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] Gay...osity? Gayness...? Being...notstraight? You're so new to the idea. Maybe you can get some answers out of someone more experienced with that sort of thing?
[X] Minako. They're so strange to your mind; different from any magi you've met. You didn't even know men could contract up until now...you still find the concept all kinds of bizarre.
Consult Experienced Elder Gay Tatsuya the Extremely Pink
[] Minako. They're so strange to your mind; different from any magi you've met. You didn't even know men could contract up until now...you still find the concept all kinds of bizarre.
[X] Gay...osity? Gayness...? Being...notstraight? You're so new to the idea. Maybe you can get some answers out of someone more experienced with that sort of thing?
[x] Gay...osity? Gayness...? Being...notstraight? You're so new to the idea. Maybe you can get some answers out of someone more experienced with that sort of thing?
[x] Gay...osity? Gayness...? Being...notstraight? You're so new to the idea. Maybe you can get some answers out of someone more experienced with that sort of thing?
[X] Gay...osity? Gayness...? Being...notstraight? You're so new to the idea. Maybe you can get some answers out of someone more experienced with that sort of thing?
[X] Gay...osity? Gayness...? Being...notstraight? You're so new to the idea. Maybe you can get some answers out of someone more experienced with that sort of thing?
I say keep her hostage until Rin is dealt with, then let her go. Without someone to give her an endless supply of witches and grief seeds she's much weaker. Either that or we try and trade her back for someone who isn't willingly working for Rin. Maybe Oriko? Unreliable precog and witch control could be on about the same tier of usefulness, and it would keep Kirika stable.
I say keep her hostage until Rin is dealt with, then let her go. Without someone to give her an endless supply of witches and grief seeds she's much weaker. Either that or we try and trade her back for someone who isn't willingly working for Rin. Maybe Oriko? Unreliable precog and witch control could be on about the same tier of usefulness, and it would keep Kirika stable.
I will note that there is still some of the Glow in her. Not saying getting rid of it would suddenly make her a good person, but the Glow might well be making it harder for her to change her mind about her deep-felt beliefs. Though, then again, people already suck at that, so who knows. But yeah, hold her hostage/captive, and if Rin fails, the Glow will be gone and she can live her life considering the fact that Rin was blatantly and obviously wrong.
Wait, there is something we can do. It's all bullshit, but if she's a true believer who's not brainwashed, she could probably tell us what Rin's party line actually is. We, the readers, already know that she has weird beliefs she'd gotten/discussed with Kuub. But Sayaka doesn't know, and neither does Minako, so maybe that's something they can learn?
That's a surprising amount of effort to go through for a disposable beatstick on Rin's part. I wonder if that was Oriko acting on her own to reach out to her girlfriend somehow?
[] Minako. They're so strange to your mind; different from any magi you've met. You didn't even know men could contract up until now...you still find the concept all kinds of bizarre.
"She became a hard-drinking businesswoman like mama and moved to another city, where she's making questionable romantic decisions, why do you ask Tomoe?"
That's a surprising amount of effort to go through for a disposable beatstick on Rin's part. I wonder if that was Oriko acting on her own to reach out to her girlfriend somehow?
[X] Gay...osity? Gayness...? Being...notstraight? You're so new to the idea. Maybe you can get some answers out of someone more experienced with that sort of thing?
[X] Madoka. What happened to her?
Where in the world is Madoka Kaname?
Also, probably more shit dunked on Homura
She wasn't a good person when he's last seen her
Ten years ago, approximately
Wonder how much he remembers about that, if anything
In unrelated news
Boba tea
At least it's not microwaved, I guess
And headspace Witch makes sense
Since she can control other Witches, stands to reason she has some control over her own
But she can't wear her like a Gundam suit, so many opportunities irrevocably lost
You take a look over him. This...this deliberately effeminate young man (you say that, but he's significantly older than you are) has his hands clasped over his drink. "So, first order of business-"
He sips loudly. Very loudly. "Business?" he asks.
You sigh. "Okay, maybe...I kind of just wanted to ask some more questions. I never got a chance to ask about Madoka."
