“Human Resources” Shouldn’t Be This Literal: A PMMM/ProjectMoon Quest
- Thread starter Lepidoptera
- Start date
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- Tags
- library of ruina lobotomy corporation project moon puella magi madoka magica eldritch horror magical girl crossover eldritch protagonist female protagonist fluffy gore non-human protagonist suffering violence discussion is always good civ good decisions identity crises nuclear moth detected parenting powers activate
2.4.5 - Routine Maintenance
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
Chapter 128 - Routine Maintenance
You spend some time exchanging notes with Kyubey on how to crack the concealment that stops either of you from peering into Kamihama. It seemed a bit curious that a supposedly interstellar empire was so easily stymied by something that the two of you together cracked in under an hour, but Kyubey's answer was rather more curious.
"There just isn't enough information on the situation in Kamihama City to justify taking action. It might be something worth interfering with, but it also might not. Until we know for sure, nothing will be done. Besides, you're handling things well enough without interference."
"And yet you don't seem to have a problem offering advice." you respond.
"An exchange of information is mutually beneficial. The energy spent just talking is so small it might as well be nothing, so it would be absurd not to do so." Kyubey says, with the same blankly-cheerful tone that one might expect from a retail worker who's trying very hard to keep a smile on their face near the end of their shift. There's no buried frustration in Kyubey's voice, though. Just a fake joy as they state the obvious masking the total absence of any feeling whatsoever.
You shrug. "If you say so. Hey, can you connect me to Kyoko? I need her to head back about now. It's close to time to pick the kids up."
—————————
Kyoko returns to the apartment without much fanfare. She didn't find any Witches, of course, but the grin on her face and the lightness in her posture tell you it was a good idea regardless.
"Somebody's in a good mood." you say offhandedly. "Did something nice happen while you were out?"
"Nah, it wasn't anything in particular. It's just…" Kyoko's voice trails off, and the easy satisfaction falls back to reveal a deeper, heavy sense of relief. "Ever since you woke me up, there's been this feeling. Like everything I do is wrong. Not that it's your fault!" she adds quickly. "I'm not blaming you, it was my fault that I-"
You give Kyoko a hard stare, cutting off her self-recriminations before they can start up again. The former Magical Girl starts at your sudden seriousness, then catches herself. She pulls back, a bit sheepish.
"Right, right. But anyways, I just felt like a weight on everyone else. But today… today feels better. Not great, but better. And if I feel better today, then maybe one day I'll get back to the place where I'm really happy with myself. But until then, I've got a place to live, three meals a day, and people looking out for me whether I deserve it or not. What more can you really ask for?" Kyoko finishes, her earlier smile's brightness reappearing in full glory. You mirror her grin. That's not a lot to ask for, really, but it's enough. Enough for now, at least.
"I can think of a few more things you might want to ask for. Those will have to wait for the future, though. You'll just have to settle for a loving family for now." you joke. Kyoko laughs, just barely, before trailing off.
"Yeah… a family, huh…"
—————————
The afternoon comes quickly enough, and before long you, Sayaka, Madoka, and Homura have left for the Library.
"I think this is the most of you I've ever brought in one trip that you didn't all come to." you mention absently as the four of you appear in one of the lounge rooms. Judging by the pervasive coloring of blue and expensive-looking decor, you're on Chesed's Floor of the Library.
"Hey, I don't think I've seen this floor. What's it about?" Sayaka asks, looking from the obviously-silken chairs and couches to the hand-carved tables and desks. The level of intricacy in everything in the Library is actually fairly normal, but when your primary point of comparison is the Floor of Language, it's a bit of an aesthetic leap.
"This is the Floor of Social Sciences." you explain. "The Patron Librarian, Chesed, used to be the head of the Employee Welfare Department. He's a laid-back but reliable person, so it fits him pretty well. It's right above the Floor of Language, and just below the Floors where Madoka, Homura, and I are headed."
"You're not gonna stick around for training?" Sayaka says, disappointed.
"Don't worry, it's just some conversation. I'll be able to swing around in time to catch the last quarter or so." You remember exactly who you're going to be talking to and adjust your prediction. "Give or take ten minutes."
"Okay. So this is where we say goodbye for now?"
You nod. "Only for a bit, though."
"Right. In that case, I'll see you all in a little while. I've gotta get to training and I can't be late." Sayaka says.
"Bye Sayaka!"
"Goodbye."
"See ya in a little bit, kid."
