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Magical Girl Monster Quest

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017 - Your magic, White Rabbit
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    • [X] I am Victor Crowne. A king must have the power to protect his subjects, and as future king of the universe, I kept that in mind and trained.

    You smirk roguishly and pull yourself to your feet, reaching into your pocket as you do so. You do so love to introduce yourself. Time to be exactly as subtle as you usually are.

    "I, " you announce dramatically, "Am Victor Crowne, future God-King of the Universe, and soon I will RULE THE WORLD."

    Your phone dramatically thunders, causing Kui to leap halfway to his feet before he realizes that you are the source. Skopeo does some sort of strange full-body twitch. Kaleido, apparently more acclimatized to you, just sighs, and places her hand on her face.

    "I...see?" Kui offers hesitantly. He doesn't seem quite sure of his assertion.

    Kaleido reaches out and pats him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you get used to it." she assures him.

    "Do you really?" he murmurs.

    Undeterred by this arbitrary skepticism, you continue. "Though I am not a magical teenager, neither am I a normal one. I have always striven to be the king. The king must always be the greatest, or he is unfit to be the king, as he cannot rule his subjects properly. Moreover, a king must be able to safeguard his kingdom. A king who is too weak to rule or to protect his subjects does not deserve the title of king. Therefore, I have trained myself from a youthful age to better serve the interests of my people."

    "...an interesting viewpoint." Kui muses blankly. "And you, miss... Kaleido? Damn. This kid sounds like he's halfway to being a Daemon already. If the Kagemusha get their hands on him, there's no telling what they might turn him into.
    "I suppose it's my turn to share my origin story." she begins " I used to be a normal girl, for certain values of normal. I had no idea that the supernatural existed, and this is my first experience with magical entities which fall outside my...direct purview. So, um, this is a bit of a surprise to me. I became aware of magic when a friend who made some poor choices got dragged into it. I did what I had to do to save her. I regret it a little bit, but someone has to do it."

    Having said her piece, she turns to her friend and emphatically nudges her. She gets a skeptical look for her trouble, and keeps nudging her. Finally, her companion acquiesces. You brace yourself.

    "was created for this. parental unit trained me as a... spiritualist to stop the coming dark. insufficient. had to contract with an archetype."Her explanation grates, and also manages to be supremely uninformative.

    You sigh.

    "Look, we're all on the same side here," you assert. "Certain moral quandaries aside, we all want to do our best to help the people of this city and keep them safe. But to do that, we need to know the things that we're all trying to keep them safe from. If you don't tell us what we need to fight, we might not be able to fight it effectively, and then it might escape to wreak havoc and cause untold destruction. Kui's told us at least a little about what he fights. We need to know what you fight."

    Kaleido and Skopeo pause and exchange a deep and meaningful glance, loaded with all sorts of deep and insightful thoughts, as a conversation of immense import passes between them in the span of a second. That, or they're trying to decide who has to deal with this.

    "Okay," Kaleido concedes. "You're right."

    Everyone else on the rooftop turns and gawks at her.

    She blinks at the sudden staring. "Is...something wrong?"

    "No, you're just being unexpectedly reasonable," you point out. "In movies and whatnot, you'd refuse to share the information until it got one of us injured, at which point there'd be a desperate race against time for you to get us the information we needed and put it into play. Unless it was markedly darker in tone, in which case, one of us would just die because of the information you didn't share, in a manner meant to blatantly guilt-trip you, in order to teach you the importance of trusting your allies."

    "Well, that's stupid, and life's not a TV show." Kaleido retorts. "Now, shut up and let me explain."

    You shut up and wait.

    "People think. They imagine. They dream. What they don't realize is that their dreams have power. Every dream they dream changes the world, just a little bit. It leaves a unique mark on the world. The real world doesn't change, but the imaginary world, the one that underlies reality, does. And just because it isn't real doesn't mean it doesn't matter. You see, the imaginary world, the Shadow Layer, is a reflection of reality. But if you change the reflection, you can change the thing being reflected. And sometimes, those reflections don't want to stay in the mirror. When they leave the Shadow Layer and start influencing the world, they become Nightmares. Monsters made of things that were once dreams, become madness. Unfortunately, in reality, they can only be driven off, not killed. To kill a Nightmare, you have to walk into the Shadow Layer and harry it to its domain before killing it. Which is what we do. We put on Archetypes and hunt down particularly malicious Nightmares. That's what we were doing tonight. We staked out the area, found A Girl's Best Friend, and stepped into the Shadow Layer and killed it."

    She shrugs. "Basically, we hunt the Boogeyman. All of him. Questions?"
    What. How did we not know about this? This is going to be a problem. Hopefully we can get something out of this.
    What questions do you have about this? (Pick four)
    [] Write-in

    "So how do you get into the Shadow Layer?" Kui inquires.

    "You have to have an Archetype." Kaleido replies immediately. "If you do, you can feel locations of significant emotion and use them to transition across. It's surprisingly easy, once you have an Archetype."

    "And what, exactly, is an Archetype?" This time you choose to speak up.

    "Well, an Archetype is a dream or idea which has become so ossified or calcified that it can't become a Nightmare at all, or a concept which is so new and fragile that it would just be subsumed in the Shadow Layer. In either case, it seeks out and bonds with a human host, who can then express it's powers. For example, I'm bonded with the Archetype of Magical Girl Warrior, which is new and relatively fragile, while Skopeo is bonded with the Archetype of Voice of God, which is an old and incredibly powerful one, but also rather temperamental."

    "That's an impressive set of powers, but it seems rather limited." This observation comes from Kui.

    "we manage" You twitch.

    "Yeah, but how do you deal with them when they get into the real world?"

    "Usually, we just wait them out, and then track them back to their domain." Kaleido confesses sheepishly.

    Kui's teeth flash. "It sounds to me, then, that we might have something to offer each other here. You sound like you need muscle to help you out in the real world, and we could really use a few unconventional assets. And new recruits, especially one of your skill, are always welcome Victor. You'd probably have the chance to rise to the top pretty fast, if you played your cards right."

    "Whaddya say? Feel like joining the Wreckers?"

    You...were not expecting a recruiting attempt. What do you say?
    [] No thanks. You guys aren't really to my taste, legally and morally speaking.
    [] No thanks. Your aesthetics really don't appeal to me.
    [] No thanks. I work alone.
    [] Sure. I'd be happy to join you guys.
    [] Sure. I might not join formally, but I'd be happy to work with you.
    [] Sure. I won't join, but I'll stay in touch.
    [] Write-in.
    QM: So my country just did something incredibly stupid in the elections. Instead of stewing about it, I'm going to write things instead.
     
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    • 018 - Keep diving down the hole
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    • [X] Are nightmares sapient? If so, can they be reasoned with?
    [X] Do you know where one could pick up a loose archetype?
    [X] Are you okay? Putting your lives at risk like this must be taxing, if you need someone to vent to, find me, that goes for everyone.
    [X] Can nightmares be bonded with like an archetype? Is the method safe and easy to reproduce? Simply pairing up vagrant nightmares with people willing to co-habit with them could prevent violence. Perhaps whatever drives them to harm others could be let out in a more constructive manner, like art.
    [X] Sure. I won't join, but I'll stay in touch.

    "Actually, I do have a question," You interject hastily. "about these Archetypes. You mentioned they bond to people, right? How does that work? Could I get one? Is it only Archetypes which bond to people, or can nightmares do it too?"

    "That's more than one question." Kaleido astutely observes.

    You give her a look, one you've picked up from Kaho. She smiles a disarming smile, which you don't believe for a second.

    "Well, each Archetype bonds to people in a different way. In my case, Magical Girl Warrior sent me on a sort of spirit journey through a mystical world, whereas in Skopeo's case, most of her bond was prearranged, almost. I think you might be able to bond with an Archetype if you found one, but you'd need to find one capable of and willing to bind and submit to a host, and it'd need to be compatible with you as well. Archetypes can only bind to specific types of people, to ensure symbiosis. Nightmares, on the other hand, can and will bind to anyon, if they reach a certain level of power and intelligence. Those are always the worst. When they do, we call them Moroi. Thankfully, they're really rare. We've only ever fought one."

    You blink. "Are Nightmares sapient then? Can they be reasoned with?"

    She waggles her hand. "Sort of. A Nightmare's power is directly proportional to its intelligence. A weak, newly formed Nightmare is as intelligent as a microorganism, capable only of moving towards things which benefit it and attacking things which don't. As they grow more and more powerful, they also grow more intelligent, to the point where they can be as smart as, if not more so than, a normal person. Moroi are invariably superhumanly intelligent. Nightmares also tend to develop strange and twisted codes of honor, of a sort. Unfortunately, their idea of honor seems to always focus entirely on creating new Nightmares of a structure akin to their own. So they can be reasoned with, but it's difficult at best."

    Ah. Well, there goes that plan for either another path to power or for a new set of disposable and easily-manufactured minions. Shame, that. You'd really like to get your hands on some proper minions of your own. Every king needs a well-trained and obedient set of loyal enforcers to enact his will.

    "Is there anything else?" Kaleido offers.

    "One more thing." You state decisively. Smoothly, you slide to your feet and saunter over to her. With a warm smile, you kneel beside her and take one of her hands in both of your own.

    "Are you okay?" You ask in the most comforting voice you can manage. Wordlessly, she stares at you, eyes wide, lips slightly parted, a light blush on her face. "I know that what you're doing can't be easy for you. Being a hero is hard work even at the best of times, and it doesn't sound like it's been an easy road for you. But I think that what you're doing is admirable, and a worthy task. And I want you to know that if ever you need anything, I'm here for you. If you need a place to hide, help with an alibi or with a cover story, medical assistance, or even just someone to talk to, I'll be there for you. Please. If you ever need help, come to me. It's the least I can do for a hero like you."

