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Confringentur 2; a Madoka Magica / Fate/Stay Night sequel

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Day 28 Chapter 8
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    • [X] Call Minako and check in with her


    "Okay, so then this sign should go…" It never hurts to look at the manual, which is why you're consulting with the array diagram that Sakura gave you as you set this next anchor point. "… Like this." With that last stroke, you succeed in carving the array into the foundation of a building, along the path Rin set out for your party of three.

    "So then the next one should go…" Flipping the diagram over, you consult a chart Rin drew up, and cross-referencing that chart with how far ahead you can see Rin and Sakura working. "… Over there."

    You give a polite wave to Rin and Sakura each as you pass them on the way to your next point, when Rin stops you. "Hey, how's everything going on your end?" she asks. "You keeping up with us all right?"

    "I did study at the Clocktower for several years," you remind Rin. "It might not be sword-related, but setting an anchor point like this is child's play compared to some of the homework assignments those professors would give out."

    "Yeah, tell me about it," Rin says. "Not much has changed there, except now I'm the one grading papers instead of writing them. It still sucks, but at least I can be done in an afternoon and not have to worry about missing the deadline because I overslept."

    "This on top of your research and your responsibilities as Zelretch's protégé?" you ask. "They've certainly got you busy, that's for sure."

    "It's really only El-Melloi who makes me grade papers, thankfully," Rin replies. "he says he's busy dealing with other things, but like, I'm not?" You shrug, not having an answer for Rin, but at least glad you can be someone she feels comfortable venting to. You wonder if she's ever vented to the Archer that's with her right now. "Anyway, I was more asking about how you're doing mentally, than about how your work is coming. It must be hard, having to put your family in the position that you've had to."

    "I'd be lying if I said I've enjoyed the past week," you say. "Between Minako getting sick – thankfully she's recovered, but as long as this Sidonia nonsense is still ongoing she'll always be at risk of getting sick again – her office getting infested with giant spiders, and Sidonia knowing where we live, it's been rough."

    Before Rin can say anything, you add "Oh, did I not mention? Sidonia knows where our apartment building is. I'd strongly encourage you and Sakura to start setting up your own defences as soon as possible."

    "Already taken care of," Rin says, flashing you a thumb's up. "Plus, we've got Rider. Sidonia might be pretty strong, but I doubt she'll be able to stand up to Rider when she unleashes her Mystic Eyes."

    "I wouldn't put it past her," you say. "I'd compare Sidonia to a cockroach, except I actually wouldn't mind finding a cockroach in my apartment. At least I know I can chase it out with a broom."

    "Yeah." Rin nods her head, and says to you "Listen, I actually wanted to apologise for hurrying you along when you were trying to talk to Homura earlier. I know this is important, but she's your kid. She should be more important to you. So, if you wanted, I wouldn't mind if you needed a minute or two to check in with Minako; you know, just to see how she's doing."

    "Thank you, Rin," you say. "I imagine Minako or Kirika would have contacted me if anything had happened, but I still appreciate the offer. Will you and Sakura be all right without me?"

    "It's not like you're going anywhere, right?" Rin asks. "You're just going to call her on your phone. We'll be fine." Rin looks over to Sakura and Rider, who both flash her a thumbs-up in response. "Yeah, see? We'll be fine. Now go call your woman and make sure she's doing all right."

    Well, you don't need to be told twice. You excuse yourself, and duck around the corner of a nearby building to make your call.

    *Ring*

    *Ring*

    *Ring*

    Finally, she picks up. "Archer? How's it going?" Minako asks. "Is everything all right?"

    "Everything is going fine on my end," you reply. "I was actually calling to check in on you. How are you doing?"

    "Work has been pretty tedious, but aside from that everything's going okay. I can't say I'm too thrilled about the deal you and Kirika struck up where she'd get to stay home, though. I thought we agreed that she should go back to school today."

    "I know," you say; "And I'm sorry for dropping that on you so suddenly before leaving. But she made a good point. If she stayed home, she'd be able to give orders to Berserker without him having to play telephone to hear from her what he'd need to do in an emergency. On top of that, I've got practical magical experience that she doesn't have, so it made more sense to have to going out with Rin and Sakura to finish setting these anchor points than it did to have me stay home to watch over you."

    "Uh-huh." Minako doesn't sound too convinced. "Well, I suppose it's been nice having my pumpkin around, even if I'd rather she be going to school than hanging out watching me work."

    "Is she at least making herself useful?"

    "I told her that if she wanted to stay home, she'd have to help Bryn do some chores; and if she had any schoolwork she'd have to do that as well. But, surprisingly, she's been very good about making herself useful. Do you want to talk to her?"

    "Sure." While you called to check in with Minako, you won't say no to a chance to speak with your eldest, either. "Put her on."

