Confringentur, Mk.2; a Madoka Magica / Fate/Stay Night crossover

[WanderingTwix]

[X] Resolve to try and find the answer on your own

[X] Continue your investigation
-[X] with Akemi and Archer, if they allow it
[X] Explain to Akemi that if what she says is true, and this city is swarming with Witches with something almost assuredly aiding in their creation (otherwise the Mage's Association would've encountered them before elsewhere in the world), that should anything happen to her or her cohorts, be it a year or even decades from now, what's to stop these Witches from eventually overflowing out into the rest of the world and wrecking havoc upon it, to the point that the Mage's Association is unable to completely contain the threat? Tell her that you wouldn't be surprised if the Counter Force would eventually send a Counter Guardian to deal with this mess, which is typically bad news for everyone. Try and appeal to her pragmatism and say that if they can snip this in the bud, taking out whatever is spawning these entities, then the Mage's Association shouldn't have to intervene, should Akemi and her friends mop up the rest of the remaining Witches afterwards.

 

[jcdenton]

[X] Resolve to try and find the answer on your own

[X] Continue your investigation
-[X] with Akemi and Archer, if they allow it
[X] Explain to Akemi that if what she says is true, and this city is swarming with Witches with something almost assuredly aiding in their creation (otherwise the Mage's Association would've encountered them before elsewhere in the world), that should anything happen to her or her cohorts, be it a year or even decades from now, what's to stop these Witches from eventually overflowing out into the rest of the world and wrecking havoc upon it, to the point that the Mage's Association is unable to completely contain the threat? Tell her that you wouldn't be surprised if the Counter Force would eventually send a Counter Guardian to deal with this mess, which is typically bad news for everyone. Try and appeal to her pragmatism and say that if they can snip this in the bud, taking out whatever is spawning these entities, then the Mage's Association shouldn't have to intervene, should Akemi and her friends mop up the rest of the remaining Witches afterwards.

 

[SVS]

[X] Continue your investigation
-[X] with Akemi and Archer, if they allow it
[X] Explain to Akemi that if what she says is true, and this city is swarming with Witches with something almost assuredly aiding in their creation (otherwise the Mage's Association would've encountered them before elsewhere in the world), that should anything happen to her or her cohorts, be it a year or even decades from now, what's to stop these Witches from eventually overflowing out into the rest of the world and wrecking havoc upon it, to the point that the Mage's Association is unable to completely contain the threat? Tell her that you wouldn't be surprised if the Counter Force would eventually send a Counter Guardian to deal with this mess, which is typically bad news for everyone. Try and appeal to her pragmatism and say that if they can snip this in the bud, taking out whatever is spawning these entities, then the Mage's Association shouldn't have to intervene, should Akemi and her friends mop up the rest of the remaining Witches afterwards.
​

---

"That is something I cannot allow, McRemitz-san."

What sort of War rages in this city, where children like Akemi care more about their mission than about living their life and having fun? Akemi should be worrying about romance and fashion, not about keeping the city safe from monsters born from the worst of humanity.

"No." You have to stop Akemi before she says anything else. "I understand your unwillingness to compromise the security of your mission to a potentially untrustworthy outsider, but I need you to consider your position to the world at large. If this city really is swarming with witches the way you claim it to be, what is there to stop them from spreading to other cities if something happens to you or your friends? To other countries? You claim that they are the conglomerate of negative human emotion, so why have they not yet appeared en mass in other cities just as miserable as this one? The only explanation I can think of is that someone, some rogue mage hiding out in this city, is either wholly responsible for, or aiding in the creation of these witches. As such, it is my job as an Enforcer to eliminate them. So while I do not have a problem with the fact that things operate very differently in this city from what I am used to, the fact remains that there is an element inside this city that I do have a problem with, and who the Association will absolutely have a problem with if they are allowed to continue."

Akemi stares at you as you take a moment to catch your breath. "I have no reason to be your enemy, Akemi, but your unwillingness to cooperate for the sake of your mission will eventually make you an enemy of more than just myself if you insist on being stubborn. And not just from within the Association. If things in this city get to the point where witches start to spread to other areas, it wouldn't surprise me if the Counter Force decided to intervene. Forget what a team of Association Enforcers would do, this city would be razed to the ground if a Counter Guardian were to be sent in."

"That talk we had with Mikuni the other day, do you remember what I said about the World's immune system?" Archer speaks up as Akemi looks on your use of unfamiliar terms with a confused face. "If the Counter Force is like the World's immune system, then a Counter Guardian would be like a white blood cell."

You nod, uttering an affirmative "hm" with Archer's explanation. "I respect that you want to see your mission through to the end," you say, placing a hand on Akemi's shoulder. "But, you're still just a child. And it's okay if you need help from an adult from time to time." Akemi stares up at you, wearing a look on her face that you are unable to identify. "I can help you, if you let me. Tell me what I need in order to do my job, and I'll nip this whole witch business in the bud before it can spread to outside the city. Afterwards, if you and your friends can finish mopping up the stragglers, the Association should have no reason to intervene."