    Kaleido stares at you for several seconds with a blank look in her eyes and a growing blush across her face. Then, slowly, her other hand comes up and clasps your hands, as a small tremulous smile forms on her lips.

    "Okay," she finally breathes, in a much softer voice than what you're used to hearing from her. "I will. Thank you."

    "No," you correct her. "Thank you."

    For several seconds, you just smile at each other. Then the moment is broken by a forced cough from Kui.

    "Do we need to give you two a moment?" He asks awkwardly.

    A moment? Then it clicks. You and Kaleido are in a position that could be quite easily misinterpreted as romantic. Even as this realization dawns on you, it dawns on the magical girl as well, and the two of you separate very quickly indeed, as she pointedly looks everywhere but at you and blushes ever more intensely.

    You turn and address Kui. "The same goes for you too, you know. The king has a duty to see to the welfare of his subjects, after all. If there's something you need..."

    He smiles. "I'll come to you." He concedes.

    You nod firmly. "That's all I ask."

    "With regards to the matter of joining your organization," you continue. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline. That said, I would be perfectly open to staying in touch with you guys. I won't promise to help you, since you seem to be just a little too morally flexible for my taste, but I'll keep in touch, and if you find out about an impending apocalypse, let me know and I'll do the same for you."

    "We're with Victor," Kaleido notes, still blushing. "Apocalypses are bad, and we'd like to keep them to a minimum. We'll also try to warn you about any particularly concerning Nightmares in the area."

    "That's more than enough for me." Kui addresses both of you. "Now, if there's nothing else, since this stake-out doesn't seem to be panning out, I do believe it's well past both of your bedtimes. So go home kids, you have school tomorrow."

    You roll your eyes and turn to Kaleido. "A ride down, please?" She blushes again, but complies. Once you land, you exchange phone numbers, and depart. Well, you give her your phone number. Obviously, she declines to give you her contact information for fear of revealing her identity, but tells you that if you need to contact her, you can just leave a note in the doorjamb of the closet in the rooftop stairwell, since no one will ever bother to check there.

    You sleep well that night, proud of your acquisition of a new set of contacts. When you wake up the next morning after less than six hours of sleep, however, you are less then pleased. Then you remember that you have school, and your mood absolutely plummets.

    Do you want to go to school?
    [] Yes. Maintain your facade of normalcy.
    [] Yes. Turn it down a little, do only what you have to to not be suspicious. Locked by Pride.
    [] No. Just disappear. People probably won't care too much, considering the average Japanese adult's reaction to foreigners.
    [] No. Come up with a plausible reason for your disappearance and then stop attending.
    -[] How will you justify your absence?
    [] Write-in?

    [Contacts Acquired!]
    [Magical Girl Kaleido: When all you have is a hammer]
    [Magical Girl Skopeo: i have no mouth]
    [Shinku Kei: Red Right Hand]
    QM: What's this? A reasonable delay between updates? From me? The world must be ending!
     
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    • 019 - If you take this chance
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    • [X] Yes. Maintain your facade of normalcy.

    As you make your way to school the next morning, you idly fantasize about burning it to the ground. It wouldn't be difficult, you're certain. You'd probably even be able to get your classmates to help. Everyone would benefit, because then no one would have to go to this hellish institution of pain and agony. Surely, you'd be feted as the savior of all of humanity.

    There is but one flaw in your brilliant plan, which is that you don't actually want to want to destroy your school. Crown's eyes, it's an institution dedicated to bettering your mind through effort and training. It is practically ideal for your purposes.

    If only you didn't have to wake up quite so early, immediately after pursuing your "extracurricular activities", you'd be quite content. But you do, and so you are rather irate. Not sulky, or pouting, or adorably grumpy. Irate. In a suitably majestic fashion.

    Your regal rage lasts until you reach the classroom. As you slide into your seat, you frown. Something is not right. You glance surreptitiously around the room. It appears mostly normal, aside from the giant circle-in-a-bowl-on-a-cross drawn on the chalkboard.



    Wait a second. You know that symbol. That's the alchemical symbol for Pluto. Why is the alchemical symbol for Pluto on your chalkboard?

    You frown. You're intelligent enough to recognize what this means. This means that something or someone is going to interfere with your classroom in some manner, and you might just have to get involved. The only thing you need to know is what they're planning. You turn to Kaho, to ask her about this newest event.

    She's not there. Her seat is empty. How odd. She's almost always here before you. You sigh, and turn to one of your less interesting classmates.

    "What, exactly, is that symbol supposed to mean?" you inquire as patiently as you can.

    Hisiro? Hisori? Hisore? Your less interesting classmate provides a less useful answer.

    "It means our classroom's been claimed by the Suits. Who are probably going to be exploiting it to its fullest extent. Which means today is probably going to suck. Man, why did it-"

    He keeps talking, but you stop paying attention. You can feel something approaching your classroom. A dark, seething, roiling mass of hate and fury, so tightly contained as to be invisible to the normal eye, or to anyone without senses as keen as yours. It feels awfully like when Wrath has gotten pissed off again by one of his apprentices doing something stupid, and is about to horribly maim or murder something. Which happens a lot.

    Carefully, you get out of your seat and lean against the wall, next to a window, so that you can fight or flee, depending on circumstances. If this person is anything like Wrath, they're going to react suddenly and violently and all over the place, and you don't want to be caught unready.

    As the door slides open, you brace yourself and set your stance. Whatever comes in that door, you want to be ready to deal with it as efficiently and effectively as...

    Kaho storms in. Her face is a mask of incandescent rage. Her teeth are so tightly gritted you fancy you can hear them from across the room. She's squeezing the door hard enough to leave a mark. You can feel her aura of Wrath even more strongly from here, and you very nearly shudder from the sheer potency of it. Normally, this much Wrath would force a response from you as it crashed against your Pride. However, all of this Wrath, instead of being expressed at the world, is internalized. And is directed at Kaho herself. Which is unhealthy, to say the least.

    Her gaze pans across the classroom with such heat you half expect your classmates to spontaneously combust. Then it lands on you, and her steely glare doesn't just falter or crack, it completely shatters. Her eyes widen. Her jaw drops. Her hand slides off the door to hang limply by her side.

    You smile wryly, and wave at her. Then she moves, very nearly sprinting across the classroom, shoving classmates and furniture alike out of her way, until she's standing in front of you. You raise an eyebrow, wordlessly asking why she felt the need to make such a spectacle. She...doesn't seem to notice. Slowly, she raises her hand, until the tips of her fingers are just pressing against your chest.

    "My eyes," you observe helpfully, "are up here."

    Slowly, she looks up to meet your inquisitive gaze. "You're alive." She breathes.

    "Well, yes. It's a bad habit of mine." You confess.

    Kaho looks torn between laughing and punching you, and now you know something's off. Kaho never laughs at your humor, and she leaps at any opportunity to hit you.

    She visibly hesitates for several seconds, before making up her mind.

    "Victor," she states finally. "We need to talk."

    That never means anything good. You sigh, and gesture for her to go ahead.

    "Not here, and not now," Kaho decides. "We'll talk after school. There's some... things you need to know."

    "Okay." you agree promptly. "After class, during lunch."

    The both of you take your seats, where you discover that your life has gotten weirder. A girl has left you a letter. The envelope is sealed by a sticker with a capital A inside a circle. The letter inside has a (badly) hand-drawn map of the school, with the gym circled in red, and reeks of cheap perfume. The paper is also covered in heart stickers.

    This could be interesting, helpful, or a trap. The question, then, is whether it's worth the risk.

    What other events happen during your perfectly normal school day? (Pick 3 2)
    [X] You and Kaho need to have a Talk.
    [] You decide to go meet the mysterious sender of that letter.
    [] Your classroom gets a bunch of well-dressed visitors.
    [] You have a stalker, which you're alright with. Your stalker is laughably incompetent, which you are not alright with.
    [] A monster attacks! Again! Apparently, this is a regular event. Who knew?
    [] You encounter an inconvenient individual with an asinine agenda.
    QM: Isn't dead! Yeah, I'm surprised too. Word to the wise: running a blood drive is hell. Don't do it. Hopefully, I'll be able to update a little more frequently now. This update is not quite up to par, in my opinion, but I feel like you all have waited long enough for an update anyway. Questions are welcome, as always.
     
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    • 020 - Hear the sound of the falling rain
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    • [X] You and Kaho need to have a Talk.
    [X] You decide to go meet the mysterious sender of that letter.
    [X] You have a stalker, which you're alright with. Your stalker is laughably incompetent, which you are not alright with.

    Class seems to go by especially slowly today, and by the time lunch rolls around, you would be hopping in your seat with anticipation if you weren't so interested in the possible practical applications of acids and bases and their many possible misuses. As it is, while you pay attention until the end of class, the moment the end of class bell rings, you pack your everything away, in scrambled disarray, and practically pounce on an understandably startled Kaho to drag her up to the roof.

    Once you reach the roof, you pause and look around, making sure that there's no one in the vicinity. Kaho moves to speak, before you hush her. You check the stairwell, the door, the other side of the fence, and the roof itself. There is a person in blue trying to look innocent against the doorway. You give them a Look, and they remove themself. Once you are well and truly certain the roof is clean, you take a moment to look at Kaho, really look at her. She doesn't look very good, to say the least. She's slightly slumped, looks like she hasn't slept in a while, and her normally impeccable uniform is ever so slightly askew.

    You sigh, and sit down next to her. She goes to speak, and you interrupt her again. You pull out your own lunch and gesture for her to do the same. While she eats at a sedate pace, you do a few more circuits of the rooftop, and also try to check the area with surreptitious use of your monocle. You also check the doorway again for the eavesdropper in blue. Once you're reasonably certain that there are probably no eavesdroppers in the vicinity, and both Kaho and yourself have finished your respective lunches, you sit back down across from her.

