*000000*

[X] Plan Sherlocke

-[X] Scholar (8/8)

-[X] Astrologian (2/8)

-[X] First, check what was trying to be stolen.

-[X] Try and pick up the trails of our Moogles.

-[X] If that doesn't pan out, maybe a swing by the hospital to ask the witness who put down the ABB. Some healing would probably grease that wheel easily enough.

-[X] If all else fails maybe you could question some of the ABB goons who were arrested?

As soon as you can put points in Scholar you do so, dumping the rest into Astrologian for the day. You never know when a glimpse at possible futures could pay off, after all. Next you pull out the papers that the intruder was apparently going through. It's... About what you expected. Transaction records, bank statements, general paperwork needed to run your business. Rosalia and Madison take care of most of it, given it's usually your job to make things instead.

Still, why would someone be rifling through this sort of thing? There's really not much of interest here. There's a small stack of commission papers, which you'd used before Madison had come up with a more standardized sheet for making requests. Maybe they were trying to find out what you'd be making in the coming days? But you hadn't even decided what day you'd be making what item...

Wait. Maybe... You flip through some pages, collecting data as you work out something akin to a pattern. Some of the pages are out of order, visibly so, more than can be explained by them being knocked off the counter. It's your alchemy requests!

Someone was looking at orders you're planning to fill in the near future. Maybe they're planning to hijack a shipment or something? But to who? Stealing the shipment that's going to the Protectorate for Endbringer fights would be insane, stealing the shipment that the Protectorate is going to distribute to heroes unable to otherwise fight would be a huge PR disaster...

Maybe they're going to try and steal the one going to the local hospitals? That's... That's horrible. Who would do something like that? That's lower than low, more villainous than... Wait, no, you can check this. You pull out your deck of cards, shuffling thoughtfully and focusing on the potential futures. Checking timelines when you deliver the shipments...

Nothing. No issues. For any of them. Is it because you're there? Or because Hanabi interrupted the intruder? It's hard to say, but if this was what the intruder was planning, they aren't going to intervene in the deliveries. It's hard to tell much more than that, but you're almost a hundred percent certain that whoever intruded was looking for information on your medical supplies.

Information, because they didn't raid your medicine cabinet, or the store itself. The store not being raided can be explained by the presence of moogle security, but... Well, maybe they didn't know you had your own medical kit? It seems unlikely that they wouldn't check.

"Hey, Light? There's someone here who wants to speak to you." Rosalia calls from down below. It's just before the store should be opening, Madison should be here soon actually.

-----------------------

"Good morning." The visitor in question is a tall, thin man with closely cropped blonde hair. He's wearing a suit, a rather nice suit that's closely tailored to his body. His smile is soft, clashing with a slightly stern face, and he turns his attention fully towards you as your approach. "I understand your little shop had a bit of an incident last night. I do hope no one was harmed?"

You shake your head, thankful for that fact as well. "I'm glad to hear it. The boardwalk is one of the safest places in the city, but it seems even that can't stop some people from making poor decisions. Ah, where are my manners, my name is Max Anders." His handshake is strong and firm, lingering just long enough to make a point before he straightens up once more. "This... Shop you have here is fascinating, really. Parahumans aren't generally suited to this sort of thing, I've found, having attempted to work with quite a few tinkers in the past. Their creations don't survive long without constant upkeep, and many have a... Possessive streak over what they do create. To make such wonders and give them so freely says a lot about you, Light."

You tilt your head, considering his words for a long moment. "There are some who have been criticizing you, for selling your creations so cheaply. They say you undervalue your talents, or that you're a bleeding heart with no true grasp of how the world works. In all honesty, I had my doubts before coming here to meet you."

"There's a certain type of person... A type of artist, really, who doesn't believe in their own abilities. Impostor syndrome, it's commonly called. They undervalue their work, believing others could do better, believing that others would step up if they didn't do it themselves. In the case of parahumans, it can be especially egregious, powers making tasks so simple that it's easy to believe the results have little value." He explains slowly, gazing around at the lingering damage to the shop. "Others feel a need to atone for something, like there's a debt they need to pay, to god, to society, to something. They give their work freely, becoming something for the world to squeeze every drop of talent out of and then discard."

"I can tell you're not the type." Max laughs, turning his attention back towards you with a smile. "You're fully aware of how brilliant your work is, I can tell that just by seeing your displays. Nor do you give away your creations for a pittance out of some misguided penance. You're a philanthropist through and through, if I had to guess. Unless I miss my mark completely, you genuinely wish to help people, to make the world a better place."

"I'm like you, in a way. There's a balance between offering a hand, and allowing people to climb on their own. To offer your medicine for such a meager price, yet still charging enough that people feel they've accomplished something by purchasing it." He pauses, as if searching for words. "I see the world as a divided place, filled with two types of people. Imagine a hurdle, if you would, a wall for people to climb over, and past this wall is the promise of a better life. Climbing the wall is difficult, sometimes it's downright impossible, but it's in our nature as humans to try, no?"

You nod, agreeing with that much, at least. Humans are irrational by their nature, prone to attempting things that should be impossible, and sometimes even succeeding. "The two types of people are those who climb the wall, with everything they have, and those who climb the people. Their reasons may be the same, sometimes they crave a better life, sometimes they do it for their family, their children, but the methods differ. Some struggle every day, never moving beyond their lot in life despite how hard they try, others prey on those who struggle, using the downtrodden as footholds to get a leg up. It's never as simple as 'civilian and criminal', but it often seems that way."

The helpless, and the people who prey on them. No matter how they struggle, often enough the two types just clash and send the whole thing toppling down once more, where cooperation would do so much more good. "It's our duty, people like us, to reach down and help those climbing the wall. The ones who deserve the better life, who work hard, but need the recognition. There's a fine line though, which I feel you understand. To simply lift someone out of that hell isn't proper, it isn't right. It doesn't truly help them, not in the ways that matter. Rather, it's better to make handholds, to make climbing the wall easier, to ensure that it's those who truly try that succeed."

"Offering your potions for such a modest price... Not only does it help those who's struggles are beyond their control, those who struggle with injury or illness, but it engenders a feeling of triumph in them. Rather than some divine blessing, they scrape together what they have and grasp that lifeline with both hands." Max explains, looking quite proud of you for... Something.

