“Human Resources” Shouldn’t Be This Literal: A PMMM/ProjectMoon Quest

Chapter 87 - When The Sun Rises

"I never actually met Carmen." you begin. It feels strange, discussing your family. There was never any time for it at the Facility, nor was there anyone who would be able to truly understand if you did. They knew Ayin and Carmen, had relationships with them. Very, very complicated relationships. Talking with them about your creators would have only made things more complicated. You did speak with Hokma about your father on more than one occasion, but for as insightful as the old man was his judgement was rather impaired when it came to Ayin. The only person who really could have related was Tiphereth. The two of you did talk about Ayin and Carmen between work, but when the later days came that time grew shorter and shorter.

You haven't seen Tiphereth since the fall of L Corp. Not that you're worried about your surrogate sibling. She's more competent than most people expect.

Homura reminds you of Tiphereth, in some ways. Both are skilled beyond their years, at the cost of anything that could resemble a proper childhood. Both tend to try to work alone, carrying a weight that should be held by a team. Both were driven solely by the happiness of a single person, who they were forced to watch die again and again.

"Everyone else knew her, worked with her, but that was before I was even born. By the time my life had begun, Carmen had been gone for a long time."

Maybe that's why it's easier to talk about your life with Homura. It's not just that you can see the places where her life echoes yours. Your relationship is the easiest to contextualize. Caring for children is a new experience. An enjoyable one, and close enough to what you are used to for some skills to have carried over, but it's still new. Homura feels more like a coworker than a child.

"Everyone always said that Carmen was a fantastic person. That she inspired them, or lifted them up, or made them believe they were making a difference in the world. She wasn't a leader because she had a plan or because she was smarter than most people, although those were both true. It was because she was good at making people believe her."

Homura hasn't moved since you began talking. It would be hard to tell if that were because she was concentrating on what you're saying or due to her natural stillness were it not for the chorus of clicks and whirls pouring out from the cracks in her flesh. Looking at Homura, you wonder if maybe you could have prevented this. If you had spent more time with her, talked to her more. If you could have unwound the tangle of traumatic experience that she was nested in before Carmen had a chance to raise her voice. You'll never know now.

"Whoever Carmen was, she's not that person anymore. Maybe she never really was." you say. It's not as much of a blow as it should be, knowing that the heart of your mission might have been fake. Maybe it would be for your coworkers. But it was never about Carmen's dream for you.

"She's been helpful so far." Homura says, lacking any of the defensiveness that you would expect from that sort of statement. It's not a retort; only a simple statement of fact.

"Maybe," you admit, "but just because she can be helpful doesn't mean you should give her words too much weight. None of the other Distortions who followed Carmen's guidance had happy endings. I don't want the same thing to happen to you."

The sounds of machinery halt abruptly before resuming, slightly quieter than before.

"It doesn't matter what happens to me. Not if I can save Madoka's life. I accepted that sacrifice when I became a Magical Girl." Homura says. She tilts her head slightly, before righting it with a mechanical click. "Anything else is of no consequence."

"Why did you tell me about Carmen?" you ask calmly. "If she told you it would make things more difficult. You don't get anything out of it."

"We agreed to work together. It's easier to protect Madoka if I am not alone."

"Well, there you have it. That's why I need you to take care of yourself. you say lightly. The sound of clockwork within Homura winds down, leaving only the faint echoing ticks of a mechanical heart. "Madoka won't be happy if you get yourself killed. Especially not when she figures out that it was because you were trying to save her. So look out for yourself. If not for your own sake, then for hers."

You pause, waiting for Homura to respond. When she instead remains still, staring forward with a piercing amethyst gaze, you press forwards.

"Look, I'm not telling you to shut out everything Carmen says. Just… run it by me before you do anything crazy, alright?"

Without a trace of hesitation, Homura nods. Like everything else she does, the motion is smooth and efficient. "I will be sure to tell you whenever she speaks. Is that all for today?"

