Continued from A Fresh Start? Alpha had been to the bell tower once a long time ago. The scraggly building had been known to house nothing of interest and Alpha had been surprised to find a small chest of gold lurking at the top amidst the trash left by dozens of couples who managed to traverse the numerous steps. It had been a challenge to her, originally. An obstacle that embodied her desperate need to win, to accomplish something, to become better than the girl whose intelligence could be compared to that of a particularly dense lobster. Now it was nothing more than an unpleasant memory of the days she spent with Terry, haunting her when she noticed it standing alongside the countless tall buildings that speckled Stokbon. But the past was past and she had Terry with her, safely stashed away in her pocket. Free from the wild confines of a physical body; protected from the harshness of her adrenaline-filled battles and the unforgiving forces of Mother Nature. His presence seemed to whisper to her, calm her. "That's right, Terry," she smiled, reaching down to tickle the fragment. "We're gonna see Magi again! It's gonna be great, it'll be a girl's night out! You and Hector count as girls cause I raised you." She looked down at Hector who was currently staring at her like she was crazy. "Aw, does this mean Ivan's a girl too? Ah, logic is so weird sometimes!" The idle chatter seemed to have calmed her nerves as her shoulders relaxed and her back had a small slouch to it. Sticking her tongue out the edge of her lips in concentration, she pulled up her UI and quickly began typing out a message for Magi to see. Alphabet Chocolate guess who is here??? girls night out is so on!! r u excite? im excite! we all excite! i scream u scream we all scream for ice cream! @Das Ein Magia She made her way to the seemingly endless steps that swirled and reached out to the sky with no apparent effort. It had been a long while since she had last visited but it looks like maintenance was occurring routinely. Maybe there'd be a treasure chest of gold waiting for her at the top. "I'm coming, Magi!" she bellowed at the top of her lungs as she took the first step.
Stokbon Old town Clock Tower The sun was setting on another day for Stokbon, the capital of Falderen. There was a time Falderen was the greatest enemy the new comers to Terrasphere, the players, had ever faced. There was also a time when it was the closest thing to a safe haven for them. Now... it was slowly forgotten ally of the fresh Astorean kingdom built for the players by the players. Through the overthrowing of those they were meant to protect. War was like that, it twisted people and of course... those who win get to make the story however they want. There was a saying... history is made by the winner? Something like that. Yet, this old building remained the same through it all. Being in a part of the city that see's less and less attention. Old town is slowly rotting away. Wowzers... what a unnecessary monologue. A girl sat on the railing. The very railing that a girl named Magi Heart once pulled a certain Cain Darlite from. Saving him from his self desired act of suicide. Not that it would have worked if he had fallen. Magi never did fully get that. The players were immortal... under most circumstances. Then there were situations like Raina and herself... surely others. Heterochromatic eyes gazed upon the city below, the great Falderen Keep towering in the distance. Now ruled by D'vengaline Falder. The only thing the pinkette could take from Magi's memory was a short encounter during a rescue operation. Eh, it was nothing important. All of this.... all of it was a problem. The city she was in right now was filled with the poor and suffering. The soldiers were trained to fight and kill for those who should be protecting themselves and their people. Merchants scam everyone out of hard earned gold for their families leaving others to starve just the same. The list could go on... She noticed a small green dot moving towards the tower far below. Then...? *Music* "Fighting evil by moonlight, making love by daylight!" "Wowzers, that jingle is still there?" Clicking on her very distorted UI. Wendel saw Alphabet's message. She came... Smiling slightly. Wendel sent a quick reply. Magia Gr͠e̡a̵t!͘ I'm at ̧t͘he to̢p.͘ ̸You o̡ḱay͞ ͞i̢f̢ ̴we pl͝áy a ga͝mé?͢ I w͞a͠n̷t ͞t͢o s͠e҉e ̢y͜our̀ ̕awe̕som̕e̸ ̴skillş.̴ Al̢pha-͢c̷han! @Alphabet Chocolate Grasping the rail with both hands. Her body glowed a dark purple as the aura ran throughout the inside of the tower. The higher Alphabet would go, the more the magic would be noticed. Dark phantasms with halos and wings like angels hovered over Magia's body. Before she waved a hand and they flew through the door and down the steps to hamper or otherwise terrify Alphabet. A black wave began to flow down the stairs and coated the walls, the ceiling, everything within the tower. Alphabet would find her needs meters dropping if she chose to traverse upwards but not so quickly as to be fatal. It was almost like a test than a attempt to kill... With the magic in place. Wendel got off the rail and aimed her bow straight at the now open door into the inner building. She fired a steady stream of dark arcana arrows. Purposely firing in patterns. They would fly down the stairs in different ways. Some bouncing, some zigzagging, others straight, etc. Well, for many this little obstacle course would scare or otherwise flat out kill them. Alphabet Chocolate was not just anyone though, was she?
