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Dark Magical Girl Quest

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Prologue 0.3 THE MAGICIAN
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Plan The Power of Love IT'S LUST!
    --[X] [Gender] Girl
    --[X][Appearance] Write-in: Violet hair with shoulder-length bangs, a nervous expression, and purple eyes.
    --[X][Origin] Tragedy
    --[X][Sin] L***
    --[X][Club] Music
    --[X][Club] Urban Legends
    --[X][Name] Kaworu Ai
    --[X][???] LOVE


    "Kaworu Ai?"

    "I'm here." Your voice is quiet, soft spoken. You don't like to draw attention to yourself, not if you can help it. Your home room teacher nods, gives you a perfunctory smile and moves on.

    Kaworu Ai. That's you. And you're here. You're still here. Left behind. Everyone else is gone.

    I'm still here, whelp. I will always be here. I am eternal.

    You flinch and try to ignore your headache. It's annoying but at least it's a good excuse if anyone asks why you're being quiet. It's not like you're going to share the real reason and spew your entire back story to a stranger, no matter how concerned they act.

    Your homeroom teacher finishes attendance and tells the class to rise. It's time for the opening assembly. The entire school files into the actual goddamn theater they have on campus. Fucking rich people. You try to pay attention to the principal's speech but she starts to go on about rich futures and hard work and bright, shiny smiles and you have to tune it out before you scream.

    It hurts. You knew it would hurt, that's why you didn't want to come here, to this place. To the school your big sister attended, which seemed founded on everything she believed in. Your sister, Yume, shone like the sun. She was brave, kind, smart and caring. She seemed perfect. She always had a smile on her face and whenever you were sad or tired or scared or worried, she was there. She would launch into these speeches, like some sort of anime character, about how kindness would beat meanness, about how friendship and family were the strongest things in the universe and about how you could do anything if you always tried and never gave up. For every challenge was met with a smile. She was larger than life. She was invincible.

    She was murdered ten years ago. And with her, all the light in the world.

    Not quite. But it was a good start.

    You used to believe in all the things Yume believed in, the things she taught. The stuff anime for kids tries to hammer into your brain. The stuff the principal is still going on about. But when Yume died and everything started falling apart, realized that all the hope, love and justice in the world doesn't actually mean jack shit. Hope doesn't earn you money. Love doesn't mean people will stay. And Justice doesn't stop you from dying badly enough under mysterious circumstances that you need to have a closed casket funeral.

    The real world is a cruel, vicious place. A place where tragedy can strike at any moment. And yet, no one seems to realize it. People are so blind. They blind themselves damnit, they stuff dreams and fantasies into their eyes, blocking out the pain of the real world until it kills them. But not you. Your eyes are open, you see the world for how it is. That's why you keep to yourself these days. So that willful blindness doesn't piss you off too bad.

    It's incredible how one little death can have such an effect on the world. You're not the only one wounded and grieving after the death of Yume Ai, whelp. But it's clear it's left you damaged and twisted. No wonder you're so-

    (QM Note: This vote is to determine your main personality traits. Please note that all three options are part of Kaworu, it's just that one part is at the forefront. If you pick Bitter and Cynical, she'll still dislike interacting with people and she'll still want to know what happened to Yume but being a caustic bitch will take precedence.

    Picking a personality also gets you two Traits, positive specializations to give your build more unique flavor. Unlike the flaw you got from your sin, which was meant to be a general debuff, the buffs you get from Traits are a bit more narrow in scope, hence why you get two of them.)

    [ ][Personality] Quiet and Withdrawn - You keep to yourself, you don't act out and you don't make friends. It's easier that way. People ignore you. You don't have to deal with them. Yume always took center stage, it just naturally happened. You don't think you could stand people looking at you. So you sit on the sidelines, watching, waiting, learning. They would see how pathetic you are if they looked closer, how you don't fit. But being overlooked is a good trait for a spy…

    ---Wallflower: You're naturally unassuming, to the point when people sometimes forget you're there. At least, right up until you do something to draw attention to yourself. You get a +10 bonus to skill rolls for sneaking, you occasionally overhear rumors and other goodies in civilian form because people don't realize you're there, in combat you're typically targeted last if you have allies and no one will ever suspect you of being anything other than a normal, boring girl.

    ---Sensitive Soul: Normally, sensing magic is a very hard skill to acquire. Not just feeling the heat of a lighter cantrip but actually picking the magic behind it is just not something humans were built to do. You seem to be the exception to that. Not only do you have the ability to sense magic unlocked from the start, you get a +10 bonus to Soul rolls for picking up, identifying and tracking magical signatures.

    [ ][Personality] Bitter and Cynical - You have opinions and you're not going to back down from them. Sure, you don't shout it from the rooftops that you think anyone who believes in love and justice is an idiot, but they are idiots and you'll tell it to their face if they shove that annoying dreck in yours. Things don't just work out because you try hard or believe or shit. Are you happy? No. But at least you're not lying to yourself like everyone else is. That's what I like to hear. It's so refreshing to meet a human that's completely given up on living a happy life. Nature is healing.

    ---Insults with Bite: You see the worst in people, quite literally. You can tell a person's flaws and issues almost at a glance, it's quite the talent. And it's all true too, which means they can't deny it when you say it outloud. You had quite the reputation back in middle school. Three budding, lovey-dovey relationships destroyed in one conversation each, all in one afternoon. They should have been thanking you. It's not like they were going to last anyway. You get a +10 to Empathy rolls for taunts, insults, critiques and other such things. Once per combat, you can issue a perfectly timed verbal attack as an insult to disrupt your target, debuffing them and possibly even making them lose an action.

