Ariamis — Roleplayer Guild

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1. Ariamis 10 yrs ago
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5 yrs ago

Current For some reason Discord is acting up.

6 yrs ago

Ended up sick, trying to respond once I get better.

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Most Recent Posts

In Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed] → 5 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

@MadManMoon@DarkwolfX37

Accepted. You can post the sheets in the Character tab.

In Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed] → 5 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

New thread: roleplayerguild.com/topics/180148-dar…
Please resubmit your sheets for approval in the OOC.

Also, all players who have stayed for the end of the season have their characters rewarded with a Ruby Coin. This allows one of the following options including options from the Crimson Cradle module:
1. Raise stats up by +4 points (for example +4 to MAG, or +1 to MAG and +3 to VIT)
2. Raise stats up by +2 points, and replace a Perk with an existing one from the same Table
3. Get a new Perk from either Table
4. Can be used to obtain an additional Specialization, at a penalty of -4 stat points.
5. Can obtain a second weapon or Power, but with a stat point penalty of -3

Please mention your Ruby Coin in your sheet for resubmitting.

In Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed] → 5 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

Patrons are allowed to interact with and even assist their chosen magical girl/s, with the following conditions: 

1. Direct interference from Patrons in a combat situation or completing objectives on behalf of their chosen magical girl/s reduces coin payout if their interference is not covered in the magical girl's benefits and drawbacks.
2. This reduction is dependent on how great and/or frequent the interference was, and may affect future coin payouts as well. 
3. Repeated violations of Patron interference will end up with reduced magical ability of the chosen girl/s and ultimately loss of magic.

Emotion magic types:
Wonder: Illusion
Confidence: Fire

In Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed] → 5 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

NPC List

Name: Lily "Lightning" Hanson

Age (Magical Girl): 13

Age (Before Magical Girl): 20

Gender: Female

Gender (Before Magical Girl): Female

Appearance: Regular/Skimpy 

Specialization:
1.Lightning
2. Time

Weapon:Ramuh: A powerful Dual Weapon, able to transform between two weapons: a bow with a string made of static electricity that can rapidly launch arrows of thunder, or a staff that Lily can use to channel her raw power into devastating magic, able to launch bolts of lightning, and even call storms from the sky when using her full power.

Power:1. Killing Blow: Lily can channel her magic into a spell of mass destruction using Wrath of Zeus, calling down an extremely powerful bolt of lightning that shakes the earth and deafens those nearby with a roaring display of nature's power, annihilating almost any enemy and turning them into ash.

2. Barrage: Lily can accelerate the use of her weapon to immense speed, able to shoot with the rate of a machine gun and overwhelm a group of enemies with lightning arrows, raining down upon them like a storm.

Perks: 
Dual Weapon: Lily's weapon Ramuh can either take the form of a bow, or a staff adorned with the head of her patron Ixion, complete with a zig-zagging horn that can be used as a poor melee weapon in a pinch.

Monstrous Metamorphosis: When Lily is in danger or agitated enough, the power coursing through her takes over, and she adopts bestial traits of her patron Ixion. She gains a zig-zagging horn on her head, as well as fur that covers her body and yellow eyes alongside improvements in physical abilities (+2 STR, AGI and VIT). However, she also loses conscious control, driven by instinct.

Closure: As part of her contract, Lily demanded that she would be wiped from the memories of her family and friends, so they would lead happy lives without her. Not having to worry about attachments of the past, she has gone full speed ahead.

Get out of Jail: Lily is an especially slippery Magical Girl, able to escape even the direst of situations by turning into reversed lightning, often leaving as quickly as she arrived.

Enhanced Sustenance: Lily hates to slow down for meaningless things like sleeping and eating, and has managed to overpower such limitations, easily going for longer than others of her kind with an abundance of energy.

Patron: None

Patron Benefits:

Chatterbox/Well Connected/Supplier/Transportation (Magical Motorbike)

Patron Drawbacks:

Expendable/Hostile/Big Brother

Fighting Style: Lily is all about speed, and hit-and-run tactics are her forte. She can rapidly bombard her opposition with arrows from multiples angles while dodging and weaving out of the way of attacks coming her way.
She is bad in melee combat, but if she chooses to take the risk, she can accelerate the flow of her blood with electricity, boosting her speed and strength at a serious loss to her health.

Stats (Untransformed):
STR: 3
AGI: 5
VIT: 3
MAG: 3
LCK: 4

Stats (Transformed):These start at 4.
STR: 5
AGI: 22 (+4 Platinum Coin) (+4 Ruby Coin)
VIT: 5
MAG: 12
LCK: 6

Personality: Lily is an outgoing and energetic girl, constantly smiling and laughing wherever she goes. However, while she can be nice to others, she also has a smug streak to her, often being brash and confrontational, with a large ego to her. The outward personality hides a sad existence, however...

History:Contract: One day, when Lily once again cursed her existence and the misfortune she has lived through, she wished out loud that she could do what she want without anybody bearing down on her. Then, storm clouds gathered, and a tree right in front of her was split by a thunderbolt. From the burning wreckage Ixion's crackling shape emerged, and she heard his voice in her mind, asking her to help keep peace and exterminate the monsters, as well as defeat ay other forces who sought his destruction. Lily agreed to it on the condition that she could leave her former life with no regrets, and set forth with a wide smile.

During the events of Lunacy of Love, Lily witnessed the assassination of Victoria Reales, a Puchuu girl who tried to unite the magical girls of Penrose. After meeting with friendly and less friendly people, Lily was caught up in a fight against a mysterious group of villains, and ended up captured by the orders of Justine von Visceral, the mastermind behind both the assassination and the terrorist attack on Beacon. She was believed to be a girl of pure heart, and her blood would have been sacrificed for a terrible Horror's summoning. Fortunately, a band of heroes, including Lily's close friend Alex, stormed the Viscerals' keep, and rescued her. After a bittersweet farewell with the defeated Justine, Lily was left with her hat as a memento, which she decided to keep as she rode off to a new adventure.

Incantation: "Let my spirit gallop across the field of clouds, and strike my foes down with thunderous applause!"

Additional Info: None

Type: Lesser Force

Name: Ixion

Personality: Ixion is a noble, if ruthless entity, and can be capricious in his motives. Nevertheless, he believes in Lily, and is always there to give a comforting word, even if he doesn't understand what the problem is.

History: Ixion's past is shrouded in mystery, but from what Lily has gathered he was once from a world where other Lesser Forces suc has him resided, such as a Lesser Force taking the form of a blue-icy woman, and a black dragon. In a war for dominance, he had to escape, and found himself in this world. To keep the world stabile and protected from the other Forces he has asked to slay any monsters that would try and breach the walls between them, fearing the arrival of his sworn enemies one day.

Resources: Ixion pays in magical coins, as is the norm. He has had numerous champions, but currently he has only found one pure-hearted enough to be chosen.

Additional Info: Has an unused Sapphire Coin, which she has pondered on using to go to the College of Magic to learn astrology and weather prediction.

The Ascendancy

The Forces of Cindy Ford
The individuals associated with Cindy Ford and her choice to lay claim to Penrose. Due to Ariamis description of the crowd she was commanding, we can assume Cindy has more minions than those listed here. That said, here are the notable ones.

Cindy Ford

Age: 16
Specialization: Lightning
Weapon: Lightning Body Fists/Mystic
Power: ???
Patron: The Thunderbird.

A monster-girl literally composed of lightning. An ambitious woman who view those around her as beneath her, and seek to rectify the order of the world to one which suits herself. Does not desire the world to burn, merely that it recognizes her and makes peace at her command.

Stats:
STR: ?
AGI: ?
VIT: ?
MAG: Awesome
LCK: ?

Shelter administrator working under Cindy.

Ellen & Tina Miller

Age: 15
Specialization: Beast
Weapon: ???
Power: Twinned Soul | ???
Patron: ???

Cindy’s closest allies and scouts. They use their power to see and control animals on distant ranges in order to act as Cindy’s scouts. They have intentionally drawn in quite a few animals for this purpose. Ellen favors ground animals, Tina prefers those that fly.

Stats:
STR: ? | ?
AGI: ? | ?
VIT: ? | ?
MAG: Okay | Decent
LCK: ? | ?

Julie Sims

Age: 12
Specialization: ???
Weapon: ???
Power: ???
Patron: ???

A different kind of monster-girl, but a monster-girl nonetheless. Finds herself allied with Cindy when the time comes. Julie is really, REALLY old, but has adapted herself over time whenever the current trends change. She's pretty used to it by now.

Stats:
STR: ?
AGI: ?
VIT: ?
MAG: ?
LCK: ?

Beatrice Clark

Age: 15
Specialization: Sound & Fire
Weapon: Fire Claws Mystic
Power: Third Eye
Patron: Kawlus, Deity of Criminals and Unfairness.

Beatrice was a known burglar and thief in the Magical Girl community, feel free to have heard of her before. She’s known to use Sound to make things completely silent, then steal things and go. She ended up in hot water a while ago, but has now resurfaced under the protection of Cindy Ford.

Stats:
STR: Strong
AGI: Athletic
VIT: Somewhat fragile
MAG: Competent
LCK: Basic

Brittany Todd

Age: 7
Specialization: Psychic
Weapon: Skull Totem. (Mystic)
Power: ???
Patron: Agatha, Lesser Force

A little magician living in Penrose. Aspires to collect magical trinkets and open a shop of artifacts and divination. Has no idea what Cindy actually intends, but got roped along somehow.

Stats:
STR: Nope.
AGI: Yes.
VIT: Nope.
MAG: YES.
LCK: Yes.

Riley Walker

Age: 14
Specialization: ???
Weapon: ???
Power: ???
Patron: Yuun, a Puchuu.

Born into a family of proud Magical beings. She has a quest in Penrose, which is why she came here. Cindy found her first, and if Cindy can help her on her quest, then suppose the Walker family could help her in turn?

Stats:
STR: ?
AGI: ?
VIT: ?
MAG: ?
LCK: ?

Leanna Thornton

Age: 7
Specialization: Reinforcement
Weapon: Draco Blasters (Ranged)
Power: ???
Patron: Pipyo the Puchuu

A monster girl native of Penrose. Due to activities of previous Beacon she went into hiding, and has only been drawn out by the promise of freedom and protection offered by Cindy Ford.

Stats:
STR: Decent
AGI: Decent
VIT: Decent
MAG: Excellent
LCK: Nope

Minette Deschamps

Age: 9
Specialization: Beast
Weapon: ???
Power: ???
Patron: Beldevyn the Puchuu.

Minette is a different sort of Beast magical girl, as in that she has poured all her might into a single creature, Cernunnos the super-powered moose. He is a titan and a goliath of a physical fighter. A rather simple girl otherwise, she agreed to join Cindy to steer this supposed ruler to the path of righteousness and protecting the innocent.

Stats:
STR: Low
AGI: Low
VIT: Decent
MAG: Exceptional
LCK: Low

Golden Trove

Penrose Beacon

The Ebon Mint

Misc.

In Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed] → 5 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

Character List

Puchuu:Shion - Spec: Oddball (Magnetism) - DarkwolfX37
Emily "The Cataclysm" Ackerson - Spec: Fire - FamishedPants
Reporter Christine West - Spec: Ice - Vocab
Yamamoto Sakura - Spec: Lightning - AtomicNut
Shane Brahm - Spec: Lightning - TWave
Lily "Lightning" Hanson - Spec: Lightning / Time - Ariamis

Lesser Force:Chloe Irving - Spec: Spirit - Rune_Alchemist
Amaryllis Evenings - Spec: Metal - ERode
Sophia von Zeerover - Spec: Oddball (Gunpowder) - Crusader Lord
Su - Spec: Air (Ally: Mika - Spec: Beast) - BrokenPromise
Connie Williams  - Spec: Oddball (Nightmares) - Ponn

Deity:Alexander Shields - Spec: Reinforcement / Beast - Card Captor
Nina Kujo - Spec: Spirit (Ally: Alice Honorsby - Spec: Air) - Crusader Lord
Katelyn Everance - Spec: Lightning / Air - Vocab
Mia Cooper - Spec: Wood - Ponn

The Beacon:Alicia Hayden - Spec: Light - Flamelord
Kyle Tanner - Spec: Empathic - Shifter_Master
Summer North - Spec: Oddball (Fourth Wall) - DarkwolfX37
Serenity Gates - Spec: Time - Crusader Lord
Penny Asimov - Spec: Metal / Lightning / Gravity - Shifter_Master
Dawn Astraea - Spec: Fire - Asuras
Janet and Jenna Howell - Spec: Reinforcement/Psychic (Ally: Raven Bianchi - Spec: Spirit) - TWave

Horror:Mariette Pedersen - Spec: Oddball (Portals) (Ally: Eli - Spec: Reinforcement / Darkness) - PlatinumSkink
Annabelle Rhodes, "Collector Delta" - Spec: Oddball (Mirrors) (Ally: Rauri McGanna "Scribe Xi" - Spec: Beast) - MadManMoon

The Ebon Mint:Joanna Fujo - Spec: Fire (Ally: Rebecca Oxford - Spec: Reinforcement) - MadManMoon
"Reaver" William Porter - Spec: Reinforcement - AtomicNut

Solo:Katarina Nekrasova - Spec: Metal - Rune_Alchemist
Celia Simmons - Spec: Empathic - Majoras End
Hilaria - Spec: Gravity - FamishedPants

Crimson Cradle:Silhouette - Spec: Time / Dark - FamishedPants
Tetrad - Spec: Empathic - BrokenPromise
Eliza "Scout" Winters - Spec: Illusion / Light - Majoras End

Penrose Independent:The Boss - Spec: ??? - Vocab

NPC:Beacon Buddies
Extra Cradle Agents
Penrose Outer Alliance

In Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed] → 5 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

-RESERVED-

In Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed] → 5 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

The world is filled with magical wonders; spirits, gods, elder beings and more, with goals and objectives as varied as life itself. Often, these beings oppose each other, and to succeed they either unleash monsters to the world, or have chosen Mahou who wield magical weapons and powers to fight their battles for them; magical girls and boys. These are people who, through some turning point in their life, have been given a new life with magical powers, a youthful body, and a grand destiny.