"Oh, right." He smiles. "She's doing okay. She's...kind of on-off with an ex of hers-"
"No no, I mean what her power is. If she's been hunting."
He stares at you. He stares for a looong time at you. "She never...is she a magi in your world?"
"She was one of my-" Friends? Crushes, now? Does being gay make you crush on every woman? Who else were you crushing on?! "-Friends. Students, really. I helped her get a hold of her ability to heal others."
"Aha." He crosses his arms. "Yeah she's not a magi. Like, I dunno the exact details; I was kind of a toddler. But her then-girlfriend said it was 'literally apocalyptic.' Her making a wish was a world-endingly bad idea."
You blink. "H...how? How does that happen?"
"Time travel," he says with a shrug. "Her ex did time-looping shenanigans. And because she kept on doing it with a hyper focus on my sister...well..."
"Karma locked itself on Madoka?"
"I think that's the gist of it, yeah."
You nod a few times, then turn to your drink. You sip at the straw a little bit, take a few bubbles into your mouth and chew; you always did like jasmine milk tea. Most of your tea is bitter, yes, and you prefer it that way. But every so often...
You want to drink liquid candy.
"So uh...also, ex?"
"Do you know Homura in that universe?"
"Homu...yes!" You nod. "They're inseparable...wait, they got together? Then broke up?"
"Yeaaaaaaaah..." He scratches the back of his head, awkward grimace on his face as he tries to bring the hot chocolate to his mouth. "They were really, really bad for each other."
You look away. "Ah."
"It's a whole thing," he continues with a wave of his hand, "and after that, Madoka wasn't really the same. Not really. She...she kind of lost a lot of her old spark. Started taking after mom's worse traits. As in mom before she went to therapy."
You wince. "Oh." You know Madoka enough to have met Junko. And Mrs. Kaname was...a character. "Was that because of the break...?"
"No. It was because of the relationship. She got noticeably better after they split. But she's...not really been the same? At least, not as I remember her when I was in primary. I mean, I'm not so naive as to think that's the only reason she's changed, but...she's...different."
You sigh. "Would she swear?"
"Wait, she doesn't swear in your timeline?"
You stare at him for a good few seconds. "E...no. Lord, no. She doesn't. What on earth-is this really Madoka?!"
"I mean, she's my sister, soooo...ya." He pokes his cheek with his finger. "I mean she just, you know, changed. People change n' stuff."
"I...I guess?" You shrug and drink a little more tea. Mid-sip, you glance up. You remember the other thing you had wanted to ask. "So...uh...how does being gay work?"
"Excuse me?" The joy drops out of his tone immediately.
You already feel like you messed up. "You...have a boyfriend?"
"I'm a rocking twink with a twunk boyfriend, yes. What about?"
"I'm just wondering if...how...if you were...how did you fiiiiiiiiind ouuuuuuuuuut?"
"I just did, honey." He waves his hand. "Now, why are you asking?"
Being coy is not working in your favor. So you decide to be more direct. "I-I wanted to know because I think I am one!"
"Oh. Oh!" He visibly relaxes. "Apologies! Thought we were going to have an entirely different conversation!" He laughs and rubs his hands together. "I mean I had pegged you as queer, but I didn't think you were looking for help!"
"I-I think I might need some?" You rub the back of your head. "I didn't really know before coming here and...and is it still gay if I think nonbinaries are cute? I-I'm so confused by all of it."
He chuckles, and it's nothing like his loud laughs or his morning shouts. "The answer to the latter is 'yes,' but it also doesn't really matter that much, hon. Who you are is you. That's all that really matters. It just takes a little while to find out 'you' means."
"I-I mean..." You scratch your cheek. "I didn't even think of it as a thing I could be. I simply thought I wasn't...wasn't interested at all?"
"In romance or just boys?"
"Both!" Mami shrugs. "It...how did you know?"
"I knew as soon as I entered school and had a crush on a teacher. Obviously it didn't go anywhere because-" He clenches his teeth. "Lord NO, but it was kind of a watershed for me." He sighs. "I'm a bit lucky. I had my sister and my parents to help me. Dad's bi, so is mom, and so is my sis. I'm weird 'cause I like men only. Well, men and nonbinary folks, but I have certain preferences."
