questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
I would love to! Most of them aren't too difficult for X to deal with (outside of a certain statue and a certain flower) too.
“Human Resources” Shouldn’t Be This Literal: A PMMM/ProjectMoon Quest
- Thread starter Lepidoptera
- Start date
-
- 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
The Final Floor MD2 Bull bursting through the wall:
And that's when X learns that she knows how to perform a suplex.
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
The Bull isn't a problem for X though given that she's probably as strong as a group of EX Ranked Agents.
The only 2 Limbus Abnormality that can confidently give her troubles through their mechanics are your Form Empties and Sign of Roses due to their special mechanics (mind control for the former and extremely wide area effects with the roses for the latter), other than them, most Abnormalities from Limbus kinda get doddered by brute force.
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
X is somewhere between HE and WAW-rated at the moment, and has a good match against anything below WAW level. MFE probably depends on who it has enthralled already, and Sign of Roses is more effective against groups than individuals. Brazen Bull would be a fight, but with all the Aleph-ranked gear you went and picked up it would generally be a foregone conclusion.
Mami could definitely beat some HE and a few WAW Abnormalities given the right circumstances, considering the sheer level of firepower she can output. Homura and Kyoko are both WAW-rated themselves, so their matchups against other Abnormalities will mostly depend on who fights who.
Mami could definitely beat some HE and a few WAW Abnormalities given the right circumstances, considering the sheer level of firepower she can output. Homura and Kyoko are both WAW-rated themselves, so their matchups against other Abnormalities will mostly depend on who fights who.
I'd love to see Limbus Abnos, personally. Though it does make me wonder about certain interactions...
Like the Forsaken Employee. Can't help but wonder if it would auto-complete given how X is still technically The Manager and all. Also what kind of equipment it might have.
Not that I expect to see abnos that aren't fought. I already feel like 'S a bit much to ask you to extrapolate the foundational concepts of a bunch of abnos whose records and lore are all 90% guesswork based on completely unprofessional analysis by 12 idiots in a bus. Figuring out the lore behind shit like the Gossypium Flower or the Hole-In-The-Man would require you be utterly batshit, and I severely hope the PM Brainrot hasn't done that much White Damage to you.
Like the Forsaken Employee. Can't help but wonder if it would auto-complete given how X is still technically The Manager and all. Also what kind of equipment it might have.
Not that I expect to see abnos that aren't fought. I already feel like 'S a bit much to ask you to extrapolate the foundational concepts of a bunch of abnos whose records and lore are all 90% guesswork based on completely unprofessional analysis by 12 idiots in a bus. Figuring out the lore behind shit like the Gossypium Flower or the Hole-In-The-Man would require you be utterly batshit, and I severely hope the PM Brainrot hasn't done that much White Damage to you.
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
That's probably the real challenge to adding them in yeah. Writing a whole host of lore for them. Stuff like the Library of Ruina's abnormalities are already bad enough with how little lore they have in comparison to Lobotomy, but Limbus takes that to a whole nother level.
Ughh...I miss the Abnormality logs so much.
Ughh...I miss the Abnormality logs so much.
Ruina's at least are all either part of or the metaphorical crown jewel of a set. It's pretty easy to extrapolate their lore, all told. Limbus, on the other hand...
At least a good chunk of theirs are aberrations, making it a little easier to understand??
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
A "good chunk" of them are also event exclusives.
And some of them aren't even Aberrations. For example, the various Fairy-type abnormalities (Gentlement, Long-Leg, Faelantern) might just be a case of the 3 Birds.
Part of a set. Fairies in a Festival.
Hell, the Steam Transport Machine doesn't even behave even remotely similar to the Backward Clock.
Most of the Abnormalities we encountered in battle are all original Abnormalities with a few similarities to existing ones.
Hiatus
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
Hello all!
I have some actual good news this time! I'm headed off to Uni soon. I've already cut back the speed of chapters being released enough, so that shouldn't change much. Unfortunately, there will be a halt in the release of new chapters for an indeterminate amount of time while I get myself situated. There will still be new content released when I can get to it, but it might be a while. Please bear with me in the meantime.
The current vote will be extended as long as it goes, as I see no reason to halt it when there's no schedule.
I have some actual good news this time! I'm headed off to Uni soon. I've already cut back the speed of chapters being released enough, so that shouldn't change much. Unfortunately, there will be a halt in the release of new chapters for an indeterminate amount of time while I get myself situated. There will still be new content released when I can get to it, but it might be a while. Please bear with me in the meantime.
The current vote will be extended as long as it goes, as I see no reason to halt it when there's no schedule.
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
Congrats! Hope you have a good time at Uni!
WilyMachineKing1
Executive Manager of Limbus Company
- Location
- Reno Nevada
Cool! And it's alright, these things will happen. And by Uni you mean university yeah? Just making sure because Uni sounds like a convention.
Congratulations! See you soon!
- Location
- Miami
Awww~
What PM quest can I read now?! (Rhetorical Question, I know)
Where art thou PoGED?! When would wouldst thou return?!
