[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/7ZSpmlc.png[/img][/center] [hider=Ronin & Miko][hider=full picture][center][url=https://i.imgur.com/kB6Km4e.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/kB6Km4e.png[/img][/url][/center][/hider] [u]Name:[/u] Ronin and Miko. Deni and Eli. Real names, Denise and Elizabeth Walton. [u]Age (Magical Girl):[/u] 11 [u]Specialization:[/u] Air and Reinforcement. [u]Weapon:[/u] The [i]Swords[/i]. Melee/Mystic. [u]Power:[/u] Twin Soul and Third Eye. [u]Stats:[/u] [i]STR[/i]: 7 [i]AGI[/i]: 7 [i]VIT[/i]: 6 [i]MAG[/i]: 7 [i]LCK[/i]: 4 [u]Perks:[/u] [list][*][i]Dual Weapon[/i] [*][i]Flexibility[/i] [*][i]Martial Training[/i] [*][i]Get out of Jail[/i] [*][i]Big Damn Heroes[/i] [*][i]Super Map[/i][/list] [u]Patron:[/u] Solo [u]Patron Benefits:[/u] [list][*][i]Free Agent[/i] [*][i]Genki Girl[/i][/list] [u]Patron Drawbacks:[/u] [list][*][i]Alone[/i][/list][/hider] Miko sure wasn’t ready for the person beneath the pile of metal to be someone completely different than the one she thought she was saving when she pulled the arm that had stuck itself out. She looked at Ani in confusion, while Roni peeked in curiously. [color=55B7AA]‘Ooooh. Are you like the Doctor, when you die you become someone else?’[/color] Ronin asked, looking Ani up and down. Other than that, they let her say what she had to say, Miko looking a little confused at being noted as affection level “three”. As for Ronin being two… [color=55B7AA]‘Yeah, that’s fair!’[/color] Ronin said, putting her hands behind her head. [color=55B7AA]‘My sis is the sweetest, after all!’[/color] Also being amused at whatever smack on the shoulder. That’s fine. Depending on how much of that strength was used, she might have spun around a time or two, too. [color=DC9495]‘Are you… still Mac? If not, what happened?’[/color] Miko asked, unsure how to handle this situation. [color=55B7AA]‘And if you don’t remember, I’m Ronin, and this is Miko, and we make great girlfriends! When do we have our first date?’[/color] Ronin asked. Miko’s going to just turn and frown at her a little. [color=DC9495]‘… We were going back to Penrose to defeat the Queen and save Mariette,’[/color] Miko would otherwise say, about where they were going next. __________________ [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/Y8OSnvr.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/OPMf9l2.png[/img][/url][/center] [hider=Mariette Pedersen][hider=full picture][center][url=http://i.imgur.com/Y8OSnvr.png][img]http://i.imgur.com/TnA9sHf.png[/img][/url][/center][/hider] [b]Name[/b]: Mariette Pedersen [b]Age (Magical Girl)[/b]: 15 [b]Specializations[/b]: Oddball: Portals, Light. [b]Weapon[/b]: Mystic mirror. [b]Power[/b]: Tentacles. [b]Stats[/b]: [i]STR[/i]: 4 [i]AGI[/i]: 4 [i]VIT[/i]: 4 [i]MAG[/i]: 22 [i]LCK[/i]: 10 [b]Perks[/b]: [list][*][i]Gifted[/i] [*][s][i]Interdimensional Home[/i][/s] - The dimension has collapsed. [*][i]Blood Magic[/i] [*][i]Overcity Shift[/i] [*][i]Interdimensional Tourist[/i] - Joe. [*][i]Hammerspace Handbag[/i] [*][i]Ally[/i] - Mayra [*][i]Awareness[/i] [*][i]Absolute Direction[/i] [*][i]Sealing[/i] [*][i]Cuddlespawn[/i] - Demogorgon, the Prince of Demons.[/list] [b]Patron[/b]: Asengav [b]Patron Benefits[/b]: [list][*][i]Creeping Doom[/i] [*][i]Reasonable[/i] [*][i]Minions[/i] [*][i]Retrieval[/i] [*][i]Mystic Might[/i] [*][i]Mana Font[/i][/list] [b]Patron Drawbacks[/b]: [list][*][i]Quick-Tempered[/i] [*][s][i]Mind-Bent[/i][/s] - Removed. [*][i]Insomnia[/i] [*][i]Bane[/i] - Candles and cracked mirrors. [*][i]Health Sapping[/i][/list] [/hider] So, the ritual was starting. The Black Mirror was starting the spell. The dimension within it would channel the magic into the core. There would be no avoiding this now. After enough time had passed, it would complete. There were magical marks around the core, only in the dimension inside the Black Mirror. They would fill with magic, and it all would converge to when Asengav would commit to the finishing touches… At the very least, in here, they were relatively safe from- The Queen pointed her sword at the Black Mirror, claimed something was missing. Well, yes, it would be faster to put the mirror closer to the Nexus, but doing so would expose it to- Que the Queen grabbing the Black Mirror with vines and then putting it on the top of Covington Tower, where the whole city could potentially reach it. Mariette’s mental health halved. [color=077ae6]‘Hold… hold on,’[/color] Mariette said, wandering after the Queen. This would put the Black Mirror closer to the Nexus, yes, but, now they were exposed on all sides. Mariette didn’t feel safe at all. She stopped silent as the Queen