"That's the best deal that I can offer you. You can take it, and have the assistance of someone who knows how to fight rogue mages better than anyone else in the world; or you can leave it, and potentially risk losing everything you've worked so hard to protect."

Akemi's fists are trembling by the time you're done speaking. And until she opened her mouth to speak, you had seriously thought that she was about to cry. "It's not a mage," she says, her voice a low whisper. "I'm not sure what the crossover word would be for you, but, it's not a mage."

Under your mistaken assumptions about this city, you had persisted in calling witches by female pronouns even when Akemi had used "it". This time, her use of "it" does not go unnoticed. "It calls itself Incubator... Kyubey, for short. It's the one responsible for turning the negative emotions of this city's inhabitants into witches."

Incubator... If nothing else, it's a fitting moniker for a creature that transforms negative emotions into something concrete. "What is Incubator? Where can I find it?"

"The Incubator... It looks like a small, white cat, for the most part; but it's easily identifiable by a second, longer pair of ears and markings that no cat should have. It wanders the city as it pleases, and I don't believe it has a concrete hiding place you could locate."

"So all I have to do is find the Incubator, kill it, and then there won't be any more witches after you and your friends have taken care of the ones that already exist."

"It's not that simple." You don't like the sound of that. "The Incubator is only one of many identical bodies. Kill it as many times as you like; it will always come back. I don't even know if there is an "original" you could kill to prevent it from coming back."

Akemi might not think there's a mage at the end of this rainbow, but a legion of cat-shaped puppet bodies strikes you as something only a mage would concoct. The question then is, who's the one behind it all? And how would you be able to go about finding them at their source?

Well, those can be questions for another day. For now, you'll focus on what's right in front of you. "If you were planning on looking around for another witch, I'd be more than willing to assist you and Archer, if you'd let me."

Akemi glances to the amethyst jewel at the back of her left hand; inside, you can see a shifting mass of blackness that hadn't been there before. "Usually I'm only able to manage one witch a night," she says, quickly hiding her hand once she notices your stare. "If you have business elsewhere in Mitakihara, I would suggest taking care of that instead."

[ ] Ask Akemi about the black mass inside the jewel
[ ] Don't ask; she'll tell you when she's ready
​

Regardless of your decision, do you
[ ] Continue your investigation in another part of the city
-[ ] Where do you go to look? (write-in)
[ ] Head back to the hotel
-[ ] Is there any other business you need to take care of before retiring for the night?
--[ ] If yes, what else needs to be taken care of? (write-in)
--[ ] If no, what are your thoughts about the first day of your investigation? (write-in in detail)
[ ] Other (write-in)
?

 

[veekie]

[X] Ask Akemi about the black mass inside the jewel
[X] Head back to the hotel

Well, we've been nosy thus far, theres no reason we'd stop bugging her.

 

[Enetious]

[X] Ask Akemi about the black mass inside the jewel
[X] Head back to the hotel
-[X] Akemi Homura is a girl that takes it upon herself to carry a burden all on her lonesome, if she can get away with it. Given her familial history, its likely she usually doesn't put much trust into capable adults and seeks out others her age that share common problems in order to achieve her goals, such as with her cabal of mages she's scrounged up. She, and presumably her group, doesn't know much about the Moonlit world, and seems to be getting second hand knowledge from Archer. As to the nature of these Mitakihara Witches and the entity creating them, its quite unsettling to say the least. That white bunny cat Homura mentioned is one that she's encountered before but had thought nothing of it at the time, though in retrospect it is pretty obvious that the entity is distinctly foreign and garners an Homonculus-like appearance, which leads credence to the point Homura brought up about it being able to inhabit multiple bodies. If the homunculi bodies are created by this entity, then the smart thing to do would be to somehow find the source of whatever's creating these Kyuubey bodies. Perhaps she'll try and interrogate one of them next time she finds sight of them again? She also may offer her services to Homura in future hunts in order to get adjusted to fighting these "Witches" since she'll be in Mitakihara for some time. She will also try and coordinate with Akemi's group in hunting the stray Assassin Servant before things get too out of hand. If Akemi doesn't disclose a bit of information about Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika and why she's so hostile to them in the near future, she'll probably try and go find out herself via reconnaissance for a time.

