[center][h1]As much as I hate to double post...[/h1][/center] [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/32qpgG2.png[/img][/center] At their new home in the suburbs, Connie and Mia were hanging out in their room. It was set up almost exactly like their old room at the orphanage, complete with a large tree outside their second floor window. Cute stuffed animals could be found on nearly every surface, and the walls were covered with a collection of cheerful landscape paintings, the only exception being the space right above the head of the large bed the two friends shared. This was occupied by a sketch of a pink-haired young woman wielding a dark blade against several robed figures, a gift from a friend who had since moved away. While Connie was hard at work painting yet another picture, Mia was simply channel surfing. [color=SpringGreen]“Huh, would ya look at that…”[/color] Mia remarked as she switched to a local news station. [color=SpringGreen]“Violet’s dad just bought the orphanage.”[/color] [color=DarkOrchid]“W-Wow, really?”[/color] Connie asked, turning around to face the tv. [color=SpringGreen]“Yeah, it’s supposedly part of CI’s big urban renewal program, y’know, ‘improve the city’s quality of life’ and all that.”[/color] [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I guess Violet really [i]is[/i] making a d-difference in how her f-father does things,”[/color] Connie observed with a smile. [color=SpringGreen]“Sure looks that way,”[/color] Mia replied. [color=SpringGreen]“But I’m still a little concerned about what’ll happen when her dad decides to take back control of the company. I just hope she’s strong enough to stand up to him…” [i]And that’s without even [b]thinking[/b] about her debt to the Mint…[/i][/color] the tomboy kept to herself, reflecting on the worrying information Violet had relayed through Amanda a few days earlier. A moment later, Mia’s phone bleeped with a notification. Picking it up, her eyes widened at the information that greeted her. [color=SpringGreen]“Connie, you need to see this.”[/color] [color=DarkOrchid]“W-What is it?”[/color] Connie asked, moving over to sit next to her friend. [color=DarkOrchid]“O-Oh my gosh!”[/color] she gasped as she saw the various Glimmr posts about recent monster sightings. The two friends had just finished reading, when Rose knocked on their door. [color=Plum]“Did you hear?”[/color] The girl spoke through the door. [color=Plum]“Monster swarms are popping up all over the city. Kayli wants me to guard the house until she and Iris get back from the Overcity, so, um, do you two think you’ll be okay going out by yourselves?”[/color] Mia looked a little uncertain, but before she could say anything, Connie spoke up. [color=DarkOrchid]“W-We’ll b-be all right!”[/color] Connie declared with a far greater confidence than she felt. [color=DarkOrchid]“W-We’ve got l-lots of o-other friends who c-can help, a-and there are p-people in d-danger, s-so w-we c-can’t just s-stand by and d-do nothing!”[/color] Mia gave a weary sigh before her mouth curled into tired smile. [color=SpringGreen]“Okay, little sis,”[/color] the tomboy conceded, rising to her feet and balling one hand into a fist. [color=SpringGreen]“Let’s go get ‘em!”[/color] [hr] [center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/11844121-70b4-40d4-8d27-6274ede736b1.png[/img][/center] It was the end of yet another long day for Violet Covington, and as the news report covering her father’s announcement of CI’s recent acquisition of Penrose Orphanage played in the background, the young heiress looked over the last few items on her agenda. There was her father’s upcoming virtual meeting with the mayor to prepare for, as well as the the final negotiations to finalize CI’s partnership with Mishima Motors, and, of course, details on the recent buyout of Polybius Software to familiarize herself with. None of these items should take too long, Violet reflected, especially not for someone possessing a photographic memory, like herself. And there were other matters as well, in particular, her father’s illness, and the ones responsible for it… Upon being told of her father’s condition, Penny had requested a sample of the medicine the Mint had provided, which she could pass on to Beacon for analysis. Violet had been more than happy to provide one, and Penny had recently informed her of the Beacon researchers’ results. As it turned out, they had been able to confirm that her father’s illness was indeed the result of an unknown curse, and that the medication did, in fact, help mitigate its effects. Unfortunately, it also seemed to be the [i]only[/i] way to do so, which, Violet had to admit, wasn’t particularly surprising, considering that both curse and cure almost certainly came from the same source. Penny had also noted that this was only what could be gleaned from simply studying the medicine alone. But while a direct examination of her father would potentially yield more enlightening results, the robotic girl fully understood how difficult, if not outright impossible, something like that would be to arrange. Violet’s musings were dissolved a moment latter, when the news broadcast cut to a breaking story. Apparently, several gangs were running rampant through various locations around the city. And they appeared to be wearing… [i]animal costumes…?