But in all seriousness, good luck in Uni.
What PM quest can I read now?! (Rhetorical Question, I know)
Where art thou PoGED?! When would wouldst thou return?!
But in all seriousness, good luck in Uni.
Apocryphal Chapter - Bad End 1.2: The More Things Change
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
Apocryphal Chapter - Bad End 1.2: The More Things Change
"That outfit doesn't work for you, you know."
It's to your mild amusement that Homura actually jumps in surprise from hearing your voice. Her wings- massive, raven-esque protrusions sprouting from her back that easily dwarf her small body- flare in shock, scattering black feathers through the air.
"It's too… confident. Outgoing. Mami or Madoka would probably wear it better, but then again they were always pretty solidly on the bright and shiny side of things."
You and Homura stand opposed in the center of the courtyard leading to the school. The setting sun behind her casts a range of soft and rosy hues over the pitch black of her wings and her new costume, all while silhouetting her in a rather imposing manner. Or so it would be, were she not one of your children. As it is, you simply feel rather amused at the drastic change in presentation. The old Homura would never have put this much effort into an appearance. Not that she didn't have a very specific look going for her anyways.
Homura stares at you, frozen and unspeaking as you smile down at her. It takes her a moment to find herself, and then the words begin tumbling out. First slowly, then faster and more disorganized. It's a bit like the verbal equivalent of watching somebody roll down a hill, really. For that moment, Homura doesn't seem to have changed a bit.
"You've… been gone for a long time. Maybe I've just changed since then. We've all had a lot of growing up to do. You don't look the same, either."
A shadow falls over Homura's face, and that moment of vulnerability is gone.
You laugh. "No, I guess I don't. But you've seen me like this before, haven't you?" You pause, before digging a clawed finger into the space just below your neck. Homura doesn't even flinch as you force your other hand in, widening the gap in your body. "Here, just give me a second to… there we go."
Your body falls away, splitting in half and folding into a thick mint-green fur coat draped over your shoulders. In a single motion, you look exactly as you did when Homura was under your care. How long ago was it? A year? Half that? Twice as long? Time was hard to measure during your extended vacation, and the local flow has been mangled nearly beyond repair.
The sight of you, exactly as you were, does manage to leave Homura speechless. But she casts that moment of reminiscence away as soon as it appears and returns to her previous demeanor. It's an odd mask for Homura to wear, too. Far more eager, far more proud than what you're used to.
"It's good to see you again. I didn't think you were coming back." Homura says, devoid of any of the emotions you'd expect to associate with such a declaration. She's far too calm, and not in the usual detached manner the young time traveler used before.
"I said there was a chance, didn't I? Slim, but a chance." you remind her. "Honestly, what's more surprising is that you were ever allowed to believe that I wouldn't. I didn't think Madoka or Mami would've accepted that."
Your response is a pointed one, and an austere, commanding part of you takes satisfaction in the way Homura's gaze breaks from yours.
"Where are they, anyways? I would like to say hi to the rest of the kids as well, you know."
Homura finds the will to meet your eyes. "They're nearby. I'll have to remind them about you first, though. I don't think it would be a proper reunion otherwise."
Your expression doesn't change, but your wings twitch visibly. Homura doesn't notice.
"I don't think you understand how much it hurt everyone when you left." Homura muses placidly. "Mami, Kyoko, and Yuma were distraught, of course. I don't think they ever got over it. They were never going to be happy knowing you weren't there anymore."
"You don't know that. It may have taken time, but I'm hardly irreplaceable as a person. Everyone has been perfectly happy in my absence, it appears." you reply, willing your wings to remain still. Their writhing and clawing slows, reduced to a sedate pace.
"They'll be happier now that you're here. And I missed you as well, of course." Homura states. She sounds… less at easy when she says it. Oddly enough, it makes her sound more like the girl you knew. The lost child clawing for whatever control she could find, struggling after a single goal that had fueled her for years on end. And just like that, it's gone. It's hard to imagine that girl so confident and in control, assured of herself and her actions, and yet here she is.
"You were the only person who knew about Madoka. After you left, I started to think that I was crazy. That she was never real at all." Homura continues, smiling as though anything she just said was amusing. You smile back, because there's nothing else to do. You hadn't taken your decision to leave lightly. It had been necessary for everyone's safety. A part of you laughs at the irony of it all. You went into isolation to prevent yourself from abusing your powers. To ensure you wouldn't slip, wouldn't assert the authority inherent to your being and bend the world to your will. That you wouldn't make the people close to you into puppets, free from the suffering that comes with choice. How absurd that you went to all that trouble only for Homura to do the same thing in your absence.
"I tried to remind them." you recall, your voice oddly far away all of a sudden. "It never worked. She was excised from existence in a conceptual level. There's no way to undo that." You pause, tilting your head slightly. "Well, there's one way. Congratulations on that. I'm sure Madoka was very happy to see you again."
There. Homura full-on flinches. A momentary weakness, but a weakness regardless.
