Flamelord

Post-Apocalyptic Cyberpunk RP (Concept, Interest Gathering)

I'll throw in my hat as well. Been looking for some good cyberpunk.

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Sally and Tabitha and Kimble and Sylvia @Ariamis, Penny and Aurelio @Shifter_MAster, Summer @DarkwolfX37, Serenity @Crusader Lord, Jenna and Janet @t2wave, Regina @BrokenPromise

Listening to the suggestions that everyone had as they discussed the problem of meeting this challenge left Alicia with a smile on her face. This was the sort of cooperation and teamwork that made strong, that and the trust they had in each other. "What, nobody for me to carry?" Alicia asked with some amusement as she eyed the rest of them. "I still have wings you know."

Still engaged in discussion over their course of action and what was most feasible, the entire thing was rendered a moot point as Jenna and Janet created a bridge for them using barriers to keep the ocean water from touching them. "I guess that works," she agreed. At the very least it simplified things more than the awkward aerial courier system they were coming up with beforehand.

"Thanks you two," she said to Janet and Jenna when moving on to the bridge. She wasn't sure about the name Sylvia gave to the maneuver, but it wasn't like it mattered all that much anyway. So for now she walked across with the rest of them, prepared for whatever they would find on the other side. Hopefully heeding this 'challenge' was worth it, otherwise she'd probably end up feeling a bit dumb about the whole thing.

The trip was a bit on the long side, especially with the bright sun, but Alicia kept moving with a dogged determination. She remained near Sylvia, scanning the beach ahead to see if she could discern anything more about the island that they were going to. "Kind of makes me think of Jurassic Park," she noted aloud. Maybe it was just the tropical island thing, though now she was wondering how they would actually do if they had to fight a T-Rex....

But at last they arrived on the other side, Alicia carefully stepping on to the warm beach and turning to wait for the others to join her. So far so good, but who knew what they were in for now/ She nodded as Sylvia told them to stay alert, the Seraph ready for anything or anyone, no matter how scaly. She stiffened as the bushes ahead rustled, the sound of movement coming with them.

Yet when it parted, it was just another person. It took Alicia a moment to recognize who it was, and while she knew that it wasn't a threat, she had a hard time relaxing entirely. "Oh, it's you." Odd that they hadn't started on the same island, though whoever did this probably had a reason for it.

"Well, let's see what else there is here," she said, not dwelling on the reunion for long. She'd prefer to interact with Regina as little as possible, outside of the responsibility of being a member of Beacon. It was just too soon for her to forgive and forget what had happened, different from her experience with Serenity. Maybe she would in time, but not yet.

So she led the way, moving through the trees and the greenery to emerge at what looked like some kind of resort. "Wow, didn't see this coming."

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Sally and Tabitha and Kimble and Sylvia @Ariamis, Penny and Aurelio @Shifter_MAster, Summer @DarkwolfX37, Serenity @Crusader Lord, Jenna and Janet @t2wave

"Thanks Kimble," Alicia replied with a warm smile at the compliment offered. "That swimsuit is cute on you." With the frills and the white/red color scheme, it went well with her 'cat' thing. There were only certain styles that could pull this sort of thing off, and in this case being too skimpy would have been a detriment.

Listening to Sylvia, Alicia nodded in agreement. The course of action made as much sense as any other option right now. But she was distracted from that as Kimble pointed off into the distance. Squinting, the Seraph tried to pick anything out from the bright blue sky, but it appeared to be too late for that. "Huh. Well, if we're not alone then I hope whoever else here is friendly," she observed. The last thing they needed was a fight in these outfits.

Her distraction left her open to surprise, and she jumped a bit as Serenity spoke up from next to her. It seemed the magical girl had some things she just couldn't escape, as evidenced by the maid's hat she wore. "That's good to know. I suppose we'll see once we find where this big island is." For now it was time to do a bit of investigation, to see what they could find.

Following the beach soon found them facing an island in the distance, one that seemed like it might be larger than the one they were on now. Though that was hard to judge given the distances involved. Alicia examined it, a hand lifted to shade her face from the sun, the other resting on her hip at the same time.

After a moment of thought and listening to Sylvia, she let out a small shrug. "Like Kimble said. Especially if she helps out. But weight is definitely going to be a problem. We may want to use a different method if we can. Having given her opinion, she looked over at Serenity next. "I know you offered, but do you think you can keep your time magic going for that long? It's not exactly a short hop." It might make more sense to let Penny or Summer have a shot at it, if they could do so. For now, Alicia would wait to see what their opinion was.

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Captain Yamanami

Those in the hangar bay would be greeted by an intercom, which was somewhat unusual. You would think that for something like this there would be someone to meet you. What if they just started shooting up the place, or trying to take the ship? Sure he was busy, but he could have had crew do it instead. Or was he not able to?

"Well then, let's be going," he said aloud. He turned to the entrance where flashing lights indicated the path that they should take, moving off with his delegation in that direction. At the same time he kept an eye on their surroundings as they moved along, in a hope that it could shed some light on which of his theories would be correct.

With his own natural curiosity, as well as the warning provided to them, it would be interesting to see what they were in for. He had no intention of being hostile, especially with a damaged ship, he just hoped that the meeting was productive. He wasn't sure what they would do if they were stuck in this unknown place on their lonesome. It would not be a good situation to be in, that much he was sure of.

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Glancing over at the others as they approached, Alicia chose to address Penny first as she gestured to the sign. "Well they want us to make it there without getting any water on us. Having a boat would let us move the entire group easy." If they could summon Earth Bastion in the first place. Otherwise the point was a bit moot.

But it seemed that a lot of familiar faces had gathered so far. At least there wasn't anyone she didn't recognize yet, or anyone who wasn't a Beckoner. Was that by design? It had to be, right? What were the odds that out of a random selection, only Beckoners would land in one place? Surely there was more going on here than what they could see.

"Still, if the central island has answers for us then I guess we'll just have to go there. We can enjoy the 'beach episode' once we figure out if this is some kind of trap or test, or whatever."

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

"Hwaa....

The sen felt....good. Warm. Maybe a bit too warm actually. The glare from her window was growing to be annoying, earning a displeased groan as she slowly shifted to try and avoid it. which didn't work for the most part, until something moved in the way to obscure said sunlight.

Now that was weird. So was the sudden realization that she didn't feel like she was in her bed anymore. In fact, this felt like some kind of beach chair...

Eyes flickered open to find that she was, indeed not in her bed. Instead she was on the beach, and she had no idea how she had gotten here. At least the fact that she was quickly able to locate Kimble and several other Beacon girls with her was a good sign. It probably wasn't a kidnapping attempt, if it was then it was the strangest one she had ever seen. There were only a few other options she could think of, but deciding on one seemed like futile at this point.

"Of course I am," she assured Kimble as she rose to her feet, before leaning over to scratch behind the catgirl's ears. "That would be a pretty lackluster way to go out."

Now fully awake, she could take stock of the situation. They were on some kind of beach, there were several girls here, it was hot but it looked beautiful, and at some point along the way she had wound up in a swimsuit like everyone else. She wasn't sure the one piece was what she necessarily would have gone for at first choice, but 'choice' didn't seem like something they had right now.

