Twisted Light and Sundered World (PMMM Dystopia Quest)
- Thread starter Azecreth
- Start date
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-[X] Place of Origin
-[X] Your Wish
Entirely reasonable to want to know what we can do. The why, that's a little personal.
-[X] Place of Origin
-[X] Your Wish
Entirely reasonable to want to know what we can do. The why, that's a little personal.
Azecreth
Giant Monster All Out Attack
- Location
- United States of America
- Pronouns
- He/Him
And with that, I guess we're on our way.
Vote tally:
##### 3.21
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-[X] Place of Origin
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No. of votes: 2
veekie, emberofshadow
[X] Leave spots blank
-[X] Place of Origin
-[X] Your Wish
No. of votes: 3
justinkal, Cornix Argentus, UbeOne
##### 3.21
[X] Leave spots blank
-[X] Place of Origin
-[X] Your powers
No. of votes: 2
veekie, emberofshadow
[X] Leave spots blank
-[X] Place of Origin
-[X] Your Wish
No. of votes: 3
justinkal, Cornix Argentus, UbeOne
Part 7
Azecreth
Giant Monster All Out Attack
- Location
- United States of America
- Pronouns
- He/Him
With a snap decision you make up your mind, leaving a few spots on the form blank. Let them wonder about what it means, the only person you're going to tell is a magical girl like you. If that ever happens, anyway.
Eventually the form is completed and ready to be returned, sans the deliberate omissions you've made to it. After rising to your feet you step up to the front counter again and hand Mark the papers that he originally gave you. Afterwards you fold your arms across your chest, waiting to see how he reacts to it.
It takes him a couple seconds to look at it, scanning the document before returning his attention to you. "Part of this is blank," he points out, showing you the spots that you left empty. Given that everything else is filled in to the best of your abilities, you're not sure why this is a surprise to him. Well, you'll gladly educate him.
"I know," you reply with a slight smirk as you push it back towards him. "There are just some things I'd like to keep to myself. Can't go revealing all my secrets right away, you know?" If he doesn't like it then he's just going to have to deal with it himself. That's the great part about being a magical girl.
Mark meets your gaze for a moment before shrugging. "Alright, if you say so," he concedes as he go about filing those materials. It leaves you to wonder what is next, if he'll have anything else for you to do at this point.
He doesn't, but it's irrelevant anyways as someone else steps into the lobby, a man in a suit with greying hair and a decent physique. He wears a smile on his face, giving some indication as to who he is. Which Mark confirms rapidly. "Patrick," he says with a nod, handing over the packet.
The man takes it without looking at it, extending a hand towards you primarily. "Patrick Wilson," he says as you take the proffered hand and give it a firm shake. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss...."
"Erica Powell," you reply as you adjust your handshake to make sure that it's on the firm side. To his credit he takes it fairly well, a sign that this probably isn't the first time he's dealt with this. Somehow it makes you feel better knowing that.
But Patrick simply waits for you to release his hand before he continues, glancing over at Mark in the meanwhile. "While he processes that, why don't you come back to my office so we can talk in private?" He gestures back towards the door he came through, waiting for you to decide what you want to do.
"Sure," you agree without hesitation, allowing him to lead the way. It was what you wanted, so why would you object to it?
He turns and steps further inside,you moving behind as you allow him to lead the way. The interior is busy as you would expect, and almost immediately you see the cubicles that make up this part of the building. Of course there's more to see than that, a break room or two, some offices, conference rooms, a library, which you see as you pass them by. But in the end, to your eye, it just looks like a glorified office complex. You'd think that a place like this would be a lot cooler, given its intended purpose.
Even the people don't impress you that much. Sure there are a lot of them, and most are dressed well. There's plenty of conversation, phone calls, people dealing with their business, the usual. It's just weird, that's all. This sort of thing would never happen back home, unneeded and inefficient as it was. How do they get anything done without telepathy? They're doing the best they can, perhaps, but they'll never equal a magical girl.
Not that you say any of that as you follow after Patrick. Low regard you may have, but even you can recognize that this isn't the place for that sort of thing. Besides they're at least courteous enough to stay out of your way, so it isn't terrible. Though really that's the least you should expect from them.
At last you come to a stop in front of an office, marked as his by the nameplate next to the door. Patrick steps up to the wooden door and opens it, once again allowing you to enter his office first. It's a nice place, relatively speaking. There are some shelves with thick books, a mahogany desk, pictures, file cabinets, a small fridge. He's doing a half decent job at setting up a friendly atmosphere, what with the colors and decorations.
Sitting down in one of the chairs facing his desk, you watch as Patrick comes to rest in the reclining chair on the opposite side of that desk. Once he has, you wait for him to get started. At that point he finally starts looking through the stuff Mark gave him, gliding over the various forms before getting underway. "Alright Erica, how much do you know about what we do here?" He picks up a pen, tapping it against the desk as he waits for you.
You shrug, indifferent, as you examine the room before returning to the conversation at hand. "You're oversight, right? You're the guys who make sure we don't try to take over or something like that." What else would it be? The name of the building you entered was fairly specific in that regard.
But Patrick shakes his head, rejecting your assertion. "I'm actually your liaison, for lack of a better term. I make sure you don't get into any fights with authorities, and that all your grievances and needs are addressed. Does that seem reasonable?"
"My needs?" An eyebrow rises as you take that in. Forgive you if it sounds too good to be true. "What do you mean by that?"
