Ponn

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

Also Eden: I'm dead now.

U.R.L.

“Sorry, Pinky, but I’ve already got the best setup I could want in a backwater reality plenum like this,” the mad scientist explained, not sounding sorry in the slightest. “Although… You mentioned two employees of yours who fancy themselves scientists. Let me have a little chat with them to see if they’re not complete amateurs, and if they have anything interesting to offer, we can work out a little quid pro quo arrangement. I borrow them to assist me with something I’m working on, and you can borrow my super-scientific genius for ONE project. That sound good?”

”Mmmm, that might be difficult.” Oros rubbed her chin. ”They are my co-managers at the hotel. While they are both accomplished magi researchers, one runs an artificing shop strictly for their own profit while the other does research for a third party. That sort of stuff isn’t part of the contract. So any ‘squid pro quo’ is going to be between you and them. Furthermore, while I can see you’re cute you haven’t given me any reason to believe you have the big galaxy brain you claim to have. I know what those two are capable of, and you think you’re better than both of them without having ever met them?” Oros chuckled. ”Oh I got it now. Yea, you gotta make me something. And then I’ll arrange a meet up for you three. I’ll grease the wheels a bit of course, just to ensure things go smoothly.”

Nykannis ground her teeth as Oros expressed doubt in her abilities. “Okay, Miss Magical Girl Deadpool, you wanna see why I’m the Queen of the Mad Scientists?!! Why I’m the most brilliant mind this reality plenum has ever seen?!! FINE!!! I’ll make whatever crazy reality shattering invention you want! The more challenging the better! Well, within reason, of course,” she added, her voice taking on a regretful tone. “See, the deal I made with the Grand Magistrates stipulates that I can’t make any major changes to the universal status quo, ESPECIALLY where Penrose is concerned, so, yeah…”

”Yea, they can be sort of a bummer to work around. I find it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission with those dudes. But let’s see…” Oros exhaled and thought. This was her one chance to ask for almost anything. ”Alright, this might be a little crazy, but you’re the queen of maid scientists, right Nyan? Should be possible. You ready?” She nodded. ”I want a back scratcher!” After a short pause, she tipped her head. ”Like, a robot maid! Yea! A cute, robot, maid! Maybe a cat maid? A personal assistant, that’s also a back scratcher and shit!”

“A maid?” Nykannis deadpanned. “All my vast, super-scientific knowledge, and you want me to make you a MAID?!!”

”I trust it will be unlike any robot cat maid I have ever seen!”

“ Fine…” she exhaled in weary resignation. “I’ll make you a damn maid. Cat ears, cat tail, cat collar, fetishistic outfit, the works. So, you want this thing to look organic or mechanical?”

The question caused Oros to stop and think, which Nykannis was pretty sure she didn’t do often. ”If it’s indistinguishable from a living person that’s pretty cool. Who doesn’t want a cute maid? Then again, I can just hire a cat maid easily enough. Having clearly metallic features allows me to show off, but it could be a problem if normies come around.” Oros placed her outstretched hand on top of Nykannis head and gently patted it. ”Nyan? Have you ever noticed that when you go to a fancy restaurant the menus are really small, they don’t make special orders, but the food is always really good regardless? You seem like you know what you’re doing. It doesn’t even have to be a cat girl if it’s awesome!” Her smile got wider as she continued to pat the scientist’s head. ”Is that unreasonable? I could go for something easier if you’d prefer.”

“Easier?” Nykannis spat, as if the very concept was deeply repulsive. Or maybe that was just her response to the sensation of Oros’s hand on the top of her head? Probably both. “You’ve already set the bar so low, it’s practically underground! But I get it, you want me to take this mundane, stereotypical concept and do something creative with it. Okay, I think I have an idea on how we might do that,” she added. Activating a small holographic display and producing a circuit-covered stylus, the mad scientist began drawing up plans and scribbling down notes. “Keeping in mind your various fetishes and need for this thing to be able to interact with normies, here’s what I was thinking.” Manipulating the holodisplay, she pulled out a 3D model of her idea for Oros to examine. “First we have the maid portion. Basic moe, cat girl maid. Shy personality, underdeveloped body, and fully organic, although the ears and tail are fully detachable, in case you need to prove she’s ‘really human’ to any over-inquisitive weebs. I will mention that she incorporates some ridiculously advanced nanotech, allowing for a variety of interesting applications. In particular, she has an energy to matter conversion unit, which should allow her to produce whatever food, drink or other mundane item you want, with the item in question materializing in her hands. Naturally it also works in reverse as well. But you wanted something a little more ‘outside the box’ than just that, right?” she added with a smirk. “Well, that’s where the second part comes in!” Snapping her fingers, there was a bright flash, after which, the 3D model’s appearance had changed significantly. “With a simple command phrase of your choosing, your cat girl maid will become a magical girl. She’ll be a disgustingly kawaii genki girl when she’s in this form, with a VERY cheery personality, great for annoying people you don’t like. While I’ve given her a limited amount of Metaphysical Aetheric Numinosphere Accelerator, she’ll still be a joke compared to what a regular magical girl is capable of, so just keep that in mind if you plan to put her in a combat situation. So, whadya think?”

”Yea, that sounds good! The nanomachines should prevent her from getting hacked or frying due to simple static electricity.” After nodding a few times, Oros looked away from the hologram and at the scientist. ”And this will 100% be able to scratch my back, right?”

“You saw the claws, didn’t you?” Nykannis replied with a wry grin. “Well, if everything meets with your approval, there’s just one last thing to take care of.” Spreading her thumb and forefinger, the mad scientist created a rectangular holographic window in front of Oros. “Sign here,” she instructed, handing the beast girl her stylus.

Oros twirled the stylus in her hand before holding it over the pad. After staring at it for a moment, her expression soured. ”Ehh, I dunno.” She pulled her hand away. ”I mean, we have plenty of Non-Patron Champions, or NPC’s if you’d prefer, back in Penrose. I doubt my patron could handle another one.” With a sigh, she handed the stylus back to the doctor. ”Perhaps another time.” She extended her other hand towards Kate, which had a business card in it. ”If you find yourself in the area, I could definitely put you to use. Though it might be a bit before I have anything worthwhile for you to do. While Penrose might be dangerous, I do have a safe place for you to sleep at least. Our breakfasts are nothing to shit on either.”

“What the hell?!” Nykannis snapped. “Ya make me do all that work, and now you don’t want it?! Well guess what?! I went through the trouble of designing it, so you can bet your ass I’m making it and bringing it with me to my chat with your two ‘scientist’ pals!”

”So my patron won’t have to control it?” Oros reached for the stylus.

Meanwhile, Kate was far more receptive of Oros’s offer. “Thanks,” she told the pink-haired girl with a smile as she took the offered business card. “And here’s my contact info,” she added, handing over her own card. “I gotta say, I’ve been kinda curious about the Golden Trove ever since that one girl on Glimmer gave it such a glowing review.”

”You won’t be disappointed!” Oros said with a wink before sucking the card into her hammer space and looking back at the scientist. ”Gib pen!”

“Your patron?” Nykannis asked with a raised eyebrow. “What the hell do they have to do with anything? You’re the one who’s gonna ‘control it’,” she added, returning the stylus to the now quite insistent Oros. “If it helps, think of it as more of a familiar than a full-fledged magical girl.”

”Oh, that does make sense now.” Oros held the pen. She still didn’t look like she was ready to sign. But her expression softened until she looked sullen. ”Nyan, I do have to admit that you are a genius. You really pumped this concept to 250%. I can also see that while this is far below your abilities and probably a simple thing to do, you’ve become attached enough to it that you can’t allow yourself to not complete it. I know why that is, but that’s not really important.” She handed the stylus back to Nykannis a second time. ”You’re tailoring this creation to me like a fine suit, but you don’t have all the measurements. As an example, I have a hammerspace that lets me carry around all the mundane shit I need. A familiar doesn’t have to do that for me. You probably couldn’t tell by our conversation, but I’m also really good at being annoying. I probably don’t need a familiar that can do that. We just need to spend more time together.” She presented Nykannis with a business card. ”I agree with what you said earlier. You can meet the three of us at the Golden Trove with your maido prototype, or however that works. Binky Is the creator of the red coins you see around Penrose and also co-created the white coins with Beacon. Aria is a member of the Gourd. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”

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

@Ariamis @Card Captor @FamishedPants @AtomicNut

As the torrential rain continued to pour down, the sounds of the tempest were suddenly overtaken by screams of pure agony, emanating from the warehouse.