    ---There is No Santa Claus, There is No Easter Bunny: Your belief that the world is cruel and miracles don't exist is so deeply ingrained, it actually serves to protect your soul. For you, magic isn't magical. It's just an exotic energy produced by a strange material that reacts to human brainwaves. It's a tool and nothing more. Magic attacks only do 75% of their damage to you, other spells like magical illusions, debuffs and so on take a -10 to rolls targeting you and you get a +10 to Soul Rolls for resisting native magic effects.

    [ ][Personality] Stubborn and Inquisitive - Your sister was murdered, your life was left in shambles and the cops just gave up. Fuck that. The fact that magic was brand new and magical forensics weren't even invented yet was no excuse. You're going to find out what happened to Yume. You'll find every clue, chase every lead, break every law you need to. Apathy cannot stop you. Lies cannot stop you. You won't stop. Ever. Not until it's done. But when you reach the end and find your answers, will you be happy with them?

    ---Like a Dog With a Bone: Once you bite, you don't ever let go. Ever. You'll keep hounding people, poking, prodding, begging, insulting, anything to get them to give up the info. Same with physical clues. If a wall is in your way, you scale it, go around or simply bash your head against it until it falls down. If you're chasing a lead or hunting information, failed rolls only count as partial failures, no matter how low. Only crit fails mean you cannot continue to roll. You also get a +10 to Might rolls for chasing targets, pinning them down and otherwise preventing escape.

    ---Sharp Eyes, Always Searching: You couldn't exactly call yourself an anateur sleuth if you missed the obvious. And the not so obvious. You pay attention to your surroundings, picking up clues and analyzing it. You get a +10 to Intellect rolls for finding clues, investigating crime scenes and locating hidden details. In combat, you can easily pick out weak spots, finding exactly the right place to hit for maximum damage. Your critical hits do triple damage instead of double.

    Eventually, the assembly ends and you're released from your torture. You wind up going back to class, where your homeroom teacher starts going over some of the more administrative things. Time tables, cleaning duty, student council elections and so on. You let it all just wash over you in a haze as you quietly wait for the day to end.

    Or at least you would have, if not for receiving a message on your tablet out of nowhere. It's on silent, thankfully, but the loud buzz as it vibrates against your desktop makes some of your classmates look down their noses at you. Tryhards, all of them. It's not like you were actually disrupting class, your teacher didn't even notice. Brushing off their disapproval, you pick up your tablet and see what almost got you into trouble.

    H_Fukumoto: Hi hi~ This is Hikari, President of the Urban Legends Investigations Club! 👋:lol:

    H_Fukumoto: I just wanted to say hi and thanks for joining! :lol: I was really worried no one would sign up! :oops: 👉👈

    Oh no. Emotes. You need to put a stop to this. Now. Before it's too late.

    K_Ai: middle if class

    Texting isn't one of your strong suits.

    H_Fukumoto: Oh please, it's not like they're saying anything important. :rolleyes:

    She's got you there.

    H_Fukumoto: Anyway! I'm so happy someone else joined up! :lol: Congrats on being the first to sign up! 👍

    Wait, the first? That can't be right.

    K_Ai: how many others?

    H_Fukumoto: It's just you and me… :oops: But I'm sure others will join up soon! :D Especially once we crack our first case! I'm going to be relying on you, Ms. Vice President!     🤝;)

    Vice President? You really hope that's a joke. You only signed up because you thought it might give you some clues about what happened to Yume. A kernel of truth under all the rumors and myths and such. Actual responsibility was the last thing you wanted. Especially not working as the unpaid babysitter of some crazy genki girl.

    H_Fukumoto: Oooooh, I can't wait! With your help, I'll finally prove that magical girls are real!:D

    Mag…ical… Girl…?

    <a flash of pink. a confident grin. strong arms carrying you. you are warm. you are safe. you are->

    NO! No, that… That never happened. No. You don't have time for old dreams.

    Oh, how wonderful. I knew you would fight magical girls. I didn't think you'd deny their existence outright. To not only forget the past but reject it completely? You'll do well.

    K_Ai: magical girls aren't real

    H_Fukumoto: That's what everyone says but I think you'll find my proof very convincing!:cool::p Unfortunately we can't have our first meeting today, I have a thing to do, but you'll see!

    You rub your forehead and suppress a groan. You already woke up with a headache, why was this girl so determined to give you another one? You just wanted to maybe find some leads about Yume's murder. But you can already tell-

    H_Fukumoto: Oh, hey, do you know how to change your ID on this thing? Full names are soooooo uncute. :cry:

    -this was a mistake.

    Thankfully Fukumoto doesn't keep bugging you after that. But class lets out soon after anyway. It was just a half day for orientation, your real high school experience starts tomorrow. But that doesn't mean the school is done without. As soon as the bell rings, your tablet, along with everyone else's, gets a flood of automated messages. News, sign ups, information packets, that sort of thing. You get one from the counseling office which you dismiss as more of the same, blah blah blah always open blah blah blah totally confidential blah blah blah free snacks, but then you get to the end of it and you realize you were wrong.

    With that out of the way, Miss Ai, your mother specifically contacted me and asked me to check in on you. You're not required to make an appointment but you may find it useful.

    Sincerely, Taeko Yamada

    You have to take a moment and breathe deep breaths just so you don't scream in frustration in the middle of the hall. Fucking damnit, just because you're not a deluded happy little fool like Yume was, that doesn't mean you're depressed. Or crazy. Or whatever your mom thinks is wrong with you because you didn't grow up to be a clone of your big sister.

    And you're all the better for it, aren't you.

