[X] Plan The Negotiations Were Not Short
Confringentur, Mk.2; a Madoka Magica / Fate/Stay Night crossover
- Thread starter SVS
- Start date
- Crossover
- Location
- United States
@NMS @Signupname @WanderingTwix @BoundaryPhantasm @Slayer 10321
To quote a wise QM...
*proceeds to beg for votes* 🙏
EDIT: Signupname and BoundaryPhantasm, you absolutely lightning fast MVPs.
To quote a wise QM...
... I'm going to proceed to do the opposite of what they did here.SVS on Page 139 said:
*proceeds to beg for votes* 🙏
EDIT: Signupname and BoundaryPhantasm, you absolutely lightning fast MVPs.
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- Location
- The End of Glory
[X] Plan The Negotiations Were Not Short
[X] Plan The Negotiations Were Not Short
- Location
- United States
It was an incomplete vote, and I didn't @ you when begging for votes. Still appreciate the vote though.
Here's a picture of Sakurafish for your troubles.
Except you did?
- Location
- United States
Welp, I didn't mean to, but I did. Sorry about that (still appreciate the vote though). 😅
- Location
- Florida
Your pleas have stirred my cold, dead heart. Have a vote.@NMS @Signupname @WanderingTwix @BoundaryPhantasm @Slayer 10321
To quote a wise QM...
... I'm going to proceed to do the opposite of what they did here.
*proceeds to beg for votes* 🙏
EDIT: Signupname and BoundaryPhantasm, you absolutely lightning fast MVPs.
[X] Plan The Negotiations Were Not Short
Day 34 Chapter 13
- Location
- Around here
[X] Plan The Negotiations Were Not Short
"I have word from Caster," Tomoe-san says, interrupting your huddle with Mikuni Oriko before you can give her a response. "Apparently, he trusts that the situation is within our capacity to handle. While uplifting to know that he trusts us to make the right decision, I don't know how helpful his 'advice' actually is to us, nor was I able to pry an answer from him as to whether there was a 'best' way to approach the situation, or even a 'better' way; only that we're not taking the wrong way."
That's good; Caster has all but given your team the green light that your actions won't make the situation any worse. It also means that you can oblige Mikuni Oriko her request without having to worry that she'll screw something up because of it. You produce a Beretta pistol from your shield, and after giving it a once-over to make sure that it's only loaded with sim rounds, you hand it over. Mikuni Oriko takes the pistol from you, saying "I don't like this," as she turns it in her hand, familiarising herself with the controls. "It feels wrong to be holding something like this."
Seeing her lover handling your Beretta when she never got the chance - though if she ever says anything, you'll be quick to remind her that it was she who refused your offer when you made it - Kure Kirika crosses her arms, whining "Hey, how come Oriko gets to play with a gun and I don't?" Looks like you'll have to remind her.
"I'm not playing, dearest," Mikuni Oriko replies as she, having finished becoming familiar with the controls, slips the pistol into her pocket. "This is a very serious matter. I wouldn't normally be handling something like this if I didn't think there was good reason for me to need to." Mikuni Oriko hadn't sounded completely against the idea of Archer's present to Kure Kirika, at the time; but hearing the way she talks now you find yourself wondering if she won't be singing a different tune when it comes time to actually give the present to her. Well, that's a bridge you'll cross after dealing with things here.
Hopefully this won't take all night.
"I'll be going in first," you say, gathering your three allies in a circle around you. "I'd like to try appealing to Asako Koito's friendships with Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki before we move on to more drastic measures." Your eyes dart to Mikuni Oriko as you say those words. Somehow, you have the feeling that anything involving her and Asako Koito will be some shade of drastic, one way or another. "If that fails," you say to Mikuni Oriko, "You'll be free to come in and say or do whatever you think you need to in order to get her to cooperate."
Mikuni Oriko nods and accepts her solemn responsibility, but Kure Kirika doesn't quite like your idea. "What about us?" she asks, pointing to her and Tomoe-san. "You don't just expect us to stand around doing nothing; especially me, when Oriko'll be in there with those girls."
"Tomoe-san will be free to join Mikuni Oriko if she wants, but unless Mikuni Oriko has foreseen needing to tie Asako Koito down I don't think she needs to be there; and as for you- Frankly, you're a liability." Kure Kirika gives you a sour look, but you fire back, saying "I know the kind of history these girls have with the person you love, and that's precisely why I don't want you going down there with her. You're liable to do something, or say something, that I'm afraid will only make the situation worse given what we're trying to accomplish."
The pouting continues until placated with kisses, and Mikuni Oriko says "It'll only be for a short while, dearest. I'll be fine, I promise. No harm will come to myself or to Koito-san and her friends on my watch."
"It'd be a lot nicer if some harm came to them for the way they treated you."
Another pout, and another kiss. "I know that's how you feel, dearest; but the Lord teaches us to forgive those who trespass against us; and I will be better than the person I was and forgive them."
