ERode

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Amaryllis and Nuncio

^{Eating More Than One Can Afford}

Winter being winter, and Penrose being evacuated, meant that few places were open to eat. McDonalds and other fast food joints remained running, of course, because heartless megacorporations cared little for the supernatural danger they put their employees in, but as for the boutique cafes and family-run restaurants that Amaryllis enjoyed having her clandestine meetings in, there were only a couple.

The Rice Bar, thankfully, was one of them.

A small restaurant tucked in the suburbs that neighboured Penrose Technical College (also shut down due to building repairs after a purported gas line explosion damaged 40% of its infrastructure), the Rice Bar specialized in a variety of East Asian eats, featuring curries, seasonings, and toppings of all sorts. While Amaryllis usually didn’t overindulge when patronizing this establishment, considering all that had happened and all that will happen, she went pretty hard this time. Conveyor belts carried small bowls of toppings or stews to be taken by customers, while a special bell was pressed to order steaming bowls of rice. Water and tea, of course, was regularly refilled by the 40 year old auntie whose service was fast but not entirely pleasant. Didn’t really matter though. With no college students around, Amaryllis had the place to herself.

Well, herself and one other. As she dug into a small pile of glistening barbeque short ribs, the sweater-wearing woman said, “So, um, Nuncio...what’s your story here?”

Nuncio was dressed a bit more casually during this outing. Rather than looking like a mobster, he wore a stylish black T with jeans and knee high boots. His eyes were focused on his giant feline Rossa, who wasn’t allowed in an eating establishment for obvious reasons. The staff were nice enough to let Nuncio keep his pet in the waiting room outside the dining area, where the big cat would be able to stay in the warm interior of the building while not bothering anyone who was eating. But Rossa looked a little sad that she couldn’t be by Nuncio’s side.

”Hmm?” Nuncio looked back at Amaryllis. ”My story? I suppose ya mean ta ask why I haven’t blown this joint?” He lowered his gaze. ”Lotta reasons why. Sammy thought there was somethin’ goin’ on here. Bigger than just Binky, and that was big in her mind. Now that my dame’s up and vanished, I’m certain she was on ta somethin’.” Rossa licked her lips and thumped the floor once with her paw, and Nuncio grabbed a fish plate that was circling his way. ”Beyond that, my patron ain’t done with Penrose, nore the Outer Alliance. Couldn’t leave even if I tried. Not that I’d go anywhere without her.” He pushed the fish plate off to the side and grabbed a beef n’ rice bowl. ”Nice place to eat, I’m takin’ Sammy here when I find her.” He used a pair of chopsticks to eat some rice, but it was clear they weren’t really agreeing with his fingers. ”Where did ya friends go? Are they late?”

"They have spoons," Amaryllis pointed out, her eyes briefly flickering towards the cheap plastic stacked up in front of the counter. "And, for Hilaria and Sophia… I ate with them earlier, so that’s that."

Nuncio looked to the spoons, and threw up his hand. Universal sign language for “I must be some kind of idiot to not notice that.” He stabbed the chopsticks into the center of his bowl and reached for the spoon. There was a Chinese woman looking on in horror as he did this, but he didn’t seem to notice. Once he had his spoon he was able to eat much more naturally. In contrast to Amaryllis, he ate very slowly. Every bite was savored, and he likely wouldn’t need a napkin when he was done eating.

”Shame about Hilaria, but I woulda made things worse. Beacon ain’t too friendly with Cindy or her allies.”

She snatched a plate of glazed eel, dumping it into her already beef-saturated bowl, and wolfed it down in a couple of ravenous gulps. Even in her unpowered form, the barrier was pulling at whatever shreds of magical energy she regenerated, and though her Sword was still in post-euphoria, Amaryllis wanted every bit of energy she could get. Dabbing her lips with tissue after cleaning out her bowl, she rang the bell for another serving of rice.

Her hands rested on her stomach, and she asked, "You're not an official member of the Outer Alliance then? Just something like, hm, a subcontractor? What even is it?"

”We’re just friends.” He said between bites. ”We got mixed up in some nonsense. Binky was experimentin’ on all’a us and we retaliated. Sammy and I were a cell apart.” He pointed into the sky with his spoon. ”The real big wigs are Faith and Lotus. But we all wanna see an end to Binky and those red coins. Sammy tell you about that yet? Word is Beacon still has her makin’ em.” He took another bite of food. ”How about you and yours? Ya seem like the leader of your outfit.”