There was a ping and Alpha saw the message float in front of her, Magi's words as distorted and twisted as ever. Good old Magi! Who else has cool squiggly lines around their words? It just goes to show you that Alpha's friends are the coolest around. She swiped the message and quickly typed out a reply, absentmindedly scaling the staircase with Hector nipping at her heels. Alphabet Chocolate a game?!?!! omg sign me up! what r we gonna play? hide n seek? tag? duck duck goose??? i am SO pumped!! @Das Ein Magia She debated whether or not the message carried her spirit and enthusiasm at the prospect of a friendly game before deciding who really cares and pressed 'send' before she could convince herself otherwise. There were many times when she spent days on end arguing with herself about whether or not to send a one-sentence text. Best to get it over with and regret the entire thing the following seconds after irreversibly sending it. "Doo di dah," she whistled, humming some old song whose name she couldn't quite place. It was nostalgic and she was certain she heard it from somewhere before in her childhood. To be honest, it was a wonder she even remembered it. It was more like a song someone would forget for years before they hear it on the radio, slightly recognizing the melody from a childhood long past. The dreamy action helped the time pass by, the endless image of stair after stair in a blank stairway being awfully boring to traipse through. It was thus a pleasant turn of events to find disturbing, blackened creatures with bat-like wings and angelic halos flying through, jumping off every inch of the wall and down the staircase like a rabid flock of birds rushing out to attack some innocent pedestrian. "Woah woah, hold on for a second!" she cried, trying to grab purchase on the dilapidated rail that the infrastructural management decided was too much work to fix. The paint chipped and crumbled from the pressure of her fingers trying to latch on, desperate to not fall down the endless flight from the sudden, surprising intrusion. Hector, being right behind her, barely managed to stay put, his claws digging sharply through the solid material. Either the insides were hollowed out by termites or Hector was far stronger than she gave him credit for. She decided to go with the former idea, not wanting to lose the innocent but snarky image of Hector she had in her mind. The realization that someone you know could claw you apart like a rabid monster wasn't good for one's sanity. "Hold on, Hector!" she shouted, completely forgetting that the wolf had remarkable hearing (as per the usual from being part of the canine species) and that he was within touching distance. An irritated bark was all she got for a response before she immediately began to fret, panic bubbling in her chest at the sight of the strange, sinister denizens that attacked them, their magical origins obvious to anyone, even those without a pair of eyes to gaze upon. Eyes wide, she grabbed Hector by the scruff of his neck and began to hasten, dragging the wolf behind him as she used the best of her acrobatic finesse to narrowly dodge the onslaught of small flying lemmings. "Nope!" she screamed, rushing up like the devil himself was in close pursuit. By the time the arrows began rocket past, each with their own distinct pattern, Alpha was too lost to notice. Stumbling through the door to top, blood dripped at her feet. Scratches and bruises of all sorts, all obtained by Magi's intervention and her own painful lunges at the walls for cover, coated her as if she were a cooked turkey and all her injuries were glaze before the oven. She was out of breath, her clothing was torn to shreds, and her expression was that of...relief? Hector seemed undamaged, fairing much better than she did. "Magi!" she opened her arms wide, trying to get closer and failing. She had a limp to her step and her efforts resembled a stumbling, shambling zombie. The game Magi had devised had taken its toll on her. Perhaps if it had been someone else with a clearer mind, like Cain or Roland, then they would've gotten out without a single cut. Unfortunately, Alphabet Chocolate was a creature that was dictated by raw emotion and wasn't the type to use her brain or analyze the situation farther than punching equals win. "I'm alive. Alive, I say!" she breathed, throwing her arms up victoriously. She grabbed a cookie stuffed in her pocket, bringing it up to her face, and munched on it with delight at having had survived the ordeal. Eyes closed, she moaned as crumbs spilled to the floor with each sloppy bite of chocolate chip. After scarfing down the last