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[img]https://i.imgur.com/uY7Q9xc.png[/img]
[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200312/bd228c426d0da7459764cb788d45b1cd.png[/img]
[h2]Following Trouble - Few Days Later[/h2] 
[hider=Penny Stat block]
(21) | (20) | (21) | (8) | (4)

(Metal & Lightning & Gravity) | (Regen & Copy Cat)

(Bile) | (Tooth and Claw) | (Evolution) | (Enhanced Uniform) | (Immortality)
(Monstrous Metamorph) | (Legacy) | (Enhanced Weapon) | (Dual Weapon) | (Gifted)

(ShineSpark) | (Perfect life) | (ManaFont)
(Vow:Hope) | (Excommunication)

(Redirected magic) | (Second spec) | (Transport)
(Broken reincarnation) | (Non-standard limbs) | (Debt)
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Sitting atop the Sanctuary Penny kept her gaze outward. The damage to the building had been patched, a far cry from being fully repaired. The toxic sludge had been cleared away, though there were still parts of rubble that had been stained with it. And the damage to the lower floors had been pushed off to the side for now.

Desperately Penny wanted to be down there helping out, but for the moment she couldn’t. She was keeping watch, she didn’t expect anything else from the Mint at the moment. Nor did she expect a Monster to wonder nearby. No, she was keeping an eye out for Beacon. A feeling that she was oddly uncomfortable with.

But she had seen the tip sent into the hotline, and while she didn’t see any chatter or movement about it on Beacon’s network. She was just too on edge to let it lie. Thus here she was stretching her senses as far as she could push them, One eye on the physical world the other on the digital. With Snoopy working as an inside look in case she needed to step away to help calm the girls within.

That was how she noticed them, two unknown girls lurking near the edges of the area. They hadn’t been doing anything, at least nothing overtly magical or technological that Penny could sense, but they had been in the area long enough that it was starting to worry her. So, rather than dwelling on what it could mean. She stood up and made her way over to them, figuring that she would get her answers one way or another.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Can I help you?”[/b][/u][/color] She would ask cautiously once she had gotten close enough to initiate a simple dialogue. 

The purple haired one stopped and looked at the mechanical girl. They’d just kind of been wandering about without much of a destination. Surprisingly effective for drawing just the right attention. [color=violet]”Maybe. Though it might be better to ask. How can we help you?”[/color] 

Few responses could have raised Penny’s suspicion as quickly as the one she had received and it wasn’t so long ago that she would have outright attacked them for it either, but she already had one lucky break with that course of action tonight so she withheld that response and instead walked a bit closer her eyes narrowing slightly as she examined the two of them.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“That sounds like a loaded question”[/b][/u][/color] She would reply as she tracked the both of them “Do you always loiter around disaster sites and ask that?”

Both stayed relaxed even as Penny seemed suspicious. The response was not an uncommon one. The one in pink glanced around a bit. [color=pink]”We’ve seen worse, but it does seem to happen that way. Just how our magic works. Someone wants or needs something and we’re guided to it.”[/color] The two take a slight bow together [color=pink]”The Djinn Sisters. It’s good to meet you miss...?”[/color] They trailed off. Penny would recall Janet mentioning something about the two, though not much in the way of detail. Some searching would support their MO of appearing after events. Despite their appearances they were still something of a myth.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Penny. Penny Asimov.”[/b][/u][/color] She would fill in as she processed what they said. She had looked into them before, they were connected to the White Coins and Purification Potions as far as Penny could tell. Though the how’s and why’s were harder to dig up.

Her stance would lose most of its tension as she shifted to a more relaxed one. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And I think I’ve heard of you two. Friends of mine, Janet and Jenna, had a run in or two with you I think.”[/b][/u][/color] She would offer up waiting to see how the Twins would react.

Sakura’s eyes sparkled a bit at the mention of the other twins. [color=pink]”Oh? Quite ambitious those two were. I hope they’ve gotten good use of what they asked.”[/color] Seemed they didn’t keep tabs on those they’d granted wishes.