Nothing to say

She nodded in agreement with Sylvia's assessment as she took charge of the situation. Find out what was going on first, then address potential relaxation once they knew there was no threat. "Sounds good to me," she concurred as she joined the cluster of Beacon girls.

Following Sylvia's gaze to what she had noticed, reading the sign earning a small frown from the Seraph. "Well that's convenient," she noted before looking around at those present. "Well, if we feel like playing along it shouldn't be too hard to get there without getting wet. Penny has a boat and if that's not available, I'm sure we can figure out something anyway." For example, Summer's powers could get pretty ridiculous. Where there was a will, there was a way.

Star Wars - Galaxies at War[MULTIVERSE SPACESHIP RP]

Currently waiting on Cap for Kearsarge, not sure what I should do if it ends up taking too long. Like I said, no shuttles :P

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

&

It was a sunny day outside, something that Alicia Hayden currently had the time to appreciate as she stood on the roof of Beacon’s HQ in Penrose. She was already transformed for what she would be doing very shortly, a state of affairs that gave her ample opportunity to feel the warmth of the sun as well as the gentle wind that ruffled her skirt and sent her hair swaying.

”Yeah, this is a good day. Perfect for a patrol,” she mused to herself with a light smile. Normally this was just the sort of thing that she had to do as part of her Beacon duties, but this patrol in particular was different from those in recent days. It would be her first with Janet and Jenna since they had unveiled their ‘White Coin’ invention, and she was looking forward to spending a bit of time with them.

She expected this would be a nice change of pace for them as well. They had been so busy in the past weeks with that invention and preparing it to be produced on a larger scale so Beacon could take advantage of it, that they might need some time out of a lab to take their mind off things. The sort of pressure they were under, even with Binky’s help she could imagine what it might be like.

It was just about time for their patrol to start, which was why she was on the roof. The twins would show sooner or later, and then they could get underway. Until then, she would relax and enjoy her day.

As predicted Janet and Jenna arrived not long after. Their absence hadn’t really been felt too much as they had still been active, presumably to not be MIA for a long period of time. One could count on their hands the number of people that knew what they had been up to for the last week. That did mean even more work for them though, keeping up with their normal duties and all. Thankfully a bulk of the White coin project was done and the restriction was time and less figuring out how to make it work. Letting out a relieved sigh Janet walked over to Alicia. ”Sorry we’re late. Trying to get back into the groove of things again.”

”it’s fine,” Alicia assured Janet as she turned to face the twins once alerted to their presence. ”There haven’t been any alerts recently, so it should just be a standard patrol. We’re slotted to head out east, around the Historic district out there.”

She would wait for them to transform before stepping over to the edge of the rooftop. Poised on the edge, Alicia glanced back over her shoulder at the duo. ” Now then, time to get going,” she said before hopping off to the nearest adjacent building in the direction of their patrol route.

Stepping off the edge of HQ the twins followed after Alicia. Despite all that had changed Alicia was still something of a mentor to the two. Being a magical girl was new enough but adding on everything else just made it even more confusing. This patrol would probably be one of the most normal things they’ve done in a while. ”Good, I could use a little break from the world ending.” Smirking slightly Jenna and her sister kept up as they crossed the cityscape of Penrose.

There was something that never got old about jumping from rooftop to rooftop, flying over the people below who would never know that you were there. It was as close as one could get to being a superhero, and in this case they kind of were. Just superheroes that everyone would forget about meeting afterwards.

The path was direct and straightforward, and Alicia led the way even as her companions kept up. She was more relaxed for now, though once they got on location they would need to be more alert for potential dangers. With Mariette and Regina and that new trouble squad, who knew if someone would try and take a shot at them.

“So, how have things been going?” she asked as they moved along, making sure her words could be heard at the same time. ”I hope you’re not too overworked and underpaid. Cause that sort of thing can really wear you down.” If it was, then she was more than willing to talk to someone about it. The well being of their sisters came first, no matter how important the White Coins were.

Skipping across the rooftops Janet responded first. ”Busy as you can imagine. I think things will start slowing down here soon. We got the process down so now it’s just refining everything so there’s not so much babysitting.”

Pulling alongside Jenna had to shake her head a bit. She wouldn’t put it so lightly but it wasn’t like anyone else could do it. ”Glad to be out here though for sure. I can only sit still for so long in that place.” Looking down she thought to herself how oblivious he had been to the fact that magical beings has been running all around him. Being brought into the fold as a magical girl was like having a spotlight blasted in your face revealing how blind they were.

”That’s good to hear.” Alicia was reassured by what they told her, and that she could be of some help even if it didn’t involve the more technical aspects of the project that they were embarked upon. Most of her expertise was in dealing with threats, not this sort of thing. Which was a shame, since the White Coins were ultimately the sort of endeavour that would really make a change in the world.

Thinking about it caused her smile to widen just a bit more. “Still, it’ll be nice when it’s finished and we can get this out there. It’s hard enough dealing with all the bad press we usually get. Maybe we’ll actually be able to change some people’s minds, if they don’t just think it’s some kind of trick.”. And though she didn’t want to be cynical, well, she had the sneaking suspicion that more than a few might think that way regardless.

”Can’t please everybody. But it’s always going to appeal more to those that don’t like the place they’re in now. Others are going to reject it either because they don’t want it or because it’s associated with Beacon. I do hope it spreads to other chapters though. Penrose can’t be the only place that could benefit” It would also help to avoid any other friction to what they were doing. Right now they were treading new ground and there wasn’t really a way to know how the rest of the organization would respond.

”True, but one can try.” Alicia let out a loud huff, before trying her best to push that out of mind. That was a good point raised, though she could only assume at least some of the chapters would hop on, if for the increased immunity to brainwashing and mind tricks and nothing else. That was relevant regardless of your attitude.

They drew near their destination at last, and she did her best to focus on the task at hand, rather than letting herself be troubled by her own darker thoughts,. This was important, and she needed her head in the game. Not off brooding on her problems.

Hopefully conversation might help with that. ”Anyway. So Jenna, have you had any luck in learning more about your magic since the last time we practiced together?

Being addressed Jenna perked up. ”Oh yeah, I think I know what’s going on.” She glanced off in the direction of the graveyard. ”I’m pretty sure I can copy other people’s power. It’s hard to explain but whenever I see someone use their power I can choose to use that same power. I’m pretty sure there is some kind of cooldown before I can switch again though which would explain why I couldn’t just copy your power during training.” Arriving in the Historic district the trio headed toward one of the taller buildings to get a vantage point. From their perch they could decide where to start their patrol.

Hearing that Jenna was getting a handle on things helped to distract from Alicia’s own worries, and she was glad for that. It meant that her intended approach was having the effect that she wanted it to, even if it might only be a short term reprieve when it came down to it. ”Good, I’m glad for you. That sounds like a neat ability, though it might be useful in some situations more than others.”