Sayaka turns and begins her descent down a nearby stairway. You and the remaining kids follow her to the same staircase, but begins ascending instead. The silence stretches on for barely a single flight before Madoka speaks.
"So what exactly am I here for? Homura didn't explain all that much."
"And you still agreed?" you ask incredulously. "I mean, it's good that you did, but I expected you to want a bit more explanation than that before you spend your afternoon in an actual other dimension."
"It's fine! I trust you, so if you and Homura think it's a good idea I'll give it a try!" Madoka says. You frown, and though Homura's expression remains stoic you could probably have felt the frustration rippling off of her without emotion-sensing powers.
"You shouldn't be so permissive, Madoka. You need to act based on what you want, not what others want from you." Homura commands, intensity dripping from each monotone word. It's actually a bit impressive how well she can convey emotion without a shred of inflection.
"But I want to help people!" Madoka protests. "What else would I really be doing now?"
"I dunno. Kid things? Mami, Kyoko, Yuma, and Hitomi went to take Leonie to the arcade. That's not really the point Homura's trying to make." you explain as you ascend another flight. "You've gotta look out for your own interests as well as for what other people need. It's not healthy for people to always be running around attending to others when they need to help themselves. 'Course, that applies to you too, Homura."
The mechanical rhythm of Homura's false heartbeat skips a tick. "My well-being is irrelevant. I have lost any chance at my own happiness a long time ago. That has been accepted, and trying to hold onto it has only led to failure." Where there would normally be bitterness in such words, there is nothing. Only a hollow acceptance of what Homura believes is an evident fact, and loathing at the foolish girl who wasted so much time believing otherwise. "All that matters at this point is securing your safety and happiness, Madoka. Nothing else."
Madoka stops her climb, and you pause a few steps ahead of her. The young girl turns back to her friend, her expression equal parts curiosity and concern. Beneath that worry, though, is something else. A burning, flickering flame of anger. Not at Homura, but at the words she just spoke. At the self-destructive idea that she just declared so candidly. "Homura… why? Why do you think that about yourself?"
"It is true. I have nothing else left to do." Homura answers plainly. Madoka shakes her head desperately.
"No! I don't accept that. You have to have something else, Homura." she insists. The clockwork girl remains outwardly unshaken, though both you and Madoka hear the pace of the ticking emanating from within her increase.
"When one becomes a Magical Girl, they surrender any chance at a normal life in exchange for the strength to reach for what they think they want. This is just an extension of that. I've given up everything else I had in the name of one thing. As long as I can accomplish that one goal, I don't need anything else."
"But why?" Madoka repeats, distraught. "You're a special person, Homura. You're strong, and cool, and you care about people even if you're scared of admitting it. So why are you doing all this to yourself just for me?"
Homura flinches, her entire body recoiling as if struck by the weight of Madoka's question. The three of you stand in the stairway together, silent but for the sound of ticking.
It is quiet in the Library's halls.
———————————————
Should Homura explain everything to Madoka?
[] Advise yes
[] Advise no
———————————————
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Schadenfreude's Sapling - Observation Level 1/3
CENSORED's Sapling - Observation Level EXPUNGED/REDACTED
Never mind, this is enough to be a chapter on its own. Hokma and Binah will have to wait a few more days.
You spend some time exchanging notes with Kyubey on how to crack the concealment that stops either of you from peering into Kamihama. It seemed a bit curious that a supposedly interstellar empire was so easily stymied by something that the two of you together cracked in under an hour, but Kyubey's answer was rather more curious.
"There just isn't enough information on the situation in Kamihama City to justify taking action. It might be something worth interfering with, but it also might not. Until we know for sure, nothing will be done. Besides, you're handling things well enough without interference."
"And yet you don't seem to have a problem offering advice." you respond.
"An exchange of information is mutually beneficial. The energy spent just talking is so small it might as well be nothing, so it would be absurd not to do so." Kyubey says, with the same blankly-cheerful tone that one might expect from a retail worker who's trying very hard to keep a smile on their face near the end of their shift. There's no buried frustration in Kyubey's voice, though. Just a fake joy as they state the obvious masking the total absence of any feeling whatsoever.
You shrug. "If you say so. Hey, can you connect me to Kyoko? I need her to head back about now. It's close to time to pick the kids up."
—————————
Kyoko returns to the apartment without much fanfare. She didn't find any Witches, of course, but the grin on her face and the lightness in her posture tell you it was a good idea regardless.
"Somebody's in a good mood." you say offhandedly. "Did something nice happen while you were out?"
