Open - How to Train Your Skeleton

She couldn't say anymore if it was Autumn or Winter as the weather began to chill the air further against her bones. She'd wandered down the road and outside her apothecary to enjoy the sunshine, leaving her gentle employee to keep an eye on things while she was away.

"Hawnell, stay!" It wasn't hard to wonder why she was struggling to control her pet, of course- no one in their right mind would think it would be easy to keep a little skeleton from doing its own thing, whether a collectible mini-pet or not. It wandered somewhat awkwardly as it shivered in the wind, its grip strong against the gun it always carried in its left hand's joints.

A soft sigh left her as she watched it raise it's little arm to aim towards something or another. Honestly, she wasn't sure which of the desolate trees it was aiming for as it shot ammo at a branch, making it wiggle a bit against the breeze. She giggled, though, as the skeleton seemed to clap with delight at having hit whatever it could manage.

Still, she wished she knew how to train the little guy better. It had a mind of its own, and she wasn't sure what to do about it. She began to scan as far as she could down the road either direction, to or from Dormont, to see if there was anyone who might have an answer she desperately needed...

 

If everything had gone differently. Maybe Tenebris would have never bumped into Solaria today. The Dark Heart was just minding her own business, seriously, and blowing away free time she could spend being a savior of people persons. Only to have a bullet, yes a BULLET, fly past her and hit a tree. It had almost gone right through her nose! That would have been amazingly kewl! Instead it was just weird and made her look to see where it came from. Weren't guns like... literally non existent in this world?

Her red eyes set upon a certain green haired Yladian. that face.. it was... so... urgh. The very definition of 'nice' and 'naive'. Real niceness was being willing to help someone suffer. As long as they were alive a person should be suffering. Otherwise what the heck were they doing? Dreaming about impossible crap? Tenebris vaguely remembered this girl but was not sure from where. Oh... the candy...event... thing. Yeah! That was fun. She was such a dope then and Tenebris was sure that she would be just as dumb as rocks now. Just like she was once. This was a great chance then! A great chance to practice and help this poor people person out!

"H-Heya there greeny!"

Tenebris ran up with a awkward wave and the most mischievous version of Magi's classic friendly smile likely ever on the youthful face, Messing with this dummy was better than looking for stupid sparkly things all day anyway! Someday, someday the reverse Magi would find a good and permanent way to save people instead of just giving them temporary relief with her grief. For now this would do...

"I'm Magi. You know me right? You're uh... whatchamacallit?"

Then she saw something... well it was either kewl beans or the dumbest thing ever. A skeleton. A tiny skeleton... with a gun.

Wowzers.

@Solaria

 

The pink hair was a bit of a giveaway that this girl was familiar, in Solaria's mind. Having not quite noticed her walking near, she didn't realize Magi had been in danger from her skeleton pet, causing her not to apologize- something she'd regret whenever she found out a bullet almost broke the peppy girl's nose.

"Ah, Magi! It's been a while. I remember you from that incident from before the festival- with the poisoned candy and all that." It was hard to believe that she was such an idiot in this game when she could remember things fairly distinctly. Perhaps it was because she'd studied a lot about candy making since then in her free time, if not just to learn how poison could be given through it, or maybe switch it up with medicine in the future.

Candy definitely tasted better than any of the medicine she made.

"I'm Solaria. We only met once, so it's not that hard to believe you'd forget my name." She laughed, waving her hand awkwardly before her. She felt off enough as it was. How could she be upset over a single meaning not holding enough memories for others?

It was then that she noticed the way Magi's eyes turned towards the Yladian's rather unusual pet. "I got an interesting one right there, right? Hawnell's some sort of unusual minipet. I have no idea how the little guy has a gun when guns don't exist here, but it's a blast trying to find ammo for him to play with. Sometimes I make him little stink bombs of sorts to shoot in it instead..." It was surely one way to make use of some of her less-than-successful alchemy trials. If she was going to make poison on accident, she might as well make good use of it and let her pet have fun battling with her on little quests.

