Day 1 Chapter 19
- Location
- Around here
[X] Plan: Servant Questions & Filling in Minako
You head to your room after seeing to Hijiri Kanna's sleeping arrangement. Your mind is a blur with thoughts about all that's happened today. Enemy puella magi. Enemy servants. A mysterious woman. An artificial human. "And of course, it all had to happen on Madoka's birthday." You flop down onto your bed without bothering to change out of your clothes, and you stare at Amy, who stares back at you from her perch atop your desk. "You're lucky. You don't need to concern yourself with any of this." A single "Mew" is all you get for your troubles. "I'm not overreacting. This is serious."
Amy leaves her perch, slinking towards you until she's close enough to place her paw on your cheek. You smile, lazily groping a hand underneath your bed for one of her toys to play with her, but as soon as your fingers settle on what you're sure is her squeaky mouse, there's a knock at your door. "It's me," Archer says. "Thought you might want to join Minako and I for a little chat about what happened earlier."
You hand the squeaky mouse over to Amy, saying to her "Guess this will have to wait." You pull yourself up, saying to Archer as you leave your room "Alright. Let's get this over with."
"I already told her that Hijiri's not entirely what she appears on the surface," Archer says as you and he walk towards the kitchen together. "But I figured it'd be best to wait on the really big stuff until we could tell her together."
"Yeah. That's probably for the best."
You find Minako sitting at the kitchen table, same as she was when you returned home. Her laptop is gone now, leaving nothing between you two as you and Archer takes your seats across the table from her. "This must be big if you're sitting across from me," she says to Archer. "So, what have you two been keeping from me about this girl you've brought home? Is she-" Minako waves her hand back and forth, "-one of you? Or is it something even weirder?"
"The latter," Archer says. "You're probably not going to believe this, but that girl's actually not a real person."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like. She's a homunculus, an artificial human created through magic."
Minako sighs, glancing down at the table as she massages her brow. "This is going to be one of those really long discussions where you two try to explain some really weird magic stuff to me, isn't it?" Another sigh escapes Minako's lips, and she asks "How much of what you two told me is just a bunch of garbage?"
Archer shakes his head. "None of it, actually. She really doesn't have a safe place to spend the night. Hijiri Kanna being an artificial person is about as simple as it needs to be. It's everything else around her that's the not-so-simple part." Archer turns to you, asking "Do you want to take it from here?"
You nod. "So, I guess the best place to start would be at the beginning," you say. "The girls and I were heading over to Uptown to deal with an office fire we thought might have been the work of a magical interloper, when..."
Maybe it's foolish, but you don't hold anything back. You tell Minako everything, from the mysterious woman who started the fire, to the enemy puella magi who attacked your allies. You tell her about Kanna Niko, the one responsible for creating your artificial human house guest, and about the pair of enemies who fought Oriko and Kirika. Who hurt Oriko and Kirika. Archer chimes in on occasion, telling Minako about the enemy servants and what you know of them so far; an ancient Greek huntress whose name goes completely over Minako's head, and an unidentified female doctor you only know the existence of.
And all the while, Minako's face grows dark with every word spoken.
When you and Archer finish telling Minako everything, the kitchen is silent. Neither you nor Archer say anything, waiting for Minako to make the first move before offering anything to counter or reassure her. Her hands leave her face, and she says "I want that girl out of my house." Minako's voice is calm, hiding away whatever anger or torment she must be feeling. "I'm not going to be a bitch and kick her out onto the streets in the middle of the night, but as soon as she's had breakfast I want her out of this house for good. I can't..." Minako stops, taking several deep breaths before continuing to speak. "I know it's not her fault that things are the way they are, but I can't take the risk that keeping her here will bring. Those girls let you leave with her, but what if they decide to come back for her when she's not expecting it? What if they come back for her and something happens and someone I care about gets hurt? I can't take that risk."
Now, and only now, does Archer move to a seat beside Minako, letting her lean on him as she continues to air out her concerns. "I hate that my two little girls have to keep going out at night to deal with weird magic monsters and other things I can't even understand. I hate that there's nothing I can do to keep the people I care about safe. I hate that it makes me feel so powerless. It's an awful thing to do, but not letting her stay here is the only thing I can do to keep my family safe."
"I understand," you say. "I hope either Tomoe-san or Oriko can hold her up until all of this blows over."
Minako shakes her head. "I don't want her staying with Oriko either," she says. "I know it's not my place to tell Oriko what to do, but... If she's there and Kirika's there and something happens to Kirika..."
"Mikuni's got a really good defensive barrier set up around the mansion," Archer says. "I know that's not enough to make you not worry about your daughter, but if anything happens the mansion's one of the safest places for Kirika to be." Minako hardly looks convinced by Archer's words, but she says nothing in protest.
"I know there's probably nothing either Archer or myself can say to make you feel better about all this, but I want you to know; we will get through this in one piece. You have my word." You aren't sure Minako believes you. You take a moment to hug Minako on your way out, to reassure her that you're still here and that everything is going to be alright, before excusing yourself to your room. You aren't even sure you believe yourself.
