Puella Magi Adfligo Systema - Story only

[Firnagzen]

Kyouko leads you all onwards across the rain-shrouded, decaying mass of steel and concrete that is the old industrial district, leaping past largely abandoned buildings with nary a look back. You can't help but think that there must be some sort of fascinating political reason that a city as prosperous as Mitakihara has left this entire area to rot, but even then, you can see the beginning of new construction, nibbling tentatively at soot-blackened edges.

Maybe Hitomi would know? And heck, maybe you could see about figuring out how to acquire some land to build something. There's got to be incentives for redeveloping the area, surely, and you're going to want a building for the Constellation eventually as it grows.

But that's all in the future. In the short term, well-

"Hi, Warehouse-kun, bye Warehouse-kun, sorry I can't stay today," you call apologetically, dropping momentarily to a knee to pat that slowly corroding roof as you pass and then speeding up to catch up with the rest.

"You are such a dork," Sayaka informs you telepathically as you draw level with her. "Seriously. I know I've said it before, but you are such a colossal dork. How did I ever think you were cool?"

"For the exact same reason I am a dork," you say, levity instantly wiped away. "Being cool isn't about fitting into any particular category of behaviour or appearances, it's about being confident and self-possessed. People hold themselves back from being dorks out of fear of being laughed at. And I'm not gonna lie and pretend that I'm not, generally, pretty assured in being myself and what I do, but more importantly, you're all my friends, so... even if I were inclined to, I don't feel the need to."

You give it a moment to sink in. Even Kyouko, up ahead at the lead of the pack as you all bound onwards past the rusting buildings, pauses for a split second to look back at you.

"And besides," you add, now that you have everyone's attention. "What was I going to do, not say hi to my science buddy?"

"... I'm going to tell Mami you're cheating on her with a warehouse," Sayaka says, rolling her eyes.

"You do that," you say. You don't bother to hide your snickering, instead keeping an eye on the unpredictable terrain of deteriorating rooftops and dilapidated steel structures, one wrong step away from a Sabrina-sized hole and a close encounter with tetanus.

... you probably don't actually need tetanus shots, but it's not like you have them either.

"I'll give her your warehouse's address!" Sayaka threatens.

"You wouldn't," you gasp.

Kyouko returns to ignoring the byplay, instead rooting around in her pocket and producing a chocolate bar, which she splits in half and shares with Yuma without even breaking stride. Sayaka, about to press the verbal attack, instead dips closer to you in an attempt to elbow you, a manuveur which fails miserably since you're midjump.

Even so, she catches your eye and glances meaningfully at Kyouko, who's already demolished the chocolate bar in three bites and moved on to a packet of gummy worms, all while keeping up the breakneck pace over the rooftops. Which is... impressive, you'll grant, but you're not sure what Sayaka's trying to say.

Sayaka rolls her eyes impatiently, and apparently decides not to enlighten you right at this moment.

Over the course of several minutes, Kyouko and Yuma work their way through what must be an entire kilogram of various snacks and a bottle of lemonade, all while leading you onward. A thought tickles the back of your mind as you follow, and you turn that thought into another.

"Hey, Kirika!" You reach out telepathically.

"'sup, 'brina?" Kirika responds a moment later.

"Just checking in on you - the Soujus are due in today, according to Oriko's prediction?" you say. But then again, Kirika responding is already quite the relief, since it means that the Soujus haven't somehow gotten them without you knowing.

"Oh, yeah," Kirika says, a pout audible in her voice. "Oriko's been trying to find 'em all morning. No luck so far - she says they've got some kind of, uh, fuzzy karma on them. She reckons they're probably in Mitakihara, but she's really unsure."

"Ah, OK, good," you say. "Please shout for help if they come after you, know?"

"Yeah, got it," Kirika says. "She's taking up so much of Oriko's tiiiime though. If she comes here, I'm gonna stab her."

"Well, if the opportunity comes up, I'll kick her ass extra hard for you, alright?" you say, unable to stifle a snicker.

"You get it," Kirika says appreciatively. "Thanks!"

You end that call, nodding in satisfaction, and just in time, as Kyouko's led you to another drifting Barrier, one that's moving against the wind and drizzling rain and drifting steadily southward. Once again, the four of you dive right in.

The fight turns out to be rather uneventful, this time, despite the psychedelic mausoleum that the Barrier turns out to be. Perhaps less than textbook, since you're still restricting yourself to using just your hammer, but you don't even get chewed on this time, smashing through the endless tide of shambling bone Familiars.

Not skeletons, just bones, clumping up and separating seemingly at random as they try to scrabble towards you. And, of course, each of them a horrid, strobing neon monstrosity, in sharp contrast to their Witch - a drab, funeral-shrouded coffin spilling forth an endless tide of rotting flesh. Sayaka takes the kill on that one, conjuring forth a truck-sized sword and bisecting the coffin from a healthy distance away.

Kyouko seems to approve, in any case, sharing some pretzels with the both of you afterwards while offering a few words of advice afterwards about balancing and how to manage a weapon that large.

"You test that sorta shit out before actually usin' it in a fight," she adds, jabbing a finger at you. "Since you need it."

"Yeah, I gotcha," you say, not bothering to protest. She's right, and you don't mind admitting it - you have... some flair for alternative styles of using your hammer, that trick with the polearm and hammer-launching more hammers proves that much. But anything that's outright impractical seems to be consistently tripping you up.

Which-

Dammit, you just want something visually impressive. That's not too much to ask for.

Still, you keep moving.

There's more Witches to hunt this morning, Kyouko's path swinging out west once more, her eyes constantly in motion, constantly scanning the skyline as you leave the old industrial district behind. Still, her instincts and yesterday's scouting are impeccable, and she leads you straight to another Barrier - this one just hovering at ground level, lurking in the lee of an old apartment building, almost like it's hiding from the rain. Kyouko hops right in, Yuma following with a whoop while you and Sayaka take the rear, as you usually do.

The Barrier resolves into a rolling landscape of an almost mundane-looking farm, rows upon rows of lush, green plants that look like... strawberry? Well, it would look like a mundane farm if the strawberries weren't the size of your head, stems woven through trellises that stretch up into giant hedges. A chocolate-brown sky arches high overhead, seeming to drip down toward the horizon.

"Fuck this," Kyouko grunts, and vaults to the top of the trellises with her spear. You exchange a look with Yuma, who nods solemnly at you before bouncing up to join Kyouko.

To your surprise, they don't immediately take off, Kyouko balancing on the thin slats of wood while scowling off into the distance, spear ready.

"Uh, Kyouko?" Sayaka says after a moment.

"We're being followed," she says tersely, eyes refocusing on Sayaka and you. "In Mitakihara, not in here. No Familiars nearby, and it doesn't seem like they're following us in, so we got time to plan."

You stiffen, a chill running down your spine. You're not the only one surprised, either, Sayaka's hand darting to her power jewels and Yuma lighting up in a glow of emerald.

You hadn't sensed anyone following you, but that doesn't mean much. A safe following distance probably means that they were staying far away enough that they were well out of your easy sensing range. And you're not going to doubt Kyouko's judgement on this, in any case, her experience with this kind of thing far outweighs yours.

"Yeah, probably your mysterious Soujus," Kyouko says, scowling at you. "Thing is, there's at least four of 'em. They're good, though, only ever spotted one."

"How long have they been following us?" you ask.

"They just started," Kyouko grunts. "Picked 'em up near that middle school, 'bout five minutes ago."

"Right..." you say, frowning in thought. "And they're not following us in, presumably... because just leaving a Barrier is the best time to ambush us?"

Kyouko shrugs.

"It is, but could be they're just bein' polite," Kyouko says, the scowl on her face telling you what she thinks of that idea.

[] Let Kyouko figure out a counter-ambush
[] Insist on trying to talk it out first
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

Apologies for the late update! And also in advance for the fact that I will not be updating this weekend; moving day for me.

 

[Firnagzen]

"Yeah, nah," you say, frowning after a moment's of thought. "If they're friendly, then that's our mistake. But I don't think anything good'll come of letting them make the first move."

"Correct answer," Kyouko drawls, quirking an eyebrow down at you. "Gotta say, was half expecting you to want to talk it out."

You roll your eyes. A test, huh?

"I'm not that bad," you say, scowling up at her with your own eyebrow raised. "I mean, I've been expecting hostiles the entire day, and here they are. I'm... optimistic, not dumb."

"Cool," Kyouko says, planting her spear point-down on the top of the trellis so she can slouch against it, balancing in stark defiance of the narrow strips of wood beneath her feet. "So. What's next?"

... that's still a test, but hey. You have an answer for this.

"I'm going to let Mami and Homura know," you say. "Just in case - we should be fine, but let's be sure. As for our probably-Souju ambushers... honestly, Kyouko, I'm delegating and leaving it in your hands. What's our play? And... how long do we have to figure out a plan, anyway? They can sense us from outside, yeah?"

Kyouko snorts, relaxing deliberately and putting a gentle hand on Yuma's shoulder. Yuma glances up at Kyouko at the touch, then draws in a deep breath and straightens, planting the head of her mace in the wood and likewise relaxing.

"Lazy option, but 'aight," she says. "We've got 'bout half an hour to talk it out, tops. Any magical girl can get a sense of what's happening in a Barrier, but pinpointing what's happening 's a non-starter." She scowls. "Easiest way outta this is to have someone else hit them from behind, but I take it that's not an option, Miss Goody Two Shoes?"

"I..." You scrub your hand through your hair, looking out at the deceptively idyllic strawberry farmscape of the Barrier and the mottled brown sky above. "No, I'd rather not."

"Mmmkay," Kyouko says. "Then we gotta hit them hard and fast the moment we exit the Barrier. Focus on one, knock her down and punch through. Equal numbers of us and them, but we should be able to break out."

"Hey, uh - we just need a distraction, right? I could do it," Sayaka says. "I'll get rid of this clone and duck out to the toilet at school to send a new one out. Then we'd just coordinate by telepathy?"

"Could work," Kyouko says. "Pincer them in."

"Actually, on that note, Kyouko-" you say, frowning and raising a finger. "Four bodies, or four Soul Gems?"

Kyouko scowls, drumming her fingers on the haft of her spear as she thinks it through.

"I'm... not sure," she concedes.

"Right," you say. You can feel your frown deepen. "It's not impossible that the Soujus have accomplices, but given that we know she's a Soul Gem collector, it might just be, uh, one body? And... Oriko was having trouble picking her out too, so it's possible that she fooled your senses?"

"Why four though?" Sayaka asks. "There's... just the two Soujus, right?"

"Assume the worst case," Kyouko grunts. "Assume there's four of 'em, and if there's only one, great, that makes life easier for us getting out of this."

"Right..." You run your hand through your hair again, thinking. Well, you've decided you're going to let Kyouko take the lead on this because hell, she's the veteran here. You might prefer to try and talk it out, but... hostile actions are hostile actions, and if it's a misunderstanding, you'll make amends after the fact.

"Alright, so... am I getting rid of this clone or nah?" Sayaka asks.

"Hang on a sec," Kyouko says. "So, the plan's simple, because fancy gets you killed. Three steps. One, we need t' make it seem like we haven't noticed them. That means we kill the Witch as we normally would, call it twenty minutes from now, and that's two: we coordinate and distract them at the same time 's the Barrier vomits us out. Step three is that we come out swinging and hit them from both sides. You follow?"

"Right, yeah," Sayaka says, frowning. "It'll be maybe five minutes from here to... uh, from school to here."

"Ten," Kyouko says. "Don't rush it, you gotta stay hidden."

Sayaka nods, her expression tight.

"And you..." Kyouko slants a look at you, crimson eyes narrowed. "Sabs, you go tell Mami first."

"And Homura," you add, raising your eyebrow. "And come to that, the Kures and the Shiogama girls too."

It's not like you don't understand what she's saying. Mami... Mami's never been one to sit by idly, has she? And Kyouko has a point there, too. You've always done your best to ensure that school time is sacrosanct for your friends, but with Sayaka here, the walls are already breaking down, and you can't see Mami not wanting to come and help, class attendance be damned.

"Sure, whatever," Kyouko says, rolling her eyes. "C'mon, let's go find the Witch. There's Familiars to get through first."

She takes off at a dash, spear slung low at her side and boots dancing featherlight over the wooden trellises. Yuma launches herself after, while you and Sayaka decide to stay on the ground level, Sayaka shooting you a slightly nervous grin as she takes the rear. Nerves, but that's only to be expected, you suppose.

The easier ones first, then. Also the ones that give you just a bit of trepidation as you reach out across Mitakihara with telepathy.

In a way, Watanabe Noriko's the opposite of Ayase and Luca Souju - where they're two magical girls sharing a body, Noriko's a single magical girl in two bodies. A rather delightful symmetry, in many aspects, and some small voice of paranoia can't help but whisper that the Soujus might have wanted to look in on them.

Surely they'd have called for help if they'd been attacked, though.

"Miss Watanabe?" you say.

"Miss Sabrina?" The girl responds quickly, the sound of her mental voice sending relief flooding through your veins even as you can picture her face - faces, rather, both of her bodies bending in worry that bleeds through to the telepathy. "What is it? Is there trouble?"

"I... well, I apologise for being the bearer of bad news," you say. "We're working on handling it, but the Soul Gem thieves I warned you about are in Mitakihara. Currently they're stalking me and a couple of my friends, and we're confident of handling them, but I thought you deserved a warning."

"Oh," Noriko says. "Ah... I, well, Akemi and I are out shopping right now? We can come and help if you need to?"

"There's no need," you say firmly. "We're reasonably confident - we'll call for help if we really need it, but it's not your responsibility."

"We live here now, Miss Sabrina," Noriko disagrees politely. "But... if you're sure, I admit it would be a relief."

"I'm sure," you say. "Enjoy your shopping trip."

"It's just for groceries, but thank you," Noriko says.

And that's that for the Shiogama girls. You feel like you should go visit them more. They'd moved to Mitakihara to escape memories and trauma, and sure, giving them a new place to stay is something, but it doesn't feel like it's enough. Still, it seems they're well for now, and apparently ignored by the Soujus. The next call, then.

"Oriko?" you ask telepathically.

"Sabrina? What's happening?" There's a note of frustration bleeding into Oriko's mental voice - frustration and stress.

"We've noticed magical girls that are presumably the Soujus camping outside a Barrier that we're currently in," you say. "They haven't bothered you, yeah?"

"They're- what?" The frustration turns to annoyance. "I- I still can't see them."

"Hey, it's OK, Oriko," you say. "They might be running some kind of anti-scrying measure?"

"That is... unfortunate," Oriko says, the annoyance now restrained. "I apologise for not being able to warn you in time, Sabrina. Are you well? Do you require our aid?"

"Not now, and... the apology is unnecessary, Oriko, but accepted anyway. You've done plenty, watching my back like this, and if a few issues slip through the crack, that's fine." you say. You could point out that she'd given you the warning far back, but you doubt that's a good tack to take. "And I just wanted to check that you and Kirika were safe, actually."

"We are," Oriko says. "What's your current plan?"

"We're planning a counterambush," you say. "Well, Kyouko is - I left it in her hands."

"I see," Oriko says. "Then... I wish you the best of luck. Please do tell me if you need help."

"I will," you say, exhaling as you end the call. Just in time, as Sayaka swings her sword out, pointing.

"Up there!" Sayaka calls. You follow her eyes to the skyline, then up to the towering walls clawing to the blotchy brown sky in jagged crenellations of translucent, plasticky material and stretching from horizon to horizon.

"That'll be it," Kyouko shouts back, slowing to a jog, her footsteps light atop the strawberry-laden trellises. "Slow, now, we've got time. Sabs, how's those calls coming?"

"Working on it!" you say.

The last two to inform about the Soujus: Homura, and Mami. Homura would be glad for the warning, and more than willing to stay to guard Madoka. Mami, on the other hand... you worry for her. School is important, dammit, but you're not sure she'd be willing to stay, not with you potentially under attack. And you admit, you'd be glad for her help, but it sits poorly with you to interrupt that.

[] Don't tell Mami about the Soujus
[] Tell Mami about the Soujus
- [] Try and persuade her not to come and help?
-- [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

And we're back! A shorter update this time, but on the upside, the next update should come quicker this weekend, if only because I already had a good chunk written before Sabrina barged into my head and pointed out that she knows Mami would have Opinions.

 

[Firnagzen]

You close your eyes and exhale. Yeah, no. However much as it would make things convenient, it's Mami's choice. You have absolutely zero right to take the choice away from her, as a friend, as her partner, as a decent person. No matter how much you think it would be better for her. And you can only imagine the hurt it would cause her if you didn't tell her, especially on the heels of Kyuubey.

"Mami? Homura?" You reach out once more with telepathy, the mental connection stretching all the way to Mitakihara Middle School, half a city away.

"Sabrina? What is it?" Some of the tension must have bled through your mental voice, because Mami's response is immediate and serious, the usual playful air completely absent.

"We're being tailed by unknown magical girls - Kyouko thinks there might be as many as four of them, but I also suspect it might be the Soujus mucking around with the Soul Gems they collected," you respond, starting to pace on the soft loam underfoot. "Kyouko brought us into a Barrier, and they're waiting outside."

"I'm on my way," Mami says.

"I- ah," you say hurriedly. "Mami, you don't have to? We've got a plan to counter-ambush them, and I was just letting you know because I didn't want to keep it-"

"I know, Sabrina," Mami says, her voice warm. "I understand. I know you'd prefer that I stay at school, but... I can't, Sabrina. Not when my friends are in danger, or if you're in danger. If our positions were reversed, I know you'd do the same for me."

"I..." You swallow, fighting the impulse to apologize, because she's right. You know her, just as much as she knows you, and from the moment you'd started this telepathic call, this was always going to be the outcome. "OK."

You consider raising the fact that it might be a misunderstanding, that maybe the Soujus are here for peaceful reasons. It's possible. But it rings hollow as a reason for Mami to not come to you. Not in the face of her certainty, her determination to be by your side.

"It's just one day," Mami says. "They won't make too much of a fuss, Sabrina. Alright?"

"Alright," you say softly. You choose to believe Mami - the Japanese school system can be ferocious, you know that much, but it's a matter of trust. Mami says it'll be fine, and so, you believe her, and that's that. And if there do turn out to be any unexpected issues, then you'll help her figure it out. "Thank you, Mami."

"You will," Mami says. Her voice turns more business-like. "Homura, I'm sorry for talking over you. I take it you'll be staying at school to watch over our friends?"

"Yes," Homura says. "Be careful, Sabrina, Mami. If I'm needed... tell me."

"Thank you. In that case..." Mami says. "Ah, Sayaka's clones?"

"Yeah," you say. "That was the plan."

"I'll link up with her on my way, then," Mami says decisively. "Counterambush... as you finish the Witch, correct? Where are you?"

"Yup, and we're out west of the old industrial district, at, uh, the corner of-" You rattle off the address. "And yeah, counter-ambush. I left it to Kyouko's planning, and she wanted to keep it simple."

"That's the best way, yes," Mami agrees. "Alright. I'll be there in eight minutes, and I'll let you know when we arrive, Sabrina. Stay safe."

"I will," you say. "I promise."

"So, she's coming," Kyouko says, exactly as you end the call.

"Well. Yeah," you say, glancing up at her. She's still balanced on the wooden trellis, well above your eye level, so you have to tilt your head pretty far back to look at her. "Honestly, I didn't really expect to convince her otherwise, but I was hoping. She'll be here in ten minutes."

Kyouko snorts, squatting down and peering down at you, spear cradled in the crook of her arm. She stares at you for a long moment, expression unreadable.

"Well, that makes things easier for us," she says, finally. "Cool."

"And, uh, I gotta undo this clone," Sayaka says. "Sabrina, heads up?"

She tosses you her collection of power gems, and you nod at her, tucking them safely in your pocket.

"See you in a bit," Sayaka says, and unravels.

"Right," Kyouko says, eyeing the drifting cloud of mist that's all that remains of that clone. "Let's go find the Witch. Timing oughta be about right, and Mami'll let you know when she's arriving, right?"

"Yup," you agree.

"Right. Yuma, you ready?" Kyouko says, rolling her shoulders as she stands.

"Mmh!" Yuma agrees, shouldering her mace with a slightly nervous smile.

"We'll be fine, Yuma," Kyouko says, patting her shoulder reassuringly and handing her an entire chocolate bar. She sighs, producing another and tossing it into the air, catching it with the same hand as she eyes you. "Call it two minutes, and you don't bother holding back against the Witch. No more practice time when we've got trouble waiting outside."

She flips the chocolate at you, and you nearly fumble the catch, earning a scowl from her. Still, you do manage to snatch it out of the air, and shoot her a grateful smile as she pulls out a third one for herself. You take a bite, enjoying the nougat center, and... well, it's a peace offering, you think, along with those pretzels earlier.

Come to think of it.

You... hadn't seen Kyouko snacking at all this entire morning. Not until after your entire spiel about being a dork, at which point she'd started powering through an entire bucket's worth of various tidbits with Yuma. Which was probably what Sayaka was elbowing you about.

In any case, you're forced to eat at nigh-Kyouko speeds, demolishing the bar in a few bites - because it's time to go.

By silent agreement, all three of you explode into motion, Kyouko and Yuma taking off at a dead sprint with their weapons ready. Your wings billow forth at a thought, Grief drawn from hammerspace rather than contesting the Witch for it, and you take to the skies with a leap.

The walls loom large ahead of you, plasticky, half-translucent material forming what you can now see is a vast, arcing ring. Said walls are also under siege, even larger strawberries heaving themselves out of the ground on squat, quadrupedal legs and hurling themselves to splatter against the walls.

Of course, the moment you start tearing through the Familiars, the Witch reveals itself, the very terrain groaning around you as it rips itself free of the ground, tree-trunk-sized roots slamming into the ground to bear upwards a titanic, woody millipede which proceeds to bodily hurl itself at the walls in slams that echo through the entire barrier.

"We're in position, Sabrina," Mami murmurs into your mind.

As it turns out, the Witch might have been more of a fight than you'd expected, if you were still limiting yourself to using your hammer - you don't exactly have the kind of attacks that would work on something the size of a skyscraper. You catch Yuma as she's hurled in your direction by a whipping root, and then you bury the Witch in a storm of Grief blades.

You rip through the wooden flesh in a heartbeat, coring it through with just a flicker of a thought. You could have tried simply dissolving the Witch with Grief control, but you're not particularly in the mood to try and match it in control at the moment, because you have more pressing issues to get to.

The Barrier crumbles. You brace, and pull your Grief in close. Kyouko snarls, spear ready, Yuma lighting up green.

Reality shivers.

And as the Barrier fades, you have just a moment to orient yourself. Cold and humidity. Concrete underfoot, concrete overhead. The smell of oil and metal and exhaust. A carpark. Mostly empty, faded paint peeling from the walls and a hundred pillars in neat arrays all around you. Not abandoned, but not oft-used, either. The patter of rain, distant and constant.

The boom of Mami's musket.

You're moving before you finish processing the sound. Above. Ramp for cars there. Stairwell there. All too slow.

You hurl yourself backwards and out into open air and freezing rain, wings blooming wide. A single thundering beat, and you're shooting upwards. Two floors, three floors, four- there. The roof. Blossoming gold and cerulean blue.

