MS: SWA 1: It starts with a post

Maho Social: The Cardiff Hub

SillyWitchApril, Chapter 1: It starts with a post…

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[New Thread]: A little star asking for help

PiccolaStella wrote

‘I…don’t know if it’s the right place to post this. I’m completely new to this website, sorry if I mess up.

My name is Evelyn. And I am a magical girl. A magical girl idol, actually, although I do have to fight demons every now and again, which is why I am writing this post.

You see, I’ve always dreamt to become a singer, probably since I’ve heard my first song. I became completely sure of it after I went to a live concert of Luciano Ligabue (an Italain singer) years ago with my grandparents, and the many magical idol singer anime that I used to watch down in Italy, such Fancy Lala, or that spin-off of Sailor V as a singer, cemented my resolve to become like them. I’ve taken quite a lot of music lessons lately to improve my singing voice, and I’ve participated in a couple of school competitions as well, even winning some. Once I’m old enough, I might even try going to the X-Factor, and hope to get in the finals.

But it’s not the fame and fortune that inspired me to become a singer. It’s the songs they sing, the words, the underlying melody, and the way they can stir people’s emotions in an audiencewith a single song, comforting people at their lowest, inspiring them at their highest, that makes me want to become like them. I want to become a singer that can reach out to people, just like when Ligabue reached out to me at the concert in the Arena in Verona. And deep down, I wished that my songs could heal and give strength to the people that would listen to them, just like Ligabue gives me strength when I feel down.

And I've been feeling down quite a lot lately. My Mum and Dad have been arguing almost every day just this last year, and it hurts me to hear them like that. I always think something bad is going to happen, that they might hurt each other, or that one of them decides to leave for good.

My best friends have also been fighting, and now most of them can’t bear to stay within the same room as each other, which makes going to school a nightmare. They even spread nasty rumors about each other behind their backs, and I may have spotted one of my friends bullying one of the younger students. In fact, I think that the whole school is suffering from some negative aura, or something like that (even though Romeo keeps telling me that there’s no increase in the miasma influence in the area).

Every time my parents would argue, or I saw one of my friends behaving badly, I wished deep down that I could turn into one of those magical singers on TV, and sing a song that would help them make peace with themselves and each other, and help them find the feelings of love and friendship that they lost. I know it sounds childish, but believe me when I say that I would give everything to see that wish come true. Which is why, when Romeo (he’s a sort of brown spotty weasel/cat thingy with long ears) appeared to me a few months ago with his offer to grant me that very wish, in exchange of becoming a magical girl and fighting the demons that infest the world, I accepted his offer without a second thought.

And I got exactly what I wished for. Now, whenever I sing, I can feel the magic vibrate within it, helping me form the words of the songs in a language the likes of which have never been heard anywhere else on Earth. I can feel each note and each word of that song spread positive energy as far as the ears can hear, and the effect it has on whoever hears it is nothing short of incredible. My parents have never felt so calm and so much in love with each other than they had been these last few months, and my friends are talking with each other now. Even my teachers have become friendlier and helpful than what they were before.

It didn’t matter that I ended up locking my soul away in a green egg-shaped gem in the transaction, nor that I got a ridiculously frilly green outfit as my magical girl self. And neither did it matter that I regularly have to fight against Demons, towering humanoid figures with bold heads and pixellated eyes that shoot lasers, armed with a magical microphone that amplifies my voice. For the gift Romeo gave me, that was a fair price to pay.

Actually, that last bit is a bit of a lie. I don’t like violence, and I hate it that my songs end up being used in a “violent” fight against the demons, especially since I have to “kill” them so that they can drop grief cubes, small black cubes that help purify my soul gem from the corruption it builds up when using too much magic. Romeo tells me that my powers don’t actually “kill” the deamons, but rather “pacify” them and revert them back to grief cubes, and I’m not sure if he’s just telling me that to help me accept the idea of “killing” them, or if he actually believes it’s the case. Anyway, he says that these creatures are born from the build-up of humanity’s negative emotions, and that getting rid of them with my positive magic does improve the effect of my own spellsongs as well, which is how I’ve eventually come to terms with the idea of “killing” the demons.

It still doesn’t solve the other problem I have with them. Mainly, that demon hunting requires time, even just to patrol the area of Cardiff around which I live, and that’s not counting the surprise demon attacks that happen every so often, particularly when people get drunk and start a fight. The more time I spend fighting these deamons, the less time I have to dedicate to my friends, parents, and anyone else in need of my singing.

Which wouldn’t be quite so bad, given how often used to spawn, if it weren’t for the fact that, lately, my magic doesn’t seem to be effective anymore. Sure, the short term effects are still the same, but before, it would take one or two weeks before my family and friends went back to being just as bad as they were before I sing. Now my song’s lingering effects only seem to last for a few seconds before the negative feelings come back, even worse than before.