You leave the lovers to exchange their comforts, and head into the ruins of the Sakura Church. Hopefully this will be the last time you ever have to come to this wretched place. And yet... Despite the fire and three years of neglect, in some places you can still see the quality of the church that once stood here. Not all of the windows are completely destroyed, and though stained in brown and black you can still faintly make out the colours of the stained glass panels. What scraps of wood or carpet that haven't been burned away, eaten by insects, or exposed to the elements still retain their richness. The stonework, where it still stands, is expertly done; and though it's fallen and burned to an almost complete black, the large crucifix lying on the floor is still whole. The foundations, as you've seen many times, are still stable, and you think that with a bit of work what's left of this church could be salvaged into a beautiful building.
Perhaps that's something you could bring up, if you can ever safely get Nurse Ortensia into a room with Kyouko and MIkuni Oriko.
You stop just short of the basement doors; before you enter, you want to speak with the girls who aren't your prisoners, alone. "Don't let Asako Koito know I'm speaking to you," you say to the minds of Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki.
"Who is this? Uh... Akemi, right? Was that your name? What the heck are you doing in my head?"
"Great, so I'm hallucinating voices now. Guess I should have seen that coming after being in withdrawal for a week."
"I'm not a hallucination," you say to Nagatsuki Miyuki; you feel bad for her, that she's drank so much since her friend's passing that, in a week without alcohol she's come to think something like that. "This is an ability all puella magi share. I'm just surprised neither of you knew."
"I mean, sure Kyubey can talk to us inside our heads, but we never figured that we could do it to each other." You find yourself wondering when these girls were contracted. For all you know, they could be bottom of the barrel quality puella magi thrown together in the last minute on the vague hope that, in taking out Mikuni Oriko, the Incubator could regain some semblance of control over the city. "There's... Probably a lot of things he didn't tell us, isn't there?"
"You wouldn't be surprised by how much the Incubator likely left out of the fine print."
"Great. Well, this was just about the worst mistake of our lives, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was. But we can bemoan your decision-making skills later. Right now, we need to talk about Asako Koito. I'm worried that, after an entire week without her Soul Gem being cleansed, she's edging dangerously close to becoming a witch. I need to know whether I can appeal to her friendship with you in order to talk her down, because if she turns into a witch the two of you are liable to be caught in the crossfire, and I need to gauge how unwilling she would be to see harm come to her friends."
"I don't think you have anything to worry about." Somehow, though you can't place your finger on why, that sounds more disconcerting than if there were a problem. "I mean, yeah, since her sister died Koito hasn't really been herself, but at least she hasn't shown any noticeable difference between then and now."
"She's been more dismissive of us becoming magical girls, but I don't thinks he means it poorly. She's just focused on taking revenge for her sister. But, deep down I don't think she means us any harm by it."
"I'm trying to avoid harm coming to anyone tonight. That means Mikuni Oriko, but that also means the three of you. I just need to know if I can rely on the friendships you both have with her in order to talk her down."
"I mean, I'd like to hope so, but Miyuki and I were always closer to her older sister; just on account of us being the same age, I mean. Nothing against Koito."
It's hardly the answer you were hoping for, but with time being a luxury you don't have it will have to do. Taking one final breath, you push open the doors to the basement and make your way down the stairs where your one captive and her two friends are waiting. Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki try their hardest to look like they weren't just speaking with you, but Asako Koito is too focused to care that her friends are looking shifty.
"So, is tonight just going to be a repeat of every other night," Asako Koito asks you as you take your seat across from her. "Or are we going to actually get somewhere tonight?"
"I hope it's the latter." You try to speak as calmly as you can, never once betraying your fear that any second might be Asako Koito's last. "How have you been handling your Grief?"
"I'm still furious at Mikuni for, you know, killing my big sister, but I'm managing." Asako Koito speaks with a smugness you can't imagine coming from someone who may be only moments away from death. "And if you're asking about the health of my Soul Gem, well, that's none of your business, is it?"
"No, but it is the business of your friends, who have given up their freedom to stay in solidarity with you." Your gaze passes over Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki, and you say "If you turn into a witch because you've neglected your mental health by stewing in your anger this whole time, it's only going to hurt them; and while I don't want to see you taking any actions that might hurt my ally, I don't want you or your friends coming to harm, if I can help it. That's why I'm here tonight, because I'm worried about you."
"Let me guess- All I have to do is accept your offer, and all this will be over; is that right? Is that the spiel you're going to give me tonight?"
You shake your head, much to Asako Koito's surprise. "Actually, no. You don't have to agree to my demands at all; but you should at least make sure that your Soul Gem is healthy enough to where you're able to survive long enough to see your goals through to the end."
"You know what my goals are; and I know you won't let me 'see them through'."
"If your goal is the death of Mikuni Oriko, that is correct, and I am prepared to keep you here for as long as it takes to get you to give up on that goal. However, if all you want is for your sister's spirit to rest in peace, then I'm sure something can be arranged to where nobody has to die for it."
"So then bring her down here!" Asako Koito shouts, causing Nagatsuki Miyuki to jump in her seat. "I know Mikuni's waiting up there, outside. If you really want to get somewhere tonight, then I suggest you drag her down here, force her to her knees, and make her beg my sister's spirit for forgiveness-" As Asako Koito speaks, her voice rose, and she rose with it, culminating in her livid face shouting shouting into your own, "-exactly like I've been telling you to do for the last goddamn week!"
