The Quest For Earth (CMGQ spinoff)

[Alphaleph]

"Uhhh..." Shit, Ellen, think of something! "I didn't stop to think about either of those?" Aaand now they think you're an idiot. Good going princess. (Damn her inner Shura is strong today.) "Sorry..."

Click to shrink...

Shan stepped forward with a kind smile and ruffled Ellen's hair. "It happens," she reassured the other girl. "Just remember it for next time, yes?" Her ruffling continued a little longer than intended, fingers lost in that soft and silky white; once Shan realised, she retracted the hand sheepishly.

Click to shrink...

Sam looked at the pair and shook her head. Ellen was definitely a sheltered rich kid and Shan knew her for awhile. A fellow rich kid? Though some interaction between the two seemed more like a princess and her maid. The blond giggled at the thought. "I'll leave you two then," Sam said, turning to walk back towards their budding campsite.

She had only took a few steps when Twilight stalked past her and snapped at Ellen before storming off with Lion following suit.

"....Okay, what's that about? ....That's not what happens to you if you stay transformed for too long, is it?"

 

[Naron]

"What if I haven't?" Ellen sticks her tongue out at Alice. "Have you?"

Click to shrink...

Alice froze, staring at Ellen with an unreadable expression as the shadows began to wrap around her legs. Grinning Remnant stood stock still, hackles still raised, but its attention was fixated solely on the other girl. "Oh, I don't know, do you think surviving alone in the woods with no supplies for a fucking month counts!?" She snapped at Ellen, her shadows winding along the ground around her. "Or if that doesn't count, then how about two years on our own, staying in tents when we couldn't find a hotel room we could afford!? Or how about before when we-"

Click to shrink...

Shan tensed up when the tirade started. Eyes narrowed, fingers twitching, she readied herself for battle. One move from Alice and she would cut her down before she could hurt Ellen.

Alice opened her mouth to keep going but stopped, seeming to run out of steam as she let out a sigh. Her next words were almost imperceptible "We went camping with our families together."

"So, yeah, I'd say I've been camping before. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll love it as much as I did." Her piece said, Twilight Wanderer turned and walked away, Grinning Remnant following ever silently in her wake.

Click to shrink...

But it did not happen. As fast as Alice got worked up, she deflated; on the other side, Shan's gaze lay firmly on Alice's back for another minute, boring into it; she felt this may be a trick to set up a sneak attack. When nothing came however, Shan reluctantly turned away and let out her leftover tension with a sigh.

"Whatever this was," she murmured to Ellen, "it was not your fault."

 

[Crystalwatcher]

Alice froze, staring at Ellen with an unreadable expression as the shadows began to wrap around her legs. Grinning Remnant stood stock still, hackles still raised, but its attention was fixated solely on the other girl. "Oh, I don't know, do you think surviving alone in the woods with no supplies for a fucking month counts!?" She snapped at Ellen, her shadows winding along the ground around her. "Or if that doesn't count, then how about two years on our own, staying in tents when we couldn't find a hotel room we could afford!? Or how about before when we-"

Alice opened her mouth to keep going but stopped, seeming to run out of steam as she let out a sigh. Her next words were almost imperceptible "We went camping with our families together."​

"So, yeah, I'd say I've been camping before. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll love it as much as I did." Her piece said, Twilight Wanderer turned and walked away, Grinning Remnant following ever silently in her wake.

Click to shrink...

Ellen slowly collapsed inwards over the course of Twilight's rant. Ending with her sitting on the ground as Alice walks away, her fingers pressing together. "I... kind of deserved that. I'm sorry." She mutters after the other girl, trying to keep it as low as she can as to not trigger another rant.

 

[Naron]

Ellen slowly collapsed inwards over the course of Twilight's rant. Ending with her sitting on the ground as Alice walks away, her fingers pressing together. "I... kind of deserved that. I'm sorry." She mutters after the other girl, trying to keep it as low as she can as to not trigger another rant.

Click to shrink...

As her reassurance was apparently overheard, Shan kneeled next to Ellen with a soft sigh. "You really did not," she told the younger girl quietly while giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze. Her voice remained gentle, but firm: "She was out of line."

