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.
But Kirika avoids death by Homu thanks to slow magic.
"Noooo..." she says slowly, as if talking to a child, "I am alive. The ones who is dead is the other Kirika, who is not me, because she's from another universe, and thus a different person altogether. Because that's how it works-"
Kirika is saved from suicide by Homu by the timely arrival of Sayaka and Kyouko, who interrupt their breakdown moment to put them each in a headlock and make them sit in the corner. Of different rooms. Of different buildings.
Kirika is saved from suicide by Homu by the timely arrival of Sayaka and Kyouko, who interrupt their breakdown moment to put them each in a headlock and make them sit in the corner. Of different rooms. Of different buildings.
Kirika starts trembling full existential dread and panic.
'I'm an adult?!'
"See, Kirika's behaving."
"Uh, mom..."
Kirika starts hyperventilating.
"Oh shit. It's OK, Kirika, you're still a teenager, still got lots of time to fool around until the full weight of life and adult responsabilities drops on your shoulders... Hey, talk to me..."
"Serves her right," mutters Homura while being forcefully marched away by two Kyoukos. One of which smacks her.
"Same, Kyou." You sniffle again. "Fucking same." You wipe your eyes as your wife leans in close and presses herself against your arm. "I'm supposed to be strong. I'm supposed to be everyone else's rock and I'm just..."
"Heh." Kyouko snickers. "I'm only now realizing that's kinda not a great choice of words."
"What do...huh?"
She simply raises her soul gem and puts it against your earring. You pause for a moment. The thoughts are processed in your brain.
Then it clicks.
You snicker. "O-oh my god."
"I mean you're really my rock!" Your wife laughs out loud and it's beautiful and cacophonous and you can hear her voice crack mid-laugh. "It's just...I wasn't thinking about it! That's actually fucking funny!"
"Kyouko, you dork." You punch her in the arm. "You absolute fucking dork I love you."
She kisses your hair and pushes your head into her chest. "Same." She rests her chin on top of your head. "It's just like...you know how young this magi was? She couldn't have been older than 17."
"What was she? Cleaner?"
"Yeah," she sighs. "She's a cleaner."
You wince. "Rin...indoctrinated a teenager."
"I talked to her. She seemed lucid enough, but that just means Rin probably programmed her the old-fashioned way."
"Christ."
"Yeah. It's...fucked up. Real fucked up." Kyouko rolls her head. "Like she decapitated me without a second thought-"
You wince, but you let her keep going.
"-and she already knew about the soul gem dealio. So she was pretty educated with how magi work. Mostly. I think she knows about witches, too. I don't think Rin would hold onto that tidbit."
"Right." You trace your hand on her shirt. "Do you think that they're gonna come after you? I mean..."
"She got a bead on me. I don't think they'll go immediately. Probably still considering what we did with the last magi we got from them."
"So yeah. They'll probably come here because now they've been spooked, and we took their clairvoyant." You glance towards the steps. "We'll send a signal. Get people on-guard."
"Yeah, I don't think they're gonna leave much more than a couple of days of peace." She kisses the top of your head and you wriggle under the contact.
You sit like that for a moment, both of you on the tile floor, your head in her hands. It almost feels like you're a kid again as you curl up next to her.
Finally, she asks you a question. "So...all's forgiven?"
"Fuck no."
[=]
Your name is Mami Tomoe, and you have a cup of tea in your hand. Actual, proper, boiled tea, to fit the cold air around you. After all, it's nearing the middle of October and you believe it's freezing outside. You certainly weren't expecting snow this far before November, but as per usual, Mitakihara is prepared for it. You wonder if the changing climate is a part of the world attempting to compensate for the extreme temperature spikes of the past several years, but that's neither here nor there.
You definitely don't know enough about this world to make a judgement on that. You just looked it up on Google while on a post-panini binge in bed.
You're sitting in front of a quaint little bookshop, with a coat around your body and a steaming hot cup of tea, and in front of you there's a bag full of books an baubles and logic puzzles. You have one out right now, "The Baby's Guide To Gay Hairstyles."
Perhaps it's a bit on the nose, but Tatsuya recommended it after you told him you were interested in learning more.