"That's enough, Koito-san!" Nagatsuki Miyuki also rises, fists clenched and trembling as she says "I know you're still mad at Mikuni for what she did, but yelling at this girl won't solve anything! She's trying to help us! She's trying to come to an arrangement where no one has to die! Isn't that preferable to living the rest of your life down here because you're too stubborn to let go?"
"What do you know?" You let your mind take a few steps away from what's to come as Asako Koito shouts back at Nagatsuki Miyuki. "How do you know what it feels like to have lost Komaki, when all you've done is spend the past month too fucking drunk to feel anything?"
"Because I loved her!" The basement falls silent as Nagatsuki Miyuki shouts those words, falling to her knees as she wipes away the tears streaking her glasses. Mikuni Oriko had sold you on the idea that Asako Komaki's aggression towards her was caused by repressed feelings for Namekata Akira, not Nagatsuki Miyuki. "I loved her so much, even though I know she would have hated me if I ever said anything!"
She didn't go ballistic, per se, but Asako Koito's reaction has still been less than peaceful. [ ] How should you proceed?
"I have word from Caster," Tomoe-san says, interrupting your huddle with Mikuni Oriko before you can give her a response. "Apparently, he trusts that the situation is within our capacity to handle. While uplifting to know that he trusts us to make the right decision, I don't know how helpful his 'advice' actually is to us, nor was I able to pry an answer from him as to whether there was a 'best' way to approach the situation, or even a 'better' way; only that we're not taking the wrong way."
That's good; Caster has all but given your team the green light that your actions won't make the situation any worse. It also means that you can oblige Mikuni Oriko her request without having to worry that she'll screw something up because of it. You produce a Beretta pistol from your shield, and after giving it a once-over to make sure that it's only loaded with sim rounds, you hand it over. Mikuni Oriko takes the pistol from you, saying "I don't like this," as she turns it in her hand, familiarising herself with the controls. "It feels wrong to be holding something like this."
Seeing her lover handling your Beretta when she never got the chance - though if she ever says anything, you'll be quick to remind her that it was she who refused your offer when you made it - Kure Kirika crosses her arms, whining "Hey, how come Oriko gets to play with a gun and I don't?" Looks like you'll have to remind her.
"I'm not playing, dearest," Mikuni Oriko replies as she, having finished becoming familiar with the controls, slips the pistol into her pocket. "This is a very serious matter. I wouldn't normally be handling something like this if I didn't think there was good reason for me to need to." Mikuni Oriko hadn't sounded completely against the idea of Archer's present to Kure Kirika, at the time; but hearing the way she talks now you find yourself wondering if she won't be singing a different tune when it comes time to actually give the present to her. Well, that's a bridge you'll cross after dealing with things here.
Hopefully this won't take all night.
"I'll be going in first," you say, gathering your three allies in a circle around you. "I'd like to try appealing to Asako Koito's friendships with Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki before we move on to more drastic measures." Your eyes dart to Mikuni Oriko as you say those words. Somehow, you have the feeling that anything involving her and Asako Koito will be some shade of drastic, one way or another. "If that fails," you say to Mikuni Oriko, "You'll be free to come in and say or do whatever you think you need to in order to get her to cooperate."
Mikuni Oriko nods and accepts her solemn responsibility, but Kure Kirika doesn't quite like your idea. "What about us?" she asks, pointing to her and Tomoe-san. "You don't just expect us to stand around doing nothing; especially me, when Oriko'll be in there with those girls."
"Tomoe-san will be free to join Mikuni Oriko if she wants, but unless Mikuni Oriko has foreseen needing to tie Asako Koito down I don't think she needs to be there; and as for you- Frankly, you're a liability." Kure Kirika gives you a sour look, but you fire back, saying "I know the kind of history these girls have with the person you love, and that's precisely why I don't want you going down there with her. You're liable to do something, or say something, that I'm afraid will only make the situation worse given what we're trying to accomplish."
The pouting continues until placated with kisses, and Mikuni Oriko says "It'll only be for a short while, dearest. I'll be fine, I promise. No harm will come to myself or to Koito-san and her friends on my watch."
"It'd be a lot nicer if some harm came to them for the way they treated you."
Another pout, and another kiss. "I know that's how you feel, dearest; but the Lord teaches us to forgive those who trespass against us; and I will be better than the person I was and forgive them."
You leave the lovers to exchange their comforts, and head into the ruins of the Sakura Church. Hopefully this will be the last time you ever have to come to this wretched place. And yet... Despite the fire and three years of neglect, in some places you can still see the quality of the church that once stood here. Not all of the windows are completely destroyed, and though stained in brown and black you can still faintly make out the colours of the stained glass panels. What scraps of wood or carpet that haven't been burned away, eaten by insects, or exposed to the elements still retain their richness. The stonework, where it still stands, is expertly done; and though it's fallen and burned to an almost complete black, the large crucifix lying on the floor is still whole. The foundations, as you've seen many times, are still stable, and you think that with a bit of work what's left of this church could be salvaged into a beautiful building.
Perhaps that's something you could bring up, if you can ever safely get Nurse Ortensia into a room with Kyouko and MIkuni Oriko.
You stop just short of the basement doors; before you enter, you want to speak with the girls who aren't your prisoners, alone. "Don't let Asako Koito know I'm speaking to you," you say to the minds of Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki.