The city of Penrose had become a center for repeated attacks by monsters and villains, and so has attracted Mahou from a wide region. Now, a new force has arrived in the bitter winter: the Beacon Ascendancy, their sole goal the extermination of all sources of corruption and heresy. A new conflict looms over the cold city as monster girls and dark magical girls unite against them, with factions thrown in the crossfire. Can a peaceful end be achieved without bloodshed?



Welcome to Darkest Before the Dawn (or DBD for short), an RP in the same universe as Beyond the Looking Glass. In this RP, normal people are chosen by Patrons to become magical girls and boys. These include cute and cuddly Puchuu, capricious Lesser Forces, proud Gods, the valiant protectors of Beacon, the dark and mysterious agents of Ebon Mint, and terrifying Horrors from beyond. Will you be a defender of justice, an agent of dubious morals, or something completely different like a monster girl?

Character Creation

Characters are created for this RP using the wider setting of the Accidental Magical Girl CYOA, found in links below. Applicants can also use the Crimson Cradle module when creating a character and rolling for certain tables such as Powers and/or Perks; simply replace the result in the CYOA table with the corresponding one in the CC tables. Any roll that results in creating a new character (such as the Ally Perk or Twin Soul Power) can be rerolled. Note that the coins given for use in the creator can be used at any point of the creation process. All modules may be used for character creation.

Character Creation
Patron Creation
Crimson Cradle Module

(The Dark Magical Girl/Monster Girl link is not fully supported in the RP, but the contents of the link such as Perks and Powers can be utilized with permission)
Dark Magical Girl/Monster Girl Creation Aid

Setting

The RP is based in the fictional city of Penrose, located somewhere in the Northeast US. Due to the increasing number of monsters in Penrose, the magical girl population is rising as well. Penrose has a population of 600,000 and is located on the east coast. The actual structure and mapping of Penrose will be kept nebulous to allow for player choice. For example, you can describe your character to be located at the hospital or train station without needing to specify further.

Character Sheet

Character creation should be done according to the CYOA. Please note that the amount of additional benefits and drawbacks you can take on the Patron module depend on what type of patron you have.

Name: If your character uses an alias, include that as well.

Age (Magical Girl): This is the age you rolled in the CYOA.

Age (Before Magical Girl): This is your character's age before they were turned into a magical girl.

Gender: Are they a magical girl or boy? Boys are determined by the character possessing the perk Masculinity; see the CYOA for details.

Gender (Before Magical Girl):

Appearance: This should cover the body type and uniform from the CYOA. Pictures or descriptions work for this.

Specialization: What element are they attuned to? For an Oddball Specialization, include a description and uses for it.

Weapon: This include the weapon type, and what the weapon actually is. If it's something fancy or complicated, include a description or a picture.

Power: If your character has more than one, label them with numbers.

Perks: A lot of perks require some elaboration.

Patron: The name of your Patron. Further details are described in the Patron CS.

Patron Benefits: List all benefits including universal ones.

Patron Drawbacks: List all drawbacks including universal ones.

Fighting Style: How does your character combine their magic, weapon, power, and perks into one coherent whole?

Stats (Untransformed): These start at 3. CYOA options indicate if they apply out of costume as well.
STR:
AGI:
VIT:
MAG:
LCK:

Stats (Transformed): These start at 4.
STR:
AGI:
VIT:
MAG:
LCK:

Personality:

History: This should include why you were recruited, chosen from the options on the CYOA. However, keep it at a maximum of two paragraphs.

Incantation: What does your character call out during their transformation sequence? Bonus points for pizzazz.

Additional Info: Anything you want to tell about your character such as their favorite color, hobbies and anything else that doesn't fit into the rest of the sheet.

Magical Coins: The amount of magical coins your character has earned. This starts at 0, but will increase during the course of the RP as certain goals are met.


Type: Are they a Puchuu, Lesser Force or something else?

Name:

Personality:

History: It is recommended to keep this section at a maximum length of two paragraphs.

Resources: How many magical girls or monsters does your patron employ, and how does your patron pay them? Do they have any mundane resources or services they can grant?

Additional Info: Anything else you want to mention?



The Rules

1. A maximum of two active characters and Patrons can be created. Any characters and Patrons created afterwards must replace previously created ones. Exceptions to the rule are the Allies-perk and Twin Soul-power, which work as described in the CYOA. Submit your characters first to OOC or as a PM, and once they have been approved they can be posted to the character tab and you can begin posting in IC.
2. Allies-perk and Twin Soul-power may be rerolled into another perk or power.
3. You must first ask for permission before you can create side characters and events that have a considerable effect on the RP's story. Background characters with little consequence are exempt from the rule. For example, you can have civilians witness a fight, or have a slumber party at a magical girl's house without asking for permission to include the parents. On the other hand, them turning out to be fighters or a villain suddenly causing a city-wide swarm of monsters has to be approved first.
4. The number of combat-ready NPCs are limited to three per player. Exceptions can be made if you ask me for permission.
5. Keep the sexual content PG. Romance is fine as long as it's kept clean.
6. Violence: The world of DBD is definitely darker than the average magical girl show, with death as an intrinsic part of the setting. Still, please keep the gore, body horror, and anything else explicit on the tasteful side.
7. Post Rate: Try to post at least once every one or two weeks on average. At the beginning things might move more rapidly. If you're not going to be able to post for a while, let me know. Try to avoid speed posting too much. But most of all, don't sweat too much about keeping a posting schedule, as this is meant to be fun.
8. Post Standards: Your post should at least be a paragraph or two in length, include your character's thoughts and an action or some dialogue.
9. Collaboration is recommended for dialogue and/or combat between characters when they are expected to run for longer than a couple of posts. For example, Google Docs is a good place to make collaborations. We also have a Discord channel for discussion and sharing cool stuff.
10. Have fun! If you don't, let me know by posting in OOC or sending me a PM, and I'll see what I can do to fix the issue. If you have any ideas you want to share in private, feel free to do so as well.

Below are listed actions that can be paid for in GM-run events:
(Beacon only) Purified corruption: 1 Silver (killing corrupted enemies earns 4 Bronze, Excommunicated foes 1 Silver)
Defeated or driven off Soth, Behemoth, Justine: 1 Gold 4 Silver 6 Bronze
Defeated or driven off monster king/queen: 1 Gold 4 Silver
Defeated or driven off elite monsters: 1 Gold 2 Silver (example: Gorelions, witches)
Defeated or driven off monsters: 1 Silver (example: bloodicorns, skeletons)
Defeated or driven off mooks/minions: 2 Bronze
Defeated Dark Magical Girl: 2 Silver
Driven off Dark Magical Girl: 1 Silver 2 Bronze
Defeated Monster Girl: 3 Silver 2 Bronze
Driven off Monster Girl: 2 Silver 2 Bronze
Rescued Civilians: 2 Silver 1 Bronze
Defeated Magical Girl: 1 Silver 5 Bronze
Driven off Magical Girl: 1 Silver 2 Bronze
(Beacon only) Acted with mercy and/or righteousness at a critical moment: 3 Silver
(Lesser Force only) Preserved balance of the world: 2 Silver
(God only) Upheld one's Oath at a critical moment: 3 Silver 2 Bronze
(Puchuu only) Shown affection/loyalty to Puchuu: 3 Bronze
(Mint/Cradle only) Completed a mission: 2 Silver 3 Bronze
(Horror only) Sacrificed/Enslaved a magical girl: 4 Silver 4 Bronze
An action you think should be paid for: can be negotiated

Modifiers:
Empty Pockets: only receive monster defeat rewards at half rate

In Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed] → 5 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

Whether it was for the first time or as a returning player, thank you for joining me on this magical journey. I would also like to announce that PlatinumSkink and BrokenPromise will be stepping down as Co-GMs. Stay tuned for more news on the next season.

In Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed] → 5 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

Of course, like Alicia, all Beacon members present were shocked to see what had transpired in Penny and Chloe's show, especially Sylvia. While she first lifted an eyebrow upon seeing the two of them together on stage, she didn't think much more on it, assuming that Chloe simply wanted another performer who didn't harbor any ill will towards her. But as the song went on, the look on her face gradually turned more disgruntled, until the act of intimacy that caused her to grimace in anger. She was about to stand up and protest when Sally pulled her back down. "Wait Boss, the next show's gonna start," the red-and-blue-clad girl whispered to her, causing her to bit the thumb of her nail in barely held resentment. "Penny, what is the meaning of this?" She muttered under her own breath, but had little time to reflect on it before the jig was up on Dan's operation.

The Lesser Force himself was in a bind in more ways than one. After Alex and Eliza threatened him, he made one last attempt to regain control of the situation, only to fail as Mika charmed him with her flute, causing him to squeak in surprise. "Oh no...No, please..." As the crowd gathered around him, he looked up with a pitiful look at them. "I'm going to be alone again..." He spoke quietly, ignoring the pleas of the crowd. The Djinn Twins looked at each other, and then at Penny after her question, as they pondered on whether they should destroy this false world.

But then, Mika embraced Dan, and the magical dolphin's heart melted from her kindness. "M-Mika...Even now, you still...Want to be my friend?" A couple of tears dropped down his cheeks, like sparkling diamonds. The dolphin extended his fins, and reciprocated the gesture, and for a minute simply held her back, slowly coming to terms with the end of his eternal paradise, with Celia helping to mend the hurt with her Joy magic. Lily sighed with a soft smile, and went over to Alex; she wrapped her arms around his arm, watching the events unfold.

Then, Dan finally released his hold, and floated over to Hilaria, extending a fin towards her. "Hilaria...Thank you." He turned towards the rest, a look of resolution on him. "I now understand. True happiness is not found by running from your problems, but by facing them. By keeping you here, I would only cause much more pain in the end. So, very well then; you are now free." He turned towards the other side of the stage, and launched a bolt of blue magic; as it hit the floor of the stage, a stone archway slowly rose up from the floor. And then, a blurry portal formed inside the arch. Golden letters then levitated on the top part of the arch: they spelled the word 'Penrose'.

Dan turned to Summer, and made a weak smile. "You're welcome to stay as long as you want, Summer. Of course, you're also free to leave any time you want." Then he turned to Shion. "The coins I gave to you are your hopes and dreams given magical form, constructed thanks to the magic of this wondrous world. As long as you keep those memories in your hearts...That magic will never disappear." Dan then addressed the crowd, floating upwards to see everyone off. "As your vacation organizer, I shall bid you farewell! Never forget what you're fighting for! And remember to have fun!" And with that, the girls were finally set free. 

"Alright! Let's go home Alex! Goodbye Dan! See you all on the other side!" Lily waved to everyone, and took Alex' hand, leading them both out. As Sylvia and Sally were talking to the rest of Beacon and suggesting to leave, Dan approached Mika.  "I am done escaping from grief and sorrow. It is time I make a difference in the world of man." She also beckoned Hilaria to come closer, and extended his fins to both of them. "Mika, Hilaria, would you be willing to form a pact with me? I wish to make your world one of peace and joy, and will support you as much as I can." With wishes for co-operation made and possibly received, the Djinn twins made sure everyone was able to safely depart before they also took their leave. 

And so, each one found themselves back where they started; whether it was in their beds, or out wandering the streets, they were all back in Penrose.

But what waited them beyond was not the Penrose they remembered.

Sylvia, having woken in her bed, immediately realized something was wrong from what she felt: it was cold, far colder than what she remembered it being. And as she stepped into the kitchen, she was met by her mother's tearful hug; she learned she had disappeared for months amidst her sobbing. But she had to leave her for a moment as she quickly ran outside, and gasped at what she saw: it was snowing, carpeting the city into a white, freezing landscape. The sky was gray, with clouds roiling to the horizon. She could see her breath, floating up as vapors. She returned back inside, hoping that her father did record a snippet of old news on his digital TV. She also needed to console her mother, who has searched long for her. 

A couple of bubbles floated up from a tiny wooden pipe, reflecting an alleyway tucked in the far corners of Penrose. The Supah Sleuth was on the case, tracking down a series of what she deduced to be cases of murder from the clues she had found, like blood, and strange scraping marks. It was easy to move in the streets, as only a few brave civilians still remained in the cursed town. Finally, after weeks upon weeks of detective work, she finally managed score a breakthrough in her investigation: it was the body of a young girl, lying in the snow, partly stained red from the wounds she had received. Sammy brought out her handheld looking glass, and used it to examine the corpse. "Blonde hair...clothing brands fashioned for 12-to-15-year-olds..." She quietly mumbled, until she blinked in realization. "It can't be..." She stepped back, unnerved by her discovery. "This girl...Is Valerie Herztein! And she was killed only a couple of minutes ago! So the culprit must be..." She turned around upon hearing movement behind her.