 

[WanderingTwix]

[X] Ask Akemi about the black mass inside the jewel
[X] Head back to the hotel
-[X] Akemi Homura is a girl that takes it upon herself to carry a burden all on her lonesome, if she can get away with it. Given her familial history, its likely she usually doesn't put much trust into capable adults and seeks out others her age that share common problems in order to achieve her goals, such as with her cabal of mages she's scrounged up. She, and presumably her group, doesn't know much about the Moonlit world, and seems to be getting second hand knowledge from Archer. As to the nature of these Mitakihara Witches and the entity creating them, its quite unsettling to say the least. That white bunny cat Homura mentioned is one that she's encountered before but had thought nothing of it at the time, though in retrospect it is pretty obvious that the entity is distinctly foreign and garners an Homonculus-like appearance, which leads credence to the point Homura brought up about it being able to inhabit multiple bodies. If the homunculi bodies are created by this entity, then the smart thing to do would be to somehow find the source of whatever's creating these Kyuubey bodies. Perhaps she'll try and interrogate one of them next time she finds sight of them again? She also may offer her services to Homura in future hunts in order to get adjusted to fighting these "Witches" since she'll be in Mitakihara for some time. She will also try and coordinate with Akemi's group in hunting the stray Assassin Servant before things get too out of hand. If Akemi doesn't disclose a bit of information about Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika and why she's so hostile to them in the near future, she'll probably try and go find out herself via reconnaissance for a time.

 

[itrytofight]

[X] Ask Akemi about the black mass inside the jewel
[X] Head back to the hotel
-[X] Akemi Homura is a girl that takes it upon herself to carry a burden all on her lonesome, if she can get away with it. Given her familial history, its likely she usually doesn't put much trust into capable adults and seeks out others her age that share common problems in order to achieve her goals, such as with her cabal of mages she's scrounged up. She, and presumably her group, doesn't know much about the Moonlit world, and seems to be getting second hand knowledge from Archer. As to the nature of these Mitakihara Witches and the entity creating them, its quite unsettling to say the least. That white bunny cat Homura mentioned is one that she's encountered before but had thought nothing of it at the time, though in retrospect it is pretty obvious that the entity is distinctly foreign and garners an Homonculus-like appearance, which leads credence to the point Homura brought up about it being able to inhabit multiple bodies. If the homunculi bodies are created by this entity, then the smart thing to do would be to somehow find the source of whatever's creating these Kyuubey bodies. Perhaps she'll try and interrogate one of them next time she finds sight of them again? She also may offer her services to Homura in future hunts in order to get adjusted to fighting these "Witches" since she'll be in Mitakihara for some time. She will also try and coordinate with Akemi's group in hunting the stray Assassin Servant before things get too out of hand. If Akemi doesn't disclose a bit of information about Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika and why she's so hostile to them in the near future, she'll probably try and go find out herself via reconnaissance for a time.

 

[Nawaf]

[X] Enetious
Wow, that's one hell of a bloated vote. You might want to trim it a bit in the future. I could do it, but everyone else's already posted. At this rate, the votes are going to be bigger than the updates.

 

[SVS]

[X] Enetious
​

---

"If you have business elsewhere in Mitakihara, I would suggest taking care of that instead," Akemi says, hiding the amethyst jewel at her hand when she catches you staring. It's developed a black mass of some sort; it's nothing too large, but it's shifting, rather like it's a liquid than a solid you might expect a mass to be.

"What is that?" you ask, pointing to the hand that Akemi has hidden. "That liquid mass inside your jewel; what is it?"

Akemi is silent, meeting your stare with one of her own. There is a tenseness in the air, as she and Archer no doubt share their thoughts about your question amongst themselves. Finally, she speaks. "You might consider it a limitation on my use of magic. If I use too much in too short a time, then that mass exists to ensure that I stop."

It's a stranger sort of limitation than any you have seen before, but the logic is sound. If not limited in its use, True Magic has a tendency to draw the attention of the wrong sets of eyes. Whether it's a self-imposed limitation, or it has something to do with the nature of this city's magecraft as a whole, you cannot say, and you find it likely that Akemi will not say either.

"Alright, thank you for telling me," you say. "Since you're done for the night, I suppose this is where we part ways. Be it another witch, Assassin, or whatever else is troubling you, I look forward to working with you again should you decide to accept my offer."

Despite a rather rocky patch at the outset, you and Akemi part on cordial terms, which is probably the best you can expect from her for the moment.

You can see nothing as you make your way back to the hotel, but all the while you can feel the presence of cherry-candy eyes watching you. A prank, you chastise yourself for the folly of your earlier thoughts about that damned stray. You should have known something was up from the moment you laid eyes on it. With those red eyes and that white fur, its resemblance to an Einzbern homunculus is uncanny. A prank... That damned thing's probably been watching me ever since I set foot in this city.

And yet... There's a chance you might be able to use this to your advantage. They know you're investigating this city. They know an Enforcer is investigating this city. Like so many rogue mages do when they catch wind of an Enforcer, they'll get overly cautious; they'll make obvious changes to their routine in order to obfuscate you; sooner or later, they'll slip up. That's when you nab them. You'll wait for the perfect moment, then nab one of the Incubator's bodies and interrogate it. Make it spill everything it knows about its master.

If you do that, then you'll have put away a rogue mage that the Association doesn't even know about, and Akemi Homura and her friends can stop fighting a war that shouldn't be theirs, and go back to their normal lives.