Patrick is calm as he goes about addressing your concerns. "It means what it sounds like," he reassures you. "While acting in government service you will be provided with a salary, a place to live if you don't have one, any medications that you may need, among other benefits." If it's a sales pitch then Patrick is certainly used to selling it.
"All that and I only have to be on your list or whatever? Seems reasonable, yeah," you agree after a moment of thought. "Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me."
Naturally there are caveats to the deal, which Patrick goes on to describe. "Of course we'll have to hold you accountable if you do anything illegal, and you'll be obligated to defend the city in the event of outside threat or Wraith attack, but I assume that won't be a problem."
For the most part he's right. You wouldn't be stupid enough to forgo hunting Wraiths, since you need Grief Cubes to live. The part about fighting other people you're less certain on, but you're just going to keep that to yourself. Besides, it depends on who it is that you end up fighting. Not everyone is your friend, even if they're a magical girl. "Basically," you admit. "As long as it doesn't get too crazy."
"I'm glad to hear that." Patrick certainly looks pleased with himself, and his pen scratches away as he goes on. "We are going to need you to fill in these blank spots in your record," he points out to you again.
You resist the urge to sigh on your part as you address this topic. Again. "I know. I'll get around to it when I trust you a bit more than I do now." Probably.
Lips curl downwards as Patrick lets his disapproval show, but he doesn't immediately crack or something like that. "If you say so. Though it is going to make things a bit more complicated until we reach that point." You hear the door pen behind you but don't look back. An armed guard? So what. You can handle that. "There will be some cautionary measures implemented until we're certain that we can trust you as well. Just in case."
"Fine by me," you counter with a shrug. Why should you care what they think? It isn't going to stop you if you do decide to betray them at some point.
Patrick meets that with a sigh and a rueful smile. "I see you're going to insist on making my life difficult, aren't you?" Not exactly the truth, but a useful side effect from your perspective.
At last the mysterious visitor makes themselves known, speaking before you have a chance to answer. "You make it sound like you don't enjoy that sort of thing Patrick. And here I thought you were always up for a challenge."
Patrick looks past you as he addresses the visitor, and you turn to look as well. There you find a girl about your age, with dark hair and dressed well enough to not stand out too much from the people here. "I guess that's true," he cedes without arguing the points. "Doesn't mean that I can't lament my misfortune at having a career dealing with moody teenagers all day."
While you're glad that the two of them are getting along, it doesn't really answer the question of who this is or what she's doing here. Though that latter question is partially explained as you realize that she's a magical girl too, something not entirely a surprise.
Introductions come fairly rapidly though as you let them banter away. "Well in that case, who is your newest problem child," asks as she shifted to look down at you. A huff fills the air as you tense under her gaze, not taking the insult kindly even if it was meant as a joke.
Patrick shifts topic seamlessly as he gestures towards you with an open hand. "This is Erica Powell. I was just helping her get acquainted with everything after she finished registering." he then points from you to the other girl. "Erica, this is Cynthia Arnold. She's been with the office for a while, and always enjoys getting in my hair."
That earns a burst of laughter from Cynthia. "Only when you deserve it," she counters before her attention swivels to focus on you. She definitely seems to be the happy type, though whether that ends up being a problem remains to be seen. "It's a pleasure to meet you Erica."
"Likewise," you confirm nonchalantly as you divide your focus between the two of them, relaxing in your chair to do so. "So what, is she supposed to be my babysitter until you guys think you can trust me?" It would be the best way to keep an eye on you, especially after what he said before.
"Actually I was here on other business, but then I saw that Patrick had a guest and I just had to stop in," Cynthia explains. A fairly easy explanation, and you aren't sure how much you believe it just yet. They aren't just going to straight up tell you that they're spying on you, now are they?
Still, it isn't going to keep you silent if that's the case. Besides, for her flaws it is easier to converse with a fellow magical girl. "Well, here I am. Am I living up to your expectations?"
"I haven't decided yet," she informs you with a grin, something that might be reasonable given that she's known you all of a minute. Even if that smile is a tad annoying from your perspective. "I suppose I'm keeping an open mind for now."
Watching the two of you converse, Patrick chuckles while including addendums to your file or something. "That's tough to do these days," he notes before peering across at you in particular. "Though I should add that we abide by a strict privacy policy here. We won't go around handing out your information unless you want us to."
"Thanks." You're grateful, if not entirely surprised. Admittedly if you truly believed their claims of good intent then you wouldn't have left blank spots in your record. They're humans after all, so you know full well that they'll do whatever they can get away with. It's just how they work.
Patrick falls silent for a few minutes, only the clock in the room marking the time that it takes before he speaks again. "Unless you have any questions I think we're done here for now. Cynthia, can I leave her in your capable hands?"
As you expect, Cynthia does not object to that request. "Of course. I'd be glad to show a new magical girl how things work around here."
"I'm not that new," you snap quickly, perhaps a bit fiercer than you intended. "I know my way around a Soul Gem."
To be fair Cynthia is swift on her feet in apologizing for that gaffe. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize. But it does make things quite a bit easier, doesn't it?"
"I'll leave you two to work that out then," Patrick interjects, tapping his pen against the desk. "Erica, we'll be in touch in a few days or so, so don't leave the city. Other than that I think we're all set here."
