To make people actually remember, here's it once for posterity: Minako is nonbinary and uses they/them. This message will be pinned so you people stop getting it wrong and pissing me off. If you get it wrong in the future I'm going to be much less nice, considering you have to scroll past it just to read the quest.
[X] Keep it the same. (DIFFICULTY 1 - This team's getting more experienced, but someone could start noticing a pattern.
"Yeah, fuck it." You huff your cigarette again. "Go ahead back in, same team. Y'all work well together and I think there's way more to find in that town."
"Good." Yuki nods and takes a step back. He falls right off the pier onto a spinning top, then leans backwards. "We'll give you a report in a couple of days. Same time!"
"Keep us posted," you shout as he slides across the waves and points right towards the city. The rest of the team nods before starting their way back across the bridge and towards Kasamino.
You sloooowly take another drag of the cigarette. You probably shouldn't be that surprised at the state Kasamino's in. It was always kind of a shithole; there was a joke among the Kasamino folks that they stole everything, including all of Mitakihara's criminals. You're not exactly exempting yourself from that, either. Lord knows you broke into every single ATM you could when you were a kid.
It's a powder keg full of desperate kids, tons of crime, and a megalomaniac to reap the benefits. You're not surprised Rin grew as powerful as she did; you're more surprised that she did it without any of you noticing.
You take another deep breath. Really, you'd like to stroll in and kick some ass, but that's a lot of unknowns. You don't know what kind of magi she has in store. You don't know if Rin's magic is just straight-up designed to counteract the "no mind control" quirk of being a magi, or if there's a particularly nasty magi hiding in her shadow. Someone with the power to turn people and gems to slag, maybe.
You shake your head and adjust your jacket before turning back to the pier. You accelerate just enough for a running start, bound off into Mitakihara.
You wonder how your wife's doing with Minako.
[=]
Your name is Sayaka, and it's tomorrow night. You're currently resting with your hand on your chin. Your kid went to go on another date with Takane today, and well...hey, they deserve a break. You take a long, long breath before you go ahead and put a cigarette in your mouth.
Oh, that's right. Your wife doesn't know about this particular bad habit of yours. And you sure as hell don't want her to know that you picked up the habit that she dropped.
You huff it once, then twice as some indie song plays on the radio. You don't know who makes these songs, but it's kinda pleasant to hear it at the bar, under bright yellow lights in front of a polished wooden countertop and a number of different spirits. You look over the menu. You could go for a sandwich, really. You're not feeling that fancy.
But you want a cocktail, too. Something silly, something fruity. You were never much for something that was too bitter. "I think I'll have a piña colada?"
"In autumn?" The bartender, a young man named Toji, wipes a glass. He's tall for his age, just over twenty. He has a mess of blond hair, dark brown skin, and is dressed in a tight dress shirt and slacks that show off how toned he is.
On his finger is a tiny little ring with a glimmering golden jewel in it. "Sayaka, that's not a seasonal drink. I don't think we even sell those right now."
You sigh. "Okay, well, how about a uhhhh..." You twirl the cigarette in your fingers as you scan the drink menu. "...uhhh, the Harvest?"
"That could work, yes." He pulls a skillet out from underneath the bar, a tiny little pan with a heating filament attached to the bottom and a few bars to keep it from touching the counter as he starts sorting through the ingredients.
Of course, in the middle of figuring out what to have for an evening drink, you fail to notice an enormous, orange-haired presence walking right towards you. She slides a hand across the countertop, eyes still on you as she takes a seat right next to you.
"Saya?" Akane gives you a knowing smile.
"Hey, Akane." You lean onto your hand.
Her eyes flicker between you and the cigarette. You lower your eyelids, as though to goad her into acknowledging it. Eventually, she just shrugs and sits right down.
"So, did the kid fight anything today?"
"Nah." You shrug. "They didn't. They're just at a sleepover with their girlfriend now."
Akane blinks. "Wait, really? You don't think-"
"I trust Mina, and to be honest I was kind of a chaste teenager, too."
Akane shrugs. "I mean...okay, yeah. Yeah." She turns to Toji and waves her hand. "A Manhattan, please."
"One sec." Toji quickly slides you your glass, and as soon as it hits your hand you give it a stir and a sip.
The rum should be bitterer, but the combination of cinnamon syrup and sugar makes it exactly how you like it; boozy with a hint of that spice. "Thanksmuch." You turn to Akane. "But Mina is doing well. How's Rumi?"
