[center][h2]                        [color=9e0039][u][b]P[/b][/u][/color]enny & [color=PeachPuff]S[/color]u[/h2]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/P1HOEum.png[/img]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Hey babe, get us a bed and munchies and we can have an alliance. :3”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“Is that what we’re calling it now!?”[/color]

[color=888888]— Penny & Su Fang [/color][/center]


It was strange, Penny mused from her perch overlooking the Golden Trove, how life would travel through the same cycles at times. Once again she found herself watching the hotel in an effort to find someone. She hoped that this time it would end up more peacefully than last time.

There was no time like the present however. And with that, she would make her move. 

Down in the hotel lobby the phone would begin to ring. No strange magic, or anything unnatural, just the phone ringing. Hopefully this would get things off on the right foot. If not, well, Penny still had her backdoor into the computer systems.

Someone picked up on the other side.

[b]”Hey hey! This is Charlie with Charlie’s angels!”[/b] His greeting was followed with a laugh. [b]”Yea, welcome to the Golden Trove. I’m going to say right now that if you want an economy room you’ll have to bunk with someone. Otherwise, almost all of the luxury rooms are open! HA! So what’ll it be today?”[/b]

Right... Why did Penny think this was a good idea again? Oh yeah, because the Dragon that lurked in the hotel might have a grudge against her and she’s in no mood to get into a death match with another one so soon.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Hi, not calling about a room, I was actually hoping to get a hold of someone from management if they are available.”[/b][/u][/color]

[b]”Management? Uh, wait one second valued customer!”[/b] Penny could hear Charlie shout for a manager a few times before someone asked him a question. [b]”I don’t know! She didn’t say!”[/b]

The phone was handed off to the manager. [color=PeachPuff]“Hello, this is Su. I’m the manager. Can I help you?”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I’m hoping so. My name is Penny Asimov and while I’m not sure if we have met, I’m pretty sure you are aware of me. I’m calling on behalf of the Sanctuary. Would now be a good time to have this talk?”[/b][/u][/color] 

[color=PeachPuff]“Penny?”[/color] Penny could hear about five other people, including Charlie, say her name in an inquisitive voice. [color=PeachPuff]“Yes, Mika said you were no longer working for Laat. Some of my newest guests also talk about you. Um.”[/color] She hesitated. [color=PeachPuff]“Did you want to talk face to face? The lobby is cleared out right now, or we could talk on the roof. I think Mika found you there last time, right?”[/color] She chuckled. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Face to face would be preferred”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would reply as she started walking. It was only a handful of steps from the ledge of the roof but she simply walked off it, before using her Gravity and thrusters to land gently all without breaking her stride. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And yeah that’s where she found me. Considering what I know now was a bit of luck that she was the one who found me as I was also looking for her at the time.”[/b][/u][/color] She would go on to reply with a grin of her own.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Also curious to know what people have been saying about me”[/b][/u][/color] She’d add as she pushed open the front door to the Golden Trove. [color=9e0039][u][b]“But that’s not really why I’m here”[/b][/u][/color]

When Penny stood up to the glass door, she could see Su talking on the phone with her. It didn’t take her long to realize that Penny was just outside. She hung up the phone and swung her arms towards the waiting area. [color=PeachPuff]“Come on in.”[/color] 

Once Penny entered the waiting room ,she would find no shortage of things to sit on. Though perhaps the best things to sit on were the couch or any of the chairs. All of them were covered in a red plush fabric. 

[color=PeachPuff]“Alright.”[/color] Su exhaled before collapsing into a chair. [color=PeachPuff]“You have my attention.”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“First thing to ask about is if you are under Boteg’s patronage.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would start, seeing as the whole potential thing with the stolen ship could end this before it ever took off. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’m here for both a personal reason, which ties in with Boteg, and as the one running the Sanctuary.”[/b][/u][/color] Would be the explanation as she carefully settled into the chair next to Su.

