It is difficult, but recovery from the funny/horrifying image that Gabriel had left you with is possible. Once free of the image, though, deciding what you wanted to do for what little was left of the day was as easy as breathing to you: you chase after Sega and her group. For the last two weeks (Has it really only been two weeks? It feels like months have passed), Sega has been in the ground. And now, for the first time in what felt like forever, you had your sister back.
And if you had any say in the matter, you weren't letting her out of your sight at all for the next few days, even if you had to attach a leash to her.
It doesn't take long to find your way to the tent where at least half of your group are gathered. From the little extension that was Samael's little workshop you hear the loud whine of an engraver as he worked to modify his own armor. Something you expected. What you hadn't expected though was right inside the main sleeping area of the tent.
"Huh... Sega is lesbian... Why am I not actually surprised by this?" Your voice is flat, and devoid of embellishment, a good portion of your brain being completely and utterly focused on the scene before you.
Off to one side, James is watching the scene with a grin reminiscent of the cat that got the cream, canary, cat nip, the neighbor's mouse, and was able to blame it all on the dog down the street. San was right next to him watching it all happen with a sort of horrified fascination that only younger siblings could properly pull off. A look you weren't all that certain you were sharing. Mostly because you found yourself agreeing with your sister's taste in girls.
The scene in question? Rei was sitting on your shared bed with your sister (technically) in her lap, with her legs wrapped around her waist, and holding her arms up to her shoulders by the wrists, while resting her chin upon Sega's shoulder, a flushed look upon her face. And right over the both of them was Judgement Core's older sister, with her fingers wrapped in your sister's long purple hair as she pulled Sega forward.
The moans definitely didn't help one bit.
Not that you were complaining, per say...
-/LINE BREAK IDENTIFIED\-
Thankfully the scene didn't devolve into something out of an adult book. After several intense minutes of tongue warfare JC's sister pulled away. Then, with a satisfied look on her face, she walked out of the tent trailing a finger along her bottom lip as if to capture the taste. Completely unrepentant.
You turn to gaze at your still-trapped sister, raising an eyebrow at the rather finely-detailed (and familiar) hand-shaped imprint on the side of her face, placed perfectly for maximum coverage. "This answers so many questions." James breaks out into laughter, while Rei starts to snicker from her place behind/under Sega, while the poor woman gives you a confused look, her brain not yet recovered from the lack of oxygen that her girlfriend had put her though. "I always wondered you know. Whether or not you were in a relationship."
"We weren't actually. Not until yesterday anyway... she jumped me between the cafeteria and the command tent when they were doing the preliminary debriefs." Slowly the lustful haze fades from your sister's eyes as her mind finally finishes rebooting. "Didn't really leave me much choice in the matter there."
You fold your hands behind your back so you can lean over Sega, "Well, regardless, I'm happy for you. We need more positive things in our lives. So as long as she makes you happy, I won't feel bad." The implied threat being that if she hurt Sega then the girl would answer to you. And it's obvious everyone in the room caught on, though no one pointed it out. "Anyway, do we have everyone settled in?"
Rei answers this time, by picking up Sega by the shoulders, and physically lifting her to the side with a squeak. "Yes. Sega will be joining us in this bed, I can always do with more pets. ("Hey!") And San will be moving her own cot into the tent as well. We have some open space still, otherwise we are completely settled." Ignoring Sega's pout from being manhandled, Rei instead reaches forward to grab your wrist and pull you into her lap.
With a squeak of your own, you're in her lap and the older magical girl starts to run her fingers through your hair. You glance at Sega and she gives you a traitorous smirk at your new predicament. You pout, and Sega just smiles harder.
"Hmm... It's strange: Sega's hair is softer... but your hair is smoother. What an odd combination." {I don't think "combination is quite the right word...]
And just like that the both of you are blushing.
-/LINE BREAK IDENTIFIED\-
It takes a while, but you manage to free yourself from Rei, the older girl deciding to turn in early herself, tired from the last several days worth of events. James goes to help Sam with his little project and to get him to turn off the damned grinder for a while, but you and Sega leave to the command tent for something else entirely.
The Offensive.
The last you knew was that the entire Unified Light was gearing up for it, but past that you didn't really know much besides the fact a flight of angels was going to be stationed at the base for the foreseeable future. And you wanted to know more about it. Thus, you drug Sega with you across the firebase to learn more as well as finish her own 'debriefing' for the commander.
And once you do find him, it's obvious he's not sure whether or not he's happy to see you. "At least we can finish with you." He tells Sega. "After that though, you don't have the clearance to know all the details of the offensive..." He pulls out a recorder and waves down a scurrying aid, giving them some quick orders, then turns back to you and Sega. "So, yesterday you were telling us how they've been going around looting graves to bolster their magical girl numbers... What I want to know though, is what they were doing with a Nightmare nest in Boston of all places."