"Say, you don't happen to know anything about taming your own pet, do you? This little guy hatched from an egg I got a while back and, well... Let's just say he's more of a trouble maker than my baby brother was during his terrible twos." Her laughter boomed alongside another shot of the little skeleton's gun. It nearly hit the both of the girls this time- but somehow, neither had been hit.

They were getting lucky this thing was still practically a baby. That had to be the only reason (perhaps added on with the bone chill) it had such horrible aim!

 

Oh....oh gosh. Tenebris was holding both of her hands behind her back and clenching them tightly. The urge to strangle this super ultra friendly lady was threw the roof. Learning to tolerate this sort of cruddy stuff was part of what Tenebris was trying to do though. She had to get along for now. This was in it's own way a wonderful thing! It was so tormenting to listen and see this girl's words and just the general aura she gave off. It was perfect really. Tenebris could get close and bring her all the grief she could while also getting her own suffering just by being with this obnoxious person. Win win.

This dummy did not catch on that she was the one who did the 'oh so horrible crime' of saving those kids earlier? Wow Magi was not even that stupid. The Dark Heart might have to save this lady from herself even more than she thought. It was one thing to be a gullible heroine wannabe type person but to be this bad was... fatal. She wanted to be the one to do it though not reality. Life's lessons were fine but Tenebris wanted to be the one to met out of such things before they came naturally.... why she even wanted to protect this silly people person. It was so sad she was such a total idiot.

Anyway the skeleton was actually pretty interesting. Magi may have been scared stupid but Tenebris found him worth looking at. Solaria wanted to know if she could help train him or something... really? Wowzers this was going to fun!

"Hehehe...*cough*. S-sure. I have a pet doggo you know. I think... uh... I don't remember his name but he's in my old house."

Tenebris unclasped her hands and was about to grab him up and look at him closer... just then a bullet flew past them both as the skeleton baby or whatever it was fired again.

"Gee whiz! You're a trigger happy little ru-... hehehe. Little guy aren't youuuu ❤."

Tenebris closed her eyes and moving quickly with a smile of the most over exaggerated sweetness imaginable, she was really working on not throwing up in her mouth while doing this stuff, and grabbed him up into her arms. The bones were hard and kinda hurt as it seemed to struggle a little as she pressed it against her chest. Hey, it hurt to hug it? That was awesome! This was a kind of hug she could get behind! Maybe she should sharpen those bones some and keep him? Help him bring grief through his comforting grasp!

"Now now little skeleguy . You should actually hit things when you shoot stuff ❤. *Snicker* he feels great to hug... you should try. It feels like hugging a corpse after it ro-.... what am I saying? Isn't he the sweetest thingy❤?"

She dropped him like a bag of bones and put her hands to her hips looking down with a bit of her crazed look starting to force it's way through her red glare.

"I think I could help with target practice... "

Tenebris head looked straight back up at Solaria and she cocked her head as she offered.

"Would you like me to... help... you? It's a heroine's job to help you know ❤?"


@Solaria

 

For a moment, Solaria gave Magi the most intense, blankest stare she could. Solaria enjoyed hugging her pet there too, but to note it was nice because it was like hugging a corpse? Nah, that wasn't really a reason, to Solaria. To her, that just sounded like a bad children's joke.

Was Magi secretly one of her brother's playmates? That seemed likely, at least to a point.

"I like hugging him too. Hawnell's all bones like my mom was." Her words left her sweating lightly, though the chill in the air seemed to make it sting on her neck as if she became drier rather than soaked by her own body. "He seems to have something he wants to hit, but... I can't figure out what it is."

There was just something in the trees the skeleton hated. She could tell because, even being embraced by Magi, it tried to shoot in the same general area as it had just before.

Magi's offer to help was a bit strange to the elf- in that somehow, the word 'help' had an unusual inflection. Still, she could really use a helping hand in this matter. "If you could give him- or us, rather- some pointers... That'd be great. It'd be good if he can learn to aim enough that he doesn't waste his ammo so often. It's cute to watch, in a way... But it gets expensive. What mastery do you even need to make bullets, you think? A blacksmith? An artisan?"

@Magi Heart

 

Seeing the green haired girl's face look puzzled at 'Magi's' mannerisms was along the lines of what Tenebris was looking for but she was not mimicking her old self's style enough at all. Oh well.

