In the Name of Love and Hatred! [PMMM / LoR]

Prove it to them!

Silence reigns for one long moment. Ai knows they do not believe her, and they know she knows. But instead of shying away, she slowly straightens up in her chair. "I am a Magical Girl," she repeats calmly. "Watch."

A number of spells races through her head, some suitable for demonstration and some not. Ai pushes back her chair and stands, now taller than her still seated hosts. She raises one hand, presents her empty palm, and snaps her fingers. The noise echoes loudly while the entire table begins to gleam pink; crumbs of bread fade, corns of rice disintegrate. Empty mugs go airborne and fly away, clean as the day they first cooled. Plates follow, trailed by a swarm of pristine cutlery. Everything sorts itself into neat little piles before setting down on the kitchen counter, well out of sight.

Ai, meanwhile, curtsies to her flabbergasted audience, smiling. Pink glitter rains from the inside of her skirt, sparkling as it rolls over the floor in a wave before fading away. "I hope that was a sufficient demonstration?"

They are still gaping. For her own amusement, Ai snaps her fingers again and directs another spell to Hitomi; her blouse becomes bright pink, then shifts to bloody crimson, and back to its previous white. The other girl looks down in shock, blinking rapidly. Her father is much the same still, though Saki begins to gather her wits. "That," she murmurs, "was unexpected. So magic is real?"

"It is," Ai confirms without hesitation. She meets the woman's gaze evenly, willing her to believe. "I don't know how far its use spreads, but it is real."

"And there are, other, Magical Girls?" Hitomi inquires haltingly, a contemplative look in her eyes. Ai nods, prompting another question: "How would I go about learning magic?"

That, unfortunately, is problematic. Ai has no idea how to teach magic; she knew how to shape and manipulate the ether, how to cast spells that impose her will on reality, for as long as she can remember. It is as instinctual to her as breathing. "I don't know," she admits sheepishly. "The basics I know are all natural, I never had to learn them. Maybe Angela can tell you, but...." she trails off there, once again reminded of how far away she is. "But I have no idea how to get back to her."

"I see." Hitomi stands as well, coming eye to eye with Ai. She is only the slightest bit disappointed, at least outwardly. "While this is a shame, I already expected it. Were magic easy to learn, it would not be a well-kept secret."

"Though I wonder why it is a secret," her father adds. He has his arms crossed as he muses: "What are we looking at? Government secrets? Extralegal stuff? Gangs are unlikely, I guess. I'd have heard about that. Or are we with the super outlandish stuff where monsters from other planets invade and magical girls fight them in secret?"

He is mostly joking, but Ai can only shrug. It is scary how close he got without meaning to. "I don't know about other planets, but there are other beings the local Magical Girls fight."

She makes to explain, but Saki bids her to wait. "Before that, two of us need to get ready and head out, or they will be late." Her husband immediately mutters under his breath while Hitomi darts out of the room. Saki huffs. "We can have this conversation in the evening. Would you care to stay a little longer, Ai?"

"O-Oh. Of course, thank you very much."

"No need. You offered us a great deal of trust, this is the least we can do. Now, Reiji?" Her husband stops where he was tying his tie. "I believe we both agree to keep this quiet for now?"

"Yeah, obviously." He finishes up and grabs a suitcase. Hitomi bustles back into the room, now clad in a beige sweater and with a bookbag in hand. Her father frowns. "What do I tell the guys? They're going to ask what happened with her. I was planning to find her a place to work part-time, you know, the usual, before the magic thing happened."

"You can still make inquiries," his wife replies sweetly. He nods, and that is that. A peck on the cheek for father and daughter later, the two of them leave the luxurious flat. Saki smiles at Ai, who felt superfluous for the last few minutes. "Now as for you, would you prefer to stay here today? Or are there duties you need to attend?"

That is a good question. On one hand, Ai knows there is evil afoot. On the other hand, she just met these generous and kind people; leaving so soon feels flat out wrong, even if she would return. Still, she will return, and that is what matters. After mulling it over a moment longer, she nods at Saki. "I want to do some patrolling and smite evil. There wasn't much yesterday, but that never means anything."

"Oh, don't I know it," her hostess murmurs. Then she inclines her head. "I will take your word for it. But if I may make a suggestion? Perhaps you should change your wardrobe regardless. Else the truancy officers will take notice of you." She thankfully elaborates once the silence clues her in on Ai's lack of comprehension: "As you are, you appear like a schoolgirl skipping to cosplay."

