“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
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
I didn't comment on it at the time (there was a discussion about X's romantic prospects going on, I believe) but we passed 500 pages a little while ago. Thanks for that. I never would've imagined taking this story this far when it first started.
Being used suboptimally because the Adult can't understand why you would not throw away your allies under the bus?
Happy half a thousand pages!
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
I mean, that's stupid of her. And she's not that stupid.Being used suboptimally because the Adult can't understand why you would not throw away your allies under the bus?
While Leonia was lost, she likely didn't think that Leonia's ability would be that overpowered + Argalia would have enough independence just to rebel and run away to the girl that Mommy doesn't approve of next door.
But afterward, she started taking away the intelligence of the copies more, alongside that given her prepared counter against Homura she likely knows how crucial Sena is in murdering the other magical girls under our employ like Mami and Sayaka.
Given that she likely keeps an eye on her MG's training to atleast know how useful her tools are (With Sena being arguably her strongest combatant).
Did she seriously just send her out here to die?
I feel like this is either a trap somehow or Sena over there got some weird schemes of her own.
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Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
As for Sena, I think Adult never expected X to be there. Seriously, why would anyone in their right mind go to the Bird of Justice personally, knowing how it would end, they're looking for death!? I don't think the Adult herself would have decided to do this, even with a fair amount of preparation.
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
I don't think she would send Sena alone in either-
Oooohhh, that's what Sena probably is here for. To check on the "Power Totem".
Out of all of the Adult girls, Sena would be the most suitable for dodging the Judge's gaze. It's just the Long bird after all. It can't see shit without Big Bird nearby and Sena's clones are great to distract it.
[X] Attempt to cleanse the Grief with White damage.
That's what I meant by *being used suboptimally*, at least in parts.
The adult isn't thinking about how to use any of her magical girls, or more precisely, not thinking about how any one of them is likely to act at any given moment outside her grand plan.
Sena got it in her head she could stop us from taking back Madoka to use her as a tool, and the Adult didn't see that one coming because she doesn't get empathy, so she has no idea Sena is there at all.
The girl basically told us herself she was there against orders with intentions that are, while completely misplaced due to circumstances, altruistic, a thing the Adult doesn't grok, at all.
Aureate
hello?
- Location
- Information Team, L-Corporation
Happy discussion of X's romantic prospects
and the big 500 as well![X] Attempt to cleanse the Grief with White damage.
at any rate... I feel progressing further along the abnormality route is not a great idea here
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
I believe everyone who has a decision to make has said their piece by now, and beyond that the results of this vote seem to be decided. Let us see if this risk will pay off. But first, more children suffering!
Our Blue Star was born in an abyss of despair, surely our faith will not lead us astray!
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
I don't know what he'd do. I don't know how he would react.
All I know is that he'd ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding.
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
Are there more dings every time I see this page, or am I just going insane?
Oh, and I burned myself on my wrist today, so that might slow down writing a little bit. I'll try not to stray from the current schedule, though.
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questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
So this next chapter is running longer than I had expected due to characters interacting more than I thought they would and I really don't want to split it up, so it'll probably be a bit late. I would really prefer not to leave you all without content for too long, though, so if there's anything somebody wants to see that I could do in an afternoon please feel free to make a suggestion. I'm always open to exploring ideas.
The invitation still allows Angela to observe its bearer in key moments, right? If so, gimme that Library of Ruina staple, of Angela and Roland calmly commentating on scary stuff from the safety of their office.
I get it means that the magical girl we are helping is doing more than just gurgling a little while unconscious then?
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
I'll vote for Carmen (of course) if this idea gets a standalone side story.
I've always wondered what you meant by the Carmen route being more soul searching than the current battle route.
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
As you wish! I have a few bombs I could drop that way, anyways.
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Apocryphal Chapter - Second Sunrise
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
Apocryphal Chapter - Second Sunrise
Mami has barely made it two steps into your laboratory before you rush forward and scoop her up in your arms, twirling once before carefully setting her back down. She returns the embrace, not caught off-guard despite the suddenness of the movement.
"Mom!" she protests weakly. "There's no need for that. I was only gone for a few hours." In spite of her words, her hug lingers a moment longer than one would need.
