[IC] Twisted Light - A Dystopic Magical Girl RP

[Stern Algorithm]

When he returned, he nodded in approval of her orders. "Alright boss," he replied, falling into line as they moved away. He had his own weapon ready, an assault rifle, and he glanced over at her as they walked. "So what's the plan?"

@Flamelord

Eponine sighed silently to herself. It wasn't a very elegant plan, but then again, she wasn't a very elegant person as she was given to tackling obstacles straight on, like a bulldozer. "We start at where our soldiers last sighted her, we scan for blood. We ask the locals if they saw anyone suspicious running by that matches the physical description we have, or if they know of a place where such a person could hide." She wanted to just get a megaphone and make an attempt to call out the magical girl, hoping that if she made it clear that she had no intention of harming her, she might come quietly, but she was already making this way more open than she felt Maria wanted; after all, if Maria wanted to speak with a magical girl from outside the city, the other nobles would probably view such an act with suspicion.

[Flamelord]

Kyubey shook his head, ringed ears somehow defying gravity and momentum to move without swaying. I have no need of material sustenance, unlike your species, he replied from his bookshelf. Doubtlessly she had expected such an answer though so it didn't really matter in the end.

If he seemed annoyed by her mimicry, Kyubey didn't show it as he provided a following answer. You would consider it as such.He paused, padding over to the end of the bookshelf before. Someone is toying with powers they don't understand, putting the entire system as it stands in jeopardy. Naturally, allowing it to proceed would not be in your best interest. If it was a concern for Kyubey, then it would probably be an issue for her as well. Assuming that he was being completely frank anyway.

[Ariamis]

I have no need of material sustenance, unlike your species, he replied from his bookshelf.

@Flamelord

"Okay then, I'll just have these for myself then," Maria said cheerfully as she threw one up in the air and caught it with her mouth.

It would have actually been amusing if he accepted.

You would consider it as such.He paused, padding over to the end of the bookshelf before. Someone is toying with powers they don't understand, putting the entire system as it stands in jeopardy. Naturally, allowing it to proceed would not be in your best interest.

@Flamelord

Oh, now this is what I wanted to hear: ominous portents from a white rodent, probably trying to lead me on a goose chase. Still, coming from him, it does sound serious. Maybe I shouldn't outright dismiss it. Let's test the waters.

"Oh my!" Maria placed her hands over her cheeks in a dramatic manner. "Is Aurora City in danger? What could I possibly do, Kyubey?"

[Krauxis]

Chloe shrugged noncommitally. "Don't worry about things you can't control, man. Stress is a good way to cut your lifespan short. Nowadays more than ever. Well, for humans anyway."

She didn't miss the looks she had been given. Rather, she had been expecting (and had, in the past, received) far worse. Oscar's distrust wasn't totally unfounded either. "As for my plans? You've gotta be kidding me. It's real simple. If they follow me here, I'll beat them until they never come back. I don't care if the whole damned city falls down around this building. If I'm here, these walls will stay standing... But I won't stay here for long. Hiding's never done me any good."

Thinking about it for a moment, she decided on a course of action. Which is to say, she picked a whim from the ether.

"In fact... You can go ahead and talk to the higher ups. If ever you fellas had any plans of world domination, any buns in the oven just waiting for the bread to rise, now might just be your time. I think I'm done waiting around. You lot can join me, take advantage of me, use me, or just sit there and watch me die for all I care. Like you said, you didn't survive this long on blind faith. I've got faith that the Compact will do whatever's best for the Compact. So I hope great things will come of this. But I think the time for a good hearty offensive is coming real soon. We'll just have to see."

Her little speech concluded, Chloe stepped down on her wounded leg a few times, testing different weights, before nodding, satisfied. "It's not perfect, but it'll do. Thanks Doc. Here's to seeing you alive on the other side. I'm out!" Tossing her headphones on again, she peered out a crack in the door to make sure she wasn't being followed, gave a thumbs-up to the people behind her, and darted out the door, closing it softly behind her. They would prefer she left no trace, probably, so she did her best to hide her presence until she was a little further away. After reaching a safe enough distance, Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. She was back on the streets, and away from the judgmental stares. For now, that would have to be good enough. And if she ran into anybody else, well, hopefully nobody wanted to shoot her.