Amy is asleep when you return to your room, curled up on her little cushion at the foot of your bed, so you tread lightly as you change into your pajamas. Thoughts of the night's events come back to you, and you're right back to where you started. There's only five of us, but there's six of them; seven if you include the mystery woman among your enemies. That puts your side at a disadvantage of two, and it's not unreasonable to assume that your enemies will be fielding as many servants as they can now that they know your own side has servants.
You roll over, staring up at the ceiling of your darkened room. We should probably think about bringing at least one other master and servant into the fold; ideally two. The question is who? Who would make for a reliable, trustworthy, and capable master? Hitomi is the first choice to which your mind jumps. She's intelligent, trustworthy, and capable as a mage; and she was one of the master candidates Caster had identified in the weeks leading up to Walpurgisnacht. She declined the position of master of the Saber servant when you offered it to her, but that was a year and a half ago. With time to improve her skills in magecraft - with time spent growing closer to you and Kyouko - her answer might change if you were to ask her again.
Might. You have no guarantee that her answer would change if you asked her again.
Hijiri Kanna is another possibility, though one you aren't sure would be the wisest course of action without knowing more about her. According to Archer, a homunculus like her is a valuable asset that the Saints will want to recover. According to Caster, if you deal fairly with Hijiri Kanna, she'll reciprocate for the duration of the coming War. Giving her command over one of your team's servants would ensure she has a way to resist being taken by the Saints, and if you show trust in her by giving her this responsibility, you hope she would reciprocate and show trust in you and your allies.
But she's still an unknown variable, and you need to know more about her.
There is one other option you could consider; Nagatsuki Miyuki. She was a puella magi who was part of a trio from Shirome. Initially, the trio opposed your side, seeking revenge against Oriko for the death of their friend; and while you wouldn't say she and her friends ever grew fond of you and your allies, she was able to put her differences aside to work with you in the fight against Walpurgisnacht. She has experience, having served as the master of Saber at that time, but she and her friends have all hung up their capes, so to speak. She's a known option, but getting her to come out of retirement to fight in a War like this may be a tough sell.
That's three options, and not a one can you put down as a guarantee. Is there anyone else you're missing you might consider trusting to be a master for your side?
Well, all you can do is ask them. If they say no and nothing else turns up, you can ask Oriko or Caster if there are any options you haven't considered. You aren't tired. You aren't tired. Who are you kidding? You're tired. You hope tomorrow will be easier. You know tomorrow won't be easier.
You head to your room after seeing to Hijiri Kanna's sleeping arrangement. Your mind is a blur with thoughts about all that's happened today. Enemy puella magi. Enemy servants. A mysterious woman. An artificial human. "And of course, it all had to happen on Madoka's birthday." You flop down onto your bed without bothering to change out of your clothes, and you stare at Amy, who stares back at you from her perch atop your desk. "You're lucky. You don't need to concern yourself with any of this." A single "Mew" is all you get for your troubles. "I'm not overreacting. This is serious."
Amy leaves her perch, slinking towards you until she's close enough to place her paw on your cheek. You smile, lazily groping a hand underneath your bed for one of her toys to play with her, but as soon as your fingers settle on what you're sure is her squeaky mouse, there's a knock at your door. "It's me," Archer says. "Thought you might want to join Minako and I for a little chat about what happened earlier."
You hand the squeaky mouse over to Amy, saying to her "Guess this will have to wait." You pull yourself up, saying to Archer as you leave your room "Alright. Let's get this over with."
"I already told her that Hijiri's not entirely what she appears on the surface," Archer says as you and he walk towards the kitchen together. "But I figured it'd be best to wait on the really big stuff until we could tell her together."
"Yeah. That's probably for the best."
You find Minako sitting at the kitchen table, same as she was when you returned home. Her laptop is gone now, leaving nothing between you two as you and Archer takes your seats across the table from her. "This must be big if you're sitting across from me," she says to Archer. "So, what have you two been keeping from me about this girl you've brought home? Is she-" Minako waves her hand back and forth, "-one of you? Or is it something even weirder?"
"The latter," Archer says. "You're probably not going to believe this, but that girl's actually not a real person."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like. She's a homunculus, an artificial human created through magic."
Minako sighs, glancing down at the table as she massages her brow. "This is going to be one of those really long discussions where you two try to explain some really weird magic stuff to me, isn't it?" Another sigh escapes Minako's lips, and she asks "How much of what you two told me is just a bunch of garbage?"
Archer shakes his head. "None of it, actually. She really doesn't have a safe place to spend the night. Hijiri Kanna being an artificial person is about as simple as it needs to be. It's everything else around her that's the not-so-simple part." Archer turns to you, asking "Do you want to take it from here?"
You nod. "So, I guess the best place to start would be at the beginning," you say. "The girls and I were heading over to Uptown to deal with an office fire we thought might have been the work of a magical interloper, when..."
