- Location
- United States
I'm not vying for its ability to actually be useful, just it's nature as a purely magical attack that can be used to test certain things out (like the Inguz energy attack transference test without Oriko around).
Confringentur, Mk.2; a Madoka Magica / Fate/Stay Night crossover
- Thread starter SVS
- Start date
- Crossover
- Location
- United States
Yes? I just don't see the point in including it in the plan when it almost certainly won't be in the next chapter or two.
Yes? I just don't see the point in including it in the plan when it almost certainly won't be in the next chapter or two.
Fair enough.
[X] Plan I Believe I Can Fly
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
- Location
- United Kingdom
[x] enetious
Day 45 Chapter 4
- Location
- Around here
[X] Plan I Believe I Can Fly
You have no archery club practice after school today, meaning you and Tomoe-san can head directly to your makeshift training grounds in the little clearing. Those poor trees never had a chance. Nagatsuki Miyuki will be late again, something which you expected from her, given the situation, so now you're just waiting on MIkuni Oriko; except she won't be making it either.
So, for the time being, training this afternoon will be limited to just you, Tomoe-san, and Kyouko; and a surprise appearance by Sayaka, who sucked up whatever complaints she still has about you in order to make the walk to Kazamino with you and Tomoe-san. "I kinda wanted to see how you all do your thing," she says. "That, and..." Sayaka tries to hide her gaze, to no avail as she adds "... I wanted to spend some time with Kyouko, since, you know; Sunday and all..."
Kyouko smirks, wrapping an arm around Sayaka and eyeing her as though she were a piece of candy. "Aww, ain't that sweet," she says, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek. "'Course ya can watch me, Blueberry."
You wish Madoka could have come to watch you the way Sayaka came to watch Kyouko, but she had one of her two clubs meeting this afternoon. So for now, you'll give the two lovers their space, choosing instead to fall back and spend the rest of the walk to the training grounds talking with Tomoe-san. "You know, I've been thinking," you say, awkwardly, as you aren't sure how to approach this after so many timelines were brought to failure because of your blonde senior, "But after all this is over, if you'd like I wouldn't be averse to the two of us hanging out more often; but, as friends, not just as co-workers."
"Well, that's certainly an interesting request coming from you, Akemi-san," Tomoe-san says. "I thought we were already friends."
"We are, it's just that, between everything that's happened so far, we haven't really had the chance to act like it." You hope your explanation is enough to prevent Tomoe-san from taking offense. "So, after this is all over, I wouldn't mind us being able to hang out more often for reasons other than work." You try to remember the earlier loops, back when before you stopped considering Tomoe-san a friend; you wouldn't mind if this loop ended up like a better version of one of those earlier loops. "The same applies to Kyouko, if you'd let her know for me."
"I'd like that. When this is all over..." Tomoe-san sighs, craning her head skyward as she says "When I lost Sakura-san the first time, I thought I'd be alone forever. I'd chased off my best friend, and I'd spent so much time prioritising my duties as a puella magi that I completely ignored making friends with the people around me. Back then, I never could have imagined how warm having so many good friends as you and the others could make me feel; and I've even started opening up to my other classmates, too." Tomoe-san smiles, and with determination in her voice says "So I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I don't lose any of you on Sunday.""Because I don't know what I'd do if I had to go back to being alone."
Your group of four arrives at the training grounds, and "Whoa! You guys have really done a number on the trees, haven't you?" Sayaka says. "Like, geez, what are people gonna think once there's traffic coming through here again?"
The trees aren't the only thing you've done a number on, though they are the most visible. You've also done a number on Tomoe-san's seniority as a puella magi. The day you first approached her, before you and she formed the alliance that marked the turning point in your relationship with her, you remember how she reacted when you, a virtual newcomer to her territory, were the one making demands of her, the veteran.
"That's a pretty bold move, Akemi-san. From where I sit, you're the newcomer to the social order, and yet you're offering me a deal? Go on; you have me intrigued."
You're glad that negotiations between you and Tomoe-san went well back then, but ever since then you've been slowly encroaching on Tomoe-san's experience and seniority; and the team is most certainly your team at this point. Perhaps, once Walpurgisnacht is defeated, you could talk with Tomoe-san about letting her take over leadership of the team from you, if she were interested.
Everyone breaks off to practice on their own, save for Sayaka who wanders off to be close to Kyouko while she practices. You feel a strange sense of nostalgia with your team lacking half of its members, and you're reminded of how things used to be before Mikuni Oriko and Kirika were brought into the fold, back when the team was just you and Tomoe-san, with Kyouko playing the role of a mercenary-for-food rather than a committed member of the team. Or even earlier, when the team was Tomoe-san, you, and Madoka.
You'll try more tests of Inguz before anything else. You wish Nagatsuki MIyuki weren't under house arrest and were able to join you for practice earlier than she can sneak out of the house, so for now you can't get her help in testing what else Inguz might be capable of, so with little else to try at the moment you pick a rock up from the ground, and with your left hand try to infuse a little bit of Grief into the rock. You've been wanting to test what your Grief weapon is capable of, but so far you haven't been able to find a good place to try. To say nothing of the niggling fear in the back of your mind of what might happen if your experiment goes poorly.
But just a tiny amount of Grief inside a regular rock should be fine, you think, before chucking the rock at a nearby tree. Nothing happens. Full stop. You're glad nothing bad happened, but to have nothing happen at all is discouraging. You try again, only to meet the same results when the rock strikes the tree and nothing happens. After a third attempt where, once more, nothing happens, you check your Soul Gem.
If your Soul Gem is telling the truth, then you're putting even less Grief into these rocks than you thought; maybe you aren't even putting in any Grief at all. Can you do anything with this rock?
No. No you cannot.
"What am I doing wrong?" you ask yourself, not even realising it when the words leave your mouth.
"Oh!" Your eyes turn towards Sayaka; you weren't even expecting her to say anything once the three of you got going. "I know this!" She does? "It's something in one of the books that lady left for Hitomi." Sayaka picks up a rock, like you have, and says "It was kinda hard for me to understand what it was saying, but from what I read, it's got something to do with the way the rock's molecular structure is formed. Like, the more uniform the molecular structure, the better a conductor of magic it is, or something like that."
So, you could probably use crystals, or gemstones, or Soul Gems, as conductors of magic, but an ordinary rock you pick up off the ground won't be nearly as effective, if it can even work at all. "Thank you," you say to Sayaka, who sheepishly responds by muttering something under her breath before retreating to Kyouko's side. "No,w what else should I try?"
Isa. You won't give up on flying just yet. If Lancer can fly on wings of flame, so can you on wings of frost.
You tried and failed at flight through the wholesale freezing of water molecules last time, so this time you'll focus on creating a jet stream of cold air, and hopefully succeed in using that to burst you forward; as though you're flying on a blizzard, rather than on a single column of ice. As you did yesterday, you concentrate your mind on flight, closing your eyes and picturing yourself as Lancer.