Internally, you sigh with relief. That could've gone a lot worse. "Yeah, that's about it. I'll contact you again if I need to test anything else. Now, give me your key. I don't want you walking around at half-charge or whatever when I'm free, you understand?"

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With that ordeal resolved, you reappear outside your apartment in a burst of soft shadows. Teleportation is really very convenient. You could've been even more efficient and just teleported into the house, but something about that feels wrong. Maybe if you want to surprise somebody, then you'll try it later. But for now, you slowly open the door and make your presence known to your children.

"I'm back! Is the cake done yet?"

"X!" Mami exclaims from the living room in front of you. Yuma, Kyoko, and her were previously seated around the table and preparing to cut into a freshly-baked cake before Mami sat up. Your eldest daughter catches you in a leaping hug, to which you return a light squeeze before gently setting her down. Yuma isn't far behind, giving her own less forceful but just as enthusiastic embrace. Kyoko remains seated, staring at the display awkwardly.

"Now, now, settle down. I was barely gone for a few minutes." you say playfully as the three of you return to the table.

"So you were." Mami admits without a hint of shame. Yuma's attention has already been captured by the cake sitting in the middle of the table, waiting to be cut.

"Yuma's hungry, and so is Kyoko! Can we all eat?" your youngest interrupts, gesturing towards the red-haired Magical Girl seated beside her. Kyoko, for her part, is completely taken off-guard. The melancholy that had previously overwhelmed her is absent, diminished by Yuma's attention, before returning slowly.

"I don't know, have you finished your homework?" you ask, though you're already sitting down. Yuma nods enthusiastically, and you reach out and begin dividing the cake into slices. You deposit one onto each plate, leaving most of the freshly-made confection untouched. It'll be nice to have for later. Once everyone has burned off some of the initial enthusiasm that comes with having a well-crafted dessert placed in front of you, you try and start up a conversation.

"So, Kyoko, do you have any plans you're working on?" you inquire, gesturing towards the girl with the handle of your fork. Kyoko glances down at the crumbs left on her plate, then looks exceedingly guilty when Mami reaches over to give her a second slice.

"I'll just do whatever you're all doing. You're already giving me food and somewhere to stay, so it's not fair for me to ask anything more than that. I can pay you back however." she says, all traces of guilt buried under faux irritation.

"There's really no need for that." Mami responds. By the slight strain in her voice, Kyoko's attempts to conceal her pain have been less than successful. "Those are just basic necessities. You don't deserve anything less."

The temperature in the room flares, and Kyoko's disguise flickers. For a moment, you can see the towering equine glasswork, kneeling at the table. Her body is webbed by cracks, liquid flame bleeding out in thick gouts and then vanishing before it can touch the ground. The air smolders and burns. Kyoko's faceless gaze stares blindly forward, the thin red veil doing little to conceal the white-hot mess of melting glass beneath. Then, her focus returns to Mami sitting in front of her, and the image disappears.

You're not sure if the lapse was even long enough for anybody to see. While the burst of heat was definitely noticed by the others, Mami only gives Kyoko a look of mild concern. Kyoko doesn't make eye contact, instead glaring down at her fresh slice of cake and picking out a bite. The frosting has become slightly melted.

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Topics
[] Witch Patrol Schedules
[] Kyoko's Future (Press)
[] Kyoko's Feelings About Distortion
[] Carmen
[] Mami and Kyoko's Past
[] Write-in

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Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3

As the meal will soon reach critical awkwardness capacity, only one topic may be chosen. Any write-ins that are too long may risk characters becoming exhausted by the conversation. X will not push past this emotional exhaustion in her kids.

I was preparing a few scenes for the future with the AWTL while listening to Shiny, and I've gotta say it's surprisingly fitting. She probably won't appear for a while, not unless you seek her out.

AVLS will update before this vote closes. Probably. Depends on how inspired I'm feeling, since that story is less regimented in its scheduling.