"Maybe, but you're fifteen already. I'm not going to be able to do that for much longer, so I need to take every opportunity I can get!" you say. While true, the implied reason isn't the real cause for your limited time. Your body isn't made for battle, no, but it's easily strong enough to lift a grown person without much effort.
No, the real reason to make the most of your time is that you likely won't live past your eldest daughter's eighteenth birthday. Your form is degrading, and rapidly at that. You still haven't told her; you adopted her and Yuma barely a day ago. Telling her so quickly that you would be gone by the time she's an adult would be cruel.
"I just finished putting Yuma to bed before you got here, but she seemed pretty intent on waiting for you to get back. I'm rather certain she's in her room pretending to be asleep right now." you say. Mami hums, but doesn't say anything. You don't think she's quite gotten used to having a sister, though at the same time she fell into the role incredibly quickly. You're almost completely certain she's had a sibling before, though it must not have been a conventional relationship since there aren't any pictures of said sibling in the house. She and Yuma are good for each other. They both deserve more love and are freely capable of providing it. It'll help for them to have somebody to fall back on when you're gone.
"How naughty of her. I'll be sure to say something about proper sleep schedules when I get to bed." Mami replies, poorly suppressing an affectionate sigh. She's missed having other people in her life.
"Before you go, how was the EGO gear? Like I said before, I wasn't expecting a personal manifestation." you ask. Mami's already-bright smile somehow becomes even more radiant.
"Oh, it's fantastic! I've never felt so capable in all my years as a Magical Girl! I have so many new ideas to try, things to experiment with, names to think of… it's absolutely wonderful." she exclaims, summoning the equipment over one arm as a demonstration.
"And everything worked fine? No strange feelings?"
"Some of the new abilities did strike me as a little odd to think about, yes, but everything was perfectly comfortable to use." Mami confirms, to your relief. Only Gebura even manifested her own EGO in the past, and impressive as she is Mami isn't the Red Mist. You weren't certain what side-effects there would be. "Why do you ask? You were watching, weren't you?"
"I was, but a remote view only gives so much information. Even if I were there, I can't tell everything you're feeling. I'll be able to get a better look when I join you on tomorrow's hunt."
"Are you sure it will be safe?" Mami frowns. "I know you said you'll be fine, but I don't want you to get hurt."
"Hey, I might not be a frontline fighter, but I'm pretty sure I've got you beat when it comes to experience. I have a few tricks planned to make sure I can hold my own." you say, smiling wryly. "But back to the subject at hand. How did it feel, wielding your own EGO gear in battle?"
"I felt loved." Mami says plainly, smiling at you. "That's what it feels like to use my EGO. Like somebody's holding me, raising me higher than I could ever reach on my own."
You return her smile. "I'm glad to hear it. Family should try to lift one another up, after all."
A moment of quiet passes as the two of you allow the feeling of joy that comes with being loved to settle in. But that moment can't last forever, and there's more for you to talk about.
"So will you really be able to do the same thing for everyone else? Madoka, Sayaka, Miss Akemi, Yuma…"
"Probably not Yuma." you correct. "She's a little too young for this even with supervision. And I can't give people EGO gear in the same way you have it."
"You can't? But for me, you…" Mami's voice trails off as she tries to recall your explanations about EGO manifestation.
"I gave you a push, but your EGO is something that came from you and you alone. It's yours. I can let the others access their own EGO to a small degree, but manifesting it like you have is something they'll have to figure out for themselves." you explain.
"And it won't be too much effort? I saw how exhausted you were after you gave me my EGO gear." Mami asks. The concern in her voice feels… strangely warm to you. It's your job to worry about her, not the other way around.
"It'll be fine. It just takes some getting used to. I think I'll do Madoka's next, then try and get Homura's and Sayaka's at the same time." you say.
"At the same time? Why would you do something like that?" Mami asks, worry flaring. She doesn't want you overexerting yourself, especially not when it's for something she's asking for. Never mind that Sayaka and Madoka wouldn't have accepted being bystanders even if Mami hadn't asked for them to fight alongside her. It will be a rather significant effort, but a necessary one to avoid future strife.