    "So," you begin, "I had an interesting weekend. Two very rude people in suits showed up to my house, and tried to do rude things to me. I dealt with the situation by leaving and finding other people to deal with the problem. I assume they were associates of yours?"

    Kaho slumps further as you speak. "Yes. Of my family, actually. I didn't think they'd... Well, they clearly have."

    "I- I suppose you ought to know what you've gotten yourself into," she concedes. "My family is old, and rich. Absurdly so. We're the upper crust of the upper crust, or we used to be anyway. Until the 20th century, we practically ruled this entire prefecture of Japan. Then the wars happened. My family was heavily invested in the military, and we lost almost everything. Since then, we've been scrabbling and scrambling to claw our way back to our previous power. Because of that, our clan puts a lot of emphasis on propriety and on power, and on keeping what we do have left very secure. Every child of our clan is expected to succeed in all walks of life, and failure is not accepted. "

    She winces, and looks away from you. "I'm the third child of the clan head, so they expected more from me. I was always held to a higher standard, expected to excel at everything. On top of that, each of us was designed for a reason. My brother was trained to lead the clan. My sister was trained in diplomacy. I was supposed to be the warrior. That was the role they assigned me. Everything in my life was designed to prepare me for that function. No distractions were permitted. Nothing."

    Now, she almost seems to be remembering more than speaking to you. "The first time I went to a friend's house, I was in 2nd grade. We had fun. Did girl things. Three days later, she and her whole family vanished. Completely erased. No records, the neighbors forgot them, even their apartment was empty. My family said they'd moved. I didn't believe it of course, I wasn't stupid. But the message was clear. So I didn't make friends, until I met a girl in sixth, who ignored my protests and befriended me anyway. She disappeared a week before finals. They found her all over an abandoned warehouse, with two of her friends."

    She scrubs furiously at her eyes. "And then this stupid blond idiot shows up in my class, and he talks to me, and he- when my family decides he's a problem- he doesn't die when they decide to kill him."

    She scowls at you through her tears. "I liked apathy better, it was less work. I hope you're happy for making me fucking care, you bastard."

    What do you say? Your reaction? Questions?
    [] Write-in

    The both of you are snapped out of your reverie by the sudden ringing of the warning bell. Both of you scramble downstairs, walking very quickly (but not running) back to class. As you continue, you glance over your shoulder again.

    There! Another flash of blue! You've been seeing these sudden movements around since the day began, whenever you left your classroom. They signify that your stalker has erred again. You sigh. You have gym next; it's going to be a long period.

    To your complete lack of surprise, you happen to be right. Gym class itself isn't difficult. You actually get reasonable amounts of exercise, and you also have avenues that your classmates are too lazy to exploit. Unfortunately, your performance during gym itself is abhorrent, by your standards. While your stalker did not follow you into the locker room, they're in the gym. The thing is, there's not much to hide behind in the gym, so they seem to have settled for simply hiding behind your classmates and hoping you don't notice them. It's about as effective as it sounds - not very.

    This is officially embarrassing. You are going to have to do something about this. Assuming they don't follow you into your locker room, they're going to try to catch you outside the door. In that case...

    You swiftly make your way out through the side door with a smirk. This should be fun. Now, assuming your stalker came directly from the gym, they should face the locker room from that direction, so if you go around, you should be able to get your hands on them. And indeed, there is your stalker, hiding behind a trash can and staring at the main door to the locker room. You amble up, grab them by the shoulders, and press them against the wall relatively gently.

    "So," you purr malevolently, "you've been stalking me, rather badly. Why?"


    And now that you've seen them, you're still not quite sure what gender they are. Fortunately, Japanese has gender-neutral pronouns. Ah, the conveniences of language. They try to give you an adorably innocent, confused look. Sadly for them, your typical response to cute things is to stab them. Or in this case, interrogate them.

    They sigh, and slump in your grasp. "I was assigned to observe you upon your receipt of a communique from the Rebels - who you might know as the Delinquents. As a currently unclaimed high-value asset, you were deemed too risky to leave to your own devices. I was assigned to this operation as it was felt that your extant dislike for other authorities indicated you would respond most positively to an individual who did not seem to be attempting to influence you unduly. May I continue to observe you as per my assignment now?"

    What do you say?
    [] Yes, go ahead. The king's glory should be witnessed.
    [] No. The king should not be bound by lesser authorities.
    [] Write-in

    You return to class rather thoroughly discomfited by that encounter. It seems you have at least one very capable and very observant stalker, in addition to your less adept one. Somehow, they've designated you a "high-value asset", which is flattering. It's also rather concerning, as it implies someone has been watching you long enough to decide that you are an individual who needs to be watched. Moreover, they're watching you closely enough to recognize your distaste for any other authority which claims to incorrectly supersede your own. This does not yet mean your mission is in jeopardy, but it might just make it harder.

    That would be a bad thing.

    As you return to the gym after school ends, you idly muse that you seem to collect stalkers. It's like a perpetual affliction. Do you just emanate that sort of aura? Perhaps people simply see you and think "There is a man who needs to be stalked." Perhaps one day,you will rule a kingdom of stalkers. The taxes will be paid, your court will meet for daily session, and you will never see a one of your petitioners. They will send ravens bearing complaints and pigeons with compliments, and you will rule an empty kingdom of hidden subjects.

    You've reached the designated gymnasium, which is the one normally used for basketball. Carefully, you push the door open and enter.

    Inside, there are five delinquents who could have walked out of any anime, arrayed around the center of the court. In front of them stands a brown-haired girl. At the center of the court, stands a girl in Red.


    "See, boss!" A short, cheerful girl with brown hair chirps. "I told ya he'd show up if ya just sent him the letter! Ya should listen t'me more often!"

    "Mm, yeah," The girl in red muses. "Didn't see that one comin', that's for sure. Congratulations, you did a thing."

    She twirls the blade in her hand and rests it on her shoulder as she walks towards you. Not to be outdone, you walk towards her with equal confidence, projecting power and simple assurance with your every step. Where you stride, she glides towards you with a speed that belies her size. She's actually shorter than you, you realize, but her presence more than makes up for it.

    The two of you meet at the center of the free throw line, and lock eyes. You feel a pressure, an immense weight you cannot quite describe. It imposes on you a sense of inadequacy. It whispers to you of your weakness and of the superiority of the one standing before you. You smile wryly, and brush those foolish thoughts, unworthy of a king, away with a smirk and a breath of Gold.

    The two of you step back simultaneously, and blink as you do.

    "You got some good eyes there, boy." She notes.

    You shrug. "I'm the best," you inform her helpfully. "It comes naturally."

    "That's what you think," she retorts. "I'm gonna offer you a deal here. I'm going to make you an offer. I want you to hear me out, and seriously consider taking me up on my offer. In exchange, I'll tell you something important, that you really need to know."

    "Okay." You shrug. "The information first."

    "Figures," She replies, looking you up and down. "I'm going to hazard a guess here. Ever since you've come to this academy, you've been having unsettling dreams. They vary a lot. Sometimes you're a king, sometimes a pauper. Male or female. Everything changes. All the time. But one thing remains the same. There's always a color. And that color... is Gold."

    You struggle not to let your shock show on your face. She's fairly close, except you've had one dream over and over and over again. You dreamed you were a king, or maybe a puppet. Not sure which was which, either.

    "Yeah, thought so." She remarks. Clearly, you need a better poker-face. "Congratulations, kid. You've been chosen. See, I had those dreams too. Except, my color? My color was Red. There are three of us in this school, all vying for control. Always have been. Except now, there's a fourth. You're breaking the balance, kid. You're not supposed to be here. You're an anomaly. A glitch in the Matrix. And I want to break this damn system, and you might just be the best tool to pull that off.

    "So here's my offer. You join up with me. Kui-senpai says you're a good person, trustworthy. You'll be my second-in-command, until the day I leave. We'll work together, to build up as powerful a base as possible. And then we tear this damn school apart. We break the entire fucked-up system they play by. I don't care what happens after. I just want those other two to get wrecked, and for my crew to be safe. After that, you're free to do what you want."

    "Whaddya say?"
    [] Accept.
    [] Refuse.
    [] Actually, I have questions.
    -[] Insert questions
    [] Write-in
    QM: Kaho does not want to share her backstory. At all. At least this got written. I'd tell you how wonderful the holidays have been for my productivity, but you wouldn't believe me. Take your time with the voting, there's probably a bunch of things you'd like to look into. This is a golden opportunity for you guys to get a few important questions answered.
     
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    • Interlude 3 - They'll call our crimes a work of art
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    • Once upon a time, a long long time ago, in a land far far away...

    That is how the story is supposed to start, yes? And then we hear a magnificent tale of a princess betrayed by her evil stepmother, saved by the kindness of strangers, and rescued by a handsome prince. A story of a handsome prince sent on a fool's quest by his older brothers, who succeeds against all odds, and becomes king of his country and ushers in a new age of peace and prosperity with his newly acquired wife. A narrative of a maiden fair, beset on all sides by malicious slanderers and malevolent rumormongers, who sets out to prove her innocence and that of her father, and in the course of events finds herself to be better and worse than she had ever realized.

    But that is not this story, and so this story starts rather differently, and yet ends as all stories must end.


    I met a traveler from an antique land. He had made a surprising number of poor choices, and done a thing which was impressively unwise, and in so doing, had managed to earn the ire of an entire faction of the court of nobles there. I traded him the story for his room and board, and in truth, found it to be a more than fair deal. Working at an inn is a difficult task, and not worth the effort for the rewards. Nonetheless, it is best to earn what you can from it.

    I still remember how he told me the story. It was the slowest time of day, just after noon. Most people were working or sleeping off their noontime feast, in preparation for their pre-evening feast, depending on their finances. I, unfortunately, was the former. Such is the plight of the honest man who must feed himself on a day's work. I stood at the bar preparing our famous rolls for the nightly rush, while my busboy cleaned dishes nearby.