held her monologue, and then swung her sword to undo Nykannis’ defenses of Penrose. Mariette stood silent, her mouth hanging partly open. She looked around, trying to figure out what she should say and/or do… ___ [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/5TcL6Af.png[/img][/center] Lea was standing, silent, her mass shifting as the butterflies she was composed off scattered here and there in confusion, still reeling from having her mind bending with Asengav severed. She had yet to decide what, exactly, she wanted to do. So far, she had simply wandered after Mariette, and found herself staring at the mirror waking up, and Mikayla sitting reading to the children… [i]w h a t a r e y o u d o i n g l e a[/i] The words of Mikayla’s specter suddenly whispered into her mind. Lea flinched, her flinch making her butterflies briefly lose her shape before they reformed again, now in an alert position staring at the girl who hadn’t even turned from her position by the children. [i]a r e y o u n o t t h e l e a d e r a s e n g a v w i l l b e v e r y d i s a p p o i n t e d i n y o u[/i] … Lea grit her teeth, a small pulse of anger rising through her. Who the hell are you to try to get a rise out of Lea!? … Is what Lea thought but never would have dared to say to Mikayla’s face. That said, with Mariette moving out to the top of Covington Tower, she was losing access to the five mirrors. The rest of the group would have to stay here. So, Lea spun around to the rest. [color=c1eb9b]‘It’s up to us to protect the other five mirrors,’[/color] Lea stated, getting a small surprised reaction from the others because it was the first thing she’d said since the unbrainwashing event. [color=c1eb9b]‘Nina, how are we looking?’[/color] she asked, picking up the phone and looking at it. … With no answer, and also a frown as she realized she’d been able to recall Nina’s name at all. [color=c1eb9b]‘… We’re going to need someone ready to sound the alarm at every mirror. Who’s protecting each?’[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/sKJ5riZ.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/rMgrdyA.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/P2tVfst.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/u1b416E.png[/img] [url=https://i.imgur.com/5IgRkYY.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/GD9tVHf.png[/img][/url] [url=https://i.imgur.com/tsIAXJO.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/Ud1OZ8G.png[/img][/url] [img]https://i.imgur.com/qXVwWBs.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/UZad3rZ.png[/img][/center] [color=f4d18d]‘Esther’s protecting hers,’[/color] Freya said. [color=c1eb9b]‘She wouldn’t sound the alarm if she was attacked. She needs backup,’[/color] Lea said. [color=ffd230]‘Xander’s guarding Mayra’s,’[/color] Suzette inputted. [color=fa898b]‘And the Collector is guarding ours,’[/color] Ronja said, referring to the one in the gallery. [color=9c87c9]‘We kind of killed the guardian of ours?’[/color] Victoria chuckled indicating the one in the freezer. [color=6cbad4]‘We shouldn’t have picked something that would attack even us on sight…’[/color] Tullia sighed. [color=9c87c9]‘Eh. Something loyal wouldn’t have been that strong!’[/color] Victoria shrugged and laughed. [color=2a9283]‘… My sensors will alert me if someone approaches my mirror,’[/color] Taihei said. [color=fcedae]‘Not to mention all the traps!’[/color] Josefin added, smirking. [color=c1eb9b]‘In that case, that is the [i]only[/i] mirror that doesn’t need additional oversight. We can no longer depend on Nina…’[/color] Lea muttered. Losing Nina was a SERIOUS detriment. They were depending on her to keep them informed of everything going on in Penrose, approaching threats and such. Losing her meant they were eligible to being caught unprepared, or scouted out by someone attacking without knowing it. [color=c1eb9b]‘… I have no choice. [i]I’ll[/i] be our new early warning system.’[/color] So Lea said… and then channeled her magic. Butterflies started departing her body, and bugs flew out of her form. Flies, wasps, anything flying. It was time to truly show the capabilities of [i]Oddball: Insects[/i]. With a couple waving of her arms, the swarm dispersed, flying off in each of the five directions. On the other side, the bugs would emerge from the mirrors, landing on various surfaces to keep watch, and also a couple just buzzing around. Not enough for someone to realize it was infested, unless they were looking around with Third Eye. That thing that was [i]irritatingly[/i] common, Lea thought. … The bugs at Xander’s mirror did not go through yet, someone would have to warn him