"You've noticed how Sayaka and Homura don't get along, I'm sure?" Mami nods. It's not subtle on either side of the conflict. "I don't want to make either of them the odd one out. That, and they both seem to have issues with ability and self-confidence. I want to bridge the gap between them, not give them more reasons to oppose each other."
"Miss Akemi… You're certain? I hadn't realized at all that she felt that way." Mami mutters.
"It's not on you. She hides it well. But I'm good at noticing these things, y'know."
"I suppose you are." Mami accepts. You sense that she's about to say something else, but her attention is suddenly caught by something behind you.
Ah. Mami had noticed the photographs you'd put up. Your lab is your home, so you'd thought it needed a little decoration to make it feel more lived in. The mantelpiece was stuffed with framed photos, all fabricated by your manipulation of Light. There were two sets: one depicting each of the Sephirot in their filtered, humanoid forms, and another featuring their actual mechanical bodies. Above it all were four pictures with connected frames. Ayin, Carmen, Angela, and yourself. The family resemblance isn't especially subtle. You and Angela are both practically Carmen's doppelgängers, and she has Ayin's eyes. You're a little more androgynous thanks to the bits of your previous body you chose to keep, and the white hair alongside your overly-pale skin makes you look a little strange, but it's still obvious who's related to who. It'd be even more obvious if your hair was still black, but the strain on your container had some aesthetic side-effect alongside the more serious issues. It didn't really bother you, white and red went nice together.
"You can ask if you'd like. I'm not going to be upset with you for being curious." you offer, startling your daughter back to the moment.
Mami looks at you, hesitating, before finally asking her question.
"Who are those people? Are they your family?"
"That's a bit of a complicated question, but yes. On the top row you can see my parents, Ayin and Carmen, and Angela, my sister. I never met my mother and only spoke to my father a few times, but Angela and I spent a lot of time together. We… didn't really get along, but I hope she's doing well wherever she is now." you explain. Mami has almost completely stopped moving, listening intently as you reminisce.
"And the row below is the Sephirot, my old coworkers. They were the ones to work directly under me, but I think every member of our team was like family to me. At least, that's the best way I can describe it. I'm not sure if they felt the same, but we all looked out for each other in our own ways." you recall. The upper-floor Sephirot were a little bit of a mess, but they did look out for each other in their own ways. Of course, that usually meant arguing with one another about what would or wouldn't be helpful, but with you or Hod mediating most arguments ended up actually getting somewhere. Chesed and Gebura both cared intensely about the well-being of their employees, but approached the issue from opposite directions and clashes over it while Tiphereth tried to get actual work done. You don't speak about Hokma or Binah, or about Tiphereth B. Those topics can be left until another day.
"If it's alright," Mami asks, despite you having already told her she shouldn't worry about asking questions, "what are the pictures in the bottom row of? They look almost like robots of some sort."
"Oh, right. I forgot that you wouldn't know. That's actually the Sephirot again." you explain. Mami stares at you, confused.
"You remember what I said before, about bodies and containers?" Mami pauses, trying to recall. It was admittedly more of an offhand comment. You'd be surprised if she had remembered exactly what you said. "Basically, a person's body contains the things that make them who they are, but it isn't them. Where I come from, it's not uncommon for people to replace parts of their body or even the whole thing if it's convenient."
Mami nods slowly, trying to understand. "But… why would you choose to look like that? I can't imagine what it would feel like to have a body that isn't mine."
"Think of it like this: when you grow up, your body will be totally different from the way it is now, but it'll still be you. Getting a replacement body is a little like that, but done manually instead of on its own." you explain. Having heard what you have from Homura, it'll be important for Mami to internalize this idea at some point. "As for the Sephirot, there was a disaster some time before me or Angela were made. My father created those bodies for them in order to keep them alive. Resources were scarce, so he had to work with what was available. In the end, mechanical bodies were chosen because they would last longer."
"What was your father like?" Mami asks hesitantly. "You said you only knew him briefly, but…"
"He was quite the character." you admit. "But that'll have to wait for another night. If we talk too long, Yuma might actually fall asleep."
Mami laughs faintly. "Well, I certainly wouldn't want that. Goodnight, mom. I'll see you again in the morning."
You pull Mami into another hug, kiss her on the forehead, and follow her out of the lab. The night is only just beginning, and you have a lot to get done if you're going to keep your promise and take to the battlefield tomorrow.