A scream, followed by silence.

Sylvia had learned from a collection of recorded news segments that a series of natural disasters had occurred in the city, from a lightning storm that set the town hall on fire to an outright earthquake that happened just a couple of weeks ago; of course, she knew that it was most likely caused by monsters and other nefarious entities. But, strangely enough, things calmed down immediately after organizations similar to WHO and Red Cross arrived to provide relief efforts. What Sylvia also found strange that at around the same time, an official evacuation notice was issued, resulting in most of Penrose's population escaping the city to other states. 
"It's strange, but I think I've heard of this before. Does that mean-Wait, why do they have...Oh no no no." Sylvia saw something that sent shivers through her skin. She needed clarification.

She called June on the phone. Every second she waited felt like it extended endlessly. After about thirty seconds, the call was picked up. "Sylvia? Is it really you?" She heard the Beacon girl speak, but...Something was off. "June, what happened? Why are they here?" She asked, trying not to let fear sound in her voice. But it was impossible.

"Because they had to, Sylvia. You forced everyone's hand," June again answered; her voice was cold like ice. "There was no choice other than to call them in." "But-" Sylvia attempted to speak, but no words came out. She heard a faint voice on the line, like someone spoke to June. After a second, June stated: "You will answer for what you've done."

Sylvia dropped her phone to the ground, only able to stare forward. She slowly shifted towards a window, trying to keep herself on her feet; if she were to falter, she might fall down. Slowly, but surely, with an arm pressing against the glass stained with fractal ice, she looked outside, trying to comprehend her new reality by gazing upon snowy Penrose. Her mind rushed back to the phone call, and the realization that came with it.
"I was gone...for months. So that means..." She already knew, after she saw the familiar insignia the workers wore on their clothes, and immediately knew it meant only one thing.

"...So it is true..." She whispered.

"..."

"...The Ascendancy has arrived."

TO BE CONTINUED (IN THE NEXT SEASON)
<===

In Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed] → 5 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

Alicia & Abigail
VS
Amaryllis & Tetrad

Some time after the latest Keijo match was played, a clip of boisterous music rang from the loudspeakers of the arena, not unlike clips played in professional wrestling shows. The same music was also broadcast from various TV screens like the one in Valerie’s cafe and the Beach Boutique, complete with a stylized Keijo logo with Dan’s head adorning it.. “Hey there, boys and girls!” Dan could be seen waving at the camera from the familiar commentator set; Dolly could be seen in the background. “Thanks to all of you, we’ve had many great plays made this season!” At that moment, a clip show of various moments played, including Helga’s launch of Lily, Rina casting bikini armor on Mika along other quick bits. 

“Indeed, from the final moments of the Rina-Alicia battle to the dramatic start of Tetrad-Amaryllis versus Lily-Helga, this has certainly been a tournament worth watching.” Dolly nodded, as more highlights emerged upon the big screen.

“And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for: the announcement of the finalists! As you know, winners of previous matches have earned the right to advance to the next round,” Dan now wore thick square glasses on his head. “However, to enter the finals, it is not enough to have won; you also needed to have made the match exciting! Yes, this rule was hidden on purpose, to ensure all participants made honest and legitimate Keijo battles.”

“After all, Keijo is not just a sport of physicality and practicality, but of entertainment and beauty! As of this finals round, we can ensure that only the strongest, most beautiful Keijo players will stand in the spotlight today, and when the water settles, we shall have the Queens of the Waves!” With an uncharacteristic flourish, Dolly produced an envelope from her dress and flung it towards Dan.

Dan took the envelope, and magically extracted the note hidden inside. “The finalists are...Amaryllis Evenings and Tetrad versus Alicia Hayden and Abigail!” He threw the note away, causing it to explode into colorful confetti. “Congratulations! Now, please come to the arena ASAP for quick interviews before the championship match!”

Seated on the beach, Alicia had not thought much about the broadcast. Up until the moment when her name was announced, anyway. She was left to give a blank stare to the tv screen. “No way. You’ve got to be kidding.” There was a very strong urge to facepalm, or to bury herself in sand and pretend she didn’t exist.

”Hold your head high, Alicia!” Abigail pumped her fist. ”This is where we dominate and show the world the might of Beacon!”

Somehow she had the feeling that people wouldn’t let her forget this one. 

Amaryllis, already having been planning strategy with Tetrad, was equally surprised, not at the fact that they had moved to the next round, but that they were already in the finals. That was certainly...fast. But that was useful too. She took a breath, slapped her cheeks, and nodded once at her partner.

This was good now. They only need one more win to win it all.

”The finals, right where we belong!” Tetrad looked through her cards. ”You pretty much soloed the last one, so this should go pretty easy if I can stay in the fight longer than five seconds. Heh”

Later, after the participants of both teams entered the portal titled “Promo”, they found themselves within a glass dome located on the seafloor. They could see as various colorful and exotic fish swam around the dome, lit up by magical lanterns. Dan and Dolly were there with microphones in hand, with Dan greeting the team present; there were also magical floating cameras broadcasting the interviews to the entire island. 

“Welcome! Let’s get right away to the interview! Both teams have made a big splash in Keijo, with incredible tactics and maneuvers.” Behind them, a highlight reel of the two teams’ matches played. “How do you feel? Do you think you have what it takes to become Keijo champions?”

“Yes,” was Amaryllis’s simple response. Somewhere along the way, the anxiety of the interview had turned her into a robot, and she spoke stiffly, remotely. “We will win. Definitely.”

For her part, Alicia was doing her best to keep on a strong face and not make it seem like she found any of this out of the ordinary. ”Very surprised, and a bit anxious. But I do think we can win,” she assured Dan. 

“And do you have anything you’d like to say to the other team?”

“Uh…” The Midsummer Rose made a face, her stiff persona giving way to uncertainty. “Sorry, I guess? For winning.”

Abigail threw her arm around Alicia’s neck and pulled her closer. ”She’s acting reserved because she’s trying to be humble. What she wants to say is...” She pointed at the other team. ”You guys are going down so hard, everyone’s going to think you fell from orbit!”

Tetrad chuckled. ”I’m going to reserve my message for our opponents after the match is over. But I think they’re going to be in for a surprise if they expect us to go down easy.”

Shifting slightly to adjust for Abigail’s arm around her, Alicia’s gaze fell on Tetrad with a growing intensity.  ”Don’t go taking your win for granted,” she said to the duo. ”We’re going to avenge our honor right here and now.” What better chance would she have than on the field of battle with that Regina impersonator?

“Yes, excellent!” Dan was thrilled at the boasting Abigail made. “This is going to be a spectacular spectacle!” He made a dolphin squeak, and a portal opened behind them. “Now, get ready in five, contestants! Soon you will face your greatest challenge!” He then turned towards one of the cameras. “And now, a word from our sponsors!” The TV feed then began broadcasting an advertisement for Brittany’s Beach Boutique. “Oh, and if any of you want to pull off the ‘discarded robe’ intro, I have some right here.” A bunch of gaudy robes then appeared on a table nearby.

Five minutes later, it was time for the championship match. Unlike normal, the girls appeared initially hidden from the audience in the shadowy corridors leading out from the arena, with a walkway extended to the platform allowing them to make a dramatic entrance as they wished. The platform was far larger than any previously seen in the arena, with a diamond shape and double the size. The audience cheered loudly, with Sylvia and Sally hollering on, and Kimble riding on the latter’s shoulders and waving a big flag: it fluttered elegantly in the air thanks to the catgirl’s Air magic, and spelled out “MISTRESS” in shining gold letters against a blue backdrop. But Alicia and Abigail weren’t the only team being cheered on: Helga and Lily were also there, the former boosting their voices and creating the kind of cacophony one would hear at a Super Bowl.

In the wake of Dan’s declaration, the diamond-shaped land was silent. Neither team had arrived yet, leaving naught but a wasteland desolate of beauty. Stillness pervaded everything, until that tranquil repose was broken by the echoing of heels.

Click. Click. Click.

A cloaked figure strode down the steps of the western wing.

“The glory of the sun, the fragrance of the flora.”

Rose petals fell in her wake, dropping from the azure sky like gentle rain.

“Above the resplendence of the waves, I embrace them all and declare myself.”

A slender hand reached out from the cloak, grasping one end to fling it off with the force of a drawn blade.

“Amaryllis Evenings, the Midsummer Bloom!”

And with one powerful step, the uncloaked figure leapt out from the stands, somersaulting thrice, before landing with such force upon the platform that water erupted upwards like a geyser, a white curtain that covered all.

“May the beauty of your soul falter in the wake of my skill!”

A rainbow burst overhead as the water dispersed into a myriad of fine droplets. Wreathed in the prismatic glow stood a girl of such beauty to draw even the envy of the gods. Her hair glistened like the starry skies, her eyes shone like set of gems that’d put the crowns of conquerors to shame. One hand was placed on her rounded hips, emphasizing her hourglass figure. Another hand rested with ballerina-esque ease to her side, at once casual and intentional. Her chest, embodying the paradox that all delightful bosoms held, were firm yet soft, voluminous yet perky, her twin restraints of bikini bra and cropped vest barely sufficient to hold them in place. Cat ears and paws juxtaposed with the mature allure she exuded, and the belled collar around her neck jingled brightly as she twisted her head dramatically to face her foes.

Amaryllis made for a tough opening, but let no one say that Beacon was not up for the challenge. From the opposite side of the arena came a flash, blinding in intensity for a brief moment before fading away. It came from the upper portion of the stadium itself, the lip that marked the highest pinnacle of the arena on that side. 

As it dwindled, one could make out a robed figure, head held high and undaunted by the absurdity of the situation. If this was how it was to be, then there was no harm in playing along. ”A beacon of light for the world. A symbol of hope. We are the ones who lead the way.”

Words said, she jumped. A textbook dive, perfectly in form as her arms spread wide like wings. She fell faster and faster, only for wings of blinding white to flare out wide midway through her fall.  

They swept out when she was about to hit the platform, swooping upwards to hang in midair for brief moments before settling to the ground. An angel on Earth, to provide guidance and judgment to all in her presence. 

”I announce myself Alicia Hayden, Seraph of Beacon.”

With a flourish the robe was tossed away in a single move, unveiling her swimsuit with an otherworldly shimmer. With her wings still spread wide she held herself with a determined look, and maybe a modest effort to not make comparisons.

Revealed, she extended her hands and crafted a spear of light from her magic. It was thin and long perfect to be twirled and flourished as she took a couple steps forward while spinning it in quick circles. When she slammed the butt of the weapon into the ground a beam of light shot into the sky before the weapon faded away. 

”May you face your judgment at the hands of the light!”

A swirl of floating robes entered the arena. All manners of colors flying in circles like wraiths. Once the mass moved into position, it exploded outwards in all directions, revealing Abigail at its center. ”Do I even need an introduction? Gheaheaheahea!”

“Alicia” also approached from the other side of the ring. She was holding onto a fistfull of robes in both hands while spinning her way towards her position. ”Hur dur,burkurnsh lurt dur!” She cast the robes into the air before returning to her true form. ”Kidding! Tetrad here, you might have seen me for a few seconds during the last match.” A robe fell back down on her head, which she promptly batted away.  ”Anyway, we gunna start soon?”

The spotlight shone on Dan, who seemed to sparkle. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time to end the season with the biggest bang you’ll ever see! These four warrior women have fought their way through one tier of opponents, and yet they’re so close to the top. But one more obstacle remains, the other team! Who will win today? Is it Team Double-A, the brightest of Beacon, or Team Beauty, the brawniest of babes? Well...Let’s find out!” He pulled out a cartoony revolver, and aimed it up in the air. “On your marks...Get set...KEIJOOO!” 

He launched up one last time as a couple of flames spurted up from pyrotechnic display. Now, all that remained was them, and their butts.

Victory came to the one that struck first! Immediately dropping into a sprinter’s pose, Amaryllis shot off, leaving a summer gale in her wake. The Land rumbled with each of her steps as she charged immediately for Alicia, the speedy lightweight of the group, ready to take her down in a single butt-swing.

”Tch.” It was like Tetrad was deliberately trying to annoy her with that intro, and to her credit it was working. Her burning desire for revenge would be enough fuel in this match, if nothing else served to do it. 

Unfortunately it seemed Amaryllis planned to deny her that, forcing the Seraph to act quickly. Her wings flared as she jumped, carrying her a few feet higher before she threw herself into a spin and from that into a small dive bomb butt first. If they thought she would go out that easily, she intended to prove them quite wrong. 

Abigail was heading over to assist Alicia, but was not floating with the speed she had previously demonstrated she was capable of. Understandable, considering she fell into the drink on account of expending all of her mana too soon. Hanging back a bit also meant she wasn’t going to interfere with her partner’s attack, and could follow up and potentially catch someone off guard.

Tetrad on the other hand was following right behind Amaryllis. Her inability to keep up was more due to the limit of her physical prowess rather than a desire to hang back. Her form was transparent and wispy looking, leaving faint green after images where she ran. When Amaryllis turn around to smash Alicia with her hips, Tetrad hopped onto the rosen knight’s shoulders and dove into the air. From there, she attempted a corkscrew elbow drop, only the intent was to hit Alicia with her backside instead of her elbow.

“The championship match has begun explosively!” Dan commentated from the familiar floating red stage with Dolly. “There have been many matches here in this arena, but this one definitely takes the cake! Will we see Amaryllis’ famous ‘Boob Pincer’ technique again?”

