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[Sub].:⋮Open Court⋮:.[/Sub]
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The Sanctuary. Even if things looked a little better these days, things were not alright by quite a shot. Their position was flimsy, and a hundred warring factions waged sometimes openly, sometimes with underhanded deals under the table for dominance over Penrose. The cat girl’s ears twitched as her tail swished as she headed towards the center of the Sanctuary, her mere presence making people turn their heads toward hers. 

Eventually, she stopped, her eyes resting on a metallic figure. Penny.

“Hail and well met, O Builder Penny.” said Dina, as she performed a curtsy. “Would you like to convene our thoughts on the situation so far?” She asked.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Hey Dina”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would reply without looking up from her work. In front of her was a small collection of scrap that she was in the process of turning into what looked to be a chess board and pieces. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And sure, I’m always grateful to get a second opinion on things. Take a seat”[/b][/u][/color] she would say gesturing to the other side of her table.

With a small acknowledgement nod, the noble catgirl took a seat in a delicate and purposeful manner, and eyeing the amount of scraps let a small sigh.

"Si vis pacem, para bellum" She uttered. "So you also think we should force the gears in the agenda."

[color=9e0039][u][b]“It’s only a matter of time before it sparks into something more open”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say as she kept to her work. She was doing more than making a simple board she was working on making this one more detailed, purely for the hell of it. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Not sure if forcing something is the right move yet, but from what I can gather someone will soon. Beacon is planning a raid against Mariette soon and I would be surprised if no one else makes a move under the cover of that one”[/b][/u][/color]

Dina's tail swished only once. "To be expected. Beacon seeks to vindicate their wounded pride. Others will exploit this and target either side." Her eyes shrunk slightly. "We might have more refugees or the Sanctuary's policy will make it hard to stay out of any pleas for help." She paused.

"I have done some groundwork. Mostly disatisfactory. The Golden Trove faction I approached first, but one of them was rather rude and did nor allow me to meet with their master. I believe it was a chinese dancer. Trying to win their cause as first ally was being costly so I had to strike a deal with someone else. A patron dolphin named Dan." 

She paused. "Quite helpless at times but his goals of feeding off happiness should be fairly easy to deal with as I work here. Most importantly, I have a summer retreat for all of the people in here if things get hairy."

"We still need to do so much yet, though."

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Yeah Su is something of a rough sell.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would remark, thinking of the Manager of the Golden trove [color=9e0039][u][b]“Though part of that I think is the fact that I stole from a friend of hers shortly before that friend died. Was able to get some more bedding from her for trading away some information that wasn’t much use to us here.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“As for Dan”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would stop at her work to glance up with an uncertain look on her face [color=9e0039][u][b]“If he is willing to give us access to his Beach then I’m willing to let his past actions slide, so long as he’s not going to pull any time shenanigans with it again. You serving under him or just striking a Solo deal?”[/b][/u][/color] She would ask.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“On my side I’ve got some inside help from Beacon. A few White Coins, and a few Purification potions. Hesitant to offer the Coins unless someone’s trapped with their patron, but the Potions should help with those that don’t feel comfortable with how they are.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Also been contacted by someone who had a deal with Cindy with the intention of continuing that very same deal, not fully sure I trust them not to betray us at the moment so I’ve left that as an open option. Other than that I’ve talked with an acquaintance of mine to try and get more security here.”[/b][/u][/color]

"Figures." Dina said. "If you know Dan you know… his shortcomings then. A solo deal would not have given me access to the dimension. I'd like you to elaborate on what he did to you then. Still, It should not be very difficult to get that passage deal out from him. He loves being a social butterfly, just like myself… and I dare say a second opinion is sorely needed with such a crew." Dina stated.

At the mention of Beacon, she hissed slightly. "Oh, their idea of mercy. Convert or else. I do not relish on Beacon's help at all. They can be as binding as the Mint sometimes, and… to be honest, how many of these refugees will trust anything from Beacon?"

Her eyes darted. "Well, perhaps I could go in those talks to help smooth things down. I do have a knack for it, or at least I did."

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I should point out that when I say Beacon I’m talking about the faction that was here before the Ascendency showed up. I view them as very different organizations. Alicia’s not a purge and scourge zealot, that would be Rachel. Still you have a point about the girls here, hence why I only have a little of what I do”[/b][/u][/color] As she spoke she laid out the board she had been making, now checking that it was to her liking [color=9e0039][u][b]“Regardless one of their members ended up getting an incomplete copy of Cindy in her head so it was best to work with them on the matter, despite how distasteful I find it myself.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Onto Dan and what he did. He, along with the help of a set of Twins who can grant wishes, ended up stealing away most of the magical girls from Penrose and hiding us away on his Beach. For us it was only a few days, but it was months on the outside. If not for that I doubt that the Ascendency would have moved in, or at least not with as much success as they had.”[/b][/u][/color]

Satisfied with the foundation she had Penny would start working on making the pawns a bit more fanciful. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And I wouldn’t count your skill gone, Penrose is just a mass of tension at the moment, few people willing to trust others, even with your boons I doubt that it is an easy environment to get things done.”[/b][/u][/color]

"Still too risky, I would say. Plus that Cindy copy - I will believe it once I see it. I feel it is far too tempting to play with Cindy's memory to gain a foothold here at this point." Dina said, unconvinced. "Though we should keep the gifts just in case."

Her ears seemed downcast as Penny told Dina what happened. "I should have grilled and eaten him already, but he is proving to be fairly fitting for this moment in time."  She then lifted herself up and went to Penny's side. Something was telling her that Penny… was still enduring a lot, so she let the noble on second row and decided to play the cat as she nuzzled against Penny's neck with her face, purring all the time, with her tail upright.

"You are doing well, Penny. You remind me of my grandson Yuri." 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Pretty sure eating plastic would give you indigestion”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would deadpan as she kept working on her chess set. She was annoyed at the Dolphin, but she couldn’t bring herself to be truly angry at him anymore. He simply wasn’t important enough for her to care about right now.

As Dina went to nuzzle Penny there would be a crackle as a translucent blue barrier would snap to life. With its appearance Penny would side eye the noble cat girl, setting down her work to do so. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Not a fan of unexpected contact”[/b][/u][/color] She would say as a way of explanation for the force field that had sprung up between them. 

She would hold the look for a few moments before shrugging and returning to her work. “How do I remind you of your grandson?” She would go on to ask, the barrier between them dimming into non existence once again.

Upon being pushed by the barrier, Dina’s automatic reaction would be to jump backwards slightly, followed by a low-key hiss and growl, as her feline features tensed, before snapping out of it. “Please forgive me, not being wholly human makes me sometimes behave like an actual cat.” She added, before looking rather dejected.

“He always worked himself to the bone, trying to take everything in. And then…while he was trying to make a better world, died on a war on a foreign land.” The cat girl said. “Carrying the dreams of many is a thankless job.” She paused. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“No worries”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would reply with a knowing smile not perturbed by Dina’s reaction to the forcefield. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I understand, trust me I understand. Being a machine comes with it’s own behaviour quirks trust me”[/b][/u][/color] As she spoke her left hand would lift up for a moment as it seemed to type on thin air. When it was done there would be an almost imperceptible lessening of pressure in the air around Penny, yet she didn’t comment on it, simply going back to her work on the chess set.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“And I can see the similarities”[/b][/u][/color] She would go on to say [color=9e0039][u][b]“It’s not quite as one to one as it probably looks from the outside though. I”m not trying to carry everyone’s dreams after all. I’m just working to cement mine into the waking world”[/b][/u][/color]

“Do androids ever dream of electric sheep?” Dina quipped. It was an interesting book, that one. Helped alleviate boredom when her body was but a husk of the past. “There’s yet another piece that has sprung up as of recent. It was Dan’s idea. Mariette Pendersen. I’ve heard ghastly rumours of her. But that dolphin expects me to help with her.” Dina said between clenched teeth.

“I’m not a fan of being a gun for hire, but we had better prepare the sanctuary before I’m called to…” she paused, scoffing.”...arms.”