"Who is this? Uh... Akemi, right? Was that your name? What the heck are you doing in my head?"
"Great, so I'm hallucinating voices now. Guess I should have seen that coming after being in withdrawal for a week."
"I'm not a hallucination," you say to Nagatsuki Miyuki; you feel bad for her, that she's drank so much since her friend's passing that, in a week without alcohol she's come to think something like that. "This is an ability all puella magi share. I'm just surprised neither of you knew."
"I mean, sure Kyubey can talk to us inside our heads, but we never figured that we could do it to each other." You find yourself wondering when these girls were contracted. For all you know, they could be bottom of the barrel quality puella magi thrown together in the last minute on the vague hope that, in taking out Mikuni Oriko, the Incubator could regain some semblance of control over the city. "There's... Probably a lot of things he didn't tell us, isn't there?"
"You wouldn't be surprised by how much the Incubator likely left out of the fine print."
"Great. Well, this was just about the worst mistake of our lives, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was. But we can bemoan your decision-making skills later. Right now, we need to talk about Asako Koito. I'm worried that, after an entire week without her Soul Gem being cleansed, she's edging dangerously close to becoming a witch. I need to know whether I can appeal to her friendship with you in order to talk her down, because if she turns into a witch the two of you are liable to be caught in the crossfire, and I need to gauge how unwilling she would be to see harm come to her friends."
"I don't think you have anything to worry about." Somehow, though you can't place your finger on why, that sounds more disconcerting than if there were a problem. "I mean, yeah, since her sister died Koito hasn't really been herself, but at least she hasn't shown any noticeable difference between then and now."
"She's been more dismissive of us becoming magical girls, but I don't thinks he means it poorly. She's just focused on taking revenge for her sister. But, deep down I don't think she means us any harm by it."
"I'm trying to avoid harm coming to anyone tonight. That means Mikuni Oriko, but that also means the three of you. I just need to know if I can rely on the friendships you both have with her in order to talk her down."
"I mean, I'd like to hope so, but Miyuki and I were always closer to her older sister; just on account of us being the same age, I mean. Nothing against Koito."
It's hardly the answer you were hoping for, but with time being a luxury you don't have it will have to do. Taking one final breath, you push open the doors to the basement and make your way down the stairs where your one captive and her two friends are waiting. Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki try their hardest to look like they weren't just speaking with you, but Asako Koito is too focused to care that her friends are looking shifty.
"So, is tonight just going to be a repeat of every other night," Asako Koito asks you as you take your seat across from her. "Or are we going to actually get somewhere tonight?"
"I hope it's the latter." You try to speak as calmly as you can, never once betraying your fear that any second might be Asako Koito's last. "How have you been handling your Grief?"
"I'm still furious at Mikuni for, you know, killing my big sister, but I'm managing." Asako Koito speaks with a smugness you can't imagine coming from someone who may be only moments away from death. "And if you're asking about the health of my Soul Gem, well, that's none of your business, is it?"
"No, but it is the business of your friends, who have given up their freedom to stay in solidarity with you." Your gaze passes over Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki, and you say "If you turn into a witch because you've neglected your mental health by stewing in your anger this whole time, it's only going to hurt them; and while I don't want to see you taking any actions that might hurt my ally, I don't want you or your friends coming to harm, if I can help it. That's why I'm here tonight, because I'm worried about you."
"Let me guess- All I have to do is accept your offer, and all this will be over; is that right? Is that the spiel you're going to give me tonight?"
You shake your head, much to Asako Koito's surprise. "Actually, no. You don't have to agree to my demands at all; but you should at least make sure that your Soul Gem is healthy enough to where you're able to survive long enough to see your goals through to the end."
"You know what my goals are; and I know you won't let me 'see them through'."
"If your goal is the death of Mikuni Oriko, that is correct, and I am prepared to keep you here for as long as it takes to get you to give up on that goal. However, if all you want is for your sister's spirit to rest in peace, then I'm sure something can be arranged to where nobody has to die for it."
"So then bring her down here!" Asako Koito shouts, causing Nagatsuki Miyuki to jump in her seat. "I know Mikuni's waiting up there, outside. If you really want to get somewhere tonight, then I suggest you drag her down here, force her to her knees, and make her beg my sister's spirit for forgiveness-" As Asako Koito speaks, her voice rose, and she rose with it, culminating in her livid face shouting shouting into your own, "-exactly like I've been telling you to do for the last goddamn week!"
"That's enough, Koito-san!" Nagatsuki Miyuki also rises, fists clenched and trembling as she says "I know you're still mad at Mikuni for what she did, but yelling at this girl won't solve anything! She's trying to help us! She's trying to come to an arrangement where no one has to die! Isn't that preferable to living the rest of your life down here because you're too stubborn to let go?"
"What do you know?" You let your mind take a few steps away from what's to come as Asako Koito shouts back at Nagatsuki Miyuki. "How do you know what it feels like to have lost Komaki, when all you've done is spend the past month too fucking drunk to feel anything?"
"Because I loved her!" The basement falls silent as Nagatsuki Miyuki shouts those words, falling to her knees as she wipes away the tears streaking her glasses. Mikuni Oriko had sold you on the idea that Asako Komaki's aggression towards her was caused by repressed feelings for Namekata Akira, not Nagatsuki Miyuki. "I loved her so much, even though I know she would have hated me if I ever said anything!"
