Isn't she aware in this loop about the lich thing? In any case, you are right about first figuring out potential pitfalls with the process. Some (supervised) self-experimentation at a less stressful time is advised. Being able to switch into a top-athlete Homura body would be convenient if possible and safe.
She is, but even then, being told that your body isn't yours any more would be traumatic.
Seriously, most people aren't transhumanists, and are rather sentimentally attached to their bodies. I know that's an idea that a lot of people on SB/SV seem to have trouble wrapping their heads around, but it's true.
[X] Watch how Mami heals Madoka, do anything you can to help with it.
[X] Notice that your soul gem is over two-thirds darkened. Drink your last [DISTILLED MAGIC]. Do your best to keep your emotions in check, until you can brew enough potions to cleanse everyone's soul gems completely.
[X] When the matter of the grief seed comes up, [IDENTIFY] it so you can tell the others how much corruption it can hold. Then tell the others how much corruption each of them has.
-[X] Ask Mami to let Madoka have the use of the grief seed, and promise to make up the difference to her in potions, when you get the chance to brew more. They might taste bad, but it's the one thing that you're good at that actually helps your friends.
[X] Retrieve your wand(s) and put them into your inventory.
[X] If the others ask about the stunned thugs, tell them that you didn't want anyone to get hurt.
First, teleporting is off-limits to Homura's magic, it's just something it refuses to grant. Second, the flames were rushing across the entire labyrinth, even teleportation wouldn't get leftover items before they were immolated.
[X] Curl up and hug your legs into yourself. Try to think calming thoughts.
-[X] The witch is dead and everyone is alive. You're stronger then you've ever been and you make others stronger.
-[X] But Madoka nearly died even though you knew almost everything about ROBERTA -- now you're further along and you don't know what's going to leap out at you next.
Now seems like a good time to panic. Quietly though, so as not to overly disturb the others.
Grief Seed:
[X] Split it evenly.
Homura badly needs another couple hundred MP to make potions efficiently.
[X] Watch how Mami heals Madoka, do anything you can to help with it.
[X] Notice that your soul gem is over two-thirds darkened. Drink your last [DISTILLED MAGIC]. Do your best to keep your emotions in check, until you can brew enough potions to cleanse everyone's soul gems completely.
[X] When the matter of the grief seed comes up, [IDENTIFY] it so you can tell the others how much corruption it can hold. Then tell the others how much corruption each of them has.
-[X] Ask Mami to let Madoka have the use of the grief seed, and promise to make up the difference to her in potions, when you get the chance to brew more. They might taste bad, but it's the one thing that you're good at that actually helps your friends.
[X] Retrieve your wand(s) and put them into your inventory.
[X] If the others ask about the stunned thugs, tell them that you didn't want anyone to get hurt. [X] Summon [MADOKA'S HAND] and ask if Mami can attach it
Summoning a body to switch over is a non-starter because of the reactions of everyone involved, even before looking into the potential complications.
I'm almost positive that Mami's healing will regenerate Madoka's hand. If not, then the update will likely end at that point, so Homura can do something.
I'm almost positive that Mami's healing will regenerate Madoka's hand. If not, then the update will likely end at that point, so Homura can do something.
[] When the matter of the grief seed comes up, [IDENTIFY] it so you can tell the others how much corruption it can hold. Then tell the others how much corruption each of them has.
-[] Ask Mami to let Madoka have the use of the grief seed, and promise to make up the difference to her in potions, when you get the chance to brew more. They might taste bad, but it's the one thing that you're good at that actually helps your friends.
This is (of course) the IC option, but hopefully Mami and Madoka will be savvy enough to notice that Homura's corruption level is (proportionally) higher than their own and will encourage her to use the seed. It'll be easier to brew all of the potions that everybody needs when we have a clear head.
She is, but even then, being told that your body isn't yours any more would be traumatic.
Seriously, most people aren't transhumanists, and are rather sentimentally attached to their bodies. I know that's an idea that a lot of people on SB/SV seem to have trouble wrapping their heads around, but it's true.
The first thing to try is to heal Madoka without summoning a new body, of course, but even in the unlikely scenario that we are unable to fully heal Madoka, we're definitely not going to summon a new body for Madoka and try to stuff her soul into it without asking permission. At least half of what girls freak out about when they discover the lich thing is that Kyuubey did this to them without their knowledge or permission. If given a choice between living in a damaged body that lacks a hand or choosing to switch to a new body that is physically identical to her old one, it's quite possible that Madoka would make the switch.