I thought at first that my magic was losing its effect, but Romeo keeps telling me that my magic is as strong as it was when I contracted with him, if not stronger. The fact that my magic seemed to work better when I went on holiday with my family for a week seemingly confirms it. He think that there may be a build-up of negative energy around our area of Cardiff that’s making people fall into depression not unlike what happens when people are caught in a demon’s miasma. He also says that while this negative aura has increased the number of demons spawned in my area, he says that the negativity is only partially caused by the demon’s miasma, and that something else is at play, but he’s unsure as to what it is.

Until we find out what’s going on, I need to keep singing to keep my family and friends from falling to the negative energies. But singing uses up my powers, which requires me to go hunting demons, which cuts into the time I can dedicate to my family and friends, or even into investigating what’s going on. I can’t sustain this much longer: I had to skip school a couple of times to deal with a demon attack, and so far, my parents and teachers have not noticed my erratic behavior, but I don't think they’re going to miss my grades falling because I have no time to study. I fear that one of these days I’m going to slip up, and that someone will notice, and when that happens, whatever they do will probably not be good for my life and duty as a magical girl.

I really want to do something about this negativity which affects my area, and give me some respite, but I have no idea what to do, or even where to start. I read that this website can help people out with their magical problems, and I dunno what to make of it, but I want to trust you guys, and give it a go. Way would you suggest me to have me do?"

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HotStuffOnABeach said:

Damn bitch, you got a raw deal! LOL!

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SeaQueen said:

Oh Piccola, I'm sorry to hear about that. I realize this might sound kinda pokey, but I get how feelings of grief can sucker punch you. See, believe it or not, I'm the reincarnation of a ship... Or, the host of a ship's spirit or... something.

It's complicated, and details really belong in its own thread.

Any way, when she still "existed" (not sure that's the right term, but it works), this ship went through a lot of stuff with her sister ships, and what happened during WWI didn't help, resulting in her being loaded up with tons of self-loathing, survivor guilt and serious anger issues. So, as her reincarnation I essentially have to act as her psychiatrist and try to help her let go of her past, lest all that bad mojo start affecting me.

It's been... Interesting to say the least.

What I can say is that, without my friends, I don't think I would have made it as far as I have. And that's my advise: TELL SOMEONE! Internet friends are great and all, but someone closer to home would be best. I'd offer to meet you in real life, but Ihighly doubt you live anywhere on the West Coast of the US.

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Goddess Hand said:

Ignore Beach. I recognize him from a few other boards. *reports his ass*

I'm 25 and a mother, just to get that out of the way, because I remember how, as a teen, I didn't feel like I could get my family or any adults (especially my parents) involved, that it was my thing to do and I couldn't trust them to not get in the middle of things.

But, looking back, I really wish I had. It would have made my life a lot easier if I didn't keep the fact that an Intergalactic overlord was gunning for me from my parents. I've since had a daughter who's getting involved in the business, and while I worry, at least I know all the details involved and she knows that I'm more than willing and able to offer any kind of help I can: Advice, Support, hell I'm even dig up my old Item of Power out of the closet and kick copious amounts of ass by her side if she'll just ask.

Now, as to the issues with this ‘negativity’ in your area. My Wiki-Fu says that Cardiff hasn’t had any major incidents or lingering resentment that’s just coming out as of late that would explain the increase in negativity that you report. From my experience, that means something, or someone, is deliberately causing it to happen.

Here's my recommendation: Take a map of the city and the surrounding areas, and mark down all the spots where these demons appear more often and note how many there were in each attack and the corresponding dates. Try and see if you can get some information about any incidents that can cause grief in those areas as well. Unless I miss my guess, chances are good that the bigger attacks will be centered around a single part of the city. Dead center of that spot is where you'll find your culprit. Stake out that point until you find person most likely to be the cause and find out what their motivation is.

If they don't realize what they're doing, or can't control it, then this guy needs help and maybe a friend. Or at least not an enemy.

However, if he or she does know what they're doing, and is doing it intentionally, kill 'em.

No, seriously. Don't hesitate, show no mercy. It's been my experience that the proverb about Power and Corruption is 100% true when Magic is involved, and if this person, or someone controlling them, knows what's going on and is exacerbating it, they need to go down like a rotten tree in the forest, before the next rainstorm brings it down on the house next to it.

Find the source, and find out what the root of the source is. If the person causing it is ignorant or feels helpless, PM me and I can get you in touch with people who can help (and I don't mean 'help' as in in-effective and/or just whacking them). If this person is causing all of this, that's fine to. I've fought a pretty nasty war when I was a little bit older than you, so I know how to deal with bodies in ways that either can't be found, or brushed off as accidents or something perfectly mundane if they are.

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AddictedToWaffles said:

I was about to mention the unusual amount of demon activity in my area as well, but it sounds like you have a far worse time than I do. I'm twelve and made my wish with Reebu only a few months ago when my dad was off in the Middle East. Anyway, talked with him about it and he says that a large negative event might also be what's causing so many of the stupid things to spawn in your area.