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Used to,”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would reply with a thoughtful look [color=9e0039][u][b]“Would need to go to sleep again to find out if I still do.”[/b][/u][/color] She would shrug off the thought as for something to tinker with later. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Ah, Mariette”[/b][/u][/color] she didn’t hold back her sigh when it came to hearing that the Portal Witch was involved. She seemed to be everywhere recently.[color=9e0039][u][b]”Be careful, She’s under a Horror and she personally offended the current leader of the Beacon branch here in Penrose by lying and pseudo kidnapping a bunch of girls. So it’s likely to turn into a grudge match.”[/b][/u][/color] To say nothing about the Ascendency and Justine.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“On keeping this place safe, I’ve got something finished recently that I’ll be passing out to the girls here who are interested in it”[/b][/u][/color] She would say pulling a small token out of one of her storage locations. It was a circular piece of metal that had three gray diamonds in a line down the middle of it. [color=9e0039][u][b]“These are hero tokens of a sort, they are all tied to the Sanctuary. If they work correctly, they should let everyone know if this place gets attacked.”[/b][/u][/color]

“Ever heard the term [i]Realpolitik[/i], Penny. There’s vested interest in Mariette on Dan’s part… and ours as well. Even if I am told to ally with them, in the end it’s just one more faction that might swing things in our favour and keep others busy.” Dina grimaced. “Interesting. Have you tested it yet?” Dina said. “Are they activated at will or when hostile magic reaches a certain threshold?”

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Not fully”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would reply, tossing the token to Dina [color=9e0039][u][b]“Hard to stage an attack on a place that I am trying to keep safe. I reverse engineered it from a different Hero token that I had, and everything looks right. Had Monica double check it against Ashlyn’s. Can’t say I fully understand how they work, but sensing hostile magic is the best explanation for it so far.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“And I’m aware of the term”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would go on to say, though she hadn’t been before Dina had voiced it and had quickly googled it as she was explaining the tokens.[color=9e0039][u][b]”Can’t say that I’m partial to the idea. I founded this place on Ideological beliefs, tossing those out doesn’t sound like the best path forward.”[/b][/u][/color]

“What’s done it’s done. It’s the risk of having a sponsor. Bizarre ideas.” Dina shrugged as she eyed one of the tokens. “I’ll be keeping one of these. I don’t like fighting but I can heal.” Her head tilted sideways. “But we need more fool proof testing.” Her tail swished. “Okay, how about I perform an attack on the Sanctuary?”

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I’ve got plenty of them, going to be handing them out to others here soon, how do you plan on attacking this place?”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would ask sitting back watching Dina. [color=9e0039][u][b]“As I’d rather not freak out the people here just in the name of testing these things.”[/b][/u][/color]

Dina’s ears twitched, before putting two fingers in her mouth and performing a loud whistle. The ominous flapping of metallic feathers on wings was heard, as an horrid crane with a metallic sheen perched on Dina’s shoulder, screeching slightly. The ominous bird looked at Penny and tilted its head, before rearing it to Dina.

“The birds of Stymphalos shall suffice. They’re quite efficient in battle, with their iron sundering beak, poisonous droppings, disturbing presence and metallic feathers.” Dina added as she scratched the underside of the neck of the creature, who squeaked slightly. “As an Empress, I can draft an army on my own. I shall tell them to launch their feathers at designed places, and ramp up their attacks if needed.”

Penny would give the odd creature a long look. Before cutting her eyes back to Dina. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Let’s try the front door first, and then if it works there try some of the back routes in”[/b][/u][/color]

Dina eyed the bird for a split second, before gesturing ever so slightly. The creature flapped its mighty wings, and letting a screech, swooped past its way towards the entrance, where several more would wait. The creatures then would start hammering the door relentlessly with their beaks and feathers.

The tokens would prove themselves within moments. As a momentary vision would flash across both Penny and Dina’s perceptions. A stilled image of the flock attacking the door, a lingering sound of their cries and a sense of where to go to reach the image.

Penny would return to her senses quickly as she rushed towards the door [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’m pretty sure that answers the question if they work”[/b][/u][/color] she would call out over her shoulder.

“Alright.” Dina clasped her hands, offering a smug expression, before recalling the birds back to her presence. “It’s another safety measure proven, it seems.”

Penny would stay at the door a moment, gauging the actual damage and fixing it if needed before trotting back. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And likely not a moment too soon either. Can’t help but feel like the sword of damocles is hanging over this place.”[/b][/u][/color] She would let out a sigh at that. Both here and the Beacon HQ were likely going to be prime targets here soon, she really needed to have a talk with Alicia about that.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Shall we try a few more areas before I start passing these tokens out?”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would ask pushing aside those thoughts for the moment.

“We could, yes.” Dina said. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“You have something else in mind?”[/b][/u][/color]

“There’s always something else in my mind, dear Builder. The question is what to do next. So many things… so much toil… so little time.” Dina said, stretching slightly while using her hand to fix the hair tufts of her ears. “...there’s always time for tea, however.”

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I hear you on the excess of work and the lack of time. Kinda wish I ended up with clones as a power, would have made this so much easier.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would run a hand through her hair, as there was still so much to do, there always seemed like more to do. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’m not opposed to a break if that’s what you are suggesting though.”[/b][/u][/color] 

"Breaks are important." Dina said, leaning. "So are teatime manners. Would you like a few pointers?"

Penny pondered that question for a moment. she knew that most of the time she ignored supposed etiquette and simply treated everyone in a relaxed manner, yet she also knew that she was capable of acting with manners. She preferred her methods. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’m not really sure that the pointers would help. It’s not like I can actually drink tea.”[/b][/u][/color]

“There’s a time and place for everything, is it not?” Dina said, tilting her head. “Being prim and proper at teatime will make all those little followers grow enamoured with you.” The noble catgirl said, clasping her hands together. “And even the little inconsequential things do help towards a sound mind. Contrary to what you think, you’re no machine. You need breaks.”  She paused.

“If tea’s no good, I know a good place for drinks too.”

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Fair”[/b][/u][/color] Penny conceded, there was a time and place for such things. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And on me being a machine we are just going to have to agree to disagree.”[/b][/u][/color] Because Penny [i]was[/i] a machine and that wasn’t going to change.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“And it’s not that tea is no good, it’s that I don’t have the capability to eat or drink normal foods anymore. I subsist off my elements if I need to, but otherwise I don’t require anything else.”[/b][/u][/color]

“Mmm” Dina muttered, as her ears deflated in dejection. “That does make for a very trite life, without the small pleasures. Although I guess I could get some classical music to play.” The catgirl said. “So, time for a break?”

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I still can enjoy the little things, they just happened to be different then normal”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would correct with a shrug, [color=9e0039][u][b]“But a break sounds good to me. You get the music and I’ll get my cup of nails.”[/b][/u][/color]

[hr]

[center][h2]Meanwhile, at Sanctuary.[/h2]
Some time later[/center]

[b]”The queen of Penrose lives in a barn?”[/b] Sammy huffed. [b]”I haven’t had a chance to deduce anything yet, but that hardly sounds like a monarchy worth respecting.”[/b]

[b]”It’s a fitting one for Penrose.”[/b]

Sammy and Nuncio walked side by side towards Sanctuary. The little detective wore a padded jacket with a hood. Her entire body disappeared inside the jacket aside from her two massive eyes and her magnifying glass. Nuncio wasn’t dressed as warmly, but it was one of the rare times he decided to wear his coat shut to keep out the wind. Rosa walked behind them. Being a tiger, there wasn’t a lot they could do for her. But Nuncio had powered her up to give her some resistance to the stinging wind.

[b]”This is the barn. I can deduce as much from the barn-like structure.”[/b] It was actually a warehouse, but that didn’t seem to matter to the detective.

[b]”Sounds good Sammy.”[/b]

[b]”I don’t see anyone. I must conclude they are taking shelter and are unable to greet us.”[/b] Sammy waddled into the warehouse. 

[b]”Hey! Hold on!”[/b] Nuncio power walked behind her, but she could move surprisingly fast with such stubby legs. [b]”Dame’s gunna be the death of me.”[/b]

While on the outside the place still looked like a wreck, the inside was in much better condition, even if it was still on the rougher side of things. There were quite a few monster girls milling about in the open commons area. Most were talking, some sitting off on their own with cheap smartphones surfing glimmr or Youtube. And a small group had even pulled out the projector and set up a makeshift movie theater. There were also a few walled off areas that they couldn’t see inside of.

Off on the far side of the commons Sammy and Nuncio would be able to see the memorial area, a few members there paying their respects there as well. Generally the two of them were ignored. A few people glanced over when the door opened but none of the girls further in seemed all that interested in the two of them.

[color=#159D86]“You two are new around here”[/color] a voice would say just beside them. Turning to look an unnaturally tall Oni looking girl sat resting up against the wall just next to the door. She was giving the two of them measuring looks but overall seemed bored. [color=#159D86]“What brings you to the Sanctuary?”[/color] she would ask before lifting a gourd next to her and taking a drink from it. 

[b]”We’ll get to your questions in a moment!”[/b] With all the flair of a shonen protagonist, Sammy gripped her jacket and cast it off in one fluid motion. The supah sleuth was here!

