One of your Shadowlings steals a baseball cap from a fallen Maj and brings it low over your head. You stroke behind its ears.
Of all the perks of a having a shadow pet squad, automatic looting didn't occur to me.

...I kinda imagined them as Susuwatari expies.
How off was I? For one, they appear to be bigger than that...
[ ] [Smarts] APB: Momo can activate the tracking device on her smartphone, allowing Nakajima-senpai and RF6 backup to assist you.
CoS: 85%
Success: Brings Nakajima-senpai and your backup to you. Able to apprehend both Usagi and Homura?, at the expense of casting suspicion on Nakajima-senpai and removing chances of apprehending Saya Shirayuki, Aoi Tachibana or Beatrice Black
Why call in Nakajima? She and Saya have things under control up above. If we could only call the backup and slip back into shadows... whatever is going on here is more important and probably worth more than catching the mob bosses.

And I really don't want to let Usagi leave if she could drive Homura to such a pathetic state.

[ ] Write-in
-[ ] Call in the RF6 backup, but leave Nakajima-senpai out of it. Try to not get involved personally either if you could help it.

...feasible? I mean, it fails the operation as it was envisioned, but foiling Usagi's plan might make up for it. It's a judgement call, and as a field agent we are within our right to make one.

Is our cover even important, or can we safely blow it as long as Nak' keeps hers?
 
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Of all the perks of a having a shadow pet squad, automatic looting didn't occur to me.

...I kinda imagined them as Susuwatari expies.
How off was I? For one, they appear to be bigger than that...
They're little kitsune things that can shrink to the size of a mouse or get as big as Fou from Grand Order. They explode into Susuwataris if you shoot them enough. :V

Why call in Nakajima? She and Saya have things under control up above. If we could only call the backup and slip back into shadows... whatever is going on here is more important and probably worth more than catching the mob bosses.

And I really don't want to let Usagi leave if she could drive Homura to such a pathetic state.

[ ] Write-in
-[ ] Call in the RF6 backup, but leave Nakajima-senpai out of it. Try to not get involved personally either if you could help it.

...feasible? I mean, it fails the operation as it was envisioned, but foiling Usagi's plan might make up for it. It's a judgement call, and as a field agent we are within our right to make one.
Momo wants to call in Nakajima-senpai because Usagi is enough of a threat that you need everybody you can get.

It's feasible, but the earnest Momo would feel pretty good for nothing about it. It'd be about 10-15% less likely to succeed than APB, mechanically.

Is our cover even important, or can we safely blow it as long as Nak' keeps hers?
At least one of you needs to keep your cover, in order to keep tabs on the Marui-gumi. Chief Yagami wants you to bag both Saya and the power behind the throne *coughCheechcough*. Saya'd also be real mad over getting tricked by and doing the cool big sis thing for a pig.

In a meta-sense, Momo is built for espionage and infiltration. Chiwawa is not. You could always gamble on Chiwawa and Saya's battle-bro connection, though.
 
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Okay, I was wondering. Cause it vanished off of the alerts and watched threads page immediately after.

tbh I'm more on my seat for the other quest's update, not that I'm not for this one, just that one is... uhh, in a bit of a tense and hopefully really awesome situation.

Anyway, waiting warmly.
 
[X] [Smooth] Midnight Rescue: Using Kagematsuri, extract Homura? and make for the extraction point.

I'm always up for more magic girl madness, especially with Nakajima in our entourage ta boot!
 
Prolog in der Hölle END
This is the real thing. If you work, you lose; I've been losing a lot recently. Misfire's proof enough of that. :V

@saganatsu has the right of it: Momo sitting out would be ignoring someone clearly in distress and not actively bagging criminals. Neither of those are super helpful.

[X] Midnight Rescue

***

The choice is clear.

You are a police officer.

You want to be a hero.

You're going to save that girl.

Sure, she's a match for Mitakihara's most dangerous woman, and bringing her in would make the Chief leap from her wheelchair and tapdance, but that's not why you're doing it.

Okay, partially why you're doing it.

That's the mental reasoning for it. But the gut reason, the soul reason, is because it's the right thing to do. Cop or crook, Maj or Mug; you help someone in need.

