[center][h2][color=PeachPuff]S[/color]u Tries to Force a Ship[/h2] [color=PeachPuff]“Just some best girls and worst girls chilling out together.”[/color] [color=888888]— Su Fang [/color][/center] [color=PeachPuff][i]“What would Amber say in this position?”[/i][/color] Su wanted to believe it would be something along the lines of “just do your best!” but knew that “Don’t be crazy! That’s how you get killed!” was probably a bit closer to the truth. Su did as she said she was going to do. She got in touch with Lily, who likely got in touch with Alicia, who contacted Vivi, and hopefully she would show up in the over city to get something to eat with them. A time had been given, and Su decided to arrive early to reserve a table. Everything should have been taken care of that way. She was transformed into her magical girl uniform. She was wearing a nice-yet-not-too-formal dinner outfit she could untransform into, but she doubted anyone present would really care. She was meeting with the Ascendancy, as well as Askefye. Even if Su had a safe transformation sequence, you’d be stupid to leave yourself vulnerable for even a moment. Not that Su felt particularly safe in her alien environment. Everything had an Arabian feel, with clay urns, pointed archways, and lamps decorating the place. This was also the over city, so there were plenty of mystical oddities to make the place feel strange. One entire wall of the building was a mural of sword wielding locusts flying towards spear bearing beetles. All of the lights were some eerie shade of green or red, [b]”Your table is ready, Sayida!”[/b] A blue genie pulled out a seat for Su. [b]”Would you like me to take your order now, or would you rather wait for the rest to show up?”[/b] [color=PeachPuff]“I know we’re going ‘all you can eat,’ other than that, I should probably wait.”[/color] [b]”Say no more!”[/b] The genie raised his hand. [b]”The buffet table is open to your party. Just pay this one time fee!”[/b] The waiter held up a coin box with the price written next to it. Which caused Su’s brow to raise. [color=PeachPuff]“A bit more than I was expecting.”[/color] [b]”Then I suggest you eat a whole bunch, Sayida! You won’t feel the same way once you’ve tasted it.”[/b] With a sigh of resignation, Su paid the waiter. [color=PeachPuff]“I’ll take your word for it.”[/color] She smiled. [b]”A wise choice! May you enjoy every meal you eat!”[/b] and with that, the genie returned to his lamp. Su practically collapsed into her seat. She rubbed her temple before looking to Helga. [color=PeachPuff]“Hopefully they show up soon.”[/color] “Yeah, I don’t think I can wait long with all this delicious food at hand’s reach.” Unlike Su, Helga was untransformed, and wore a [url=https://i.imgur.com/7iuU7CT.jpg]pretty dress with red bows[/url]. “But yeah, keep an eye on the flat girl, I think she’ll be more punctual than-Oh, there she is.” Helga pointed to Vivi,who was dressed [url=https://i.imgur.com/uW4xUr4.jpg]differently compared to her uniform.[/url] She was talking to a waiter when she noticed Su and Helga, and promptly joined the two. “So, you seem to have friends in many places. You can consider yourselves fortunate that I didn’t immediately report you to the proper authorities,” she added, sounding just as smarmy and full of herself as before. “But in the interest of honoring the Paladin Seraph’s request, I shall not act on my holy duty unless the need arrives for it.” A plate suddenly slammed on the table, laden with big, juicy locusts cooked in a variety of ways. Steamed, roasted, toasted, simmered, boiled, slow-cooked, blended, fried, barbequed, sashimi’d and then drenched in spices and sauces from twenty seven different worlds, the variety was as astounding as how visually grotesque it was for any magical girl with normal, basic Earth preferences. Askefye, dressed in the one outfit she wore and perpetually transformed, pulled her own chair out from under the table, the legs scraping obnoxiously over the marbled floor, before sitting down with an audible thump. She grabbed the first locust, its legs still twitching, and then twisted its head off, taking out the juicy innards like one would with a shrimp. Sucking out the juices, meat, and organs in one slurping go, the fire spirit nodded in violent