[b]”You have horns on your head.”[/b] Sammy danced over to the other side of the girl, moving her magnifying glass over her legs. [b]”You have black and yellow stripes on your clothes. Furthermore, you have a yellow skin tone. You’re clearly an oni of some sort.”[/b] She scratched her chin. [b]”Yellow oni like to menace people and sow discontent.”[/b] She nodded. [b]”I’ve made my deductions! Without a shadow of doubt!”[/b] Her finger shot out and pointed at the Oni girl. [b]”You are here to badger us until we decide to stay at Sanctuary! But you’re too late! We’ve already decided we’re staying!”[/b]

Nuncio and Rosa acted like Sammy didn’t just whip out one of her famous deductions. [b]”Hello ma’am.”[/b] he tipped his hat. [b]”Sammy and I can’t stay in Penrose proper anymore. We’ve been lookin’ for a new spot, and we were told we could house here.”[/b]

The girl in question would simply raise an eyebrow at the tiny detective’s deduction. Before shrugging [color=#159D86]“Ya caught me”[/color] She would say blandly before turning her attention to Nuncio. 

[color=#159D86]“The Sanctuary is open to all types so you and your friend are free to stay. The Lady is wanting to be greeting newcomers herself while she’s got the opportunity. So she’ll likely be giving you the tour when she gets back.”[/color] She would go on to explain as she rapped one knuckle against her breastplate causing an ethereal echo to stand away from her. One that was much more bestial than she was and colored a ghastly red. It would barely spare a glance at the two newcomers before drifting away into the floor.

[color=#159D86]“She’ll be here as soon as she gets the memo”[/color]

[b]”What’s this?!?”[/b] Sammy watched the Oni sink into the floor. [b]”Red oni are creatures of passion and lust. She must have seen something she likes to do that.”[/b] After staring at the floor for a moment, Sammy turned her head towards Nuncio.

[b]”Please.”[/b] Was Nuncio’s only response.

It would only be a few moments before Penny would emerge from the hole in the ground that led to the lower levels. Her four spider legs poking out of it at first before finding purchase and her lifting up and out. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I really need to get around to building that ramp”[/b][/u][/color] She would grumble to herself as she turned towards the entrance, her extra limbs folding away as she did. The ladder she had installed was fine, and since most of the people here were magical it wasn’t like the jump up or down was all that difficult, just it still being a hole in the ground was something of a bottle neck.

She would use the moment it took to walk across the common area to examine Sammy and Nuncio as she had heard about them but never actually met. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Thanks for the heads up Ashlyn.”[/b][/u][/color] She would say nodding at the Oni girl, who simply waved away the thanks, before turning to the newest residence of her home.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Welcome. You must be Sammy and Nuncio, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Penny.”[/b][/u][/color] She would introduce offering a hand to them to shake.

Sammy seemed to be taken back by the girl’s spider-like limbs to bother shaking her hand. She continued to mutter notes to herself. 

[b]”That’s us, Ma’am.”[/b] Nuncio shook Penny’s hand, but made it brief less the pint-sized detective get jealous again. [b]”Amaryllis told ya about us I take it? We’re bein’ targeted by the Mint. It’s a long story, but we were told this would be a good place to crash.”[/b]

[b]”And strike back at them!”[/b] Sammy raised her magnifying glass.

[b]”For now we’ll take a place to sleep.”[/b] He tucked his hands into his pockets. [b]”So howdaya wanna do this? Not interested in bein’ a freeloader myself, I’m sure Sammy feels the same way.”[/b]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“She mentioned you, yeah”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would reply with a nod as she leaned on her back foot. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And currently any help you can in getting this place supplied is more than enough to help pay back for having a room if you are insisting upon it. We’ve got the basic supplies such as food and water, it’s mostly everything else that we are having difficulties with in any amounts.”[/b][/u][/color]

[b]”Ah hah!”[/b] Sammy raised her magnifying glass towards the heavens. [b]”With my incredible powers of deduction, I can find just about anything you could want or need! The supah sleuth is on the case!”[/b]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Thank you Sammy.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say with a smile, not bothered with the interruption before returning to the rest of her explanation [color=9e0039][u][b]”You can also help out with renovations if that’s more your capability. We’ve got three floors at the moment but most of the sleeping rooms are still being shared, so any assistance with helping expand in that regard is also appreciated. Though I’ve been working on something that should give us a fair bit more space so might not be needed here soon.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“And even if you can’t find anything at the moment to help out, you're still free to stay. I built this place to help those in need, and I can’t expect those in need will always be able to return the favor.”[/b][/u][/color]

[b]”I ain’t a freeloader, ma’am”[/b] Nuncio folded his arms.  [b]”Construction was what I did before joinin’ the ranks of the magicals. I’m no stranger to hard labor or pouring concrete. Can’t say my arm is the strongest, but I can help.”[/b]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“That know how is probably better than having a strong arm”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would mention [color=9e0039][u][b]“We have a lot of people who are strong, but not as many people who are knowledgeable in the traditional sense.”[/b][/u][/color] She would give a shrug [color=9e0039][u][b]“Either way, follow me and I’ll show you two the open rooms we have and answer any questions you have on the way”[/b][/u][/color] She would turn back towards the hole and start walking but check to make sure they were following before she got too far.

But they were following, and closely. Sammy had a tendency to lag behind, but she never let Nuncio get further than a few paces away before speeding up behind him. [b]”How many people presently live here?”[/b] She held up her magnifying glass to a wall. [b]”Also, you’re queen now, right? Do you consider Penrose your kingdom then? ”[/b]

[b]”I imagine that makes your relationship with beacon interestin’ to say the least.”[/b] Nuncio started to unbutton his trench coat.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“The number of girls that live here is hard to pin down, as some only use this place as a safe place to congregate and still live elsewhere. On average it’s a couple dozen. And I have claimed the title of queen, but I don’t consider Penrose as mine. Too many factions and forces here for any one person to have a claim to it all. Besides, I view the title of queen with a different lens than most I think. For me it’s not a statement that I am a ruler of the area, but that I am willing to stand for the corrupted. A lot of us are persecuted for only being inhuman, and even more are willing to take advantage of the fact that more often than not we won’t have somewhere to fall back to be protected.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“In that regard Queen is something of a lofty title, but I’m not the one who picked it, and at this point choosing a different title would just cause unneeded confusion.”[/b][/u][/color] 

 The walk to the hole that led to the lower level didn’t take very long, the hole itself wasn’t anything special, just a clean circular hole that led to a twelve foot drop into what used to be the abandoned pipelines in the area, there was a ladder installed into the wall as well but it was not hard to see that the ladder was a more recent addition. Penny would drop down without much fanfare before moving off to the side for Sammy and Nuncio. [color=9e0039][u][b]“My relationship with Beacon has always been interesting. Especially since their Beckoners directed them to me while knowing full well of what I was. This”[/b][/u][/color] She would gesture to the Sanctuary around them, [color=9e0039][u][b]“hasn’t changed much for those in the know and the only reason I haven't told more of Beacon is because I don’t trust the Ascendency.”[/b][/u][/color]

The tunnel that they stepped into ran parallel to the drop in point.  And it was easier to see down here where they broke away from the path laid out by the pipes. There were also doors, or approximations of them, placed in the walls in either direction. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Most of the rooms are on this level”[/b][/u][/color] She would explain [color=9e0039][u][b]“The rooms down that way are mainly storage, but there are also the showers”[/b][/u][/color] She would gesture to her followers right [color=9e0039][u][b]“The end of that is also one of the emergency exits. The room behind me is mine”[/b][/u][/color] She would say pointing at the double doors she was standing in front of. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And the end of the tunnel with the rest of the rooms is another ladder to the next level where we have more rooms, the gym, and are currently in the process of putting together a media room. We’ve got a few games down there mainly board games at the moment but we did get a few gaming consoles recently.”[/b][/u][/color]

She would turn and start heading towards the third level, as that was where the open rooms were at the moment.

The detective and mobster let Penny guide them to the third floor. [b]”It was my understandin’ that you were takin’ Cindy’s title. Guess that wasn’t the case.”[/b]

[b]”I could make a deduction, but I will give Penny the chance to answer honestly.”[/b]

[b]”Do ya prefer Queen, Queen Penny, or is Penny just fine?”[/b]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I did take Cindy’s title. I am Queen Penny, the Builder. And Penrose is my territory. But I’m not so arrogant to assume that means anything by just saying it. I wanted to make a place for people to be safe. Action is going to be needed a lot more than words are to secure this place. As for how to address me I honestly prefer just Penny, but not everyone wants me to be just Penny so I leave it up to the person. Ashlyn, the Oni girl you met at the entrance, calls me Lady, or Oyabun for example.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would explain as they walked, they had a bit more of a walk to the dropdown this time then they did before.