Your feet are freezing by the time you open your eyes. Not literally, thank goodness, but all your efforts have done is create a cloud of icy wind which has settled around your feet. You can't fly from this; but maybe there's something else you can do instead? You allow the icy cloud at your feet to dissipate, before trying again; but this time, rather than use the icy wind to fly, you project it outwards in the manner of Mikuni Oriko calling on her barriers. Ice flies forward, coming together in the shape of a barrier on front of you. Not bad; certainly not a failure, but yours is neither as large as Mikuni Oriko's nor are you as fast in calling on it.
You put your attempt aside for now, and try making things besides arrows through Isa this time; perhaps a sword?
A blade of frosty blue appears in your hand after much more concentration than you ever remember an arrow requiring, taking the shape of one of Sayaka's blades. You swing it against a nearby tree, and the blade immediately shatters against the trunk of your victim. True, the splashing freeze damage and scarring ice are inflicted the same as if you had shot an arrow at the tree, and that's the problem. A sword isn't meant to be a one-and-done weapon as an arrow is. For the same damage, your arrows are worth more than a sword; and what were you even thinking, trying to use a sword? You don't know the first thing about using swords in combat.
Following that, you'll continue with yesterday's experiments to Project weapons already imbued with velocity; rather than arrows this time, your test weapons take the form of needles of ice. As it did yesterday, it takes you a few tries before you have the motions down; but once you have it down... The storm of needles is much faster on target than your arrows, and the cheaper cost means you can send more of them downrange at once. But as with your attempt at making a sword, the cumulative damage is the same as if you were to use your arrows.
So you'll stick with your arrows for now, if that's the sign Fate is giving you. But there's one last thing you want to try. "I'm sorry to bother you," you say as you walk over to where Tomoe-san is practicing. "But, I was hoping I could get some Grief dampening from you again."
"Of course," Tomoe-san says. "Will that be all, or is there anything else you'd like to ask before you head off again?"
It's not animosity you detect in Tomoe-san's voice, but you're sure she's expecting you to interrupt her again after this and is hoping to preempt you. "Well, there is one thing," you say. "Go on..." you can hear the unspoken words from Tomoe-san's mouth. "It's about my new Inguz ability. I want to see if I can use Grief from another Soul Gem, or if I have to just use my own."
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try, at least." Tomoe-san consents, and you take her by the hand. You hope her Grief dampening won't negatively interact with what you're about to do. You concentrate, remembering the burning sensation that filled your arm yesterday.
You do succeed in firing a shot from your Grief weapon, but upon inspection it isn't Tomoe-san's Soul Gem you've drained of Grief; just your own. "I see," you say. "Thank you anyway." You let Tomoe-san get back to her own practice, and return to your frozen-over corner of the clearing. With Fate having told you that arrows are the way to go, you're going to try applying the self-replication ability of Finitora Freccia to a regular arrow; and maybe try to see what happens when you Reinforce your shield.
You should probably warn Kirika ahead of time that your tests will require you to use timestop.
You have no archery club practice after school today, meaning you and Tomoe-san can head directly to your makeshift training grounds in the little clearing. Those poor trees never had a chance. Nagatsuki Miyuki will be late again, something which you expected from her, given the situation, so now you're just waiting on MIkuni Oriko; except she won't be making it either.
So, for the time being, training this afternoon will be limited to just you, Tomoe-san, and Kyouko; and a surprise appearance by Sayaka, who sucked up whatever complaints she still has about you in order to make the walk to Kazamino with you and Tomoe-san. "I kinda wanted to see how you all do your thing," she says. "That, and..." Sayaka tries to hide her gaze, to no avail as she adds "... I wanted to spend some time with Kyouko, since, you know; Sunday and all..."
Kyouko smirks, wrapping an arm around Sayaka and eyeing her as though she were a piece of candy. "Aww, ain't that sweet," she says, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek. "'Course ya can watch me, Blueberry."
You wish Madoka could have come to watch you the way Sayaka came to watch Kyouko, but she had one of her two clubs meeting this afternoon. So for now, you'll give the two lovers their space, choosing instead to fall back and spend the rest of the walk to the training grounds talking with Tomoe-san. "You know, I've been thinking," you say, awkwardly, as you aren't sure how to approach this after so many timelines were brought to failure because of your blonde senior, "But after all this is over, if you'd like I wouldn't be averse to the two of us hanging out more often; but, as friends, not just as co-workers."
"Well, that's certainly an interesting request coming from you, Akemi-san," Tomoe-san says. "I thought we were already friends."
"We are, it's just that, between everything that's happened so far, we haven't really had the chance to act like it." You hope your explanation is enough to prevent Tomoe-san from taking offense. "So, after this is all over, I wouldn't mind us being able to hang out more often for reasons other than work." You try to remember the earlier loops, back when before you stopped considering Tomoe-san a friend; you wouldn't mind if this loop ended up like a better version of one of those earlier loops. "The same applies to Kyouko, if you'd let her know for me."
"I'd like that. When this is all over..." Tomoe-san sighs, craning her head skyward as she says "When I lost Sakura-san the first time, I thought I'd be alone forever. I'd chased off my best friend, and I'd spent so much time prioritising my duties as a puella magi that I completely ignored making friends with the people around me. Back then, I never could have imagined how warm having so many good friends as you and the others could make me feel; and I've even started opening up to my other classmates, too." Tomoe-san smiles, and with determination in her voice says "So I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I don't lose any of you on Sunday.""Because I don't know what I'd do if I had to go back to being alone."
Your group of four arrives at the training grounds, and "Whoa! You guys have really done a number on the trees, haven't you?" Sayaka says. "Like, geez, what are people gonna think once there's traffic coming through here again?"
The trees aren't the only thing you've done a number on, though they are the most visible. You've also done a number on Tomoe-san's seniority as a puella magi. The day you first approached her, before you and she formed the alliance that marked the turning point in your relationship with her, you remember how she reacted when you, a virtual newcomer to her territory, were the one making demands of her, the veteran.
"That's a pretty bold move, Akemi-san. From where I sit, you're the newcomer to the social order, and yet you're offering me a deal? Go on; you have me intrigued."
You're glad that negotiations between you and Tomoe-san went well back then, but ever since then you've been slowly encroaching on Tomoe-san's experience and seniority; and the team is most certainly your team at this point. Perhaps, once Walpurgisnacht is defeated, you could talk with Tomoe-san about letting her take over leadership of the team from you, if she were interested.
Everyone breaks off to practice on their own, save for Sayaka who wanders off to be close to Kyouko while she practices. You feel a strange sense of nostalgia with your team lacking half of its members, and you're reminded of how things used to be before Mikuni Oriko and Kirika were brought into the fold, back when the team was just you and Tomoe-san, with Kyouko playing the role of a mercenary-for-food rather than a committed member of the team. Or even earlier, when the team was Tomoe-san, you, and Madoka.
You'll try more tests of Inguz before anything else. You wish Nagatsuki MIyuki weren't under house arrest and were able to join you for practice earlier than she can sneak out of the house, so for now you can't get her help in testing what else Inguz might be capable of, so with little else to try at the moment you pick a rock up from the ground, and with your left hand try to infuse a little bit of Grief into the rock. You've been wanting to test what your Grief weapon is capable of, but so far you haven't been able to find a good place to try. To say nothing of the niggling fear in the back of your mind of what might happen if your experiment goes poorly.