Amaryllis flushed at that remark. Leader? Her? The bespectacled girl shook her head fervently, cheeks rosy pink. "Oh, no no. I just sorta know the others, but like, not even that well. My whole deal is mainly just working alone and all, so it's not like an alliance or anything. Maybe friends? But not like we've done any really friendly stuff..."

She recovered soon though, downing a glass of ice water, before snagging a bowl of marinated bamboo shoots. Back to Binky though, she certainly had encountered the girl back in the beach dimension, and while there was something off about a magical girl whose powers produced fast food, she didn't really get the vibe of 'evil scientist' either. Even Annabelle had a more threatening aura than her, and she had been a brainwashed ditz.

"Beacon's having her make Red Coins? Huh, but I saw her back in the beach vacation, and wasn't Beacon focused on the production of the White Coin more?" Amaryllis thought for a moment, recalling further instances. "Do you happen to know Betty and Tetrad, Nuncio? During my… vacation, they were the ones that wanted my help in finding Binky, but I'm certain they aren't Beacon."

”Really now?” The white tiger plopped its paw against the glass door and licked its lips again, and Nuncio grabbed the next item on the conveyor belt without looking at it. ”Mosta my information is second hand from Sammy. She tends to deliver her claims dramatically. But the way I understand it they did make both coins.” He removed the chopsticks from his bowl, much to the relief of the Chinese woman watching. ”Those names sound familiar though. Ehh…” He whipped out his phone and started scrolling around. ”Yea yea, they post on the Cradle.net blog. Guess that makes ‘em Veronica’s sort. Unless they just like ta shitpost.” He closed down his phone and resumed eating. ”Wouldn’t that be interestin’? If Binky was a product of a former coin broker? That would mean Sammy’s been barkin’ up the wrong tree.” Rossa licked her chops as another plate passed by, but Nuncio gave the tiger a dismissive shake of his head. Rossa reacted by slumping to the ground, resting its head on top of its paws. ”Coulda just been her friends though, suppose even evil scientists have those.” Nuncio leaned forward. ”Meant ta ask, was that Mariette you was fighting with? When ya beat up the necromancer? Ya ain’t friends are ya? Bet she could find Sammy pretty fast.”

“Scarlet’s a coin broker?”

”Former one, if ya believe their Glimmr page.”

Amaryllis thought about it a bit longer, chewing slowly now that she had some food for thought. “So...Binky worked for Scarlet, and thus the Mint…”

”If she still works for ‘em..”

“During this time Binky experimented on you, Sammy, and the rest of the Outer Alliance? Once you broke out, Binky either ran to Beacon or was captured by them...and now she works for them, but is still being searched for by Scarlet’s people.” The girl frowned, leaning back against her chair.

“...or they could just be magical friends.” Betty was alright, but she could definitely imagine Tetrad having unethical magical scientists as friends. Not that Amaryllis was in any place herself to judge others on the company they keep. “And yeah, I can ask Mariette about that. Not, like, too sure what the extent of her divination abilities are though.”

”Glad to hear it.” Nuncio exhaled. ”Some days I think I lost her, but I can’t stop lookin’.”

“...uh, Nuncio, what sort of experiments were being run on your group anyways? Is this related to the construction of the Red Coins?”

She paused further.

“And wait, what even are Red Coins? You’re not talking about Ruby Coins, are you?”

”They ain’t ruby coins, though I’m sure they are related.” Nuncio pushed his empty bowl to the side. ”She used red coins on us. Made us take ‘em. I was a dame after my transformation. But as I was a boy before it, I am happy with this new development. It shuffles ya magic in random ways, she told us.” He grinned. ”But we was trapped. She wouldn’t let us go. Savior turned slaver overnight.”

“Hrm…”

Figures that a former coin broker would be interested in the creation of a coin that enabled the remaking of one’s magical self. She never had dealings with them personally, but Amaryllis had heard the rumors, at least. The Ebon Mint was basically the magical mafia, and in this case, the Red Coins were the plastic surgery you’d need to get them off your tail. She snagged a couple more plates, meat juices all soaking into a new bed of fluffy rice.

“Ever heard the reason why she kept you there?” Amaryllis frowned. They were straying somewhat, and her own focus was to find Sammy, not to judge whatever crimes Binky had committed. “Nevermind that. In case any of the larger factions in Penrose’s gotten a hold of Sammy, will the Outer Alliance act? Or is this a clandestine operation, Nuncio?”