“W-What is t-that?!” Connie asked, her terror clear in her voice.

“I do not know, little sister,” Gaia replied as she put her arm around her trembling friend. “But it cannot be anything good.”

The next instant, Connie gave a startled gasp as a girl slowly dragged herself out of the warehouse. Blood drained from her eyes, nose, and mouth.

“O-Oh my gosh…!”Connie whimpered, placing her hands over her mouth, while Lily screamed at the horrifying sight.

Meanwhile, another girl had arrived and quickly knelt down beside the wounded girl, who was apparently named Violette. As the newcomer did her best to heal Violette’s injuries, she asked the girl who was responsible for them. Violette’s response was inaudible to Connie, but the newcomer repeated it in a louder voice. The Penrose Independent. Connie had no idea who they were, and before she could ask, the newcomer began talking again. Apparently, there was something big going on at Penrose Park. A cardinal had been assassinated, and an attack had wiped out operatives at the rave? Connie’s mind spun in a confused daze as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing, but then Lily was speaking up, asking to be allowed to help.

Then, more screams emanated from the rave, along with the most terrifying thunderclap Connie had ever heard. Hugging herself as Gaia held her even tighter, Connie watched as the newcomer, whom she could now see was an imposing girl with glasses, rebuffed Lily and summoned a massive hammer that radiated tremendous power. Shouting an incantation, the girl equipped herself with glowing armor, while using her hammer to completely shatter the barrier around the warehouse. Reiterating her earlier statement about the battle in Penrose Park, she shot off into the warehouse, leaving the rest of them behind to figure out a course of action. Unsurprisingly, Lily was the first to speak up, suggesting that they head to Penrose Park.

“O-Okay,” Connie said shakily, mustering every last ounce of her courage. “I-I’ll g-go w-with you!”

“Are you sure you want to do this, Connie?” Gaia asked, her eyes filled with concern. “After everything that’s happened…”

“I-I’m s-sure,” Connie replied, in what she hoped was a tone of determination. “L-Lily’s my f-friend, and I r-really want to h-help her.”

“Very well, little sister,” Gaia conceded. “If you wish to venture into battle, then I shall be right by your side.”

“Thanks, Mia,” she said warmly, while giving her friend a big smile. “Oh!” Connie exclaimed, suddenly remembering something important. “B-But first we n-need to help Emily! Um, A-Alex?” she asked hesitantly. “C-Could you, um, p-pleas h-help Emily g-get b-better? I k-know she w-wants to h-help too, but she c-can’t d-do anything l-like t-this…”

Nothing particularly important

Even as the rave’s insanity had reached a fever pitch, Keiko had scarcely moved an inch from her position in front of the crackling pyre that had once been a bar. Her warrior’s anger had risen to never-before-seen heights with the start of the disgusting cacophony Vi-Chan called a “song”, but still, she refused to move from her place any more than was absolutely necessary. After all, she was not some mindless animal. She had no need to leave herself vulnerable in order to slake her bloodlust, especially when a plentiful stream of opponents were only too eager to come to her. As each charging monster girl was dispatched in turn, Keiko felt her hatred continue to rise. These savage beasts offered no challenge. This was not the honorable combat she sought, not even close! Where was the Ascendancy? Why had her true foes yet to appear? Then, just as Vi-Chan’s mind flaying song reached its crescendo, they finally arrived. Two full squads of the Ascendancy’s best descended upon the riotous rave, weapons drawn and spells charged. This was what she had been waiting for…

As she slowly strode towards them, she calmly dispatched anyone foolish enough to attack her. Impassively taking note of the barrier that manifested to separate the combatants, she was unsurprised when the wall of bluish energy shattered mere moments later. It was complete folly to attempt to disrupt an engagement such as this, a foolish waste of one’s mana. Thus far, her own pool of mana had barely been touched, allowing her to make use of it at the most opportune moment. A moment that was now at hand. The barrier was down, the smoke had abated, and even Vi-Chan’s wretched “song” had been silenced. Looking over her adversaries, she took note of a girl wielding a massive lance and equally massive shield. This would be her opponent.

“Warrior of the Ascendancy!” Keiko called out, pointing her blade in the girl’s direction. “I challenge you to single combat!”

Accepting with a nod, the girl stepped forward to do battle. Acknowledging her opponent with a salute of her sword, Keiko assumed a combat stance and waited for the Ascendancy girl to make the first move. She did so by charging forward, thrusting her lance out with remarkable swiftness. Keiko deftly parried the attack, before following up with one of her own, which was deflected in turn. As the two warriors continued to battle, it was clear that both combatants were evenly matched. Neither could seem to land a telling blow, and sparks flew as their weapons clashed.

“Well met, warrior!” Keiko commended. “It has been long indeed since I have faced so skilled an opponent.”

The duel continued for several moments longer, when, suddenly, the other girl seemed to freeze in place, a glazed look in her eyes. Keiko halted her attack as well, refusing to strike down an unready opponent. This could have been some strange form of bluff, but she highly doubted it. No, something was very wrong here, a suspicion confirmed a moment later, when the girl dropped her weapon and gave voice to a scream of unimaginable agony, clutching her head as streams of blood began pouring from her nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. A moment later, and the girl was lying on the floor, dead.

What sorcery is this? Keiko wondered, momentarily stunned by what she had just witnessed.

An answer was soon provided as she felt her mind being violated by a psychic communication.

The Penrose Independent? What in the seven hells is that?

Whatever it was, it clearly had no qualms about employing the most vile and underhanded means to dispatch its enemies. The whole affair filled her with disgust. Killing one’s foes without even looking them in the eye? This was the act of a coward, not a warrior. There was no honor in any of this. She realized now that coming here had been a great mistake.

“My condolences, warrior,” Keiko said as she knelt down beside the girl’s unmoving body. “You deserved far better than this,” she added, while gently closing the girl’s eyes.

Rising to her feet once more, she cast one final, disdainful look over the slaughterhouse that had once been the rave, before retiring to her Interdimensional Home, leaving no evidence of her departure.

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

@Ariamis @Card Captor @FamishedPants @AtomicNut

“E-Emily?” Connie asked after hearing the other girl’s slurred plea. “Y-Yeah, I know… I-It’s h-horrible,” she agreed, the eyes of her mask looking incredibly sad. “B-But what c-can we e-even d-do? My m-magic c-can’t h-help anyone, a-and you c-can’t even s-stand! W-We n-need t-to help you get b-better f-first, t-then you c-can come b-back and help t-them!”

Before the intoxicated girl could even reply, Lily, having apparently realized her earlier mistake, handed Sakura to Connie, while also putting Emily’s other arm over her shoulder. On the one hand, this greatly helped Connie to bear Emily’s weight, but on the other, she now had to carry the pink haired bunny girl in her one free arm. Despite Sakura’s small size, Connie was still forced to squeeze her against her chest in order to maintain her grasp on the grumpy bunny girl. The next thing she knew, Mia was standing next to her.

“Connie! Are you all right?!” her verdant friend asked urgently.

“M-Mia?! Y-Yeah, I’m f-fine! B-But Emily got p-poisoned or something, and w-we need to g-get her out of here!”

Then, Connie heard Lily shout something about following Alex, and before she fully realized what was happening, the small group began picking up speed, the reinforcement specialist leading the way. Unfortunately, it appeared that a sizable group of imposing girls was currently blocking the exit. To Connie’s surprise, just when it seemed that Alex would plow through them with his barrier, they formed a gap allowing the small group to pass unhindered. Moments later, they had climbed up the steps and raced out of the warehouse, where they were met with yet another obstruction: an energy barrier that completely blocked their path. But, once again, fortune seemed to be with them, and the barrier opened just as they were about to strike it, only to close once they had safely reached the other side.

They had scarcely come to a stop when Lily gave a triumphant cheer and, grabbing Emily swung the inebriated girl around like a carnival ride.

“U-Ummm… L-Lily? Emily’s not f-feeling very well. M-Maybe you s-shouldn’t do that…” She advised hesitantly. Then, remembering that she was still holding Sakura, and also remembering that the little girl had once been a not-so-little man, she quickly set the bunny girl down, the cheeks of her mask turning red. “S-Sorry about t-that, M-Miss Sakura,” she said timidly. “E-Everything was h-happening s-so f-fast, I…” Her words trailed off as she caught sight of the fluffy little creature that had just materialized before them. “O-Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed as the eyes of her mask formed little stars. “He’s so cute!”