    A "Just a second," leaves Minako's lips moments before you hear her call out, though muffled on your end "Kirika! Your father's on the phone!" and the faint sound of shuffling feet as Kirika races to take the phone from her mother. "Hi daddy!" Kirika chirps as soon as she's taken the phone from Minako. "How's everything going?"

    "Everything's going well on my end," you repeat your earlier statement. "You sure sound chipper; did something good happen?"

    "No, I'm just happy 'cause I get to talk to you. Are you and Homura almost done with…" The words escape her; Kirika has clearly forgotten what you and Homura went out to do today. "Whatever it was you were doing?"

    "I can't speak for Homura," you say. "The last time I heard from her, she said Wakaba Mystic Code was working properly, and that she was going to talk to the eggheads to see how whatever they're programming is coming along. So hopefully at least they will be done soon. But me…" You look out at the work that still needs to be done. "I might be a while. I'd have to ask Rin, but I'm not sure if we're moving along at the pace she'd been hoping for."

    "Okay." Kirika doesn't sound too happy about you being delayed. But at least she'll have Oriko, assuming Homura and the eggheads finish up before you do. "I guess I'll see you whenever you're done. Do you want me to put mom back on?"

    "Yeah, sure," you say. "It was nice talking to you, Kirika. I'm sorry I won't be home sooner, but I promise I'll make something nice for dinner tonight." The stores in Shirome are still stocked with non-poisoned food, so at least that's one promise you know you can keep. "Why don't you put your mom back on now?"

    You hear a grunt coming from the other end, and presumably, Kirika hands the phone over to Minako. "Kirika said you wanted to talk to me some more?" Minako asks. "What's up?"

    "I just wanted to hear your voice again before we both have to go back to work," you say. "I'm glad to hear that everything's going well for you and Kirika. Don't hesitate to call me or Homura if you need anything. I know I told Kirika that I'm in the middle of something, but if it's important, I'll come running as quickly as I can. Homura too; I know she will."

    "I know you both would," Minako says; "And I will; I promise. If anything comes up, you'll be the first to know." You know Minako was pretty adamant about seeing Kirika go to school today, so you're glad that she isn't as upset about her staying home as you thought she would be. Though that doesn't preclude her from giving you an earful about your decision once you've returned home. "Well, I know what you're doing is important, so I guess I shouldn't keep you any longer. It was nice talking to you."

    "Right. It was nice talking to you and Kirika, too. I promised to make Kirika something nice for dinner, so I hope you manage to work up an appetite while I'm gone."

    "Archer, we haven't done it once since we moved into Oriko's place," Minako says. "My appetite for food is the last thing you need to be worried about me 'working up'."

    "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," you say. "Hopefully dinner satisfies you even half as much as I normally would." That's a lie. If you were capable of satisfying Minako, she wouldn't be so horny all the time. "I'll talk to you later."

    "Talk to you later, Archer. Love you, and take care."

    With those words and a sigh of disappointment that she has to let you go, Minako hangs up, and you return your phone to your pocket. As you round the corner to re-join Rin and Sakura, you see that, in the time you've been talking to Minako, the two of them have already moved on to the next point. You call out "Hey! Wait for me!" as you hurry to catch up with them. "Don't leave me behind!"

    "Well then hurry up, slowpoke!" Rin calls back. "Come on, we're behind schedule. Let's get a move on!"
    ​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • I'm really glad that Archer's conversation with Minako is all that I had to take care of today. Sorry that this is such a short one; though actually not as short as I thought it was going to be when I first sat down to write it. I've had a really long day and, while I wanted to get at least this taken care of, I'm just exhausted.. Tomorrow will be back to regular length with Homura finally meeting the eggheads like she should have done yesterday, along with whatever else is on the vote.
     
    Day 28 Chapter 9
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    • [X] Plan: A Familiar Sight


    "All right, let's leave those two alone for a bit and go check on how the eggheads are doing."

    With those words, you and Kazumi headed back inside the warehouse-turned-base of the Pleiades Saints. The first thing you see upon entering is Kanna Niko, still hunched over her laptop, while Oriko and Lancer take and compare notes. Assassin is also present, but looking much less enthused about being there than either Oriko or Lancer. Oriko passes the notes she gleaned from Lancer over to Kanna Niko, and you hear a silent conversation taking place between their glances. When Kanna Niko hands the notes back to Oriko, shaking her head, Oriko nods her own head in understanding, and turns to Lancer to reconvene.

    Seeing the team at work, you almost don't want to disturb them, but Oriko catches your eye first. She gives you and Kazumi each a polite nod of her head, and asks "Akemi-san, how did your practice with Wakaba-san go?"

    "It went good," you reply. "Having Kazumi around really upped Wakaba Mirai's ability to perform, like we expected. I think she's ready to actually be a useful member of the team now."

