[X] Inform McRemitz-san
[X] Begin the meeting.
-[X] Tell everyone about the church and the bar.
-[X] Begin discussing plans to track down Assassin, possibly via experimentation between both Caster and Oriko's respective precognitive abilities. Otherwise, they can all fan out at night, staying in contact with one another and not engaging Assassin if a group finds her until others arrive.
--[X] Battle plans as from before: Puella Magi stay outside the Labyrinth in preparation to bombard Assassin as she flees alongside Archer and Lancer, other Servants entering the Labyrinth to either eliminate Assassin in short order or make her flee while being ready, before initially entering the Labyrinth, to pursue a fleeing enemy to prevent confusion from Assassin's Information Erasure skill. The Puella Magi can monitor the battle in the Labyrinth with their Master Vision.
-[X] Telepathically ask Mami if now would be a decent time to begin on the team-building exercises, such as group cooking.
"It's lovely, Mikuni-san," Tomoe-san says, setting her container of jam aside on your table. "Thank you for your generosity."
"Yeah," Kyouko chimes in, placing her jam besides Tomoe-san's. "I'll never say no to free food."
You continue to stare at the container of jam in your hands,not saying "thank you", and yet not rejecting the present either. "Akemi-san, is something the matter?" Mikuni Oriko asks, as you gaze back like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. "Do you not like it?"
"It's not that," you finally manage to say. "I just wasn't expecting you to bring anything like this." It still isn't a thank you, but the fact that you haven't outright rejected her present is enough to placate Mikuni Oriko. "At any rate, I was thinking that we should start with an overview of the battle plan from last night, so that we can move on to the rest of the day's exercises without having that hanging over our heads."
"Is that alright with you, Tomoe-san, or had you wanted to do the exercises first?"
"I had, but I think your idea is better. I know Sakura-san will appreciate that we're taking steps to deal with Assassin before doing anything else. ... Actually, Akemi-san, I feel that I am partly at fault for Sakura-san's outburst last night. I know you had wanted to get a handle on things as soon as possible, but I made you delay because I wanted to focus on my studies."
"I've been keeping this city safe all by myself for almost three years now, and I... I thought that, having you and Sakura-san in my life, that I could afford to grow lax in my responsibilities and focus on myself more while expecting you to pick up my slack. It took seeing how my actions were harming Sakura-san last night for me to realize what I was doing, and that... That isn't how friends should treat each other, and I apologize for making more work for you."
More work for you?
In half of all timelines, Tomoe-san is dead by this point. She hasn't made any more work for you, no more than you've ever had in any other timeline because of her. "I can't accept your apology, Tomoe-san, because you haven't done anything wrong. We all make mistakes sometimes. All we can do is learn from them and make sure they don't happen again."
"Thank you, Akemi-san. I promise I won't let it happen again."
"Uh, hello?" And there's Kyouko, waving her hand in front of yours and Tomoe-san's faces. "You guys okay in there? I thought we were gunna start."
"Yes, Sakura-san, we're fine. We can begin now." Tomoe-san turns to you, asking "Akemi-san, if you would please?"
"Right." You snap your fingers, and an image of the city is projected onto one of the holographic screens hanging from your ceiling. "Now, as we discussed last night..."
"... However, the biggest problem is still going to be simply finding Assassin. Kure Kirika has volunteered herself to act as a lure to draw Assassin out, but a lure only works if you're throwing it where there's fish. Mitakihara is a city of twenty square kilometers, and we're trying to catch a single fish out of three-hundred-thousand. In order for our lure to be effective, we'll have to throw it in the right place."
Kure Kirika raises her hand, stating "I've never gone fishing before." Her hand is intercepted by Mikuni Oriko, who gently brings the appendage back down, lacing their fingers together before setting their hands in Kure Kirika's lap.
"What Kirika is trying to say, Akemi-san, is that she's nervous. How are we supposed to find Assassin if we don't even know where to look?"
"You approached the possibility of working with Caster last night, did you not?" Mikuni Oriko nods in affirmation of your question. "I am still not entirely convinced that you might find Assassin together when you are unsuccessful in finding her apart, but I am willing to give you the chance, so long as Tomoe-san can get Caster to agree to work with you." You look directly at Tomoe-san as you speak that last part.
"I will do my best to convince him, Akemi-san, but as I'm sure you're aware, Caster does as he will with little input from me either way."
"Yes, I'm aware. If you are unable to convince him, or if he and Mikuni Oriko are unable to find Assassin, then we will be left with no choice but to fan out and comb the city, block-by-block if we have to."
"And if one of us should find her then?"
"Whoever finds Assassin should hang back, inform the others, and hold position until everyone can arrive. Once we're all in position, we'll move forward with the plan to eliminate her. I hope everyone finds this satisfactory."
Everyone is listening to you.
You don't know when you became the leader of Mitakihara's puella magi population. In previous timelines, no one would listen, and everyone ended up dead for not heeding your warnings. But so much has changed now, all because they've listened. You and Madoka are closer than you've been in so many lifetimes; Sayaka of all people has become your closest non-Madoka friend, Tomoe-san is alive, and she and Kyouko are reunited on good terms; even Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika, people whom you thought your voice could never reach, sit down at your living room table and nod their heads along with this plan you've all strung together.