piece, she let her arms fall limply to the side as she collapse on her bottom, exhausted. "Wow," she wiped a bead of sweat from her head before she used her arms to prop herself up, acting as crutches for her back to relax on. "I. Am. Sparta!" Seemingly content with that declaration, she dragged Hector over to her by his tail and, forcing him down, laid her head back on his soft fur (much to his discontent and growls). "Magi!" she burped, slowly reaching down to get another cookie out of her knapsack. "Aww man, you have no idea how glad I am to see you! You wouldn't believe what happened to me down there! I think there were bats or something living here and they just went whoosh and roar and then they were angry! Really angry! Like I-Called-Your-Mom-Fat levels of angry! And then, after that, there were these thingies that really hurt but I didn't get hit by any of them!" That was a bold-faced lie, the marks on her skin a testament to the danger of the volley of arrows that bounced through the passageway. "Can we, like, grab an ice cream cone before we play a game, though?" Her stomach grumbled in agreement. The burst of unplanned exercise had definitely cut off a few years of her life from sheer in-the-moment terror. A prolonged jumpscare, if you will. "Aurgh, hold on...what now? Are we gonna go for a girl's spa day and eat the sugar scrubs at those fancy resorts? I heard that shea butter tastes like coconut! Mmm. I'm pretty much up for anything as long as we get some ice cream first. My lips are super dry! Prune dry, wrinkly dry, raisin dry! It's the kind of dry you'd see super old people get when they get super old! Dry!"
Wendel lowered her bow as Alphabet finally made it to the top. By the bloody girls side was her pet wolf that the Pinkette remembered seeing time and again. It was a odd scene really. Alphabet as always showed a complete obliviousness to what had just happened to her. She looked like she barely even tried to avoid getting hit. Only getting here with pure stamina and will alone. Yet... here she was just talking about ice cream! Then there was Das Ein Magia. Whom may have once ran to her to heal her friend of those wounds. To worry and remind her over and over that she was hurt and to not be so reckless. Yet... here she was just looking at the beaten up friend of her past. A cold look on her face. Not a single shed of pity for what she had put Alpha through. Only a smirk forming. Then a closed eyed smile as she dismissed the dark bow she wielded. Alphabet Chocolate had made it! She was pretty tough, and still so friendly with her. A good friend indeed. A useful friend. "Yay! You made it Chocolate Letters-chan ❤!" Wendel ran full speed into Alphabet and wrapped her arms around her. The pain and exhaustion of the small rogue was so nice. It made Wendel's cold heart beat faster. Even if she desired the ultimate ending to grief, it was still her source of power. This was a great refill after using so much energy in the set up she had made for Alpha. Pulling away from her, Wendel completely ignored the fact Alpha was still beat up and offered her to sit next to her on the railing overlooking the city. Alpha had not seemed to realize that Magia had been the source of her challenge. Gee whiz... she really was pretty dense wasn't she? Or just really trusting... that was sad. Wendel knew from Wendy's life how foolish that could be. Foolish but a good friend was one that wouldn't question her either. Not to mention, even if it wasn't very developed at all compared to Wendel. Alpha and Wendel were, in a sense related now deep down. "C'mon sit with me. Ice cream sounds really nice and stuff ❤. Hehehe, we could go to Rocky Road. Would that be cool beans with you?" She created a small ice cream cone with illusions, it floating in front of Alpha's face with a twirl of her finger before making it dance a little and vanish into the night sky. She looked to Hector as she spoke to Alpha. A urge to snuggle the animal until it suffocated dwelled inside her. Another distortion of Wendy's ideals coming forth. "So... Alpha-chan. I know you wanna play and all. I think it's really great that this is all just a game for you still. Then you have no problem if I wanted it to end happy, right *giggle*?" Her head turned extremely slowly towards Alphabet. Her eyes gazing at her waiting for her to respond. This was the first thing. She wanted to know who was accepting of a happy ending... ...and who was not. @Alphabet Chocolate