    "Mirai was always useful before," Kazumi says. "I mean, sure, she wasn't a huge powerhouse like me or Mikuni in terms of how much mana she had, but she's always done her best to contribute wherever she can."

    "That's good to know, Kazusa-san," Oriko says. "But certainly, allowing her to act as a powerhouse is going to be much more beneficial to us all in the long run."

    "So, how's everything going for the four of you?" you ask, wanting to cut in before this accidentally turns into Oriko saying something that Kazumi interprets as an insult towards Wakaba Mirai. "You look like you're hard at work; how are things going?"

    "We're making slow progress," Kanna Niko says. "I thought the process of adapting my original program to work with their familiars would be easy, but I didn't take into account the manufacturing differences, and that's just about ground things to a halt."

    "Manufacturing differences?" you ask, not entirely sure what difference that makes how they were made or what they were made from. "What does that mean?"

    "It means her program wasn't able to accommodate for the fact that we made our familiars differently from how she made her sentries," Assassin says, glaring; not so much at you, but just glaring, in general, as if she'd chosen to wear that as her default expressing this morning. You know she didn't, because you saw her looking almost giddy at the prospect of seeing her sister again before you met up with the Saints.

    Maybe she's just upset that she's been stuck in here working on a project, not being allowed to drink or sport or fight with her sister like she had been hoping. She must have assumed this would be an easy task, and that she'd be spending time making up with her sister afterwards, only to have been disappointed.

    Kanna Niko nods her head. "When I wrote the original program, I wrote it in mind of the fact that any sentries I made, I would know the material composition and construction of, and I would know how the magic that created them operated, because it would be my own. What I didn't take into account is the fact that the familiars those two made, they made using runes, like the ones our Lancer uses. I don't know their material composition or construction, and I don't know how the magic that created them works."

    "We've had to, essentially, work backwards every single step of the way," Orikos says, "Figuring out what Lancer and Assassin did to make their familiars, giving that information to Niko-san, and then hoping that she's able to interpret that information into useful code that does what she wants it to."

    "So…" You ask, chancing to hope,' How far have you actually gotten?"

    "Maybe not even halfway through mapping out the code revisions needed to sync Mikuni's Lancer's familiars," Kanna Niko says. "Like I said, it's been slow going. This might take a while."

    "What about Assassin?" you ask, as much to Oriko as to Kanna Niko. "She doesn't look like she's being very cooperative."

    "Hardly," Assassin replies. "I've done what I could, but it's hard having to lower my explanations of the ancient arts to a level that one can understand."

    "Niko's not dumb," Kazumi says. "Sure, maybe she doesn't have as much information about the runes as you and your sister do, but she's still plenty smart. She's trying her hardest, and just because she's smart in a different way from you doesn't give you the right to insult her."

    "Was I?" Assassin asks. "I was merely stating a fact. Lowering my explanation of the ancient runes to a level she can understand has been difficult. Surely, my sister did not make them seem easy in her tutelage of you?"

    "Or perhaps my master is a quicker study of the runes than Niko is." Finally, Scáthach makes her appearance, coming from around the corner with a hand placed on her hip. "Her mind is like a newborn, still fresh and malleable. She has fewer prejudices about the way her magic – or indeed, any magic – should work. Meanwhile, Niko, for as intelligent as she is, has already developed her field of expertise. She is quite brilliant within that field, but trying to get her to adjust, on such a short timetable, is going to be difficult." Scáthach tries to diffuse the situation with a smile, and it almost works, earning her a faint smile from Assassin in turn. "Be patient with her."

    "Fine." You don't say anything. You'll let Assassin's reaction towards her sister speak for itself. "I'll give her the patience you think she deserves."

    "That's all I ask, sister."

    So that's the news from the eggheads. You let the four of them return to work, and turn to Kazumi, and to Scáthach, and say to them "In that case, maybe there's something the two of you can help me with to pass the time while we wait?"

    "That would depend on what it is you're asking of us," Scáthach says. "If it's at all possible, I will try to honour your request, but that would depend on what it actually is you're asking."

    You say nothing for a moment, as Kazumi moans "Lancer~ Don't be rude," to her servant, giving you enough time to compose yourself before saying "I was hoping you would help give me some instruction in combat," you say. "I've got these two short swords I got from my father, and I'd like help in learning how better to use them, since I'm still fairly clumsy with swords."

    "That seems to be something you should ask him to help you with, then," Scáthach says. "Swords were more of my sister's proficiency than they were mine." Beside her servant, you see Kazumi pouting, and Scáthach relents. "But, I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I did what I could to give you some instruction. Come on, let's see what you're capable of."