Nuncio took one more look at his hungry tiger. ”She’s beautiful, ain’t she?” The corner of Nuncio’s lip twitched upward for a moment. ”Did ya know white tigers are a symbol of man’s cruelty?” He folded his arms on the table. ”In the 1950s, a hunter spotted a white tiger and brought it back home. Every single one you see today’s a descendant of the first. A constant string’a inbreeding that’s lasted 70 years. Their white coats make it difficult to hunt, and they gots all kinds’a health problems from compromised immune systems to physical deformities. They are bred for a life of captivity.” He scoffed. ”Not all the cubs are born white. For every white tiger, it’s got 30 brothers and sisters who are orange, but are just as broken as they are. They are ignored or euthanized.” He placed a hand on the side of his head. ”If we told ‘em the reason we did it, do ya think they’d be content with what we’ve been doin’ all this time?”

Well, that wasn’t a factoid Amaryllis was aware of, but it certainly sounded like it matter to Nuncio, and it was also certainly interesting. She ate thinly sliced beef and soy sauce-dipped rotisserie chicken as the cat gangster shared his anecdote. “Probably not,” Amaryllis replied, “But at least they’ll understand more, the motives of their enemy. And from the discovery of motivation comes the possibility of manipulation…”

Amaryllis trailed off. This was really just a lot of assumptions on the intelligence and thirst for vengeance that tigers had, huh?

”Weird dame.” Nuncio chuckled, and his expression softened. ''Sorry for goin’ on like that, but the point is no one belongs in a cage. Those was horrible quarantine conditions. But gettin’ back to ya about the alliance: Faith and Lotus are good people. Sammy was a ‘founding mother’ along with me and them, and they want to see her back. Though entertainin’ Cindy has taken priority. I’m sure they’ll be more interested in finding Sammy after the party.”

Amaryllis breathed out, sipping on some tea. “Alright, that’s good. My Sword’s always gonna be down for taking on any foe, no matter how large or wide-spread, but I’m not nearly so dauntless. If there’s a raid to go for, I’ll contact you then?”

”Yah, I’m ‘BlindTiger’ on Glimmr. Forgot my phone number, but it’s on there.” He watched Amaryllis drink for a bit before going for his wallet. ”Ya bought Sammy a spa visit, I’ll cover the bill when we’re ready to go.”

Amaryllis waved her hand and shook her head. “Really, no need to pay. I sorta basically got those tickets for free anyhow, so, like, yeah...”

”Don’t worry about it.” He said with a wave of his hand. ”I know ya type, Sammy won’t let me pay for her food either, just let me treat her best friend. It can’t be that much, can it?” Nuncio got up to walk to the counter, where the cashier quickly ran up their table and shot him a polite smile. The boy simply shifted his eyes between the total and the cashier before slowly opening his wallet to look inside. Afterwards, he trudged back over to his seat and practically collapsed into it. ”So uh.” he rubbed his nose. ”We’re doin’ this again right? Like, maybe next time ya could treat Sammy and I?” He pointed at the counter with both hands. ”Say we split the bill 50/50, and just ignore who ate what, that sound cool?”

Amaryllis tilted her head quizzically, even as she inhaled more food. “Yeah,” she said, after clearing up her last bowl and deciding that she should head out to get more work done. “Hopefully all the problems ‘round Penrose will be cleared up when we do eat out together again, right?”

”I’ll be happy if Sammy turns up.” Nuncio grinned before picking up the two dishes he set aside for his tiger. ”See ya later, Amaryllis!” Rossa stood up when she noticed her food coming closer. The big cat licked its lips one last time before Nuncio opened the door to feed her.

Silver Gate Academy - Interest Check [Negima inspired magic school RP]

Hm, don't think I'll be joining after all. Sorry.

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Amaryllis, Hilaria, and Sophia

^{Onomnomnomnomnom}

Well, KFC was open and nearby, and Amaryllis really couldn’t care for anything high-class, not if it meant actually waiting for a good twenty minutes for the food to come. Sitting at a table in the corner of the relatively empty fast food joint, she sipped at ice water and waited for her order to come up. Hilaria, thankfully, had finally texted them back, and would be arriving soon; hopefully the food will be up by then as well.

In her untransformed state, the bespectacled woman kept to herself, scrolling absentmindedly through her phone as the minutes ticked by. Still had a lot to think about, after all, and more than that, she was still tired. Calories should fix that problem, with any luck. She sipped her drink again, not really saying anything to Sophia, not really sure what to say either, beyond banal chatter. The pirate lady may think her as a friend, but the fact of the matter was that they really only knew each other from a couple chance encounters, and they were only friends because Sophia was desperate for any sort of connection while Amaryllis didn’t have the heart in her to refuse.