"I won't," you reassure him. Where would you go anyway? There isn't really a better option at the moment. That said you rise from your seat and turn towards Cynthia. She's the one running the show now, so you'll follow her lead.
Cynthia waves to Patrick before stepping out of the room, leading you back towards the entrance of the building. Along the way you can't help but notice the regard they all hold her in, the greetings, the warm looks, which lend legitimacy to the notion that she's fairly liked and familiar around here. It helps her story, a bit, and it makes you annoyed, also a bit.
Once again you refrain from saying anything, and the two of you arrive outside the building without incident. Cynthia steps away from the entrance, head tilted towards the sun. "Hm, what should we do? So many places to see, so little time."
In the throes of her deliberation she leaves an opening for you to chime in if you really want. Having some input would probably be better than letting her drag you around wherever. Well, possibly. But there can't really be any harm in it, as she starts to make up her mind
[ ] Get some food
[ ] Check out magical girl housing
[ ] Practice a bit
[ ] Ditch her
[ ] Write in
Eventually the form is completed and ready to be returned, sans the deliberate omissions you've made to it. After rising to your feet you step up to the front counter again and hand Mark the papers that he originally gave you. Afterwards you fold your arms across your chest, waiting to see how he reacts to it.
It takes him a couple seconds to look at it, scanning the document before returning his attention to you. "Part of this is blank," he points out, showing you the spots that you left empty. Given that everything else is filled in to the best of your abilities, you're not sure why this is a surprise to him. Well, you'll gladly educate him.
"I know," you reply with a slight smirk as you push it back towards him. "There are just some things I'd like to keep to myself. Can't go revealing all my secrets right away, you know?" If he doesn't like it then he's just going to have to deal with it himself. That's the great part about being a magical girl.
Mark meets your gaze for a moment before shrugging. "Alright, if you say so," he concedes as he go about filing those materials. It leaves you to wonder what is next, if he'll have anything else for you to do at this point.
He doesn't, but it's irrelevant anyways as someone else steps into the lobby, a man in a suit with greying hair and a decent physique. He wears a smile on his face, giving some indication as to who he is. Which Mark confirms rapidly. "Patrick," he says with a nod, handing over the packet.
The man takes it without looking at it, extending a hand towards you primarily. "Patrick Wilson," he says as you take the proffered hand and give it a firm shake. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss...."
"Erica Powell," you reply as you adjust your handshake to make sure that it's on the firm side. To his credit he takes it fairly well, a sign that this probably isn't the first time he's dealt with this. Somehow it makes you feel better knowing that.
But Patrick simply waits for you to release his hand before he continues, glancing over at Mark in the meanwhile. "While he processes that, why don't you come back to my office so we can talk in private?" He gestures back towards the door he came through, waiting for you to decide what you want to do.
"Sure," you agree without hesitation, allowing him to lead the way. It was what you wanted, so why would you object to it?
He turns and steps further inside,you moving behind as you allow him to lead the way. The interior is busy as you would expect, and almost immediately you see the cubicles that make up this part of the building. Of course there's more to see than that, a break room or two, some offices, conference rooms, a library, which you see as you pass them by. But in the end, to your eye, it just looks like a glorified office complex. You'd think that a place like this would be a lot cooler, given its intended purpose.
Even the people don't impress you that much. Sure there are a lot of them, and most are dressed well. There's plenty of conversation, phone calls, people dealing with their business, the usual. It's just weird, that's all. This sort of thing would never happen back home, unneeded and inefficient as it was. How do they get anything done without telepathy? They're doing the best they can, perhaps, but they'll never equal a magical girl.
Not that you say any of that as you follow after Patrick. Low regard you may have, but even you can recognize that this isn't the place for that sort of thing. Besides they're at least courteous enough to stay out of your way, so it isn't terrible. Though really that's the least you should expect from them.
At last you come to a stop in front of an office, marked as his by the nameplate next to the door. Patrick steps up to the wooden door and opens it, once again allowing you to enter his office first. It's a nice place, relatively speaking. There are some shelves with thick books, a mahogany desk, pictures, file cabinets, a small fridge. He's doing a half decent job at setting up a friendly atmosphere, what with the colors and decorations.
Sitting down in one of the chairs facing his desk, you watch as Patrick comes to rest in the reclining chair on the opposite side of that desk. Once he has, you wait for him to get started. At that point he finally starts looking through the stuff Mark gave him, gliding over the various forms before getting underway. "Alright Erica, how much do you know about what we do here?" He picks up a pen, tapping it against the desk as he waits for you.
You shrug, indifferent, as you examine the room before returning to the conversation at hand. "You're oversight, right? You're the guys who make sure we don't try to take over or something like that." What else would it be? The name of the building you entered was fairly specific in that regard.
But Patrick shakes his head, rejecting your assertion. "I'm actually your liaison, for lack of a better term. I make sure you don't get into any fights with authorities, and that all your grievances and needs are addressed. Does that seem reasonable?"
"My needs?" An eyebrow rises as you take that in. Forgive you if it sounds too good to be true. "What do you mean by that?"
Patrick is calm as he goes about addressing your concerns. "It means what it sounds like," he reassures you. "While acting in government service you will be provided with a salary, a place to live if you don't have one, any medications that you may need, among other benefits." If it's a sales pitch then Patrick is certainly used to selling it.
"All that and I only have to be on your list or whatever? Seems reasonable, yeah," you agree after a moment of thought. "Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me."