But just a tiny amount of Grief inside a regular rock should be fine, you think, before chucking the rock at a nearby tree. Nothing happens. Full stop. You're glad nothing bad happened, but to have nothing happen at all is discouraging. You try again, only to meet the same results when the rock strikes the tree and nothing happens. After a third attempt where, once more, nothing happens, you check your Soul Gem.
If your Soul Gem is telling the truth, then you're putting even less Grief into these rocks than you thought; maybe you aren't even putting in any Grief at all. Can you do anything with this rock?
No. No you cannot.
"What am I doing wrong?" you ask yourself, not even realising it when the words leave your mouth.
"Oh!" Your eyes turn towards Sayaka; you weren't even expecting her to say anything once the three of you got going. "I know this!" She does? "It's something in one of the books that lady left for Hitomi." Sayaka picks up a rock, like you have, and says "It was kinda hard for me to understand what it was saying, but from what I read, it's got something to do with the way the rock's molecular structure is formed. Like, the more uniform the molecular structure, the better a conductor of magic it is, or something like that."
So, you could probably use crystals, or gemstones, or Soul Gems, as conductors of magic, but an ordinary rock you pick up off the ground won't be nearly as effective, if it can even work at all. "Thank you," you say to Sayaka, who sheepishly responds by muttering something under her breath before retreating to Kyouko's side. "No,w what else should I try?"
Isa. You won't give up on flying just yet. If Lancer can fly on wings of flame, so can you on wings of frost.
You tried and failed at flight through the wholesale freezing of water molecules last time, so this time you'll focus on creating a jet stream of cold air, and hopefully succeed in using that to burst you forward; as though you're flying on a blizzard, rather than on a single column of ice. As you did yesterday, you concentrate your mind on flight, closing your eyes and picturing yourself as Lancer.
Your feet are freezing by the time you open your eyes. Not literally, thank goodness, but all your efforts have done is create a cloud of icy wind which has settled around your feet. You can't fly from this; but maybe there's something else you can do instead? You allow the icy cloud at your feet to dissipate, before trying again; but this time, rather than use the icy wind to fly, you project it outwards in the manner of Mikuni Oriko calling on her barriers. Ice flies forward, coming together in the shape of a barrier on front of you. Not bad; certainly not a failure, but yours is neither as large as Mikuni Oriko's nor are you as fast in calling on it.
You put your attempt aside for now, and try making things besides arrows through Isa this time; perhaps a sword?
A blade of frosty blue appears in your hand after much more concentration than you ever remember an arrow requiring, taking the shape of one of Sayaka's blades. You swing it against a nearby tree, and the blade immediately shatters against the trunk of your victim. True, the splashing freeze damage and scarring ice are inflicted the same as if you had shot an arrow at the tree, and that's the problem. A sword isn't meant to be a one-and-done weapon as an arrow is. For the same damage, your arrows are worth more than a sword; and what were you even thinking, trying to use a sword? You don't know the first thing about using swords in combat.
Following that, you'll continue with yesterday's experiments to Project weapons already imbued with velocity; rather than arrows this time, your test weapons take the form of needles of ice. As it did yesterday, it takes you a few tries before you have the motions down; but once you have it down... The storm of needles is much faster on target than your arrows, and the cheaper cost means you can send more of them downrange at once. But as with your attempt at making a sword, the cumulative damage is the same as if you were to use your arrows.
So you'll stick with your arrows for now, if that's the sign Fate is giving you. But there's one last thing you want to try. "I'm sorry to bother you," you say as you walk over to where Tomoe-san is practicing. "But, I was hoping I could get some Grief dampening from you again."
"Of course," Tomoe-san says. "Will that be all, or is there anything else you'd like to ask before you head off again?"
It's not animosity you detect in Tomoe-san's voice, but you're sure she's expecting you to interrupt her again after this and is hoping to preempt you. "Well, there is one thing," you say. "Go on..." you can hear the unspoken words from Tomoe-san's mouth. "It's about my new Inguz ability. I want to see if I can use Grief from another Soul Gem, or if I have to just use my own."
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try, at least." Tomoe-san consents, and you take her by the hand. You hope her Grief dampening won't negatively interact with what you're about to do. You concentrate, remembering the burning sensation that filled your arm yesterday.
You do succeed in firing a shot from your Grief weapon, but upon inspection it isn't Tomoe-san's Soul Gem you've drained of Grief; just your own. "I see," you say. "Thank you anyway." You let Tomoe-san get back to her own practice, and return to your frozen-over corner of the clearing. With Fate having told you that arrows are the way to go, you're going to try applying the self-replication ability of Finitora Freccia to a regular arrow; and maybe try to see what happens when you Reinforce your shield.
You should probably warn Kirika ahead of time that your tests will require you to use timestop.
Last edited:
- Location
- Around here
I am no longer accepting massive vote-blocks of us trying out new abilities. It's not fun for me to write, and this close to the end we should be focusing on refining and improving our proficiency with what we can already do, rather than trying to wring every last new ability out of our runes. I'll hold what's left of this vote and bring it up when Miyuki is available so we can get through the remaining items on the docket, but I don't want to see another vote like this one brought forward later today or tomorrow.
Instead, I want conversation topics over dinner for both Oriko and Caren.
Instead, I want conversation topics over dinner for both Oriko and Caren.
- What there mothers was were like
- Their faith
- Why Caren is so opposed to getting to know Oriko
- Location
- Around here
Anything is good.
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
- Location
- United Kingdom
[
aren] Why am I even here?
I suppose Caren could talking about bringing Oriko into the fold (you know, her secret fate-y organisation). Oriko could ask some trivial questions to get to know Caren better, like favourite food(s) and such.
---
There was also this in the update, for those who didn't notice.
aren] Why am I even here?I suppose Caren could talking about bringing Oriko into the fold (you know, her secret fate-y organisation). Oriko could ask some trivial questions to get to know Caren better, like favourite food(s) and such.
---
There was also this in the update, for those who didn't notice.
- Location
- United States
[X] Plan You Invited A Sadist To Dinner
-[X] What does Oriko talk about?
--[X] Ask Caren about what she knows about their mothers and how they were like
---[X] You'd very much like to become good friends with her - whether in person or through correspondence, it doesn't matter - much like their mothers were
----[X] Would she be amiable to staying in contact with one another - regardless of where either of them are - much like their mothers before them?
--[X] Christianity and your budding faith
--[X] Getting to know Caren, such as her interests, favorite things (like food, movie, etc.), what she likes the most about Mitakihara, her opinion on the whole magical girl and Witch situation that exists here, etc.
--[X] Tentatively ask why she's been so hesitant to get to know you, not that you don't appreciate her taking the time out of her day to humor your request before you try to survive Walpurgisnacht
-[X] What does Caren talk about?