Weird shit, really. Amaryllis let out a sigh; she wished Hilaria would come soon, though wasn’t sure if she’d prefer her purified or unpurified.

As if on cue, the door to the establishment opened and in walked a girl with long, silver hair reminiscent of Hilaria's. Her clothes consisted of torn Jean shorts and a likewise torn shirt that was cutting it close to being exposed enough for a claim of public indecency to be filed. But these tears didn't seem to be some expression of fashion -- they were battered, old clothes that were long overdue for replacement, made even clearer by the bandages wrapped around her upper arms and a leg.

The girl looked around the joint before spotting Amaryllis. She focused on the swordbearer for a moment, before shooting her hand in the air. "Hi~!" she called to her, and then to the girl sitting beside her. Approaching the table, she smiled at both. "Hilaria is sorry for the wait~ She isn't normally bothered by people like that~"

Sophia gave a wide grin at seeing Hilaria, who seemed rather the same as before, raising her glass of coke in celebration towards her before taking a large swig of it.

Ultimately she was...just glad for the company of anyone, at least. Not like she knew either of these two especially well, though the Goo Lass was ultimately the one person was at least giving her the time of day at this point. She didn’t know where to go or what to do otherwise, and Sophia herself had been basically born yesterday at that. It was all so troubling, at its core, but she did at least want to get to know the silver-sword-wielding Amaryllis better if she could. Was the least she could do her best at!

Plus, from what little she knew, this armored girl had a nice appreciation for a bite to eat at least.

“Welcome! And good ta’ see ya’ back in one piece!” Sophia said, gesturing heartily and kindly to an open spot at their table she had saved for the crusader-looking girl, “Already ordered mah’self a nice normal dinner anna’ large bunch o’ fried livers! When tha’ waitress comes by, just tell er’ what ya’ want an’ I’ll pay fer’ it just as promised!”

Hilaria nodded, saying “Wonderful~!”

"It's, uh, nothing to worry about," Amaryllis said with a weak smile. "Was everything alright with, like, whoever wanted to talk to you? They didn't do anything, did they?"

Taking her seat, Hilaria looked to Amaryllis. "They gave Hel--, Mm, Hilaria some cake~ It was delicious~!" she told them, her expression temporarily dampening during her mistake, but returning immediately after. "Mm, then they asked Hilaria to become pure again, but Hilaria didn't want that~"

Hilaria took a moment to take in the scent of freshly-made food, which made her only more eager. "But since Hilaria got cake that doesn't matter~"

Sophia let out a small, almost quiet, sigh of relief. She had no idea about, ah, all of these things...but she could tell herself and the knight girl were at least similar in some fashion. In fact, that much her patron had told her about after Hilaria had disappeared with those other people. They were ‘corrupted’, as she had understood it, and not everyone took a liking to not...though not everyone who was corrupted was good either, really. Not that anyone who wasn’t corrupted was inherently good though too, right? If they were being themselves, and felt true, wasn’t that enough to suffice whether they were or were not corrupted?

The pirate silently shook her head as Hilaria talked to Amaryllis. Bloody hell she had enough to drink about already, even more questions than anything, but at least she had some coke here. Taking another swig of the obviously large cup, Sophia set it down calmly, gestured for a waitress to come get Hilaria’s order, and then looked over to the other two as she sat up more in her seat.

“Well, lass, at last they gave yeh’ cake fer’ ya troubles, eh?” Sophia said, giving a small smile before continuing on, “Ah, but if yeh’ both don’t mind mah’ askin’, I’d like ta’ get ta’ know more about yeh’. Can’t say ah’ know anyone ere’ save for that maid lass I showed up with...and she’s kinda disappeared as it were.”

Sophia sheepishly scratched the back of her head through her hoodie, her smile genuinely somewhat awkward of all things.

“The maid disappeared?” Amaryllis narrowed her eyes, a mixture of concern and suspicion flashing over her features as she felt for a Sword that wasn’t there. Not the time to be pursuing that thread though. She went to sip at her sweet drink instead, taking a moment to gather up some courage. Just a joke. She could totally do this. One, two, three!

“And, uh, yeesh Hilaria. They gave you cake, but you didn’t save any for us? R-rude, right?”

