Mami Said Knock You Out, a Yuma Quest (PMMM)

[x] Tone:
--[X] Smol
[x] Thank everyone for the trip.
[X] Eat ALL THE FOOD!
[X] Critique the buffet's chair couture with Madoka.

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"First off, Yuma would like to thank you guys for being cool," you say. "This was really fun, and it's been Yuma's first time doing something like this. Big Sis Kyoko's too, Yuma thinks." Madoka actually applauds you, clapping her hands as she beams at you. "Thank you, thank you. But Yuma has something even more important to say." You wait until everyone's leaning in close, waiting to hear what you're going to say. "While everyone was distracted, Yuma stole some of Kyoko's french fries."

Kyoko gasps, looking down to see that you have done just that. "You- you! You must realize, this means war!"

"Oh, poor Big Sis," you say, smugly. "It was always war. You just didn't know it."

Kyoko growls, and digs into her food with renewed vigor. For all your posturing, you know you can't beat her when it comes to speed-eating. Or quantity-eating. Or eating in general. But you're much smaller! That has to count for something! Madoka and Sayaka giggle as you swipe a few more fries from Kyoko's plate, shoving them into your mouth alongside some rice. Homura's looking at the two of you with an expression that suggests she would rather be anywhere else in the world, but she doesn't say anything.

"You-"slurp"Your firsht plate doshn't counch!" you say in between bites.

"Yesh it doesh!" says Kyoko. "You dun make the rulsh! I make deh rulsh!"

"W-what are they doing?" says Madoka.

"I… don't know," responds Sayaka. "Establishing dominance? Like when moose do that thing where they charge each other."

"That would be a mating ritual," says Homura. "And that simply raises the question of who they're trying to attract." She pauses. "Sayaka Miki, why are you looking at me?"

"What the hell are you guysh talching about?" says Kyoko. She swallows. "The fuck's a 'mating ritual', and why do you think I'm doing it?"

"You don't-" Sayaka sighs. "You know, like when animals establish dominance before they… Yuma's gotten 'The Talk', right?"

Kyoko tilts her head. "The… the Talk?"

"Please tell me Yuma Chitose has had The Talk" says Homura. "It would be very awkward otherwise."

"Well, I mean, of course she has," says Kyoko. "Who hasn't, right?" Once they're all satisfied, she leans down. "Hey, Yuma," she whispers. "What's The Talk?"

"Yuma heard someone call it 'the birds and the bees," you say.

"Ahh, it's probably about pets dying or whatever," says Kyoko. "Hey Yuma, you know that pets die, right?"

You nod, and she smiles. "Alright, good to know. Good talk." You giggle, and she glares at you until you stop.

"Now, Yuma will-"

"No," says Homura. "You will not."

"But we need to know who wins!" you say.

"I win," says Homura. "Contest over. Now, onto more productive things."

"Like these chairs!" Madoka says, as Kyoko returns to eating at a more civilised pace. "And how great they are!"

You shake your head. "Yuma is disappointed in you," you say. "These chairs are mediocre at best."

They really are, big and blue and with arms that aren't level. "The seats are pretty comfortable, Yuma will admit, but everything else ruins it. They're too big and clunky, and we'll be sitting down and standing up whenever we go to get more food. It'll be a pain to push them out and pull them in whenever we get up and sit down."

Madoka shakes her head. "But Yuma, the atmosphere it creates is more important. Aside from looking great, it helps create a comfortable atmosphere without being… I guess crude is the right word, like a fast-food place."

"No, no," you say. "It doesn't matter if it seems crude, normal chairs are way better than this. The arms are lopsided, which is just blegh, and it's too clunky. It doesn't work."

Madoka leans forward. "The chair is more that just the sum of its parts, Yuma. It is not perfect by itself, but creates something greater than it."

You meet her gaze head on, a competitive smile on your face. "What's the point of the chair if it doesn't work as a chair? Lots of things can make a room seem relaxed, but only a chair can be sat on."

"But a chair can't only be sat on. It can do so much more than just be a seat! Why restrain the chair's potential?

"Why waste its potential trying to do something that other things can do just as well, and fail at what it can do?"

The two of you stare at each other, silent. You respect Madoka, with her kind nature and friendly disposition, but in this moment you can think of her only as a rival.

"You guys are weird," says Sayaka, breaking you both out of your chair-induced stupor. "Madoka, don't corrupt this smol child into your cult of chairs."

