Stern Algorithm

Twisted Light - A Dystopic Magical Girl RP

"Your clemency is more than I deserve," Eponine replied. When Maria asked what was troubling her, Eponine looked away for a bit, then looked back, "My lady spoke of rebelling against the queen and conspiring with Shadow Compact. With all due respect, that is an act of treason. Ever since you took me on as your knight, I have served you and Aurora with utmost loyalty to preserve our fragile peace and the rule of law. Given your position ad rule, I never suspected you would harbor such thoughts. I am...conflicted. To you I owe much, but how much of what I owe you do I also owe to Aurora and the order it symbolizes?"

Twisted Light - A Dystopic Magical Girl RP

"My name... your knight's got the priveledge of that info already... but it's Chloe. Chloe Hartmann." She scratched her head lightly with a huge steel finger.

@Krauxis

After Chloe left, those words burned inside Eponine's mind. Eponine would have let Chloe go if she had simply given her name, but if Chloe had told Maria to ask Eponine for it, Eponine would have punished her for her insolence. Chloe had instead skirted between the two options, fulfilling the option of introducing herself, while simultaneously demonstrating extreme rudeness. Eponine couldn't let it go, but by her own logic, had to. Her grip tightened on her hammer, but once Chloe was far enough away, Epoinine released her pent up rage and threw her hammer. It swung around vertically several times as it traveled across the hall, its head smashing into the wall next to the door Chloe had left by, causing the room to shake slightly. The head of the hammer was embedded into the stone wall, its handle sticking out at an odd angle amid the cloud of powdered stone. Eponine took deep, slow breaths as she disabled her magical girl form, transforming back into her original clothes and causing the hammer to disintegrate. With the hammer no longer taking up space, a few bricks fell out, crumbling to the floor.

Eponine turned back to Maria and knelt. "I apologize for the property damage I have caused. Please allow me to atone for this transgression by letting me pay for the repairs, and to receive any additional punishment you deem necessary." Eponine looked up at Maria, blood trickling down from the corners of her mouth.

Twisted Light - A Dystopic Magical Girl RP

I'm gonna let @Krauxis post first, Eponine's gonna react after Chloe leaves.

Evolution of Conflict: A Sci-Fi Mecha 1x1 FaithfulMuse and Stern Algorithm

"Alright then," Maya continued, "As you can probably see, you access your cogs from the walkways over there." She pointed to the walkways that were about chest-height to the cogs. One the right side of the hangar stood Claire's Asteria, Blythe's Nix, and Solomon's Legion. On the left stood Israfil's Orpheus, Tera's Mayura, and Maya's Obsidian. Sion's Fury, being non-humanoid, was parked, strapped to a holding structure on the floor that sat between the two walls of cogs. "The catapult has two lanes and is capable of launching two cogs in tandem. The launching process is more-or-less automated and is coordinated by the bridge personnel. Now get to your cogs and I'll explain the rest."

As the group disbanded, each pilot heading to their respective cog, Solomon, who was heading in the same direction as Claire and Blythe, walked up to Blythe and said, "Hey, Rivers, I wanted to apologize for my...behavior yesterday. Could you find it in your heart to forgive me?" His words came out with a mocking sweetness, while his grin was far from apologetic.

Evolution of Conflict: A Sci-Fi Mecha 1x1 FaithfulMuse and Stern Algorithm

The Incubator and three other ships set a course to the edge of Ascendancy territory, a journey that would take about a day in hyperspace. The ships came together into formation and synchronized their Tachyon Harps. In a flash, the ships were gone, now traveling through hyperspace in a bubble of 'real' space. The bubble would exit hyperspace once they reached their destination. If anyone looked outside a window, they would see the iridescent boundary that encapsulated the four ships.

At the end of their 12 hours of free time, the cog pilots were all ordered to report to the hangar. Maya stood before the ensigns, with Sion at her side. Israfil stood nervously at attention, while Solomon was also present, looking strangely smug despite having supposedly been reprimanded. Tera continued to observe everyone around her.

"Alright team," Maya began, "our task force is currently headed to the border between The Ascendancy and the FAS. As you probably know, the region is very unstable, with militant groups, pirates and rebels, and the FAS is suspected of trying to destabilize the region for political and military gains. Our fleet will be patrolling the area. Though our presence alone should be enough to deter some groups, armed military intervention will be required for others. This will be a great chance to train your skills as pilots, and test the capabilities of your cogs. But before we arrive, we should do some training before you see some real action. At the very least, you all should be comfortable with piloting your cogs, and able to launch via catapult as well as returning to the carrier. We might even do some mock combat training if you all are up for it. Any questions?"

Twisted Light - A Dystopic Magical Girl RP

Posted. I do apologize if Eponine seems to not actually be doing anything, other than constant introspection.

