Flip Flapping
Origin - Flip Flapping
Pure Illusion is another dimension (or possibly even many dimensions) that intersects with our reality and affects it in many ways. It is a realm of thought, emotion, and memory. There are as many layers to Pure Illusion as there are to human beings, and each individual may have their own Pure Illusion as well.
For most people, their only interaction is the one between their mind and the realm of possibility.
However, fragments of Pure Illusion, known as Amorphous, can -- with the right technology -- allow one who bears one to travel to Pure Illusion physically. There, everything becomes much more complicated, as one can travel around the personal Pure Illusions of many different people. A reflection of the psyche of an individual, with their own trials and tribulations, their own characters and creatures, and their own physical laws -- that the explorer must adapt to.
Even among the explorers of Pure Illusion, an already small number, there are even more rare individuals. These individuals are, through the realization of their true emotions and the channeling of their inner self, able to transform into a super-powered magical girl form.
This is what is known as Flip Flapping.
Anyone can be affected by the properties of the Pure Illusion they are in at the time. There is an overarching story and theme to each world, and they may have accompanying properties that those within the world are forced to adapt to -- physically, emotionally, or both. As well, there are roles to fill, like characters in a performance, and working within that framework can help advance the story towards its conclusion. (And the Amorphous of that world.)
Traveling to Pure Illusion requires a partner. Synchronizing with them is critical to even being able to arrive there intact. By synchronizing wavelengths with one's partner, having a physical focus for one's energies (a "henshin rod"), and using the phrase "Flip Flapping", a transformation into an actual traditional magical girl form is possible.
The naming scheme for these Mahou Shoujo start with "Pure" and then the weapon that they wield in their transformed state. Hair color becomes altered, and hair length becomes much longer. The outfit has a dress of some kind, primarily black and white though in various styles, with a butterfly aesthetic. There may be other colors as accents, for ribbons, and similar accessories, and every "Pure" form has some form of "butterfly wings" as part of its design, whether functional or not.
A weapon can be summoned and dismissed, and the weapon may have multiple forms, or the Flip Flapper may have an elemental affinity and attacks/abilities connected to it (Water, Wind, Fire). One or more special named attacks also become available, and the henshin form provides super strength, super speed, and flight.