Right across from you is a steaming hot latte, with a tiny little ceramic lid on top to keep it warm. Even with that, you're still a little bit worried that it's going to get cold before Tatsuya comes out with his books.
Speaking of...
"Thanks, Ryouka! You're a doll!" You hear him opening the door with the faint bellring as he leaves the shop with a armful of bags. He peers over your shoulder, a broad grin on his face as he pulls out his own book. It looks like a scifi thriller of some description. You honestly didn't peg him as one who would read that; a strange book with what looks like a woman that painted her face like a skull upon it.
"I didn't think you would enjoy science fiction," you murmur.
"Oh, I normally don't. Because a lot of it's droll and kind of fash-y. BUT-!" He waves the book. "I heard this was insane."
"Ah...hah." You keep flipping through the pages. You see an undercut and...well...you're not going to rule it out. But you're also not sure how that would look on you. You kind of like the pixie look, but again, you're not really sure about how it would look on you, specifically.
"Hmm..." You pick through the pages. "I'm...hmm..."
"Something on your mind?" he asks as he puts down his book and puts his latte up to his lips.
"I'm trying to uh...think." You scratch your head. "I have been contemplating changing my style."
"What's the occasion?"
"I am...not sure, actually." You tap your fingers against the table. "It...hm..."
"You know, if it's about you being-"
"It is, actually." You sip your tea with one hand and page through the book with the other. This time, you see a different undercut, one with long hair. It definitely works on Kyouko, absolutely, but you? Not so much. You can't see yourself wearing that. "I am trying to see if I should change my hair. To fit with my identity."
"Mmm." He nods. "Well, the good part about hair is that it grows back, aye? I mean if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. No skin off your back, you'll just be with it for a few weeks and you can go back to your old style."
"I know, but it's just...it is just..." You clear your throat. "I do not want to return to how I was before. Unsure of myself. Unclear. Susceptible to the guile of cult leaders with an axe to grind."
"And to mark that change, you want a change in style?"
"I...in a way, yes. It would be a symbolic change." You feel mildly pretentious saying this, but you've always been one for flowery language. "I suppose that's what I am getting at. An external change to mark my internal mood, if that makes any sense."
"Well, that's not a weird thing to do. 'Least I don't think so. You want your external body to match how you feel inside. It's kind of like, you want to be yourself, control what you wear and how you carry yourself."
You shrug and flip through the pages. Fauxhawks seem a little bit much to you, and you're not sure about a bob or a ponytail; bobs are more of Sayaka's thing, anyway, and you don't think a ponytail would fit you.
He sips his drink again. "So what are you looking at? I personally do kind of like messy bob. My hair naturally has a lot of volume so it looks good. My sister has the same thing. It just stays nice."
"Mmm." You trace through more pages. There are now combinations of hairstyles. it's a lot to keep track of. "I...mm..."
He looks over your book to take a look at your face. "So what are you thinking of?"
"I...don't know? I'm just...I am still having a hard time considering what I want."
"Do you want a second opinion?"
"I...well..."
[X] "No. I'm content staying here and asking you about it. I'll figure something out eventually."
[X] "Yes. I want to ask some of the other magi. Depending on who's available, anyway."
Eh. Don't have any horse in it, and Mami, your curls are genuinely awesome. Maybe try dyeing half of your hair in black if you want an image change or something?
( of course we all know that it's all an elaborate excuse for Moiderah to draw Mami with a new hairstyle, and can we fault them for it? No, no we cannot. )
Gonna vote with
[X] "No. I'm content staying here and asking you about it. I'll figure something out eventually."
[X] "Yes. I want to ask some of the other magi. Depending on who's available, anyway."
Whatever hairstyle we end up getting has to be consistent with the lovely hats Moid consistently draws her with. And absolutely 100% not be the anime mom side-braid.
Whatever hairstyle we end up getting has to be consistent with the lovely hats Moid consistently draws her with. And absolutely 100% not be the anime mom side-braid.
[X] "Yes. I want to ask some of the other magi. Depending on who's available, anyway."
-[Q] Cut off hair drills.
