Renascence: A Homura Quest

[ ] In your father's office.
- [ ] See if you can piece together any more - or other - stray memories from this loop's past that might be different from your presumptions, particularly those involving your father.

You are curious about your father's staff, but you would like some time to gather your wits. Your memories are failing you again, and you could use some time to review them. If you are going to be meeting with your father, you need to be sure the man you remember is the same as the man you will be meeting.

Hopefully, any changes in your memory will be as recognizable as your memories of Weiss.

"I'll wait in my father's office. You have given me much to consider, Daisuke, and I would like to consider it before the meeting."

Daisuke shrugs, "If you're sure. You're always welcome here, you know. If you want to see your Dad, or just want to see how we do our work. That's always been an option, even if you didn't know it."

You're not sure what to believe, but you nod, "Thank you. Now, if you will show me the way?"

He smiles and starts walking, waving for you to join him, and the two of you make your way to an elevator, which quickly rises to the upper floors. You disembark, and he walks you through a waiting room outside your father's office; you notice, in passing, a pale, dark-haired man, apparently awaiting your father's return. He looks oddly familiar, and his eyes widen visibly as he sees you, but Daisuke quickly ushers you into the office.

The room is extremely normal--the furnishings are modern and utilitarian, completely unlike those your Grandfather favored, and still less ornate than you yourself prefer. There is a single clock hanging on the wall--a simple one, but it does seem to be a family piece, judging from the perfect timing of each tick and the tone of the gears within. One of your grandfather's almost certainly--he'd always favored a slightly different alloy than most clockmakers, and you can hear the difference, albeit only faintly.

All in all, it's the office of a highly successful businessman, but not that of an Akemi. You cannot help the disappointment in your chest, even as you try to give him a chance.

"Here's the room. Your Dad should be here soon, so just sit tight, okay Homura?" You nod, and he pats your head--a remarkably strange feeling, after so long without seeing your parents--before departing.

You sit down in your father's desk chair--supportive enough, but too soft for your tastes, with an unnecessary bit of recline--and look at his desktop.

'This is where he works every day, then. His main view.'

There's six monitors, as you'd expect. Several folders with paperwork sit to the left, alongside a jar full of pens and pencils. Sitting to the right is a photo.

It's of the three of you--you and your parents--outside Disneyland, the castle rising in the background. You only vaguely remember that trip, but the image does trigger a slight, pleasant nostalgia.

'But are those real memories?' You wonder.

You close your eyes, and think back to more recent times--the months leading up to your release from the hospital, so long ago, and your very few encounters with him during the loops.

You recall him being friendly, of course. He would have to be, to keep your favor. He's always wanted you to trust him, to lower your guard. You feigned it well enough, you though, but he always seemed to realize you distrusted him. He'd look at you with hurt in his eyes, and you harden yourself, remembering his arguments with Grandfather. The battles between them. All the times he tried to separate you, to get you to come stay with him instead of going to the Workshop. Grandfather would always fight back tooth and nail, to make sure you could stay and play amongst your ancestors' legacies when you weren't at the hospital, instead of being trapped in your father's apartment, or here at his work. Your father would scream so loud, determined to take you away and keep you from your family, to make you live in his little prison, instead of where you really belong--

'It sounds like he wanted to spend time with his daughter, Homura.'

You startle at Kyouko's interruption, '...Were you listening in on my thoughts? You can do that?!'

'Nah, not normally. But when you start to furiously monologue in your head...it gets pretty audible.'

You sigh, exasperated, "You really think that's all? It seems...manipulative, to me. Covetous. Grandfather always had this scared look, afterwards." You say aloud before you can catch yourself.

'Like someone was going to take his granddaughter away and never give her back?'

'Yes.'

'Yeah, sounds right. They both loved you, Homura, and were fighting over you. Your Grandfather was just the one who, well, won. He kept you with him, and you saw him as the good guy because of it. That doesn't mean your father's a villain, though. You know how that works. You've operated the exactly same way plenty of times--attempting to control others to protect them, by manipulating them and the people they love, because you wanted them to be happy, and didn't want to lose them.'