--[X] About how it feels to live in the same home that her father committed suicide in (CE: Both to elicit a negative response/reaction from her by bringing up traumatic memories - such as when she found her father's body - as well as getting her to reflect that living here isn't doing anything good for her mental state and to hopefully encourage her to move elsewhere)
--[X] Critiquing the food presumably made by Oriko focusing only on the negative aspects of it (CE: Sadism, and to help Oriko improve upon her cooking)
---[X] End up consuming dinner with gusto (directly contradicting the notion that you only think negative things about the meal), as despite your critiques it came out quite good
--[X] About her relationship with Kirika, and how certain sects of the Holy Church would never accept her should Oriko ever come into contact with the organization proper (CE: To bring Oriko's mood down while warning her of certain factions of the Church which could bring danger to her and her girlfriend)
---[X] Akemi-san only said that you shouldn't try and recruit her during this dinner, she never said you couldn't inform Oriko of the consequences of her coming into significant contact with them
--[X] Ask Oriko about this "Walpurgisnacht" and it's capabilities (CE: To bring down Oriko's mood by causing her to think of her potential demise against the creature, as well as getting to know exactly what Oriko's gotten involved in and how you could potentially help due to your self-sacrificing nature and your kind of familial connection to her)
--[X] Within the peace of your own mind, apologize to God for your behavior in regards to your mother's dear friend's daughter even if you can't help it
*CE = Caren Explanation
Just gonna remind no one in particular that they really shouldn't try to enlist Caren's direct aid against Walpurgisnacht, as due to her Masochistic Spiritualist Disposition she'd likely get really injured (or possibly killed) by getting anywhere near Walpurgisnacht's cursed mud (though tbh this ability is kinda vague in what it does, as while it's description states that her body will mimic the end effects that would eventually appear on the body of someone possessed by a Daemon, it reacts enough in Prisma Illya to injure her when she's leading Illya and co to the Greater Grail where the Shadow Servant Archer!Gilgamesh is doing shenanigans with the corrupted grail, or when she starts to produce a Shade - which is the form that the remains of Avenger take - within her body from being around Avenger in F/HA).
Also Caren - according to her personality - commonly "apologizes to God, for both her own faults and those who slight her" if anyone's wondering. Also the "Caren Explanations" are needed for obvious reasons, considering who we're talking about here.
-[X] What does Oriko talk about?
--[X] Ask Caren about what she knows about their mothers and how they were like
---[X] You'd very much like to become good friends with her - whether in person or through correspondence, it doesn't matter - much like their mothers were
----[X] Would she be amiable to staying in contact with one another - regardless of where either of them are - much like their mothers before them?
--[X] Christianity and your budding faith
--[X] Getting to know Caren, such as her interests, favorite things (like food, movie, etc.), what she likes the most about Mitakihara, her opinion on the whole magical girl and Witch situation that exists here, etc.
--[X] Tentatively ask why she's been so hesitant to get to know you, not that you don't appreciate her taking the time out of her day to humor your request before you try to survive Walpurgisnacht
-[X] What does Caren talk about?
--[X] About how it feels to live in the same home that her father committed suicide in (CE: Both to elicit a negative response/reaction from her by bringing up traumatic memories - such as when she found her father's body - as well as getting her to reflect that living here isn't doing anything good for her mental state and to hopefully encourage her to move elsewhere)
--[X] Critiquing the food presumably made by Oriko focusing only on the negative aspects of it (CE: Sadism, and to help Oriko improve upon her cooking)
---[X] End up consuming dinner with gusto (directly contradicting the notion that you only think negative things about the meal), as despite your critiques it came out quite good
--[X] About her relationship with Kirika, and how certain sects of the Holy Church would never accept her should Oriko ever come into contact with the organization proper (CE: To bring Oriko's mood down while warning her of certain factions of the Church which could bring danger to her and her girlfriend)
---[X] Akemi-san only said that you shouldn't try and recruit her during this dinner, she never said you couldn't inform Oriko of the consequences of her coming into significant contact with them
--[X] Ask Oriko about this "Walpurgisnacht" and it's capabilities (CE: To bring down Oriko's mood by causing her to think of her potential demise against the creature, as well as getting to know exactly what Oriko's gotten involved in and how you could potentially help due to your self-sacrificing nature and your kind of familial connection to her)
--[X] Within the peace of your own mind, apologize to God for your behavior in regards to your mother's dear friend's daughter even if you can't help it
*CE = Caren Explanation
Just gonna remind no one in particular that they really shouldn't try to enlist Caren's direct aid against Walpurgisnacht, as due to her Masochistic Spiritualist Disposition she'd likely get really injured (or possibly killed) by getting anywhere near Walpurgisnacht's cursed mud (though tbh this ability is kinda vague in what it does, as while it's description states that her body will mimic the end effects that would eventually appear on the body of someone possessed by a Daemon, it reacts enough in Prisma Illya to injure her when she's leading Illya and co to the Greater Grail where the Shadow Servant Archer!Gilgamesh is doing shenanigans with the corrupted grail, or when she starts to produce a Shade - which is the form that the remains of Avenger take - within her body from being around Avenger in F/HA).
Also Caren - according to her personality - commonly "apologizes to God, for both her own faults and those who slight her" if anyone's wondering. Also the "Caren Explanations" are needed for obvious reasons, considering who we're talking about here.
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
- Location
- United Kingdom
[x] enetious
- Location
- Around here
A few questions-
Also, while I'm asking about whether Caren would want to keep in contact with Oriko, to what degree do you think Caren would feel responsible for helping to introduce Oriko to the rest of the Ortensia family? Does she just not bother, or does she pull a "Well, I don't really have anything more to say to you. But if you insist, why don't you talk to (my grandmother) (my aunt and uncle) (my other cousins) instead of bothering me all the time?" (CE: To disappoint Oriko by making it sound like staying connected to her would be a chore, but also to give her the contacts for and the initiative to get in touch with the rest of her mother's family)
Do you think Caren would want to be friends with/stay in contact with Oriko? Not whether she can, or how sadisistc her refutation of Oriko's desires would be, but what she would actually end up wanting and doing from Oriko's offer.
Also, while I'm asking about whether Caren would want to keep in contact with Oriko, to what degree do you think Caren would feel responsible for helping to introduce Oriko to the rest of the Ortensia family? Does she just not bother, or does she pull a "Well, I don't really have anything more to say to you. But if you insist, why don't you talk to (my grandmother) (my aunt and uncle) (my other cousins) instead of bothering me all the time?" (CE: To disappoint Oriko by making it sound like staying connected to her would be a chore, but also to give her the contacts for and the initiative to get in touch with the rest of her mother's family)
Any specific direction you think this would go in, like the Church's stance on homosexual relationships, how to seek forgiveness, maybe Oriko wants to confess her sins and have Caren help her through the sacraments of initiation; or are you seeing this as more of a general discussion of theology?
