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Post by Mini on Sept 6, 2018 9:29:15 GMT -6
There was an incredibly long silence that came from the other side of the door. If Meissa listened closely enough, though, she would hear the telltale signs of footsteps padding slowly over to the door. It was evident that Maaz must have walked to the door, but nothing happened.
After several long, uncomfortable moments had passed, the wooden door creaked opened just a sliver. The room beyond was as dark as a moonless night over the vast nothingness of the open ocean. It looked as though Maaz hadn't bothered to light a single lantern or candle. Her cold eyes had no inkling of what emotions churned behind her expressionless face.
"Go to sleep, Meissa. It has been a very long day. I shall take the night watch tonight."
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Post by yooom on Sept 6, 2018 18:31:38 GMT -6
Meissa, listening close to Maaz’s lackadaisical steps as the magical girl made her way to answer the door. She had almost been about to give up when the door creaked ajar, and she caught a glimpse of Maaz’s green, sad eyes gleaming in the near total darkness of the room. Something about her expression, blank, unreadable, made Meissa more nervous than if she had been glared at. In the months she had known Maaz, who got broody from time to time, Meissa had never seen her quite like this. Something, perhaps Kyubey, perhaps Mira’s arrival, had really gotten to her in a way nothing they had experienced together yet had. She wondered for a moment whether she had the nerve to ask her again what was wrong, before deciding that she didn’t. “I...yes, okay...Good night, Maaz.” Meissa slipped away from the door. For one moment, between the second Meissa left for her room, and the moment the door shut sharply, it hung open, and the red eyes of Kyubey gleamed into Maaz’s green eyes. He stared at her, his smile somewhat pensive, as the door swung shut before his pale, white face.
Even with Meissa falling asleep in her quarters, Morning Glory would continue its steady voyage, it’s slim prow cutting through the ocean’s waves as it made its way to its home port. Only a few hours would pass before the horizon became visible once more, a thin white line of daybreak slowly rising up, and with it, the long, jagged silhouette of land. The newly formed trio was very nearly home, at last.
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Post by Mini on Sept 21, 2018 21:55:06 GMT -6
The sound of waves crashing against the shore were drowned out by the roar of the sudden downpour that had overtaken the two of them. Even louder were the sounds of their hysterical laughter as each of them tried to outrun the other up the tombolo. Clumps of wet sand flew high into the air as they raced along the to reach the cavern the ocean had carved out of the cliff. Hidden behind impressive number of sea stacks, the cavern was their little secret spot.
She got there first, jumping triumphantly up onto a large boulder to loudly proclaim victory. Her bare foot slipped and her arms flailed wildly. Losing her balance, she fell backwards straight into his waiting arms. Chuckling and softly chiding her recklessness, he deposited her back down onto the sandy floor. He ruffled her hair playfully as he gently cautioned her that she ought to be a bit more careful.
"Hey, you caught me, right?" she asked, leaning back against his big, strong chest.
"Of course. That's my job, isn't it?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close, and she closed her eyes and allowed herself a rare moment of peace. "I'll always be there to catch you, Maaz..."
The shrill shriek of a hungry gull roused Maaz from her reverie. Yawning loudly, she stretched her entire body out of the nest of ropes she had apparently taken up watch in. Her movements were oddly graceful, making her appear more catlike than a human. "Mmph. I must have dozed off," she grumbled as she flexed her shoulders. As the fog peeled away from the prow, Maaz was glad to see the sight of what had become their home sweet home finally coming into view.
Maaz froze where she was, feeling as though somebody was watching her. Scowling darkly, she peered around the deck for Kyubey. Instead of their fox-like companion staring her way, however, Maaz was surprised to find the new girl peering out from the door to below the decks.
Mierda en un palo, what was her maldito name again? Where was Kyubey? He had contracted with her, so he should know, right? Or better yet, where was Meissa? She was the one who had been talking to her all night.
"Oh. ... You're awake?"
Mira visibly flinched at Maaz's question. She gulped, then nodded.
"Ah. I see," Maaz said, nodding a confirmation. The older magical girl rested an arm on one hip and gazed at Mira, somehow managing to look both emotionless and cold as ice all at the same time.
Several long, terse moments of uncomfortable silence passed before Mira found the courage to speak.