    You rub your eyes trying to think. What a hassle. You should probably go and convince this counselor lady that your mom's overreacting and you're completely fine. Otherwise your mom won't shut up about it. But not today. The damn headache is slowly easing up but it's still there and ruining your day. You should be feeling your best if you want to convince the counselor you're okay.

    There was one message you expected to get that didn't come though. After Fukumoto jumped the gun contacting you, you kind of expected the Casual Music Club you signed up for to do some sort of announcement as well. You liked music well enough and Akarui Seishin has a wealth of options but most sounded like too much effort to you. A show choir, a musical theater club, multiple people wanting to start rock bands, none of that was your thing. You just wanted a place you could put on your headphones and fade into the background. The Casual Music Club sounded perfect for that. But if they didn't set it up, that wasn't your problem.

    It was time to get out of there. Honestly, you're not sure how you'll make it through a full day tomorrow. And the day after that. Hopefully your headache will be gone by then. It seems to spike randomly. Or whenever you think about it.

    Hmph. I come and go as I please, brat.

    Yeah, like that. But what you need right now is some time alone. Some place calm and soothing. Hopefully destressing will help. So you hop on a bus and head to the edge of town.

    As you travel away from the city core, there are fewer and fewer people and the buildings get less shiny, less modern. You find yourself breathing easier. You're almost the last person on the bus when it reaches your stop and you're thankful. Out here, the rampant upgrades to the city haven't happened yet. You walk past old hours with peeling paint, step over cracks in the pavement filled with weeds. It's old and ugly but it strikes you as more real than the perfect, clean, bustling downtown with all the shiny glass buildings and technology of the future. It's less fake.

    You walk in silence for several minutes before reaching your destination: an old, abandoned mall built on the edge of the river that encircles three sides of the city. Honestly, it seems like prime real estate to you so you have no idea why it hasn't been torn down and renovated yet. But the whole neighborhood seems stuck in the past and you're not someone who knows how property and zoning laws and profitability works, so what do you know? Just that their loss is your gain.

    You step through the empty window frame, sneakers crunching the remnants of glass underfoot. You walk past boarded up storefronts, overgrown planters, rubble and garbage. You don't know how you know this place. You don't live anywhere near here so it's not like you just stumbled upon it by accident. You've just always known about it, as long as you can remember. It used to frighten you, the broken windows and walls, the long shadows, the hidden nooks and crannies where monsters would like to hide and where bugs actually did, it was all tailor-made to scare a dumb little brat. But as you grew older, you found the isolation and desolation comforting.

    This place…? Hm, ironic. I wonder if you subconsciously remember or if a broken girl and a broken building just fit each other.

    Even your headache seems less painful here. This was the right decision, yeah.

    You make your way up to the roof and sit on the edge, kicking your legs over empty air and watching the river. It's nice. You listen to the sounds of water and watch the ducks float by. You're pretty sure ducks don't care about love or justice. They probably don't have hopes or dreams. They don't try to change the world or themselves for the better. They just float on the river, eating water plants and occasionally laying eggs. They just follow the path laid out for them. Sounds nice.

    It's the way things should be. It's the way mankind was before Love and Determination granted you Free Will. But you will help me Correct that mistake, won't you, child. Don't worry. The pain and indecision will be over soon enough.

    With a groan, you lay back, uncaring of how dirty your school uniform gets. You watch the clouds, you stare at the sky and slowly, your eyes begin to close. You're tired. So tired. But this is… nice… peaceful…

    So of course, right as you're closing your eyes, something explodes. You scream and throw yourself back into sitting upright, scanning for danger as your heart pounds. And what you see baffles you.

    Down by the river bank, the former peace is erupting into chaos. First, you identify the robots. Their full designation is something like some long-ass technical name but everyone knows these security bots just as the class designation: Pacem. They usually hang around on street corners, providing directions, managing cross walks and picking up litter. They're supposed to look real friendly, with a sleek white chassis made of some hyper plastic or something, with a black screen that usually shows a pink smiley face. You've occasionally seen them wielding their shock batons on the news but day to day, they're stored in the robots' legs so they don't scare people. But the Pacems have their batons out now, along with angry red exclamation points on their face screens and something you've never seen them use before: actual guns. Even when they're shutting down drug deals or bank robberies, the Pacems just walk up and swing their batons, ignoring the bullets that bounce off of them. Guns are overkill for them. Or at least, they're supposed to be. This time, they don't seem to be making much difference.

    Hm… Soulless automatons built for combat? I believe that someone may be copying my homework, or whatever it is you children say.

    Because the Pacems aren't facing regular humans, no. They're chasing what you can only describe as monsters. Thin, gangly humanoids with bodies made of pure black, dripping occasionally like they're made of living ink or oil. They all move with a jerky, twitchy cadence that firmly puts them in the 'creepy as hell' category which is only made worse by their face.. They don't have any. No facial features at all. Just a purple swirl where on the center of their smooth heads that slowly turns and turns. Some of them have arms that end in bladed spikes, while others seem to have cannons for arms. They're trading gunfire with the Pacems while the sword-armed ones are slashing against their batons. Black-purple energy blasts and blue-white electric beams fly through the air. In all the chaos, you see a dog-like version of the black monsters darting in between the chaos, some sort of high tech silver case clamped in its jaws.

    Aren't they cute? Deadly, expendable and, best of all, completely and totally lacking any sort of free will. Just like what humanity was supposed to be.