Flaring white and ruby red.

A singular opponent, impossibly fast. Faster than almost any magical girl you've ever seen. You catch glimpses of a dress in white and red, of a high ponytail and sharp blue eyes. Fire blazes forth from her, incandescent, strobing in the colours of her costume and somehow more.

Ayase and Luca Souju. Two souls in a single body. And many, many more in her shadow, moving with her.

Mami's a blur of motion, cream and vivid gold amidst the rain as she twists and dodges, always one step ahead. Sayaka flickers in and out of existence, there and gone again with her sword in hand to threaten the Soujus. Hit and run, never lingering as fire splashes in her wake. Invisibility from Yuko. Smart.

And over it all, laughter.

"Magnificent!" the Soujus roar to the heavens. "Show me more!"

Mami's eyes flick up to meet yours, a brief flash of warmth before she's moving again. But it's enough for the Soujus to notice you, driving Mami back with a burst of flame as they whirl on the spot to stare at you with wide eyes.

A grin splits their face.

"There you are," she whispers, almost rapturous.

"I-"

And that's as far as you get before you're forced to swoop over an inferno blazing in red and white.

[X] Fight back
- [] Try to talk her down?
-- [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
- [] Subdue first, talk later.

=====​

Heh. I've honestly been looking forward to this for a while.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Decanonized

Steam explodes all around you, backlit in ruby red and white. You juke as fire hisses through the rain in raging torrents heavy with magic and this can't possibly be sustainable for one, or even two magical girls but it's not even hard to guess how let alone see it, Grief blazing in two, three, four Soul Gems-

-and then five, as the Soujus' delight rings out in peals of ringing laughter.

You've got to end this quick.

Time almost seems to slow as your mind races through plans. You can't snatch their Soul Gems - not when the Soujus, of all people, likely know how to act as Soul Gems. You've got to keep your distance, too. With their powers, you're not convinced they can't knock you out. But with your wings, with you rising above the asphalt of the multi-storey parking lot, you don't think that's too much of an issue as long as you dodge.

You duck another beam of brilliant fire.

But that split second was all you needed to think.

The boom of Mami's muskets forms a familiar percussion, golden shots slashing through the rain to hem the Soujus in. Sayaka fades in and out of invisibility, there and gone again in arcs of flashing steel that never connect. The Soujus dance and laugh amidst the falling rain burning burning magic into speed and flame that blasts rain into expanding clouds and shrouding the battlefield.

That's hindrance to neither you nor Mami. Nor to Kyouko, you think, racing up the side of the building with Yuma at her side - but they're going to be late to the party.

A thought is all you need. Grief blossoms all around you, malevolence darkening the skies in uncountable shards of midnight and dripping off your wings in sweeping, dizzying arcs. Impossibly sharp blades one and all, each one leashed to your will to impossibly intricate, interwoven patterns.

Enough blades to blot out the struggling sun. Enough blades to rival the raindrops in the sky. Enough blades to block off every angle of escape, stygian knives cutting through the gloom in a closing dome around the Soujus. Even beneath their feet, Grief seeping through the concrete infilitrating through a million infinitesimal cracks and the spaces between molecules just in case they decide to dodge downwards.

Every single one of the Soul Gems on them glows bright in your mind's eye. Two, three, seven, nine. Nine, all told. Two their own and seven stolen. Seven too many, and yet, you feel like that's fewer than there should be. But that's a thought for later, when you talk.

You can sense every movement they make, scrap of magic they burn, every drop of Grief bubbling forth within their Soul Gems.

They're not panicking, no. But in the dart of their eyes, the twitches of their muscles and the flare of their magic, you can read wariness, a touch of indecision, as the maw of your attack closes around them. Fire wreathes their form, ruby cored and molten white and heavy with magic in a way that plain old fire isn't, and even through that, you can hear them speak.

"Glorious," they whisper, exultant.

Mami's muskets roar, golden shots streaking through openings you'd left for her, and in that moment of distraction-

You strike.

The air screams, rent by as you close your attack around them.

The air screams as you close your distraction around them.

Because you control Grief.

And as they shift to meet both, as fire boils forth into a full, rippling aura-

You tear the Grief from their Soul Gems.

They're fast. Fast enough to twist into a useless dodge. Fast enough to blast away some of the Grief suddenly right next to them-

-a thought is all it takes for Grief to coagulate into blades-

-but not fast enough.

Blades meet flesh.

Flesh, then bone.

Arms, leg... neck. A burst of fire deflects some blades and saves one of their legs.

Then they're sliding apart into wet chunks, falling to the rooftop with splashes in the puddles of rain. No blood, because some part of you is busily keeping that blood oxygenated and in their respective... pieces. It's not like you're not going to heal them back up, after all.

"Holy fucking shit," Sayaka breathes as she reappears amidst the rain, invisibility fading from around her.

The larger part of you is rather more bothered by the fact that you just tore a person into chunky bits. And sure, they're magical girls1​, and their Soul Gems are perfectly safe. You'd made sure of that. And sure, you can heal them up in no time, and the cuts were nice and clean. And it's just practical, when it comes to taking down magical girls, who can take a frankly absurd amount of physical punishment. And it's not even your first time dismembering someone.

But you just tore someone to pieces.

"Sabrina?" Mami calls. She's lowered her rifle, peering up at you with worry in her face.

"I-" You swallow convulsively, realizing that you've been hovering silently over the parking lot, staring at the Souju's dismembered body. You wrench your eyes over to Mami, and manage a smile. "Yeah. I'm OK."

"They're not down!" Kyouko bellows, slingshotting herself over the lip of the roof, just as you sense the Soujus' magic flare.

Fire ignites once more, a raging wildfire roaring to life. A column of heat, pure white but for the crimson core blazes forth and-

-you're too slow-

-takes Mami in the torso.

"Mami!" The shriek rips itself from your throat as Mami staggers backwards, her eyes wide. There's a hole through her body, rime-white edges flaking away.

Sayaka's scream comes belated. Distant. The Soujus are dragging themselves up, the fire licking up their body and surging into the shape of their missing limbs and twin Soul Gems floating at the sides of burning shoulders. Kyouko has her spear leveled, light on her toes and half-shielding Yuma with her body.

Secondary considerations.

You fold your wings and dive for Mami.

[x] Continue
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

I'll be honest. I wrote and rewrote and rewrote this scene way too many times - I've discarded maybe three or four drafts, and frankly I'm still not really happy with it, and I'm not even halfway through the fight scene. But heck, I don't want to leave you guys hanging for another week, so... Hopefully I'll find some free time to come by and polish this up.

1​Man, the grammar just doesn't work here.

Ugh, you know what? This is the first time I've done this, but upon reflection, I... don't really like this update. It does not convey the impression I want out of this. So I'm decanonizing it and putting it under the spoiler.

 

[Firnagzen]

Steam explodes all around you, backlit in ruby red and white. You juke as fire hisses through the rain in raging torrents heavy with magic and this can't possibly be sustainable for one, or even two magical girls but it's not even hard to guess how let alone see it, Grief blazing in two, three, four Soul Gems-

-and then five, as the Soujus' delight rings out in peals of ringing laughter.

You've got to end this quick.

Time almost seems to slow as your mind races through plans. You can't snatch their Soul Gems - not when the Soujus, of all people, likely know how to act as Soul Gems. You've got to keep your distance, too. With their powers, you're not convinced they can't knock you out somehow. But with your wings, with you rising above the asphalt of the multi-storey parking lot, you don't think that's too much of an issue as long as you dodge.

Another beam of fire blazes towards you, crimson flame twined about an icy core crawling through the air with distant speed as you think.

Then again, you've already made up your mind.

The boom of Mami's muskets forms a familiar percussion, golden shots slashing through the rain to hem the Soujus in. Sayaka fades into invisibility once more, there and gone again in arcs of flashing steel that never connect. The Soujus dance and laugh, breathlessly giddy amidst the falling rain and burning burning magic into speed and flame that blasts rain into expanding clouds and shrouding the battlefield. They dodge, and weave, flickering frostfire blazing in uncaring defiance.

That's hindrance to neither you nor Mami. Nor to Kyouko, you think, racing up the side of the building with Yuma at her side - but they're going to be late to the party.

Action follows thought. The air crystallizes in that moment between heartbeats, Grief unfolding from hammerspace and dripping from your wings to darken the sky in a thousand, thousand, thousand malevolent shards. You close the dome around them in that glacial moment between heartbeats.

Sound takes time to propagate, so you can only imagine the air screaming as each fragment of midnight slices inwards.

Enough blades to blot out the struggling sun. Enough blades to rival the raindrops in the sky. Enough blades to block off every angle of escape, stygian knives cutting through the gloom in a closing dome around the Soujus. Even beneath their feet, Grief flooding through the concrete infiltrating through a million infinitesimal cracks and the spaces between molecules just in case they decide to dodge downwards.

Every single one of the Soul Gems on them glows bright in your mind's eye. Two, three, seven, nine. Nine, all told. Two their own and seven stolen. Seven too many, and yet, you feel like that's fewer than there should be. But that's a thought for later, when you talk.

They're just beginning to react, to turn towards you with wide, fever-bright delight. Lightning fast, perhaps, with whatever superspeed they're tapping into. But slower than thought, slower than Grief.

The maw of Grief slams shut around them.

Their own magic is a little faster. Their body ignites, blazing crimson and arctic chill wreathing their form in an incandescent halo as they duck on instinct. It works, too, dense flame smashing aside some of your blades.

The distraction slams shut around them.

Because you control Grief.

You tear the Grief from their Soul Gems.

They're fast. Fast enough to twist into a useless dodge. Fast enough to blast away some of the Grief suddenly right next to them-

-but not fast enough.

Blades meet flesh.

Flesh, then bone.

Arms, torso, leg... neck. A burst of fire deflects some blades and saves one of their legs.

And...

Déjà vu.

Widened eyes in the corner of your vision, Sayaka fading back into visibility with bloodless face and horrified stare. Kyouko and Yuma are just about to reach the roof, sprinting up the side of the building in bursts of magic. Mami's attention snapping up to you to check on you.

The Soujus sliding apart into a bloodless heap.

Bloodless, because Grief leashed to your will is weapon and tool both, every cut sealed as it's made and oxygenated because it's not like you're going to not heal them afterwards, and because that would simply be cruel, because you're going to want to talk to them later too, but-

Déjà vu.

They're not down, and now that you're looking at it, their Soul Gems, two of them, are blazing ever brighter in your mind's eye.

And maybe something about your expression draws Mami's attention to them too as her eyes snap to the Souju's body.

Both of you lash out together, guided by some sixth sense. Mami's ribbons unspool like striking snakes, reaching for one Gem -red, Souju Luca- and so you snatch for the other with Grief-

"Apart!" you bark at Mami, words tumbling over each other as fast as you can think. "They're stronger together!"

-and you yank. There's a resistance to it, their magic binding them together. Not nearly enough, their Soul Gems flying apart. One to you, one to Mami.

Just in time, as their magic builds to a crescendo. Fire blazes around the one you have bound in Grief, purest crimson erupting all around it with the concussive force, a hammerstrike of pure power turned against yours. A contest of will and magic, Souju Ayase's rapturous delight and terror and awe hurled against yours in a single last-ditch attack, her soul an incandescent nova of power.

You crush her magic with a thought, and wrap her Soul Gem securely in Grief.

She's not unconscious. You can still sense her magic flickering within her Soul Gem, but you don't sense her building towards another attack, either, and that's enough for now as you turn your attention to Mami and the other Souju.

Mami seems to be having more trouble with Luca, her forehead beading with sweat as her own magic flares bright in your mind's eye, a constant, ever-shifting weave of gold. Ribbons web from hand to hand, twisting with her movements as she juggles the frost-laden Soul Gem, her eyes intent and utterly focused.

You don't dare intervene, not when one wrong move could send Mami off-balance - but you keep your Grief at the ready, a dense cloud hovering nearby to aid her if you need to. And your faith in her is proven a moment later, Mami snapping her hand to the side in a sharp, decisive moment as ribbons bind tight around Luca's Soul Gem, a golden lock flashing into existence.

"H-holy s-" Sayaka staggers, propping herself up with her sword, and then crumpling to her knees as she retches. Kyouko's there a moment later, offering her support as Sayaka empties her stomach on the rooftop. Yuma hovers nearby, darting horror-struck looks from the Souju's body to their Soul Gems.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ," Kyouko mutters, supporting Sayaka with one hand and pulling Yuma into her side with the other. "Cleanse yourself, Wondergirl."

You feel a telepathic contact in your mind from Mami, accepting it a moment later as she speaks.

"Homura," she says. "Is Sayaka alright?"

"Madoka is escorting her to the nurse's office," Homura responds immediately. "Are you well?"

"We are," Mami says. She shoots you a swift smile as you land on the roof, her eyes scanning you for injury. "We won the fight, and none of us were hurt, but it was, ah, a touch messy."

You return the smile as you dismiss your wings, checking her over in turn - neither of you actually took hits, but you can't help but worry.

"Understood," Homura says. You can hear the frown in her mental voice, a touch of concern bleeding through. "Sayaka has her Clear Seed. Will she be alright?"

"She will," you say as you hurry over to the Souju's body. "She damn well will. She's strong. And if she needs a bit of help, we'll be there to provide it."

You can sense their stolen Soul Gems still, all of them now quiet. You've been keeping them all cleansed, after all, even the Souju's. And... you feel a twinge of guilt as you stare down at what you did to them, but they're magical girls. A person torn apart, sheared into a dozen pieces, and bloodless for all that, each cut sealed in with a flat plane of midnight Grief, each part still alive and lying there in the puddling rain. Almost shocking in the lack of gore for the damage you did, since you caught it all.

Not the first time you've witnessed this sort of harm, but the first time you've personally inflicted even remotely this sort of harm on a person. And even so...

They're alive, and you're going to do your level best to sort this out.

And maybe you should contemplate your own lack of reaction, especially when...

Well.

More pertinent is the worry for Sayaka, now dry-heaving - her first real encounter with violence and this sort of bodily trauma, you think. Adrenaline and horror make for a potent mixture, and you'll check on her in a moment, and maybe do some self-reflection, but first, the Souju's captives.

"Wait! P-please!" As you reach for the Soul Gems, a new telepathic voice intrudes on your mind - but one you recognise. This is... one of the Soujus, the timbre her mental voice somehow lesser than when you'd heard it moments ago raised in fever-bright laughter. "Please, not o-our friends!"

[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

Alrighty, here we go. Rewrote significant sections of this update while reusing bits from the decanonized one.

 

[Firnagzen]

Her friends.

Her friends?

Your mind reels through a fit of paranoia - if these are her friends, then you've got to secure them too just in case. And it might mean the Soujus aren't quite what you think of them, though it doesn't really change the balance of your actions here. If they had good intentions, sneaking up on you in ambush position was not the right thing to do, and nor was using other Soul Gems as batteries for their own magic.

Better safe than sorry - and with Sayaka still struggling to control her heaving, with Yuma curled tightly into Kyouko's side, you're not willing to take the risk of a fight breaking out again. You need to check in on them, but you need to be sure first.

It takes a heartbeat for logic to coalesce into a decision, and it's nothing all that different from what you'd intended to do. Thought turns to action, Grief sweeping in to cocoon the seven Soul Gems the Soujus were carrying. Five that they'd been pouring their own Grief into, and another two that had been quiet the entire time. Backups, perhaps.

Even so, you sweep them all up in Grief, cocooning them just as you did Ayase's Soul Gem. None of the seven show any life or magic now, not even the five that the Soujus had been pouring Grief into during the fight. All of them are now quiescent in unconsciousness, the barest trickle of Grief and life flickering within them - in stark contrast to the veritable blaze of an active magical girl like your own... or Ayase and Luca's Soul Gems. You keep them all cleansed, of course, as well as Mami's and Kyouko's and Yuma's.

Not Sayaka, now wobbling to a standing position on shaky feet - but that's because her real Soul Gem is back in school, with Madoka and hopefully Homura keeping an eye on her.

While you're at it, it takes a sliver of attention to extend the reach of your Grief cloud once more, spreading it out to keep the rain off the roof and to dissipate the smell from Sayaka's puddle of sick - you can do that much for your friends, at least. It does little for the rain pooling in puddles on the asphalt or the chill in the air, but at least you're not still getting wet.

You take the moment to sweep the Souju's body parts into hammerspace, too. No need to leave it all lying around, especially given Sayaka's response. Each part fully enclosed in Grief, each cut still sealed perfectly and oxygenated so that the parts don't actually die. For given values of 'die', anyway.

"So long as they offer me no violence, I have zero intention of hurting them any further, nor you," you respond. "I promise. You're... Souju Ayase, correct?"

"You know our name?" she asks, her voice suddenly eager and hungry.

Mami catches your eye, moving over to you with a slightly distant smile, Luca's Soul Gem captive with lock firmly in place. From the looks of it, she's holding her own careful conversation with Luca.

"I know of you, yes, but I think that there's some gaps in my knowledge," you say slowly. "I... alright. Before we get into any further discussion, you should know that I have every intention of healing you. I'm not going to leave you to die."

"And you'll bring me back to my sister?" Ayase asks. There's an edge to her voice, the faintest vibrato of concern.

"... if that's what you want, I'll see what I can do, yeah," you say. "But if you don't mind my asking, why did you attack us?"

"We wanted to know for sure!" Ayase says, that edge gone just as abruptly as it had appeared, now replaced with a bright, manic cheer. "We could see the shine of your Soul, but we had to be sure! And you are! You're the angel we've only ever dreamed of!"

Her mental presence almost seems to twine around yours, fever-hot and intense and eagerly, so very eagerly focused on you.

"I, uh-" Your thoughts stutter slightly, uncomfortable in the face of her... enthusiasm. "Right. Uh, does that mean you're done fighting?"

"Oh? Oh, yes, of course, anything you say," Ayase agrees, far too fervent for your liking.

"Right. Uh, give me a moment, I'm going to talk to my friends," you say.

"Don't take too long~!" Ayase says.

Mami's eyes flick over to you as you wrench the mental connection away from Ayase, because of course she immediately noticed. You smile at her, because you can hardly help it, and she steps closer to you, smiling wanly in return. You meet her halfway, and she takes your hand as you do hers, squeezing gently. You draw comfort from the touch, as does she, her smile strengthening.

"They're a strange pair, aren't they?" Mami asks.

"They are," you say with a sigh. You don't stop, gently tugging Mami towards Sayaka, Kyouko, and Yuma. "Are you OK, Mami?"

"I am," Mami says. She doesn't object to checking on your friends, sticking at your side as you head over.

"Good," you say, giving her a quick smile. You'll want to talk to her properly later about this whole thing, but if Mami says she's fine, then she is. You believe her, so for now, Sayaka and Yuma take priority, and you want to check on Kyouko, too.

Sayaka's managed to stand now, but she's still pale as she notices you approaching.

"I'm fine," she says. "I'm- I'm fine. That was just- just a lot. I'm fine, OK?"

The way she's still leaning on Kyouko, the way they're carefully stepping away from a small puddle of vomit, the way she's resolutely looking away from the spot the Soujus had been dismembered rather gives lie to that statement, you feel. But you're definitely not going to call her out on it, or at least not to her face.

"Alright," you say, nodding. "Yuma? Kyouko?"

"Yuma is..." Yuma's pale and clinging still to Kyouko's leg, and shaking just a bit. "Yuma will be OK."

Kyouko scowls at you, but offers a measured nod.

The first time Sayaka has seen this sort of violence, that's for sure. Yuma has some idea, the way Kyouko had been hurt by a Witch all the way back then, but even so, it can't be easy to see. You're not entirely sure for Mami or Kyouko, but both of them seem to be holding up alright.

"Yeah, I'm... I'm sorry about that," you say. "Just... wanted to shut them down fast, and locking them down wouldn't have worked." You take a breath. "For what it's worth, the Soujus seem to be fine and mostly unbothered, and I'm going to heal them up, too."

"Oh. Good?" Sayaka says, looking queasy. She swallows hard. "Why the heck can my clone vomit, anyway?"

"The magic probably cloned your body as it was at the time of making," Mami suggests. "Including what you ate, it would seem."

"Ugh," Sayaka groans, pulling herself upright and straightening fully. "I... sorry about that."

"Don't be ridiculous," you say, shaking your head. "I'm sorry. That was just... look, even if you know about how much punishment we can take, as magical girls, it's a hell of a leap to actually witness this sort of thing. Any normal person would be horrified. So yeah. I'm sorry, everyone."

"Y' won," Kyouko says gruffly, shaking out her slightly-bedraggled ponytail. "And none of us were hurt. That's a good win."

She cocks her head.

"Don't even hear any sirens coming our way either," she says, sounding satisfied. "Don't think anyone noticed."

"It went well enough," Mami agrees. She gives you a pointed look, though, softening it with a smile and a gentle squeeze of your hand, which you take to mean that she doesn't appreciate your implicit self-criticism.

"Right," Sayaka says, taking a deep breath and looking you square in the eye. "Right. Now what do we do?"

[] Encourage Mami to head back to school
[] Encourage some of your friends to continue the hunt?
[x] Move somewhere else to question the Soujus
- [] Where?
[x] Let the Kures know what's happening
[] Question the Soujus
- [] Where are the rest of their stolen Soul Gems?
- [] Why are they stealing Soul Gems?
- [] Why did they come to Mitakihara?
- [] Other questions...?
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

If you choose not to do the questioning right now in favour of other things, that's fine, but I decided to provide a small slate of obvious questions so that that doesn't have to be argued over.

 

[Firnagzen]

"What we do now is get off this rooftop," you say, frowning. "Let's get somewhere dry... er? Dryer. I want to actually talk to the Soujus properly, and we'll discuss matters along the way there?"

"Right," Sayaka says with a firm nod. You can tell she's putting up a brave face, but she's still a touch pale beneath it. She's... probably going to need someone to talk to later. Kyouko might get there first, you suspect, and having them talk it out as equals in the face of this might very well be an ideal outcome.

"Where to, Sabrina?" Mami asks, smiling at you.

"Somewhere near the Kure's place, I think," you say. Just in case the Soujus are somehow listening, you switch to telepathy to add, "I want to have Kirika's antimagic nearby just in case the Soujus try to pull anything funny. They've already tried to ambush us once."

"... yeah, might as well make them be useful," Sayaka mutters. "Yeah, alright. Neutral-ish ground."

"We callin' off the hunt, then?" Kyouko asks.

"On pause for now, I think?" you say. "Depending on how things shape out, and how long it takes, maybe we can continue after?"

Kyouko makes a vaguely grouchy sound.

"We could continue the hunt - Wondergirl, Yuma, and I," she says, somehow producing a full-sized bag of potato chips from a pocket in her costume. "Not like we've got a crazy yandere hunting us."

"Please don't say the Y-word," you groan, pinching the bridge of your nose and ignoring the pointed crinkle of a plastic bag being ripped open. "And uh..."

You're hesitant to say that they should go hunting. You suspect that Kyouko just wants a moment away to decompress and to help Yuma and Sayaka sort things out, but Witch hunts are not something to do while mentally off-balance. You're rather uncomfortably aware of how that can go, after all.