Naturally there are caveats to the deal, which Patrick goes on to describe. "Of course we'll have to hold you accountable if you do anything illegal, and you'll be obligated to defend the city in the event of outside threat or Wraith attack, but I assume that won't be a problem."
For the most part he's right. You wouldn't be stupid enough to forgo hunting Wraiths, since you need Grief Cubes to live. The part about fighting other people you're less certain on, but you're just going to keep that to yourself. Besides, it depends on who it is that you end up fighting. Not everyone is your friend, even if they're a magical girl. "Basically," you admit. "As long as it doesn't get too crazy."
"I'm glad to hear that." Patrick certainly looks pleased with himself, and his pen scratches away as he goes on. "We are going to need you to fill in these blank spots in your record," he points out to you again.
You resist the urge to sigh on your part as you address this topic. Again. "I know. I'll get around to it when I trust you a bit more than I do now." Probably.
Lips curl downwards as Patrick lets his disapproval show, but he doesn't immediately crack or something like that. "If you say so. Though it is going to make things a bit more complicated until we reach that point." You hear the door pen behind you but don't look back. An armed guard? So what. You can handle that. "There will be some cautionary measures implemented until we're certain that we can trust you as well. Just in case."
"Fine by me," you counter with a shrug. Why should you care what they think? It isn't going to stop you if you do decide to betray them at some point.
Patrick meets that with a sigh and a rueful smile. "I see you're going to insist on making my life difficult, aren't you?" Not exactly the truth, but a useful side effect from your perspective.
At last the mysterious visitor makes themselves known, speaking before you have a chance to answer. "You make it sound like you don't enjoy that sort of thing Patrick. And here I thought you were always up for a challenge."
Patrick looks past you as he addresses the visitor, and you turn to look as well. There you find a girl about your age, with dark hair and dressed well enough to not stand out too much from the people here. "I guess that's true," he cedes without arguing the points. "Doesn't mean that I can't lament my misfortune at having a career dealing with moody teenagers all day."
While you're glad that the two of them are getting along, it doesn't really answer the question of who this is or what she's doing here. Though that latter question is partially explained as you realize that she's a magical girl too, something not entirely a surprise.
Introductions come fairly rapidly though as you let them banter away. "Well in that case, who is your newest problem child," asks as she shifted to look down at you. A huff fills the air as you tense under her gaze, not taking the insult kindly even if it was meant as a joke.
Patrick shifts topic seamlessly as he gestures towards you with an open hand. "This is Erica Powell. I was just helping her get acquainted with everything after she finished registering." he then points from you to the other girl. "Erica, this is Cynthia Arnold. She's been with the office for a while, and always enjoys getting in my hair."
That earns a burst of laughter from Cynthia. "Only when you deserve it," she counters before her attention swivels to focus on you. She definitely seems to be the happy type, though whether that ends up being a problem remains to be seen. "It's a pleasure to meet you Erica."
"Likewise," you confirm nonchalantly as you divide your focus between the two of them, relaxing in your chair to do so. "So what, is she supposed to be my babysitter until you guys think you can trust me?" It would be the best way to keep an eye on you, especially after what he said before.
"Actually I was here on other business, but then I saw that Patrick had a guest and I just had to stop in," Cynthia explains. A fairly easy explanation, and you aren't sure how much you believe it just yet. They aren't just going to straight up tell you that they're spying on you, now are they?
Still, it isn't going to keep you silent if that's the case. Besides, for her flaws it is easier to converse with a fellow magical girl. "Well, here I am. Am I living up to your expectations?"
"I haven't decided yet," she informs you with a grin, something that might be reasonable given that she's known you all of a minute. Even if that smile is a tad annoying from your perspective. "I suppose I'm keeping an open mind for now."
Watching the two of you converse, Patrick chuckles while including addendums to your file or something. "That's tough to do these days," he notes before peering across at you in particular. "Though I should add that we abide by a strict privacy policy here. We won't go around handing out your information unless you want us to."
"Thanks." You're grateful, if not entirely surprised. Admittedly if you truly believed their claims of good intent then you wouldn't have left blank spots in your record. They're humans after all, so you know full well that they'll do whatever they can get away with. It's just how they work.
Patrick falls silent for a few minutes, only the clock in the room marking the time that it takes before he speaks again. "Unless you have any questions I think we're done here for now. Cynthia, can I leave her in your capable hands?"
As you expect, Cynthia does not object to that request. "Of course. I'd be glad to show a new magical girl how things work around here."
"I'm not that new," you snap quickly, perhaps a bit fiercer than you intended. "I know my way around a Soul Gem."
To be fair Cynthia is swift on her feet in apologizing for that gaffe. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize. But it does make things quite a bit easier, doesn't it?"
"I'll leave you two to work that out then," Patrick interjects, tapping his pen against the desk. "Erica, we'll be in touch in a few days or so, so don't leave the city. Other than that I think we're all set here."
"I won't," you reassure him. Where would you go anyway? There isn't really a better option at the moment. That said you rise from your seat and turn towards Cynthia. She's the one running the show now, so you'll follow her lead.
Cynthia waves to Patrick before stepping out of the room, leading you back towards the entrance of the building. Along the way you can't help but notice the regard they all hold her in, the greetings, the warm looks, which lend legitimacy to the notion that she's fairly liked and familiar around here. It helps her story, a bit, and it makes you annoyed, also a bit.