The trio ended up on top of an old clocktower, providing the height needed to survey the surrounding area. ”Alright, I think we’ll do a loop, kind of like this,” Alicia told her companions, tracing out the general path she wanted them to take with her finger on the city below. They might deviate a bit, just to check out possible disturbances, but on the whole that was the path they would take.

”Keep an eye out,” she added as they prepared to depart. ”With that whole ‘ruler of Penrose’ schtick from before Soth attacked, we want to be alert in case someone who works for Cindy tries to pick a fight.”

”Right.” Moving out they began their patrol. It meant less conversation, but since the battle against Soth the magical girls and boys in Penrose had spent a fair amount of time cleaning out the city of monsters. Didn’t mean they weren’t still around but they were in hiding.

After a while of a quiet patrol Janet struck up a question for Alicia. ”So we haven’t really had the chance to ask you much lately. How have you been doing?” It was a genuine question. Remembering back to the day they tested the White Coin Alicia had expressed some sense that she wasn’t really contributing much. It wasn’t a sentiment that Janet shared on the matter given everything that had been done for her.

Alicia led the way as they patrolled, moving on rooftops and occasionally ducking into alleyways as well as some buildings. They were on the lookout not just for monsters or dark magical girls or what have you, but signs that they had been there in the past, or that they would return. Knowing the territory a girl liked to run in was just as useful as meeting them face to face.

Fortunately, or not, the first part of the patrol was relatively uneventful. They picked up some signs of things that might be worth looking into, but there was nothing pressing going on. Which meant there was time for them to continue talking as well, at least a bit.

Slowling, Alicia flashed a smile towards Janet in turn. “I’m doing alright,” she responded swiftly. ”Just out fighting monsters, making new friends, trying to figure out how to track down the people who want to kill us, that sort of thing.” Though for someone who could read emotions, it would be obvious that there was more than she was letting on.

Humming to herself slightly Janet looked away for a moment before coming back. ”Mmm, no. I may not look it but I’m old enough to know that almost no one is just ‘doing alright’” Putting a hand on Alicia’s shoulder she slowed her down. ”Plus I’m not just going to forget the things you mentioned during our last meeting. We’re your friends, if you have something on your mind you should let us know.” Jenna returned from scoping out a small alley. While not 100% sure on what was going on, it didn’t take much to tell her that Janet was trying to talk things out.

Alicia made no effort to resist as she was slowed down by Janet, a huff escaping as she shot a rueful grin her friends way. ”Well, ‘alright’ is petty subjective so I guess we’ll have to disagree on how possible it is to just be doing alright.” Though she tried to counter the validity of Janet’s statement, she quickly realized that she probably wouldn’t walk away from this one. Not with magic powers involved.

There didn’t seem much point in lying about the reason either. They might not be able to tell if she was, but she didn’t see a reason to hurt her friends like that. ”I guess...I’m just feeling a bit useless,” she admitted, her shoulders sagging as the tension left them. ”I’ve been around for stuff basically my whole career, but I haven’t done anything that someone else couldn’t have done if they were in the same situation. That’s all.”

Mulling over the idea in her head for a while Jenna resumed walking. It was somewhat tricky to respond to that without sounding insensitive. Thinking back to her own experiences so far as a magical girl she could see how that could be felt. ”I wouldn’t say that we’ve really done anything that important until now. And even then it wasn’t because we are super smart or anything, it’s more like we cheated.” They couldn’t sit around too long so she got them to start moving again. ”Maybe it’s because of who I used to be, but being a magical girl has given me a second chance. Third if you count the trial. And I’ve been trying to find ways I could make up from the mistakes in my life. Maybe I never will, but after all the shots I’ve been given I owe it to Beacon and you to give it my best attempt. It’s not glamorous but it’s a lot better than where I used to be.” Perspective was something Janet and Jenna were blessed with. It wasn’t the only perspective but the one they had at least gave them some direction.

Seeing an opportunity to speak up Janet took it. ”Not everyone does what they do for the same reason. Redemption is kind of our motivator. I wish I could say it was for more altruistic reasons, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet.” Looking at Jenna for a moment she added. ”I know the feeling though, I do. It’s one of the reasons I decided to use the Red Coin. I didn’t feel like I was having much impact. Hell I practically hurt more people than I helped. Was it the best idea? I don’t know. But I only have forward to move so....” The girl shrugged a bit. She wished she had better encouragement to give but it was something she struggled with as well.

”Haa, it sounds dumb when I complain to you,” Alicia observed with a sigh. ”You’ve gone through a whole lot worse than I probably ever will.” If there was someone she shouldn’t be expressing this sort of thing to, it was Janet. Not after what had happened with Justine.

She followed along as they resumed walking, keeping up as they moved at a slower pace now. ”I’m not sure what you mean by cheating at it, but you’ve done something that could dynamically change the entire magical girl community. And me? Well, it just feels like I was there, like that’s all I’ve ever done.”

With a small burst of magical energy her wings shimmered into existence, spreading wide enough that she could look back at them. “Like that Justine thing. I was there, sure, but I spent most of the actual assault frozen or useless without mana. I wasn’t even there for the actual final battle to save the world and all that stuff. But I ended up as a Seraph anyway. And I guess… I don’t feel like I earned it. It’s just hollow, like the Beckoners wanted to pretend we didn’t get caught with our pants down the entire crisis.”

She came to a stop at the edge of a rooftop, hand on her hip as she stood like a sentinel in the wind. ”That fight at the graveyard was the first time that I felt like I actually deserved to be a Seraph. And then there was that whole thing with Serenity and them thinking it was something I did, and that feeling was swept away.” Not that she blamed the others for that, not knowing any better. It was just frustrating for her to deal with when she compared herself to others. ”The Beckoners know what they’re doing, I’m sure. I just don’t see what they have planned, and I guess I’m stuck.”

An air of silence hung for a moment before Jenna spoke up. ”Have you asked them?”

”Eh, I’m not sure if that would really help. Maybe, but it's hard to say.” Admiring the wings for a bit Janet managed a smile. ”I see what you’re saying though. Getting attention that isn’t really something you did. Beacon was at a low point and I’m sure they knew that people need hope. You could provide that and it’s just gotten a little out of hand. I would talk with the Beckoners, not about the why, but about how you feel. I’m sure they didn’t mean to have this happen.” Stopping she faced Alicia directly. ” Although personally I think the title fits with what you’ve accomplished. Sure maybe it’s not for some super spectacular feat that just wows the masses but you’ve honestly been like a guardian angel for me. No one else in Beacon would have fought for me like you have. I really only have you to thank for that. I’m sorry I’ve never really expressed that to you. You mean the world to me and I owe you my life.”

”I blame having been a guy. Guys suck at expressing themselves. Or at least I did. Which is probably why…” Jenna trailed off from that though as she realized it didn’t really matter. They were having a moment and she jumped over and pulled the other two into a group hug. ”No matter what the others may think you are our Seraph.”

Glad that she had managed to convey just what she meant to express, Alicia averted her gaze when they suggested she just talk to the Beckoners about it. It was a simple solution, but one that she was just nervous to attempt. She didn’t want to disrupt things, or make it look like she wasn’t up to the responsibility they had placed upon her shoulders.

