Puella Magi Adfligo Systema - Story only

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] Back to Mitakihara
- [X] Invite Yuki along to claim a random building
-- [X] Warehouse-kun!
- [X] Do not invite Yuki along for lunch. We'll see her later

"Then let's go," you say, beaming.

You feel lighter as Mami stands gracefully and twirls to offer you a hand up, the weight of that penultimate secret lifted from your shoulders and replaced with the comfort of knowing, knowing that Mami has your back. Fully, and wholeheartedly.

You let the privacy construct unravel - you'd considered hanging on to it just in case, but you have enough enchanted Grief to make another if you need to, so there's no real point. And you find yourself smiling goofily at Mami, holding her hand still as reality floods back in, the low hum and groans of a living building and a city beyond filling your ears once more.

"Oh, done talkin'?" Kirika cracks open the teddy-bear-print door, one citrine eye and a segment of her fanged grin visible in the gap. "The sulky girl and her daughter's back."

"Never call Yuma that in front of Kyouko," you say. "... and don't call Kyouko that either, if you value your kneecaps."

"Eh, I can take her," Kirika says. "She's too wound up in her own head to fight properly. But c'mon, everyone's gone up to the roof already."

You give Kirika a dubious look. She's probably right about Kyouko being too stuck in her own head, and Kirika might be a monster in melee, but so is Kyouko. And Kyouko's experienced in a way most magical girls aren't, having carved herself a life alone with nothing but her spear and sheer, bloody-minded force of will.

Mami chuckles softly as Kirika grins and bounces away.

"Shall we?" she says.

"Yeah," you say. "Time to head back home."

Mami's smile widens, and she goes up on her toes to press a kiss to your cheek. And without giving you a moment to recover, she takes your hand and tugs you out of the room, heading for the stairs. Her grin, glimpsed in little glances back, does little to quell the helpless delight driving your own giggles.

As you step out onto the roof, squinting against the midday sun even as a pleasantly cool breeze winds its way past you, ruffling your coat. You find, as promised, everyone gathered on the roof - Kirika draped over Oriko, Kyouko slouched against the wall of the stairwell with Yuma beside her, both sharing a bag of chips. And Kazumi's perched on top of a humming air conditioner vent, conversing with Yuki and taking advantage of the additional height to keep Niko from escaping with one hand stroking through her hair.

Kyouko flicks a glance over to you, then away.

Niko's sleepy, lazily satisfied eyes settle upon you as the stairwell door swings shut behind you and she brightens, murmuring something to Kazumi, who pats her hair one more time before allowing the blonde to duck away from her hand to march over.

"So, the Gems," she says briskly, combing her hands through her hair. "I've got a good idea of what needs to be done now, and scratch the thing about maybe needing a strong healer. I need one, or you're getting a revive rate of about one girl every two weeks, and that's if I can dedicate all my time to it. And I'd need a Clear Seed to dedicate to the girl being revived if I'm doing it manually."

"Strong healer, got it," you say, nodding. "I'll find us one, then."

"Cool," Niko says, and props her fists on her hips. "Don't keep me waiting for too long, I want to see how this works."

"Will do," you say. "And, uh, I really didn't expect you to be able to figure it out this quickly."

"Oh, I haven't," Niko says airily. "I'll still need a couple days. I've got a good idea of the actual mechanics involved, but I need to actually confirm it all."

"... ah. That makes more sense," you say. "OK! Let me know if you hit any snags or anything, I'll be happy to hop on over. And on that note, uh... Miss Tsuruya? Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all," Yuki says, looking up. "We were just discussing a potential visit later; I would like to speak further with Miss Wakaba."

"Huh," you say. Right, yeah, they've got that whole probably-playful rivalry going, with Mirai having allowed Yuki to lay a claim to the teddy bear museum that is their home. "Well, if you're sure-" You wait for Yuki to nod before continuing. "-then I just wanted to double-check that you're good to come over to Mitakihara to lay a temporary claim on a building, right? I've got a place in mind - it's not exactly a home, but it'll do until Homura and Hitomi can get the house?"

"I was under the impression that Miss Shizuki would be expediting the process so I could claim the house this evening," Yuki says, frowning lightly. "A matter of crossed purposes, I suppose. But I have no objection - I'll simply take a lighter hold, and it would save us a trip later this evening."

"Great," you say. "In that case, Miss Kanna-"

"Oh, come on, Niko-san will do," Niko interjects.

"Right, yeah - if you hit any snags or whatever, let me know," you say. "I'll be happy to come over, and if Miss Tsuruya's willing to lend her aid, it won't be a problem."

"Cool!" Niko says. "See ya around, then!"

And with that last bit of discussion done, you exchange goodbyes with everyone- "Umika says bye and thanks but she's going to be screaming into her pillow for a bit" -and then you're abruptly in Fukushima, courtesy of Yuki's magic. And with a tiny effort of will, you get everyone airborne, cradled safely within the confines of your flight disc and soaring into the clear blue sky with the sun beating down from above.

Mami snuggles happily into your side, Oriko and Kirika behind you, and Kyouko seated in the back as Yuma hangs over the edge, taking in the view and the rush of the wind. Yuki asked for a seat in the rear but seems little interested in actually sitting down for the moment, joining Yuma in enjoying the blurring landscape and roaring winds, albeit with considerably more dignity.

"So, Mami-sempai, Sabrina," Kazumi's voice speaks into your mind as the sprawl of Fukushima gives way to the rolling checkboards of fields. "I spoke to Kyouko, and I promised I wouldn't tell you what we talked about."

"I did expect as much," Mami says. She doesn't stir, perfectly comfortable with your cheek leaned against the crown of your head, but you can feel the wave of tension thrumming through her body.

"She's hurting," Kazumi says bluntly. "There's things that past me and current her share in common, Mami. And it's been a long time for her, you know?"

"It has been," Mami agrees gravely. "But I don't know what to do about it, either."

"I don't know either, her situation... isn't the same as mine," Kazumi says. "I helped her where I could, and I think I did get through to her a bit, but she's been stewing on this for a while. So I thought you should know, if you didn't already."

"Thank you," Mami says. "We had an idea, but the reminder was definitely welcome. We'll work on it."

"That's all I wanted!" Kazumi says, cheer returning. "I'll see you later~"

You sigh lightly as Kazumi breaks the mental connection, leaving the two of you in a contemplative silence.

It's not like Kyouko hasn't been on your thoughts, what with her circling resentment and that mysterious request to go talk to Kazumi. She's been doing better, you think, and trying to reach out more, but you're... worried. You're worried that you're just not the right person to help Kyouko, for many reasons.

Because you are Mami's replacement for Kyouko, in her eyes. And that's not true in anything more than the superficial sense, because you can't replace people like that. Kyouko herself should know - Yuma isn't a replacement for Momo. She might have picked Yuma up because she reminded her of Momo, but Yuma's her own person, and you're certain Kyouko knows that.