first. [color=c1eb9b]‘Listen up,’[/color] Lea said. Her monster-girl form was notably more see-through, as many of the butterflies that composed her form had departed. [color=c1eb9b]‘Freya and Shelyn, I’m going to need you to reintroduce yourselves to Esther, so she knows you’re allies. You look different, and she’s not used to change,’[/color] she said. [color=f4d18d]‘Yeah,’[/color] Freya nodded. [color=95818C]‘Sssh…’[/color] Shelyn merely hissed. All of this was making her uncomfortable. [color=c1eb9b]‘Okay. So I can’t talk through bugs, but I will be using them to tell you messages like “get back” or “reinforcements are coming”, or so. Pay close attention, I’m going to show you how…’[/color] Lea said, and was going to show the rest of the girls how she would manipulate the bugs around them to show specific messages… ___ Mariette was simply watching Penrose and considering what to say. She noted Lea taking command of the rest of the girls, which took a load off her mind for now, even if Lea still worried her. For now, she considered what she could tell the Queen to- [color=077ae6]‘Ah-’[/color] Then her hair was grabbed and pulled. That sorta hurt. She was pulled down, and at that point it was easier to simply fall down on her knees. She was promptly grabbed around her neck. [color=077ae6]‘- oh,’[/color] Mariette made a startled noise as she realized her position, and what exactly just happened. H-had Su and Mika actually been sent to stop her? … Hold on, but then, what were they now talking about? [color=077ae6]‘U-uh… Mother, please don’t kill her…’[/color] Mariette said, because what she actually feared the most for in that instant was for Mika’s life. Her words could possibly save her from the Queen… She couldn’t do much to stop the second potential threat to her life. ___ [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/PRb3whP.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/eLW2OhC.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=1bcfba]‘… Hm,’[/color] Mikayla closed the book she was going to read to the children. As the supposed protector of the Black Mirror, she couldn’t exactly stay on the sidelines when the Black Mirror was taken directly out of the realm specifically created to defend it. It looked like Lea was actually doing her job now, the bug-girl looked much better than before. Which meant Mikayla was more comfortable leaving her own children behind. [color=1bcfba]‘Sleep tight, my children. Don’t move anywhere. I’ll be back,’[/color] she told them, and kissed each on the forehead. They were merely unmoving, scared of the one who was watching them. With that, Mikayla wandered over and out the same portal that had opened for Mariette… And saw the whole thing with Mariette getting herself held hostage. What a truly, truly pathetic display. For a moment, Mikayla’s disdaining eyes met Mariette’s scared one. Mariette knew fully well what likely went through Mikayla’s mind. Now, honestly. Mikayla looked over Mika and Mariette, and saw only expendable people. If Mariette was no longer an asset, then there was no sense in keeping her alive. If that was all in this scene, then Mikayla would have sent ghosts to kill Mika right now. However… her eyes trailed over at the Queen. The [i]actual[/i] threat. Mikayla likely couldn’t cause Mariette’s death without the Queen becoming an enemy. Was that desirable now, with the whole world watching, at the top of Covington Tower? … If she was probable to become an enemy anyway later, then why not? Staying passive before cost her the time she should have been staying with her children, since she was now taken to the top of Covington Tower. … No. Given they were now on top of Covington Tower, it was likely that they would attract all possible heroic Magical Girls that would try to stop them. If there were two of their kind, the Queen and Mikayla, two forces so far above other Magical Girls that it needed a whole bunch of them to match even one, then they stood a better chance to protect the Black Mirror together. Even if Mikayla would perhaps need to find an opportunity to off said Queen sometime before the end of the ritual… That would have to wait a little. It didn’t really matter what happened between Mika, Su and Mariette. All that mattered was that the Mirror was unharmed. And even then… Did it truly really matter? [i]Too passive it is.[/i] … But even then, spectral forces were going to show up from nowhere beneath them, wandering inside Covington Tower. Both to [i]discourage[/i] those who would try to attack from underneath, and perhaps to maybe stab Mika from beneath when she saw an opportunity. If the Queen didn’t do anything first.