Maybe it's foolish, but you don't hold anything back. You tell Minako everything, from the mysterious woman who started the fire, to the enemy puella magi who attacked your allies. You tell her about Kanna Niko, the one responsible for creating your artificial human house guest, and about the pair of enemies who fought Oriko and Kirika. Who hurt Oriko and Kirika. Archer chimes in on occasion, telling Minako about the enemy servants and what you know of them so far; an ancient Greek huntress whose name goes completely over Minako's head, and an unidentified female doctor you only know the existence of.
And all the while, Minako's face grows dark with every word spoken.
When you and Archer finish telling Minako everything, the kitchen is silent. Neither you nor Archer say anything, waiting for Minako to make the first move before offering anything to counter or reassure her. Her hands leave her face, and she says "I want that girl out of my house." Minako's voice is calm, hiding away whatever anger or torment she must be feeling. "I'm not going to be a bitch and kick her out onto the streets in the middle of the night, but as soon as she's had breakfast I want her out of this house for good. I can't..." Minako stops, taking several deep breaths before continuing to speak. "I know it's not her fault that things are the way they are, but I can't take the risk that keeping her here will bring. Those girls let you leave with her, but what if they decide to come back for her when she's not expecting it? What if they come back for her and something happens and someone I care about gets hurt? I can't take that risk."
Now, and only now, does Archer move to a seat beside Minako, letting her lean on him as she continues to air out her concerns. "I hate that my two little girls have to keep going out at night to deal with weird magic monsters and other things I can't even understand. I hate that there's nothing I can do to keep the people I care about safe. I hate that it makes me feel so powerless. It's an awful thing to do, but not letting her stay here is the only thing I can do to keep my family safe."
"I understand," you say. "I hope either Tomoe-san or Oriko can hold her up until all of this blows over."
Minako shakes her head. "I don't want her staying with Oriko either," she says. "I know it's not my place to tell Oriko what to do, but... If she's there and Kirika's there and something happens to Kirika..."
"Mikuni's got a really good defensive barrier set up around the mansion," Archer says. "I know that's not enough to make you not worry about your daughter, but if anything happens the mansion's one of the safest places for Kirika to be." Minako hardly looks convinced by Archer's words, but she says nothing in protest.
"I know there's probably nothing either Archer or myself can say to make you feel better about all this, but I want you to know; we will get through this in one piece. You have my word." You aren't sure Minako believes you. You take a moment to hug Minako on your way out, to reassure her that you're still here and that everything is going to be alright, before excusing yourself to your room. You aren't even sure you believe yourself.
Amy is asleep when you return to your room, curled up on her little cushion at the foot of your bed, so you tread lightly as you change into your pajamas. Thoughts of the night's events come back to you, and you're right back to where you started. There's only five of us, but there's six of them; seven if you include the mystery woman among your enemies. That puts your side at a disadvantage of two, and it's not unreasonable to assume that your enemies will be fielding as many servants as they can now that they know your own side has servants.
You roll over, staring up at the ceiling of your darkened room. We should probably think about bringing at least one other master and servant into the fold; ideally two. The question is who? Who would make for a reliable, trustworthy, and capable master? Hitomi is the first choice to which your mind jumps. She's intelligent, trustworthy, and capable as a mage; and she was one of the master candidates Caster had identified in the weeks leading up to Walpurgisnacht. She declined the position of master of the Saber servant when you offered it to her, but that was a year and a half ago. With time to improve her skills in magecraft - with time spent growing closer to you and Kyouko - her answer might change if you were to ask her again.
Might. You have no guarantee that her answer would change if you asked her again.
Hijiri Kanna is another possibility, though one you aren't sure would be the wisest course of action without knowing more about her. According to Archer, a homunculus like her is a valuable asset that the Saints will want to recover. According to Caster, if you deal fairly with Hijiri Kanna, she'll reciprocate for the duration of the coming War. Giving her command over one of your team's servants would ensure she has a way to resist being taken by the Saints, and if you show trust in her by giving her this responsibility, you hope she would reciprocate and show trust in you and your allies.
But she's still an unknown variable, and you need to know more about her.
There is one other option you could consider; Nagatsuki Miyuki. She was a puella magi who was part of a trio from Shirome. Initially, the trio opposed your side, seeking revenge against Oriko for the death of their friend; and while you wouldn't say she and her friends ever grew fond of you and your allies, she was able to put her differences aside to work with you in the fight against Walpurgisnacht. She has experience, having served as the master of Saber at that time, but she and her friends have all hung up their capes, so to speak. She's a known option, but getting her to come out of retirement to fight in a War like this may be a tough sell.
That's three options, and not a one can you put down as a guarantee. Is there anyone else you're missing you might consider trusting to be a master for your side?
Well, all you can do is ask them. If they say no and nothing else turns up, you can ask Oriko or Caster if there are any options you haven't considered. You aren't tired. You aren't tired. Who are you kidding? You're tired. You hope tomorrow will be easier. You know tomorrow won't be easier.
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