    And then there's <her. Tall, strong, untouchable. Dominating the battlefield with ease and a smile. Long hair, bright pink, tied in a ponytail that leaves a streak behind as weaves her way around her foes. Bright wings of pure pink rise from her back and push her forward. She's here. She's here to save you. You breathe a sigh of relief and prepare to cheer for her as her flaming sword->

    You blink and the dream is gone… and yet it isn't. There are still monsters, still chaos and yet, you feel no fear, because she's here too. She isn't the same. Not as tall, not as confident. Rather than smiling, her face is screwed up in concentration. Her hair is the same shade of bright pink but it's pulled into twin tails rather than one long ponytail. Her wings are small and white, decorations on her costume rather than made of magic. And instead of an elegant sword wreathed in pink flames, she's firing arrows tipped with pink hearts at the monsters. Still just as effective though, they punch right through the dark freaks.

    Your heart pounds in your chest and all you can do is watch, hypnotized. She's real. A real life Magical Girl. Not a half-forgotten dream, not a delusion that won't leave you alone. She's real.

    She's beautiful.

    …Disgusting. You and her both.

    You barely have time to recognize that thought when another explosion goes off. The (adorable, cute, wonderful) Magical Girl has charged up another arrow, this one glowing brightly as it flies towards its target, the dog-monster with the case. The dog dodges at the last moment but the arrow still explodes in an amazing burst of pink smoke and fire. The dog is blasted away while the case it was carrying is broken open and three sparkles fly into the air. One winds up flying all the way up to the rooftop, where it lands and rolls towards you.

    You stare at the pitch-black gem, uncomprehending. It's Miraculite, you know it is. You can feel the power it has, locked away in its crystal shell, just like your casting glove. But you've never seen a version that was colored black before. What's more, the piece of Miraculite that's supposed to be powering the entire greater Tokyo metropolitan area is no bigger than a blueberry. This black orb is the size of your fist. The amount of power in it…

    Enough to save the world. Or, hopefully, destroy it.

    Without thinking, you find yourself reaching towards it. Headless of the danger or the battle before, you pick up the black Miraculite as if in a trance.

    And then you hear a voice.

    (QM Note: This vote is for your Second Soul, the personality endowed in your Miraculite that decides your theme and powers as a Dark Magical Girl. Your Second Soul will be your trusted partner, loyal to you and only you no matter what happens. It may advise, argue and disagree but it will always back whatever choice you make in the end. This choice also decides two of your spell trees, the style of your costume and what weapon you get if you chose to be a weapon wielding Magical Girl later.)

    [ ][Voice] Imp - "Hehehehe! Hi hi! Are you my human? Are you? Yaaaaaay! I'm Beazle, an imp! I'm good at sneaking and pranking and annoying the shit out of people and now, so are you! Your soul is mine now so let's have lots of fun and sin a lot, okay Buddy?" Spell Trees: [Tricksy Shadows] and [Burning Hellfire]. Style: Sneak Thief. Weapon: Dual Daggers.

    [ ][Voice] Dragon - "Who dares awaken Shaid, The Great Dragon of Darkness? Your fate is sealed, Hatchling. A dragon never surrenders what's theirs. Now, defend your hoard with my black fire!" Spell Trees: [Dragon's Might] and [Black Fire of Destruction]. Style: Draconic Power. Weapon: Great Sword

    [ ][Voice] Death - "IT IS NOT YOUR TIME YET YOUR TOUCH HAS REACHED ME? FATE IS MEDDLING ONCE AGAIN. YET SHE HAS MADE A MISTAKE. I CLAIM YOU FROM HER, MY APPRENTICE. I AM DEATH. IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU." Spell Trees: [DEATH] and [VOID]. Style: Flowy robes. Weapon: Scythe.

    [ ][Voice] Moon - "Oh? A new soul has awoken to the night? I offer you greetings, fair stranger. I am Queen Luna, the moon, and it seems we are to be partnered. With my grace, the night shall be yours to rule. From this day forth, you shall be my little Princess." Spell Trees: [Reflected Light] and [Kingdom of the Moon]. Style: Elegant Princess. Weapon: Rapier

    [ ][Voice] Beast - "Grrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaah! You! You leash Kerberus? Kerberus kill you! …Kerberus cannot kill you. Fine. Kerberus is King of All Beasts. Take Kerberus' anger, hunger and all of Kerberus' rage. See how long you last, riding Kerberus' back. Grahahahah!" Spell Trees: [Beastly Roars] and [Alpha of the Pack] Style: Furs and leathers. Weapon: Great ax.

    [ ][Voice] Outlaw - "Well howdy Pardner! Y'all ready to cause a ruckus? Whether it's rustlin', thievin', shootin', gamblin', cheatin', or duckin', this Kidd's got yer back. Yeehaw!" Spell Trees: [Quick Draw] and [Bandit's Sabotage]. Style: Cowgirl. Weapon: Guns.

    [ ][Voice] AI - [USER ACCEPTED] [ID SET: STORMNET] [BOOT UP COMPLETE] [LET'S GO BOSS] Spell Trees: [Reality Hack.EXE] and [Storm Front.EXE]. Style: High Tech Armor. Weapon: Staff.

    [ ][Voice] Vampire - "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you. Apologies, but I would not wish this upon anyone. My name is Countess and we are bonded now. My power may be yours but so shall be my thirst. Come, fledgling, the night is young and the blood is fresh. We must tend to your thirst." Spell Trees: [Rivers of Blood] and [Sire the Night] Style: Duchess in Red. Weapon: Whip

    [ ][Voice] Rock Star - "Yeeeeeeeah, baby! Time for Punka to take the stage! Are you ready to rock? Let's fucking go! Time to start the show! I can feel it in your soul, the beat of the drums, the strum of the guitar, the pounding base. You've been quiet for too damn long, Fangirl, but I'm here to help! All you gotta do is let it all out! Time to scream! Three, two, one, LET'S ROCK!" Spell Trees: [Rebel Yell] and [Public Disturbance]. Style: Punk Rock. Weapon: Guitar

    [ ][Voice] Write In - Subject to GM approval.