    He stumbled out of his room, looking still asleep, and staggered over to the bar, where he collapsed onto the counter. I leaned down and helpfully woke him up. Once he had recovered and dragged himself back up, he shot me a wet and bedraggled glare, as though he wanted nothing more than to stab me. I was quite used to that sort of expression. I got it a lot, for a variety of reasons. As I passed him a drink, I helpfully reminded him that he had promised me a story.

    "I did, didn't I." He conceded. "And as a promise is a promise, I'll tell you what I can, then, and let you surmise the rest."

    "It began, as most endeavors do, in a shady bar, much like this one, but more poorly lit. I had been informed by a number of my associates that a certain interested party of incredible indeterminacy had been looking for me, most likely to acquire my services. I allowed word to spread that I'd be willing to meet them at the time and place of my choosing. The meeting went as meetings do, with some ominous posturing on the side, and once we has finished posturing and establishing our credentials, we got to business.

    The terms were surprisingly simple. I just needed to get my hands on the sword belonging to the King of a certain country, and they would not only pay me a truly staggering amount, but would also ameliorate certain unfortunate circumstances I'd found myself in. They'd also offer me a unique reward that I'd never expect. Moreover, once I had the sword, I was free to do with it as I pleased. They merely wanted it out out of the King's possession. Finally, they did not require success, only that I attempt it to the fullest of my abilities. Naturally, if I failed, I would not be paid, but I was essentially welcome to abandon the contract at any time I chose.

    Of course, I accepted, though dubiously. I was clearly not expected to succeed, and that nagged at my pride as Eugenides. How was I supposed to call myself the greatest thief in the world if I couldn't steal from a mere King? In retrospect, that was a poor decision on my part, though I had no idea of that at the time."

    "Did these two employers of yours betray you?" I asked.

    "I wish they had; that'd have been easier. But I'll get to that part of the story.

    Finding my way there was easy enough. I simply paid a captain for my passage. To reach the city, I simply accompanied a merchant caravan. Never travel with a foolish merchant. Always travel with a wise one, who thinks himself too canny to be fooled.

    Once I had reached the city, I set about establishing a cover identity, that I might dissociate myself from all suspicion. I pretended to be an architectural student traveling from Greece. It helped that I spoke Greek and had a surprising amount of experience with Greek architecture. Admittedly, it was from a less traditional perspective, but it simply meant that I had a rather unorthodox perspective on proper construction and so was looking outside of Greece proper for insight as well.

    To that end, I applied at the palace, seeking admission, in order that I might properly examine their magnificent stonework. I sought an audience with their King, and was lucky enough to be granted such within a week. It was remarkably efficient. I barely spent anything on bribes. The meeting itself was equally as bland. I knelt before the King, explained my purpose, and requested to be allowed to wander the castle. She granted me permission to do so, always accompanied and monitored by one of her soldiers. Oddly, she seemed on the verge of laughing at me the whole time.

    I spent three weeks simply learning the castle. I wandered every hallway, spoke to every inhabitant not of rank, and generally did my best to seem innocuous, while also trying to learn as much as possible about both the castle and the King and her sword. The castle was standard fare. The sword was not. You see, the King kept it upon her person at all times, except for when she slept. I was no match for her in open combat, so I'd have to steal it while she slept. The problem was, when she slept, it was passed to the Captain of the Guard, who I was also no match for. He carried it with him as he patrolled the castle at night.

    So, I resorted to the basics. I lit the castle on fire.

    Well, I lit the stable on fire, and waited while they scrambled around like an anthill that'd just been stomped on. When the Captain moved to investigate, he brought the sword with him. To his credit, he swiftly and efficiently organized a firefighting effort, which was making remarkable progress on the fire- or would have, if some mysterious scoundrel hadn't tossed a smoke bomb in and then accosted the Captain for the sword.

    Now, my original plan had been to lay low for a few weeks while everything calmed down, but that was all ruined by a simple problem. The damn sword glowed like a beacon. It shone so brightly in the possession of another that it looked like a bonfire in the palm of my hand. So I had to improvise. Which I did.

    I knew there were tunnels under the castle, though I'd only found one. I ran to it, knocking out or running from anyone I encountered on the path. Through some incredible fortune, I reached it, and hid there. I followed it to the end, and found it lead to an exit on a nearby hill. I waited for a few days until an incredibly sunny day, and then made my way to a ship, where I bribed a foolish captain with a ludicrous amount of money to allow me to hide in his hold while he sailed back here and not to breathe a word to anyone. And that is the significantly abbreviated tale of how I stole the sword of the King."

    He grinned slyly at me, looking for all the world like a particularly malevolent cat. "So, what do you think? Have I completed our contract to your satisfaction?"

    I stared at him in shock, and then threw my head back and laughed. "Well done! Yes, you most certainly did. But how did you know I was your employer?"

    "Simple," he scoffed. "I never told you how many people I spoke with, but you asked if the two of them betrayed me."

    ...I'd gotten sloppy, clearly.

    "Nicely done," I conceded. "But there's one thing you missed. That's not the sword of the King."

    "What in the name of the Three Weavers do you mean? This is the blade the King always carried with her, I'm sure of it."

    Instead of replying, I turned to my busboy, who'd quietly stepped around between him and the door.

    "I told you he could do it. You said it was impossible, didn't you? You should listen to me more often. Not all my ideas end badly, you know."

    "For once, I suppose." He responded. "Once does not make a trend."

    The thief slipped to his feet, and slid to a point as far away from the both of us and as near the door as possible. "Would one of you care to explain?"

    I smiled at him like a particularly friendly shark. "Well, you stole a sword of a King, certainly. But that's not the Sword of the King."

    "The Sword of the King looks like this." I explained as I held my hand out.


    He turned a particularly vivid shade of white and his legs gave way under him. "Ah...your majesty...I-"

    "Now," I interrupted, "I believe you're still owed the unique and unexpected part of your reward?"

    He paled further, somehow. "IassureyouyourmajestyhadIanyideaI'dneverhavedaredevenconsideredtheideaofstealingfromyoupleasedon'tkillme-"

    "Tell me," I continued, as if he had not spoken, "how would you like to work for me, as my Royal Thief?"

    [Power Available!]
    [Sword of the King: ?????? ?????? ?????]
    QM: Have a belated Christmas/early Birthday present! Also, pick an interlude for the QM to write. Eventually.
    [] Kaleido: Bearer of Light
    [] Kui: Keeping Colors
    [] Kaho: Temper Problems
    [] Agent Green: A Smiling Man
     
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    • 021 - She wants to dance
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    • [X] Well, they didn't manage it, so it appears I am awesome enough to be your friend now? There's plenty of solutions to killers all over the city, if you know where to look, and have my dashing charisma and tremendous skill to seek their assistance.
    [X] Yes, go ahead. The king's glory should be witnessed.
    -[X] In fact, why not make it official? He'll let you know when he's there, let you know when he's replaced, and when he's going, so you don't mistake him for some other stalker. In exchange he can watch you as much as he likes.
    -[X] Oh, and if he sees anything interesting that you somehow missed, he could tell you too. That would be nice.
    [X] Refuse.
    -[X] You intend to be on top, wherever you are. Second, is not a place for you. Partner, ally, or friend is a lot more up your alley, but you won't take orders from anyone, even as you may answer petitions for assistance, listen to advice or give aid unasked.

    "I think," you smirk. "That you're overestimating the gravity of the situation. Your family has already tried once to kill me. As you can clearly see, they didn't manage, so clearly I am awesome enough to be your friend. Besides, now that I know that people are trying to kill me, I can prepare for it and keep myself safe. There's plenty of solutions to that sort of thing all over the city, if you know where to look, as I do, and have my dashing charisma and tremendous skill."

    "They got one free shot." You continue, more sternly. "I am a merciful king, and so permitted that offence to go unpunished, out of respect for their status as keepers of the land and kindness for their relation to you. Another such offence, and I will not be so lenient."

    "You could take this a little more seriously," Kaho notes, looking up at you through tear-stained lashes. "My family is literally dangerous beyond what you can imagine. And they're just going to keep trying to kill you."

    "Well," you retort. "They're just going to keep failing."

    You reach out and grab Kaho by the shoulders. You rotate her, and lock eyes with her.

    "Look at me." You command. "Look me in the eye, and tell me that you think I'm going to die. Look me in the eye, and tell me that you think your family can take me. Tell me."

    She looks at you. You look back at her. She swallows, and drops her gaze.

    "Okay." she murmurs, almost too softly for you to hear. "I'll trust you. But-" her head snaps up, and she glares at you. "Promise me one thing. Promise me you won't go looking for trouble, and that you'll prioritize your own survival. Promise me."

    Her furious, incandescent gaze forces you to swallow your first, dismissive, retort and consider.

    "Well, if you insist." You reach out and take her hand. "I'll try not to die if you do the same. Now come on, we need to go convince our classmates that you weren't confessing to me."

    Kaho smiles wryly and follows you down the stairwell.

    "I think you've got that backwards," she replies. "If anything, you'd be the one confessing to me."

    [Contact Upgraded!]
    [Nakadai Kaho: Tempering Problems]

    Your stalker looks at you blankly. You consider for a moment, before your regal insight provides you the perfect answer.

    "Very well!" You declare loudly. They twitch in your grasp. "You may continue to observe the glory of the king, as is only right! The king's glory should be witnessed! Of course, as my official stalker, you would be well advised to inform me of your presence, lest I misidentify you."

    "So! My terms! You will inform me of your presence when you are shadowing me! You will inform me of your departure! You will inform me if you are replaced or removed! You will inform me of anything interesting! If I tell you to do something, you will do so! In return, you will be permitted to observe the glory of the king at all times! Are these terms amenable to you?"