You flinch, recalling the many, many times you'd accidentally scared away Madoka and Sayaka by clashing with Mami in front of them, 'So, what? You're suggesting that, all of this time..."

'He's just been trying to get you to give him a chance. You'd just made up your mind, though, so...'

You sigh, leaning back in the chair as you stare at the ceiling. It reclines just enough.

"I will consider it." You say, before catching yourself and switching back to pure thought, 'Regardless, my memories seems consistent enough, if faded. Now to review the others..'

You lean back for a few minutes perusing memories, and find few inconsistencies--there are definitely some. Minor things, mostly. Some odd faces in familiar memories. The occasional building that shouldn't be there. It's quite a long list of minor, odd--

I look down upon the ruins of our school. We were supposed to graduate from here.

It looks like that won't be happening, now. Not here. Not at all, for Akagi.
'Homura?'
"Why, Madoka? Why did it have to be this way? Was there any reason? Any purpose? If people are going to suffer and die, shouldn't it mean something?" I ask my best, most beloved friend. Standing next to me, a hand resting gently on my shoulder, she shakes her head.

"I wish that was true, Homura, but sometimes...sometimes lives are snuffed out like this, instead. That doesn't mean we can give up, though. We'll be stronger. For her. So that no Witch ever hurts us like this again."
'Homura!'
You nod, trying to harden yourself to the pain. To be strong enough. Looking at your friend's eyes, you find pink steel.

"The funeral is next week. She'll be buried in the rose garden. Then, we will prepare for war. There will be more, sooner or later. We will not make the same mistakes again."
'Homura, snap out of it!!!'
You have trouble remembering the little girl who wanted to be a Magical Girl, sometimes, but you've never stopped loving her. Your light that never goes out, even in the darkest--

You are laying on the ground beside your father's desk, your head pounding in agony. The world's spinning around you, your vision blurry. That memory. That memory was not one of your memories. Everyone and everything was wrong. That wasn't you. Except...

'Homura! Are you okay? You just vanished for a second there! I almost took over!'

"Homura! Please, please be okay!" You feel arms wrapping around you, lifting you up. You want to fight them off, but you can't seem to focus. That memory burns in your mind like a hot coal, no matter how hard you try to push it away, to force it down and excise it. You don't know where it came from, but there's a weight to it. Something you can't quite describe.

"What happened, Akihiko?! Did you do something?!" It's a man's voice. A familiar one, ringing with rage and love, and it reminds you of simpler days...of your grandfather, standing between you and the adults who scared you, and your father. You recall an alleyway, and a man, and the sounds of choking gasps. A man with mad purple eyes, bloodying his hands for you.

"I don't know, Mr. Akemi. I was just sitting here, when I heard a bang from inside. I opened the door, and she was--" Your vision clears, and you see your father holding you tight in his arms. His expression is filled with panic, badly hidden behind a facade of rage, as he glares at someone. You turn your head slightly, and see that he's yelling at the man from the waiting room.



"Fine. Call a doctor." Your father bites out, thrusting a finger out at the other man, "We'll talk after--"

You push magic into healing yourself, and the dizziness vanishes. You don't need a brain to operate, but you a concussion can make it quiet a bit harder. You quickly reach a hand out and grasp your father's arm with your own, turning your gaze to meet his own eyes, "It is fine, Father. I fainted, but I am fine. Do not bother the doctors."

His eyes widen as they meet yours, and you swear he flinches for a moment before steeling himself, "Your head is bleeding, Homura. You could have a concussion, or worse. You will see a--"

Anger burns through you, feelings far beyond reason and proportion. This sorry excuse for an Akemi. This failure. This disgrace. This worthless child dares to interfere with you. You must teach him his place.

Your blood is boiling.

'Homura, you need to get control back. Right now!'

You catch yourself just as you feel magic flooding your muscles, your grip beginning to tighten around his arm.

That wasn't you. That...that was the Madness of the Akemi, you can tell, but you've never felt that way before. It felt...personal.