"She was," Homura lies, though whether it's more to you or herself you're not sure. "and I'm sure she'll be happy to see you again too. It'll only take a moment to have everything prepared."
By "prepared", she means adding memories of you. Not restoring the memories she took, of course. Those wouldn't match with the history Homura's established. So something will need to be fabricated to ensure your relationships with your children and the other kids remains the same.
Your smile thins.
"Perhaps I should help?" you offer. "You've always been good at picking up useful skills, but when it comes to matters of the mind competing with me is simply infeasible."
Homura waits a moment, considering your offer, then nods. "I would appreciate the help. I have been encountering… difficulties."
"Difficulties." you repeat flatly, one eyebrow raised. How perfectly vague.
"They've been remembering things they're not supposed to." Homura explains, irritated just by the recollection. "Kyoko, Mami, and Yuma have each recalled you more than once. Madoka knows more than she should. Sayaka was always a problem, but recently can hardly go a day without remembering something important. Even when it hurts them, they just keep remembering. I've lost track of the number of times I've had to correct things."
Ah, that. Another mention of the constant modifying of the children's memories has you forced to repress a flash of violent, protective anger. Every word makes it worse. It's an interesting tendency you picked up since your transformation that you've given up on halting. Restrained as you've been with your powers, anyone you hold in even the slightest regard is close enough to be considered one of your agents. While you've mostly managed to prevent any unhealthy behaviors that might arise as a consequence, the visceral anger you feel at seeing somebody… altering your agents has never gone away. The idea of somebody intruding upon the domain of the self, the world that you alone rule, will never become something you can simply disregard. When you had first returned and saw what had happened in your absence, even knowing it was Homura who did it, you very nearly approached the situation with significantly less tact and precision than you currently are.
You don't think Homura notices your brief lapse in calm. She's never been good at talking or feelings, and you're a master at not expressing your emotions.
"That is rather a problem for you. Though I'm more worried about you, personally. You're not in the best shape right now." you point out idly. Homura blinks, taken by surprise.
"What do you mean? I've just finally embraced what I really want. It's different, I know, but everyone really is happier this way. Myself included."
You shake your head sadly, folding your wings back inside yourself. "We'll get into that soon, but I was primarily talking in a more physical sense. This state you have isn't stable, and it's going to start causing problems unless action is taken very quickly."
"While there have been… lapses, I'm not sure I can believe that is state is unstable. If anything, I feel more at peace with myself than ever before." Homura explains. "No more struggling to be somebody I'm not, no more aspiring to ideals I can't achieve. I'm just myself."
You nod, mentally confirming a theory of yours. You were already quite confident, but Homura's recent description has secured the idea in your mind. Whatever being Homura has become now is a Wishcraft equivalent to a Distortion. Or maybe even on the path to becoming an Abnormality. Unfortunately, such a path carries significant consequences. You know that well enough.
"You remember what happened to me? Back when I still looked like this, I mean. Your situation right now isn't much different than what happened to me." you explain. Homura tilts her head to the side, intrigued.
"You believe I'll suffer the same degradation you did?"
"'Degradation' is an understatement. If things continue as they are-" -burning, twisting feeling inside you, like knives in your blood. Your bones crack and bend, warping under the weight of the power your rejected. You can't see, everything is numb, you- "-there is a very real chance you'll die. Even if you survive, there will be moments of weakness, even total incapacitation. The frequency and severity of these events will only increase with time. You know as well as I do that such a thing can come at the worst possible moment."
That was really the key point where everything fell apart. If you had been there that day, then maybe Madoka wouldn't have…
Well, there's no point thinking about that now. What happened happened, and everyone made the decisions they thought were best. There's no way to undo what is done at this point. Not even like this.
Homura doesn't seem particularly concerned. "How did you overcome it, then? It shouldn't be impossible for me to repeat such a feat, especially with your assistance."
You shake your head sadly. "It won't be that simple. There's no procedure I can perform that will cure you." More accurately, none that you're willing to perform. The necessary modifications to create the state of mind necessary to remove Homura's dissonance are well within your abilities. But you're in no state to perform such an operation. This situation has you too agitated, feeling your instincts too strongly.
If Homura allowed you to perform Lobotomy now, you would act as any Abnormality would.
"Then what do you suggest?" Homura asks, oblivious to your deception. It's almost amusing how quickly the two of you fall back into old routines. So little time greeting, exchanging pleasantries. It's been not a minute since your reunion and you're already down to business. It's comforting to know that some things never change.
But far too much is different now. "The issue is in the state of mind. As you are, your existence is enforced by a certain ideal which you hold." You raise a hand, brushing it against an extended branch of one of your wings. "If that were it, your transformation would be complete and solid. But for an idea to completely assert itself in reality, it must completely assert itself in your mind. As long as you are uncertain of yourself…" Your hand clenches around the branch, and in a swift, visceral motion, you tear it from your body. It shrivels and curls inward, eventually resting in the palm of your hand. "…well, you pretty much know what would happen."