"U-Um... I... I'm really sorry to be bothering you with this question. I-I know it probably seems a silly thing to ask. I, um, uh, well, I just... I was just wondering... if... if, ah..."
"Just spit it out!!"
Mira squeaked, gulping audibly again. "I-I... Is there any food around??"
Maaz rolled her eyes, then turned and started walking back to the prow. "Yeah, yeah, somewhere down in the mess hall I'm sure you can find something to rustle up. Or go and find Meissa, yeah? She's the one in charge of the food."
"Um... Um... o-okay!!" Mira squeaked, slamming the door shut before frantically running back down the stairs in the direction she came from. What a scary girl that other magical girl was!! She definitely would much rather talk to Meissa... if she could find her...
She poked her head into an empty room, then wandered down the hallway until she reached a forked path. Pouting a bit, she turned to the left, then to the right. "Oh dear... How am I supposed to find Meissa in all these big, long, dark hallways?"
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Post by yooom on Sept 22, 2018 18:49:59 GMT -6
The dark wood creaked ominously before Mira as she paused before a long hallway. Perhaps it was nervous mind playing tricks on her, but the hallway seemed, much, much too long for the ships it was in. It stretched, down, down, down, and Mira could, if she squinted, just make out the tiniest light, way down at the end of the hallway. It seemed to shine, the walls and floor connecting in a odd way, almost moving, spiralling, transfixing the young magical girl, before-
“Good morning!” Mira would be jerked out of her absent minded stare by the tired voice of Meissa, who appeared, swinging a door to her narrow bedroom open beside her. The magical girl seemed to have had a fitful night, and she rubbed her eyes, letting out a huge yawn. “Sleep well, Mira?” she asked. She looked at him, raising an eyebrow at her new friend. “Everything all right? You seem a little...on edge.”
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Post by Mini on Oct 6, 2018 21:23:32 GMT -6
The ship creaked and groaned with every step Mira took down the impossibly long hallway. Even when she paused, the ship continued to crack and pop as it was buffeted by the sea. Sure, things had calmed down since last night, but why did every little movement of the ship cause such great, loud, and very strained sounding moans? Wringing her hands together, Mira continued plodding on down the long, dark hallway. The walls of the ship around her seemed almost as if they were growing taller, but surely that was just a trick.
How big was this ship? It hadn't seem so big last night. It hadn't seemed incredibly large when she had been up on the deck just a few moments ago. Frowning, Mira turned around to look for the door she had just walked to. To her horror, she didn't see any sign of the door at all. Behind her, the hallway stretched on and on. There was no end in sight! Had she made a turn at some point? She must have made a turn. Or had she walked through a door...? No, that didn't seem right. Maybe she had descended another floor and hadn't been paying all that much attention. Ships were full of dark, musty holds and cellars and keeps like this.
Feeling her heart start to pound in her chest, Mira whirled back around. Breathing in short, quick, nervous little spurts, she started running down the hallway. There was a light just ahead of her, towards the end of the hallway. That HAD to be a window that would show her the sky and the sea and the sun shining bright, right? Or was that light coming from the floor? Or maybe it was a ceiling light? A lantern? The source of the light seemed to keep shifting and moving, just ever so slightly right over there to the left of--
"AAH!" Mira screamed, jumping as a door she hadn't noticed swung open. A hand jumped up to her chest and she visibly breathed out a huge sigh of relief at the sight of Meissa. "Ohh, Meissa, am I glad to see you," she whimpered, running towards the other magical girl and hugging her tightly. "I... I thought I was going to die down here in this mess of hallways and doors! It feels like a maze! Miss Maaz sent me to come and find you. She... She, uh... She didn't seem to want to talk to me very much." Her stomach let out a loud growl, and poor Mira turned bright red. "Oh... right. Umm... is there anything to eat nearby? I'm afraid I haven't eaten anything since yesterday's breakfast," she said, laughing nervously.