[color=violet]”So you know what we do then?”[/color] Violet asked as she raised an eyebrow.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Not explicitly”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say at length as her mind sped off working on how she might be able to take advantage of this were her assumptions correct. [color=9e0039][u][b]“But it has something to do with wishes, and the granting of them, if I’m not wrong.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=violet]”That’s right. Don’t go telling everybody though. Makes our job a whole lot harder when everyone starts trying to find us all the time. We’d have to leave town. Can you imagine how boring that would be?”[/color] She asked rhetorically.

The pink one rolled her eyes a bit. She quickly returned her attention back to Penny. [color=pink]”Considering you’re the first person we’ve seen we must be here for you. Do you have a wish you would like granted?”[/color]

If Penny was honest, and she was to herself if no one else, there were a lot of wishes she would like granted. Yet she was still hesitant to speak any of them. For a few reasons. [color=9e0039][u][b]“What limits are there on the Wish? And why are you granting them in the first place?”[/b][/u][/color] She would ask, as those were two of her concerns, that last one she had she wasn't sure how to ask without being insulting, as she was too well read about magic to not know of the Monkey’s Paw.

[color=violet]”Mostly what you would expect if you’ve watched Aladdin. Sometimes our parton vetos a wish but that’s mostly on him. As to why, well if we don’t then we get punished. I wasn’t very respectful to my patron and so we’re basically cursed to serve.”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Disney coming in clutch”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would quip as she shook her head in disbelief that this was actually happening. [color=9e0039][u][b]“And something tells me that I don’t get to make all three today.”[/b][/u][/color] Otherwise it would seem like their profile would be much larger than it was.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Can I talk out the wish I’m aiming for with you or do I just have to say the magic and hope for the best?”[/b][/u][/color] She would add, more to find out how much leeway she had in this than anything else. She knew what it was she was going to wish for, especially if Aladdin rules were in effect.

[color=pink]”You can talk about it, but the magic doesn’t really give us anything until the wish is actually made. And how many kind of depends on what you’re asking for. Most people make one, maybe two if it isn’t stretching it.”[/color] There was a little play with the wishes.

Penny nodded her understanding, as to her it seemed less like these two were the ones casting the magic and more the ones channeling it. So there was nothing to do but hope for the best. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Alright”[/b][/u][/color] She took a moment, and mimed taking a deep breath. She didn’t need to breathe, but the human action still helped center her at times.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I Wish I had greater Awareness and Intuition, I need to know what people are after and I can’t miss the details.”[/b][/u][/color] She spoke clearly, and hoped, truly hoped, that adding on her explanation would assist the Wish in going the way she wanted it too.

Standing still for a moment the two girls focused on the wishes. It didn't take long before they got back confirmation and the two began to glow. Raising their hands two orbs of light formed. [color=violet]"Your wishes[/color] [color=pink]have been granted."[/color] The two orbs of light flew toward Penny's head and phased into her. The sensors in her body began to adjust and tune to better hone what she could pick up and process. She would become particularly aware of minor, almost unnoticeable clues of behavior to know when someone was lying. Some of it reached beyond what was normally perceivable, able to get a sense of ill or good intent. 

As an aside, the sudden change seemed to affect some lesser quality of life functions. Namely Penny's usually tight grip on filtering seemed to falter as she was picking up on odd things online like ads and spam emails. Nothing significant of course, but it might take a month or so to retrain the blocks. Buy now.

She stayed silent for a moment as she processed the new influx of information and data. There was a lot more than just interpersonal cues and spam pings that were distracting her at the moment. Concise gravimetric reading, nearby electrical readings and metallic composition information was also streaming in, alongside a plethora of just raw data that she normally only interfaced with when she was in EoD status.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Gah”[/b][/u][/color] She would say softly as she pulled in her senses so they weren’t cast out everywhere. [color=9e0039][u][b]“That’s going to take some getting used too.”[/b][/u][/color] Shaking her head to clear it she refocused on the two Twins.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“That’s one hell of a Spec to have.”[/b][/u][/color] She’d say a small smile on her face, [color=9e0039][u][b]“Thank you. So what happens now?”[/b][/u][/color]