[color=PeachPuff]“Mika didn’t tell you? Surprising.”[/color] Su folded her arms. There were a few people Penny didn’t recognize behind the front desk, but they mostly talked among themselves. [color=PeachPuff]“Regardless, I am. In fact, I am his oldest magical girl.”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Only times I’ve talked to Mika was shortly before she jumped me and at the Beach”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would point out. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to tempt the dragon who was after my head because of my last Patron. So I avoided this area.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I ask because I inadvertently stole something from him.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would go on [color=9e0039][u][b]“And I’m wondering if he, or any of the girls following him thinking about it”[/b][/u][/color] As she spoke there would be a dull gray halo that formed above Penny’s head before passing over her rapidly. In its wake Penny would be sealed [color=9e0039]“Are holding a grudge about that. As I would like to deal with that issue if possible before trying to enter an alliance.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“An alliance?”[/color] Su blinked. [color=PeachPuff]“R-right, the boat. Helga told me a little bit about that.”[/color] Her arms tightened around herself. [color=PeachPuff]“The boat never belonged to Boteg. It was always Amber’s. I doubt that old dragon even cares what happens to it. But it is all that remains of her.”[/color] Su didn’t blink. [color=PeachPuff]“Did you come to return it?”[/color]

[color=9e0039]“Oh”[/color] Penny would say simply, she wanted to be surprised at the fact that yet another Patron seemed to disregard their charge as anything other than a useful tool, but she wasn’t. She could also tell that her next answer wasn’t going to go over well. She didn’t know how Su knew Amber, but Penny got the feeling that they were close. After all, Helga and Amber had been from what she could gather..

[color=9e0039]“No”[/color] She would say after a moment, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees while she rested her chin on the back of her hands. [color=9e0039]“Partly because I don’t know how too. The Earth Bastion is connected to me in a manner I don’t understand. Less so if Boteg’s never cared for it. As I gained it while under one Patron, but it followed me to another. It’s mine now, more so than most things I own.”[/color]

[color=9e0039]“I also still need it. The Sanctuary is hidden, and for the moment the Ascendency doesn’t know where it is. I’m not expecting that to always be the case and I’ll need the Earth Bastion for when things start going sideways.”[/color]

And lastly it was hers, now truly hers, she had been the one in control when they first acquired the ship. She had to share it with Jason, much as they shared everything back then, but now it was hers. She didn’t have enough to be willing to give up what little she had.

[color=PeachPuff]“Of course.”[/color] Su curled her fingers into her palms. [color=PeachPuff]“So what’s this about an alliance?”[/color]

Penny would sit there for a moment just watching Su. [color=9e0039]“I’m sorry”[/color] She would say at last [color=9e0039]“It had never been my intention to steal it away. I don’t know what Amber meant to you, and I’m sorry that I’ve taken away a cherished keepsake. I can’t promise that I’ll give it back, I can only promise to treat it with as much care as it deserves.”[/color] Penny came here to try and clear the air then work on building an alliance. She could easily tell that the air wasn’t clear. Mending this bridge came first. She wouldn’t feel right building an alliance with Su and the rest of the Hotel with this still sitting between them, not any more.

[color=PeachPuff]“That’s fine, there’s no point talking about it if there’s nothing that can be done.”[/color] She placed her hands on her knees. [color=PeachPuff]“What do you want?”[/color]