You slam it back into place, and look back into your father's eyes. There's horror in them, but it bleeds away as you hold eye contact, the heat slowly leaving you.

You want to give this man a chance. You...you don't think you can be honest with him. Not right now. You're not ready for that.

But you can lie kindly. Manipulate him for his own sake.

At least for now.



[ ] "Dad. Please. I don't want to go back. I'm...I'm okay. I can prove it. You can have someone from here take a look, right?" Guess at what he'd like you to be. A little more assertive, a little more confident, and a little more friendly than he expects.
[ ] "I'm alright. I'm sure. Just...you have equipment to scan for brain damage here, right? NervGear should be able to do that." Act like you're interested in his work. Act a bit closer to your age, but still recognizable for him.
[ ] "If-If you really want to take me to the hospital, I'll go. B-but please don't be mad at anyone. I just dozed off and fell." Pretend to be the daughter he remembers, even if it's not really comfortable anymore, and you might mess up.
[ ] "I"m fine. Stop, alright? I'm not concussed, and I can focus just fine. Just...stop. I'm here, and I don't want to interrupt this for a hospital trip." Act like a surly teenager. It won't make him happy, but he'll be able to justify it pretty well. You won't need to force too much friendliness.
[ ] "Dad...I don't think a hospital will help. I don't feel concussed, and I-I've been having these mood swings. I think--Grandfather mentioned--what's wrong with me!?" Focus on the problem of your Madness. Let him justify any weirdness with that, and maybe take advantage of any protective instinct to get him to help you figure out what's going on.
[ ] Be Honest Homura is not ready for this. Not with most of her friends, much less her father.
[ ] Write-In (May be vetoed for IC behavior)

[] "I'm alright. I'm sure. Just...you have equipment to scan for brain damage here, right? NervGear should be able to do that." Act like you're interested in his work. Act a bit closer to your age, but still recognizable for him.

You do not have time to waste in the hospital, and you don't know if he'll take your word without evidence. Transforming is no option.

And you want to give him a chance. Even if you can't be who he remembers, you can at least try to give him something.

"I'm alright. I'm sure. Just...you have equipment to scan for brain damage here, right? NervGear should be able to do that."

He relaxes at your words, and he sighs softly, a faint smile on his lips, "...Fine. We'll check with the NervGear, but if anything looks wrong, you're going to straight to the hospital, little spark."

Your eyes feel a bit hot, hearing that old nickname. Grandfather had always called you his "little lily," but you'd taken it poorly when your father tried. So he'd made up a new one--a play on your name. Not the most original, maybe, but still...

You hadn't heard it in a long time.

You don't show it, of course. You just can't.

His smile broadens anyway, though, and glances over at the other man, "You have one of the medical models set up somewhere, don't you, Kayaba?"

Wait. Wait wait wait.

"Wait. You're Kayaba Akihiko? The inventor of NervGear?" You look at the man, incredulous, and he nods, lips quirking up very slightly.

"I sure am, Miss Akemi. You're the one who defeated Diavel, aren't you?" His smile seems just a tad smug as your eyes widen in surprise.

"How did you--" You look at him for a moment, trying to place his face, "You're Heathcliff, aren't you? You...you weren't an NPC, like we thought."

He frowns, "...The last time someone figured out I was Heathcliff, it took two years. You certainly earned that coat." Shaking his head in disbelief, he starts walking, "Medicuboid's in one of the labs. Follow me."

Your father follows, carrying you with him, and you take the opportunity to talk to him a bit, "So, you're on SAO, then? I thought you might be, but I didn't think you'd have Kayaba's ear."

He smirks, "I may not have the family's greatest talent, but I still have my ways. I've been quietly working with Akihiko for a long time, to make SAO a success. What did you think?"

You had enjoyed it. You had made a new friend in Azumi, after all, and it had actually been a challenge without stakes, which was something you appreciated vastly.

