SayakaQuest: Trauma is a Thing

[TheOneMoiderah]

OOC: Yup, definitely dem die rolls. Also, holy fuck, two 100s in one fight.

[x] Try getting to Kyouko.

"Kyouko!" You shout, then you begin charging over. Wire bends and debris flies as you begin charging. She attacks, and her spears do enough damage to freeze the wires....for all of a second. Suddenly, they rush out, and smash her. Cuts appear all over her body and blood goes flying as they slash by her. Before you realize it, her body goes hurtling backwards...with two shapes following it.

...Wait.

You realize.

An arm and one of her legs was sliced off.

[x] Combo.(38%)

[ROLL: 78,88,100,82,23]

[x] Attack:
-[x] The "Core". [Heavy risk of damage] [-20 to damage avoidance rolls]

[ROLL: -12][DAMAGE AVOIDANCE]

You've only known her for a day, but you already feel like she's your best damn friend. You know. You just know that she might die here...and for the second time tonight, you decide it's time to swear.

"YOU!"

You run to the core and, immediately, you can feel the cuts in your skin. Debris goes flying and the woodchippings are still churning, but right now, you need to get to the core. When you get there, your sword is, once again, enormous, and when you decide to fight, your first hit smashes the wires around the core, and quickly gets to the crunchy center.

"SON!"

Your skin gets more and more cut as you hit it a second time, and when it finally gets there, the blade explodes, before you quickly make a new one and blow a hole in the side of the core.

"OF!"

Your third hit is done with an even bigger sword, and when it connects, you can feel the impact. Whatever wasn't already damaged by your other swings is immediately shattered on impact, but it's then that the other wires come in to destroy you. You can feel one grabbing one of your arms and pulling. You don't even notice the pain as you swap the sword's position to your other hand, and continue your barrage.

"A!"

Your fourth strike slices away the wires even more, and you can see what's inside. It's an artist's manikin, one that's plain and simple. It doesn't seem to move as you reach it, and when you see it you can tell that it's easily the part you need.

"BITCH!"

You prepare to destroy it...but then you feel a tug at your right shoulder. You scream in agony as something is ripped away...and then you can't feel your right arm. You look at it and your eyes widen in shock at the disappearance of your right arm. You still don't feel the pain yet...and you're right next to the inner core.

Your sword's still in your hand.

The world around you is covered in spinning, deadly wires.

It's time to do something.

[CORRUPTION: 23%]​

[OPTION SELECT]​

[] Slice.(51%)

[] Combo. (45%) [Five rolls]

[] Throw a sword. (42%)

[] Launch yourself towards it. (???)

[] Get out of the wire-sphere. [Heavy risk of damage]

[] Attack:
-[] Right arm wires. [Heavy risk of damage]
-[] Left arm wires. [Heavy risk of damage]
-[] The "Core". [+50%]
-[] The chest. [Heavy risk of damage]
-[] The base. [Heavy risk of damage]

 

[TheOneMoiderah]

[x] Combo. (45%) [Five rolls]
[x] Attack:
-[x] The "Core". [+50%]

[ROLLS: 39+50,80+50,92+50,90+50,64+50]

You bring your sword around. It seems to glide through the wires around it as you hit the core once. The manikin is quickly broken by the first swing...then the other four follow. With each slice, the core becomes more and more damaged, before the last blow completely and utterly annihilates it. Pieces go flying as the wire around you flies apart under its own momentum. The labyrinth around you disintegrates, and when it does, you can see Kyouko in a pool of blood, and her two detached limbs.

Your own right arm seems to collapse onto the ground, and you can see the end where it was torn from your body.

It's nasty. You almost vomit just from looking at it.

WITCH DEFEATED​

​

Inventory plus: One Grief Seed! You now have a total of two.

Damage gained: One severed arm.

Deaths: Zero.

Corruption: Things are going to go south really quickly if you don't take care of this.

You begin stumbling around when the pain of losing your right arm finally catches up with you. It's sharp and brutal. It's not like what happened with your shoulder. Rather, it's much more intense because of how your arm was removed. You stumble around, when you hear footsteps and someone running.

"Sayaka!" Madoka shouts...and then she gasps in horror at the both of you. "...Sayaka..."

Above you, you can see the shadow that was once there still standing, before she does a leap to the ground. The hit is soft, cat-like even, and when she reaches Kyouko you can see that she's still conscious. "F-F-f-f-fuck..."

"I have grief seeds." Homura says, coolly. She stands over Kyouko, and bends her knees. "It looks like you might need them. Both of you."