[/i] It didn’t take long for the young heiress to realize what was really going on- a mass monster outbreak had struck the city, and just as it was finally beginning to get back on its feet. No, this could not be allowed, was simply unacceptable, and although she had not planned on beginning her nightly activities for a few more hours yet, those plans would obviously have to be changed… [color=BlueViolet]“Melisa,”[/color] she called to her secretary. [color=BlueViolet]“Multiple monster attacks are occurring throughout the city, including, if local news sources are to be believed, here in the business district. I’ll need to leave the office a little earlier than expected to deal with them.”[/color] [color=Pink]“Oh gosh! Can I come with you?”[/color] Melisa asked expectantly. At the sound of her secretary’s request, Violet gave voice to a tired sigh. [color=BlueViolet]“As much as I would love that, Melisa, I think it might be best if you stayed here. Even with all of Covington Tower’s various security systems, I know from experience that it is laughably easy for mystical beings to gain entry to even its most secure areas,”[/color] the heiress explained. [color=BlueViolet]“With that in mind, I would very much appreciate it if you could keep watch over the building, and, in particular, my father’s chambers, and ensure that none of the monsters find their way inside.”[/color] [color=Pink]“Of course, Violet!”[/color] Melisa chirped. [color=Pink]“You can count on me!”[/color] [color=BlueViolet]“Thank you, Melisa”[/color] Violet replied warmly. Moving to the center of her study, the young heiress closed her eyes and took a deep breath. [color=DarkViolet]“Hearts, Candy,[/color] [color=DeepPink]Sparkles, and Balloons~!”[/color] She intoned, her voice shifting with each syllable into a far more high pitched and cutesy tone. [color=DeepPink]“Sunshine, Glitter, Unicorns, and Rainbows~!”[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/udsgqgr.png[/img][/center] [color=DeepPink]“Taaa daaa~! Magical Girl Super Cute Pretty Pretty Magical Dream Princess is here~! (giggle!) Okie doki~! (giggle!)”[/color] she declared, striking a cute pose. [color=DeepPink]“It’s timey wimey for Magical Dream Princess to stopy wopy those meanie weaine monsters from trashy washying her beautiful wutiful city wity~! Weeee~!”[/color] she cheered as she opened a sparkling portal, allowing her to pass harmlessly though the reinforced window on the far side of her study and onto the back of the rainicorn pegasus she had just conjured. [color=DeepPink]“Like, don’t worry, everybodywody~!”[/color] the whimsical girl called cheerfully. [color=DeepPink]“Magical Dream Princess is, like, totally wotally on her way~! (giggle!)”[/color] [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/d7SeHgo.png[/img][/center] [color=DeepSkyBlue][i]This [b]has[/b] to be what hell is like…[/i][/color] Angela thought to herself as her father fiddled with the radio and filled the beat up old 1996 Buick Roadmaster station wagon with the cacophonic squeal of static. “Golly, those ice storms sure do raise Cain with signal reception, huh?” he said with a chuckle as he continued adjusting the knob. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Actually, I think it [i]might[/i] have more to do with the fact that said storm snapped our antenna like a twig,”[/color] Angela observed from where she sat in the back seat. Instead of flying to Penrose like a normal family, Angela’s father had decided that this was a perfect opportunity for that “greatest of family bonding activities”, the cross-country road trip. And so, the four members of the Sakatori family had squeezed into their decades-old station wagon, hitched a U-Haul tailer to the back, and begun what Angela was confident in calling the absolute [i]worst[/i] experience of her life. As the ramshackle wagon had puttered and sputtered its way across the wide open expanse of interstate, each new day had brought with it a new trauma, enough to haunt her nightmares for months to come. It had taken almost a week, but at long last they were finally entering the outskirts of Penrose, just as the sun had begun to set on another long day on the road. As the car’s tattered speakers emitted a sound that could perhaps best be described as a cat being fed through a blender, Angela squeezed her eyes shut, while tightly pressing her fingers against her ears. [color=DeepSkyBlue][i]Soon.. Soon,[/i][/color] she told herself, that single word having become a mantra which granted her at least a tenuous grasp on sanity. [color=DeepSkyBlue][i]Soon this will aaaall be over…[/i][/color] If there was any positive aspect to her father’s radio resuscitation efforts, it was that it (almost) drowned out her younger brother as he worked to complete the latest “road trip challenge” her father had come up with- counting every second that passed since their last restroom break… “Seven thousand, two hundred and fifty-three, seven thousand, two hundred and fifty-four…” he droned on in a mind numbing monotone as he gazed impassively into the middle distance. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Uh, Arnold?”[/color] Angela asked, opening one eye half way to cast a concerned glance in her brother’s direction. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“I think you can stop now.”[/color] “Seven thousand, two hundred and fifty-eight…” “Oh, let him have his fun!” Her father instructed amiably. “It’s not every day he gets to go on a good old fashioned family road trip!” “Seven thousand, two hundred and sixty-two…” [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Thank God for that…”[/color] Angela muttered. “Aww… Cheer up, my little Brussels sprout!” her father encouraged. “We’re almost at the finish line! Check it out kids!” he added with a grin as the towers of Penrose’s revitalized skyline rose into view. “There it is! Our new home! And thanks to your dear old dad’s crackerjack new job, it’s gonna be a really [i]swell[/i] one! You’re gonna totally love it! Plus, all your new friends are gonna be really impressed when they come over to visit! Yes, we sure did strike the jackpot this time! Now if I can just get this darn radio working, we can have ourselves some victory music! Hmmm…” he frowned as he leaned in to take a closer look at the radio’s cracked display. “Maybe if I just…” “Seven thousand, two hundred and seventy-six…” “Arthur, dear, eyes on the road,” her mother chided. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Yeah, Dad,”[/color] Angela added. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not add ‘getting killed in a car wreck’ to my list of ‘fun family road trip experiences’…”[/color] “Oh, don’t worry sweetie,” her father replied with a lighthearted chuckle. “Dad’s got everything under controWoah!” He exclaimed as [i]something[/i] darted across the road, their car swerving around it and almost toppling over in the process. “Seven thousand, two hundred and eighty-four…” “Oh my stars!” her mother exclaimed. “H-Honey, w-what was that?!” “Just a deer, sweet cakes, nothing to worry about,” her father said reassuringly. “Probably just got separated from the herd…” [color=DeepSkyBlue][i]That sure as [b]fuck[/b] wasn’t a deer…[/i][/color] Angela thought, her heart still racing from the recent burst of excitement. [color=DeepSkyBlue][i]Looked more like a…[/i][/color] “Heeey! Look who got the radio back!” her father declared triumphantly. However, it wasn’t “victory music” that sounded forth, but rather a news broadcast… “…still a developing story, but several reports are coming in of gang violence in several locations around the greater Penrose metropolitan area. According to eyewitnesses, they appear dressed in animal costumes of some sort. We’ll bring you further details as we…” “Doggone furries, always getting out of hand…” her father grumbled, shaking his head. “Kids these days… Why can’t they do something [i]normal,[/i] like collecting bottle caps? I remember when they used to have little sayings on the inside,” he added wistfully. “[i]That[/i] was pretty cool…” “Seven thousand, three hundred and six…” [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Dad,”[/color] Angela spoke up. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“I need to go to the restroom.”[/color] “Now?” her father inquired, sounding somewhat surprised. “But we’re almost there! Besides,” he added, glancing back at Arnold. “That’d make poor little Arnold have to start over from scratch!” “Seven thousand, three hundred and eleven…” [color=DeepSkyBlue]“I [i]really[/i] have to go,”[/color] Angela insisted. “Oooohh…” her father said in sudden understanding. “Did your ‘special friend’ pay you a visit, again?” [color=DeepSkyBlue]“DAD!”[/color] Angela roared, her cheeks flushing red. “All right, all right, say no more!” her father chuckled. “We’re in luck! There’s a gas station up ahead. We can pull in there. And hey! Maybe I can have an armwrestling contest with a big burly trucker while we wait for you to finish answering nature’s call!” he added, a gleam of excitement in his eye. “Doesn’t that sound like fun?!” “Seven thousand, three hundred and twenty-seven…” Angela simply sighed in exasperation. [color=DeepSkyBlue][i]Almost as much fun as fighting a pack of rabid wendigos…[/i][/color] she thought to herself. Still, [i]anything[/i] was better than this… “Seven thousand, three hundred and thirty…” [hr] [center][h2][i]This S[color=Goldenrod]p[/color]ace For Rent[/i][/h2][/center] *VOP!* [color=Goldenrod]“Oh, what’s this? ‘For rent’? Oh how very exciting! And what a very nice place, too! A bit spartan, but never let it be said that minimalism is not without its benefits! I’m quite partial to the soothing grey tones as well! Oh yes, this would be a [i]most[/i] pleasant space in which to reside! Alas, I have no time to tarry! I’m regrettably quite lost, I’m afraid, and every moment I delay is a moment that could be spent in transit to my long-desired destination! But fear not! The omniverse is vast! Perhaps we shall cross paths again someday! Well then, tally ho!”[/color] *VOP!*