You watch Usagi toy with her, dreamily smacking her around with waltzer's timing. Fists and feet keep the beat, you hear Usagi humming.

"Have you chosen me to finally commit suicide upon?" Usagi says airily, almost sympathetic. "You poor devil."

The girl who looks like Homura staggers and falls, over and over, getting to her feet each time. She says nothing, merely glares at Usagi through watery, heavily ringed eyes.

You notice Usagi is focused completely on the girl who looks like Homura. Your hand twitches, your Shadow eager to strike at the nape of Usagi's pale, exposed neck. You smell cherry blossoms.

Banishing those thoughts from your mind, you point to the opposite wall. Your Shadow flows above and behind the two Maj, landing where you point. It circles in on itself, a shark in an oil slick. With a swipe of your finger, you let it expand, Shadow in shadows, until it's large enough to engulf a girl.

You wait for an opportunity.

Usagi gives you a perfect one.

She backhands the girl who looks like Homura with enhanced strength, sending her flying into the wall. Into your Shadow.

With a mental command and an admonition to your Shadow, you have it swallow, but not digest, the girl who looks like Homura. It bristles at not getting a meal but obeys.

[Momo Success With Style!]

Usagi is none the wiser.

"Ara?" She looks around, putting a hand on her chin. "She must have fled."

You dive under the shadows and swim to the extraction point, allowing yourself a small, proud smile. "As expected of an eminence of shadow," you think. Smooth, decisive, elegant.

Before you can praise yourself overmuch, you hear a voice in your mind. The girl who looks like Homura's. It is soft, sweet and cold.

+Are you a Witch?+ She asks.

+I'm a hero of justice...in training.+ You reply warmly.

+You're nicer than the last one,+ she pulses. +The last one was kind of...+

+Dogmatic?+

+A bitch.+ She chuckles awkwardly.

+Oh.+ You struggle with your next words. +Well, erm, I hope she didn't sour you on heroes of justice!+

+It's fine.+ She says. +Thank you.+

+All in a day's work,+ you say.

[Homura Akemi(?) joined the party!]

The two of you, riding your Shadow, breach outside to a dog day afternoon. Your heroic daydreams burn into a heat haze.

Your Shadow sizzles and peels away from over you, cowering under your feet at the sun. You flinch in the light and the heat, shading yourself with a hand. You notice the girl do likewise, having fallen out of your Shadow, and giggle at the situation.

The girl who looks like Homura recoils, hiding behind bloody-knuckled hands. "I'm not used to so much sun..."

"I'd loan you a parasol, but I left it at home." You step close to her, so your Shadow melds with hers. The merger gives it just enough strength to give her shade.

She flinches, then shuffles beside you."...You smell nice," the girl says. "Like cherry blossoms. What's your name?"

"Momo Sakura, with the kanji for 'peach' and 'cherry blossom'." You smile. "And yours?"

"Homura Akemi, with the kanji for 'inferno' and 'beauty'." She fidgets. "Although I'm neither of those things..."

You wipe at her face, cleaning off the grime of battle. "Now why would you say that?"

"Well, I'm not," she mutters, her head down. "Not like Madoka."

"It took a blazing, beautiful soul to endure blows from Usagi Tsukinoura." You poke her cheek. "And you've got a cute face, battle scars notwithstanding."

She turns away from you, turning beet red. You hear her mutter "Cute?" like a madwoman's mantra.

Before you can check on her, you hear sirens blare and cop cars rumble. The Maj-spec riot van is here, emblazoned with the symbol of Riot Force 6: a pentacle in a shield, lightning bolts crossed behind it. You move to it, keeping Homura safe in your shadow.

She tenses at the sight of the police. A little shadow play keeps her face obscured; she's skittish enough without thinking you've arrested her.

Even though you kind of have.

You calm her down and hide in the shadow of the riot van. You want to be out of sight and mind of the criminals you were infiltrating. Your Shadowlings wriggle from behind the tires and under the chassis, you have them fan out and be your eyes.

They see the full glory of Riot Force 6 stride out of the van. There are five women, dressed not in standard police blues but crisp white and regal black. Each of them wears a golden badge, the RF6 insignia in miniature.

Natsuko "Lady" Alpine, riflewoman. Lush, plush and languid, swaying with her Browning .50 cal rifle like a lover.