Sega shrugs. "Well... as I said yesterday, I wasn't resurrected long enough to get any of the really good details... but what I do know is that they were intending to use it as a massive distraction. Apparently the plan was to focus on only one region on Earth and try to wear it down enough to create a crack in the Pillar's defenses. They've apparently been trying to set it all up for a year or two now... but the Boston nest was the only one close enough to ready to do anything in the next two months. Other than that I know of two other locations that have a nest or dormant Hellgate being put together."
The Commander nods to Sega's words. "Reasonable. We'll have to clean house before we launch the offensive. A counter stroke in the middle of it could be devastating... We're lucky. With what the offensive is going to be we won't have anything to spare for the home front."
You jerked at that. "Really?"
He nods, "It's a long shot... but the Akashic Pillar is planning for this to be the End Game. With all that entails." You stare at him, and so does Sega. Despite the noise of the workers around you it feel quiet, as if sound had died. "The Leaders have agreed to use Firebase Momo as the primary staging point for the offensive. So expect to see a lot of new faces around here soon... any more questions?"
You blink, thoughts re-railed to the small list of questions that had been bugging you. "Um.. yes sir. I was wondering what all happened after the end of my mission... what happened to the virus and Hero WEAPON? And... did they ever figure out what the Maidens took from the Angels?"
The Commander raises his eyebrow at you, apparently interested in your 'pursuit' of duty. "The Virus is accounted for. It was handed off to a new team of scientists in a far more secured location. It's safe. As for Hero WEAPON? Well... apparently Gaia is a little ticked off. She wants to know how the Unified Darkness had been able to hide the Nightmare Nest from her like they did, so she'll be in the area for a while. We've manage a truce that lets her stay on base so long as she doesn't cause trouble and helps out when needed." You nod to yourself at that. Far be it for anyone to refuse aid from a powerful Magical Girl. Especially one at Hero's level. "As for the stolen object... Apparently it was an Angelic scrying device. It could open small portals that are just big enough for someone to gaze through or drop something through. Not as useful as it sounds though, because it gives off a large enough magic signature that warns everyone within four hundred feet that it's there, if they have even the slightest sensitivity to magic."
You blink, "So why would they steal something like that? If all it can do is..." Your voice cuts of with a gurgle as it hits you.
It could open small portals that are just big enough for someone to gaze through or drop something through.
"Its portals don't have to be in the same dimension. Do they?" The Commander's smirk is all the answer you need. "I think I need to sit down."
-/LINE BREAK IDENTIFIED\-
"You alright Nepgear?" Sega has her arms wrapped around you as you take several deep, careful, breaths. You are curled up against the outside of the command tent as soldiers pass you. Trying to come to terms with how close Humanity came to being wiped out.
"I-I think so. It's just... hard to believe, ya'know? How close it all came to ending horribly." You take another deep breath. "I need something to-" You don't get to finish your sentence as a familiar sight appear before the two of you.
"There you are!" Your head jerks up and Sega's snaps around, both seeking the interloper. "You have any idea how annoyed I am?" Standing over the two of you, in her black skinsuit, is Judgement Core. You blink owlishly at her, quietly thankful for the distraction from your previous thoughts but none the less confused. "You agreed to have a rematch with me! But then you went and never showed up! Do you have any sense of honor?"
It's subtle, but you can hear a soft note of worry and relief underscoring her words somehow. And despite her words, you can almost understand what she is really trying to say. You have any idea how worried I was yesterday? When I heard your mission went wrong, and you wound up in the medical tent? It is unspoken but it is there. You smiled in embarrassment at her.
"Eh... heh... I'm sorry... I kind of got hit by a sleep spell of some kind and only woke up a while ago. If you want we can try again tomorrow!" Sorry for worrying you. I didn't mean for everything to get so out of hand, but I promise to try and make it up to you.
Judgement Core frowns and nods at you, before turning her nose to the sky and walking away, "Make sure you don't miss it again." I'll hold you to that.
Your smile is kinder, though she doesn't see it. "I'll try!" Sega watches it all with an amused glint in her eye.
And just like that, the day is almost over. It seems like you've barely woken up before the time to go back to sleep approaches again... but you still have a bit more time in you. And you don't want to go back to the realm of sleep again so soon.
-end of the day, pick one-
[]Check up on Sam. You're curious about how his 'project' is coming along.
[]Find Mike. With the number of Magical Girls coming in you don't trust him not to try something stupid.
[]Look for James. You need to talk to him about how Team GEAR was able to handle your 'abduction'.
[]Zero and Three time. Add in Sega, shake well, and watch what happens.
[]Wander the base. Lots of new people coming in: see who you run into.
[]Bug Sega about her past. All these hints are getting to you, and you need to know: 'Are you really a Magical Girl?'
+10xp Return to Peace.
+5xp Latched back onto Sega
+1xp Rei has a new pet
+3xp Sega got a girlfriend~ teasing material abounds!
+5xp Learned what your mission fucked up
+2xp Hero WEAPON in the area
+2xp Learned to speak ????
28 EXP Gained = 137 EXP Total
[]EXP Spending Plan?
[]Save it.
(Character Profile Unlocked! Commander Mason (Level 1)
Character Profile Updated! Judgement Core spent 440 EXP!)