Once again you refrain from saying anything, and the two of you arrive outside the building without incident. Cynthia steps away from the entrance, head tilted towards the sun. "Hm, what should we do? So many places to see, so little time."
In the throes of her deliberation she leaves an opening for you to chime in if you really want. Having some input would probably be better than letting her drag you around wherever. Well, possibly. But there can't really be any harm in it, as she starts to make up her mind
[ ] Get some food
[ ] Check out magical girl housing
[ ] Practice a bit
[ ] Ditch her
[ ] Write in
emberofshadow
The shadow, the true self
- Location
- Magatsu Inaba
[X] Check out magical girl housing
Part 8
Azecreth
Giant Monster All Out Attack
- Location
- United States of America
- Pronouns
- He/Him
You aren't particularly in a hurry to get anywhere, but seeing as you're going to be stuck with her you have to think quick. Though it could be worse, since she's at least a magical girl like you. People like Alexandra are nice, but there's a bond between magical girls that a normal human just wouldn't be able to understand. Though that wouldn't stop you from not liking other magical girls when it comes down to it.
Naturally she probably has her own plans in mind, whatever they might end up being. But it will probably be safer for you if you suggest something else first. IF she comes up with the plan then they'll be prepared for you. Then again, what you come up with doesn't throw anything unexpected into the mix. You'll just have to work it out or something.
"Hey Cynthia," you say at last, speaking up now rather than later. "So the government is supposed to take care of any problems I have, right?"
Cynthia is pulled out of her musing by your voice, and she turned towards you before nodding. "Yes, that's correct. Anything you need, within reason of course." So not that much of a surprise, but still something to take advantage of if you can.
You cross your arms across your chest as you get to the point. "Well, at the moment I'm kinda living out of a church. I don't suppose they have a place more suited for people like us, do they?" From what you recall of the recruitment speech they should, just want to make sure.
Cynthia once again nods quickly, with a glimmer in her eye. "They do. You don't have to stay there if you don't want to, but it's better than living on the street." You have the feeling that she wouldn't know about that, but from your experience you aren't inclined to disagree.
"Well then, it sounds like we have something to do," you point out, tapping your foot as you wait for her to get going. If she hasn't gotten the hint then there's going to be a problem.
But any such worry is unfounded as Cynthia goes along with your suggestion. "Indeed. I'm sure the other girls would like to meet you as well," she agrees. Now that's something to look forward to, and you follow along as she gets on her way. It's going to be interesting to see what comes of all this.
Wherever she is going, it ends up being some distance from where you started out. It gives you the chance to see more of the city and reaffirm what you know already. It does provide a useful look into how people react to her. Nobody knew who you were before, but now you're definitely getting noticed. Pretty clearly because of Cynthia, who seems calm amidst the attention that you get along the way.
"Must be a hassle to deal with this all the time," you comment, watching as Cynthia waves to a small group of people across the street. Sure, you're used to this sort of thing from back home, but most of the time you're too busy to really care. It seems as though things are different here, though you don't know why she'd care about normal people.
Cynthia shrugs, her gaze cast forwards as she crosses the street. "Not really. We're here to help the people after all. It'd be silly if we didn't interact with them."
At least it gives you an interesting conversation, even if you have to be careful not to reveal too much. "Really? Aren't you a bit busy for that sort of thing most of the time?" Another truth of home, especially with the importance of magical girls there. Public safety,administration, there's always something to do.
"Perhaps," she admits, now across the street and leading you on at an unchanging pace. Now that he's been engaged she lightens up a bit more, with a spring in her step. "This sort of thing isn't required, but I think it's important to be visible. We have to set a good example and show people that we're on their side. Given the reputation that girls like us have been saddled with, we don't want to be alienated from the rest of society."
Dangerous ground to tread on, especially if you answer the wrong way. It could reveal more of your sympathies than is safe to give out, but you can't just avoid answering without risking raising her suspicion. "I feel like most people wouldn't agree with that. They didn't contract out of the goodness of their hearts."
That seems to strike a nerve, if the quick response is any indication. "We may not have contracted with selfless wishes, but most of us didn't become sociopaths the second we became magical girls. Only the ones obsessed with power. That means caring about others and our community." She pauses and takes a deep breath before sighing, allowing herself to calm down and flash you an apologetic smile. Sorry, I forgot that you aren't from around here. I suppose you weren't the only girl to feel that way where you're from."
"Yeah, just a bit," you confirm, taking the convenient out that she offered you. "It's just going to take some adjusting to." If you can manage it anyway. No one ever claimed it would be easy.
That seems to appear reasonable to Cynthia, as was your intent of saying so in the first place. You didn't make it this long back home without some skill in diplomacy. "Well, if you ever need any help don't hesitate to ask."
"I will." With that the conversation is left behind, and the two of you soon arrive at your destination. It's a sizable apartment complex, built with brick, some marble, and a bit fancier looking than your average apartment building. It's probably as good a sign as any that this place is special. Windows, a nice green courtyard in the middle, plus there's a lot more behind the scenes if you had to guess.
A hum escapes as your gaze sweeps the building. "Home sweet home, huh?" Cynthia leads you towards the waiting front doors, in a calm manner indicating she probably lives here or at least is around a lot.
Cynthia looks it over as well before her attention swings back. "That's right," she replies happily. "There are a few other places like this across town, though they aren't all that occupied."