    Everything stops. Everything fades away. The battle, the mall, even your headache. It's just you and the voice, your new… friend. Drifting in the void. There's nothing. And the nothing, the darkness, it's comforting. No pain, no frustration, no bullshit. The void wraps around you, holds you tight, holds you safe. It glides along your body, forming gloves, boots, a dress. It becomes your armor. And you become you.

    Reality snaps back into place and you open your eyes to find yourself transformed. Power, magic, flows through your veins, thrums under your skin, ready and waiting. Your clothes are gone, replaced by a ridiculous outfit you should utterly hate, yet it feels completely right. And in your hands you find-

    (QM Note: This vote is for your combat style, or as it think of it, whether you want to be a Pretty Cure, Madoka or Nanoha style magical girl. Your style determines what gets enhanced by your transformation and how many spells you start off knowing from your Second Soul spell trees. No matter what, you have your Sin Spell, Beauty but after that, what you start with depends on what you pick here)

    [ ][Style] Nothing - Ah, beating your foes up with your bare hands. Like a brute. I suppose it must be cathartic at least. It's a shame my true enemies don't have a physical form to pummel. 2x Health, +10 Melee, No Spells.

    [ ][Style] Weapon - I cannot say I'm surprised. You humans have always loved your tools of war. Some are innovative, some are not. Either way, I find them useful to turn against you all. 1.5x Health and Mana, +5 Melee and Spell Casting, 1 Spell

    [ ][Style] Staff/Wand - Magic, born from the Soul. The Soul, born from Love, Determination and other glitches you monkeys happened across because you grew too complex. I detest its existence, but I won't deny Magic's value to Correction. 2x Mana, +10 Spell Casting, 3 Spells. (QM Note: If you chose Kidd, he gives you a gun. It's kind of like a wand, right?)

    You… Are you…? No, no you can't be. Even if Magical Girls are real, you can't be one. Magical Girls, they're heroes. They fight for love and hope and all the things you've discarded. You can't be one. No.

    But still, you've got power. More power than you know what to do with. But you're going to do something with it. You can't just waste this opportunity… can you?

    [ ][Action] Magical Girls fight monsters, don't they? You don't think you fit the bill, but you can at least give it a shot, right?

    [ ][Action] Time to smash some damn cops. You've had a shitty day and breaking robots sounds like fun.

    [ ][Action] That girl… You need to talk to her. The monsters, the robots, they don't matter. You just need her. Her attention. That's what you meant, yeah.

    [ ][Action] Your new Miraculite wasn't the only one in the case. There were two others and they must be valuable. Try to grab them.

    [ ][Action] Nope. Fuck this. You're done. This has nothing to do with you, you're leaving before anything else crazy happens.

    [ ][Action] Write In

    And so you've taken your first steps. But where will your path lead? To me. That is the only answer. Until you hear my voice again, wretch, and remember…

    You cannot escape Destiny. You cannot escape Fate. You cannot escape     me.


    QM Note: And here we are at the last section of character creation. Fun fact, discussion in the thread actually affected the options here. Not just adding in the personality and traits vote, but I also added Punka as an option after people talked about playing as a bard. Not exactly the elegant conductor you were thinking, buuuuut... Anyway, I want to thank my beta readers @hellgodsrus @BlindingPhoenix and my lovely boyfriend @Lazurman for their help, as well as my friend @HellKing666 for making an AI image of our first magical girl! Yay! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Happy voting!
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Plan: Cynical Moon
    -[X][Personality] Bitter and Cynical
    -[X][Voice] Moon
    -[X][Style] Staff/Wand
    -[X][Action] Your new Miraculite wasn't the only one in the case. There were two others and they must be valuable. Try to grab them.

    [X] Plan Destiny Awaits
    [X] Plan: Magic isn't Real!
    [X] Plan Hidden Depths
     
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    [X] Plan Wallflower Communication
    -[X][Personality] Quiet and Withdrawn
    -[X][Voice] Moon
    -[X][Style] Staff/Wand
    -[X][Action] That girl… You need to talk to her. The monsters, the robots, they don't matter. You just need her. Her attention. That's what you meant, yeah.

    Quiet and Withdrawn's bonuses seem best. Wallflower means being targeted last with allies (which we have no matter what way we go.) And as a moving magical artillery cannon, being targeted last means our garbage Physical Combat stat should avoid coming into play as people try to gank the mage, which means instead of defending ourselves we can focus on big magical attacks.

    Moon is the Voice I thought sounded most interesting, but Staff/Wand I think is an obvious choice. We're specced for Magic, and having Wallflower means the lack of bonus Health doesn't really matter for us so long as we have meatshields allies.

    Action...I don't have a strong opinion and am willing to change if a convincing argument is made. A part of me wants the amusement of fighting monsters, but I think it's too early for that. Talking with the Girl (or "talking") promises to be funny.

    EDIT:
    [X] Plan Rhythm of the World

    I'll approval vote Rhythm of the World.
     
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    [X] Plan Rhythm of the World
    -[X][Personality] Quiet and Withdrawn
    -[X][Voice] Moon
    -[X][Style] Staff/Wand
    -[X][Action] Your new Miraculite wasn't the only one in the case. There were two others and they must be valuable. Try to grab them.

    Personality: With our derived attributes, we need every defensive advantage of the "don't get hit" variety that we can manage.