[Flamelord]

Indeed, it was not the most amazing plan, but given what they were trying to do it would most likely suffice. It might take some time, but if the girl they were looking for couldn't escape, then it would eventually succeed. Excluding, again, illusion magic.

"Got it," Adrian replied as they moved away from the checkpoint. Sure, he knew that they wanted to talk, but nonetheless he was still on alert. More in case said girl wasn't willing to talk when they asked. He much enjoyed being in one piece, and wanted to keep doing so for as long as he could.

And on they went. The trail of blood was scattered, but it provided the beginnings of a lead and a general direction. It became harder to track once she had dropped off the roof and into the inner city streets, but then it was easier to find people who had seen her. It was a promising start, when they had the time to spend, and Eponine could be grateful that so many people were willing to help out based on her status.

---

While emotions were beyond him, Kyubey was cognizant enough to recognize the melodramatic overacting directed his way, though it wasn't unsurprising. With the prevalence of magical girls, it was a reaction he got often from them, when it wasn't disdain or happiness. Honestly, humans could be so unpredictable. At the very least, they still needed him to deal with Grief Seeds, which ensured he would always be around.

One could say that, he replied. If it is replicated, it will most likely be a threat to the world in general. It would make more sense to prevent it before it can happen in the first place. You merely need to find those responsible and stop what they are planning before they can finish what they are trying to do

---

"Alright," Oscar replied, tone laced with a healthy bit of skepticism. She might have all the bravado in the world, but he was a bit less confident that she could stand up to every other magical girl in the city if they came after her. Ideally she wouldn't attract that much attention anyway, but given the way she was talking it wasn't impossible, at least form his point of view.

"Good luck," he said as she departed, before muttering under his breath. "And good riddance." She might have heard as she left, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

Chloe was able to make it away from the safehouse without drawing notice, before she emerged onto the city streets, to wander and do as she wished. It only remained to be seen whether she would slip past the patrol searching for her, or if there would be a confrontation. Indeed, she and the group would be drawing nearer even now, though it would be hard for her to not notice the approach of another magical girl, and avoid her if she so wished.

[Ariamis]

One could say that, he replied. If it is replicated, it will most likely be a threat to the world in general. It would make more sense to prevent it before it can happen in the first place. You merely need to find those responsible and stop what they are planning before they can finish what they are trying to do.

@Flamelord

"Okay. But I don't know where to start looking," she said, and tightened her lips to make a goofy expression. "This is a big city, and I could get lost if I search everywhere."

I figured that much on my own. If you're not going to cough up any more info on this 'impending doom' I'm going to stuff it in my 'Don't Care' folder, along with your gutted carcass.

[Lennon79]

Far away from the glamour of the inner city, a disobedient lordling was being punished. Despite being one of the few normal humans to be granted his own land, Mayor Geier's estates were in arrears on their rent; without a magical girl to harvest Grief Seeds, the town instead produced smelted iron for the city's reconstruction work and was therefore vital to the continued viability of the Aurora City Authority. Unfortunately for the good Mayor, this meant that any late deliveries would not be looked upon kindly.

'... and so by the decree of Her Ladyship Alexandra Hertz, Lord of Aurora and associated territories, I hereby sentence you to ten years hard labour.' The poor man begged for clemency as a pair of burly militiamen dragged him away, eliciting a tired sigh from his judge. Chasing up taxes wasn't his usual area of expertise and it dragged him down. 'The next mayor will be chosen by the City Authority; in the meantime, a magical girl will be dispatched to the area to oversee production. Obey her. Dismissed.' He left his speech short as he stared out over the massed population of the town, finding the glum mood somewhat to his satisfaction. These people were little more than serfs, tied to the land and foundries; a low ranked magi would have little trouble keeping them in line and might even snag herself the odd Witch. For him though, the morning's work was done. Calling up his handful of troops, the officer began the long journey back to the city.

---

It always amazed Kolya how varied the city was. One could walk for half an hour in either direction and pass though modern parks, into rotting slums and then elegant high-rise flats. Aurora was a true metropolis, if a small one. Leaving his guards outside, he entered Hertz' private building, a particularly massive skyscraper in the centre of the city. If nothing else, she had a good eye for décor. Kolya ignored the stylish architecture and such, preferring instead to see to building for what it was; a statement of power, proof of exactly who ruled this city. In days past, the former administration had preferred a more subtle centre of operations, but he appreciated the need to grandstand in the face of constant encroachment from rival magi, not to mention the ever-present threat posed by traditional nation-states. Before long he arrived at his mistresses' door and gave a sharp rap on the woodwork. 'My Lady, Lukoshenko with the taxation and border reports.' He wasn't sure if she was aware of the change in management at the former Mayor's estates, but he also had other issues that required her attention.