You nod at him and sip at your tea. It's halfway down now. "How did they help?"
"Well, among other things, they treated it as normal. Because it is." He smiles. "It's completely normal to like the people you like. That's the first thing I was taught. And it's the first lesson every little baby gay ought to learn."
"O-oh." You look away. "Oh..."
He sits back in his chair and drinks his hot cocoa. After a couple of warm sips, he mutters. "Well, that, and there's also just figuring out the culture and the discourse."
"Discourse?" You start to wonder if there's a 'gay club' or something. Like an after-school club run on how to be a good gay.
"Oh, I'm talking to myself. It's just a lot of conversation surrounding it. Things are better now, way better now. But it's still a lot to take in."
"Oh. I thought it was..."
"Don't worry about the later stuff. Focus on you. Focus on what you want." He smiles. "That's what matters right now. Who is Mami? What does Mami want? This isn't about what is expected from society, or what other people want out of you. This is about you."
You pause. You take a look at your drink. "I...I want...hm...I want..." You feel like a child.
"You don't need to think about it now. I just want it to be a starting point. if you need anyone to talk to, anyone at all, remember, I'm upstairs. If it's specifically about other stuff, you can talk to K..."
But you already knew what he was talking about. "I might be able to talk to her later. When I'm able to." You take a breath. "I'm just...going to ruminate. Think about it."
"That's a good step, Mami." He stands up with his hot cocoa. "I'm gonna get another cup for my boyfriend. He loves hot cocoa on a cool autumn night."
You pause as you drink the last of your boba tea. You take a look at him. "How long have you been together with...uh...with him?"
He smiles. "Three years."
[=]
Your name is Sayaka, and you are currently sitting across from your wife. Your child is out on a date with their girlfriend. You're both waiting for a delicious candlelit dinner at a restaurant. Your wife straightens out her suit and you pull the straps on your dress.
Your wife is looking a little bit antsy. Her fang is sliding across her lip, her fingers tapping against the table. She takes a breath as she looks out to the side, then up at the ceiling.
You sigh. "Thinking about the magi?"
"Yeah. Just...what Mina said about her kinda stuck with me."
"About believing Rin's bullshit?"
"Yeah, 'xactly. It's fucked up..." Kyouko runs a finger across the cloth. "Okay, maybe that's not the only thing.
"Is it Mami?"
"It's Mami," Kyouko mutters. "It's Mami, and also just, how the fuck did Rin know? There's no possible way for her to have known about Mami."
"Think she has a chronoreader?"
"Probably. Or she can read minds. Which I fucking hope she can't." Kyouko grimaces. "We've sent several groups out and we're no closer to finding anything about her. I don't like not knowing how that bitch ticks."
"Do you think we should go in ourselves?" You raise a hand. "I mean, we're not going to be any better at finding it than our teams. We're not specialized for that. At least, I'm not."
"Yeah, maybe not." Kyouko leans back in her chair. "But I still want to see for myself. I don't know if I'll pick up what they haven't, but I can at least fit in decently. I still have illusory powers."
You grimace. "But not omniscience. Or perfect-"
"I know, I know." She bares a fang and you can tell she's getting annoyed. "But I just...I want to see for myself. I don't feel good about not seeing."
[] Try to convince her to stay. (DIFFICULTY 2. You know your wife. You also know your wife.)
Depends, if you ask a conservative: yes it's called college. If you ask someone who's not wrong: gay clubs are very different things than you're thinking of.
Is there a I'm going with you option for the vote? The only way to fix a bad idea is to double down on it.
"I-I think I might need some?" You rub the back of your head. "I didn't really know before coming here and...and is it still gay if I think nonbinaries are cute? I-I'm so confused by all of it."
Their parents
The expressions on their faces
Especially Kyouko
And the jokes
Madokami, the jokes
I want to see it
I want to see it I want to see it I wanna fucking see it
Their parents
The expressions on their faces
Especially Kyouko
And the jokes
Madokami, the jokes
I want to see it
I want to see it I want to see it I wanna fucking see it