Then again, you're hesitant to say that they shouldn't, if they want to - not only to avoid annoying Kyouko, but also because if they do want to step aside to regather themselves, you can't really blame them.

"Did you locate any Witches near the Minami Isetan?" Mami interjects delicately. "We're not expecting any further attacks, but it might be prudent to stay near to each other for now."

"Uhhh." Kyouko frowns, crunching loudly on a chip as she thinks. "Yeah, there is. Two? Yeah. Two of 'em. Yuma, Wondergirl, you up for it?"

Yuma hesitates as she grabs a fistful of chips, then nods firmly.

"Yu- I think it would be OK with three people!" she says.

"Uh... I dunno," Sayaka says. She takes a deep breath, fidgeting with the hilt of her sword. "Uh. I'm still a little, uh... shaky."

"C'mon, we're not even going that far from the rest," Kyouko cajoles, giving Sayaka a direct look. "And we can take it easy in the hunt."

They lock eyes for a moment, Sayaka seeming to read something from Kyouko as she nods slowly.

"I... fine," Sayaka says. "But we're definitely gonna play it safe. Right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kyouko grumbles, crunching pointedly on a chip. "Seriously. We're not gonna go that far. Y' don't need Mami and Sabs holding your hand all the time, do you?"

Sayaka scowls, folding her arms.

"Er," you say, inserting yourself into the conversation before it can potentially devolve. "Right, er... if you're going hunting, you're gonna need this."

You toss Sayaka her power jewels, lofting them underhand at her, which she catches easily and tucks back under her cloak. And even if she's still somewhat pale, a tinge of green on her cheeks, she does meet your eyes squarely as she gives you a grin, some of that familiar cockiness seeping back in. And that's a relief, if you're being honest - relief that Sayaka isn't scared of you now, after seeing what you did.

Mami takes your hand once more, her thumb stroking over the back of yours. You sneak her a quick smile, then take a breath, and exhale hard.

"Alright. If that's settled, then, let's head out," you say.

And so the five of you turn south, bounding over the rooftops, through the rain and chill. You've got the Souju's... friends, as well as Ayase's Soul Gem, while Mami has Luca's. Probably best to keep them apart still, for now.

"Oriko, Kirika?" You reach out with telepathy. You've got a little planning to do "We've got the Soujus."

"I was watching," Oriko says. "It was a relief to witness, I admit. Well done. Additionally, I've managed to find the rest of the Soul Gems they've stolen - they were stashed on the outskirts of Mitakihara ahead of their infiltration, it seems. And if they have any... followers, they're nowhere near Mitakihara."

"... ah," you say. "Right, that explains it. Good call, and thank you."

"I do rather appreciate being able to contribute," Oriko says drily. "You're very welcome."

"I appreciate being alive too!" Kirika adds, disconcertingly bright. "If Oriko had died, I wouldn't be here either!"

"Er," you say, blinking as you land on a rooftop, rolling and bleeding momentum with the movement. "Yes, I'm glad too...?"

"Apologies about that, we had a.... discussion earlier today," Oriko says. Her voice turns deliberately lighter. "I do now have every intention of living, fret not. However, while I hadn't intended to bring it up in quite this manner, I would like to speak to you in person at some point. Nothing too urgent."

"Ah," you say. You rather suspect it might be about her prediction of her own death. "Right, yeah, I'll find the time. Though, er, I hate to ask after that, but could I ask for a bit of help right now?"

"Certainly," Oriko says. "What do you need, Sabrina?"

"Er, well, Kirika - do you think you could prep an antimagic enchantment? Actually, two of 'em?" you ask. "I may want them for the Soujus. And... just in case, it might be nice for you to be ready in case they try and break out? I don't think they will, not from the way they're talking, but you'd be really good at taking them down if so."

"I'll make three, and I'll be ready," Kirika says cheerfully. "Though I'm not sure you need the help if they try and run. Oriko was showing me the fight! You were all whrrr, bzzzzz, splat! Was a pretty awesome fight, kinda wish I was there to see it in person."

"There were no chainsaws involved," you say. "Or splats. I was very careful about that. But, er, I'm hoping to not have to do that again except as a worst case scenario. So... thanks."

"Yeah, and you'll owe me if I have to come out!" Kirika says. "It'll eat into my planned Oriko cuddling time."

"... I feel like it's always Oriko cuddling time for you," you venture.

"Yeah, I knew you'd understand," Kirika says, satisfied. "You're lucky I don't have to get up to make the enchantments."

"... yeah, fair enough," you concede. "Anyway, again, thanks - and hopefully, I won't have to see you soon? Though Oriko, I'll make the time to come talk to you."

"Please do," Oriko says.

The rain lends the city a shroud of ethereal beauty as you cut across the rooftops of the city center, sheets of rain sweeping past spires of steel and glass. No lightning nor thunder, just driving winds and relentless rain, the glow of headlights burning far below in unending rivers. With your Grief clearing a space all around your little group, the air smells fresh and clean, everything washed away.

You also take a moment to update Noriko and Akemi, Masami and Hiroko, all of them relieved at hearing that the issue has been handled. You do feel like you should drop in on them at some point, but you also feel like you hardly have enough time, these days. You haven't even had time to visit Warehouse-kun for some proper Science in a while, too. You've been wanting to experiment with non-Kyuubey telepathy for a while, just to get off the Incubator wiretapping network.

Ah, well.

One thing at a time.

You touch down on the roof of an apartment block near the Kure mansion - well, near enough, anyway. Theirs is a fancy enough place that they don't even have proper neighbours. Still, close enough, and the rooftop seems... if not comfortable, then at least well-kept, and good enough to stop at for a talk amidst the humming air conditioners and antennas and water tank.

"Aight, we're goin' that way," Kyouko drawls as you come to a halt, pointing out east with a half-eaten taiyaki. "First one's, uh, half a k out, sssssecond one..." She swivels on the spot, arm outstretched. "That direction, two k from here."

She nails you with a glare.

"Good enough for ya?" she asks.

"Yup," you say, limiting yourself to a carefully measured smile. You appreciate her actually bothering to keep you in the loop, after all, and you're perfectly aware that she finds your particular brand of cheeriness to be more than a little obnoxious. You're trying. "Thanks, Kyouko."

"Ugh," she says, rolling her eyes as she pivots and heads for the edge of the roof. "C'mon, Yuma, Wondergirl."

"Yeah, yeah. Coming," Sayaka says. She flicks a glance your way and nods.

You nod back at her. She's got this, and clone or not, she can definitely stand at Kyouko's side. And with Yuma there, and with them not going too far from your location, you're not too worried about them.

And as they bound off into the rain, that leaves you, Mami, and the Soujus alone on the roof. And their... friends, of course, and however doubtful you are about that particular description of their relationship, it's a moot point given that they're still seemingly unconscious.

Mami smiles at you.

"Did you want to talk to both of them together, or shall I speak to Miss Luca?" she asks.

[] Speak to them together
[] Speak to them apart
[x] Vote in abeyance
- [] Modify the questions? (word count limit: 150 words)

Spoiler: Vote in abeyance

[X] Question the Soujus (good cop)
-[X] You dreamed about me? Tell me more. Is that why you came to Mitakihara?
-[X] Tell me about your friends.
--[X] Are there more we should check on?
--[X] How did you meet?
[X] Get the body healed while we do the interrogation.

=====​

Man, I'd actually meant to finish the questioning this update, but I also wanted to not delay this update another week, dammit. So, chance to modify the questions a bit if you so choose, if not, I'll just continue on next week.

 

[Firnagzen]

"Iiiiii will speak to them together, I think," you say, returning Mami's smile. It's an easy decision in this case: you want to see what they're like together. 'More than the some of their parts' might as well be their motto in life, as far as you know, and you want to get an idea of their thought process as a duo.

"Alright," Mami says, nodding and offering you Luca's Soul Gem, then stepping back as you accept. "I'll be here as your backup, then."

She gestures with a hand, golden ribbons webbing between the humming air conditioners to form a sort of hammock. Mami smiles gently at you, seating herself delicately upon it with one leg crossed over the other, producing a cup of tea from nowhere to sip upon. But despite seeming the very picture of ease, you know Mami better than that: her eyes are steady and watchful, her magic held at the ready for the slightest trouble.

You're in good hands, should the Soujus decide to try and surprise you with a sneak attack. Not that you're without your own precautions here, nanofog flowing all around you to saturate a full dome all around you, ready to respond to any attacks and in position to sense anything happening.

And also to keep the rain off you, of course, raindrops simply sliding away from above you. The rooftop is soaked and kind of grimy, and you could clean it off, but you're not going to bother. Instead, you follow Mami's lead. A flex of your magic folds together enough Grief to make a floating seat for yourself, and a small shelf hovering in front of you.

After a moment of hesitation, you add a second, substantially larger shelf.

Luca held in your right hand, Ayase in your left, and their body in hammerspace. You place the two Soul Gems on the smaller shelf, and evert the pieces of their body onto the larger one to act as a makeshift operating table. You don't think they'll mind you healing their body while you talk?

"Miss Luca, Miss Ayase, I apologise for the wait," you say, reaching out with your mind at the same time as you start to summon healing magic to your hands. "We had to reloc-"

Their magic snaps together, fire and ice slamming together with force that's all but tangible in your mind's eye and desperate, clinging strength. You can feel Mami's magic flare in response, gathering in her form as she prepares for a fight.

All they do, instead, is speak.

" Luca!( Ayase!) " they say, their voice tumbling into each other and resonant in a way you'd be hard pressed to describe with mere language, like their thoughts start in one mind and echo in the other, blending into a discordant harmony.

" We're OK!( I'm OK!) " they respond, and you can barely pick out who's who at this point, but you can feel their attention turn towards you, feverishly eager.

" Did you see her magic?( You can feel her magic, right?) " they ask each other. " We did!( She's magnificent.) "

... you feel like you should point out that you have a girlfriend, but honestly, you're not going to use Mami as a shield, even as a joking interjection. Especially not in the face of this cloying hunger, especially not in the face of their questionable restraint vis-a-vis violence. You flick Mami a quick smile - she's only just starting to relax, but she returns the smile anyway.

" We should apologise,( Wait, we're being rude, aren't we?) " they point out, the thought rebounding from one to the other in a wave of annoyance and dismay. " We're sorry! ( We apologize!) "

"No offense taken," you say, nodding. "So, I'm Vee Sabrina. I'm speaking to Souju Luca and Ayase, right? Do you have a preferred mode of address?"

" She knows our name!( Of course she does, I told you she would,) " they exclaim, their voice blurring into excitement and breathless delight clinging to your every word. " We're Souju.( I'm Luca!) We're honoured to meet you, Miss Vee!"

"Alright. Miss Souju, then," you say. "Now, er... I have some questions. And I'm also going to be multitasking to heal your body back up while we talk, but the healing isn't contingent on answering my questions, it's just, uh, an efficient use of time. Is that alright with you?"

" That's completely fine!( You can do anything you want.) " they say. " What would you like to know?( We want to ask questions too! We want to know more!) "

"Well, uh... to begin with, you said you dreamed of me?" you ask, summoning healing magic to your hands once more - you'd let it dissipate earlier, distracted by their telepathic merge. "Is that why you came to Mitakihara, then?"

"Oh! No, not a literal dream," they say brightly. "We don't have prophecy magic( Pity.) . But we heard about you( You're perfect.) , and we had to come and see for ourselves!"

"Oh," you say, blinking and feeling rather sheepish. Well, it was an understandable mistake to make, given the phrasing, and the fact that you don't understand their magic. Prophetic things are an entirely reasonable thing to consider, given the world you live in. "Well, what were you hoping to see?"

" Your Soul,( Your magic!) " they say with a dreamy sigh. "It shines like no other we've ever seen( Beautiful.) ."

"... right," you say, frowning lightly. You let your hands move on autopilot as you chew on that, healing their body rapidly - at least the clean cuts mean that you only have to expend a little effort to join the parts back together.

You're not entirely sure what to make of the Soujus' interest in you - there's the obvious, yes. Your Grief magic is unique, and your soul is unusual, but you're not entirely sure what exactly the Soujus would find so interesting about it. Admittedly, that might be sufficient, but you have to wonder if there's anything deeper to it.

" You don't get it( She doesn't see it yet.) ," the Soujus say, a bright, manic edge of eagerness in their voices. " But that's alright.( Help her understand!) Let us show you!"

"I'll have to decline, I'm sorry," you say carefully. You're not particularly willing to submit yourself to whatever magic they might deploy against you, after all, so a topic change might be in order. "If you don't mind my asking, who told you about me?"

" Oh, one of our new friends!( Her soul is gorgeous, but not as much as yours.) " they say. "She was actually coming to see you.( We met her in Kanazawa!) "

"Oh?" you say, careful not to let emotion leak into your mental voice. You'd been meaning to ask about her 'friends', after all. "Is she one of the five you have with you today?"

Kanazawa... north-west of Mitakihara, nestled against the north-west coast of Japan, you think. A fair distance away from Asunaro, maybe, but you can definitely trace a path the Soujus might have taken to hit that city in a few weeks from now, had they not been diverted by news of you.

" Oh, yes! And her soul was quite pretty,( She struggled so hard against becoming our friend,) " they tell you earnestly, that eagerness to please in their mental voice gaining a fever-bright edge as their mental presence twines around yours. " But not as much as yours, of course.( We love that gorgeous, gorgeous shade of shining white.) "

Oh.

That's not good.

Mami picks up on some of your unease, somehow, even though your sure that you don't so much as twitch in response, continuing to heal the Soujus' body. Nevertheless, you can feel golden eyes on you, adoring warmth as she sips daintily at her cup of tea, steaming in defiance of the chill of the rain. You respond with a reassuring smile. Concerning, but not urgent.

"... did you make all your friends the same way?" you ask carefully.

"How else do you make friends?" they respond blanky. They actually sound startled, that feverish glee blunted by bafflement. " You meet them, then you work to become friends!( Do you know something we don't? Ah, maybe an angel has better ways!) "

"Well, that's true," you say. By extremely warped standards, yes, but the outline is there, you have to concede. And you're not about to dig into that as an argument.

" Mmmhm! So we have friends!( She definitely knows something,) " they say. " What else did you want to ask?( We need to prove ourselves before she'll tell us.) "

"Ah, yeah - what did you do with your friends' bodies?" you ask.

"Oh, they don't need them( Ugh, bodies,) anymore," the Soujus say. " We left 'em behind!( Nasty, ugly, heavy things.) "

"Alright," you say. "And you've got more friends, right?"

" We do!( Oh, she knows!) We left stashed them safe and sound before coming to find you," they say, their tone turning dark and furious as they continue. " Not everyone gets it!( But you understand, right?) Some people try and take them from us."

"Right..." you say, nodding slowly and leaning back on your Grief seat as you think. That's definitely a problem. You release the healing magic for a moment - you've made good progress for now, anyway, and you need to gather your thoughts.

[] Continue the questioning
- [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
[] Do something else now?

=====​

I'm sorry for the delay on this one! Being wiped out and the complexity of this one didn't help. >_>

 

[Firnagzen]

You hum thoughtfully to yourself as you lean back, Grief moulded to your back for support.

Not malicious, you feel, or at least, not intentionally so. Delusional, almost certainly. You don't think they're lying to you, nor-

"Uh, sorry, I'm just sorting out my thoughts," you say. "But, uh, I realize I've been rude. May I know your pronouns?"

"Oh! We're not really fussy, either 'she' or 'they' are fine! But thank you for asking( So considerate~) !" the Soujus respond. They sound absolutely delighted by your question, their mental presence twining about yours.

"Alright, thank you," you say. There's no cause to be rude, after all.

You lean back on the Grief backrest, exchanging a smile with Mami as you think, working through the angles of this situation.

So. Not intentionally malicious, and neither are they lying to you. In fact, they've been entirely honest and open about what they're doing. Which does inspire a slightly discomfiting thought in your mind: their... skewed notion of friendship appears to consist of forcefully claiming others' Soul Gems and coercing them into 'friendship'.

You have, in fact, forcefully claimed their Soul Gems and are in the process of conversing with them in a polite, mostly equal manner.

Admittedly, you're also healing up their body, which is, as it turns out, something of a radical departure from what they do. And considering their apparent opinions about bodies, you're a little worried about their probably response to you trying to re-embody their victims - which you are going to do. You're not going to just leave them like that, and if the Soujus have a problem with that, they can deal.

Well, unless they actually want to be disembodied Soul Gems, but... you can read between the lines. For all the superficial similarity, you doubt that the Souju's 'friends' are in truth any such thing, except within the Souju's delusions. You'd be pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong, but you have your doubts.

"Alright," you say, summoning healing magic once more to your hands as you lean forward once more. You may as well keep it up, after all. "I've got a few more questions, if you don't mind?"

" Ah( Oh!) , yes! Ask away!( We'll do anything.) " they respond, their voice breathy and hungry.

"Right," you say. "I was wondering about something, and I realize that it might be too personal, so please, only answer as much or as little as you feel comfortable sharing. But... how did you get started as magical girls? Were you always so close?"

" We've always been like this( From the moment Kyuubey made its offer!) !" they say, the giddy delight melting into something a touch more somber. "We were there when a Soul Gem was overtaken by corruption( awful awful awful awful!) , and a Witch was born. Kyuubey found us after the attack( It hurt...) ."

"I'm sorry," you say quietly.

"Thank you," the Soujus say, gravely serious for once. "We were... badly hurt, but we knew what we wanted. I wished to preserve Luca's( Ayase's) soul."

"... I'm sorry," you say again. "I wish things could have turned out better."

"It's not all bad!" they say brightly. "Now we have each other forever( and we have our mission!) and ever! And it's better for us this way, anyway( one less nasty, ugly body to waste our Soul Gems on) !"

"I see," you say. And you think you do, filling in between the lines. They'd been at ground zero for a Witch hatching, and the Witch had injured them - possibly fatally. And Kyuubey, the little bastard that it is, had been conveniently right there to take advantage of them. "Say, is that related to how you're capable of operating as just Soul Gems? I've always thought it should be possible, but never found the time to try it out."

"Oh, no, it's nothing to do with our Wishes. You just... do it( It's the same as using a body, just the opposite!) ," they respond. "You should try it out!"

"Well, I do mean to try when I find the time," you agree. "Say, on that note, does your, ah, mental link go through Kyuubey? I assume not."

"Of course not," they scoff, your imagination supplying an accompanying sneer to go with the derisive tone. " Like we'd trust him.( It's always trying to dim the shine of Soul Gems.) Our own Wish is sufficient. It's nothing compared to you, of course, but it's our own way of making our way through the world."

You nod. That's probably just as well, for their sakes, and you might want to ask after the specifics at a later point. What they have is a step well beyond simple telepathy, and perhaps it could serve as a lead to getting off Kyuubey's telepathic network - and then again, perhaps not. You wouldn't be surprised if it's something entirely unique to their Wish.

The rain continues to drum down on the roof, beyond the umbrella of your magic, the chill washing in against the warmth radiating from the humming air conditioner compressors at your back. You continue to heal, and to think. You're not entirely sure what to do here with the Soujus, you have to admit - you have a good idea of how you can help their victims, but the Soujus themselves...

Well, for one, they're almost certainly going to lose it if you press the matter of their victims' bodies. But speaking of their 'friends', you are reminded of another important consideration.

"Say, Miss Souju, I noticed something else earlier I wanted to ask about?" you say.

"Please!" they respond, their mental presence all but draped over yours in giddy delight.

"Well, I noticed that you were, ah, draining Grief into your friends," you say, fighting not to show your revulsion at the thought. "How were you doing that?"

And just like that, the eager hunger is gone, replaced with sudden trepidation as they respond.

" A-ah, yes, we're sorry!( We didn't mean to trespass!) " they say. "We've never... we've always hoped that someone like you( the angel of salvation) would exist, but we had to develop our own means."

"I take no offense that you tried to develop your own magic," you say neutrally, because you do rather take offense at dumping Grief into someone else's Soul Gem, especially given the apparent coercion involved. "But I did notice you transferring Grief into your friends' Soul Gems?"

" We're sorry!( Please forgive us!) We know it's not our place to do that!" they whisper with quiet, urgent fear and borderline panic. "We lack your ability, Miss Vee( our angel) , but we had to push beyond ourselves to preserve Soul Gems as much as we can!"

Their Soul Gems vibrate in agitation on the shelf, magic seeping from them in pulsing waves of hot and cold. You get the impression that if they could, they'd be kneeling in full before you, trying to gain your apology and yet-

"Please forgive us!" they repeat, both voices in harmony.

-and yet, you don't know if you can forgive them. You can't forgive them, not in the way they want. It's not a transgression against you that's the problem here, for all that you hate the idea of them forcing their Grief on others.

[] Lie to them, give them what they want
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

Spoiler: Vote in abeyance

-[X] Ask about their victims' bodies
--[X] I'm fixing up the body you were using in case you wanted it back after we got to know each other better.
---[X] It seemed impolite to just throw it away without asking. Did you ask your friends if they still wanted theirs?
----[X] If you forgot to ask, I can go get the bodies and fix them up for you so you don't come off as impolite. Where exactly did you leave them?

=====​

Apologies for this update coming late again. That's been happening a lot lately, just... work, plus me not getting enough sleep and thus not having energy to write for most part.

 

[Firnagzen]

You sigh lightly, closing your eyes for a moment. No small quandry, is it?

The Soujus don't understand what they did wrong, that much is plain. They're focusing on some imagined slight against you, that Grief control is your domain, and doing it is akin to some nigh-religious heresy against you: trespassing beyond the domain mere 'mortals' are allowed to tread upon.

And that's another thing that sits ill with you. They seem to low-key worship you in some way, putting you up on some weird divine pedestal. You've been trying to ignore it, and it's not even the sheer fervour with which they approach the topic, but there's something about the whole notion that just sits ill with you. But you have no idea how to address it, either.

So rather than deal with that, you're just going to ignore that bit for now.

You have approximately as much jealousy or offense at other people having Grief control as you would other people being able to breathe. It's just a part of you, just as natural as aforementioned breathing. And your sole offense is that as far as you know, other Grief controllers can only move Grief from soul to soul, and that seems to be exactly the case here.

You also have way more than one thing to do and not a lot of time to think this one through, not with the Soujus' anxiety still thrumming along the mental connection. And sure, you can multitask like anything, but you actually want to focus a bit here on maybe unravelling the Soujus. So you're going to delegate some of this.

"There's nothing to worry about on that front," you say to the Soujus. "I'm actually very impressed that you managed to develop Grief manipulation on your own, and I don't take any offense at it. The opposite, really?"

"We thank you( The... opposite?) for your forbearance, Miss Vee," the Soujus respond.

"Mami?" you think simultaneously. "Could you do me a favour?"

"Mm?" Mami says. Golden eyes slide inquisitively over to you, and she lowers her cup of tea to offer you a smile.

"We need someone to pick up the Soul Gems Oriko found," you say. "And someone to make them new bodies. Sayaka could do it, but I'm not sure she's feeling up to it, if not... Niko, maybe?"

"Ah, I see," Mami says, smiling slightly. "I'll coordinate it. How are things going?"

"Confusingly, but well enough, I think," you tell her, simultaneously responding to the Soujus.