Homura stares at the severed bough, still scattering glowing embers into the evening light, perplexed. "Oh? But I'm not uncertain at all. I don't think I've ever been more sure of myself than I am now." Her declaration is one of absolute confidence, buoyed with the pride that comes with control. She smiles playfully, darkly, and in a way that in no way resembles the girl that you took as a daughter.
You smile back. The breadth of your grin cracks the edges of your mouth, painting the expression permanently across your face.
"That's funny, Homura. If you're so sure that everything you've done is right, then why have you been hiding things from me?"
The courtyard darkens as clouds converge over the setting sun. The faint chatter of people, the rumble of cars in the distance, the singing of birds, it all falls silent in an instant. As darkness creeps over the sky, you recognize a second shadow following just behind. Wrapping its embrace across the heavens. That ever-satisfied smile never leaves Homura's face, but her eyes narrow. You continue, undeterred by the theatrics.
"I left behind some markers here so I could find you all again after I left. Finding a specific universe more than once is practically impossible otherwise. But not so long ago, they disappeared. I'll admit, it really did hurt to find out you didn't want to see me again." you say with a sigh, toying with the glowing branch in your hand.
"I didn't think you'd understand." Homura counters, unshaken. She sounds almost as disappointed as you feel.
"I understand perfectly well." you reply calmly, even as your false appearance begins to fail. Maintaining it is a matter of effort, insignificant as it was be, and you can't bring yourself to care at this point. There's no use in pretending you're still human anymore. "I've been watching the situation at hand for some time now. I've already had to intervene in your behalf once."
"Oh?" Homura's exclamation is a perfectly composed one. Even so, there is a trace of longing in her voice. A desire for something more, even in her eternal contentment. You put it out of mind.
"Sayaka. She's never been one for satisfaction, so you've had to meddle with her quite a bit. That might have worked normally, but as things are you agitated the traces of Light inside her." you explain.
"Miki Sayaka's interference is frustrating, yes, but she's little more than a distraction." Homura dismisses.
"Be that as it may, a Distortion born solely of the desire to 'purge the world of your evil' would likely have been a bit more problematic. And even if that didn't happen, she was the one who let me find you. That's a bit more than just a distraction." you point out.
Homura… pouts. It's a bit more dignified than that, but there's really no better way to describe the expression on her face. "So what are you going to do now? Whatever you think you know, I've made my choice. This is the way I'll bring everyone to happiness. What happens next is your choice."
"It's simple. I'm going to ask you to fix everything."
"Is that all?" Homura says skeptically, wings folding down in a sort of shrugging motion.
"Just give everyone their memories back. Or let me do it, it doesn't really matter. Withdraw your Barrier. Let everything go back to its proper place. It'll be like none of this ever happened." Your voice begins to crack, the detached facade you've kept faltering in concert with the flakes of false skin drifting away from your fake body. "It might take some time, but they'll forgive you. Even Sayaka. And I'll be there the whole time. Things will be better."
"And what about Madoka?" Homura asks flatly, her expression sharpening in preparation for your inevitable reply.
"She made her choice. We have to respect that. Besides, the Law of Cycles is too fundamental to this universe to be removed without consequence. You're picking up the slack right now, but that's not gonna last." you admit. A crack travels up your face and through your right eye. You sigh and let that half of your face flake away, revealing the metallic flesh beneath. As you've said before, there's no point in pretending. "It's the best option available. Either you stay like this until it kills you and everything goes back anyways, or you give it up yourself. At least that way, one of you will live."
"Are those really the only options?"
"Yeah. Sorry. But it's for the best."
Homura hesitates, and for a moment you allow yourself hope. Maybe, just maybe, she'll listen to you. That this false paradise she's built, woven from false acceptance and tainted happiness, will die here and now. That just once, you can succeed without some sort of sacrifice.
Then Homura turns to leave, and that hope is dashed.
"Then I'll make the most of what time I have left. Don't worry, I'll have the others prepared for you by this afternoon."
You could say something else. Offer and bargain, plead and entreat. But it's clear by now that Homura is set in her ways. And you can no longer ignore the screaming in your brain demanding you put it to and end.
Some part of you, insignificant and illogical as it may be, is glad. Glad that Homura turned around. Not because it makes what you're about to do easier. No, nothing could possibly do that. But just so you don't have to see your once-daughter's face as you take the branch in your hand as a spear and thrust it through her back.
But even if you can't see her face, you can still hear her thoughts. First comes surprise, followed swiftly by pain. Wracking, agonizing pain as your spear burns through her insides without mercy or remorse. Next is disbelief, and that is nearly as difficult to hear. That some part of Homura never thought you would go this far. But you are a monster, and there is nothing a monster will not do in following its instincts. Even so, it hurts to prove her wrong. And throughout it all is acceptance; that feeling hurts most of all. That another part of Homura not only believed, but expected this to happen. That she was, on some level, afraid of you.