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Post by yooom on Oct 7, 2018 17:34:36 GMT -6
Meissa jumped at Mira’s scream, looking off in the direction she had been staring, expecting a familiar, or at the very least a rat, but there didn’t seem to be anything that should have alarmed the newbie, though it was admittedly quite dark. She returned Mira’s hug, patting her back a couple times, still quite confused what had Mira’s heart pounding in such terror. Perhaps she just rather skittish, she had seemed quite nervous last night, even after the witch had been defeated, though it had been agonizingly close. Maaz also occasionally mentioned a strange feeling that she felt when in the depths of the ship to her, but Meissa ad never noticed it. Meissa gave Mira a small smile as the starved magical girl blushed at the sound of her own belly. She had been so exhausted after that fight, and worried about why Maaz had stormed off so suddenly, that she hadn’t even thought to ask Mira if she was hungry.
“Oh my! I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have at least shown you around last night,” Meissa apologized quickly. She did feel guilty; while Constellation was a base for all of them, Meissa still felt that it was her ship, given that she could control its movements. She did sometimes feel like she was Maaz’s host while the two of them were aboard and, with an actual guest on board, she felt that she’d been neglecting some of her duties as her host. Taking Mira by the shoulder, she led the new girl down the narrow hall, just wide enough for the two girls to make it through at the same time.
“We have a little space of food storage through here. We weren’t expecting a very long voyage, so, we don’t have all that much, but,” she swung open the door. The room beyond wasn’t exactly dramatic, but it was a lot bright than the hallway they had just been walking through, sunlight streaming through the open gun ports across the side of the ship. There were about a dozen cannons in the room, six to each wall, their long iron barrels poking out, facing the open ocean. “Tsk, shouldn’t have left all the doors open all night,” Meissa said to herself, and, with a flick of her wrist, the guns pulled themselves backwards, wooden boards shutting over their mouths. “Anyways, food, food. Meissa strode forward, to an open crate in the middle of the room. Gazing down, she reached into it, pulling a few dried biscuits from its depths, and handing them to Mira with a grim smile. “It’s not much, but it keeps well at sea.” She turned away from her, leading the way out of the room, but paused almost instantly, turning back to Mira. “Actually, if you’re looking for fresh food, we should be home quite soon. We’ll have a proper meal then, I expect.” Meissa allowed herself a nostalgic smile, before again making her way out, into the hallway.
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Post by Mini on Oct 7, 2018 18:55:49 GMT -6
Mira squeaked, allowing herself to be navigated by the shoulders down another hallway. Had that hallway been there before?
"Oh!" she exclaimed in delight, glad to see a much brighter, happier room. None of the gloom and apprehension seemed to surround this part of the ship, and for that she was very glad. Mira was surprised to see that the ship was well armed. She counted twelve cannons, each one pointing out to the open sea. The smell of brine was especially strong once more, and a small spray of saltwater splashed in from an open cannon door. This made Mira visibly relax.
"Ohh!" she exclaimed a second time, her face lighting up as she realized that Meissa had moved all of the cannons by simply flicking her wrist. Clasping her hands together, Mira beamed brightly at her new friend. "Wow! That was amazing! You moved all of those cannons and shut all of those doors just like that! Being a magical girl is amazing!"
"!Levántate en la cubierta, chicas! ¡TIERRA POR DELANTE!" came Maaz's booming voice from somewhere directly above them. "Oi!" she shouted, stomping her foot rather loudly. "Come on, do you have cotton stuffed in your ears? We're nearly home!"
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Post by yooom on Oct 8, 2018 8:24:16 GMT -6
Meissa smiled politely, feeling a little awkward to be admired so by Mira. Her powers were impressive in a way, she supposed, but, after last night’s fight, when they’d proved not nearly enough to keep herself and her friends safe from the witch, was it really worth it? She stared at Mira for a moment, trying to find the right words to explain what she was thinking, the terrible risks, the dangers of it all. She did not want to scare the girl, she had already seen a witch after all, she knew what she had signed up for, she supposed, but, all the same…
“Well…” Meissa began, though she still had no idea what she exactly it was she wanted to say to her. A sudden thumping sound from above jerked Meissa out of her reverie, along with Maaz’s high pitched shouting. Meissa winced slightly, before offering Mira an apologetic smile, before leading the way out of the room, back above deck, where Maaz was waiting, Kyubey a few feet behind her, his eyes locked on her, though his attention shifted quickly to Meissa and Mira as they came up. “Good morning, Maaz!” Meissa called, looking carefully at her. It had been the first time she’d seen her since that night, and Meissa was nervous that she had not fully recovered from whatever it was that had set her off. She walked up to Maaz, taking a position beside her, facing out. “How are you feeling?” Meissa asked, quietly, her eyes on the sight before them.