Twisted Light - A Dystopic Magical Girl RP

"I don't like being threatened, though I can't say I didn't see it coming. I'll take your threat as fair play. The truth is," Chloe continued as she stood out of her chair. Sitting was awkward for her when she was transformed, and standing just felt a little more natural. "I just want what's best for me, see. I won't ever be loyal to you, because I... I just can't. I'm not loyal to the Compact, or to Aurora or anybody but myself. That said, you," she said as she pointed to Maria, before shifting her hand and gaze to where Eponine was sitting, seeming a bit shaken by the ordeal, "and you. You're fun. It seems like interesting stuff might happen around you. And one day, if I go along with this charade, I might get to fight you guys fair. Maybe even kill you. I wouldn't be bored for like a week if that happens. Or maybe I'll die. Won't ever be bored again that way either."

This was a lot of talking, more than Chloe was used to doing all at once, though it was her own fault for her rambling way of speaking to others, she knew. "So... fine. Because it's interesting, I'll let you use me in whatever game you have concocted. But I won't... can't promise loyalty. I might kill you one day. Or smash up your house. Or even betray you. There's just no other option for me. You've gotta take it or leave it, Lady. But it might do you some good to discuss that with your subordinates, they might be a bit restless with the idea."

@Krauxis

When Chloe stood up, Eponine did the same, wordlessly grabbing her hammer in preparation for a surprise attack from Chloe. All this talk of rebellion confused Eponine, and not only was tension rising between Chloe and Maria while they negotiated, Eponine felt an increased tension between herself and Maria. But when Chloe told Maria to 'discuss her plans with her restless subordinates', Eponine retorted, falling back to her default thinking, "How dare you question my loyalty to Lady Maria?!" For Eponine, it was more of an emotional release; it was so much simpler to not have to think, to fall back on habit, on programmed behavior. Of course, Eponine would have to ask Maria about it later, but for now, Eponine took comfort in her zealotry, solidarity, loyalty, ignorance, and blindness.

After a moment of sitting silent and staring at the rogue like an overweight man would look at a plate of salad, she finally spoke, in a low voice: "Take these." She called Fantine over and had her deliver two items to Chloe: a flash drive and a cellphone. She explained the items:

She paused for a moment, and then said: "In return, I only ask for one thing: the name of the one who would stand up to me without fear."

@Ariamis

Fantine did as commanded, while Eponine shifted from foot to foot nervously until Fantine was a good distance from Chloe. Eponine worried now more than before since Maria was actually sharing vital information with an unstable deviant, but resolved to hold her tongue until after Chloe had left. When Maria asked Chloe for her name, Eponine stared at Chloe with a look of judgment, mixed in with a slight smugness. Of course, Eponine already knew Chloe's name since she ahd told her, but Eponine wanted Chloe to say it herself as Maria had ordered. For Chloe to tell Maria to ask Eponine to tell her her name would be an act of incredible insolence that Eponine was not going to tolerate. She gripped her hammer tightly, waiting for Chloe to make that mistake and give Eponine a justifiable reason to smear her bloody corpse-paste along the estate grounds.

Twisted Light - A Dystopic Magical Girl RP

Maria needs to somehow convince Eponine that her plan is 'for the greater good'

Twisted Light - A Dystopic Magical Girl RP

Fantine bowed and ran off to find a suitable container for Chloe's milk. Eponine loosened up a bit once Fantine left the room, but immediately tightened up again, even started fidgeting restlessly when Maria started talking about overthrowing the Queen. Eponine wanted to speak out, to object, to remind Maria of her loyalties and the severe punishments for treason, but a few factors prevented her from doing so. The first factor was that Eponine did not want to show weakness to Chloe, nor undermine the appearance of power that Maria had; if Chloe saw Eponine contradict Maria, Chloe might think that Maria couldn't even control her own subordinates. The second factor was that it was entirely possible that Maria was playing a ruse, trying to trick Chloe into divulging some sort of information. Still, Eponine was extremely uncomfortable, and gripped the armrests of her chair tightly, her wide eyes darting back and forth between Maria and Chloe. Despite her efforts, her nervousness showed through; such expression of emotion that she had not shown in a long time.

Fantine returned shortly holding a tray with a pewter beer stein and a large glass jug of cold milk. She placed the stein in front of Chloe and poured some milk out for her, before retreating back into her waiting position behind Maria's wheelchair.

Twisted Light - A Dystopic Magical Girl RP

Depending on how the story unfolds and the persistence of the resident cat-bunny, there is the possibility that Fantine can contract as well.

EDIT: I just realized that Eponine is kind of a Homura-esque determinator who doesn't want Fantine to contract, making Fantine Madoka-esque. This was not my original intent.