[color=9e0039]“If you’re sure”[/color] With a shrug Penny would sit back into her seat. She could push, but there is a point where trying too much just makes things worse. [color=9e0039]“When it comes to the Sanctuary you should know that I have claimed the mantle of Queen of Penrose and I’m wanting to set up a defensive pact and trade agreements. The Golden Trove is much better at getting supplies then we are, but by the nature of those at the Sanctuary I’m willing to bet we have the larger numbers of combatants.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“Well yes, the hotel is a business. Most of the people who reside here are customers instead of citizens. Regardless, you want a nebulous amount of resources for a nebulous amount of protection.”[/color] Su reclined in her seat, and her hand came up to her cheek. [color=PeachPuff]“Penny, you’ve been queen for a few days, right? Let me give you some advice from someone who was also plunged into queen hood.”[/color] She flexed her fingers. [color=PeachPuff]“Rule number one is that your image is your greatest asset. If the public thinks you are invincible, you are invincible. If the public thinks you are petty, you are petty. A nation will rebel against a just leader if they think they are unjust.”[/color] Her eyes hardened. [color=PeachPuff]“Rule number two is that alliances are founded on similar interests. You’re building a nation and you need resources. Lots of resources. But why do I need protection?”[/color] She picked her head off of the seat. [color=PeachPuff]“The Mint wanted Cindy dead, you’ve taken her spot. I’m unsure how the Ascendancy is going to react to you creating a haven for monsters, but ‘not favorably’ is my prediction. Seems to me that agreeing to help you is a surefire way to get all that enmity directed towards me. Your protection won’t bring piece of mind, it’ll be an essential resource.”[/color]

Penny would listen quietly before letting out a small sigh. She would then stand for a moment before lifting the chair she was sitting on easily. She would set the chair directly across from Su before once again sitting down in it, Penny’s eyes just a fraction colder then they had been beforehand. [color=9e0039]“My explanation was done in good faith and with the expectation that there would be some bartering, not as a final offer. I also said trade, not tribute. We have resources, we want comforts.”[/color] 

She would lean forward interlinking her hands as she rested her arms on her legs. [color=9e0039]“And if the offer of a defensive pact isn’t something that eases your mind then you haven’t been thinking far enough ahead. Mika and Helga are both listed as Monster girls in Beacon’s databases, I’m not sure about you but I’d place odds on you at the least being a Dark girl. That means there are three corrupted running a hotel that the uninformed public also uses. The Sanctuary might be a larger target but that doesn’t Mean the the Golden Trove isn’t one. Also If the Sanctuary falls completely more of them are going to flock here as another safe haven. If you want to go unnoticed then it is in your best interest to try and mitigate the fall of the Sanctuary, as if we fall you’re most likely the next target”[/color]

[color=9e0039]“In addition, you are running a business. Do you really think that if you get large enough that the Mint won’t want to try and take a part of the profits? Once again keeping me the larger target protects you from closer scrutiny.”[/color] 

[color=PeachPuff]“Mika is a normal magical girl, so her being a monster is simply untrue. As for Helga and I, we are going to meet with the Ascendancy to discuss avenues for purification. OR MAYBE WE ALREADY HAVE HOLY SHIT THIS COLLAB MESS IS INCREDIBLE!”[/color] Su sat upright. [color=PeachPuff]“Who can say what the Mint actually wants? They likely already have agents in both the Golden Trove as well as Sanctuary, which makes accepting manpower from other sources unreliable. Or have you devised a way to reveal Mint operatives? The problem with corrupt girls is that most of them have used their coin already, so there’s little physical evidence linking them directly to the Mint. Any manpower I received from you would give me little reassurance for this reason.”[/color] Su gripped her armrest. [color=PeachPuff]“But maybe there is something you can offer us. What type of supplies do you think I have though?”[/color]

[color=9e0039]“I’ve met Mika, so I know that, but she puts up a convincing act to outsiders. And I wouldn’t recommend going to the Ascendency, go to Beacon proper, as they are two different forces within the organization.”[/color] Penny would say not changing her posture as she spoke. [color=9e0039]“And I believe that you have food and bedding. We have supplies, but they are basic, I’m wanting to give the people at the Sanctuary more variety and finding usable bedding is tricky with all of the Ascendency Patrols out and about.”[/color]

[color=9e0039]“I’m not asking for a lot, at least not so far as I see it.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“No, I suppose you’re not.”[/color] Su folded her hands together and rest them in her lap. [color=PeachPuff]“Is manpower the only thing Sanctuary has to offer? Guards are only useful when there’s trouble, but magical girls who can be trusted and don’t mind menial tasks are hard to come by. If they are close acquaintances of yours, that is to say, zero percent chance of being a spy, I might be interested in them. But people are a strange resource. At least to trade for material good.”[/color]