"It was fun. Being able to run around and fight properly was really great, and the tutorial boss was just the right difficulty. It was pretty dark at first, though. Madoka--one of my friends--pointed out that there's some modern stuff in the game, so I'm kind of interested in finding out why." You pause, not asking him for answers, but knowing he'll think you want to ask.

He chuckles, shaking his head, "Oh, you'd have to ask Akihiko about that one! I've stuck my nose into quite a lot of the design work along the way, but the lore's all his. I think he's trying to hint that it's related to our world in some way, even if the actual story doesn't seem to match up." He looks incredibly happy; happier than you've seen him in a long time, by your vague recollections.

Kayaba, walking up ahead, sighs, "No, Takeshi, it's not our world. There would be no point in creating a world that's supposed to be this one. Castle Aincrad is its own world, with its own history. The modern fixtures are part of that world's story, not this one's. Likewise, the story of the world below it has nothing to do with our world, either."

Your father sighs, glancing down at your with a wry, conspiratorial look, "Personally, I don't think Kayaba actually cares about making games. He just likes building settings and letting other people explore them."

There's a slight grunt from up ahead, but no comment.

You try to imitate his expression, probably failing a bit--it's an unfamiliar one, "That doesn't sound like a denial to me."

His smile broadens, and he goes to speak again, but Kayaba cuts him off, "It's here."

He swings open the door, revealing a sterile, white room that, unfortunately, reminds you a bit of a hospital. Your father grimaces a bit, sighing, "Sorry, Homura-chan, but you'll need to bear with it for just a few minutes."

You feign discomfort, but nod. He carries you over and lays you on the table there. Behind your head sits what appears to be a much larger, bulkier version of the NervGear.

Kayaba approaches, expression neutral, and you reflect that this man seems a bit like you; he is someone who rarely smiles naturally.

"Don't worry, this won't hurt or anything. Just sit still."

You nod slightly, and he reaches behind you, lifting your head slightly to slide the Medicuboid on.

Then the colors start, familiar to you from starting up the NervGear in the past, except that they last far longer.

Then you are standing in an endless white expanse, across from you stands Kayaba--or, at least, his image.

"Welcome to the Medicuboid Scanning Program. The scan has already begun, and will complete in just a few minutes. In the mean time, please enjoy this minigame--playing it will stimulate brain activity, allowing the scan to proceed more effectively."

He then vanishes, and a shooting range forms in front of you--a single raised, railed platform with a rifle sitting on it, and multiple floating targets in the distance.

You shrug, walk up, pick up the gun, and begin shooting. It's irregular, of course--too consistent for an actual gun--but you acclimate very quickly, blasting down targets casually.

After a few minutes of this, it switches to a series of math problems, answered by picking targets. Then language questions, followed by a dozen other types of tests.

You do fine, mostly. A few of the most advanced questions go over your head, and you only have a modest amount of programming experience for that section, but you're fairly certain the software doesn't actually care about your answers.

Eventually, as you're shooting a human body to answer anatomy questions--you think that Kayaba might be just a bit out of touch with normal people--the room fades away. Moments later, the helmet is removed, and you find your father standing over you. He's frowning, but seems calm enough, "Alright, that should do it. The good news is that you have no signs of brain damage or concussion. The bad news is that the software or hardware one still needs a bit of work. Some of the results were odd. Kayaba insists it's fine, though, and he knows the brain better than any doctor I've met."

You know it's fine, of course--you fixed it yourself--but it does worry you that the Medicuboid could recognize that. Or maybe it recognized something off with your memories or skills, instead. You can't be certain, but it's not a concern for the moment.

Turning on the table and standing, your father backing up to give you space, you say, "Good. So, what did you want to talk about, anyway?"

He starts to answer, then glances around the room, grimacing, "No need to talk about it here. Let's get back to my office." He offers you his hand. You consider taking it, but being carried was already awkward enough, and you make for the door instead.

"It's this way, right?" You ask, already following the path you memorized on the way over. Your father, momentarily stymied by your rejection, catches up after a moment, Kayaba on his heels, "Ah. Yes, that's right."

The three of you walk in silence for a minute or so, no one quite sure what to say, before your father speaks up again, "You changed your hair. Did one of your new friends suggest it?"