And you're pretty sure, at this point, that Kyouko has a crush on Mami. To your surprise, the though doesn't leave you particularly jealous - rather, it leaves you worried. Because that on top of everything else Kyouko's feeling only leaves her issues more complicated. The mix of guilt and awful self-esteem and potentially romantic feelings and everything else is a volatile mix.

"... we're... going to have to talk about Kyouko, later," you murmur to Mami.

"We are," she agrees, her mental voice soft but warm, even with the worry underlying her tone.

"We'll figure out how to tackle it," you promise. "And we'll do it together, just like everything else. Kyouko's your friend -our friend- and she's worth that."

"I know," Mami says, but even so, that tension ebbs.

The rain's finally let up fully by the time you make it back to Mitakihara, the sullen clouds having finally broken up at some point since you left, and the city practically sparkles beneath the midday sun as you cruise in to drop off Oriko and Kirika at their mansion. Oriko offers you a contented smile and a stately nod as she takes Kirika's hand, stepping off the flight platform.

You return the nod, remembering her pronouncement even as you all exchange goodbyes. She wants to live, and you're going to do everything you can to make sure she does. They deserve their happy ending, too.

"Kyouko, Yuma, d'you want me to drop you off somewhere?" you ask as the Kures wave you off. "You're welcome to come along if you want, of course."

Kyouko grunts.

"Drop us off at the mall," she says, then adds, grudgingly, "Please."

"Sure," you say, smiling.

And so you drop Kyouko and Yuma off, Yuma giving you a big smile as she waves enthusiastically enough to make her hair bounce. The platform you shrink down, since it's just you, Mami, and Yuki now, the latter taking in Mitakihara with a practiced, interested eye as you glide past.

"Mitakihara is a beautiful city," she notes.

"It's home," Mami says, smiling.

Yuki laughs softly.

"I suppose that's all we can ask for," she says.

You soar out westwards, swinging past the bustling, glittering heart of Mitakihara's central business district, past the towering spire of the DBJ building and onwards to the old industrial district. Soon, you're descending towards a familiar, battered old warehouse, surrounded by that same rusting chainlink fence.

"... oh, this must be Warehouse-kun," Mami says, smiling as she accepts your hand to step off the flight platform, her shoes scraping on the sandy floor. She cranes her head back, taking in the dilapidated old building, and smiles.

"Sayaka told you, didn't she?" you grumble.

"No comment!" Mami says brightly.

Yuki huffs out an amused laugh as she hops down behind Mami, her cloak fluttering and settling about her.

"Old and abandoned," she observes, padding over to the main door and looking around. "The walls are rusting, and so is the roof. No furniture, of course, or even a proper floor inside... but it's whole. A leak or two in the roof, a draft through the doors." She smiles. "It'll do."

Gently, she nudges the doors shut, the hinges groaning, before placing her hands against both halves and closing her eyes.

Her magic is a slow, tectonic thing, spreading like the slow seep of magma across the ground. Grinding and warm and longing and ponderous, the steady bedrock of looking forward to going home at the end of the day. Comforting and somehow achingly yearning, pouring through the doors and suffusing the entire building. There's no grand crescendo or blaze or light, simply a sense of completion, of satisfaction as her claim fills the warehouse.

Yuki takes a breath, and opens her eyes, smiling distantly.

"If we wish to keep using this location for much longer, we should so some maintenance. Patch up the ceilings, perhaps re-do the floor and bring in some furniture," she says. "But for now, this will suffice."

"Thank you, Miss Tsuruya," you say, smiling. "Hopefully we'll have news for you this evening."

"Indeed," Yuki says with a measured nod. "I'll see you later, then."

"Until next time!" Mami says.

You watch as Yuki steps forward into Warehouse-kun... and simply vanishes between one step and the other, a rush of magic and the faintest puff of cooler air all there is to mark her vanishing from Mitakihara.

You laugh abruptly.

"I can't say I expected Miss Tsuruya to be quite this gung-ho about our alliance, about Constellation," you say. "But here we are. I'm honestly glad I invited her to it, really."

"I would say that she always seemed the ambitious sort, but lacked a good way to truly expend that ambitiousness. Mercenary work can only go so far, with magical girls being what they are," Mami says, squeezing your arm lightly and smiling at you. "They were surviving, but not more than that. But you, Miss Vee, gave her an outlet and a goal for that ambition, not to mention the surety of a Clear Seed. Why wouldn't she be enthusiastic about it? Also."

Mami gives you an amused grin.

"Wasn't she the one to propose it?" she asks.

"... well, you know what I mean," you say, beaming at Mami. Struck by a sudden impulse, you lean down to press a kiss to her cheek, then straighten up again. "Now, we've made good time so we'll be a little early, but shall we head to lunch?"

"We shall!" Mami says happily.

[x] Lunch!
- [x] Talk about the Soujus
-- [] Any particular approach?
-- [x] Talk about housing their victims
- [] Other discussion topics?
-- [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

Also, I basically never do this, but I'm going to endorse this analysis here as being quite accurate to Kyouko in PMAS. It's about time Sabrina got a clue about Kyouko, really.

Also, yes, I'm going to lock in the Soujus as a discussion topic - mainly because Sayaka's reaction to the sheer violence was something Madoka and Hitomi (and Homura) both witnessed, plus, Mami rushing out of class as she did would be school gossip, so it's kind of inevitable. You can write in any specific approach for the topic if you want to hit some specific notes, of course.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[x] Lunch!
- [x] Talk about the Soujus
-- [x] They think you're an angel, which makes them very receptive to anything you tell them, but it feels gross to take advantage of. Maybe people who they don't worship should take the lead on this pretty please.
-- [x] Talk about housing their victims
--- [x] Hitomi, don't you dare buy each of them a luxury apartment.
--- [x] Since most of them presumably had lives that they'd like to get back to, depending on the rate that Niko can recover them we might be able to put them up in our or Asunaro's guest rooms while they work out how to do that.
---- [x] For the ones that stick around, now's the perfect time to get started on the Best Exotic Mamigold Hotel. You've been thinking of asking the Sendai University Group's plant girl to grow a Telvanni apartment building.

Lunch!

You get airborne once more, all your responsibilities for the morning cleared. From the industrial district to Mitakihara Middle School isn't a long flight, and you'll be there soon, but for now, you simply enjoy the warmth of the sun and the clear skies in the wake of the rain.

You're looking forward to this, you find - it hasn't been all that long since you last saw the rest of your friends, but it sure feels like it after the morning you've had. There's the tiniest bit of trepidation lurking in your stomach about having to explain things, with Sayaka's very visible reaction, but that is worth the effort. For Madoka, for Hitomi, for Sayaka herself, and for Homura. You'll work it out.

And of course, you'll have Mami with you. Some part of you still can't believe that you've told her. That she all but figured it out before you told her, and just needed you to confirm it. The second-to-last of your great secrets, and she took it in stride, and she's with you. To call it a relief would be a colossal understatement.

Mami, seeming to sense your attention, squeezes your arm and smiles at you, golden eyes warm even as the wind tugs at her hair. You smile back, relaxing and enjoying the time spent together, and all too soon, you're descending towards the familiar rooftop of Mitakihara, all towering spire and buttressed pillars and the odd bench or two.