approval, before tossing in the exoskeleton and crunching on it like a pork cracker. She continued to eat five more in this same fashion, before waving at the others present. “Don’t mind me. Do the meeting.” Vivi audibly cringed upon seeing Askefye. “You have got to be kidding me.” She then proceeded to pretend she didn’t see the fire girl, and picked up her own pickings of the buffet. Su watched Askefye eat for all of about five seconds before getting disgusted and going to the buffet table. Eating insects was something that Chinese people did for hundreds of years, and doing so today was simply carrying on with tradition. Though since people nowadays use pesticides to control locust, they can be dangerous to eat. Though that likely wasn’t a problem in the Overcity. Su scooped some rice onto her plate and coated it in fried locust. When Su got back to the table, she waited for everyone to return with a plate full of food. [color=PeachPuff]“So!”[/color] Su had to raise her voice to be heard over Askefye destroying her meal. [color=PeachPuff]“Do you think it would be possible for us to get purified and pardoned?”[/color] Vivi was eating like a proper lady when Su addressed her, and she daintily wiped her lips with a napkin. “Of course,” she answered poignantly. “Any corrupted who seeks salvation from their cursed fate shall have it given.” She smiled a bit. “There are two ways of how that can be accomplished. The first is by ritual. With Beacon’s blessing, a purifying light washes over you, and rids you of your corruption. The second method is...Newer.” She picked up a locust that was dropped on her plate accidentally by Askefye’s rampant gluttony. “A White Coin allows a faster and more convenient purification, while also shifting the source of your magic to that of Beacon. Not only can you be rid of your dark present, you can also abandon the dark past that led you to it.” Helga nodded. “A White Coin, huh...Sounds a lot like the Black Coin.” Vivi squinted. “But it is different! Like the day is from the night. Do not make the folly of mistaking the two.” [color=PeachPuff]“Beacon’s the only way, hmmm?”[/color] Su thought about it for a moment. [color=PeachPuff]“The coin sounds interesting, but my present patron is not the source of my corruption, nor do I wish to abandon them.”[/color] She glanced at Askefye before looking back at Vivi. [color=PeachPuff]“The ritual, what is needed for that?”[/color] “The ritual requires the corrupted to stay still for ten minutes in a magic circle especially prepared for the ritual without leaving it,” Vivi explained with a surprising amount of enthusiasm. “A savior of Beacon is also required to perform the rites, summoning forth the holy Beckoners to aid them in cleansing the darkness in the corrupted soul. The ritual is a tradition dating back thousands of years,” she said, puffing out her non-existent chest in pride. Helga simply nodded as she stuffed her mouth with a taco sandwich. “Hwh hwyuo mmmghh?” She attempted asking something, but it was incomprehensible before she swallowed and attempted again. “So what happens when you’re purified? Does it only get rid of bad stuff like wanting to eat or fight a ton?” Vivi shook her head. “It removes all corruption, including one’s ability to curse their weapon or call forth dark powers. There can be no compromises there.” [color=PeachPuff]“A savior of Beacon? So who’s that, Alicia? The cardinal?”[/color] She squinted her eyes. [color=PeachPuff]“You?”[/color] "Well, if you asked nicely, I could," she answered. "Any chosen of Beacon with the necessary training could do it. However, it is a great honor to perform the cleansing, so high-ranked members are given the privilege first, followed by the lower ranked members." "Sounds kind of dumb," Helga added. "It's like fighting over who gets to clean the house." Vivi's eye twitched, yet she kept her smile. "Your friend here is awfully noisy. Does she have a mute function by any chance?" Now Helga pouted. "No, but I can make you quiet." Su patted Helga on the back. [color=PeachPuff]“Tact Helga, tact.”[/color] Su looked back at Vivi. [color=PeachPuff]“It’s just a sound spec joke.”[/color] She cleared her throat. [color=PeachPuff]“I was being serious though. I might need some time to think this over, and if I personally knew of a ‘savior of beacon’ I would feel more comfortable with the whole process.”