"It's my dream to see this city rise out of the pit it's fallen into. The people here have the will to struggle higher, but lack the ability to do so. Your business is one that offers some small opportunity for the people who climb, and the wrong sort, those who prey on the helpless... Well, you've already proven rather capable of fending them off, no?" He laughs softly. "I don't feel I need to offer any assistance with security, between your own abilities and the boardwalk guards, you should be more than safe. Instead, I'll express interest in your potions. You see, I'm the CEO of Medihall Corporation, the primary pharmaceutical company on the east coast, and even I'm impressed at what your creations can do."

"But there's only so much a single tinker can accomplish, as I'm sure you've realized. Your products are in demand the world over by now, and the Protectorate is doing a rather admirable job of supplying those heroes who need them, however... My company can be of assistance in other ways. There are people the Protectorate is overlooking, not out of malice, but obligation. People who desperately need your potions. People who would be flooding your mailbox with requests on a daily basis." Max explains. "A partnership with my company could handle that distribution for you, ensuring those in need receive the very best in medical care, including your products."

That's... Something. He's not wrong, there are people around the world who could use things like spine drops and eye drops, people far away from Brockton Bay, people that aren't the Protectorate's concern. Forcing them to come all this way would be cruel, and sorting through requests would take a lifetime. If you spent the rest of your life as an alchemist, you probably couldn't provide potions for the entire world... Making something like a monthly shipment to Medihall, like you do with the Protectorate, could do a world of good. It'd be good PR for his company as well, and not something he can really screw you over without severe public backlash.

"There's also the matter of your ingredients. While I've always scoffed at the... Holistic approach to medicine, there is some merit in it. Almost all of modern medicine was originally derived from the natural world, so no doubt there are some genuine healing properties in the ingredients you gather with your unique power. That being said, I do wonder if there are other things you can make use of? Is it only the ingredients you gather, or if Medihall were to provide things like ginseng and ginger, or even synthetic medicine, could you work with that?" He continues, sounding rather enthused with the idea. "It is my job to consider such ideas, no?"

Hmm... Could you? You aren't an Alchemist at the moment, so it's hard to say for sure, but... Having Medihall resources at your disposal can be beneficial in many ways, it's true. "As for the money... I'm sure such a thing can't possibly tempt someone like you, no?" He chuckles, raising an eyebrow. "But my company does have a budget for this sort of thing. As someone with far too much money of my own, I can only suggest a number of reputable charities that would happily accept any extraneous income."

That is true. You're probably approaching the millions at this point, and most things don't cost several million like they did back in Eorzea. Further things to think about. This man has given you plenty today. "I'll leave my contact information, if you have any further questions. You are free to consider this at your leisure." Max smiles amicably, patting you on the shoulder and turning to leave. As he reaches the door, he steps aside and holds it open for Madison and Montblanc, giving them both a kind smile before being on his way.

"Am I late?" Madison asks, watching him leave. "Oh my gosh, what happened to this place!?"

----------------------------

"So nothing on our moogles then..." Rosalia sighs, following along after you in her Riding Hood costume. "Maybe we should get some kind of tracking device installed in them?" It's a good idea, you only hadn't done it already because you hadn't expected moogles to actually leave the shop.

"So... Maybe our survivor saw something? I mean, I don't feel good about questioning them after everything, but if one of the moogles intervened..." Honestly, you only got past the front desk of the hospital by virtue of being a known hero, and donating potions to the hospital already. Showing up with a small kit of medicine helps as well.

Although... The odds of the victim seeing anything are... Not great. "Oh." Rosalia mumbles, spotting the redheaded girl sitting up in her hospital bed, with thick bandages wrapped around her eyes. "Shit."

"H-hello?" The girl turns her head at the noise, focusing loosely on your direction, "Who's there? A nurse?"

"A pair of heroes actually." Rosalia replies awkwardly. "We uh... Heard about what happened..."

"Oh..." The girl's voice is so small and defeated... Her family should be here to visit soon at least, or... What's left of her family. Apparently her father tried to defend her during the mugging and didn't make it. The gang seemed more bent on abducting the girl than killing her, but seemed perfectly willing to mutilate her instead. Just looking at her... You feel awful.

"Have you heard of Light? The hero with the store on the boardwalk? That's this guy, and I'm Riding Hood, his uh... Partner." Rosalia explains. "We've got potions here that may help your recovery."

The girl turns to face straight ahead, the tension not leaving her body as she ignores the words. Inwardly, you think about what you can do to help. You can heal, certainly. With this many points into Scholar you're second only to a White Mage in terms of what you can fix, but... Mending flesh wounds is one thing, but restoring eyes or limbs is...

It really depends on what the damage is. If the eyes are damaged, maybe you can mend them back into working shape, and then use eye drops for the optic nerves? If the eyes are gone... If they're gone, you can at least heal the damage around the eye sockets.

You step towards the bed slowly, gently sitting down on the edge beside the girl. She reaches out towards you, and you take her hand gently, feeling her grip it uncertainly. "Light doesn't talk so... If you have any questions, I can explain things for you." Rosalia explains, stepping up behind you as the girl slowly relaxes. "What's your name?"

"Emma..." The girl replies, her head not quite looking in your direction. "I... Can you fix it?" You glance towards Rosalia with a pained expression, and shrug your shoulders.

"We can try our best." Rosalia replies.

"That's what the doctors said. They tried their best." Emma replies softly, sadly.

"Our best is better." Rosalia insists. You reach up and gently touch Emma's cheek, waiting as she flinches back away from your sudden touch, until she relaxes once again and leans into your palm. Gently, slowly, you unwrap the bandages and unwind them layer by layer. Underneath is...

It's heart wrenching. Blood and injury doesn't bother you, you're not squeamish, but seeing such damage willfully, purposely done to a girl her age... To a non-combatant, an innocent bystander... Her eyes are gone, gouged out roughly by something sharp. If there was anything left of them, the doctors would have removed them during surgery. Around her eye-sockets are a web of deep cuts, all stitched together with precision. Those you can fix, restoring the skin so that not even a scar remains.

You'll do your very best, as promised.

Green light fills your hands as you cradle Emma's face between them, holding her as she shudders, as if trying to cry. You pull up all your knowledge of anatomy, mending not just the flesh, but the nerves beneath, repairing severed connections and damaged blood vessels. Emma's first sigh of relief as the pain stops, perhaps for the first time since last night, is a welcome sound to your ears. Stitches fall free of her face, replaced with smooth, pale skin, new skin that's never seen the sun. Pale, until it can catch up with the rest of her sun-kissed face.

Eyelids follow, grown from the scraps that clung to the wounds, eyelashes will regrow on their own with time. If you had some glass eyes for her, maybe carved some as a jewelcrafter, she'd look good as new. "Is... Is it fixed?" Emma asks, reaching up and gingerly touching her cheeks. "I... It doesn't hurt. Am I... Am I fixed?"