 

[Crystalwatcher]

As her reassurance was apparently overheard, Shan kneeled next to Ellen with a soft sigh. "You really did not," she told the younger girl quietly while giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze. Her voice remained gentle, but firm: "She was out of line."

Click to shrink...

"...Thanks Shan." Ellen gives her a quick hug. "I'm... going to see how much water I can collect and head back."

 

[Familiar]

Marissa has never met anyone in her life as volatile as Twilight Wanderer, she thinks as she watches the witch stock off with Winter Lion in her wake. Maybe this is what a severe case of bipolar disorder looks like? Though it seemed like she actually somewhat moderated herself there at the end. It could be that she has medication that was left behind when they were all snatched for this bout of involuntary jolly adventure. Not that it's any of Marissa's business.

After taking a moment to snap some more photos and shut the phone back down to save battery, she approaches Shan and Grand Hero.

"...Thanks Shan." Ellen gives her a quick hug. "I'm... going to see how much water I can collect and head back."

Click to shrink...

"Make sure to get it from a fair distance from there," she gestures in the general direction of Dorothy getting herself soaked as much as her filthy dog. "We don't know where that's been, and I don't want to risk it being waterborne."

 

[Crystalwatcher]

"Make sure to get it from a fair distance from there," she gestures in the general direction of Dorothy getting herself soaked as much as her filthy dog. "We don't know where that's been, and I don't want to risk it being waterborne."

Click to shrink...

"That is..." Ellen blinked as Dorothy is dunked by her dog, "A very good point. Umm... I'll head up river a bit and meet you back at camp." And with that, she quickly scurries up past the duo and away.

 

[Naron]

Leaving Ellen to her own devices for now, Shan went back to her own tasks; after helping to gather firewood, she holed out one of Marissa's spires to create an improvised bucket. After creating a proper amount of cloth thanks to some donations from others, everyone could at least wash off the sweat and dirt if they were so inclined.

Shan made doubly sure to talk Marissa into creating a separated corner in their shelter for this purpose; she really did not need others to see her scars, knowing how it would curb their appetite. Dinner was quite pleasant with Alice's Imps gathering more fruit to add to their supplies and rations, though Shan hoped for another beast she could eviscerate for meat tomorrow; eight people could not carry provisions for everyone for long, not to mention that Lion devoured more than any two of the others together.

Regardless, Shan found a soft spot of earth to rest on, which was all she could ask for. It was not so bad; they were fed and watered, clothed, and capable of defending themselves. Of course she worried about what was ahead, but she knew she would grow further to meet whatever challenges lay ahead.

Drifting off into slumber however, Shan's thoughts circled around the question of whether making beds of spire-stone was a good idea.

 

[LostDeviljho]

Magical Girl Crimson Harvest Gains:
+20 EXP Encountered 1 Chonky Bacon
+10 EXP Defeated Bacon (mmm, bacon~)
+15 EXP Encountered Lizards!
+10 EXP Killed two Lizards!

Magical Girl Quantum Cheshire Gains:
+20 EXP Encountered 1 Chonky Bacon
+5 EXP Halped with Bacon
+15 EXP Encountered Lizards!

Magical Girl Marvelous Fairytale Gains:
+15 EXP Encountered Lizards!
+3 EXP Um... her dog is cute?

Magical Girl High Noon Gains:
+20 EXP Encountered 1 Chonky Bacon
+5 EXP "I participated!"
+15 EXP Encountered Lizards!
+5 EXP Shot a Lizard!

Magical Girl Spire Cracker Gains:
+15 EXP Encountered Lizards!
+3 EXP Hid in the corner and cried.

Magical Girl Twilight Wanderer Gains:
+20 EXP Encountered 1 Chonky Bacon
+5 EXP RIP Bacon, he died too soon
+15 EXP Encountered Lizards!
+5 EXP Cursed a Lizard!

Magical Girl Winter Lion Gains:
+15 EXP Encountered Lizards!
+5 EXP Shot the wall!
+5 EXP Spoopy Magic Lake

Magical Girl Grand Hero Gains:
+15 EXP Encountered Lizards!
+5 EXP Shot a bunch of Lizards!
+5 EXP Spoopy Magic Lake

 

[Naron]

An upside of the hard ground, Shan mused as she turned sleepily, was that she had little incentive to try for more rest. Oh how tempting a soft pillow and a warm blanket could be.