She didn't go ballistic, per se, but Asako Koito's reaction has still been less than peaceful. [ ] How should you proceed?
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- Location
- Around here
It was an incomplete vote, and I didn't @ you when begging for votes. Still appreciate the vote though.
Remember kids, always @ responsibly.
Welp, I didn't mean to, but I did. Sorry about that (still appreciate the vote though). 😅
We're stopping here in part because the vote's gotten long, in part because I had no idea how to work our Grief Seed fact drop into the dialogue, and in part because Koito decided to start yelling at people.
- Location
- United States
[X] Plan Negamura
-[X] How should you proceed?
--[X] Clap your hands very loudly to divert Koito's attention for a moment, but telepathically inform Oriko that there'll be a bit of noise first so that they don't take that as their cue to enter; if that doesn't work, telepathically send the Shirome girls the sound of air raid sirens
---[X] "While it's obvious that you all cared for Komaki, and I hate to interrupt, but I never got to the good news I was going to share with you all"
----[X] "The good news is that you three will probably never have to hunt a Witch for the rest of your lives, because in the last couple days me and my team have found out how to cleanse and reuse Grief Seeds using some of their abilities, and I was hoping to offer you all free Grief Seed cleansings for life as long as you're able to reach us. This will allow you all to live out more relatively normal and safer lives without relinquishing your newfound abilities in any way. The caveat is that right now I want Koito to take one of my Grief Seeds and use it."
-----[X] "Why would I want you to cleanse your Soul Gem, Koito? Well, this helps bring up the other bit of news that I was going to tell all of you. I brought Oriko with me, and I will signal for her to come in to talk with you only after you've cleansed your Soul Gem. I don't think it's very unreasonable to want you to not be under the influence of Grief while you're talking with Oriko, as Grief actively messes with your head and emotions - it's one of the many drawbacks of the Incubator's system that's meant to drive girls into becoming Witches for other Puella Magi to slay, after all. I genuinely want to see this whole situation at least somewhat resolved by the end of the day so that you all can get on with your lives, and I don't like keeping you all captive down here even though I have to for the time being to prevent any bloodshed, so I hope that you will take this opportunity to talk things out with Oriko and hopefully come to a compromise, even if that ends up being Oriko giving into your demands assuming she chooses to do so."
Time for Homura to take control of the conversation. By doing something unexpected and drawing their attention for at least a few moments, it'll be enough for Homura to take over the conversation and continue onto some points that'll be interesting enough to further draw in their attention.
-[X] How should you proceed?
--[X] Clap your hands very loudly to divert Koito's attention for a moment, but telepathically inform Oriko that there'll be a bit of noise first so that they don't take that as their cue to enter; if that doesn't work, telepathically send the Shirome girls the sound of air raid sirens
---[X] "While it's obvious that you all cared for Komaki, and I hate to interrupt, but I never got to the good news I was going to share with you all"
----[X] "The good news is that you three will probably never have to hunt a Witch for the rest of your lives, because in the last couple days me and my team have found out how to cleanse and reuse Grief Seeds using some of their abilities, and I was hoping to offer you all free Grief Seed cleansings for life as long as you're able to reach us. This will allow you all to live out more relatively normal and safer lives without relinquishing your newfound abilities in any way. The caveat is that right now I want Koito to take one of my Grief Seeds and use it."
-----[X] "Why would I want you to cleanse your Soul Gem, Koito? Well, this helps bring up the other bit of news that I was going to tell all of you. I brought Oriko with me, and I will signal for her to come in to talk with you only after you've cleansed your Soul Gem. I don't think it's very unreasonable to want you to not be under the influence of Grief while you're talking with Oriko, as Grief actively messes with your head and emotions - it's one of the many drawbacks of the Incubator's system that's meant to drive girls into becoming Witches for other Puella Magi to slay, after all. I genuinely want to see this whole situation at least somewhat resolved by the end of the day so that you all can get on with your lives, and I don't like keeping you all captive down here even though I have to for the time being to prevent any bloodshed, so I hope that you will take this opportunity to talk things out with Oriko and hopefully come to a compromise, even if that ends up being Oriko giving into your demands assuming she chooses to do so."
Time for Homura to take control of the conversation. By doing something unexpected and drawing their attention for at least a few moments, it'll be enough for Homura to take over the conversation and continue onto some points that'll be interesting enough to further draw in their attention.
o_o Jeez, that's cold NMS. We aren't gonna give up on their lives just yet. Oriko did say they were pretty much out of time, after all.
- Location
- Around here
Correction- They're only out of time if the witch Oriko saw was Koito's. Since she can't get a proper read on Koito's future, she doesn't know if the witch she saw was Koito's or not. If it's not, then they theoretically have all the time in the world unless proven otherwise.
- Location
- United States
Yep, but better to prepare for the worst than to be unpleasantly surprised by one's lack of forethought.
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
- Location
- United Kingdom
This is just something I'm throwing out, but I sometimes wonder if Koito is in a similar situation to Kirika, where her wish affected her mind. Probably not true, though.
[x] enetious
[x] enetious
[x] enetious
- Location
- Around here
Well now, if you're going to throw out an idea like that, you pretty much owe it to us to elaborate. What's got you thinking that way?