    You've given the kissing couple far less tiem to themselves than you had initially planned, so it doesn't surprise you when you exit the warehouse and find AsamI Saki and Wakaba Mirai still pushed up against the far wall, exploring each other's mouths as though they're Oriko and Kirika. Scáthach coughs into her hand, and says to them as their attention is plucked away from them "Get a room, you two. We need to use this area, and your tonsil hockey will just be a distraction."

    "Lancer, don't be mean," Kazumi says to her servant. But then, just as Scáthach is rolling her eyes at the amount of leniency Kazumi gives to her friends, an idea strikes her, and Kazumi says "Hey, Mirai, would you be willing to help us out for a bit?"

    "Uh… What?" Kazumi's request catches Wakaba Mirai off guard just as much as it does you. "Uh, I guess that'd depend on what you needed help with," she says. "Though I can't say I'm all that inclined to help Lancer right now, if she's just going to be rude to me and Saki."

    Exasperated, Kazumi says "Lancer, apologise to them," before saying to Wakaba Mirai "Actually, we were going to help Akemi do some combat training. She's got these swords she got from her dad, and I figured, you know how to use a sword; maybe you could help us?"

    "Oh." As if that makes much of a difference to her. "I mean, I guess I could, if it's her." Wait, it really did? "Sure, maybe we don't get along, but Akemi's the one who got those other two to hook me up with this magic code thing-ey, and now I can actually fight because of it. So, sure, I'll help her out." Wakaba Mirai gives Asami Saki one last kiss, before pushing her away and saying "Go on," to her lover. "Get the bed warmed up for me. I'll catch up with you in a bit."

    "Mirai, Lancer's right, it's too early in the morning for us to be doing anything," Asami Saki says. "I'll be waiting inside for you to finish up, but we should really start using our time better since there's so little of it left." Is this it? The rare, intelligent decision from one of the Pleiades Saints? "When you're done helping Akemi, I'd actually like to see you helping Kaoru and Umika with some combat training as well. I can help, if you don't want to do it by yourself, but we should really be more focused."

    Wakaba Mirai pouts, but both you and Kazumi look on Asami Saki fondly. "Thank you," you say, to both Asami Saki and Wakaba Mirai. "I'd really like to see us all doing as much as we can. We've only got today and tomorrow left."

    "Right, well," AsamI Saki gives you and Kazumi a lazy half-salute, and adds "Good luck~" as she heads back inside the base to wait for her girlfriend to be finished out here.

    Once she's gone, Wakaba Mirai steps up, taking charge before Kazumi or Scáthach even have the chance to get a word in edgewise. "Now then, let's see what kind of swords you're working with," she says. Her clothes melt away and her battle outfit appears in its place, and she flicks her wrist, calling her wand-turned-sword out in a single fluid motion. "Well? What's the holdup?"

    You didn't realise she was already waiting for you.

    Because the Projection magecraft Archer taught you isn't intrinsically linked to your self as a puella magi, you can call on the images of Archer's short swords even without transforming into your battle outfit. You hold the twin blades, one in each hand, and say to Wakaba Mirai "This is what I'm working with."

    Wakaba Mirai eyes them cautiously. "Yeah, that might be a problem," she says. "Don't get me wrong, I get where you're coming from and all, but I'm more used to fighting with this big huge thing." For added emphasis, she gives her sword a heft, before setting it back down on her shoulder. "But, I'll see what I can do. Lancer, back me up if it looks like I'm about so say something really fucking stupid, okay?"

    "You'll probably want me to keep my mouth shut through the entire lesson, then," Scáthach says, earning her rolled eyes from Wakaba Mirai and a disapproving pout from Kazumi. "I'm joking, of course. I'm sure you'll be an adequate teacher if you apply yourself."

    "Right," Wakaba Mirai says. "First off, your stance. How the heck are you even supposed to use those things, anyway?"

    You keep your grips on the swords' hilts firm, but flexible, as you mimic Archer's fighting stance. "Not bad… I'm guessing you're borrowing that style from your Archer servant, right?" When you nod your head, Wakaba Mirai is sent shaking hers, and she asks you "So, out of curiosty, just what the heck is his deal, anyway? He's supposed to be an Archer, right; but he fights with swords too? How's that make any sense?"

    "Family secret," you say. "Now, what's next?"

    While Wakaba Mirai studies you, your stance and your blades, Scáthach takes up a position beside her. "You're going to show up your moves," she says. "Show us what you already know about how to fight with those blades, and we'll figure out how we can help you progress from there."