Still, she supposed she didn’t have much of an excuse, not anymore. Sometimes it took an outside perspective on things to really push you into action. “I guess I should. What’s the worst that could happen, going back to being a normal member of beacon like everyone else?” With her current state in mind, she couldn’t say the idea didn’t have a certain appeal to it.

But she was distracted that by being drawn into the sudden hug as the twins professed how they felt. Stiff for a few seconds, Alicia soon gave in, eyes watering without becoming tears as she bit at her lip to hold back. ”Thanks you two. I appreciate it. Really.” She was going to need a moment or two to recover from this before she could get underway again.

Glad to have gotten that out there the twins held the hug for a while before letting go and giving Alicia a chance to pull herself together. ”Don’t mention it. If you ever need someone to talk to just let us know. It’s the least we could do.”

”I’ll remember that,” the Seraph assured them as she took some deep breaths to get herself back under control after the impromptu emotional release. She brushed her hair back, straightened her clothes a bit, and calmed down before nodded to the duo. ”So, I think we should get back to that patrol, don’t you?”

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

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Sylvia Starshine

_{First Step}

It was early. The sun had only just risen over the horizon and most people were still asleep. Penny was wide awake though. Her lowered need for sleep was normally seen as a blessing, but for today it had given her several hours of silent contemplation of all the various ways that what she was about to do could go horribly, horribly wrong.

That hadn’t swayed her from her choice, running away from a problem never solved it, and tended to hurt the ones you ran from. So here she stood, on the Back porch of Alicia’s house, watching the sunrise waiting for Alicia to wake up.

With a yawn, Alicia awoke from her slumber. Her rest had been well enough, especially when one considered the night that had led into it. There were no nightmares to talk about, and she rose feeling refreshed and ready to face the day.

Glancing over, a frown appeared as she noticed that the bed next to hers was not occupied by Penny. Had she chosen to leave early? Had something happened? She trusted that she could take care of herself if there was some sort of difficulty, but that did not stop her from worrying to some degree.

At the very least it couldn’t hurt to check, she resolved, and with her mind made up she rose from her bed to do a sweep of the house. It was not difficult to locate Penny, standing on the back porch and staring at the rising sun. “Hey,” she said aloud, announcing her presence as she walked up to her friend, “Early morning routine?”

“Something like that” Penny would say as she turned to look at her friend with a half hearted smile “I haven't been able to sleep more than four hours a night since I joined the community. So I tend to be a early riser” She would explain with a shrug. She was mostly sure it didn’t have anything to do with her physiology as she had met some other magicals that also didn’t need as much sleep as normal and by this point it was another thing she had just gotten used too.

There was a pause as Penny fidgeted with something in her pocket “How about you? Waking up with the sun a personal habit or community focused?” she would ask as she turned back to watch the changing sky.

“Community focused,” Alicia assured her. She was still a bit tired, but that would be shaken off soon enough. “Well, that and when I woke up you weren’t in the room, so I figured I’d check and see if you had left.” That sleep thing sounded useful, and there were definitely times she wished she could do the same. But compared to everything else she wanted, that was a relatively minor desire.

Looking back out to the horizon, Alicia was comfortable in her own home. “Mom and Dad will be up soon. We can have breakfast then, unless you’re really hungry,” she offered after a few minutes of silence.

“I can wait for food” Penny would reply before taking a breath. “There is something I wanted to talk to you about regardless” she would say as she moved to sit against the house “It’s community related” she would added once again fiddling with something in her pocket “And it’s not something I’m proud of, but you deserve to know. And I didn’t want it to get sprung on you out of nowhere, ‘cause it almost did. It was stupid, a terrible idea and…” Penny forced a breath out through her teeth. She was rambling. The one nervous habit she always had.

“What I’m trying to say is I messed up, and I know that.” She said with a sigh of defeat, as she pulled whatever it was she had been fiddling with out of her pocket and held it in her hand as tightly as she could “And I’m sorry” she turned her hand over and slowly opened it. In the center of her hand lay a small piece of inky darkness. It was circular, perfectly smooth as well as flat. It was unmistakable to anyone who was part of the magical world.

It was a Black Coin.

Penny’s entire body was rigid with tension and her eyes were fixed on the rising sun as she awaited Alicia’s reaction.

For a moment Alicia didn’t comprehend what she saw. It was evident when she did, her body stiffening as her eyes widened. The almost desperate thought that this was a dream raced across her mind, a sign of her disbelief made manifest.

That couldn’t be,...

There was no way…

Yet it was, and her stiff body snapped into action as she scrambled backwards, staring at Penny with eyes that made no secret of her disbelief, and the hurt. There was no question of how, or of the time. There was only one thing she wanted to know, and that was: why? The fact that Penny had apologized didn’t matter, not with something this important. As a member of Beacon, she was acutely aware of what having that coin meant. And suddenly, things were making a lot more sense.

Just as quickly, the shutters came down in a glare. “Explanation. Now,” she said at last, words practically spat out in anger. “Or I swear to the Spark I will end this alliance right here, without hesitation.”

“He Who Brushes Away The Old, can’t be trusted,” she started softly; Alicia’s reaction hurt, but it was the best she could have hoped for. “And He has already called off the alliance, just didn’t bother telling anyone.”[/color] Penny’s voice was surprisingly even in light of the crime she was admitting too. One could almost trick themselves into thinking Penny was fine were it not for her shaking hands and softly glowing eyes.

“He...Doesn’t care. About anything other than change. Beacon is something he’s been targeting for a long time, but the Mint is just as much as a target for him.” She began, closing her hand to hide the coin from sight, but made no move to return it to her pocket. “He pointed a Broker in my direction, I don’t know when, but I met them the night of the gas station incident. I was worried, for Thalia,” her voice cracked as she said her lost friend’s name, and took a moment before pushing on, “and the potential fallout of her full transformation. Beacon hadn’t yet openly started to move away from their hard stance and I had fallen for her. It was a mistake, made worse by the fact she ran away once she woke up, but that one’s on me for assuming she trusted me.” Tears were silently running down Penny’s face as she spoke, but she kept her voice clear and her legs still. She would not run, no matter how much it hurt.

“I only met the Broker a few times, as she became my handler as well, but it was how I got the metal to build my extra limbs and a couple of other things. Mostly I kept them as far away as I could. Wanted to tell them to go to hell, but hard to do when your Patron says otherwise.” A useless shrug. The reason felt hollow to Penny, but it was the only one she had to offer. “Last time I saw them was just the other morning, I was following a lead, as one of the things I added to my debt was information that could possibly help me find Thalia, or at least find out what happened to her.”

“She, the handler, had a falling out with Mint. Don’t know what about, asked but didn’t get an answer. I had always assumed that few people knew about me in their organization, but Elroy made it sound like she told him, so any number of people could know. I decided that if anyone was going to tell you, it was going to be me, because at least this way you can get some closure rather than wondering.” The entire time she spoke she kept her gaze locked on the horizon. She didn’t want to face the hurt and betrayal that was almost certainly on Alicia’s face, the anger in her voice cut deep enough. “Once we're done here I’m planning on telling Sylvia. You deserved to know first though.”