All is quiet in the hotel lobby when you return, with only the night manager to greet you as you make your way to your room. Your tie is the first thing to go as you cross the threshold, tossing it casually onto the little round table. Your jacket and shirt are next; these you lay out on the folding ironing board stashed away in the closet. You'll clean the blood off of them tomorrow, when you get the chance. Shoes, socks, and pants come next, with your undergarments only coming off moments before lowering yourself into the bathtub. You let your body soak in the warm water as the day's events replay in your mind.

Everything about this War leaves you feeling unsettled. Children no older than the youngest participants of the Fifth War, being pressed into the role of masters, and for what? As far as you can tell, there isn't even a Holy Grail to be fought over this time around. If they aren't fighting each other, then who are they fighting- A rogue servant turned serial killer, and a mage turning negative emotions into reality-warping "witches". To say nothing about the kind of children that this War's orchestrator has chosen. Akemi, Tomoe, and Sakura are all orphans, while Kure's only respectable parent lives barely above the poverty line and is clearly at her wit's end.

What sort of monster would have chosen children so vulnerable to fight in this War? Why? Why couldn't adults have been chosen for that role, and not children who should have remained uninvolved? You had been twenty-three at the time of the Fifth War, with three years of field experience, and two years of practical knowledge and professional training already under your belt. You were an adult, and knew what you were getting yourself into when you summoned your servant. What did these children know at the time? Nothing, you would guess. Akemi gets her information from Archer, meaning there's no way for her to have known what she was getting herself into beforehand.

Still, having seen the situation on the ground, you're feeling like you've developed a decent picture of Akemi Homura as a person. Half a lifetime spent on the brink of death from heart failures, combined with the loss of her parents only a year ago, would certainly have engendered a person so unwilling to trust the adults around her. Why should she, when the only adults in her life have either been failures or have left her when she needed them the most. This little cabal of unorthodox mages she's scrounged up is probably the closest thing she has to a reliable and trustworthy presence in her life, and even then she seems to hold them at arm's length, if her treatment of Tomoe and her attitude towards Kure and Mikuni are any indication.

Mikuni is the one mage involved in this affair that you know the least about. She is exceedingly wealthy and probably just as powerful, and likely comes from a long lineage of mages if her wealth and power are any indication. If she's anything, she's probably this city's Second Owner, though you doubt the other mages of Mitakihara know enough about mage customs to know what that means. She's in a relationship with Kure, and Akemi has a moderate-to-severe distrust of the two for an unexplained reason. Maybe Akemi will tell you at a later date, but if not you'll have to do some digging into the matter when you get the chance.

An hour passes, maybe two, and the water has gone cold by the time you finally emerge from the bathtub. You dry yourself off, brush your teeth, and don new undergarments and a bathrobe provided by the hotel as you pull up a chair and get to work writing out your thoughts and findings of the first day of your mission. There are certainly a lot of them, and you'll have plenty of time to record them all as you work off the jet lag.
​

Day 17 Complete​

 

[SVS]

Day 18 Begin
​

The broken corpse of the blonde girl lays before you, blood staining her uniform, her Soul Gem shattered in a frame that hangs barely attached to her injured head. Try as you might, you find that you cannot stop the tremors wracking your body.

"I'll keep going, then," Madoka says, trying to offer comfort with her voice, despite knowing that none can reach you.

"But... Tomoe-san just died..."

Madoka stares at you, a look of determination on her face. "That's exactly why." High above, far, far above the darkened rainclouds, the ominous figure looms over the city, laughing maniacally, as the slight "tick-tock" of its geared undercarriage echoes to infinity with each rotation. "Walpurgisnacht still needs to be stopped... And I'm the only one left."

"It's impossible!" you scream, as tears cloud your vision. "You can't win! Let's run away together! Nobody would blame you if you did!"

"Homura-chan..." Madoka's smile - your one source of joy in this world since the death of your parents - fails to alleviate your sadness, even as she offers it to you tenfold in warmth. "I'm so happy that you and I became friends. It's a point of pride for me, that I was able to rescue you. I think it's so great that I got to become a magical girl."

You can barely stand to watch now, and only the faint whisper of your words "No... Don't go," escapes your mouth as Madoka vanishes from your sight.

"Good-bye, Homura-chan!"

You awaken drenched in sweat, trembling. You hold your hands out, tears streaming down your face as you cry out "Kaname-san!" to a figure that can no longer hear you. How many times have you had that same dream? How many times have you had to watch Madoka sacrifice herself? You'll stay in bed today; nothing bad will happen to Madoka today if you aren't a part of her life.

Your phone buzzes atop your nightstand, and your hand lazily reaches out to grab hold of it. Amid a home screen devoid of clutter - "apps", as Sayaka called them - a lone notification stands out to mar the image of you and Madoka that serves as your background. You have one new message.

<Madoka: Good morning Homura-chan!>

You close the message without responding to it, staring at your phone background. At Madoka's insistence, you had taken the photo on your first date, shortly after acquiring your new outfit. The two of you are quite close, faces pressed together in order to squeeze the both of you into the frame. Madoka is smiling, blissfully unaware of the world lurking just beneath the surface.