This is the best you can do for now, aside from mending the various other scrapes and bruises. Her fingers in particular are a mess, from fighting back against her assailant. Cuts across her arms as well, defensive wounds. "It feels... Smooth. He... He said I'd be scarred for life. Ugly... Branded as just a c-cheap... A c-cheap..."

"It's okay now. You're safe." Rosalia replies softly, being your voice for you. "There's not a single mark on you anymore."

"But my eyes... My vision. They... They took my eyes. I... I want them back. Please, can't you get them back?" You look down at your hands, uncertain what to do. Even if you gave her fake eyes, she wouldn't be able to see. They wouldn't be 'her' eyes. "I'm... I'm sorry... It's too much, isn't it? Too much to ask... I shouldn't..."

You hug the girl, pulling her into your arms and letting her head rest on your shoulder. There's no tears, but there is soft sobbing as she clings to you like a lifeline. "I heard him die... He... He wanted so badly to protect me. I wanted to protect myself too but... Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't he have survived, and you could heal him too?"

There's no easy answer to that, really. There's never a good answer to that sort of question. 'Everything happens for a reason?', but sometimes those reasons are really, really dumb. "I'm sorry... You've given me so much, but compared to what I've lost..." It's not nearly enough, is it? You sigh, unable to really do much else.

"Hey, Light?" Rosalia draws your attention, and you crane your head to look towards her. There, in her hands, is a rather beat up, rather dirty, moogle. "Found one." Momoza has clearly seen better days, and seems to be completely out of energy.

"Huh? W-what is it?" Emma asks, raising her head at the sound of Rosalia's voice.

"This moogle here... The stuffed animal? Where did you get it?" Rosalia asks softly.

"I... D-during the attack it... I don't know. There was shouting, and the sounds of... Explosions, I think? The next thing I knew this soft and fluffy thing was pressed into my chest. I... I must have held onto it all the way to the hospital, and they thought it was a toy." Emma admits sheepishly.

So Momoza threw herself atop Emma to protect her huh? But then, who took out the gang members? "Did you see who took down the gang members? Was it just the moogle?"

"I... I don't think so. People were shouting like someone else was there. There was just a bunch of clanging and crashes... I don't know anything else." Emma mumbles. Hmm... Maybe Momoza saw something? If you're right, she should just need a new aether crystal installed...

It's hard to maneuver with Emma still clinging to you, but you don't want to dislodge her either. Soon enough though, you watch as Momoza's eyes flutter open, wings flapping gently as she sits upright in bed. "Oh... My head, kupo..."

"T-that voice!" Emma gasps, turning and groping blindly for Momoza. The moogle gives a squeak of alarm before she's swept into Emma's embrace. "Y-you're the one who s-saved me!"

"You're okay, kupo! I was worried when I ran out of energy, kupo!" Momoza cheers. "Hey, hey, you healed her right, kupo?" You nod, patting the little fluffball on the head. "Oh, you're probably upset that I left huh, kupo?"

Well, not so much really. You're more concerned with whether she saw who was spying on the shop. "Hmm... I went outside after Mojito ran off, and saw someone on a nearby rooftop, kupo. They left by the time I flew up after them, but I managed to follow, kupo!"

You nod, motioning for her to continue. "I flew as hard as I could, after the person flying on some piece of junk kupo. I shouted and shouted, but they only stopped above the alleyway where the bandits were, kupo! I thought we should help, because that was more important, and we could talk after kupo... I don't know if they did or not, because I jumped down right after, kupo."

"But they must have wanted to, right? They saw what was happening and stopped, right kupo?" Momoza insists, looking around at all of you. "How they looked... They were um... A red mage, or a white mage, but with red robes, kupo?"

"Red robes?" Rosalia repeats, frowning to herself. "Is that it? All you saw?"

"Red and black robes kupo! It was dark, and they didn't talk or even turn to face me, kupo...." Momoza replies sadly.

"It's more h-help than I could p-provide..." Emma replies sullenly. "A-all I did was-"

"You survived, kupo! That's what's important, kupo! That's what your father cared about, kupo!" Momoza insists. "He did all he could to ensure you were okay, no matter what kupo!"

"I... I-I... H-he..." Emma shakes again, squeezing the moogle tightly, and then you find your arms full of sobbing girl once again. So what now? You have a description of the cape hanging around your shop, and you found Momoza. Emma is... Not in the best shape, but you've done what you can to fix her face. You can even make her some really pretty eyes the next time you're a jewelcrafter.

You should invite her around the shop when she gets out of the hospital, actually. She seems like she's Madison's age, so maybe they'll get along? She looks like she could use the support of some good friends.

You still don't know who that cape actually was though, or what they were doing by the shop. Only that they wore red and black robes, and did intervene with the mugging, shortly after Momoza led the charge into the fray. You still don't know who the actual intruder was either.

So... Now what?

[x] Plan Cover Our Bases

- [x] So, Max has a company offer. You're not against doing something like that, but your lawyers yelled at you the last time you jumped feet-first into something. Take advantage of your Scholar abilities to get an idea of what Max Anders and Medhall are like. You wouldn't want your medicine going to people who would monopolize it, after all!

-[x] Emma has a standing offer to visit your shop whenever. You can't, well give her Momoza, but the moogle has your permission to visit her whenever. You'll see about modding it later to give it a longer active lifespan. You can also give Emma some artificial eyes whenever she wants, when she feels comfortable.

-[x] You still have a moggle to find. This one might be harder though.

"I... We, appreciate what you've done for us." Emma's mother is a kind woman, the kind that seemingly exemplifies 'mother' in every aspect. Short, plush, and overly affectionate as she crushes you into her chest. "It's... It's still hitting home for us..." You really don't know how to deal with weepy-eyed people, other than offering to help. However, in this situation...

The best you could theoretically do is restore Emma's eyes? It'd take an alchemical solution, as well as cells from an actual eyeball... Theoretically yours could work, take them out, divide them up, regenerate the pieces and then reattach them. But then there's the issue of your eyes being aetherial matter, and what that would do to Emma, if anything.

Then again Madison has been ingesting all of those tonics and she's fine, right? Right? Ah, maybe she's due for a check-up soon.

It'd be a bit much to ask Mrs. Barnes or Emma's older sister Anne to donate an eye, even temporarily. You could ask around the hospital, and see if maybe they have a spare? Unlikely, and potentially weird... Madison or Rosalia might do it, and you could compensate them with money... Or you could just make something as a jeweler, some kind of fake eyes, or...