    Whenever Wakaba Mirai and Scáthach are done with you, do you
    [ ] Continue to train solo, using whatever they teach you as your guide
    [ ] Volunteer to train with Maki Kaoru and Misaki Umika as well

    You also wanted to develop your Inguz rune further, right? Do you
    [ ] Try to take advantage of the Grief you'll build up during training to experiment on your own
    [ ] Ask Scáthach if she would like to practice Inguz alongside you; she knows the runes too, and was once a puella magi, right? Maybe she'll have some insights you don't

    When you're all finished, whenever that is, do you
    [ ] Stick around and
    -[ ] Check in with Archer again and see how he's doing
    -[ ] Give your mom a call and see how she's doing
    -[ ] Check in with the eggheads and see how far they've managed to get
    [ ] Leave and take care of other business
    -[ ] Try to head back to school to help Hitomi and Nurse Ortensia finish up
    -[ ] Head over to Archer and help him set anchor points
    -[ ] Visit Madoka and see how she's doing since yesterday
    -[ ] Go home and give your mom a break from looking after Kirika by herself

    [ ] Other (write-in)
    ​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • I know the first two items to be voted on look weird. That's my bad. I wasn't able to word them the best way possible, I don't think, but the idea is that we can either keep training by ourselves, or we can also help Saki and Mirai training Kaoru and Umika while we're at it. And, since I never got around to having us practice with Inguz, familiar creation or otherwise, I decided to include that as well. We can either try by ourselves to improve upon what we already know, or we can ask Scáthach for help, since she knows the runes better than us, is a former puella magi, and probably has more of an inkling that Inguz can be used to make familiars from our Grief than we ever would.

    So that's that. I have a feeling that this coming update is going to be split into two even without looking at whatever vote you're going to give me. That's just the guess I'm making.
     
    [ ] Continue to train solo, using whatever they teach you as your guide

    [ ] Ask Scáthach if she would like to practice Inguz alongside you; she knows the runes too, and was once a puella magi, right? Maybe she'll have some insights you don't

    I'm leaning towards these two options, but I'm not sure about the rest of the vote, though.
     
    [X] Plan: Inguz Conversion
    -[X] Continue to train solo, using whatever they teach you as your guide
    -[X] Ask Scáthach if she would like to practice Inguz alongside you; she knows the runes too, and was once a puella magi, right? Maybe she'll have some insights you don't
    -[X] Leave and take care of other business
    --[X] Visit Madoka and see how she's doing since yesterday

    If we're wanting to follow in Archer's footsteps, training with other people definitely won't help that much. On the other hand, having someone on hand to make sure we don't blow ourselves up or accidentally have to fight a rogue Lotte, or whatever Homura's familiars are now that things are different. I'm not sure if we'll be able to pull a full Homulily and unleash Homura's potential gained from timeline looping, because then that'd turn Homura from 'currently pretty weak' into 'massively OP', but we don't want to fight it off alone, whatever the case.
     
    Last edited:
    PlaguePaladin said:
    -[X] Continue to train solo, using whatever they teach you as your guide

    If we're wanting to follow in Archer's footsteps, training with other people definitely won't help that much.
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    Sorry, I knew I didn't word that part right, but I didn't know it was that bad. I had meant that more along the lines of "we'd help Mirai train them" rather than "we'd train with them". If that doesn't change your vote any, that's also fine, but I wanted to clear that up in case it did.
     
    SVS said:
    Sorry, I knew I didn't word that part right, but I didn't know it was that bad. I had meant that more along the lines of "we'd help Mirai train them" rather than "we'd train with them". If that doesn't change your vote any, that's also fine, but I wanted to clear that up in case it did.
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    Alright yeah, that changes my vote then. Vote changed.
     
    PlaguePaladin said:
    Alright yeah, that changes my vote then. Vote changed.
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    I guess that, then, necessitates me asking, what would we like to help Mirai focus their training on? We know Kaoru's pretty good at doing Kaoru things, and that Umika will fold like soggy toilet tissue if she can't mindrape her opponent, so what are you thinking? If you on't have any specific thoughts, that's also fine, I'll just put the question to @NMS or @K4lepo in that case, but if you had something specific I'd be more than willing to listen.
     
    SVS said:
    I guess that, then, necessitates me asking, what would we like to help Mirai focus their training on? We know Kaoru's pretty good at doing Kaoru things, and that Umika will fold like soggy toilet tissue if she can't mindrape her opponent, so what are you thinking? If you on't have any specific thoughts, that's also fine, I'll just put the question to @NMS or @K4lepo in that case, but if you had something specific I'd be more than willing to listen.
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    Wait okay, sorry I got confused. Okay, so the original vote of 'continue to train solo'; why does that mean helping Mirai train somebody? I'm a bit silly; can you spell out for me what exactly either options here entail? Because the way it's worded it sounds like the two options are 'have Homura continue her training alone' or 'train alongside Kaoru and and Umika'.

