Try to bargain with Homura. Point out that if you had wanted to hurt Madoka and Sayaka, you had ample occasion while Mami was killing the witch. Then pointedly look at Kyubey and ask it why it hasn't yet corrected the misunderstanding on your nature, since it knows it already.
"Homura," Yuki begins, never taking her eyes off Mami. She can see the blonde tense up fractionally.
A simple "Yes?" is the answer, bearing but a trace of curiousity. The other person, whom she still can not see, is at least attentive.
Yuki faintly motions toward Madoka and Sayaka. "Seeing that you seem to be the only other person here who is concerned about those girls' safety, I should note that if I wished them harm, I had ample opportunity to inflict it inside Gertrud's lair."
"As if you ever had the chance," Sayaka barks back, still standing protectively in front of Madoka. The pinkette peers over her shoulder, perhaps curious.
"I understand," Homura says simply. The lack of inflection to her voice gives Yuki some trouble with gauging her mood; whether the girl does it on purpose is anyone's guess.
"Are you truly believing the words of a Witch, miss Akemi?" Mami adds pointedly, though she also keeps her eyes on Yuki. Any attempt to stare her down fails due to Yuki's blindfold, though she makes a good attempt. "I am likely the most concerned for miss Kaname's and miss Miki's safety out of all of us, as you should be aware."
A moment of silence follows. The two magical girls remain in their tense staredown, though neither commits. Mami may even speak the truth, but her feelings do not match her words.
"Is that so?" Homura questions, the faint clack-clack of her steps passing by. "Then why exactly would you take two uninvolved girls into a barrier, Mami Tomoe? If their safety was your priority, you would have left them outside. Or rather, you wouldn't have taken them along to begin with."
Mami twitches. Her trigger finger remains calm, but the girl herself was clearly affected by the assessment. Yuki's opinion of this Homura rises higher; she is capable of being rational, much unlike the child in front of her.
"And Kyubey," Yuki continues before her opponent can formulate her response. The bunnycat perks up, now also peeking over Sayaka's shoulder. "Why have you not cleared this up yet? You already confirmed I am no witch."
This time she actually startles Mami. It is impossible to miss when they pay such close attention to each other; Mami's composure cracks for but a faint moment, then smoothes out as she pretends it did not happen. Madoka gasps in surprise at the side and Homura's steps falter.
Kyubey, meanwhile, hops forward onto Sayaka's shoulder, as if to oversee the situation. "This is correct," they say, this time startling Sayaka as well. "However, we both confirmed that you are a similar existence to a Witch. Even if you were not, you certainly possess the power to inflict harm on others. Intervening during a high point of tension would have distracted Mami in a crucial moment when your intentions are yet unconfirmed; while you appeared reasonable so far, Witches are indeed capable of appearing harmless. Seeing that I lack conclusive evidence in either direction, I can't advise Mami on a correct course of action. Therefore, I keep to an observer's role for the moment."
The tension relaxed slightly from before, mainly through the longer pause caused by Kyubey's explanation. Mami remains wary, but her finger inched away from the trigger. Yuki's muscles relax fractionally as well and she casts a look to Kyubey, mulling over their words.
"That is... a fair assessment," she allows. "I do have the power to cause harm, and you have no indicator of my nature."
And, as the burning feeling in her gut attests to, Yuki carries a lot of danger within her body. If the Servant were to escape her bounds in Mitakihara, the whole city would crumble.
Naturally, she does not say that.
"Exactly. I appreciate that you understand my position."
With their piece said, Kyubey scrambles back to Madoka. She in turn clasps her hands hopefully, stepping halfway out behind the wary Sayaka.
"But she hasn't done anything bad, Mami. Can't we try to talk to her first?"
"I'm not so sure about that," Sayaka mutters, that bat still in her grasp. She eyes Yuki warily, then takes a step to the side. "And there's still her, too."