[OPTION Select]​

[] ...Fly into a rage.

[] Stay calm. (37%)

[] Talk to...
-[] Homura.
-[] Madoka.
-[] Kyouko.

[] About...
-[] "Why didn't you interfere?!"
-[] Kyouko's damage.
-[] Your own damage.

 

[TheOneMoiderah]

[x] Clean soul gems.

With your remaining arm, you grab the Grief Seed out of the air, and you bring it to your own Soul Gem. Immediately, you can feel some of your rage at Homura disappearing, and you feel refreshed once again. You bring it over to Kyouko, who seems to be barely awake thanks to the pain, and you put it to hers.

It looked very cloudy before. Now, it's pristine. She sighs in relief and satisfaction...but she's still in intense pain. "Y-you didn't n-need to help m-me..."

"Yes I did." You say.

[X] Stay calm. (37%)

You stumble a bit. You're starting to get a little dizzy from blood loss. You can see Homura picking up Kyouko's limbs and putting them with her body.

[ROLL: 28]

[X] Talk to...
-[X] Homura
[X] About...

-[X] "Why didn't you interfere?!"
-[X] Kyouko's damage.
-[X] Your own damage.

"What the hell, Homura?!" You shout. "Why didn't you help us?!"

Without much of a reaction, she just flips her hair and puts a pair of grief seeds on the ground.

"You could have done something!" You scream. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

She looks back at you once.

"We could have died! I mean, Kyouko's maimed, I've been mutilated, and we're both dying! Does that mean anything to you?!"

She stares at you for several more seconds, before she turns away. She simply vanishes.

Your Soul Gem's getting more corrupted by the second. You have to do everything quickly.

[X] Try to fix Kyouko.
You seeth, but you quickly move over to Kyouko. You take your gem out and you try fixing her up with it in the same way that Mami did. To your surprise, it works quickly, and Kyouko stops wincing in pain as soon as the magic washes over her. Thanks to the relatively clean cut, it doesn't take much to fix her, and when you're done, she manages to make herself a spear and force herself to her feet. She stumbles, like she's learning it again, but she manages to get it fixed enough.


Before you get to work on your own arm, though, you check your soul gem.

[CORRUPTION: 57%]​

Your eyes almost bug out of your skull. Reattaching limbs is expensive.

[OPTION SELECT]​

[] Put your own arm back on.

[] Degrief again.

[] Talk to...
-[] Madoka.
-[] Kyouko.

 

[TheOneMoiderah]

[x] Pick up one of the seeds Homura put down

You grab one of them, and you sigh. "...God..." You sigh.

[x] I'm gonna put my arm back on now. Can you use this Grief Seed to clean my Gem if...if I can't?

"I'm gonna put my arm back on now." You say as you grab it. Bits of flesh dangle off of the end, and you can see a piece of bone drop from it. It's incredibly gross to look at. "...Oh my god, that's disgusting."

"It's your own arm." Kyouko says as she slowly regains her footing. "The bits inside are gonna be gross."

"This has happened before?" You ask.

"Yeah. Was bedridden for weeks when I had to heal myself like this." She looks at you, then at her own arm. "Kinda surprising, though. My recovery this time was really fast."

"Yeah." You raise your arm. "...Madoka?"

She's staring at you. "S-Sayaka?"

"Can you use this grief seed to clean my Gem if I...can't?" You say.

She nods slowly.

"Thank you." You say. You raise your gem and you put your arm back where it belongs. You feel a sharp pain, before it quickly alleviates. Ligaments reattach to one another. Bones mend. Blood flows and muscles are rebound. You can feel it coming back together by layers, before it's done. You flex your hand in reflex. "...Holy crap." You say.

Then you look at your Soul Gem.

[CORRUPTION: 72%]​

You can already feel the effects. In addition to the wariness of having gotten yourself close to death, you feel a bit of failure towards yourself for forcing Kyouko to leave. You don't know what you did. You still feel awful about it.

And then Madoka takes the Grief Seed to your Soul Gem. You can feel the corruption flowing away, as you take a sigh of relief. Your sense of failure is replaced by pride in how you destroyed the witch, even though it caused a number on you. After all, it was a wood chipper, and you came out with only a few cuts and scrapes...disregarding the severed limbs. "Thanks, Madoka."

[CORRUPTION: 4%]​

She nods.

[x] Talk to Kyouko. Are you Ok?

"Kyouko..." You look at her. "You okay?"

"Never better." She says. "...I probably would have gotten killed tonight if you weren't there, really." She rubs the back of her head. "I'm not usually that fuckin' stupid."

