had to look to Mariette, a question on her mind. [color=D6AD7F]‘What would you like me to make?’[/color]

[color=077ae6]‘We’re going to need a lot more Red Coins for the rest of you girls that Justine had kidnapped. See if you can backwards engineer one of these we got from Cindy,’[/color] Mariette said, and deposited a Red Coin on the table next to her. [color=077ae6]‘But besides that…’[/color] Mariette said, and deposited the White Coin next to the Red One. [color=077ae6]‘See what you can make of this. I’d like you to start imagining what you’d need to make your own, specialized coin. … Here.’[/color]

Mariette called forth a mirror, and opened it. Through it was only darkness and magic… [color=077ae6]‘Through here is now a pathway to the dark magic of Asengav. See if you can involve it in your coins. Can you handle that?’[/color] Being asked, Olivia steeled herself, and nodded.

[color=D6AD7F]‘I… will do my best.’[/color]

[sub](Olivia will be an NPC and an NPC only, not to be used in combat scenarios, even if I liked what I wrote in her combat section. If she’s attacked she is going to lose.)[/sub]

[color=077ae6]‘Good. I’ll leave you to it,’[/color] Mariette said, opening a portal in front of her and then passing through, leaving Olivia by herself in the office…

[hr]

Mariette stood in the air on a portal. At her side was Eli. She’d just hand-written a letter with supplies stolen from a nearby store. She addressed it to Alicia, though anyone in Beacon would do.

[i]“Justine von Visceral is back. It would be in our mutual interest to prepare for battle with her. If you wish to speak, then have someone stand alone on top of the first building of Victory Street,”[/i] which is totally a normal street in a decently normal neighborhood. [i]”without being too guarded. Otherwise, simply consider this a warning. I thought you had the right to know.”[/i]

With that written, Mariette put the note in a letter and left it through a portal in the way of a patrol she was decently sure was not going to burn the letter on sight. And with that… it was time to move.

[i][color=A2DFF6]‘Ready to work? Because I have your first SOS, here,’[/color][/i] the Trespasser told her in ear, and Mariette nodded. It was time to increase the public opinion of her.

[hr]

For some time a day from that point onwards, Mariette took to doing some social work.

Say there were Magical Girls fleeing from the Ascendancy, and having ill luck at getting away. A portal suddenly opened out of sight from the Ascendancy, perhaps when those fleeing just rounded a corner, and they’d reappear somewhere completely different in town, safe for now.

Or when there were forces fighting one another. Mariette opened portals between the two groups and speak through portals saying that this is no time to be fighting one another and that they should be unified under the new queen. If they insisted on fighting, well, the Mariette could open portals to drop the backline and teach them a bit of a lesson with Light-magic from unpredictable angles, all from the safety of considerably far away.

If there were monsters around, Mariette could engage those, too. Perhaps drop them through a portal and secure them for Asengav, too. 

She’d avoid actually getting into battles, and with a guide in her ear keeping track of hostiles it should be decently easy to avoid those wishing to harm her, but she would be willing to speak to those who don’t.

Things like that.