Mami herself is clearly torn. Her brows are scrunched up in thought, even while she holds her musket steady. Then she nods to herself more than anyone and lowers the weapon, taking a step back.
"I am willing to entertain a conversation," she offers an olive branch. Then she makes a faint motion toward Yuki. "I would like to request that Grief Seed first, though. As I was the one who killed the Witch, I am entitled to it."
Yuki looks down at the black bauble she still holds. Gertrud is completely inert, not unlike the eggs a killed Abnormality turns into. Yuki saw it happen a number of times when she helped Lobotomy Corporation's agents in their suppression work. She wonders about the similarities and differences; really, what she wants is to study this Grief Seed herself.
Rather than answer, Yuki takes her eyes off of Mami for the moment. Now that the immediate danger passed, she allows herself to look at the other girl, Homura.
When she lays eyes on her, Yuki is taken aback for a moment. Not by anything physical or magical, but by the air around that one.
Mami is elegant and bright in appearance, yet also firm. Homura is dark and almost plain in comparison. The only parts standing out in her outfit are the diamond-patterned tights, the buckler on her left arm, and her high-heeled shoes. She wears muted colours, grey and black and a splash of purple. Silky, black hair openly falls down her back in waves, splitting around the height of her waist.
Mami gives off an impression of authority. Homura, however, is quiet. She does not have the air of someone to be respected, nor of someone who seeks respect. She stands quietly, almost dissecting Yuki with those lilac eyes. Like a puppet moving on strings, yet with an underlying tension and laserlike focus.
Mami is openly dangerous. But Homura, Yuki can tell, is the far greater danger. She waits for a sign of attack, which she will punish at once and without mercy.
The way she stands, the look in her eyes, it reminds Yuki of Roland. And that reminder is why she knows Homura is dangerous. This is the look of someone without any expectations left, yet who keeps on moving for a purpose known only to her. And if Yuki gets in the way of that, she will be killed.
She barely manages not to shudder at the reminder. Foreign wrath mixes with the pool of anger in her gut, turning it black for a moment. She feels it eat through her stomach, thankfully kept inside by her flesh until her body regenerates and flushes the acid out.
"Is something the matter?" Homura asks, her voice controlled. At first Yuki thought she was just taciturn like herself, and maybe that is true. But now that she saw the girl, no, that woman, she can tell it is rather a tight control of her emotions. Who knows what lurks beneath?
Yuki considers asking what her goal is, but disregards the idea. "You remind me of someone I knew," she says instead, absently grasping her forearm. "And I do not know what to make of that, is all. Thank you for being reasonable."
Homura simply nods, and that is that.
Then Mami clears her throat. She gives Yuki an expectant look, reminding of her previous demand. The shorter magical girl tilts her head at the blonde. She meets her gaze evenly, then tosses the Grief Seed toward Homura, who catches it without trouble.
"I do not take kindly to assault, and even less so to demands made after the fact. The next time you want something from me, consider asking nicely."
Mami's expression hardens, not that Yuki cares much. That well is about as poisoned as it could get through no fault of her own; she will not kow-tow to the girl just to maybe make her ease off.
"I see how it is," she murmurs, though she does not raise her weapon again. Then however, she almost drops it when Gertrud's Grief Seed comes flying her way after all.
"I have enough to last a while," Homura says, hands now empty. "You killed this Witch, so the Grief Seed is yours."
Yuki rolls her eyes at that, safely hidden as they are. She meant for Homura to keep this, but it is just as well. Losing the Grief Seed is unfortunate, but she can get another; cultivating good relations with the one magical girl who did not attack her on sight is a good trade-off.
The tension keeps bleeding out of the situation now. Mami studies Gertrud's seed thoughtfully, her weapon dissolving in golden motes of light. Sayaka and Madoka stand silent, observers more than anything.
Then Homura flips her hair and turns to walk away. She says no more, and then is heard no more as she vanishes from sight. Yuki lets her go, certain they will meet again before long.
