[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/moq2uR2.png[/img][/center]
[center] [color=LightBlue]J-Just when I thought things couldn't get any stranger…[/color]
[color=888888]-Norika Tsukishima[/color][/center]

Despite her hatred for the servant staff, Norika couldn’t help but feel relieved when she realized the maid lying on the floor before her was merely unconscious, and not dead. However, that relief soon turned to shock when the woman began speaking, soon joined by her prone companion, causing Norika to quickly recoil backwards. It soon became apparent that both women were simply dreaming, but what insights their words gave as to the contents of said dreams was enough to replace Norika’s shock wth a mixture of disgust and horror.

[color=LightBlue][i]W-What the fuck…?[/i][/color] the sickly girl wondered, her face contorted in a look of utter revulsion that was more suited to her magical alter ego.

Yet, she wouldn’t have long to ponder the disturbing scene before her, as the maids’ mumblings were joined by the ever-louder sounds of marching feet. And then, animalistic screeches. Her bewilderment at an all time high, Norika grabbed her cane and crawled back to her nearby room as quickly as her meager strength would allow. Slipping inside and closing the door until only a small slit remained, she peeked through it to see what form of creatures had invaded her home. To her horror, the source of the strange sounds revealed themselves as shadowy, simian-like creatures. They jumped on the sleeping maids but didn’t seem to be harming them. Even so, their presence here, in broad daylight, was concerning in the extreme, and couldn’t be allowed. Even if they weren’t Miseria, but just part of some elaborate scheme to get her to reveal to some unknown party that she was, indeed, a magical girl, Norika knew she couldn’t just let these creature run rampant through her home. Thus, when they began moving towards her hiding place, the sickly girl was about to transform on the spot and do a bit of housekeeping of her own.

However, just before she could do so, a weapon of some sort shot down the corridor and annihilated several of the shadow monkeys. As a second volley finished off the rest, a wide-eyed Norika’s dizzy mind raced to determine the attack’s source. Even if she didn’t pay particularly close attention to the other members of the club, aside from Roche, she was pretty sure none of them employed magic or weapons like the shimmering, almost ethereal rings she was currently witnessing make short work of the home invaders. Maybe they were the work of the new girl, Hizuki, she pondered. After all, the high tech light girl seemed to have plenty of interesting tricks up her proverbial sleeve. Perhaps this was one of them? But shouldn’t she be in school right now? More to the point, what [i]were[/i] these shadowy simians, anyway, and why had they infiltrated her home? They didn’t seem to be Miseria. Were they some of The Voyeur’s dark constructs?

[color=LightBlue][i]T-That fucking bitch…[/i][/color] Norika seethed, her teeth grinding together as fright was replaced by fury. [color=LightBlue][i]If she sent those things to spy on me…[/i][/color]

Yet, that line of thinking was obliterated just as swiftly as the penumbral primates had been, when her “rescuer” rounded the corner. Striding down the hallway was a figure wearing an odd outfit, and wielding a strange gun of some sort. Upon closer inspection, he was a young boy, one who looked to be around the same age as…

[color=LightBlue][i]F-Finn?![/i][/color]

While his hair was different, along with many of his facial features, there were enough similarities that Norika was almost certain that this apparent magical boy and her highly suspicious tutor were one and the same. Her certainty only grew when she heard him speak. Although he called himself “Fable”, his voice was unmistakably Finn’s. But then, what did this mean? Who had sent the penumbral primates, and who was Fable working for? Were they allies or enemies? Even the boy’s words to some unknown party provided precious little insight, aside from the confirmation that the shadow monkeys were definitely not Miseria. Norika was forced to put her ruminations on hold a moment later, when Fable began moving closer to her room. With a gasp, she rapidly moved away from the door and clambered back into her bed. Like a child trying to avoid being caught staying up past her bed time, Norika pulled the covers over her head, hiding her shuddering body and pretending to be asleep as she waited to see what would happen next.

After what seemed like an eternity of listening to the sound of her pounding heart, but was actually only a few seconds, she heard the door slowly open. Peeking from beneath the sheets, she saw Fable peering into the room, only to watch the boy retreat a moment later, her ruse apparently having fooled him. Through the door, she could faintly hear him conversing with his unknown ally again, noting that the dark magical girl responsible for the monkey minions did not appear to be nearby, bringing Norika some small measure of relief. Still, she had no idea what she should do next. Fable had mentioned that Hibusa High might also be in danger, and although she knew Roche and the rest of the Detention Club were more than capable of taking care of such minor foes, the possibility of finding whoever summoned them, and subsequently letting that individual know just how much she hated having their disgusting creations in her house, was quite appealing. Then again, if she transformed and left the house now, it would very likely confirm to Fable, and whoever else might be watching her home, that she truly [i]was[/i] a magical girl, thwarting all her work to conceal her identity in one fell stroke. Understandably, this was something Norika wished to avoid at all costs.

Decisions, decisions…