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Of course she would, just as she would want to stay in contact with Bazett one way or another. In fact, regarding her personality, "outside of fulfilling her job, she will readily provoke acquaintances and display outright sadism to those close to her;" in other words, she is only sadistic towards those she truly cares about, and to a lesser extent towards those she's acquainted with. Technically she would care about the prospect of befriending someone that was a degree away from her late mother (who she presumably cared about and misses) like any other person, she just expresses herself differently when it comes to those she cares about.
Not to mention that it could be said that her life's purpose is to help others, and considering how much Oriko is seemingly desperate to reach out for any ounce of a positive familial relationship, you can be assured that Caren would want to do her best to at least be there for Oriko.
Hm, that might work, but going back to what I wrote in reply to the quote above I think Caren might want to be there for Oriko while introducing her to her family members... unless her family members would take Oriko being introduced by her as a bad sign. She might default to an excuse much like the one she makes to Bazett, in that she just enjoys to be around Oriko in order to capitalize on opportunities to see her reactions when things go awry or when the wrong thing is said or done (basically, her indulging in her sadism would be her excuse). 🤔
Hm... I think that Oriko would probably try to avoid thinking about the possibility of the Church and her religion not accepting her for who she is, at least until Caren brings up the whole "certain factions in the Church won't like your relationship with Kirika" point. Though from Caren's POV, she'd likely know that the Holy Church as a supernatural organization likely wouldn't be as close-minded/nitpicky about the Bible and more focused on operating in the supernatural barring the usual hold-outs (there will always be those in any organization that seeks to discriminate or indulge in malice to make themselves feel better after all, or zealots). Plus there's the fact that the Church likes to recruit even non-believers as long as they can use them as soldiers or fodder and whatnot in certain sub-organizations within the Church's hierarchy, as long as they're put to use against the enemies of the Church.
Oriko would most certainly ask about how to seek forgiveness and how to confess her sins and all that. And I'm sure that she's love to have Caren walk her through any initiatory ceremonies and such. She might dip a bit into theology, but she already knows that they both study the Bible and likely know most of the same shared knowledge without going into too many specifics or intentions/meanings of certain passages.
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I generally agree with your assessments, except for this. Caren would have been, at most, two years old when Claudia died; there's very little chance she has anything more than distant and fuzzy memories of her mother, if even that.
The people who would have raised Caren from when she was a baby. I'm sure they would know what's up with Caren and not think poorly of the people she introduces. Not to mention that Oriko is family, and not just some random person Caren is introducing as her latest bullying target. I shouldn't have to say how much of a big deal family is to Italians.
We're thinking of the Church and the Church as two different things here. I'm talking about the overt, theological Roman Catholic Church that exists in reali life as Oriko is aware of it, for which homosexuality is given a surprisingly more nuanced tack than how American "Christianity" presents things; while you're talking about the covert, heresy-hunting Church of Nasuverse lore. I'll be going more into detail on where the differences lie and why it's actually important for Oriko to know what the Church's stance is.
Omake, side Oriko & Caren - The Family Dinner
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Oriko didn't need to hear the *ding dong* of the doorbell to know that her guest had arrived; she had seen it. In truth, she had been anxiously expecting the arrival all day, and so rather than a warm greeting, Oriko felt somewhat let down when the first words out of Caren Ortensia's mouth were a bristling "You know you have a pretty large hole in your fence, don't you?"
"Yes, I'm aware," Oriko replied. "I've been putting off fixing it until after Walpurgisnacht, on the off chance I have to fix it again afterwards." The pair of near-identical cousins stood in the foyer, awkward silence hanging over the air as neither knew what to say. As Caren set her removed shoes aside, Oriko asked "Caren-san, may I... May I hug you?"
"Only if you don't mind being stabbed in the back," Caren replied. Did that smirk mean she was serious?
Undaunted by the threat, Oriko approached, wrapping her arms around the other woman. "I don't believe you'd do something like that, Caren-san," she said. But her eyes went wide, and Oriko pulled away from Caren as she felt something poking the small of her back.
"Oh, I think I'm going to have fun with you," Caren said, moving her house key up and down in an identical motion to the poking Oriko had felt only moments before. Though she smirked as Oriko's expression fell, inwardly Caren felt a twinge of guilt for being the way she was. "Lord, forgive me for the pain I will inflict upon this girl, for she does not deserve me." As Oriko led Caren to the dining room, where the scent of dinner came rolling in from the kitchen, Caren said "You've got a pretty spacious place here, you know that? How many rooms do you need to forget that you father killed himself here?"
"Far too many," Oriko replied. "I am glad for the nights when Kirika stays with me, but when she doesn't..." Oriko felt a comforting hand offer its touch on her shoulder, but when she looked to her guest, Caren's hands had not moved from their place in her skirt's pockets, and Caren looked away when Oriko glanced in her direction. Had she imagined that? "I've thought about selling the mansion and moving, several times, but my uncle controls my father's estate until I turn twenty, so until then my only options are to remain here or move to Tokyo and live with him and his wife; and I would hate to uproot myself and leave my friends and my girlfriend behind."
"Yes, the girlfriend who's been pestering me nonstop about this dinner of yours. I hope it doesn't disappoint."
For dinner, Oriko had made her vegetarian green curry, saying as she served her and her guest "You said you wanted something spicy, Caren-san. I hope this does not disappoint."
"For how much Kure's been pestering me about having dinner with you, it had better not."
Oriko sat down, asking with a glum look on her face "Have I done something to offend you, Caren-san? I was hoping we could be friends, like our mothers were, but you've been nothing but abrasive since arriving. If it's because of Kirika, then I sincerely apologise. I never asked her to harass you. Though, if you don't mind me asking, why have you been so hesitant to get to know me?" Oriko stopped, realising how ungrateful that last remark must sound, and quickly corrected course. "Not that I don't appreciate you taking the time to do so now, Caren-san. I just wish we could have had this opportunity sooner."
Caren waved off Oriko's concerns, replying "Getting to know some distant cousin of mine isn't really something that's important to me," she said. "The only thing you did wrong was assuming me to be someone I'm not," as she took her first taste of the green curry. "Spicy, and not at all a bad taste all things considered," she thought. "But there's something missing." "Fish," Caren said. "I can taste the absence of fish this curry was supposed to have."
"You've got a good tongue, Caren-san," Oriko said. "The original recipe was a Vietnamese seafood dish, but I had to make a few substitutions because I'm a vegetarian."
"Mhm." Caren made herself appear to be ignoring Oriko's words, but inside she thought "The girl has talent; she might even be able to rival Emiya with the right guidance," as she eagerly consumed the meal in spite of her earlier complaint.
Seeing her guest eating with such gusto, despite knocking the meal only moments earlier for being lacking, made Oriko smile. "All the same, I'm glad you're here now, Caren-san. Do you like it in Mitakihara?" she asked, waiting for a moment when Caren's mouth was empty.
"There are fewer people that know me here," Caren said. "That means fewer people trying to bug me about being sociable, you and your girlfriend notwithstanding; and my cover job as a nurse allows me a front-row seat to suffering children. But aside from that, I really couldn't care less about being here, versus being in Fuyuki, or the Vatican, or wherever else the Church needs me to be."