Sakura seemed to know the creature, as she was now talking with it. Make that yelling at it. Then she started violently shaking it.

“Oh, um…” Connie mumbled, suddenly a little confused by the situation playing out before her. That was also about the time she finally noticed that they were all currently in the middle of a torrential downpour. “Eeek!” Connie cried as the feeling of the cold raindrops finally registered. “I-It’s s-so c-c-cold!”

For her part, Gaia greatly appreciated the downpour, the nymph-like girl finding the cool rain to be most refreshing after the stifling confines of the underground rave hall. Still, she could see why Connie might not be feeling the same, and so she used her magic to create a plant to serve as a makeshift umbrella.

“T-Thanks, Mia!” Connie said, offering her friend a smile as she huddled with her underneath the plant’s oversized leaves. “Ummm… D-Do y-you think there’s r-room for my n-new f-friends under here, t-too?”

“Of course,” Gaia said with a smile of her own. Infusing her creation with more of her magic, the verdant magical girl caused the plant’s leaves to grow even larger, so that the entire group could easily be sheltered beneath them. “And you seem to have made quite a few new friends at that,” Gaia noted approvingly.

“Y-Yeah,” Connie agreed. “Y-You already k-know Lily. T-The girl she’s h-holding is Emily. S-She’s not f-feeling to g-good right now. I t-think that b-boy’s n-name is Alex, a-and that p-pink haired girl is Miss Sakura. S-She used t-to be a g-guy…” she added in a softer tone.

Gaia simply raised an eyebrow at this last revelation. She had heard rumors of such things happening in the magical world, but this was the first time she’d seen the results first hand. From the looks of the little drama playing out between the man-turned-girl and what Gaia supposed was her Patron, it was not something she wished to encounter any more than was absolutely necessary.

“So, they all kept you safe when everything went crazy in there?” Gaia asked, to which Connie confirmed with a nod. “I see. Well then, you all have my sincerest thanks. I am truly in your debt. If there is any way I can repay you, I would be only too happy to do so.”

“Um, Mia?” Connie spoke up. “D-Did you make any n-new f-friends?”

“Indeed I did,” Gaia confirmed. “I suppose you could say she was my very own guardian angel.”

I only hope that she managed to escape that infernal rave as well…

---

Meanwhile, in the main hall, the Angel of Hope soared over the crowds, overjoyed that she had succeeded in bringing some semblance of peace to the chaotic rave. Tossing her head back, the angelic girl closed her eyes as feelings of rapturous delight flooded her once more.

Yes! It’s working! she thought exultantly. Their rage is subsiding! Such exquisite bliss fills my heart! I did it! I truly… her joyful thoughts suddenly trailed off as a new sensation made itself known.

“Oh!” she gasped as a feeling of growing weakness began to suffuse her entire being. “My power! I-I have used too much! Forgive me, everyone!” she cried out in sorrow. “I am afraid your humble servant has done all she can! I have given you my all! I… have nothing left…!”

With that, her strength completely failed her, and the Angel of Hope plummeted out of the air. Luckily, an Ascendancy girl with a metal arm took notice of her plight and leapt up to catch her.

“T-Thank… you… sister…” the Angel of Hope told her rescuer in a voice filled with exhaustion. However, the words had barely left her mouth, when the other girl began yelling at her, commanding her to stop interfering and telling her that the monster girls deserved to die, and that her own actions were causing even more death.

The girl was also starting to crush her in her metallic fist.

The Angel of Hope gasped, as the other girl’s ever-tightening metallic grasp squeezed the air from her lungs. “N-Nooo…” she cried pitifully as she struggled to remain conscious. “T-They’re… only… victims… Can’t… help… themselves…” But her voice was too weak to be heard, and before she knew it, the Angel of Hope found herself being hurled into the far wall. Impacting against it with a loud thud, the utterly drained magical girl groaned in anguish.

As she desperately fought to keep her eyes open, she knew with dreadful certainty that she was completely spent. In only a few short moments, she would be forced to revert back to her mundane self. She only hoped that she had done enough, but in her anguished heart she knew that she had not. The Ascendency had refused to heed her pleas, had not even given them a second thought as they continued their brutal slaughter. Those poor misguided souls… They were now behaving just as monstrously as those they claimed to oppose.

Such horrible hypocrisy… But… Am I any different…? I promised… to save them… But… I failed… Wasn’t strong enough… I wasn’t…

Her eyes now refused to remain open and she could feel her thoughts slipping away. With the last of her strength the Angel of Hope managed to weakly call out, “Master Chiichuu… Please… _{help… me…}” before finally surrendering to unconsciousness.

---

Uninportant stuff you needn't bother reading

Um, we're D-list non-combat NPCs, so why do we get a fancy banner and even a BrokenPromise style quote thing?

-Scarlet

Because we're awsome! And also 'cause I don't think anyone's actually gonna read any of this...

-Danica

As it happened, there were at least two people who benefited from the Angel of Hope’s presence. Thanks to the angelic girl’s actions, both Scarlet and her companion Danica had been afforded the opportunity to escape the insanity of the dance floor and make their way to the relative safety of the game room. A wind girl ensured that the room remained smoke free, while an ice girl kept everyone cool. They might have sucked at video games, but when it came to matters of survival, they were invaluable. After arriving, Scarlet had instructed Danica to assist them by sealing off the entrance with a barrier.

“All right, that should do it!” Danica announced with a confident grin after the barrier was put into place. “If anyone else has a good reason for wanting to come in, y’know, like not wanting to die, just give a shout and I’ll open a hole for them, ‘kay?” Then twirling into an open space near the center of the room she struck a flashy pose. “Now with that out of the way, the rest of you get to enjoy a special treat! A private dance from yours truly! Just sit back and feast your eyes on me, okay? I’ll show you a performance you won’t soon forget!”

With that, her performance began. Even Scarlet had to admit it was quite mesmerizing, and it certainly helped to keep people calm. While her friend continued to show off her dance moves, the armored magical girl took a seat next to where a bespectacled girl was laying against a wall, apparently asleep. Hearing the girl groan, Scarlet turned to see her begin to open her eyes.

“Oh, good! You’re awake!”

“Uuugh… W-Where the hell am I?” the girl asked groggily.

“You’re in the game room,” Scarlet explained. “When my companion and I made our way here from the main dance floor, we found you laying unconscious on the ground. In fact, we nearly tripped over you! You were very lucky! With all of the sizable monster girls in there, you could have easily been trampled to death! In any case, after seeing your predicament, we brought you here.”

“Yeah… Now I remember,” the other girl said slowly. “I went into the main hall to see what all the fuss was about when I got caught in this crazy powerful blast. Then I got punched around by a tag team of kaiju girls, just before one of those Ascendancy losers fired a grenade filled with sleeping gas at me.”

“Oh, how awful!” Scarlet exclaimed. “But you are safe now, so there is no need to worry.”

“Who says I’m worried?” she asked, a noticeable harshness in her tone. “I would have kicked the shit out of those cocksuckers if that fuckin’ blast hadn’t taken me by surprise!”

“Oh, um, my apologies,” Scarlet replied, more than a little taken aback by the girl’s antagonistic demeanor and vulgar speech. “I did not mean to belittle you.”

“Yeah, whatever…” the girl said, turning her head away. “Never should have come to this fuckin’ shithole in the first place…” she grumbled.

The next moment, the room erupted in thunderous applause.

“Wow! That was amazing!” a girl cheered.

“Yeah! You really are the dancing queen!” gushed another.

“Well, of course I am!” Danica said with a laugh. “These hips don’t lie!”

Having finished her performance, the dancer made her way over.

“Enjoy the show?” she asked Scarlet.

“Very much,” her companion replied. “I noticed you made some additions to your usual routine.”

“Yeah, I really don’t want to get stale, or anything,” she explained. “Oh, wow! I didn’t notice earlier, but you’re that ‘Number One Best Magical Girl’, right?” she asked the sullen girl sitting next to Scarlet. “The one who said they were gonna put my dance moves to shame? OMG, this too great!” she declared with a laugh. “There you were, talking all that smack, and we had to drag your scrawny, passed out ass all the way back here, so you wouldn’t get stepped on!” she laughed again, even louder this time, causing the bespectacled girl to growl with rage.

“Keep laughin’ and I’ll shove my fist right up your— ”

“Ah, I see you’ve returned,” a small, furry creature observed as he wandered over. “Did you enjoy your little trip to the main hall?”

