[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SYLaJgW.png[/img] [color=cfff04]"Aw yiss. Sexy Santa suit!”[/color] [color=888888]— Tonya “Mac” Murphy[/color] [hider=Tonya “Mac” Murphy] [b]Age: 24/11 | Gender: Female/Female | Illusion, Gravity Body | Power of Friendship, Regeneration, Third Eye | Moirai Coercion, Soul Jar, Martial Training, True Sight, Parasite, Gifted, Awareness, Overcity Shift, Mystic Artifact Magical Overload, Paragon, Blessing, Gifted Item | Monster Form, Big Brother, Arrogance, Vendetta Redirected Magic, Second Specialization | Non-Standard Limbs, Destroyer[/b] STR: 05 | AGI: 04 | VIT: 05 | MAG: 03 | LCK: 03 +46 STR: 21 | AGI: 21 | VIT: 21 | MAG: 20 | LCK: 20 Earnings this post: Finally got around to correcting Stats per the perk/stat update, which means I get to refund some coins! (Reflected in remaining coins, not actually gaining any coins from this.) Remaining: 6 Gold, 28 Silver, 38 Bronze Total: 10 Gold, 160 Silver, 182 Bronze [/hider][/center] It was that time, wasn't it? Yes, Christmas. That time of year when people get together with their families and exchange gifts. Unless you were a magical girl. There had to be something wrong with someone who chose to spend their entire day in a dimension ruled by a perverted dolphin. One who, least we forget, tried to seal everyone inside his super sexy beach dimension to feed off everyone's good vibes. It took a special type of person to willingly subject themselves to something like that, but here Mac was. At the very least, she had used illusion magic to give herself a [url=https://cdn.donmai.us/sample/c9/8f/__lappland_arknights_drawn_by_fkskii65__sample-c98fc3db54bf0d7aa3da3776857391b0.jpg]suitably sexy Santa outfit.[/url] It was going to go unseen by almost everyone, but hey, it was her way of getting into the holiday spirit. Dressing up was hella fun, who cared if anyone saw her? Few people saw Santa, after all. Didn't stop them from leaving him cookies. She used her ticket and appeared inside the lodge. There was no one she could talk to like this, but maybe she could have some nog and be merry. Mac wondered if she would find MDP more tolerable if she was drunk. [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Bpq3X2B.png[/img] [color=tomato]“Boy am I glad that ominous timer turned out to be nothing!”[/color] [color=888888]— Oros[/color] [/center] Christmas was an interesting holiday. When Oros used to be called Mika, she never really thought about it too much. It was a very special day where a man in red came down the chimney and left gifts for her. She never thought about how illogical it seemed. In truth, she didn’t care why the gifts were there. The point was that every Christmas she got something, and that made it just as good as her birthday. Going into her teenage years, she did hear rumors in school. She distinctly remembered an underclassmen approaching her and smugly proclaiming that Santa wasn’t real. She didn’t know how to respond. Of course, it wasn’t hard to rule out Santa’s existence. Adults without children weren’t exactly cautious with hiding the truth, and even the smallest amount of scrutiny was enough to unmake the fat man. It wasn’t until much later that she discovered why this was a big deal. The reason why parents lie to their children about Santa is because it’s the most selfless way to give something. Her parents were willing to give her something even though they wouldn’t be thanked for it. Not directly at least. The child’s good will would go to some mythical figure who never existed. And maybe it was fun to see how gullible children were. Weird. Oros had some last minute perorations to do before her big Christmas plan(s) went into action. This was going to make her a bit late, but she was sure Eliza would forgive her. Oros was in the same neighborhood as sanctuary. Tall, ruined buildings stood around her, and she dragged her feet behind herself. [color=Tomato]”Ahhhh…”[/color] Being a normal magical girl working for a horror was hard. Now that her body needed sleep, Aigorost’s many voices made rest difficult. At least it made waking up early easier. [color=Tomato]”Shit! Aria, where are you?!”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”Right here!”[/color] She popped out of a garbage can. [color=Tomato]”You know, we really gotta get you a new face claim for the next season. That one doesn’t fit you any more.”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”I already picked one out!”[/color] [color=Tomato]”Whah!?”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”I’m messing with you! Just playing along!”[/color] She laughed. [color=Tomato]”Right well, screw you.”[/color] Oros folded her arms. [color=Tomato]”Did you get the stuff?”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”But of course!”