Sammy bounced into the air. [b]”Ah yes! This falls right in line with my deductions!”[/b] She ran up beside Penny. [b]”You scraped up her title to ensure no one could oppose you. With the outer alliance momentarily out of action, and Cindy out of the picture, you were free to move into the power vacuum that was created.”[/b] She rubbed the side of her head with her magnifying glass. [b]”I wonder if this was part of Beacon’s plan all along, or maybe the Mint’s plan? Could they be working together for some nefarious scheme!?!?!”[/b]

Nuncio sighed. [b]”Forgive the dame, she’s goin’ stir crazy.”[/b]

[b]”Quit flirting with the queen, you!”[/b]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Well, she’s not wrong in some respects.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would point out as they got down to the current lowest level. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I did step into the power vacuum that was left behind by Cindy’s death and I did take the title to minimize the amount of infighting that could occur. Reasoning is backwards though. I stepped in so that neither Ascendency or Mint would be able to profit from the destabilization that would have occurred had someone not stepped up.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Besides as far as I can gather it was the Mint that assassinated Cindy, so I doubt they were expecting me to step in so quickly and Beacon hates the Mint. Their current leader wouldn’t work alongside them.”[/b][/u][/color] She would add with a shrug. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Also Sammy, don’t worry Nuncio’s not my type. He’s a he after all.”[/b][/u][/color]

[b]”See? Even she knew you were flirting her up!”[/b] Nuncio didn’t dignify Sammy with a response.

The third floor once again started as a simple tunnel. The difference was that one of the directions ended very shortly, and opened up into two different rooms, one of them was the gym and the other was the still in progress media room, though only the Gym was easily visible from the landing point.

The other side of the tunnel was still under construction. And not all of the rooms were finished or had doors in place. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Welcome to your floor. The gym is that way, as is the media room. Gym currently doesn’t have any pads so be careful of that. But don’t worry if you break anything fixing it isn’t too hard. Feel free to add to the media room, as mentioned not a lot there but we are keeping an eye out for more things to add.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Rooms are over here”[/b][/u][/color] She would say walking over to them. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Don’t really have any rules for the assigning of them, so feel free to pick whichever room you want. A thing to note is that the marks above the doors indicate how many people are currently residing in that room”[/b][/u][/color] She would point out drawing attention to metal ‘X’’s placed above the rooms Which most of the rooms down here had at least one, but a few were empty and one had two. [color=9e0039][u][b]“More than two to a room tends to make things rather cramped, but there is nothing against it so long as all of the people are okay with it. I try to keep up to date on how many people are in each room so everything should still be accurate.”[/b][/u][/color]

[b]”Thank you for the tour, Penny.”[/b] Nuncio Took off his hat and bowed. [b]”If ya plan on building anything, let me know.”[/b]

[b]”I have much to investigate, but the preliminary examination was very helpful.”[/b] Sammy shook one of Penny’s many hands before wandering over to the rooms. [b]”Let’s see what we can do for a room, Nuncio!”[/b]

As the two turned to their new abodes, the familiar sound of heels clicking against hard ground could be heard. Amaryllis Evenings, her long hair tied back in a ponytail and her Sword hanging from a loop around her belt, emerged from one of the adjacent hallways. A few quick strides brought her to Sammy, and she greeted the detective and her boyfriend with a wave.

[color=778899]“The Horned Lady informed me that you two would be here,”[/color] Amaryllis said, brushing some sweat off her exposed nape. [color=778899]“I hope you haven’t found much objectionable during your expedition through Sanctuary?”[/color]

[b]”It ain’t exactly 5 stars, but I’ve lived in much worse.”[/b] Nuncio gave his honest opinion. 

Sammy was still going over everything with her magnifying glass. [b]”It is perhaps best that our accommodations are not too comfortable, less we spend more time sleeping than solving mysteries!”[/b]

Nuncio smiled. [b]”Nice to see ya again!”[/b] He extended his hand to shake, but his hand was swatted out of the air by a tiny detective. 

[b]”You need to tell him to relax if he becomes overbearing!”[/b] Sammy looked squarely at Amaryllis as she said this. [b]”You appear to be sweating, and it is much too cold outside for it to be from a jog. According to my deductions, you must be working on something around here!”[/b]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Hey Amaryllis,”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would greet as she witnessed the by play between the three of them, Half way turned towards the media room. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Need any assistance?”[/b][/u][/color] She would ask with a raised eyebrow, as if it was strenuous enough to cause the Knight to break a sweat some assist might be preferred. Unless of course it was simply the swordmistress keeping in shape.

[color=778899]“Glad to see you two are doing well,”[/color] Amaryllis nodded, retracting the hand that she was going to shake Nuncio’s with. [color=778899]“And no, it’s nothing that I need assistance with. Weaving circuitry’s just the sort of precise magical work that helps with my practice, at the expense of inducing hunger. Have you two dined? Or am I the only one amongst you lot who has yet to break her fast?”[/color]

Nuncio looked at everyone, then at Sammy. [b]”Would you like to get something to eat?”[/b]

[b]”I would! Though I am not especially hungry, I could use a coffee and a treat of some kind. Maybe a danish or a scone?”[/b] Sammy parted her hands, and her magnifying glass seemed to hover in the air. [b]”Shall I deduce the best possible places to eat? I need only know what you hunger for.”[/b]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Makes sense”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say, accepting Amaryllis’ explanation. Penny herself never had issues with the intricate stuff, but while putting together the gym it was discovered that external conjuration took a lot out of her.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“As for food, we have some stuff here, mostly dry foods. As well as some coffee and tea. One of the other girls here also has a pocket apartment where she cooks or bakes on occasion. That is if you don’t want to go out.”[/b][/u][/color] She would point out, mainly to give another option.

[color=778899]“If this is to be your future dwelling, I do believe it’d be apt if we were to throw a housewarming party. I’d prefer a heavier affair myself, but I suppose the question must be asked. Have you any stock of raw ingredients, Penny?”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Not much within the Sanctuary’s stocks, as I said mainly dry goods, but if you mention a housewarming party I’m sure that Monica will allow you to use her kitchen. Her Patron is all about House and Home.”[/b][/u][/color]

[b]”[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFpZNHFlyt0&list=RDrmyiYfKki28&index=18]M-Monika?![/url]”[/b] Sammy’s eyes dilated upon hearing the girl’s name. [b]”Um.”[/b] She blinked. [b]”You don’t have to do anything too out there for us.”[/b]

[b]”So we’re talking to Monica then?”[/b] Nuncio looked to Penny.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Sure, give me a moment”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would nod before walking off to find the Mino-girl.

It would be a few minutes before she returned with the girl in question. She was a short and rather busty Minotaur who seemed to only just be restraining her excitement. “So I hear we are throwing a housewarming celebration?” Monica would ask excitedly upon seeing the rest of the group as she rushed over to them.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Amaryllis, Nuncio, Sammy. Meet Monica”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would introduce once she also had joined them.

[color=#FD0E14]“Do you want it to just be the few of you or do you want to make it a celebration for everyone here? What were you hoping to make? Do you need music? Drinks?”[/color] Monica would ask bouncing in place slightly.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Her Patron is Hestia. Goddess of Hearth and Home.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would offer as an explanation for Monica’s exuberance over the idea of a housewarming party.

Would it be cannibalistic to ask a minotaur for beef? Amaryllis thought about it for a moment, before saying, “If you have chicken thigh, potato starch, some seasonings, and pot full of olive oil, that’ll be what I require for my craft. Sammy, I recall you desired something sweet and caffeine-laced?”

Sammy nodded

“And Nuncio?”

[b]”I’m easy.”[/b] Nuncio shoved his hands into his pockets. [b]”If we had time, I wouldn’t mind a stromboli, but I’ll take a pasta dish for today.”[/b] 

Monica would nod at Amaryllis [color=#FD0E14]“I’ve got that in stock. Plus coffee, creamer and sugar for Sammy if you want”[/color] she would add with a nod to the tiny detective.

“Excellent,” Amaryllis said. “How’s the ventilation system for the Sanctuary going, Penny?”

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Main areas got the best ventilation, outside of the showers. Full A/C is going to take a lot of work so it’s been put off for more important things. Monica here has set up a partial kitchen area up there as well if you don’t want to take advantage of her apartment’s full kitchen.”[/b][/u][/color]

“It would certainly defeat the purpose of a communal kitchen space if everyone eschewed from it in favor of an individual’s home appliances instead.” Amaryllis turned to Monica. “If you could lead the way?”