“The fuck I did!” she roared. “And where the hell were you all this time, ya stupid furball?”

“I was here,” the Puchuu replied calmly. “Eating.”

“Eating?!”

“Yes. That other girl you were playing against left her pizza when she ran out of here, and veggie pizza is my personal favorite.”

“Fuckin’ furball!” she snarled as she picked the Puchuu up and flung him against the wall. Curling its small body into a ball, the creature bounced off it and landed between Danica’s breasts.

“Why hello there, little guy,” the dancer said with a giggle as she smiled down at the furry creature. “Normally, the rule’s ‘look but don’t touch’, although, since you’re such a cute little thing, I think I can make an exception. How does that sound?”

“Absolutely splendid,” the Puchuu replied, while it nestled itself more snuggly in the girl’s cleavage.

“So, wanna have that dancing challenge now?” Danica inquired, placing her hands on her hips. “Or are you still too tired from having the crap kicked out of you?”

“Danica!” Scarlett scolded, before the other girl could reply. “This is neither the time, nor the place!”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right…” Danica conceded. “I mean, there really isn’t enough room in here for two dancers…”

“That is not what I meant,” Scarlet replied indignantly.

For her part, the bespectacled girl seethed with pent up fury, but she did not say a word.

Why in the fucking world did I ever think coming to this shithole was a good idea?

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

The reprieve granted by the angelic girl’s spell lasted only a few moments, but that was time enough for Gaia to spot Connie through the dense mob of bodies and swirling clouds of smoke. She appeared to be carrying another girl, while a magical boy was leading them through the crowded dance floor with a barrier shaped like a plow. And… Was that Lily carrying a girl in a bunny suit? It was a strange sight, to be sure, but there was no time to think about such things now.

“Connie!” Gaia called out as she began to make her way toward her friend. “Hold on, little sister! I’m coming!”

Gathering her strength, the spritely girl darted through the mass of monster girls, leaping over those she couldn’t pass around. As the effects of Vi-Chan’s twisted song began to be felt once more, Gaia threw a cloud of seeds in front of her from which thick vines shot forth to ensnare any who tried to obstruct her passage. Although the clouds of smoke now obscured her vision, Gaia had fixed Connie’s location in her mind. She was traveling in as close to a straight line as possible, so the verdant magical girl was confident that it would only be a matter of time before she and her friend were reunited.

Then, just as Gaia was vaulting over an enormous monster girl with three heads, another girl, who seemed to be completely covered in flames, sent a blazing fireball hurtling toward her. Due to the smoke and sheer chaos of the rave, Gaia was unaware of the danger until it was virtually upon her. Even with her impressive agility, it would have been almost impossible for her to avoid the flaming sphere, but, in the end, it turned out that dodging the fiery missile wasn’t even necessary. Just before it struck her, a glowing barrier flashed into being and completely absorbed the blazing blow. Looking up, Gaia saw the angelic girl hovering overhead, using her wings to push back some of the smoke.

“My sincere thanks for the assistance!” Gaia called to her, while flashing an appreciative smile. “The Daughter of Mother Earth is in your debt!”

“Please, think nothing of it, my sister,” she called back, returning Gaia’s smile with one of her own. “This humble servant is only too happy to help. The glorious sight of you being reunited with your friend is all the reward she shall require.”

Giving a grateful nod, Gaia set off once more. Feeling an infusion of speed and vitality as her angelic ally continued to assist her, Gaia would soon find herself at Connie’s side.

---

It brought great joy to the Angel of Hope’s heart to see the rave’s insanity subside in the wake of her spell. She was also overjoyed that she was able to help the nymph-like girl on her quest to reunite with her friend. Sadly, this elation was short-lived. All too quickly, the effects Vi-Chan’s song returned with renewed vigor, and even the dark idol’s flight from the stage seemed to do nothing to stop the accursed melody. Tears once more streamed down the Angel of Hope’s face as she saw innocents being brutally cut down by deranged monster girls, while the newly arrived Ascendancy dispatched the poor monster girls with equal savagery. This wasn’t their fault! Could they not see that the monster girls were mere victims as well? She felt her gentle heart being rent asunder by the sight.

“Please! I beg you! The killing must stop!” she pleaded desperately, though her cries fell on deaf ears. Words would not serve here, she swiftly realized, only action! With that in mind, she summoned her weapon, The Celestial Staff of Radiant Empowerment. “Please… Please let me be allowed to save at least some of them,” she prayed as she gathered her power.

Using the staff to focus her mystical energies, the Angel of Hope projected an array of barriers across the main hall. Some were sent to protect those who had retreated to the corners, while others interposed themselves between the raging monsters and the fanatical crusaders of the Ascendancy. The barriers also radiated powerful waves of healing energy, which mended even the most grievous of wounds and brought a renewed sense of calmness and clarity to those whose minds had become ensnared by the evil song. With that accomplished, the Angel of Hope moved to aid those who were also trying to help others as she was. Gliding over the confused throngs, she used her wings to clear as much of the smoke as she could, while blessing her new allies with both magical enhancements and words of encouragement.

@Majoras End

“Well done, sister!” she called out to a lavender haired girl who was guiding guests to safety. “Keep up the good work, and please allow my blessing to assist your endeavor!” she added, filling the girl with increased power.

“Oh, wonderful!” she exclaimed at the sight of a fellow reinforcement girl using her barriers to bind the more belligerent monster girls, while her companion shielded her from attack. “You are stopping them without killing them! Thank you so very much! It means more to me than you shall ever know!”

Ah! The sight of such profound kindness fills me with such immense joy! she sighed contentedly as waves of blissful euphoria washed over her, drowning out her earlier sorrow.

@ERode

It was at that moment a new sight came to her attention. A robed magical girl with dark hair was sending streams of crackling lightning into the hall’s myriad speakers, frying them to a crisp and at long last silencing Vi-Chan’s diabolical song.

“I am eternally grateful, my cherished ally!” the Angel of Hope called to the dark haired girl, while placing her hands over her heart. “My appreciation knows no bounds! Thanks to you, we have been granted a chance to restore peace to this troubled gathering! Let us strive to make the most of it together!”

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

@Ariamis @Card Captor @FamishedPants @AtomicNut

“Lily?!” Connie exclaimed as the green-haired girl appeared beside her like a flash of lightning and grabbed Sakura, having apparently failed to notice that the pink-haired girl was helping her carry Emily. “G-Getaway spell?” she asked, after Lily mentioned a possible method to escape the increasingly chaotic rave. “I’d l-like that v-very much, please! Emily’s not d-doing very well,” she added, struggling to stand now that she had to bear Emily’s full weight. “W-We n-need to get her s-someplace safe!”

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

@ERode

Mia just entered the Main Rave Area from the Left Side Halls.

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

@FamishedPants @AtomicNut

As she and Sakura carried Emily through the crowded rave, Connie felt her phone buzz, but she didn’t have time to answer it. Whatever it was could hopefully wait. Emily was becoming worse by the second, and they needed to get her to a healer as quickly as possible. Connie felt a glimmer of hope when Sakura seemed to have found who she was looking for (And was that Lily with him?), but that hope was incinerated a moment later when Vi-Chan appeared and everything went to hell in a hand basket. Everyone seemed to be going insane, explosions were going off all around, and thick clouds of smoke were beginning to envelop the entire dance floor. Sakura was loudly advocating for them to make a run for the exit, and Connie fervently agreed with that plan. This was exactly the kind of situation she most assuredly never wanted to be in, but she tried her best to keep calm for Emily’s sake. She couldn’t freak out now. She had a friend to save!

That’s when she remembered Mia. She was still in the game room! Connie briefly considered trying to find her, but she realized there wouldn’t be any time for that. In any case Mia was an experienced magical girl, and Connie was certain that her friend could take care of herself. Or, at least, she hoped she could…

---

Back in the game room, Gaia and Angela continued their duel. Having gotten a bit hungry, Angela had summoned her Puchuu to go fetch her some pizza and a drink. Before leaving on his errand, the surprisingly personable little creature had asked Gaia if she wanted anything for herself, and so the verdant magical girl had requested a few slices of veggie pizza and a fruit drink. A short while later the creature returned with the food, but Gaia had scarcely finished one slice before the sounds of a massive commotion could be heard emanating from the main hall.

Then the explosions started.

“I am afraid I must concede this contest to you,” Gaia informed her opponent as she gracefully stood up and made her way to the door. “It sounds as though something seriously wrong has occurred in the main hall, and I need to make sure my dearest friend is all right.”