... right, forgot there was a wiki, that'll save a bit of time...
Alright, quick observations: Mami can heal, but Sayaka's an actual healer; worse comes to worse we can call her in and she might be able to fix everything if Mami can't. Also, while [RESTORE SONG] doesn't specifically mention fixing dismemberment, it probably falls under "wounds"; though there's the chance it may count as a debuff, in which case using [IDENTIFY] on Madoka to confirm might be handy(as that raises the possibility of fixing her with a shot of [PURIFICATION]).
And on an aside, we should use [IDENTIFY] on Sayaka's [REGENERATE] skill after checking GOTZ's [FLY] skill. Both sound quite handy, provided the pre-reqs aren't too nasty.
Hmm... Should probably ask Mami if she knows the names of any other notable magical girls, we got a lot of leads on new skills just from the Nishigawa quartet.
Well dismemberment does indeed fall under wounds, and as such healing magic does work on it.
Thing is, that pantherasapiens take on what healing magic does is more realistic than most anime. So we would need a regeneration and/or a Surgery skill to rebuild limbs.
We could also just write Madoka's left leg/right leg not sure which she lost, as well as Madoka's Left arm/right arm, we might not know that due to the lich thing she could just posses a new body in character, but we have no reason to assume we can't make replacement limbs that can then be sewn on and healed on either.
... right, forgot there was a wiki, that'll save a bit of time...
Alright, quick observations: Mami can heal, but Sayaka's an actual healer; worse comes to worse we can call her in and she might be able to fix everything if Mami can't. Also, while [RESTORE SONG] doesn't specifically mention fixing dismemberment, it probably falls under "wounds"; though there's the chance it may count as a debuff, in which case using [IDENTIFY] on Madoka to confirm might be handy(as that raises the possibility of fixing her with a shot of [PURIFICATION]).
And on an aside, we should use [IDENTIFY] on Sayaka's [REGENERATE] skill after checking GOTZ's [FLY] skill. Both sound quite handy, provided the pre-reqs aren't too nasty.
Hmm... Should probably ask Mami if she knows the names of any other notable magical girls, we got a lot of leads on new skills just from the Nishigawa quartet.
[X] Watch how Mami heals Madoka, do anything you can to help with it.
[X] Notice that your soul gem is over two-thirds darkened. Drink your last [DISTILLED MAGIC]. Do your best to keep your emotions in check, until you can brew enough potions to cleanse everyone's soul gems completely.
[X] When the matter of the grief seed comes up, [IDENTIFY] it so you can tell the others how much corruption it can hold. Then tell the others how much corruption each of them has.
-[X] Ask Mami to let Madoka have the use of the grief seed, and promise to make up the difference to her in potions, when you get the chance to brew more. They might taste bad, but it's the one thing that you're good at that actuallyhelps your friends.
[X] Retrieve your wand(s) and put them into your inventory.
[X] If the others ask about the stunned thugs, tell them that you didn't want anyone to get hurt.
[X] Summon [MADOKA'S HAND] and ask if Mami can attach it
Well, if the issue is not having a hand to heal back on... Homura could summon KANAME MADOKA for a replacement limb. Or KANAME MADOKA'S ARM. It's... probably less existentially horrifying than replacing her body entire, since it's 'just' a transplant.
True, it would be unfortunate to be caught off balance; but this may well be an opportunity for Sayaka to stand on her own two feet and be the healbot she was meant to be.
Not to point fingers, but if you're going to hand Madoka over to Sayaka for help, you should probably foot the Corruption cost at least a little. It'll certainly cut off any objections she might have, and give her a leg up on -
ANYWAY, votes called! The winning options are:
[6] Watch how Mami heals Madoka, do anything you can to help with it.
[6] Notice that your soul gem is over two-thirds darkened. Drink your last [DISTILLED MAGIC]. Do your best to keep your emotions in check, until you can brew enough potions to cleanse everyone's soul gems completely.
[6] When the matter of the grief seed comes up, [IDENTIFY] it so you can tell the others how much corruption it can hold. Then tell the others how much corruption each of them has.
-[6] Ask Mami to let Madoka have the use of the grief seed, and promise to make up the difference to her in potions, when you get the chance to brew more. They might taste bad, but it's the one thing that you're good at that actually helps your friends.
[6] Retrieve your wand(s) and put them into your inventory.
[6] If the others ask about the stunned thugs, tell them that you didn't want anyone to get hurt.
In the next update, Homura will attempt to:
* watch how Mami heals Madoka.