Monica would nod enthusiastically [color=#FD0E14]“Sure, follow me!”[/color] she wouldn’t quite race back up the kitchen area, but it was a near thing. It was back in the main room, a moderately sized pseudo room set up on the opposite side as the memorial area. It held a few islands and scavenged campinging cooking equipment.

Once everyone made it Monica would step sideways into a door that wasn’t there a moment ago and would be gone for a few moments before she returned carrying a tray with the requested supplies. Once she handed them over she pulled up a stool to watch the sword mistress work.

With the ingredients brought out and the counters properly sanitized, Amaryllis washed her hands, draped on an apron that was perhaps a bit too small for her, before flourishing her Sword. The Patron, roused from its after-feast nap, only raked at her elbows slightly in irritation; slicing raw meat was fun, but not when it was already butchered beforehand. Still, Amaryllis’s talent with the blade wasn’t limited only to slaying monstrosities and dueling her brethren. She tossed six chicken thighs up in the air and diced them into bite-sized chunks with a flurry of slices. They fell into the stainless steel bowl she had procured from her metal-making, their surface scored to allow for faster marination.

The seasonings came in next. Sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, were added in carefully while the stove flared up underneath a pot of blooming canola oil. She massaged the diced chicken into the seasonings with one hand, while her other hand cracked open eggs, dumping them into a pile of potato starch to make the batter. With hot oil, batter, and seasoned chicken all prepared, Amaryllis got to deep-frying. Soon enough the smell of fried meat and the sizzle of oil filled the area, the Knight of Rose’s amethyst eyes intent on catching the moment where the batter was fried to a perfect golden crisp.

Her Quicksilver (skewer edition) flicked out with pinpoint accuracy as each individual chunk of chicken was finished, retrieving them from the pot and onto a basket covered with paper towels. In time, the basket would be filled, oils saturating into the paper, and Amaryllis flipped the basket onto a plate.

“Sorry for the wait,” she said, taking her apron off. “Have a taste. It’s a pretty simple recipe, but it’s good for calories and protein, I’d like to think.”

[b]”Wasn’t expectin’ ya to run off and cook for us after work.”[/b] Nuncio took a seat, with Sammy hopping into his lap. 

[b]”Hmmm.”[/b] Sammy poked it with her fork. [b]”It smells Chinese, but I will have to taste it to further deduce what this dish is.”[/b] 

Simultaneously, Nuncio and Sammy skewered a piece of chicken and moved it to their lips. After taking a bite, they both nodded. 

[b]”Damn fine job Amaryllis.”[/b]

[b]”I must conclude that this dish, while not what I expected, is indeed worthy of being called supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!”[/b]

Monica would also move to acquire a piece of the chicken. [color=#FD0E14]“Ooh, this is quite good!”[/color] She would quickly devour the piece she had taken [color=#FD0E14]“You have to give me the recipe”[/color] She would say happily as she reached for another piece, one that she would go on to savor slowly.

“It’s not really a recipe sorta thing,” Amaryllis replied, popping the fried chicken into her mouth. Considering the reputation Monica had with being a magical girl serving under a deity of homemaking, they were probably just saying it to be nice anyways. To her, chicken just tasted like chicken; maybe it was better than reheating frozen nuggets, but otherwise, it was normal.

Definitely normal.

“Well,” Amaryllis said, with the slightest hint of smug self-satisfaction. “To new abodes?”

[b]”To new abodes!”[/b] Sammy shouted as if it were a toast.

[b]”Yea, let’s check ‘em out.”[/b]

Nuncio had his reservations about living in a run down warehouse, but this wasn’t half bad.

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

While Shane had come and gone after Cindy’s death he typically had not stayed at the Sanctuary. Given everything going on though he was overdue for a visit to see how things were. Having been dragged around by the former Queen of Penrose in the time of their return from the beach a good number of the residents knew of him, but not much about him. After a lovely conversation with Lillia, Shane would pop up into the hiding place.

The place was different from the last time Shane would have been here, not radically, but notably. One aspect that had changed was one of the corners of the main floor had been altered, there was a large mural on one of the walls, covered in pictures and letters. In that same area stood a statue of Cindy looking out with a regal smile.

There also seemed to be japanese maids wandering around, Catgirl maids in fact, if the tail and ears were anything to go by. The place also seemed cleaner in a way, but it was hard to pin down why, but it was also more than that, there was just a presence to the whole place that wasn’t there before. 

And while Shane was looking around it wouldn’t be long before he felt a pair of eyes on him. The culprit wasn’t hard to find, mainly because she wasn’t bothering to hide the fact that she was watching him. Not that Penny’s gaze was suspicious, more just curious. She was watching him even as she worked on putting something together.

Taking his time he went over to the changed corner and looked over the pictures and letters in particular. These were people’s thoughts, feelings, and those they’d lost. It was disheartening, but good to see that there was this outlet for healing. The statue of Cindy was a little odd to him. They had a contentious disagreement on how to do things. He’d hoped to persist and get her to see things a bit different. 

He looked around a bit more before spotting Penny. He knew who she was and heard murmur that she’d taken up the mantle of Queen. That being the case it would be interesting because as far as he knew she was in Beacon as well. That dynamic could be a good thing if the Ascendancy didn’t tear it all apart. He would make his way over to her and give a wave as he approached. [color=lightblue]”Hello Penny. Keeping busy I see.”[/color] He apparently didn’t care about being watched. If you have nothing to hide…

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Always”[/b][/u][/color] She would reply with a smile. This close it was easy enough to see what it was she was doing. Putting together rubik's cubes. She had a few of them already put together, and from her supplies enough to make a few more. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Seems you know me, but I’m sorry to say I can’t return the favor.”[/b][/u][/color] She would say apologetically. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Feel free to take a seat, I’m always available for getting to know people who know of my home.”[/b][/u][/color]

The boy would pick up some pieces and began assembling one of the cubes. [color=lightblue]"Haven't messed with one of these in years."[/color] He mused. While working on assembling the thing he kept talking. [color=lightblue]"You can call me Shane. I'm not surprised you don't recognize me. We didn't get the chance to talk much. But we've met on a number of occasions. Since I can let the cat out of the bag now you probably remember me as Shannon."[/color] He would say casually as he fiddled with the plastic toy. [color=lightblue]”I ended up using a Red Coin per Cindy’s request as a show of loyalty since I had opposed her methods when she first arrived. Not really sure that was the right move now since my original plan to get her to lighten up went up in smoke with her death.”[/color] He would eye the statue in the corner. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Trying to give the people here something to be able to pass the time with, other than simply surf Glimmer”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say as she nodded her thanks for Shane’s assistance in putting these together.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Shannon”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say slowly as she worked to place the name, or at least acted that way, a computer for a mind makes data recall a breeze but it also tends to make people uncomfortable. She blamed Skynet. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Oh yeah, Hospital girl. Plus you helped out with the thing at Justine’s castle.”[/b][/u][/color] She would say in recognition. Before giving him a once over. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Tough break?”[/b][/u][/color] she would half ask, half say. Some people preferred to be male, so she wasn’t sure what aspects of the change Shane would be opposed to. Plus the whole loss of Cindy thing wouldn’t have been a good thing.

He shrugged. [color=lightblue]"Eh. I was a boy before and had been a girl for the last 9 years so I got used to it. A little weird going back but it doesn’t really change the job.”[/color] The Puchuu boy didn’t seem phased by the matter. [color=lightblue]”Just trying to keep the peace. How have things been here? I know a lot of people were leaning on Cindy to protect them. I understand you’ve taken her place.”[/color] He would look at Penny curiously. [color=lightblue]"Does Beacon know? "[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“It was either step up or let them fall to the Mint”[/b][/u][/color] Which in truth wasn’t an acceptable outcome in any way [color=9e0039][u][b]“And some of Beacon knows. Those I trust at the least. Which includes no one from the Ascendency.”[/b][/u][/color] She would let out a small chuckle at that [color=9e0039][u][b]“In fact, if the whole unsanctioned Beach trip hadn’t happened this place would have likely had open Beacon backing as my friend was planning on doing something like this as well”[/b][/u][/color]

Shane would look impressed. He knew things were changing but didn't realize it was that significant. [color=lightblue]"Well that's good to hear. Hopefully we can work on the rest of them and keep things from devolving further. I get the feeling it isn't going to be an easy though."[/color] 

While they were chatting, a little girl was escorted in. She was tiny, a doll actually. Penny was pretty quickly pointed out and she was brought over to meet the Queen. [color=#159D86]“We have a newcomer to see you Obayun. We found her outside looking for the Sanctuary.”[/color] The girl would step around and up into clear view.