Alicia was silent, her powers tapped as she listened to what Penny had to say. It was a good thing they were here, now. As a worse setting probably would have seen her already with her weapon drawn. All things considered she was being downright accommodating for someone who had just revealed themselves to be a member of the Mint. A different Beacon member probably would have gone straight to fighting, and skipped any attempted explanation.

As much as she hated to admit it, things did make some sense. How Penny had been acting recently, what had happened in the graveyard. The fact that Laat had already called off the alliance wasn’t even that much of a surprise. It was just another bad thing to happen to Beacon recently. They were just lucky that this had been revealed before they had been stabbed in the back (again).

She was silent, still, focused intently as Penny went about her explanation. She wanted to make sure that there was no lie, that she had not missed something important. She wanted to trust Penny, but after this revelation that she had missed so completely she couldn’t take the chance.

At least she knew the ‘when’ now, and the ‘why’. It didn’t make things easier, but it was useful. But she continued to focus on what was really important here. Sylvia would definitely want to know anyway, regardless of how this ended. “Why now?” she asked at last. “Clearly your patron didn’t approve of this, so why the sudden honesty?” If she just wanted to give an explanation to salve her conscience before they went back to being enemies, then that was fine, but Alicia had the feeling there was more to it than that.

“Because I’m tired, for one” Penny would answer after a few moments “Tired of Him using me for his deals, tired of lying by omission to you and Janet, tired of waiting for everything to blow up in my face.” It was the truth she had come to face at the graveyard, before she had stepped away from her humanity “I also don’t want my mistakes to condemn other monster girls again. The ones like Kimble, who don’t mean harm. They don’t deserve me tearing down their hope, with my idiocy, not when it’s still new.”

Penny stalled, as she debated for a moment, on whether or not to voice her last reason. It didn’t take long as shaking her head she knew she had too, any deception here no matter how small was to much to risk. “I’ve also started crushing on you, rather hard.” Penny finished softly not wanting to elaborate.

She felt sick, and resisted the urge to curl up. It was an ugly truth that most of Penny’s reasons were selfish. She had been forced to find a way to survive on her own ever since she had joined the magical community, but having actually spoken the reasons aloud she couldn’t escape how much she sounded like her parton, and she hated that association so much right now.

Once again Alicia fell silent as Penny explained what had brought about her change of attitude. Once again her powers worked, trying to discern if there was some sort of lie, but finding none beneath the reasons were understandable, especially since she knew that Penny had had problems with Laat from their past conversations.

The last thing said caused her eyes to widen in surprise yet again, and to stiffen. This was not exactly the best way to learn that someone had a crush on you, and now it just had to make things more complicated. A sigh escaped, her head bowing slightly. They would just have to talk about that later, when they had figured out what was even going to happen to Penny. It was too much to handle right now.

“Okay, I see,” she replied at last. She couldn’t let her feelings get in the way of her judgment. She just had to continue on. “What has the Mint had you do for them since you began to work for them?”

“Nothing really, I’ve been more of a scout really, sending off Information I’ve found. I tended to stick to pictures of Beckoners and defunct patrol routes, whatever was the least useful,” Penny answered with a grimace; she was never fully sure that she was feeding bad information or not. Never asked, to keep herself safe. “I’ve still got a backup of everything I’ve sent off and can give it to you later.”

Back In the house there would be the sounds of the parents getting up signaling they were running low on time to speak privately. Penny would finally break her gaze away from the horizon to glance at the house before looking to Alicia. Silently asking how she wanted to handle this.

There was some consolation in the fact that Penny had not given anyway anything particularly important, aside from perhaps the roster list from Beckoners. But they weren’t exactly a secret organization, so even that was not too big of a deal.

“Do that,” she agreed with Penny before glancing back into the house. They were almost out of time. “One last thing: I just need you to tell me that this was not your idea, and you did not want to harm Beacon. Those exact words, no deviation,” she told Penny. The answer was pretty clear already, but she needed to confirm it with her powers, for the sake of completeness.

Once that had been done she sighed, rising to her feet. “I believe you,” she told Penny. “Let’s go back inside, I need to arrange the meeting with Sylvia so we can handle this mess.” And she would do just that, heading inside and back up to her room. Once she was there she would fire off a text message on her phone.

To: Sylvia

We need to talk asap. Where/when can you meet?

That done, she returned to join the rest of the family for breakfast as she waited for a response.

---

Later during the day, Sylvia, Alicia and Penny were at a Chinese restaurant, the former having invited them over after they agreed on meeting up. Sylvia had that day off, with Sally working as her substitute, and she decided they would go eat something spicy.
“These spring rolls are delicious,” she commented with a smile, not seemingly having noticed the tension in the air between the latter two. “Especially after a job well done; we didn’t lose any civilians in that mess.” However, after she took another look at the two, her expression turned somber.
“...I figured this wasn’t a normal date; nobody asks to meet their boss for casual reasons. I can tell when something has happened. Well, what is it?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, having put her spring roll aside.

The Chinese restaurant was nice, and were the purpose of the meeting not so serious Alicia would have liked to have taken more time to enjoy it. As it was, it seemed like only Sylvia was able to enjoy herself when it came to the gravity of this situation. And that probably wouldn’t last.

As they at last turned to business, she took a deep breath before her gaze met that of her boss while her hands rested on the wooden lacquered table. “Right, it is,” she assured Sylvia. “As of this morning I’m dissolving the alliance between Beacon and Laat'AlOfan. Penny, tell her what you told me.” She gave a small nod in the direction of the girl next to her without looking at her. Not just yet anyway.

At the full use of Her Patron’s name Penny couldn’t help but flinch. He would be watching now, and she knew it, but it there was nothing she could do about that. Taking a deep breath she would once again reveal the Black Coin she had, and place it on the table. “He wasn’t content on having me work with just Beacon.” She would begin as she watched Sylvia. “He contacted the Mint and directed them to me. I don’t know when He spoke to them, but I was approached by a Broker a week before the assault on Justine’s castle. I was an Idiot,” She would tap the coin for emphasis “And since then I have been sending small, hopefully useless, packets of information to them about Beacon to work off the debt that I acquired due to His demands.”

“I’ve received little from the Mint, mostly hard to aquire supplies and information. Recently my contact with Mint has had a falling out with them, a few days ago. I don’t know what caused it, or why and I haven’t been contacted by anyone else from the Mint yet.” She would take a drink from her water before continuing as the next few words had the greatest chance of drawing Laat’s ire “I am tired of being used as a pawn in His schemes, and don’t want my stupidity to hurt the chances of other monster girls now that you have started moving away from a hard kill stance.”

The moment she was done speaking she could feel a droning static start to build in her head. He was annoyed at her choice of actions, but nothing more would come of it yet.

“...”

Contrary to what one might have expected, Sylvia didn’t seem to show any shock or surprise in her expression. In fact, it seemed as if she had expected it, or at the very least, went to great effort to conceal it on her part; whether it was intuition, or years of experience in her job, she immediately understood the gravitas of her confession. She glanced in Alicia’s direction, acknowledging her, before her gaze locked on to Penny. And then, she sighed heavily.