The girls shrugged. [color=violet]”We usually just wander off. That was two of your wishes. If you have an idea for the third then maybe we could do that one too. Up to you if you want to try.”[/color] 

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Tempting”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say after a few moments of contemplating it [color=9e0039][u][b]“Very tempting.”[/b][/u][/color] She would turn to look back at the broken down warehouse that was housing the Sanctuary at the moment. Knowing that her third wish would go to them, but the trick was knowing how to ask for it. For the moment however [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’ll pass though. Nothing against you, but I want to wait and see if anything goes wrong because of the two I’ve already asked for. I don’t want to subject them to the fallout if it can be avoided.”[/b][/u][/color] She would explain turning back to face the Djinn twins.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Did have an idea I wanted to try, if you would be up for it though”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would offer instead. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Sorta payback, if it works. I want to try granting a wish for you.”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=violet]”I can tell you now that if you try wishing us free or something it isn’t going to work. I think the only one allowed was one that changed our appearance.”[/color] It was obvious she didn’t quite understand what Penny was insinuating.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Nothing like that, I want to hold onto my third wish for now and I don’t think I would be strong enough either way. My magic is... unstable. Because of that I can mimic Magic I’ve seen or been targeted by for a short time afterwards.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would explain with a shrug. It was exceedingly rare for Penny to offer up any explanation of how her magic worked, but this seemed like a good time for it.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“I want to try using it while I can. Thus I want to try and grant you a wish.”[/b][/u][/color]

Pausing for a moment they had to glance at one another and seemingly exchange thoughts. They quickly looked back at Penny. [color=violet]”Uhh...how much mana do you have to expend? Wishes are really taxing in that regard.”[/color]

Penny was curious about the non-telepathy, or at least the not psychic telepathy, they seemed to share but didn’t comment on it. [color=9e0039][u][b]“My reserves tend to be on the larger side, plus I replenish my mana rapidly.”[/b][/u][/color] She would answer “Not saying it won’t knock me down, but I doubt it will keep me there.”

[color=violet]”If you say so. Well then…”[/color] One would think that someone that has granted god knows how many wishes that they would have an idea of one for themselves. They’d mostly given up on getting any though so  it wasn’t something they put much thought to. Dammit what did they want? 

It seemed to take the two a while to decide. There were a lot of things they could wish for, but if they didn’t pan out they would be in big trouble with their patron. There was one they thought they could get away with, something their careless wishes had done to them when first becoming magical girls. Question then being if Penny could pull it off. [color=violet]”We want to be whole.”[/color]

[color=violet]”We wish to become one girl again.”[/color]
[color=pink]”We wish to become one girl again.”[/color]

They clasped each other’s hands tightly, closed their eyes, and hoped. 

There was an odd moment where nothing seemed to happen but before the Djinn twins lost all hope Penny was suddenly awash in on white [color=9e0039][u][b]“Very well then”[/b][/u][/color] Her voice echoed with power, while her eyes blazed a frantic white, and unlike when the Twins granted wishes, it seemed like the Power was only barely contained. A wild chaotic force rather than a smooth and graceful one.

Penny simply followed the instinct that came with the magic, doing everything that she could internally to manage the massive stress the seemingly simple spell was putting on her systems.

Silently she would glide forward towards the Djinn Sisters her arms spread out, her extra limbs unfurling as she went and when she stopped in front of them she would place three limbs on each of them. One on their head, one on their shoulder and one on their hip. From there they would feel the potent magic seep into them. Similar yet, so very different as well.

One last moment to gather themselves then they would feel Penny push, and for a time they would lose track of their thoughts and how long it lasted would be impossible to tell from their point of view. Lost in the slow merger of themselves.

Then, seemingly like all at once the sensations would fade and they would hear an Echoing [color=9e0039][u][b]“Your Wish has been Granted”[/b][/u][/color] And when they opened their eyes it would be as one person rather than two.