"Ahh," Mami says as she steps off the flight platform, offering you a mischievous grin and a hand down. "You know, I think this is the first time I've come to school this way?"

"... well, usually you're already in school," you say, laughing and accepting the hand as you let the flight platform dissolve beneath your feet. Which is, of course, when Mami springs her trap, pulling you into a hug.

"True," Mami says softly even as you lean happily into the hug. "I'll... be back to school tomorrow, I suppose. I know it's important."

"Normality is important," you say. "It's what we're fighting for, yeah? Not just for us, but for our friends, and... for everyone."

"It is," Mami says. "But I don't want to..." She puffs out a breath, warm against your shoulder. "Sometimes, it feels like a waste of time. I know it's important to have that knowledge and friendships and connections and such, but it feels like this is so much more important. School is important, but so is what we're doing. And... with the way Constellation is shaping up, it doesn't feel as if having a diploma would be important."

"I suppose I'm a bit of a hypocrite, since, well, I'm not in school," you say. "Even if I have all that knowledge. But by the same token, I do know all that stuff, and I'm just... not normal, am I?" You huff in amusement, pulling back far enough to smile at Mami. "Sometimes I think it'd be nice to go to school, hang out with you and everyone else. The grass is greener and all, I suppose."

"I'm sorry," Mami whispers, drawing you back into the hug.

"I'm not upset or anything," you say. "Just kind of thinking out loud. I'm in a position to be outside of school, to do everything that needs doing. And I'm OK with that. I'd love to have your help, but... school isn't something you'll have the opportunity to come back to. Don't be so quick to set aside having an ordinary life, you know?"

"I suppose so," Mami says. "I just... want to be with you, Sabrina."

You lean your head against hers, feeling her nestling into your arms.

"You are," you murmur. "You are, in every way that matters. Just because we'd have to separate for a few hours doesn't mean we're apart."

"I know," she says.

"How about this," you say. "Stick with it for a month or so? If you feel really strongly about it, we can figure things out, but... that's my suggestion for now?"

"Until Walpurgisnacht?" Mami asks softly.

"Yeah," you say. "Until Walpurgisnacht."

"I suppose that makes sense," Mami agrees. You can feel her smile, her lips moving against your skin. "Alright. But if I do leave school, you can still teach me, right?"

"I'll steal the curriculum and teach you from that," you agree cheerfully. "Exams and all."

She laughs, tightening her hug around you, and that's how you stay until you hear familiar voices echoing up the stairwell. Mami steps back at you, smiling, and detransforms, leaving her back in her school uniform once more as she pulls out her lunchbox, and you do likewise.

Sayaka's the first up the stairs today, Madoka following with a faintly worried look that turns into a relieved smile as she spots you and Mami. Hitomi likewise smiles as she steps out onto the sunlit roof, relaxing, and Homura, the last to emerge, scans both you and Mami before nodding, her relief much better hidden but very much still there.

"Hey, everyone," you say, waving them over to the sun-warm benches. "Sorry for making you guys worry."

"That's not what you should be sorry for," Sayaka grumbles as she plops down on a bench opposite to you. "What you should be sorry for is making everyone think that I'm having really bad period cramps."

You wince.

"... yeah, OK, I am sorry for that," you say. You bite your tongue, trying to resist the urge to ask her whether she is alright after that whole mess with the Soujus. You're not sure she'd appreciate it right now, even if she seems to be doing better.

"I see that look," Sayaka says, rolling her eyes. "I'm fine."

"Well... good," you say, letting out a breath and smiling at the rest of your friends. "Anyway. Hi, everyone. How were classes?"

"Hi Sabrina, hi Mami!" Madoka says as she sits down next to Sayaka, Homura settling in by her other side. "Classes were good! Um, mostly. Are you alright? Sabrina, Mami?"

"We're fine," you say, smiling. "We'd kind of expected this, and we had to, ah, be a bit more forceful in the fight because of some weird power interactions, but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. Frankly, it's more the aftermath that's a bit of a problem. Should I be worried about that 'mostly'?"

"Oh, that's good," Madoka says, relaxing, then looking awkward. "And, ah..."

"Miss Saotome's weekend date was rather disastrous, by the sounds of it," Hitomi supplies, settling in to the last seat, on the other side of Mami from you. "But really, sometimes I wonder if the complaining is just a ritual she enjoys. She always wraps it up within five minutes, and then it's back to teaching."

Madoka nods vigorously.

"I still say she's cursed," Sayaka says. "I mean, magic exists, curses must exist too. And if there's ever anyone who was cursed, it's Miss Saotome. Mami, curses are real, right?"

"Unfortunately," Mami agrees gravely. "But I have, in the past, checked whether Miss Saotome might be cursed. She... does not seem to be, apart from the ordinary sense of the word."

"Maybe some more subtle magic," Sayaka muses. "Some kind of fate magic, maybe... what are you doing?"

"Hm?" you say, looking up. Sayaka stares as you crack your orange open and tip the flesh out. "Here, Mami, let me get yours for you too."

Mami hands you the orange from her lunch, hiding a smile for some reason as you tap the orange firmly against the bench to crack it, then dig your thumbs into the rind and pry it the rest of the way open to pour the orange yolk out onto the lunch box lid serving as a plate.

"What?" you ask innocently, grinning at your friends while returning the invisible fog of Grief particles back to your hammerspace. For no reason at all, everyone's staring at you. "Never seen someone peel an orange before?"

"Oh, Sabrina." Mami giggles fondly, bumping her shoulder against yours.

"Oh, yeah!" you say. You tap the peeled oranges with a finger, and let them fall apart into neat slices.

"... anyway," Sayaka says loudly after a moment. "Some kind of subtle fate magic to curse Miss Saotome. Maybe from a jilted ex?"

"Do you think so?" Madoka says. "Maybe she's just, um, really bad at choosing her dates?"

"Empirically speaking, she most certainly is," Hitomi observes drily. "Her run of bad luck is difficult to credit as being merely luck. But I doubt she'd have offended anyone badly enough to be cursed."

"Bah, where's the fun in that?" Sayaka says, grinning and shooting finger-guns at Madoka. "Maybe we should find an excuse to give Miss Saotome an anti-magic enchantment of some kind, just in case. Pretend it's a good luck charm, it won't be the first she's gotten."

You snicker.

"I mean, I could get you one if you really want. We could get her actual good luck charms too, I think, if Miss Saito is willing," you say. You tap your chin. "Actually, I kind of feel like I should get some to hand out anyway. They're potentially useful things, if a bit troublesome to maintain?"

"... honestly, that sounds pretty cool," Sayaka says. "Anyway. I'm starved. Itadakimasu!"

You all tuck into lunch, conversation in a lull as everyone takes the edge off their hunger.

"The tofu looks good, Homura." Madoka's the first to break the silence, peeking over Homura's shoulder at her lunch. "Did you make that yourself?"

