TL;DR
Extreme thinking no.
Homura filters out positive social info, no. Homura is affirmed as the Hero, Homura uses agency, yes.
Enchanting practice today is a social event, low stakes, have Homura stand up, and stand out a bit. This is something to ask her to do.
Also we're trying to make Homura internalize that this is the last timeline, and making her set up contingencies for our failure will not do that. If we can't have unflappable faith that the loop ends here, Homura won't.
Having unflappable faith in anything is a terrible idea, especially in something as risky as our complete victory. In the event of a failure without contingency planning when the consequences are this serious, that failure will spiral beyond any and all control.
I wouldn't believe that anyone could seriously accept such a policy if I didn't just read your post.
We aren't going to just magically make Homura forget about decades of failed timelines by believing hard enough. The knowledge that failure is possible will be there no matter what we do, and trying to suppress it and not discuss contingency plans will only increase her anxiety because she'll feel there's nothing she can do if we mess up. By my estimation, ignoring this will only put her under pressure with the idea that she has to succeed no matter what, while a failure contingency will assuage this source of stress and improve her mental health.
Might I find a way to make these ideas not collide?
Homura has been in a condition of abuse, as we understand her backstory. Not physically lethal abuse, but her loop 0 personality shows plentiful scars. Her self esteem is low enough to make her socially disabled, and possibly suicidal. AFAIK, abuse is almost 100% likely to result in some form of extreme thinking - the cognitive lack of gradations in judgment, incorrect polarity of experience, self-reinforcing negative behavior.
Gaining her best friend put loop 0 Homura on a course to resist her past, and reach out to someone else. Then the abuse got worse. I'm not saying it's aliens - but it's aliens. Homura balances between the broken and the growing parts of her personality, but it's dynamically stable, under the tremendous bias of living in her own invisible war. Fast forward 8-10 years, where we get involved.
We have five weeks, the blessing of God, and a can-do attitude to make this better.
It strikes me that we need to keep focused upon what we could do, and what we need to do.
Probably not the way either argument was intended, but not an invalid interpretation -
Do we
need Homura to act as if this is the winning loop? Is there something she would do only with that mindset? Is there another reason?
Do we need Homura focused upon preparing for another loop? Is there something special about that she isn't already prepped for?
What does Homura need to do for her own sake?
If I take that apart, 'what does Homura need?' I might find answers. Homura has a goal she experiences needs from. Homura also has personal needs, some she recognizes and some she represses. She probably chose that way due to isolation and utility.
I would think that releasing every limit all at once is similar to the Potentialbomb. So we have some needs we could think to act upon, and other we need to prepare for in the future?
The safe path to 'give Homura what she needs' is something we will have to solve. It is a path that doesn't complete in our timeframe, barring reality warp. We could choose the start of the path, and take the task on with commitment. Anything we do that is correct will grant her benefits, and correct means not using our positive influence out-of-order.
What do we help with? All things are at the level of basics. We are extending the example of 'Self Care.' We are giving her an improved bonding experience, a few bricks shy of adoption, nearly at the true family level under the wartime conditions we exist under. We are offering confirmation, and validation. We are also slinging around gifts of accomplishment, the efforts we make are doing things. There is no way I would take those back, but simply feeling her dialogue we are to acknowledge we went too far, too fast. We are required to. That is a problem built right into the trap we are trying to get everyone out of, so we have to grin and bear with 'doing it a little wrong.' Fighting against killer AI bunnycats is hard.
Current goal? Focus on the "How" for now. Instead of coloring over Homura's emotional horizon, telling her to expect this or that end of the world, we aid more basic tasks first. Cognitive basics. Help her
resist extreme thinking, and help her to
evaluate the reality around her.
If she can resist extreme thinking, she will be more able to regulate her emotions. This is huge, because dis-regulation is a fatal flaw for every magical Girl. In Homura's case, many of her other flaws have been compensated for or armored during her career, so this is her remaining largest source of danger. In practical terms, the more we teach her to think moderately, the harder it is to Witch her.