You could say that knowing all that hurt you far worse than the lance through Homura's chest, but that would be a lie. You're used to making horrible choices.
The world falls away, letting the second night sky crash down into the earth and form an endless panorama of color-coated darkness. There is no form, no order, but the writhing of something sharp and eager to expand. Homura leans against a shadowy protrusion for support, coughing and spitting up deep purple blood even as your first spear fades and the hole in her chest closes.
"Just stop this, Homura." you offer desperately, even knowing it's far too late. "I'm more experienced in fighting on even footing like this, and I've had time to prepare countermeasures specific to you. You can't beat me."
The only response you receive is a hail of dull metal needles emerging from every direction and soaring towards you. Homura stands and finally spreads her wings in full, the immense shadows easily vanishing from the edges of your sight and off into the horizon. You simply sigh and let the last of your false appearance slip away.
Neither of you were ever any good at giving up.
————————————
And here we have a little gift from me to you to celebrate my vacation. You're already past the point where this could happen, so don't worry too much. Characterization is a bit off from canon, but this Homura and canon Homura have had different life experienced and developed in slightly different directions. That's my excuse at least.
"That outfit doesn't work for you, you know."
It's to your mild amusement that Homura actually jumps in surprise from hearing your voice. Her wings- massive, raven-esque protrusions sprouting from her back that easily dwarf her small body- flare in shock, scattering black feathers through the air.
"It's too… confident. Outgoing. Mami or Madoka would probably wear it better, but then again they were always pretty solidly on the bright and shiny side of things."
You and Homura stand opposed in the center of the courtyard leading to the school. The setting sun behind her casts a range of soft and rosy hues over the pitch black of her wings and her new costume, all while silhouetting her in a rather imposing manner. Or so it would be, were she not one of your children. As it is, you simply feel rather amused at the drastic change in presentation. The old Homura would never have put this much effort into an appearance. Not that she didn't have a very specific look going for her anyways.
Homura stares at you, frozen and unspeaking as you smile down at her. It takes her a moment to find herself, and then the words begin tumbling out. First slowly, then faster and more disorganized. It's a bit like the verbal equivalent of watching somebody roll down a hill, really. For that moment, Homura doesn't seem to have changed a bit.
"You've… been gone for a long time. Maybe I've just changed since then. We've all had a lot of growing up to do. You don't look the same, either."
A shadow falls over Homura's face, and that moment of vulnerability is gone.
You laugh. "No, I guess I don't. But you've seen me like this before, haven't you?" You pause, before digging a clawed finger into the space just below your neck. Homura doesn't even flinch as you force your other hand in, widening the gap in your body. "Here, just give me a second to… there we go."
Your body falls away, splitting in half and folding into a thick mint-green fur coat draped over your shoulders. In a single motion, you look exactly as you did when Homura was under your care. How long ago was it? A year? Half that? Twice as long? Time was hard to measure during your extended vacation, and the local flow has been mangled nearly beyond repair.
The sight of you, exactly as you were, does manage to leave Homura speechless. But she casts that moment of reminiscence away as soon as it appears and returns to her previous demeanor. It's an odd mask for Homura to wear, too. Far more eager, far more proud than what you're used to.
"It's good to see you again. I didn't think you were coming back." Homura says, devoid of any of the emotions you'd expect to associate with such a declaration. She's far too calm, and not in the usual detached manner the young time traveler used before.
"I said there was a chance, didn't I? Slim, but a chance." you remind her. "Honestly, what's more surprising is that you were ever allowed to believe that I wouldn't. I didn't think Madoka or Mami would've accepted that."
Your response is a pointed one, and an austere, commanding part of you takes satisfaction in the way Homura's gaze breaks from yours.
"Where are they, anyways? I would like to say hi to the rest of the kids as well, you know."
Homura finds the will to meet your eyes. "They're nearby. I'll have to remind them about you first, though. I don't think it would be a proper reunion otherwise."
Your expression doesn't change, but your wings twitch visibly. Homura doesn't notice.
"I don't think you understand how much it hurt everyone when you left." Homura muses placidly. "Mami, Kyoko, and Yuma were distraught, of course. I don't think they ever got over it. They were never going to be happy knowing you weren't there anymore."
"You don't know that. It may have taken time, but I'm hardly irreplaceable as a person. Everyone has been perfectly happy in my absence, it appears." you reply, willing your wings to remain still. Their writhing and clawing slows, reduced to a sedate pace.
"They'll be happier now that you're here. And I missed you as well, of course." Homura states. She sounds… less at easy when she says it. Oddly enough, it makes her sound more like the girl you knew. The lost child clawing for whatever control she could find, struggling after a single goal that had fueled her for years on end. And just like that, it's gone. It's hard to imagine that girl so confident and in control, assured of herself and her actions, and yet here she is.