“Well that’s a weak excuse,” Angela noted contemptuously. “If your friend’s a magical girl, then shouldn’t she be able to take care of herself?”

“She is still very inexperienced,” Gaia explained, “and she frightens very easily. Moreover, I have personally vowed to keep her safe, and that vow takes precedence over all else.”

“Wow, taking the moral high ground, huh? I figured as much,” Angela added with a dismissive roll of her eyes. “From the moment I first saw you I knew you’d chicken out when things got rough. I hope being able to hold your wimpy friend’s hand makes up for all the humiliation you’re gonna get on social media when I tell everyone how hard I crushed you.”

“I don’t use social media,” Gaia replied in an icy tone. “And what of you, ‘Best Magical Girl’?” she asked pointedly. “Do you not wish to show off your prowess by helping those in need?”

“Ah, it’s probably just a little drunken brawl,” Angela said with an unconcerned wave of her hand. “Let me know when a horror gets summoned or the Ascendancy shows up, then I might actually decide to go and save everyone’s asses.”

“Very well,” Gaia acceded, with a smile utterly devoid of warmth. “I also figured as much.”

Leaving the mouthy brat behind, Gaia quickly made her way back to the main hall, nimbly avoiding the various dark magical and monster girls who were in the process of beating the crap out of each other. Once she arrived, she gasped at the sight of utter chaos that greeted her. With few exceptions, the various patrons of the rave seemed to be going completely insane.

One of the bars was blazing like a bonfire, in front of which a tall young woman with large horns was using her katana to strike down any who came near her. Towards the center of the floor, a knightly girl in crimson armor could be glimpsed fending off a mob of monster girls with the help of barriers provided by a girl dressed like a belly dancer, before clouds of thick smoke obscured their battle. Meanwhile, a patchwork monster girl was lobbing Molotov cocktails while being controlled like a puppet by strings of dark energy emanating from a crimson-eyed witch sitting in a corner.

And over all of this chaotic insanity was Vi-Chan’s song, which clearly seemed to be the source of the madness. Regardless, Gaia knew she couldn’t do anything about it at the moment. She needed to find Connie, and fast. Just then, a glowing angelic figure swooped into the room, brilliant light radiating from her in all directions.

---

“Good heavens!” the angelic girl cried out in anguish as she saw the chaos and carnage unfolding around her, tears streaming down her radiant face. “Such clamorous discord and strife! So many tortured souls! My heart aches for them! I must do all in my power to ease their suffering, to save as many as I can!”

Raising her hands up, she conjured several shimmering spheres of luminous energy.

“Radiant Barriers!” she shouted as she sent each sphere racing to the locations of the various bars, whereupon they would form powerful barriers to protect them from the heat, as well as contain the explosions that had already occurred.

“I am so sorry my precious sisters!” she cried, placing her hands over her heart. “I allowed myself to be distracted by such petty concerns that I failed to guard you from this threat! I failed you in your time of greatest need! I humbly beg your forgiveness, my sisters! I pray for it with all my heart! And I make you this solemn vow: I shall make up for my grievous error! I shall not rest until I have saved you all!”

Summoning even more mystical power, until she glowed with blinding light, the angelic girl then released that power in a massive expulsion of restorative magic.

“BE HEALED!!!” her voice boomed over the tumultuous din as waves of healing energy washed over the crowded dance floor. This energy not only mended physical injuries, but also the mental and spiritual wounds inflicted by Vi-Chan’s song. Of course, this reprieve would last for mere moments, before the effects of the sinister melody returned once more. If any victory was to be attained, then the dark idol’s demented performance had to be stopped, and quickly.

@ERode @Majoras End

It was then that she caught sight of two figures rushing towards the stage in what seemed like an attempt to do just that. Reaching out an elegant hand, she blessed the pair with greatly increased speed and agility. “Strike true, my sisters!” she called out to them. “For the sake of all gathered here, I pray for your success!”

Surviving in a D-Tier Magical Academy - Always Accepting -

Kate- Alteration Class

@Cotton @blackdragon @Zinita

After crafting her bizarre creation and changing it into glass, Kate began the next exercise. Grabbing some grain and nuts, along with a small pot, she poured her ingredients into the pot, and, with an infusion of mystical energy, transformed them into a medium-sized plant. Interestingly, from its branches hung not the expected fruit, but rather slices of pizza. Kate had missed dinner after all, due to the timeskip, and so she was getting a bit hungry.

"So, who's up for some pizza?" she asked with a grin.

---

Parr- Alteration Class

@Zinita @blackdragon

"Why, thank you Miss Mela!" Parr replied to the apple girl's compliment. "Your creation is most facinating as well! Oh, but my 'wand' as you call it isn't anything special, though it certainly helps to foucs etheric energies! I have multiple examples, so you may have one for yourself, if you'd like."

Then he noticed that Sarah had transformed into a canine herself...and her front leg was still made of glass...

"My goodness, Miss Sarah, you make for a lovely Golden Retriever! Oh, but it appears you still have a bit of a problem with that leg... Would you care for some assistance?"

Before the other girl could respond, another student offered everyone a slice of pizza.

"Oh my, how wonderfully generous of you!" Parr exclaimed. "I think I shall indeed partake. Food for thought, after all!" he added with a chuckle.

Then he set to work on his next assignment. Retrieving a piece of meat from the supply area, he imbued it with mystical energy, much like he had done with the clay. This time, however, he also included a temoral component to his spell, causing the object to regress backwards through time. A few short moments later, and Professor Reed would find that her classroom now played host to a rather confused looking cow...

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

After saying goodbye to Lily, Connie followed Gaia into a hallway branching off from the main dance hall. It was lined with doors to numerous smaller rooms, and it wasn’t long before Gaia decided to enter one of them. The room was filled with screens of various sizes, displaying games played on a variety of consoles, while other girls (and one or two boys) played on computers set up on several rows of long tables.

“How splendid! A game room!” Gaia noted eagerly. “And look, Connie,” she added, pointing to one of the larger screens. “They have Plants vs. Zombies!”

Connie was a little surprised by her friend’s enthusiasm. She knew that Mia was an avid gamer, but she also knew that when her friend was in her magical girl form, her actions were greatly restricted, and Connie had always assumed that included playing video games.

“Oh, uh, o-okay…” Connie said tentatively. “But, um, doesn’t your Patron hate video games? I mean, didn’t you tell me how angry she got about all those video game cartridges that were dumped in that one landfill?”

“Yes, that is true, but Mother approves of this game!” Gaia informed her excitedly. “It is all about the forces of life and renewal overcoming a dark tide of death and decay! And it has a co-op mode! Come, Connie! Let us lead the armies of nature to victory over the walking dead!”

Before she could say another word, Connie found herself being dragged over to the game in question, which just so happened to have two open seats. She really wasn’t much of a gamer, but Gaia really seemed to love this game, so Connie reluctantly sat down beside her nymph-like friend. After Gaia had explained the basics of the tower defense game, they began the first level, and Connie soon found that she was really enjoying herself. The game was fairly easy to learn, especially with her friend’s helpful advice, and the various plants were rather cute. Unfortunately, her enjoyment dimmed once they began the harder levels, and by the end of the tenth level, Connie was very stressed out.

“U-Umm, Mia? C-Can we stop now? T-This is getting a little too intense for me…”

“Of course,” Gaia replied warmly. “I certainly wouldn’t want you to have a panic attack. How about you just relax and watch me play solo for a bit, okay?” the verdant magical girl suggested.

“Umm, actually, I was thinking of getting a drink…”

“Oh, okay. I’ll accompany you, then.”

“No, you can k-keep playing, Mia. I-I s-should p-probably do this on my own…”

“Are you sure?” Gaia asked, clearly concerned for her friend’s safety. “There are a lot of people between here and there. And you still seem a little shaken up…”

“I know… B-But I have to do this if I want to overcome my fears! A-And also, Faith said her friends would look out for me in case anything bad happens.”

“All right… Well, good luck.” Gaia said with an encouraging smile. “I guess my little sister really is growing up,” she added, placing her hands over her heart.

“Thanks, Mia,” Connie replied softly, returning her friend’s smile with interest.

---

Although the distance wasn’t exactly far, the trip was still an arduous one for someone like Connie, and after making her way to the bar at the back of the dance hall, she slumped over the counter with a relieved sigh.

“I made it,” she exhaled happily.

“Goodness!” the girl next to her exclaimed. “Are you all right?”