--[Q] Dig out a grave, place the hair drills in, and close it.
---[Q] RIP Hair Drills.
"Yes, I would rather ask some of the others. Depending on who's available, anyway."
"Well, I do have some idea. Your hair has a lot of natural volume to it, and I believe it curves naturally?" He looks your hair over. "I mean, we could ask Kyouko about it."
You almost say 'no' to that, but then you stop yourself. You absolutely, positively have to get over your hang-ups about talking to Kyouko. You can take a step right now and at least take care of that. So you take a deep, deep breath.
"Are you okay with that?"
"I...yes," you say. "Yes I am. I think we should talk to her. If she's not busy with The Glow, anyway."
"She'll probably suggest you get an undercut."
"An...oh, like in the book?" You pull open a page and poke the specific image of a sideways hairdo. "I prefer to wear hats. Do you think-"
"Oh, honey, I know." He waves his hand. "Undercuts are great. Not my style, but Toji rocked one for a while and it was really h-" He pauses. "-good on him."
You know that he probably meant to say 'hot', but you're not about to question his hesitation. Lord knows you absolutely don't want to think about it yourself. It makes you really wildly uncomfortable.
"So do you think it would look good on me? I mean, I like my curls..."
He smiles. "They don't have to be mutually exclusive. I think we'll figure something out."
[=]
Your name is Kyouko Miki-Sakura, and Mami is asking you about hairstyles. Your instinct was to shrug and say "Be gay, hon," but you also reckon that would not be all that helpful.
You're by the front door of the fire station, where you just finished another day of training, and you're about a week out from finally being able to do some fucking work. Right now you have your arms crossed in front of your chest and a lit cigarette in your hand. Mami's not even coughing, but Tatsuya is...pretty nonplussed.
"You're lucky Sayaka smokes, too," he mutters as he holds he nose.
"Why the fuck would Sayaka smoke?" You huff your cigarette. "Anyway, so, like, what were you thinking of?"
Mami just shrugs. "I just...believed it was time for a change. I just didn't think of what I could do."
You run a hand through your own hair. And then you think, rubbing your hand against your chin. You have a few minutes before you need to discuss The Glow, so you might as well...
"Fuck it. There's a salon not too far from here, just down the road. We can just go there." You make a gauntlet on your hand and press the cigarette into it; with a wave, the gauntlet vanishes just as quickly as it formed as Mami follows behind you.
The salon is a tiny little place just a couple of blocks down, a kilometer east of the apartment complex that your family lives in and, as you're beginning to really internalize, about five kilometers north of where Takane's family lives. You open up the doors and a heavily-tattooed young man waves from behind the counter.
Despite the weather, he's not wearing a shirt, exposing a complicated spiderweb of ink and sigils. His face is clean-shaven, and he's completely, utterly bald; there doesn't even seem to be any follicles left. But despite the look, he can't help but nod and smile.
"Yo! Kyouko!" He grins.
"Yusuke!" You wave your hand. "Hey, we got a kid to style today!"
"Kid? I thought Mina already had their..." He turns to notice Mami, as she quickly glances away. "Oh! Oh!"
"Yeah, a brand new customer!" You turn behind you. "Mami?"
She glances between Yusuke and the floor, blushing out of embarrassment as she clears her throat. "Hello, uh...mister...?"
"Yuri. Yusuke Yuri. My parents were a fan of alliteration." He raises a hand. "So, have anything in mind?"
"I...yes. Yes." She breathes in. "I uh, I want an undercut. But I like my curls."
"Like, your ojou curls?" He looks to her curls. "I mean, an undercut and those drills aren't super duper compatible."
"I-I know, but I just...hm...hm..."
"Hey, you should be able to figure something out." You look at him. "Maybe an asymmetrical look?"
"Well, the curls are kind of kept because they're symmetrical. Her hair does have a lot of natural curl and volume to it, so we can pretty much do anything with it, but it's...well, ultimately it's going to be her decision."
You look between the two of them. Mami looks contemplative, as though she's still weighing her options, the benefits and detriments of taking care of her hair. Of removing those curls. She runs a hand through her hair...then she looks at the man again.