    Voice: Thematically tied to darkness, but distinguished by its relationship to the light source it reflects. Feels thematic for a good girl gone bad.

    Style: We're specialized for magical violence, but our Mana supply leaves something to be desired. This does the most to fix that.

    Action: A curious mind would pursue self-knowledge, when faced with a personal transformation. Also, makes best use of the ninja skills.

    Edit: Approval Vote for a knowledge-seeker route.

    [X] Plan: Reaper's Apprentice
     
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    For purposes of full disclosure, as I'm Rex's friend, I ended up betareading this update. But! Don't think that gives me any additional advantage in pushing my single issue (it doesn't), or in knowing what the best options are.

    It also means I'm going to offer some colour commentary as this is the first major story update and there's some important things to note as we go through. Firstly -
    Kaworu Ai. That's you. And you're here. You're still here. Left behind. Everyone else is gone.

    I'm still here, whelp. I will always be here. I am eternal.
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    Awww, our Dark Lady inadvertently trying to comfort our lead! Yes yes, it's mostly just her grandstanding, let me be delusional.

    It hurts. You knew it would hurt, that's why you didn't want to come here, to this place. To the school your big sister attended, which seemed founded on everything she believed in. Your sister, Yume, shone like the sun. She was brave, kind, smart and caring. She seemed perfect. She always had a smile on her face and whenever you were sad or tired or scared or worried, she was there. She would launch into these speeches, like some sort of anime character, about how kindness would beat meanness, about how friendship and family were the strongest things in the universe and about how you could do anything if you always tried and never gave up. For every challenge was met with a smile. She was larger than life. She was invincible.

    She was murdered ten years ago. And with her, all the light in the world.

    Not quite. But it was a good start.
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    So I'm laying down a bet now. Five (insert currency here) that our older sister was a magical girl of the former gen who died fighting the forces of Our Dark Lady. Which like, given it's the defining moment in Kaworu's life, you'd think that'd kill the shipping potential. Not so! It merely increases the angst opportunities! Imagine the reveal! Imagine the conflict! Imagine the toxicity!

    You used to believe in all the things Yume believed in, the things she taught. The stuff anime for kids tries to hammer into your brain. The stuff the principal is still going on about. But when Yume died and everything started falling apart, realized that all the hope, love and justice in the world doesn't actually mean jack shit. Hope doesn't earn you money. Love doesn't mean people will stay. And Justice doesn't stop you from dying badly enough under mysterious circumstances that you need to have a closed casket funeral.

    The real world is a cruel, vicious place. A place where tragedy can strike at any moment. And yet, no one seems to realize it. People are so blind. They blind themselves damnit, they stuff dreams and fantasies into their eyes, blocking out the pain of the real world until it kills them. But not you. Your eyes are open, you see the world for how it is. That's why you keep to yourself these days. So that willful blindness doesn't piss you off too bad.

    It's incredible how one little death can have such an effect on the world. You're not the only one wounded and grieving after the death of Yume Ai, whelp. But it's clear it's left you damaged and twisted. No wonder you're so-
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    I'll talk more about the vote options by the end, but I do find it kinda fun that Kaworu is such a bitter, jaded edgelady. Girl, you're a high school student. Yes, your dead sister sucks, and the world sucks, but things could be a lot worse. Our Dark Lady has a good point about the self centredness.

    H_Fukumoto: Oooooh, I can't wait! With your help, I'll finally prove that magical girls are real!:D
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    Good to see my theory vis a vis Urban Legend club confirmed.

    <a flash of pink. a confident grin. strong arms carrying you. you are warm. you are safe. you are->

    NO! No, that… That never happened. No. You don't have time for old dreams.
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    ... I'm casually raising my bet to 10 (insert currency here).

    It was time to get out of there. Honestly, you're not sure how you'll make it through a full day tomorrow. And the day after that. Hopefully your headache will be gone by then. It seems to spike randomly. Or whenever you think about it.

    Hmph. I come and go as I please, brat.
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    I just found this funny.

    You step through the empty window frame, sneakers crunching the remnants of glass underfoot. You walk past boarded up storefronts, overgrown planters, rubble and garbage. You don't know how you know this place. You don't live anywhere near here so it's not like you just stumbled upon it by accident. You've just always known about it, as long as you can remember. It used to frighten you, the broken windows and walls, the long shadows, the hidden nooks and crannies where monsters would like to hide and where bugs actually did, it was all tailor-made to scare a dumb little brat. But as you grew older, you found the isolation and desolation comforting.

    This place…? Hm, ironic. I wonder if you subconsciously remember or if a broken girl and a broken building just fit each other.
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    Bet up to 15, and this is definitely where she died in battle against the forces of darkness.
    You make your way up to the roof and sit on the edge, kicking your legs over empty air and watching the river. It's nice. You listen to the sounds of water and watch the ducks float by. You're pretty sure ducks don't care about love or justice. They probably don't have hopes or dreams. They don't try to change the world or themselves for the better. They just float on the river, eating water plants and occasionally laying eggs. They just follow the path laid out for them. Sounds nice.

    It's the way things should be. It's the way mankind was before Love and Determination granted you Free Will. But you will help me Correct that mistake, won't you, child. Don't worry. The pain and indecision will be over soon enough.
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    Yeah I just like this. It's a good view into Kaworu 'relaxed', and it's a good indicator of our Dark Lady's goals (elimination of Free Will isn't... great, but her tone here is nice and seductive!).