"Yes, I've actually been working on finding a way to ensure that more people have access to Grief control," you tell them. "I'm not sure that it's possible to have my particular brand of magic, but people with the ability to move Grief around and the right mindset can do a lot of good, so I'm glad to know that it's something that can be learned."

"We are but human, Miss Vee( Hewer) ," the Soujus say. "We're... not sure we could approach your power."

"'Hewer'?" you ask, because you can't help it. There's just something about the semi-religious attitude they've taken that grates. And that right there... Hewers of wood and drawers of water. It's a strangely Christian term to use, and you just can't help but poke at it.

"You hew away the filth that conceals the shine of Soul Gem and Grief Seed alike," they say, that avid hunger seeping into their tone once more. " We thought it befits you.( Does it displease you? We can think of something else!) "

"Oh," you say, relaxing slightly. Not a Biblical reference then. You're not really sure why it got your hackles up like that, and it still sits weirdly to be referred to in such a way, somehow. But it's not like it's really important, so you'll let it pass, you suppose. "Alright."

You take a deep breath, more as punctuation than out of need, because the next question you want to bring up will probably be a whole thing. You lean back, levelling a look at the pair of Soul Gems resting on the Grief platform before you. You're not sure if they can actually tell, but it's the closest you can get to meeting their eyes at the moment, given that their body is still lying unconscious on the makeshift operating table before you. Largely healed by this point, to be fair, but putting them back on it is another topic you'll need to broach given their seeming distaste for bodies.

"Alright," you repeat. "So. Grief manipulation aside, I did want to ask - did you ask for their consent before taking their bodies, or transferring Grief into their Soul Gems?"

"Oh, they weren't our friends( Nobody ever understands us!) when we met them!" they say cheerfully. "But we can't let the shine of their Soul Gems dim, so we couldn't possibly leave them behind!"

"And what about transferring Grief into their Soul Gems?" you ask. "Did you ask for permission for that?"

"Ah..." they say. " No, we didn't. Why?( Again, we're sorry for our trespass.) "

Yeah.

That's exactly what you expected.

"Consent is important," you say, letting your disapproval leak into your mental voice. You recline on your Grief seat, staring down their Soul Gems for lack of anything better to do. "I would have zero objection to anything you've done if you'd asked for permission, and they agreed."

" We're( What?) sorry!" the Soujus say, their voices warbling in distressed dissonance. " Please forgive us!( We didn't mean to offend!) "

"I... do you understand why I'm upset with you?" you ask.

" Yes( No) ?" they say.

You resist the urge to rub your brow.

"I... look, you do know about asking for permission before doing something, right?" you ask.

" We do( Of course) ," they say, sounding almost offended. "We'd ask if we wanted to borrow a few hundred yen. But this is different.( we have to preserve their shine!) You understand, right? You're the angel! We're fighting for the same thing!"

"I do fight to prevent people from falling to despair, yes," you say gently. "And I agree that sometimes, people will fight you when you're trying to help them. But forcing them to accept your help should be a last resort."

" But they never accept our help( But they never understand we're trying to help) ," they say petulantly.

"Well. Most people are attached to their bodies," you say, and hurry to continue as you feel their rising indignation. "I understand that you aren't, and in some ways I see your point, but most people do enjoy having their bodies."

" They understand after we free them!( It always takes time, but they always come around!) " the Soujus say. "Bodies are nasty, ugly things, they're better off without them!"

You're not entirely sure that they do come around, you have to admit, though you'll be pleasantly surprised to be wrong, and even then, you can't possibly approve of them kidnapping people and forcing them into accepting the situation. You're going to need to talk to their victims, and soon. At the same time, you can't help but contrast your own behaviour, just a bit. Megane Ono, and her refusal to accept your help with the Grief she'd been burning. Hamasaki Akiko, and her rage over Grief Seeds.

There are differences. Differences in context, in situation, in intent.

But you still can't help but see the parallels here. They're not relevant, you feel, but you're not so blind you can't see it.

Even so, it leaves you at an impasse. They just don't get it, and maybe you could try explaining it to them, but...

It's not too hard to read between the lines of what they'd said. They were hurt, and badly so as a Witch hatched. Possibly fatally so. And they'd Wished for each other, in that moment selling their Souls to protect each other. And that trauma had warped their perspectives, probably not helped by their newly found magic linking their minds together.

You don't know if they can get it. Maybe with time and proper therapy, neither of which are available just this moment.

[] Try to explain further
- [] How?
[] Pass it over for the moment
- [] They seem to trust you, ask them to take you at your word for now
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

Spoiler: Vote in abeyance

[X] Suggest they might want to apologize to those girls
-[X] Ask if the body they were using originally belonged to them or to one of the other girls, and if the later, which one.
--[X] If it belongs to someone else, inform them that we're returning it
--[X] Either way ask what sort of body they would like to use for themselves, if any.
-[X] The Soujus had questions of their own. Let them ask.
[X] Break for voting before deciding what to do with the Soujus

=====​

Another update, late once again, and I'm sorry for that. However, my schedule's looking a little clearer, so hopefully I'll be able to pick up the pace with the coming updates?

 

[Firnagzen]

You get it, you suppose.

You can't possibly condone what the Soujus did, and you won't, but... in many ways, there but for the grace of Madoka you go. But by that same grace, you're here to fix things. The Soujus are no exception: they need help, not condemnation.

You set aside the revulsion you feel for what they did. Forgiveness is not yours to grant, but you can correct the course of things. The question, then, is how to best accomplish that.

The rain continues to fall around you as you think, drumming off the rooftop beyond the border of your Grief umbrella. Mitakihara drowned in rain is a gorgeous sight, you have to admit. The shroud of grey drawn across the city only serves to highlight the skyscrapers standing defiant against the heavens, illuminated from below by the glow of streetlights and endlessly flowing rivers of cars, life and people in the millions.

Mami, noticing your wandering attention, catches your eye and nods slightly. She's sorted out the job of collecting the Soul Gems, then - something for you to catch up on later. But for now, a smile rises unbidden to your face, gratitude and simple affection buoying your mood. You probably look rather dumb, but Mami seems to appreciate it, her own smile widening a touch as she folds her hands on her lap, maintaining that image of perfect ease as she continues to keep watch.

Which leads you back to the matter at hand: the Soujus.

You'll see what you can do here, see what you can do to help them understand, or at least to abide. And you'll have to think about where you can send them longer term, too - you're more than a little reluctant to add more to Yuki's shoulders, especially as you want to abide by the mutual agreement that she's not going to be running a prison, in the longer term.

... it might, perhaps, be possible to send them to Asunaro. If you can be sure that they won't relapse while away from you, the Asunaro girls will probably welcome them happily? It would be poetically pleasing in many ways, which is by no means a good reason to make a decision, granted, but it's not a bad idea on its own merits.

Something to think over and discuss with your friends - Kazumi in particular.

"I'm not mad at you," you say slowly, voicing your thoughts as you return your attention to the two Soul Gems held before you. "And... I understand why you've done the things you have."

"Thank you?" they say, but then, you can hear the uncertainty in their mental voices, shared across both minds in eerie harmony. The 'but' seems rather inevitable, you suppose.

"I know you acted out of good intentions, and I approve of that much," you say. "But I feel that you've mishandled some parts of what you actually did."

"Where did we go wrong?( Let us earn forgiveness!) " they demand eagerly.

There's a solution here, tantalizingly within reach.

The Soujus seem to all but worship you, hanging on to your words with near-religious fervour and that eager, cloying hunger. And you could use that reverence for you, pivot it into obedience. It would be easy, and it would solve all your problems. Just have them obey your edicts.

And maybe this is a special case, and maybe it wouldn't even be applicable to anyone else. Certainly it would resolve all your problems right now. It would be the easy way out. And it'd be so easy. Just lean into it, just let them think what they will. Just let them obey you. You could do so much more if you let them be agents of your will. But...

No.

No, it's not who you are.

It's not what you do.

This is not who you want to be. You refuse to be that sort of person, and it's not how you're going to proceed.

"It's not something I'd demand you do," you say. "Rather, I understand that you wouldn't want to do it, so I'm going to be the one handling those issues."

"Oh..." they say, and you can hear the dread in their voices.

"So, let me emphasize that I'm not mad at you about it, and I don't expect you to want anything to do with it yourselves," you say, your voice firm. "But I'm planning to talk to the girls you helped, and if they want, reconnect them with their friends and family. And if they want, I'll be providing them with bodies as well, since I can keep their Soul Gems clean."

" But we-( Giving them-) " they splutter, disgust and anger surging over telepathy. " But why?( Ugly filth.) "

"Because they might miss their families and friends, and want to be with them," you say. "And they might similarly want their bodies back. I'm going to ask, and if they don't want them, then I'm hardly going to force them to. Either way, though, I'm going to ensure that they'll have cleansing available to them, so their Soul Gems won't be tarnished."

" Oh...( We screwed up...) " they say, that anger ebbing.

"So... in the interests of being fair, would you want your body back?" you say gently. "If you don't, that's fine, but I'm going to offer everyone, right?"

"You're... you're not going to cast us aside, right?( We can serve you! Any way you need!) " they ask.

There's a loaded question if there ever was one. You can hardly accept that whole slavish adoration they've got going on, even setting aside their weird adoration, but trying to disentangle it isn't something you have any idea how to even begin with, either.

"I'm not angry at you," you say instead. "Though I would... appreciate it if you would be willing to stay with some friends of mine and keep calm while I handle the rest of this. It won't be a permanent thing, until maybe the end of the day or tomorrow, then we'll figure out where to proceed from there. Is that alright with you?"

" Anything for you!( A friend of the angel is a friend of us!) " they exclaim, fawning and eager and hungry.

"Alright. So with that in mind, do you want your body back?" you ask, smiling gently, even if they can't see it. Besides, it colours your telepathy. "I've finished healing it up. I'll be keeping your Soul Gems clean, of course."

" Not really?( Is that OK?) " they say. "Can we use our magic to get around?"

You blink, slightly disconcerted. You sort of get why they'd want to shed their bodies, even setting aside past traumas, but... this does rather trip your plans up a little. Well, you had been planning on using the anti-magic enchantments Kirika was making them, but if they don't even want their body, that might prove to be a problem.

"I'll discuss it with my friends and figure something out," you say. "In the meantime, I guess... I'll hang on to your body for you?"

" If it's not too much trouble,( Suppose it might be useful,) " they say, mental voices decidedly unenthusiastic.

"Alright," you say, scratching your hair awkwardly.

You hesitate for a moment, then fold the Soujus' body into hammerspace, sealed in a layer of Grief. Life support is easy enough to keep in the back of your mind, a trickle of oxygen and nutrients pulled from the air, but man this is sort of macabre.

... it's not like you didn't understand why Homura wouldn't want to store bodies in her shield, way back then. What goes around comes around, you suppose.

"Anyway, just two more things," you say. "First, I... appreciate that you've been working to prevent people from tarnishing their Soul Gems. Really, I do, and you're right that that's also my goal. Just with different methods. But now that you've made contact with me, you won't need to forcibly disconnect people any more, right?"

" You'll send us out to seek more?( We'll be your faithful servants!) " they say. "Oh, maybe we would need our body for that..."

"My plans aren't exactly set in stone, but it's possible," you say. "But I must stress that it depends on a lot of things, so we'll see."

" We understand,( We have to earn her trust!) " they say eagerly.

"Alright. Well... that's about that from me, so - the second thing is, you had more questions for me, right?" you ask.

"Ah... yes!" the Soujus say. "Our friends. You... wish to take them for your own, right?"

"I want to talk to them, and ask them what they want," you clarify. "But... yes, I'll be taking them from you, at least for the short term."

" As our angel demands,( We gladly make the sacrifice,) " they murmur quietly. "We left the others in safe-keeping to the north, hidden in one of the old warehouses."

You suppress your flinch. Sacrifice, ugh. You just can't get used to the whole... religious thing they've got for you.

"... thank you," you say, not letting your discomfort leak into your mental voice. "I'll ask one of my friends to pick them up."

"As you say," they respond solemnly. " We had one more question?( We should make truly sure...) "

"Sure, go ahead?" you say, tilting your head curiously and eyeing the two Soul Gems before you.

"You... truly don't mind that we trespassed upon your domain?" they ask, with the air of someone poking at a loose tooth with their tongue.

"I really don't," you say.

" Not even if we've...( Please don't be angry!) gotten rid of some impurity?"

"Gotten rid of impurity?" you ask, sitting bolt upright. "I- you mean Grief, right? The stuff that tarnishes Soul Gems?"

"Yeeesss?" they say guiltily. You get the impression they'd be avoiding your eyes, if they could.

"I- no, I'm not angry about that, but I want you to elaborate," you say. "Please."

"We... we use our( my) magic to keep our friends asleep, to preserve the shine of their Soul Gems," they say. "But even with that, we still need to make our Grief Seeds stretch, and we've developed a technique to get rid of the filth."

"So you know of a way to get rid of Grief?" you ask, fighting to keep your voice even even as adrenaline chases through your veins. Madokami above, if this is how you get your hands on a method of cleansing for other magical girls, you're going to scream.

"Um... sort of?" they say, their voice very small. "We pull( push) the muck back and forth between Soul Gems, and it slowly... goes away? But it's very slow, and we need to focus."

"Can you explain more?" you ask urgently, leaning forward. "I- this could be huge for my goals."

It sounds like what they've got is a way to dissipate Grief, like you would by releasing Grief from your control. Which might lead to its own problems, but if that's something teachable, that's still potentially huge.

"It's something we figured out we could do," they say. "We have to push( pull) and pull( push) the... Grief simultaneously, transfer it between Soul Gems, but it's hard to balance it just right. And we found that the more Soul Gems we used, the safer? Each Soul Gem can be tarnished less."

"And then the Grief just goes away?" you ask.

" We think it gets released into the air?( It stops polluting Soul Gems, so we never thought about it much...) " they say. "We're sorry, we're not sure. Um... we should say it takes a long time, maybe a few hours?"

You sit back, staring blindly out at the cloudy skies for a moment, then you take a deep breath and shake yourself.

"Alright," you say. "Thank you for sharing - as I said, this one could be huge for my goals. If it can be learned, it can be taught, and that would be revolutionary. But for now, please give me a moment?"

"OK! Thank you for your grace," they say.

You nod, breaking the telepathic connection and standing. Mami smiles at you, starting to rise herself, but you wave her down. In your free hand, Grief coalesces to form a pillow - fluffy and soft and wrought of threads of nightmare purple, and just perfect for you to bury your face in and scream.

A moment later, you dismiss it, and walk over to a very concerned-looking Mami, falling on the hammock to curl into her side, tucking your face against her shoulder with a groan.

"Sabrina?" Mami asks, shifting to give you more room and gently wrapping her arm around your shoulder.

"I'm going to go grey from this bullshit," you announce. "My hair's going to turn grey. And then my hair's going to turn black, because that makes perfect sense and is definitely how hair works. And then I'll retire to another anime where I can solve all my problems by hitting them with my hammer."

Mami giggles softly, leaning down so she can brush a kiss against your forehead.

"That's alright, Sabrina, you'd still look lovely with black hair," she says. "Can I come along to this other anime?"

"Of course," you say, offering her a smile. "Sorry, just... that was a lot. I need to figure out what to do."

"Take your time," she says warmly. "I did ask Miss Watanabe and Miss Saito to collect the Soul Gems, by the by."

"Thank you," you say, and snuggle against her side, closing your eyes to think this through.

[] Question the Soujus more
[] Proceed with vote in abeyance
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

Spoiler: Vote in abeyance

[X] Meet up with our team at the Kures'.
-[X] Apply the anti-magic restraints we asked Kirika for, just in case
-[X] Check progress on retrieving Twins' victims.
-[X] Check how Sayaka's doing.
[X] Explain what we learned interrogating the Soujus.
-[X] That they think they're helping people
-[X] That they are acting weirdly worshipful of Sabrina
[X] Decide what to do with the Soujus
-[X] We're increasingly uncomfortable making Yuki run an oubliette, even if we intend to replace it with something better soon.
--[X] We'd rather not send someone who was trying to help there if we can help it
-[X] The Soujus can't be let go without supervision.
--[X] The only way we can see to not have them locked up is if some team's willing to adopt them.
[X] Before leaving the Kures'
-[X] Don't leave Sayaka without talking more
-[X] Oriko wanted to talk about something.

=====​

Heh.

 

[Firnagzen]

You grumble quietly to yourself, eyes firmly shut and face buried against Mami's shoulder. You'd call that whole thing a qualified success. No real harm done to anyone, and in exchange for just a touch of kindness and understanding, you've gained a potentially massive lead for your own goals.

All that you have to deal with in return is a colossal, brand new headache in the form of the Soujus and their victims. That's not going to be an easy one to disentangle, considering that their victims have every right to be upset with their circumstances, to want justice.

But that's a bridge you'll cross when you get to it, because you have bigger issues to consider for the moment.

"How does hair work, anyway?" you mumble into the sleeve of Mami's costume.

"Mm?" Mami says.

"Hair colours," you elaborate.

"Mm? It's mostly just normal structural colouration, isn't it?" she says. "And melanin under that, of course."

"Mmh," you say, rather than address that in any detail. It doesn't sound right, but then again, what do you know? "Well, your hair is absolutely gorgeous."

"I- oh, thank you, Sabrina," Mami says warmly. You can hear the smile and the blush even with your eyes closed. "I think your hair's absolutely lovely, too. I'm confident it won't turn grey, but even if it did, you'd still look just as pretty as you do now."

"Thank you," you say. And then, because you can't put it off any longer, you add, "The Soujus have a way to cleanse Soul Gems. It's not quick, it's not easy, and I'm not even sure if other people can use their technique, but they have it."

"Ah," Mami says, her shoulder shifting as she nods. "That... doesn't entirely surprise me."

"Because of the number of Soul Gems that they were preserving?" you ask. "Yeah. It's in addition to some kind of... stasis from Miss Luca, I think, but... yeah. And it seems like it's something that scales with the number of Soul Gems they have, or it's safer with more Soul Gems?"

"That was indeed my line of thought," Mami agrees thoughtfully. "It does make an unfortunate amount of sense."

"But that's not why they're collecting Soul Gems - they collect Soul Gems because they're, they're enamoured of the 'shine', and they want to preserve it as much as possible," you say. There's a certain morosity leaking into your voice, you feel. "And that 'shine' is part of why they kidnapped people and left their bodies behind - because that's one more way for Soul Gems to tarnish."

Mami hums quietly, her arm tightening around you. She gets it, you can tell, but it's hard to figure out what to say to that - you should know, you've been trying to put it to words yourself. You nestle into the hug, drawing comfort from her and letting the stress ebb from you for a moment.

"Also, they lowkey seem to worship me, and it high key weirds me out," you add.

"Oh?" Mami says.

"Yeah... it's weird," you say. "They keep calling me 'angel' and such, and not in a... flirty way? It's... yeah. Actual religious-ish worship. It's... a bit creepy."

"Did you ask them to stop?" Mami asks.

"No, but I'm not sure if it would do any good," you say. "I mean, they might stop doing it to my face, but the belief seems genuine, and I don't think it'd be any better." You grimace. "As long as they don't start trying to proselytize, I suppose."

Mami chuckles fondly, pressing another kiss to your temple.

"Only you, Sabrina," she says, her tone turning playfully teasing. "Though I do suppose I can see the point in the general idea, if not their approach..."

That gets you to open your eyes, but only enough to give her a betrayed look. Mami giggles in response, smiling at you, and you can't resist the urge to pull her into a proper hug. You luxuriate in the shared warmth radiating from Mami for a moment longer before sighing, and pulling back from her. There's plenty to do today, and you can't afford to rest just yet.

"Alrighty," you say. "Time to go."

"To the Kures'?" Mami asks.

"Yep," you say. "I'll check with them and ask if they're ok with having us over for a while."

"I'll let Miss Watanabe and Miss Saito know, then," Mami says with a smile.

"Ah? Ah, alright," you say. Somehow, you'd expected Sayaka, Kyouko, and Yuma to be the ones collecting the Soujus' stash of Soul Gems, but upon reflection, it makes sense - they needed a bit of space, not to be slapped with another stark reminder of the whole affair.

"I'll let Kyouko, Sayaka, and Yuma know to meet us there when they're done, too," Mami says with a slight smile. "Though... I'll check if Sayaka would be alright with it, first? She's already, ah, unsettled, and might prefer not to."

"Are you sure you can't read minds?" you ask, grinning at her. "But that sounds good. Thank you, Mami."

"Always," Mami says warmly, before her expression turns teasing. "However, I'm not sure I've ever made such a claim, you know?"

You laugh, even as you take her hand and leap for the next roof in easy harmony. The Soujus' Soul Gems trail in the air behind you, held safely in clasps of Grief, and you leave behind a rooftop drier than the rest of Mitakihara. Just for a moment, as the rain sweeps in to reclaim it, darkening concrete once more.

"Oriko, Kirika?" You reach out to your friends as you land on the next roof and speed onwards, rainwater splashing around you and sliding off your coat.

"Yes, Sabrina?" Oriko replies, unruffled and calm.

"Do you mind if we drop by your place for a moment? Both to pick up the antimagic enchantments, and to discuss things?" you ask. And really, it works out nicely, considering that Oriko had asked to speak with you. "Uh, by 'we' I mean Mami, Sayaka, Kyouko, Yuma, and I. And, uh, the Soujus, but they're just Soul Gems at the moment."

"You're always welcome to come over," Oriko says.

"Except when we're having us time!" Kirika adds brightly.

"Uh?" you say.

"You're always welcome to come over, except when we're having us time!" Kirika says.

"... yeah, alright, fair point," you concede. "Thanks, both of you."

"I'll have tea ready," Oriko says, and ends the call.

You hum thoughtfully as you slip around an antenna mast, Mami a step ahead of you and all but glowing gold against the gloomy skies above. She tilts her head back, somehow intuiting your attention, and you can't help the smile that rises to your face. Just having Mami around lifts your mood, but you can't help but reminded that she should be in school right now. It should be fine for today, since it is something of a special occasion, but you don't want her to make a habit of it.

"All good?" you ask.

"All good," Mami confirms, bracing and leaping for the next building without even looking. "A bit of time to think seems to have helped her settle down."

"That's good, but I'll still want to talk to her, I think," you say. "Even if she's alright, just to clear the air, at the very least."

"Sayaka's strong," Mami says thoughtfully. "But I think it can't hurt."

"Yeah," you agree.

It doesn't take too long to get to the Mikuni mansion, to find Kirika waiting for you with the door pulled wide, unheeding of the rain splashing inside. Mami lands a step ahead of you, daintily avoiding the splashing mud, and carefully skirts around the uprooted rosebush as the both of you head in.

That rose bush seems to be recovering rather well, you have to admit, the roots having found their way back to the soil and new growth starting to push through. The rain will do it good, you suppose.

"'morning!" Kirika says, waving you over with a fanged grin.

"Hey, Kirika," you say. "How's it going?"

"I've got my Oriko, so I can't complain," she says smugly. "C'mon in, she's setting up in the living room."