"Nah, it wasn't anything in particular. It's just…" Kyoko's voice trails off, and the easy satisfaction falls back to reveal a deeper, heavy sense of relief. "Ever since you woke me up, there's been this feeling. Like everything I do is wrong. Not that it's your fault!" she adds quickly. "I'm not blaming you, it was my fault that I-"
You give Kyoko a hard stare, cutting off her self-recriminations before they can start up again. The former Magical Girl starts at your sudden seriousness, then catches herself. She pulls back, a bit sheepish.
"Right, right. But anyways, I just felt like a weight on everyone else. But today… today feels better. Not great, but better. And if I feel better today, then maybe one day I'll get back to the place where I'm really happy with myself. But until then, I've got a place to live, three meals a day, and people looking out for me whether I deserve it or not. What more can you really ask for?" Kyoko finishes, her earlier smile's brightness reappearing in full glory. You mirror her grin. That's not a lot to ask for, really, but it's enough. Enough for now, at least.
"I can think of a few more things you might want to ask for. Those will have to wait for the future, though. You'll just have to settle for a loving family for now." you joke. Kyoko laughs, just barely, before trailing off.
"Yeah… a family, huh…"
—————————
The afternoon comes quickly enough, and before long you, Sayaka, Madoka, and Homura have left for the Library.
"I think this is the most of you I've ever brought in one trip that you didn't all come to." you mention absently as the four of you appear in one of the lounge rooms. Judging by the pervasive coloring of blue and expensive-looking decor, you're on Chesed's Floor of the Library.
"Hey, I don't think I've seen this floor. What's it about?" Sayaka asks, looking from the obviously-silken chairs and couches to the hand-carved tables and desks. The level of intricacy in everything in the Library is actually fairly normal, but when your primary point of comparison is the Floor of Language, it's a bit of an aesthetic leap.
"This is the Floor of Social Sciences." you explain. "The Patron Librarian, Chesed, used to be the head of the Employee Welfare Department. He's a laid-back but reliable person, so it fits him pretty well. It's right above the Floor of Language, and just below the Floors where Madoka, Homura, and I are headed."
"You're not gonna stick around for training?" Sayaka says, disappointed.
"Don't worry, it's just some conversation. I'll be able to swing around in time to catch the last quarter or so." You remember exactly who you're going to be talking to and adjust your prediction. "Give or take ten minutes."
"Okay. So this is where we say goodbye for now?"
You nod. "Only for a bit, though."
"Right. In that case, I'll see you all in a little while. I've gotta get to training and I can't be late." Sayaka says.
"Bye Sayaka!"
"Goodbye."
"See ya in a little bit, kid."
Sayaka turns and begins her descent down a nearby stairway. You and the remaining kids follow her to the same staircase, but begins ascending instead. The silence stretches on for barely a single flight before Madoka speaks.
"So what exactly am I here for? Homura didn't explain all that much."
"And you still agreed?" you ask incredulously. "I mean, it's good that you did, but I expected you to want a bit more explanation than that before you spend your afternoon in an actual other dimension."
"It's fine! I trust you, so if you and Homura think it's a good idea I'll give it a try!" Madoka says. You frown, and though Homura's expression remains stoic you could probably have felt the frustration rippling off of her without emotion-sensing powers.
"You shouldn't be so permissive, Madoka. You need to act based on what you want, not what others want from you." Homura commands, intensity dripping from each monotone word. It's actually a bit impressive how well she can convey emotion without a shred of inflection.
"But I want to help people!" Madoka protests. "What else would I really be doing now?"
"I dunno. Kid things? Mami, Kyoko, Yuma, and Hitomi went to take Leonie to the arcade. That's not really the point Homura's trying to make." you explain as you ascend another flight. "You've gotta look out for your own interests as well as for what other people need. It's not healthy for people to always be running around attending to others when they need to help themselves. 'Course, that applies to you too, Homura."
The mechanical rhythm of Homura's false heartbeat skips a tick. "My well-being is irrelevant. I have lost any chance at my own happiness a long time ago. That has been accepted, and trying to hold onto it has only led to failure." Where there would normally be bitterness in such words, there is nothing. Only a hollow acceptance of what Homura believes is an evident fact, and loathing at the foolish girl who wasted so much time believing otherwise. "All that matters at this point is securing your safety and happiness, Madoka. Nothing else."