Ai does not know what cosplaying is, but the gist of Saki's argument is clear enough now. The magical girl puts a finger to her cheek as she mulls it over. "I can change my clothes, but what kind would I wear? Maybe a suit?"

"Oh, no one will suspect you in a suit. Girls your age can look surprisingly mature, and you are tall enough." Case in point, Hitomi and Saki are almost the same height; Ai stands a bit taller than both of them. Still far shorter than Reiji, but apparently tall enough. "Maybe you want to switch the pants for a skirt, though."

"Nah, I know exactly what to go for." It is nostalgic, considering Ai always wanted to wear what she now turns her dress into. The soft cloth easily changes composition, cut, and colouration. She can not help but smile tenderly as it settles on a muted yellow pantsuit and black shoes. An almost exact replica of the uniform worn on Tiphereth's floor. It hugs her figure perfectly, coattails fluttering a little along her thighs. Ai nods and spins on her heels. "How do I look?"

Saki needs a moment to respond, likely stumped by the additional display of magic. Once she regains her composure however, she shows a mirthful smile. "Quite dashing, I have to say. Although I was just meaning to ask, how old are you exactly?"

"That... is a good question." Ai drags her feet for a moment, well aware of Saki's incredulity. "I don't know. My memories are hazy about the past, but I know I have been fighting for a while." In fact, everything before Lobotomy Corporation is a blur. Whether it means she only imagines having a life before then, or that she simply forgot it all, Ai does not know. "Sorry."

"Hm."

Saki mulls over what she heard, then relents. "Very well. We will have to discuss this another time. I imagine you have no ID?" Ai can only shake her head, but the other woman clearly expected that. "Alright then. This is certainly more than I expected this week. First my Hitomi admits to her first crush, then you magically appear in our lives." Despite the dry commentary, Saki wears a fond smile. She makes a shooing motion. "Go on then. I need to run some errands. You better be back at six for dinner."

Ai nods and beams back. "Okay. Thank you, really. And, uh, until later."

She makes for the front door, but Saki stops her. "Ah ah ah. What you have to say is 'I'm heading out'."

She stands there expectantly, making Ai a little emberassed. It is the same thing her daughter and husband said as they left. "Um... I'm heading out?"

"Have a safe trip," Saki answers, and Ai flees to hide her flushed cheeks. Such a domestic and kind display is unlike anything she knows. She darts through the hallway and into the elevator, riding up instead of down. On the way, Ai manages to calm herself.

A few deep breaths later, she focusses back on what to do today; there is always evil in need of uprooting, but she has to find it first. Likewise, Izabel and the other Witches are to be dealt with. Unfortunately, Ai has no means of finding a Witch. Homura's Soul Gem reacts to their presence, so she would have to find the taciturn magical girl first.

"Uah, so many problems and no solutions," Ai groans as she teleports through the locked rooftop access. Which is when an unfamiliar voice stops her. High-pitched, even, and sounding right in Ai's head.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

Wide-eyed, Ai whirls around in search of the owner. It takes several seconds to spot the critter lounging above the door she just came through. Bright, pink eyes peer down at her, studying the magical girl. Something about them is off, a gaze that seems to dissect Ai to the deepest recesses of her being. She gapes at it, uncertain how to proceed. Is it a friend, a foe? The silence stretches and she finally manages to ask: "Who are you? No, what are you?"

"I am Kyubey", they answer without hesitation. Their feline body climbs to its feet, a second pair of ears flopping down to their paws. Golden rings are attached to them, gleaming in the morning sun. "And I support the Magical Girls in their fight against Witches. Think of me as an advisor, Ai."

"You know who I am?"

"It was simple to find your trail once I became aware of your presence. Two humans dead, a Witch displaced, and free use of magic. I am quite intrigued about that, seeing that I have no memory of contracting you."

Ai needs a moment to remember her previous kills. Once she places them, she disregards that part and shrugs. "I mean, where I stand it's weird that the Magical Girls here need to replenish their magic. And what do you mean about contracts?"

Kyubey hops down from up above, landing in front of Ai; she picks them up and cradles them in her arms. Their white fur is short but soft to the touch. "I contract girls with the potential to become Magical Girls. They receive any one wish of their desire and a Soul Gem to channel magic, but in turn they must fight Witches going forward."

Ai blinks. She is not exactly suspicious of the cute thing, but being a City girl gives her a much different perspective. "That's incredibly generous of you. But I guess the issue is they can never stop being Magical Girls after making the contract?"

"Correct. I make certain to emphasize this particular matter. Now, would you care to answer a question of mine?"