Penny, true to her assumption, would stay standing for only a moment longer once she felt the surge of magic leave her. Before she dropped to sit. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Holy fuck, you weren’t kidding about being a Mana drain.”[/b][/u][/color] She would exclaim feeling like she was in an organic body that had run a dozen miles backwards underwater.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“You made it look easy, you know that.”[/b][/u][/color]

The Djinn girl shivered when she came to. It had been a long time since she’d felt a wish used on her like that, all the way at the beginning. Hugging her arms first, then lifting her hands up and feeling her face, brushing some hair out of her eyes. [color=crimson]”Wah, n-no way. T-that actually worked?”[/color] Penny dropping to the ground seemed to snap her out of it. She hurried over to make sure the expended girl was okay. It was a little hard to tell since she was made of metal and all. [color=crimson]”Well yeah. It’s what I was made for.”[/color]

Looking up Penny would see that the girl she’d formed had tan skin, long ruby red hair and midnight blue eyes. Her clothes had turned white and covered less of her than either of them before. She wore a headdress and a thin veil hung loosely over her shoulders. Lots of bracelets, gold trim, and jewelry both fixed and dangly were adorned around her. 

[center][hider=The Djinn][img]https://i.imgur.com/C45ND5e.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]
[color=crimson]”Are you alright? Do you need help?”[/color] Rarely did she respond to people she’d just granted for like this. Then again, few attempted to return the favor and none actually had the chance to make it happen.

Penny waved off her concern [color=9e0039][u][b]“I’ll be fine. I’m a regenerator, I’ll be good in a minute, just exhausted.”[/b][/u][/color] She would say taking a closer look at the girl in front of her. Before letting out a low whistle [color=9e0039][u][b]“Not sure who to thank, but you look good.”[/b][/u][/color] She would say with a lazy smirk before being slightly taken aback. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Seems exhaustion overwrites the brain to mouth filter still.”[/b][/u][/color] She would mutter to herself.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“Kinda glad I didn’t ask for your name before this, would be slightly awkward to ask for it again now”[/b][/u][/color] She would say quickly, hoping to move past her earlier statement. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Who do I have to thank for the new senses and the interesting magic experience?”[/b][/u][/color]

The girl blushed at the comment and took a second to glance at herself. After a few seconds she cracked a smile. Having recovered from the embarrassment pretty quickly she offered a hand to help Penny up. [color=crimson]”Ashley. Although…”[/color] She took a pinch of hair and lifted it up to look at. [color=crimson]”Maybe I’ll go by Ruby to stick to the hair color theme.”[/color] 

Ruby wasn’t going to let Penny’s comment slip by though. It was too good to pass up. [color=crimson]”Oh and you should probably thank yourself. Considering you were the one granting the wish you probably shaped my appearance without realizing it. Maybe I’m your wish too.”[/color] She gave a wink and a teasing smile. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]"Ha"[/b][/u][/color] Penny would chuckle at the teasing as she accepted the hand. Even though she hardly used the assistance, she was heavy after all and knew it. She was thankful for the banter, good way to know she hadn't stepped on any toes.

[color=9e0039][u][b]"What a wonderful wish you would be"[/b][/u][/color] She would tease back. She could see her influence in Ruby's new look now that she knew to look for it. The tan and hair were Penny for sure. Curves too, but she was going to spend much time looking at those.

[color=9e0039][u][b]"But something tells me that wouldn't work out too well right now."[/b][/u][/color] She would go on sobering slightly [color=9e0039][u][b]"You're too much of a wanderer to settle down and I've got too much responsibility to pack up and drift."[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]"Would love to keep in touch if you want"[/b][/u][/color] She would offer up. [color=9e0039][u][b]"Friends are always nice"[/b][/u][/color]

[color=crimson]”Yeah, what I do makes it hard to settle down. Also people get after me eventually so we… I tend to draw trouble. I think this buys me some time though. I still can’t believe it.”[/color] She tried looking around for something reflective but there wasn’t really much around to see herself. She was somehow going to have to explain this to Mariette, Deni, and Eli. That should be interesting.