But no, she had her daily practice to get to. Rising as stealthily as she could so as to not wake everyone else, the young woman made her way outside before stretching languidly. She proceeded to rub her stiff neck and shoulders while letting out a wide yawn, then transitioned into a few light stretches. She was still transformed, so Shan had an inkling that something changed again; before figuring out what that might be however, she would go through the motions.

Spoiler: EXP Spending

-Buy Red Without Rust from the Shop (20xp)
-Buy The Red Law from the Shop (25xp)
-Bloodletter: 1 -> 2 (10xp)

Spending 55xp

 

[ReaperofInterest]

With a yawn, Maria woke up from her nap. She was pleased to see that nobody had seemingly been eaten during her trip to the land of nod. With a sigh, she acknowledged her surroundings, specifically that they were all still in the forest they had been dumped in. All things considered, she supposed it was a bit overly optimistic to hope those skittle gators would get bored and take them back home. Still though, a girl had to hope.

With a muttered transformation phrase, once more Quantum Cheshire was ready to defend herself from whatever the world was going to throw at her and the others.

Spoiler: EXP Spending

-Upgrade the Cats' Claws to level 3 (20xp)
-Upgrade Multiple Lives to level 2 (10xp)
-Upgrade Where Am I? to level 2(10xp)

Spending 40xp

 

[Naron]

After finishing her general practice, Shan settled down and let herself breathe. Oddly though, she could still feel her heartbeat with some focus; blood pulsed through her body in a steady rhythm like to a drum, almost buzzing. It had not done that before and she doubted one could actually hear it, but some kind of noise transferred to her ears regardless. She even had an inkling that it protected her from mind magics of a sort, but found there was no real way to test it.

The other new power she found a few minutes into her meditations however, that she could test. Shan's eyes snapped open and she surged to her feet in one fluid motion; after requisitioning more healing dust from Dorothy, she found herself an empty spot and got to work.

(There's no Place Like Home: 150 Base Heal, +47 dice = 197 Heal per Turn)

The moment her shroud began to fill up, Shan emptied it entirely. Crimson energy became first liquid as she turned it to blood, then solidified into a small block of metal. The blood had followed her direction well enough, but it just kept lying there once turned to metal; no external control then. Next up, Shan drew her blades and carefully added some nicks and scratches to one of them; its mold and blueprint flickered in the back of her mind when she expended a small amount of blood to patch up the damages. Courage was as good as new afterward.

Humming joyfully, Shan proceeded to wait out some windup and decay. And waited. And waited. After two minutes or so, she frowned; there was not enough power in her shroud to sustain building a full set of blades. If, however...

She made sure no one was watching, then carefully nicked her fingertip with Will while drawing off the entire shroud. More blood flowed from her own body to make up the deficit, making Shan feel faint for a moment until the healing replenished it. Before her lay a second pair of Will and Courage, though without any scabbards. They were indistinguishable from the original pair, even including the same properties. Perhaps that was what drew so much of her blood?

Next, Shan replicated Strength and Speed, but this time with a slower approach; instead of making both blades in one go, she created each sword separately. Her shroud could carry half the set's cost and refilled quickly enough. After that, she curiously used her blades' forms as a baseline to create not swords, but a sharp metal spike about half the length of her arm. It definitely took less blood, though the spike retained no other properties from her weapons. Doing so would not only increase their cost greatly, but also be difficult to achieve, or so she felt. If it was possible at all.

Her experiments in regard to combat potential done, Shan then turned to more benign applications. She made a few balls and cubes for practice, slowly stacking them up in front of her to get a feeling for basic shapes. She did not even realise how much time passed.

 

[Familiar]

Marissa wakes up groggy, sore, and slightly chilled. Two nights of sleeping on the ground in a somewhat cramped space is beginning to take its toll. She's the third up, she notices as she steps out of the shelter, stretching her arms about in an attempt to loosen her stiff back. Good; she could do without another morning exhibition on the part of Winter Lion and her prickly paramour.