[/color] With a sigh, Su leaned back in her chair. She did want to get purified. What happened at the rave was embarrassing. Su was eaten up with envy and would have followed Lei Zi to the end of the earth if given the chance. If not for the speakers blowing up, she probably would have hung around while that psycho fried her and everyone else at the rave. If her mutations were going to come in between Helga and herself, they had to go. It wasn’t like her dread wings had even helped her that much. To date, it had caused her more harm than good. But there was her pride. She didn’t like the idea of being some prize an Ascendancy member could gloat about purifying. It was petty, but letting them do anything with her was resignation of her ability to help herself. There were also all the unknowns, like if they would really forgive Helga, or if it was even something Helga wanted to do. It also dawned on her that she had another goal here. [color=PeachPuff]“But you’re ascendancy, so you should be able to do it, right?”[/color] Su sat up right. [color=PeachPuff]“I think if I got to know you better, I’d be okay with you doing it.”[/color] The hotel manager forced a smile. [color=PeachPuff]“Let’s start with your relationship status. Do you have a special someone?”[/color] Su reached an arm around Helga’s waist and pulled her closer. "Like I said, I am capable of doing so," Vivi answered, about to sip on her tea when she saw Su hold Helga in an intimate manner, causing her to nearly spit the tea out. "W-What?" She turned slightly flustered. "Well, as an agent of the holy light, I have been too busy to think of things like that." She poked her index fingers together. "And, well, our work requires one to be steeled at heart and sharp by our wits. In that sense, romance is, well, a hindrance." Askefye continued eating. She had already finished three-fourths of her plate, and had left absolutely no part of her locusts untouched. Vespers of fire flared up the corner of her mouth from time to time, searing bits of shell or sauce into nothingness. The topic of relationships caused her to give a deadpanned stare at Su though. “You hoard girls?” Su was about to tell Vivi something when Askefye found a way to make the atmosphere awkward. Su’s body was frozen. Her finger was outstretched for the next thing she was going to tell Vivi, but her eyes were locked on Askefye. [color=PeachPuff]“Well, firstly, that’s kind of a rude thing to ask. But my answer is, sort of?”[/color] Su relaxed in her seat. [color=PeachPuff]“I mean, I wouldn’t call the hotel business hoarding. They are free to come and go as they please. ”[/color] She pat her chest. [color=PeachPuff]“My mental mutation is something more akin to envy. Actually, I have to share this story now. Don’t blush Helga.”[/color] She brushed back her hair. [color=PeachPuff]“When Helga and I weren’t in a relationship, I was getting jealous of another couple. I told Helga about it, and she offered to help me find a girlfriend.”[/color] Su chuckled. [color=PeachPuff]“But I had my eye on her for a while. And once she said that, I knew I wanted it to be her.”[/color] She gave Helga a squeeze; she was paralyzed by shock, but didn't say anything as her face grew red. [color=PeachPuff]“A-anyway! Haha, you uh, looking, for someone, Askefye?”[/color] “No. Heard marriage was like joining the Mint. And I’ve been turning them down like, every week.” With that, Askefye promptly went back to eating, slurping away innards and crunching on spiced and battered shells. "Um, I assume you mean Mint's recruitment offers." Vivi looked awkward as the girls around her talked about relationships; she didn't have much experience in the topic, so she couldn't help but stay quiet for most of it. She pouted. "Not that I care how many marriage proposals you get." She proceeded to eat her own food. [color=PeachPuff]“Wow, you two have a lot in common.”[/color] Su folded her hands together. [color=PeachPuff]“You both like to fight, neither of you like the Mint, and you’re not looking for a serious relationship.”