"Ice cream!" Alpha greedily grabbed the small ice cream cone, practically slobbering as her fingers passed through the incorporeal illusion. "No!" she whined, kicking her feet as the scrumptious treats dissipated into thin air. It was just her luck that, after that amazing hug (let it be known that Alphabet Chocolate was a sucker for free cuddles), she'd be taunted by the image of floating ice cream cones, never able to taste the delicious confectionery. It was like Tantalus in a way and Alpha mourned for the loss of her beloved sweets as one may mourn the fact that Santa Claus never existed and Elvis Presley was not, in fact, alive. Her kicks proved to be unwise as the railing wiggled underneath the upset commotion as her weak frame was unable to hold balance on the tenuous railing. It was sudden, quick, and completely unexpected but Alpha found herself tightly grasping the tiny bit of concrete jutting out the edge, her knuckles white and muscles tight with strain at having to lift her body up at the dangerous height after the nigh lethal obstacle course she had just recently wormed herself out of. "Ow, ow, ow!" she cried, a sting of pain coursing through every inch of her body. She could barely breathe as she tried to pull herself up, arms shaking. Praise be the game mechanics and rush of adrenaline that allowed her to survive thus far since it was a work of miracles that Alpha could even execute a single pull-up. P.E. had never been so kind to her before. "Oh. My. God," Alpha blamed the heavens for the terrible events that have occurred today. She turned to Magi, face weak and words stuttered out from heavy pants. "Next time. . . we have a hang-out. . . let's just not go anywhere near. . . this." She gestured to the entirety of the clock tower uncertainly. "I'm not entirely sure but I think that this. . . is some kinda metal death trap! Probably some. . . Spartans used it during the American Revolution to. . . ugh, kill Confederate soldiers. Don't think it's safe. Man-eating bats! Ancient Aztec and Egyptian death traps! Poorly kept railings!" It took her several minutes to calm the frantic beating of her heart, to feel blood ease into her limbs. Taking a sip of that nightmare-inducing potion of hers did help, somehow, in rejuvenating her. And, as Magi prepared to ask her latest question, Alpha felt her muscles constrict and relax. She did a few practice arm circles and a quick round of squats. Once again, praise be in-game recovery mechanics. Even the most grievous of wounds could be healed with some good old fashioned magic. She cracked her knuckles, content with the slowly rising percentage of her health and energy bars. "Ooooh, don't be so serious, Magi!" Alpha chided, reaching out to give the girl a pat on the back. Hector, completely oblivious to Magi's internal musings, gave a small lick on the knees before he turned away to pace around the upper floor. What a tsundere. "Life's just one big game, y'know! I mean, random bat attacks kinda suck but it's not like it lasts!" Alpha lifted her arm up for Magi to see and, despite the numerous cuts and welts, they had already begun to slowly close up as time was undone. "And what's the point of living in a game if you don't think its a game? Then everything'll be boring! Like Astor and Rudolf. I mean, I love them! Well, I like Rudolf. Never really talked to that gorilla-furry king of ours but still! They used to be sorta cool and then now they're like 'Oh, there's player safety' and 'Oh, politics'! Bah, humbug! They became grumpy old men, Magi! I swear I'm gonna see wrinkles and age-spots on them one day." She did a twirl, reaching out to hold Magi's hands and pull her in for a big hug. "But if you just relax and enjoy life, there's so much to do! You can fight giant fire hulks with abdominal muscles! Giant crazy spider ladies without a bra! Kinda wished I hadn't seen the last one to be honest but I think practically everyone's seen Arachna's boobs at this point and no one really wants to admit they've seen it. It's been on the hush-hush. Group trauma? Just something no one mentions for sanity's sake..." she shivered at the mere thought of the arachnid. Spiders were a big no-no. She stared at Magi intently, matching the girl's own gaze. There were bits of coldness there; cruelty and sadism that lurked under bloody red eyes. Alpha resolutely ignored it, shoving that piece of information into the darkest archives of her mind alongside every other doubt and insecurity she had ever faced. If you don't acknowledge something, it doesn't exist. Magi was just fine. "I don't know what you're talking about. Actually, I don't know what anyone's talking about these days. Sometimes I kinda feel like they're all keeping secrets from me, you know?" she admitted, the strange behavior of all her friends