    If you're asking for what Kaoru and Umika should focus on, I don't really know what to train them on, because any innovation has been shown to take days in Confringentur to develop in any significant capacity, and I don't think we really have the time necessary to do anything large. Plus, regular training hasn't really shown any benefits, so I don't really care enough on that front. Maybe focus on more combat training for Umika, more in the vein of 'how to get out of battle' rather than 'how to fight', and getting some practice in for Kaoru's long-range abilities so that she isn't always forced to shove her head into situations no matter what.
     
    PlaguePaladin said:
    Wait okay, sorry I got confused. Okay, so the original vote of 'continue to train solo'; why does that mean helping Mirai train somebody? I'm a bit silly; can you spell out for me what exactly either options here entail? Because the way it's worded it sounds like the two options are 'have Homura continue her training alone' or 'train alongside Kaoru and and Umika'.
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    Like I said, apparently I worded that part of the vote a lot worse than I thought I did. My intention had been for us to:
    - Train by ourselves;
    - Train with Kaoru and Umika, with Mirai and Scáthach as instructors (in other words, continue training as we are, but with Kaoru and Umika also receiving instruction simultaneously);
    - Help Mirai train Kaoru and Umika when we're done training for ourselves (and, if we're helping Mirai train them, what should our training be focused on?).
    Yeah, in addition to not making that clear, I just flat-out forgot to include one of the choices. That was seriously my bad.
     
    Oh, I thought the original thing NMS and I voted on was the 'train by ourselves option'. Okay, vote fixed to go for what we originally were going for, I think. Or if that isn't the 'train by yourself' option, I can change it again.
     
    Day 28 Chapter 10
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Plan: Inguz Conversion


    You keep your grips on the swords' hilts firm, but flexible, as you mimic Archer's fighting stance. "Not bad… I'm guessing you're borrowing that style from your Archer servant, right?" When you nod your head, Wakaba Mirai is sent shaking hers, and she asks you "So, out of curiosty, just what the heck is his deal, anyway? He's supposed to be an Archer, right; but he fights with swords too? How's that make any sense?"

    "Family secret," you say. "Now, what's next?"

    While Wakaba Mirai studies you, your stance and your blades, Scáthach takes up a position beside her. "You're going to show up your moves," she says. "Show us what you already know about how to fight with those blades, and we'll figure out how we can help you progress from there."

    You launch into a demonstration of the forms Archer has shown you. Measured, methodical jabs and thrusts, focusing on the target in front o fyou as you extend your strikes. Wakaba Mirai blocks or parries each of your attempts, repeatedly shattering your swords and forcing you back while you focus on making a new pair to replace them when they're lost.

    At first, Wakaba Mirai gives you time to recover, holding back for a few moments before lunging in and responding to your strikes, but that soon gives way to a bull-headed assault that takes the initiative away from you. When your swords break, she stops, and asks "Is this… I don't know how to ask this, but, like… Is this fun for you?"

    "What do you mean?" you ask, unsure of her question. "It's combat. It's not supposed to be fun."

    Wakaba MIrai shakes her head. "No, that's not what I mean," she says. "Let me see if I can say this another way; the way you fight with those swords… Do you enjoy having to constantly pull back and remake them whenever they break on you? Doesn't that seem… I don't know, like it's kind of a waste, when you could be focusing on just, I don't know, making stronger swords in the first place?"

    "Archer doesn't seem to have a problem with that."

    "Yeah, but your Archer is also, you know, actually good at fighting with them, right? You kind of… Aren't."

    "That's why I'm trying to improve myself," you say, as though it weren't already obvious. "I know I can't reach Archer's level immediately, but I can at least do my best to improve."

    "Right…" Wakaba Mirai still doesn't sound like she believes you. "I guess I don't really get what you're doing. I got this thing when I made my contract, and it's the only weapon I've really needed; outside of my bears, but that's a whole other story. Kazumi's got that big staff-thing of hers, Umika's got her spellbook…" Get to the point already. "The point is, we've all each got one weapon, and that's been good enough for us. So I don't really get why you're trying to branch out and tackle a weapon you're not good at. What's wrong with the bow you're already using?"

    "Nothing," you say. "But, isn't it better to have more options and to be more versatile in combat? If I'm limited to just my bow, then I've got that much harder of a fight if an enemy is able to get within a range where I can't comfortably make a shot in time. The swords are meant to complement the bow, not replace it outright."

    "You didn't seem to have much trouble fighting me or Saki when we'd get in close to you," Wakaba Mirai says. "I guess I just don't see it the same way you do."

    "No, she has a point," Scáthach says. "Though, I think in her desire to emulate her father, she has made the point that much more difficult for herself. A handier or sturdier sword would have been a better choice than a weapon which breaks as easily as these do." Scáthach looks down at the swords in your hands, and she steps up next, gently shoving Wakaba Mirai aside to take her place. The gesture earns her a scowl from Wakaba MIrai, a look of "Hey, watch what you're doing" that Scáthach ignores. "Still, I would hardly be a fair teacher if I rejected someone who was willing to learn, simply because I did not agree with their choice of weapon."