* ask or see if there is any way she can help, and do it.
* look at her Soul Gem, realising it's over two-thirds darkened.
* selfishly consume all the [DISTILLED MAGIC] instead of giving it to Madoka. [1]
* keep putting off feeling guilty, horrified, &c. [2]
* if/when the Grief Seed is brought up, [IDENTIFY] it.
* tell Madoka and Mami how much Corruption it holds and how much each of them has.
* ask Mami to let Madoka use all the Grief Seed, promising to give her lots of potions when you've brewed more.
* privately think about how the only thing she can do that actually helps her friends, tastes awful.
* pick up her wand/s and store them in [INVENTORY]. [3]
* if they ask about the stunned thugs, say that you didn't want to hurt anybody. [4]
[1] Might change the tone of this in the actual writing, but... I mean, just visualise it. Madoka laying on the ground, holding her leg to her stump. Mami over them, the glow of healing magic stitching them back together... and Homura sitting back and chugging [DISTILLED MAGIC] with an expression of utter serenity. (This is of course assuming that she can't actually help. If she can help, then it's more of Homura, having just helped Mami burn magic on healing Madoka, drinking the last [DISTILLED MAGIC].) [2] Which is how I'm reading "do your best to keep your emotions in check", but of course it's not limited to just guilt and horror at this point. [3] I approve of the thought of not leaving a [STEALTHY WAND OF STUNNING OF INFINITE AMMO] around for delinquents/ thugs to pick up. Not that they have any MP to recharge it, anyway. [4] I'm amused by the fact that it's written in as an if. Like Madoka and Mami should be expected by now to just accept that Homura will have unconscious people sprawled about in her vicinity.
I'm amused by the fact that it's written in as an if. Like Madoka and Mami should be expected by now to just accept that Homura will have unconscious people sprawled about in her vicinity.
[1] Might change the tone of this in the actual writing, but... I mean, just visualise it. Madoka laying on the ground, holding her leg to her stump. Mami over them, the glow of healing magic stitching them back together... and Homura sitting back and chugging [DISTILLED MAGIC] with an expression of utter serenity. (This is of course assuming that she can't actually help. If she can help, then it's more of Homura, having just helped Mami burn magic on healing Madoka, drinking the last [DISTILLED MAGIC].)
Despite Madoka's injuries and the mana that Mami will be using healing, Homura is still the one who needs the [DISTILLED MAGIC] the most, since her soul gem is (proportionally) the fullest. From an absolute perspective, Madoka and Mami have more corruption but that's just because they have ridiculous reserves. Ultimately, of course, Homura will be brewing up enough [DISTILLED MAGIC] for everyone, so it's not a question of who gets to drink it but rather what the order of cleansing should be. And that order should be tied to the proportion of corruption in each person's soul gem.
This assumes, of course, that Homura is capable of thinking rationally about this at the moment, anyway. She's not, but hopefully she'll at least be capable of seeing the need for taking the edge off the corruption (442/650 is way too high), and she can rationalize taking the [DISTILLED MAGIC] for herself since she intends to give the grief seed to Madoka afterwards.
Ultimately, of course, Homura will be brewing up enough [DISTILLED MAGIC] for everyone, so it's not a question of who gets to drink it but rather what the order of cleansing should be. And that order should be tied to the proportion of corruption in each person's soul gem.
Let's hope we can keep everyone alive until sufficient brewing has been done. Speaking of which, I think Kyubey would jump on the opportunity to provide Homura with a fume hood if she asked him. So much room to place sensors to better observe her brewing! Homura might even be willing to ask him for one for the sake of being better able to help her friends in the only way she can.
[1] Ask Mami if she can re-attach or regenerate Madoka's leg with her [HEAL]ing.
-[1] If she can't, propose relocating and attaching the leg semi-surgically (summon & apply local anaesthetic, remove [HEAL]ed/cauterised skin from relevant leg/stump parts, press stump and leg together, let Mami try [HEAL]ing them so they attach) at Homura's or Mami's place, but definitely not here. We're not a back-alley doctor, dammit!
--[1] Given the unknown MP/corruption cost, make use of the grief seed when necessary, but only after drinking our last distilled magic. We can always make more MP potions and give them to the girls. Maybe add flavouring, though, given their reactions.
-[1] If she can and the corruption cost is high (Mami/Madoka at > 2/3), propose they get the grief seed, or share it between them. It's not like you need it.
-[1] If neither works, propose summoning artificial limbs that magically attach to Madoka (We can save her, we have the technology magic).