"... yes," Homura murmurs. "It's nothing complicated, just packaged sauce with tofu." She hesitates. "Do you want some?"

"I'd like that, thank you!" Madoka says happily. "Here, I'll swap you a sausage for it."

She transfers over a little octopus-sausage, one with little sesame seeds stuck on for eyes, and grabs a chunk of tofu in return. Homura, uncertain, just holds her lunchbox open for Madoka to do as she will, and stares at the sausage as Madoka sits back.

You catch Mami's eye. She meets your hidden smile with one of her own, the tiniest hint of amusement crinkling the skin around her eyes, and then proceeds to steal a piece of beef from your lunch.

"Yours tastes better," she informs you.

"Nuh-uh," you say, your own chopsticks darting to claim a piece of roasted leek from her lunch in retaliation. "Yours does."

"Dorks," Sayaka grumbles, rolling her eyes.

Hitomi chuckles softly.

"How did things go with, ah, the Soujus?" she asks, broaching the elephant in the room. "Madoka and I heard some from Sayaka, in addition to your updates, but little further of the aftermath."

"Ah, yeah," you say, after swallowing. "The Soujus. We took them down, yeah, and it... took more force than I'd have liked. Then I talked to them, of course, and they're... a bit disjointed from reality, to put it mildly. They were stealing Soul Gems because they believed they were saving them. It's like, mm, kidnapping people and putting them in medical comas to save them from hunger."

"That's horrible!" Madoka says.

"Yeah, well... I'm... about ninety per-cent certain it's because their Wishes messed with their heads," you say with a grimace. "From what I gathered, they were pressured to make their Wishes in pretty awful circumstances, and." You sigh. "You get what you Wish for, not what you want."

You wave your chopsticks in the air, bulling onwards to cut through the gloom threatening to choke the life out of the conversation.

"Anyway, we're working on it," you say. "They're, uh... rooming with Miss Saito and Miss Watanabe for now in that apartment Hitomi got for us. We'll be talking to them more, but... man. Um."

Mami giggles abruptly.

"Um?" Hitomi prompts, leaning forward to give you a quizzical look from Mami's other side.

"They... seem to think of me as some kind of angel?" you say awkwardly, trying not to squirm under everyone's eyes. "In the, uh, literal sent-by-god divine messenger sort of sense. Because of my magic. It's... um. It's definitely a thing. On the one hand, it makes them super receptive to anything I tell them, but just... ick, no."

"... that's... good?" Madoka ventures, blinking at you with big, confused eyes.

"It's definitely the most of all time," you say. "Just. The most. Full stop."

You stuff some rice into your mouth rather than continue down that line of thought.

"We'll help them," Mami says. She barely manages to hide her amusement as she nudges you. "But maybe we'll have someone else take the lead on them? We do still need to hire a therapist somehow."

"Honestly, yeah," you say. You also carefully do not focus on Homura as you seize on the redirection like a lifeline. Nor Sayaka. "We really do need to hire a good therapist and-or pyschiatrist. Or psychologist. Or counsellor. Or three. And... huh, right, Miss Nakano did say she'd be able to set us up with initial contacts, at least."

You check in your pocket - still got that business card she gave you.

"Nakano Corporation's primary focus is construction, is it not?" Hitomi asks.

"Well, yeah," you say. "But apparently they do have some contacts, and it's probably better than cold-calling random healthcare agencies. Or even individuals."

"That's true..." Madoka muses, tapping her chin with the back of her chopsticks. "I think papa mentioned one of his friends is a psychiatrist. I could ask papa for more info?"

"That sounds like a good start," Hitomi says. "I... would imagine that therapists are more likely to be used to receiving unsolicited, irregular calls? Due to the nature of their profession? But I do agree that having a more personalized approach might be better. I shall ask my parents if they might be able to help, though I rather doubt it."

"That would actually be wonderful, both of you," you say. "I have to admit, I don't know how effective... I mean, the Soujus are probably an entire medical study in and of themselves, but. Yeah. This would be something to figure out together. And... well, there's the Soujus, and then their kidnap-ees. I don't think we can possibly drop that kind of workload on one person."

"Jeeze, yeah," Sayaka says. "How many of them are there?"

"Too many," you say. "Seventeen magical girls."

"That's definitely too many for one person to handle!" Madoka says, nodding.

"Yeah... well, in any case, Miss Niko will be helping them regrow their bodies," you say. "Ah, that's Kanna Niko, from Asunaro? And we still need to find a strong healer to work with her for the process, but really, the key thing I was getting at is that her estimate was 'more than a day, less than a week' per girl."

"Mm..." Madoka says, pulling out her phone and typing away as Sayaka peeks over her shoulder.

"Average caseload for a therapist is... thirty clients per week, give or take?" Sayaka reads out.

"Mmhm!" Madoka agrees. "But I suppose it's not likely that a therapist we find will have a totally clear schedule."

"Considering that they've been effectively kidnapped, would they want to stick around for something like this, though?" Hitomi asks.

"Teleporting," Sayaka points out. "I mean, we're reading them in on magic, right, Sabrina?"

"I would think so, yeah? No way they can do their jobs properly otherwise," you say. "So yeah, teleport commute might work, especially if Miss Tsuruya is amenable. If not... maybe we can recruit or hire someone?"

"Or I can copy a teleport power, maybe?" Sayaka says. "I know Miss Asami has a lightning teleport, but that one's really short-ranged."

"Oi," you say, pointing your chopsticks at her. "You're on leave."

"I know, I know," Sayaka says, rolling her eyes. "But this isn't... y'know, stressful. Picking up new powers to play with is fun."

"That's how they all think," you say ominously. "Rest is rest, Sayaka."

"Anyway." Sayaka ignores you, turning back to Madoka. "Teleporting could be a solution. Do we know where they're all from, anyway?"

"Not yet - the Soujus might know, but honestly, I figure we'll ask the girls themselves when the time comes," you say. "See what they want to do, since I don't think we can assume they'd all want to go back to their homes. Still, if they do, we'll provide transport and whatever support they need to get their feet back under them."

"And if they want to stay?" Hitomi asks.

"Hitomi, don't you dare," you say. "I- listen, I really appreciate how much you've helped, but I can't possibly expect you to buy or rent them all luxury apartments or some such."

"... well, it would be reasonably doable," Hitomi says, looking wounded. She smiles slightly. "It's sort of exciting, really."

"It's just- well. Look, I want to approach that sort of thing properly, we can't rely on being able to sneak this sort of thing under official notice forever," you say. "The powers that be will notice eventually, and bureaucracy is one enemy even I'm going to balk at tackling head on, y'know?"

"I'm sure it's not that bad!" Madoka says, but she doesn't sound sure.

"Maybe, but... I was also sort of thinking that I want to make progress on the Mamigold Hotel," you say.

"Mami...gold?" Hitomi says.

"Marigold," Homura mutters in English, refusing to meet your eyes.

Sayaka slaps her forehead.

"Oh, I get it," Madoka says, her giggles joining Mami's.