[color=pink]”H-hello, m-my name is Melisa. I was hoping to...”[/color] She said shyly before looking up to see Penny. She stopped for a moment and looked the larger girl up and down. Something inside her seemed to wake up and the pink flame in her abdomen flared briefly. She gasped as the connection to her Metal magic fell into place. [color=pink]”Are you... made of metal too?”[/color] She was suddenly mesmerized by the mechanical girl. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Tip to toes, inside and out”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would admit with a smile as she raised up one arm before it fragmented out into component parts for a moment to help prove her point. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And it’s a pleasure to meet you Melisa. My name is Penny.”[/b][/u][/color] She would add before offering a hand, though mainly just her fingers, to the diminutive girl.

She didn't expect someone with the title of Queen to be so casual about things. She reached out and shook the hand as best her limbs would allow. [color=pink]"Very nice to meet you."[/color] For a moment she would just stare. Coming to her senses she would apologize. [color=pink]"S-sorry. This magic and monster stuff is all very new to me. My new friends told me about this place. I'm just visiting to see what it's about."[/color] She kept a smile on her face as she spoke. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I get that, the first few weeks are the strangest.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny sympathized, hers were odd in more then one way after all. She would tap on the table with a finger before flicking it in Melisa’s direction causing a ramp to grow out of the metallic table so that the small girl had an easier time climbing up if she wanted.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“This place is… Well I’ve always taken to calling it the Sanctuary so that’s the name that stuck. As for what it is, it's supposed to be a home, or a safe haven, for the people like us that need one. Lots of people out there that aren't fond of us, and even more that are willing take advantage of the fact that we rarely have a place to fall back to. So I decided to make one.”[/b][/u][/color]

Melisa would stare at the metal that had moved for a moment. Bending down she would knock on it and find it solid. Curious. Seeing as Penny had made the thing she would walk up the ramp to be more at eve level.with the girl.

Shane was watching curiously. Something was a little odd about this girl aside from being in the form of a doll. It wasn’t exactly a bad thing per se, but his PoF told him that she was extremely easy to make friends with. [color=lightblue]”Hello there, I’m Shane. Like Penny said, this is a safe place for people to stay. So long as you don’t go out of your way to cause trouble you’re in good company.”[/color]  Again, not really bad but different than most. It could be that she was so lost and confused though. Some that are thrust into being monster girls can be a bit clingy to people they first meet if their mutations or patron doesn’t drive them to be combative. This girl might be a perfect example of people that Beacon would persecute without ever getting to know them.

Turning to face Shane for a moment, her smile would widen. [color=pink]”Oh, well thank you.”[/color] She would turn back to Penny. [color=pink]”And thank you for making this place. I uh… am not really sure what to do.”[/color] She would lower her eyes to the floor, or in this case the table, and fidget with her hands a bit. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“At this point that’s kind of up to you.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would answer with a shrug, tapping the table again and pulling the ramp back into the table. It wasn’t a mechanical process, just Penny exerting her magic over the metal to shift its shape. Something she had gotten into more practice doing as of late.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“This is a safe place, or a home, and we have some things for entertainment here. Games both board and electronic, a gym to practice parkour in”[/b][/u][/color] And she still thanked Amaryllis for that idea [color=9e0039][u][b]“But outside of here it’s up to you. Do you want to help out the Patron that brought you into this world, champion a different cause, help those less fortunate than yourself, sleep. You’re in control of your own life now for better or worse.”[/b][/u][/color]

That was rather open ended and only marginally helped. Trixy and Eliza seemed to think her patron had left her. [color=pink]”I don’t really know what my patron wants. She…”[/color] She paused briefly, suppose it was a she based on the voice at the very beginning, [color=pink]”She only mentioned making friends together. I haven’t heard anything since. If I had to choose I would like to be helpful at least. I don’t really know how useful I might be though.”[/color] She clearly didn’t know the first thing about what she was capable of. Despite being a third of her previous size she was superior in almost every other metric. That was even without using her specific magical abilities.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Well, sounds like we should head to the gym and figure that out then.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say setting down another completed cube. [color=9e0039][u][b]“As figuring out what it is you can and can’t do goes a long way towards figuring out what you can do to be helpful.”[/b][/u][/color] With that said she would stand [color=9e0039][u][b]“You're free to tag along as well if you want Shane”[/b][/u][/color] And then she would gesture for Melisa to follow along.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“The gym is still new, or a work in progress depending on how you look at it. Got something of an obstacle course set up and a few areas for more conventional working out, but it’s the best area for slinging magic around”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would glance down at her small follower, both to make sure she wasn’t walking too quickly and to give her another once over. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’d guess you have at least Metal magic, but the pink flame leads me to think that it’s not your only one”[/b][/u][/color]

She followed along pretty well even if it took her more steps to do so. There wasn't really any fatigue to speak of so that was an interesting discovery. Looking at the space they went to it was pretty nice, even if unfinished. Penny pointed out the Metal magic. She had sensed something to do with metal earlier. Checking her hands she would hold them out in front of her. Something was fighting to get out, she didn't know what but simply moved how the magic guided her. It took a bit but two cannons would form in her hands. They were both almost as big as she was. [color=pink]"What the f…"[/color] Before she could get her words out the two weapons would fire. 

Thankfully no one was in the way of the projectiles. Hitting the monkey bars the fixture didn't seem to receive any damage from the impact. However, Penny would notice almost instantly that her ability to manipulate the bars went away almost instantly. Twisting and contorting it seemed to come to life and would begin walking its way toward Melisa. The cannons would disappear and she would raise her hands once again, more in fear than anything. [color=pink]"Aaaaaah. What did I do? S-stay away!"[/color] On command the monkey bars would stop, standing still but not quite looking normal. Melisa would shoot a glance at Penny hoping for some clarity. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Huh”[/b][/u][/color] Penny was much less afraid of the twisted metal and much more curious as to what it was that just happened. It wasn’t a spell, but the disconnect from her senses told her it was still magic. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Interesting weapon you’ve got there”[/b][/u][/color] She would go on to say as she walked over to the twisted climbing equipment.

Reaching out she would grab hold of the construct and feel out the magic that simmered within it. Turning she would trace the echo of the metal back to Melisa. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I think you just hijacked the metal for yourself”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say her hand still on the twisted monkey bars [color=9e0039][u][b]“It’s connected to you, through more than just Metal but I can’t say what else. Pretty sure it’ll listen to what you tell it to do”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Can you feel it?”[/b][/u][/color] She would ask tapping one finger on the metal she was holding, curious what the other Specialization it was Melisa had, knowing that if things got too complicated she could easily go copy a Third eye from someone else in the Sanctuary to help speed things along.

[color=pink]”Uh. I suppose? I sense something. Kind of like how it is with my own body. I don’t really… feel… things the same.”[/color] It hadn’t really clicked in her head until now. Her senses were very different without all the nerve endings and sensory organs. How did any of that even work now? Eh, that didn’t really matter, there seemingly was no going back.

Penny had mentioned being able to control the metal. She had a passing thought and the equipment began to move again. The apparatus folded around the mechanical girl gently in what could possibly be construed to be a hug. When Melisa realized it responded to her whims she waved the thing away. [color=pink]”Oh, no no. G-go back to your place!”[/color] She would point off to where it had initially started. 

Releasing Penny the monkey bars galloped back to where it started, straight and rigid as if it had never moved. The tiny girl sighed with relief. This was so bizarre.

Chuckling at both the antics of the metal and Melisa, Penny would follow the monkey bars back to their correct position placing her hand upon it once again. This time however she would pulse her Titan’s Reignment through it to purge any lingering connection to Melisa.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“So it seems like you can possess metal with your arm cannons”[/b][/u][/color] She would explain as she returned to the doll-like girl’s side. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’d guess you’ve got Metal and Spirit. I can help you with Metal, but we’d have to go find Ashlyn to work on Spirit. So which would you like to work on first?”[/b][/u][/color]

Shane had wandered over after assembling a few cubes. [color=lightblue]”You seem a bit busy at the moment. I should be around a bit more so we can catch up some other time.”[/color] He would crouch and pat Melisa on the head. [color=lightblue]”You’ll be safe here. You take care.”[/color] He would stand and go off to chat with some of the residents.