Hilaria frowned, taking Amaryllis' statement rather seriously. "Hilaria would have brought you some, but..." She thought about the terrible thing that happened with Isabella. The very moment that all color had drained from this world and a piece of cake lie on the floor, wasted. A tragedy. She sniffled. "...they didn't have enough. And some of what little there was got spoiled~!" She would have also mentioned she didn't exactly vacate the premises in a normal fashion, but that'd just evoke curiosity she didn't care to sate.

It was at this time the waitress came over. Hilaria's interest immediately shifted from the other two to her, and she went about ordering what she wanted, which happened to be enough food to feed three people. But even if Sophia had tried to get a word in protest, it was too late -- the order was made and the girl left.

Hilaria turned to Sophia, hearing about her lack of companionship. "Eh~? Are you new, Soapie~?" Hilaria asked, inspecting the pirate girl. She then listened to Sophia’s request. "You want to learn more about Hilaria~?" She thought for a moment, unsure what to even say. But then she had a spark. "Well, Hilaria really loves food~! It's wonderful~ Beyond that… well, Hilaria doesn’t think it matters~"

Sophia subtly noted the silver-bladed swordswoman’s expression and words, especially at the mention of the disappearance of the maid girl. A light but subtle grimace flashed over Sophia’s features for but a brief moment, though she didn’t blink an eye at Hilaria’s food order. Yet Hilaria the next moment had her looking back with the mispronounced name, eager-seeming response, and mentions of food. The pirate let out a hearty laugh as she listened, before giving a genuine a wholehearted nod in return.

“Aye lass, food is a wonderful thing! So many flavors and types and kinds of it abound at’ ah’ can’t fathom it all! One little side conquest i hope ta’ undertake is ta’ taste all tha’ foods in Penrose, even...not gotta lotta memories otherwise, if any,” Sophia said, letting out a more restrained chuckle after before she went about taking another swig of her large coke, “Heh...from the look of yeh’, i also wonder what places an thin’ ya’ seen out ere’, Hilaria. But ya’ don’t hafta’ talk bout’ anything ya’ wouldn’t want ta’ talk bout’ round’ me. But if ya’ need an eatin’ buddy, ya’ can hit me up anytime!”

“Hilaria would love that~!”

The pirate raised her cup to the words she said, before setting it back on the table in front of her and looking to Amaryllis with a look of friendly camaraderie on her face. Though something in the pirate’s eyes didn’t seem to be...‘entirely there’ either. Almost like her gaze was genuine, but something inside her head was a bit more distant than usual.

“Whatta’ bout’ you, Amaryllis?” Sophia said, audibly doing her best to pronounce others’ names as best as she could in this instance, “Ah...know ah’ ain’t much thanna’ straggler...frankly ya’ the only other one ta’ show me a kind face in alla’ this since ah’ woke up fer’ tha’ first time. That ahn’ at’ chain-y arm ah’ got pushing me towards ya’ fer some reason...heh.

But what’s something ya like? Ah’ suppose at’s a place ta’ start in tryin’ to get to know someone else, eh?”

“Eh, are we really just going to, uh, do this?” Amaryllis laughed awkwardly, before shutting herself up with the straw of her drink. Pressing herself against the back of the seat, the bespectacled woman toyed with a strand of hair briefly, a difficult expression on her face. Something she liked…

The Sword prodded her ribs. Somehow, it tickled more than it hurt. Right, no need to think too much about it, she supposed.

“Guess, I’d like world peace.”

…

Wow, did she really just say that?

“Ahahaha, I mean, like, food is good too! Could really go for some food right now!” And just like that, Amaryllis went at the food like she was a vacuum cleaner going through a dusty wooden floor.

“Mmm, do you? Hilaria doesn’t think your heart is into it, if that’s the case~!” She eyed Amaryllis almost as if offended by her actions. “Because any true connoisseur of foods would understand that chipmunking is in bad taste, as well as means for disqualification~!” she pointed at Amaryllis’ cheeks, which had become big as she shoveled a large amount of food into them. “Hilaria calls your bluff~!” But just as quickly as she jumped on Amaryllis, she soon seemed to have lost interest in putting Amaryllis on the spot any longer. She turned to Sophia.

“Hilaria knows the ins and outs of Penrose cuisine~! If you want, Hilaria will help you taste all of the food Penrose has to offer~” She elected not to mention that she had essentially done so already, minus home-cooked meals. “And…” Hilaria paused rather abruptly, as if she was second-guessing something. “...Hel--laria is a bit too old to remember much. Mmm, but she does know she likes Rome, too~!”

