Easy to Find - Sayakaquest 2

[X] Bring it up during the date.

This time you let her decide, and she's chosen Akibazokuhen, a shopping center close to downtown Mitakihara. It's a short walk away from the school, in the opposite direction from where you live. And you decide that for whatever reason it would definitely be a good idea to go.

Well, at the very least, it's pretty. While most of Mitakihara is pristine and glass, this place is more akin to a street in Hong Kong. A canal passes through the area, and as the sun begins to set just a little, the neon becomes more prominent. It's blindingly bright, with different logos for different companies peppering the street around you. Vendors hawk their wares among street food and loud music and bootleg video game consoles sold by washed-up rappers.


You're kind of overwhelmed. You've never been in a place quite like this, but honestly there's something kind of intoxicating about it. Your nose is hit by the smell of scorched seafood and delicious spices. Your girlfriend wanders by a noodle vendor selling pancit. You've never heard of the stuff, but it's apparently popular in the Philippines. Reika would probably know better than you about that.

All the while, you hold onto Takane's arm tight, like you're about to lose her in the crowd. She keeps you close, smile on her face, and honestly, you find it reassuring. But even through the excitement of the most popular shopping district in Mitakihara, you can see her smile faltering. Sometimes, in the neon glow of a nearby sign, she's giving a determined frown, clearly occupied.

She's probably still thinking about what you saw. You both pass by an exhibit; a street performer with a cat crawling on his head. The cat has a knife in her mouth as she does backflips and stabs at a balloon full of hydrogen. The balloon pops before a flame explodes twenty feet over his head.

You swallow hard. "So...that was weird," you say.

"Yeah, that man had a cat on his-"

"Not that," you say quickly. You loosen your grip on her arm and stare up at her face. She notices and turns towards you. As soon as your eyes meet, you continue. "I mean what happened on the roof."

She grimaces. It's the first time you've seen her look even a little upset. "Mina-"

"I mean it's probably just meant to be a, a...thing...I mean," you swallow, "I know it's a super-secret something. But can you explain at least a little bit of it? Maybe? Please?"

She doesn't seem to answer as she comes to a halt by a nearby wall. It's bare save for the occasional couple or a few pieces of trash. She stares you in the eyes. "Mina, what I'm..." she trails off as she stares into your eyes. She can probably see the hurt in your face. "...the thing is that what I do I..." She scratches her cheek. "...it's dangerous. Very dangerous."

"What's dangerous?" You frown. "The superpowers?"

"No it's what I...ugh." She squeezes her eyes shut. "Mina. I'm a magical girl."

You blink. "Wait, huh?" You look her up and down. "Like Precure? Or Symphogear? Or Flip Flappers? Or RWBY?"

She blinks right back. "I, uh, I mean...uh...RWBY isn't even...I..." she stammers for a few good seconds, obviously looking for a way to make it sound less stupid. Eventually, she just gives up. "...yes, like that."

Your eyes light up for a second. Then you stop. Then you realize how dumb that is. Then you think about how cagey she is about the whole thing. Then you think and think. "Oh."

"It's like a magical girl anime on the surface." She shakes her head. "But as it turns out the reality is pretty different from how it really works."

"I mean yeah," you shrug, "reality's always differ-"

"I don't just mean like that, Mina." She presses her hands against her shoulders. "The powers are nice but they're not worth the asking price."

You stare back at her. "I...uh...huh?"

"Don't make that deal. There is nothing to gain and everything to lose."

You stare back, bewildered. "...bwuh?"

"Do you understand?"

You look left, then right. You want to say 'Fuck no! I don't understand anything?! Deal? Fucking what?!' But then you take in a deep breath. "Yes," you lie.

"Okay." She sighs and leans back. "But we're not here for a contract. We're here to enjoy ourselves, right?"

"Yeah." Your eyes shift to the side. For a second, you think you can see a white cat in the crowd. A second later and it's gone.

It's probably nothing.

"You're right." You turn back to her. "Reika was telling me about something called 'adobo'..."


Your name is Sayaka. And you're currently waiting for your latest student. You did your rounds after work, and all witches were taken care of. You raise your hand to your ear and trace your hand across the edge. You sigh as deep a sigh as you can muster.

You're going to meet with Minako's girlfriend. She probably doesn't realize what you have in store quite yet. Well, you know. You're going to train her.

Your kid's partner is gonna be a complete badass. Well, more than she might've already been. The trick is making sure they stay safe, stay healthy, and stay alive. The best way to keep Kyubey from making a contract is by keeping your kid happy and satisfied.

...Well, easier said than done. But you're going to try your fucking hardest to keep them safe. And you're hardly alone.

[] Akane

[] Kyouko

[] Tomo

[] Yoko

[] Sukuyo

[] One of your old students; you've got a dozen surviving magical girls in Mitakihara right now that trained under your wing. Some of them are even in their early twenties.