The doll girl seemed to like the simple gesture of being patted on the head. She would wave as Shane walked off. [color=pink]”Bye!”[/color]

Pulling herself back into the moment, Melisa would turn back around. She didn’t seem quite sure what to do. Looking at the equipment she’s possessed for a bit she would eventually face Penny. [color=pink]”I don’t know. If Ashlyn isn’t here then isn’t Metal the only option?”[/color] After a second she would draw back a bit. [color=pink]”Or, your highness probably has more important things to do.”[/color] She’d suddenly remembered she was talking to someone with the title of Queen.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“No need to worry. Ashlyn’s always around somewhere as I know that Monica’s still here.”[/b][/u][/color] She would say. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And I always try to make sure to set aside some time each day for my subjects. Otherwise I think it would be too easy to simply lose connection with them. So once again, no worries. So what’ll it be? Want to work on Metal or should we track down Ashlyn and see if my hunch is right about Spirit?”[/b][/u][/color]

Placing her hands on her hips Melisa would think about it for a minute. She appreciated that Penny was willing to assist, on the other hand there was something in the back of her mind that didn't like something about this place. Though that could also be her being a complete noob and everything felt weird. For now she would take the help she could get. [color=pink]"I'm more interested in the metal since I have your time right now. I already took you from Shane and there are probably plenty of other people around here that could use your attention."[/color] She took a look around at everyone there. It actually was quite a connection of magical and monster girls. If Penny made time for other people there was no telling when she'd get the chance again for some guidance. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Sounds good.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say as she sat down [color=9e0039][u][b]“A quick warning, I’m not the best when it comes to magic, somewhere below average at the moment, so don’t be surprised if you are able to do a lot more than I can.”[/b][/u][/color] She would begin, before moving on to the rest of her explanation.

As they went along it did become apparent that Melisa was more heavily skewed toward her magic than anything else. But their session was mostly about helping her get a grasp on how to manipulate metals. If she had Spirit it seemed closely connected to her Metal magic, likely it was why the objects she targeted seemed to come to life and were able to operate on their own. Took a little bit, but she seemed to be warming up to what had happened to her and becoming more relaxed.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Right, I think that’s about as much as I’ll be able to actively teach you about Metal.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say eventually. She was happy that she had been able to assist Melisa, and was thankful that she was able to help the tiny girl relax. Penny knew, very, very, well what it was like at the beginning. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’ll still be able to work as a sounding board for ideas, but at this point you’ll likely be able to figure out everything else on your own. Especially as magic tends to work differently for everyone, at least so far as I have seen it.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“So any other questions? Outside of magical theory at any rate, that I might be able to help you out with?”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=pink]"Hmm, I guess I'd like to know more about things going on in general. Like is this the only place to 'hide' or whatever? What are we hiding from? Stuff like that."[/color] A pretty broad question, but she didn't have a lot of information in general about much of anything. Seemed like a lot had been going on that before she'd been oblivious to. On the outside it just seemed like the city was going through some big economic downturn but maybe there was more to it than that. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“As far as I am aware the Sanctuary is the only one of its kind. Mainly because a lot of people out there get really worried when girls like us start gathering together. Who we are hiding from isn’t always clear. A lot of girls will tell you Beacon, which to a point we are, some will tell you Mint, which we definitely are, and some will tell you everyone else, which also has some truth to it.”[/b][/u][/color]

Snoopy would make an appearance with a few beeps before projecting a rather basic image of circles with the names of various groups in them. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Thing is, from a normal perspective most of the girls here are not human anymore. Most of us have been corrupted by magic to be something other than human. For me and you we are classed as Monster girls, some of the others are just classed as Dark magical girls because they are partially corrupted. A lot of people view us as dangerous because of it and some actively hunt us down. Beacon can be like that. The branch here in Penrose isn’t, but the Ascendency is very much a fundementalist group but they don’t originate from Penrose.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Then there is the Mint. They are a mix between a greedy loan shark and mafia. They offer you power then drown you in debt so that you have to work for them once you’ve accepted their help. The only way to pay off the debt is doing jobs for them, which might require you to take on more debt to get all the information to do the job correctly. They come after us, because a lot of the time the corrupted don’t have anywhere to fall back to, or anyone they can count on to help them out.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Those are the major entities here in Penrose. But there are always the countless other Patrons to consider. The Puchuu, the Lesser forces, the Deities, and the Horror’s. All of them have their own goals, and attitudes about all of the above, which may or may not be shared by the girls and boys under their service. For the most part it’s just not possible to generalize them as good or evil, except for the Horror’s, as almost all Horror’s are detrimental in one way or another.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“So as you can tell, it’s not the easiest life to get dropped into. Especially if your patron can’t or won’t contact you to give you all this info themselves.”[/b][/u][/color]

She’d been told a bit by Trixy and Eliza, but that was a lot more than she expected. Her eyes were wide for a moment while she stood and listened. [color=pink]”Yikes. Okay then.”[/color] It was a fairly solid update for her patron as well. Seemed that perhaps this may be the place to be after all. She had been used to others being much more adversarial. [color=pink]”So this is like a safehouse then.”[/color] Looking around at everyone there she considered how she might be of use. It seemed a noble enough cause at least. [color=pink]”Is there any way I could help? I’m not sure if my real estate skills are all that useful but I’m reasonably used to renovation.”[/color] She could see how getting dragged into this could easily destroy your life goals. It seemingly had hers thus far.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“It's a Sanctuary”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would agree [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’m hoping it will be able to give people everything I didn’t have for the first few months after I was inducted.”[/b][/u][/color] She would explain before leaning back on her arms. To think over Melisa’s offer to help. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Renovation would be a help. A lot of the rooms we have here are sparsely furnished so helping out with that in any way would be appreciated I think. If you know of anywhere we could get more supplies, food mainly, or any other creature comforts that would also be appreciated.”[/b][/u][/color]

Shane would have wandered back over once it had looked like the training was over. For the moment though he just listened.

Thinking it over a bit, she shrugged a bit. [color=pink]”Well, I was going to be getting rid of a whole bunch of stuff at the estate where this doll was. So that’s a lot of regular old furniture and such. May be a bit dated but it still works. There are probably some games and things. I don’t really have much use for any of it. Might be nice to keep the house though.”[/color] She wasn’t sure how exactly that would work. The place was paid for already but eventually it could be marked as abandoned, or her as missing or dead. Well whatever, that would take months if not years to get sorted out.

So as to food… She would tap her finger against her face which made a small clicking. [color=pink]”Have you considered growing things? Could make a greenhouse. This place isn’t really set up for it but that’s a pretty tried and true method of feeding people. You could probably set up some indoor thing here if you really had to or maybe we could use the yard at the estate. Pretty sure the land was used to farm at some point or another. It’ll just take a while before you get anything.”[/color] Sounded like a lot of work. Then again what else was there to do? Too bad it was winter.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Starting a farm is not a bad idea”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would agree as she turned over the idea, it wouldn’t be very easy. Unless one of the girls around here was a wood spec, but there was no promise of that happening. [color=9e0039][u][b]“This place has only been under active management for a few weeks so I’ve been focusing on short term stability, but that’s got merit”[/b][/u][/color] Assuming that the Sanctuary would be able to stay standing at any rate.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“And if you’re willing to donate the furniture, me and a couple of girls can go with you to pick up everything. The games would be good to add to the media room. And everything else can be split up in some fashion or another. But again only if you want.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=pink]”Of course!”[/color] She said loudly while her voice went up an octave or two for a moment. She seemed a bit surprised for a second but shook it off. [color=pink]”I mean. I was planning on selling or donating most of it anyway. I didn’t have plans to stay in Penrose but now… well, I’m not really sure where else I’d go.”[/color] She scratched her head. [color=pink]”It’s a little ways outside city limits so we’d need a truck and probably a few trips. It’s a fairly decent sized place. I had hoped to sell it for a good amount but I doubt I could get away with closing a deal looking like this.”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Hmm, getting a truck might be tricky”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say before shrugging, they could always just hotwire one of the abandoned ones if needed. She also wondered if it wouldn’t just be easier to carry all of it, might be faster too depending on things. [color=9e0039][u][b]“If you still want to sell it, either find an illusionist or keep an eye on Brittney’s shop for a disguise artifact. Either should work. Granted with Penrose being how it is at the moment seems like it would be the bigger hurdle to finding a buyer.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Either way, let me know when you are ready and I’ll get the people together.”[/b][/u][/color]

Rocking a bit she didn’t have any real response for some of that. She knew the market would be bad. Though now she was more thinking it was worth keeping just for its usefulness. [color=pink]”Whenever is fine. I don’t really have any plans right now.”[/color] She was feeling a bit hungry. Though she supposed she had been since her transformation she was just able to ignore it. As she would take glances around she would occasionally spot someone sleeping and she would feel a little pang. [color=pink]”Um, I have a question. Is it normal to be hungry all the time or is that because I’m actually hollow?”[/color] It was a legitimate question. She knew that when she’d consumed Trixy’s deam the other night she felt better, but she thought it would have gone away by now.