[color=9e0039][u][b]"Makes sense"[/b][/u][/color] Quirking an eyebrow at Ruby's glancing around it wouldn't take long before understanding dawned and Penny would pull out a phone from her storage and hold it up so that Ruby could see.

On the phone was Ruby giving a playful wink and teasing smile. The same one she had tossed at Penny when she helped her up. [color=9e0039][u][b]"Best I can do at the moment"[/b][/u][/color] She would say, which was true since Snoopy was still off keeping an eye on the Sanctuary. 

She would lean forward and look at the tiny screen for a moment. [color=crimson]”Wow, you did a number on me. I’d be jealous if I wasn’t a dream girl.”[/color] Felt weird saying that, but it was true. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]"Glad you approve"[/b][/u][/color] Penny would reply letting Ruby look for a bit longer before tucking the phone away and letting it reintegrate into her. [color=9e0039][u][b]"And for anything that you disapprove of, I'll just remind you that it was my first and likely only wish so I was winging it the best I could"[/b][/u][/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]"I can send you the picture if you want, assuming that you have a phone that is."[/b][/u][/color] Penny was still endlessly surprised when she met someone without a phone, but always chalked it up to her own proclivities that it seemed such a necessity. 

[color=crimson]”I had to ditch the last phone I had when someone with your kind of technical skills used it to trace me. I do alright without one though.”[/color] She frowned a bit.

[color=9e0039][u][b]"I mean, fair"[/b][/u][/color] Penny wasn't going to admit to planning that exact thing, didn't seem like it would be received well.

[color=9e0039][u][b]"If you do end up getting one at some point"[/b][/u][/color] Penny would pull a thin strip of metal out from the storage compartment [color=9e0039][u][b]"Feel free to reach out"[/b][/u][/color] it had Penny's number on it.

She would let out a snort. [color=9e0039][u][b]"Since I've got one left, that means you've also got one. Think about wishing for an untraceable phone if we do this again."[/b][/u][/color] For as much as Penny did keep track of people, she knew that doing so for Ruby was likely a bad idea in the long run.

[color=9e0039][u][b]"In the meantime feel free to drop in at the Sanctuary if you want. I'll not tell anyone about this or you"[/b][/u][/color] It wouldn't exactly stop people from learning about Ruby, but it might give her a place to hang out for a time.

Tapping her finger against her lower lip she gave it a bit of thought. [color=crimson]”Maybe I’ll see if there are any side effects first. My first grantings were a little rough. Also have to see if my patron approves. We kind of undid one of the wishes I originally made that put me in this position.”[/color] She gave a weak smile. [color=crimson]”I might have to pass on the Sanctuary. Too many eyes on it to be safe. I’m better off out here.”[/color] Another idea popped into her head, but she hesitated.

Her excitement kept coming back every time she reminded herself that her soul had been rejoined. She kept glancing to one side or the other expecting to see Violet or Sakura but they weren’t there. Bouncing back and forth between grateful and standoffish she eventually cracked and gave Penny a hug. [color=crimson]”Thank you.”[/color] Sliding back the monster girl would sense she’d been given access to somewhere. [color=crimson]”I-If you need a place to hide you can use my dimensional home for now. It’s limited on who can enter so I’ll try and leave it open to you as long as I can. It’s usually empty unless I’m there.”[/color] 

[color=9e0039][u][b]"Understandable"[/b][/u][/color] Penny acknowledged the worries about too many eyes with a sad nod [color=9e0039][u][b]"But know that the door is always open if you need it."[/b][/u][/color]

She was a bit caught off guard by the hug, normally her barriers would have stopped the attempt, they had gone down due to her expanding all of her mana reserves however, but didn't hesitate to return it.