... Why? You knew that you were going to your death... I wanted you to live on... Even if it meant you couldn't save me.

You open the message again, and type your reply.

<Homura: Good morning to you too, Madoka.>

It's just barely enough, but that small act of engagement gives you the strength to get up and go about your morning routine. You hope that a few extra minutes in the shower, letting the water run down your face, will hide the tears you shed in your sleep. You dry yourself off, get dressed, and head to breakfast. Archer stares at you with a careful eye as you enter the kitchen. He knows by now that your usual routine calls for your shower to be after breakfast, but if he knows the cause of your change in routine he says nothing, allowing you eat breakfast in silence.

With breakfast finished, you gather your school supplies and head out into the world.

Madoka is waiting for you at the intersection, and upon your arrival greets you with an enthusiastic hug and a joyful squeak of "Good morning, Homura-chan!"

You return her embrace, saying "But you've already wished me a good morning, Madoka."

"Well, now your morning can be twice as good!" The two of you break from your embrace, walking together hand-in-hand, at a pace just slightly slower than normal. There's a light breeze in the air, and the cherry blossoms are just starting to come into bloom. Madoka's lips curl upwards into a bright smile when she catches you staring. It's a beautiful April.

You wonder how terribly it will end.

Do you
[ ] Talk
-[ ] to Madoka
--[ ] wait for Sayaka and Hitomi to join you before talking
---[ ] to Madoka
---[ ] to Sayaka
---[ ] to Hitomi
---[ ] About what? (write-in)
[ ] Don't talk
-[ ] unless someone else talks to you
[ ] Other (write-in)​

---

---

Saturday, 2 April 2011

Major objectives:
Homura
- Figure out what, if anything, has to be done about Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika now that they have surrendered
-- Do you want to change this objective?
[ ] Change to "Cultivate your alliance with Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika"
[ ] Do not change this objective.
- Track down and eliminate the servant Assassin before it can cause further harm
- Grow your social capital with Kaname Madoka, Miki Sayaka, Shizuki Hitomi, Tomoe Mami, and Sakura Kyouko
- Succeed in reconnecting Tomoe Mami with Sakura Kyouko in order to ensure Tomoe Mami's mental stability
- Prevent Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka from contracting and becoming puella magi
- Defeat the witch known as Walpurgisnacht

Archer
- Investigate, identify, and prevent the occurrence of the event that caused a fundamental force of this universe to be twice overwritten
- Protect your master from harm in this unusually dangerous loop
- Further your master's skills in magecraft, now that she's getting the hang of the fundamentals of Projection
- Aid your master in coordinating her allies so that they stand a better chance of defeating Assassin, as well as any other threats that may appear

 

[Enetious]

Wow, that's one hell of a bloated vote. You might want to trim it a bit in the future. I could do it, but everyone else's already posted. At this rate, the votes are going to be bigger than the updates.

Click to shrink...

SVS noted for voters to describe it specifically in-depth if that option was chosen

[X] Talk
-[X] to Madoka
--[X] Now that things have mostly settled down, awkwardly ask her if she's fine with getting back together. Promise Madoka that she won't knowingly hide anything Puella Magi related, and anything she wishes to know she only needs to ask. Warn Madoka of McRemitz snooping around, but say that she doesn't think she's a threat to them as of now. Warn the others if Madoka thinks its a good idea to.
[X] Change to "Cultivate your alliance with Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika"

After having yet another dream about losing Madoka, now Homura will try and get closer to her once more in response.

 

[itrytofight]

[X] Talk
-[X] to Madoka
--[X] Now that things have mostly settled down, awkwardly ask her if she's fine with getting back together. Promise Madoka that she won't knowingly hide anything Puella Magi related, and anything she wishes to know she only needs to ask. Warn Madoka of McRemitz snooping around, but say that she doesn't think she's a threat to them as of now. Warn the others if Madoka thinks its a good idea to.
[X] Change to "Cultivate your alliance with Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika"

It looks like Bazet aims to help us and may be a good addition against Walpurgisnaucht, even better if she's fully on our side and gets some of the better elements of the clock tower to help us.

Still, I'm worried about how she would react once she learns the truth which sees inevitable since she'll be aiming for the "rogue mage".