Penny’s eyes would narrow slightly at the question. Hunger and Monstergirls rarely mixed well. [color=9e0039][u][b]“No.”[/b][/u][/color] She would run a hand through her hair as she thought about how to expand upon her answer. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Hunger can mean a lot of different things now. It’s one of the reasons why non-corrupted tend to be wary of us. Part of the way you think has been touched. You are going to want something. That can be good, can be bad, can be benign. There are Monster girls out there that need to eat people, for example. Others that need to defend everyone they can, and some just want to collect things.”[/b][/u][/color] She let out a sigh, [color=9e0039][u][b]“It’s one of the harshest things to get accustomed to and some of us never really do. But if you are hungry, you must have some idea what it is you are wanting to eat, explain it if you can. And I’ll see if there is anything we can do.”[/b][/u][/color]

None of that sounded very good. She tried to think if she’d done anything harmful to her friend, but she hadn’t seemed to notice at all. Turning her head she would point to a girl sleeping on the other side of the room. The girl seemed a tad restless as she would shift every so often. [color=pink]”She’s having a nightmare. I think that’s what I need.”[/color] She would blink and look back at Penny. [color=pink]”The dream at least. I’m pretty sure I’ve eaten one already and the girl was fine the next morning.”[/color] She hoped this wasn’t going to be a problem. Hard to tell what it meant from the sounds of it.

A bit of the tension left Penny at that declaration, eating dreams didn’t sound bad, especially if it’s already happened with no down sides. [color=9e0039][u][b]“That shouldn’t be an issue.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say after a moment [color=9e0039][u][b]“Still to be on the safe side.”[/b][/u][/color] Snoopy would pop out with an excited trill before racing off.

A few moments later Snoopy would come bobbing back with a rather petite minotaur girl. Who would nod at Penny when she arrived. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Alright, go ahead and eat. Me and Monica will watch to make sure you’re not hurting them”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=pink]”O-okay.”[/color] She was a little nervous with the scrutiny of being watched. At the same time though she did want to know if she was hurting someone when doing so. Turning toward the girl the flame in her body went out and she became perfectly still. With Third Eye from Monica, both the minotaur and Penny could see the girl’s spirit magic zip across the room and enter the sleeping girl’s head. At first, there was little that could be determined of what was going on. Monica would be able to see that Melisa had entered into the dream proper, looking just as she did in the real world. She could apparently interact with the dream naturally as if she were a part of it. As dreams tend to be everything moved very quickly, only lasting minutes. Things would begin to go off the rails as time went on.

On the outside the girl seemed to stir more as the dream became more chaotic. Before it got out of hand though the doll girl would consume the dream and it would vanish without a trace. The nightmare gone, the girl would relax and settle in her cot seemingly unaffected. The spirit would return to Melisa packed with replenishing magic for the girl and the flame would return. Giving a satisfied sigh she would turn back to Penny and Monica. [color=pink]”Is she okay?”[/color] She really didn’t know and would look back at the sleeping girl. If she had lungs she would have held her breath.

Both of the girls watched with rapt attention to what was happening. Penny kept a closer eye on the sleeping girl than anything else, as Monica had the more important job. Once Melisa was done eating Monica would close her eyes as a look of concentration crossed her features. A moment later she would open them before smiling and giving a cheerful nod.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“She’s fine”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would respond with a thoughtful look. Monica had explained what she had seen to Penny telepathically, as well as supplying her own opinion after giving the sleeping girl another scan that there was nothing detrimental about what had just happened. [color=9e0039][u][b]“From our perspective you simply hopped into her dream and went along with it for a bit before consuming it.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=#FD0E14]“And since you ended the nightmare before it could get any worse. I think you helped them sleep easier”[/color] Monica would chime in as she crouched down to pat the doll on the head lightly. Completely at ease with the tiny monster girl.

Well that was a relief. Relaxing Melisa would smile brightly. [color=pink]”Well that’s good. I wasn’t really sure what was going on with all of that. I’ll try and pick out the nightmares then if I can find them.”[/color] She would resolve out loud. 

Shane would step back up with a slightly amused smile. [color=lightblue]”Can’t say I’ve ever run into that kind of magic before. Comes in all shapes and sizes.”[/color] He would also give the girl a light pat. Both of which she seemed rather gleeful to receive. [color=lightblue]”I was listening to what you were saying earlier about resources. I was at Brittney’s shop not that long ago and if we’re able to get a space for planting then I think there is a good item at the shop to buy to help with that. Won’t allow you to do any crazy Wood spells but it was called Nature’s Staff. Then almost anyone could tend to the garden.”[/color] 

[color=#FD0E14]“Is definitely like nothing I have ever seen before”[/color] Monica would say with a nod, [color=#FD0E14]“Let me know if anything goes weird during any of the sessions okay?”[/color] She would ask [color=#FD0E14]“Magic can develop odd quirks over time”[/color]

Melisa would nod. [color=pink]”Okay.”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I remember the staff”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say, turning her attention to Shane. [color=9e0039][u][b]“The issue is going to be cost, and possibly finding a way to make it so that anyone could make use of the staff. A rotating schedule for the garden might be a good idea, unless we find someone who really takes a shine to it. Give everyone something to do,”[/b][/u][/color] Finding space for it wouldn’t be too hard, neither would making some space, but without some source of nature magic either would simply be a waste as otherwise they didn’t have the required things to make an indoor garden.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Definitely something to keep in mind though.”[/b][/u][/color]

Shrugging a bit, Shane would wave off the problems. [color=lightblue]”I got it. I may not have Earth magic anymore, but I remember plenty about soil composition and what helps plants grow so we can get things started. I could just give myself Wood magic, but I’m holding onto that just in case. Plus then other people could tend to it if I’m away. Sometimes it just takes a little thinking outside the box.”[/color] He would tap on his head playfully. Turning to Melisa he would give her a thumbs up. [color=lightblue]”Good call on a garden. I think that’ll go a long way to helping people out here.”[/color] 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Yeah”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would agree with a nod. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Still once we get that it will take care of most of our supply requirements. All that would be left is setting up the location.”[/b][/u][/color] She would state thinking about it. Idly she wondered if she would be able to get donations from the rest of the girls here. Would make getting the staff easier.

At this point the only thing that the Sanctuary needed was a way to generate their own Coin income and they were a fully established organization rather than just a safe house. A lot further along then Penny was expecting them to be with only a few weeks of work.

[color=lightblue]”Somewhere down here would be better until winter clears. Would be a more controlled environment. Shouldn’t be too important exactly where.”[/color] They could work out the details later. There was another matter he intended to get to.

[color=lightblue]”Not to steal you away, but there was something I wanted to discuss. Excuse us for a moment.”[/color] He would take Penny aside just a bit so they could talk. [color=lightblue]”I ran into someone else new in town and we talked about trying to put together a team of sorts with some of the people of the Sanctuary and some of the independents in Penrose. Still need to talk to others about such a thing before it really gets anywhere. I know you and some others here have been working to clean up the city, but we could then have something of a group doing good that is deliberately public facing. The idea isn’t fully fleshed out but I wanted your opinion before getting too far along with plans.”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“To put it bluntly, any options that remove power from the Mint and empowers people that don’t have a lot of options is gold in my book”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would reply [color=9e0039][u][b]“And now that the Sanctuary is more or less stable, I’d be willing to help out with this team either as a member or a sponsor of sorts. Though I would like a bit more details on what you had in mind”[/b][/u][/color]

He would have to shrug a bit. [color=lightblue]”Well, it has to be fleshed out. But the simple message is that this is our town too, so we’re going to help protect it. Prove that we’re not just her to make a mess of things and actually fix up Penrose.”[/color] He offered. Like he said there were not a lot of details to be brought up just yet.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Ha, pretty sure I declared that to be my stance already with taking the title of ‘Queen of Penrose’”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say with a chuckle [color=9e0039][u][b]“Let me know when you and your friend are ready to sit down and flesh this out. I’d be willing to sit down with you to brainstorm.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=lightblue]”Can do. Worth looking at at least.”[/color] He would smile. [color=lightblue]”Anyway. I’ll probably go and pick up the staff from the shop so we have something we can use. Unless you have anything else.”[/color] He would wait and see.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Nothing comes to mind”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say after a moment of thought. [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’ll get a small plot set up near the Gym in the meantime.”[/b][/u][/color] She would say turning to start working on that [color=9e0039][u][b]“Thank you, by the way”[/b][/u][/color] She’d stop mid way to look back at Shane [color=9e0039][u][b]“The garden will go a long way to helping I think.”[/b][/u][/color]

Shane would give a thumbs up and turn to head out. Seems he may be busy for a while.