#libpop!

HEY GUYS who’s ready to read my story about magical girls and monsters? 

LibPop! is my NaNoWriMo 2016 project that I’m just now getting around to putting up. Those of you who’ve known me and/or followed my old shit may be interested in knowing this is a semi-rewrite of my first ever finished story, Accident.

It’s also, ah, a lot better, if I may say so myself. You’ll recognize a lot of the same twists and turns, and maybe even the characters, though names have changed. 

I want to be clear when I say that this story is a dark one (it’s got horror elements!!!). Please do read this, but don’t go into it expecting lots of cuteness... outside the main relationship, at least, as they’re pretty damn cute. 

Original: Destroy the demon Now: Date the demon

Original: Magical girl system that means that goodness comes from evil (almost the opposite of Madoka, system-wise) Now: Magical girl system that means that some types of magic are just different than others, and nobody is inherently good or bad because of their species/magic type

Original: Main character is an aromantic computer lab monitor with social anxiety who just wants to be friends with everyone Now: Main character is a demiromantic autistic library worker who just wants to hurry and save the world so she can get back to concentrating on earning a degree

  I just remembered, I never formally introduced...

*_* a new dark series… can’t wait

I’m really excited tbh because this is a personal challenge to NOT make it like most dark magical girl series. Trying to be spoiler free, the main differences are:

The girls are encouraged to dream and use their creativity and logic. Doing so may well be the only way that they can win the war they’re in.

The magical power comes from inside themselves and not from an outer source.

The girls react differently. While some may fall into despair, others will stay optimistic. Some may hate being magical, some may love it. They are not all going to be completely depressed.

And two more things that are my favorites, but might count as spoilers.

The destiny of magical girls is nonexistent. Some may be monsters. Some may die. MANY WILL LIVE. It’s up to them, their abilities, the choices they make.

Once upon a time, a young woman named Martina found a magical book at her first day working at her alma mater’s school library. With this book, she gained access to a power that was within her, waiting to be unlocked: the magic of the superheroine Library Lemondrop.

This isn’t her story though.

Martina lost the book within a month, and it’s been a decade since the world has had a Library Knight. It’s only when eighteen year old student worker Veronica stumbles upon it that the mantle is taken up once more. The newly dubbed Library Lollipop (LibPop for short), may not be as legendary as those who came before, but being a magical girl isn’t a hard job. All it requires is faith, optimism, and not getting captured by the Demons who want you to become one of them.

Things grow more complex when Veronica accidentally gains a new power, one that forces her to the front lines of a battle between humanity and the undead, with new teammates who’d rather she not be fighting alongside them. Isolation means certain loss, but it’s getting harder and harder to work together as secrets are revealed that no magical girl wants to think about... and as it’s found that this accidental double magical girl may be the only hope.

ANYWAY I say this because I accidentally made the best pun to grace my novel yet, featuring one such Spirit.

Arachne is the leader, and is conceited as fuck, but with good reason. She’s a naturally talented magical girl and leader, as well as a gorgeous person inside and out. She’s a second grade teacher in the daytime and loves her students. Arachne is 27 years old, and her Sparkle is “web tactics,” meaning she can see the immediate result of the next action any one person is about to take. She likes Fire Emblem a lot.

Monoceros is Arachne’s college bud, 29 years old, and they’re an autistic radio hostex who is well-known locally. Their show is mainly filled with music that isn’t played much on the radio (hits too old to be popular still and too young to be classics, surprisingly catchy soundtracks from preteen shows, local bands, lesser known songs by pop artists, etc) and puns. Somehow it’s become very well loved and listened to in their city. Their Sparkle is volume manipulation.

Empousa is 24 and was originally a passing acquaintance of the other two, but eventually did join the team. She’s in her last year of college, studying sociology. She’s a loudmouth, speaking up about every issue she believes in, and a fashionista... almost impossible to ignore, and when someone is, it’s because her Sparkle is camouflage. She’s unsurprisingly not good at using her Sparkle, and prefers to go for direct attacks, which drives Arachne to complaints almost daily. 

Laurel Jordan, or Renaissance Heart, is the leader of the group and also the youngest at age 22. She inherited her position from her older sister Heather, who was the previous Story Heart before Veronica until she got defeated by demons about a year before the story begins.

In her normal life, Laurel is a full-time sophomore in college (she started late) and writes on the side, often writing alongside her more successful friends on their projects or working on her slice-of-life webcomic. As her magical girl name suggests, she’s equally good at a lot of different creative endeavors. When she’s writing or fighting, she’s serious, organized, and doesn’t take crap. Laurel works hard to live up to the responsibilities placed on her, and she always tries to go above and beyond what people expect. 

However, she has a sillier, lighter side! She’s a popular blogger with a lot of followers and keeps an active fanbase due to her webcomic and her sense of humor. She’s bright, sunny, and loves to engage these fans and makes friends of many of them. She’s able to make fun of herself, and especially of her out of date fashion sense.