 

[Random Paul]

[X] Talk
-[X] to Madoka
--[X] Now that things have mostly settled down, awkwardly ask her if she's fine with getting back together. Promise Madoka that she won't knowingly hide anything Puella Magi related, and anything she wishes to know she only needs to ask. Warn Madoka of McRemitz snooping around, but say that she doesn't think she's a threat to them as of now. Warn the others if Madoka thinks its a good idea to.
[X] Change to "Cultivate your alliance with Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika

 

[SVS]

[X] Talk
-[X] to Madoka
--[X] Now that things have mostly settled down, awkwardly ask her if she's fine with getting back together. Promise Madoka that she won't knowingly hide anything Puella Magi related, and anything she wishes to know she only needs to ask. Warn Madoka of McRemitz snooping around, but say that she doesn't think she's a threat to them as of now. Warn the others if Madoka thinks its a good idea to.
​

---

Madoka's lips curl upwards into a bright smile when she catches you staring. Perhaps it's just the time of year in which you've known Madoka, or perhaps it's the similarities in their colour, but cherry blossoms have always made you think of her. You squeeze her hand a little tighter, saying "You're looking especially pretty today, Madoka."

Madoka blushes, awkwardly glancing away from you. "I'm glad. Mama gave me a few makeup tips, and I wanted to try them out to see if you'd notice."

Your heart skips a beat, and you stop walking. Madoka... Is wearing makeup... For me? Madoka stops as well, staring at you with concern. "Homura-chan, is everything alright?"

" I was just gunna say that ya might wanna get on that soon before someone else steals her away from ya"

"Thousand Yen says Homura's finally going to make it official."

Madoka's face has become the red cabbage, and she's fidgeting expectantly.

Madoka is staring at you with a mixture of nervousness and expectation.

For your own sake, it's best to just keep your relationship confined to the borderline of your emotions.

Madoka

Madoka

Madoka

"Kaname-san!"

"Madoka... I was thinking; would it... Would it be alright if we..." You force yourself to swallow the lump forming in your throat. "If we made things official between us?" Madoka blinks away her surprise, staring at you with those gorgeous pink eyes of hers. "I... I know things didn't work out between us the first time... I was too wrapped up in keeping my secrets from you, that I neglected to consider that a relationship can't be formed from such a rocky foundation. And... I realize that you've been waiting for me for some time now, but... To be honest, I...
[ ] I was afraid that, if you got to know me more intimately, you wouldn't like who I was underneath."
[ ] I was afraid that I'd ruin our friendship if I tried to push the matter before you were ready."
[ ] I was afraid that I'd let you down again, that I'd betray the trust you placed in me."
[ ] I really don't have a good excuse as to why I've hesitated for so long."

"I know it isn't much, but I can promise you that I won't keep any more secrets from you. Whatever you want to know, anything at all... Just ask me, and I promise that I'll tell you."

Madoka stands on the verge of tears. "Homura-chan..." she says, forcefully wrapping her arms around your waist. "Mama says it's not polite to keep a lady waiting." You lean your head against hers, letting your tears fall silently into Madoka's pink locks. It's taken you so long to make it back to this point... "Homura-chan... Are you crying?"

"Madoka..." Madoka's embrace tightens as you choke on her name. "You really are the best thing that's ever happened to me. But, Madoka... Do you really understand what it means for us to be together?"

Madoka shifts her position slightly, staring up at you once again. "Madoka... I am a lesbian. That means that I only like other girls. If you plan on... Dating me, then you need to be prepared to accept that that's how other people will view you, as well. Are you okay with that, with letting others form their opinions about you based on who you're romantically involved with?"

Madoka nods, offering up one of her brightest smiles as she takes your hands into her own. "Whether Homura-chan was a boy or a girl, I'd still like you just the same. If that makes me a lesbian, then I'm fine with that; and if other people want to think poorly of me for liking Homura-chan, then what those people think doesn't matter to me." You had sold your soul for the strength to protect Madoka, and yet time and again she continues to prove that she's still stronger. "I'll meet lots of people in this world, Homura-chan, but only the people who want to help lift me up will ever matter. And if people want to drag me down because of the person I choose to be my girlfriend, then I don't have any reason to care about what they have to think."

"Mama and Papa really like you a lot, Homura-chan, and Tatsuya too. I know they'll be supportive of us no matter what; so will Sayaka-chan, Hitomi-chan, and Tomoe-san. They're the people that matter the most to me, and all of them are fine with us being together, so it's alright." Madoka's hands leave yours, as she once again takes her place at your side, intertwining her fingers with yours as the two of you take to walking again.

"Yesterday, a woman from... England, I think, came around looking for Tomoe-san and I," you say, as you and Madoka approach the intersection where you usually meet Sayaka and Hitomi. "She was doing some investigating into a number of puella magi-related things, though I don't believe that she poses a threat at the moment. I was wondering, whether or not you thought I should tell Sayaka and Hitomi when we see them."

A finger goes to Madoka's lip as she contemplates your words. "If she's investigating... Magical things, I think that's something only you and Tomoe-san can decide, Homura-chan. I know that Sayaka-chan, Hitomi-chan, and I, aren't really a part of that world, so I don't know if it's my business telling you to tell them or not. I think they have the right to know if someone's snooping around and checking out their friends, but if you don't want to tell them then that's your business."

"I see. Thank you for the advice, Madoka."