[/color] Su nodded her head. Vivi's eyes widened, and she dropped her fork on the plate with a clink. "What? No Beckoner-damned way! I am in no single way similar to a hotheaded monster like her!" Askefye smirked, smug as fuck in that moment. “Lmao, I’ve seen mentally mutated warrior girls with more chill than the Ascendancy. Ya sure about that, washboard?” [color=PeachPuff]“Did...Did you just say ‘lmao’ in casual conversation?”[/color] Su leaned forward onto her elbows. [color=PeachPuff]“B-but yes! Looks like you’re both into trash talking as well.”[/color] Su smiled as innocently as she could. "Of course she would,” Vivi struck back. “She's obviously part of the braindead internet generation who can barely grasp the English language!" She sipped on her tea. "But unlike her, I'm not as vulgar as to resort to trash talking. I merely state the facts, pure and simple." “Facts? Oh yes, [b][i]A L T E R N A T I V E F A C T S[/i][/b], right?” Askefye giggled at that, then decided that she wanted this locust totally fried. Blowing a jet of blue flame over it, she watched its skin blacken, and tossed it into her mouth. [color=PeachPuff]“I’m sorry, the longer you guys talk, the more convinced I am that you belong in a relationship.”[/color] Su looked totally deadpan as she delivered her assessment. [color=PeachPuff]“Moving along, did Beacon get a chance to look into Justine’s involvement? I really think she had something to do with the rave incident.”[/color] Vivi’s eye twitched. “You really are insistent on that, huh?” She sighed, and spun a spoon in her cup of tea. “We made a background check of the participants, but nobody had met Justine before. As strange as it is, she was not involved in the events there. Still, I find it hard to believe she went there just to dance or see Vi-chan. Eyewitness accounts did mention that she confronted a slime girl there, who was then protected by a magical girl dressed in red. There are rumors it was Veronica of the Crimson Cradle, and she was there to make a backroom deal of sorts with her. Take those how you will.” Su almost coughed up her food in surprise, but then she realized that Veronica wasn’t making a backroom deal with Justine, but the slime girl. Since she had met with Deni she had to assume that was Eli. Did that mean Veronica and Mariette were working together? Something to ask Samantha or Deni about later. [color=PeachPuff]“I see.”[/color] Su looked down at her plate. She had eaten most of her food over the course of the discussion. [color=PeachPuff]“Helga and I have a bit to discuss, but I think our final decision will be beneficial to all parties involved.”[/color] She stood up and walked to the other side of the table, standing in the space between Askefye and Vivi’s seats. [color=PeachPuff]“Thank you for coming.”[/color] She extended her hand to shake Vivi’s hand. Vivi shook Su’s hand in a respectful manner. “I suppose this meeting wasn’t a complete waste of time,” she dryly answered, though Su could tell there was a hint of hesitation. She afterwards shook Helga’s hand. “Thank you for this business lunch. It was productive.” Helga shook back with a grin on her face. “Not as productive as seeing you two together! You’re so cute like this~” Vivi kept her cordial smile, but gripped the hand hard enough for Helga to wince in pain. “Keep dreaming, buddy. As for you,” she said turning towards Askefye. “Consider my debt to you paid in full!” Askefye scoffed, a toothy grin on her face. She certainly had no intention of leaving yet, and was still dual-wielding locusts. “Sayin’ that your life is worth a lunch? Sure thing, washboard~” [color=PeachPuff]“Excuse me, [i]I[/i] was the one who paid for everyone’s food.”[/color] Her voice was gruff, but that was because Vivi was continuing to behave in a manner she considered unprofessional. [color=PeachPuff]“And I’d prefer you not break Helga’s hand, otherwise you’ll owe me something too.”[/color] Vivi’s face turned red from both embarrassment and fury. “Well you didn’t gibe me-I mean give me the opportunity to do so!” She yelled, and groaned out of frustration. “That’s it, enough! I’m done listening to these insults! Goodbye!” She then promptly teleported away in a pillar of light. Helga stretched out the fingers in her hand, and rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, that went well. At least she didn’t decide to call her Beacon bubs in here.”