- Location
- United States
I'm pretty sure WanderingTwix is referring to the extremely radical change to her personality compared to her canonical self. I've had thoughts about it myself, however I just assumed that you were going all in with Koito "breaking" while trying to cope with the loss of her sister, or maybe you were just taking liberties as the author due to the lack of translated info available. Idk.
In particular, her brashness, her crude language, and her not acting shy, nervous, or hesitant at all and is instead apparently extremely confident and (kinda) cool under pressure is basically the opposite of what we got to see of her in Sadness Prayer.
Day 34 Chapter 14
- Location
- Around here
[X] Plan Negamura
Asako Koito's reaction to your news has been less than pleasant; not ballistic, per se, but quite aggressive all the same. You aren't confident in calling Mikuni Oriko down here, not yet; and then there's Nagatsuki Miyuki's declaration that she was the one who loved Asako Komaki, and not Namekata Akira. If nothing else, this has been a learning experience; you've gotten to see the effect to which Asako Koito's Grief is impacting her mental state, and come into a new piece of information about one of her friends, though you aren't sure when knowing that might be useful to you.
You clap your hands together loudly, cutting into Asako Koito and Nagatsuki Miyuki's argument and diverting their attention to you. "Both of you obvious cared for Asako Komaki very much; I don't think to fight over who cared for her more."
"What's it to you?" Asako Koito asks, her voice still seething as she speaks. "You're just an intruder in all of this."
"What's it to me, is that I never got to share the good news with all of you." You receive a trio of confused stares from your captives; what good news could you have? is what you're sure they're wondering, outside of the obvious, that you're letting them go free. "You see, my team and I have recently discovered a way to cleanse and reuse Grief Seeds; and I am prepared to offer all three of you free cleansings for life, as long as we're in contact with one another. Once you're free, you'll be able to live your lives as close to normal as possible, without having to give up any of the benefits of your newfound abilities in the process."
"But lemme guess," says Namekata Akira, "There's a catch, right? Like, Koito's gotta do that gayass thing you want her to, right?"
"It's pronounced 'Geis'," you say, correcting her pronunciation. "And no, while that is something I would like to see happen, my condition is that I want Asako Koito to cleanse her Soul Gem right now. After that outburst, she's proven that she's in no shape mentally to bargain with Mikuni Oriko for her release, so I want to see her Soul Gem cleansed before I call Mikuni Oriko down here for a chat." You turn to Asako Koito, and asks "Well, do we have a deal?"
You receive a scowl for your concern, but after several seconds of nothing, Asako Koito forks over her Soul Gem. "Make it quick," she says, as you apply your Grief Seed to the jewelled spool of thread stained with black. At nearly seventy-five per cent corruption, your Seed drains the blackness slowly, and you are only able to bring the corruption down to around a quarter before the Seed is filled to the brim.
You think you see how she managed to survive a week and not be completely consumed by the corruption.
"There, isn't that better?" you ask, handing the bright and clear indigo Soul Gem back to its owner. "Having lots of Grief built up messes with your mental state; makes it harder to remain yourself. Very bad to let it build up like you have." When a scowl is your only response, you say "I genuinely want to see this situation between you girls and Mikuni Oriko resolved. I don't like keeping you all down here, and I wish we could have come to a bloodless solution before all of this started." Asako Koito may still be stubborn in her defiance, but one look in their eyes and you can see that Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki were defeated a long time ago; the poor girls, they just want to go home. Your eyes return to Asako Koito, and you say "I'll call Mikuni Oriko down now, and I hope you and she can come to a compromise."
Asako Koito sneers, saying "I'll compromise when my sister's spirit is satisfied."
You hope you're making the right call when you say to the mind of Mikuni Oriko "I've gone and cleansed Asako Koito's Soul Gem. You're free to come down and speak with her, if you'd like." You hope you aren't playing into her hands. You hope Mikuni Oriko knows what she's doing with that pistol you let her borrow.
Soon, you hear the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, and shortly after the form of Mikuni Oriko comes into view. No smile; steady breathing; eyes dull. She's trying her best to appear calm and collected, but you've spent enough time around her to know how much this meeting is hurting her inside. She comes to a stop when she reaches a spot parallel to you, standing still as she says "I hope I'm allowed to say 'good afternoon' to all of you."
"Uh, yeah, sure..."
"Good afternoon to you as well, Mikuni."
Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki give lukewarm greetings, at best, but Asako Koito doesn't give even that. Instead, she asks "Well, isn't there something you have to say?"
"Yes, there is." Mikuni Oriko hangs her head, muttering "O Lord, give me the strength to make right what I have done" as she touches the place where her crucifix necklace hangs. She takes one final breath, raising her head until she stares Asako Koito in the eye, and says "I am sorry. Words cannot express the harm I have done to you and your family in murdering your sister, nor can they express the shame and regret I feel every day for the crimes I have committed, but I pray you will find it in you to accept this most sincere apology."