"Light, kupo?" You suplex that train of thought, turning your attention back to the moogle present. "I was wondering, if I could stay with Emma, kupo?"

Hmm... It's a reasonable request. So long as Momoza doesn't use her magic to excessively she'll last a while between recharges. Honestly, you could upgrade her into something more akin to Montblanc, allowing her more freedom and function, as well as more time away from the shop. An acceptable compromise, you'd think.

"Ah... I see, kupo..." Momoza nods, thinking it over, before returning to Emma's side. "I'll be able to visit you often, kupo."

"You're also welcome at the store whenever you like." Rosalia adds, reaching out to take Emma's hand. "I'm certain there's something we can do for you, if we really put our minds to it." There definitely is. You just need some time, and effort.

"T-thank you..." The poor girl seems so subdued. It's hard to imagine what she was like, before this tragedy. Did she always stutter, or is that a result of the trauma? "U-um... Mom? Is... D-did you manage to talk to T-taylor?"

"I spoke to Mr. Hebert, but Taylor's away at that summer camp right now. Oh I wish I had sent you as well, if only to avoid all of this..." Emma's mother sighs sadly. "Her father's willing to pass a message along, if-"

"N-no... T-taylor deserves to enjoy her s-summer... If we t-tell her, s-she'll spend all of c-camp worrying..." Emma shakes her head quickly, copper locks bouncing.

"No doubt she'll rush home to be by your side." Emma's mother insists. "Just say the word and we'll get her on the phone, the camp is just a state away, she'll be home by tomorrow."

"N-no! S-she deserves the h-happy memories." Emma insists.

Well, this isn't your argument to get involved in. With a promise to bring Emma around the shop when she's able, you leave Momoza behind and set out on your way. You still have one more moogle to track down, after all.

--------------------

Rosalia directs Alpha away from the hospital as you sit passenger behind her. Your tome is open, going over all the detailed information your lawyers have sent you about Max Anders and Medihall. On paper, it seems like everything is on the up and up regarding the company. They are about as squeaky clean and legal as any pharmaceutical company in the United States can be. Which is to say, you don't like them. At all.

Max may be a decent person. Some of his employees probably think they're doing a world of good, but at the end of the day it's the duty of a corporation to make money, and when their money comes from selling life to those who desperately need it... The thought of it makes your skin crawl.

What he said about your pricing does make some level of sense. Simply giving out potions for free has problems. In an ideal world, such things would flow like water, but your resources are limited, mostly by time. You can't give out a potion for every scrape and bruise, so charging a small fee to cover costs is reasonable. It keeps people from abusing them, from hoarding them, or so you thought.

The fact is, someone with the kind of money Max Anders lays claim to could buy out your entire stock for the next hundred years without batting an eyelash, if he were allowed to. It's only thanks to your small business model and record keeping that prevents him from doing that, and then turning around to sell that supply for a thousand times the price. Well, that and his own moral compass, you suppose.

And he's not the richest in the world, either. Now, you're not saying he would try to hoard resources, but... It does draw attention to some flaws with your business going forwards. It's not just theft you have to watch out for, regarding getting your potions to the people who need them. There's advertisement, ensuring people know that there are solutions you can provide, there's delivery, ensuring the potions get to who needs them... There's even cases like Emma's, where unique circumstances mean custom alchemical solutions.

You already take custom requests, but requests for healing are even more specific. Certainly, Medihall can help with thoseaspects. They no doubt have, or can find, information on all the worst cases in the world, the ones no one else can help. As for what they'd get out of the deal, obviously the renown of working with someone like you, of having access to your medicine, would be a tremendous boon. People would speak to Medihall in order to speak with you, and in the process Medihall can offer them other services as well.

Offer treatment themselves when a potion isn't strictly necessary.

The question becomes if Medihall is truly necessary. You could hire someone else to do the same thing, to find contacts, to filter out who needs your medicine and who doesn't. You could... But why, when Medihall already has the resources. The worry that they may attempt to usurp your business, or hoard your resources, can be offset by strong contracts. You do have a legal team, after all.

Something ironclad, outlining what Medihall can and cannot do regarding your abilities and creations. Something limiting how much they can mark up your products for shipping to distant buyers, something preventing them from gaining exclusive rights to anything you create, something that prevents them from denying anyone who requests aid, in the case you disagree with their screening process.

They'd get what they want. People could say 'Yes, you can get Light's potions from Medihall, just contact them!', but you aren't going to stop your small business, and you are still going to provide for anyone who needs your help. As for working with their synthetic materials... You're curious what Omega's understanding of Alchemy can do with such things. Obviously they don't have Aether of their own, but experimenting could be interesting.

You send a text to your lawyers with your ideas. No decision making yet, let them work out the details and draw up contracts for you to peruse later. For now, you have other things to focus on.

-----------------------

"How'd it go?" Madison asks, perking up the moment you walk in the door.

"Victim lost her eyes and her dad." Rosalia replies bluntly, having stopped to change before arriving back at the store. "So... Not good."

"You are a healer, are you not?" Odd, you don't recognize the girl sitting in the chair near the counter. She's dressed in layer upon layer of fabric, an outfit resembling a dress but predominantly frills. Her face is covered in a mask that looks to be made of painted porcelain, and the ringlets of hair that fall down around her head are clearly fake.

"Light fixed her face up, but the doctors had cleaned out her eyes good. Nothing there to regrow." Rosalia shrugs, turning to look at you for confirmation. You nod, crossing your arms and thinking it over. A few tissue samples from a functioning eye, and you could in theory regrow a new pair. Slowly, over time. It'd mean assembling each individual section piece by piece, layer by layer...

Having an actual eye to work with, to divide and regenerate, would be quicker. A day, maybe, to grow a pair. Going up to someone and saying 'Hey can I borrow an eye for a day? I'll put it back!' doesn't sound like it'd go over well for most people. Madison might, she's been keen to be a lab rat so far, and you can pay her a bonus for it. Emma's surviving family might as well, such sacrifice is typical among family, and those eyes would likely match her missing ones.

Your eyes... Part of you wants to see what cloning your eyes would do, if you're being honest. Curiosity that isn't entirely morbid. They could do strange things, they could behave normally, they could wither and die without an aetheric soul recharging them as part of a natural biorhythm. Who knows?

At the very least, the chance of rejection for eyes is relatively low. Cloning other organs would generally require a matching donor... Though perfecting the technology of cloning individual organs from the cell up would surely be useful.