"Rumi got his arm broken trying to do a kickflip." She sighs.
You wince. "Do...do you want me to-"
"No, no." Akane waves her hand. "He already had his cast printed and signed. They'd notice if you healed his arm."
You stick your tongue out. "Fine, fine." It wouldn't be the first time you had to heal her kid, but you always did so discretely. A unsprained ankle here, some undone scrapes there. Nothing too big; just tiny little injuries reversed. Rumi is kind of a ball of chaos. "When'd he break it?"
"Two days ago. Just after your kid contracted. It was like a sign."
"Mmm."
Akane pauses. "Speaking of that, it's like...okay, be honest with me. Be real honest with me." She turns. "Are you okay, Sayaka Miki-Sakura."
"Huh?" You blink as you take another sip of your drink. "I'm fine. It's all fine. I'm dealing in my own way."
"Are you?" She leans over. "I didn't exactly forget what you told me when your kid turned 13."
You turn away. Your drink suddenly looks far, far more interesting. "I know. I know what I told you."
"I don't want you to be bottling things up, Sayaka."
"I'm not bottling things up. I'm fine." You run your hand through your hair. "I'm just fine. I'm okay, I'm dealing in my own way, and my kid needs me."
"Your kid is an empath and is real good at sniffing out bullshit." Akane pauses. She puts her nose into the air. She sniffs a few times, sniffs out loud.
"No, no, no, you are not doing that number again."
Akane throws her hands into the air. "Then maybe you shouldn't make it so fuckin' easy to."
You grind your teeth together. The glass in your hand creaks just a little.
Toji's eyes glance between the drink he's mixing and the drink you're about ready to spill. "Ah, ah, okay, please don't crack that glass it's going to come out of my paycheck."
Your hand relaxes just a little. "Fuck. Fucking...ugh. Ugh." You feel gross. You feel sick and disgusting and terrible and you want to fucking leave.
"Well...tell me." Akane steeples her hands. "I'm not your therapist. Not specifically your therapist. But I am a friend."
You breathe in through your nose. You breathe in deep through your nose.
[] Change the subject. [ACCURACY 1 - If you don't want to talk about it, and are insistent, Akane will relent]
[] Be honest about how fucking terrible you feel. [DIFFICULTY 3 - Honesty is tough.]
[] Leave. [DIFFICULTY 2 - You really gonna do Akane like that?]
I'm honestly expecting Sayaka to explode from the difficulty of this, but it is better if we blow up now and have that bomb neutralized than to let it sit, simmer and grow in strength.
I'm honestly expecting Sayaka to explode from the difficulty of this, but it is better if we blow up now and have that bomb neutralized than to let it sit, simmer and grow in strength.
[X] Be honest about how fucking terrible you feel. [DIFFICULTY 3 - Honesty is tough.]
-[] Try starting small. Like how inconvenient it is to put up a strong face for Mina and they see through it and you feel like shit for getting caught lying again and shit for making them feel worse. Little(ish) things first, and gradually talk more about it in a direct correlation to your alcohol consumption. Magic healing helps with hangovers, right?
Tentatively suggesting this addition. Maybe this method will help? Akane gave us a great starting point and maybe just using the inch she gave us will help us go the mile we need.
[X] Be honest about how fucking terrible you feel. [DIFFICULTY 3 - Honesty is tough.]
We can't exactly just bottle it up right in our chest and wait for the day someday when we die, even if I'm betting we won't exactly see success - but we should at least make an attempt, I suppose.
[x] Be honest about how fucking terrible you feel. [DIFFICULTY 3 - Honesty is tough.]
"...alright. Alright." You sip your drink, then you pause, and then you chug your drink. You don't get to enjoy the flavor. You vaguely taste some cinnamon but it's mostly the spices of the rum and a lot of sugar and god this is why you don't chug cocktails. You slam it back down hard. Loud enough to echo through the empty bar.
"Okay. So Mina's an empath, Right? They can scan your emotionscape and they wished to understand." You turn on your seat towards Akane. "I can tell you it gets difficult to try and hide stuff from them. Try and control information flow. Did you know that Mina knows about witches already? They and their girlfriend found out right quick.
"But I tried hiding it from them. Kyouko and I try to enjoy ourselves and choke down the fact that 'Oh, shit, our child did this thing that we were dreading for a decade. No, no, it's fine! We'll just cry ourselves to sleep! It's going to be great!' Except it's not great and I am about ready to implode."