Constellation was swiftly cutting its course towards a coastline, little more than a hulking black silhouette, a vast mountain covered in massive trees. On the very edge of the water, a vast city stretched out in either direction, lined with piers and ports, bustling with activity. Dozens of masts stuck out from the placid waters where land met sea, from dozens of ships, much, much larger than Constellation itself.
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Post by Mini on Oct 15, 2018 19:08:41 GMT -6
Mira looked very alarmed at the sound of rapid-fire Spanish coming from above. Having come from across the sea, Mira had never heard the tiniest of snippets of such a fast-paced and yet elegant sounding language before. It was equal parts hard and smooth. Words rolled off of Maaz's tongue like water melting off ice on a hot summer's day. "Is... Is something wrong??" Mira asked, trying to hide her startled expression. "What does... Tea-air-a por dell-an-tee mean?"
Shrugging to nobody in particular, she followed Meissa back up to the upper parts of the ship. Visibly relieved to be out in the open air and beneath the bright sun, Mira's entire face lit up at the sight of LAND! Real land! It had been WEEKS since she had seen land, and she had truly despaired of ever setting foot on solid ground again. "Oh, look! An island! And a big one, at that!" she squeaked in delight, running over to the railing. She didn't even notice the sideways glance Maaz had tossed their way. She did notice Kyubey smiling her way. "Oh, good morning, Kyubey! Ooh! Look at all of the other boats!"
"Ships," Maaz corrected the silly little newbie under her breath, rolling her eyes at the insult. "Madre mía, does she even know the difference between a dinghy and a sloop?" she tutted. Noticing Meissa had come and stood next to her, Maaz attempted to look cool and aloft, but a hint of a smile crept across her face as she realized that Meissa must have been worried about her all night.
"Ahh, I'm fine. Right shoulder is a little stiff, but I guess that's just what happens when you take about 72 hits in a row," she chuckled. "Honestly, I will be very happy to get back home. Though... what exactly are we going to do with her once we get there, eh?"
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Post by yooom on Oct 21, 2018 18:07:15 GMT -6
It was refreshing for Meissa to see Mira’s excitement as she gazed at the shoreline. It had become rather commonplace for her, she had, after all, been here less than 24 hours ago, but Mira had come all way across the ocean, the first time she’d been off shore for so long, Meissa suspected. She was even cheerful towards Kyubey, who Meissa found off-putting in the best of times, though her light spirits were not quite enough to lift Maaz’s somewhat sour mood, though, at Meissa’s gentle question, the senior magical girl seemed to soften.
It took Meissa a moment to realize what Maaz was talking about. “With...Mira?” she said, hesitantly. “I...well, I figured she would be working with us, from here on out.” she said, quietly. As far as Meissa could tell, Maaz didn’t dislike Mira, but she wasn’t sure where the veteran would allow someone who had only gained her abilities just the night before. “I don’t think she has anyone else to go to. A-and she did save both of us in that last fight.” Meissa added, quickly. She’d only known Mira for a night, but, after fighting a witch together, she felt a certain level of camaraderie her the newbie.
As Meissa and Maaz conversed, the ship turned slightly, making its way not for the bustling port, but on a collision course for a small island set in the port, seemingly barren save a single huge willow tree, its long branches just faintly brushing up against the waves. The ship slowed as Meissa, noticing the rock getting closer and closer, raised an arm. It came to a stop, beside a thin, wooden pier, extending from the shore a few feet, where a small house sat, sheltered beneath the willow’s branches. Meissa made a slight jabbing motion with a wrist, and there was a splash from the front of the boat, as the Constellation dropped anchor
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Post by Mini on Oct 25, 2018 22:19:31 GMT -6
Maaz simply shrugged, thought she visibly cringed upon hearing Mira shout out something else about how pretty all of the 'boats' looked all 'nice and pretty all lined up on the shore.' Frowning in annoyance, she clapped her friend on the back of her shoulder. "Then you get to teach her the difference between boats and ships... and what a dock is... and how to not sound like a tonto de ojos anchos every time she opens her mouth."