Asami V. Yagami and Kaori S. Yagami, entry officers. Asami, five feet and feral in her bunny-eared police cap, dragging a battering ram tall as she is and half as wide. Kaori, tall and Takarazura handsome with her samurai-ko ponytail, arming sword resting eagerly on her hip.

Nana Haralaown-Takamachi, entry officer. Sprinter lean and dancer fluid, a black and yellow scythe draped over her shoulders.

Beside her, Yukari Takamachi, negotiator. The perfect Yamato Nadesico, the softness of motherhood hiding steel sharper and harder than anyone else's.

The five of them enter the Millenium Suites in silence.

Criminal magical girls leave the Millenium Suites screaming.

It's over in minutes.

You see someone smash through the stained glass windows of the Suites. It's Nakajima-senpai; you can tell from the turbine whine. She lands on the van with a horrible crunch. You near leap out of your skin.

Homura doesn't flinch.

"Oh, Momocchi! Catch yourself a kouhai?" Nakajima-senpai looks over the top of the van. You notice she's got a broken arm.

And an unconscious Aoi Tachibana underneath her.

And that unconscious Aoi Tachibana's fist through her abdomen.

"Something like that," you say, motioning to your stomach. "Er, senpai...Are you okay?"

"Until the adrenaline wears off!"

Your Shadow crawls out from under the van, sucking Aoi Tachibana into its depths. You give it another admonition, it grumbles at not getting fed once again.

"Nakajima-senpai," You say. "You're still undercover. You shouldn't be seen with the police."

"It's cool, Momocchi," Nakajima-senpai laughs you off. "I feel the adrenaline wearing off, so just push me into the van and let it slip to Big Sis Shirayuki we both got nabbed." She laughs, long and hard, before collapsing in a heap.

You sigh, gently lifting your senior partner off the roof of the van. You control tendrils of shadow with puppeteer hands, maneuvering her into the back of an undamaged police car. You slip in behind her and offer a hand to Homura.

She hesitates, eyeing you like a rabbit. Slowly, warily, she gets closer. She stops a step away from you, nods to herself, and takes your hand, a small smile on her lips.

"...Your senpai's an idiot."

[Aoi Tachibana has been arrested! The Marui-gumi approves. The Idol Threats will remember this...]
[Homura Akemi(?) has been befriended! The Marui-gumi approves.]
[Prolog in der Holle complete!]

***

[Smooth Unlock!]
Once the madness is over, Nakajima-senpai is thoroughly knocked out, and the police cars head to the station, Homura tugs on your untransformed black blouse.

"Sakura-san?" She half-mumbles. "Back there...you were really cool."

You blush a little. "It wasn't that cool."

Silence passes. Homura breaks it.

She places her hand over yours, gives you an aside glance because she's too embarrassed to look at you directly. "Sakura-san? Can I...Can I be your-"

[How does Homura(?) finish that sentence]
[ ] Friend
[ ] Disciple
[ ] Shield
[ ] Dog

***

Author Note: The next update will be in the bird's eye CKII voting style. Just a heads up for people who haven't fled due to false advertising. :V
 
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Sounds good.
Works fairly well. Little bit of a rigidity, but that's not a bad thing necessarily.
... Eh. Her primary "weapon" is a shield, so a little off, but really not that bad compared to some we do know. Down right normal in fact.
... Umm... I'm gonna guess this is the bit of her that remembers being Madoka's Bi... Dog Witch. Yes. Dog Witch. *Coughs*

Still, very "Umm..." deserving.
 
Homura's contracted, but still has braids and glasses. Given that and the fact that she ask this:

+Are you a Witch?+ She asks.

We can pretty confidently date this Homura to having gone through 2 time loops, but not three, if she's the canon one, or close enough.

At this point, Homura wants more than anything to protect Madoka, but:
a) isn't an utter badass
b) hasn't gone through the disaster that is timeline three, and is willing to trust people


Because of those, she has enough self-worth to reject:
[ ] Shield
[ ] Dog

At this point she's probably looking for training as well as allies. Also, she's probably still awkward enough to be nervous about asking to be someone's friend straight up, so:
[X] Disciple
 
Homura's contracted, but still has braids and glasses. Given that and the fact that she ask this:

We can pretty confidently date this Homura to having gone through 2 time loops, but not three, if she's the canon one, or close enough.