"It's a perfectly cromulent name, and no, I am not taking criticism on it," you say. "But yeah. Maybe I can get, uh, Miss Suzuki from Sendai to grow a giant plant building or something? Well, heck, I can probably build one myself."

"Permits won't be easy to come by," Hitomi muses. "I hesitate to suggest a nominal rival of mine, but perhaps under Miss Nakano's auspices? The... exotic nature of the construction might be a problem, since typical construction works do require that you submit a plan for approval. And an entire building is not, I would think, the sort of thing that you might readily hide from official attention."

"Mmm, true," you say. "Maybe a commission to Miss Inoue to hack the relevant agencies?"

"Perhaps, but I believe that human attention might still prove troublesome," Hitomi says. "As you said, bureaucracy is a mighty foe."

"Yeah... it's sort of troublesome," you grumble. "We've got the beginnings of solutions for all these logistics things, but putting them into action is a little trickier with all the practical problems that need solving."

"We'll figure something out!" Madoka says, looking determined. "There are people who need help, after all."

You grin at her.

"Yeah," you say. "It's all about the people."

[] Any other important topics to hit during lunch?
[] After lunch...
- [] Ask if Sayaka wants to talk about the incident
- [] Find Kyouko and Yuma again
-- [] Continue the hunt
-- [] Something else?
- [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

With credit to @Celti for the thing with the orange!

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] During Lunch:
-[X] Update the others on our itinerary.
--[X] When I leave here, I'm going to visit the Iowa group leader
---[X] I want to know what she has to say before our meeting with Shin this evening to explain what happened to him and Nagisa.
--[X] After I'll get the cake we promised to bring to the meeting with the Kagoshima group tomorrow at 4
--[X] I'll find Kyoko and Yuma after that
---[X] Homura, do you think your hacker friend could sort out the paperwork to get Yuma into school? I'll float the idea to Kyoko and Yuma if so.
-[X] Make some calls
--[X] Ask if Rin is willing to help Niko with the Soujus victims
--[X] Contact the Murasaki Shrine Maidens and schedule a meeting for tomorrow
---[X] Decide whether to meet them on the way to the Kagoshima group meeting or on the way back.
[X] After Lunch
-[X] Planned timestop talk
--[X] Resist the urge to apologize again, Sabrina. I believe in you.
--[X] With Homura adding and dropping people as needed while we discuss what we can and should tell Madoka
---[X] Proposal: Bring Hitomi in on the Witchbomb since she's in no danger from it.
----[X] Tell Hitomi before moving on to other proposals if agreed to.
---[X] Proposal: We offer to tell Madoka everything if and only if the alternative is her making a contract in ignorance
----[X] Cosmic truths, personal traumas, things that aren't our story to tell, everything.
----[X] Obviously, this doesn't preclude us telling her other stuff if we're all agreed. This is about agreeing how to handle an emergency.
----[X] I think that's what we'd all do if we encountered that as an emergency. I want to make it explicit among us
----[X] I want us to tell Madoka that's how we feel about it.
---[X] Proposal: We tell Madoka about the risk that she specifically could/would end the world if she makes a contract
----[X] Madoka is a selfless person and would likely respond more strongly to a threat to others than if the threat was "just" to her own safety.
----[X] We can say it's because her potential is higher than Kyubey's system can safely handle if we're not comfortable telling her about Witches.
-----[X] Also, Kyubey knows and doesn't care because Madoka's contract would meet his quota for earth so he can write the planet off
---[X] Does anyone have any other ideas or thoughts?
--[X] With Madoka
---[X] Follow through with what we agreed on in the previous step.
---[X] Ask Madoka how she's feeling because we haven't had much chance to talk
----[X] Don't interupt. Listen.

The conversation lapses for a few minutes as everyone returns to eating properly, and to your surprise, it's Homura who next breaks the silence, neatly setting her chopsticks down on her lunchbox with a precise click that somehow draws your attention, amethyst eyes meeting yours steadily.

"Are the Soujus safe?" Homura murmurs quietly.

There's a slight edge to her words, the faintest emphasis on the last word of her question. And you get it: not safe as in protected from danger, but safe as in whether those glowing green rocks are radioactive or not. Safe, as in whether she should tolerate their continued existence in Mitakihara.

Safe, as in whether it's safe to allow them to exist even remotely near Madoka.

"... I think so," you say, nodding slowly. "I... as much as I am uncomfortable with the whole... angel thing, they do seem to genuinely mean it. So they'll listen to me."

Homura nods, apparently satisfied, and picks her chopsticks back up.

"Oh, also, Homura - we can talk after lunch, right?" you ask.

She nods again, and you beam at her.

"By the by," Hitomi asks after another moment of quiet eating. "On the subject of the Soujus, what are we doing with the Soujus? I believe you said they were staying with Miss Watanabe and Miss Saito?"

"Oh, yeah, they volunteered to take them in," you say with a wince. "It's... the Soujus are apparently completely happy to just stay as Soul Gems, so they're not taking extra room or anything, and... I think they'll be on their best behaviour because of, er, their attitude towards me. Though the specifics of that 'best behaviour' might need, uh, guidance. So I'd say that situation is stable, and I'll... step in if Miss Saito and Miss Watanabe can't handle it, I guess?"

"That seems appropriate, yes," Hitomi agrees.

"Does it really make you that uncomfortable?" Madoka asks curiously.

"It's..." you stuff some rice into your mouth, buying some time to think as you chew and swallow. "Look, I'm a really weird magical girl. But I'm just me. Calling me an angel is... it's putting me in a position I never earned, you know? A religious figure is... something distant, something you hold up in your mind and, and worship. I'm not. I'm here, with you and everyone else, fighting together for the same things."

Mami bumps her shoulder against yours, pressing closer to your side.

"That's rather Abrahamic-centric of you, Sabrina," Hitomi comments, amusement in her expression as she wags a finger at you. "I would contrast Shintoism, or indeed animistic religions in general, in terms of how, ah, interactive one might be, though I do suppose the concept of angels is mostly a Christian thing. So I'll concede the point."

You grin at her, amused. You were a little worried that she'd taken that jab about the luxury apartments to heart, but... no, there's no hesitance or dismay in her expression. It was just good-natured teasing, and she took it in the spirit it was intended - just as you'll take this teasing in the spirit it was intended.

"'sides, angels are the ones empowered to go out and do stuff, aren't they?" Sayaka notes. "So it's OK, no?"

"Ennnh," you say. "I'll grant both of you the argument, but just... it makes me uncomfortable. Rationally it's just neutral at most, some good things about it, some bad things, but just..." You wave your hand vaguely. "Bleh."

"And there's nothing wrong with that!" Madoka says, twintails bouncing with her vigorous nod. "If they make you uncomfortable, then you don't need to address them personally! You don't have to do everything yourself, right?"

"Agreed," Mami says lightly. "Really, we have friends, and an entire alliance. Don't hoard all of the tough jobs for yourself, Sabrina."