"I will have to think on this," Mami murmurs, then firms up again. She offers Yuki a polite if frosty nod and returns to the other girls. "We should get going, you two."
This confuses Sayaka. "Wait, what about her?" she asks, pointing to Yuki. "Kyubey said she's dangerous, right?"
"That bat in your hand makes you dangerous as well," Yuki counters, approaching the trio for her own reasons. Mami tenses up somewhat, but is ignored. Much the same goes for the bristling Sayaka.
Madoka, now, squirms a little under Yuki's attention. Perhaps she can feel the weight of her gaze. "Ah, is something wrong?" she asks timidly, then gets distracted by Sayaka interposing herself. Yuki studies her a moment longer, still uncertain. She appears as gentle as her picture implied, there is not the tiniest bit of aggression or anger in her expression or stance. Yet the power emanating from her is palpable; it comes in waves not unlike a beating heart, a constant ebb and flow.
This is the one who will destroy the world.
Ordinarily, one could just disregard Oriko's words. Yet with the aura that girl has, Yuki is inclined to at least entertain the notion. Madoka holds such power, and humans are perfectly capable of committing atrocities without meaning to.
But acting on any of this would be premature. So Yuki leaves it at that and offers a nod to the girl.
"No, I was just curious about your aura. Be safe."
"Oh, okay?"
Madoka looks after her when Yuki turns to leave as well. Absent nods of goodbye are offered to Mami and Sayaka; the blonde returns it frostily, the blunette scowls and clutches her bat.
"Ah, wait!" Madoka suddenly calls, making Yuki stop to look back. "What's your name?"
She never introduced herself, did she?
"Yuki. Though I can not say it was a pleasure."
And this time she is not stopped from leaving. Yuki makes sure to take even steps. Her heartbeat slowly calms, the anger receding in full. She somehow got out of this without a fight, which is just about the best possible outcome. Battling inside a Witch's lair would at least not destroy the environment.
She only fully untenses by the time she leaves the half-abandoned industrial district. Nobody followed her, nobody attacked her. She honestly met no one at all, which is in itself eerie. But that can be blamed on the sky turning dark; night falls and people congregate around the downtown area instead.
Yuki does not feel like touring there again, but she has nothing else to do. She is not particularly tired after that twelve-hour nap last night, either.
Just as she passes through a park to breathe the clean air, Yuki's ears pick up on a sniffle. She pauses, then changes course. Returning to the cobblestone path, she follows the soft noises to their origin.
What she finds is a woman, somewhere between her twenties and thirties. Her coat is rumpled and her head hung, hands lying listlessly to either side of her on the bench she sits on. She is not crying so much as staring into nothing, sniffling every once in a while.
Yuki stands in front of her for a time, uncertain what to do here. Her magic hides her from being noticed, not that the lady is attentive at all. She seems dead to the world, wallowing in her own misery.
"Are you alright?" Yuki finally asks. Her voice breaks the spell and makes the other woman startle. She quickly wipes her eyes and pretends at nonchalant, but pauses at the sight of her.
"Oh, don't you worry," she babbles back. "I'm perfectly fine."
The little sniffle right after the end of the sentence makes her claim even more unbelievable. The two stare at each other for a moment, then Yuki sighs and plops down next to the woman.
"I have time, so tell me."
Confusion warrs with reason for a scant moment, then her composure breaks. Yuki can smell the alcohol on her breath from this close, so that is probably why she crumbles so easily.
Despite the many words that flow out of her mouth however, the actual problem is a banal one: her love life. Apparently, her new boyfriend broke up with her over a triviality. Yuki doubts that somewhat, but she can hardly ask him about it. She just sits stoically and lets the flood of words collapse over her, making a noise on occasion to indicate she still listens. If nothing else, this woman certainly seemed to be in love. She keeps on gushing and ranting in equal measure, sometimes immediately falling from one into the other.
By the end of it, the other woman has her head buried in her hands and sobs. Yuki awkwardly rubs her shoulder.