    You lean in and glare at your stalker, as your lips pull back to show your teeth and turn up at the corners. From the way the blood drains from their face, it's rather effective.
    An ominous gold aura begins coalescing around you, bringing with it a sensation of almost physical weight.
    "Ye-Yes, of course, that would be perfectly, perfectly acceptable." They stutter, breathing heavily for some reason. "Ah, would you mind putting me down now? It's just, I- ah, I think you might be stretching my collar."

    You smile amiably now, and put them down. "See, was that so difficult? Now come along, I have a meeting to go to."

    They follow behind you like a well trained puppy. You resist the urge to ruffle their hair.

    Events occur, and soon you find yourself being offered a politely threatening alliance with a rudely behaving girl.

    You'll be my second-in-command, until the day I leave.

    Hah.

    No, there's only one person you've ever played second to, and both she and you know it's only a matter of time before you surpass her.

    "Sorry, senpai." You sigh, and run a hand through your hair as you flash your most charming smile. "I'm afraid I'll have to refuse your generous offer. You see, there's one thing I really can't abide, and that's being accepting of my weakness. And knuckling under to you? Would be just that. I might work with you as an ally, but I don't take orders. Not even from you. You want my cooperation? Then stay out of the way while my reign comes into power."

    For several seconds, she regards you with an even gaze. Then she snorts, and shakes her head.

    "I don't know if she got her hooks into you early, or if you just sound like her, but the resemblance I'm seein' is damn near uncanny." She sighs, and hold her hand out to her side. "Shame, though. I'd love to work with you too, but if you're this much like her, I can't risk you siding with her. She's already powerful enough as is."

    "Sorry, kid." She smiles warmly back at you, and brushes a strand of hair out of her eyes. "But I'm gonna have ta kill you now."

    And there is a sword in her hand.


    Smiling despite yourself, you crack your neck, and settle back. One hand goes to the hilt of your sword, and your own Pride begins to quietly intensify. You don't know why, but you think you're going to enjoy this.

    Abruptly, behind you comes the sound of heels clacking on the floor. A girl walks in, dressed in immaculate white, and carrying a sheathed sword.


    No. Not a girl. A rival. A challenger. Something about her...

    Her first words do nothing to dispel this impression.

    "Cease, both of you. I will not have such violence within MY school."

    Arrogant much? She sounds like you, except you can back it up.

    "Make me, princess."

    "If I must," White responds, icily, "I will. But leave the boy out of it. He is young and inexperienced."

    "That didn't stop you last time, you know." Red retorts. Nonetheless, she seems to have calmed down somewhat. "Besides, he's hardly inexperienced. He sounds just like you already."

    "Perhaps." White concedes. "But you owe him a debt, do you not? Have you forgotten what his predecessor did for you? Or is gratitude a weakness too?"

    From the way the blood drains from Red's face, that's certainly had an impact, though not a good one.

    "Fuck you." She snarls, circling sideways so that the three of you form a triangle. "I paid that off in blood. And you've no right to talk, for what you did. I should tear you apart for that."

    "You're welcome to try." White purrs malevolently. "Maybe you'll actually manage to make me draw this time."

    You thought Red couldn't get angrier. Clearly, you were wrong. You can practically feel the heat radiating off her.
    Assiah Active
    No. Wait. You can actually feel heat radiating off her. She's got a red aura forming around her, and a heat haze around that. Interesting.

    White smirks as Red begins stalking towards her, and settles into a traditional japanese sword-drawing (iaijutsu, you think?) stance. She seems excited too, though she's better at hiding it.
    Atziluth Active
    And now that you know where to look, you can see a sort of white flurry around her, like a thin mist, reaching out around her.

    A frisson of excitement runs its icy fingers up your spine. Despite yourself, you want to join in. You want to fight. You can feel it calling to you. There is a power here, if you will reach out and claim it.
    Beri'ah Forming
    There is, barring truly extraordinary intervention, about to be copious amounts of violence here, and you will almost certainly be a participant.
    [] Anything you want to say before it starts?

    Also, you need to decide whether to join in, and if so, in what manner? Who will you side with, if either, and how? You have your sword, your monocle, your Pride, and that random pendant.
    [] Write-in: How to violence
    QM: In which we finally reach the first extended fight scene of the quest. Amusingly, none of the parties introduced have technically introduced themselves yet. Also, current interlude tally is below, and will remain open until the next update. Poor Kui, nobody likes him.
    [10] Kaleido: Bearer of Light
    [7] Agent Green: A Smiling Man
    [5] Kaho: Temper Problems
     
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    • 022 - This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
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    • [X][Say] *In the most grandiose voice you can manage* "Would the duelists kindly introduce themselves and what they fight for?"
    [X][Do] Elevate your Pride slightly to deal with collateral damage and get a good vantage point to gaze down upon the spectacle for your amusement, then equip the monocle to see what's going on. See if your stalker has any popcorn.

    You cough politely, and step forward.

    "Before we try to kill each other like civilized people," you interject, "would you two mind introducing yourselves first?"

    Both of them pause awkwardly as they realize that no, they have not in fact introduced themselves. Red shoots you a flat look, but White flushes and turns toward you.

    "Her name is Nashimoto Tomoe, and she is the King of Red. I am Jennifer Mountbatten, the King of White." She inclines her head toward you, as much as she is able without taking her eyes off Tomoe. "Please treat me kindly."

    Tomoe snarls furiously, eyes lighting up with rage, and continues circling towards Jennifer, who simply turns ever so slightly to keep facing her.

    "So polite, princess. So well-behaved, all the time. Little miss perfect, aren't you." She sneers, her pretty face twisting into something unpleasant. "Still following your training even now, aren't you? Pet."

    The last word is spat with such vitriol that you yourself almost flinch, before shaking it off. The situation here is completely different, you remind yourself.

    Jennifer doesn't take that comment kindly, it seems. You can see the way her jaw tightens, and her hand clenches around the grip of her sword.

    "Perhaps." She retorts icily, as the gym floor around her begins to ice over. "That is, after all, the difference between us. I take what is forced upon me and use it to make myself stronger. And yes, perhaps it does force me to be what I was made for, instead of what I want."

    She pauses, and meets Tomoe's eyes, with none of the emotion she had prior. Her eyes, too, are glowing, though they glow white instead of red. Tomoe, by this time, has circled so that the triangle the three of you formed prior has been inverted, with Tomoe now standing almost between yourself and Jennifer.

    "But at least," she continues coldly, "that means I can protect myself. I don't have to depend on someone else for protection, so I won't kill them with my weakness."

    Tomoe stops, utterly still. Calmly, she raises her sword, a corona of flame building around her.

    "I'm going to kill you." She declares, and you believe her. And then there is no more time for words, as she leaps in to the air like a crimson comet, and smashes into the place Jennifer was standing with enough force to shatter the floor.

    Jennifer, as Tomoe leaps, simply settles back, and then draws, in a single blindingly fast motion, meeting Tomoe's blade. The impact knocks her backwards, but she lands cleanly. Even as she lands, her blade is resheathed, and she draws again. Logically, she should be too far away to hit her opponent.

    Logic has no place here.

    Even as Jennifer draws, she transforms into a rushing mist, which sweeps at and past Tomoe. Tomoe simply grunts and braces against the impact, flaring her corona of flame to blast the mist away, before simply stepping and turning to face her opponent.

    The entire exchange lasts perhaps five seconds.

    Gingerly, Tomoe places a hand against her side. It comes away wet with blood. Her lips draw upward into a hideous parody of a smile. "Nice trick, princess, but I've already seen that one!" She hisses. "Let me show you a new one of mine!"

    With a quick, casual gesture, she flicks her bloody hand behind her, at you and at Jennifer's assorted minions. Droplets of blood fleck the broken gym floor.

    "HEIR: ECHIDNA" she declares. Were this a more casual situation, you'd laugh at the absurdity of anyone declaring themselves the heir to the Echidna, of all things. The sheer absurdity of the idea, combined with the audacity of it as well, nearly stuns you. To claim descent from the mother of monsters...

    The blood on the floor stirs. Coalesces. Moves. It claws itself slowly up from the floor, shaping itself into a group of massive white-and-crimson furred wolves, each your height, with jawlines that go too far back and unpleasant looks in their eyes.


    That...that should be impossible. To create pawns like that, with a basic blood sacrifice, and a casual flick of the wrist, should be impossible for any but the most powerful casters, unless the creator specializes in minion creation to the absolute exclusion of all else. Which Tomoe hasn't done, clearly. For a moment, you consider donning your monocle and trying to figure out how she's done this impossible feat.

    Then the beasts throw themselves at you, and there is no room for thought. Absently, you note that the entire group of Jennifer's followers merits five hounds, while you alone merit two. How flattering. Then you focus on not getting eaten.

    They attack you in concert. One springs into the air, aiming to tear out your throat, while the other dashes under your guard, seeking to hamstring you. Fluidly, you bat the leaper out of the air, but the one on the ground slams into your leg with enough force to tear a normal man's leg off. The only thing that keeps your limb attached is your Pride. Then both are past you, and circling back for another pass.

    Unfortunately, you've taken their measure. They're fast, and strong, but you've fought wolves before, and they just fight like bigger wolves. People hold up wolfpack tactics as the ideal of close combat, but in truth, most wolves aren't that good at coming up with new strategies on the fly. These two move to try the same move on you. The only difference is, this time, you see it coming.

    One high, one low. This time, you move into their attack. As they move, you drop yourself down and nail the running hound to the floor with your sword. This lets the leaper get its teeth on your arm, but you armor yourself to counter it. Then you wrap your arm around its upper jaw and pull its mouth off you. Then you grab your sword and behead it in a single smooth stroke, like you were taught.
    Your stalker shoves the corpse of the wolf they killed off them and tries futilely to scrub its blood off their clothes with their hands.
    That done, you look to see how the minions and the two centerpieces are holding up. The answer is, not well. For all the ease you handled the wolves with, you only had two to contend with. The minions have five, and they lack your hard-earned advantages. Over half the peons are already injured, and another goes down as you watch, while only one wolf is down.