"Right," you say, beaming at your friends. "I'm still gonna keep an eye on the situation and see if I do need to step in, and figure out where we can get all the resources we need, but... yeah. Thank you, everyone."

Sayaka snickers.

"Feels like we really do need that health care professional on board," she notes.

"Yeah... I might have to trouble you for that introduction sooner rather than later, Madoka," you say, sighing lightly.

"I'll be sure to ask papa," Madoka says. "And I'm sure he'll be happy to help."

"Thanks, Madoka," you say, beaming at her. "Can't help but feel that a personal connection might make this sort of thing easier to read in, but anyway, yeah."

You shake your head.

"Anyway!" you say. "Enough of that for now. What's your classes looking like this afternoon?"

"Literature, then PE at the end of the day!" Madoka says.

"PE at the end of the day," Hitomi echoes with an aggrieved sigh.

"I would presume you're still on light exercise, Hitomi?" Mami asks.

"I am," Hitomi says. "Which, I would argue, makes it worse - it's boring and tiresome."

"Ah, I see," Mami says, nodding and pursing her lips. "That's unfortunate."

"It is what it is, I suppose," Hitomi says. She shakes her head, then smiles. "I'd take it over actually having a still-healing wrist."

Mami chuckles, nodding again in agreement.

"If I recall correctly, you should be covering Lain in literature at about this time, right?" she asks.

"Yeah!" Madoka agrees. "It's rather bleak, but I can see why people hold it in such high esteem."

"Lain, as in Serial Experiments Lain?" you ask curiously.

"That's the one!" Madoka says. "It's classified as modern literature. What about you, Mami? What classes do you have after lunc-" Madoka blinks. "Oh, you'll be accompanying Sabrina still after lunch, Mami?"

"Definitely!" Mami says happily, nudging you in the side. "So what will we be doing after lunch, Sabrina?"

"Oh, yeah, I was wanting to update you guys on my plans for the day, yeah. Just to keep everyone in the loop," you say, smiling. "So, uh... right. Couple of things. I'll visiting the Kagoshima group tomorrow afternoon, and they wanted me to get a cake from some cafe in Shinmachi? So I'll be popping over, and if anyone knows that cafe and wants something from there I can pick it up?"

"Never heard of that place," Sayaka offers. "We don't really go down there all that often."

"I'd rather have something Mami baked," Madoka says. "Or you, Sabrina! Both of you are so good at baking... ooh. You should have a cook-off with my papa sometime."

You grin, and exchange a look with Mami, who snickers as she elbows you.

"We'll take that challenge anytime," you say. "But uh... yeah, I'm also going to pop off to Fukushima at some point to talk to the leader of the Iowa group."

"Captain, surely," Sayaka says.

"Captai... I guess?" you say. "I mean, I see your point, but it's not a proper maritime vessel, is it?"

"It is a ship, is it not?" Hitomi says thoughtfully, popping a grape into her mouth. "One of the most famous ships of the modern day, really. So I would tend to agree with Sayaka."

"It was magic," Homura mutters, the words almost seeming to be dragged out of her against her will.

"Yeah!" Madoka says, nodding vigorously. "It wasn't the real Iowa, right? Unless..."

"... as far as I know, it's just a magical construct that was, admittedly, modelled after the actual Iowa," you say. "I don't think she stole the actual Iowa and animated with magic or something like that. I think."

"But it was fully functional! I bet if you put it into the water it would float and, y'know, do all the proper boat-y things," Sayaka says, waggling her hands demonstratively as she warms up to the topic. "And that girl was in charge of it, so she's the captain. QED."

"OK, OK." You snap your fingers. "I have an argument to make but before we get into it properly, last thing on my after-lunch agenda is that I'm planning to go hunt down Kyouko and Yuma, and I bring that up because: does anyone want me to bring anything up with them or whatever? Looking at you, Sayaka."

"Uhhhh," Sayaka says. "No, I don't think so? Buy them a couple of anpan on me, I guess?"

"Sure, I can do that," you say, nodding. "Also, while we're on the subject, Mami, Sayaka, do you think Kyouko would want Yuma in school? I think Yuma would like to, and we've got the resources to make it happen, between Miss Inoue and our own resources. So... yeah."

"Inoue?" Hitomi asks.

"Magical girl hacker in Ishinomaki, I think I've mentioned her before? She got me my passport and official papers, so getting Yuma into school should be trivial," you say. And Yuuki's also how Homura got Walpurgisnacht into the forecast as a storm, you don't say out loud. "So. I... I just don't get Kyouko that well."

Sayaka makes a long, wordless noise of vague thoughtfulness, tugging on a lock of her hair.

"I dunno," she admits. "Like, listen, she talks a big talk about practical learning 'on the streets' and all, but that's all talk. She doesn't believe herself half the time."

"I think it's worth making the offer," Mami says, then chuckles softly. "She's not actually going to stab you, Sabrina. Especially not over an offer of help made in earnest."

"I don't know," you say doubtfully. "For the record, I don't think she'd actually stab me, but I seem to particularly annoy her, so I'm a little leery of being the one to ask."

"Trust me, Sabrina," Mami says, patting your hand gently. "And besides, I'll be there with you."

"Always," you say, smiling. You take a deep breath. "Alright. Now, back to the actual important topics at hand, look, Sayaka. She's not, as far as we know, a part of any form of uniformed service with an official rank system to hold said rank absent of an actual command. Yeah? And since we took her ship, one of us gets to be the captain now."

You snap your fingers, focusing for a moment and letting your costume twist to add a cap to your head, flat-topped in white and trimmed in gold, with a short, black brim pulled over your eyes.

"But you don't have a ship, either," Sayaka points out, setting her lunchbox aside. "Also, gimme that."

"Well, if that counts, neither does Parró, so she's not a captain now is she?" you say with a grin, leaning back and out of the way of Sayaka's grabbing hand.

"Did she ever formally surrender?" Hitomi asks.

You're too busy trying to fend off Sayaka's flailing arms without leaving your seat beside Mami to respond.

"Not that I recall," Mami says thoughtfully. "As such... right of conquest, perhaps?"

"I'm not sure that applies here, you don't claim a title directly by conquest, and we didn't claim the property in question," Madoka says, giving you a doubtful look while ignoring the way you have your hand on Sayaka's face, relying on your superior reach to keep her away.

"So we're in agreement, then!" you say around Sayaka. "Not captain."

"Aha," Sayaka proclaims triumphantly, one foot planted on the bench to give her just enough reach to snatch the cap from your head. She backs off and grins, settling the cap on her head at a jaunty angle. "Who's the captain now?"

"No one is, we just went over this," Hitomi says reprovingly. "Do try to keep up, Sayaka."