“Y-Yeah… I’m just not really all that good with crowds… And loud noises… And dancing…”

“Then whatever are you doing in a place like this?” she asked, clearly perplexed.

“T-Trying to get better with them,” Connie replied with a nervous giggle as she turned to face the other girl. “Oh! Y-You’re that knight lady I saw earlier! Y-You look very pretty…” she added hesitantly, while looking down at the counter.

“Why, thank you,” the other girl said with a smile. “That is very kind of you to say. I am known as Magical Knight Scarlet Valor, but you may call me Scarlet for short.”

“I-It’s v-very nice to m-meet you, Scarlet,” Connie said, while she nervously twirled her hair around her finger. “M-My n-name’s Connie, b-by the way...”

“It is my pleasure to meet you as well, Connie,” Scarlet replied warmly, while giving an elegant curtsy. “And I am most impressed by your desire to conquer your weaknesses. Not many have such courage and dedication.”

“Oh, I-I’m n-not r-really that courageous…” Connie replied, a blush forming on the cheeks of her mask at the compliment. “But, umm… T-Thank you for s-saying that… Y-You’re really nice…”

“I merely spoke the truth. You should have more confidence in yourself.”

“I-I’ll t-try to…”

Scarlet giggled. “So, are you here alone, or did you come with some friends?”

“W-Well, my best friend, Mia, is in the game room, and s-some of my other friends are around here s-somewhere, but I d-don’t see them at the moment.”

“How wonderful! It is good to have friends to enjoy such activities with. I am actually here to keep an eye on one of my comrades in arms. She absolutely loves dancing, so she desperately wanted to come here, but she can get a bit… carried away sometimes. In fact, that’s her over yonder.”

“Oh, wow… She’s r-really good… I w-wish I was better at dancing,” Connie added glumly. “I-I’m just so clumsy…”

“It’s really nothing special,” a tall, somber girl on the other side of Scarlet noted in a tone of complete disinterest. “The ability to move your body to music, if one can even call this music, has absolutely zero bearing on your value as a magical girl.”

“Oh…!” Connie exclaimed, only just now noticing the somewhat imposing girl’s presence. “I, uh, I guess you’re right…”

“I am,” she said with a scowl. “If not for the fact that this ‘rave’ provides the potential opportunity to cross blades with the elitist zealots of Beacon, I would have never even considered setting foot in such a disgusting pit,” she added, casting a disdainful glare at the utterly intoxicated redhead bawling her eyes out a few seats down the bar.

“B-Beacon?” Connie asked nervously, remembering what Lily had said about the organization. “Y-You t-think they’re g-going to b-be here? A-Are they g-going t-to attack us?”

“I do not think it is anything to trouble yourself about,” Scarlet told her reassuringly. “This is simply a benign social gathering, nothing more. No one is doing anything harmful, so I doubt that Beacon would wish to cause trouble unnecessarily.”

“O-Okay…” Connie replied, accepting the other magical girl’s explanation without further question. Then, having remembered why she was at the bar in the first place, she called to the bartender in what she hoped was a relatively loud voice, “Umm, e-excuse me? M-May I h-have some lemonade, please? O-Or, i-if you don’t h-have t-that, then m-maybe s-some ice tea? O-Or, f-fruit punch?”

Emily

Connie would hear a light thump as another figure leaned over the counter of the bar on the other side of her. “Oh, do they have lemonade? I’ll get one too!” she waved at the bartender, who hopefully would listen to their request, as she threw one away. She wore a relatively simple dress alongside a warm smile, which she directed Connie’s way, and then to Scarlet. “Are you two having fun?” she asked, having presumably missed what another girl said about the party. “It’s fun to see so many people enjoying themselves, isn’t it?”

“Y-Yeah,” Connie agreed. “And...uhh… I guess so? I’m n-not really used to parties, especially not ones like this… Oh! I-I’m Connie, by the way, and t-this is Scarlet. W-We j-just met. S-She’s here with one of her friends, who’s, like, a really amazing dancer,” she rambled nervously. “D-Do you like dancing? I’m really terrible at it myself...”

“Connie and Scarlet?” she repeated to make sure she got them correctly. “I’m Emily,” she said, giving a soft wave at the two. “As for dancing… um, I haven’t actually gone to a party like this before. The closest thing was a concert, I think, but I wasn’t there to dance…” it almost felt to her like her arm began throbbing from the wounds she received from Lupa, but she didn’t let it get to her. “But I do think dancing is a beautiful thing, even if, um, I’m not exactly good at it.”

“Y-Yeah, I enjoy w-watching it too. A-And it’s r-really nice to m-meet you, Emily. I k-kinda came here to m-make s-some new friends, and get over my shyness, s-so I’m r-really glad I’m m-meeting so many nice people.”

“It is my pleasure to meet you as well, Emily,” Scarlet said with a smile. “My comrade and I are visiting from another city, so it is good to see that the magical girls of Penrose are so personable, and, dare I say, cute,” she added with a small giggle. “Ah! But, on the topic of dancing,” she added, casting a worried glance at the dance floor. “While it may indeed be pleasing to observe, sometimes the dancers in question might overestimate their abilities. For instance, I believe my colleague is trying just a little too hard in her attempts at flirting with someone who is clearly not interested. If you ladies will excuse me, I believe I shall take my leave and attempt to defuse the situation before it gets out of hand.”

“Oh! Umm… O-Okay…! G-Good luck!”

Emily’s features appeared to be slightly reddened, presumably because she was surprised at the sudden compliment, yet she remained calm as she listened to Scarlet speak, only breaking her silence after Scarlet’s departure. Emily turned to Connie and decided to pick up where they’d left off. “I hope to make as many friends with as many sisters as possible, so if you wouldn’t mind, I would love to be someone you can consider a friend too!” she told Connie right as the bartender would show up with the two’s drinks, setting them before the two. Emily gave her thanks to them before turning back to Connie, taking a sip from her lemonade. “So you’re new to Penrose?”

“N-No, just new to b-being a m-magical girl. Oh! A-And I’d love to be friends!” Connie exclaimed, almost squealing with delight as her mask formed a big smile. “Y-You seem r-really nice, Emily. I was s-so afraid that everyone here w-would just want t-to bully me… I-I know I p-probably shouldn’t be so p-pessimistic, but t-that’s the kind of thing t-that’s always h-happened to me b-before...”

Emily tried not to frown. “Oh, that’s so terrible to hear!” her eyes almost seemed to moisten for Connie. “People weren’t always great with me, either. But…” she couldn’t help but think of Luna and Amaryllis. “...There are plenty of good people in Penrose, too! I’m sure things will begin to look up for you like they did for me!” she assured Connie as she took another sip of lemonade.

“I r-really hope so,” Connie replied, taking hold of her glass with slightly trembling hands. “I-I mean, I’ve already met Faith and Lotus, a-and some of t-their friends, and t-then I met Lily, and n-now I just met you and Scarlet, so I t-think I’m off to a f-fairly good s-start!”

“Huh…” Connie mumbled to herself as she stared down at the glass of lemonade in front of her. “H-How do I even drink this when I’m wearing a… a… Mm… Mmm… M-Mas… O-One of those things...?”

“?”

Emily blinked as she took an awkwardly-long sip out of her lemonade, perplexed at the girl’s hesitance with the word ‘mask’, or at least that’s what it seemed like anyways.. “Um… can’t you take it off?” she asked.

“Oh!” Connie gasped as she realized she’d been thinking out loud. “Umm… N-Not r-really… It’s k-kinda attached to m-my f-face. Mia, t-that’s my best friend, s-said that it was m-my m-magical girl w-weapon, or s-something… I r-really d-don’t like t-talking about it, though…” she added, squeezing her glass as her hands began to tremble even more violently. “Or even t-thinking about it… Since, it’s, um, o-one of my p-phobias…”

"Oh... I see. Well, we don't have to talk about things you don't want to," Emily told the girl. Of course, she wasn't sure exactly how to remedy their initial problem if the mask was a part of her face, other than telling her to rip her face off, but then she imagined there'd be a slightly bigger problem left afterward. This wasn't some odd JRPG where doing so would help you obtain power.

Emily also thought to tell her to just transform back when she was drinking, but since that was so obvious, she imagined there was a problem there. As meek as this girl was, maybe she didn't want to be seen in human form? "Um, well, lets talk about something else, then..." she suggested, admitting defeat. This dilemma was beyond her. "Oh, I know! What are things you DO like? Like, um, I enjoy watching anime and playing games. How about you?"