[The book of bad juju]

Warning, long. Introduction-type thing. Ignore if you want to.

The girl in the blue dress clutched at the egg in her hands, feeling it's cold weight in her numb fingers. She felt empty, drained of something far more important then just her soul. Kyuubey was nowhere to be found, having slipped somewhere down a alleyway or up a chute or anywhere that wasn't here. Michelle could feel something on her back. Something cold, and they kept twisting, making singing noises against the gentle breeze. Ice crystals, she was sure of it. She could see them in the corner of her eyes, always moving away when she turned to look at them, and she could see their weird shadows right next to hers, and every time they bumped into a wall they screamed at her in a language no one else seemed to hear. She'd curled into a ball and tried to freeze herself to death, somewhere quiet where nobody else would intervene. Which is why she blanched when she heard the footsteps. First a loud SLAM, like jackboots hitting concrete. Then a rhythm, regular thumps as someone or something walked towards her. They stopped. Michelle turned her neck, trying to ignore the coat of ice coating her cheek.

The other girl was tall, almost menacingly so. In the evening light, the harsh shadows and glare got in the way of everything, and all she could make out was shadows and flashes of red and black, and a mouth somewhere high up and fleshing out words.

"Who're you?"

Michelle opened her mouth, trying to sound out words through a cold and aching jaw.

"C-c-cirn-" She began, then stopped. That wasn't her, was it? She'd wished for it, but she hated herself, now. Hated the fever, hated the dress, hated the bow tie, hated having made the stupid pact with the bunnycat, hated hated hated it. Something touched her cheek, and it took a few seconds of burning for her to realize it was a pilot light.

"Y'know" the girl said, casually. "If it was anyone else, they probably would've killed you by now. Or have they already?"
"I'm Michelle."
"Ah, so you can speak."
"Mmm."
"I assume you contracted pretty recently? Yeah? The wish wasn't everything you wanted it to be?"

Michelle just nodded, and a thousand little ice shards over her neck cracked at once, making a Clink-clink sound.

"I won't ask you what you wished for. Breach of contract. But I will tell you this is an awful place to die in. there's a turf war going to happen in a few minutes. Girls with guns, and back alley tactics. They'll probably just shoot you and ask questions later. Not that it matters much, since you're already dead."

The strange girl crouched down, on her haunches. Her breath fogged up when it passed over Michelle's shoulder.

"That's stuff you don't see in the fine print, see? That pretty little egg of yours, it's more then just a trinket. It's the bit of you that's alive and makes you laugh, or cry, and they take it out and give yous some pretty little wings and they think it's fair. But it really doesn't matter, does it, since a dead bird won't fly. You've made your mistake, Michelle. But I think you don't have to make another one. Come with me, and i'll show you something worth living for."

Michelle turned, glaring into the sun. And in it, a figure in a pompous hat almost all in shadow, and she nodded.

----

The witch roared, and bit down. It tore open Michelle's chest, tearing up the blue dress and several important-looking sinewy bits. She weakly flailed at a familiar, but the pick found nothing but air. The noise and the fury of the witch's lair swam in and out of focus, The witch, a serpentine draconic woodcut, snarled at something out of her sight, but recoiled in a flash of blinding blue steam as something fought back at it. The figure turned away from the dragon as more women --her comrades-- went at the beast with lightning and mirrors and staves. The girl crouched down, and her face swam into view. From her expression alone, Michelle could gather that she wasn't going to make it. Even as the pain was a mild buzzing sensation in the back of her head, her limbs weren't responding as they should. All she could move was her head. She gasped out something, and let an arm flop at her chest. The girl, in between the tears, grabbed at the red bow and grasped at the knot, pulling at the ice-white gemstone. She took it, and turned away. And for Michelle, everything went dark.

---

"Role call, ladies. Did everyone make it out okay? Elaine, that's a nasty gash on your arm, you might want to have that checked out back at base. Catherine, get to Elaine and work your stuff. We're moving out of here as soon as we confirm the seeds, we don't wanna spend any more time then we need to."