What dawn light manages to filter through the trees illuminates an odd scene — Shan is in possession of even more swords than even her usual overabundance, and what appear to be paperweights are piled up in front of her. Approaching the blanchette, her curiosity prompts the logical question. "Alright, what's all this, then?" Grimacing at another twinge in her back, a quick transformation and a muttered "Spire Spike" raises rock to shoulder height, and Marissa runs a hand over the tip to dull the point. Turning on the spot, she leans to dig the peak into the muscles under her shoulder blades. With a sigh of relief she adds, "Good morning."

Spoiler: EXP

Ability: Marble Skin, level 2 — 10EXP
Shop: Bedrock — 10EXP

 

[Crystalwatcher]

Ellen slowly found herself roused from slumber.

She was also for some reason wedged right up and under one of the spires that made up the shelter. It was weirdly comfortable to the point that Ellen found little actual desire to get up, which considering how hard the ground is is something of a stupid. Thankfully though the sounds of Shan's exercises and practice did manage to pierce the fog in her brain enough to convince her that getting up is a good idea.

So, carefully, the girl crawled out of her little sleepy hole with a groan. "'rnin everyone..."

Spoiler: EXP

Weapon: Micro Fighter -> Level 2

 

[Alphaleph]

Samantha was woken up from her sleeping position by the sound of rumbling. Lifting up her head from her knees, she blearily noticed the activity that their impromptu camp site was growing into.

Shivering from the chill air Sam stood up and stretched, both to warm herself and to work out the stiffness in her joints. Feeling more awake, she then actually looked around to see what the others were doing, finding Shan being surrounded by objects she did not have the day before and Spire doing an itchy bear impression against one of her own spire.

"Uh... good morning?"

 

[Naron]

"Alright, what's all this, then?" [rumbling of earth] "Good morning."

Click to shrink...

While Marissa's voice did startle Shan, she quickly recovered and offered her new friend a bright smile. "New powers," she chirped. "And this one has such great potential, too!" The corners of her mouth rose another fraction at the curious use of Marissa's magic. "And a good morning to you as well."

"'rnin everyone..."

Click to shrink...

"...and to you, Ellen."

"Uh... good morning?"

Click to shrink...

She returned the greeting once more before raising a somewhat even block for Marissa to study. "It seems the issue of cutlery, tableware, and cooking utensils is more or less solved. Er, once I can do more than basic forms. Here, let's see." Shan put her previous creation down and focussed; basic shapes were simple, though getting them perfect would still take time. Now she could go from her previous metal spike and widen it somewhat, applying roundness to get... a somewhat even cylinder. This was followed by another stick, though this one a long block instead of round. "I need to work my way up, unfortunately. Its actual purpose is letting me repair weapons and armour."

 

[Crystalwatcher]

"...and to you, Ellen."

Click to shrink...

"Mrnmlre" Is Ellen's barely comprehensible reply as she walks past the other girl.

She walks up to the edge of the river they had been camping next to, stares at it for a few moments, and then without fanfare promptly slops over into the water with a splash. Then floated limply across the surface of the mostly still water like an unmanned boat.

 

[LostDeviljho]

"Mrnmlre" Is Ellen's barely comprehensible reply as she walks past the other girl.

She walks up to the edge of the river they had been camping next to, stares at it for a few moments, and then without fanfare promptly slops over into the water with a splash. Then floated limply across the surface of the mostly still water like an unmanned boat.

Click to shrink...

Being rather buoyant, the stream carried Ellen down the short distance to the pond that filled the clearing. As she drifted gently in the water, she was overcome with a sudden rush of profound insight. The pond glowed softly from accumulated mana within it, the entire pool a concentrated essence of water. The pond was simply a pond, but it was also a river, and the rain. The ocean in its unfathomable depth and an ephemeral wisp of cloud. It was all of these things and none, and Ellen felt something spark within her as epiphany struck. She could never fully encapsulate the true essence of water, but perhaps an imitation...

Ability unlocked: Cargo Spaces

 

[Crystalwatcher]

Ellen, being her mother's daughter and sister to Paoras, immediately gives into the temptation to test her new ability reflexively.

She breaths in, the new spaces within suddenly filling with water as she stretches herself to the limit. Intent on filling all of the spaces within herself to see just how much she could hold.

Turns out? She can hold a lot of water. Probably why she sinks shortly after she's full with a soft gurgle.

 

[Familiar]

"I need to work my way up, unfortunately. Its actual purpose is letting me repair weapons and armour."

Click to shrink...