"Oh WOW! did you guys see that bird?! It was so pretty! It had blue and yellow feathers! Was that a parrot? Do they live around here? I've seen pictures of them in books before, but I've never seen a real one before!! It was so so so pretty!!" Mira was squealing loudly from the railing, pointing at some obscure speck off in the distance.
Maaz shot Meissa a look, which thankfully Mira didn't seem to notice at all. Yawning loudly, Maaz strolled over in Kyubey's direction as she stretched both arms up high over her head. Her eyes were on the quaint little cottage that rested not too far up on the beach from where they had just dropped anchor. "'Oi, bola de pelaje, how is our home sweet home looking? You sense any trouble around?"
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Post by yooom on Nov 2, 2018 19:55:45 GMT -6
Meissa only chuckled at Maaz’s annoyance. “It’s a deal,” she replied, and, with a friendly wink, she turned away from Maaz, back to Mira on her railing. She looked off in the direction Mira was pointing and, though she squinted in the direction the English girl was pointing, she could barely make out whatever it was Mira spotted. “It...might be a parrot,” Meissa said, trying to be encouraging. “Some nights, when its very quiet, they’ll perch on the big tree there, they’re quite beautiful, if a bit…”Meissa paused. She did not particularly like birds. They were quite beautiful, from a distance, sure, but there was something about the way they moved, odd, jerking movements, that unnerved the girl. “strange,” she said, finally finishing her sentence.
“There can never be trouble here, Maaz Montilla.” Kyubey replied, his round red eyes turning to fixate on Maaz’s. “That was an ancient wish, and one that holds just as firm today as it did…” Kyubey’s voice trailed off, as his head turned back to house, eyes staring unblinkingly at the wide wooden door to the cottage. “Someone’s here.” Kyubey announced, his tone striking, different from any other time he’d spoken. His tone had been level when observing the near deaths of all three of his present companions, yet something about the presence of this stranger seemed to unnerve him. “Someone dangerous.” He turned, to face Maaz again. “I would advise caution.”
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Post by Mini on Nov 12, 2018 19:31:07 GMT -6
Mira hung on every word Meissa was saying as she explaining that sometimes, the large and colorful birds would perch just inches away from people. Coming from a relatively small, quiet, dull, dreary, and very boring home back across the sea, the sights and smells of this tropic paradise were simply overstimulating. Back home, the most exciting bird she had crossed paths with were pigeons - ugly, nosy bullies, in her opinion. Surely parrots were much more regal, much more majestic, much more--
"Git outta here, ya mangy rat with wings!" came a harsh, angry cry from a local who was walking by carrying a large wooden crate. The parrot had noticed the passerby and swooped down to investigate what was in the crate, hoping it was lunch. Letting out an irate squawk as it was batted at, the parrot seemed to stick its tail up indifferently as it flapped its way back into the trees.
Out of earshot of the others, Maaz was giving Kyubey a strange look. This was the first she had ever heard of such a wish. Their rather magical abode had always seemed a bit remarkable and out of the ordinary, but was it true that it had been wished into existence? And by who, some magical girl of an ancient time? "An ancient wish?" Maaz repeated, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Before she could ask any further questions, Kyubey turned and faced the door to their cottage. From the outside, it was really nothing special. The only thing that really seemed to set it apart was that it was spaced a bit away from what could be considered the edge of the village and the start of the docks.
"Danger? But didn't you just say--"
Mira suddenly gasped as she overheard Kyubey and Maaz, staring at the door with wide eyes. "I... I feel... c-cold all of a sudden," she said, rubbing her arms. Was it just apprehension, or something else? "K-Kyubey, is it another one of those m-monsters from earlier? A witch?"
"Stay here," Maaz growled, running for the gap in the railing that marked where steps were carved into the side of the ship. They were close enough to where they normally docked that it took Maaz all of ten seconds to twist herself down onto the stairs, take two steps and then hurl herself off the side, landing in a neat little crouch with all the gracefulness of a cat in just mere inches of water. Sprinting towards the door, the elder magical girl could definitely sense a chill in the air. Taking no chances, she pulled her pistol free of its holster. As she cocked it, a burst of sparkles fell away to transform it into her magical weapon of choice.