Oriko greets you in the living room as promised, fussing over a tea set and pouring out cups of rich, savoury green tea. Gyokuro, you recognise, which she's made for you before. You do rather suspect it's a joke about your memory being weird, since green tea's supposed to be good for the brain, but it's good tea, so you decide not to complain. Instead, you settle onto the sofa beside Mami and accept a cup from Oriko.

"The, ah, formerly Shiogama girls will be here shortly," Oriko adds as she takes a delicate sip. "I've been keeping an eye on the Soul Gems the Soujus stole... speaking of which, I take it that that's them?"

She glances meaningfully at the pair of Soul Gems now hovering in the air in front of you.

You can't help but look at the Soujus yourself. Disembodied Soul Gems. You sort of wonder what existing like that is like, you have to admit, but they've been obedient so far - you haven't sensed anything more from them than the constant connection between their Soul Gems, and then occasional curious tendril of magic examining their surroundings, you haven't noticed them doing anything.

"Yeah," you say. "They're... part of what I want to talk to everyone about, actually. But let's... wait for everyone to arrive?"

"Of course," Oriko says with a measured nod. "We have some cookies, and I would offer you something more homemade, but alas, my latest efforts at baking have been somewhat lackluster."

"Don't listen to her, Oriko's cakes are amazing!" Kirika says. "Of course they are, Oriko baked them with love- actually, wait, no, they're all terrible and we're keeping them all to ourselves."

You stifle your giggle even as Oriko smiles fondly.

"Oh, you bake, Miss Mikuni?" Mami asks, selecting a cookie from the tin - one of the fancy, store-bought assortments.

"I would not even consider myself an amateur yet, but yes, I do," Oriko says.

"Ah, perhaps we could discuss it more sometime, then," Mami says.

"Mami's a really good baker," you add happily.

You settle in for the moment, Mami nestling into your side while offering some simple baking tips while you wait. The living room looks different from when you were last here - the sofas pushed in closer to each other, haphazard and cramped, but more welcoming in some way you can't define. The cushions have been swapped out too, austere beige replaced with a mishmash of bright colours, and one of them embroidered with a clumsy 'O&K' bordered in a heart. Kirika's doing, if you had to guess.

A place lived in, all things considered.

Still, you don't have all that long to consider the matter. Noriko and Akemi are the first of your friends to arrive, both of them slightly bedraggled with the rain and cradling their precious cargo: three cases of polished wood, each just a little smaller than a briefcase.

And in those cases, a total of seventeen Soul Gems. Each one silent, with just the barest flickers of magic to show signs of life. The Souju's stasis trick, undoubtedly - and equally undoubtedly, the Soujus themselves have noticed their arrival, if the flicker of magic from their Gems is any indication. Still, they don't say anything.

You stand to meet them, even as Kirika hurries off to collect towels for them at Oriko's suggestion.

"Thank you," you say sincerely, receiving the cases with infinite care. Seventeen Soul Gems, each and every one stolen by the Soujus.

Your responsibility, now.

"It was hardly a bother," Akemi says, the dark pink of her eyes steady and unwavering. "And for a matter like this, we're glad to help."

"You'll... you'll be helping them, right?" Noriko says, frowning slightly - one frown, spread across two faces.

"Yeah, I'm actually about to... call a quick meeting of sorts with the Constellation, if you want to listen in?" you say.

They exchange a quick look, then Noriko turns back to you, nodding.

"It's not as if we have much on our plates at the moment," she says. "We'd be glad to, if, ah, Miss Mikuni would be willing to let us stay?"

"Of course," Oriko says, nodding regally. "Please, take a seat. Let me pour you some tea."

You sit back onto the sofa as Oriko fusses about getting them settled, letting the wooden cases hover beside you with their precious cargo. It's going to be a lot of work, getting them back on their feet, and you might have some idea of where to start, but it's not going to be easy - starting with getting the problem of getting them back on their feet. Their feet, specifically. You're sure that there must be some way to recreate said bodies, even if the originals are long gone, but the specifics are a little fuzzy.

Something to ponder and discuss, you suppose.

Sayaka, Kyouko, and Yuma are the last to arrive, and you're the one to meet them at the door with towels this time, though it turns out that neither Kyouko nor Yuma needs one - just Sayaka, who looks rather grumpy as she grabs a towel from you.

"Didn't realize how much it helped, having you keep the rain off us," she grumbles as she scours herself dry.

"'s not a hard trick to pick up yourself, you just gotta do it," Kyouko notes, snacking on an apple.

"Yuma took two days to learn it!" Yuma says brightly. "But it was raining for the whole week, so I had a lot of motivation..."

"Yeah, yeah," Sayaka says, rolling her eyes and holding the towel out. "Thanks."

You give her a considering look as you take the towel back and lead them into the living room. She looks better - steadier, and more settled, though it seems she can't help the annoyance that flashes across her face when she spots Oriko. She manages a curt nod, reluctantly accepting the cup of tea Oriko offers her.

She seems to be doing better, after that initial shock. But you're still going to talk to her later.

For now, you have a meeting to chair.

[] Vote in abeyance
[] Refine your approach?
- [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
[x] Talk to Sayaka before leaving
[x] Oriko wanted to talk to you

=====​

Alrighty. Breaking the update here, since this would otherwise be a huge post, and I don't want to delay it again. Gonna try and keep things rolling - switching up my writing schedule a bit!

 

[Firnagzen]

You busy yourself with the tea for a moment, buying yourself a moment to think, and for the newest arrivals to settle themselves in. Storebought butter cookies might not be the best pairing with green tea, but it's not like you give a damn, and nor do Kyouko or Yuma.

With both Norikos and Akemi claiming the space on the other end of the sofa from you and Mami, there's just the one sofa left, which Sayaka flops on. Kyouko sprawls out right beside her, while Yuma happily curls up on the sofa seat on Sayaka's other side as they help themselves to the cookies. For all of Kyouko's casual insouciance, though, you can't help but notice the way watchful crimson eyes flicker to Mami, then to Oriko, then to Noriko and Akemi, taking cues from Mami and carefully evaluating the others.

Perhaps the only person who might actually care about the propriety of snack pairings with tea would be Oriko, but... there she sits, savouring her own cup of tea, a half-eaten cookie resting on the delicate porcelain plate in front of her. All things considered, and especially considering Kirika, Oriko probably welcomes the disorder and impropriety, embracing it to thumb her nose at unlamented, stifling tradition.

Hah.

You shake those thoughts free as irrelevant for now, even as you turn your mind to disentangling the matter of the Soujus in relation to the Constellation. Which is in turn a matter you're going to put before your friends anyway, so you turn will into action, telepathy stretching on an invisible web across Japan to Asunaro, to Fukushima, to Ishinomaki. Kazumi, Yuki, and Mika.

Which reminds you that you do want to figure out a non-Kyuubey method of telepathy, and that amusingly, the Soujus might once again hold the solution.

But for now, this will do.

"Good morning, everyone!" you say. "I hope I'm not disturbing anything, but I have an update? It's mostly good news."

"One moment~" Mika says cheerfully.

"G'morning," Kazumi mumbles. "Wh' time zzit?"

"Just past eleven, Miss Michiru," Yuki says, her tone even and unruffled. "Good morning, Miss Vee. I take it that this would be about the Soujus you mentioned?"

"It is, yeah," you say. "I'll, uh, wait for Miss Nakano and Kazumi to be ready, I guess?"

"Rather," Yuki says drily. "In the meantime, I have a request from the... captain of the Iowa group. Her name is Parró, by the by, which I gather to be her surname. She would like to speak to you, face-to-face."

"I- well, it's kind of related to what I want to bring up today, so, uh... I'll see what I can do with that specific request - I'll probably be passing by sometime soon, and then I'll speak to her at that point?" you say, shifting uncomfortably on the sofa. "But we can get to that after the main discussion today if it's more urgent than that?"

"That's more than sufficient as far as I'm concerned," Yuki says. "I'd expected as much and told her the same."

"Alright," you say. "Well, in that case, let me loop everyone else in..."

And just because you can, you unfold enough Grief from your storage space to form plaques for everyone, floating in the air over the table. You briefly consider making them ominous black monoliths characterized only by numbers inscribed in glowing red, but ultimately settle on shaping portraits of each of them instead.

"Oooh," Kirika says, clapping happily. "Fancy!"

"Yeah, I thought it might be nice?" you say. "Maybe we should set up full video conferencing of some kind at some point."

"We do have a meeting room on the second floor, which does have a full conference suite," Oriko says. "My father... had it installed a while ago."

"... not this time, I think," you say.

Oriko shrugs slightly.

"Anyway," you say, shifting mental gears to include everyone in the conversation. "Ah, Miss Tsuruya, Kazumi, if you want to bring in your teammates at any point, feel free?"

Kyouko flicks a look at you, glowering at you and folding her arms.

"Oh, hey everyone!" Kazumi says, her voice brightening. You make her portrait expand slightly and bob in the air as she speaks. The visual effect could use a bit more pizzaz, you think. "Hi Mami!"

"Good morning," Mami says gravely, shooting you a little smile as she nestles into your side.

"Yup, yup, I'm here," Mika says. "Had to duck out of a meeting, but it wasn't a particularly important one anyway."

"Oh, sorry about that. Uh, if you have to, you don't have to be here?" you say. "And the same for you, Kazumi?"

"Nonsense, there's only one Constellation and a billion identical businesspeople, and I'd rather sit in on the unique one," Mika says. You can imagine the dismissive wave of her hand. "And I've got my secretary taking notes anyway."

"And I had Satomi sleeping on my arm, so I couldn't move her, so I went back to sleep!" Kazumi says brightly. "You know how it is. But I'm up now, so what's up?"

"Alright, well, first thing is that this morning, we were attacked by a pair of Soul Gem collectors, the Soujus. We fought, and captured them," you say. "I've told Miss Tsuruya about them, but Kazumi, Miss Nakano: they're travelling magical girls. They're two sisters sharing a body."

Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Noriko and Akemi exchanging a look. They made the obvious connection, you suppose, given Noriko's single Soul in two bodies. An odd bit of coincidence, but nothing special there.

"Soul Gem collectors..." Kazumi mutters, sounding vaguely disquieted. "So, kidnappers?"

"... yeah, pretty much" you say, glancing back at the Soujus' Soul Gems in turn. They've been perfectly behaved, apart from the magic webbing between them, and you can't really fault them for that. "As I mentioned, we managed to subdue them. I know you said you'd be willing to hold them, Miss Tsuruya, but they're not... really what I was expecting."

"Oh?" Yuki says curiously.

"Yeah, they're..." you blow out a sigh, tipping your head back to look at the ceiling. "They're not entirely of right mind. That much was in line with what I was expecting. They're obsessed with the 'shine' of Soul Gems, and preserving that shine, and that's why they've been stealing Soul Gems. It was a misguided attempt to help, and I'm pretty sure that their Wishes were what messed up their minds."

"And you're reluctant to commit them to imprisonment for that," Mika guesses.

"Exactly so. Also, they, uh," you say, shifting uncomfortably on the sofa. Mami wraps an arm around your waist, squeezing gently. "They seem to low-key worship me, and it freaks me out."

Kyouko blinks at you, then cackles, loud and unrepentant. And Sayaka, the traitor, has to cover her smirk with a hand too. Noriko and Akemi both give you dubious looks which, ok, you can't really blame them for.

"In what way?" Mika asks, ignoring the amusement radiating from that end of the telepathic call.

"Apparently they consider me some kind of angel?" you say, grimacing. Even just saying that makes your stomach squirm. "Because my magic fits some kind of criterion that they've been seeking and raised to the status of, well, divine?"

"You sure they weren't flirting with you?" Kazumi asks. She sounds dead serious, too.

"..." You enunciate the ellipsis over telepathy as clearly as you can, pairing it with the sensation a disapproving eyebrow. You hope. "Yeah, I'm sure. It was... basically religious fervour. Like, I'm not joking when I say it sort of freaked -freaks- me out."

"Mm. It does make guaranteeing good behaviour easier," Yuki observes.

"No. No. I'm not-," you blurt. You swallow your revulsion at the thought, shaking your head. "It would be easier, but it's not a path I want to even consider."

"... more than fair," Yuki allows after a considering pause. "I apologise."

"It's fine," you say. "Just... that's a dark, dark path, and I'm staying the hell away from it. That's all."

"I understand. And again, I sincerely apologise," Yuki says.

You let out a breath, Mami squeezing your shoulders gently, which you lean into gratefully.

"Right... moving on. There's two more things about the Soujus to top it all off," you say. "First: they're Soul Gem thieves, and we did manage to recover all their victims. I'll be working on re-embodying them."

Mika whistles.

"That's gonna be a heck of a task," she says. "Not just getting them bodies, but also sorting out what to do with them afterwards. They've... probably been declared dead back home."

"Probably," you agree. "But it's nothing less than they deserve."

"'course," Mika says. "I can probably get them in touch with lawyers if they need help. Nakano Corp doesn't have the right sort of lawyers on retainer, but they'll know people."

"I... might have to take you up on that soon, thank you," you say. "Figuring out what I can do for them isn't gonna be easy."

"What we can do," Kazumi says. "Niko'd be interested in helping figure out how to get them bodies, if you haven't got that on lock yet."

"I... that would be fantastic," you say. "I've barely got ideas for how to begin the actual process there, I admit, so any help would be great."

"Ahh, I'd be in trouble if I didn't grab that opportunity for Niko," Kazumi says. "Niko'd be upset with me."

You snort, leaning back and surveying the room. Kirika's tuned out ages ago, you're pretty sure, curled up on Oriko's lap instead and playing with her hair. Oriko offers you the hint of a smile, content to let things play out for now. Noriko and Akemi are both alert, listening closely even if they haven't really said anything so far. Still, they seem interested in the proceedings.

Kyouko... is listening. For all that she seems to be focusing mainly on her snacks -an orange, now, of all things, slices shared with Yuma and Sayaka- you can tell she's listening, her eyes sharp and watchful.

Mami squeezes you gently, smiling at you before you even turn to her, and you can't help but huff in amusement.

"Alright, so that's one thing," you say after a moment to gather your thoughts. "The other is that the Soujus... have a method to handle Grief."

That gets everyone sitting up straight, physically present or not. Well, apart from Kirika, who opts instead to nestle further into Oriko's lap.

"Explain," Yuki says sharply, the first to recover.

"It's not like mine," you say. "The way they explained it, they have some technique involving shuffling Grief between Soul Gems and somehow dissipating it in the process. It sounds like it's just a matter of slowly... peeling off scraps of Grief and dispersing it. I don't know enough about it yet, and I intend to find out more."

"Ah," Yuki says. "That sounds... less usable than your method, Miss Sabrina."

"And it simultaneously sounds like something that might potentially be learned," Mika observes. "Unless it's something to do with their Wishes?"

"It might be, on all three counts," you allow. "But it's very potentially a starting point for a technique that might be taught. I don't know yet."

"Mm," Mika says. "So it seems to me that therein lies quite the knotty problem. They have knowledge that you want, and yet you're not comfortable in keeping them close, nor do you want to remand them to Miss Tsuruya's care. It seems to me that solutions are... sparse."

"Yeah," you agree with a sigh. "And... let me put it up front that I don't really like that I'm having Miss Tsuruya run an oubliette, and I want to figure out something there. We might not be able to come up with anything on that front today, but it's something that I've been keeping on my mind. Just... it's not right to ask one of my friends to run a jail, long term, and it's not actually any kind of solution except in the short term."

A flash of seafoam green in the corner of your eyes is Oriko giving you an amused look.

"I'll note that it isn't too onerous a duty for the present moment," Yuki says. "And I did agree to it in the first place, and for now, it might be the best option that there is. But as we've previously discussed, I do not want to maintain it in perpetuity, so the consideration is welcome. I understand that you would rather move to something more rehabiliatory, correct?"

"Yeah," you say. "Still, that's... longer term, I suppose."

"Rehabilitation is one thing," Mika agrees. "But what of justice? Consider the Soujus, for example. Their victims might very well demand justice be done, as opposed to simple restitution. I doubt they'd be happy to know the Soujus might be walking free."

"Oh, yeah, I know," you say gloomily. "It... like. They have every right to demand justice. I just don't know what I can offer there, in either the specific case of the Soujus or in a general case. With the Iowa group, for example."

You let that hang in the air for the moment. It's a thorny subject to handle at the best of times, the musings of more than two thousand years of human history testament to that, and you're not sure you have a good answer to it now.

[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

The discussion will continue in the next post, but feel free to add any thoughts/suggestions that Sabrina might make here!

 

[Firnagzen]

"Well," Mika says drily. "I know quite a few legal scholars who would love to debate the point."

"Do you actually?" you ask, raising an eyebrow. "Because I... well, I've got some ideas, but nothing set in stone. I'm entirely open to suggestions here, and I don't mean just from hypothetical legal scholars, I mean from everyone here as well, or your teams, if anyone might be interested in weighing in? We're Constellation, not just The Sabrina Show."

"Afraid not," Mika says. "I could ask the lawyers I know?"

"I... might," Oriko says hesitantly, shifting uncomfortably on her sofa. Kirika makes a discontented noise, cracking open a single citrine eye to give you a look. Oriko smiles, and strokes her hair gently. "Some of my father's acquaintances... might be amenable to the topic."

"Hm," you say, tilting your head in consideration. "I might take you both up on those offers, honestly. The decision lies with us, I think, but more perspectives can only help."

You grimace, and take a sip of tea as you continue.

"I mean, I've got a good amount of theory and ideas in my head, but as I said - perspective," you say. "Though to you both, I've got a question: are they likely to actually take us seriously?"

"For a fee, I'm sure," Mika offers drily. "Though it does occur to me that this might be a question better posed to university academics than practicing lawyers, and I'm certain that they would happily talk your ear off. Certainly it would be a plausible project for middle school."

"As for my father's acquaintances, I am... less certain," Oriko says, frowning at the wall in distant thought. "I do know some of them personally, but I fear that given... everything that has happened since, my making introductions would be detrimental. I could direct you to them, but you would have to convince them yourselves."

"... alright," you say, giving Oriko a concerned look. "I'll keep both options in mind, then, thank you."

Oriko meets your eyes without flinching, raising her chin slightly, undaunted. A painful subject, yes, but one that she brought up herself and one that she faced willingly, you suppose. You can respect that.

Also, you are not going to question that comment about 'plausible project for middle school'. Admittedly, on second thoughts, building an entire legal system and-or constitution does seem like something Mitakihara Middle School would assign for a final year project or something of the sort. Civics are rather important, after all.

"I have a slight concern to raise here," Yuki says. "More of a clarification than a concern, I suppose."

"Sure?" you say.

"Consulting with external parties and so forth are somewhat longer term prospects," she says. "Will I be holding the Soujus in the short term, then?"

"I... hm, maybe," you say. "But let's discuss that in specific now, if everyone's amenable?"

"Isn't that why we started this whole conversation?" Kazumi asks cheerfully.

Mika chuckles. You watch her portrait bobble in the air with the laughter -well, you're the one making it bobble, but the effect is quite appropriate, if you do say so yourself- and you can't help but smile yourself.

"Maybe, but the tangent was important," she says. "Sometimes I feel like we should be keeping minutes, because one day we're going to want to write what we've done into the history books."

"A fair point," Yuki says. "I'll see about it the next meeting we have, then."

"Christ," Kyouko mutters out loud, rolling her eyes. That earns her a reproving look from Mami, and she sinks lower into the sofa, making a vague grumbling noise as Yuma pats her knee.

"... well, minutes or the lack thereof aside..." you say. "I was thinking we could have the Soujus directly make amends and assist the people they've hurt? Not as a punishment per se, but trying to balance the scales and make right what they did wrong."

"Like community service?" Kazumi asks.

"Same idea, yeah," you say.

"Is that really practical?" Oriko asks, tilting her head. "Given what we know of them, they seem... less than understanding of what they would need to do to make amends. That is to say, we might be able to convince them to participate in such an endeavour, but they would essentially have to be given a script, or otherwise handheld through the process."

"My read of them's pretty much the same, so yeah, you're right," you agree. "But I have two points there - first, it won't be anything like immediate. Neither their power nor temperament actually work well for re-embodying people, so we'd have to get that sorted out first. There's... time to work on them."

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Noriko and Akemi exchanging a look. Further movement is Kyouko slouching further into her sofa even as she stuffs another cookie into her mouth, staring at the ceiling with a pensive look on her face.

"Which brings us back to the question of who might be able and willing to work with them," Mika says.

"Yeah," you say. "I suppose, more broadly, I'm arguing for rehabilitative justice. I've already been mostly doing that, considering the, ah, significant level of amnesty I've offered basically everyone I can trust would stop hurting others. Especially given, y'know, Clear Seeds mean that pressure is just completely gone."

"Er... sorry if everyone else already knows, but what's rehabilitative justice?" Kazumi asks.

"The idea is to make right the wrongs," you say. "Not just between the perpetrator and the victim, but also between the perpetrator and whatever resulted in the crime. As an example - if someone's stealing baby formula from a shop, well... look, if they're desperate enough to do that, there's probably no point in trying to force them to pay back the money. So a better question is why are they even that desperate, anyway?"

"Oh," Kazumi says. "Yeah, I see what you mean."

"A lack of a sufficient support base, socialized or not, is a significant predictor," Mika says. "I'm broadly in agreement with the concept of rehabilitative justice -isn't it also known as restorative justice?- but it's a lot of work, isn't it? That said, conveniently enough, Clear Seeds would constitute an enormous safety net that will go a long way towards mitigating reasons to fight."

"Exactly so, on both points." you say, nodding. "Rehabilitative justice isn't easy. Per the lawyer in my brain, the main problem with actually implementing it in the real world is that it's a lot of work. Other than broad, societal support like what I'm hoping to accomplish, essentially every case needs personal consideration and handling."

"Much like we're discussing the matter of the Soujus?" Yuki asks, sounding amused. "I admit, I can see the caveat."

You flick a look at the pair of Soul Gems floating in the air before you. Crimson fire and glittering ice, red and white and the cause of all this trouble. And yet: perfectly well-behaved, keeping their magic reined in and simply awaiting your attention.

"I would say it's worth the effort," Mami says, squeezing your shoulders gently with that arm around you. "We are, after all, fighting for a kinder world, are we not?"

"Oh, I entirely agree, Miss Tomoe," Yuki says. "But the effort required to attain it isn't something lightly dismissed, either."

"Well... I'm not exactly advocating to overthrow the worlds' governments here and take over all their justice systems," you note, giving Mami a quick, grateful smile. "Our remit is pretty limited - there aren't that many magical girls, and even fewer magical girl criminals, you know? I think we can afford the time, even when we scale globally."

"We'll find more people who can join us," Sayaka says, raising a clenched fist. "We can't be the only ones who believe in a better world. And after we have the weight of numbers, then we strike and take over as the world government."

Mami blinks even as a wave of laughter flows through the telepathic link.

"Ah... does anyone know of any information brokers? Miss Bennouna already passed through Mitakihara, unfortunately," she asks.

"None recent," Mika says, and snorts, her mental voice taking on an amused lilt. "I get most of my magical girl news from Miss Inoue, actually. I could get in touch with her, maybe?"

"I do know of two others," Yuki offers. "But neither are nearby. Is there any reason we cannot discuss matters with them via telepathy, as we are right now?"