The voice of command rang out as soon as the witch's lair had spat them back out. Antsy soldiers, Violetta thought, were inefficient soldiers. People needed order in their lives, and she was all too happy to provide that, in the form of a shouty young lady with a massive hat and and even larger ego.

"Wait. Where's Chell?"

One glance at her squadron, and her heart dropped. The company was one short. And it didn't take a genius to work out what had happened. Even then, amidst the quiet realization, she still had to play the shouty Sargent card.

"Well, come on then, it's almost morning. I'm sure you all have comfortable beds in which to mope in, so get a damn move on, already!"

They picked up two grief seeds that night. One with a tiny motif of snowflakes dancing around its edge.

Violetta grabbed at the tray of fast food and deposited it gently on the table. Then she picked up her phone, and spoke, disinterestedly into the mobile phone.

"Hey? Valkyrie squad? This is Violetta." She said, balancing the talk with a small soda. Once upon a time,they'd used codenames and secrets to hide their gang of magical girls. It led to so much confusion and doublechecking they simply dropped the codes and talked normally to confirm they had got it right the first time, and it wasn't like anybody cared about the Valks. She sneaked a fry into her mouth, chewed and swallowed with all the signs of enjoyment, and half-yawned into the receiver "Be on your guard, ladies. It's a good night for something fishy."

She cut the communication, and glanced at the screen. Somebody wanted her to go patrol some dark and dirty corner of the city to find a rogue magical girl. Didn't sound like her cup of yerba mate. She and her battalion had already met their quota for today. But she threw aside the unopened burger and stood up to leave, anyway. Whenever there were magical girls fighting, there were impressionable kids ready to contract at a moment's notice and a suspicious plague of disappearing Ferretweasels. And her squad was still one down. She left the shop, and transformed into her fighting clothes. No sense in going unprepared.

[Flamelord]

It was obvious that Kyubey would have grinned had he been able to do so, or had he felt the sort of emotion that prompted that sort of action. He had chosen her for a reason after all, just like there was a reason behind everything that the Incubators did. Maria would just have to figure out what it was along the way.

Kyubey hopped down off the bookshelf, sitting in front of the wheelchair as he watched her with unblinking eyes. It seems to be a magical girl, he said at last, providing some information. Normal humans would find it incredibly difficult to do what they appear to be trying to do. If a Noble is involved though, it is only indirectly, given that you yourself have no knowledge of any illicit magical research.

Another seeming mental shrug then. I would provide more help, but they have done quite a bit to hide their activities from our attention. They had just been fortune that the impact of the ongoing experiments, whatever they were trying to do, had been easier to pick up. But it still left no clue as to who was doing it, much less what they were trying to do.

---

Lukoshenko's arrival wasn't entirely a surprise beyond the exact time of his arrival, when he did show up. Alexandra had been expecting him, since she insisted on receiving general reports so she could keep up to date on the state of her nation. She would not let herself be overthrown like she had done before, and she would not allow her nation to fall in dire straits. Aurora would be maintained as it had been, if she had any say in it.

"Enter," she called, and Lukoshenko would find the door unlocked. that would permit him entrance into the tastefully decorated penthouse, not ostentatious in its display of wealth but rather subtle about it. It exuded power and an aura of strength that was made to either intimidate, or to console, depending on the intentions of the person who entered, and Alexandra was glad that she had found that particular decorator.

Kolya would find Alexandra in the living room, relaxing on the couch with a glass resting nearby. Caroline stood in the corner watching him, though there was less suspicion than had he been someone who hadn't proven his loyalty. She was not a permanent fixture at these meetings by far, but it appeared she had nothing else to do at the moment.

"So, how fairs our border today," she asked once he came to a rest, having earned her full attention. Relaxed though she might be, she was all business nonetheless.

[Ariamis]

Kyubey hopped down off the bookshelf, sitting in front of the wheelchair as he watched her with unblinking eyes. It seems to be a magical girl, he said at last, providing some information. Normal humans would find it incredibly difficult to do what they appear to be trying to do. If a Noble is involved though, it is only indirectly, given that you yourself have no knowledge of any illicit magical research.

Another seeming mental shrug then. I would provide more help, but they have done quite a bit to hide their activities from our attention.

@Flamelord

"It's okay Kyubey, you don't need to worry. Leave it to magical girl Maria to save the day!"