"You do? Hehehehe like mummy? Is she de... I-I mean is she.... d-dead?"

Tenebris already heard the girl use past tense but could not help but get her to talk about something that would bring some much needed grief here! She was also sure to stop herself from being too excited or blunt about it. Purposely adding as much overdone sorrow to her question as possible trying hard to make a sad face at the wonderful thought of a loving dead parent.

Solaria went on to say something might be in the trees? Then asked about masteries or something. Tenebris stopped thinking about stats at this point. Her powers were hers, after being in Terrasphere long enough, especially with your memories fading everyday. It really was just there. If not for Verm's commands to keep using her UI for the advantages, Tenebris would likely just do things without it.

"I can shoot stuff ❤ !"

Tenebris generated Gerturd, her obsidian black bow. She pulled a arrow from her quiver and put in a string aiming it right into Solaria's face so that the point was inches from her nose. Tenebris' smile became murderous for a second before she closed her eyes and seemed to struggle to relax back to her faux gentle look. Twitching a little she lowered it.

"I don't know anything about this game. Never did *snicker*. I just do stuff and it happens ❤ . I never run out of arrows so probably the same deal...."

Urgh, wowzers this girl was such a drag. Tenebris needed to get on with her reasons for even talking to her.

"So... hehehe. Let me show you how to hit stuff little skeleguy... okies?"

@Solaria

 

It was a bit of a surprise when she was asked about her mother dying- mostly because she'd been called 'mummy', which was an old joke her mother used to describe herself. "My mom was pretty sickly- almost nothing on her bones at all. She passed away giving me a baby brother years ago now."

Her words were said with a surprising smile. Rather than grief- though there was certainly some in the back of her mind- the memory of her mother usually gave Solaria a happy warmth in her heart. She had a strong attachment to the woman that gave her life, that gave her a brother. That attachment, even in her death, never faded.

"I think it's harder on Frankie than it is on me. After all... I had years with her. He had nine months in her belly."

With a soft laugh, she let the moment fade. She watched Magi take out an obsidian bow, which had a darkness to it that made it feel almost wonderful to behold in its own right. As if she was trying not to be left out, she took out her own weapon- a dual-sided blade, the best she had on her person. "I can slash things, but I can't shoot anything other than light if I use my hand. Sometimes I aim with Duo here, though."

Seeing as the magical girl was offering to help the miniature skeleton with its aim to help it reach its goals, Solaria hugged her sword to her chest, watching instead. "If you can help him, that'd be great. Aren't you lucky we met someone who can help you, Hawnell?" The skeleton's jaw moved up and down, the most it could do. Somehow or another, Solaria noticed it seemed to quiver as it gave its attention to Magi Heart.

She couldn't help but wonder anytime she saw that shiver down its quite visible spine. Was it thanks or fear it felt at those times? Perhaps it knew something she didn't.

To be safe, she pet the skeleton's head lightly. "Just don't shoot your teacher, okay?" It looked up at her, nodded almost in disdain, and kept focus on Magi to learn the ways of shooting ammo with aim that would properly hit.

 

....She wasn't that upset. Actually she looked happy? Happy over death? Tenebris should have not been bothered by this. It was actually a really awfully wonderful thing to be happy over grief! A;though Tenebris' happiness was not really like that... Something about this situation was not the right kind of reaction. This was the first time it became apparent that just grief in itself was not what she was craving.. it was the failure, the despair, the unhappiness. Tenebris wanted this green haired loser to be just that... a loser! To be actually happy of losing her mother and able to put it behind her...urgh. Magi could never put her sorrows away, and Tenebris loved them too much to let them fade!

"...*Twitch*.You have a brother?"

Even though she found herself asking, the Dark Heart did not care anymore. The focus now was getting this optimistic and warm leaf haired noob to suffer! Being over grief was...was totally crud! She looked at her weapon and showed her own like a show off! Wait.... wowzers a idea!

"You look like... you l-like my bow? It's so much better than my old one.. isn't it kewl looking hehehe? Wanna hold it❤?"

