Magia Resurrection (PMMM Quest)

The blue-haired girl took a step back, sizing up her opponent. After a moment of hesitation, she gave it another try. Shaking the claw machine like it owed her money didn't seem to be working out. If she made any more noise, the apathetic staff would be finally motivated to act. As entertaining as that would be, laughing at someone else's expense was beneath you. Not Sayaka, of course, but beneath you. Unless it was Sayaka, and in that case, it's probably justified. She laughed at you plenty, it was only fair.

You walk over. "I don't think shaking it is the solution here."

She looks toward you, then at the machine. "Yeah, I know, I thought about hitting it already."

"Hitting--?" You pause. "No, no. Just go ask the staff."

"Too much trouble." Heaving a sigh, she gives the machine one last kick.

Dink. Something came loose.

"Oh!" She hunched her back over, reaching inside the plastic flap. "Oh no."

"You alright?"

"No." She strains to free her hand. "I think my ring is caught on something."

It was like looking into a mirror. As a child, you would willingly feed the claw machine your arm after it already took your money as tribute. Victory was often so close, yet so far. Partly because your arms were so small you couldn't reach the dislodged prize you had rightfully earned.

"You probably should've removed it before putting your hand in there." You bend down next to her. "Relax your arm."

Another grunt. The machine shakes.

"I said relax." You hold her arm.

"Okay, okay!" The stubborn girl relents. "Now what?"

"Slowly turn it left. No, not that left. My left."

The claw machine slowly regurgitates her arm. The elbow becomes visible, then her reddened forearm and then finally, her hand. "Thanks for the help." She sits up, brushing herself off. "But I didn't get the prize."

"You take what you can get. Believe me, those prizes aren't worth a trip to the clinic." You look at her hand. "Does this hurt?" You move her fingers up and down one by one. The ring on her finger, the culprit, looked engraved with strange lettering you've never seen before. With that many divots in the ring, it was no wonder that it got caught.

"Is that from experience?"

"Yes." You say as a matter of course. "I think you're fine."

"You can let go now."

You stare at her hand, then into her face. "Oh!" You back away. "Sorry!"

"It's okay." She says. "You helped me out. I can't be mad."

What else was there to say? You didn't want the conversation to just stop dead. For some reason, you wanted this to end differently. "That's a pretty ring you've got there."

"Oh, thanks."

Good job. No progress. "Uh… what's your name?"

"I didn't introduce myself yet. Right, where are my manners?" She bows. "I'm Midori Chiba. And you are?"

"Momoka." You say. "Oh, I mean, Momoka Kaname."

The utterance of your name is enough to make her frown. Part of you wanted to apologize, but what for? Given the entire exchange, you were almost at a loss for words. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No. No!" Midori waves a frantic hand. "Not at all. I used to have a friend named Momo, that's all." She says, slightly looking past you.

"Ah, okay. You can just call me Kaname if you want." You follow her gaze to the blonde-haired girl and the child. It seems the DDR fiend had finished her game. She's laughing, talking to what looks like her sister. "Do you know them?"

"No." She says. "No, I don't."

Despite feeling like a lie, it wasn't your place to condemn her. People had their own reasons for what they did. You were a stranger, and she owed you nothing. "But yeah, you can just call me Kaname. I don't mind."

"Okay, Kaname." Midori grins. "So, do you make it a habit of being a good samaritan or did you have a reason to come speak to me?"

"Yes." You point over at the staff behind the cash register. The man was staring daggers at Midori."You caused any more trouble, and I'm fairly sure they would've escorted you out, claw machine and all."

"That wouldn't be the first time that's happened…"

"What?"

"Nothing! Come on. Let's sit down." Midori guides you over to a small booth on the far corner of the arcade. You take a seat across from her, the whole arcade in view. You saw Sayaka walking toward you from a distance. "So, are you a local?"

"Yeah. Born and raised." You rest your chin on your hand. "Where are you from?"

"Small town called Yamabuki," Midori says. "Doesn't look anything like Mitakihara. Skyscrapers as far as the eye can see, people everywhere you look. I'm always floored when I'm in a city like this."

"When you live here, you just get used to it."

"Hey!" Sayaka says, holding two bags in her hands. "Oh, you made a friend!"

"Where did you run off to this time?" You glare.

"Stop being such a grouch." She hands you a styrofoam box. You flip it open, revealing a hotdog with pickles slathered mustard. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Sayaka, this is Midori. Midori, this is Sayaka." You bite into the hotdog. "Thanksh."

"Chew and swallow, Momo." Sayaka laughs nervously.

"We were just--" Midori stops short. She stares off into the distance. "You just… reminded me. I was going to go meet another friend for lunch."

"Oh." You sit the hotdog down. It was too good to be true, honestly. She was amiable enough, but making a friend this quickly? "Yeah, I get it. You get going." Your eye drifts over to the ring.

Wait, why was it glowing?

Midori stands up. "I'm really sorry about this." Afterward, she grabs her purse and dashes out of the arcade.

"She's just going to blow us off just like that?" Sayaka groans. "The nerve of some people."

That didn't feel like 'blowing you off'. There was something else going on there. Could Midori be in danger? With that in mind, it only made sense to…

[_] … run after her and see what's up. It's what your sister would do.
[_] … best to stay put with Sayaka until it's time to leave.
[_] … call the trip short. You've had your fill of social activity for the day.
[_] Write-in