Sophia gave a small chuckle at the flustered swordswoman. It was almost like night and day when the ‘Goo Lass’ was on or off the battlefield, at least from what the pirate had seen so far. Yet she couldn’t judge, really, or at least that was how she felt about the matter. At least the food had arrived though. The pirate munched on a couple of fresh, hot livers in the meantime, savoring the spices and slight bitterness as she listened to Hilaria speak once more. Yet as she listened, the pirate couldn’t hold back the grin then came to her face.

“I’d be happeh’ ta’ take ya’ up on that offer, lass!” the dark magical girl said after swallowing a bite, her eyes locked on Hilaria for a moment and beaming with an excited energy, “Though don’t fret over tha’ old memories too much now…if yer’ unable ta’ remember tha’ past, then, then move forward an’ make new one’s! I’d be glad ta’ help ya’ with that, an’ maybe we could go see Rome someday ta’ boot if mah’ dusty ol’ patron would take us on ah’ ride, haha!”

She then put a gentle hand on Hilaria’s own, before leaning back once more. Something about memory issues seemed to resonate with her somewhat, though it wasn’t like she wasn’t curious about the past. The armored girl’s near-mistakes in saying her own name, which had happened a couple of times now, seemed to be a clue of something perhaps. It was nothing she’d press the lass for, though she on the other hand wished she could press herself for more answers for her own past. Still hadn’t found that girl who’d tried to kill her either, much less get a chance to talk...

The pirate then looked over to Amaryllis once more.

“Well, world peace seems like ah’ good thin’ ta’ like, ah’ reckon. Ah’ world where ah’ ain’t getting threatened er’ shot at every other day would be nice, haha! But...ah reckon tha’ people ere’ would do better with it ahs’ well,” the pirate said, wistfully staring into her coke before looking back once more with a goofy but happy grin, “Sorry fer’, ah, if any o’ this is awkward ere’, lass. Perhaps next time ya’ can decide on tha’ place an’ activity, eh? Specially’ if it made yeh’ more comfortable, ah’d be glad ta’ come along and see what ya’ like!”

“Eh? But I really do like eating…”

“Well, since you eat Lichs, Hilaria supposes she can take your word for it…”

Amaryllis shook her head at Sophia’s concern.

“It’s like, basically fine. I wanted to eat food anyways, so, like, yeah. Just that, y’know, talking to people is weirder than just stabbing monsters. There’s way more wrong ways to do things than right ways, and you can’t, uh, mend someone’s heart with your fists, right?”

“Mm~? Do you really think so~?” Hilaria’s food finally arrived, and the waitress spread it along the table, after taking any trash leftover from the others. “Hilaria would say that talking to people is the norm in this respect~! And it’s a lot easier to get food that way~”

Before her now was essentially a feast. More drumsticks and thighs than one could count on a hand, and sides, such as potatoes and mac&cheese were plenty. Multiple sodas, as well. She set upon them with a strange mix of grace and gluttony, devouring things in a very efficient way. Every so often, she would stop and take a glug. “~! Oh, but Hilaria stopped caring about any of that difficult stuff and talking became so much easier, so maybe that’s why~ But then again, Hilaria finds fighting monsters more enjoyable anyway, because it makes the food so much better~”

“Well, ya’ speak true ah’ suppose....not like ah’ve had too much experience in this save fer’ almost bein’ killed an’ threatened a few times,” Sophia said, letting out a small sigh and glancing up at the ceiling a minute with a grimace on her face and a distant light in her eyes, ignoring Hilaria’s eating almost altogether as vivid memories of the wind-using girl trying to kill her in cold blood right after she awoke bubbled up, “...Bah. Can’t say really on my fer’ sure part, tho’, at’ fists might not work fer’ someone out ere’ in the world. Punchin’ and fighting till’ tha’ feelin’s get through somehow... and ya’ have ta’ talk cause yer’ both too tired.

But...well, mostly knowin’ battle ah’n mah’ part, ah’d wanna’ suppose ah’t like battle talkin’ requires work at it tah’ get better, eh? Ya’ get hurt, others gettin’ hurt, ahn’ just keep on tryin’ till ya’ work ya’ way out and help em’ others along with ya’ as best ya’ can?”

The pirate lightly shook her head side to side. This was perhaps a bit ‘too’ profound to talk of over a meal, and getting all sappy when she was supposed to be enjoying time with comrades (at least in that last battle) somewhat put a bad taste in her mouth. Such talk could come later, but for now-

“Heh. Well, lass, sorreh’ fer’ gettin’ a bit out oh’ things there! Gotta get tyin’ on tha’ feedbag befer’ its get cold, haha!”