You and Madoka arrive at the intersection, where Sayaka and Hitomi are already waiting. They bid you both good morning, but that's never enough for Sayaka, is it? "Something's different about you two today," she says, adopting an exaggerated pose as she does her best to study you. Slowly, you watch her face change as the realization dawns on her. "No way..."

"Mhm!" Madoka nods enthusiastically, giving your hand an extra squeeze. "Homura-chan and I made it official just this morning!"

"Nice going!" Sayaka shouts, holding out her hand for Madoka to high-five her. "You two make a super-cute couple."

Hitomi appears less enthusiastic about your relationship than Sayaka, but you don't hold it against her. You know that she's trying to improve her outlook on your feelings for Madoka from what her parents taught her. "Madoka-san, Akemi-san, congratulations to the both of you. I hope that much happiness is able to follow you."

For as much happiness as the rest of this month will allow, anyway.

Do you
[ ] Tell Sayaka and Hitomi about McRemitz-san
[ ] Don't tell Sayaka and Hitomi about McRemitz-san

Regardless of your decision, do you
[ ] Talk
-[ ] to Madoka
-[ ] to Sayaka
-[ ] to Hitomi
--[ ] About what? (write-in)
[ ] Don't talk
-[ ] unless someone else talks to you
[ ] Other (write-in)​

 

[Nawaf]

SVS noted for voters to describe it specifically in-depth if that option was chosen

Click to shrink...

Oh, sorry then. I've been running on little sleep lately and easily missing small details like that.

[X] I was afraid that I'd let you down again, that I'd betray the trust you placed in me."

[X] Tell Sayaka and Hitomi about McRemitz-san.

[X] Don't talk
-[X] unless someone else talks to you

On the first point, Homura is traumatized by repeatedly failing to save Madoka (for about 12 years in realtime). So I think that option fits her best.

Second option is because I have miscommunication without a very good reason. Of course, Homura being Homura won't give them much detail unless they ask.

For the last one, I'd say that just living in the moment for now would give her some much-needed happy memories.

 

[WanderingTwix]

[X] I was afraid that I'd let you down again, that I'd betray the trust you placed in me."
[X] Tell Sayaka and Hitomi about McRemitz-san.
[X] Don't talk
-[X] unless someone else talks to you

 

[SVS]

[X] I was afraid that I'd let you down again, that I'd betray the trust you placed in me."
[X] Tell Sayaka and Hitomi about McRemitz-san.
[X] Don't talk
-[X] unless someone else talks to you

---

A thousand red cabbages threaten to burst from under your skin as Sayaka crowds you in with her constant congratulations. Her enthusiasm has practically overtaken you, and now you and Madoka are linked by only the slightest touch of your fingers. You're afraid that if you let go, all of this will vanish and you'll be left alone again, with nothing to show for your efforts but another failure. You don't want to let go. You don't want to lose Madoka again.

"Sayaka, please get off of me," you finally manage to say. "You're crowding me so much I can barely breathe."

In a flash, Hitomi has pulled Sayaka off of you. "Oh, geez, I'm sorry," she says, going for a pat on the back. "I'm just so excited for you and Madoka. You two are gonna make such a cute couple." With her hand still on your back, Sayaka leans in, whispering to you "Now might be a good time to go talk to Kaede. She's had her eye on you since you transferred in, and I'm not sure how well she'll handle hearing that you're taken."

"She... She was drawing herself, and Homura-chan... And you two were... Kissing. I got really jealous when I saw her drawing you like that."

That girl... Kaede... In the past, you had paid only the minimum amount of attention to her. You hadn't even known her name until just now. You had your suspicions for several repetitions now, but this is the first time her feelings have ever been known to you for sure.
[ ] She should have seen the signs that you were interested in Madoka and not her.
[ ] You feel bad for her, knowing what it's like to long for someone unattainable.
[ ] Other (write-in)

"Actually, there is something I would like to say to you as well, Sayaka." Sayaka pulls herself back, looking on with arms crossed over her chest. "You and Hitomi. It... Doesn't really concern you directly, but I thought you still deserved to know."

"What is it, Akemi-san?" Hitomi asks.

"Yesterday, a foreign woman came around to Tomoe-san and I, asking us about things relating to puella magi. I don't believe she poses a threat, at least not right now, but I am worried how her reaction will change if she discovers the truth."

"Do you... Do you think there's a chance she'll come looking for one of us next?"

"It's possible, but it's equally possible that she doesn't suspect you of being involved with that part of my life. If she does come for you, I ask that you allow her to continue thinking like that."

Blue and Green nod, understanding in their responsibility as your secret-keepers. Together, the four of you make your way to school. Madoka, Sayaka, and Hitomi are content to talk amongst themselves, but right now you'd like nothing more than to just enjoy the view. As you give Madoka's hand a gentle squeeze, you decide to commit this day to memory. The way her eyes and her hair match so perfectly with the budding cherry blossoms, the warmth of her hand against yours, the gentle sound of her laughter, the way her smile makes your heart skip a beat.

