I am working on very little sleep here, so please point out if I mess something up.
[♡] Anastasia Koyanskaya
[♡] You punished one too many punks with your trusty nailbat, and got kicked out of yiur last school. It was either moving or Juvie.
[♡] An escape from this boring life.
***
Your name is
Anastasia Koyanskaya. Ana to your family, Nasty Nastya to those who know. You've been called a lot of other things in your life, most of them bad. Delinquent. Thug. Punk. Psycho. Dango-headed hellbitch.
But deep down, in your very soul, there is only one term to describe you. The one you are and you're supposed to be.
An ally of justice.
But no matter how many heads you cracked, how many rights you wronged, how many evil-doers you vanquished, the title never came.
The world only saw the violence, freely given with a smile. They saw a problem, a dangerous element. A monster.
You got detention. Attempts at rehabilitation. Juvenile correction in a correctional facility. Pigs screaming in your face that the next time you played hero, you'd end up tried as an adult. That the blazing fire of passionate justice in your heart would turn to so much chained heat.
You looked for freedom, for an escape from the stifling normalcy they wanted you to conform to, but you couldn't find the exit.
It was all so tiresome. It was all so fucking boring.
"An escape," you mutter to Alice. "Give me the strength to escape this boring everyday."
You feel the vibes of the room shift, the colors turn monochrome for a moment.
"Are you sure, love?" Alice says to you, throughout you. "That's prime material for an Inversion Impulse."
"The hell's an Inversion Impulse?"
"When a magical girl's Will is overcome by negative emotions, their magical powers become tainted and they are at risk of becoming Youma," you hear her gulp loud enough to make your eardrums ache. "An ill-chosen wish, made in rage or despair, can cause the Inversion to be at the heart of their transformation. Given your potential, the consequences of that happening to you would be dire."
"What, so you're saying I can Witch Out without even becoming meguca?" You grope in the psychedelic nothing for your nailbat. It manifests in your hand, a loyal companion coming to your aid. "Fuck that noise."
Alice clears her throat. "For lack of a more detailed explanation, let's go with that."
"Alright, sure." You point your bat threateningly at the ether. "I told you what I want and it's what I aim to get, so you better not fuck me on this."
"C-Can I interest you in the strength to be a true hero, both inside and out?" Alice asks.
"A true hero earns their power and tempers their heart of justice through hard work and guts," you reply.
"How about something more personal, a stylish figure perhaps?"
You look down at your cliffside chest. "I did want bigger boobs, but aging up, tits included, is a pretty standard magical girl bit."
"The transformation can, erm, enhance your physical stature without specifically wishing for it."
"That include bigger boobs?"
"If the magical girl wills it."
You pump a fist. "Hell yeah. But I still want my original wish."
The space rumbles with Alice's concerned noises. "Look, it seems like your lust for violence and love of justice have been unfortunately stymied. There's also some concerning overlap between the two, but let's chalk that up to youthful enthusiasm. Being a magical girl, joining the Maj Life, that would bring the freedom you seek. A magical girl worth the name wishes not just for their own happiness, but the happiness of others."
You float for a while, thinking things over. You don't want to prove the bastards right by becoming a monster. You want something deeper. Deeper than your instincts, tauntingly out of reach. Something that will open the door to Paradise.
Your eyes snap open, twin stars of passion. "I got it. I still wish for an escape from boredom, but not just for me. I'll help people escape their suck-ass lives. Let me open the doors to other people's hearts and show them the way to Paradise."
The world glows with a warm, golden light. You feel Alice smiling in your soul. "A little cult sounding, but properly altruistic. With such Will you can become either god or devil, I pray you avoid the latter."
The inferno in your heart consumes you, transmutes you into something more. Ribbons of gossamer magic caress you, cocoon you, empower you. In an instant and an eternity, you are reborn. No longer are you just a punk kid with a nailbat and a rap sheet.
You're a goddamn magical girl.
As you take your first step in the real world, in your new reality, you see your outfit is...
[ ] Something frilly
[ ] Something sassy
[ ] Something classy
[ ] Something hardcore
The next thing you see is your trusty nailbat, transformed into something like an oni's club. It's a gleaming rose gold now the nails replaced with glittering golden spikes as long as your fingers. On the knob is a hot red rendering of the kanji for love.
You take a few practice swings and shudder with delight. People talk about a weapon being an extension of the self but here and now you truly
feel it. You are the bat, the bat is you.
You whisper sweet nothings to your ever-faithful companion, feel it warm at your words. You place your forehead on the knob and let yourself shed a happy tear.
The roar of the hellfire fox snaps you out of your reverie. It's spit out the girl, now on the ground in a spit-drenched heap. The head thug's broken body lies on the opposite side of the street.
You take a quick peek and see that Alice wasn't kidding about the boob thing, then sling your enhanced nailbat over your shoulder.
The pyrefox growls, its feral flames bristling and crackling like a forest fire. The beast bares its fangs at you, blood-flecked spittle flash-frying from the heat of its rage.
You bare your teeth back in a manic grin, gesturing for the pyrefox to come and have a go. A digital blue notification plays before your eyes.
***
Loading... ... ...
Ready?
Run!
TENCO MAGICAL GIRL RAISING SYSTEM
Ver. Delta
Congratulations $USERNAME on your apotheosis into a Magical Girl! Please read the following, and take your first steps towards being a warrior of love and/or justice!
UNDERSTANDING THE CORE COMPETENCIES
Combat Arts -This skill represents speed, accuracy and strength in combat with "mundane" methods. A magical girl is blessed with enhanced knowledge of combat arts. Even the most noodly NEET is given innate understanding of effective unarmed martial arts while transformed. Those with prior combar knowledge have their skills amplified to action movie feats of heroics. Distinctions can be had in Unarmed, Melee, or Ranged Combat.
Physical Enhancement - A magical girl is Will incarnate, their spirits creating the magic that strengthens their bodies and gives rise to their costumes. Notable Distinctions in Physical Enhancement are the Royal Guard: toughening the flesh to resist attacks, Quicksilver, the ability to move faster than the eye can see, and Masquerade, using the costume transformation to disguise and manipulate one's form.
Will-Working - All magical girls can use the art and science of using one's Will to manifest power. As the results resemble the magic of old, this competency is named in honor of the old thaumaturgists. Distinctions are made between the raw elemental power of the Invoker, the illusions and mesmerism of the Trickster, and the card-bound spirit-favored Conjurer.
Soul Manipulation - A magical girl's Will is powerful, but ultimately finite. Those who wish to have a long career (and not Invert) learn to control their power in ways beyond the physical. Distinctions include focusing on Metamanipulation: getting maximum efficiency from one's spirit, Possession: using one's spirit as a separate protective force, or Assensing: the ability to perceive, read and ultimately harness the spiritual power around them.
Every magical girl is reborn with innate talent in all these skills, but there is one aspect in which your soul truly shines.
***
[Choose one core competency and an associated Distinction]
[ ] Combat Arts.
-[ ] With an Unarmed Combat distinction
-[ ] With a Melee Combat distinction
-[ ] With a Ranged Combat distinction
[ ] Physical Enhancement.
-[ ] With a Royal Guard distinction
-[ ] With a Quicksilver distinction
-[ ] With a Masquerade distinction
[ ] Will-Working.
-[ ] With an Invoker distinction
-[ ] With a Trickster distinction
-[ ] With a Conjurer distinction
[ ] Soul Manipulation.
-[ ] With a Metamanipulation distinction
-[ ] With a Possession distinction
-[ ] With an Assensing distinction
***
Within the span of seven breaths, you make your choice and charge into the chaos.