"So... Who's this?" Rosalia asks, gesturing towards the girl in the costume. You put aside your thoughts for now, resisting the temptation to dive back into your tome and begin writing down your ideas.

"Parian." The girl replies bluntly, rising from her seat and giving a flowery curtsy. You return the gesture with a bow, and glance towards her left, where your missing moogle has just come into view. "I do believe this is yours?" The moogle in question floats up into the air, but its movements are unnatural. Hollow, lifeless, lacking in the same animation you're used to. "It came into my possession in a much more ragged state."

You grasp the empty husk from the air, quickly looking it over for signs of damage. It's there, beneath the expert stitching and repair-work, various cuts and tears, as well as a good amount of missing stuffing. "How, exactly, did you get your hands on our missing security guard?" Rosalia questions, a note of hostility creeping into her voice.

"It came to me." Parian replies evenly. "I found it on the doorstep of my shop this morning, and thought perhaps it was a gift. People sometimes bring their old toys to me for repairs, children often love to see their treasured friends animated and such. This seemed like one of those times, so I decided to take pity on the poor thing and fix it up."

Cuts and tears, puncture wounds as well. No sign or smell of gunpowder, which would linger past a simple cleaning. More stuffing loss than what the damage would usually cause, so Mojito likely moved quite a bit after injury. You need to know where this woman's shop is.

"My shop?" Parian repeats your question, tilting her head in a gesture of curiosity. With her mask on, and the curls, she looks almost owl-like. "I almost expected you to know, being the only other major parahuman business owner in the area. Aside from the Palanquin, of course, but those mostly cater to Case 53's. It's about three miles from here, just off the boardwalk."

She points it out on the map, and you quickly begin piecing together the information. For Mojito to have received these injuries, to have lost that much stuffing, and spent enough aether to run out at her doorstep... You can piece together a general area of where he got into his fight. An area on a route far away from the one your watcher took.

Which isn't to say they aren't connected. It could be that they had orders to split up if things went south. Still... Best to hear details from the horses mouth, as it were. You withdraw an aether crystal and hold it up to Mojito's pom-pom, waiting as the energy begins to seep into him.

"K-k-k... K-kupo?" Eyes flutter open, wings beat weakly against thin air as you hold him steady. "W-what... K-kupo?" You cradle the little puffball to your chest, gently soothing him as his senses return. The stitching job Parian has done is quite masterful, so there should be no issues with his functionality, once he comes online completely.

"T-theif, kupo?" Mojito mutters, remembering the night before. "They were... Black. Purple? Kupo..." A black garbed thief? Or at least, someone wearing dark colors. Black is actually not the best for blending in at night, so a very dark purple would be appropriate.

It takes quite a while, but you get the rest of the story out of Mojito. Apparently he was one of the closest to the intruder when they went through the door. The only one to see the culprit go through the door. Not stopping to unlock or even open it. Alarmed and curious, the moogle gave chase, tailing the culprit from a distance a good mile or so away from the boardwalk, in towards the center of Brockton Bay.

No one met up with the intruder, they didn't stop at any hide-aways or safe houses, no drops or contact was made to anyone else. They merely ran, sometimes at an incredible pace, until an alleyway around a half mile from Parian's shop. Mojito thinks his pom must have given him away, the light catching the thief's attention as he tried to creep closer to the exhausted intruder, because something sharp hit him in the side not long after.

His return magic lit up the alleyway only briefly, revealing only the cloaked silhouette of the culprit, before a second pop-and-hiss noise heralded a stinging sensation in his leg. Injured, Mojito fled, shedding stuffing all the while, and made a mad dash for safety, using as much aether as possible to keep himself going.

How he wound up on Parian's doorstep was a mystery. Either he made it there by luck in a delirious state, or someone local mistook him for a frayed stuffed animal. "Once one of my customers informed me of what the creature was, I thought to return it to you. I had no idea it could be revived." Parian explains, dusting herself off and moving towards the door. "My part in this is done, I should be on my way."

You nod, pausing for a moment, before rushing over to a nearby clothing rack. She deserved a reward for her assistance, after all. Recovering Mojito would have been much more difficult without her assistance. Perhaps... Ah, yes, that will do. She runs a clothing shop, right?

"Hmm?" Parian pauses as you step between her and the door, head tilting and expression unreadable behind her mask. You present her with your usual happy smile, and a bolt of both Pixie cotton and Dwarven cotton. "These are..." Her hand rests on the topmost cloth, her posture tensing for a moment, as if expecting an attack... "A gift?"

You nod, resisting the urge to hug the young woman. She's been a tremendous help, after all. "I see... Perhaps I will make a social call in the coming days." Parian admits, hefting the cloth under one arm. "It's difficult for young girls like us to make a living in a place like Brockton Bay, even with our powers. Do take care."

With that warning, she steps out onto the boardwalk, leaving you to ponder the evidence.

-----------------------

"So, Vista's like 90% sure the watcher was a cape by the name of Rune. She's a telekinetic that works for the Empire." Rosalia summarizes. "Momoza followed her to the scene of Emma's car-jacking, then stopped following her to try and intervene. It looks like Rune did actually step in and stop the ABB from completing their kidnapping, at least."

"So... She's not all bad?" Madison asks, frowning softly.

"Just because she stopped to beat up some rival gang-bangers doesn't make her a hero." Rosalia warns. "What's more confusing is this new evidence. It sounds like the intruder is the same one we had a run in with a while back, remember?" The one who could go intangible. "She used a crossbow on me back when we fought. Would have gotten me right in the gut without my blood armor up."

"Didn't she claim to be a hero though?" Madison asks, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why work with the Empire?"

"She may not be working with them. She did flee in a different direction, after all." Rosalia objects. "I mean breaking into here still isn't 'heroic'..."

It's hard to say, really. By the look of things, Rune, or someone else, was on lookout over the shop for a good long while. Waiting for something, no doubt. Your intruder likely entered from above, going intangible to bypass security. Why go for your paper records then? When there's so much more valuable things in the store...

To go for the papers, she was clearly looking for information on your potion sales. Another check of the cards suggests you aren't going to be ambushed on your upcoming shipments, so that can't be it. If she's bold enough to break into your home, she'd be bold enough to steal some from you if that's what she wanted. Was this just some petty revenge for that scuffle a while back?

"So what do we do?" Hanabi asks, speaking up for the first time in a while. "Tell the PRT what we found? Rune, and likely the Empire are spying on us, and our break in was caused by a supposed vigilante hero?"