Then, just as Asako Koito had said she wanted to see, Mikuni Oriko gets down on her knees, saying to the heavens "Komaki-san, I know we had our differences in the past, but I want you to know that what I did to you was not done out of a sense of anger or hatred towards you. I forgive you for the things you said and did to me, and if I could take back my actions on that night I would do so in a heartbeat. I wish..." Her voice stutters, and you catch a single tear falling onto the concrete floor underneath Mikuni Oriko's face. "I wish none of this had ever happened. I wish we could have come to a peaceful conclusion. I cannot take back your death, but I promise you, I will do everything in my power to see that your family does not lose another daughter because of my actions." After that, Mikuni Oriko says nothing more, silently awaiting the judgement of Asako Koito.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice, Asako Koito slowly claps her hands together; then a fourth time, and she says "Brava, brava; you know, I almost believed you there for a second." A stunned expression overtakes Mikuni Oriko's face. "Imagine that, the bitch who killed my sister actually thinking she could sound sincere as she apologises for it?"
"But you said-"
"I said I would consider accepting your apology," Asako Koito says, cutting MIkuni Oriko off. "I trust Akemi accurately conveyed the message to you, and didn't just give you false hope that I'd bow out instantly if you got on your knees and apologised." She smirks, mugging the camera of life with the most ungrateful expression you think you've ever seen another human wear, and she approaches the still-kneeling Mikuni Oriko. "And, after giving it my consideration, I've decided not to accept your apology."
"Hey, Koito, are you feeling okay?" Namekata Akira asks, sliding up beside her friend to say "I mean, I thought she sounded pretty sincere, but you're just... You know, you haven't been yourself ever since you made your contract. You... You're really starting to sound less like yourself these days, and a lot like your big sis."
"Don't you think I know that?" Asako Koito snaps, forcing Namekata Akira to step back. "But I've got to be strong. I've got to show Komaki that I can make it without her. That I can carry her burdens from now on." In a flash of indigo threads that wrap themselves around her body, Asako Koito transforms into her battle costume, and in the dull light filtering in from the slit window at the edge of the basement foundation, you can see thin, almost invisible wires snaking out from underneath her sleeves, stopping just centimeters short of Mikuni Oriko's throat. "I've got to prove to her that I can do what she couldn't."
"Fight me," she says to Mikuni Oriko. "If you're able to do to me what you did to my sister, then I'll admit it wasn't just a fluke that you beat my sister and I'll let you live. But if you can't, I'm going to string your body up and do to you exactly what you did to my sister."
Do you
[ ] Let them fight
[ ] Intervene
[ ] Other (write-in)
Asako Koito's reaction to your news has been less than pleasant; not ballistic, per se, but quite aggressive all the same. You aren't confident in calling Mikuni Oriko down here, not yet; and then there's Nagatsuki Miyuki's declaration that she was the one who loved Asako Komaki, and not Namekata Akira. If nothing else, this has been a learning experience; you've gotten to see the effect to which Asako Koito's Grief is impacting her mental state, and come into a new piece of information about one of her friends, though you aren't sure when knowing that might be useful to you.
You clap your hands together loudly, cutting into Asako Koito and Nagatsuki Miyuki's argument and diverting their attention to you. "Both of you obvious cared for Asako Komaki very much; I don't think to fight over who cared for her more."
"What's it to you?" Asako Koito asks, her voice still seething as she speaks. "You're just an intruder in all of this."
"What's it to me, is that I never got to share the good news with all of you." You receive a trio of confused stares from your captives; what good news could you have? is what you're sure they're wondering, outside of the obvious, that you're letting them go free. "You see, my team and I have recently discovered a way to cleanse and reuse Grief Seeds; and I am prepared to offer all three of you free cleansings for life, as long as we're in contact with one another. Once you're free, you'll be able to live your lives as close to normal as possible, without having to give up any of the benefits of your newfound abilities in the process."
"But lemme guess," says Namekata Akira, "There's a catch, right? Like, Koito's gotta do that gayass thing you want her to, right?"
"It's pronounced 'Geis'," you say, correcting her pronunciation. "And no, while that is something I would like to see happen, my condition is that I want Asako Koito to cleanse her Soul Gem right now. After that outburst, she's proven that she's in no shape mentally to bargain with Mikuni Oriko for her release, so I want to see her Soul Gem cleansed before I call Mikuni Oriko down here for a chat." You turn to Asako Koito, and asks "Well, do we have a deal?"
You receive a scowl for your concern, but after several seconds of nothing, Asako Koito forks over her Soul Gem. "Make it quick," she says, as you apply your Grief Seed to the jewelled spool of thread stained with black. At nearly seventy-five per cent corruption, your Seed drains the blackness slowly, and you are only able to bring the corruption down to around a quarter before the Seed is filled to the brim.
You think you see how she managed to survive a week and not be completely consumed by the corruption.
"There, isn't that better?" you ask, handing the bright and clear indigo Soul Gem back to its owner. "Having lots of Grief built up messes with your mental state; makes it harder to remain yourself. Very bad to let it build up like you have." When a scowl is your only response, you say "I genuinely want to see this situation between you girls and Mikuni Oriko resolved. I don't like keeping you all down here, and I wish we could have come to a bloodless solution before all of this started." Asako Koito may still be stubborn in her defiance, but one look in their eyes and you can see that Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki were defeated a long time ago; the poor girls, they just want to go home. Your eyes return to Asako Koito, and you say "I'll call Mikuni Oriko down now, and I hope you and she can come to a compromise."