Oriko nodded. "I'm sorry if this is a sore subject for you, Caren-san, but could you tell me a little about your mother? I've only got a vague picture of what your family is like from the letters she wrote to my mother, so I was hoping you could tell me more."
"I never knew either of my parents," Caren replied. "My mother died when I was two, and my father left me to live with my aunt and grandmother. I wouldn't even know what she looked like, if it weren't for all of us Ortensia women looking identical."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Oriko said, burying the pain she felt for her cousin's loss. "My own mother died when I was six, so I know how you must feel." Forcing a smile through tears she had to suppress, Oriko asked "In the spirit of our mothers' friendship, would you perhaps be amiable to the two of us remaining in contact?"
"You already have my cell number, though I don't know what we'd talk about," Caren said. Reaching for the pen in her pocket, she scribbled a few names and numbers onto her napkin, foisting them on Oriko as she said "But if you must, I'd much rather you reach out to my aunt or grandmother than to have you continue pestering me." Oriko received Caren's gift, and she continued, saying "The rest of the family lives in Italy, though, so keeping in contact with them will be difficult for you, I'm sure."
"Oh, not at all," Oriko said in fluent Italian, "I've been teaching myself since I was a little girl, because I've always wanted to get to know my grandmother's family. Thank you for giving me the means to do so. I won't let this go to waste-" before switching back to Japanese to say "-Caren-san."
Caren nodded. "Well, the rest of the family is quite devout; I'm not sure how well your girlfriend would go over with them," she said. "You do know, of course, how the Church views homosexuality; don't you?"
"I know what I have read in the Bible," Oriko replied. "I know Leviticus prohibits two men from sexual intercourse, prohibits women from intercourse with animals, and prohibits intercourse with an impure woman; and I know what some people think about the passage describing two women, er, grinding corn, as it were," she said, her face flushing at the thought. "But I have found nothing which prohibits two women from loving one another."
"From loving one another, no," Caren said. "Homosexuality is not, in itself, a sin. In fact, the Church teaches that we should accept and support the homosexuals in our flock as we would any other Christian." Oriko's heart soared; finally, she had an answer. But her heart sank as Caren wagged her finger, smirking as she said "Of course, just as with two men that all goes out the window once you act on that love. Two teenagers, alone in a big house with no supervision... I can't imagine your love for Kure has been entirely chaste." When no response came from Oriko, Caren added "I'm not a virgin, if knowing that makes it easier for you to give me a straight answer."
The frankness with which Caren spoke caused Oriko to blush; in truth, she had been expecting a member of the Church to be more discreet about such matters. But rather than give Caren the answer Oriko knew she was expecting, she instead asked "Did you love them?"
"No," Caren replied. "But I allowed them to take me all the same. I have allowed myself to be loved by many, but I suppose I've only ever loved another once."
"What happened?"
"I allowed him to violate me in an attempt to conceive his child. It was quite painful, and in the end he decided there should only ever be one of him." Seeing the way Oriko tried to hide her squirming as she described the event caused Caren to smile, and she added "Well, he was also the physical embodiment of All the World's Evils, after all. I suppose having two of him around would have been a bit bothersome for some."
"I see." Oriko had been expecting none of this frankness from her cousin, and it left her at a loss for words. All she could say was "Why are you telling me this, Caren-san? Are you trying to turn me away from God by telling me this?"
"The Church you think you know, and the Church I know, are two wildly different beasts," Caren said. "Personally, I don't care one way or another, but there are many within the Church hierarchy, individuals and factions alike, who would reject and condemn you for what you have with Kure. Many wouldn't hesitate to call you a sinner, and if you ever wanted to marry Kure you'd certainly be given a hard time. That isn't to say you shouldn't continue to seek the Lord-" Caren smirked, wagging her finger again as she added "It just means you should think long and hard before accepting any recruitment pitches I might give you."
"Are you even trying to recruit me anymore?"
Though Caren shrugged, saying "That's up to you to decide," inside she looked on Oriko with sadness. This poor girl, caught between love for her girlfriend and her faith. "If only it were easier for me to guide her, to make it possible for her to be both happy with her girlfriend and content in her place within the Church."
"The truth is, Caren-san... I am a sinner; and I should like to confess my sins, if I may."
"Don't worry," Caren said, her tone a mix of apathy and curiosity which was impossible to describe. "I'm at least high enough within the Church that all the dirty little things you've done with Kure will remain secret."
"It isn't about my relationship. I..." Oriko swallowed; was she really ready to formally confess her sins before a member of the Church? Would that really be enough? "I am a murderer, Caren-san, and I have on multiple occasions asked Kirika to murder at my behest."
Caren smirked. "There's a story behind this," she said. "You have my attention."
"It has to do with the witch that is coming on Sunday," Oriko said. "I... I foresaw its arrival months in advance." Her words earned her a raised eyebrow from Caren, but Oriko pressed on. "You must have heard by now, that the magic system in this city is not like what you, or McRemitz-san, or Tohsaka-san, are used to, correct?"
Caren nodded, saying "It certainly is different from anything the Church or the Association are used to. Go on."
"In order to combat Walpurgisnacht, I murdered, or instructed Kirika and Lancer to murder, twenty-three other girls, so that I could harvest the gems containing their magic circuits. I did this in order to strip their souls of the Command Seals they might have been given had they become masters, grafting them to myself in order to amass additional power with which to fight Walpurgisnacht and prevent the end of the world. I also attempted to murder Miki Sayaka, whom I believed might pose a threat to my plans were she to summon the Saber servant; and Kaname Madoka, who I foresaw to be an even greater threat than Walpurgisnacht if she were allowed to become a puella magi like myself."
Silence fell over the dining room, as neither party knew what to say. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Caren spoke. "Murder, encouraging another to murder, repeated endangerment of human life, practicing magic, scandal, and possibly terrorism, depending on who you asked." She worked the needle of her words deeper, until it threatened to break off deep underneath her victim's skin. "Add to that homosexual actions, even if you won't admit to being a little naughty with Kure, and you've got a straight shot at joining your father in Hell; you know that, right?"
Oriko hung her head, saying "I am aware. I would like for you to lead me through the sacraments of initiation, Caren-san, and I know you cannot do so without my confession."
"I'll be very interested in wringing the full confession out of you after dinner; and if you can smuggle some wine and unleavened bread into my office tomorrow after classes I can baptise you and give you the Eucharist. Unfortunately for you, Confirmation isn't going to be so easy. Since there's no functioning church in the area, I'm going to have a hard time getting the sacred oils; and if I'm forced to skip a step, well..." The smirk that crossed Caren's lips at Oriko's crestfallen expression didn't make her feel good, but her nature would accept nothing less from the daughter of Kotomine Kirei.
"Now, why don't you tell me more about this Walpurgisnacht of yours?" Caren asked. "Akemi's barely told me anything, but from the sound of it, this thing's more important than she made it out be." "Maybe if I know more, I might be able to think of a way to help you..."
"Yes, I'm aware," Oriko replied. "I've been putting off fixing it until after Walpurgisnacht, on the off chance I have to fix it again afterwards." The pair of near-identical cousins stood in the foyer, awkward silence hanging over the air as neither knew what to say. As Caren set her removed shoes aside, Oriko asked "Caren-san, may I... May I hug you?"