Marissa observed the process with mild interest. "Is it a matter of exercising the skill, or is it a mindset thing?" She waved her hand vaguely, "'There is no spoon' or somesu..." Her words trailed off as Grand Hero suddenly and unceremoniously sank into the pond like a soaked rag. "...Uh."

Abandoning the conversation, she jogged to the shore for a better look. As the seconds passed, Marissa became increasingly convinced that the blonde wasn't coming back up. Well, shit. Wasting no more time, she stripped off her outer layer, dove in, and dragged the Titanic fuckup back out of the water.

Really, all of the insanely hostile and very large wildlife forming up a queue to murder them to death, and this girl decided to cut to the front of the line. Actually, no. Twilight Wanderer was at the front of the line, she had her try on day one. Marissa was surrounded by sheep/lemming hybrids in human skin.

 

[Crystalwatcher]

Abandoning the conversation, she jogged to the shore for a better look. As the seconds passed, Marissa became increasingly convinced that the blonde wasn't coming back up. Well, shit. Wasting no more time, she stripped off her outer layer, dove in, and dragged the Titanic fuckup back out of the water.

Really, all of the insanely hostile and very large wildlife forming up a queue to murder them to death, and this girl decided to cut to the front of the line. Actually, no. Twilight Wanderer was at the front of the line, she had her try yesterday. Marissa was surrounded by sheep/lemming hybrids in human skin.

Click to shrink...

As Ellen's head breached the surface of the water again, she gave a soft "Ubwu~" before her 'compartments' began flushing all the water she had vacuumed up.

Which lead to her laying on the side of the lake with a steady sprinkler fountain merrily spraying out of her mouth and into the air.

 

[DivineGa'riofMan]

How do you do the whole application blue tab thing? On mobile

 

[Naron]

"Is it a matter of exercising the skill, or is it a mindset thing?" She waved her hand vaguely, "'There is no spoon' or somesu..." Her words trailed off as Grand Hero suddenly and unceremoniously sank into the pond like a soaked rag. "...Uh."

Click to shrink...

Shan had been so focussed on her new find and conversation that she missed the splash; only when Marissa interrupted herself and waded into the water to fish out Ellen did she realise what happened, and quickly followed.

As Ellen's head breached the surface of the water again, she gave a soft "Ubwu~" before her 'compartments' began flushing all the water she had vacuumed up.

Which lead to her laying on the side of the lake with a steady sprinkler fountain merrily spraying out of her mouth and into the air.

Click to shrink...

"Oh no, oh no...." Quickly grasping the younger girl around the waist, Shan dragged her onto dry land. Having turned her around, Ellen continued spewing water into a rivulet that ran back into the pond. "What were you thinking?" she asked softly while holding Ellen's hair, worry overtaking any anger she may have felt for the time being.

 

[Alphaleph]

Having left to answer the call of nature, hoping that someone did hear her mentioning it, Sam returned to a scene that wouldn't be out of place in a Sunday morning cartoon. She'd be more confused, but as it was Ellen spitting out water while being soaking wet and what happened before, it wasn't hard to guess what happened. Heaving out a sigh, Sam approached the group and saw that Shan was looking at Ellen with an expression that said she wanted to be angry but was too worried to. It reminded Sam of her own mother.

...

Sam wondered how the folks back home reacted when the Skittlegators grabbed her. Hopefully they didn't panic too hard and there's someone that can give explanation.... Yeah, next time she see a Skittlegator, she had to try to shoot one to vent.

 

[Battleship_Fusou]

Lion had actually managed to sleep through the bulk of the early morning hubbub but she did eventually wake up. Gathering her wits about her, she blinked her eyes clear of gunk before refreshing her transformation with a sigh. The snow and light cleared just in time for her to see Shan working to pull Ellen out of the lake with Sam approaching to hopefully help. It wasn't what she wanted to be doing first thing in the morning -breakfast was far higher on her list of desires- but there really was nothing for it as she moved over to offer her help if it were needed.

She could stand delaying her meal if it meant helping out in a worrying situation. Which reminded her to check on Alice and see how her friend was doing.

Spoiler: EXP Spending

Modernization: Level 2 -> Level 3, 20exp

• Base Health 600 -> 900
• Base Resilience 120 -> 180