Maaz burst through the front door with her pistol held out in front of her. The wooden door slammed very loudly off of the wall, nearly breaking itself off of its hinges. Her eyes scanned the darkness. That the entire building was dark bothered her - it was sunny outside, so there should have been light streaming in from all of the windows. A strange mist that hung over the entire inside, obscuring most of it from sight. Lucky for Maaz, she knew the layout of their larger-on-the-inside home like the back of her hand. "'Oi! Who's in here?! Show yourself!" she shouted, scanning the mists.
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Post by yooom on Dec 18, 2018 14:24:37 GMT -6
Meissa watched nervously as Maaz ran off, gun cocked. With a single bound she had leapt over the side of Constellation, and took off towards the house. Meissa paced up the length of the ship, hesitating right on the spot Maaz had leapt down. It would be easy for her to make that same jump, aided by her magical wind, but Maaz given her a direct order to stay here. She paused, biting her lip, thinking. There was the chance that Maaz would be outclassed by whatever it was that Mira had detected. She recalled that moment, last night, against that witch out on the open sea, when she’d been knocked out of action by Trübsinn Vergessenheit after only a few seconds of combat. She herself had been unable to beat the witch herself, and Meissa had the sinking feeling that, if whatever was in there was able to get the jump on Maaz, she would be similarly ineffective.
There was the chance that it was simply a false alarm, Meissa reassured herself. All the same, with a single, sweeping motion her plain clothes were swept off her body, and she was once again in the her light blue dress. She stamped her foot rather indelicately, and the sound of a dozen hatches flying open echoed across the eerily silent night, as Constellation’s cannons rolled forward, ready to blast anything that wasn’t her best friend. She stood there, eyes locked on the open doorway Maaz had just passed through, listening carefully for the sound of movement. It COULDN’T be a witch, not here, that was for sure, Kyubey had just said as much. If not a witch then...what? Where there other creatures, other monsters that magical girls also had to look out for? Constellation swayed, drawing nearer and nearer to the dock, Meissa’s gaze squarely on the building, waiting.
Kyubey leapt down from his perch on the railing, winding his fluffy body around Mira’s ankles, his eyes on Mira’s, looking rather serious. “You will need to be on your guard for this fight, Mira.” he said, his tone rather stern. “Meissa will need your help in a fight, should it come to that. And, as long as you are close to the sea, your powers will make you near untouchable.” His eyes gleamed, as he stared at her. “You know, if push comes to shove, I think you could pull this whole island under the waves. It could save your friends from whatever’s in there, you know.”
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Post by Mini on Jan 29, 2019 20:29:29 GMT -6
Mira squeaked audibly as she felt something soft and fluffy rub up against her ankles. She looked down and was relieved to see that it was only Kyubey. What else would it have been, she wondered to herself? The current situation had her jumpier than usual. In fact, everything that had happened had left her jumpier than usual.
"Be on guard? Fight? B-But..." Her voice drifted off as she looked back up in the direction Maaz had run off to. It was getting colder by the minute! Why wasn't anyone else reacting to the sudden drop in temperature? Whining softly, mostly to herself, she inched closer to Meissa. Disregarding the cryptic clue Kyubey dropped about her powers, she gave her new friend a bit of a nudge.
"Meissa, I... I don't think we should stay here. I think we should go in after Maaz."
Meanwhile, back inside the house, Maaz took two steps forward. Her boots echoed into the emptiness. Her sharp, suspicious eyes bounced around from object to object as she tried to perceive who or whatever was lurking off in the darkness. It was simply too dark to see anything more than about twenty feet in front of her. Under normal circumstances, she would have shrugged and just walked inside, but nothing about this was normal. Shouting hadn't worked, so maybe another approach would.
Taking one more step forward, she raised her gun straight up in the air and fired a piercing warning shot that was loud enough to be heard a mile away.
"A gunshot! D-Did you hear that?! That had to have been Maaz! Why is she firing her gun?! Meissa, this is bad!" Mira whimpered, shifting her weight back and forth as she bounced around, clearly on the verge of panicking. "What do we do?! What do we do?!"
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