"Only if you don't mind being stabbed in the back," Caren replied. Did that smirk mean she was serious?
Undaunted by the threat, Oriko approached, wrapping her arms around the other woman. "I don't believe you'd do something like that, Caren-san," she said. But her eyes went wide, and Oriko pulled away from Caren as she felt something poking the small of her back.
"Oh, I think I'm going to have fun with you," Caren said, moving her house key up and down in an identical motion to the poking Oriko had felt only moments before. Though she smirked as Oriko's expression fell, inwardly Caren felt a twinge of guilt for being the way she was. "Lord, forgive me for the pain I will inflict upon this girl, for she does not deserve me." As Oriko led Caren to the dining room, where the scent of dinner came rolling in from the kitchen, Caren said "You've got a pretty spacious place here, you know that? How many rooms do you need to forget that you father killed himself here?"
"Far too many," Oriko replied. "I am glad for the nights when Kirika stays with me, but when she doesn't..." Oriko felt a comforting hand offer its touch on her shoulder, but when she looked to her guest, Caren's hands had not moved from their place in her skirt's pockets, and Caren looked away when Oriko glanced in her direction. Had she imagined that? "I've thought about selling the mansion and moving, several times, but my uncle controls my father's estate until I turn twenty, so until then my only options are to remain here or move to Tokyo and live with him and his wife; and I would hate to uproot myself and leave my friends and my girlfriend behind."
"Yes, the girlfriend who's been pestering me nonstop about this dinner of yours. I hope it doesn't disappoint."
For dinner, Oriko had made her vegetarian green curry, saying as she served her and her guest "You said you wanted something spicy, Caren-san. I hope this does not disappoint."
"For how much Kure's been pestering me about having dinner with you, it had better not."
Oriko sat down, asking with a glum look on her face "Have I done something to offend you, Caren-san? I was hoping we could be friends, like our mothers were, but you've been nothing but abrasive since arriving. If it's because of Kirika, then I sincerely apologise. I never asked her to harass you. Though, if you don't mind me asking, why have you been so hesitant to get to know me?" Oriko stopped, realising how ungrateful that last remark must sound, and quickly corrected course. "Not that I don't appreciate you taking the time to do so now, Caren-san. I just wish we could have had this opportunity sooner."
Caren waved off Oriko's concerns, replying "Getting to know some distant cousin of mine isn't really something that's important to me," she said. "The only thing you did wrong was assuming me to be someone I'm not," as she took her first taste of the green curry. "Spicy, and not at all a bad taste all things considered," she thought. "But there's something missing." "Fish," Caren said. "I can taste the absence of fish this curry was supposed to have."
"You've got a good tongue, Caren-san," Oriko said. "The original recipe was a Vietnamese seafood dish, but I had to make a few substitutions because I'm a vegetarian."
"Mhm." Caren made herself appear to be ignoring Oriko's words, but inside she thought "The girl has talent; she might even be able to rival Emiya with the right guidance," as she eagerly consumed the meal in spite of her earlier complaint.
Seeing her guest eating with such gusto, despite knocking the meal only moments earlier for being lacking, made Oriko smile. "All the same, I'm glad you're here now, Caren-san. Do you like it in Mitakihara?" she asked, waiting for a moment when Caren's mouth was empty.
"There are fewer people that know me here," Caren said. "That means fewer people trying to bug me about being sociable, you and your girlfriend notwithstanding; and my cover job as a nurse allows me a front-row seat to suffering children. But aside from that, I really couldn't care less about being here, versus being in Fuyuki, or the Vatican, or wherever else the Church needs me to be."
Oriko nodded. "I'm sorry if this is a sore subject for you, Caren-san, but could you tell me a little about your mother? I've only got a vague picture of what your family is like from the letters she wrote to my mother, so I was hoping you could tell me more."
"I never knew either of my parents," Caren replied. "My mother died when I was two, and my father left me to live with my aunt and grandmother. I wouldn't even know what she looked like, if it weren't for all of us Ortensia women looking identical."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Oriko said, burying the pain she felt for her cousin's loss. "My own mother died when I was six, so I know how you must feel." Forcing a smile through tears she had to suppress, Oriko asked "In the spirit of our mothers' friendship, would you perhaps be amiable to the two of us remaining in contact?"
"You already have my cell number, though I don't know what we'd talk about," Caren said. Reaching for the pen in her pocket, she scribbled a few names and numbers onto her napkin, foisting them on Oriko as she said "But if you must, I'd much rather you reach out to my aunt or grandmother than to have you continue pestering me." Oriko received Caren's gift, and she continued, saying "The rest of the family lives in Italy, though, so keeping in contact with them will be difficult for you, I'm sure."
"Oh, not at all," Oriko said in fluent Italian, "I've been teaching myself since I was a little girl, because I've always wanted to get to know my grandmother's family. Thank you for giving me the means to do so. I won't let this go to waste-" before switching back to Japanese to say "-Caren-san."
Caren nodded. "Well, the rest of the family is quite devout; I'm not sure how well your girlfriend would go over with them," she said. "You do know, of course, how the Church views homosexuality; don't you?"
"I know what I have read in the Bible," Oriko replied. "I know Leviticus prohibits two men from sexual intercourse, prohibits women from intercourse with animals, and prohibits intercourse with an impure woman; and I know what some people think about the passage describing two women, er, grinding corn, as it were," she said, her face flushing at the thought. "But I have found nothing which prohibits two women from loving one another."
"From loving one another, no," Caren said. "Homosexuality is not, in itself, a sin. In fact, the Church teaches that we should accept and support the homosexuals in our flock as we would any other Christian." Oriko's heart soared; finally, she had an answer. But her heart sank as Caren wagged her finger, smirking as she said "Of course, just as with two men that all goes out the window once you act on that love. Two teenagers, alone in a big house with no supervision... I can't imagine your love for Kure has been entirely chaste." When no response came from Oriko, Caren added "I'm not a virgin, if knowing that makes it easier for you to give me a straight answer."
The frankness with which Caren spoke caused Oriko to blush; in truth, she had been expecting a member of the Church to be more discreet about such matters. But rather than give Caren the answer Oriko knew she was expecting, she instead asked "Did you love them?"
"No," Caren replied. "But I allowed them to take me all the same. I have allowed myself to be loved by many, but I suppose I've only ever loved another once."
"What happened?"
"I allowed him to violate me in an attempt to conceive his child. It was quite painful, and in the end he decided there should only ever be one of him." Seeing the way Oriko tried to hide her squirming as she described the event caused Caren to smile, and she added "Well, he was also the physical embodiment of All the World's Evils, after all. I suppose having two of him around would have been a bit bothersome for some."
"I see." Oriko had been expecting none of this frankness from her cousin, and it left her at a loss for words. All she could say was "Why are you telling me this, Caren-san? Are you trying to turn me away from God by telling me this?"