At this point, Homura wants more than anything to protect Madoka, but:
a) isn't an utter badass
b) hasn't gone through the disaster that is timeline three, and is willing to trust people

Because of those, she has enough self-worth to reject:
[ ] Shield
[ ] Dog

At this point she's probably looking for training as well as allies. Also, she's probably still awkward enough to be nervous about asking to be someone's friend straight up, so:
[X] Disciple
You're assuming she's from canon instead of something like her Akuma-ness was torn out of her by Madokami (or they tore each other apart suddenly). Or they both slapped the other with a seal. Or they decided to proxy their fight. Or any number of other things that would mean this Homura does remember on some level.

In which case an argument could be made "dog" because she needs someone to hold her back. Some people are just like that honestly.

And even then while I could see her canon self saying "shield" the "dog" one comes out of nowhere and I would count as evidence that this is not canon Homura. Why would she ever say that? It would require a more twisted logic or set of emotional flaws than she has at that point in time.
 
And even then while I could see her canon self saying "shield" the "dog" one comes out of nowhere and I would count as evidence that this is not canon Homura. Why would she ever say that? It would require a more twisted logic or set of emotional flaws than she has at that point in time.

Yeah, I'm assuming that she's either from some point of canon (Homura Tamura, maybe?), or has gone through a similar enough set of circumstances to be recognizably Akemi Homura, not just someone with the same name, body, and powers; but a completely different characterization. I could see Homura asking Madoka to make her Madoka shield, or after a particularly bad loop, dog; but not just some girl that she just met, even if we just saved her life.

I was unable to get into the original Magical Girls Without Honor or Humanity because I can't imagine Madoka as a mob boss, and still being recognizably Madoka. Cognitive dissonance, I think is the phrase? I don't want that to happen to this quest as well.
 
I was unable to get into the original Magical Girls Without Honor or Humanity because I can't imagine Madoka as a mob boss, and still being recognizably Madoka. Cognitive dissonance, I think is the phrase? I don't want that to happen to this quest as well.
Funny thing, that: one of the inspirations for Magical Girls Without Honor or Humanity was a fan comic where Madoka was a mob boss and the rest of the Quartet were her underbosses.

The entire characterization of the Marui-gumi, sans Homura, comes from that fan comic. Busou Shojo Madoka☆Mafia, I think the name was.
 
In all honesty, while I'd be down for disciple, Shield just makes me feel sad, and Dog feels like something Homura would only ever say to Madoka.

instead, in the spirit of Moemura of futures past, I say we have her ask the question she always wanted to ask but never managed to work up the courage to do.

[X] Friend

Because in this dog eat dog world, it's your friends that mean the most to you.
 
Sure, she's a match for Mitakihara's most dangerous woman, and bringing her in would make the Chief leap from her wheelchair and tapdance, but that's not why you're doing it.
So Kana doesn't always stay Maj'd up despite what the rumors say, huh?

She isn't present... does she have more important business to attend? On one hand, the Chief has an office to run, which precludes field duty. On another, this meeting has Usagi present on top of the two other mob bosses, so RF6 could probably use one more member. Unless she is a planner and staying out of the spotlight is her job.
The girl who looks like Homura's.
Wait, is this what we use in lieu of a real name? That's a mouthful. We are definitely on the chatty side.
Should've been expected, with a senpai like Nakajima. Do we give "Hero of Justice" monologues too?
+You're nicer than the last one,+ she pulses. +The last one was kind of...+
Uh, who was the last one? Does she mean Usagi? Doesn't quite tick any justice checkboxes, that one.
Also the phrasing makes me raise an eyebrow. Does she do that often? Get picked up and befriended by passing Megucas, I mean. It looks as if she counts them. When was the "last time", anyway, if she doesn't refer to her tormentor?
The two of you breach outside to a dog day afternoon. Your heroic daydreams burn into a heat haze.

Your Shadow sizzles and retracts, cowering under your feet at the sun. You flinch in the light and the heat, shading yourself with a hand. You notice the girl do likewise and giggle at the situation.
Um, last time I noticed, Homu-lookalike was swallowed by the Shadow, and I don't remember releasing her? Does our Shadow just "wash off" the person it's transporting when exposed to light?