As her first swing met empty air, Amaryllis turned upwards right as Alicia dropped down. Sucking in a deep breath, the buxom girl received her opponent’s dive bomb head on, bending her knees to lessen the impact as butt met breast. Yet there was no sound of any heavy impact, no devastating blast of force; Amaryllis’s F-cup breasts, bountiful and elastic as they were, had been sufficient in absorbing the blow and now, her arms were pressed to the sides as well.

Just like she had with Lily, Amaryllis held Alicia aloft, holding the Seraph in place for the hammer that was Tetrad’s arse to smash her down.

In the end numbers worked against her. Chest met behind, and Alicia found herself held in place for brief moments as tetrad came swinging in from above. Outplayed, all she could do was take the hit. 

“And there it is! Ooh, that’s gotta hurt!” Dan reacted loudly. “Amaryllis and Tetrad are showing a lot more compatibility this time around with a combination attack like that! I bet they’ve been practising to work together!”

Thrown down by the hit, a grunt of pain escaped as Alicia slammed into the platform. At least the angle meant that there wasn’t much sliding, but it still hurt like hell with the sheer force of it. It took her a few moments to get her breath back and move back on to her feet. “I thought the point was to knock us off the platform, not knock us out entirely,” she grumbled in annoyance, switching to a more evasive stance as she moved to link back up with Abigail. Teamwork was going to be important to their victory here, as the duo had just made very clear. 

Normally, Alicia would not have been able to get up so swiftly with Tetrad sitting on top of her. But Abigail’s rapid approach forced Tetrad to reconsider her position. Less she get shoved into the drink by any of Abigail’s attacks. The gambler leaped towards her partner’s right side, Circling around so that she could come up on Amaryllis’s right. 

”Seems to be working.” A few cards flew up into Tetrad’s hand. ”Hmmm, still nothing.”

Abigail wasn’t going to let a little fancy footwork get in her way. She fully planned on throwing herself directly at Tetrad, and didn’t care what tried to impede her movement. She ramped up her density as she flew towards Tetrad.

Amaryllis nodded just once, before letting out a long, deep breath. Abigail was the heaviest of them all, capable of hitting the hardest. But where power was lacking, technique bridged the gap. Interposing herself between Tetrad and Abigail, she honed her hearing onto the tempo of the gravity girl’s footwork, before leaping in as well, charging head on. Moments before collision, however, she stepped to the side with matador-esque grace, twirling into a buttswing that’d connect with Abigail’s side. With luck, it’d launch the raging bull off course and into the waters before. If not...well, Tetrad still had a fail-safe if they didn’t knock her out.

Abigail to the rescue it seemed, at least against Tetrad’s pin. Alicia wasn’t sure what she had planned to do after that point, but she was glad that she didn’t need to find out. For now the opposing team were living up to their boasts. Maybe they should have spent some time practicing after all.

With Abigail taking the lead Alicia took to the air, swooping around to move concurrent with Abigail from the side. Her flight was timed so that she’d side swipe whomever Abigail ended up hitting with a shot of her own, a one two punch in Keijo style that would put someone in the water. 

Dan did not miss the bombastic move. “And there comes Abigail’s Comet Strike! She reminds me of the famous Keijo star Hikaru Hoshide! Also known as Japan's Heaviest Butt, she is said to be able to smash a 50 ton platform with ease. But I think Abigail might be able to break that record!”

Abigail’s ability to manipulate her density would be put to the test under Amaryllis’s swinging buttocks. Both girls represented the pinnacle of their respective fields. The rose knight’s physical power, honed to a graceful edge, and Abigail’s magical might, as untamed as a wild beast. The attack was too fast for the gravity girl to reasonably avoid, but she could tell it was coming, and that was enough to form a counterattack.

Being able to play with her density was only part of what made Abigail such a formidable opponent. The other part was that she could use gravity to move her body in ways that muscles wouldn’t allow. When she was smacked with Amaryllis’s derriere, she was able to pinch her vest between the fold between her ribcage and breast. Abigail would not get away unscathed, forced to wobble towards the edge of the arena. She was much too heavy to throw with a single attack. Even when faced with such a strong opponent. Still holding onto the vest, Abigail would turn to face Amaryllis and attempt to use her other breast to deliver an uppercut, possibly knocking her out.

Tetrad seemed aware of the peril, but there wasn’t a lot of time to choose her actions. Fortunately, they had discussed tactic before going into the fight, so there was no need to consider her options. Tetrad dove towards Abigail’s legs in an attempt to sweep them out from under her. A dangerous move, as Abigail would probably crush a normal person if she was allowed to fall onto them.

How could breasts even work that way? That was Amaryllis’s one thought as she was suddenly pulled in. Was Abigail a user of Beast or Reinforcement Magic as well, capable of moving her two breasts like normal people would with their two hands? In the corner of her eye, Alicia was making her move as well now, a side swing timed to Abigail’s uppercut.

For a moment, it was as if the gates of defeat were closing down upon her. But lo, behold! The shining silver of victory, sharp as a saber’s edge!

Before Abigail’s unrestrained breast could accelerate to its full speed, Amaryllis thrust her face into it, kicking off with her feet at the same time. The impact met upon her face was like that of massive water balloon, but the collision had not caused a concussion. Launched upwards, she slipped above Alicia’s side swing before extending her legs outwards like two helicopter blades. The buxom fencer twisted her hips, gained extra leverage from the position of her legs, and spun out.

RIPPPP!

With an immovable object pinning it down and an unstoppable force stretching against it, Amaryllis’s vest had no choice but to be ripped to shreds, beige fabrics bursting out like confetti to reveal the bold, mature design beneath: a black bandeau with a heart-shaped window cut in the center. How shameless! How seductive! How s-

Amaryllis didn’t have time to dwell. Upside-down, mid-air and spinning in close combat with Abigail, she swung her liberated breasts right towards the side of her foe’s head in the same motion she escaped with.

“I can’t believe what I’m seeing!” Dan was leaning over the desk as he watched the battle unfold in astonishment. “Amaryllis is moving with such force that her vest was annihilated! But wow, what a sight! She truly is the Midsummer Bloom! The others will have to watch out for her!”

Things were moving very fast, faster than they had in her last fight, and truth be told Alicia was having difficulty keeping up. At least Abigail was on point, grabbing on to Amaryllis while Tetrad went for some kind of slide move.She knew how dangerous that sort of thing could be, but at the same time she had already committed to her effort to strike Amaryllis. 

Not that it worked, though it did help destroy the vest in the process to reveal the swimsuit beneath. Seemed someone was going for the mature look. 

With a grunt she flipped in place, relying on magical wings to carry her where more physical ones would be straining. Powerful strokes drove her back the direction that she had come, giving Abigail a bit of a forwards push to assist her counter against whatever loss of balance there might have been from Amaryllis breaking free and Tetrad’s move. 

Then she dove, a sharp downward strike to hit the card wielding girl like she had been earlier with an aerial slam via her booty. This time the shoe would be on the other foot, she was sure of it.  

Few opponents could withstand the heft of Amaryllis’s bosom, but Abigail was one of them. A lesser girl might have crumpled under such a powerful attack, but the rose knight was trading blows with the studliest magical girl in the tournament. Such a blow might have dented the armor of a battleship, or left a crater in soft soil, but Abigail’s magic made her far too strong for that. A shock wave rippled through the air, and a bit of saliva flew out of Abigail’s mouth as her head was forced sideways. Tetrad had managed to swing her tush into the back of Abigail’s knee, causing it to buckle and her form to fall. But even when things looked over for the gravity girl, she persisted as a threat to her opponents, In no small thanks to Alicia helping her remain stationary.

”Gotcha!”

Amaryllis’s helicopter kick allowed her to avoid Alicia and score a solid hit on Abigail, but it was not without its risks. Naturally, her own head was not too far away from Abigail’s chest.With her breasts spread apart, it took little to push them together around Amaryllis’s head. Abigail was short, but she was no less endowed than her opponent. The rose knight’s vision would go dark as she was swallowed by her advisary’s anatomy. Amaryllis could likely feel the pressure welling up on both of her temples. It was as if she was being crushed between two bags of iron sand, only she was on the surface of Jupiter.

“Abigail got Amaryllis in an assassin grapple!” Dan was now standing on his seat, completely taken by the excitement of the moment. ”The Midsummer Bloom’s grappling technique is now used against her to deadly effect! Oh, the humanity!”

”Shit!”

There was little Tetrad could do in the moment. Her slide attack had brought Abigail down to one knee, but not in time to save her team mate from an imminent attack. She was able to roll out of the way of Abigail’s falling knee, but had little time to devote to Alicia’s incoming butt slam. Fortunately, Tetrad wasn’t out of options.

She threw all of her cards into the air. They were not magically charged, nor did they do anything particularly noteworthy. They just scattered in the wind like one might expect any normal deck of cards to if thrown into the air. It was just thirteen cards, but with her transparency it was enough to make a smoke screen effect and escape. Alicia would have to guess which direction she was moving in and adjust her aim accordingly. But in truth, Tetrad wasn’t moving anywhere.

She was teleporting. 

Had Amaryllis stopped moving, Alicia might have noticed a green card slipped into the top of her bathing suit. This was where Tetrad chose to teleport to. When she appeared, she was squatting on Amaryllis’s shoulders. She kicked off not moments after her reappearing act. Tetrad had Alicia in her sights, and would intercept her post haste. She closed her arms at her side and flew off like a rocket, intending to slam into Alicia’s head with her breasts.

Dan clapped his fins together. “A teleport! Folks, we got ourselves a bona-fide teleporter! Can they stand against the art of Crouching Butt, Hidden Bosom?”

Darkness, suffocating and claustrophobic. In the marshmallow hell, Amaryllis struggled to maintain her focus, holding her breath as a free diver would. How would she get out? How would she escape? The pressure built, expounded, and then…

WHAM!

A weight pushed against her back, thrusting both Keijo players forward, and in that moment, Amaryllis found her opportunity. Around her head was her cat ears, an innocuous accessory that granted just an extra bit of space to maneuver. Letting out all her air at once, she pulled forth her magical resources, twin chains of silver shooting out from her ankles and latching upon the other end of the platform. With a contraction of her body, Amaryllis popped herself out of Abigail’s crushing grasp, leaving her cat ears behind as a sacrifice. She spun through the air, grinded onto the platform, and with another sharp breath, launched herself right at the gravity girl again.

There will be no break, no time to recover.

This time, her advance was even faster.

Tetrad’s exploding cards earned a flinch, and Alicia adjusted accordingly to the side to keep herself from accidentally dive bombing into the water. Yet Tetrad was not there, nor she was she anywhere, as the wind kicked up by her wings blew away the smoke cloud. 

Turning, she found the dueling pair had become a trio, moments before Tetrad leapt at her.. She wasn’t sure how that had happened, but didn’t spend the time to question it. Instead she cranked up the light from her wings to nigh blinding in intensity. With how they were positioned it would also hit Amaryllis too while leaving Abigail unaffected, since the Seraph was behind her fellow Beacon sister. 

Then in a smooth motion she launched herself upwards in a high jump, twisting in midair to present her rear to the incoming boob shot in a deflecting stance with the momentum from her spin. With her wings she had greater flexibility in aerial combat, and she intended to use it to put Tetrad right in the water. 

Blinding people was not a new tactic for Alicia, and anyone who paid attention to the game would have some idea she was capable of doing it. Tetrad was not one of those people.

But Tetrad didn’t have to be, since she was still wearing Trigonal. In her minds eye, she could divine where something was in the past, present, and future given she had acquired enough information to do so. It took her several seconds to locate where a ghoul had been travelling in the past, but pinpointing Alicia’s location and what she was doing in the present was child’s play, especially since she had so much data on the beacon girl. Few of her exploits were quiet affairs.

Tetrad twisted in the air like a diver. Her body corkscrewed before she pointed her butt at Alicia’s incoming swing. Tetrad had little control of herself in the air, so this was never going to be a counterattack. But at least she could control which direction she was going to fly in when Alicia made contact. When their asses collided, Tetrad was thrown back towards the arena instead of away from it.

Abigail had been pulled and pushed by several attacks, and could barely stand on her feet. When Amaryllis charged back towards her, she changed up her strategy. Abigail jumped backwards, becoming lighter than the air that surrounded her. Tetrad flew over her shoulder just as she started to gain altitude and join Alicia in the sky. Meanwhile, Tetrad bounced off the ground and rolled to Amaryllis’s feet. She was able to return to her feet unassisted. 

There was a brief reprieve. Abigail had burned away quite a bit of her mana, as evident by all the clothes Amaryllis had shed. Alicia and Tetrad both had taken one hard fall this match, and were both likely weaker for it. It wasn’t clear who had the high ground, unless you counted the beacon girl’s flight. 

Tetrad straightened out her posture and called her cards back to her hand. ”I’m lasting a lot longer than last time.” Tetrad rolled her neck to get all the cricks out of it. She then glanced at the cards in her hand. ”Man, I’d hate to be you guys right now.” Tetrad shuffled behind Amaryllis. ”Just a bit longer now.”

Abigail snorted. ”Yea? Well, you’re weak!”

”Not as weak as that comeback.”

The gravity girl groaned. ”What do you want to do Alicia? I want to end this game now!”

Amaryllis stopped. One deep breath after another, regaining some of her own stamina as she stood there, her eyes on the two flying magical girls. Honestly, flying in a sport about dunking people into the water? May as well be cheating.