"To ask for information or a discussion, certainly, but for an introduction, I do feel face-to-face is always better," Mami says. She smiles at you, mischief dancing in her eyes. "And Sabrina's unique blend of charisma does work better in person, I feel."

... excuse you?

"True enough," Yuki agrees. "Unfortunately, none of the girls I'm aware of are nearby. Miss Kazusa?"

"I told you, call me Kazumi!" Kazumi insists. "But no, 'fraid not. Sorry."

"A shame," Yuki says. "Was there something specific you wanted to ask beyond simply meeting new magical girls, Miss Tomoe?"

"Yes, actually, though it's not some grand masterstroke or any such," Mami says. "I was simply working from Sayaka's point that we will be recruiting others in the future, and wondering whether there might be any magical girls who might have relevant magic or education that we could recruit now to help with our task."

"Ah, that does seem sensible, yes, but... none come to mind for myself, I'm afraid," Yuki says.

"Nor from me," Mika says.

"Nuh-uh!" Kazumi adds. "... wait, hang on, yuh-huh!"

"... please do go on?" Yuki says after a moment.

"Umika can do magic contracts! Uh, not magical girl contracts like Kyuubey, just... legal thingies, kind of," Kazumi says. "Well, mostly it was Niko pushing her to try it, but they never got that far with it. Just kind of tazed you if you broke the contract."

"... that does sound kind of useful if she can push it further?" you say. "I'm not sure we'd necessarily use it for justice, but maybe when negotiating with other magical girls. But anyway. We've gone a bit far afield from the topic."

"Um..." Noriko says. "On the topic of the Soujus, Akemi and I have a proposal?"

"Go on?" you say, smiling encouragingly at them.

"... we could take them?" she says hesitantly. "They're... mostly well-behaved, right?"

You blink, and she hurries to explain, waving her hands frantically enough to set her bob of brown hair fluttering.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't think we're uniquely qualified to help them or anything," she says. "But we're willing to try? And we have the room and free time to try, and since we're here in Mitakihara you'd be within reach if we need help?"

[] Try and nail down a conclusion about Constellation's goals with regards to justice
[] Let Noriko and Akemi take in the Soujus
[] Ask Kazumi if she's willing to take in the Soujus
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

Alright! Apologies for the delay, but hey, at least my sleep issues seem somewhat fixed now? We'll see.

 

[Firnagzen]

You lean back, frowning at the ceiling and sinking into the cushions of the sofa as you think it over. Noriko and Akemi's offer is... one that solves a lot of problems, you have to admit. And they're right that having the Soujus nearby means that not only can you easily keep an eye on them, it also means you'll be able to talk to them: both to try and help them understand what they did wrong, and maybe to try and learn their Grief dissipation technique.

There are a few problems that might have to be addressed ahead of time, but none insurmountable, you feel.

Also, the ceiling is meticulously clean. Oriko and Kirika's work, you suppose?

"It... would solve a lot of problems if that's something you're willing to take up," you admit as you sit back up to smile at Noriko and Akemi. "But you should know one more thing about them before you make that decision."

"Ah, go on?" Noriko says.

"They seem to have this disgust with bodies in general," you say. "It's partially grounded in their... I don't want to say psychosis, but it's the closest word I can think of. It's partially grounded in their psychosis about Soul Gems being tarnished with Grief. And, well, given your Wish, Miss Watanabe..."

You give Noriko a meaningful look, and she looks back at you with two pairs of eyes. One bottle green, one topaz yellow, framed in turn by hime cuts of yellow and green. One soul in two bodies.

She nods slowly in turn, her expressions turning thoughtful as she looks to Akemi, the two of them sharing a silent conversation without even resorting to telepathy. A tilt of the head, a quirk of an eyebrow, a smile, a softness to their expressions you can't help but look away from, for fear of intruding on something quite so personal...

... you can't help but wonder if you and Mami look as sappy when you do that.

"We are willing to do our best," Noriko says finally, turning back to you. "And... I think that we're in a good position to do it, as I said.

"But we'll be mindful of our limits and avoid pushing the matter too hard if we are unable to surmount the, ah, challenges presented by the Soujus," Akemi adds firmly, dark eyes giving you a direct look.

"That's more than reasonable," you say with a nod. And you mean it. Being cautious about something like this is completely understandable. "And if it comes to that, we'll figure out some alternative arrangement. That said... well, I usually do a morning check-in with my friends every morning. Would you like to be included? Granted, you can just call me anytime, but a regular check-in migh-"

"Don't do it," Sayaka says sharply, sitting bolt-upright with eyes blazing. "For your own sakes. Save yourselves before it's too late."

"... what do you mean, Miss Miki?" Akemi asks cautiously.

"Sabrina is a morning person." Sayaka whispers it like a damning indictment, with every trace of sincerity on her face... for all of two minutes, before it bleeds off into a smirk. "Also, the morning check-in comes at like six thirty. Every weekday morning."

"Ah," Akemi says, exchanging a look with Noriko. "That... is a little early."

"I was going to get to that," you grouse, flicking a cookie crumb at Sayaka and ignoring the snickers filtering through telepathy. "But yeah. Mami and I wake up early, since she has to go to classes andsodoesSayakadon'tlistentoherliesshe'sjustbadatmornings, and I do the check-in with my friends. Would you like to be included?"

Sayaka flicks her own cookie crumb back at you, and you catch it with Grief. No reason to mess up the Kures' nice clean floor, after all. It takes a moment for Noriko and Akemi to finish another silent conversation and speak up again, Akemi nodding slightly.

"We appreciate the offer," she says. "But we wouldn't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't be intruding," you say. "Still, I understand. Maybe later in the day?"

"That would be fine," Akemi says.

"Alrighty, I'll figure something out then," you say, and take in a deep breath. "With the subject of the Soujus themselves dealt with, next topic: the Soujus' victims."

"Niko's volunteered to help!" Kazumi says. "I said that, right? I think I said that..."

"You did," you say.

Mami swallows a giggle, an expression of fond melancholy stealing across her face for a moment. You rest your hand on hers, and she turns a smile on you, interlacing your fingers together and squeezing gently. Kazumi was one of Mami's students, after all.

"Oh, good!" Kazumi says happily, ignorant of the byplay. She's still in Asunaro, after all, all the way on the opposite coast of Japan. "Niko'd kill me if I didn't."

"... yes, anyway," you say. "Uh. Where was I... ah. What comes after that is going to be... a bit of a logistical challenge. We're going to have multiple girls to house temporarily and return to their homes if at all possible, and possibly find them long-term lodging if it isn't."

"Unfortunately, I do not think I can accommodate them." Yuki's the first to respond. "We are not... lacking for room or comforts, but we lack the skill to handle potential trauma of the sort they may have faced. We could certainly house them, but care for them..."

"Yeah, I get it," you say. Unspoken, of course, is the fact that she's currently running Constellation's temporary incarceration facility. It's not exactly an ideal association to be made. "Though I should say that my fallback option for the short-term would be hotel rooms somewhere here in Mitakihara, and we'd be able to talk them through it, I hope. It's... serviceable, I think, but not much more than that."

"Ah... well, we do have a few extra rooms still," Noriko says. "Especially, ah, if the Soujus decide to stay as a Soul Gem. But by the same token, it probably isn't viable to put them and their victims in the same space."

"I could wrangle Nakano Corp to make some more property investments in Mitakihara," Mika notes. "But it won't be fast. Might I suggest that Miss Shizuki's hand might help here?"

Akemi blinks, her eyes flickering to you, then to Mika's portrait as she evidently makes a few mental connections.

"Possibly, yeah, and..." you frown slightly. "Hm. Yeah, I could ask her about it, and, sorry, uh... Miss Tsuruya, Homura hasn't gotten back to you about setting up a claim for you here in Mitakihara yet, has she?"

"Nothing further beyond expecting to have a location ready for you this week," Yuki says.

"Right, uh..." you say, drumming the fingers of your free hand against your thigh. "Sorry, my mind's running a dozen different tracks at the moment. Uh. OK. We might need to prevail upon you for transport, Miss Tsuruya, and I'm going to talk to Homura about having a temporary claim for you in Mitakihara until she can get a proper location for you. Is that possible?"

"It would be," Yuki agrees cautiously. "It does need to be a proper building, though..." She hesitates. "Something as simple as a shed could work, but a building that could be a home would be ideal."

"Right..." you say, frowning. "OK, I'll come back to that in a moment, because, uh - Kazumi, are we coming to you, or is Niko coming to us?"

"You'll come to us," Kazumi says promptly, then her voice brightens. "... ooh! You're coming over to us! But, um, yes! Niko's lab is here."

"Right, right," you say. No matter how you try to square it, there's going to be some doubling back on your route today, it seems, but that's acceptable. It's just a question of how you want to order things, really. "And I..."

You trail off, frowning.

"OK, this is a bit more of a tangent, but uh. Miss Tsuruya, you've indicated that you want to claim buildings as your holdings in other countries, right?" you say, frowning. "And as far as you know, you have no range limit on your claims?"

"Indeed so, to both," Yuki says. You get an impression of the curious tilt to her head incongruously cute for someone so ferociously professional. "Are you planning on making a trip somewhere?"

"No- I mean, yes, but not in the immediate future," you say. "But my brain just derailed onto a slight tangent, so... I mean, OK. I'm... pretty sure I can get us into space without issue. I mean, it's just a matter of going straight up, since I don't actually care that much about matching orbital velocity."

"Soooooooo space station?" Kazumi asks.

You blink.

"I mean, you were talking about buildings. And space!" Kazumi says. "Sorry if I ruined the big reveal."

"... nah, it's fine," you say. "But yes. Space station, or possibly a moonbase, and quite possibly in the near future. Would that be possible, Miss Tsuruya?"

"John Madden?" Kirika mutters under her breath.

"No," you say firmly, pointing at her while failing to stifle the grin threatening to crack your firm disapproval.

Sayaka blinks at Kirika.

"I admit, I'm not sure. I'll admit I'm less certain about a space station as opposed to a base on the moon, in the same way that I'm doubtful about being able to claim a ship as opposed to an oil rig," Yuki says slowly. "But I would be delighted to make the attempt. On all four types of structure, if only to explore the limits of my magic."

"Right, fair enough, though I'd make the argument that a space station is conceptually more similar to an oil rig than a ship," you say, waving your hand vaguely. "But yes. No reason not to shoot for the literal moon here, I suppose. I'll figure out what's practical and bring it up with everyone sometime in the near-ish future, then, and... OK, look, if we build a moonbase, we're naming it the Moon Kingdom, right?"

"Yes, certainly," Yuki agrees without any trace of irony.

"Yes!" Kazumi says.

"As if any option were on the table," Mika observes.

"Duh," Sayaka says.

Akemi snickers, nodding.

"Oh, Sabrina," Mami says, smiling fondly at you even as she contributes a cheerful, "Of course."

Kyouko groans, burying her face in her hand while placing the other on Yuma's head in a decidedly futile effort to try and stop her from bouncing eagerly on the sofa and cheering. All she actually succeeds in is trapping a green-tinged blur on the sofa as Yuma vibrates in excitement.

"Dibs on Uranu-" Kirika chokes the rest of the sentence off, mouthing several words to herself before shaking her head decisively. "Dibs on being Sailor Uranus! Oriko will be Sailor Neptune, of course."

"Motion passes, then," you say, and raise an eyebrow. "Though we're only calling the moonbase that, because we're not planning a hostile takeover of the world or anything like that, right, Sayaka?"

She snickers, waving her hand at you.

"I know, I know, it was a joke," she says. "Ruling the world sounds like too much trouble, anyway."

"Amen," Kazumi says cheerfully.

"Right, good," you say. "So. To sum up: the Soujus will be going with Miss Saito and Miss Watanabe, to stay in Mitakihara, of course. Niko will be helping re-embody their victims, and... Kazumi, do we have an estimate on how long the re-embodying process might take?"

"Sec!" Kazumi says.

You all wait patiently, and a moment later, you feel a new presence join the mental call.

"As little as a day, as long as, mm, a week," Niko says crisply. "I've got theories, but I've never attempted it in earnest. I've never had cause to attempt it in earnest, thankfully."

"Alright," you say. "I'll have temporary lodgings available, then, as well as sorting out the, ah, transport network, if Miss Tsuruya is amenable?"

"Of course," Yuki agrees. You can hear the wolfish grin she's wearing at the moment. "All things considered, having a link to Mitakihara seems both convenient and prudent."

"Speaking of travel," Mika says. "Miss Vee, I realize that this is short notice, but do you think you could arrange a meeting between myself and Miss Shizuki today? I believe that together, we might be able to make something happen vis-a-vis our sudden need for housing - if not immediately, then certainly in a less... ad-hoc manner. Hotel rooms would be suitable in the short term, but not, perhaps, in the future."

[X] Talk to Homura and Hitomi about the acquisition of a building for Yuki
[X] Really quickly finish off the previous topics:
--[X] You're planning on heading to Kyoto and Kyushu tomorrow to talk to the Murasaki Shrine Maidens and Kagoshima Group. Does anyone want to pass a message along or attend?
--[X] Note that you *do* have contacts in Touhoko and Rissho Universities, for law students.
[] Any other business?
[] Get to work!
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

Ugh, this one took too long. Sorry about that.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] Talk to Homura and Hitomi about the acquisition of a building for Yuki
-[X] Mention Mika wanting a meeting to Hitomi
[X] Really quickly finish off the previous topics:
--[X] You're planning on heading to Kyoto and Kyushu tomorrow to talk to the Murasaki Shrine Maidens and Kagoshima Group. Does anyone want to pass a message along or attend?
--[X] Note that you *do* have contacts in Tohoku and Rissho Universities, for law students.
[x] Talk to Sayaka before leaving
[x] Oriko wanted to talk to you
[X] Drop off the Soujus with Shiogama
-[X] Fly their collection to Niko
--[X] Grab Yuki and fly her back to Mitakihara so she can work on getting a building while you find a bunch of hotel rooms

You contemplate the matter for a second, staring at Yuki's portrait. You don't think you have any actual objection to Yuki and Hitomi meeting, so really, it's just a matter or practicality. Speaking of practicality, you find yourself having to wrench your mind back from contemplating the logistics of a moon base.

You're reasonably sure Yuki can set up her building-wormhole links as a passive effect, considering that can of sunshine trick she pulled on you back during your spar. You do also remember that bringing you back from Asunaro to Fukushima had been a discrete event which she'd had to exert her will upon, so... two tiers of her power, perhaps, with commensurate costs and effort involved. You rather hope you can convince her to set up a continuous link to a hypothetical moonbase, if only to make supplying air much easier.

... no, wait, back to more important things. You've got an incipient refugee crisis on your hands. Though the refugee crisis is what comes after you rescue them from their induced comas. Alright.

"Face-to-face, or is telepathy sufficient?" you ask after a moment. "I was planning on checking with Homura and Hitomi shortly, but ah, I am flying you over to Mitakihara today, right? Though Hitomi is currently in school. She'd probably be up to discussing the matter via telepathy."

"Ah, of course," Yuki says. "I would prefer to speak face-to-face, yes, and I would be willing to wait until afternoon, if you would be willing to have me in Mitakihara for a while."

"That should be fine?" you say, glancing at Mami and Sayaka, who both shrug. You'll check with Homura in a moment. "Alright, alright. Tentative plan for now: we'll wrap this up, and then I'll head out to you, Miss Tsuruya, and shortcut to Asunaro to drop off the Soujus' victims? And that, we'll pick you up on the way back to Mitakihara, Miss Tsuruya. Is that alright with everyone?"

"More than acceptable," Yuki says.

"D'you know when you'll get here?" Kazumi asks.

"Call it..." You trail off, flicking a glance at Oriko, then Sayaka. Out of the corner, you see Kyouko sitting up slowly, scowling out the windows at the dreary skies beyond the Mikuni mansion. "Call it an hour after we finish this meeting?"

"OK!" Kazumi says cheerfully. "Wanna stay for lunch, then? Actually, everyone who wants to come, we can do lunch for everyone!"

"Unfortunately, we already have a lunch appointment," Mami says apologetically. "Maybe next time, Kazumi?"

"Aww. That's alright," Kazumi says. "Consider it a standing invitation, though!"

"We'll take you up on it sometime, then," you say, smiling at Mami. That does solve the question of today's relative timetable quite nicely. "OK. If everyone's alright with that plan, then?"

"Mind if I drop in on Mitakihara in the afternoon?" Mika asks. "I'd like to tag in on meeting with Miss Tsuruya and Miss Shizuki. And presumably Miss Akemi?"

"That... should be fine?" you say. "I'll check with Hitomi and let you and Miss Tsuruya know. I don't really see her disagreeing, though."

"Ah, please do," Mika says.

"Alright. One moment, please?" you say, and let that connection fade into the background of your mind as you reach out once more. "Hey Homura, Hitomi. Are you alright?"

"Ah, Sabrina?" Hitomi sounds surprised. "It's unusual to hear from you at this time of the day. Is something happening?"

"Do you need... something?" Homura, usually decisive and blunt, hesitates over her words. You get the impression of her glancing over at Hitomi in their classroom at school. "Is Mami alright?"

"Oh! Everything's alright, nothing to be worried about," you say. "Two questions - first, I wanted to check on the status of the house you're getting for Miss Tsuruya to anchor a claim? If it's not going to be done soon, I might look at getting a temporary one, since moving the claim afterwards would be quite doable."

"We've already selected the location," Homura murmurs. "The paperwork is taking some time, unfortunately."

"... if it's urgent, I could have it expedited and have the paperwork in our hands by the end of the day, if you or Homura could lend her help," Hitomi says. "I cannot afford as much as we would need out of pocket, and the realtor in charge of that area isn't one that's owned by Maeba Holdings."

"Oh, sure, that might take a bit of doing, but that could work," you say.

"That won't be necessary," Homura says. You get the impression of violet eyes, narrowing in your direction just the slightest bit in familiar exasperation. "I'll work with Hitomi."

"Oh," you say, blinking, and smother a snicker - so that's still on, is it? "Alright, that should work, so... if you're sure, then."

"I am," Homura says.

"We'll sort that out at lunch, then," Hitomi says. "Did you say there were two questions?"

"Yyyyes, though I shouldn't have said 'questions'," you say. "Uh. Well. If it's alright, Miss Nakano and Miss Tsuruya would like to meet you after school, Hitomi? Or telepathy would work too."

You manage, you think, to convey a glance and raised eyebrows at Homura. Because you want her to know, and you want her permission, too - it's not like you're bringing magical girls from outside Mitakihara to meet Madoka, but if she disagrees, you're not going to go against that. You might discuss it with her, but... Homura's opinion matters.

"Oh. Oh! Yes, I've been looking forward to meeting Miss Nakano, thank you," Hitomi says, her mental voice brightening. "I certainly didn't expect that today, but that should be fine. Would Miss Tsuruya be meeting me on the same business, or unrelated?"

"That sounds... interesting," Homura says neutrally, and a twist of relief unspools, that little twinge of worry bleeding out of your shoulders. You didn't think she'd disagree, especially not when both Mika and Yuki have already agreed to face down Walpurgisnacht with you, but the reassurance is good.

Mami glances curiously at you, then smiles and takes your hand between both of hers and tracing her fingers along your palm.

"Unrelated," you say, responding to Hitomi rather than express any of that. "Well, mostly. I'll tell you more at lunch?"

"Very well," Hitomi says, excitement dancing in her tone. "This promises to be interesting."

"Here's hoping it lives up to your expectations, then!" you say. "See you both at lunch, then! Say hi to Madoka for me."

"Will do," Hitomi agrees.

You smile to yourself as you return your attention to the meeting.

"... dn't be restraining ourselves to East Asia," Yuki argues. "I believe nearly all of us speak English, do we not? Outreach to anglophone countries is something we should consider, and we can hardly depend on Miss Vee to do all the work for Constellation."

You blink, mentally reviewing the conversation you'd only partially paid attention to... ah, discussion about outreach.

"That... is true," Noriko concedes. "That said, travelling to anglophone countries isn't easy without Miss Vee to fly us, unless... Miss Nakano could carry passengers?"

"I would, but I'd rather contribute plane tickets to the cause," Mika says. "It would be simpler, really."

"... oh. Right, I forgot, um. Planes," Noriko says, blushing sheepishly. Akemi giggles, patting Noriko on one shoulder and hugging both of them to herself. "... well... that sounds doable, then?"

"Do you have anyone in mind, Miss Tsuruya?" you ask.

"Not at the present time," Yuki says. "But I am planning on looking into it. What news of your friends?"

"Fair enough. Right, uh... Miss Tsuruya, Miss Nakano, Hitomi would be glad to meet you after school today," you say. "And Hitomi thinks she can arrange for the apartment's paperwork to be ready by the end of today, so it would probably be viable for you to make the claim today?"

"Ah, excellent," Yuki says, satisfied. "I look forward to it, then."

"Lemme know when school lets out, I'll head over!" Mika says cheerfully.

"Will do," you say. "Right. Uh, on the note of outreach and such - I am planning to head to Kyoto and Kyushu tomorrow to make contact with the Murasaki Shrine Maidens and the Kagoshima Group. Does anyone want to attend, or me to pass along a message?"

"If they indicate an interest in allowing me to claim a building, I would of course be glad to come along," Yuki notes. "Otherwise... I did say I would be interested in meeting them, but do you know if the Murasaki group is actually shrine maidens, or do they simply call themselves such?"

"I... don't know, sorry," you say. "But I know that at the very least not all of them are."

"Ah. I would like to know, if they are, and..." Yuki hums. "I would appreciate it if you could ask if they would be willing to share their omiki?"

You blink. Omiki... sanctified sake, in other words.

"... sure, I'll ask?" you say. "Is there any particular reason I should give them?"

"I am... unsure of the proper way of brewing it myself," Yuki admits. "And so I have been neglecting that aspect."

"Miss Tsuruya, are you a shrine maiden?" Yuma asks, breathless and eager as she blurts the question that's probably on everyone's minds.

"I am not," Yuki says calmly. She'd probably expected that question. "But I am also the only one caring for the shrine, so I simply do the best I can."

"Oh!" Yuma says, nodding wisely. "I see!"

"I'll see what I can do," you say. "Le'see... I should also note that I have contacts at Tohoku and Rissho Universities, and maybe I could drum up some law students there, but... eh. We're letting that brew a bit? So. Anything else?"

"Nothing else important, though I would reiterate that I am serious about being willing to see about bringing in a few lawyers myself, if we choose to go down that route," Mika says. "Other than that, I'll see you in Mitakihara later today."

A chorus of 'no's follows Mika, so you nod.

"Then... that's that," you say. "Thanks for being here today, everyone."

"Thank you!" Kazumi says happily. "Lookin' forward to seein' you again. Later!"

And with that, the meeting wraps up, and you smile to yourself as the connection breaks, looking at your friends. Mami catches your eye and smiles, nestling into your side even as you stretch on the sofa, and you spare a glance for the twin Soul Gems, held in the air before you. The cause of all your most recent problems, but... the results are satisfactory, you suppose. It won't be too long a flight to Fukushima and from there to Asunaro, but...

You can feel Oriko's eyes on you, and you did want to talk to Sayaka about the whole... mess with the Soujus. Now might be the best time, you think.