If the Yladian did take the bow she would suffer the same sharp shooting pains that anyone, including Tenebris, would feel be grasping it. It was specifically picked for the distorted magical girl. Since she grew from her grief, a weapon that could supply it while being wielded was most fitting.

Regardless what happened. Tenebris would have her bow so she could teach the skeleton how to shoot. Yep! She was going to show it how to shoot all right!

"Don't shake little skeleguy! Are you... scared? Hehehehe. that's cute❤! "

Turning towards the tree Hawnell kept firing at. She pulled a arrow, and began muttering to herself quietly while firing. The arrow struck the tree with no magic. Just a single black arrow.

"Okies! Try to hit my arrow with your bullets! Go little creepy thing!Hehehe....*mumble.*"

As the two dopes payed attention ()hopefully to the task she gave it. Tenebris looked at Solaria with the corner of her eye. Time to try something fun! Being only one target and a veil spell rather than one that brought harm. This proved easy enough to do. Not that Tenebris was aware of the intricate aspects of spell casting neither she nor Magi were all that sharp with game stuffs. It just came to her much like the rare occasions of high performance in her old life.

Poof! A single trigger word and Solaria was now a green pig with a red top hat! Why pig with a red top hat? Tenebris couldn't think of better right now! Well, this illusion was just for the little skeleton anyway!

"Oh look Skeleguy, a beastie to shoot! I think it's hehehe, after Solaria! go get it! Look over there, she'll be so happy if you hit it!❤"

Pointing her finger at where Solaria was standing, she was also aiming to get Solaria afraid of a animal chasing her at the same time.

@Solaria

 

Seeing Magi twitch at the mention of little Frankie, Solaria didn't quite know if she'd hit a land mine or if it just seemed hard to believe that such a ditz had family. Still, she'd been questioned about the topic, so she'd naturally have to reply. "Yep! My little brother is five now, almost six. I consider him the biggest present mom ever gave me- and he's getting even bigger day by day."

A light pink took over her cheeks- she was unusually proud of her family, as if she just could care less about the flaws they all had, and she would well tell people off if they believed they were perfect! Solaria, despite her density, knew very well her own and her family's downfalls... And how to take advantage of them, to boot.

"He's been troubling me lately, actually. Five years old is too early for a first crush!" If anything had to be chosen in regards to the family and this woman's issues within it, her complex towards her family itself could very well be the hidden chaos of pandora's box.

Nodding confidently as her current 'partner in crime' (of teaching a miniature skeleton to fight) noticed her definitive intrigue in the bow she had in hand. "Why wouldn't I like it? It's quite an interesting weapon, if you ask me. It has a darkness to it, but warmth. I can tell it's treated you well, and that you've treated it kindly too. A weapon is an extension of a fighter's body and soul, you know."

As if making some sort of visual for her analogy, the swordsman lengthened her arm to let the blade become one with her grip. She shook her head when offered to hold the bow, deeming it improper of her to even imagine it- though, she was rather curious what archery would be like. "I might have to ask one of my classmates if they know anyone taking archery. Then I could totally find out if ranged would fit me any better than my blade."

Triumphant laughter, a cheerful smile- the only thing that was calming it down was the sudden pinch in her arm as if she'd been hit by a stray arrow- and then the bizarre sensation of shrinking. What kind of magic was this?!

She peeked around until she saw it. Her mini skeleton wasn't so 'mini' in her current state. She could look around, but she wouldn't find a good reflection of herself. But, in the eye sockets that somehow saw without actual eyes, the girl was gone. What remained was a green little pig.

Just as Magi had expected, or perhaps she hadn't- no one really know what went through the mind of someone besides themselves, did they? But like Magi had noted, the skeleton shot at the piglet.

Luckily, Solaria could dodge out of the way with a squeal and oink at her pet. Her oinks were an awkward rhythm trying to tell the skeleton to stop. It did, glancing at Magi Heart.

With one of its bones, it drew in hieroglyphics asking why his owner was now a piglet and likely sick based on her color. The pig was able to read them fairly accurately, causing it to squirm and oink awkwardly, running in circles. "How did I become a pig!? And why does Hawnell think I'm sick!? Am I? What's going onnnn?!" She couldn't seem to figure out how to use the menu from her pig body.