The dark magical girl seemed to return to her jovial and more food-loving self a moment later, before going ham on her remaining fresh-cooked livers. Hunger seemed to rumble in her stomach a bit more, somehow, and she was happy to sate it and feel more ‘normal’ again. At least as far ‘normal’ as something like herself was in all of this. Sophia then motioned for a waitress as she finished blitzing through the rest of her own meal at a rapid pace.

“Ah’ll get ah’nother large order of those livers, please! Ah’n two dozen cookies fer’ tha’ three of us fer’ dessert!” she said, before looking to Hilaria and Amaryllis with a wide and beaming but still so very goofy grin.

“Yeah, feel like I’m basically done talking too.” Well, Amaryllis always sorta was. Especially when they were just talking. “Let’s all eat and head out before we end up ordering more than what the restaurant has stocked up?”

Hilaria was watching the other two patiently, having somehow finished her huge meal sometime before they'd even stopped talking. Her plates were stacked and ready to be taken as if this were routine. So, she simply nodded when Amaryllis suggested leaving. "It would be rude to deprive others of food, so Hilaria thinks that's a good idea, Arma---Amaryllis~!" She caught herself slipping yet again. But ignoring that, wasn't it her doing the 'depriving'? "Hilaria enjoyed the food. And some company makes every bite that much sweeter, even if it's just a few strangers who have just met~!" she smiled. "So, thank you two, for a wonderful meal~"

It was about this time the cookies were brought over. Probably surprising to all involved, Hilaria only took one and stood up. "See you la-..." Hilaria briefly paused, a troubled look momentarily washing over her features. She replaced it with a weak smile afterward. "Bye-bye~!" and as if that strange moment had never occurred, she munched on the one cookie as she departed the KFC.

“Aye,” the pirate said in agreement with the sword wielding girl, before giving a polite wave and a thankful smile as Hilaria left, before looking back to Amaryllis once more, “Ah...well, feel free ta’ take any of tha’ cookies ya’ want on tha’ way out at least. Haha….but if not ah’ll be eatin’ these back on mah’ ship!”

The pirate let out a small laugh, before finishing the last bits of her coke with a chug and a flourish as she set the cup back down on the table. She then pushed back on her seat, standing up and stretching her arms.

“An’...thank yeh’ fer’ coming, Amaryllis. Ah’ hope ta’ get ta’ know ya’ better, at least fir’ tha’ kindess ya’ve shown ah’ wobbly landlubber like mah’self. Might not beh’ much, but fer’ someone who’s just woken up inta’ ah’ totally new world...it means a lot ta’ not be shot at by everythin’ at’ moves.”

With that Sophia gave a small wink and a thankful smile to the rose knight, before moving over to the front counter to pay up and leave. Her patron had sent her prepared for this, even for Hilaria’s portion sizes surprisingly enough. All that remained was fresh order of hot, fried livers...and the box of now just-under two dozen fresh cookies sat upon the table.

“I’ll finish them with you,” Amaryllis said, after a brief pause. “Pretty sure you’ll get more friends and stuff soon anyways, Sophia. Just, like, keep talking to people and not shooting at them first, yeah?”

Taking one of the cookies and breaking it in half, she offered one half to Sophia and bit into the other half herself.

“Horrors are Horrors, but everyone deserves one chance, anyways.”

The pirate took a visible pause, stopping before really walking away from the table. Turning back around, however, it was easy to see Sophia’s face in look of genuine but slight surprise. Yet...it only took a moment after before that beaming, goofy smile once again came to her face as she took the offered half of the cookie and took a solid bite out of it.

“Aye! I can agree with at’!”

From Oubliette to Oublioth [R.I.P]

>not clinging onto the stomach of the horse as you ride underneath it

Ok, pervert.

From Oubliette to Oublioth [R.I.P]

"I'm betting that's what we see at night, when we look out in the direction of the Ruins and see the glowing stuff," Cecilia replied, enjoying her moment of reprieve. "And looks like you shoulda brought a mountain goat rather than a horse, neh?"

Still, she appreciated Arte's sentiment, if nothing else. Locke, on the other hand, looked as if he was actually dying. Dude really had a way with words, didn't he? Almost as if fate conspired against him to ruin every witty joke or dramatic one-liner he had in stock. Slapping the fairy-summoner on the back, Cecilia pushed her waterskin up against his lips. "Drink up, Locke. We've reached the finish line, but we still gotta get back afterwards. Watch our backs, please~"

With that, the overt Spellblade and the covert necromancer strode up towards the tower, ready to make their ascent. Between double-jumping and the amount of magic they both had, it should be a safe enough trip, if nothing else changed.