So he's going to expect me to comb the entire city for some crazy bitches messing around with their magic...as expected of him. Though Nobles aren't directly involved I'll bet my storage of grief seeds that they're secretly backed by one. Now I'll just have to check which one of them would resort to such idiocy.

"Let's check the map. That is always a good idea when investigating cities," Maria said as she smiled. She opened up a map file on her computer that she has tampered with herself to show different colors and lines on different parts of the map.

[Stern Algorithm]

Indeed, it was not the most amazing plan, but given what they were trying to do it would most likely suffice. It might take some time, but if the girl they were looking for couldn't escape, then it would eventually succeed. Excluding, again, illusion magic.

"Got it," Adrian replied as they moved away from the checkpoint. Sure, he knew that they wanted to talk, but nonetheless he was still on alert. More in case said girl wasn't willing to talk when they asked. He much enjoyed being in one piece, and wanted to keep doing so for as long as he could.

And on they went. The trail of blood was scattered, but it provided the beginnings of a lead and a general direction. It became harder to track once she had dropped off the roof and into the inner city streets, but then it was easier to find people who had seen her. It was a promising start, when they had the time to spend, and Eponine could be grateful that so many people were willing to help out based on her status.

@Flamelord

"Adrian," Eponine said, "relay to the other search teams that before speaking with the magical girl, they are to report their position." Her reason for this was so that if the team that found her was wiped out, the rest would know where it had happened. In fact, every team she killed would leave a trail potentially pointing out her next destination. Still, as they continued to follow leads, they saw no sign of her. Eponine hoped that none of the people they had spoken to had lied. If they had, she would have to flatten their neighborhood as an example for what happened to people harboring fugitives. If there was no dishonesty, then Eponine's search cordon should be tightening slowly, and they would all either eventually meet each other in the middle with the rogue having somehow managed to slip past; or the rogue would be discovered and a fight would most likely ensue. Eponine activated her magical girl form, pulling out her warhammer, ready to activate her 'field of absolute terror' at a moment's notice.

[Krauxis]

Chloe didn't have to be paying much attention to realize that her time was limited. The rooftops could provide a potential out when it came to people searching for her - regular humans had trouble traversing even the narrowly packed city rooftops - but when she thought about it, what was she really going to do? Run through the city giving these folks a wild goose chase? Kill everybody involved, spawning more havoc?

"...Not the worst ideas in the world, and they sound kind of fun..." But no. She had told Oscar that she was finished avoiding confrontation, and that still held true. Not that she wanted to get shot again. Her mobility was already hampered by one wounded leg. She didn't relish the idea of having to walk around town doing a handstand because of bullet holes in both legs, though again, it sounded just a little fun.

Chloe transformed without any particular flair, and simply stood her ground. She was far enough away from the safehouse that nothing should be traced back to the people there, so it was time to meet her maker.

As the group drew closer, her suspicions were confirmed, seeing a magical girl heading their ranks. That made sense. Five humans didn't do the job, why send anything less? The girl in front of her looked a bit younger than Chloe herself, and was wielding an impressive warhammer. She had to compliment the girl on her taste in weaponry. That wasn't a tool made for fixing things.

As the girl approached, Chloe held up a massive armored hand in greeting, signaling that she didn't intend to fight. At least not right away. "Hey lady. You're the hound they sent to track me down, huh? Well, I guess you did it, so good on you. Here to take me to jail, then? Or kill me, maybe?"

[Lennon79]

Even after coming here a hundred times, Kolya was still uncomfortable in her Ladyship's private rooms. Not only was the carefully designed architecture doing its job, but the idea of invading a young woman's room just didn't sit right. Pushing the misgivings away, he strode in with an air of respect and hopefully competence. 'Good morning, my Lady.', he began, bowing his head slightly before diving right into his report. 'I have three items of interest. First off, a town in the south requires a new governor after the old administration failed to keep up with taxation. I recommend a magi be sent to oversee the area in the meantime.' Riffling though a handful of paperwork, he produced and handed over a set of forms detailing the fate of Mayor Geier, along with a list of suitable replacements. 'There was also a disturbance reported at a border post of Lady Goethe's lands, but I have it on good authority that the situation has been dealt with. More pressingly for the city, I have evidence of a build-up of UN forces to the south.' Even after the collapse of the traditional nation-state system, the UN continued to exert its authority over the remaining member states. Their activities in central Europe were limited, but a persistent thorn in Aurora's side. 'No evidence of why or what they might be doing, but I would recommend a punitive strike. My men are not capable of holding off trained soldiers, but a handful of magi could easily break their lines... My Lady.', he added, as always striving a bit too hard to remain polite.