"Yeah." You say back. "Well...lesson learned, then." You sigh. "But...I...uh..." You gulp. "...About your...uh..."

"I don't want to talk about it." She says. "You don't need to hear it and I don't want to talk about it." She looks miserable just thinking about whatever it is.

You nod silently. "Alright." You put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey...I know we haven't known each other for that long but...you know I'm here and I'm your friend, right?"

"Yeah." She says. "...Same to you." She sticks a hand out.

You do the same...

And you handshake out of mutual respect.

[x] ...Homura actually did help. Apologize to her for flying off the handle next time I see her. (Also ask Madoka to say the same if she sees her first)

"...I really need to apologize to Homura next time I see her."

"Why the hell would you?" Kyouko asks. "She didn't help in the labyrinth."

"But she did help out here." You look at Kyouko. "I mean, think about it. You were pretty angry when you went in here. Maybe she didn't want to interfere with that." You look at the Grief Seed in your hand. "And she gave us these. If that's not a sign of help, then I don't know what is." You look at Madoka. "...If you see her before I do, could you tell her that I'm sorry for flying off the handle?"

Madoka nods, but she still looks worried about both of you.

[OPTION SELECT]​

[] Stay here.

[] Go back to the house.

[] Go to your own home.

[] Talk to...
-[] Kyouko.
-[] Madoka.

 

[TheOneMoiderah]

[x] Do not group hug.

You kind of want to, but right now, your right arm's caked in gore. You decide against it.

[x] Talk to...
-[x] Madoka.
--[x] Ask her to apologize to her parents on our behalf for skipping out on dinner. We'll see her around.

"Please apologize on our behalf, okay?" You say. "I feel kinda bad for it."

"It's only been fifteen minutes." She says. "But...okay." She nods. "You can't come over when you'r covered in blood, anyway." She says quietly. She's still very much disturbed, but she keeps herself together.

"Thank you." You say. "Thanks for checking on us."

She nods. "You're welcome, Sayaka." She starts walking back, and you just sigh.

[x] Go to your own home.
-[x] Invite Kyouko if she wants to come.

"Alright...now...I gotta get home." You say. "Probably take a shower and everything. Wanna come with?"

Kyouko mutters something under he breath. "Sure. I'll go."

You nod. "Alright." You both start walking back to your house. You try and avoid the lights because, frankly, two girls walking back dressed like cosplayers and covered in blood would be more than a little suspicious, even at this ungodly hour.

[OPTION SELECT]​

[] Talk to...
-[] Kyouko.

[] About...

-[] Smalltalk.
-[] Where did you come from?
-[] Where did you live?
-[] How do you survive?

[] Just walk.

 

[TheOneMoiderah]

[x] Just walk.

You and Kyouko just walk over to your house in the stillness of the night. You keep thinking of things to say, but you stop yourself. Perhaps it's better just to be quiet right now after all the nonsense that you just went through. Occasionally, Kyouko bumps into you, but then she walks straight again.

You just sigh and let her. Occasionally, you even help prop her up. "You alright?" You ask.

"Just a little tired." She laughs lightly. "Hell, I'm falling over. Thanks."

"We'll be at my place soon." You say.

Eventually, you reach it. When you enter, you see that your mom's still at work, and the TV's off. You walk up to your room, turn on the lights, and promptly sit down. The blood's try by this point, and you're thankful for it. You don't think you'd have been able having to clean all of it up before your mom came back.

[OPTION SELECT]​

[] Take a shower first.

[] Let Kyouko go.

[] Relax.

[] Talk to her about...
-[] Smalltalk.
-[] Her life.
-[] Her hobbies.
-[] Witches.
-[] Nothing.

[] Go to sleep.

 

[TheOneMoiderah]

[X] Offer Kyouko first use of the shower.
-[X] Change into non-bloodstained clothes whilst she's in it (in case our mum comes back before she's done).

"You can go first." You say.

She looks at you. "You mean it?"

"Yeah."

She sighs and smiles. "Well...uh...thanks, then." She walks in there, and just as she does, you look for some clothes to wear.

You waste time doing that before you remember that, oh wait, you could just transform. So that's what you do. You sigh in relief when you do that...though your arm's still covered in dried blood. Yeah, you really need to clean that.

-[X] Throw our bloody clothes in the wash; Kyouko's too, if she wants them cleaned.

"Hey, Kyouko? Need any of your clothes washed?"

"I'm good!"

When she's out, she's dressed in her street clothes. "Well, that was refreshing, actually." She stumbles again, before she regains balance. "Fuck, it's like I'm getting used to having it."