“I like anime, too!” Connie said, a little excited that Emily shared one of her hobbies. “N-Not the s-scary ones though, m-mainly just the cute s-slice of life shows. I d-don’t really play m-many games, but I enjoy w-watching my f-friend Mia play them. S-She’s really good… She’s even w-won awards and s-stuff! I also like to paint. T-That’s my most favorite hobby. A-At l-least, it u-used t-to be… Ever since I became a m-magical girl, all my p-paintings end up b-being so c-creepy…” Connie explained, her tone filled with sadness. “I a-always try to m-make them c-cute, b-but all these a-awful t-things always s-start appearing in them… M-Mia says it’s b-because of my M-Magical S-Specialization...”

Emily went to move her hand, as if to rest her hand on the girl’s shoulder, before apparently discarding the idea. “Oh, that sounds so unfortunate…” she seemed concerned, going quiet for a few seconds.

Suddenly, her face reddened a bit, but she did her best to make eye contact with Connie’s mask. “U-um, so…” she seemed a bit hesitant. “...I always liked the fighting ones, and, um, the magical girl ones,” while it was clear that she considered this some sort of embarrassing secret, it was not clear why. “I even have a few figurines tucked away at home where my roommate can’t see… uh, but you can’t tell anyone!”

“Oh! O-okay, then,” Connie said, not quite sure why Emily would be embarrassed by something like that. “Y-Your secret’s s-safe with me!” she added with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “But, um, w-why don’t you w-want anyone to k-know you like magical girls? I m-mean, you actually are a m-magical girl, r-right?”

“Yes! I’m definitely one!” she confirmed maybe just a bit too loud. “So, the thing iss…” Emily’s expression became quite firm. Being the victim of this, it was impossible for Connie to not notice the severity of the subject she had brought up, and the importance of the answer she was about to receive. It was the kind that destroyed careers, that wiped away kingdoms, and the sort that one would be killed for. She had foolishly opened a can of worms, as was now gonna pay the price.

...or at least that’s what it could’ve looked like, had Emily’s face not also been flushed red. It was probably hard to take it too seriously because of this. And while her flushed features were influenced by her embarrassment, it also felt like there was some other reason...

Taking a small breath, the fire girl revealed the answer for Connie. “...if I tell people, they might find out all my stuff is named after annime!” she told her new friend in a dramatic way, slamming the rest of her lemonade and staring at a wall. “Even my transformation…!” she frowned. “I’ve got nooo creativity…”

“B-But, w-what’s so bad a-about that?” Connie asked. “I t-take inspiration from all s-sorts of s-stuff when I paint. I-It doesn't s-sound like what y-you’re doing is all t-that d-different.T-Then a-again…” she added in a more somber tone. “I-If you t-think you might g-get b-bullied for it, I t-totally understand w-why you w-wouldn’t want p-people finding out. B-Being bullied i-isn’t v-very fun…”

“You’rre probably right about it being nnothing,” she agreed. “I don’t know anyone I think would go so far as to bully me over it, thankfully. I just kinda rammble about anime when I speak about it, so I don’t want to bother people, is all.”

After she explained that, she placed her empty cup on the counter and sighed. The streak of red had yet to leave and, in fact, only seemed to darken. She looked at Connie and gave a skewed smile, tugging on her own dress. “Iss it gettingg hot in herre or what?”

Sakura

It was then when a new challenger approached, her pink hair swaying and ear bunnies from the playboy costume that evidenced her pitiful figure hopping in unison. “Oh...gods, it's you...Emily.” She did a double take, not noticing the other girl as much as noticing the sorry state of Emily. “Are you drunk already??” She paused for a moment, and eyed the other girl. “Uh, hi.” She said curtly. She seemed a comely lass… but Emily looked … smashed now.

Upon noticing Sakura, Emily gave a small clap in approval of the girl's appearance. "Ohhh, Sakura, aren't you looking just adorabllle~!" she seemed delighted by it, oddly, and gave a playful tug to one of the ears. "I jussst made a new friend!" she motioned to Connie. "Connie, thiss iss Sakura, who has also recently become a magical girll," she began to introduce the two, but found it hard to ignore Sakura's comment, almost taking offense to it. "Drrunk?" she shook her head... a few times more than necessary. "I don't drink everrr!" she protested. "All I've had... iss lemonade! Oh, and some fruit juice that sssome girll gave me cus she couldn't finishhh it... but it didn't taste too good..."

“Oh! Um, h-hi there,” Connie said with a timid wave, after Emily introduced her pink-haired friend. “I-It’s, um, n-nice to m-meet you, Sakura.” she added, a little taken aback by the oddness of what she assumed was the girl’s magical girl outfit. And Mia thinks her outfit is embarrassing… she thought to herself. Mia had all that hair of hers to cover herself up with, and sometimes even a robe, like tonight, but this girl…

“Nonsense, you reek of booze. I can smell it in your breath. You can´t drink anything a stranger gives you, Emily. You might end up in one of the cages, dancing and not getting paid for it.” The bunny girl frowned, as she tried to help Emily maintain her verticality. She gave a piercing stare to the masked girl. “Haaah? You gonna kill me? “ She said, obviously mishearing Connie´s words. “Oh, wait. Yes, Nice to meet you, Mask-chan. Do you know the cocksucker bitch who spiked my Emily’s drink?”

“N-No… I c-can’t say t-that I do…” Connie repiled. “E-Emily a-already had it w-when we met. A-And… Ummm… C-Could y-you, u-um, p-please n-not c-call me t-that…? I-I’m k-k-kinda t-t-teriffied b-by t-that w-w-word…”

Emily placed a hand on Sakura’s shoulder. “Her name’sssss Connie, Sssakura!” It was a bit hard to take seriously given her speech, but Emily was apparently trying to scold Sakura. She looked over to Connie. “Pleasse forgive her, she doessn’t mean anything by ittt…” After saying such, she called back to the bartender and asked for another lemonade.

“Y’know, it would have been rrreally rrude to wassste it, ya?” she looked towards Connie as if asking her.

“Oh, um, I-I g-guess so?” Connie replied uncertainly, being rather unfamiliar with alcohol and its effects. “A-And, d-don’t worry,” she added reassuringly, “I-I k-know s-she w-wasn’t trying t-to be o-offensive… M-Most people r-react the same w-way, unfortunately… I-I g-guess it’s just s-s-somenting I have to t-try and d-deal with…”

Sakura raised an eyebrow, looking at Emily. "And you are supposed to be my senior, fucking god." The bunny girl shook her head in disappointment. "Oi, if she gonna be smashed gimme some sake." Sakura mentioned to the barman, who shook his head and offered him a juice too. "I said sake, dammit!" She grumbled as she eyed Connie, her eyes narrowing. "What, like mask? You are wearing one. Still kinda wimpy, Connie-chan. Coney. Oh i get it. Bun bun -chan it is. Coney is bunny, or something like that? " She paused.

Well maybe talking would help her calm down."So you new too, huh? Did you have a penis too but a little bastard took it, bunbun-chan? What were you before?"

“Y-Yeah… T-That “M” word r-really f-frightens m-me. I-It’s o-one of m-my p-phobias, and… W-What?!” Connie suddenly exclaimed in shocked confusion, the cheeks of her mask reddening. “N-No, I-I’ve always b-been a g-girl! J-Just a n-normal g-girl… W-Wait…” she added as horrific comprehension began to dawn. “Y-You mean t-that y-you weren’t a-always a g-girl?!”

“Oho~ Yer telling me dat yaaaaaa didn’t know?” Emily giggled, apparently getting even worse. “Y-yeah, not alllll magical girlsss were girlsss befo’! Ya got sssome guys’ n ya got some girlsss! Old an’ young, too! Dere’s little d’scrimnation ‘er anythin’...dey just want magical gals no mattuh what!”

“Emily, you´re losing your posture.” said Sakura before trying to avoid the intoxicated girl to slide down, vomit or both at the same time. “Yeh, I was a good ol 58 year old man, until some little fluffy jerk stole my manly jewels and told me to fry monsters with maaagic, Bunbun-chan.” Sakura paused. “Can´t see my buds, my wife, and have to spend my entire life being given headpats, saving half-digested girls from horrors, and watching Emily drown in her own puke. Still I guess, newbies should help each other.”