[Stern Algorithm]

As the girl approached, Chloe held up a massive armored hand in greeting, signaling that she didn't intend to fight. At least not right away. "Hey lady. You're the hound they sent to track me down, huh? Well, I guess you did it, so good on you. Here to take me to jail, then? Or kill me, maybe?"

@Krauxis

Eponine's eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at Chloe. She spun her hammer around and planted its head into the ground, letting go of the weapon to signify that she also had no intention to fight. She continued to stare at Chloe, seeing if dropping her guard would prompt the girl to make a preemptive strike. When no attack came, Eponine said, "Alright Adrian, take everyone and go, and tell the others to stop the search. Everything that happens from here on out is entirely my responsibility." Eponine felt that the proposition she had for Chloe was better kept secret; it wouldn't do to have too many people hear about how Maria ordered her to invite an unaffiliated magical girl to Maria's base.

Eponine waited for Adrian and the others to clear off before speaking again, "I am Knight Eponine Hassane. Procedure would have me...apprehend a non-affiliate magical girl such as you. As much as I feel compelled to take you down, my lady has taken an interest in you, and I am under orders to...extend an invitation to you to come to her base so that she may speak with you personally." Eponine spoke slowly and mechanically, pausing to choose her words. Chloe's tone of voice and posture implied a carefree attitude and lack of discipline to Eponine, who felt a simplistic need to eliminate her; only her adherence to her orders prevented her from violently satiating her visceral hatred of someone she saw as an agent of chaos.

"If you can confirm that you are, in fact, an unaffiliated magical girl, and that you are the one who erected an effigy using an...unused grief seed, then I will escort you to my lady immediately."

[TrixyTrix]

"Another poor ignorant soul down...."
Alice looked at the grief seed she was holding in her left palm. There was a smile of satisfaction on her face as she had succeeded in eliminating another person who was against co-existence. The cries of pain the girl had let out was quite nice to Alice's ears. She relished in seeing her targets' suffering and striking them with her scythe while they were helpless in her cage. She drove the magical girl to the point her soul gem tainted and transforming her into a witch. Alice was surprised she had the patience to carry out such a plan. Usually she would hunt those whose
soul gem were almost fully tainted but the recent target was torturing a family of normals that she felt she needed to step in and kill.

Alice looked at the charred remains of the target's corpse. After dealing with the witch, she had proceeded to cut the body and burn it to a crisp with her magic. It was necessary to not leave a single trace behind just in case though Alice knew sooner or later the Authority would be tracking her down. She must not let herself be caught and get pulled into the system she detest so much. With the job done, Alice went over to the family and they cowering in fear. The family consisted of an older boy with two little girls. Alice deduced the three were probably siblings. The boy seemed to be her age when she became a magical girl.

"Where are your parents?"
The boy did not answer her but instead glared at her. Alice then proceeded to read his mind. The boy's mind was filled with hatred for magical girls for killing his parents and he wanted her to just go away before he decided to kill her. Alice fought back a chuckle. The boy was just like her but his idea of trying to kill her was laughable. Seeing that her job was done, she left the siblings there not caring what they do the next. Alice then cancelled her transformation and used the grief seed on her soul gem. With her soul gem pure again, Alice decided to find
her next target.

"Now where to next?"
Wherever she go, she needed to be wary of the Authority since she heard they were on the move due to recent incident.

[Krauxis]

Chloe had to think for a moment on her own intentions. "Straight into the hornet's nest, huh..." She wasn't totally set on fighting with this unknown magi, though it seemed that her prospective opponent wanted a fight, or was looking for an excuse. Maybe Chloe was just projecting. In the end, she fell back on the logic that had kept her from death or corruption: What would be the most entertaining option?