"It's enlightenment, not corruption," says Madoka, a teasing smile on her face. She doesn't continue your debate, however, instead furrowing her brow in thought. You hope she's thinking "Oh wow, this amazingly smart Yuma girl has forever convinced me that my way of viewing chairs was all wrong, how great of her!", but for some reason you doubt that's the case.

"Hey, Kyoko," she says after a moment of thought. "If it's not too personal… how did you figure out, you know…" she looks away, blushing. "Thatyoulikegirls?"

Kyoko stiffens, taken aback. Oh, you hope she's not going to-

"Yeah, I fucking wonder if that's personal," she growls. "What's next-"

"Kyoko!" you hiss, kicking her leg. She glares at you, and you return it in force. You get why she's angry- well, you don't, actually, but you know Madoka probably hit a nerve- but she's being too mean!

"What-" Sayaka starts saying something, but you turn your gaze to her and she cuts off. That settled, you turn back to Kyoko.

"Yuma, don't-" Kyoko stops. You continue glaring at her, unusually intense, and her breath hitches. "I-" she gulps. "Fuck. I-I'm sorry, Madoka, I-"

"No, it's fine," says Madoka. "I guess it was… it was too personal, wasn't it?"

"I- … yeah, it was," says Kyoko. "It was a b-... a bad memory. I, I thought I was over h- over it, but then… and I just… fuck."

You get out of your seat, walking over to Kyoko and hugging her. She leans into you, pulling you closer and resting her head on your shoulder. "It's okay," you say.

"I fucking know," she responds. After a brief moment of silence, she continues. "It's not even that I can't think of it without breaking down; I just…" She raises her head up, chin leaving your shoulder. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Madoka."

"Really, it's fine," she says. "I- I should have known better than to- to ask about that."

But Kyoko shakes her head. "No, it shouldn't be left unsaid. It'll just fester, and it'll end up worse. But I don't want to talk about it, 'cause it sucks, and I just… It's like taking off a band-aid. It sucks, so you do it all slow, but you should really just yank it off and get it over with."

"Yuma never yanks band-aids off," you say, voice muffled by Kyoko's torso. "Yuma peels them off veeery carefully, so it doesn't hurt."

"Of course you do," says Kyoko. "You know, we have got to stop having emotional episodes in restaurants."

"But that's cool!" you say. "It has to be, cause all the cool kids are doing it!"

"All the cool kids?" says Sayaka.

"That's Homura and Big Sis Kyoko," you say. "And maybe you and Madoka. You guys are all pretty cool, actually."

"I think you said I was cool, so, thanks?" says Sayaka. "And why aren't you on that list?"

"Because Yuma is on a different list," you say. "The Little Sis list! The littlest? The List!"

Sayaka shakes her head, smiling just a bit. "You're weird, you know? One second you're laughing away without a care in the world, the next you're almost crying. And then you're back to laughing again!"

"Yuma thinks that she is emotionally mature," you say. "Yuma is probably wrong, but Yuma does not care."

Sayaka chuckles, but you can't help but notice that Kyoko doesn't join in. She's staring down, brow furrowed. "Hey, Big Sis," you whisper. "Are you okay?"

""Yeah, I'm fine," she says. "Just… thinking."

You pat her on the shoulder and return to your seat. You think she's telling the truth; even if she's not in the best of spirits, she's still doing okay. Kyoko's tough.

But as the lunch continues, Kyoko doesn't get any more talkative. She responds when talked to, sure, but she doesn't actively engage anyone.

You really hope she's doing fine.


A few minutes later you pat your stomach, groaning. "Yuma ate sooooo much!" you say. "It was so good, but now it sucks, but it was so good!"

Sayaka pats your shoulder, smiling contently. "You should have listened, Yuma."

Your only response is another moan. Poor you.

"What should we do now?" says Madoka. "More shopping?"

She's met with a chorus of nods from everyone but Big Sis. Kyoko remains solemn, thoughtful, and entirely un-Kyoko.

"Actually," she says. "Could you guys take care of Yuma for a bit? I've got something I need to do."

What?

Big Sis wants to… to leave you?

"Don't worry, Yuma, I'll only be gone for an hour or two," she says, seeing your expression of despair. "It's just... something I've been putting off."

What…

What do you do?

[ ] Let her go.

[ ] Make her take you with her.
--[ ] Convince her to take the others as well.

[ ] Write-In


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