He says this because a few years back there was a splurge of really brutal murders here in my hometown that ended with a death toll that was estimated to be around a 112 I think (I'd have to look up the news article for the exact numbers) and the lingering grief is playing hell on demon numbers. So if there isn't someone causing the increase then it might just be that so if Goddess Hand's idea doesn't bring results look up news articles for recent events like car crashes, murders, the like.

If you do become famous and hold a concert, any chances I can get tickets for my dad, friend, and I? Chimera loves to listen to music, and is always carrying a music player around. I'd love to give a little help as well since I have a really good teleporting power! ^^

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IEatEverythingAndThensome said:

I'm kinda new to this but Waffle convinced me to start posting here since it's where she finds a lot of advice. Anyway, I don't really have a lot of advice for things like this because the only conspiracy I've ever faced were those wierd rat-exstinctionist guys at the zoo I live in and a bit of help I've given to Waffle hunting down local grief demons.

OMG I TELL YOU NOW, NEVER WISH FOR HEIGHTENED SMELL WHILE TRYING TO HUINT THESE THINGS BECAUSE THEY SMELL LIKE EVER-LOVING FECES THAT CAME OUT OF AN ELEPHANT'S #$^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF SMELL WASN'T THE ONLY WAY I COULD HELP HUNT THEM OUTSIDE OF COMBAT I WOULD LOVE TO CUT MY NOSE OFF!

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Thewanderingmercenary said:

Where are you girl? London? I'm offering my services as an-ex bad guy that specializes in finding out opponents that feed on emotions, but I have to be paid in cash, ok? And provided nothing is happening in the Middle East

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Hiroshima said: 

I am sorry, but I have to look to my own grandaughter first. I still have not trained her in all that I know. And I also don't have enough money to spend on an airline ticket.

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MGGaza said:

I also apologize, but I can't leave my own country. The Israelis will not let me past the checkpoint.

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FryPanGirl said:

Right then, I’ve just come back from yet another failed attempt to convince Katy that my “Aino Minako is Sailor V” article is solid. Unfortunately, since she’s my flatmate, and I need her alive to pay her share of the rent, I can’t vent my frustration on her, so I’ll just have to aim lower and ban someone from these forums.

O HEY, HOTSTUFFONABEACH! GUESS WHO MADE IT TO MY SHORTLIST! *bans his ass*

Ahem. And now that we’ve dealt with that:

Piccolastella:  You’ve definitely come to the right place to ask for help! Everyone in here (except for that Beach guy, of course), is always willing to help a fellow magical girl in need. I also happen to live in Cardiff, so if you need someone to talk to in person, just send me a PM, and we can arrange a meeting or something.

I agree with GoddessHand’s assessment of the situation: that negativity you’re talking about seems the work of deliberate enemy action. Which is rather worrying, since I live in Cardiff as well, and haven’t seen anything amiss. I’ll do some snooping around, and maybe ask Katy if she can lend me James to help (that would be MrSnapShot90 on these forums), though given that she’s shot my article on Sailor V to hell, I doubt she’d be willing to do so without tangible evidence. Any information you can provide with that respect can surely help us out.

That being said... don’t stress yourself out too much. Do take some time off to do what you really enjoy every now and again. I know it may sound kind of hard when you’re a full time magical girl on top of being a student, but fighting monsters all the time, especially when you yourself say that you would rather not fight them, is not going to do you any good, what-so-ever.

So if you do have a spare moment available, do take some time off to do something you really enjoy. Like, you could go busking in the city centre, or at Cardiff Bay. That will surely cheer you up, and all the other people that will come and listen. If you let me know where you’re going to be, I can even drag my friends over and spare some change for you! XD

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 SillyWitchApril:

I second that idea, FryPanGirl! I live a bit further away from Cardiff than you guys, but I’d defientely be able to come over…

Actually, I have an even better idea! PiccolaStella, check your PM box, I’ve got a message for you!

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SillyWitchApril (PM):

Hi PiccolaStella!

Or perhaps I should say Evelyn? I'm not sure if it's really your name, or just a name you made up for your "character", and I may be reading in your story more than I should… but I can't help but feel that it's true in some ways. That, deep down, you really do need some help with the bad things that happen in your life. And I think I can help with that!

The idea I mentioned in the thread was to have you set up a concert at the school where you go to. That way, you can sing to your friends, family, and to the whole of the school in one go, and perhaps even solve that negativity that’s affecting your area! And I just so happen to have the right magical powers to set up the concert on the spot. All we need to do is advertize it beforehand, and then I’ll set up the stage for you on the day for you to sing!

I don't want to impose myself or anything, but would it be OK if I came sometime this weekend to discuss things with you? Even if we don’t set up the concert, it would be good for you to have another person to help you out with the demon hunting, and with the problems you face. 

I may be able to wriggle myself out of work for this weekend if I play my cards right, so I may be able to get to Cardiff on Friday afternoon. Let me know if that’s ok for you to have me come over. Oh, and there’s no need to tell me your address or anything. I’ve got a spell that will help me track you down.

I look forward to hearing from you! XOXOXO!'