    If her frantic attacks and constant attempts to circumvent Tomoe are any indication, Jennifer has noticed it as well, as has Tomoe. Tomoe, in fact, is commenting on it as well.

    "-appreciate the symmetry." She chirps happily. "I mean, it's basically what you did to me, and now I'm doing it to you. You kill mine, I kill yours. Quid pro quo, yeah? It's just karma."

    "FUCK YOU!" Jennifer screams. "INVOCATION: ATALANTA"

    Suddenly, she blurs, moving so fast, you can barely see her. Dodging past Tomoe, she leaps towards the remaining wolves in a blur of white, and cuts down three of them before knocking aside the last. Suddenly spent, she falls to her knees, and you see a massive gash carved across her back. She looks to be far worse off than Tomoe, who, despite her cuts and bruises, still seems perfectly capable of fighting.

    "And now," Tomoe grins, stepping forward so Jennifer is looking up at her. "Either you die, or they do. If you attack me, my Canes Venatici kill your entire executive board while I hold you off. If you attack the hound, I kill you while you're distracted saving your pets."
    Assiah Ascending
    "So make your choice. Are you gonna sacrifice yourself to save them, or let them die for your sake?"
    Atziluth Degrading
    Hefting her sword behind her, she begins stalking slowly forward.
    Beri'ah Receding
    [] Intervene?
    [] Watch?
    [] Something else?
    QM: ...Yeah, that escalated quickly. In their defense, they have some significant history. Also, fair warning, stepping back and letting other people handle your problems for you is pretty Slothful behavior, which could have consequences. Finally, interlude voting has closed, so I guess we'll be seeing more of Kaleido. Backstory time, yay!
     
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    • Interlude 4 - Somewhere along in the bitterness
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    • Magical Girl Warrior Kaleido woke, as she always did, precisely five minutes before her alarm went off. Quickly and smoothly, she dressed, brushed, made her bed, and prepared her schoolbag. Then, seeing, as always, that she had five minutes before she was required to be downstairs for breakfast, she sat back down on her bed, and extended her hand.

    Gently, a swirl of light coalesced in her palm, forming a gemstone covered in silver filigree, with a thin needle-like protrusion from one end, and a tiny silver tower from the other. For a moment, it seemed to shimmer with an inner light, and she almost dared hope, before her rational mind kicked in and pointed out that she was probably imagining things again. Not that she'd been particularly hopeful in the first place.
    Quietly, she checked the time and noted that she had enough time, if she kept it short. So she'd have to summarize, instead of explain, as she usually did.

    "Hello,     Starfall Ascendancy. It's been a while, I know. Sorry. I've been busy. Lots of new stuff. We're working with THRONE now, me and Skopeo. I know, I didn't expect it either, but you know what they say about desperate times. On the bright side, we've found all the Remnants of the City, and now we've moved on to shattering the Castle. Found the Moroi that... you know. They couldn't tell us anything useful. No sign of Eidos either. It's going well though, even if having oversight gets a little bit inconvenient at times. Also, we found those other people we've been wondering about, through a martial artist named Shinku Kui. He's nice enough, if a little creepy. His boss was really friendly though, and she seemed ready enough to help out. Well, after we explained some things. And... I, ah, I met a boy. And I know what you're thinking, and it's not like that, really! He's a new transfer student to my school, and he seems friendly and nice, and he freaked out about Skopeo instead of me. Which was new. He kept twitching every time she spoke. I guess I'll introduce you to him soon, if you're functional again. When. When you're functional again."

    She glanced at the clock. Time for breakfast. "I'll fix you." She promised. "We'll find away. After all, the hero always wins in the end, yeah?"

    With a quick flick of her wrist, the gem dissolved back into specks of light which melted into her hand. Brushing a hand through her hair, she walked towards the stairs, drawn inexorably by the scent of a delicious meal which even now wafted through the house. Had mother made pancakes? Normally, she only got pancakes on weekends, if she'd been good, but she was hardly likely to object to this surprise.

    She scampered downstairs to the kitchen, and peeked around the door, hoping for a delectable and wondrous surprise to greet her. She was, in fact, met with a surprise.
    Her brother was cooking. Instinctively, she moved towards the phone, intent on calling emergency services, before her rational mind kicked in, and she realized that the appetizing scent which had drawn her downstairs was coming from the food he was cooking. At the table sat her mother, impeccably dressed in her typical business suit, with an understandably shocked expression on her face. She had to admit, she felt essentially the same. Was this really her brother? He used to burn water just by being in the vicinity of the kitchen!

    But... he had changed, hadn't he? She didn't know why, but after the Incident, the one they still talked around instead of about, something had happened to her brother. He'd gone from being a stereotypical asshole delinquent who went around bullying kids for kicks and beat up on his little sister to being... well, this. His hair had also changed color, which she felt lent credence to her theory that he'd been personally involved, right at ground zero, and had probably come within a hairsbreadth of dying. It made so much more sense than mother's overexposure idea.

    It made her wonder though. Whatever happened, he'd changed. A lot. He wasn't mean to her any more. He'd gone from being nervous and skittish around her for the first few days, to being gentle and quietly protective, always interposing himself between her and whatever he saw as the largest threat in the area. He always walked silently now, where he used to stomp like a gorilla. He also didn't sleep anymore. She'd consistently noticed that he was active and doing things even in the middle of night. She'd caught him sleeping, occasionally, but he only took short naps at unusual hours, and on top of that, he only slept in areas that he knew well, and even then, only lightly, and usually with at least a weapon or two on his person, knives or chains or whatever he had available.

    It had been a bit jarring to find out that her brother had spontaneously developed the reflexes and mindset of a moderately unstable soldier fresh out of a war zone. He'd come disturbingly close to injuring her multiple times, before she learned to announce her presence and make sure that he was always aware of the people in the area. But they were adapting, and she hoped it'd work out.

    As she reflected, her brother brought two plates piled high with pancakes to the table. "I...made breakfast. Is it...okay?" He murmured, so softly as to be almost inaudible.

    Quickly, she leaned forward and took a bite. Then she stopped, and simply stared. Slowly, she continued to eat. She had been gifted with culinary perfection, and she would not waste it. Too soon, her plate was clean, and her time was up. Woefully, she dragged herself to her feet and prepared to depart, thinking mournfully of her deceased pancakes and the glories they had shared.

    Her brother met her at the door. "Good?" He inquired. At her sunny nod and affirmative reply, he smiled ever so slightly, and patted her gently on the head. "That's...nice. Be careful... Love you." She smiled back at him, and pranced out the door to join her patiently waiting friend.

    Skopeo raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged. "Honestly," she confessed, "I really don't know. He's similar, except not. He still remembers that I love pancakes, but he made some today for us just because, and he didn't ruin them. He's been sleeping less too, and patrolling more. i think we might have to call outside help on this. After what happened last time, well." She grimaced, and changed the subject. "How about your Archetype? Starfall Ascendancy is still dormant, so it looks like just killing the Moroi responsible wasn't enough. I'm guessing your token doesn't respond either?"

    Skopeo nodded once, firmly. "Thou speakest sooth. Mine own Crucifixion Confirmation hath failed to respond unto mine prayers. Tis cause for concern. However, thine actions at the heart of the City hath rendered the Shadow Layer temporarily quiescent. Mayhap a solution shall present itself unto thee if thou but keepest faith. Is't not said that we are by our agonies empowered?"

    "Well," Kaleido retorted wryly, "considering the amount of agony we've endured, I'd expect to be a little more powerful then. A decade of school, and all I get is this lousy ornament."

    "False." Skopeo corrected flatly. "Thou hast been blest with far more than this one would dare consider. Remember thine own fortune."

    Kaleido winced. "Right, sorry. That was insensitive of me, all things considered. I should know better." She threw an arm over her companion's shoulders. "Hey, cheer up. We'll just make up for lost time with better experiences. How about you come by after school, and we bake you a cake. My family won't mind, they adore you."

    Skopeo's cheeks flushed. "Might we?" At Kaleido's assertive nod, she smiled shyly. "Thou'rt too kind for thine own good, ladybird."
    Unseen by even their possessors, a trio of tokens shone in eerie synchronicity, though no illumination dared fall upon them.
    QM: I enjoy writing interludes a lot, for some reason. I don't know why. Skopeo's speech is just me going off what sounds right, so I make no claims as to its accuracy.
     
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    • 023 - Define your meaning of war
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    • Vote Tally : Original - Magical Girl Monster Quest | Page 33 | Sufficient Velocity
    ##### NetTally 1.7.4
    [23] Intervene?
    -[11] Stand between them and make yourself the centrepiece of this show.
    -[6] On the side of White. She seems like someone who'd be willing to work under the future King of the World.
    -[6] "Well done! The two of you both possess worthy hearts to match your obvious combat prowess. I've decided! I shall make the two of you my Generals."
    --[3] Try to figure out the golden power from before if you have time during the battle
    -[3] Kill the last wolves in a dynamic entry. None of your subjects shall die.
    -[2] Clap at this wonderful display of skill between the two, declare Red your enforcer and White to care for administrative duties.
    -[2] Both of them have been ignoring and underestimating you, show them they should not do so by taking them both on and preventing further casualties.
    -[1] Might as well make sure the fight stays between the two of them besides the wolves are attacking your stalker that can't be abided.
    Total No. of Voters: 23

    Right. That is, you decide, quite enough. There is a limit of good taste, and this has more than passed it. Defeating an opponent in a fight where the both of you have matched yourselves against each other to the fullest of your powers, unleashing the full fury of your hard-won might to determine who, in their power, deserves to be king, is the right and proper way of things.