Your throat is dry, and you wish Archer would come by with something to drink.
"Well, now that we've got that all settled," Tomoe-takes the lead away from you, much to your gratitude. You aren't sure how much longer you could have gone on. "I think it's time we all did our best to get acquainted with the people we'll be working together with."
Five strands of ribbon burst from Tomoe-san's Soul Gem, forming into small discs no larger than music CDs. With a marker she numbers each disc one though five, showing her work to each of you when she is finished. Then, she shuffles them in her hand like a deck of playing cards, and places each disc face-down on the table. "I was thinking that we'd start with just some basic introductions, and then go from there. We'll each take a number, and going in order we'll introduce ourselves. It doesn't have to be anything too revealing; maybe just your name, age, how long you've been a puella magi, and maybe one or two other things you want to share about yourself. In addition, I want everyone else to say something nice about whoever is speaking after they've introduced themselves. How does that sound to everyone?"
You have no complaints, and from across the table it appears that Mikuni Oriko has no complaints either. You can't tell what Kyouko is thinking; perhaps she's just going along with this for the chance to kill Assassin. But Kure Kirika appears to be another story, sitting there with a frown on her face, refusing to look at anyone. Still, at Mikuni Oriko's insistence, she takes a number along with everyone else.
Your number is four.
All eyes fall to Mikuni Oriko, who had drawn to go first. She stares out at everyone, and speaks. "My name is Mikuni Oriko. I'm fifteen, and I've been a puella magi for a little under four months. I'm dating another puella magi, Kure Kirika, and the two of us live together at my house on the Mitakihara-Shirome border. I... I've done some very bad things in the past, but I'm trying my hardest to make up for them in any way that I can. I hope you all will come to accept me."
"Thank you, Mikuni-san," Tomoe-san says. "I know how hard it is to balance a personal life with your duties as a puella magi, so I think it's great that you and Kure-san have found happiness together."
"Yeah, so Spooky-" Kyouko points an accusatory thumb in your direction "-might have told some real horror stories about ya, but... Well, since yer willing ta help kill Assassin, I guess ya can't be all bad."
Kure Kirika's face lights up as she wraps her arms around Mikuni Oriko's waist, proudly proclaiming "My Oriko's the best girlfriend in the whole world! I love love love love love her!" It's rare that you see Mikuni Oriko smile with no malicious intent behind it, but the smile she gives to Kure Kirika is one such.
[ ] What do you say about Mikuni Oriko? (write-in)
"So, I guess I'm next, huh?" Kyouko asks, staring at the number two written on her disc. "Sup? Name's Sakura Kyouko. I'm turning fifteen in June, and I've been a puella magi fer about three years now. Actually, uh, Mami and I used ta work together, back in the day. I like two things- Free food, and kicking ass at the dance machines at the mall arcade... And... I guess I got a bit of a soft spot fer kids, too. They're cute, and innocent, and they... They're just great when ya get ta know'em."
Kyouko struggles to fight back her tears and keep a strong facade in front of the others, while Tomoe-san comforts her with a backrub. "Thank you, Sakura-san. You've got a very passionate heart, and I really admire you for that."
"I know you didn't say it," Mikuni Oriko says, with a hesitating hand as she decides whether or not to reach out to Kyouko "But I know what it feels like; what you're going through. I think you're very strong, to be able to keep going in spite of everything that's happened to you."
Kure Kirika takes some nudging from Mikuni Oriko before she can say "You're a real monster when you put your legs to good use. I'm glad I got to dance with you the other day. That was a lot of fun." Having spoken her piece, she hangs her head down, clutching at what remains of her legs.
[ ] What do you say about Kyouko? (write-in)
"Alright then, looks like it's my turn." The star orchestrator of today's events takes to the spotlight. "My name is Tomoe Mami. I'm fifteen years old, and I too have been a puella magi for about three years now. Like Sakura-san said, she and I used to work together as partners when she was just starting out, and I'm very glad to have the opportunity to work with everyone now. She and I live together, and because I love to bake, and she loves to eat, I think it's an arrangement that works well for us."
Kyouko smiles, clapping Tomoe-san on the back as she says "You can say that again, Mami! The stuff you bake is really the best!"
"A well-made pastry is truly a wonderful thing, Tomoe-san. I'd like the chance to eat something you've baked as well." Your eyes dart to the jars of jam that Mikuni Oriko brought over. Perhaps she fancies her skills in the kitchen as well.
Again, Kure Kirika some amount of convincing to speak, and when she does it's hardly what you were expecting. "You... You hurt Oriko before. But... You also kept Akemi from hurting Oriko even more, so... I guess I should forgive you." On second thought, it's exactly what you were expecting.
[ ] What do you say about Tomoe-san? (write-in)
[ ] What do you say about yourself? (write-in)
[ ] What do you do after this?
). It will help all around, whether with oriko relation, additional manpower, such and such.