[1] Sob with relief at Madoka's survival.
[1] Sob with guilt about yet again failing Madoka.
[1] Curl up and hug your legs into yourself. Try to think calming thoughts.
-[1] The witch is dead and everyone is alive. You're stronger then you've ever been and you make others stronger.
-[1] But Madoka nearly died even though you knew almost everything about ROBERTA -- now you're further along and you don't know what's going to leap out at you next.
[1] Split the Grief Seed evenly.
[6] Watch how Mami heals Madoka, do anything you can to help with it.
[6] Notice that your soul gem is over two-thirds darkened. Drink your last [DISTILLED MAGIC]. Do your best to keep your emotions in check, until you can brew enough potions to cleanse everyone's soul gems completely.
[6] When the matter of the grief seed comes up, [IDENTIFY] it so you can tell the others how much corruption it can hold. Then tell the others how much corruption each of them has.
-[6] Ask Mami to let Madoka have the use of the grief seed, and promise to make up the difference to her in potions, when you get the chance to brew more. They might taste bad, but it's the one thing that you're good at that actually helps your friends.
[6] Retrieve your wand(s) and put them into your inventory.
[6] If the others ask about the stunned thugs, tell them that you didn't want anyone to get hurt.
[3] Summon [MADOKA'S HAND] and ask if Mami can attach it @boonerunner, @Matou Sutegobana, @Faith, @Godwinson, @AuraTwilight, @Quantumboost, @kelllogo, @Chaff
===
You watch Mami as she concentrates, her fingers carefully probing Madoka's stump and running around the burnt edges of the unattached stump, and finally she sighs. "I'm sorry, Madoka-san, but this is going to have to hurt a little bit. Please be brave -"
And quickly you interject, "Mami-san, is there anything I can do?"
But Mami's head is already down to study Madoka's leg as best she can, her Soul Gem glowing bright enough on her hand to cast light on the wound. She shakes her head briefly, apologetically, and you withdraw. Well. Of course you can't help. You don't even know the basic form of healing, and you've never even practiced [FIRST AID], so it's not a surprise that you wouldn't be able to help Mami -
Madoka cries out and stifles herself, a pained little noise, and blood spurts before it settles into a smaller, steadier stream. Mami murmurs "that's fine, it won't be long, Madoka-san," her bloodied hands are quickly flicking back and forth between the two stump-ends like sewing-needles trailing bright yellow threads. You feel acid-bitter gorge rising in your throat and hurriedly turn away so you won't throw up from the sight and smell and sound of it. Instead to distract yourself you stare at the delinquent thugs sprawled through the half-opened door, on the door itself with its broken lock, on the Soul Gem that covers the most part of the back of your left hand -
You stare at it, transfixed. More than two-thirds of it, or of you - you still feel that fundamental, strange disconnect when thinking of that as you, somehow - more than two-thirds of your soul is consumed in swirling black. You need to cleanse it, you and Madoka and Mami, and between the three of you there is one Grief Seed and one [DISTILLED MAGIC] and over three thousand "points" of Corruption or magic to restore, and more with every minute that passes.
Your thoughts stir, sluggish. Yes, you have that [DISTILLED MAGIC], don't you? You could drink it. It would cleanse you, and you have the highest - the highest percentage of Corruption, now, of the three of you. Nobody could fault you for it, and you need it, and before you give yourself any reasons otherwise, you snatch it out of your [INVENTORY] and drink it down. You let out a long breath of relief as the fizzing electricity burns itself out on your tongue, and you take a look at your Soul Gem to see that it's a little bit clearer now, but not as much as you'd like or hope, and...
...and now the other arguments come into your mind. Madoka, how could you deny Madoka your potion, or Mami when she protected you and killed the Witch for you and now is healing Madoka when she could, should even, just walk away and leave the two of you to stew in your weakness, and you drank it when you're doing nothing to help the current situation, not even to help ease Madoka's pain? How could you have! and you try to push all those thoughts away by focusing on, what do you even have to think on now? Think on the last battle. You could have done better, so much better. You could have fought some other Witch, some weaker Witch. You could have practised more with battle, learned better tactics, so many things you could have done better even if you could not have fought the shockwaves or expected the GOTZ-swarms to fight the way they did. But you're too weak to do anything, and too weak to learn quickly enough, but you need to do things and learn to grow in strength, but you can't grow in strength until you -
"T-thank you, Mami-san," says Madoka's voice, and you jolt out of your cycling, circling thoughts to see Mami stand up and pull Madoka to her feet. Madoka takes a tentative step, testing her weight on the newly-attached leg, and you think with bitter pride that you can't even see any stitches to mark the seam between the limbs. That's Mami's work for you, she's bound flesh to flesh with her threads and even healed away the chars and burns from the fire. You get up, too, wobbling to your feet unsteadily.