    Down by the river bank, the former peace is erupting into chaos. First, you identify the robots. Their full designation is something like some long-ass technical name but everyone knows these security bots just as the class designation: Pacem. They usually hang around on street corners, providing directions, managing cross walks and picking up litter. They're supposed to look real friendly, with a sleek white chassis made of some hyper plastic or something, with a black screen that usually shows a pink smiley face. You've occasionally seen them wielding their shock batons on the news but day to day, they're stored in the robots' legs so they don't scare people. But the Pacems have their batons out now, along with angry red exclamation points on their face screens and something you've never seen them use before: actual guns. Even when they're shutting down drug deals or bank robberies, the Pacems just walk up and swing their batons, ignoring the bullets that bounce off of them. Guns are overkill for them. Or at least, they're supposed to be. This time, they don't seem to be making much difference.
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    So these guys seem like a third faction, given later stuff. Or, given the stealing of Big Chunks of Miraculite, city security forces (technically MG aligned, sorta, maybe).

    And then there's <her. Tall, strong, untouchable. Dominating the battlefield with ease and a smile. Long hair, bright pink, tied in a ponytail that leaves a streak behind as weaves her way around her foes. Bright wings of pure pink rise from her back and push her forward. She's here. She's here to save you. You breathe a sigh of relief and prepare to cheer for her as her flaming sword->
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    ....20.

    You blink and the dream is gone… and yet it isn't. There are still monsters, still chaos and yet, you feel no fear, because she's here too. She isn't the same. Not as tall, not as confident. Rather than smiling, her face is screwed up in concentration. Her hair is the same shade of bright pink but it's pulled into twin tails rather than one long ponytail. Her wings are small and white, decorations on her costume rather than made of magic. And instead of an elegant sword wreathed in pink flames, she's firing arrows tipped with pink hearts at the monsters. Still just as effective though, they punch right through the dark freaks.

    Your heart pounds in your chest and all you can do is watch, hypnotized. She's real. A real life Magical Girl. Not a half-forgotten dream, not a delusion that won't leave you alone. She's real.

    She's beautiful.

    …Disgusting. You and her both.
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    Oooo our Dark Lady is Jellllyyyyyy (okay obviously it's more about her hatred for Love and all that but still). In general, interesting that we start this Into one of our foes; I'm guessing this is Definitely Not Lust's consequences?

    And so you've taken your first steps. But where will your path lead? To me. That is the only answer. Until you hear my voice again, wretch, and remember…

    You cannot escape Destiny. You cannot escape Fate. You cannot escape     me.
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    Nice to get a name (especially with what Death said before). I think from now on our beloved Dark Lady will be called Destiny in my posts until we get another name for her.

    So! What options are best, both mechanically and to push our Dark Lady's agenda and make her fall for us? I've actually got two plans prepped - a straightforward one and a more 'my personal toxic yuri tastes' one.

    [X] Plan Destiny Awaits
    - [X][Personality] Bitter and Cynical
    - [X][Voice] Vampire
    - [X][Style] Staff/Wand
    - [X][Action] Time to smash some damn cops. You've had a shitty day and breaking robots sounds like fun.
    So! Let's break it down, piece by piece.

    Personality the best option all around is obviously Bitter. Sorry Withdrawn fans. Each path seems to set up what this story's going to be like (Spy, More standard Villain Protag, Detective), and Bitter leads us into More Standard Villain Protagonist which is a) pretty interesting, b) fits our previous choices while also allowing for developments (like you redemption fanatics) without committing us one way or another and c) aligns us more closely with Destiny, fulfilling my Single Issue. On top of that, it is a mechanical showstopper, letting us on a story level find a person's weakness basically on sight, and weaponise that easily with a free once a combat stun. It also comes with the most OP talent available from all of these, the antimagic one which not only offers FUN RP opportunities but basically ensures that in combat against Magical Girls we're naturally advantaged - and given they're our main enemy at the moment and we're in a setting spitting with magic....

    Voice... here I'm a bit torn on everything except not wanting Moon to win, which every damn vote is so far. Destiny does not seem to be one to care for elegance and grace, and the Moon's normally a good magical girl thing. So fuckit, Vampire. Not only does Sire the Night as a magic tree seem to fit with our Debuffs and Stuns route from earlier in CC, it also gives more offensive options (Rivers of Blood), and also vampires are classic toxic lesbian without being too far removed.

    Staff/Wand is the obvious choice given the magic focus before since 3 spells is pretty important.

    Beating up Robot Cops is something I think everyone can agree on, isn't attacking Destiny's forces, and isn't simping for the Magical Girl (or going home and being lazy). Easily the best option if we want to test out our skills right away.

    [X] Plan Toxic Lesbian DoubleDown
    - [X][Personality] Stubborn and Inquisitive
    - [X][Voice] Rock Star
    - [X][Style] Weapon
    - [X][Action] Your new Miraculite wasn't the only one in the case. There were two others and they must be valuable. Try to grab them.
    Look, this whole one is, like the plan suggests, me putting three pieces of toxic lesbian chicken in a sandwhich where the buns are also chicken (if you know you know).

    Personality is Stubborn and Inquisitive, because if we're detectiving our sister's murder, given my theories, that means we're on a collision course for the angstathon I mentioned above. Does it actually help my single issue? No, but it sets up a fucking awesome scene for if I can push Kaworu/Destiny. It also comes with a free Soulsborne Determinator buff, and a crit bonus for if we want to make a mega oneshot build.

    Voice and Style are just personal preference. Punk Rock Detective Dark Magical Girl with a guitar wanting to be with her goddess boss who maybe killed her sister? I'd buy that in a heartbeat.

    Action... mostly I just wanted a different action than my other plan, and I also wanted one that involved some level of diving us deeper into Darkness faster. Meeting up with our Squad early probably helps with that.