You descend three flights of stairs, entering various codes and other forms of identification at regular checkpoints. The security of your Facility is a built-in component, designed to ensure that nobody but you can reach its depths. In this world, there is nobody you would want down here but you. The Facility is a part of you, a fragment of the merciless determination that gave you life brought into the world alongside you. You are unsure of what mechanisms attached it to Mami's apartment, but it serves its purpose.
You open the final door, standing in a dark room filled with screens and wires. In the center is an octagonal monolith, its surface a pure and lightless black inscribed with glowing pale letters that do not match any language known to man. You understand their meaning regardless: a constant record of the container's contents, down to the smallest and most insignificant detail. You press a hand against the surface and feel the movement of the creature inside.
"Complete The Mission. And We Can Go Home."
You hadn't even realized what it was when it appeared in the first Barrier, half-formed as it was. It was only after the encounter with Blue Star and Army in Black, where you and Mami had barely managed to seal away the two Alephs as they clashed against one another, that its shape began to solidify. You think that you fed it in some way, taking the connection you felt with the two Abnormalities and sharing that understanding with the nascent creature.
"So Cold. So Dark. Why? Must Complete The Mission. And Go Home."
"I know. It won't be like this forever. It'll all be over soon."
A part of you had wanted to let it fade away and disappear. To drop it back into the Well you had somehow dragged it from on your own. But even if you have changed, and if you have exceeded your original purpose, you still must keep to your responsibilities. You still must manage the Abnormalities, even as one yourself.
"Only a few more years. And then we'll both go home, alright?" you whisper to the Abnormality. It whines mechanically, lenses clicking and shifting within the pillar.
"Complete. The Mission And. We Will Go Home? No More Cold? No More Dark? Not Alone?" it whispers back.
"Yeah. It'll be warm, and bright, and neither of us will be alone ever again."
As long as you live, you must serve your purpose. And then you'll be able to rest.
Mami has barely made it two steps into your laboratory before you rush forward and scoop her up in your arms, twirling once before carefully setting her back down. She returns the embrace, not caught off-guard despite the suddenness of the movement.
"Mom!" she protests weakly. "There's no need for that. I was only gone for a few hours." In spite of her words, her hug lingers a moment longer than one would need.
"Maybe, but you're fifteen already. I'm not going to be able to do that for much longer, so I need to take every opportunity I can get!" you say. While true, the implied reason isn't the real cause for your limited time. Your body isn't made for battle, no, but it's easily strong enough to lift a grown person without much effort.
No, the real reason to make the most of your time is that you likely won't live past your eldest daughter's eighteenth birthday. Your form is degrading, and rapidly at that. You still haven't told her; you adopted her and Yuma barely a day ago. Telling her so quickly that you would be gone by the time she's an adult would be cruel.
"I just finished putting Yuma to bed before you got here, but she seemed pretty intent on waiting for you to get back. I'm rather certain she's in her room pretending to be asleep right now." you say. Mami hums, but doesn't say anything. You don't think she's quite gotten used to having a sister, though at the same time she fell into the role incredibly quickly. You're almost completely certain she's had a sibling before, though it must not have been a conventional relationship since there aren't any pictures of said sibling in the house. She and Yuma are good for each other. They both deserve more love and are freely capable of providing it. It'll help for them to have somebody to fall back on when you're gone.
"How naughty of her. I'll be sure to say something about proper sleep schedules when I get to bed." Mami replies, poorly suppressing an affectionate sigh. She's missed having other people in her life.
"Before you go, how was the EGO gear? Like I said before, I wasn't expecting a personal manifestation." you ask. Mami's already-bright smile somehow becomes even more radiant.
"Oh, it's fantastic! I've never felt so capable in all my years as a Magical Girl! I have so many new ideas to try, things to experiment with, names to think of… it's absolutely wonderful." she exclaims, summoning the equipment over one arm as a demonstration.
"And everything worked fine? No strange feelings?"
"Some of the new abilities did strike me as a little odd to think about, yes, but everything was perfectly comfortable to use." Mami confirms, to your relief. Only Gebura even manifested her own EGO in the past, and impressive as she is Mami isn't the Red Mist. You weren't certain what side-effects there would be. "Why do you ask? You were watching, weren't you?"