“...The God of Change, huh? What were they thinking?” She leaned back on her seat, having crossed her arms, and gave an angry glare at Penny. “Penny, do you understand the situation you are in right now?” She looked down at the Black Coin, and seemed to hold back from gritting her teeth. “Even mere possession of a Black Coin is grounds for elimination.” She averted her eyes. “But, it sounds like your Patron was the deciding factor in your betrayal. Ugh…”

She sighed again. “You know, the last time a traitor came to us asking for forgiveness, it turned into a disaster. The news of it leaked instantly, thanks to those damn spies the Penrose Independent had planted in our organization. This won’t be any different. In fact, it will turn worse; Beacon will lose all faith in the reformation, and we will regress back to the old ways.”

Her arms slumped down to her sides, and her eyes seemed to stare into space.
“...I still remember that day…” She suddenly spoke up.
“When I found you in the Overcity. You were a real pain in the butt to put back together, what with all your pieces lodged in the ice and whatnot. But there...I touched your heart.” She slowly placed one hand on the table.

“And what I felt...It was unlike any monster girl’s, and not because it was metallic; I felt a bright light in there, full of hope.” She lifted the hand to her own chest. “I still believe in that Penny, the one who fought to protect others, who risked her life for it. And for that reason...” She stood up from her seat. “I won’t order you eliminated. Nor will I hold a trial.” She placed both hands on the table. “However, In return, I will ask for one thing, and one thing only…” She took a deep breath.

“Forfeit your Patron...And join Beacon as a full member.”

Penny did not hide her surprise at Sylvia’s words, she had come here expecting much, much worse. Yet she could not help the brittle smile that formed on her face. She placed her hand over the Black Coin so there would be no chance of losing it. “I would have abandoned him and joined Beacon along time ago if I could” She declared sadly.

A moment later she would let out a hiss of pain as the droning static became piercing nails across her mind. “All who serve him directly are bound to him” she would continue through grit teeth “And he guards the secrets of freedom jealousy, willingly sabotages us as well so that we can’t break free of his grasp.” As she continued to speak, things would start to break all around them. Glasses would crack and plates would split. Even the table between them would groan as it started to warp.

Meanwhile Penny could feel the Monster within her trying to stir. Her body started to itch and her skin would feel too tight. Her emotions would start to dull, some on the verge of shutting down. All the while the sharp static pain would start to throb as if someone was hammering the nails in deeper. “If…” Words hurt to form and the desire for freedom was slowly fading “...You can help me…” She was looking at Alicia now, Penny couldn’t remember turning to look at her “...I’m yours.”

Sylvia’s gaze turned more stern as Penny struggled with the destructive influence Laat had on her, and bit the corner of her lip as she saw how as she attempted to resist the urge, her presence alone was enough to dismantle the dishes. She wrapped her hand around the one holding the Black Coin, holding it firmly as she looked her deep in the eye with compassionate eyes. “I know a way. It will be risky, and there is a chance you might die...But you can be freed from your curse.”

Silently listening to the conversation, things were going much better than Alicia had feared that they might. She hadn’t even needed to try and persuade Sylvia, with both of them knowing the challenges that this represented. It was a whole different business from what had happened with Janet, because the Mint was a whole different beast. And too rapid change would destroy everything.

But it seemed they were going forwards with this, and she was pleased to find Penny fully willing to join them. Not that she was particularly surprised by that either, but for some time it had felt like nothing was truly certain any more. Not that Laat approved, if the rising commotion in the diner was any indication of his feelings.

Meeting Penny’s pained eyes, Alicia smiled warmly as she took her friend’s other hand, mind already catching on to what Sylvia had in mind. If she thought that it could work, then who was she to doubt the plan? “Well, it’s not like you have any better options,” she noted aloud, giving her hand a soft squeeze. “I’ll be with you the whole time.”

Penny held the warm gaze coming from Alicia. Willing herself to get lost in the other girls' eyes, stoking what little emotion she could to stave the other side of her existence off. She would nod slowly as determination would crystalize within her. She would turn to Sylvia. “I’ll…” the world would nearly dissolve in to static as pain blindsided her.

For a moment her world narrowed down to pain and a nearly overwhelming desire to rampage, her cursed mind being kicked into overdrive by a vindictive God, but the contact with Alicia and Sylvia helped in grounding her. Allowing her to focus on the savage, human, glee she felt at truly pissing off Laat. “Do... It” it was hard to say if it was a continuation or a demand as her voice crackled with static and the rate of of wanton destruction would increase.

It was easy to see her disguise was barely being held together. Her eyes were glowing ominously and most of the color had drained away from her skin and hair. Additionally her gaze would flicker back and forth between a vacant stare and a baleful glare. Penny had otherwise fallen unresponsive, though oddly compliant. She would follow if one of them pulled her along and would generally stay where she was if left alone.

She was placing her life in their hands. Hoping that her trust would be rewarded.

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

&



(Plus some Beckoner)

It had been a busy day today. A big fight and saving the world from a Horror, a party, training, and making new allies. Yet for Alicia the day had not yet concluded as she found herself downtown. She was here for another meeting, one which was a bit more ambiguous than the one she had had earlier in the day. Katarina had been up front about wanting a partnership. But this Rebecca? Just needing help was a lot more broad.

At the moment she was loitering a bit, idly pacing around near one of those cardboard cutouts that they used to advertise movies. Her chosen location for this meeting had been an art house, one of those places that showed avante garde and indie films in addition to the blockbuster hits. It wasn’t the busiest place most of the time, but if you knew how to position yourself right then you could have a conversation somewhat masked by one of the movies playing in the theater. Not that it would make a difference to a determined magical girl, but she was at least making an effort.That had to count for something, right?

Her gaze drifted, sweeping across people as they walked by whilst wondering just who would end up approaching to speak with her. They had set a time and place, and she was at the place and it was almost time. “When did I become Beacon’s diplomat?” she muttered to herself with some amusement. It felt like she had done more talking than smiting darkness recently, world ending Horror aside.

Still, she could afford to be a bit patient, especially for someone who said they needed help. “Fifteen minutes? That sounds good.” Alicia checked her phone to make sure of the time, just in case she was off. Which she was not. Well, she’d give Rebecca this, to a reasonable amount. And if it was a trap after all, well, that was just going to be really unfortunate.

Some seven minutes passed before the presumed girl in question arrived. Rebecca had spent the time checking, double, triple, the exact location, ensuring without a shadow of doubt that it was the correct place. For one of the first times in her life, Rebecca wanted to be no part of the engagement - to run somewhere far away, where she would neither have to meet with Beacon agents and The Boss. The recent complications had made it all the worse. In the hours prior, she had returned to the apartment shared with Charlotte, to find privacy for privacy's sake, and to figure out just what would happen from this moment forth.