"You were the only person who knew about Madoka. After you left, I started to think that I was crazy. That she was never real at all." Homura continues, smiling as though anything she just said was amusing. You smile back, because there's nothing else to do. You hadn't taken your decision to leave lightly. It had been necessary for everyone's safety. A part of you laughs at the irony of it all. You went into isolation to prevent yourself from abusing your powers. To ensure you wouldn't slip, wouldn't assert the authority inherent to your being and bend the world to your will. That you wouldn't make the people close to you into puppets, free from the suffering that comes with choice. How absurd that you went to all that trouble only for Homura to do the same thing in your absence.
"I tried to remind them." you recall, your voice oddly far away all of a sudden. "It never worked. She was excised from existence in a conceptual level. There's no way to undo that." You pause, tilting your head slightly. "Well, there's one way. Congratulations on that. I'm sure Madoka was very happy to see you again."
There. Homura full-on flinches. A momentary weakness, but a weakness regardless.
"She was," Homura lies, though whether it's more to you or herself you're not sure. "and I'm sure she'll be happy to see you again too. It'll only take a moment to have everything prepared."
By "prepared", she means adding memories of you. Not restoring the memories she took, of course. Those wouldn't match with the history Homura's established. So something will need to be fabricated to ensure your relationships with your children and the other kids remains the same.
Your smile thins.
"Perhaps I should help?" you offer. "You've always been good at picking up useful skills, but when it comes to matters of the mind competing with me is simply infeasible."
Homura waits a moment, considering your offer, then nods. "I would appreciate the help. I have been encountering… difficulties."
"Difficulties." you repeat flatly, one eyebrow raised. How perfectly vague.
"They've been remembering things they're not supposed to." Homura explains, irritated just by the recollection. "Kyoko, Mami, and Yuma have each recalled you more than once. Madoka knows more than she should. Sayaka was always a problem, but recently can hardly go a day without remembering something important. Even when it hurts them, they just keep remembering. I've lost track of the number of times I've had to correct things."
Ah, that. Another mention of the constant modifying of the children's memories has you forced to repress a flash of violent, protective anger. Every word makes it worse. It's an interesting tendency you picked up since your transformation that you've given up on halting. Restrained as you've been with your powers, anyone you hold in even the slightest regard is close enough to be considered one of your agents. While you've mostly managed to prevent any unhealthy behaviors that might arise as a consequence, the visceral anger you feel at seeing somebody… altering your agents has never gone away. The idea of somebody intruding upon the domain of the self, the world that you alone rule, will never become something you can simply disregard. When you had first returned and saw what had happened in your absence, even knowing it was Homura who did it, you very nearly approached the situation with significantly less tact and precision than you currently are.
You don't think Homura notices your brief lapse in calm. She's never been good at talking or feelings, and you're a master at not expressing your emotions.
"That is rather a problem for you. Though I'm more worried about you, personally. You're not in the best shape right now." you point out idly. Homura blinks, taken by surprise.
"What do you mean? I've just finally embraced what I really want. It's different, I know, but everyone really is happier this way. Myself included."
You shake your head sadly, folding your wings back inside yourself. "We'll get into that soon, but I was primarily talking in a more physical sense. This state you have isn't stable, and it's going to start causing problems unless action is taken very quickly."
"While there have been… lapses, I'm not sure I can believe that is state is unstable. If anything, I feel more at peace with myself than ever before." Homura explains. "No more struggling to be somebody I'm not, no more aspiring to ideals I can't achieve. I'm just myself."
You nod, mentally confirming a theory of yours. You were already quite confident, but Homura's recent description has secured the idea in your mind. Whatever being Homura has become now is a Wishcraft equivalent to a Distortion. Or maybe even on the path to becoming an Abnormality. Unfortunately, such a path carries significant consequences. You know that well enough.
"You remember what happened to me? Back when I still looked like this, I mean. Your situation right now isn't much different than what happened to me." you explain. Homura tilts her head to the side, intrigued.
"You believe I'll suffer the same degradation you did?"
"'Degradation' is an understatement. If things continue as they are-" -burning, twisting feeling inside you, like knives in your blood. Your bones crack and bend, warping under the weight of the power your rejected. You can't see, everything is numb, you- "-there is a very real chance you'll die. Even if you survive, there will be moments of weakness, even total incapacitation. The frequency and severity of these events will only increase with time. You know as well as I do that such a thing can come at the worst possible moment."
That was really the key point where everything fell apart. If you had been there that day, then maybe Madoka wouldn't have…
Well, there's no point thinking about that now. What happened happened, and everyone made the decisions they thought were best. There's no way to undo what is done at this point. Not even like this.
Homura doesn't seem particularly concerned. "How did you overcome it, then? It shouldn't be impossible for me to repeat such a feat, especially with your assistance."
You shake your head sadly. "It won't be that simple. There's no procedure I can perform that will cure you." More accurately, none that you're willing to perform. The necessary modifications to create the state of mind necessary to remove Homura's dissonance are well within your abilities. But you're in no state to perform such an operation. This situation has you too agitated, feeling your instincts too strongly.
If Homura allowed you to perform Lobotomy now, you would act as any Abnormality would.