Your life was so much easier when you didn't have to deal with plotting and scheming. Why can't you just go out and punch gang members?

-------------------

Tomorrow is Saturday

[X] Plan Fortunes

-[X] Astrologer (8/8)

-[X] Alchemist (2/8)

-[X] Do a write up of possible treatments for Emma. Send it to Panacea asking for a bit of advice as to which sounds more palatable to the girl. She's the closest you have to a medical peer you can double check your work with.

-[X] Write up a quick report to the PRT detailing what you found out about the theft.

-[X] Aside from that, predict things! See what big things are on the horizon.

-[X] Also be out and be seen. Go on a patrol and predict things. See if someone needs your help.

-[X] Check up on Madison, she's literally your test-bunny, kitty...something, better to check the progress now rather than have to deal with complications later, she is your Eather infusion test subject after all.

It's times like this you really wish you were capable of screaming in frustration.

Because right now would be a great time to scream. It would feel so good as you press your forehead to the cold wood of your desk and exhale until your lungs are empty. So, so good. "Is there a problem?" Madison asks, as if it weren't obvious. To be fair, you are having this reaction over her latest test results, so she's right to be worried.

Maybe you should let her know. Explain it to her, so that she can scream in frustration and you can vent vicariously through her actions? But that would take weeks of studying for her to understand the exact context of your own break down.

In short, Madison doesn't have Aether. This is such an obvious thing, such a clear cut distinction that you knew from the very first moment you were created in this world. Even before meeting Madison you could have guessed that, you could predict that no one in the world but you has Aether just from the limited knowledge you already possess. The problem is that you haven't really considered what that meant until now.

Until you saw what's going on in Madison's body. Specifically, that the Aether she's ingesting from your tonics isn't dispersing like it should. Like it would if she had an Aether system of her own to absorb it. It's like injecting blood into a medical training dummy, rather than a living person. Of course the blood isn't integrated and broken down, it just sits there, stagnating, congealing, causing a mess of things.

In this case, at least, it's not doing anything harmful to Madison. Oh no, not harmful at all. Quite the opposite. At first you'd been worried about that, the initial panic coming from seeing something akin to Tempering. If, for example, you were to take a creature with an Aetheric Soul, and infuse them with so much of your own Aether that they became mostly you, that would be the act of Tempering. They would be incapable of acting against you, as they are in part, an extension of yourself.

Similarly, if you were somehow able to force all of your Aether into someone, or at the very least push in enough with the precision to replicate your own Aetheric soul, that would be akin to the possession that Ascians use. This isn't like that either, as the tonics Madison is using come from ambient Aether. There's nowhere near the level of control or precision there.

No, instead of sitting stagnant or dissipating harmlessly, the Aether infused into Madison is starting to circulate among her body, coalescing around specific points. Madison is developing a chakra network, and by extension, a soul.

This has... Implications.

Traditionally, no Aether means no soul, though having Aether alone doesn't mean something does have a soul. It's a complex philosophical debate, but generally, Aetheric constructs aren't considered to be ensouled unless that Aether flows in a specific way. There's tests... Of course, that doesn't hold water in this world. No one has Aether, and yet everyone you've met can past the tests to determine if someone has a soul.

Clearly people like Missy and Rosalia and Madison have souls, even if you can't detect their presence with your usual methods. You could probably classify them as having 'material souls' or something like that. So if Madison already has a 'Material Soul', and is now developing an Aetheric Soul... What does that mean?

If the new soul is developing to mimic the original one, there shouldn't be any issues of split personalities or anything like that, at the very least. Rather, this has other implications.

Already, various experimental ideas are running through your head. Once her Aetheric Soul has developed, could you separate it from her material body? If you were to damage then repair someone's body repeatedly, cycling Aether through them constantly, could you accelerate the formation of an Aetheric soul? Would there be a risk of Tempering from using your own Aether? Would White Magic work better, since it draws from the environment? Is the environment in this case just Omega?

What does that mean for your plans regarding Emma's eyes? You had considered growing a pair from donors, rather than using your own due to potential Aetheric contamination, but... Is there a point to that? From what you've seen here, there's a chance that she'll merely absorb that Aether and begin making her own Aetheric Soul as well. The same could be true if you used your magic to grow a new pair of eyes, unless you did it slowly, allowing the Aether to dissipate between each stage of development.

What about your potions? Those should be safe, unless someone's drinking one literally every time it's safe to do so.

Okay. You've got to revise your notes, and then send some of this information to Panacea. She knows a bunch about healing, maybe she'll know what to do?

----------------------

Okay, the Madison issue is under control. There's literally no downside to letting it progress, and stopping her treatments now would... Well, you don't want the death of her proto-soul to be on your conscience. Whether or not this has any great consequence down the line, aside from her gaining strength form the tonics, remains to be seen. Who knows, perhaps doing this on purpose will become something to focus on.

In the mean time, you send the results of your investigation into the break-in to the PRT, including the information on the cloaked thief, their abilities, and what they rifled through. If they are interested in the potion shipments, the PRT deserve to know, and prepare.

The fact that the 'Empire' is also snooping around your shop is troublesome, but they haven't exactly done anything yet. For now, you'll keep an eye on the surroundings, in case they come back to stake the place out again.

And now, to look to the future...

...

Well, that's troublesome.

The biggest issue is quite clearly what's happening a week from Sunday. Where before it was a distant, looming threat, now there's a great big blazing sun of fire hanging over the date. Fire, fire, fire, and destruction. Not much to really say about it, other than that it will be a large scale disaster if you aren't there to deal with it. Thankfully you already know where it's going to appear, and it doesn't seem like its trajectory has changed at all.

It's going to appear in southern New York, and travel pretty much in a straight line towards you, burning everything in its path. People are going to get hurt, more if you don't respond quickly and decisively. It will be your greatest challenge to date.

Prior to that, there's no serious trouble unless you go kicking hornets nests. This Tuesday there's going to be violence again, this time towards the north end. It's hard to say exactly where, but you can narrow it down to a few blocks. Interestingly it seems like... Kid Win will be involved? Telling him to avoid the area makes things worse, so maybe it'd be best to go with him on that patrol.

Wednesday seems like your best day for gathering, and for taking a day off. You can probably get away with going on a date with someone, your cards suggest whoever you take out, the date will go exceptionally well.

Thursday is... Weird. It reads as either a minor violent conflict or a minor financial loss... Followed by potentially a minor social gain. The Bandit paired with the Clasped Hands.