    Scáthach takes up a fighting stance, and she says to you "Come at me, master of the red Archer."

    So you do, repeating the forms you gleaned from watching Archer as you tangle your blades with the tip of Scáthach's spear. She goes slowly, making herself a more generous instructor than Wakaba Mirai. "Don't over-extend yourself," she says, catching you by the outstretched arm and throwing you to the ground. "With a longer sword or a spear that isn't a problem, but when your weapon is that short, you need to be careful about how you commit to an attack. Don't give your enemy the chance to grab you; or worse."

    Scáthach offers you a hand and helps you to your feet, and you resume. This time, you do a better job of keeping your reach in mind; "Don't linger on a thrust when you attack," Scáthach says as she catches another mistake. "That can be almost as fatal as over-extending. When you're fighting with a weapon that short, always remember to return to your core after each attack."

    "What's the difference?" You make another strike with the sword in your left hand. Scáthach blocks it, but you quickly slip in with the sword in your right, withdrawing both as soon as your strike lands. "Between over-extending and not pulling back to your core, I mean. What's the difference?"

    "To over-extend means you put more of yourself into your strike than you should," Scáthach says. "You can over-extend but quickly pull back, however, just as you can extend only as much as you need to, but also linger on a strike for too long. Either one opens yourself up to injury, and both should be avoided if at all possible."

    "I see." You try again, putting Scáthach's advice into practice as you make another strike. She blocks, and you pull back to your core before attempting another with the sword in your other hand. "I'm just copying what I learned from Archer," you say. "I never really got much in the way of technical instruction from Archer." Frankly, given how swords are like second nature to Archer, you wonder how much technical instruction he could actually give you that wasn't "Just do it like I do; I can't explain it". Maybe instead of not being able to explain an instinctual thing, the second-natured-ness of swords to him might mean he has a wealth of information.

    You don't know. You've really just watched how he does it without asking him, outside of the help you asked for in initially making these things.

    "Maybe you should ask him to give you more professional instruction," Scáthach says to you. As if she can read you rmind, she adds "Even if you think it wouldn't be much of a difference, it never hurts to try. Especially since he's the one you seem keen on emulating. Perhaps he's got a secret trick to using swords like that that I couldn't teach you."

    You nod your head, and ask "Do you think Assassin might have some insights where you don't?"

    "The only way to know is to ask her yourself," Scáthach replies. "I know my sister was always more keen on the sword than I was, but her preferred sword is still longer than those blades you've got. Maybe she'd have some advice, maybe not. But you should ask her, all the same."

    That's something else you'll have to keep in mind, while you practice using these blades more. You and Scáthach trade blows for a while longer, with her giving you advice as the two of you go along. Eventually, you see Asami Saki leading Maki Kaoru and Misaki Umika out as well, and she and Maki Kaoru go on to give them some instruction while you and Scáthach continue what you're doing here. But eventually, the time comes, and "I'm afraid I have reached the limits fo what I can instruct you in," Scáthach says. "I've given you a basic foundation for fighting with a short weapon, but you'll have to speak with Archer if you want better instruction on using those swords, specifically."

    "Thank you," you say. "Even if it wasn't as much as you thought, I still appreciate the instruction." You give Scáthach a polite bow, and the two of you are about to go your separate ways, when something stops you. "Actually, perhaps there's something else you could help me with, if you were so inclined."

    Scáthach, who had already turned to head back to her master, stops herself, and turns around to face you again. "That would depend on what it was you needed my help with," she says. "I will try to help, if I can, but I make no guarantee."

    "It's about the Inguz rune," you say. "I know you're proficient with the runes yourself, so I was wondering if you could help me with a… Specific application of it." You can't recall if anything definitive has been said to you about this or not, but you've had your suspicions about Scáthach's true nature for quite some time. Ever since you saw the how the ruby hanging from her diadem shines like a Soul Gem.

    "Which is?"

    "Familiars," you say. "I can make physical shapes out of my Grief, like wings, so I was wondering about making other applications. Based on… What I know about the current state of our system, if I were to try and make familiars from my Grief, it should be possible, so I was wondering if you would be willing to-"

    "Are you mad?" Scáthach's response comes as a surprise to you. "What you are proposing is dangerous, not to mention completely insane. Do you have any idea what you're asking for?"

    "I do," you say. "But, I still want to try. If it's possible…" If it's possible, you'd have another application to pour excess Grief into, that wouldn't cause you pain like those wings do, and which might help give your team additional forces. "I just have to know. If it's possible, and if you have any insights."