"Then what do you suggest?" Homura asks, oblivious to your deception. It's almost amusing how quickly the two of you fall back into old routines. So little time greeting, exchanging pleasantries. It's been not a minute since your reunion and you're already down to business. It's comforting to know that some things never change.
But far too much is different now. "The issue is in the state of mind. As you are, your existence is enforced by a certain ideal which you hold." You raise a hand, brushing it against an extended branch of one of your wings. "If that were it, your transformation would be complete and solid. But for an idea to completely assert itself in reality, it must completely assert itself in your mind. As long as you are uncertain of yourself…" Your hand clenches around the branch, and in a swift, visceral motion, you tear it from your body. It shrivels and curls inward, eventually resting in the palm of your hand. "…well, you pretty much know what would happen."
Homura stares at the severed bough, still scattering glowing embers into the evening light, perplexed. "Oh? But I'm not uncertain at all. I don't think I've ever been more sure of myself than I am now." Her declaration is one of absolute confidence, buoyed with the pride that comes with control. She smiles playfully, darkly, and in a way that in no way resembles the girl that you took as a daughter.
You smile back. The breadth of your grin cracks the edges of your mouth, painting the expression permanently across your face.
"That's funny, Homura. If you're so sure that everything you've done is right, then why have you been hiding things from me?"
The courtyard darkens as clouds converge over the setting sun. The faint chatter of people, the rumble of cars in the distance, the singing of birds, it all falls silent in an instant. As darkness creeps over the sky, you recognize a second shadow following just behind. Wrapping its embrace across the heavens. That ever-satisfied smile never leaves Homura's face, but her eyes narrow. You continue, undeterred by the theatrics.
"I left behind some markers here so I could find you all again after I left. Finding a specific universe more than once is practically impossible otherwise. But not so long ago, they disappeared. I'll admit, it really did hurt to find out you didn't want to see me again." you say with a sigh, toying with the glowing branch in your hand.
"I didn't think you'd understand." Homura counters, unshaken. She sounds almost as disappointed as you feel.
"I understand perfectly well." you reply calmly, even as your false appearance begins to fail. Maintaining it is a matter of effort, insignificant as it was be, and you can't bring yourself to care at this point. There's no use in pretending you're still human anymore. "I've been watching the situation at hand for some time now. I've already had to intervene in your behalf once."
"Oh?" Homura's exclamation is a perfectly composed one. Even so, there is a trace of longing in her voice. A desire for something more, even in her eternal contentment. You put it out of mind.
"Sayaka. She's never been one for satisfaction, so you've had to meddle with her quite a bit. That might have worked normally, but as things are you agitated the traces of Light inside her." you explain.
"Miki Sayaka's interference is frustrating, yes, but she's little more than a distraction." Homura dismisses.
"Be that as it may, a Distortion born solely of the desire to 'purge the world of your evil' would likely have been a bit more problematic. And even if that didn't happen, she was the one who let me find you. That's a bit more than just a distraction." you point out.
Homura… pouts. It's a bit more dignified than that, but there's really no better way to describe the expression on her face. "So what are you going to do now? Whatever you think you know, I've made my choice. This is the way I'll bring everyone to happiness. What happens next is your choice."
"It's simple. I'm going to ask you to fix everything."
"Is that all?" Homura says skeptically, wings folding down in a sort of shrugging motion.
"Just give everyone their memories back. Or let me do it, it doesn't really matter. Withdraw your Barrier. Let everything go back to its proper place. It'll be like none of this ever happened." Your voice begins to crack, the detached facade you've kept faltering in concert with the flakes of false skin drifting away from your fake body. "It might take some time, but they'll forgive you. Even Sayaka. And I'll be there the whole time. Things will be better."
"And what about Madoka?" Homura asks flatly, her expression sharpening in preparation for your inevitable reply.
"She made her choice. We have to respect that. Besides, the Law of Cycles is too fundamental to this universe to be removed without consequence. You're picking up the slack right now, but that's not gonna last." you admit. A crack travels up your face and through your right eye. You sigh and let that half of your face flake away, revealing the metallic flesh beneath. As you've said before, there's no point in pretending. "It's the best option available. Either you stay like this until it kills you and everything goes back anyways, or you give it up yourself. At least that way, one of you will live."
"Are those really the only options?"
"Yeah. Sorry. But it's for the best."
Homura hesitates, and for a moment you allow yourself hope. Maybe, just maybe, she'll listen to you. That this false paradise she's built, woven from false acceptance and tainted happiness, will die here and now. That just once, you can succeed without some sort of sacrifice.
Then Homura turns to leave, and that hope is dashed.
"Then I'll make the most of what time I have left. Don't worry, I'll have the others prepared for you by this afternoon."
You could say something else. Offer and bargain, plead and entreat. But it's clear by now that Homura is set in her ways. And you can no longer ignore the screaming in your brain demanding you put it to and end.
Some part of you, insignificant and illogical as it may be, is glad. Glad that Homura turned around. Not because it makes what you're about to do easier. No, nothing could possibly do that. But just so you don't have to see your once-daughter's face as you take the branch in your hand as a spear and thrust it through her back.