"Alrighty." You stand up and take a shower.

When you look in the mirror, you notice that, yeah, there's blood covering most of your arm and some of your shoulder, as well as a few specks on your face where some of the blood actually was thrown on there by how hard your arm was ripped off. You wave it around a little more, and you sigh. "Okay, so that's good."

Eventually, you're out feeling refreshed and renewed, and Kyouko's stumbling has more or less stopped. She sits on the bed and looks at you. "Feeling better?"

"Much." You say.

[x] Talk to her about...
-[x] If she wants to stay the night, since she's here already and we're both exhausted.

"So...wanna stay the night? I mean, you're here already and we're both exhausted."

Kyouko opens her mouth, before she sighs. "Well..."

"I mean, look. We just went through a whole heck of a lot tonight."

She nods. "I know, and I kind of want to. That, and you put me back together. Literally."

You snicker.

"Seriously, thanks." She says.

-[x] Whether she wants us to double check we reattached everything correctly- that was our first time healing anything, after all, and the stumbling might indicate we messed up a connection.

"Not a problem." You look at her leg. "So..is it alright now? I mean, you were stumbling a lot. I've been kinda worrying that I might have messed something up."

"Nah, I was just getting used to it again." She stands up to prove her point, and throws several kicks. "It doesn't feel like it was cut off at all!"

"Huh." You say. "...Good. I was just worried."

-[x] Smalltalk.
-[x] Her hobbies.

"So, got any hobbies?"

She nods a little. "Uh...not many, really." She kicks back. "Well, I had this computer that I played things on..." She trails off.

"Oh? Like what?" You lean forwards. "What did ya play? I mean, I like to play games, too!"

"Yeah?" She snorts a little. "Well, people like playing things and having fun, so I would think that you would!" She laughs. "So...well...the computer...uh...broke."

"Aw, well that sucks." You sigh. "Anything else you like to do?"

She pauses. "I...not really. No."

"...That's still a longer list than Homura's hobbies."

"Oh?"

"She only has one. Surviving. Girl's kinda gloomy."

She laughs at that. "I got that vibe when we gave us the Grief Seeds." She sighs. "...Fuck, a lot has happened today."

"Yeah." You say.

-[x] How she found us in the first place. Miss definitely-not-a-stalker.

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask. How did you find me in the first place?" You smirk. "Miss totally-not-a-stalker?"

"I actually saw you after you fought that first witch." She says. "Like...it was a TV-Headed thing." She touches the Grief Seed on one of your counters. "Was this its Grief Seed?"

"Nah." You say. "That was the one I killed right before I saw you on the rooftop."

She blushes. "It wasn't stalking, it was scouting! I mean, there was another magical girl in the area and I thought 'you know, maybe I can check her out' and shit!"

You laugh. "It was staaaaaalkiiiiiiiiiiiing."

"Stobbit!" She puffs her cheeks out. "It's not funny!"

"Yes it is! It's hilarious!" You laugh riotously.

[OPTION SELECT]​

[] Keep talking.
-[] Light topics.
-[] "Why did you run?"

[] Stop talking.

[] Go to sleep.

 

[TheOneMoiderah]

[X] Keep talking.
-[X] Light topics.
-[x] Inform her that Miki Bed and Breakfast costs an arm and a leg!
-[x] Big stupid grin.

"By the way, remember that Miki Bed and Breakfast costs an arm and a leg!"

She blinks, before she smirks widely. "Oh, you cheeky bitch."

"Thankfully, you already paid up!"

"And I thought my sense of humor was bad!" She laughs.

[x] You hungry? I kinda spent a lot at the arcade so I can't order out, but we've got some instant ramen...

"Anyway, you hungry? I kinda spent a lot at the arcade so I can't order out like I normally do but we've got some leftovers and instant ramen..."

"Leftovers?" She tilts her head. "Like what?"

"Not much." You say. "Like, some pancake mix, some chicken and...oh yeah we have rotisserie left over." You shrug. "Just stuff."

"...Hell, I'll take it." She says.

You both go downstairs to have some dinner. You wind up heating up some ramen, and she gets herself all of the chicken that you have left. She begins eating ravenously as soon as she's done heating the parts up. She's just shredding it apart...and then you realize something.

...Was that thing that the Kanames found related to her running away or something? She doesn't seem that well-fed at all. Heck, she's thin even for her age.

[OPTION SELECT]​

[] Don't dwell on it.

[] Eat your own food.

[] Keep talking.
-[] Keep. It. Light.
-[] Ask her about it.