[/color] She opened her gourd and pulled out a tiny glass urn, which soon became a massive urn once it was out of her gourd. [color=e3bbc6]”And you?”[/color] Oros reached inside her shirt and pulled out a crate. [color=Tomato]”I overestimated how well the purification potions were being protected. They practically had them laying at the front gate, just like two weeks ago.”[/color] She stashed the crate. [color=Tomato]”Guess nobody wants to get purified. I’m pretty sure I could have just asked for a few.”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”Are the Binky clones in position?”[/color] [color=Tomato]”Yup, how about yours?”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”Of course!”[/color] [color=Tomato]”Suppose we can just go to the party then. Got a costume?”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”That wasn’t a serious question, was it?”[/color] [hr] Oros was the first to appear in an outfit that is [url=https://i.imgur.com/WmVlXrL.jpg]quite honestly too stylish and cute for words.[/url] It had a mid rift, it had thigh-highs, it had a plaid Christmas cowl with a bell attached to it, and it even had a neko mimi for people who are into that. [color=Tomato]”Can’t wait to out cute that tater tot Emily goes everywhere with.”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”Ara ara~!”[/color] In no time at all, Aria had appeared in an [url=https://i.imgur.com/WYCKCp7.jpg]equally attention grabbing outfit,[/url] one that showed even more skin. It was a vest and skirt, with arm warmers and knee-high boots. The entire outfit seemed to glitter, and there were heart and star accessories all over it. And of course, she was wearing a Santa hat. [color=Tomato]”Aren’t you cold in that?”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”Aren’t you?”[/color] [color=Tomato]”I mean, yea, just a little.”[/color] Oros looked side to side. [color=Tomato]”Seriously, Aria, you look like you wanna get laid or something.”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”Maybe I do.”[/color] She winked. [color=e3bbc6]”But no, I’m just a little tired of blending into the background. People tend to take notice when you ‘open up’ a bit more. I’m sure you noticed.”[/color] [color=Tomato]”Open up huh?”[/color] She grinned. [color=Tomato]”Well, can’t say I disagree with you, but I’m not sure if you’re going to attract the attention you want with that.”[/color] [color=e3bbc6]”You sound like my mother now!”[/color] [color=Tomato]”What can I say? I learned from the best.”[/color] Oros was able to pick a few faces out of the crowd. She spotted Mia, who she would be trying to avoid at all costs. After the thing at the orphanage, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to talk to her. Who the hell makes trees so big and with so many branches? She was sore for a bit after falling, and forgiving Mia for such a thing wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Penny was there, but she had decided to fuck off, so that was just as well. She noticed Shion was present, and would definitely approach her later. And then there was Eliza. [color=Tomato]”Whoa…”[/color] Oros needed to rub her eyes. [color=Tomato]”A pine is fine too!”[/color] She laughed at her own joke. [color=Tomato]”Good luck Aria, I’ve got a scratching post to sink my claws into.”[/color] However, Oros didn’t get very far when Mariette approached her. She lowered her gaze onto the eyepatch girl. [color=Tomato]”Mary?”[/color] She didn’t take her eyes off the girl as she plunged her hand into her gift bag. [color=Tomato]”Don’t mind if I do, Mary! I hope you’ve given my offer from before a bit of thought.”[/color] When she pulled her hand back she had gotten… [color=Tomato]”A pig(10)! Hah, I love his disproportionately big nose! And of course, everyone knows that a pig’s orgasm lasts fifteen minutes. They’re one of my favorite animals for that reason alone.”[/color] She shrugged. [color=Tomato]”Well, I’ve got a date, so we’ll talk later.”[/color] The pig vanished into her hammerspace before she stood next to Eliza. [color=Tomato]”Hey! Love the costume! Mind if I tuck some presents under there?”[/color] Before Oros could resume flirting/catcalling, she noticed Samantha was coming closer, with Emily and Betty in tow. [color=Tomato]”Well if it isn’t my three favorite friends!”[/color] She spread her arms so that she could receive a hug. [color=Tomato]”No punches this time, okay? I won’t pounce on you either!”[/color] [@Majoras End] [@FamishedPants] [hr] [color=e3bbc6]”For me?”[/color] Aria reached into Mariette’s bag and pulled out… [color=e3bbc6]”A tanooki! Wait, no it’s just a racoon(6). Still a lovely specimen.”