You shake your head, "No, nothing like--"

Since you have such a great name, you should become cool to match it!

You change your response mid-sentence, recalling Madoka's words from long ago, "--well, something like that. Someone said I should try be cool, to live up to my name."

He grimaces, familiar anger sparking in his eyes, "Oh, really? One of your friends said that? You don't have to do anything to live up to the Akemi, Homura. You're your own person, and--"

You quench the flame that rises in your own heart at his words, shaking your head quickly, "Not Akemi, father. To live up to the name you gave me. Homura."

His eyes widen, and he turns towards you in wonder for a moment, before casting his gaze down, "Ah, I see. I misunderstood."

You nod, "You did, but that's fine. I know you just..." You puzzle it over for a moment, pushing back the explanations that come to mind first--that he wants to cut you off from your heritage, to make you follow in his footsteps, or to spite your grandfather--and take a guess, assuming the best, at least aloud, "...want me to be happy, instead of feeling pressured. Right?"

You recall Weiss and the bitter look in her eyes, when she talked about her family. The way she abandoned her name entirely. That's what he's trying to spare you from. He probably never even considered how happy you were to be an Akemi. How strange.

He looks up to meet your gaze, eyes slightly widened with shock, "Of course!" He glances away, "Do you really think I'd want anything else for you? I'm not--" He pauses briefly, "I'm not like that, Homura. You're my daughter, and I want you to be happy, no matter what."

Your younger self would have never been sure, but, with all of your years of experience, you can read him now--and you can see how earnest he's being. He might not understand you, but you find yourself thinking he actually cares, after all.

You've avoided him for all of these years, because you had thought the worst of him. The only reason that even changed this time was...

You glance over at Kayaba, considering his existence. He's the only thing that has changed in your father's life. Whatever happened to cause this meeting, it probably leads back to him. You'll find out soon enough, you suppose.

You quickly return your focus to your father, "I know, Fath--" You catch yourself, realizing what might make him happy, "Dad." As predicted, he perks up at that, smiling broadly, and you're almost afraid he might start crying. Good man or not, he's still far too soft sometimes.

Then again, you have your moments too, and so did Grandfather. Even if he always tried to look strong in front of others.

You always thought he was really cool, when he acted that way.

Your father's smile seems unwilling to vanish, and you suspect he might be hiding tears as he hurries his steps, denying you a view of his face, "Good. Then we'd better hurry. I've got something special to tell you about."

He hurries to his office, and you follow, allowing him his moments of privacy. Kayaba's footsteps echo behind you, the man having kept his distance during your exchange.

Soon, you are back in his office, where he proceeds to tap a button under his desk, causing the far wall to slide open.

Inside, you find a small sitting room, with four comfortable looking chairs surrounding a large, square table. Noticing drawers on each side of the table, you open yours as you sit down--inside, you find dice.

Typical.

You raise an eyebrow in your father's direction as he sits down across from you and, to your great amusement, he blushes slightly and waves over towards a bookcase against the wall.

Looking over the titles at a distance, you recognize a rulebooks for several tabletop RPGs.

You'd always wanted to play those, before the loops. You wonder if he picked them up for you, or if you just shared the same interests.

Kayaba, sitting down to your left, chuckles very slightly at the exchange, "We got a group together a few years ago. He's been talking about inviting you, but one of the other players tends to get a bit...what's the word?" He glances over at your father, letting him pick up the train of thought.

"Violent, and maybe a bit megalomaniacal. I'd rather she not be your introduction to the game." He grimaces, "But, I also would love to let you give it a shot, so you're welcome to join us sometime, if you want. We could also just do some one-on-one sessions...but it'd have to be on weeks the main one's canceled. I don't actually have enough free time to add another." He looks down at the table, thinking, "...But, maybe I could do some very short sessions, if you'd like? It'd have to be in the late evening, but I can spare a little sleep."

You mull it over, considering it. It might be nice, but actually having life-and-death battles against monstrosities beyond mortal imagining has kind of spoiled it as a fantasy. Still, you think it would mean a lot to him, and it might be fun anyway.