"Um, could I ask something else first? It's kind of important."

Kyubey tilts their head, but nods. Ai keeps scritching the critter at the base of their feline ears, making them all but melt into her arms. She plops down on the floor, well aware this may be a longer discussion. "Are you an Abnormality? Or a Distortion?" Kyubey tilts their head further and she keeps going before they can respond: "And if not, then what are you?"

"Could you define the terms 'Abnormality' and 'Distortion'?", they request. Ai fidgets sheepishly.

"Right, sorry. Abnormalities are, well, abnormal. I don't know all the details, but I know that we always come back to life even when killed. Most of us are unique and all of us are connected to the human psyche, or something like that. The subconcious? Yes, that. We're connected to the collective human subconcious." Ai smiles, proud that she got the term Tiphereth once gave her from memory. Then the smile fades. "Or, I guess so. But a human said we're all connected, so they may be projecting." Beings like White Night and Blue Star do not seem like something human, after all.

"I see. Do I understand it correctly that you, yourself, are an Abnormality?"

"Yeah."

"And Distortions?"

"Oh, right. Distortions are a lot like Abnormalities, except they can be killed. You get one when a human has a bad mental breakdown while emotions run high. Or something like that." Ai never figured out the connection between the two, though she knows it is there.

Kyubey remains silent as they mull over what Ai just told them. Then they butt their head against her hand, demanding more pets. She indulges them cheerfully while they explain: "I can confirm that I am neither an Abnormality, nor a Distortion. Neither am I human, as you likely expected." Ai nods; that was fairly obvious. "Although that still leaves the question of your origin. As far as I could reconstruct, you simply appeared approximately twenty-six hours ago. Magic was involved, but its kind, origin, or effect are unknown."

Kyubey stares up at her, unblinking. Ai looks back and wonders how to explain herself. They were quite forward with her and seem willing to indulge in some oddities. After such a warm reception by the Shizukis, Ai decides to take the plunge: "I'm actually not from this dimension, I don't think. Mine is really different and... less kind than this one." She frowns, recalling how awful the City is, then sighs. "But I can't tell you how I got here. The last thing I know is that I died, then I woke up here."

"I see. Thank you for telling me, this may explain some of the recent anomalies. I imagine whatever process sent you from your world caused the recent magical waves to cloud Mitakihara." When Ai perks up in interest, Kyubey explains further: "Whatever cause they have, they are harmless beyond stimulating emotional growth in humans. The effect is negligible on the population, though it has been ongoing for six days. Its focal point lies up there," they add, pointing a paw skyward. Ai follows the gesture, but sees nothing. "An instance of folded space, currently under observation. Probes of any kind have yet to penetrate its outer layer. Do you have any insight on it?"

"I'm sorry, I don't. I have no idea what it is or if it's related to me."

Despite her remorse, Kyubey merely winds themself out of Ai's grasp and stands in front of her. "That is quite alright. If you remember something that may be helpful, call for me. Oh, and do you want me to deal with that filled Grief Seed on you? I usually take them before they hatch once more."

Ai pauses, one hand going to her pocket. Izabel is warm to the touch, a mystical heartbeat pulsing through the black steel. Black mist seeps against Ai's fingers, staining them before flaking off. She shakes her head with a faint smile. "It's okay, she's just sleeping. I befriended her yesterday."

This time, her explanation yields a seconds-long pause. Kyubey stares right through Ai again before inclining their head. "Very well. While we are at it though, one other matter: I would appreciate if you did not reveal magic to larger numbers of humans. They can not perceive Witches and will take their existence quite badly, as Witches feed on their souls. Please keep your work out of the public eye."

"Oh, okay. I can do that." While Kyubey is about to skitter away however, Ai speaks up again: "Can I ask something before you go?" They pause and turn back, waiting patiently. "What is a soul? I heard it a few times now, but it means nothing to me."

"When humans refer to their souls, I understand they speak of the essence of their selves. It is situated in their neurons and actually spread out; humans act under the assumption that their soul is one singular entity, affected by their actions."

"Ohhh, that makes sense! Thank you!" Ai understands this just fine. The essence of the self is what manifests in E.G.O., and she consists of that entirely. Meaning she is a soul, through and through.

"Is there anything else before I go?"

That is a good question. Ai ponders it for a moment. Is there anything she wants to ask the helpful bunnycat?

---

Ai can ask one more question.

[] Ask about Witches
weight: x1

[] Ask about Magical Girls
weight: x1

[] Write-in

[] No further questions
weight: x1

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Unlocked Character Sheet: Kyubey