[X] After Lunch
-[X] Planned timestop talk
--[X] Resist the urge to apologize again
-- [] Propose to bring Hitomi in on the Witchbomb
-- [] Propose a contingency to tell Madoka everything in the event of her being about to make a contract
-- [] Propose to now tell Madoka that she might end the world if she contracts
--- [] How do you address Homura's fear?
[x] Make some calls
-[X] Ask if Rin is willing to help Niko with the Soujus victims
-[X] Contact the Murasaki Shrine Maidens and schedule a meeting for tomorrow
--[X] Decide whether to meet them on the way to the Kagoshima group meeting or on the way back.
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

Spoiler: Vote in abeyance

-[X] Make some calls
--[X] Ask if Rin is willing to help Niko with the Soujus victims
--[X] Contact the Murasaki Shrine Maidens and schedule a meeting for tomorrow
---[X] Decide whether to meet them on the way to the Kagoshima group meeting or on the way back.
[X] After Lunch
-[X] Planned timestop talk
--[X] Resist the urge to apologize again, Sabrina. I believe in you.
--[X] With Homura adding and dropping people as needed while we discuss what we can and should tell Madoka
---[X] Proposal: Bring Hitomi in on the Witchbomb since she's in no danger from it.
----[X] Tell Hitomi before moving on to other proposals if agreed to.
---[X] Proposal: We offer to tell Madoka everything if and only if the alternative is her making a contract in ignorance
----[X] Cosmic truths, personal traumas, things that aren't our story to tell, everything.
----[X] Obviously, this doesn't preclude us telling her other stuff if we're all agreed. This is about agreeing how to handle an emergency.
----[X] I think that's what we'd all do if we encountered that as an emergency. I want to make it explicit among us
----[X] I want us to tell Madoka that's how we feel about it.
---[X] Proposal: We tell Madoka about the risk that she specifically could/would end the world if she makes a contract
----[X] Madoka is a selfless person and would likely respond more strongly to a threat to others than if the threat was "just" to her own safety.
----[X] We can say it's because her potential is higher than Kyubey's system can safely handle if we're not comfortable telling her about Witches.
-----[X] Also, Kyubey knows and doesn't care because Madoka's contract would meet his quota for earth so he can write the planet off
---[X] Does anyone have any other ideas or thoughts?
--[X] With Madoka
---[X] Follow through with what we agreed on in the previous step.
---[X] Ask Madoka how she's feeling because we haven't had much chance to talk
----[X] Don't interupt. Listen.

=====​

Bah, apologies for the late update and the relative brevity. The timestop talk should happen next post, and it's gonna be a big one, but this vote is for two things: first, to make sure that I've understood what was intended, as per the new vote, and second, to offer any specific proposition to address Homura's concerns. She is not rational about Madoka's safety, or the possibility of her contracting. I can autopilot Sabrina talking to Homura about it, but if you have any specific suggestions, now's the time.

Also, I'm bad about enforcing the word count limits, but seriously, this is a bit much.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] After Lunch
-[X] Planned timestop talk
--[X] Resist the urge to apologize again
--- [X] It's okay, Sabrina. We'll keep working on it together.
-- [X] Propose to bring Hitomi in on the Witchbomb
-- [X] Propose a contingency to tell Madoka everything in the event of her being about to make a contract
-- [X] Propose to now tell Madoka that she might end the world if she contracts
--- [X] How do you address Homura's fear?
---- [X] Ask if Homura has tried telling Madoka about this before. We think she hasn't, but we should confirm.
---- [X] Homura understands Madoka is a selfless person. Risks to herself will be less motivating to Madoka than risks to other people would be.
---- [X] We don't have to reveal the witchbomb to tell her this is a risk and can instead explain this as the Madoka specific risk it is.
---- [X] We don't have to reveal the loops if Homura's not ready to talk about that, and we can say it's from Sabrina's metaknowledge.
[x] Make some calls
-[X] Ask if Rin is willing to help Niko with the Soujus victims
-[X] Contact the Murasaki Shrine Maidens and schedule a meeting for tomorrow
--[X] Decide whether to meet them on the way to the Kagoshima group meeting or on the way back.

The rest of lunch passes with happy chatter and teasing, back and forth. Even Homura contributes form time to time, dry remarks thrown in when you least expect it. And even as your lunchboxes sit empty beside you, all six of you linger, reluctant to move on even as the resumption of classes draws closer.

You keep an eye on Sayaka, of course, and she... seems alright, for most part. From time to time, her eyes flicker out towards the skyline, then to you, then away, and you're adroit enough that you manage to avoid her catching you observing her. But her cheer doesn't falter, her smile undimmed. Not unaffected, then, but getting over it, which you'll take as a good thing.

Ultimately, though, Hitomi stands, brushing her skirt down.

"We really should be going," she says regretfully. "We'll be late for classes otherwise."

"Alright, alright," you say, smiling and shaking your head as everyone rises to their feet. "Sorry for keeping you guys. Uh, Homura, could we have a moment to talk before you head off?"

Homura nods silently.

"Great," you say, smiling. "Well... enjoy literature, everyone. And PE. See you after school?"

"Yeah!" Madoka says happily. "I want to see the place Hitomi and Homura are getting! See you after school!"

"Ah!" Mami blinks, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a familiar keyring of multicoloured jewels. Sayaka's copied powers, that were with her clone. "Before I forget, Sayaka, here you go."

"Oh, I completely forgot about those," Sayaka says, beckoning for the ring and catching it easily from Mami's underhand throw. "Thanks! Would've been embarassing if I went into a fight without these..."

"Which you wouldn't, because you're on leave," Mami says, raising an amused eyebrow. "Right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Sayaka says, waving it off. "Anyway. Later, Mami, Sabrina! C'mon, Madoka, Hitomi, let's go, we can't blink right to the classroom if we need to."

"Until later!" Mami offers, and turns to you as Sayaka links her arms with Madoka and Hitomi's, half-dragging them off to the stairs. She tilts her head slightly, and you nod, so she squeezes your hand slightly, and releases you with a smile and a soft sigh.

"I won't be long," you say, winking at her, and turning to Homura.

A transformation, a blaze of purple light, and that jarring stutter-stop.

Equally familiar is the way the endless greys leach away the vibrant colours of the world and the way your heartbeat echoes in your ears, the warmth of the sun now a distant memory as the perpetual chill returns. Mami's form stands utterly motionless, the smile still lingering on her face. But all this is... familiar, and welcoming, in some ways. You get how Homura found it a comforting refuge, her sanctum against the world.

Homura's hand is warm on your wrist even as amethyst eyes seek yours. She holds your gaze, as if searching for something.

You exhale heavily, the cheer falling away under the weight of her regard.

"I'm sorry," you say. "I didn't mean for... I didn't want it to affect Madoka. I didn't think that Sayaka would react like that."

Homura stares at you without responding for a long, long moment, then she shakes her head slowly.

"Are you alright?" she asks.

You blink at her, flummoxed.

"After dealing with the Soujus," Homura clarifies. "And the fight."

"I..." You swallow, remembering the feeling of flesh parting beneath your blades. It's nothing new to you, not at this point, but it's still less than pleasant. "Yeah. I am. Things could have gone better, and I could have done better but... I'm alright."

"OK," Homura says.

"Are you?" you ask gently.