    This goes beyond that. The only person to whom another King ought to be forced to kneel is you. You do not appreciate people trying to usurp your position.

    You step back and set your stance. Then, in a sudden violent motion, you launch yourself forward in a blur of motion. Sword braced against your arm, you slam into the wolf menacing Jennifer's minions, ramming the pointy end of your sword into its throat even as you punch it with a single Gold-enhanced fist, with enough force to smash your hand into and through its chest. You reach around for the heart and grab something vaguely spherical, before kicking the corpse away from you. You lift the piece of meat up and smash it against the ground with a sickening splat.

    "I hate to be rude," you shamelessly lie, "But you've gone so far beyond the bounds of appropriate behavior that I just couldn't help myself."

    Tomoe eyes you with a mix of disdain and respect. "What, you saw a girl in distress and just couldn't help yourself? So     chivalrous."

    "No," you correct her, "I just don't think that anyone gets to kill my subjects but me. Speaking of which, I have decided that your performance was sufficiently passable to attract my interest. If you request it suitably humbly, I may decide to accept you as one of my commanders." You lean over your shoulder and turn to Jennifer. "Your performance, too, has impressed me. I am not unwilling to accept you into my service."

    "...Are you seriously trying to recruit me?" Tomoe inquires incredulously. You really hope she doesn't keep asking stupid questions after she joins you. "I already tried to recruit you and you turned me down, and now we're trying to kill each other and you're ruining my plans and my long-awaited revenge, and you want to recruit me?"

    Well, yes. Obviously.

    Jennifer's response is gratifyingly more direct.

    "Agreed." She coughs through a mouthful of blood. "Save my board, and I'll give you whatever you ask for."

    "Those terms strike me as agreeable! If I save them, you work for me now!" You chirp, moving to stand beside her and help her to her feet, her executives assuming what you assume are suitably dramatic poses behind you.

    "What the fuck." Tomoe sighs, pressing a palm against her forehead. "You're just like your predecessor, you know. Except the last time there was a face-off like this, he was on my side. I can really see why Gold is such an inconvenience."

    She pauses and turns to the six who followed her here. "I'm done with this shit. Handle them."

    Jennifer blinks. "Are you stupid? They're literally just mooks against a pair of kings, we're going to curbstomp them. There's no way..." She trails off, the words dying in her mouth.
    Assiah Receding
    You can understand why. Tomoe's followers, except for the brown-haired girl, have begun walking forward, and their skin is crawling and shifting and something is coming out of them, flowing out of their pores and solidifying onto their skin. As it does, their gait becomes markedly less fluid, and flashes of red begin to play across their metallic armor.
    This is probably going to be a problem, a small part of you notes, as the rest of you steps forward alongside Jennifer to face this newest challenge. You've given up on being surprised by your opponent's ability to do the impossible at this point, you just want to get it over with. Now, how to do this?

    [] Retreat? Hell no.
    SCENE: ALOADAI
    You will solve this the same way you've solved most of your other problems - copious amounts of violence. You step forward, blade in hand. Beside you, Jennifer speaks a simple pair of words, and a strange white shell forms around her, almost visible to your naked eye.

    "INVOCATION: SIEGFRIED"

    The two of you throw yourselves at the soldiers in eerie synchronicity, not a word breaking your lips. They're unarmed, and you're not. You're far more powerful than them. And most importantly, these delinquents have probably at best experienced schoolyard brawls. They've never fought for their lives against superior opponents, never been forced to forge themselves in the fires of war, never really run the risk of death at the slightest error.

    It makes them sloppy, careless, weak. They've not had their power very long, and it shows, in their arrogance and overconfidence. They move like they expect themselves to be the toughest, most dangerous things in the room. It's as though they've just been handed power, instead of earning it on their own merit, and somehow, they think that makes them better. You're more than happy to disabuse them of that notion.

    You and Jennifer hit them like a sledgehammer. Their armor protects them from the edge of your blade, and you can't hit nearly hard enough to simply dismember them. So instead, you let them come to you, bracing your blade and letting the first impale himself, before dragging your sword out of his stomach and ramming it through the second's head.
    Atziluth Crescendos
    Jennifer, meanwhile, doesn't so much as bother dodging. Instead, she just stands still and lets all three of her enemies hit her a few times. Then, in a lethally quick motion, she lashes out with a single jab that takes one soldier's head completely off his shoulders. Oddly, the blood which bubbles out of his neck is black, rather than the red you were expecting. Her other two opponents pause for a moment, shocked by her casual display of power. That proves to be a mistake. She grabs each of theirs heads in one of her hands and squeezes. Their skulls do not so much pop as crumple under her grip.
    ALODAI COMPLETE. SCENE: VOLSUNGA
    With a single casual motion, she throws both of the corpses aside, and refocuses on Tomoe. Who is smiling with wry amusement at this display, and does not seem in the slightest disconcerted. It is at this point that alarm bells begin ringing softly in your head. You glance at Jennifer, who does not seem nearly so concerned. Instead, she is focused on Tomoe, steam hissing from her nostrils as she hunches forward and growls, loudly enough that you feel it. Her wounds are also closing, a part of you notes.

    "I...am going... to hurt you." She promises Tomoe furiously, her anger pouring through every word she says. "I... am going... to make you-" She pauses, and places a single clawed hand over her chest. Her brow furrows with confusion. Then, slowly, she collapses to her knees,sliding off the blade in her back.

    Behind her stands one of her executives, holding a bloody blade. Or what used to be one of her executives. From its cloak trail shadowy tendrils, which hold the other three members of her board motionless.
    Atziluth Caesura
    "My apologies, madam, but in light of current events, we cannot permit you to undertake that course of action." It rasps in a voice like rusty nails on a chalkboard. "Please consider this our notice of resignation."

    As Jennifer struggles to push herself onto her hands and knees, it carefully, almost gingerly, steps forward, and gently places the edge of its blade against her neck. Tomoe smiles, a disturbing light in her eyes.

    "Finish her." She breathes.

    It nods in assent, and raises its blade.

    The gym wall explodes inward, as a shadowy figure is smashed through it by a very familiar silhouette.
    "Cease, foul servant of Darkness!"Magical Girl Kaleido declares triumphantly. "A school is a sacred institution of learning, and you shall not reduce the young minds of this generation by preventing their education!"

    Then she looks around at the gymnasium she's just smashed the thing into. Her gaze pans over the hounds scattered across the floor, the five corpses mutilated in various ways, Tomoe's triumphant smirk, Jennifer's prone form, the thing with the sword, the immobilized executives, and your own blood-soaked form.

    "What the hell." She declares flatly.

    You kind of have to agree with that sentiment, a little. This sort of thing can be a little odd, if you're not used to it.

    Jennifer's down, the minions are being held hostage by a shadow thing, and a magical girl with no context has arrived. What do you do?
    [] Attack
    [] Run Tactically withdraw
    [] Explain
    [] Improvise!
    -[] Jennifer's last words
    QM: oops i accidentally one of my characters. Seriously, I think I have tsundice. This is not what I was expecting. Also, fair warning, while you currently have a (small) chance of saving Jennifer, if you choose the invisitext vote, her death is guaranteed.
     
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    • 024 - Hardly innocent nor tied down to the ground
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    • Vote Tally : Original - Magical Girl Monster Quest | Page 35 | Sufficient Velocity
    ##### NetTally 1.7.4
    [8] Improvise!
    -[7] Point at the downed executives and shout "Help them!" to Kaleido.
    -[7] Watch out for a surprise attack from Tomoe.
    -[5] Use the distraction Kaleido provided to rush to Jennifer's side, put your hand between her neck and the sword, reinforcing it just so you don't get hurt, give the non-executive a kick in the nuts to send him off, grab Jennifer and GET THE HELL OUT tactically withdraw.
    [3] Explain
    -[3] Give an abbreviated description of the scene, starting with the two girls trying to kill each other, when you stepped in, and then this.
    -[3] Ask Stalker to give his own version of the scene to back you up.
    -[2] Use the distraction Kaleido provided to rush to Jennifer's side, put your hand between her neck and the sword, reinforcing it just so you don't get hurt, give the non-executive a kick in the nuts to send him off, grab Jennifer and tactically withdraw.
    -[1] Grab their attention then dance. The King has a wicked groove you know. You'll figure something out, later.
    Total No. of Voters: 11

    As Kaleido makes her entrance, every single eye in the room is drawn to her. Including that of Jennifer's mysterious assailant and former minion. That is, as they say in the business, a mistake.

    You do not hesitate to capitalize on it. In a single fluid motion, you throw yourself at the swordsman in black, hoping to keep it from finishing Jennifer. You grab the sword it is holding with one hand, and try to latch onto its lower body with the other. You grab onto something, but it feels oddly pliant, as if you've just grabbed a handful of very dense fabric rather than an actual person. Nonetheless, it suffices for your purposes.

    In a single efficient motion, you lift it off its feet and lever its arm downward, smashing it headfirst into the floor. Smoothly, you slam your sword down, nailing it to the floor like a butterfly pinned to a card. It twitches frantically for a moment before throwing itself away from you, quite literally tearing itself off the sword in its gut. You glare at it, and yank your sword out of the floor, before stepping back and refocusing on Tomoe.

    With a glance, you note that the strange tendrils of black shadowstuff which previously held the rest of the board motionless have been severed, and even now twitch on the floor as they dissolve into simple smoke. Now freed, the four members of the board scramble to their feet, and assume relatively combat-ready stances, albeit hindered by (you assume) blood loss and recent injury.

    Jennifer herself is far less well off, barely even able to stand. Her injury seems to be taking a toll on her. Most people would be dead at this point, either from blood loss, from her injuries, or, if nothing else, from the sheer pain of whatever that toxin smeared on the sword was. The slight contact you had grabbing and shoving the sword away barely opened a thin line on your palm, the thickness of a papercut. Nonetheless, the pain from the wound mixed with that venom is impressive, and trying to ignore the pain or overpower it with your Pride just seems to make it worse.