But even if you can't see her face, you can still hear her thoughts. First comes surprise, followed swiftly by pain. Wracking, agonizing pain as your spear burns through her insides without mercy or remorse. Next is disbelief, and that is nearly as difficult to hear. That some part of Homura never thought you would go this far. But you are a monster, and there is nothing a monster will not do in following its instincts. Even so, it hurts to prove her wrong. And throughout it all is acceptance; that feeling hurts most of all. That another part of Homura not only believed, but expected this to happen. That she was, on some level, afraid of you.
You could say that knowing all that hurt you far worse than the lance through Homura's chest, but that would be a lie. You're used to making horrible choices.
The world falls away, letting the second night sky crash down into the earth and form an endless panorama of color-coated darkness. There is no form, no order, but the writhing of something sharp and eager to expand. Homura leans against a shadowy protrusion for support, coughing and spitting up deep purple blood even as your first spear fades and the hole in her chest closes.
"Just stop this, Homura." you offer desperately, even knowing it's far too late. "I'm more experienced in fighting on even footing like this, and I've had time to prepare countermeasures specific to you. You can't beat me."
The only response you receive is a hail of dull metal needles emerging from every direction and soaring towards you. Homura stands and finally spreads her wings in full, the immense shadows easily vanishing from the edges of your sight and off into the horizon. You simply sigh and let the last of your false appearance slip away.
Neither of you were ever any good at giving up.
————————————
And here we have a little gift from me to you to celebrate my vacation. You're already past the point where this could happen, so don't worry too much. Characterization is a bit off from canon, but this Homura and canon Homura have had different life experienced and developed in slightly different directions. That's my excuse at least.
Last edited:
So, what I'm taking from this Apocrypha:
The ones fearing we cannot embrace our nature as an abnormality and not also become a tyrant are wrong. X here could, did, and even when Homura forced her instincts, was still in control enough to plead for her to stop this and surrender.
If Homura hadn't been that stubborn and so convinced she was a devil anyway, the situation would have been resolved without X taking drastic measures.
And for the remark on how we can't get this ending anymore: I do indeed hope that Homura being a distortion centered around leaving her emotions behind would make it difficult for her to get drunk on love, yes.
The ones fearing we cannot embrace our nature as an abnormality and not also become a tyrant are wrong. X here could, did, and even when Homura forced her instincts, was still in control enough to plead for her to stop this and surrender.
If Homura hadn't been that stubborn and so convinced she was a devil anyway, the situation would have been resolved without X taking drastic measures.
And for the remark on how we can't get this ending anymore: I do indeed hope that Homura being a distortion centered around leaving her emotions behind would make it difficult for her to get drunk on love, yes.
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
Though saying that...I don't think whatever this X did is really viable for what we want, given that this X had to leave for an extended amount of time before she got her mind into a relatively stable state.
That is of course absolutely unacceptable for us because abandoning the kids is unthinkable.
We will still have to rely on Kyubey or maybe (if possible) Leonia for now if we want to go all out as it was.
Given that the main problem with X shedding her shell isn't the mental problem. It's the fact that she degraded everything around her into rust.
Last edited:
It happened in what was clearly a way worse situation than we have, to the point I even doubt X had met Angela in that alternate end, the important part is that it confirm without any doubts that both the mental part (which was the main objection for some) and the rusting can be handled without dying, we can have X embrace her true nature and not end in disaster, from there, we just have to search how to apply this knowledge.
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
I have yet to see anyway X can handle this part given that when she turned, she literally caused the entire world around her to become a toxic wasteland. Beyond just being Carmen and saying "Embrace yourself". Which admittedly probably will work if it's Carmen or Ayin saying it.
Sure, embracing her nature is nice and all, but I think we should atleast ask Angela for X to get some practice being out of her shell in her own book or something before actually banking on it being viable.
Hmm, did you read the apocrypha?
You know, the one just there, where X begins in her abnormality form without doing any damages to the environment, proceed to have a talk with Homura in this form without rusting everything and only turning to human form for social reasons, let go of her disguise without rusting anything (the storm is Homura's) and then approach Homura without instantly turning her to dust.
You know, nothing important or anything, not like it's canon or that the author said it was a possible ending.
Last edited:
- Location
- America
The possibility is nice to see, but it doesn't help us figure it out. Seeing a alien fire a laser gun is cool, but it doesn't help someone make a laser gun.
Notably, X disappeared in said apocrypha before returning and being able not to rust everything away, maybe that was because of practicing with angela like Questioningmeme said.
But also, the Author noted that said Apocrypha isn't possible anymore, so again, like they said, we shouldn't bank on it.
Notably, X disappeared in said apocrypha before returning and being able not to rust everything away, maybe that was because of practicing with angela like Questioningmeme said.
But also, the Author noted that said Apocrypha isn't possible anymore, so again, like they said, we shouldn't bank on it.