You follow her towards the front entrance as you reflect on the obvious details of that. "Isn't this a bit excessive? There's no way you would need this much space." Then again, with your knowledge of the accommodations of certain magical girls back home who are you to talk. It's not like they need penthouses to themselves after all.
"For some," Cynthia ceded as she arrived at the front door. "It gives us places to relax, study, train, easy medical access if we need it, and a place for family to stay if they'd like to visit or lie close by. It's pretty nice anyway." While talking she produces a card out of her pocket, which she waves over a pad next to the door. After a moment there's a buzzing sound and a light flashes green, allowing her to open the door.
Admittedly, the family angle wasn't something you had considered. It isn't really needed back home, unless you were extremely unfortunate. A far cry from where you are now, if that should be some kind of surprise. It's just another difference to highlight your current position as you head inside the main building.
Now that you're inside, you can make a better assessment of things. The front lobby is nicely decorated, with a couple tables, some computers, a small stand of newspapers and magazines next to some chairs (understandable given the control the government seems to have over media outlets), potted plants, that sort of thing. They definitely have someone looking after this place.
"What, no chauffeur," you joke as Cynthia leads you on, barely giving you a few seconds to look at the room itself. There's probably more important things to see, but you can't help it.
Cynthia shakes her head before flashing you an amused grin. "You can always call a taxi, if you're too lazy to walk," she fires back. So, it seems that her joking side doesn't extend just to her friends. Of course, whether it extends beyond witty comebacks has yet to be seen.
Moving on, you follow along and wonder where she might be taking you. The two of you head into the hallways beyond the lobby, Cynthia leading confident past one turn and another. Along the way you spy some bulletins boards with events listed, and a lot of closed doors with unknown contents beyond. It seems like there are a few events coming up, but you don't get the chance to look before you are led on.
You do pass by a few other interesting things along the way. For example a kitchen, maybe not five star but still impressive in what it seems to be equipped with. There's also a gym and apparently a movie theater, though you don't actually see those on what ends up being a pretty short trip.
Pretty close to the entrance of the building you arrive at your destination. The closed door that Cynthia stops in front of opens easily, allowing you to enter the well furbished apartment. "This is one of our examples, so you know what to expect," she explains as she steps to the side so you can look around.
"Alright," you reply as you move into the main room and survey the entire thing. It definitely looks nice, with the entrance opening up straight to this. There's a fan on the ceiling, some couches, a tv, pictures of the staff on the walls, an end table, that sort of thing. There's no kitchen, but you can see a bedroom off to the side. "So what's the rent?"
"Oh, about a fifth of your soul," Cynthia answers, and you have to stop and check to make sure that she isn't being serious. Her smile answers that, and she quickly moves to assuage any doubts you may have, "Actually it's free, as long as you work for the government and actively help to fight Wraiths. So as long as you earn your keep, you don't need to worry."
You nod in understanding, since it would only be reasonable for them to demand something like that. It's actually pretty nice. At least you won't have to worry about financial debt on top of everything else.. "Seems like a nice place. Can you order out?" You step towards the back, glancing into the bedroom. It seems nice there too, but you can't get the best look from where you are at the moment.
Cynthia steps forward, as if encouraging you to move on by not drawing too far away. "You can, if you don't feel like cooking yourself or contributing to group meals." While she reassures you, you move on. Your cooking is fine as far as you're concerned, and whether you bother to show it off is another story.
The bedroom is nice as well. There's space to walk around, a bed, a desk, a dresser, a closet, and a view as well, though on the ground floor it isn't that amazing. It's not bad, even if it doesn't match your room back home. Too bad you didn't have time to take anything with you. "I take it the furniture comes with the room," you ask, leaving the initial frivolities behind in the process.
"That's right," Cynthia confirms, leaving you with some idea of what to expect if you move in. It's comparable to where you would have stayed before, but there's more floor space and obviously the crowd you'd be with is closer to that which you had back home. Would it be worth it? Probably. You look around once more before stepping back into the main room.
There you find another girl dressed in grey capris and a light blue tank top walking through the entrance, her gaze shifting from your guide to you as she waves. "Hey there," she says as she flashes you a grin. "So Cynthia, who do you have for us this time?"
Cynthia turns to regard the girl, a twinkle in her eye as she gestures towards you. "Naomi, this is Erica Powell. She registered this morning." She then took a step closer to her friend, a hand coming to rest on her hip. "I thought you'd be busy. Didn't you say you were going on a trip to Harristown today?"
That question is shrugged off as Naomi slips a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Something came up, so they ended up not needing me after all," she reports. Her attention returns to you at that point, grin widening at the same time. "So, planning to move in with our humble little group?"
"Something like that," you confirm as you step around the couch, drawing this impromptu triangle a bit closer together in the process. "My lodgings aren't the best right now, so I figured that I'd see what you have to offer here. And so far so good."
"Oh I see. Makes sense to me." Naomi seems to have a more carefree attitude, compared to Cynthia at least. "Well, I'm glad to see that you're here, and I know some of the other girls will want to meet you too." She casts a pointed look at your guide, an unspoken question hanging in the air between them because of it.
That question is only considered for a moment. "I was planning to do that after the tour," Cynthia notes, shifting once more to fold her arms with a firmness that wasn't present before. Yet they don't seem to be enemies, at least not bitter or strong ones. It's probably just a clash in personality.