    "You'll forgive me for being hesitant," Scáthach says. "I would prefer not to ruminate on… That, if you will. But, if you are insistent, I suppose the least I can do is make sure you don't accidentally kill yourself. Or worse." You still can't recall if anything definitive about Scáthach's status has been conveyed to you in the past, but you're not just confident now, you're convinced. "I will not be the one responsible for returning your soul to your family without its light."

    Then you hope nothing else can go wrong.

    "Start by concentrating," Scáthach says. "Focus your mind on the shape of the object you wish to create. I would not presume to know the shape of your Otherworld self, so I cannot give you advice on what to envision. That must be your choice. If you have any inkling, let it be known to your mind. Otherwise, envision the shape you see in your soul, and concentrate on invoking that shape with Inguz to give to life."

    You have no idea of where to start. You don't know your witch. You don't know what form your soul would take should the worst come to pass. So you guess. If witches take the shape of the things which trouble their master's souls, then surely, yours would be given form by all the memories you've shared with Madoka. You think back to a memory you have of a date you went on with her, early into your relationship. You and Madoka were visiting a festival, when her eyes were caught by the sight of a black bird plush sitting on the shelf behind a shooting game. Something about the eyes, she said, reminded her of you; and the black colour certainly did the comparison justice.

    You try to imagine that plush bird, with its fuzzy black feathers and its glassy, royal blue eyes. It's still sitting on a shelf in Madoka's bedroom, next to the plush of a white bird with pink eyes which you also won for her.

    Envision the plush bird. Invoke the Inguz rune.

    Envision the plush bird. Invoke the Inguz rune.

    Envision the plush bird. Invoke the Inguz rune.

    An unfamiliar popping sound echoes in your ears, and for a brief moment you feel a burning sensation flare up in your hand. The feeling of pain steals you away from your concentration, and that's when you see it; and it both is, and is not, exactly what you expected it to be. The stuffed bird looks at you, with an almost quizzical look written on its featureless, expressionless face. Face? Do birds have faces? Is that the right word to use? Does it even matter?

    [ ] Ho~ly Jesus
    [ ] What is that?
    [ ] What the fuck is that?

    Do you
    [ ] Try to speak to the bird; see if it understands your commands
    [ ] Do nothing; observe the bird, and see how long it lasts when you're not actively supplying it with Grief
    [ ] Take the bird to Kanna Niko; maybe she can sync the bird to your phone, or something
    [ ] Try to make more birds
    [ ] Immediately squash the bird; it's creepy and you don't want to think about it
    [ ] Take the bird with you when you go to visit Madoka later
    [ ] Other (write-in)
    ​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • This was a really difficult one for me to write. Not only were the words just not coming to me, but the subject matter, particularly with respect to us making familiars, was difficult for me to work with. I know I've said in the past that I don't believe Confringentur Homura would have the same witch or abilities as the canon Homulily, but I didn't have any idea of what else Homura's witch and familiars could or should be in Homulily's absence. So I had a difficult time trying to justify what Homura should be able to create as a familiar. Birds are easy enough; that's one of the most stock familiars I could think of, that has a reason for being that I could provide an excuse for, and that matches one of Homulily's canon witches. Justifying the teeth would have been a lot trickier, and don't think for a second that you're going to get sentient Clara Dolls.
     
    [X] Plan: Ho~ly Jesus. What is that? What the fuck is that?
    -[X] Try to speak to the bird; see if it understands your commands
    --[X] Should it understand, try to make more birds and see how easy or hard they are to coordinate.
    -[X] Try to see what happens if you attempt to shove more or less grief into it; does it get bigger or stronger? Can you make a smaller, version? Any changes you make to it's design? Can you tell it to 'turn off' to get rid of it, or do you have to manually destroy it?
    -[X] Take the bird to Kanna Niko; maybe she can sync the bird to your phone, or something
    -[X] If it's shown to directly follow your commands, take the bird with you when you go to visit Madoka later

    SVS said:
    Justifying the teeth would have been a lot trickier, and don't think for a second that you're going to get sentient Clara Dolls.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Didn't think so, but doesn't hurt to try.
     
    PlaguePaladin said:
    -[X] Try to see what happens if you attempt to shove more or less grief into it; does it get bigger or stronger? Can you make a smaller, version? Any changes you make to it's design? Can you tell it to 'turn off' to get rid of it, or do you have to manually destroy it?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I should point out that we only have so much Grief we can use to experiment with. Assuming we don't have enough for everything, in what order of priority should we focus our experiments on?
     
    SVS said:
    I should point out that we only have so much Grief we can use to experiment with. Assuming we don't have enough for everything, in what order of priority should we focus our experiments on?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    The order I'd go for is, top to bottom:
    - Attempting to see what happens if we shove more or less grief into it
    - Attempting to make more to test coordination
    - Trying to make changes to the design
    - Trying to turn it off, since if it requires grief to turn off, then that's probably not good
     
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