"Homura-chan?" There is worry in her voice as Madoka calls out your name, and you notice that you have stopped once again.

"Hey, Homura, are you okay?" Sayaka asks. "You're crying. Is everything alright?"

"I..." No amount of happiness can ever erase your mistakes. No matter how happy the Madoka of this timeline makes you feel, it can never undo the countless times you have failed her. You don't deserve this.

But Madoka thinks that you do.

Only because she doesn't know.

"... I'm just so happy right now."

Sayaka slinks up behind you and Madoka, pressing your bodies together as she sticks her head through the middle. "Geez Homura, you look like the bride at a wedding. I guess we're gonna have to throw you two newlyweds a big ol' celebration to mark the occasion, won't we!"

"Sayaka-chan, don't say stuff like that!" Madoka's face has turned the same shade as her hair and eyes. "Homura-chan and I haven't even been together a full hour yet!"

"But Madoka, aren't you the one who's always said she wants to marry someone cool like your mom?" Madoka continues to pout at Sayaka's words. "Outside of your mom, I can't think of anyone cooler than Homura, so I'd say you really lucked out in that department. Better lock her down and quick; don't want someone else stealing your girl, do ya?"

"Miki Sayaka, that's enough," you say, putting your foot down with a bit more force in your voice than usual. "I appreciate your support for our relationship, but neither Madoka nor I appreciate your teasing at the moment."

Sayaka pulls herself back, scratching awkwardly at the back of her head. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I guess I did go a little overboard there with that last comment. I'm sorry if I let my big mouth get the better of me."

"Apology accepted." Perhaps now the four of you can make it to school without any further interruptions.

[ ] Wat do?​

 

[Enetious]

[X] You feel bad for her, knowing what it's like to long for someone unattainable.
[X] Telepathically ask Archer to locate and keep an eye on McRemitz-san's activities while they're at school today. As long as Mami and Caster are around, they should be relatively safe enough for Archer to do so. Be happy and affectionate with Madoka throughout the school day, but don't actively voice their relationship to the student body unless Madoka wants to.
[X] Switch perspectives to Archer

 

[Slayer 10321]

[X] You feel bad for her, knowing what it's like to long for someone unattainable.

Homu needs to grind her Empathy stat. This option should help that along.

Plus...who's Kaede?

 

[WanderingTwix]

[X] You feel bad for her, knowing what it's like to long for someone unattainable.
[X] Telepathically ask Archer to locate and keep an eye on McRemitz-san's activities while they're at school today. As long as Mami and Caster are around, they should be relatively safe enough for Archer to do so. Be happy and affectionate with Madoka throughout the school day, but don't actively voice their relationship to the student body unless Madoka wants to.
[X] Switch perspectives to Archer

 

[SVS]

Plus...who's Kaede?

Click to shrink...

Kaede is the name I decided to give to Clip Girl, who is noted in several different scenes to be either staring at or taking an interest in Homura. She's the one being referred to here

Actually, you've had your suspicions about that girl who sits behind and to the left of you for several loops now..

Click to shrink...

and here

"Do you know the girl who sits behind and to the left of you? ... She... She was drawing herself, and Homura-chan... And you two were... Kissing. I got really jealous when I saw her drawing you like that."

Click to shrink...

 

[Nawaf]

[X] You feel bad for her, knowing what it's like to long for someone unattainable.
[X] Telepathically ask Archer to locate and keep an eye on McRemitz-san's activities while they're at school today. As long as Mami and Caster are around, they should be relatively safe enough for Archer to do so. Be happy and affectionate with Madoka throughout the school day, but don't actively voice their relationship to the student body unless Madoka wants to.
[X] Switch perspectives to Archer

 

[Random Paul]

[X] You feel bad for her, knowing what it's like to long for someone unattainable.
[X] Telepathically ask Archer to locate and keep an eye on McRemitz-san's activities while they're at school today. As long as Mami and Caster are around, they should be relatively safe enough for Archer to do so. Be happy and affectionate with Madoka throughout the school day, but don't actively voice their relationship to the student body unless Madoka wants to.
[X] Switch perspectives to Archer

 

[jcdenton]

[X] You feel bad for her, knowing what it's like to long for someone unattainable.
[X] Telepathically ask Archer to locate and keep an eye on McRemitz-san's activities while they're at school today. As long as Mami and Caster are around, they should be relatively safe enough for Archer to do so. Be happy and affectionate with Madoka throughout the school day, but don't actively voice their relationship to the student body unless Madoka wants to.
[X] Switch perspectives to Archer

 

[itrytofight]

[X] You feel bad for her, knowing what it's like to long for someone unattainable.
[X] Telepathically ask Archer to locate and keep an eye on McRemitz-san's activities while they're at school today. As long as Mami and Caster are around, they should be relatively safe enough for Archer to do so. Be happy and affectionate with Madoka throughout the school day, but don't actively voice their relationship to the student body unless Madoka wants to.
[X] Switch perspectives to Archer