From the doors into the lobby of the theatre stepped Rebecca, already transformed. The white of her uniform, and the formality of such a thing, laid bare a stark contrast to the patrons of the establishment. Awkwardly, Rebecca thumbed with her Soul Jar, and the brown orange locks that fell over her epaulettes, casting a cautionary, and anxiety riddled gaze over the scene. Without backup, entering into hostile territory, and without her weapons at hand, her expression was that of fear. And yet it didn’t dull her sense. Every look was a full body scan, every glance was an observation - be it the nerves, or a subconscious mechanism.

With a white gloved hand, she reached into a side pocket, and removed a touch screen device, outside the standard issue of The Penrose Independent. It was new, free from any bugs or tracking devices. In the hours prior, Rebecca had gone through, meticulously, everything she owned, leaving nothing to be linked back to the Independent more than identifying her as a person being tracked. She reread her notes, checked the time, and replaced the thing. This wasn’t the first possibly dangerous meeting she had been on, Rebecca thought, though it barely helped. So she resigned herself to the fear, and took point in an obvious location. Any human would mistake her for a lost cosplayer, but a Magical Girl would easily make the distinction. It was simply a matter of waiting.

It wasn’t all that hard to identify who she was looking for when the time came. A transformed state that made one look like a cosplayer tended to stand out, at least outside of conventions. That was undoubtedly what the other patrons thought she was, but Alicia knew better than that. After all, they were both magical girls.

She watched her a bit, sizing up the girl that she was supposed to meet, and making sure that everything felt right. There was a lot of anxiety radiating off of the girl, which fit with her attempt to acquire help.She was probably easier to satisfy that there wasn’t an ambush planned than Rebecca was though such things weren’t really Beacon’s style anyway. Not that that discounted a third party, but that was the risk one would have to take.

Stepping away from her position against the wall and near the cardboard figure, Alicia waved as she walked over to the white uniform clad girl. “So, you must be Rebecca,” she said once close, offering a hand to shake. “Glad to see you could make it. Though I figured you’d want to be a more circumspect.” Not that she minded, it was merely an observation.

Although she knew what to expect, Rebecca still eyed the girl with unabashed caution. She wanted to take the untransformed state as a sign of amnesty, that Alicia giving away the upper hand so easily was enough to trust her and the situation. But Rebecca had been taught better than that, for better or for worse. Her eyes trained Alicia for every step she was worth, a year of rigorous training crossing her mind in an instant. If she wanted to live, a fuck up was less than unacceptable.

”Aye, tha’s, tha’s me,” Rebecca replied, removing the rightmost glove to take Alicia’s hand. ”Durability’s me best attribute, so… y’know, bein’ Transformed. Ah’m fuckin’ nervous, aight? - this isn’t, this… shite, ah’m sorry ‘bout this, ah need you’s lots help, ah don’t ‘ave a choice. D’you’s ‘ave anywhere more private to talk or anything?”

Wow, that was an accent. Alicia had to take a second to mentally parse things, glad that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. After a moment she shrugged, accepting the explanation at face value. “Fair enough.” She’d probably do the same thing if she was as nervous as Rebecca appeared to be.

As for her request, that could be arranged. “Sure. Follow me.” She led Rebecca over to an elevator, which would take them to the second floor. There was a small lobby area there, meant to allow handicapped persons to get to the top of the big theaters. Because of that people didn’t usually go up here. She only knew about it because she’d worked part time here some time ago, so she knew the layout.

Upon arrival Alicia walked over to a locked door, entering the code on a keypad and admitting them into the crew break room. Fortunately the code hadn’t been changed since she worked here. At the moment the room was empty, and it would probably stay that way for at least a bit. Good enough for what they intended to do at least.

Closing the door behind them, she then turned to face the other girl, relaxed and ready to get down to business. “So, what’s this all about then? What kind of trouble are you in?”

Another cautionary glance was cast about the outside, as Rebecca entered into the break room, and then a third once within. For the moment, the plan had gone smoothly. But she lacked the wherewithal to continue, Rebecca realised. This kind of work was more in line with Christine and The Boss’s expertise - espionage was the least bit her talent. Anxiety had left her balance unsteady, and a headache drastically different from the one at the graveyard wracked her stressed brain. For a moment, there was silence, as Rebecca dragged herself to a nearby chair.

”Before, uh… anythin’, ah should get this outta’ the way,” Rebecca began, and summed elsewhere a weapon: the Odachi, its sheath still clung to the blade. She reached to the side, and placed it on a nearby table. ”Ah was at the graveyard, fought that, uh… Abigail. Ah got caught in this, ah dunno, explosion ah guess. Ah think it was, like, mana or some shite. But… Ah know you’s don’t like Dark Magical Girls, but, ah think ah might’ve been corrupted. Just… thought you’s should know.”

Alicia’s gaze narrowed for a moment, examining Rebecca more closely as she admitted to what had happened to her at the graveyard fight. However, after a moment she seemed to relax. “We’re trying to judge people for their actions rather than their nature these days, and if you’ve been a dark magical girl for all of half a day then I doubt that’s something to worry about. But ultimately it depends on what kind of help you need,” Alicia decided. This was new ground to some extent, and while she was willing to hear her out, she didn’t want to make promises.

”Ah… ah need ta’ ask you two things,” Rebecca replied, shifting somewhat more uncomfortably in her chair at the sight of Alicia’s glare. ”First, see… Ah know some people. Ah dunno really much about ‘em, but ah guess they’re, like, human Mages or somethin’? Call ‘emselves Runners - definitely aint Magical Girls. But… they’re gettin’ killed cause that magical protection wish that was made a few week back ain’t protecting ‘em. They asked me ta’, well, pass the message onta’ Beacon, see if they’d be willin’ to help at all.”

The second request came with more difficulty to the girl. Without exception, Rebecca knew it would test her mettle. For one of the few times in her life, she was scared of something - and rightly so, with the cleansing fangs of Beacon glaring down upon her in the form of their Seraph. The meeting would be off if Alicia smelt even a hint of a lie. Rebecca’s hand balled into a fist, her knuckles growing pale under her stark white gloves, and her foot drummed nervously against the floor of the break room.

”Second,” she began, ”The Penrose Independent ‘as this suspension program. When you’s fuck up a story too badly, they send you on somethin’ they’s call ‘training’. M’ah sister - Twin Soul, whatever - got put on it a few weeks back… she’s alive, but I canne find her. Ah don’t even think she’s in Penrose anymore. We’s joined up to try and ‘elp some people, but… ah dunno if she’s safe, ah’ve been threatened with the same thing recently. Please, contact your Beckoners or… somethin’, I need to join Beacon. Ah might be able to help some people, an’ find me sister, an’ ah won’t have to worry so hard ‘bout fucking things up.”

Alicia was quiet as she followed along with what Rebecca wanted to say. “Okay,” she said to the first request. This was new to her, but since Beacon’s job was to protect people anyway it didn’t seem like it was far out of their wheelhouse. “I’ll see if we can set something up to help there.” She was sure that Sylvia would be willing to at least give it a shot, even with all the other distractions they had on their plate. But Rebecca probably understood that anyway.

An eyebrow rose as they turned to the second, and much more important request. It was possible, though it wouldn’t be easy. But if Rebecca really wanted to try, and she seemed sincere in her belief, then there didn’t seem to be a reason to disagree.