If.

Arknights - Project Neptune

Certainly some variance in experience, wasn't there? Thrones herself had gotten in due to a deal between her superiors and the CEO of Retra Corp, and she was fairly certain she would have been considered lacking in experience otherwise, but to think that there were a selection of other relative rookies...curious.

Then again, maybe not so curious, seeing how they still had a final examination to go through before being officially accepted. Nodding at the others who had introduced themselves as the call signs they dropped were already melting away from her mind, the Sankta leaned back into her seat as tremors began shaking the aircraft. Outside, the roar of another, greater engine sounded, and through her sliver of sky, Thrones could see but a portion of the citadel in the sky, a sight that grew more impressive as they got closer and closer. Worthy of a story, for sure. Must have burnt up a blue whale's worth of Originium as well, maintaining those altitudes and speeds, but a megacorporation could afford it, no doubt.

Wouldn't be dealing on a national level otherwise.

Tensing up as docking procedures continued, Thrones squeezed her reader between her thighs and kept her hands gripping the mesh of her seat. Even then though, it felt like she was barely sitting down at all, and she frowned. Air travel was fine, but landing and takeoff were never things she could grow accustom to, especially when they were technically landing in the air. Still, she wasn't sweating, and she didn't feel sick. Definitely wasn't going to be her that needed the barf bag. She unclipped herself and made her way down to where the operator-candidates were converging, her duffel bag carried on her shoulder. Wings made it a bother to wear backpacks, after all; the Exercitus Laterano issued specialized 'frontpacks'...but those were also a bother to wear.

When the topic of food was brought up, Thrones was the first to address the blond Mustelid. "A couple Danishes would be nice. And some smoked bacon."

From Oubliette to Oublioth [R.I.P]

“Two Imperials coming on the right!”

“Arte, deal with the archer please!”

“Oops, there’s a big wall coming up!”

“To the left! To the left!”

“Locke, update please~”

Cecilia rattled off instructions at the speed of a repeating crossbow as she continued her trip through the dense alleyways of the eastern ruins, her journey now assisted by two of her adventuring peers. Settling comfortably into her position as scout and vanguard, the Spellblade softened up any incoming problems, adapting quickly to the quirks of this particular group. She was primarily a solo adventurer, of course, one beholden only to the qualifications of her quest and her personal whims, but that just meant she was accustomed to working with other adventurers out of the blue. Just a matter of being thoughtful, really.

Thoughtful, while she forklifted all the annoying problems onto Locke and Arte’s laps.

With Locke’s eyes in the sky and Cecilia’s trailblazing, it was easy enough for the trio to keep away from any major battles. Zephyrus Aria proved to be a clincher of a spell in this situation; there was no need for them to murder any marauders or imperials when Cecilia simply knocked them off their feet and let Locke and Arte to fully incapacitate them afterwards. With such drive-by tactics, they continued through the back alleys and side streets, thankfully never encountering a particularly powerful enemy. Those confident in their strength, after all, largely congregated on more open roads in order to crush through opposition with sheer might and magic…which was quite convenient for the well-dressed trio.

After all, by the time they broke out of the eastern labyrinth and into the center of the ruins, they looked to be the first ones there.

Skidding to a stop, Cecilia twisted open her waterskin and glugged down half its contents, sweat glistening off her skin and exertion causing her complexion to flush warmly. Her runner’s high was still kicking in, and her movement-enhancing magic thrummed through her body like ripples of sound as she looked around, taking in the forsaken majesty of the ruinous palace. Glowing crystals dotted the landscape, congregating upon the tower. Was that the dim light she saw southwards, every night she travelled here? The lilac-haired lady took in a deep breath, her smile renewed. This far away, even the sounds of battle were diminished, dulled. Just a little more effort then.

She turned to the others, hands on her hips. “Alright, I’ll go check out the tower. Got any magic ya wanna toss at me before I figure this climb out?”

From Oubliette to Oublioth [R.I.P]

No stone doors? Buncha plebs.

From Oubliette to Oublioth [R.I.P]

Just intimidate them with modern memes. Start a cultural revolution.

From Oubliette to Oublioth [R.I.P]

Well, in this particular case, the only reason it's not going to work out is because the fallen star is a lvl 120 nerd that can easily be swayed by this current narrative.