[] Talk to Sayaka before leaving
- [] Write-in approach
[X] Oriko wanted to talk to you
[X] Drop off the Soujus with Shiogama
-[X] Fly their collection to Niko
--[X] Grab Yuki and fly her back to Mitakihara so she can work on getting a building while you find a bunch of hotel rooms
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

Sabrina('s memory) interrupt! Also, as per @Suleverf's suggestion, I'm going to start including the winning vote, going forward.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X]- Talk to Sayaka
-[X] The lich thing just got shoved in her face, and we've seen a version of her that self-destructed over that.
-[X] She went into this with her eyes opened about that this time, but we want to make sure she's actually okay.
-[X] Don't babble or assume. Listen and hear out her feelings.
[X] Oriko wanted to talk to you
[X] Drop off the Soujus with Shiogama
-[X] Fly their collection to Niko
--[X] Grab Yuki and fly her back to Mitakihara so she can work on getting a building while you find a bunch of hotel rooms

Yeah, now is the best time. The argument could be made that you want to give Sayaka a bit more time to gather herself, but she's had a good while now, and... she looks OK, leaning back into the sofa and ruffling Yuma's hair. Kyouko flicks you a glance, her expression unreadable.

And you want to talk to Oriko as well before heading off to meet Yuki. She asked, and you don't want to leave it to fester, especially not when you suspect you know what it's about.

"Alright," you say, setting down your teacup with a decisive click. A flick of your hand dismisses the floating portraits, since the call's over. "OK, so! Uh. First of all, I'm going to hand off the Soujus to you, Miss Watanabe, Miss Saito?" You wait for them to nod before continuing. "Then... Sayaka, could I have a word with you, then Oriko? Then Mami and I'll head out to Asunaro... actually, Sayaka, do you want to come with us? It's up to you."

"Uhh." Sayaka scratches her head. "Let me think 'bout it."

"I'm comin'," Kyouko grunts.

"You- uh? To Asunaro?" You blink at Kyouko.

"Yep," Kyouko says, her expression inscrutable. "Yuma too, o' course."

"Uhm." You exchange a look with Mami, who shrugs in turn. "Sure? I can bring you along, no prob."

Kyouko nods, and subsides back onto the sofa, but not before collecting another small stack of biscuits from the coffee table to share with Yuma. And now you're mildly confused, because inscrutable is exactly the word here - there's not much you can think of in Asunaro that Kyouko might be interested in.

"... right, well, uh... OK. I'll talk to the Soujus first and let them know what's up," you say, reaching out with both your mind and your hand for the two Soul Gems, still held gently in the grip of your Grief. "Miss Souju, Miss Souju?"

" Yes!( Our angel!) " they exclaim immediately, their mental voices eager and adoring. "Your conversation was beautiful!"

Dread curdles in your stomach.

"Wait, you were listening?" you say sharply.

" We weren't! We wouldn't!( No no no no! Please don't take offense!) " they protest. " Just...( We could see!) "

They can see?

"... wait. You mean you can see telepathy?" you ask. "As in, from the outside?"

" We can!( You're not angry?) " they say.

Huh. It makes sense, you suppose, given that they have some sort of Soul- and magic- sense. Quite possibly senses plural, come to that. And seeing telepathy isn't a terribly big stretch, and now you're vaguely wondering whether they might also be able to help you figure out non-Incubator telepathy. Admittedly, you aren't too short on options for that, between Mami's connection magic, Niko's general mad-sciency-ness and heck, even Noriko herselves might be an option.

"No, I'm not angry, just surprised," you say slowly, relaxing. "It's not a common skill."

" Oh,( Oh.) " they say.

"Anyway," you say, and you link Noriko and Akemi into the telepathic conversation. "Miss Souju, Miss Souju, these are Watanabe Noriko and Saito Akemi. They're friends of mine. Miss Watanabe, Miss Saito, these are Souju Ayase and Luca."

Noriko and Akemi both sit up, attention focused on the Soujus' Soul Gem. First impressions are important.

"Very nice to meet you( Uh...) !" the Soujus say.

"A pleasure, Miss Souju, Miss Souju," Saito says.

"Unfortunately, I'm very busy, so I can't continually bring you around with me," you say. "But Miss Watanabe and Miss Saito have volunteered to take you in their care - would you be alright with that?"

"Um..."

You tilt your head, eyeing the two Soul Gems. You were expecting either agreement, out of respect for your alleged angel-ness, or immediate disagreement, out of being separated from you, or some such. The vacillation comes as a surpris-

Hang on.

"... the extra body is Miss Watanabe's, and nothing to do with you at all?" you venture.

"... if you're sure( as our angel says) ," the Soujus say dubiously. "Ah, not that we mean to doubt your judgement! It's just... it's awful( ugly, filthy bodies) , surely they could simply get rid of at least one?"

"That's not your decision to make," you say, restraining yourself to a measured, gentle tone. "And remember, with me around, the tarnishing of their Soul Gems isn't a problem."

"Oh. Yes! Our apologies( We shouldn't doubt the angel) !" the Soujus say, and turn their attention to Noriko and Akemi. "Then we'll be in your care, Miss Watanabe, Miss Akemi."

Akemi nods firmly.

"We'll do our best," she says, half to the Soujus, and half to you as she reaches out for their Soul Gems. You pass them over to her, floating them over gently, and Akemi takes them in either hand, giving them a slightly uneasy look.

"They gain power by being linked together," you murmur to Noriko and Akemi alone. "If they make trouble for you, don't hesitate to call for me, and meanwhile, try to get them apart, alright? Oh, and uh... Kirika has some antimagic enchantments prepped. Grab them from her before you leave?"

"Thank you, and will do," Akemi says, nodding again. "We'll be sure to ask for help if we need it."

"Alright!" you say, smiling and standing, Mami releasing your hand. "Right. OK. Sayaka, could I have a word, uh..."

"The study upstairs would afford you some privacy," Oriko offers with a faint smile. "Third door on the left, up the stairs."

"... that works," you say. "Thanks, Oriko."

Sayaka hops to her feet, offering a grin that's perhaps a little less exuberant than it usually is. But there's still a spring in her step as you head up the stairs, both of you taking them at an easy two-at-a-time and meandering along the carpeted staircase landing, lit by lamps artfully tucked away along ornamental cornices.

"Man, this place is fancy," Sayaka says with a snort.

"Ayep," you say, locating the right door and pulling it open. "C'mon."

"Yeah, yeah," Sayaka says as you step into the study. Her expression tightens a little. "Is this about the whole... thing with the Soujus?"

You bite back the urge to apologize. You could have done more to prepare Sayaka for what awaited her as a magical girl. And she's been utterly invaluable standing alongside you as a friend, but you can't help but wonder whether you should have done more to dissuade her from this life.

And sometimes, you wonder if you're too hard on yourself, or at least, you're applying far higher standards to yourself than anyone else. You'd... probably forgive Sayaka for making the mistakes you did, or Mami, or Homura. You should know better, dammit. You have to do better. You could... maybe give yourself a little more leeway, but you have to try.

"... well, yeah, it is," you say, rubbing your nose as you look around the study. This isn't Hisaomi's study, that's a different room, and... come to that, this might be Oriko's. But if it is, it's utterly devoid of personality - nothing that's particularly her, just a richly appointed room. "How're you feeling?"

"Question of the hour, innit," Sayaka says, blowing out a breath that puffs her cheeks out. "I... I dunno."

"Do you want to talk about it?" you ask gently.

"Already talked to Kyouko about it," she says. "But I suppose it couldn't hurt?"

You give her an encouraging smile, and her returning smile is... not exactly brittle, not exactly as exuberant as it usually is, not as cocky as she usually is. But it's real, you think, not some faked smile to try and reassure you. Which is a relief, if nothing else.

"I just..." Sayaka laughs shakily, her gaze drifting from you and out of the window, staring blindly at rain-shrouded Mitakihara. "I mean, I knew. You told me about this sort of thing. It's just... I still... it didn't even actually stop them, and they're fine now, so-"

"Sayaka," you say gently, crossing the room in a few quick steps to stand beside her. "You don't need to justify your reaction. Especially when the whole thing got... shoved in your face like that. So you don't need to justify it, not to me, not to anyone else. If it freaks you out, then it freaks you out, and frankly that's a more normal reaction than mine."

"But you-" Sayaka shakes her head. "You're dealing with it just fine. Yuma's dealing with it just fine."

"Yuma got there late, and I'm pretty sure Kyouko shielded her from the worst of it," you say. "And me, I'm abnormal, and-"

"Oh, that I knew," Sayaka interjects with a smirk.

"-and I always knew what it would be like," you say, ignoring the interruption. Then again, you're glad she still feels comfortable enough to joke. "Even before I became a magical girl, I knew, bone-deep, soul-deep, what the worst of it could be. So I was prepared, and you... weren't. There's zero shame in that, Sayaka."

"I know, I just..." Sayaka sighs, fisting a hand in her hair. "I know it's not logical, but... it just sticks with me. Not just... not just what happened, but how everyone just dealt with it."

"We really need to get a therapist read in on all this," you say with a sigh. "Also, I'm going to hug you now."

That earns you a snicker from Sayaka, but she does step willingly into the hug as you wrap your arms around her, squeezing gently.

"I don't know," she says eventually as some of the tension ebbs. "I doubt the therapist would give any hugs, though, so how good could they be?" Her expression sobers. "I dunno if there's... I just need to process, I think."

Huh. Now there's an idea.

"... do you want to, uh. Take time off?" you ask, easing back from the hug to look at Sayaka. "I mean, we'll miss you, but if you need time to process, you can have that time."

"I..." Sayaka blinks. "That's an option?"

"We'll absolutely miss having you around," you say. "You've been a damn cornerstone. But we will manage without you if you need the time. We're not really expecting any big fights or anything, I think, and... well, we're not hurting for cleansing or anything, you know?"

"I'll think about it," Sayaka says slowly, and smiles. "We can bring it up next Constellation meeting, maybe. Leave days."

You grin.

"Unlimited leave days or bust," you say.

"Unlimited leave days!" Sayaka agrees, raising a clenched fist, before her smile fades again. Her eyes go back to the window. "... you know. I understand now why you and Homura really want to keep Madoka away from this life. I mean, I understood before, and I was kind of mostly on board, but now I get it. I get why you'd want to prevent anyone from joining us, but... I get it."

"Yeah," you agree, joining her in staring out at Mitakihara, drenched still in the rain. You look east - east towards the city center, east towards Mitakihara Middle School. "... keep it in mind, though. Anytime you need or want a break, take it. Let someone know, and we'll figure things out."

"... I will," Sayaka says, taking a breath and smiling. "Yeah. I... actually, the trip to Asunaro. It's just a dropoff, right? So you won't need me for that, yeah?"

"Oh, huh," you say, blinking. "That's a great point, actually. Yeah, it's just a dropoff, probably talking shop with Miss Kanna? I doubt recreating their bodies is gonna actually happen today, so absolutely feel free to sit it out and focus on your classes or something."

"OK, then yeah," Sayaka says, nodding slowly, then one more time, more firmly than before. "I'll sit this one out, and... probably dispel this clone before we leave here, and you can hang on to the power jewels for me?"

"Yeah, of course," you say. "You can also go for a hop around Mitakihara if you want to clear your head, it's your call."

"Honestly, I could do with some normal," Sayaka says, shaking her head. "But thanks."

"Your call," you say. "Alrighty, if that's settled... right. Oriko wanted to have a word with me."

Sayaka's expression flickers to something distinctly sour for a second, before turning into a faint smirk.

"Want me to send her up?" she asks. "Save you a trip."

"... I mean, it's her house," you say. "That hardly seems polite."

"That's the point," Sayaka says, already heading for the door with a swirl of her cape and an easy wave over her shoulder. "You sit tight."

You sigh, and settle in to wait, leaning against the table. You've got to pick your battles, you suppose, and letting Sayaka have a little fun seems relatively harmless, in the grand scheme of things, and might lift her mood a little. Oriko will understand, you hope. You stare out the window, fidgeting as you wait, and before long, you sense two Soul Gems approaching... and continuing up past the study to two rooms over before returning.

"Sabrina," Oriko says by way of greeting as she pulls the door open. She has an envelope tucked under one arm, you notice - presumably what they went to retrieve.

"Hey hey, Sabrina," Kirika says cheerfully, raising her hand in greeting - the other wrapped securely around Oriko's waist, of course, the two of them latched together. "Gave the not-twins the antimagic enchants, by the way."

You proceed to watch in some bemusement as they fail to actually enter the room, Kirika entirely unwilling to release Oriko from her hold. After a moment, Oriko turns sideways so she can tug Kirika into the room after her without separating from the other girl.

"Hey," you say, smiling and straightening off the table. "You two doing alright?"

"We are," Oriko says. "Did you really send Miss Miki to fetch me?"

"She insisted," you say with a sigh. "Sorry about that."

"I took no offense," Oriko says with a faint smile.

"Thanks," you say. "So... you wanted to talk to me?"

"I did," Oriko says. She holds the envelope out to you, and waits for you to take it before adding, "My will. Witnessed and signed, with a copy deposited with my lawyer."

You nearly fumble it, staring at her in shock.

"I've named you as the primary beneficiary," Oriko says with a serene smile. "However, I have decided that I would really prefer that it need not be read."

"Me too!" Kirika adds brightly. "I like being alive."

"I..." you rub your forehead, trying to stave off the headache that you cannot possibly have. "Alright, I... alright. Oriko, did you really have to- no, I forgot who I'm talking to. Fine." You take a deep breath, and let it out. "This is about your prophecy of your own death, right?"

"It is," Oriko says, smile fading a little. "I thought it prudent to make preparations." She purses her lips. "I... had thought that I would be content with living out my last days in peace with Kirika, truth be told. But I've since changed my mind - I would rather live."

She exchanges a long, warm look with Kirika, one that you feel vaguely uncomfortable witnessing, but that does little to smother the odd squirm of betrayal and hurt.

"You still thought you were going to die?" you ask. You thought you'd nixed that attitude.

"I thought I had made my peace with it, and should it have come to pass, I would have accepted it," Oriko corrects. "The distinction is fairly narrow, I will concede, but it's an important one to me. That said, it is a moot point, as I've now decided that I would very much prefer to continue living with Kirika."

"... I'll take it," you say, finally tearing your eyes away from the duo to frown at the envelope you're holding, pinched between two fingers. With a sigh, you wrap it up in Grief and rotate it away into hammerspace, storing it for later. "For what it's worth, I also prefer you two continue living happily."

Oriko smiles.

"Thank you," she says.

[] Try and figure out more details
- [] Write-in approach (word count limit: 150 words)
[X] Drop off the Soujus with Shiogama
-[X] Fly their collection to Niko
--[X] Grab Yuki and fly her back to Mitakihara so she can work on getting a building while you find a bunch of hotel rooms

=====​

Alright, this section turned out longer than I expected, so I'm breaking it here. Sabrina'll explore the topic on her own the next update, then continue on, but if you want to poke at anything in particular, go ahead and write it in.

A brief reminder of Oriko's prophecy of her own death: while she had her precog, she just stopped being able to see herself in her visions past a certain point; that point being the following Tuesday in quest, five days before Walpurgisnacht. And it's also typically associated with black feathers.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] Maybe you should come with, since my presence wards off Feathers.
-[X] Your vision said you die when I'm out of town, and I'm leaving now to drop off the Soul Gems in Asunaro
-[X] While we're in Asunaro, we can see if Umika can use her powers to recover more clues from the visions you can't remember.
-[X] On the way we can talk over other clues and avenues of investigation.
-[X] Sayaka already put in for vacation time, so you won't be sharing an awkward ride
[X] Fly the Souju's collection to Niko
-[X] Grab Yuki and fly her back to Mitakihara so she can work on getting a building while you find a bunch of hotel rooms

"You're very welcome," you tell Oriko, but even as you speak, you're distracted by memories and thoughts bubbling up to the fore. You turn away from them, scowling out the window as you think. It only takes a few seconds for the logic to align, a plan coalescing. "I..."

"Yes, Sabrina?" Oriko asks.

"If I recall correctly, your prophecy is not that you would be killed on the twenty-sixth," you say slowly, taking the time to assemble your thoughts before you speak. You have to convince Oriko, and you have to convince Homura and Sayaka. "Rather, it is that it is the last day you see yourself alive - and that under other circumstances, you might even die before that. Is that correct?"

"I believe so," Oriko allows. "There were... a variety of instances where my existence would be ended, but it's difficult to put details to them, especially now - with the... changing of my power, the visions I had also slipped from my grasp. I suppose it's terribly symbolic and thematically appropriate, but in this case, it seems a touch inconvenient."

"'Inconvenient', she says," you grumble, turning around so that she can see you rolling your eyes. "Well. I believe you told me, explicitly, that it never happens when I'm around. Do you remember that?"

"I do," Oriko says.

"Well, we happen to be eight days out from the very literal deadline here," you say. "And here I am, planning a trip out of the city."

Oriko blinks.

"I... take your point, but... do not think it has ever happened this early in my visions?" she says, sounding uncertain. She chuckles softly. "I appreciate the care, but I don't think it's necessary in this particular instance."

"Oh," you say, deflating and slumping against the wall. "Well. Then. I also did... OK, look, I had a plan and all, with more than one reason for it. Said plan is that you should accompany us to Asunaro, during which we'll discuss further contingencies and avenues of investigation."

Oriko gives you a curious look even as she accedes to Kirika's gentle urging over to lean against the table.

"There's stuff that I do actually want to talk to you about, which can happen along the way." One finger, then another. "Second, I want to see if Umika can use her powers to recover more clues from the visions that you can't remember - her magic is weird and I suspect it could work." A third finger. "Sayaka's already put in for vacation time, so that bit of awkwardness is out. And last but certainly not least, you two could do with some fresh air."

"We had a shopping date yesterday!" Kirika says brightly. "It was so romantic!"

"It was just groceries, Kirika," Oriko says, smiling fondly at her. "And some clothes."

"It was with you, so it was romantic," Kirika says with a firm nod, her free hand running through Oriko's hair.

"Oh, nice! And yeah, shopping is shopping, but you get what I mean," you say. You do remember now - they'd secured permission after the whole Iowa incident. "So yeah. It's your choice, Oriko. Even if there's no pressing need to... I dunno, defend you at the moment, I think it'd be good to see if Umika can figure out anything? Information is the key here, if you ask me."

"I would not be opposed to a trip out," Oriko concedes. "But I suggest that you clear it with Akemi and Miss Miki first."

"Yeah, I was going to," you say. "But I wanted to get your opinion on it first, since the entire thing is moot if you didn't want to."

Oriko chuckles.

"You have it," she says. "And... I appreciate it, Sabrina."

"'course," you say. "You're my friends now, yeah?"

"Yeah!" Kirika says, half a beat behind Oriko's stately nod.

"Great," you say. "I'll check in with Homura and Sayaka, then."

"And I believe we shall do the dishes before we leave," Oriko says, pushing off the table with a smile. "Thank you."

"No, no thank you," Kirika says, pouting. "No dishes."

You snicker, waving them off and watching thoughtfully as Oriko leaves with, dare you say it, a spring in her step. You flick your attention back to the window, thoughtful as you stare out at the rain. Seems like it's finally starting to let up, that last drenching the last gasp of the stormclouds as the constant downpour starts to clear, the skyscrapers of central Mitakihara now properly visible. Hopefully you'll get some sun on the flight out to Fukushima.

But before you can get to that, you've got things to sort out.

"Hey, Homura, Sayaka? Do you have a moment to talk?" You reach out with telepathy once more. "Nothing's wrong, just wanted to discuss something real quick."

"Yes, Sabrina?" Despite your reassurance, Homura's response is all but instant, toneless but not unemotional, a faint flicker of concern lurking about the edges.

"Would it be alright if I brought Oriko and Kirika over to Asunaro?" you ask, casting your gaze out across the skyline of Mitakihara once more. You can't actually see Mitakihara Middle School from here -wrong angle entirely- but you can imagine them right now, Homura with perfect posture and apparently paying full attention to their classes. Sayaka, perhaps, looking distracted while you drop another big question on her lap. "They'll be under my eye the whole time, and I want Miss Misaki to examine Oriko."

"... what for?" Sayaka asks. She doesn't sound angry about it, just mildly confused, which is a relief, and Homura's silence has a certain texture of cautious curiosity to it, which you'll take as seconding that question.

"After her... change of heart, her power also shifted," you say. "It also blurred her memories of the things that she actually foresaw at the time, and I want to see if Miss Misaki can dredge up those memories. In particular, she predicted her own death in about a week to something that she couldn't properly place, and I really, really want to know more about that."

"And if she was lying about it?" Sayaka adds darkly. "Getting your pity and all."

"All the more reason to confirm it with a third party," Homura murmurs. "It's a good idea."

"It would, yeah," you say cautiously. And you can't help but feel the urge to be honest here. "It wasn't my first intention, but it is a good bonus. Though honestly, I don't think she's lying about it - she was the one to remind me today, and it just doesn't serve any purpose for her to set herself up for being called out on a lie."

"Perhaps," Sayaka says grudgingly. "Yeah, sounds like a plan. Get confirmation and whatever information she's got about that mysterious threat or whatever."

"Agreed," Homura murmurs. "Thank you for telling me. Us."

"Of course," you say, smiling softly. "I promised."

"... you did," Homura says. "Thank you."

"Alright, well... see you, then," you say. "I'll let you know how it goes."

"See you," Homura murmurs.

You're smiling to yourself as you end that call, Sayaka chiming in with her own amused farewell as you find your mood lightening. You can't help but feel that Homura's mood has been improving, of late. Part of it has been that things are going better, and you'll take some credit for that, but it's also the fact that she's been willing to give you that bit of trust, even with how many times she's been burned.

That bit of hope is everything.

With a spring in your step, you head back downstairs, finding your smile stretching from ear to ear as you step back into the now-emptier living room and return the greetings - Sayaka's cheerful 'hello' is especially amused- and flopping back down next to Mami to give her a hug.

"You're in a good mood," she observes fondly.

"I am!" you say, looking around. Oriko and Kirika are nowhere to be seen, but you hear the sound of running water and clinking porcelain and the occasional giggle drifting from down the corridor, so it's no great feat of discussion to guess where they've gone. Noriko and Akemi are curled into their corner of the sofa still, heads bent over the Soujus' Soul Gems and apparently in conversation, though Noriko does nod at you in passing. And there's Kyouko and Yuma, still curled in their corner of the sofa as Kyouko glares at the ceiling and Sayaka-

"Sayaka decided to focus on class," Mami offers, pulling out a keychain full of small, multicoloured jewels. "She said she'd see us at lunch soon anyway. And that she was on leave?"

"Ah, yeah," you say. "And yeah. I mean, we don't need everyone on call at all times, so... vacation days!"

"Mm... you should take a vacation too," Mami says, her voice lightly amused, and holds the jewels out for you again.

"That would be nice," you say thoughtfully. You close Mami's fingers over the jewels, giving her a quick smile - she's as much Sayaka's friend as you are, and there's no reason at all she can't hold on to them for Sayaka. "But not today, I'm afraid. Miss Watanabe, Miss Saito? Is everything going well?"