She caught herself before agreeing though, curiosity sparked as she scratched an itch on her cheek. “That seems awfully grim for a news agency,” she noted aloud, a hand coming to rest upon her hip as she sought to appease her curiosity with what had been relayed. “Is the place a front for the Ebon Mint or something?”

”Not that ah’m aware of,” Rebecca chuckled, somewhat nervously. Though the initial anxiety remained, she appeared to have settled into the conversation a bit more - her foot tapping less and less for every second that passed since Alicia had agreed to the first request. ”Ah canne say ah know what the training’s about… Hell, it might just be training, but… Ah don’t trust em’. Not with mine or me sister’s life.”

Alicia could hardly blame Rebecca for feeling that way. After everything that had happened to her, she would go to great lengths for any of her sisters too. She was more concerned by the Mint being behind this, but it looked like it was just a company with shady business practices. Still bad, but a lot easier to deal with than something as pervasive as the Mint.

“Alright.” She took a few steps closer to Rebecca, firm without being confrontational. But this was serious stuff, not something to be taken lightly. “At this point a dark magical girl joining Beacon is a bit too out there for most of the common members to accept.” Even she wasn’t sure whether she was ready to accept it, without time to get to know a DMG like she had with Penny.

She continued that train of thought fairly quickly. “That leaves us with two options. Either you stay on your own and I’ll try to assist you in finding your sister on the side as best I can. Or you’re going to have to let Beacon go through with purifying the magical corruption, and then we can begin the membership process.” She had a suspicion as to what Rebecca would choose, but she wanted to offer some options anyway.

”Um,” Rebecca started, fidgeting on the spot at the idea of purification. There was no lie she could tell - being a Dark Magical Girl didn’t suit her, nor did the migraines that seemed to accompany it. The prospect was a frightening one, placing her life in the hands of the people she was actively deceiving. Even though it was her second objective, being away from the Independent, and outside The Boss’s orders appealed highly. It felt correct. And more importantly, it satisfied Rebecca’s mission parameters. ”Could you’s… tell me what’ll ‘appen to me durin’ it? Wha’does “purification” even entail?”

Uncertainty was to be expected in a situation like this. The purification process was something that didn’t tend to get much attention, mostly because of the restrictions on it and because of their reputation. But with it the subject now, she was more than willing to discuss it.

“Purification is a fairly simple process,” Alicia explained, remaining in place in a slightly more relaxed stance. “You’ll be placed inside of a magic circle, where a complex ritual is formed that lasts for ten minutes. If you leave the circle, the ritual fails. Usually this happens by consent, or because we’ve managed to incapacitate the magical girl beforehand. Given how difficult that tends to be, that’s why Beacon is more likely to go for a short term permanent solution to the problem.” If Rebecca was willing, then this wouldn’t be an issue in the slightest.

Having explained the method, she addressed the other facet of the question. “Essentially, Purification uses the power of the Spark to attune your magic and remove dark magical energy. Monster girls are returned to normal, mental mutations are healed, That sort of thing. The only side effect, from what I’ve observed, is that any physical changes tend to linger beyond their original form. Which doesn’t seem like it should be a problem for you.”

Rebecca gave an understanding nod. Her eyes drifted over to the weapon, the Odachi that had she had just recently obtained. Under no reasonable circumstance was Rebecca willing to draw it, but ‘reasonable’ as a Magical Girl was few and far between. If it came down to the wire and there were no other options, Rebecca wanted it with her. ”Any idea’s what’ll ‘appen to me new sword? Guess it’ll vanish with the magical energy, huh.”

Following her gaze to the sword, Alicia could only shrug. “I don’t know, for sure. It tends to depend on how connected it was to your magical overload,” she admitted. They would only find out for sure once it had been completed.

”Aight…” Rebecca sighed. Her left hand reached to her own head, and ran through her hair, as she leant back into the seat. ”I canne say ah’m too excited ‘bout going into somethin’ kinda vague like this, but… ah’ll do it. This ain’t what ah wanna be, an’ the headache hurts like a bitch too. Aye, ah’ll do it.”

“It’s magic, we try to figure out what we can,” Alicia explained with a shrug. At least things had gone in the direction that she expected they would, and Rebecca soon agreed with her proposal.

Nodding in approval, she moved on to the actual details of what they needed to do. “Alright, well, I can tell the Beckoners. Would you prefer to do this now? Because I can get them to set a date for the next couple days or so and relay it to you, if that works better.” She wasn’t sure how Rebecca’s current mood would influence how they went about this, so best to leave it up to her.

Alicia was right. Magic at its best was a crapshoot, and relevant information about it was at worst impossible to make sense of. Half the things in the world didn’t make sense, and the other half were inconsequential - Rebecca vaguely remembered The Boss mentioning something similar. Regardless of what Rebecca understood, there was always more complexities she didn’t understand. ”Ah’d, uh… ah’d prefer sooner rather than later. Quicker ah get purified, the better, ah’d say. Whenever you’s can fit me in, ah guess?” Rebecca laughed - an uncertain chuckle, disjointed from her actions, and marred in anxiety. ”Jus’ gimme a call, an’ ah’ll be there. Really, thank you’s for this. Mean’s a lot.”

“Of course, I’ll do that,” Alicia agreed, taking a step off to the side. It seemed they were about done here, at least for now. But they would definitely be seeing each other in the near future (if nothing happened to Rebecca in the short term). “Beacon is always willing to help those in need, if they’re willing to accept it. So I’ll be in touch once I’ve gotten things worked out with the Beckoners..” If there was anything else Rebecca wanted to add, she was free to do so. Otherwise Alicia wasn’t going to stop her from leaving as their meeting came to an end.

”Yeah, please. Guess ah’ll, uh, see you’s around?” Rebecca replied awkwardly, and stood up from her chair. Her fingers brushed gently across the wooden sheath of the weapon, and it vanished from sight, while she continued on to the door. Before Rebecca left, and as something of an afterthought, she turned back. Bravaan would have her head for abandoning him as a Patron in favour of Beacon, but his wrath would be all the more if she neglected her rites. Arms to the side, and rigid in body, Rebecca bowed in Alicia direction, and quickly took off in slight embarrassment.

“See you soon,” Alicia agreed with a wave as Rebecca departed. She waited until the girl had departed and the door had swung closed, giving it a good five count just to make sure she didn’t come back for some reason or other. Only then did she let out a sigh, shaking her head. Well, that had definitely not been what she was expecting from this meeting.

But hers was not the only opinion that mattered, and now it was time to take stock of the meeting. ”So, what do you think,” she asked, leaning against the table as the Beckoner who had been observing appeared. “She wasn’t lying, but that’s not infallible. Are we going to go through with this?”

“We will, for it is the path you have been fated to walk.” The Beckoner, resembling a red panda, scratched the table with its tiny claws. “Archangel, only you can pave the way for mankind’s hope, every good deed a stone to step on. Stay vigilant, and may the light of Beacon guide you.”

The Beckoner then vanished, as they were wont to do. But that day, Alicia could feel a bit more proud than usual.

@Vocab[@Armiamis]