"It'd be a great help if I could see my health info..."

 

Wowzers! This green haired, (or was that green skinned?) loser was totally duped into the trick. Her and her little skeleguy too! Tenebris was having a blast now for sure! The green piggy all oinking pitifully like that. Getting shot at by a stupid joke pet! Seriously, this was exactly why she hated this elf. Dumb was dumb! She deserved her suffering and now would learn what a idiot she was... Tenebris was going to dig it into her even more! Although... she was actually surprised her phantasmia stuff even worked this well. Since when was Tenebris good for anything? She was a failure after all. Tenebris completely understood and actually thrived on her failings and grief. Oh well! This might be fun!

"Pfft.... heh... hehehe **cough". Hmm? Oh noes! I think a evil magic was used and warped away Solaria by some bad person! We might be under attack or something... *cough*. Maybe the piggy is poisonous!"

A tear fell down the side of her face as her jumbled mess of griefful emotion started to show. She watched the pig and skeleton working together in a panic. Yet in this case it helped her look worried.... if you were super stupid. The skeleguy thing was actually kinda a pain with how it kept looking at the Dark Heart. It was catching on wasn't it? ...The poor little thingy was bothered by her? Upset that it's, whatever Solaria was to it, was being a idiot and in trouble? Oh boohoo! That's life! Anyway there really was not trouble... yet!

"Woah! don't look at m-me! Gee whiz... I-I don't know what's going on? It's scaaaaary!"

Tenebris put her free hand over her mouth in faux terror with her eyes widening with her excitement growing. If this dummy did not realize it was all a illusion. Then...

"YeahI I have a great super kewl beans idea! Maybe if we kill the pig it might bring her back?! Yeah that's what we need to do❤! Make some bacon! Does skeleguy like bacon??? Greasy and heart attack inducing! *Snicker* oh what am I saying? You don't want to suffer do you? Who wan'ts that? Not Skeleguy and Solaria❤! No heart attacks for you! Promise❤!"

The reverse Magi grabbed one arrow after another at a very quick rate. Firing at the the fully functional Yladian that was thinking she was a pig. Tenebris aimed low at first to keep up the act that she was shooting a small creature. Regardless if the skeleton knew who cared? Solaria was the dope who needed to learn reality was painful! Tenebris was curing her, and was hopefully going to cure her real good too!

"Shoot the piggy, shoot the piggy, make bacon! C'mon little guy jooooin in❤! Hehehe...hehehe...hehehe YAAAAAAY❤!"

As the shots kept being fired towards Solaria's legs, Tenebris' insanity started to grow and her shots began to just aim at her regardless of height. Ruining her own pretense of shooting the pig. Not that her weak illusion magic would have worked all that long anyway. Who cares? She was saving Solaria!!!!!!

@Solaria

 

For a moment, there was a blankness in Solaria's mind- about as blank as a term paper she had to look forward to she had yet to write. She could tell something was off, she knew she wasn't feeling quite normal. It was when @Magi Heart mentioned an 'evil magic' that something clicked at least for a second.

Sure, she wasn't sure who did it (because as everyone knew, Solaria couldn't figure that kind of thing out on her own, let alone quickly)- but she knew something was going on. And, thanks to her skill set, it was something she might be able to fix.

Calming her mind took a while- and while she tried to, the skeleton had already started attacking her, thinking she was some sort of poisonous pig. Adding the fact Solaria had a fair discomfort with pigs at points due to early parts of her 'career' in Terrasphere, this wasn't a situation she could just sit in without flailing.

If only I had my sword...

Finding her way to the back of her shop building, she panted. Hawnell the shooting skeleton followed, but seemed to struggle to find her- and, more importantly, seemed to be focusing less on his 'training' and more on keeping watch over the magical girl supposedly helping him. While he was obedient, he'd only done so because Solaria seemed to trust this person.

Apparently, the creature was smarter than her- because it realized that she just trusted people on whims she really shouldn't. There was something about the magical girl that made it wish it had sweat glands to help with the chill on its exposed bones.