No one you know is in any kind of immediate danger at the very least. Madison's future seems bright, Rosalia and Missy seem stable, and Hanabi... By the look of things, some major progress on her goals should come within the week. She may even feel up to patrolling with you soon, if you want to go take a serious crack at the hero stuff.

Speaking of...

------------------

"Ah... You know it actually feels pretty good to patrol." Rosalia sighs, stretching her arms out behind her as you walk the streets of Brockton Bay. Your fortune telling has led you to a number of minor issues, which you promptly resolved. You returned a few missing wallets, found a missing pet, and even scared off some loitering gang members just by your presence. "Not exactly hero stuff, is it?"

Honestly, if your predictions are right, just walking around is enough to disrupt numerous minor troubles, so you don't mind the lack of action. "H-hey! Please! Don't touch that!" Ah, that would be the other incident you predicted. This close in time, you can pretty much tell exactly what's going to happen next.

The shouting comes from a nearby convenience store, the doors opening on their own as you approach. Inside, a group of four young men are busy trashing the place, knocking over displays and smashing the products. Occasionally, you spy one or two even shoving snack foods into their pockets, all the while laughing and taunting the single clerk behind the counter.

"Please stop!" The clerk himself is a short young man with feminine features, who clutches his hoodie with tears in his eyes. "I'll... I'll call the cops!"

"Huh? The fuck did you say?" One of the young thugs laughs, turning a scornful expression towards the clerk. "Don't you get it? This is our neighborhood, everything here is our toy. This store, this stuff, even you."

"Heh, yeah, you're pretty cute aren't ya? What were they thinking, making a young girl like you work alone at night. It's dangerous you know, without us guys here to protect you... Anything could happen." One of the other thugs chuckles darkly.

"I-I'm not..." The clerk stammers, backing away from the counter. He's too slow, however, as the thug's arm reaches out and bodily drags him over the countertop, a fist slamming into his gut. "Guh!"

"Hey!" Having seen more than enough, Rosalia strides forward into the store proper, stepping over discarded snack-food and drawing attention to herself. "Let them go!"

"Heh, look, two more girls. Now it's a party." The closest thug smirks, then quickly goes pale as wicked blades and spines of blood erupt from Rosalia's body, making her look more like an angry hedgehog than a human. "Oh shit."

One of the thugs makes a break for the door, circling around a toppled display case to stay out of your partner's reach. With a casual glance and gesture, you send a burst of magic into the young man's chest, sending him to the floor in a crumpled heap. "Oh shit!" The first thug repeats again, sending the rest into a panicked rush to flee.

Not that it does them any good. Within moments you have all four of the thugs subdued, beaten, and restrained out front of the store for the world to see. And for the cops to pick up, of course. Rosalia starts in on righting the display cases, while you help the clerk sit up on the counter and begin to heal him. "Heh... Thanks... I'm..." He pauses to cough, clutching his stomach as the magic washes over him. "I'm Clark."

You pat his shoulder, holding him still as you fix him up, good as new. Not just the bruises he got from the troublemakers, but also the signs of exhaustion present as well. This close, you can clearly see how the thugs would have mistaken him for a girl, with his soft and delicate features, but... This is clearly a boy. "Things could have gotten really ugly if you hadn't stepped in. I'm uh... Despite what they thought, I'm a boy, you know?"

"No kidding?" Rosalia remarks from off to the side. "I mean uh... Your uniform..."

"It's not the most manly thing ever is it?" Clark chuckles dryly. "Then again, I don't look very manly at all anyways so... Maybe if I was more muscular..."

"Don't sweat it. Whatever's in your pants, it doesn't concern them right?" Rosalia chuckles, causing Clark to blush furiously.

"I'm not- I'm not, like, Trans or anything. I'm a guy, and I've got all my bits, I just... Whatever I do, I just wind up being cute. I've sort of come to accept it, but it causes me no end of trouble." Clark huffs.

"No kidding?" Rosalia pauses, looking him over. "Well some girls love that look. Some guys too, most likely, so whichever way you swing-"

"Well, you two saved my butt tonight." Clark gets control of his sputtering quickly, shaking his head as he continues to blush. "So if there's anything I can do..."

"Trying to seduce a pair of heroes? I don't know if you're that lucky." Rosalia teases, though you give Clark a bright smile.

"O-oh! No, I mean, I don't know if you two are a couple or not. I wasn't... God I must sound like something out of a cheap porno, huh?" Clark stammers. "I just meant, like-"

"Hey Light, pick a side, let's rail this guy over the counter as our reward, okay?" Rosalia nods seriously, and for a moment you're caught flat-footed, before you realize she's teasing. Not that it stops Clark from becoming a blushing, stammering wreck once again. It's actually kind of cute how he squirms, with his hands over his lap. "I'm kidding, kid. Come on, cheer up, things went way better than they could have, huh?"

"Y-yeah. Thanks again." He nods, sparing you both a lopsided smile as the sound of police sirens begin to draw closer. "I uh..."

"And sure... You can get my number." Rosalia laughs, striding up to the counter while you step outside to greet the approaching police.

------------------

[X] Plan Remodeling time!

-[X] Carpenter (8/8)

-[X] Machinist (3/8)

-[X] Time to remodel your warehouse. You need a place for your airship, a place for training, and probably a few rooms for people to sleep in. Also a workshop. Several! One for you, one for Hanabi, and two extra. Stock them with a few good tools.

-[X] Be sure to wire up your warehouse! Buy a few computers for giggles and set them up.

-[X] Free time is working on your airship, or doing commissions, whichever feels better.

"Doesn't this seem a bit excessive to you?" Hanabi calls as you raise another plank of wood into the air via a rope pulley system. "Then again... You don't do anything by half measures, do you?"

You shake your head, continuing to pull the wooden beam into place at the center of the warehouse. The entire middle section is set out to work on your airship designs, tools and supplies laid out to build from the keel upwards. Already you have the wood you need for phase one laid out across the ground, ready to be carved and worked into the right shape and sizes. It's not a commercial dockyard, but it's about as good as you can manage for a private one.

Hanabi, on the other hand, is off to one of the four corners of the warehouse, adjusting the rather basic workspace you'd put together for her. Each corner has its own, with tables, chairs, counters and the like all supplied with basic tools and materials. Hanabi has taken the back left, while you've taken the one across from her, and equipped it with far more variety in the way of tools.

On the upper floor, where the management's office would ordinarily overlook the workfloor, you plan to set up a living space. Nothing fancy, just beds and a small kitchen area, but enough for someone to crash if they get carried away with their work.

