Ellie doffs her meguca form and joins Ruby on the bed.

"Not how you expected your day to go?"

"Not at all... Kinda just a lot to take in."

"Yet a third set of magic- complete with real ghosts, spaceships, and people who are, uh, metaphysically the same as other people. Not sure how I feel about being soul twins with Keres. But hey. At least we met one of the better authors in your fandom."

"And found out Bonesaw is writing fanfic about me." Well, she didn't introduce herself that way, and she doesn't seem to be going by that anymore – but Skywalker killed the S9, except Bonesaw who was quietly marked as neutralized, and Lily looks a lot like an aged up version of the S9's eternal child killer.

"Your butt is a potent redemptive force, apparently."

Giggle! "Not sure if I can claim credit for this case..."

"Could be retrocausal."

"...Were you serious, about the Simurgh?"

"...Yeah."

"I also don't like her on a conceptual level – I've been poking some already at how I could do something, but... It'll be a mad scientist kind of grand plot, unless I can find a shortcut sometime soon. Which, now that we know about a third magic system..."

"You know I'll help how I can."

"You're the best." Kiss!

Kiss!

"So let me know what you need, okay?"

Hum. "I'll need to think..."

"...A third meguca might be helpful, but the only person I'd trust enough is Incandesce."

Ellie hums thoughtfully. "Might change the game you're playing with her. Might not get it back. But... I think she'd say yes."

"Yeah, changing things is my big concern. And... I like her more than I'd expected? I'm kinda worried she'll get upset I've been hiding my identity..."

"You haven't really spent a lot of time outside of persona with her, after your first while here, though. She doesn't have much room to argue since she has a secret identity of her own."

Nod. "Getting to see her more often would be nice, too..."

"It'd be nice to meet her properly off the clock."

"Yeah. And who knows, maybe she'll be up for keeping the hero versus villain game going when cameras are on."

"Best of both worlds."

"Give us a chance to choreograph things, too."

"So you're talking yourself into it?"

"Think I am, yeah."

"You sure you're cool with it, though?"

"I'd rather have Incandesce on our side if we can get her. We know more about her than Skywalker or Bonesaw or that ghost Anakin."

"And... I trust you."

"You'll always be my favorite magical girl, no matter what." Kiss for her beautiful wonderful girlfriend!

Kiss!