Asako Koito sneers, saying "I'll compromise when my sister's spirit is satisfied."
You hope you're making the right call when you say to the mind of Mikuni Oriko "I've gone and cleansed Asako Koito's Soul Gem. You're free to come down and speak with her, if you'd like." You hope you aren't playing into her hands. You hope Mikuni Oriko knows what she's doing with that pistol you let her borrow.
Soon, you hear the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, and shortly after the form of Mikuni Oriko comes into view. No smile; steady breathing; eyes dull. She's trying her best to appear calm and collected, but you've spent enough time around her to know how much this meeting is hurting her inside. She comes to a stop when she reaches a spot parallel to you, standing still as she says "I hope I'm allowed to say 'good afternoon' to all of you."
"Uh, yeah, sure..."
"Good afternoon to you as well, Mikuni."
Namekata Akira and Nagatsuki Miyuki give lukewarm greetings, at best, but Asako Koito doesn't give even that. Instead, she asks "Well, isn't there something you have to say?"
"Yes, there is." Mikuni Oriko hangs her head, muttering "O Lord, give me the strength to make right what I have done" as she touches the place where her crucifix necklace hangs. She takes one final breath, raising her head until she stares Asako Koito in the eye, and says "I am sorry. Words cannot express the harm I have done to you and your family in murdering your sister, nor can they express the shame and regret I feel every day for the crimes I have committed, but I pray you will find it in you to accept this most sincere apology."
Then, just as Asako Koito had said she wanted to see, Mikuni Oriko gets down on her knees, saying to the heavens "Komaki-san, I know we had our differences in the past, but I want you to know that what I did to you was not done out of a sense of anger or hatred towards you. I forgive you for the things you said and did to me, and if I could take back my actions on that night I would do so in a heartbeat. I wish..." Her voice stutters, and you catch a single tear falling onto the concrete floor underneath Mikuni Oriko's face. "I wish none of this had ever happened. I wish we could have come to a peaceful conclusion. I cannot take back your death, but I promise you, I will do everything in my power to see that your family does not lose another daughter because of my actions." After that, Mikuni Oriko says nothing more, silently awaiting the judgement of Asako Koito.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice, Asako Koito slowly claps her hands together; then a fourth time, and she says "Brava, brava; you know, I almost believed you there for a second." A stunned expression overtakes Mikuni Oriko's face. "Imagine that, the bitch who killed my sister actually thinking she could sound sincere as she apologises for it?"
"But you said-"
"I said I would consider accepting your apology," Asako Koito says, cutting MIkuni Oriko off. "I trust Akemi accurately conveyed the message to you, and didn't just give you false hope that I'd bow out instantly if you got on your knees and apologised." She smirks, mugging the camera of life with the most ungrateful expression you think you've ever seen another human wear, and she approaches the still-kneeling Mikuni Oriko. "And, after giving it my consideration, I've decided not to accept your apology."
"Hey, Koito, are you feeling okay?" Namekata Akira asks, sliding up beside her friend to say "I mean, I thought she sounded pretty sincere, but you're just... You know, you haven't been yourself ever since you made your contract. You... You're really starting to sound less like yourself these days, and a lot like your big sis."
"Don't you think I know that?" Asako Koito snaps, forcing Namekata Akira to step back. "But I've got to be strong. I've got to show Komaki that I can make it without her. That I can carry her burdens from now on." In a flash of indigo threads that wrap themselves around her body, Asako Koito transforms into her battle costume, and in the dull light filtering in from the slit window at the edge of the basement foundation, you can see thin, almost invisible wires snaking out from underneath her sleeves, stopping just centimeters short of Mikuni Oriko's throat. "I've got to prove to her that I can do what she couldn't."
"Fight me," she says to Mikuni Oriko. "If you're able to do to me what you did to my sister, then I'll admit it wasn't just a fluke that you beat my sister and I'll let you live. But if you can't, I'm going to string your body up and do to you exactly what you did to my sister."
Do you
[ ] Let them fight
[ ] Intervene
[ ] Other (write-in)
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- Location
- Around here
I wasn't going to explicitly address Koito's change in behaviour until Twix and Enetious pointed it out. It's not a byproduct of her wish, and it's not my taking liberties with her character on account of a lack of translated materials. It's an active change meant to reflect that she feels obligated to pick up the slack, become Komaki 2.0 in the eyes of her friends and family, and do what her sister couldn't now that she has the power to do so.
So the question is, do we trust Oriko to handle the situation on her own, do we step in before things get out of hand, or do we take a third path and try something that's not on the list?
So the question is, do we trust Oriko to handle the situation on her own, do we step in before things get out of hand, or do we take a third path and try something that's not on the list?
A precog who whose vision gets blurry when she tries to look at the future of the girl currently challenging her.
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
- Location
- United Kingdom
I don't know her canonical self, but yeah, that. The character sheet points it out too.
What NMS ninja'd.
- Location
- United States
Not blurry, she just sees a whole lot more possibilities in regards to Koito specifically that it makes it very difficult to accurately predict her. That doesn't mean she couldn't learn from the myriad of vision on how she reacts to things and acts, nor does it disclude the possibility that Oriko is working around it by precoging other things like Koito's friends.