recently plaguing her. "So I have no idea a happy ending is and I don't know what's got everyone's panties in a twist lately but don't worry. Alphabet Chocolate's on the case and she's gonna make sure no one has to worry again!" Alpha tried to hug Magi even tighter, resting her head on the other girl's shoulder. Hector seemed discontent and restless, looking at the scene with some instinctual understanding that only a wild beast could have. Alpha's eyes were wide open, pupils dilated, nails sharply digging into her own hands and drawing lines of blood. "If you want a happy ending or whatever, I'll get it for all of you guys," she whispered, her voice filled with hysterical glee and warm, honest love. "I never had a lot of friends in real life. Any, really. My parents were always at work. It was really lonely. I was always dumb, couldn't do anything. No matter how many teachers my parents would get for me, I'd never learn a thing. Spent all day watching old movies like Star Wars and stuff." Alpha didn't know why she was spilling out her life story right now. Maybe it had always been building up: the frustrations of reality, the building trauma from the losses she had, and the tense state all her friends had been in. Everything was falling apart around her. In Terrasphere, she met so many people, made so many friends. She became something more than just a dumb girl with no expectations to be had. And now her only escape, the game that freed her and made her a new person, seemed to be shattering. She clawed at her hands that were still wrapped around Magi, her grip tightened as if Magi was her only lifeline. "I promised I was gonna overthrow the gods after the entire Falderen thing. Wanted to make it so we could all play games together forever and no one could ever leave. Terry would be back, no one would die, and everyone would stay here with me—forever. That was why they all left, right? Because the game wasn't fun? So I thought 'what if I could make the world even better?' then no one would leave. But they. Kept. Leaving." She spat the words out with a tinge of anger and hurt. "So I decided I'll just have fun. Forget about it all. And then I heard the funniest thing," her gritted teeth curved into a happy smile and nuzzled Magi with happiness, joy, and excitement. All that hate and resentment seeped out of her and, in its place, was hope and pure love. "Vermy was going to be God. And I thought, wasn't that a cool idea? I was so excited: Terry could be back. But I didn't really believe it until. . ." she drifted off and the silence was held for a few seconds before she snapped out of her musings, chuckling lightly at the fond memory. "Well, did you know that people could live in the game? Forever? Just staying here, unable to leave. Unable to leave me." Alpha let go of Magi, eyes soft and fond, the insanity of her words not quite reaching her mind. Ah, perhaps she was insane because what kind of self-respecting person would monologue at a time like this? They were supposed to be grabbing ice cream right now, not have an impromptu therapy session a la Damien Darhk and Nate Heywood. "That's the happy ending, right? That you wanna get? If it is, I totally understand what you mean! I want it, too!" she sounded positively elated, finding a kindred soul. She looked at Magi eagerly, so happy that someone finally understood her. She had never seen Magi as anything more than a friend at his point, one that was slightly distant but still someone she considered dear. Now? Magi was her sister, someone in the world who knew what it was like for people to leave and never comeback. Someone who might be willing to do anything to make them stay. She was rushing her words, every letter slurring until it was barely intelligible. "If something in the game could affect people in real life, that means that Vermy can do it too when she becomes God! Imagine a world where no one ever dies! Where we could play hopscotch and tag and do anything we want! We could drink Skittle smoothies and eat ice cream at Rocky Road all we want and we could all be together forever. Seigi, you, me, Celes, Icy, Rudolf, Cain, Terry, Ivy, Lucia, Corvy, Comet, Hector, and everyone else! Everyone's gonna be happy together forever!" She could just imagine it: the image of them all traipsing through a meadow, no dumb adults or parents to tell them no. They would be the best of friends and she could see, so very clearly, everything in this paradisaical happy ending. Mondays hanging out at Roland's manor; Tuesdays acting out a stageplay with Seigi and Cain; Wednesdays chilling out at Vermilion's place with Icy, Celes, Comet, and