But it didn’t matter. Magic was just a talent like any other, and if they relied on their wings, then she’d simply have to tear them off.

Her breaths deepened, each exhale like the hiss of a steam engine. Slowly, she lowered her stance, her hands swinging behind her back. Eyes the color of dawn locked onto her two foes, before a smile, feral and provocative, emerged. Leaning forward like this, it was obvious who had the largest breasts in the arena, wasn’t it?

“Oh, the teams have regrouped for a strategy meeting! That’s round 1, but stay tuned for more!” Dan sat back down after ringing a magically appeared gong, signaling the end of round 1 and allowing the teams to wash their faces and such. “This might seem quite rare in the impulsive world of Keijo, but don’t be fooled, folks; these girls know you need brains as much as buttocks in this game to win.”

Grimacing, Alicia was not quite sure how Tetrad kept slipping away from her like that. But she took the offered opportunity to regroup, coming to a stop next to Abigail as they hovered in the sky. She folded her arms over her chest, looking down at the duo and ignoring the posturing. As if she’d let herself get lured into that sort of competition. 

“Still, at least we’re not the fetishists with fake cat ears,” Alicia joined in with the taunting before letting out a sigh to talk shop with Abigail. ”Yeah, I know what you mean. And it looks like Tetrad is plotting something. I’d rather not give her the opportunity to use it.”

Of course that was easier said than done where their opponents were concerned. After a moment she shrugged. ”Could just gang up on one of them until they go down, use our flying to dive bomb. But Tetrad’s got some kind of teleportation trick. So I’d watch out for that.”

Tetrad leaned out from behind Amaryllis and held her cards out, careful not to let the opposing team or even the spectators see her hand. She closed the fan of cards so that only one was visible before pulling back behind Amaryllis. ”Are you fetishists without fake cat ears then? The two of you couldn’t get enough of Mika.”

Abigail’s face turned even more red. ”…Yea, we’re taking her out next!” Abigail prepared to dive, but then stopped. ”That didn’t work out great last time though. We need to take care of amaryllis, or at the very least, you need to keep her off of my back.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Alicia shot back in turn. More of her fight had been spent with Katarina after all, aside from the part where she nearly died. 

Nodding, she could not argue with Abigail’s assessment. “Yeah. But I think I have something in mind to deal with that. A bit experimental, but it’s not like I’d ever use it outside of this situation anyway,” she conceded. For now she prepared to resume the fight, to sweep down on their foes and deliver some well deserved payback. 

Dan hit the gong again. “Round 2! Fight!”

Amaryllis nodded once at the hand Tetrad showed her, before drawing into her own reservoir of mana as well, deep breaths cause her voluminous chest to rise and fall. Dan’s gong sounded, Alicia charged forth, and the Midsummer Bloom allowed the entirety of her magic to burst outwards. Silvered chains shot towards every corner of the platform, digging deep into the buoyant material. Lifting one leg high up into the air, Amaryllis struck downwards upon the network of chains.

There was a thunderous impact, a great snapping sound, and then, the diamond-shaped Land was broken to bits, an archipelago of small islands rolling up and down upon the violent waves. Tetrad could deal with Alicia; Amaryllis was fully focused on ensuring that Abigail could no longer increase her weight willynilly.

Dan loudly squeaked in surprise.“Aaaahh! The diamond has been cracked! Not even the platform is safe from the wrath of these girls!”

Amaryllis had been able to convey she was going to do something big to Tetrad. But that message was relayed by her fingers counting down behind her back. It didn’t quite convey the magnitude of what the rose knight was about to do. Tetrad was difficult to spot due to her transparency, but anyone paying attention to her would notice the shocked look in her eyes. That wide eyed expression you only make when shit just got real. She wobbled a bit before dropping to one knee. ”Let’s see what happens.” Tetrad tossed a card at Amaryllis’s back, causing her, and her chains, to turn transparent much like herself. To the unobservant it would look like she had faded away. Tetrad drew a few more cards for the final stretch of the fight. 

Abigail just laughed at her opponent’s strategy. ”Oh no! The ground’s broken! Whatever am I going to do! Gheahahahahahhaha!” She stretched out her hands in front of herself. ”Well if you’re that mad at it, I can get rid of it for you!” Abigail swirled her hands in the air, and the islands started to move. They raised into the air and swirled about, not unlike how a galaxy’s planets spin as they revolve around a star. They were limited in their movements, as they were all still tethered to the rose knight’s chains. But she was willing to bet her opponents would reveal themselves shortly. It might have been underhanded, or even against the rules to use her magic this way. But she wasn’t using it directly on Amaryllis or Tetrad, and Dan hadn’t said anything.

It was easy to tell that they were in the main event now. If she had not been flying Alicia would have been in a lot more trouble as Amaryllis smashed the platform like it was made of cardboard. Added in with Abigail’s magic, they were left with a hovering mess of debris. This was about to get tricky. Especially with the chains invisible.

Still, in this case what she did next was fairly easy to decide on. With the opponent invisible, she fell in to protect Abigail’s back while the platforms still hovered in the air. Light shone akin to a flashlight, cycling the visible spectrum to see if one would be effective against that invisibility. It was magic, sure, but who knew, she might get lucky. Then when she did, they could bring the hurt. 

As Tetrad’s magic settled over her, Amaryllis leapt into action. Abigail set the stage up well, so well that Amaryllis changed plans partway through. With the platforms floating up into the sky and both of her opponents on the same platform, what else could she do, honestly? It was only a shame that the audience wouldn’t be able to see this.

Seconds ticked by, Alicia’s light magic flickering from one form to another as rust-red petals fell around the arena with greater frequency. Like a storm of scattered blossoms, the petals danced in the air and died in the waters. A moment of reprieve, a moment of silence.

And then, one of the floating platforms promptly shook.

Amaryllis leapt into the air, her back arcing against the midday sun, before she dropped, not onto Alicia and Abigail for a Meteor Hip Drop, not onto Tetrad for a new combo move, but towards the waves below. She fell and fell and fell, until at the very last moment, silver chains shot upwards, latching onto one of the platforms. Her heels grazed the waters as she swung upwards with all the speed of her descent, white froth kicking up in her path. Waterskiing, almost. Without her vest, without her fake cat ears, her ascent was almost completely silent.

Silent, except for the attack she shouted out, her invisibility fading moments before her hips slammed into the underside of Abigail’s platform.

“LUNATIC VACUUM BUTT CANNON!”

There was little to alert Abigail of the incoming attack. Save for the invisible shape skimming across the top of the water and how one of the “planets” wasn’t orbiting right. But she was woefully unprepared for the ground to erupt underneath her. Amaryllis’s backside emerged from the ground, throwing the girls on the platform into the air as the platform exploded.

Now Abigail might have seemed like a brat on the surface, and she was for the most part. But deep under that smug exterior was a little girl who just wanted to be acknowledged for something. She took her losses seriously, and anything that presented difficulty was utterly loathe some. This was a tough fight, and Amaryllis had a tendency to make everything she did look effortless. That, and Abigail was aware of her dwindling mana supply. She knew she wasn’t going to get out of this dry. And it really, really infuriated her. Enough for the emotions to finally show. Her skin was practically glowing red. The platforms stopped moving as she released them from her magical grip. Everything was going into this next attack. She couldn’t take out Tetrad as she couldn’t see her, but maybe she could take out Amaryllis. All of the platforms were above and away from the rose knight, so she was confident she could at least take care of Amaryllis with a wall placed strike. 

”G A L A C T I C   T Y P H O O N   K E I S T E R   D R O P !”

Abigail plummeted like a commit, spinning and cloaked in gravity so intense it bent light. Her goal was to smash her butt into Amaryllis’s back and pinch her bathing suit or skin between her butt cheeks. It was the only thing she had left.

Doing her best to locate the invisible duo (and grumbling about said invisibility all the while), Alicia had barely any time to react before their platform was struck from below. She was sent hurtling skywards, doing a flip in midair before she was able to recover. Her flying skills paid off in this regard. 

Recovering, she was able to angle her flight just enough to reach one of the midair platforms. Legs braced before she launched herself further upwards, enough to watch as Abigail put everything into taking out the one opponent that they could actually see. Which….oh man the platforms were going to fall too weren’t that? 

So she used the time that she had available to reach the edge of the kaleidoscope of debris so she was outside the impact zone. At the same time her body began to shimmer, replicating the graveyard trick by blurring where exactly she was. Which might not impact Tetrad at all,but it at least made her feel better about it. She would not let this go to waste. 

Amaryllis had the mobility, of course, to dodge. A silver chain would have been more than enough for her to painlessly roll out of the way of Abigail’s comet-sized ass. But, in this form at least, there were no challenges that Amaryllis would shirk from. The swan song of the gravity girl will be received head on. With what remained of her momentum, the Knight of Rose spun in the air once more, slamming her own derriere into Abigail’s.

It was no contest. Vertical strikes were the realm of any heavyweight Keijo player, and if not for Amaryllis’s own well-trained glutes, she very well may have been looking at a shattered pelvis. It reminded her chiefly that her vitality was never that great to begin with, and the two plummeted, tumbling alongside the falling platforms. Was it an Izuna Drop? No, the buttocks-vice that Abigail grappled Amaryllis with was too tight, too difficult to disengage from. This was the Lover’s Dunk, a double suicide technique used to ensure only in team fights, taking out the stronger foe when your own resources were exhausted. What bravery. What devotion. If they were fighting in a life-and-death duel, Amaryllis may very well have pulled her Devil Trigger, then and there.

But this was Keijo. And she still had one last piece of outerwear to discard.

“You have my respect. And my shorts.”

An instant before they both fell into the frothing waves, Amaryllis twisted out to the side, ripping free of her last bit of clothing. Powerful as the vice grip of Abigail was, the gravity girl had failed to realize that she grappled Amaryllis by belt and denim, not by the flesh underneath.

The Meteor fell, and the Black Rose floated, her arm stretching out. All that bought only half a second, and no platforms were nearby. If nothing was done, then all Amaryllis did was flex a little on Abigail.

But what about Tetrad?

To answer that question you would have to look back in time by several seconds, and keep a close eye on the chain holding the platforms together. If you looked hard enough, you would see Tetrad suspended on one of the said chains. She’d be looking at her hand of cards. If you could see her cards, you’d see she was holding a Red 5 and 7, two Blue 2s, followed by a 3, 6. 7, another 7, and a 9. She also had a Yellow 3, three 7s, and two, Draw 2s. And with her most recent draw, a Green 5.

Tetrad hadn’t been doing very much with her magic this match, largely because of how limited she had been in her options. She chose to play a green 8 under Amaryllis’s coat before the match began, and she hadn’t received much in the way of green cards or 8s as the match carried on. She had been bluffing the entire time, pretending to have a strategy when there wasn’t a single thing to play. The reverse green card she got just seconds after her recovery, and just now she drew a green 5. That was all it took to turn an entire fight full of bluffing into a real threat. Perhaps if Tetrad was a kinder person, she might hold off on executing such a thing. But that wasn’t possible with all the trash talking the beacon girls had done. Coupled with how Alicia could break the rules by flashing magical light into her face, this was probably a long time coming. 

Not that Tetrad was a merciful person to begin with. 

Tetrad flung a green 5 in Alicia’s direction. Her method of avoiding Tetrad’s eyes was different, but she could be found the exact same way. A highly talked about member of beacon was all too easy to divine the location of. She then tossed two red cards off to the side, a 5 and 7 in that order. This did nothing but reveal her location and fortified her strength for a moment.  She used this new found strength to swing under the chain and kick off of it, sending her plummeting to the water below. While she fell, Tetrad let all of the blue cards fall out of her hand and strike her body all over, making sure first and last cards to go were a blue 7. This healed up any sort of bruising that Tetrad had sustained from Alicia’s last attack. Physically throwing her cards wasn’t something she had to do. With just a thought, her cards could fly off to wherever she wanted them to go. Provided Tetrad was drawing from her hand and not one of her many decks. This allowed her to play cards faster than she could ever draw them. It had only been a few seconds and her hand was almost empty.

Her next act was to throw a yellow 7 into the approaching water, and a Draw 2 towards Alicia. It would fly under her rather than into her, but it would need a moment to catch up to the first card she had thrown in Alicia’s direction. And then when the moment was right, Tetrad commenced the final part of her trick: she teleported to her green card.

Tetrad was no mind reader, and she certainly couldn’t predict exactly where Alicia would have been when she decided to teleport to her green card. But tetrad didn’t give Alicia much time to react. She was not very high above her opponent and was still moving at the speed she kicked off of the chain at. Since Tetrad had used the yellow card last, she had some ability to guide her chest towards her target’s head. Tetrad did have a failsafe or two left should this not work, and was rather confident in her success. The question wasn’t if Tetrad was going to win or not, it was how much longer Alicia planned on dragging this out.

Needless to say, Alicia winced as Abigail and Amaryllis went down, She wasn’t sure why the one had decided to do that, it wasn’t like going in first meant anything when they would both be getting wet anyways. And she was certain that this competition was not worth sacrificing ones clothing like that.

That just left her and Tetrad, and a burning determination to win. There might have been some ruffled feathers from the trash talk, but as far as she was concerned the other girl had started it. So she hovered in place, sweeping the arena to try and locate her invisible opponent. Then the strike came. “Hm?” The impact of the card was, at such speeds, not hard to miss with them only wearing swimsuits.

As cards flew upwards, her mind worked. Tetrad was still going down, and she was clearly not simply planning to go quietly. There had to be some kind of plan, and based off of what she had seen before that meant….’Teleportation’!