"The Church you think you know, and the Church I know, are two wildly different beasts," Caren said. "Personally, I don't care one way or another, but there are many within the Church hierarchy, individuals and factions alike, who would reject and condemn you for what you have with Kure. Many wouldn't hesitate to call you a sinner, and if you ever wanted to marry Kure you'd certainly be given a hard time. That isn't to say you shouldn't continue to seek the Lord-" Caren smirked, wagging her finger again as she added "It just means you should think long and hard before accepting any recruitment pitches I might give you."
"Are you even trying to recruit me anymore?"
Though Caren shrugged, saying "That's up to you to decide," inside she looked on Oriko with sadness. This poor girl, caught between love for her girlfriend and her faith. "If only it were easier for me to guide her, to make it possible for her to be both happy with her girlfriend and content in her place within the Church."
"The truth is, Caren-san... I am a sinner; and I should like to confess my sins, if I may."
"Don't worry," Caren said, her tone a mix of apathy and curiosity which was impossible to describe. "I'm at least high enough within the Church that all the dirty little things you've done with Kure will remain secret."
"It isn't about my relationship. I..." Oriko swallowed; was she really ready to formally confess her sins before a member of the Church? Would that really be enough? "I am a murderer, Caren-san, and I have on multiple occasions asked Kirika to murder at my behest."
Caren smirked. "There's a story behind this," she said. "You have my attention."
"It has to do with the witch that is coming on Sunday," Oriko said. "I... I foresaw its arrival months in advance." Her words earned her a raised eyebrow from Caren, but Oriko pressed on. "You must have heard by now, that the magic system in this city is not like what you, or McRemitz-san, or Tohsaka-san, are used to, correct?"
Caren nodded, saying "It certainly is different from anything the Church or the Association are used to. Go on."
"In order to combat Walpurgisnacht, I murdered, or instructed Kirika and Lancer to murder, twenty-three other girls, so that I could harvest the gems containing their magic circuits. I did this in order to strip their souls of the Command Seals they might have been given had they become masters, grafting them to myself in order to amass additional power with which to fight Walpurgisnacht and prevent the end of the world. I also attempted to murder Miki Sayaka, whom I believed might pose a threat to my plans were she to summon the Saber servant; and Kaname Madoka, who I foresaw to be an even greater threat than Walpurgisnacht if she were allowed to become a puella magi like myself."
Silence fell over the dining room, as neither party knew what to say. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Caren spoke. "Murder, encouraging another to murder, repeated endangerment of human life, practicing magic, scandal, and possibly terrorism, depending on who you asked." She worked the needle of her words deeper, until it threatened to break off deep underneath her victim's skin. "Add to that homosexual actions, even if you won't admit to being a little naughty with Kure, and you've got a straight shot at joining your father in Hell; you know that, right?"
Oriko hung her head, saying "I am aware. I would like for you to lead me through the sacraments of initiation, Caren-san, and I know you cannot do so without my confession."
"I'll be very interested in wringing the full confession out of you after dinner; and if you can smuggle some wine and unleavened bread into my office tomorrow after classes I can baptise you and give you the Eucharist. Unfortunately for you, Confirmation isn't going to be so easy. Since there's no functioning church in the area, I'm going to have a hard time getting the sacred oils; and if I'm forced to skip a step, well..." The smirk that crossed Caren's lips at Oriko's crestfallen expression didn't make her feel good, but her nature would accept nothing less from the daughter of Kotomine Kirei.
"Now, why don't you tell me more about this Walpurgisnacht of yours?" Caren asked. "Akemi's barely told me anything, but from the sound of it, this thing's more important than she made it out be." "Maybe if I know more, I might be able to think of a way to help you..."
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Wow, this was a hard one to write. Not just because there was a lot to say, but because having to actually give Caren a substantial role was very difficult to write. @Enetious, if I've flubbed something about the way I've written her, let me know where I went wrong and I'll do my best to fix it.
Otherwise, expect the next official update either later today or tomorrow. No idea when that'll be on either count, though.
Otherwise, expect the next official update either later today or tomorrow. No idea when that'll be on either count, though.
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Seems like a pretty good depiction of her, I think. It was a nice touch noting that she didn't like Oriko's face crestfallen in particular, as while she "still finds slight pleasure in seeing other people's suffering", unlike Kotomine Kirei she also feels everything else a normal Human being does when it comes to others, including the guilt of making another member of her family feel bad which would outweigh the slight pleasure she would have received from witnessing it. In other words, she's a sadist but still an empathetic (quite literally physically when it comes to spiritual phenomenon) person who cares for those close to her.
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- Around here
Now, what do you - as well as any other of my regulars who want to lend comment - think Oriko and Caren's main takeaways from tonight's dinner are? What are the chances of the Japanese and Italian branches of the Ortensia family reconnecting after tonight's meeting?
"So your entire magic system revolves around the suffering of children, you say?"
More seriously, I don't know *shrug*
- Location
- United States
I mean, given your previous explanation about Italian families, once Oriko contacts them (and she will contact them) they won't let her go. Oriko might suspect something off about Caren and her words versus her actions/intentions, but she also might not - precog may or may not increase the likelihood of the former. Oriko may instead get told Caren's whole schtick from the rest of the Ortensias, once she gets into contact with them. Once Oriko figures out Caren, she also likely wouldn't let go of her much like the rest of the Ortensias wouldn't let go of her, which may simultaneously annoy and endear Oriko to Caren (since Caren can't get too much of a reaction outside of heavy topics from Oriko, and that Oriko cares for and wouldn't leave her).
Of course now that Caren is getting a rundown on Oriko's situation, she'll likely try and do her whole "life's purpose is to help others at any cost" schtick, except especially so since Oriko is family and someone who cares for her. Not sure how Caren will go about doing this tbh, as facing off directly against Walpurgisnacht won't work if she suspects that Walpurgis has the same stuff as All The World's Evils, and her Holy Shroud of Magdalene only works on men of which none of the people or creatures in the Incubator's system are.
She might try and get some colleagues to send some disaster aid of the spiritual sort (since Walpurgis' cursed mud and all) from contacts within Japan, probably from major cities that would have a heavier Church presence even in Japan such as Tokyo - they may even recruit local Japanese demonic exorcists and spiritualists and such if Walpurgis' curses prove too much for the Church's relatively meager resources in Japan to handle. Other than that, or trying to kidnap Oriko and abscond with her out of the country which I doubt will happen due to her whole life's purpose of helping others such as those in Mitakihara, idk what else Caren could contribute in the short amount of time remaining before Walpurgisnacht.
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- Location
- Around here
Clearly, sensing that Walpol is carrying All The World's Evils, Caren tries to have its child, just like she tried with Avenger. Walpol, rightfully terrified by the prospect of having to pay child support, flees to a country that won't extradite to Japan. Everyone wins, except for Caren who has to have a very awkward conversation about why she tried to do it with a witch.
- Location
- United States
- Location
- Around here
She's at home studying magecraft, like a good first-generation should be; and hopefully, has no involvement at all with whatever evil entity Caren tries to boink.
... Where's Hitomi in all this?