"Ah, so you saw that little bit of work, did you? You guys really do have eyes and ears everywhere... Well, it was made to be found, so I'm happy it could serve its purpose. Glad you liked it. Yeah, I made that 'effigy' as you call it. And... yeah, I'm on my own. Too much responsibility otherwise, y'know? Too much stress. Surely you know what I mean." Chloe was beating around the bush, trying to get a rise out of Eponine, who, while it seemed as though she should be smoldering, seemed to have something of a stone visage. This was entertaining for the carefree girl, though it was possible she was pushing her luck just a little too far in front of this stranger she had never met.

"Right... Anyway, you say your owner wants to talk to me? How unusual. I suppose it wouldn't do for you to go against orders, huh? Yeah, I'll come with. Lead on, though forgive me if I stay transformed. I don't really have any reason to trust you or any number of armed goons you might have waiting in the bleachers. Name's Chloe, by the way. Chloe Hartmann. Don't bother with a background check. I bet you won't find that name in any databases these days. The poor and the downtrodden are so often overlooked by those in power."

[The book of bad juju]

Violetta took the low streets, jogging through underpasses and skipping part public parks. The early morning dark before dawn was sufficient to hide her, she didn't need to be picked out by Shadow Compact searcher lights. The fact thqt Shadow Compact searcher lights weren't actually a thing never crossed her mind as she casually vaulted over a criss-cross of metal and wire that might've once been a fence and landed cleanly on the other side. She found herself in an industrial part of town, full of humans, and chose that moment to slow down, taking in deep draughts of smoke. A thought crossed her mind. She cupped her hands and breathed into them, and was rewarded with a tiny cloud of smog circling her hands. She grinned. Of course, there was no reason this wouldn't work. Humans had put so much coal and grit and smog into the air, but she'd never thought that it'd be affected by her strange superpower as well as more mundane stuff, like steel bars and the like. She set off again, the thin wisps of smoke clinging to her like an evening dress.

She stopped when her phone rang, though. It was Adrian. The girl had been found, and she'd gone quietly. All units were to report back to their stations, and carry on their respective duties. He hadn't even said sorry. Violetta sighed, taking out her frustration on a parked car. It left a dent, but didn't make her feel any better. Maybe she was just cranky because she hadn't used a seed in a while. Whatever it was, she turned around and headed back home, barely even noticing the magical girl genocidist purifying her gem on the other corner.

[Flamelord]

@Ariamis

Kyubey nodded, shifting so he could look at the map that she brought up, at the same time that she could. For the moment he refrained from hopping onto her wheelchair, since that would most likely have posed significant health hazards. And while death was only an annoyance, it was a general waste of time that could be better spent dealing with the matter at hand.

Once she had the map in a place where he could see it, he gestured towards it with a nod. The disturbances we noticed in the cities general magical field seemed to be coming from the cities industrial sector, he informed her. That would narrow down the search area, if a little, but it also made things more complicated at the same time. Mostly because it was a location not inside her fief.

And yet that didn't seem to matter to Kyubey at the same time. That should be enough information for you to begin. Certainly any sort of magic based experiments would be difficult to hide, so Maria could probably use some of her contacts to start looking at some suspects. Unless there's something else you'd like to know?

---

@Lennon79

Alexandra sat quietly as Kolya went about describing the state of affairs that he had to inform her of. The first was not a surprise, since it was something she had heard about earlier, though she hadn't had to deal with it herself. But something like this would be her particular province, unless she chose to delegate it to one of her underlings.

"I'll look into it," she replied as she took the forms, placing them off to the side so she could read them once this meeting was over. The news from the Goethe estate was interesting but of no concern, since they seemed to have the matter in hand, and her time ass too important to waste on a single disturbance.

Of more concern was the last matter he had for her, but as Kolya spoke, Alexandra remained relaxed. A light smile graced her lips as she glanced over at Caroline, before turning her attention back to the man before her. "I don't think that will be necessary," she said once he had finished. "We don't know what their intentions are, and while they may be planning something, a pre emptive strike will most assuredly incite a war. As things stand now, Elysium would be honor bound to come to our aid if the UN attacked. We aren't some collapsing state they can throw to the dogs, not if they want to be taken seriously."

Managing Elysium could be a pain. But so long as she kept Aurora peaceful and strong, she could count on their support. And hopefully that would be convincing enough for Kolya

---

@Stern Algorithm @Krauxis

"Got it boss," Adrian replied once Eponine had finished issuing her instructions. He relaxed a little as he walked away, leaving the two magical girls to themselves and whatever Maria had planned for the rogue. Once out of sight, he called the other search teams, calling them off. The border would resume it's old activity, a promise of the situation handled to anyone who had noticed the unusual behavior.