But where, and how? Her eyes flickered this way and that, trying to discern what she was looking for. But in the process of doing so something caught her attention. It was Kimble and the other Beacon members, waving signs and cheering her on. If the motivation to defeat Tetrad wasn’t already high enough by her previous anger, that determination was all the fuel that she needed. 

So she tapped into her powers, and expanded her vision. Not simply looking for what was invisible, but highlighting, refracting. With focus she could see the motion of the individual cards as they brushed past the particles in the air, where they were now and where they had been before, the paths they now followed, and the way they faced.

It was only moments that she had, but it was all she needed as her wings launched her to the side and out of the imminent path. It lessened what would have been a brutal direct hit to a glancing blow and she skidded on one of the platform fragments.

”Am I supposed to be impressed?” she called, all while her hand reached back to get rid of that card that had hit her before Tetrad teleported on to her back like she had with Amaryllis. 

And then Amaryllis closed her fist.

The platforms, once shattered by her kick, retracted at lightning pace, fragments colliding with each other. Centered around the fragment Tetrad landed on, they pulled the two remaining combatants together once more. That was all Amaryllis achieved, before she hit the water and relinquished her command over her chains.

Tetrad had just thrown a yellow card, so she was able to control her decent, even if it wasn’t enough to hit Alicia. She was able to extend a hand and “catch” the ground, causing her body to spin a hundred-and-eighty degrees towards Alicia. It would have been nice to gracefully slide to a stop, but it was a rough landing that had her bouncing to her feet. The smile she had worn the entire battle was gone, she was wobbling backwards, and her eyes shifted to the corners of her sockets when she heard Amaryllis hit the water. 

Now Tetrad didn’t have the same kind of emotional backing Alicia had. Alicia was on a quest for vengeance. Tetrad had made fools out of Beacon by pretending to be someone Alicia was unfamiliar with. This, paired with her friends and possible love interest cheering her on gave her a sense of determination and purpose to make her want to win. Tetrad didn’t have any of that. She wasn’t even aware she was a villain in someone else’s story. She did something she thought was funny and no one from beacon told her what she did was all that bad. It wasn’t like Tetrad had someone in the stands cheering for her. Emily might have been, but she didn’t see her. It wasn’t like Veronica was going to show up with a bright smile and cheer her on. Her previous employer had intentionally left for dead, and her squad mates never came to look for her. She was alone out here.

Or she thought she was.

She had not known Amaryllis long, but Tetrad knew she was a proud woman with noble air that clearly marked her as a knight. She fought so hard to win the last match by herself, and her last move in this game sacrificed her dignity and gave Tetrad an opportunity to continue. In Keijo, that was as close to a sacrifice as you could get. No one had ever gambled on Tetrad like that. Not her old squad mates, nor her new ones. Tetrad was no longer a sole competitor participating “for the lulz.” She was Amaryllis’s last hand, with her dignity and victory presented as collateral. Alicia wasn’t Tetrad’s enemy, but she was an obstacle that needed to be cleared. Being relied on so heavily filled her with determination. She smiled.

”Impress you? Nah.” Tetrad broke into a sprint and threw the remainder of her yellow cards at Alicia. None of them hit her, just as intended. She was unsure if she worked out what the color of each card represented, but she made sure to have the backing of the cards facing Alicia just so that she couldn’t see if they were green or not. And also, maybe, to hide the black draw 4 card she had thrown from view.

Tetrad’s erratic magic has a special trick when she exhausts her entire hand. The last card becomes a draw 4 card, and is five times as potent and can be the color of any card she wants. For this situation, the clear choice was to pick the red card for a massive strength buff. The red cards always made her stronger, but the effects were not very impressive when compared to magical girls that boasted true physical prowess. Not so when the buff was five times as strong, effectively putting Tetrad in the same tier as Penny or Amaryllis.

So now cards were flying past Alicia that may or may not be capable points from which Tetrad could teleport to. If Alicia looked in the direction of the cards, she might have missed Tetrad hulk out and her increase in movement speed. What would Alicia do against such a threat?

The platforms suddenly rocketing together was not what Alicia had expected would occur, but fortunately her landing meant that she was already decently braced for such a sudden shock. Now they were back on the water and ready to face off once again. Wills, determination, emotions, all colliding together and building to a crescendo of battle that would define this tournament. 

“Good. I intend to pay you back for your mockery of us, she replied as her gaze narrowed. Cards went flying, a great number of them. With her sight active none were aimed at her, but she could not predict that they would not be used for teleportation or some other effect again. Yet now that she was holding none of her stops back, she could deal with that. 

So her hands spread as she focused her magic, coalescing the same power that used to make her arrows. These were more like daggers, but they would serve their purpose as she tossed them. Cards would be met in midair, either obliterated by the application of magic or brought to a halt and rendered useless. 

A minor distraction, but long enough for Tetrad to use her new card and come charging in. Eyes widening in worry, Alicia darted backwards as she crafted new projectiles in her hands. But these were not to be used for attack. Instead she waited, one pace, two, before hurling them downwards while slamming her foot onto the edge of the platform that Tetrad was on. After all, they might have been pulled back together but they were still shattered; the boundaries where they had been broken apart remained. Explosions from those projectiles would help make up for the force that she lacked as that side was pushed downwards towards the water.

Hopefully some air time would be caused from the necessity of jumping to safety, perfect for Alicia to spin to the side and launch a strike in that direction. Stll, if it didn’t work, she would be in serious trouble. There was no time to doubt, only to act. 

Just like Alicia had predicted, Tetrad jumped to clear the platform before it sank. She was no dummy, and was well aware that any time spent off the ground made her much easier for Alicia to deal with. But it wasn’t like she had much choice. Tetrad’s sharp reflexes enabled her eyes to trail Alicia, but even with this Herculean body she had, she would not be able to avoid it.

A decisive blow was going to be landed any moment now. Maybe this attack wouldn’t put out Tetrad, but it would weaken her. And as she got weaker, she would lose her only advantage over Alicia. She did have a fresh deck of cards to call on, but playing one would remove her enchantment and essentially restart her to the beginning of the match. It was also evident that Alicia had discovered a way to deal with her cards, which made relying on them that much less palatable. If Tetrad wanted to win, she had to do something now.

As a gambler, Tetrad found it important to understand the loopholes in the rules of any game. Sports were no different. As an example, Alicia was going to charge in with her chest. If her chest hit anything on Tetrad, it would be considered a legal move. Tetrad would not be allowed to retaliate by punching her in the face. Tetrad would also not be allowed to punch her in the chest, as the rules clearly stated you couldn’t strike anyone with anything but your rude bits. But it could stand to reason that you were at least allowed to touch these areas, otherwise a strike could never be made.

”You didn’t let me finish.” The only thing Tetrad had time to do was lean backwards. Her upper torso was almost parallel to the ground when Alicia made impact, slamming her right in the rib cage. Tetrad was reminded that she wasn’t especially durable when the air was ejected from her lungs. But gritting past the pain, she was able to bend her spine and curl her hips and shoulder towards Alicia. Just enough to trap her breasts between her armpit and hip bone. Then in typical anime fashion, in .0145 seconds Tetrad said: ”It was supposed to disappoint your girlfriends!”

…Before using her free arm to deliver a palm strike to her own breasts. Since they were level with Alicia’s head, the force of her palm strike would be delivered directly to Alicia’s face.

Unaware of the thoughts racing through Tetrad’s head, satisfaction at the sharp hit faded into confusion at the grapple as well as the taunt. ‘Girlfriends?’ A thought interrupted as she struggled against the lock, just before getting smacked in the face by Tetrad’s unorthodox blow. ”Ow!”

But determination and grit caused her to push through the pain, and to make another move of desperation. After all, there was one other facet to the rules that had gone un-exploited for this entire tournament. One she aimed to take advantage of as she braced and pushed forward. Her first few steps were slow, picking up speed before her wings flared out as she threw herself forwards. 

It was all with a purpose in mind of course, as she attempted to exert her strength to just outright bowl over Tetrad and bring her down to the platform. There, with this admittedly strange position and the full leeverage of bust, she wasted no time in going for the three count pin.

Being slammed into the ground had momentarily distorted Tetrad’s senses, and further weakened the gambler. She struggled, but could not escape the hold Alicia had over her. The audience held their breaths in anticipation as Dan lifted his fin once, then again, and…

“TIME’S UP!” The dolphin squeaked, and a buzz sound echoed across the arena. “The match is over! Now, please gather together for the announcement of the victors!”
Amaryllis and Abigail, having already climbed out of the water, made simple leaps to join the two girls wrestling on the broken platform. 

”Ummmm...” Abigail reached behind herself and pulled Amaryllis’s swimsuit out from behind her back. ”You probably want this back.” She offered with a smirk.

Dan’s red stage landed before the girls, and Dan clapped his fins enthusiastically. “What a heart-pounding fight! Both sides really went all out, to the point even the arena itself was wrecked. Very impressive! But only one team can be crowned the Prize Queens of Keijo! And so, the victor will be declared by a scoring system,” he dramatically spoke, and a podium magically lifted him up, allowing him to look the girls eye-to-eye. 

“It was a close call. But, the winning team has shown from the very start of the match that raw power and determination are not enough to win. It also requires the willingness to take risks, ingenuity, guts, and passion for the art of Keijo. So, I will declare that the winners are...AMARYLLIS EVENINGS AND TETRAD OF TEAM BEAUTY!”

The audience was suddenly thrown into a cacophony of cheers. Lily screaming and hopping on top of her seat, and Helga projecting her voice with enough power to crack the glass ceiling. The Beacon side stayed silent except for Sally who made a loud jeer, staring with displeased or nervous expressions. Sylvia then began clapping as a sign of respect, slowly followed by the rest. Dan then summoned two white sashes with the words “PRIZE QUEEN” written in gold on them, not unlike those given to beauty contest winners, and placed them on the winning duo with a single swift motion. “CONGRATULATIONS!”  Dolly, carrying a red satin pillow with two gold coin sitting on it, then stepped towards the two and gave them the coins. “Congratulations on becoming Keijo champions.” And so, a single post with a month in the making has concluded…

The next day...

The park in the central island was lit by countless colorful lamps as a crowd of magical girls centered around the great stage, taking seats in preparation for tonight’s show. “Welcome, boys and girls!” Dan was wearing a flashy mullet and star-shaped glasses, wielding a tiny microphone in his fin. “For tonight’s talent show, we have a multitude of bright young talents ready to make their debut on the stairs to superstardom! Some yearn to be idols, to be revered and worshipped while others seek to astonish and surprise. But all are welcome to hop on the stage, for it shuns none!” He looked to the side, and saw Lily give a nervous glance. “And now, our very first performer, it’s Lightning Lily performing ‘Boo!’”

At the cue, Lily first clutched her microphone, looking a bit nervous; thanks to the magic of the stage, she had changed her look to that of a modern idol including a pair of goggles on her head. With a little push from Helga, she stumbled forwards with a cute yelp, and smiled as she waved to the audience. “This is a Japanese song, so hopefully there’s no weeb-haters here, haha,” she added, before she stopped at the center, and focused; soon enough, an illusion formed around Lily, setting her on an idyllic Japanese river bank. And then, she began singing.

Lily’s Song

Once the song was over, she breathed out in relief that she managed to pull off the entire song without fumbling, likely thanks to the magic of the stage, and waved again at the audience. “Thanks for listening, everyone!” Dan clapped his fins together.
“Wonderful, wonderful!A cute and energetic song always gets me pumped up! Now, please welcome our next performer, The Great Aurelio!”

Following that announcement Aurelio strode out onto the stage dressed in his normal magical attire. “Greetings ladies and gent” He would call out as he walked towards the center of the stage. “Now I’ve got a nice and easy game I would like to play with all of you but I’m going to need a volunteer”

Sally bounced up first, her hand up in the air. “Ooh, pick me, I’ll volunteer!”

“Great.” He would say as he pulled out three playing cards and a large screen flickered to live above showing his hands to everyone in the audience “This game is a nice and simple game, it only involves three cards. You’ve got This card” He would say flipping over one of the cards to reveal that it ‘This’ written on it before shuffling it to the bottom “This card” he would flip the next card also revealing that it said ‘This’ before shuffling it to the bottom “And you’ve got That card” he would flip the last card to reveal that is said ‘That’ before shuffling it to the bottom. “All you have to do is keep track of That card, ready? Go.”

This’n’that

Sally blinked, amazed by the trick, before she smiled and waved as she went back to her seat. The Beacon girls clapped loudly, and Sylvia found herself whistling in cheer before she blinked and calmed herself down.
“Thank you all, hopefully next time I can put on a full show” Aurelio would say bowing lightly as he wandered off stage to allow the next person on. Dan was once again Clapping his fins in delight “Simply Wondrous. A fine display of mundane magic. But now, please welcome our next performer!”

In the backstage, two girls were listening to a song using headphones that Dan provided to them. “I think this would be great Su,” Helga spoke, pointing to a magically generated hologram that showed the two of them wearing qipaos and dancing. “I know you love that Chinese stuff, and the dresses fit the song too! Please?”