Magi; Thursdays spent with Ivan and Corvella, eating terribly tasting curry and MST3K'ing old movies; Fridays playing fetch with Terry and Hector; Saturdays tailing Lucia and interfering with the woman's royal duties; and Sundays lurking around the game, finding new friends. "I'll keep you all by my side forever and we'll have so much fun all day, everyday. Not a single bad moment and you'll learn it's all just a game! That we can all just hang out and enjoy life together and hunt down bogbeasts!" she gave Magi the goofiest, silliest smile she could muster. "I promise you it'll happen Magi, so don't worry! You just go ahead and relax and I'll do all the hard work and then all our dreams will come true! You can do anything you set your mind to if you have the power of friendship and effort on your side!" @Das Ein Magia
Wendel giggled as Alphabet reached for the imaginary icecream. As it vanished Alphabet started talking about how the tower was a death trap. Yay! She knew what danger was. A little anyway. Sometimes it was hard to tell with her. Wendel patted a cog and laughed again. What was there to laugh about? Not much. Laughter was needed for this though. Alphabet was deluded happy girl, and that happiness was what Wendel would like for everyone actually. It just wasn't possible by ordinary means. "*Giggle* This place isn't a death trap unless I want it to be❤ . I am getting bored of this place though. Maybe we should find a place to hangout in private that is cool beans for us both. After the icecream and everything hehehe." She leaned close to Alpha's ear and whispered mischievously . "Vermy's place is nice but maybe someday we could have one for ourselves...yep!" She said the last word loudly and turned to look over at the city again leaning on the railing as the wind blew through her pink twintails. It was almost... like she was just a normal teenager chatting with a friend. If not for that friend's bruised and scratched body and the small trickle of blood occasional falling down her own face from her distorted eye. Don't be too serious... Wowzers was some advice... It's all just a game... Yeah that's what everyone is saying for now... Why they just go and kill, and torment, and destroy, and suffer... People bring it on themselves don't they? That didn't mean it should continue though. Was Vermillion going to do something about that? Alphabet believed she was going to. A part of Magia that was bound to the Crimson Overlord felt that way too. But, somehow she knew the only way was going to be one. Raina would help her... and maybe Alpha too, time would tell. Alphabet's words poured as she went on and on spilling out way more info then Wendel imagined she'd get. She could relate with the no friends thing. Especially now. She was, not really sure how to be a friend in the sense that others did. She just had to do what she had to do. That was it. The word friend was useful tool for that though. Except Raina of course. She was different for her. Too important to just put with the rest. But everyone else, they did need friends. Permanent friends. The look of craving and happiness on Alpha's face was nice when the icecream was there. "...This world isn't better or worse. Gee whiz.. you are simple Alpha-chan *snicker*." She took Alphabets hand with one of hers and gestured to the city. "Those people, don't care. Just a bunch of problems that need something done about it. They just keep doing horrible and stupid things. Even if they do good... no one will care... how many care when you do good? How long does the good thing you do last...gosh it would be good for a happy time to last wouldn't it? They don't get it but eventually I think we can find a way to help them. That's why we have to the ultimate stupendously good thing❤ ! Something that will force everyone to be happy and make sure they never leave eachother alone. Something final, something permanent! That's what the Happy Ending is! Happily Ever After for EVERYONE!" Some of Alphabet's words just went in one ear and out the other. For Magia had already gotten lost in her own twisted version of a heroic save the world speech. Completely understanding eachother wasn't important but they were at least not enemies. That overbearing love for Vermillion was a problem for the pinkette but for now it was fine. "If Chaos can make Vermy a god. Is it a little unfair that she's the only one? I guess it's okay for now hehehe." She pulled on Alphabet as she headed for the door to go down. It was time to go have that icecream and there was no need to wait around. "Well, let's go get that icecream!" @Alphabet Chocolate