Now it would be for Eponine to handle, and it would be up to her and Chloe to decide whether this would end in a fight, or if they would instead travel to the Goethe estate without further issue, especially from the guards who would recognize their superior and let her and her guest through without issue.

[Ariamis]

Once she had the map in a place where he could see it, he gestured towards it with a nod. The disturbances we noticed in the cities general magical field seemed to be coming from the cities industrial sector, he informed her.

That should be enough information for you to begin. Certainly any sort of magic based experiments would be difficult to hide, so Maria could probably use some of her contacts to start looking at some suspects. Unless there's something else you'd like to know?

@Flamelord

"No, that's just what I needed!" She said with a smile as bright as the sun. "Thank you Kyubey!" She leaned over to the white creature and attempted to pet it.

Figures they would hide in the industrial sector. Dora sure is sloppy for letting this slip by her, that dumb blonde. Well, it's all the more reason for me to rearrange the pecking order once I'm in charge, and she's gonna be demoted to a Squire. I don't have time to deal with it myself, but if I remember correctly, she should be having her patrol right in that section...

Maria then signed out of the computer and took out her cellphone. She flipped it open with a much more rigid gesture than you would have assumed by her happy disposition, and picked out a number. She spoke to the phone with calm authority.

"Violetta? Yes, this is Maria. I've been informed that there's been sightings of illegal magical research at the industrial sector. Conduct an investigation and apprehend the people behind this activity. Once you're done report back to me."

[Stern Algorithm]

Chloe had to think for a moment on her own intentions. "Straight into the hornet's nest, huh..." She wasn't totally set on fighting with this unknown magi, though it seemed that her prospective opponent wanted a fight, or was looking for an excuse. Maybe Chloe was just projecting. In the end, she fell back on the logic that had kept her from death or corruption: What would be the most entertaining option?

"Ah, so you saw that little bit of work, did you? You guys really do have eyes and ears everywhere... Well, it was made to be found, so I'm happy it could serve its purpose. Glad you liked it. Yeah, I made that 'effigy' as you call it. And... yeah, I'm on my own. Too much responsibility otherwise, y'know? Too much stress. Surely you know what I mean." Chloe was beating around the bush, trying to get a rise out of Eponine, who, while it seemed as though she should be smoldering, seemed to have something of a stone visage. This was entertaining for the carefree girl, though it was possible she was pushing her luck just a little too far in front of this stranger she had never met.

"Right... Anyway, you say your owner wants to talk to me? How unusual. I suppose it wouldn't do for you to go against orders, huh? Yeah, I'll come with. Lead on, though forgive me if I stay transformed. I don't really have any reason to trust you or any number of armed goons you might have waiting in the bleachers. Name's Chloe, by the way. Chloe Hartmann. Don't bother with a background check. I bet you won't find that name in any databases these days. The poor and the downtrodden are so often overlooked by those in power."

@Krauxis

During the conversation, Eponine felt a bit twitchy, ready to activate her force field should Chloe make any sudden moves. It actually flickered on and off a few times, though it wasn't visible. Though Eponine understood what Chloe meant by responsibilities, she felt that being part of a system was actually more liberating; she didn't have to think for herself or make her own decisions. Eponine saw the concept of freedom as a trap, and Chloe as one who was foolish enough to fall for it.

Eponine was surprised Chloe would come so easily. "I expected you would," Eponine said, referring to Chloe's decision to stay in her magical girl state, "and I hope you won't mind if I do the same."

"Chloe Hartmann? I'll remember it," Eponine said as she pulled her hammer out of the ground and leaned it over her shoulder, as she thought about Chloe's statement about the poor. She considered her own past and how she gained power. She thought about the advantages of being among the anonymous masses, letting fate and the greater powers dictate one's life. How satisfied one would be if one simply accepted their position. And if one was not satisfied, there were methods to follow, there was service to be rendered, in order to rise in the ranks. Outside of the system, nothing was guaranteed, there were no steps to follow, and one was forced to live with one's self and one's own decisions, a thought that terrified Eponine for some reason. Eponine decided to not speak to Chloe.

Eponine headed back towards the border where her jeep waited, expecting Chloe to follow. She got on and ordered, "Take us back to Lady Maria's estate."