Su did not answer right away. She was watching the simulation and nodding along with the lyrics. She knew Helga was going to pick something silly, which was fine. Su didn’t mind singing along to something like that. But the dance moves… 

”Seems dancing has changed a bit since I last did it.” She struggled to keep a smile up. The type of dancing she did back in the day was more akin to martial arts or ballet. This new breed of dancing was more about displaying emotions rather than creating them in the viewer. It looked very amateur to Su, bordering on humiliating. ”Well, I think we should keep this one in mind, but I feel like doing something a bit more challenging.” She placed her hands together and looked into Helga’s eyes. ”There might be some better options we haven’t discovered yet. Maybe something like, um, a classical Chinese dance with Japanese outfits!” Which was not to say that the Japanese didn’t have some embarrassing outfits, but Su was willing to meet Helga half way.

“I hear some whispers in the back,” Dan spoke, this time a bit louder. “They must have something special prepared!”

Helga bit her lip, and took Su’s hand. “This is all the challenge you need Su! It’s showtime!”
And then, sparkles surrounded the two as they transformed into their new dresses. Helga dragged Su out onto the stage before her hair managed to completely change color; it gradually swept up, turning white as fresh snow, like a tide of bright winter over dark autumn. “Thanks for waiting y’all!” Helga greeted them, grinning from ear to ear at the excitement she felt.

”Wai-!”

Dan nodded. “And now, please clap your hands along to Su and Helga’s lovely duet: ‘AiDee!’”

After the song, Helga took Su’s hand, and bowed at a comical angle to the applause from the audience; Lily clapped her hands the loudest, seemingly loving the performance. “You’re welcome, y’all!”

Su cleared her throat. ”That was...” She smiled. ”A lot of fun, actually. We’ll have to get a room set up for karaoke and dancing in the hotel when we get back. I might even make use of it on the occasional weekend.”
“You betcha!” Helga answered, walking out with an amusingly smug look, as if she had won a contest. Dan squeked.

“That was...Marvelous,” he responded. “It’s like flowers were blooming in song form. But now, please welcome our next performer!”

&

.:⋮A Song To Be Sung⋮:.

Penny was admittedly nervous as she wound her way towards the changing room that Chloe had been granted for use in preparing her stage show. It wasn’t because she was nervous being in front of a crowd, as while she had been minorly afraid of that in her past life the knowledge that she could bench and then crush a car works wonders against a simple fear of public acting.

No she was nervous, because she still didn’t know exactly what it was she had signed up for and the fact that she was going to be performing it alongside Chloe, thus ousting her close connection to the petit mage to Beacon. To be fair it was a lot more of the former then it was the latter, yesterday had damaged the mechanical girls faith 

“Hey” She’d call out as she finally stepped into the changing room “Got your message”

Immediately upon opening the door, she'd be met with the sight of Chloe right in the middle of undressing her normal non-magical girl attire, having just removed her gothic dress, leaving her in nothing but her undergarments...which were about halfway off.

“Oh, hello Penny.” Chloe grinned, stopping her disrobing process. “I was hoping to get changed before you got here~” There was a tone that said no, she totally meant for things to end up like this.

Penny was transfixed by the sight before her. In a sense it was nothing new, Chloe's magical outfit was hardly something that preserved her modesty, but that fact never really seemed to stick, possibly due to the magical nature of the outfit, it was hard to say for certain. 

What was certain was Penny’s inability to tear her gaze away, and the short circuiting of her higher brain functions. As the image of a partially disrobed, grinning Chloe did a number of things to the mechanical girl.

The soft click of the door closing behind her snapped Penny back to reality. Causing her face to rapidly take on a shade rivaling a tomato “Chloe!” she’d cry out in embarrassment as she covered her eyes, more for her own actions then anything, but the trick that Chloe had played was not without blame.

“W-Was that really necessary?” She’d ask idginatly, while part of her wondered at how this hasn't happened before.

“Was what necessary?” Chloe giggled, innocently as she walked over to Penny. Still with a bra half-off her shoulder, she wrapped an arm around Penny's, squishing her arm between her chest as she dragged her into the room. “Could my dearest Penny be accusing me of teasing her or something?”

Penny’s immediate response was to reply with a resounding Yes! Or it would have been such were she not struck by the wonderful sensations from her trapped arm as she was lead across the room. Fighting through those feelings while also trying(and failing) to rein in her blush she would eventually be able to get out a quiet mumbled “Y-Yes. Yes you are” nevertheless she didn’t resist following the smaller girls lead.

“What can I say, you make it so easy for me.” Chloe smiled, releasing Penny from her grip. She grabbed her bra strap, finally strapping it back on and getting at least semi-decent. “Ready for the show then? I got some of the Archive girls to help with the instruments and stuff, so you just got to focus on being adorable and singing.”

Once freed Penny would just grumble to herself about Chloe’s teasing. The blushing, peeking out from behind her hand, and the fact that she hadn’t really made more room between them ruined any hope of her gripes being taken seriously.

“Possibly” She would answer once she had gotten a better hold of herself, mostly by keeping her gaze restricted to either eye contact or the other side of room in regards to Chloe. “Still curious as to what it is we’re going to be singing” Absently she was rubbing her recently freed arm in what seemed to be a nervous gesture “Also curious as to what the costume is going to be” She would add, having not really thought about that until just now. Or at least that was the assumed reason that Chloe was currently wearing as little as she was. The other possible reason wasn’t something Penny was willing to let her self ponder right now.

“Costume? Oh right.” Chloe walked over to a closet, quickly sifting through some of the articles of clothing before pulling two out. One, was a low backed black dress that came just above one's knees, with a low cut in the front. The other was a typical suit. “Suit or dress? I think you'd look good in the dress.”

Penny let out a soft sigh as once again her questioning the song choice had been sidestepped. “I’m not going to learn what it is we are singing untill im out on the stage aren't I?” At this point she was starting to get a little annoyed, but there was only so much longer that Chloe would be able to keep it hidden.

Carefully Penny turned her attention to the outfits that Chloe had picked out. Trying to riddle out what their style meant for the upcoming show. Not having any success at that she moved closer to get a better feel for the articles. She was very tempted to take the suit, knowing that she would feel more comfortable in it. Yet she was rather certain that she’d be the only one in one if she did so and wasn’t sure if she wanted to stand out more or less. Another moment of indecision “I’ll go with your choice” She’d say reaching for the dress, after all Chloe actually knew what was going on. That was the reason, the only reason, nothing else and perhaps if she kept telling herself that she would believe it.

“Heh, alright. Suit for me!” Chloe grinned, handing the dress to Penny. “And don't worry, I'm not gonna let you go in totally unprepared.” She said, pulling on the suit quickly. “But we don't gotta a lot of time for practice so,” She twirled over to Penny, smiling up at the other girl. “How's your dancing? Wanna practice a bit to get warmed up?”

Penny couldn’t help but pout a bit at noticing that her choice had been less what about what she was going to wear and more about who was wearing what. Still she was starting to build a better idea about what was coming, but she was lacking any real guesses. “Umm... A few dry runs of the dance would be appreciated” She would agree as she shimmied into the dress, not bothering to power down or remove her swimsuit to do such. As she doubted that either her tattoos or mechanical form would match well with the dress. 

“You’ve got the lead” Penny would say after she gave herself a quick once over in the mirror to make sure she looked alright. Which only involved minor adjustments, one of which was making sure that the necklace that Chloe had given her was visible.

“Okay.” Chloe finished dressing herself up in the suit, stepping closer to Penny. “This is gonna be a bit of a...fast dance.” She grabbed Penny's hands, interlocking her fingers with the other girls and pulling her close. ”Just take it slow and try to focus, hm?~”

“R-right” Penny would reply, no longer trying to puzzle out what it was the song might be. As her thoughts now on trying to keep her blush manageable and memorizing the dance steps. While also not getting too caught up in the feeling of having Chloe so close. 

She really hoped that the magic of the stage would help out when they got there.

With a bit of practice, the girls were both ready. Chloe had already set the stage, and with a little help from the Archive girls had everything ready to go. It was a simple enough setup. Some spooks that Chloe summoned were playing the instruments, were ready to float up on stage and start their routine. Penny was positioned just off the stage, ready to make her appearance as soon as she was given a cue.

Was she really going through with this?

Part of her was still unsure. Why even was she going so far to win Penny over? In the end, it really wasn't like her. She should have just left her when she joined beacon. Yet here she was, still trying for it. Pride? Probably, part of it. The whole control thing too, was what it mostly was. They stole Penny from her, and she was getting her back.

Ahhh, the thought of anything dealing with Penny just made her hurt. But with this...with this, she should win her over. Ufu, after all, no one could resist such a song. But first...an introduction!

“Helllooooo, girls of Penrose!” Chloe walked out on stage in quite the flamboyant fashion. Her suit was not something she was used to wearing, but she liked to think she rocked it. Playfully, she took a seat on a nearby amp situated at the front of the stage, microphone twirling in hand as she crossed her legs and looked out over the gathered crowd. “I'm sure some of you know me! I know some of you cuties, too! But lemme introduce myself. Chloe Irving, Dark Magical girl extraordinaire, and hero! I really gotta thank you all for seeing little 'ole me. Makes my loving heart shudder with excitement seeing all you adorable little things, ufu!” She stood up on stage, smiling brightly and holding out her hand towards the gathered crowd. “But my pretty self isn't what you're here for is it? You want to see a show? Well, do I got a show for you all! A little performance by yours truly, so let's get started, shall we?” With a snap of her fingers and a wave of her hand, the ghosts began to play their instruments.

Off, hidden in the wings, waiting for her cue Penny watched Chloe with startling intensity. For as she stood waiting her thoughts oddly mirrored Chloe’s as she too wondered why it was she was following through with this. She stood hidden away in a dress, something that she disliked almost on principal, awaiting a time to literally dance to someone else's tune. It was strange for her. For while she often worked alongside others, she always held herself slightly apart from the various groups while also being connected to half a dozen at once.

But this was different, Penny could feel it, once she walked out onto that stage in full view of everyone, a line would be drawn in the sand. In the back of her mind, on the border between what was human and what was not, she understood that what was happening here was a public claiming. That Chloe was going to pronounce to the Penrose community that Penny belonged to her and no one else, the only question was how blatant was the message going to be.

 Despite this, despite how this would affect Penny’s relationships with her few friends at Beacon, she found herself looking forward to this more and more. Because at the core of it all Penny was still just tired of being by herself. Tired of not feeling like she fit with any of the groups that were scattered around Penrose and beyond. Tired of not being wholly accepted. All things that Chloe offered plus more, and she only asks for Penny’s obedience. Asks, not demands.

And because of that Penny stood waiting in the wings ready to dance to Chloe’s tune. Ready to fall for her petite friend. Ready to tell the world and damn the consequences. All she needs is her cue.

The music started, an electric guitar and drum melodically playing over the stage. Chloe placed the microphone on a nearby stand, before twirling back to the center of the stage. One of her ghosts soon joined her, and the two began dancing together. A fast paced dance matching the music perfectly, and then abruptly they stopped, holding position as Chloe raised an arm as a piano started playing a few notes.

“You'll soon be hearing the chime, Close to midnight~”
A quick twirl, with Chloe's back leaning on the ghost as the song continued.
“If I could turn back the time, I'd make all right~”
The guitar picked up as the specter released Chloe, the two parting ways as more specters began to dance in an oddly beautiful way together. That was Penny's cue – to step out onto the stage, a handful of specters began crowding around her, seemingly mimicking to ask dancing with her.
“How could it end like this, there's a sting in the way you kiss me~”
Seemingly upon seeing this, Chloe locked eyes with Penny only a moment's hesitation before dancing her way across the stage and to Penny.
“Something within your eyes, Said it could be the last time, Fore it's over~”
Chloe offered a hand to Penny and pulled her onto the dance floor.
“Just wanna be, wanna bewitch you, in the moonlight!~”
Chloe pulled Penny close, as the first chorus started.
“Just wanna be, wanna bewitch you all night~”

Penny would continue the next verse as they started to dance the same fast paced dance that Chloe had been doing earlier.

“It keeps on giving me chills, but I know now”

The dance would continue to match the music as she continued to sing. The specters would move to frame them, all the while continuing their group dance

“I feel the closer we get to the last bow”
Suddenly they would separate, leaving a gap between them. Penny would look around for a moment while Chloe never took her eyes off Penny.

“I don't wanna end like this”

They would rush back to each other, picking up their frantic dance where they left off.

“But a sting in the way you kiss me”

As they danced Chloe would lean in close, seeming to whisper something into Penny’s ear. Then their dance would start to drift across the stage.

“Something within your eyes, said it could be the last time”

The number of specters on the stage would start to swell as they danced around the two girls on stage.

“'Fore it's over!”

Chloe and Penny would be overwhelmed by the specters, and lost for a moment, even as Penny’s voice kept singing out.

“Just wanna be, wanna bewitch you in the moonlight”

When they re-emerged from the mass of dancing spirits they would have undergone a costume change, and were now wearing pristine white versions of their original costumes.

“Just wanna be, I wanna bewitch you all night”

The two dancers closed back in, returning to each other's embrace. Locking hands, Penny and Chloe danced upon the stage, surrounded by the specters.

“Just wanna be, I wanna bewitch you one last time in the ancient rite~”
The music began picking up the pace, as the song neared its end.
“Just wanna be, I wanna bewitch you all night~”
The song reached a lull in the lyrics, with the guitar hitting a solo. Penny and Chloe continued to dance, the smaller girl's hands alternate between holding her hands and resting on her hips as they twirled, allowing Penny to bend backward. She released her grip, letting Penny spin in place, before catching her again.
Penny soon returned the favor, standing behind Chloe and running her hands down her sides in a practiced fashion. Just as the lyrics started up again, the taller girl grabbed Chloe by the hand, letting her slide across the floor until they were facing each other a few feet apart.
“Just wanna be, Wanna bewitch you in the moonlight.”
Slowly Chloe began walking back towards Penny.
“Just wanna be, Wanna bewitch you all night”
A moment later Penny would also begin a slow walk towards Chloe.