"Umm...would you mind if I think about it for a few minutes? Maybe come back to this at the end?" In the end, you decide to buy yourself a bit of time.

He nods, spreading his hands in front of him in a magnanimous gesture, "Of course, it's a standing invitation, not something urgent. We play on Monday nights, usually." In spite of that, he seems a bit saddened at what he might consider a polite refusal.

Kayaba clears his throat, and your father claps his hands together in response, quickly changing topics and body language, "Ah, right. The actual business."

You nod, stilling yourself as you revert to your normal demeanor for the sake of professionalism.

"As I told you before, Homura, I called you here to discuss your future."

Kayaba groans, and your father shoots him a glare before going on, "That is, to say, I wanted to offer you a chance to start making some early business connections, if you're interested. I think you will find my offer very tempting." His purple eyes gleam in a familiar way, "I'm absolutely certain that it will be rewarding for you, and offer you the opportunity to build your power base, gain experience in the game, and expand your horizons so that you may swiftly crush those stand against you!"

"Takeshi..." Kayaba says quietly.

Your father's standing, mania spiraling in his eyes and a broad, shark-like smile spreading across his face, and you are suddenly struck by a sudden, profound respect and admiration for your father as he goes on, "I promise you, Homura. Though this is only the first step, I can help you achieve the victories you desire, no matter the industry you seek dominion over. Trust me, and--!"

He cuts off as Kayaba grabs his arm, violently yanking him in his direction as he half shouts at him, "Takeshi!"

Your father goes still, expression calming as he sighs, and suddenly he's just the same man you've known your whole life.

He looks nervous, even fearful as he looks back to you, "I'm sorry you had to see that, Homura. Please, don't think badly of me. I don't normally lose control like that, but when I really care about something..."

You smile, shaking your head as you feel a strange warmth in your chest--a sudden, bizarre sense of pride, "It's fine. You don't have anything to hide from me. It's...there's nothing to worry about."

He sighs, smiling weakly, seeming deeply sad all of the sudden, "...So it has started, then. I had hoped you'd have a few more years. I'll need to tell you some things, later. Things Father told me."

"Things Grandfather told you?" You ask, a bit relieved to hear there's someone who knows more about the family's condition than you do.

He nods, "Yes. But not today. This is not the place for that conversation. What I'm actually hear to talk to you about is substantially less important than that, if I can manage to explain without--"

Kayaba cuts him off with yet another sigh, explaining, "Your Dad wants to offer you a consulting position on the SAO Team. It'd just be a few hours here and there, helping us with the clockmaking mechanics. We're trying for a really advanced crafting system, so we're getting experts in each field, and...well, Takeshi insists that even a young Akemi will be better than anyone else."

Your father grumbles at that, "You just had to steal my explanation, didn't you?"

Kayaba shakes his head in exasperation, "She doesn't need the world domination speech, Takeshi, and you're far too invested to keep your calm." He turns his attention back to you, "Anyway, it's a good chance to get your feet wet, and it'll be great for your resume later."

That is not quite what you expected, honestly, but it doesn't sound too bad. Admittedly, it's not going to matter if you have to loop again, but it would be a chance to refresh your clockmaking skills some, after so long, and you still have a lot of girls to find, if Igor's telling the truth.

There's certainly a chance one of them might be related to someone on the team, and it would give you the opportunity to spend more time getting to know your father.

On the other hand, it might be a horrible waste of time, better spent scouring the city for the "friends" you need to find and keeping your actual friends alive.

Hmm.


[ ][SAO] Accept. You'll be called in occasionally to help, and will be given security access for ATLUS whenever you want to visit.
[ ][SAO] Refuse. You have other things to do.

[ ][RPG] Accept the invitation to join the group for at least one session.
[ ][RPG] Agree to try it one-on-one the next time session's canceled.
[ ][RPG] Ask him to set aside a couple of hours this coming week.
[ ][RPG] Decline. You really have a lot to do.