"I was, but a remote view only gives so much information. Even if I were there, I can't tell everything you're feeling. I'll be able to get a better look when I join you on tomorrow's hunt."
"Are you sure it will be safe?" Mami frowns. "I know you said you'll be fine, but I don't want you to get hurt."
"Hey, I might not be a frontline fighter, but I'm pretty sure I've got you beat when it comes to experience. I have a few tricks planned to make sure I can hold my own." you say, smiling wryly. "But back to the subject at hand. How did it feel, wielding your own EGO gear in battle?"
"I felt loved." Mami says plainly, smiling at you. "That's what it feels like to use my EGO. Like somebody's holding me, raising me higher than I could ever reach on my own."
You return her smile. "I'm glad to hear it. Family should try to lift one another up, after all."
A moment of quiet passes as the two of you allow the feeling of joy that comes with being loved to settle in. But that moment can't last forever, and there's more for you to talk about.
"So will you really be able to do the same thing for everyone else? Madoka, Sayaka, Miss Akemi, Yuma…"
"Probably not Yuma." you correct. "She's a little too young for this even with supervision. And I can't give people EGO gear in the same way you have it."
"You can't? But for me, you…" Mami's voice trails off as she tries to recall your explanations about EGO manifestation.
"I gave you a push, but your EGO is something that came from you and you alone. It's yours. I can let the others access their own EGO to a small degree, but manifesting it like you have is something they'll have to figure out for themselves." you explain.
"And it won't be too much effort? I saw how exhausted you were after you gave me my EGO gear." Mami asks. The concern in her voice feels… strangely warm to you. It's your job to worry about her, not the other way around.
"It'll be fine. It just takes some getting used to. I think I'll do Madoka's next, then try and get Homura's and Sayaka's at the same time." you say.
"At the same time? Why would you do something like that?" Mami asks, worry flaring. She doesn't want you overexerting yourself, especially not when it's for something she's asking for. Never mind that Sayaka and Madoka wouldn't have accepted being bystanders even if Mami hadn't asked for them to fight alongside her. It will be a rather significant effort, but a necessary one to avoid future strife.
"You've noticed how Sayaka and Homura don't get along, I'm sure?" Mami nods. It's not subtle on either side of the conflict. "I don't want to make either of them the odd one out. That, and they both seem to have issues with ability and self-confidence. I want to bridge the gap between them, not give them more reasons to oppose each other."
"Miss Akemi… You're certain? I hadn't realized at all that she felt that way." Mami mutters.
"It's not on you. She hides it well. But I'm good at noticing these things, y'know."
"I suppose you are." Mami accepts. You sense that she's about to say something else, but her attention is suddenly caught by something behind you.
Ah. Mami had noticed the photographs you'd put up. Your lab is your home, so you'd thought it needed a little decoration to make it feel more lived in. The mantelpiece was stuffed with framed photos, all fabricated by your manipulation of Light. There were two sets: one depicting each of the Sephirot in their filtered, humanoid forms, and another featuring their actual mechanical bodies. Above it all were four pictures with connected frames. Ayin, Carmen, Angela, and yourself. The family resemblance isn't especially subtle. You and Angela are both practically Carmen's doppelgängers, and she has Ayin's eyes. You're a little more androgynous thanks to the bits of your previous body you chose to keep, and the white hair alongside your overly-pale skin makes you look a little strange, but it's still obvious who's related to who. It'd be even more obvious if your hair was still black, but the strain on your container had some aesthetic side-effect alongside the more serious issues. It didn't really bother you, white and red went nice together.
"You can ask if you'd like. I'm not going to be upset with you for being curious." you offer, startling your daughter back to the moment.
Mami looks at you, hesitating, before finally asking her question.
"Who are those people? Are they your family?"
"That's a bit of a complicated question, but yes. On the top row you can see my parents, Ayin and Carmen, and Angela, my sister. I never met my mother and only spoke to my father a few times, but Angela and I spent a lot of time together. We… didn't really get along, but I hope she's doing well wherever she is now." you explain. Mami has almost completely stopped moving, listening intently as you reminisce.