Another long silence, as Homura gathers her thoughts. Her gaze drifts from you, intense stare fixing on the stairwell past your shoulder, where Madoka had disappeared into.

"Reminded of the past," she says quietly. "The look on Sayaka's face..."

"... ah," you say. "I'm sorry."

She shakes her head again.

"It's past," she says, and this time, it's her turn to exhale heavily. "Madoka was worried. She always is."

"Yeah," you say with a sigh. "I... again, Homura, I'm sorry."

Once more, Homura shakes her head, a look of frustration flickering across her face. But not at you, you can tell that much. At herself, as she hunts for the words she lost somewhere along the way.

"It was different," she says finally. "Madoka was worried, after. But it was... focused, on helping Sayaka." A minute frown furrows her brow. "Purposeful. She didn't know the details, but she knew what she was doing."

"Madoka has always been gentle," you say. "But never soft. She has a spine of steel under there, but... you don't need me to tell you that."

"She hasn't been like that," Homura whispers. "Not for a long time. Except..."

"Ah," you whisper, your heart breaking as you understand. "I'm going to hug you, alright?"

Homura doesn't object as you gently pull her into your embrace, but she sags against you, arms rising to hug you back fiercely.

Madoka believes in acting to do good. From helping a cat, to helping a friend, to helping the world. And it's that exact impulse that drives her to make her Wish, every time. It's that exact impulse that Kyuubey preys on. And it's that exact impulse that first saw Madoka extend a hand in friendship to a lost, lonely girl on that first day, so very long ago.

You wonder, briefly, what would Madoka do in a world without magic. Become a paralegal to champion a cause, perhaps. But this is not that world, and... Madoka finds purpose in being a magical girl. But the road that her purpose leads her down is, seemingly, an inevitable one. Over and over again, Homura has thrown herself in the way to protect her, and over and over again, Madoka's drive led her onwards.

But today, Homura saw that side of Madoka again. Not as a magical girl, but alongside one.

You can't even begin to imagine the storm of emotion Homura's been bottling up. Confusion, and fear, and worry, and maybe, just maybe, hope. All bottled up, tamped down, and locked so deep even you didn't have any idea until Homura told you.

You find yourself at a loss for words, so you simply hold Homura, for the moment, and hope that she can find some comfort, something to steady herself in your presence. It takes her a while before she pulls herself together and she steps back, her hand still on your wrist.

"It's a good thing?" Homura murmurs, her words inflected as half question, half trying to convince herself.

"I think so," you say. "I think it's a good start, to have Madoka having something to do that's not being a magical girl. I know you don't like the idea of Madoka coming into contact with magical girl life, but... I think it's good for her to find something adjacent to it."

"That's... good," she says.

Conversation lapses, and you hold your tongue. You hardly begrudge Homura the time to think, after all, especially when it's over something like this. You watch her, and let her think, your breaths and your own heartbeat the only sound accompanying you. Finally, she nods, and refocuses on you.

"... you had something else?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah," you say, rubbing your nose and smiling. "D'you want to sit back down? These might take a little longer to discuss."

Homura nods, and heads back to the bench she'd been sharing with Madoka and Hitomi. You follow obligingly, shifting to make contact with a small bead of Grief pressed against the back of her right hand, just to make things a little easier.

"Alright," you say, glancing at Mami's frozen form. You quash the urge to ask Homura for permission to bring Mami into timestop as well, but... no. Not with the topic you're about to broach. Instead, you raise three fingers. "I have three suggestions to make. But they're suggestions, OK? I won't do anything if you forbid it."

Homura nods once again, bracing herself.

"Number one," you say, folding down your thumb. "I propose that we tell Hitomi about the origin of Witches. I think..." You frown. "I think, of all our friends, she's best able to handle the secret, and keep it a secret?"

"... she is," Homura murmurs after a moment. "She's been... reliable, before."

"Oh?" you ask, blinking. "I don't think I know about this one."

Homura shrugs with one shoulder.

"She's... been in the wrong place before, to see... things happening," she says. "And she tries to help, sometimes. Successfully helps." Her lips twist into a grimace, hesitant. "Why?"

"Why tell Hitomi?" you ask. You hum for a moment. "I think it'd help to have one more person aware of the nature of Witches. If someone else finds out by accident, she could be one more voice helping to calm things down, instead of being shocked and scared. Hitomi, in particular, isn't directly affected by it."

"She would... behave differently, if she knew," Homura says quietly. "Madoka would notice."

"That's possible, yeah," you say. "Though I think Hitomi could conceal it, if we asked her to?"

"I don't know," Homura says. "I... don't have any strong objections to telling Hitomi." She grimaces. "I leave this to your judgement. What was your next proposal?"

You blink, mildly startled. That had hardly been difficult at all. But then again, Hitomi's always been sensible, and that counts for a lot, you think. Still, you're not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so it's on to the next one.

"I... want to establish a contingency," you say, sighing. "It's something that I had assumed I would do, in the worst case scenario, but... I want your permission for it, Homura."

"What is it?" Homura asks, her expression going blank.

You half turn to meet her gaze properly, unflinching.

"I hope that it won't come up, and I will do everything in my power to prevent it from coming to pass, but if... if." You take her hands, squeezing gently. "If it should come to pass that Madoka is on the verge of making a Wish, I want to tell her everything, so that..." You swallow. "So that she knows the costs."

You feel it, as Homura's breath catches in her throat, her expression crumpling. You squeeze her hands gently.

"I will do everything I can to prevent it from coming to that point," you murmur. "I promise, Homura. But I want to have every possible contingency against it, and with your permission, this... this would be the last one. Madoka's smart. And she cares. You know that. And if Madoka understood, truly understood, I think it would change her decision."

She nods jerkily, or maybe she simply bows her head, looking down at your hands. Whether in agreement with your words, or your proposal, you don't know, but you don't press. Not now. Instead, you simply squeeze gently, reminding her that you're here. She's not alone in this struggle.

"OK," Homura whispers at last, her voice ragged and breathing short, despite not having done anything. "OK."

"Thank you, Homura," you murmur.

[X] Propose to now tell Madoka that she might end the world if she contracts
- [X] How do you address Homura's fear?
-- [X] Ask if Homura has tried telling Madoka about this before. We think she hasn't, but we should confirm.
-- [X] Homura understands Madoka is a selfless person. Risks to herself will be less motivating to Madoka than risks to other people would be.
-- [X] We don't have to reveal the witchbomb to tell her this is a risk and can instead explain this as the Madoka specific risk it is.
-- [X] We don't have to reveal the loops if Homura's not ready to talk about that, and we can say it's from Sabrina's metaknowledge.
[x] Make some calls
-[X] Ask if Rin is willing to help Niko with the Soujus victims
-[X] Contact the Murasaki Shrine Maidens and schedule a meeting for tomorrow
--[X] Decide whether to meet them on the way to the Kagoshima group meeting or on the way back.
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

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Apologies for taking so long on this one. Homura's a difficult character at the best of times, and it took a fair bit for me to figure out her reactions. But I've got it going now, so second part should follow this weekend.