At least it looks like we could give shadow-like qualities to another girl besides us when the Shadow has them. I don't think Homura would have made it outside the building with such an ease were it not true.
Kaori, tall and Takazura handsome with her samurai-ko ponytail, arming sword resting eagerly on her hip.
...Takazura handsome? What's that?
Nana Haralaown-Takamachi, entry officer. Sprinter lean and dancer fluid, a black and yellow scythe draped over her shoulders.

Beside her, Yukari Takamachi, negotiator. The perfect Yamato Nadesico, the softness of motherhood hiding steel sharper and harder than anyone else's.
Why do the two have a similar last name? I thought Yukari was married to Mrs. Testarossa?
Edit: scratch that, I'm dumb. Nana's maiden name is Testarossa. Can we get a Dramatis Personae to avoid embarassing slips of memory like these?
"Oh, Momocchi! Catch yourself a kouhai?" Nakajima-senpai looks over the top of the van.
[...]
"...Your senpai's an idiot."
Suddenly I am worried about the rectuitment process in RF6. They just catch their kouhais off the street, like stray kittens?

And while Homura's observation is doubtlessly true, ouch. Harsh! Why'd you say that? Chiwa didn't even get to say anything particularly stupid since she passed out right afterwards! :cry:

[x] Disciple

The Devil apprenticed by a hero of justice? And possibly two of them? I'd watch that.
 
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So Kana doesn't always stay Maj'd up despite what the rumors say, huh?

She isn't present... does she have more important business to attend? On one hand, the Chief has an office to run, which precludes field duty. On another, this meeting has Usagi present on top of the two other mob bosses, so RF6 could probably use one more member. Unless she is a planner and staying out of the spotlight is her job.
Grief Seeds are expensive :V

But Da Chief is the planner and bureaucrat of RF6. She does the most useful work behind a desk, while Nanoha and Friends are the (Japanese) Maj SWAT team.

Da Chief also needs MPD's Mug contingent to sign off on her deployment, partially because she's so important to running RF6, but mostly because she's classified as a walking nuke. You know, like StrikerS Hayate.

Wait, is this what we use in lieu of a real name? That's a mouthful. We are definitely on the chatty side.
Should've been expected, with a senpai like Nakajima. Do we give "Hero of Justice" monologues too?
Momo has a notebook full of chuuni as fuck quotes, monologues, epitaphs and costume ideas. It staying hidden is more precious to her than life.

Uh, who was the last one? Does she mean Usagi? Doesn't quite tick any justice checkboxes, that one.
Also the phrasing makes me raise an eyebrow. Does she do that often? Get picked up and befriended by passing Megucas, I mean. It looks as if she counts them. When was the "last time", anyway, if she doesn't refer to her tormentor?
That was an off-hand reference to Sayaka.

Um, last time I noticed, Homu-lookalike was swallowed by the Shadow, and I don't remember releasing her? Does our Shadow just "wash off" the person it's transporting when exposed to light?

At least it looks like we could give shadow-like qualities to another girl besides us when the Shadow has them. I don't think Homura would have made it outside the building with such an ease were it not true.
Bright sunlight or UV light makes the Shadow slough off, and Momo can command it to spit someone out.

...Takazura handsome? What's that?
Takarazura Revue is an all-female Japanese theatre troupe known for handsome, cross dressing women. I spelled it wrong. :V

Why do the two have a similar last name? I thought Yukari was married to Mrs. Testarossa?
Edit: scratch that, I'm dumb. Nana's maiden name is Testarossa. Can we get a Dramatis Personae to avoid embarassing slips of memory like these?
I'll write one up for the next post.

Suddenly I am worried about the rectuitment process in RF6. They just catch their kouhais off the street, like stray kittens?
Worked for Sayacchi :V

And while Homura's observation is doubtlessly true, ouch. Harsh! Why'd you say that? Chiwa didn't even get to say anything particularly stupid since she passed out right afterwards! :cry:
Actions speak louder than words :V

The Devil apprenticed by a hero of justice? And possibly two of them? I'd watch that.
Hell yeah.
 
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