Your assumption is put on display as a pout flashes across Naomi's face, the girl stepping closer towards you. "Come on Cynthia, stuff like that doesn't matter," she challenges quickly. "You can have all the benefits you want, but no one is gonna want to stay here if you can't stand your neighbors." She then flashes you a wink. "So what do you say Erica. Want to meet the rest of us?"
[ ] Go with Naomi
[ ] Let Cynthia finish the tour
[ ] Leave the two of them and do something on your own
-[ ] Practice a bit
-[ ] Return to the church
[ ] Write in
Naturally she probably has her own plans in mind, whatever they might end up being. But it will probably be safer for you if you suggest something else first. IF she comes up with the plan then they'll be prepared for you. Then again, what you come up with doesn't throw anything unexpected into the mix. You'll just have to work it out or something.
"Hey Cynthia," you say at last, speaking up now rather than later. "So the government is supposed to take care of any problems I have, right?"
Cynthia is pulled out of her musing by your voice, and she turned towards you before nodding. "Yes, that's correct. Anything you need, within reason of course." So not that much of a surprise, but still something to take advantage of if you can.
You cross your arms across your chest as you get to the point. "Well, at the moment I'm kinda living out of a church. I don't suppose they have a place more suited for people like us, do they?" From what you recall of the recruitment speech they should, just want to make sure.
Cynthia once again nods quickly, with a glimmer in her eye. "They do. You don't have to stay there if you don't want to, but it's better than living on the street." You have the feeling that she wouldn't know about that, but from your experience you aren't inclined to disagree.
"Well then, it sounds like we have something to do," you point out, tapping your foot as you wait for her to get going. If she hasn't gotten the hint then there's going to be a problem.
But any such worry is unfounded as Cynthia goes along with your suggestion. "Indeed. I'm sure the other girls would like to meet you as well," she agrees. Now that's something to look forward to, and you follow along as she gets on her way. It's going to be interesting to see what comes of all this.
Wherever she is going, it ends up being some distance from where you started out. It gives you the chance to see more of the city and reaffirm what you know already. It does provide a useful look into how people react to her. Nobody knew who you were before, but now you're definitely getting noticed. Pretty clearly because of Cynthia, who seems calm amidst the attention that you get along the way.
"Must be a hassle to deal with this all the time," you comment, watching as Cynthia waves to a small group of people across the street. Sure, you're used to this sort of thing from back home, but most of the time you're too busy to really care. It seems as though things are different here, though you don't know why she'd care about normal people.
Cynthia shrugs, her gaze cast forwards as she crosses the street. "Not really. We're here to help the people after all. It'd be silly if we didn't interact with them."
At least it gives you an interesting conversation, even if you have to be careful not to reveal too much. "Really? Aren't you a bit busy for that sort of thing most of the time?" Another truth of home, especially with the importance of magical girls there. Public safety,administration, there's always something to do.
"Perhaps," she admits, now across the street and leading you on at an unchanging pace. Now that he's been engaged she lightens up a bit more, with a spring in her step. "This sort of thing isn't required, but I think it's important to be visible. We have to set a good example and show people that we're on their side. Given the reputation that girls like us have been saddled with, we don't want to be alienated from the rest of society."
Dangerous ground to tread on, especially if you answer the wrong way. It could reveal more of your sympathies than is safe to give out, but you can't just avoid answering without risking raising her suspicion. "I feel like most people wouldn't agree with that. They didn't contract out of the goodness of their hearts."
That seems to strike a nerve, if the quick response is any indication. "We may not have contracted with selfless wishes, but most of us didn't become sociopaths the second we became magical girls. Only the ones obsessed with power. That means caring about others and our community." She pauses and takes a deep breath before sighing, allowing herself to calm down and flash you an apologetic smile. Sorry, I forgot that you aren't from around here. I suppose you weren't the only girl to feel that way where you're from."
"Yeah, just a bit," you confirm, taking the convenient out that she offered you. "It's just going to take some adjusting to." If you can manage it anyway. No one ever claimed it would be easy.
That seems to appear reasonable to Cynthia, as was your intent of saying so in the first place. You didn't make it this long back home without some skill in diplomacy. "Well, if you ever need any help don't hesitate to ask."
"I will." With that the conversation is left behind, and the two of you soon arrive at your destination. It's a sizable apartment complex, built with brick, some marble, and a bit fancier looking than your average apartment building. It's probably as good a sign as any that this place is special. Windows, a nice green courtyard in the middle, plus there's a lot more behind the scenes if you had to guess.
A hum escapes as your gaze sweeps the building. "Home sweet home, huh?" Cynthia leads you towards the waiting front doors, in a calm manner indicating she probably lives here or at least is around a lot.
Cynthia looks it over as well before her attention swings back. "That's right," she replies happily. "There are a few other places like this across town, though they aren't all that occupied."
You follow her towards the front entrance as you reflect on the obvious details of that. "Isn't this a bit excessive? There's no way you would need this much space." Then again, with your knowledge of the accommodations of certain magical girls back home who are you to talk. It's not like they need penthouses to themselves after all.
"For some," Cynthia ceded as she arrived at the front door. "It gives us places to relax, study, train, easy medical access if we need it, and a place for family to stay if they'd like to visit or lie close by. It's pretty nice anyway." While talking she produces a card out of her pocket, which she waves over a pad next to the door. After a moment there's a buzzing sound and a light flashes green, allowing her to open the door.