The other aid will help her see the world around her again. Why is Homura so shocked when we tell her that she has successfully befriended Sayaka? They had a friendly interaction not hours ago. Homura is discounting such information. Likely, Homura filters out A LOT of social information. If we can have her see a little more of this, and make it a positive reinforcement experience, it leads to seeing the people and events around her accurately. We could add a stretch goal, of the meta variety. 'Expand the range of her future' is a good sort of tool to be ready for the difficult adjustment to the start of the next month. Thus, I would talk about Sayaka and her sleuthing in terms of "how many weeks in the future." As it makes the future 'real' again.
So, I favor those two goals ATM. So far as tactics, we had a good vote last time - be properly OCD when we can, and stay by her side, in the metaphorical sense. Our "jobs" require spreading out, but our hearts need to be close.
Next tactic, plan for Madoka involvement, starting at the detailed action level. "Only solutions." Motives in-depth can't go forward today? we can abbreviate, 'active listen,' have Homura talk her thinking out to us. That, we will hold for next time, so Homura doesn't have to hold it in herself. We must have sound reasoning too - and a safety technique. Having an 'explain Madoka' session is good, but probably not right now. Fatigue is a thing. We should honestly offer it to her, and Homura will draw us back for it when she is ready. OOC, let's have that Madoka debate, and become ready.
Thought - Wouldn't it be better to help Homura by ensuring she knows what she can do for Madoka here in the current timeline? I feel like there is a definite undertone of Homura thinking she might be a little useless ar times. She tried to save Madoka countless times and failed then Sabrina shows up and pulls off creating a timeline that she would of thought was impossible.
I know we've done some things to alleviate this but I think they coulf easily be seen as just words to assuage the worries with no real weight behind them. It's like telling someone they are needed for the team just ro avoid hurt feelings.
We should show that when it comes to protecting Madoka Homura is the best option, perhaps the only worthy option really. Oh sure Sabrina could do well but Sabrina wants to save everyone [well that and Madoka wishing might cause a bad end for us...] but as Sabrina said she sorta belongs to Mami. Homura has no split loyalties - her top concern, her only concern for awhile, was Madoka.
Anyway
Helping Homura be sure of her own worth in the present timeline is useful in the present timeline and helps, I think, alleviate some of the issues about having Homura think if this TL fails she's wasted her time.
Correct, the subtlety is giving us issues with delivery to the target. Homura is in fact the hero for Madoka. Madoka has never been safer (though we Know that isn't a settled issue yet.) Problem being, successful security detail is uninspiring, and gives zero feedback. Homura can't feel her power. Sabrina is doing the celebrity stuff. But the real threats to Madoka are a) Madoka's unformed personal drives and b) Kyuubey. Hot lead only helps with one of those things.
If we can get enough hot patches on Homura, we miiight be able to get her to understand her Heroism in a more sophisticated way, and that would let her feel satisfaction.
In the mean time, I think heavy team involvement is the policy that helps the most. We have to let Homura be the bodyguard, with minor exceptions. That doesn't rule out Homura as the mission controller over OUR shoulder, whenever the mission allows. She has a small lifetime of experience, and she should feel us asking her for that.
Case in point, Vladivostok went well. Homura got boss time in there, to the benefit of all (except the Russian Federation.) Case in point, [REDACTED] was yet another team win not even possible without Homura. She is able to have us be pickets and sentries, so she can do the decisive steps. Politics in Tokyo aren't her forte, but what is? Tactical approach. When we go visit Tokyo, we should definitely have Homura on the line, selecting actions that make sense to her. Which end of town to approach? Where to make a covert inspection? How to sweep into the room? We can be able to borrow some of her veteran's cred. Under control, it is an amazing power, much as Mami has a few mysterious advantages that come with her scars. It might be part of how we get down to polite talking with tough girls in Meji, instead of orthodox 'befriending.'