"What I do not understand," Yuki wonders once she calmed down, "is why anyone would quit a relationship over the exact preparation of an egg."
"T-That's what I wanna know!" the woman slurs, nodding ferociously. "Who even does that?!"
Her voice rises somewhat in agitation, though nobody is around to notice. Yuki slowly shakes her head, though. "That was not what I meant. Are you sure that is why he broke up with you?"
"Of coursh!" she insists, voice somehow growing less coherent. She took Yuki's shoulder, shaking her lightly. "Everything w's great until then! And I, I put allll my love into it, too! And he still said he wants it diff-ff-fferent!"
There are a myriad of reasons for why this happened; they range from this boyfriend having sought an excuse to break up over a host of unresolved expectations that either of them never voiced. Yuki decides to drop it here; not like discussing it with a drunk woman and nobody else will be productive.
"I think you should sleep off the alcohol," she decides, standing and gently pulling the other woman up. "Come on, I will walk you home."
For some reason, that makes her tear up again.
"Ohh, you're sush a good girl!" she coos even while leaning on Yuki. "And sho strong, too!"
What follows is an arduous trek through town, accompanied by a cocktail of thanks, praise, and recollections of lost love. Yuki truly appreciates that she does not drink, and that she has never been, nor will ever be in love. This is just miserable. Even if she does not mind the occasional headpats.
By the end, Yuki unlocks the door to a modest flat after the drunk kept fumbling with the key. The other woman is quiet now, focussed on getting to bed. Once her shoes are off however, she pauses to peer at Yuki from up close.
"What about you? Shouldn't you be home already?" she asks, sounding lucid once more. Only the smell on her breath still belies her state.
Yuki looks back at her. "I do not have anywhere to go," she says simply. It is the truth after all.
And it made the lady tear up again.
"Oh no, that's horrible!" she calls, then brings Yuki into her arms for a squishy hug. "Such a sweet girl like you shouldn't be homeless! Come, you can stay the night. I'll go, get, futon."
Yuki bears this stoically as well. Once released, she wordlessly guides the woman to her bed. This 'futon' is already forgotten, whatever it is. Her unexpected host shucks off her coat and blouse, then climbs under the covers without further prompting.
Yuki just grabs a spare blanket, carefully takes off her jacket and shorts, and curls up on the couch. This is fine.
Her thoughts are filled with the day's events.
Meeting Kyubey and later Gertrud made it clear that Witches and Abnormalities are definitely adjacent existences. What Yuki still does not know is whether Witches emit Enkephalin as well, or some other sort of energy. They are certainly beholden to their nature, yet a little bit flexible within its bounds. This tracks with her own experiences.
Mami's interruption was unfortunate, but ultimately no great loss. Yuki came out of it unscathed, even if she made an enemy of sorts. She got to see a number of her potential opponent's abilities without revealing any of her own. Likewise, Homura, the second person not to attack her after Oriko, seems to have a neutral stance at the moment. And Yuki made contact with Madoka Kaname, to the point they might even be somewhat cordial.
Thinking of Oriko reminds her that she has to pay the seer another visit soon, too. Probably tomorrow.
Yuki falls asleep on this thought.
She wakes with the morning sun and sits up in her accomodations. The couch was serviceable, the blanket was warm. She has no complaints.
After dressing herself, Yuki sits down again to think for a minute. Muted birdsong sounds from the outside, peaceful much like her own mind after a good sleep. The break might have been necessary after yesterday.
Now that she found her center again, it is time to go see Oriko. And if the seer gets surprised by her appearing so early, that is not Yuki's problem. A minor inconvenience feels quite deserved after the thing with Kazamino.
Yuki stands and makes her way to the door.
[] You should stay a while longer; it's rude to leave without a word. At least learn your host's name.
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[] Keep going
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Unlocked Character Sheets: Tomoe Mami, Akemi Homura, Kaname Madoka
. Ok, I'm sold. Honestly, either of these options could go either way, it's a bit nebulous.