[/color] She put it in her gourd. Before she could say anything more to Mariette, she had already run off. It seemed that everyone was already forming in groups. This was unfortunate, as it had been Aria’s strategy to pick off a straggler. Despite her new occupation, Aria was actually an introvert. She preferred to toil away by herself or try to sell a single customer some awesome new product or service. Perhapse if she waited, she’d get her opening. But salvation would come in the form of [s][@DarkwolfX37]’s characters[/s] the two newly arrived! She wasn’t sure which one to approach, but with the brown haired one walking away from the blue haired one, it seemed like she might be the friendlier of the two. And Aria needed that with so much stuff going on. [color=e3bbc6]”Well hello there!”[/color] Aria slid in beside Summer. [color=e3bbc6]”I don’t think we’ve met, I’m Aria rizzo, Monarch artificing! Er, guess I work for the Golden Trove now.”[/color] She extended her hand to shake. [color=e3bbc6]”But enough about work, what’s your story?”[/color] [hr] Unfortunately, Maura and Odin weren’t the only patrons to come to the event. A large portal opened up nearby, and something horrible tumbled through it. A conglomeration of living clay that howled like five different nocturnal animals. It did not take long for that clay to reform itself into something [i]slightly[/i] more presentable. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/YMVtd1J.png[/img] [color=magenta]“Thirsty? 😂 Only student🏊🏽 athletes 💯👌🏼 get thirsty 💦 ☝🏼we thirsty for motivation ☑️💪🏽 ROMANS 8:28 🙏🏼🙌🏽”[/color] [color=888888]— Lord of Change[/color] [/center] If Penny got a glimpse of the creature, she might notice an uncanny resemblance to Aigorost’s avatar. Anyone well read on horrors would be able to tell this was a lord of change. Simply one of a plethora of creatures that horrors have in their back pocket. Their very existence in reality can warp it in strange and unexpected ways. Even just one is enough to doom humanity or send a parallel reality hurdling towards oblivion. Magical girls do not fight lords of change, they prevent them from being summoned in the first place. But there were a few key differences with this one. For one, it was far smaller than a normal lord of change. Even if it was ten feet tall, it was just a fraction of the height they typically were. Their massive power also made passing through portals extremely difficult due to their high concentrations of mana. They usually required long rituals to be carried out to leave their dimensions and influence other worlds. The presence of a Santa hat on it’s head also didn’t go unmissed. The lord of change prepared to speak, but stopped when Mariette approached it. [color=magenta]“I find games of chance like this to be unsatisfying. There are no stakes, and all of the outcomes have the same basic effect. Though I appreciate an attempt at entropy.”[/color] They reached into the bag and pulled out a plush. [color=magenta]“I do think it is commendable how the recipient does have the ability to alter their choices. As an example, this Lion(2) could have just as easily been a tiger. Not unlike the way magical girls are created, both at the whims of fate but able to steer themselves in one direction or another.”[/color] They placed the lion plush beside themselves. Moments later, a giant cage spinner fell out of a portal beside the lord of change. [color=magenta]“But I am not here to partake in festivities. I am here to elevate you out of despair before plunging you into it again, not unlike the tumbling cards in a cage spinner.”[/color] It waved one of its arms over the strange contraption beside them.. [color=magenta]“Once you are all settled, perhaps you would be interested in playing a game? The winners will be united with distant friends, if only for the duration of the party. It doesn’t matter if they are separated by cities or death, I can return them here for a time.”[/color] And with that, many magical girls would receive texts on their phones. [code] Lily got a text from Amber “Arrr, what scurvy dog stole my ship!?” Shane got a text from Regina “Oof! Northern beacon is rough! But at least they aren’t the Ascendancy! :^>” Aurelio got a text from Abigail “You and Sally still dating?” Emily got a text from Lupa “Hey kiddo! How’s the party?” Connie got a text from Lotus “I hope you’ve been training, because I won’t go easy on you next time.” Penny got a text from Mika “We should have pizza at the party!” Mia got a text from Faith “Merry Christmass~!” Deni got a text from Su “Hello, Ronin. Are you and your sister okay?” Maura got a text from Veronica “We need to talk.” Samantha got a text from Trixy “Thinking of you and and that dynamite body!” Sann got a text from Tetrad “EDIT:Woops, wrong contact!” Mac got a text from Glex “I wait for thee, beyond reality!” [/code] It did not seem to matter if they had ever handed their friends in question their numbers, they had been texted regardless. Those who had added their friends would see the text messages as if it came directly from their friends phone. If this was a trick, it was a very good one.