Akane raises her hand. "Yo, you okay-"
You raise your hand as Toji quickly pours you another drink. "I can detox if you need it," he says.
You wave at him and slam the drink down. This time he didn't even halfway fill it; he just poured a shot of rum inside. Honestly, you'll take it. "So I can't lie to them. Fine! I had a bad habit of it anyway. And it's why they contracted. But what am I supposed to do? I can't tell them how much I'm struggling!
"They don't need to learn how hard it is for their moms to hold on. Last night I held Kyouko tight as she cried into my chest. I'm not about to fucking tell Minako about this. They don't need to know, but they still do! They still know!
"You've had stress dreams, right? Night terrors, right?"
Akane looks away. "I mean...yes. Yes I have." She turns back to you. "It's partially why I went to school."
"Well, I am a fucking mess!" You laugh and it's shrill and bitter and you hate it coming out of your mouth. "I am such a goddamn disaster." You feel a little burning on your finger and take a quick look. The cigarette's been burnt down to the butt. You throw it into a nearby ash tray.
Akane's eyes flicker between you and the spent cigarette. "You're spiraling again."
"I know, I know!" Your hands are shaking. You beat witches all the time and you hate that you can't fucking beat this. "I took my meds but there's only so-fucking-much you can do until it just eats you alive inside and your brain works against you and your kid hates you and I'm-!"
Akane lightly presses her hand against your shoulder. "Hey, hey, hey. You don't need to continue if you don't want-"
"I do! I do! I'm gonna keep fucking going because I'm boozed up, I'm a fuckup, and god I wish I was half the mom that you are because I am just-!"
You pause.
"Shit. Shit no I'm comparing myself and that's not helpful at all."
Akane relaxes a little. "No. No it's not. You're just going to make yourself feel awful."
"Fuck me." You press your hands against your temples. "Fuck me fuck me fuck me fuck me." You breathe out. "Ugh. Fuck fuck fuckfuckfuck. Fuck." You lean back and gravity threatens to pull you backwards and have you fall right off of your stool and onto the floor.
"Hey, hey hey whoa whoa." Akane moves a gigantic hand to your back but you stop yourself before you fall back further. "Maybe this was a bad idea-"
"No, no, you needed to get me talking and I am fucking talking I am TALKING." You shake your head. "God. God I was...ugh." You run your hands through your hair. "Shitshitshit I'm even picking up on my wife's bad habits she fucking ditched this." You pinch the bridge of your nose, before you pull the box of cigarettes out of your pocket and slip one out.
You stuff it in your lips and follow it up with a lighter. The smell is terrible. You feel it entering your lungs. Of course it doesn't really matter. You can just clear it out with a quick heal. That is, if the intrinsic healing of being a magi didn't undo it by itself. You suck in through the filter, long and painfully slow, before you huff out. A thick cloud of smoke curls out of your mouth and into the air.
Akane leans onto her arm. "That's...a lot."
"I'm sorry. I exploded on it because I was just, you know, overwhelmed. And bottling it up. Which is really a terrible idea but since when has that stopped anyone?" You lean onto your hand. "Shit."
"Do you think you need to bring Mina home?"
"No, no." You wave your hand. "Mina needs their time with Takane." You check your phone. Minako sent a text to you while they were out. "Oh, and Reika's there, too.
Akane nods. "Yeah. Maybe they need the time alone. Have you met Takane's parents yet?"
"Her dads?" You shake your head. "No, I haven't. I think this is Mina's first time meeting them, too." You roll onto your fist. "Maybe I shouldn't pry."
"Maybe not. I'm pretty sure they're good people. Probably good people. They raised Takane, after all." Akane shrugs. "Dunno if they know she's a magi, though."
"Ugh, I hope not. But I kind of hope they do?" You roll your shoulders again. "Hrgh."
Akane bring her drink to her lips. Unlike you, she hadn't been drinking as much.
You wonder if you should just try to enjoy yourself. That was what you were supposed to do, but then you took over the conversation to make it about you. The fuck is wrong with you?
"Oh, and don't feel bad." Akane sips her drink. Except a sip or two and it's just gone. "You're stressed out. Your life's a mess and it's hard to figure out. I mean, I can't imagine what I'd do if Rumi contracted. I hope he doesn't."