[color=9e0039][u][b]"I- thank you doesn't feel like enough"[/b][/u][/color] Penny was in awe at this gift, for if anyone knew and understood the sanctity of one's home it was her. Especially with the attack on the Sanctuary still so fresh. [color=9e0039][u][b]"I'll treasure the honor as long as it lasts."[/b][/u][/color] She would promise sincerely. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]"Just don't be surprised if you find a desktop set up in there one day. I was serious about keeping in touch."[/b][/u][/color]

She opened her mouth for a second to say something and then paused. She seemed to consider something before continuing. [color=crimson]”Uh… It won’t be able to communicate out from there.”[/color] 

[color=9e0039][u][b]"Not normally, no"[/b][/u][/color] Penny's slow smirk was returning [color=9e0039][u][b]"But I have ways of broadcasting interdimensionally. Can't promise you'll always have internet access, but I can say that if anyone tries to trace it it will only lead them to me."[/b][/u][/color]

With a grin and a shake of the head Ruby was confident when she said. [color=crimson]”I can promise it won’t work. You’re welcome to try but I’m more comfortable with meeting in person.[/color] 

[color=crimson]”Oh yeah, I need to know your opinion on someone. The portal girl, Mariette. What do you think of her?”[/color] She put one hand on her hip.

[color=9e0039][u][b]“So it’ll just end up being a fancy pager”[/b][/u][/color] Penny countered, just as confident in her own skills. [color=9e0039][u][b]“A way to coordinate those in person meetups. Even if it is just to invite me to your apartment.”[/b][/u][/color]

Penny’s surprise at the turn of the conversation was readily apparent, [color=9e0039][u][b]“That she’d be a lot more trustworthy not working under a Horror.”[/b][/u][/color] Would be her initial reply. [color=9e0039][u][b]“She’s alright herself, I guess. Only talked with her once personally, but she helped out earlier when the Sanctuary was attacked. And considering what likely happened shortly before that shows that she’s not a bad person. Just that she’s got a poor setup with the Horror looming over her.”[/b][/u][/color]

Nodding at Penny’s assessment, Ruby smiled. [color=crimson]”I agree. Hopefully we took care of that horror part though.”[/color] 

[i]Wait… What[/i] That was not what Penny was expecting and her eyes narrowed, not in suspicion, but calculation. It didn't take long to come to a conclusion. 

[color=9e0039][u][b]"You know Ronin, don't you."[/b][/u][/color] She would say more than ask. It made sense, but there were still puzzle pieces missing.

Knowing that lying wasn’t going to work here, she just shrugged a bit, knowingly. [color=crimson]”I know a lot of people. When the right people get wishes they’re willing to help friends of friends.”[/color] That could come off wrong and she raised her hands a bit. [color=crimson]”T-that’s not why I do what I do. It’s just… eh nevermind. Yeah I’ve been working with her to free Mariette. She’s my friend and I wanted to help her.”[/color] Geeze, why was that so hard to get out.

[color=9e0039][u][b]"I'm glad"[/b][/u][/color] Penny would say earnestly. [color=9e0039][u][b]"I only met Ronin once as well but she reached out to me hoping to get some assistance in freeing Mariette. I wasn't able to help, but I'm glad things are going in her favor."[/b][/u][/color] She would go on to explain [color=9e0039][u][b]"I offered a solution to Mariette when I talked to her but I could tell she wouldn't go for it herself. It's situations like hers that make me hate Horrors"[/b][/u][/color]

She wouldn't comment on the attempted deflection. Ruby didn't seem to have a lot of friends, and Penny wouldn't begrudge her trying to protect the ones she had.

Ruby nodded a bit. Awkward silence followed. Suddenly looking uncomfortable the djinn girl took a few steps away. [color=crimson]”Anyway, I should probably move on. Doesn’t do me good to sit out in the open too long.”[/color]

Penny would nod as she refocused. She drifted off during the pause, dealing with spam and what not. [color=9e0039][u][b]"I'll swing by in a few days to see how you're settling in"[/b][/u][/color] Turning back towards the Sanctuary she would call over her shoulder [color=9e0039][u][b]"It has been fun, and thanks again Ruby"[/b][/u][/color]

[color=crimson]”I should be thanking you. I give out wishes, I never expected to get one back like this. I look forward to seeing you again.”[/color] She called back with a big smile. Penny’s sensors would lose track of the girl completely as she seemed to blink out of existence.