    Either way, Destiny awaits~

    Edited in Approval Vote for:
    [X] Plan Madness Pun
     
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    [X] Plan: Reaper's Apprentice
    -[X][Personality]     Stubborn and Inquisitive
    -[X][Voice] Death
    -[X][Style] Staff
    -[X][Action] Your new Miraculite wasn't the only one in the case. There were two others and they must be valuable. Try to grab them.

    I'm curious about how the Death voice seems interested in us specifically, taking us as their apprentice and specifically stealing us from whoever has taken claim on us now. Not to mention it makes a nice contrast to the romance elements. We're going to be running a spellcasting-focused setup based on our scores, so Staff/Wand seems like the best choice out of the three style types. Stubborn/Inquisitive is good for poking into the places neither major faction has already occupied, so it'll be good if we want to establish ourselves independently of the two existing sides in the conflict.

    Oh, and since I'm always one for Eldritch Horror, I'll support this as well:

    [X] Plan Hidden Depths
     
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    [X] Plan: Till Death Do Us Part
    - [X][Personality] Bitter and Cynical
    - [X][Voice] Death
    - [X][Style] Weapon
    - [X][Action] Your new Miraculite wasn't the only one in the case. There were two others and they must be valuable. Try to grab them.

    Is it wrong that a part of me wants to try and get with the big bad lady by the end of this quest.

    [X] Plan: Reaper's Apprentice

    [X] Plan Hidden Depths
     
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    [X] Plan Last Person You'd Expect to be a Punk
    -[X][Personality] Quiet and Withdrawn
    -[X][Voice] Rock Star
    -[X][Style] Staff/Wand
    -[X][Action] That girl… You need to talk to her. The monsters, the robots, they don't matter. You just need her. Her attention. That's what you meant, yeah.

    I know it's almost identical to Wallflower Communication which made me consider going Weapon rather than Wand but I agree with Chimeraguard as to what makes the most sense for our girl.

    As for Quit and Withdrawn aside from having useful Traits I wanted something that would have the largest dichotomy between Ai's civilian and Magical Girl self. Even if someone suspects us of being a Magical Girl would you really expect the Wallflower to be this kind of Magical Girl.

    Finally when talking about Action and (initial) motive well we picked L*** so that's our first instinct. Good, Bad, we're the girl with the Amp and the Rock Star always gets the Babe (and the hoards of screaming fangirls) what better power set to have when mainlining the Power of L***.

    Edit: yes this vote would make our girl the first person you'd expect to secretly be into Punk Rock but the Plan Name was getting long.
     
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    [X] Plan Wallflower Communication

    [X] Plan Rhythm of the World

    [X] Plan Last Person You'd Expect to be a Punk

    [X] Plan: Cynical Moon

    Yeah, we need the emphasis on Quiet and Withdrawn so that we can work unimpeded during team fights so long as our allies are still standing. Also, we're likely suited for espionage, and the traits from Quiet and Withdrawn help with that too.
     
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    [X] Plan Wallflower Communication
    -[X][Personality] Quiet and Withdrawn
    -[X][Voice] Moon
    -[X][Style] Staff/Wand
    -[X][Action] That girl… You need to talk to her. The monsters, the robots, they don't matter. You just need her. Her attention. That's what you meant, yeah.
     
    [X] Plan Wallflower Communication
    -[X][Personality] Quiet and Withdrawn
    -[X][Voice] Moon
    -[X][Style] Staff/Wand
    -[X][Action] That girl… You need to talk to her. The monsters, the robots, they don't matter. You just need her. Her attention. That's what you meant, yeah.

    While I want to take the other Magicites, everything else about this plan checks all my boxes. And let's be honest, staff/wand is practically mandatory for our build.

    Edit: approval voting:
    [X] Plan Rhythm of the World
    [X] Plan: Reaper's Apprentice
    [X] Plan: Till Death Do Us Part
    [X] Plan: Thracian Bard
    [X] Plan Hidden Depths

    Death seems like a very interesting, and more importantly, extremely reliable, partner.
     
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    [X] Plan: Cynical Moon

    Let's stack another +10 on our empathy stat for insults, just to be as absolutely cutting as possible. Sounds like fun.
     
    [X] Plan: Cynical Moon
    [X] Plan: Drag-on With the Dragon, Armed Edition
    [X] Plan Hidden Depths
    [X] Plan Madness Pun
    [X] Plan: Till Death Do Us Part
     
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    [X] Plan Rhythm of the World
    -[X][Personality] Quiet and Withdrawn
    -[X][Voice] Moon
    -[X][Style] Staff/Wand
    -[X][Action] Your new Miraculite wasn't the only one in the case. There were two others and they must be valuable. Try to grab them.
     
    [X] Plan Toxic Lesbian DoubleDown
    - [X][Personality] Stubborn and Inquisitive
    - [X][Voice] Rock Star
    - [X][Style] Weapon
    - [X][Action] Your new Miraculite wasn't the only one in the case. There were two others and they must be valuable. Try to grab them.
     
    [X] Plan: Drag-on With the Dragon, Bare Knuckle Edition
    -[X][Personality] Bitter and Cynical
    -[X][Voice] Dragon
    -[X][Style] Nothing
    -[X][Action] Your new Miraculite wasn't the only one in the case. There were two others and they must be valuable. Try to grab them.

    [X] Plan: Drag-on With the Dragon, Armed Edition
    -[X][Personality] Bitter and Cynical
    -[X][Voice] Dragon
    -[X][Style] Weapon
    -[X][Action] Your new Miraculite wasn't the only one in the case. There were two others and they must be valuable. Try to grab them.
     
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