"It's not as perfect a job as I'd like," admits Mami self-deprecatingly, "but I hope it satisfies you. I'm sorry about your hand, though, Madoka-san."
Madoka nods, looking at the wrist-stump and slipping it behind her book bag, out of sight. "This was already more than enough, Mami-san," she says at last, and repeats, "thank you."
"And now here is our reward for fighting that Witch," says Mami, more cheerfully. "Come on, Homura-san," and she fishes out the Grief Seed from her pocket. The three of you look at it, balanced improbably on its point on Mami's palm.
"Identify," you say, and read the pop-up.
"It can hold 1040 Corruption," you tell Madoka and Mami, biting your lip. "But you..." You look at the [BLANK SCROLL] again, at their Corruption. "Madoka-san has a thousand and a hundred and forty Corruption, now, and Mami-san has a thousand and a hundred and thirty-six, so -" You take a breath, turning red. "Could I ask Mami-san to let Madoka-san have the use of the Grief Seed? I'll make it up in potions to you, once I brew them."
"N-no," protests Madoka. "Mami-san should have it! I didn't do anything..."
Which seems to make up Mami's mind, and she puts the Grief Seed into Madoka's hand, touching it to Madoka's Soul Gem and drawing out the grief from within it until the Grief Seed is full, and then she pockets it. "Homura-san is right, Madoka-san. You need it the most of us all." She winks at you. "I'll be expecting those potions, then, Homura-san," and you try to smile at her but all you can think is: they're the only thing I can do that actually helps, and they all taste awful. Why? You look away, and you happen to turn towards the door. "We should go," says Mami, then, and she looks around the shop, apparently to be sure you've left nothing behind. You put your wands into your [INVENTORY], both the stunning and the summoning, and dismiss your own transformation as well.
"Um -," says Madoka, uncertainly, her arm across Mami's shoulder for support. You turn to her in concern, and realise she's looking at the unconscious people on the ground, some of whom have faces inconveniently tilted upwards. "They're... not dead, are they?"
"I stunned them," you say, awkwardly. "I didn't want to hurt anybody."
"That was a good thought," says Mami gravely. "Thank you, Homura-san," and she quickly leads Madoka across the staring, unconscious eyes of the people. With the way your legs are wobbling under your weight, you go more slowly. You don't meet any more people on the way out, and so you uneventfully leave the "dead shops".
---
"Do you live very far from here, Madoka-san?" asks Mami.
"N-no," says Madoka almost reflexively. Over the course of the past few minutes she's re-adjusted to her leg, and her gait is almost back to normal. "It's only a few minutes' walk from here..."
"I see," says Mami thoughtfully, gently. "Will you be okay?"
Madoka takes a minute to think before she stammers out an "I - I think so," but her voice wavers.
Roll for [COMPULSION]: 1d20 +1 (skill) + 3 (relationship bonus) vs DC 5 = 17
---
[COMPULSION] +1
---
Actions in abeyance said:
[ ] Resolve the cockroach issue.
- [ ] Summon a [BUG ZAPPER OF SUMMON INSECTS] or [BUG ZAPPER OF ATTRACT INSECTS]. It should summon any nearby insects and zap them.
- [ ] Also resolve to regularly clean the apartment and to summon a [FUME HOOD] for future potionmaking endeavors.
[ ] Training with Sayaka and Madoka.
Automatic actions: will occur unless specifically avoided said:
Looking for targets:
[ ] Use the [COMPASS OF DETECT CORRUPTION], [MAP OF MITAKIHARA OF LOCATE BEING], and [IDENTIFY] to find a Familiar/ Witch and learn about it.
- [ ] Tell everybody what you've learned.
Entering barriers:
[ ] [INVITE] everybody to the PARTY before entering the barrier.
[ ] Summon at least three items of [PROTECTION (ELEMENT) OF IMPROVED EFFECT] for everybody going in.
During hunts:
[ ] Ask/ attempt to get the last hit on the Witch.
[ ] Toggle on [EXP SHARE].
[ ] Toggle on all [RESISTANCE {ELEMENT)] skills.
Grief Seeds:
[ ] Give to Madoka.