[color=9e0039]“Not all that strange, the basis of barter after all.”[/color] Penny would say as her eyes drifted off to the side for a moment as she thought [color=9e0039]“I can’t offer anyone that fits you requirements just yet, but manpower isn’t the only thing I have to offer, just the most plentiful. I have information as well, though I’m not sure how much of it is of any use. Payment is also possible, but it would have to be case by case if that was the route taken.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“I should mention I do think a trade route is a good idea, but a protected trade route is only as useful as the people using it. If you can get others interested, I would be more enthusiastic about the idea.”[/color] Su tapped her armrest. [color=PeachPuff]“What type of information do you have?”[/color]

[color=9e0039]“I’ll keep that in mind.”[/color] Penny would say with a nod, it wasn’t hard to see how this meeting was going to end, and she would take all the good she could from it. [color=9e0039]“A bit of Intel on the Mint and potentially useful piece of information for Boteg. The Mint has someone capable of impersonating people, It was how they got to Cindy. Reports say that they were injured, so you should have some time before they are out and about again, but on the upside they don’t seem the kind to kill the person they are imitating.”[/color] Hard to say how useful that nugget was, but the best way to counter someone so capable of infiltration was simply raising awareness of them in the first place.

[color=9e0039]“Next bit is harder to prove, but the source is from someone that has never lied to me, so I trust it. Boteg isn’t the last of his kind. They were massacred, don’t get me wrong about that, but it wasn’t a genocide. He might have other golds out there that he could contact. What that would mean for you and the other girls under him I don’t know but it is what it is.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“Well, I don’t think Boteg would forgive me if I didn’t follow up on that.”[/color] After rapping her fingers on the arm wrest a bit, she nodded. [color=PeachPuff]“Very well. Today we will negotiate what you’d like for this information. It should not take long to get what you seek, depending on the quantity.”[/color]

[color=9e0039]“A dozen blankets, two dozen pillows and any fruits that you’d be willing to part with”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“I can prepare it within a day. Have someone ready for pickup.”[/color] Su pulled out a notepad and pen. [color=PeachPuff]“Who did you get this information from? I would like to get details.”[/color]

[color=9e0039]“Haa. That’s where things get difficult.”[/color] Penny would reply slumping back into her chair. [color=9e0039]“As I got it from a God. In fact I got it from the God I used to serve under. I’m not comfortable saying his name, if you don’t know it already, as he’s a secretive son of a bitch as speaking it aloud is a sure fire way to get his attention. Something I’m not sure would be healthy at the moment.”[/color] She would run a hand through her hair sighing lightly as she did “As I said, he has never lied to me, which is why I trust what he was saying. It was something he mentioned when I asked why Boteg might want me dead after Mika jumped me last time I was here, he also mentioned that it could have had something to do with the ship.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“I see. Then I will contact the terrible one at a later date.”[/color] Su folded up the notepad without writing anything down. [color=PeachPuff]“Third rule of being a queen is not to make any decision by yourself. That’s why royalty surround themselves with intelligent people.”[/color] Su stood up. [color=PeachPuff]“I will talk with all concerned parties about a possible alliance in your absence. I will stop by sanctuary later to inform you of our choice.”[/color] She extended her hand to shake.

[color=9e0039]“Ha”[/color] Penny couldn’t help but laugh at Laat’s given moniker [color=9e0039]“That fits him in far too many ways.”[/color] she would say as she too stood ignoring the wave of nostalgia that washed over her at thinking of the destructive god. [color=9e0039]“His name and breaking something old will get his attention, but no guarantee that he will answer. He keeps to himself most of the time. Hell I didn’t see him for the first few months of being his champion.”[/color] 

She shook the offered hand, careful to not grip too tightly. [color=9e0039]“Thank you for your time Manager Su.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“Just Su is fine.”[/color] She nodded. [color=PeachPuff]“Take care, Penny.”[/color]