"I...I have been having a time. The past few months of mine have been...trying. And I believe I have been reexamining myself only recently. I don't...actually, no. I do want a change. And maybe I can start moving on a little bit."
He blinks in surprise. You don't know if it's because of the self-reflection from a girl who's less than half your age or because of the decision.
Then he smiles. "Well, that's a remarkably mature decision, young lady." He raises his scissors. "Come now, we'll get started."
[=]
It's been half an hour. Mami is taking a while to get her hair done, but that's not surprising. Your own hairdo took a while for it to get done, too; and you need a lot of conditioner for that fucking mane of yours. You have tried short hair before, and while you liked it, there's nothing quite like having a massive, luscious head of hair that reaches down your back.
You cross your arms as Tatsuya taps his cheeks, reading a magazine about golfing of all things. You know he doesn't like golf, but the actual reading material in the store is lacking. And...well, you know Madoka's brother; he's terrible at actually charging his phone. The battery is probably almost dead.
"So...anything spur this on?" you ask him.
"I mean, I kinda did. I talked to her yesterday after getting her some boba. It was mostly talk about just...change."
"Change? What about?"
"Well, she's still figuring out that she's gay." He looks at you. "I mean, honestly, I wanna help our favorite baby gay figure herself out, but she's still mourning uh..."
"Me," you say back. "Yeah. No. I getcha. I was like that after our own Mami passed." You sigh. "...shit. Shit, I can't believe that was twenty years ago. And I can't believe she's back."
"Do you think she'll start dating?"
"I hope not." You sigh. "I'd rather she figure herself out before she dates anyone."
Tatsuya snorts. "You didn't."
"No. I didn't. And Sayaka and I got lucky. And we still broke up twice." You look at him again. "I just...just want her to be happy, you know?"
And just as you say that, Yusuke pulls open the curtains. "And voila!"
And out the door comes Mami Tomoe...
And she's positively beaming.
[] Compliment her hairstyle...and don't actually discuss anything difficult. She doesn't need it right now. [ACCURACY 2: Mami wants to be happy, too. But it'll have to be discussed at some point]
[] Compliment her hairstyle...and talk about mourning. Mami will need to talk about it at some point. [DIFFICULTY 1: There is no sugarcoating it.]
[X] Compliment her hairstyle...and don't actually discuss anything difficult. She doesn't need it right now. [ACCURACY 2: Mami wants to be happy, too. But it'll have to be discussed at some point]
Well, not right now. I'm not ready to roleplay Kyouplomacy to that extent.
[X] Compliment her hairstyle...and don't actually discuss anything difficult. She doesn't need it right now. [ACCURACY 2: Mami wants to be happy, too. But it'll have to be discussed at some point]
[X] Compliment her hairstyle...and don't actually discuss anything difficult. She doesn't need it right now. [ACCURACY 2: Mami wants to be happy, too. But it'll have to be discussed at some point]
Wrong type of undead. Besides, I like it. is floof
[X] Compliment her hairstyle...and don't actually discuss anything difficult. She doesn't need it right now. [ACCURACY 2: Mami wants to be happy, too. But it'll have to be discussed at some point]
Kyouko and Sayaka are still in denial about each other's smoking habits, I see.
[X] Compliment her hairstyle...and don't actually discuss anything difficult. She doesn't need it right now. [ACCURACY 2: Mami wants to be happy, too. But it'll have to be discussed at some point]
Paff, Poff Flof, indeed. While it is a discussion that needs to be had, right now is probably not the best time. Mami deserves some time to enjoy her new look.
[X] Compliment her hairstyle...and don't actually discuss anything difficult. She doesn't need it right now. [ACCURACY 2: Mami wants to be happy, too. But it'll have to be discussed at some point]
[X] Compliment her hairstyle...and don't actually discuss anything difficult. She doesn't need it right now. [ACCURACY 2: Mami wants to be happy, too. But it'll have to be discussed at some point]
[X] Compliment her hairstyle...and don't actually discuss anything difficult. She doesn't need it right now. [ACCURACY 2: Mami wants to be happy, too. But it'll have to be discussed at some point]