Admittedly, the family angle wasn't something you had considered. It isn't really needed back home, unless you were extremely unfortunate. A far cry from where you are now, if that should be some kind of surprise. It's just another difference to highlight your current position as you head inside the main building.
Now that you're inside, you can make a better assessment of things. The front lobby is nicely decorated, with a couple tables, some computers, a small stand of newspapers and magazines next to some chairs (understandable given the control the government seems to have over media outlets), potted plants, that sort of thing. They definitely have someone looking after this place.
"What, no chauffeur," you joke as Cynthia leads you on, barely giving you a few seconds to look at the room itself. There's probably more important things to see, but you can't help it.
Cynthia shakes her head before flashing you an amused grin. "You can always call a taxi, if you're too lazy to walk," she fires back. So, it seems that her joking side doesn't extend just to her friends. Of course, whether it extends beyond witty comebacks has yet to be seen.
Moving on, you follow along and wonder where she might be taking you. The two of you head into the hallways beyond the lobby, Cynthia leading confident past one turn and another. Along the way you spy some bulletins boards with events listed, and a lot of closed doors with unknown contents beyond. It seems like there are a few events coming up, but you don't get the chance to look before you are led on.
You do pass by a few other interesting things along the way. For example a kitchen, maybe not five star but still impressive in what it seems to be equipped with. There's also a gym and apparently a movie theater, though you don't actually see those on what ends up being a pretty short trip.
Pretty close to the entrance of the building you arrive at your destination. The closed door that Cynthia stops in front of opens easily, allowing you to enter the well furbished apartment. "This is one of our examples, so you know what to expect," she explains as she steps to the side so you can look around.
"Alright," you reply as you move into the main room and survey the entire thing. It definitely looks nice, with the entrance opening up straight to this. There's a fan on the ceiling, some couches, a tv, pictures of the staff on the walls, an end table, that sort of thing. There's no kitchen, but you can see a bedroom off to the side. "So what's the rent?"
"Oh, about a fifth of your soul," Cynthia answers, and you have to stop and check to make sure that she isn't being serious. Her smile answers that, and she quickly moves to assuage any doubts you may have, "Actually it's free, as long as you work for the government and actively help to fight Wraiths. So as long as you earn your keep, you don't need to worry."
You nod in understanding, since it would only be reasonable for them to demand something like that. It's actually pretty nice. At least you won't have to worry about financial debt on top of everything else.. "Seems like a nice place. Can you order out?" You step towards the back, glancing into the bedroom. It seems nice there too, but you can't get the best look from where you are at the moment.
Cynthia steps forward, as if encouraging you to move on by not drawing too far away. "You can, if you don't feel like cooking yourself or contributing to group meals." While she reassures you, you move on. Your cooking is fine as far as you're concerned, and whether you bother to show it off is another story.
The bedroom is nice as well. There's space to walk around, a bed, a desk, a dresser, a closet, and a view as well, though on the ground floor it isn't that amazing. It's not bad, even if it doesn't match your room back home. Too bad you didn't have time to take anything with you. "I take it the furniture comes with the room," you ask, leaving the initial frivolities behind in the process.
"That's right," Cynthia confirms, leaving you with some idea of what to expect if you move in. It's comparable to where you would have stayed before, but there's more floor space and obviously the crowd you'd be with is closer to that which you had back home. Would it be worth it? Probably. You look around once more before stepping back into the main room.
There you find another girl dressed in grey capris and a light blue tank top walking through the entrance, her gaze shifting from your guide to you as she waves. "Hey there," she says as she flashes you a grin. "So Cynthia, who do you have for us this time?"
Cynthia turns to regard the girl, a twinkle in her eye as she gestures towards you. "Naomi, this is Erica Powell. She registered this morning." She then took a step closer to her friend, a hand coming to rest on her hip. "I thought you'd be busy. Didn't you say you were going on a trip to Harristown today?"
That question is shrugged off as Naomi slips a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Something came up, so they ended up not needing me after all," she reports. Her attention returns to you at that point, grin widening at the same time. "So, planning to move in with our humble little group?"
"Something like that," you confirm as you step around the couch, drawing this impromptu triangle a bit closer together in the process. "My lodgings aren't the best right now, so I figured that I'd see what you have to offer here. And so far so good."
"Oh I see. Makes sense to me." Naomi seems to have a more carefree attitude, compared to Cynthia at least. "Well, I'm glad to see that you're here, and I know some of the other girls will want to meet you too." She casts a pointed look at your guide, an unspoken question hanging in the air between them because of it.
That question is only considered for a moment. "I was planning to do that after the tour," Cynthia notes, shifting once more to fold her arms with a firmness that wasn't present before. Yet they don't seem to be enemies, at least not bitter or strong ones. It's probably just a clash in personality.
Your assumption is put on display as a pout flashes across Naomi's face, the girl stepping closer towards you. "Come on Cynthia, stuff like that doesn't matter," she challenges quickly. "You can have all the benefits you want, but no one is gonna want to stay here if you can't stand your neighbors." She then flashes you a wink. "So what do you say Erica. Want to meet the rest of us?"
[ ] Go with Naomi
[ ] Let Cynthia finish the tour
[ ] Leave the two of them and do something on your own
-[ ] Practice a bit
-[ ] Return to the church
[ ] Write in
emberofshadow
The shadow, the true self
- Location
- Magatsu Inaba
[X] Let Cynthia finish the tour