"'Evil magic'... There's malefimancy- it creates hexes and curses, right? Was I cursed into a pig? Who would do that though? No... I would feel more like a pig. Strangely, I can feel my hands..."

Her real self was starting to show, but she could get mad at herself over that later. First, she had to focus on the hands she could still feel, that dug into snow because she was so adamant about thinking she was a quadruped creature. If this was a hallucination, she could either use pain to distract herself or magic. If she was herself, magic would work just fine.

She couldn't speak her chant aloud, but she could still feel the light flowing through her veins like her lifeblood. "May we see our strength once more, my friend...

Heart Cleanse

A bright light eliminated the unusual trick, though it had taken time for the glow to fade so that she could look at herself again and see her long arms and legs. She peeked out from behind the building after having dispelled the 'hallucination' with one of her illumancy skills.

With a grin to her pet, she mused, "Light conquers darkness. It's a good thing my skills with light magic are in master class... Once you know your eyes are just messed up, a quick healing spell for mental wounds is a great cureall."

Gently, her eyes gazed over at Tenebris- or Magi, as she still believed the girl to be. "Did you see the culprit? I thought it was only us here... But that would mean the only options are a hidden magician or that you had a plan I just ruined for training. It's better to tell me your plans though, to say the least. So... In honor of my preference to give benefit of the doubt, since you've surely helped me at least a bit before... Which way did the culprit go?"

It wasn't that she wasn't able to see it. As her skeleton came to her side and unusually hugged her leg like a clingy pup, she felt a small chill in her own spine that let her join it in the shakes for just a second. "I swear Hawnell thinks it's you. It'd be nice if that weren't the case... Or I might start thinking your 'help' back then wasn't a coincidence. I normally don't play the logic game here, but... Even I know some things, you know. Just because I play the fool doesn't mean I haven't any wits at all... You know~?"

Her normally wholesome smile had an unusually discomforted twitch at the corner, her eyes clenched shut with her hands balled tight until her knuckles, currently exposed because she had been waiting to get her gloves cleaned up, clearly white and raw.

I hate showing this side of me. But I can't just leave the puzzle unsolved... Hopefully this suspicion is wrong. I refuse to lose more people, whether it be to danger or to my mind.

 

Tenebris met the look of the tladian with her own look of faux innocence. Unfortunately she was still calming down from her grief driven excitement and a small bead of sweat came down her face as she was catching her breath. It was not as long as it could have been, but Tenebris had accomplished what she wanted to do here for now.

Solaria was a bit more woken up! Just look at that face. She doubted Magi's friendship and kindness! About time! Why was this concept so rejected by people? Before she could swear from her vague memories that everyone was a murderous grief craving psycho anyway! Now it felt the opposite like everyone was purposely doing the opposite of Tenebris. This showed it could be done though! Even with someone like this. It was way too much work though... seriously. Tenebris had drive but also did not have as much to succeed at anything. After all she did want to be a failure too. Success was not possible in this game or anywhere failure what mattered! So she had o help others become better failures! While somehow failing too... yeah.

"*Snicker* that's not very nice. I offered to help you with all my, hehehe... heart❤. Your little skeleguy pet thing is a jerk if he can't see the love in what I'm doing here. Showing him how to bring grief to others with his peashooter thing."

She looked around pretending to look for a imaginary villain. The wording she used completely unacceptable for a Magi Heart themed vocabulary.

"I guess the evil people persons left. Who knows? Hehehe, could have been a bunch of baddies."

Tenebris looked once at the skeleton and her fake smile turned to a scowl. Then she unequipped her bow causing it to vanish. This was enough for now.

"Gee whiz, I spent more time with you than I should have. Love can do that, make you feel horrible and amazing at the same time❤."

She mouthed a single word and her body vanished only to appear right in front of Solaria. She saw that accusatory and awkward look that must have been so rare for the dope to do. It was great though! Wowzers everyone should feel that way!

"I did help you! You're just du- confused. Doubting the help of a friend... hehehehehe."

Tenebris gave a two fingered small salute much like Magi would have but with much less enthusiasm. Her red eyes looking straight up at Solarias.