Madoka stops her climb, and you pause a few steps ahead of her. The young girl turns back to her friend, her expression equal parts curiosity and concern. Beneath that worry, though, is something else. A burning, flickering flame of anger. Not at Homura, but at the words she just spoke. At the self-destructive idea that she just declared so candidly. "Homura… why? Why do you think that about yourself?"
"It is true. I have nothing else left to do." Homura answers plainly. Madoka shakes her head desperately.
"No! I don't accept that. You have to have something else, Homura." she insists. The clockwork girl remains outwardly unshaken, though both you and Madoka hear the pace of the ticking emanating from within her increase.
"When one becomes a Magical Girl, they surrender any chance at a normal life in exchange for the strength to reach for what they think they want. This is just an extension of that. I've given up everything else I had in the name of one thing. As long as I can accomplish that one goal, I don't need anything else."
"But why?" Madoka repeats, distraught. "You're a special person, Homura. You're strong, and cool, and you care about people even if you're scared of admitting it. So why are you doing all this to yourself just for me?"
Homura flinches, her entire body recoiling as if struck by the weight of Madoka's question. The three of you stand in the stairway together, silent but for the sound of ticking.
It is quiet in the Library's halls.
———————————————
Should Homura explain everything to Madoka?
[] Advise yes
[] Advise no
———————————————
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Schadenfreude's Sapling - Observation Level 1/3
CENSORED's Sapling - Observation Level EXPUNGED/REDACTED
Never mind, this is enough to be a chapter on its own. Hokma and Binah will have to wait a few more days.
Last edited:
JmonsterNEO
Spouter of nonsense
- Location
- The quest forums
[X] Advise yes
This might just be one of the last steps we need to kick Homura's rear into gear(heh, gear) and onto the road to decent mental health.
This might just be one of the last steps we need to kick Homura's rear into gear(heh, gear) and onto the road to decent mental health.
And that, ladies and gentleman, is why lack of emotions, in this case, curiosity, is more prone to biting you in the ass than helping you.
There is a reason we evolved them and kept the evolution.
Good, she's making progress.
Time for *The Conversation*.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied is Binah's smile right now?
I agree with Homuhomu on that one, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Agnus Principle would be a little too permissive.
Excellent question, Madoka.
Reminder that this is the core of Homura's issues, the fulcrum on which most of her problems lies, and that Madoka wants to help.
In normal circumstances, Madoka can't without wishing, but we are there, we can support her, I think she can learn and use it to make strides with Homura's wellbeing.
The only problem I can see is that it can make the conversation with Binah more difficult, but it can also help Madoka have something to center herself during a bad part, so:
[X] Advise yes
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
[X] Advise yes
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
[X] Advise yes
The obvious answer is obvious. She'll still want to help and become God but better to inform her now so that if she wishes, it'll be to become god.
I wonder how the girls are doing at the arcade? Leonia is still with Mami so they should be doing fine, if only with an Ishmael-lite mood downer.
The obvious answer is obvious. She'll still want to help and become God but better to inform her now so that if she wishes, it'll be to become god.
I wonder how the girls are doing at the arcade? Leonia is still with Mami so they should be doing fine, if only with an Ishmael-lite mood downer.
I NEVER KNEW THEY WERE THE SAME VOICE ACTOR. THAT'S BLOODY HILARIOUS, THANK YOU.
- Location
- Somewhere
Being in the Library, challenging such a deep-rooted belief is bound to begin a Core Suppression.
Let's do it.
[X] Advise yes
Let's do it.
[X] Advise yes
- Location
- New Carollton, Maryland
[X] Advise yes
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
U gotta feshen my memories on this one.
- Location
- America
The Extraction Team Captain that X nearly summoned a Last Helix Duplicate of when initially experimenting with creating EGO equipment for the kids.
(Was doing a reread when I spotted it)
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
Do you mean asking Angela about them?
Seams of Reality
Prisoner of Fate
- Location
- The Gap Between Realities
[X] Advise yes
Yeah no this is an obvious vote
Yeah no this is an obvious vote
- Location
- ?
[X] Advise yes
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
Wow, who ever could have seen that coming.
On an unrelated note, how is the balance of elements from different settings? I'm always anxious about leaning too much on one setting or another or comparing the two unfairly. ProjectMoon content tends to take narrative priority and averages higher on the lower scale, but the characters and setting itself for most of the story has been PMMM-centric. We have been getting more ProjectMoon characters since the Library opened up in Act 2, though.
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
It's a decent mix I suppose? Our interactions with the Library happen after dark, and are mainly PM centrist, but most of the important story decisions are PMMM.