“Just wanna be, Wanna bewitch you in the moonlight”

All the lights of the stage had been cut, save for two spotlights centered on the two as they once again closed in on eachother.

“Just wanna be, wanna bewitch you all night”

The mass of specters stayed just on the outside edges of the light dancing their mad dance. As the two met and embraced again. Just as the light on them would start to slowly fade.

Allnight!

A ghostly ‘Oh woh-woh-woh, wohh!’ would echo out, as the end of the song was reached. The light cutting in tandem with the conclusion.

The lights remained dimmed for only a moment, and when they cut back on, Chloe was embracing Penny, lips locked in a kiss. She hadn't exactly told Penny that would be happening, but it was. With the entire crowd watching in front of them, but by the time Penny could probably protest, Chloe released her and turned to face the crowd.

“And that's all, lovlies!~” She grabbed the mic from a nearby ghost, playfully smiling at the crowd. “Thank you for listening, hope you enjoyed mine and my friends angelic voice! I'll see you lovelies around Penrose later, ta-ta!~”

And the curtains fell on the performance, Chloe and the specters bowing in tandem, before the lights shut off, and the performance ended.

The walk back to the changing room would, at first pass, seem like it was the calm before the storm. As Penny had yet to say anything since she had been kissed on stage, and there was a focused determination in her eyes that matched oddly with her apparent jitteriness. Often during the walk she would quickly start and then abort some action. Shaking her head everytime she did so. 

Yet, there were also a few things that proved that the actions at the end of the show had been well received. Penny refused to let go of Chloe, was one of them. Be it an arm around the shoulders, a guiding hand on the back, or even holding hands, Penny refused to not be in contact with Chloe. There was also her smile. Penny was constantly fighting to keep it contained but it kept slipping and revealing itself to be a massive grin that matched the wonder hidden in her eyes if one looked for it.

”Chloe” She would say softly once the door to the changing room had closed behind them. She once again she started and then abandoned some course of action. Taking a breath ”Would you..” a few different options ran through Penny’s mind as she contemplated what it was she wanted to say “Can we talk about what just happened?” She would ask after a moment, just as softly.

“Hm? What's there to talk about?” Chloe asked innocently with her usual, playful smile. “You're being awfully touchy though. Were you that nervous?”

“N-not really” Penny would answer a light blush dusting her cheeks at being called out for her need to be in contact with Chloe. Not that it made her stop. “That moment at the end...” It took her a moment to rally herself, her gaze lingering on the smile that played on Chloe’s lips. “Was it always part of the plan?”

“Hmm, maybe.” Chloe giggled. “I thought if I told you, you'd get cold feet and I didn't want to ruin the entire performance.”

Penny could only agree with the other girl’s suspicion. As she was probably right. “Plus it wouldn’t be you if you didn’t have something mischievous planned.” She would add with a soft smile. For a moment she allowed herself to simply get lost in the other girls' eyes, before she shifting into her sealed form and slowly reaching over to take both of Chloe’s hands in her own, gently running her thumbs across the petite girl’s knuckles as she simply admired how it felt.

“You remember how I asked for some time” Penny would say, as she mused a bit over that moment. It felt like it had been so long ago, yet it had hardly been a week since. “I’ll admit I was expecting it to take longer, and that it most likely would have had we not gotten pulled in here.” For this Beach had gone a long way towards showing just how much Chloe ment to the monster girl. “But I've had enough time to figure something out” Penny would say meeting Chloe’s eyes with a true and vulnerable smile. “And I’m sorry for how long it took for me to realize It.” What ever happened next Penny knew she would remember it for the rest of her life. 

“I love you Chloe.”

Upon hearing those words, Chloe at first said nothing.

“H-huh?” Her expression slowly shifted from neutral, to one of disbelief. “R-really? You're not pulling a prank, on me?” This was more or less what she expected, if she was to be honest – but she hadn't expected such a direct confession like that. Ah, ah, what was this pain in her chest? Her features slowly shifted to one of pure happiness. “Ah-ah, oh-my~” Chloe's giggles soon filled Penny's ears as she couldn't restrain her utter happiness at the words given to her. “Ah, y-you mean it? Ahahaha, oh-oh dear little Penny~”

Without warning, Chloe had latched onto Penny, in what could only be described as an aggressive hug. She wrapped her arms around the robotic girl, smooshing her own face against hers.

“Ah, Penny, My dear sweet little Penny, you've made me very, very happy.” This was perfect. So very, very perfect and right. She had won. Penny was hers, and she could so very, very much use this loyalty.

Unlike prior times when she had been hugged Penny returned the hug with just as much fervor as Chloe gave it.  A part of her had been afraid she would have been too late, it was why she spent so much time thinking through her emotions trying to untangle them. But she wasn’t, and she hadn’t. “You’ve made me very happy too” She would say holding on to Chloe tightly, never wanting to really let go.

After a bit Penny leaned her head back so she could meet Chloe’s eyes again “Could...” she would trail off as a blush formed on her face and she glanced away “Could I... Kiss you again?” she would ask sheepishly. It was something she had to keep stopping herself from just doing the entire way here, as the kiss on stage had been too sudden and far too short.

“Ah?” Now that was a pleasant surprise. Her little Penny asking for that. Tonight was just full of those, wasn't it? Grinning, Chloe wrapped her arms around Penny's shoulders. “Hmmm...I'm in a good mood, so why not~”

Penny wasted no more time and quickly captured Chloe’s lips in a kiss filled with just as much emotion as their embrace. Pulling the smaller girl as close to her as she could. Everything else could come later, as for right now nothing else mattered.

Meanwhile, after a small break in the show...

"Oh boy, the show has been amazing so far!" Dan excitedly waddled back on stage like a penguin. "There's so much talent here! But the night's still young! Now, next up will be Kimble performing the 'Nya Nya Dance', whatever that means-"

"But before that, a surprise number!" Lily suddenly appeared from behind the curtains, snatching Dan's microphone from his fin, leaving Dan's beak to hang open. "Uhh...What?" Lily made an obvious wink to the audience, looking at a certain person in particular, before turning towards the side of the stage with a bright smile.

"Please welcome The Mysterious Madams!"

At that moment, two girls walked on stage:

“Hello everyone! We will perform a magic show!”

“And to make it different from Aurelio's splendid performance, we'll do a very simple one.”

“Yep yep. We'll just make something disappear...”

“...The World.”

Earlier that day...(lol flashback)

Lily decided to take a stroll on the beach with Alex, holding hands with him as she took in the sunny warm breeze. 
“Wow, it’s another sunny day! But I wonder how long this will last? Dan doesn’t seem bothered, but I think some others are getting a bit antsy. Hopefully the talent show tonight helps calm everyone down.”

Alexander shrugged “Eh, what can you do? Some people just can’t get by without some kind of violence in their life. Sure, I’m not a bastion of peace myself, but at least I’m capable of just veging out. I’m not sure if a talent show would be enough to fix that, especially since us having magic would probably make anything anything at a talent show seem too mundane”

“Maybe...” Lily pondered as she traipsed down the seashore.
It was then that she happened to notice something strange in the sand; it seemed to slightly glitter in the sun, and she bent down to dig it up. 
“Huh? Dan said the ocean is clean with no trash. Is this some kind of lost treasure?” She picked the small item up, and dusted off the sand, only to gasp as she realized what she was holding: an oil lamp, made of brass and intricately carved with detailed carvings. 
“Whoah!” She showed the lamp to Alex. 
“Could this be...It can’t be just a normal lamp, right? I’ve seen Aladdin, it must be those two in here! Now let’s see...” She rubbed the lamp, waiting to see what would happen.

Alexander sighed “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

As soon as Lily started to rub the lamp it began to release a stream of purple and pink smoke, slowly at first but that rapidly changed as it started to gush out. The smoke was almost alive as it seemed to dance around both Alex and Lily and as more time passed one could see a shape starting to take more defined form from the smoke.

At last the smoke stop pouring from the lamp and an unnatural breeze banished the smoke leaving in its wake two rather familiar girls as it was a grinning Violet and Sakura. There was a moment where the twins just blinked as they took in their surroundings as if they were confirming something. Even they were not immune to the strangely potent enchantment that seemed to engulf the islands, wearing swimsuits as they did.

“Ha! Take that you demented blow up doll!” Violet would call out in vindictive glee before waving at the couple in front of her. “Hey you two been having fun?” she’d ask with a teasing flirt to her voice.

Lily was first in shock at the resplendent beauty of the girls’ new look, followed by a big smile. “Violet, Sakura! It’s so good to see you!” She greeted them, only to blink and  blush at Violet’s suggestive question.
“Well, yeah, this has been a lot of fun, I guess. But, it’s very strange.” She took Alex’ hand for comfort.
“Were you also kidnapped and brought here?” She asked, causing the twins to look at each other in complete confusion.

"Huh? What are you talking about Lily?" Sakura asked. 
"Isn’t this what you wanted?"

Lily was now the one to look even more befuddled. 
“Wait, what? I don’t understand.”

“Your vacation, duh!” Violet spoke back, looking a bit irritated.
“That was your wish, remember? You wished for ‘us all’ to have a fun and tropical vacation.”

Alexander slumped in visible relief after hearing that ‘So this whole thing was because of the wish junkies. Thank fuck, that’s a load off my back.’

Sakura put a hand on her sister’s shoulder, and looked at Lily with a pout.
“It was a lot of work for us, you know! We had to create an entire dimensional pocket just for you Penrose girls. You looked really happy as you left, too. Did you seriously forget all that?”

Lily frowned, and held her arm, as she averted her eyes.
“I...I don’t remember any of that. I’m sorry. So you granted a wish then?”

“Yeah, we did. We kind of hoped we’d get a vacation too since the wish managed to affect us, to be honest,” Violet admitted with an uneasy smile on her face.
“But of course Cafar busted us, and we got trapped in that stupid cramped lamp.”

“Not that cramped, mind you,” Sakura interrupted. “Cafar made it like a little apartment with curtains and stuff. We even got a dancer there to entertain us.”

Violet shivered. “Don’t remind me of that half-body freak.” She put a hand to her chin. ”Anyway, I think I know who made you forget...It was that damn dolphin.”

Alexander’s free hand tightened into a fist “Fucking dolphin” he mumbled

Lily gasped. ”DAN? No way!”

“Yes way!” Sakura responded, and crossed her arms with curled lips. “That Lesser Spirit taunted us about being the new manager, and tossed the lamp into the sea! What a jerk!”

“So are you asking us to kick his ass? Because I’m not convinced that he doesn’t want to eat me, so I’m not opposed to the idea.” Alexander spoke up “Or wait...would it be better to just us a wish for that?”

Violet lifted a hand. “I don’t think Dan will let you free that easily. He’s likely drawing on the fun and joy you guys have had to attain magical power, and that’s why he managed to get as powerful as he did. If that’s the case, we gotta surprise him.”

“Do you have any public place here where people could gather? I got a plan, but it requires as many present as possible.” Sakura spoke with a confident smile.

Lily nodded.
”I know of a place. I’ll gather everyone up! See you again in the evening! Come on Alex, let’s go!” She waved to the twins, and began running, beckoning Alex to chase after her with a giggle..

Alexander rolled his eyes at Lily before turning to the twins “I really hope you know what you’re doing.” And then he ran to catch up to Lily.

Sakura looked on with a knowing smirk.
“Geez, Lily’s such a ditz. But, it looks like she’s managed to open up a bit since last time. That’s adorable,” she mused. Violet shrugged, and sat down on a beach chair.
“I guess. Well, might as well catch some rays before this is over.”
“Agreed.”

Back in present time...

Dan was shocked, and made a strange sound between a squeak and a bubble pop. "H-How...Impossible! You should still be-" Before he managed to speak more, he wrapped his bottlenose in his fins.

Violet pointed at him.
“You're nothing but a fraud, Dan!”
“You were planning to keep these girls and boys trapped in this wish realm forever!”

Dan shook his head. "No, that's not it! I just-"

“And you even threw us in the ocean and began bossing the girls around!”
Sakura made a mocking duckface. “Pervert fish!”

“I'm a mammal!” Dan retorted, only to realize his mistake; a big sweat drop appeared on his head. "I mean, I was just keeping the place running while you were gone! Nothing bad with that, right? And besides..." Dan now looked towards the audience with a pleading look.
"Do you really want to leave? In the outside world, there's only pain and despair. You girls have to fight and suffer in an endless, pointless struggle, but here, there's no pain, and no sadness. Here, we can keep on having fun and relax. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"No..." Lily spoke from the side, her hands balled into fists.
"That's just escapism! Even if it sometimes hurts, life is worth living and experiencing. In fact, because we face hardship and challenges, that's why having fun has meaning!" She looked down at herself; she was still wearing the idol costume.
"Everyone here has experienced hardship, sure. Some have even lost their friends, or felt miserable. There were times we wanted to leave it behind. But even so, we continued protecting those we care about. It's because we're the ones who can fight. But staying here would throw all that away! It was fun, but it's time we end this vacation!" She turned to the audience and lifted her fist in the air.
"Who's with me?"

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