"If you want more help just send me a message. I'll respond to you and do more stuff to help save you and bring you gr-joy! That goes for skeleguy too. I'm a heroine after all right? Or do you not appreciate my help? Hmmmm?"

Cocking her head Tenebris closed her eyes and smiled hoping to rope her back in. Yet she also meant it deep inside she wanted to help people, it just came out in such a distorted way. Regardless if her effort here was wanted or appreciated ... in a way it was still a source of grief for Tenebris. If she chased her away and thought her a enemy. Yay! If she accepted her as a heh... friend. That meant she could do this more in the future, again yay!

Opening her eyes, Tenebris spun around and began to leave. Turning just one more time with a a mischievous look in her eyes. Eyelids half closed and all sources of the previous faux Maginess gone.

"Think I'll eat some bacon! Heart attack, heart attack...hehehehe... greasy man❤! He can break your heart like nobody can❤!"

And with another Warp-Schritt, Tenebris Cordis was gone from sight.

@Solaria

 

On the one hand, the magical girl had a point. Even if her method was a bit off kilter, she had done it with good intentions...Or at least, she seemed to. Even if her words had a hint of salt to them, the sugar coating clearly dissolving to some extent, Solaria had to admit that Magi Heart had a point.

However, something still felt off, so long as she was in her original self.

"Hawnell isn't the nicest box of bones, but he usually means well. I mean, besides the fact he actually already had a habit of hitting me instead of his target half the time." Those times were just bad aim, she knew. This time, it had been intentional to turn Solaria into the target.

That was probably the only way she'd be safe, really, she realized. But the fact that her bony friend had figured out something was afoot before her was another clear sign something wasn't right.

What was weirder? It refused to apologize when she tried to tell it to. Sure, she knew the skeleton couldn't speak, but there were ways even a pile of bones could show courtesy. To this girl, for some reason, it was clear he didn't want to.

As Magi noted that 'the evil' person had left, Solaria smiled meekly. Even though she was still trying to give benefit of the doubt, something felt off as the magician seemed to switch between 'cute' and almost 'disturbing' methods of speech in continuation.

Despite her kindly words, the scowl made both skeleton and master shiver. For the time being, Solaria deemed a strategy of delving deeper on her own in the future a better one than pushing for information and understanding now. Some time separated would help her figure out just what was going on, wouldn't it?

Before she could say her words of thanks, however, and better apologize for being accusatory herself, the magician had suddenly vanished- only to appear right before her. The teleportation didn't seem to mix with whatever skill was used to turn her into a pig. She did, however, know there was another skill that essentially was a compass of all magic put together.

Like she'd already decided, though, she'd look into things like @Magi Heart's skillset on her own a little later. If it turned out it fit the bill she was beginning to believe it might, she'd have more reason to be uncertain, or to be suspicious, at least compared to where she was.

"It's true you helped, in your own way." She mused with a faux smile. Luckily, it was easy enough for Solaria to fake optimism even in times of doubt. After all, it's what she had been doing for many years, wasn't it? Nudging her skeleton pal, it nodded as if to agree- even if it didn't really believe her at all. It did what it was told, if only to feel safe.

Perhaps because she'd said they were friends and Magi had agreed, if only to be polite, Solaria sent a friend request the girl's way before she could leave the scene completely.

"As a friend, I have a favor to ask before you go... Don't tell anyone the other side of me you saw, kay? It can be our little secret." There would be no 'punishment' if Magi refused, of course- but Solaria was still trying to play the 'oblivious heroine' of her own accord.

To show her gratitude that wasn't quite as true as she tried to show it, she mimicked the two-finger greeting, though unsure why it felt like they were giving a militarist salute in this situation. Her smile, though starting out fake, warmed up a bit. At least for now, she felt a bit more certain of herself.

Even if this magical girl was a fraud, she had done something to teach Solaria a valuable lesson... And, as the girl disappeared once more, that lesson would be kept in her mind as she wandered back to the shop, her pet holding her hand.

"Time to hit the books, Hawnell..." Her smile, though still there, held an almost eerie vibe as her pet looked up at her.

Change was in the air. Solaria had a new goal in her mind, for the moment.