"Subjective or sidereal?" Smirk.

"Sidereal."

"Fourty."

"A pleasure to have the advice of someone who's been through so many campaigns. The coins for the stats, are those only for stats or could they add up into more powers?"

"Honestly, some sort of training position would be nice if I could realistically swing it. No, it's gold or nothing for more powers, sadly. And coins can up your stats a teensy bit at a time later on, but it's a much worse gain."

"Not enough people getting into the game?"

"Seems like most people want to figure out the system on their own. Or want shortcuts and get mad when I don't have 'em."

"Wow, I can't imagine wanting to learn all this without help."

"Right??? ...It might be something about the average candidate not having a lot to spend. Also, I guess, giving you build advice is one thing, but substantial combat training is a lot more time consuming and kind of specialty-specific."

"Are most of them just, uh, picking up game pieces with spare change, nobody giving them a budget to have another player in town?"

"Mhm. I've seen it happen, but it seems like budgets are tight all over. Also, the Puchuu gang isn't as competent as it wants you to think it is. They're the best game in town, but they're not the best game, you know?"

"I don't think 'competent' was the impression I came away with..."

"Wrong word, maybe. Mmm... Cute innocent protectors trying their best?"

"And they're not?"

"I'm not saying they're not, I'm saying it's complicated."

"I would like to know more, since I do expect to see a lot of them."

"I have not outright observed things that can be really called - malefesance, or bad behavior. Just trends. Suspicions. Their perfect magical girl is the one who smushes the bad monster and hugs it like a stuffed animal and gets ice cream on the way home and doesn't ask questions. I half suspect they'll decide they made a mistake with you later, they must really want psychic in particular for something. They don't talk about where monsters come from. And I don't want to jeopardize my working relationship with a steady supply of coins and backup by saying much more."

"So legit. Uh, do I need to worry about them deciding they made a mistake -?"

"It's give and take, right, that's the understanding the whole thing is built on. As long as you play the role for a while you'll be fine. There's one thing that- Okay, I want to say it without actually saying it. There's lie detection, yanno. Some monsters are smart, right?"

"Mmhm?"

"And magical girls used to be ordinary humans."

"On a completely unrelated note, any pitfalls I should be wary of starting out?"

"The Monstrous Metamorphosis power specifically is actually quite safe and has no permanent effects, fun fact. As opposed to other things with monstrous - aesthetics-

-I think I've covered it, nothing huge you're going to stumble into by accident." She twists and stretches for a moment. "I was sort of hoping this would be a social call. I've forgotten how to... Do that."

"I mean, we can also do the social thing. Hi, I'm Bella, I moved in with my dad because my stepdad is a baseball player and constantly bopping around the country and my mother wanted to go with him, I like Civilization the computer game in addition to civilization the social organization phenomenon, and reading books."

"I am all about wargames. The more complicated the better. It's very hard to find people who want to play sometimes. Numbers going up does feel nice though, doesn't it? Also, tea over coffee every time. What books?"