"And the row below is the Sephirot, my old coworkers. They were the ones to work directly under me, but I think every member of our team was like family to me. At least, that's the best way I can describe it. I'm not sure if they felt the same, but we all looked out for each other in our own ways." you recall. The upper-floor Sephirot were a little bit of a mess, but they did look out for each other in their own ways. Of course, that usually meant arguing with one another about what would or wouldn't be helpful, but with you or Hod mediating most arguments ended up actually getting somewhere. Chesed and Gebura both cared intensely about the well-being of their employees, but approached the issue from opposite directions and clashes over it while Tiphereth tried to get actual work done. You don't speak about Hokma or Binah, or about Tiphereth B. Those topics can be left until another day.
"If it's alright," Mami asks, despite you having already told her she shouldn't worry about asking questions, "what are the pictures in the bottom row of? They look almost like robots of some sort."
"Oh, right. I forgot that you wouldn't know. That's actually the Sephirot again." you explain. Mami stares at you, confused.
"You remember what I said before, about bodies and containers?" Mami pauses, trying to recall. It was admittedly more of an offhand comment. You'd be surprised if she had remembered exactly what you said. "Basically, a person's body contains the things that make them who they are, but it isn't them. Where I come from, it's not uncommon for people to replace parts of their body or even the whole thing if it's convenient."
Mami nods slowly, trying to understand. "But… why would you choose to look like that? I can't imagine what it would feel like to have a body that isn't mine."
"Think of it like this: when you grow up, your body will be totally different from the way it is now, but it'll still be you. Getting a replacement body is a little like that, but done manually instead of on its own." you explain. Having heard what you have from Homura, it'll be important for Mami to internalize this idea at some point. "As for the Sephirot, there was a disaster some time before me or Angela were made. My father created those bodies for them in order to keep them alive. Resources were scarce, so he had to work with what was available. In the end, mechanical bodies were chosen because they would last longer."
"What was your father like?" Mami asks hesitantly. "You said you only knew him briefly, but…"
"He was quite the character." you admit. "But that'll have to wait for another night. If we talk too long, Yuma might actually fall asleep."
Mami laughs faintly. "Well, I certainly wouldn't want that. Goodnight, mom. I'll see you again in the morning."
You pull Mami into another hug, kiss her on the forehead, and follow her out of the lab. The night is only just beginning, and you have a lot to get done if you're going to keep your promise and take to the battlefield tomorrow.
You descend three flights of stairs, entering various codes and other forms of identification at regular checkpoints. The security of your Facility is a built-in component, designed to ensure that nobody but you can reach its depths. In this world, there is nobody you would want down here but you. The Facility is a part of you, a fragment of the merciless determination that gave you life brought into the world alongside you. You are unsure of what mechanisms attached it to Mami's apartment, but it serves its purpose.
You open the final door, standing in a dark room filled with screens and wires. In the center is an octagonal monolith, its surface a pure and lightless black inscribed with glowing pale letters that do not match any language known to man. You understand their meaning regardless: a constant record of the container's contents, down to the smallest and most insignificant detail. You press a hand against the surface and feel the movement of the creature inside.
"Complete The Mission. And We Can Go Home."
You hadn't even realized what it was when it appeared in the first Barrier, half-formed as it was. It was only after the encounter with Blue Star and Army in Black, where you and Mami had barely managed to seal away the two Alephs as they clashed against one another, that its shape began to solidify. You think that you fed it in some way, taking the connection you felt with the two Abnormalities and sharing that understanding with the nascent creature.
"So Cold. So Dark. Why? Must Complete The Mission. And Go Home."
"I know. It won't be like this forever. It'll all be over soon."
A part of you had wanted to let it fade away and disappear. To drop it back into the Well you had somehow dragged it from on your own. But even if you have changed, and if you have exceeded your original purpose, you still must keep to your responsibilities. You still must manage the Abnormalities, even as one yourself.
"Only a few more years. And then we'll both go home, alright?" you whisper to the Abnormality. It whines mechanically, lenses clicking and shifting within the pillar.
"Complete. The Mission And. We Will Go Home? No More Cold? No More Dark? Not Alone?" it whispers back.
"Yeah. It'll be warm, and bright, and neither of us will be alone ever again."
As long as you live, you must serve your purpose. And then you'll be able to rest.