    You've had worse. You'll manage.

    Tomoe, meanwhile, is simply watching, with a vaguely disappointed look on her face. Grimly, she presses one hand against her forehead. "Just...just do the thing." She finally sighs. "You've gone from being mildly competent to completely useless in the span of ten seconds. I knew you were stealth specialized, but I didn't realize that meant you were incompetent at everything else."

    Both of the shadowy figures look at her in a manner that can only be described as vaguely offended. Then they move towards each other, swirling amorphously. Or possibly amorously. Not that you're going to judge. Then they begin to meld together, the two forms becoming a single unified entity. The two begin to assemble themselves into a shadowy titan, a monster of immense power and nigh-absurd lethality.

    Unfortunately for them, the melding process requires them to stand still for multiple seconds. While they stand still, Kaleido puts the power she has been gathering for the last few minutes into use and blasts them with a lance of concentrated light thicker than the length of your forearm and potent enough to leave a charred crater in the floor.

    Still glowing with the remnants of her gathered power, she drifts to the floor near you. She throws you a questioning glance, but remains oriented on the ostensible commander of the shadowy entities. Tomoe, meanwhile, has given up on being disappointed in her subordinates, and is just slumped over the hilt of her sword. Clearly, she needs to put more work into vetting her minions properly. You, of course, will make no such error in your reign.

    "Help them." You tersely explain to Kaleido, gesturing to the board. "I'll manage. They're wounded; we need to get them out of here." Carefully, you step over to Jennifer. If she dies, all of your work saving the board will have been for naught.

    Kaleido nods firmly. "I can do that. We'll get them out of here, won't we."

    "its our job."

    MOTHERFUCKER. A voice like sharpened glass scrapes across your brain.

    You do not twitch like you've been shocked with an overcharged cattle prod. You do not.

    Rather, you smile warmly and confidently at the girl standing right behind you, doing your best to portray no reaction to her sudden appearance. Genially, you express your immense appreciation for her presence and gratitude for her service and assistance, as best you are able without making yourself look like a fool.

    From the way she smirks, you don't think you quite manage. How irksome. How very very irksome.

    Nonetheless, you all begin making preparations immediately to move your injured compatriots to a less hazardous location. That plan lasts all of five seconds. Then Tomoe decides that she has had quite enough of this absurdity.

    "Yeah," she declares flatly, "no. I've been arranging this for way too long to let an upstart newbie and a pair of random hero wannabes ruin it. None of you are going anywhere. HEIR: ERINYES."

    You feel as much as hear the impact of her words, a wave of strange reddish light passing over you to form a hemispherical barrier around the entire gym. The heat of the barrier as it washes over you suggests that trying to bypass it might be less than healthy. Flames lick along its surface wherever it's in contact with a surface, and the items it's in contact with quickly burn away. The speed at which they burn suggest that prolonged contact, or indeed any contact, is likely to be unhealthy. At best. Meanwhile, Tomoe begins advancing towards you with the lazy stride of one who knows they have won and wishes to savor their victory. You express your opinion of these events.

    "No need for quite that much profanity, Victor, we get the point." Kaleido notes wryly. She hesitates for a moment, before turning firmly to you. "I can still get us out of here. But...you need to buy me time. Buy me thirty seconds, and I'll make us an exit."

    Then, she steps back, stands firm, and plants her staff in the ground. Tilting her head back, she begins to chant in a language you don't recognize. Best to let the magical girl work her magic and do what you do best then.

    You nod firmly to her, not bothering with words. Every breath wasted on speech could be better used to kill your opponent, after all. Silently, you settle yourself in front of your current comrades-in-arms, interposing yourself between them and Tomoe - who, for her part, looks rather pissed. Even now, she strides towards you with fury permeating her every step, her corona of flame practically igniting the very air around her.

    Buy time, she told you. Easily managed, for a combatant of your caliber.

    As Tomoe stalks towards you, you advance slowly towards her. The two of you pace towards each other, before halting almost simultaneously. You both consider each other for a moment. Finally, you begin stepping towards her, slowly, but inexorably. When you are barely a sword's length away from her, you pause. Then, you attack.

    Your first stroke is an overhand cut, coming from across your body; Tomoe parries it effortlessly with an upward stroke. Undeterred, you sweep around to strike at her side, only for her to meet you in a low parry. When her sword comes across to block your stroke, you simply slide your blade off of hers, step before her, and move to stab her in the gut. You see her fist flying towards you, and accept her strike as a trade for your own far more lethal attack. Her fist lands on your sternum just as your blade begins to part the skin of her stomach and-

    IMPACT

    Dazedly, you crumple out of the wall you've been slammed into and fall to the ground on your hands and knees. The four foot drop nearly causes you to collapse, and you begin coughing. Blood spatters the floor beneath you. Carefully, you grit your teeth and push yourself to your feet. Tomoe is still standing, and has a small cut on her stomach. Her fist is outstretched, and she is watching you with a look of dull surprise, as is everyone else. Kaleido's face is horrified, but she keeps chanting. A large, faintly glowing runic circle spreads across the ground at her feet.

    A small part of your mind begins cataloging your injuries. Your everything hurts. Most of your ribs are broken. You're fairly certain you have shards of whatever you slammed into embedded in your back, probably a sign of some kind. Your collarbone is also broken, and your sternum feels cracked. Breathing hurts, and you think you might have a rib through your left lung. Your shoulder feels like it might be dislocated, and you can't feel you left arm. Your head is ringing, and you're pretty sure you have a concussion.

    And Tomoe has begun to saunter towards you once more.

    Your finely-honed instincts and your long experience combine to tell you something very significant and important. This is going to hurt.

    And then you see something that makes you grin. As Tomoe approaches you, she slows, clearly confused by your expression. You hurt to much to try to talk, and you'd probably only end up coughing up more blood, but you manage to raise your arm enough to point behind her. She gives you a look which clearly states that she knows this is a deception to buy you more time, but she's playing along with it anyway to humor you. Then she looks over her shoulder, and sees what you've been seeing.

    Kaleido, having finished chanting, raises her staff, and in a burst of brilliant light, roars "MAGICAE AUCTORITAS: INVERSIO MUNDI!"

    A wave of rosy light sweeps out, and when it fades, everything is different.

    You are in a dark, dimly lit laboratory of some kind. There are tables here and there, with various disturbing scientific things scattered atop them. You also see bookshelves, with various tomes you fail to recognize. Further down, you see some kind of vats, with thins growing in them, while behind you are a surgeon's table with a mass of flesh on it inside a carefully drawn ritual circle.

    Slowly, you slump to one knee, resting a hand on your sword. Your Pride and your mysterious augmentation are keeping you functional. Technically. You look to your companions to see how they fare.

    The four members of the board are more or less intact, and functioning. They are also glowing white, a gentle shade of which radiates off them, like a shuttered lantern.

    Jennifer is less well off. She, too is glowing, but while her light is stronger, it shines intermittently, flickering on and off. The wound in her back is visibly coated in some sort of slowly expanding grey goo, and even from where you are kneeling, you almost fancy you can feel a sense of hunger emanating from it. Occasionally, the light rallies to drive it back, but inevitably, it regrows. In the laboratory itself however, wherever the light touches, it changes the environment, cleaning the tables, polishing and waxing the floor, and generally removing impurities and repairing damage.

    Your hand also has a small amount of grey goo, which is eliminated by your own light, even as you watch. You are glowing a gentle, hazy yellow, which almost seems to reach out hungrily to the environment around you. The things it touches, it seems to almost refine, until it fades away from them. Scalpels become sharper, books become cleaner and more legible, and creaky and unstable tables realign themselves and snap back into place.

    The largest change, however, has come over Kaleido and Skopeo.

    Kaleido has turned into a titanic suit of armor, with wings of glowing energy and a massive cannon on one arm. Incongruously, it is also a luridly eye-catching shade of pink. Skopeo, meanwhile, is wearing sensible armor, along with a hood and mask, ,and has two large feathery wings extending behind her. She also has a sword.

    "So," Kaleido begins, once she has caught your eye. "I apologize for the rather sudden shift, but welcome to the Shadow Layer. When Red-girl sealed us in, I assumed she wouldn't be able to make any changes here that I couldn't get around, so I pulled you all in here to give us escape routes and a bit of distance from her. Be aware, everything here could be hostile, and most of the laws you're used to don't apply. Anything sapient in here is a distorted reflection of something real, and should not be trusted. Stay with me, stay quiet, try not to attract attention, and we'll all get out of here fine and with minimal collateral damage."

    "Now, we're currently in a Domain, a region of the Shadow Layer, that I haven't seen before. This means we have no contacts here, but also that no one in here has any reason to try to kill us. Yet. We have a couple of options. We can stay here and hunker down until Red leaves, at which point we all go back to the real world. We can try to go somewhere else in the real world by traveling in this Domain, so long as it has significant emotional associations with whatever this domain represents. Or, we can try to shift to another, nicer Domain, by finding a point of significant connection between the two. Hopefully."

    She pauses.

    "Also, Victor," she offers hesitantly, "do you need a little help? You...don't look very good. Also, you're all glowing, and I don't think that's supposed to happen. And, uh, I'm still waiting on that explanation?"

    What do you do?
    [] Hide and wait Tomoe out
    [] Travel the Domain to get somewhere else
    [] Try to leave this Domain for a more hospitable one
    [] Write-in
    [] There is something at the heart of this Domain. Something old. Something hungry. It calls to you. You will heed its call.
    What do you say?
    [] Write-in
    QM: So, seeing as I don't want to add another five hundred words explaining the mechanics of the Shadow Layer, just ask me questions, and I'll answer them from Kaleido's perspective and then collate them at the start of the next update.
     
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