Next on the docket is wiring the warehouse with computers and such. Not the magitek ones you're used to either, since most people can't seem to make proper use of them. Rosalia and Madison were unable to really help you pick out what you needed when you asked, so instead Hanabi made the purchases for you, spending a good deal of your money on having the technology delivered. Hopefully she'll be able to direct the people responsible for setting it all up appropriately.

Now, next you need to...

----------------

Aegis: We're looking into the information you sent us. It doesn't seem like this vigilante, Shadow Stalker, is working for the Empire, but we'll keep the possibility in mind.

Kid Win: Hey so I've pretty much got all my new gear up and running, just looking to take it on a test run soon. I can't thank you enough for the inspiration dude. If there's anything I can do to help you out, or if you want to collaborate or something.

Kid Win: Like a date.

Kid Win: Ah! Sorry, that was Clockblocker, he caught me off guard. You know how he likes his pranks and all that, lol!

Vista: So, I heard you had two girlfriends? What's the story there? I assume they know about each other, and they're cool with it, right? You don't seem like the kind of guy who'd two-time someone.

Madison: Darkness's Emporium of Everything Naughty

Madison: Aha, wrong number! Woops!?

You flip through your texts as you take a break from working on your airship. Aegis wants to patrol with you sometime soon, which seems fun. For the moment, he at least seems to be the most professional of the Wards you regularly contact. He doesn't think Shadow Stalker was working with the lookout, who apparently is an Empire cape known as Rune, and you're inclined to agree.

Not much is known about Rune, to be honest, aside from that her power involves levitating a limited number of heavy objects. So far the only real crime she's been involved with is wearing gang colors and transporting Empire members to and from various crimes. Most of the people in the PRT agree it's probably only a matter of time before she starts using her powers violently though.

Kid Win wants to hang out. That's not that surprising, really. He's a good person, quite bright, especially since he managed to make something of your Aether crystals, at least tangentially related. He seems friendly too, in an awkward sort of way... You hadn't considered going on a date with him, but now that it's been brought up...

Would it be strange, going out with someone in costume? You know heroes like to keep their identities separate, which is why you haven't been out on a date with Riding Hood. Though... Now that it's less of a secret that you're dating two people, maybe people won't put two and two together if you did? Still, wouldn't it be strange, going out with Kid Win when he's in costume?

Then again, apparently it isn't so strange to consider, since you think Vista's asking about the same thing. Albeit more 'covertly'. Apparently she's heard you're dating two people from somewhere, and is asking about the logistics. You explain as best you can, that both Missy and Rosalia are okay with it, they're both equally important in your eyes and heart, and that you don't feel like it's at all a burden to love either.

Vista, surprisingly, agrees that it does sound like a good arrangement, so long as everyone's on the same page. "I don't think heroes are cut-out for dating, really. At least, not while in costume." She admits after a few messages back and forth. "There's a sort of romantic appeal to it though, don't you think?"

Hmm? You think on it for a moment, but don't really see it. Thankfully, before you are forced to admit that, she sends another message. "Two heroes who trust one another with their lives, who fight back to back in perilous situations, but don't know anything about the other behind the mask... I think sometimes the me in the mask is more the real me than the one who goes about the daily routine. There's a sort of thrill there, a passion, two people who know each other so well but are still just strangers, finding comfort in each other's arms in the dead of night."

So not dating? You send her a message back, only slightly understanding what she's getting at. You'll admit, you did have a moment, back on that college campus. Working with her was a treat, and you do feel like you know her on some intimate level.

"I don't think it'd be a great idea to walk into a restaurant in costume, do you?" She sends back, along with a smiley face. "But we could definitely hang out, go for a walk through a park maybe? And maybe if we get into trouble, and our hearts start racing and blood starts pumping, we could make our own 'trouble' on a nearby rooftop?"

Oh. Oh! She wants to... "Just a casual fling once in a while, you know? I've always wanted to, but my teammates aren't the type to do 'casual'." She admits, and you can kind of understand. "What about you? Any crazy fantasies?"

Crazy fantasies huh? Not really. Sure there's things you'd be keen to try, stuff you know about from Omega's research that you've never experienced in person. Nothing that really calls to you like a 'fantasy' though, you've never sat back and gotten aroused by your lonesome over idle thoughts or dreams. Instead, you tell her you're pretty much open to everything.

"You know, lots of guys say that." She replies after a long moment. "Somehow, I think maybe you actually mean it." That's a good thing, right? "I think we could have fun with that." Oh... Yeah, that's definitely a good thing.

And then there's Madison's link. Out of idle curiosity you click it, despite knowing it wasn't meant to be sent your way. The results are... Interesting?

It's a story, relating to a witch with a boardwalk shop named 'Darkness'. In this shop the witch sells all manner of odd remedies and tinctures, from the mundane to... Well, to the 'naughty' as the story puts it. The story seems to follow a young and innocent employee of the witch, who is used to test new products in the shop's sprawling dungeon. (How a shop on the boardwalk has an underground dungeon is unanswered. You assume 'magic'.)

The assistant is summarily used, abused, humiliated and degraded in each and every chapter, yet returns bright and happy for another day of work after each time. You skim through most of them, glancing over one where the assistant is 'punished' by being tied up and flogged, another where she's forced to take a 'potion injection' to the rear, even one where a tonic makes her stretchy enough to take a rather ludicrously large cock inside her.

The writing isn't bad, the author has quite the talent, but the plot is almost entirely smut. There's even a chapter where the assistant is ordered to 'feed the tentacle monster', and her absence is missed for a full twenty four hours. There's a chapter where the assistant is turned into a boy, and the extent of the changes is tested... Thoroughly.

The latest chapter, which seems to be getting a new review and like every minute or so, is rather amusing actually. The assistant is ordered to draw in more customers, and is dressed up in a scandalously skimpy cat-girl costume and placed out by the front window. The clothing is enchanted, however, to give the wearer pleasure as people look at her, increasing in intensity as any individual stares longer.

The story goes into great detail in how she's magically locked in place, how she's forced to stand in a lewd pose, and how the arousal and humiliation mounts as a larger and larger crowd gathers to stare at the display. It's certainly... Something.

While Madison did say it was a mistake, sending it to you... You have to wonder who she was sending it to, and why? Did... Did Madison write this?

Well... It's 32 chapters in right now, and fairly popular on the site it's posted on. At the very least, you should offer up your opinion on things, right? For one thing, the author's understanding of magic is a bit... Off. If this is based off your own store, and what you can do, then you should correct a few misunderstandings, right?

Putting down your tools for a moment, you settle back with your phone and begin typing.

----------------------