“O-Oh…! W-Wow…” Connie replied to Emily and Sakura’s revelations. “I-I’m s-so sorry t-to hear that… I-It s-sounds absolutely awful…” she told Sakura after hearing her tragic tale. “U-Ummm… S-Should we d-do something to h-help her?” she asked the pink-haired magical girl in regard to Emily’s plight.

Around this time was when the bartender returned with the drink Emily asked for. As he set the drink down on the counter, he couldn’t help but raise an eye. He only remembered serving her a lemonade, and it wasn’t spiked with anything. Why was this girl drunk? He, sadly, wasn’t being paid enough to bother asking, so he opted to remain quiet and resume taking orders from other people.

“H-helf? Iunno, I’m fine…! Justalittl’tipsyisall” she waved her hand horizontally in rejection to any such idea, but then hiccuped, sending a fleeting silhouette of flame in her shape out behind her. Despite its appearance, it was just warm, and didn’t really burn anything.

“Most of the time, we let people flush on their out on their own, but like this… It´s not like we can just wave our magical hands and wish for the alcohol to be gone, bunbun-chan.” She paused. “Or maybe…” The pink bunnygirl put on a pensative stance, before grabbing Emily and trying to lift her.

Only to fail.

“How much do you eat…” She wondered. “Come on, bunbun-chan, help me get Drunkmily get to one of those magical quacks. I think I at least know one” She added, thinking on Alexander.

“O-Okay!” Connie replied, gently putting one of Emily’s arms around her shoulders. “W-Where to, n-now?”

“What’re ya doin’, I’m not-I’m good! I’m… good!” Emily struggled against the two, but it was a rather pathetic attempt. “It was jussta littl’ juse izzall”

“We just need to find a good healer… I just know of one, bunbun… you?” Sakura said while trying to search for Alexander as she shouldered her weight too.

“W-Well, um, M-Mia can m-make some h-healing herbs, but s-she’s in the game room r-right now, s-so m-maybe w-we should try the p-person you know f-first,” Connie suggested as they began their search. It wasn’t the easiest thing, but it really didn’t bother Connie as much as it once might have.

A-At least I’m h-helping someone in n-need, Connie thought to herself. T-This feels a lot n-nicer than g-giving people n-nightmares… I c-can’t believe I’ve m-made so many f-friends in such a s-short time, she reflected, a small smile forming on her mask. I w-wonder if Mia is m-making any new friends, too...

---

“Perish, zombies! Fall before the fury of nature!” Gaia shouted as the final undead assault wave was repelled. “Yes! Gaia, Daughter of Mother Earth, is once again victorious!” the verdant magical girl exulted. “Now for the Endless Assault, where I shall not submit until I have attained at least fifty flags!”

“Pfft, fifty?” a contemptuous voice asked. Turning to face it, Gaia saw an average-looking girl with glasses. “I’ve easily gotten over a hundred!” the girl continued. “What’s your highest score? Seventy-five?”

“Ninety-seven,” Gaia replied pointedly. “And that is only because I was forced to stop playing and attend to more important matters.” She added indignantly. “If I had been permitted to continue, I am certain that I would have easily passed two hundred.”

“Lame,” the other girl said, while rolling her eyes. “But I guess that’s a valid excuse. My high score is one thousand and seven. Hey,” she added, seemingly having thought of something. “We’ve got plenty of time now, and I’m getting tired of beating the crap outta these losers,” she said, jerking her thumb at a collection of unhappy-looking girls gathered around one of the larger screens. “Why don’t we have ourselves a little challenge? You can see how a real pro does things, and I can laugh at your pathetic attempts to prove yourself. If you’re not chicken, of course.”

The girl then gave a smirk that was so smug and condescending, that it made the normally serene Gaia clench her hands into fists. For the other girl’s sake, she was thankful she was not in her human form, or she would have punched her lights out then and there. As it was, it took considerable effort to remain cordial to this little brat.

“Very well,” Gaia said as gracefully as she could manage, given her simmering fury. “Challenge accepted! May I be permitted to know the name of the one whom I have the honor of competing against?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard of me,” the other girl replied, placing her splayed fingers over her chest. “I’m only the number one best magical girl ever, but you can call me Angela, if that title’s too long for you.”

Best magical girl? Gaia thought to herself with contempt. Mother’s Mantel this girl has an ego… One that it shall be my great pleasure to crush, she added with a fierce smile.

“Oh my! The best magical girl!” Gaia exclaimed with mock awe. “It is such a great pleasure to make your acquaintance,” she added with a small bow, her voice dripping with false politeness.

“Wish I could say the same,” Angela replied dismissively. “Maybe I’ll show more interest in you if you actually do something to deserve it, but I sincerely doubt that will ever happen…”

With that, the contest began.

From the outset, it was easy to see that each player was employing their own, unique, strategy. Gaia began by planting as many Sunflowers as possible, and letting the Lawn Mowers and Pool Cleaners take care of the early zombies, only placing a defensive plant when absolutely necessary. After accumulating an impressive amount of sun, a defensive force composed primarily of Cob Cannons and Pumpkin-protected Gloom-Shrooms would take it from there.

Angela, by contrast, started out by placing Sunflowers in only the back two rows, while using Cattails and Wall-nuts to deal with early zombies, before creating a defensive force predominantly consisting of Gatling Peas. In another marked difference to Gaia, she would never build a single Cob Cannon. This was due to the next phase of her strategy, wherein she would then take advantage of game mechanics to use ladders dropped by ladder zombies to provide an extra level of protection for her plants.

Gaia was aware of this strategy, of course, and might have even employed it herself, had she been in her human form. As it was, however, she could not bear to see such a filthy object touch one of her precious plants any longer than necessary. What kind of a daughter of Mother Earth would she be if she did that?

“Y’know, I’ve roflstomped all the other idiots here so easily it nearly bored me to tears,” Angela commented. “I really do hope you can offer a bit more of a challenge.”

“I shall endeavor to not disappoint you,” Gaia replied, her pleasant tone concealing a bubbling caldron of rage.

“Wow, you’re using that strategy?” Angela observed. “I mean, it’s a good one, if you’re a total noob.”

Gaia clenched her teeth. This girl was seriously trying her patience. Did she actually want Gaia to attack her? Or, perhaps… Perhaps this was just another aspect of her strategy… Perhaps she was simply trying to distract her… After all, maintaining focus was a key skill for any gamer. Well, two could play that game…

“I am curious, Angela, do you hail from Penrose, or do you join us from abroad?”

“Oh, I’m just here for the rave,” the other girl explained. “When I heard how big a thing this was gonna be, I knew the Best Magical Girl just had to make an appearance.”

“Have you taken to the dance floor yet?” Gaia inquired. “I would imagine such a renowned magical girl as yourself would swiftly become the center of attention.”

“Oh, that comes later,” Angela replied. “I thought I should give all those tryhards out there a chance to have some fun, before I put them all to shame.”

“How magnanimous of you,” Gaia observed sardonically.

And so the contest continued. In contrast to Angela’s low maintenance build, Gaia’s Cob Cannon set up required constant focus and perfect coordination. This was because the Cob Cannons needed to be aimed manually, and had to be fired in a precise order, at just the right time, to attain maximum effectiveness. Although somewhat challenging, it was easy enough for Gaia to do this in her human form. With the sublime serenity and supernatural agility her magical girl form provided, she could literally do this all day. Or night, as the case may be. No, Gaia mused, she would not lose to this mouthy brat. Her honor as the Daughter of Mother Earth was on the line, and that was far more important to her than any mere video game. She only hoped no unforeseen distractions would bring an end to the contest before their flag counts reached the triple digits…

Surviving in a D-Tier Magical Academy - Always Accepting -

Kate- Alteration Class

@Cotton

"Sweet!" Kate replied, after Alura had told her about the creature she had created. "I think Nykannis told me about them, once. This crazy lookin' guy I'm making here is called a <<!◊◊◊¡>>, at least if I got the pronunciation right," she said with a laugh. "Nykannis showed me one of them when I tagged along on one of her extra-dimensional trips. Ya had to wear these special goggles when you looked at it, or you'd go totally insane! It was really awesome..." she added wistfully.

If Alura decided to look at Kate's creation, she would see a multicolored octahedron with clusters of four spines protruding from each vertex. Kate had also covered her bizarre creation with a number of eyes of various sizes.

"Now for the fun part!" Kate announced as she placed her splayed fingers over the object. With a minor expulsion of mystical power, the clay sculpture was transformed into glass, which shimmered prismatically in every color of the spectrum, and some others besides.

"Hey, teach! How's this?" Kate asked.