"Oh my god, I can't wait!" Alpha squealed, following Magi with no hesitation; a thin line of drool and a smidgen of hunger gnawing at her face. Chocolate, vanilla, mint, cookies and cream, rocky road...she could imagine it all. She could see ten scoops of ice cream of varying colors piling atop her bronze cone; there was a strawberry drizzle, a dash of rainbow colored sprinkles, and a top layer of hardening fudge decorating that vary top of her tower of sweets. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation and her mouth wouldn't stop salivating at the persistent thought. She barely had enough awareness to pipe up a tidbit amidst the clout of tasty, delicious fantasies that melted through her head. "Oooh, we gotta be careful about the bats," Alpha reminded her friend, her dumb-looking grin wavering only the slightest at the memory of the barrage of pointed weaponry and rabid winged creatures. "I'm pretty sure I saw a donkey or something when I was climbing up, too. Right, Hector?" The wolf shook his head in disagreement, slowly getting up to his paws and shaking off all the debris that settled on his soft fur. Ah. The entire L'Oreal brand would've killed to have Hector has their latest commercial model considering his well-groomed hair that was the product of hours of meticulous conditioning and thousands of wasted gold pieces. 'Tis was one of the costs of keeping the wolf content and happy and not pulling a temper tantrum wherever her went. Alpha couldn't find herself regretting it when the wolf stalked over to her side and acted as a crutch for her to lean on as they slid down the awfully long case of stairs. At least there were no dangerous beasts to be found. As much as Alpha loved adventure, she loved her sweets more and she wouldn't have been happy to find that her quest to obtain said sweets were hindered by wild animals. As they grew closer and closer to the end of the road, she couldn't help but think about Magi's last words with more and more thought. There was not much else to ponder on and there was little to distract her from the utter boredom of an unchanging scenery. "If you really wanna happy ending," Alpha began, slowly drifting off for a minute into dull silence before she snapped back into clarity. "We'd need a few fairy godmothers, some magic pixie dust, and about ten pounds of gold to smelt into a crown," Alpha finished. She thought about it some more, the idea growing more and more appealing by the second. Utopia was what Magi had suggested and it was, in Alpha's mind, certainly possible. The world was already a fairy tale in and of itself and, with the growing crisis of people getting stuck in the game, it looks as if a permanent fantasy was indeed feasible. She had no doubt of Magi's capabilities and intentions. The girl, even with all the frightening changes as of late, had a good heart. Alpha knew that first hand during their initial meeting at Druuk Island and, seeing Magi in battle for the first time in Stokbon, she couldn't help but have complete faith in her friend's goals. She entertained herself with the thought, her smile (already fed with elation at the idea of ice cream) grew even wider at the sight she saw in her mind. "Hey Magi," Alpha started, eyes practically shining as she watched Magi saunter off with pure confidence that seemed to inspire the same feelings within herself. "If you ever need help, don't forget that your good friend Alphabet Chocolate's always by your side!" she grinned, toothy and bright and radiating all the charm she could muster. She jabbed her thumb to her face as she slunk at Magi's heels. That's what friends did, wasn't it? Help each other out? Achieve their dreams together? "I mean, Vermy's the absolute best one with all that power. She's super smart and strong and cool and amazing and kind and the greatest," Alpha was just spitting out praises at this point, enraptured in the thought of Vermilion (who was and always will be her most important person) that only trailed off after a few dozen various adjectives and positive traits describing Vermilion's gloriousness. As she tapered off, she had the mind to look vaguely embarrassed at her outburst. "But we're friends and I don't think Vermy'll mind if friends help out each other, right? Give me a call whenever you want ice cream or you need help on your grand quest!" she paused. "Wait. No. Forget I said that," she suddenly said, shaking her head. "We're ohana and ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." Her Lilo and Stitch quote was entirely shameless. "But first: let's get ice cream! And then we have to get that Skittle smoothie you promised me!" @Das Ein Magia