 

[TheOneMoiderah]

[x] Eat your own food.

You're done with your ramen, but by the time you're done, she's full of chicken. "Oh, that was great."

She looks like she feels full, but she doesn't look full. "You looked like you needed it."

"Yeah, yeah." She waves a hand. "By the way, thanks Sayaka."

You smile. "Not a problem."

[x] Get her phone number.

"So...got a phone number that I can use?"

She frowns. "Not really, no."

You stare at her. That's utterly bizarre in this day and age. "Oh. Well, is there some way to contact you?"

"Unless you get me a phone, no." She says as she leans back. "I really don't have a way to talk."

"Well that sucks." You say with a shrug.

[x] I think I have ice cream in the freezer.

"I think I have ice cream in the freezer."

"Ice cream?" She smiles. "That sounds delicious! What kind?"

You look in the fridge and, wouldn't you know it, there's only one flavor left. "Apple flavor." You stick your tongue out. "Bleugh."

"Apple Flavor?!" She runs over and pushes you out of the way. "Yes!" She grabs the tub. "Oh, fuck yes!" She grabs it, and starts rummaging through your drawers for an ice cream scoop. She pulls one out, and digs in. "WOOHOO!"

You blink at her. Then you look at the amount of Ice cream being thrown into the bowl. Then you realize...your mom can finally relate to someone in terms of ice cream flavor. And she's about a third of her age.

"Welp."

[x] Don't dwell on it.

You watch her devouring the ice cream as you just sigh. It's a pressing question, sure, but you know what? She probably isn't going to want to discuss it with you. And honestly? You're probably better off just keeping it aside anyway.

[x] Keep talking.
-[x] Keep. It. Light.
-[x] Ask her what she wants to do now.

"So I have a stalker that I've become friends with really quickly in my house..." You laugh some more, and she just frowns again.

"Not a stalker!"

"Well maybe you are and you're trying not to tell me that!" You start laughing really really hard. "Oh no! What would mom think?!" You stiffen up. "'Sayaka I'm so proud that you have a stalker. You must be a very wonderful young woman to have attracted a stalker. Now get a restraining order.'"

Kyouko's laughing hard. "Well, no! I think she'd recognize how awesome I was, then she'd say 'Sayaka, I'm so proud that your stalker is this awesome!'" She's laughing even harder.

You decide to follow it up. "Now get a restraining order."

At this point, you're both rolling. You can't handle the jokes, no matter how stupid they are...and then eventually, you both just sigh and relax on the ground. "So now what?" You say as she finishes laughing. She sighs in satisfaction, before she looks at you with a shrug.

"Well, I just wanna relax, really. And sleep. I really wanna sleep." She yawns. "...Yeah."

[OPTION SELECT]​

[] Go to sleep.

[] Keep talking.

[] When she's asleep...
-[] Talk to Kyubey.
-[] Look something up.
-[] Call...
--[] Madoka.
--[] Homura.

 

[TheOneMoiderah]

[X] Leave a note.

You write something.

Hey, mom!

A friend of mine is staying over! Just don't be surprised if you see her, okay?

Love you!

-Sayaka

Click to shrink...

That should be fine.

[X] Go to sleep.

"Got any places for me to sleep?" She asks.

"Actually..." You point to the bedroom. "There's a futon in there."

"Isn't that your parents' though?" She seems a little on edge when she says "parents". Suddenly, you have a very subtle idea of what might have happened...but you shake it off.

"Was." You say. "Mom sleeps on the couch below now. Dad? Well..." You rub your arm. "He's not...with us anymore."

"What, did he fucking ditch you?" She looks angry.

"No." You frown. "He...uh..." You shuffle. "It's personal."

She frowns. "Oh. Alright." She walks past you. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" You say. "Mom just sleeps on the couch downstairs, now." You frown. "It's...she hasn't been able to sleep up there anymore."

She nods and walks off to the room, and you go back to your own.

You flop onto the bed, and you bury your head in the pillow.

Today was a heck of a day, wasn't it?

[The clock keeps ticking.]​

You wake up with a yawn. You look at your clock and see that, indeed, it's seven. You slept pretty damn well today...and you have school. At least this time you don't have to rush to class, now do you?

​

[OPTION SELECT]​

[] Go to school.
-[] Actually listen in class.
-[] Talk to...
--[] Homura.
--[] Madoka.

[] Don't go to school.
-[] Talk to...
--[] Kyouko.
--[] Your mom.
-[] Train.
-[] Go witch hunting.
-[] Go familiar hunting.