"Ah, yes, we're just trying to talk to the Soujus a bit more, since we'll be living together," Noriko says, looking up. "It's... going."

"We don't understand Miss Watanabe( Too many bodies!) !" the Soujus pipe up - noticing your attention, you suppose. That cloying, fawning adoration drips still from their tone, but it's cut with confusion. "But our angel has placed us in their care( she must know something we don't!) , so we are trying to understand her. And her Soul Gem shines bright( But not as bright as yours!) , so there must be something!"

"Yes, understanding her could be helpful," you say carefully. "But I'm not leaving you purely in their care, and I will be coming by to find out how you're doing, OK?"

"Yes! We understand!" the Soujus say. "We will try!"

"That's all I can ask," you say gravely, and end the telepathy, trying to shake off the discomfort at the sheer religious fervour they have for you. Briefly, you consider asking about the whole 'angel' thing - an angel implies a greater power, which is entirely in line with your own speculations about your origins, but... nah. A touch is Mami's hand on yours, grounding you.

"Alright!" you say, decisively discarding that line of thought and sharing a grateful smile with Mami. "So, uh, Kyouko-"

"We're goin'," she grunts, faded crimson eyes meeting yours with a challenging glare.

"... sure, I wasn't gonna try to persuade you otherwise. Just wanted to check that there isn't anything els- no? Alright." You're not sure why Kyouko would want to go, especially if Sayaka isn't, but the glare she nails you with says that she's sure about it, and you have no reason to deny her. "Then we're just waiting for the Kures now, and we'll be ready to go, I figure?"

"No need to wait further," Oriko's voice declares, a few seconds ahead of Oriko herself stepping back in to the living room, wiping her hands on a small towel and Kirika bouncing along behind her with suspiciously dry hands and suspiciously damp shorts. "I apologise for the delay."

"Nah, perfect timing," you say, smiling. "I'd just finished up, and I got Homura and Sayaka's agreement."

"Road trip!" Kirika cheers.

"Road trip," you agree gravely. "Are you ready, then?"

Oriko hesitates, looking down at the sedate green dress she's wearing, Kirika's hand finding its way into hers a moment later. Oriko exhales, and smiles faintly at Kirika, then nods decisively at you.

"We're ready," she says.

"Then let's go!" you say. "Miss Watanabe, Miss Saito, would you like a lift home?"

Akemi looks up at you with a smile.

"Thank you, but no," she says. "We'll be walking home - it's always good to mingle with other people for a while. Besides, the rain has stopped, has it not?"

"Ah? Fair enough," you say, nodding. "Stay safe, then, and do call if you need anything."

"We will," she says, rising to her feet.

Before long, you're all headed outside, waiting patiently as Oriko locks up the doors - Noriko and Akemi have already left, a Souju to each of them. And from there, it's off to Fukushima, soaring into the clearing skies with the sun at your back and a brisk chill lingering, the world almost seeming to sparkle in the wake of the rainstorm. There's a crisp, ethereal feel to the air as you rise over the city on a vessel built of Grief, precious cargo of Soul Gems in their wooden box secured in a niche built to hold it.

"Rainbow!" Kirika calls cheerfully, pointing ahead from her position happily nestled on Oriko's lap.

"Yes, dear," Oriko says, arms around her waist. "I don't think anyone can miss it."

And indeed, the brilliant arc -nearly a circle- of a rainbow looms ahead, ephemeral but real, swathes of colour painted with a broad brush against the clearing skies and fleeing clouds. You share a smile with Mami as she leans into your side, content. And it's a school day she's skipping out on, because there was trouble and you called and she didn't hesitate, would never hesitate to come to your side.

Ah, well.

You set those worries aside, taking in the view, and of Japan unfurling beneath you in vast, sweeping swathes of fields and forests and roads and rivers and buildings, greens and browns and blues and greens and the looming hills and mountains of Japan's spine.

Even Kyouko can't seem to find it in herself to be grumpy about the view, it seems, the looming thundercloud of disgruntled discontent in the rearmost seats dissipating as you speed across the landscape, and Yuma's delighted laughter rings out as she hangs out of the window, savouring the rush of wind.

All too soon, though, you're descending towards Fukushima City, threading past Mount Shinobu as you head to Yuki's building. That old office building looks entirely unchanged from the last time you'd seen it: from the outside, abandoned and dilapidated and unassuming. Unassuming to anyone unable to sense magic, anyway. The perfect deception, one that sheds attention both official and unofficial from the fortress and home Yuki made of it for herself and her friends.

... you can't help but think of what she said earlier, that her powers work best with a building that could be a home. And while you're on the subject, you're reminded of her mindset, mercenary to a fault, and the fact that she cares so much about that shrine.

You set those thoughts aside, because speaking of Yuki, you spot her diminutive figure standing atop the rooftop, shrouded in her cloak of viridian green and head craned back as if weighed by the severe bun of her hair, tracking your descent to her.

"Good morning," she says, inclining her head as you glide in for a landing. Her eyes flick over the rest of your friends, taking them all in.

"Good morning!" you say. "How're you doing?"

"Quite well, thank you," Yuki says with a slight smile. "By the by, Miss Vee, I'd like to remind you that Miss Parró wishes to speak to you - it slipped both our minds in the wake of our meeting earlier, but we might be best served with arranging for that upon your return trip from Asunaro?"

"... possibly, yeah," you say, frowning. It had slipped your mind, to be honest. And if the leader of the now-captured Iowa group wants to talk to you, you probably should talk to her, but... you're expected back home for lunch. You'll need to talk to Niko, about the bodies, to Oriko and Umika, about the visions, and possibly to Parró, about... whatever it is she wants to talk to you about.

You check your phone for the time.

Just about ten o'clock, so you've got two and a half hours.

[X] Hand over the Soul Gems to Niko
- [] Any particular questions/suggestions?
[X] Ask Umika to help plumb Oriko's memories
- [] Any particular questions/suggestions?
[] Parró
- [] Sure, you'll talk to her...
-- [] Now
--- [] Send your friends ahead with the Soul Gems
-- [] On the way back
- [] No, not today
[X] Grab Yuki and fly her back to Mitakihara so she can work on getting a building while you find a bunch of hotel rooms
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

Sorry for the long wait for this update, life got in the way.

Now, for the vote itself: please note that talking to Parró will take time away from other activities. Making it back to lunch on time will happen unless specifically voted against.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] Talk with Niko and Umika.
- [X] I come bearing test subjects! Oriko here has a memory about her visions of death, and Umika has some memory powers? And we've got to rebody these girls. Niko, do you need any grief assistance?
- [X] Parró
- [X] Sure, you'll talk to her...
- [X] No, not right now. Lunch we're going have a post Tokyo AAR, and discuss some things about constellation.
- [X] Grab Yuki and fly her back to Mitakihara so she can work on getting a building while you find a bunch of hotel rooms

You frown at your phone for a second, pieces of your schedule shuffling around in your mind like bits of a jigsaw. You want to talk to Parró, of course, to satisfy your own curiosity, if nothing else. Then again, the problem is time - if you talk to her now, that's going to cut into the time you have to figure stuff out with Niko and Oriko.

... technically, you don't need to be there. You glance at Mami and Oriko and Kirika - your friends are more than capable of handling themselves, and both Niko and Umika are more than competent in their fields. So you could just send them on ahead, and then catch up after talking to Parró and then make it back for lunch. That would work nicely.

You have an agreement on the tip of your tongue before you catch yourself. Honestly, it'd be easier to do things the other way around. Head to Asunaro with everyone, and you're arranging for Yuki to go to Mitakihara afterwards to claim a building there, anyway - and then it's a quick Tsuruya Transport Teleport Trip™ to Fukushima to talk to Parró.

... and you'd told Homura and Sayaka that you'd keep an eye on Oriko and Kirika. Sure, Mami could do the job just as well, but... you'd told them you would do it. You're a little ashamed you'd thought of it last.

"I'll talk to her, yeah," you say slowly, trying to set that thought aside. "But not now - if I could prevail on you for a quick shortcut later, Miss Tsuruya? After you set up the link to Mitakihara, of course."

"Of course," Yuki echoes, and smiles faintly. "It's probably good practice to not jump the moment the leader of a hostile group says so, anyway."

"... maybe," you allow. You're not exactly comfortable with that line of thinking, but she's probably somewhat right. "Still no idea what she actually wants?"

"Unfortunately, she has been entirely unwilling to elaborate, or say much at all," Yuki says. She looks rather vexed at that, folding her arms under her cloak. "If I had to guess, she wants to take your measure, perhaps to see how viable it would be to make an escape attempt. She has certainly tried to size me up."

Kyouko snorts softly.

"I guess that's not terribly surprising," you say, shooting Kyouko a look which she ignores. "Still, that'll happen later. For now, to Asunaro?"

"Certainly," Yuki says, nodding. "Transiting now, everyone, please brace yourselves. And, ah, please do not mind the probable exuberance of our answering party in Asunaro. I have it handled."

... what does that mean? But you don't have time to demand answers, because Yuki only gives you a moment for that to sink in, a faint smirk playing about her lips, and then reality te-

[/i]-ars[/i].

You're abruptly elsewhere, the sun a jump to the right, clear blue skies replaced with murky, scudding clouds. Mount Shinobu is gone, the skyline swapped with another and the rumble of the city different in a way you'd never be able to put words to but undeniably distinct. Even the dirty concrete of the rooftop beneath your feet feels different, though that may be your imagination.

"Huh, you ca-" You turn to Yuki, and are forced to step back as a flare of magic heralds an absolutely massive paw reaching past you, the diminutive girl sidestepping smartly to avoid it.

Grief answers your call, blades crystallizing out of the air a split second before you recognise the paw -razor-sharp paws, fluffy brown fur, rough stitches up the side- and trace it back up to the heavy, sloped shoulders and flaming yellow eyes of a giant teddy bear that towers over all of you. Beside you, Mami relaxes slightly, musket dipping towards the rooftop, and behind you, you sense more than see Kirika holding her antimagic and claws ready. Neither do Kyouko nor Yuma lower their weapons.

"Not this time, Miss Wakaba," Yuki says, safely out of reach of the teddy bear.

"I'll get you one day! And I told you, call me Mirai." A roof hatch bangs open, a head of lavender floof poking up. "Oh, hey! Kazumi's sempai and her girlfriend! And friends!"

"Miss Wakaba and I have an ongoing feud," Yuki explains amiably. "She attempts to capture me with her bear sentinels, I avoid her. The score stands three to none at this current time."

"It's a hug not a capture, you're so small and cute and I want to give you a hug. You let Kazumi hug you," Mirai grumbles as she clambers out onto the roof, the ladder clanking beneath her feet. "Hey, everyone. Did I scare you?"

You exchange a look with Mami as she dismisses her musket and you banish the Grief back to hammerspace. She shrugs, hiding a smile as she flicks her eyes downwards, then back in the general direction of Mitakihara, then you - and you can't help but quirk a grin back at her. Kazumi's weird, yes, and so are her girlfriends. But then, you're weird, so who are you to judge?

... you will also concede that you have to fight down the impulse to, ahem, bear-hug Yuki sometimes. She is extremely tiny and adorable.

Mami stifles a giggle, linking her arm with yours.

"Good morning, Miss Wakaba," Mami says, turning slightly to gesture at Oriko and Kirika - the latter of which is only now dismissing her claws. "May I introduce Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika? They're friends of ours from Mitakihara. And not to forget Sakura Kyouko and Chitose Yuma. Everyone, this is Wakaba Mirai."

"Nice to meet you!" Mirai says.

Kyouko just nods, crimson eyes distant as she stares out at the skyline of Asunaro, glittering under the sun.

"A pleasure," Oriko says with a slight bow. "We were hoping to speak to Miss Umika? Sabrina believes that she may be able to help me with an... issue I've been having."

"Ah, good timing, Saki and Umika just got back from a grocery run," Mirai says. "Miss Sabrina, 'zumi said you're here for Niko, right?"

"Yeah," you say, floating the two cases of Soul Gems towards yourself. "Is she free?"

"She's excited is what she is," Mirai says, rolling her eyes fondly. "I'll bring you down to the basement in a moment... ah, Miss Sakura, did you need anything?"

"I'd like to talk to Miss Kazusa, if possible," Kyouko says. You can't help but blink in surprise at her tone - perfectly polite and formal despite the lollipop she has dangling from her mouth. And you shouldn't be that surprised, since she was a preacher's daughter, but it's not like she actually talks like that much.

"Ah? Actually, 'zumi should be here already," Mirai says. "Probably got held up with Kaoru. Anyway, let's all head down. Niko's in the basement labs waiting for you, Miss Sabrina."

She leads the way back down the ladder, and you all pile in after her, alternately clambering down or just leaping down to find yourself in what must be a staff corridor of Mirai's museum - clean and well lit, but stark and utilitarian and bear bare of decorations.

"By the by, Miss Tsuruya, I'm surprised that you could just switch us between rooftops," you note.

"I was too, I admit," Yuki says. "Ordinarily, I would require that we all be inside the building proper for a proper resonance, however, there seems to be a specific interaction between mine and Miss Wakaba-"

"Mirai!"

"-Miss Wakaba's magic," Yuki says, ignoring the interruption. "I gather that she Wished for this museum, and it would appear that that was sufficient to slightly confound my own magic? We are uncertain."

"... huh," you say, rubbing your chin. "I don't see how, but I can see the link, I guess."

"I certainly wouldn't complain about having more datapoints on this matter," Yuki says. "But Wishes for buildings are rare, for rather understandable reasons."

"I'll see what I can do," you say with a grin. "But no promises on that front."

Yuki chuckles, nodding amiably as you all follow Mirai down the winding, hidden passages of her museum. You vaguely wonder how it works, with the museum proper presumably open to the public. Are these doubly-secret passages, hidden from the staff corridors and purposed as living spaces for Mirai, Kazumi, and the rest of their group?

And almost as if summoned by your thoughts, Kazumi emerges from a side door, bouncing over to join your group.

"Hey hey!" she chirps. "Mami, Sabrina! Sorry I'm late, was busy. New people! Hi! I'm Kazumi."

You make the introductions, assuring her that her being late is no problem at all. Kyouko's gaze lingers on Kazumi for a moment, but she doesn't raise her request just yet, simply trailing along at the back of the group along with Yuma at her side as you all traipse down the stairs.

"Aight, so - Niko's down the stairs, first door on the left, you can't miss it," Mirai says, pausing at the stairwell. "Miss Mikuni, Miss Kure, you wanted to see Umika, right? I'll show you over, and... 'zumi, Miss Sakura here wanted to talk to you."

"If it isn't too much trouble," Kyouko says diffidently.

Even Mami's giving her a confused look now, which Kyouko ignores.

It's... probably not your problem and definitely none of your business, but you can't help but hesitate for a moment at the stairwell, one hand on the railing. You'll be dropping off the case of Soul Gems with Niko, of course, but you might want to go talk to Umika with Oriko as well? You hover there for a moment, thinking.

[] Work with Niko, see if you can figure out anything
[] Drop off the Soul Gems with Niko, go join the session with Umika
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

Alrighty. Bit of a weird cut-off point here this update, however, I wanted to get this out- I will almost certainly not be updating next week as I will be on a long flight. I'll try, but I doubt I'll succeed.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[x] Check witch names
[x] Drop off the Soul Gems with Niko, go join the session with Umika
-[x] Verify Umika can avoid getting bombed if her book reads an infohazard from one of us. Break if not.
-[x] In a privacy sphere
--[x] Explain to Umika about Oriko's visions of her death and the entity responsible that we think also attacked Sayaka
--[x] See if Umika can recover more info about Oriko's visions
--[x] Have Umika check Sabrina, Mami, Oriko, and Kirika for discrepancies during suspected incidents, including the time between the first and second Barriers.
--[x] Time permitting, try the forgotten memory viewer Griefhax construct

Kazumi blinks at Kyouko's request, then grins.

"Yeah, 'course!" she says. "A friend of Mami's is a friend of mine, anytime, anywhere! Whatcha wanna talk about?"

"... later, please," Kyouko says, looking vaguely pained. Yuma clutches at her hand, giving her a baffled look.

A spark of paranoia has you checking for Witch names, steeling yourself against the graveyard whispers sliding into your mind.

Phytia, Philotes.

Hestia.

Laverna, Alice.

Ophelia. Pistis.

Candeloro.

Dedolere, sliding fingernails down your spine.

Everything as it should be, then - everyone as they should be. Especially Kyouko, who... OK, sure, you know she was brought up as a devout pastor's daughter, you know she has to have learned how to actually get along with people. But it's still jarring enough to see her actually try that you had to be sure - and it's a relief, you suppose.

You feel Mami's eyes on you as she takes your free arm, tucking her hand into the crook of your elbow.

You take a deep breath, shooting Mami a quick smile. Musty old cloth and preservative and detergent, the smell of Mirai's museum. You spare another moment to wonder how it really works, with the Pleiades Saints living in here alongside the actual museum, but then again, you doubt that any of the visitors care about the backrooms. And the actual curators, if there are any... well, maybe they just didn't notice or just don't care - after all, what's a few barred off corridors or closed doors? A museum's a huge building, after all.

You let that breath out, and let the thought go with it. Weird, but not worth dwelling over. What is worth dwelling over is that you have a decision to make.

"I'll go with you, Oriko, Kirika," you say. "Well, I figure I'll talk to Miss Kanna first and drop off the Soul Gems?"

Oriko and Kirika exchange a look.

"We'll accompany you in turn to meet the redoubtable Miss Kanna, if that's alright?" Oriko says. "I admit, I'm curious to meet her as well."

"Oh, redoubtable, is she?" Kazumi says, grinning. "She'll be excited to hear that."

"Sure, though I should warn you that she really is a bit of a mad scientist," you say, ignoring the relief unspooling in your chest. Things would have gotten awkward, given that you'd promised Homura and Sayaka to keep an eye on Oriko and Kirika while you were away from Mitakihara. "Like. Not kidding at all."

"Only a bit of a mad scientist?" Kazumi says. Her grin widens, malicious glee dancing in her eyes. "I'm demoting you on her behalf, O&K move up the rankings."

"Wh- there's rankings?" you demand.

"Sure there are!" Kazumi chirps. "Unfortunately, you're down a rank. But anyway!" She claps her hands. "Let's not keep everyone waiting. Mirai, can you bring 'em to Niko?"

"'course, 'zumi," Mirai says. "I'll come find you afterwards!"

"Hang on, I want to know more about these rankings, what rankings are thes-" Mami takes your elbow and firmly steers you after Mirai, Kazumi waving cheerfully and nudging Kyouko to head off the corridor back the way you'd come from, Yuma sticking close to them. Oriko and Kirika trail after you, Yuki a step behind with her hands tucked under her cloak and an air of faint amusement.

You're real tempted to follow Kyouko with a bit of Grief so you can eavesdrop on them - you've created an entire mechanical eye out of Grief before, eavesdropping through nanofog would be all but trivial if you actually wanted to. But that would be a betrayal of their trust and rude to boot, so instead, you take a moment to nod at Oriko as she pads after you.

"Thanks, Oriko," you mutter to her.

She gives you a blank stare.

"For nothing, I'm sure," she says.

You chuckle softly and leave it at that, following Mirai to an elevator and down to a basement level, stepping out into what could at first glance be the storage deck of a museum - but definitely isn't the storage area of this museum, rows upon rows of shelves squeezed along the walls of the corridor and festooned with also sorts of plastic lumps and broken machinery and electronics and crystals and other, less identifiable objects, most in various states of half-hearted dissection or even seemingly half-melted and resolidified.

Yuki examines the shelves curiously as you pass, leaning in to stare at the various doodads.

"Couple months of junkyard raiding," Mirai supplies the unasked question with a grin. "And then Niko abandoning projects halfway, across. But don't worry, we'll keep her on track for the important stuff."

"I heard that!" A blonde head with a teal green aviator's cap and goggles pulled down over what you know to be blue eyes pokes out of another side door.

"You do keep abandoning projects, dear," Mirai says fondly, stepping forward to hug Niko - and then springing back, her nose wrinkling. "What have you gotten into?"

"Formaldehyde!" Niko says cheerfully, and ugh, now you can definitely smell the acrid fumes wafting out of the room behind her.

"That... doesn't sound safe?" Mami says mildly, raising an eyebrow.

"Safe enough, it's not like we need to breathe much, righ- ow, ow, ow, ow!" Niko's interrupted by Mirai pinching her cheek, Mirai's eyes glinting hard despite her cheerful smile.

"It's safe, right, dear?" Mirai says, her tone and expression perfectly pleasant and yet somehow utterly threatening. "You're not hurting yourself again, right?"

"Y-yes! Definitely! I'll turn up the ventilation asap!" Niko says, flailing. "Anyway, come in! Heard you had a project for me?"

"Yeah," you say, letting Niko lead you into the room, the narrow confines forcing everyone to squeeze single file, Mirai trailing at the rear.

It's not that much different from the corridors outside, rows of metal-framed wooden shelves groaning with odds and ends of all sorts, lit from above with flurorescents and stinking of formaldehyde. The source of the latter you find at what you presume is Niko's actual work area: shelves pushed aside, a table scored with scorchmarks, and a small washtub-sized cylinder of glass, open-topped and filled with what seems to be, well, formaldehyde. Niko hurries off to one side with an admonishment to stick around, and you hear the crackle of bare electric wires, a yelp, then a distant rumble of fans.

Niko marches back, smoking slightly and dusting her hands off, and leans in to press a kiss to Mirai's lips before grinning at you, Mirai looking fond even as she tries to pat out Niko's gloves.

"So. Kazumi said something to do with bodies, right?" Niko says, a manic gleam in her eye.

"... yyyyyyes," you say. "But I'm looking for, uh, the opposite of, uh. Of what you've got going on here?"

"Ah? Ah," Niko says, deflating and giving the tank of preserving fluid a disappointed look. "Dammit."

"Yeah," you say, floating the box of Soul Gems over to you, checking over the precious cargo - and while you're at it, checking their Witch names. "We... had an encounter with someone who went around stealing Soul Gems, and, uh. Not their bodies."

"Hoo," Niko says. "OK, you don't dream small, huh?"

She taps her chin thoughtfully, staring at the gleaming Gems. And just out of lingering paranoia, and because you know Hijiri Kanna's still running free, you check Niko's Witch Name too, just to be sure it's really her. The whisper of Hecate at the back of your mind is both reassuring and not, a spectral voice unheard in your ears that nevertheless informs you in no uncertain terms that yes, this is Niko in front of you.

"I've got ideas," Niko says finally. "Heck, I tried at one point, but there wasn't a point to that project. But I... ugh, this ain't gonna be fast. And I think I might..."

She scowls at the ceiling.

"So it's common knowledge that we can regrow extremities, and it comes out looking exactly like the original, right down to scars and tattoos if you had any, yeah?" she says, her hands fluttering in the air as if to shape out a body. "The soul carries that information, and virtually every magical healing process can extract that information. Kaoru's magic can, Umika's can, mine can't, but that's more or less besides the point. The point I wanted to make is that I... every magical girl is unique, and decoding that info in a sort of one-size-fits-all way? Basically impossible. Not saying I'm not willing, it's a worthy cause, but I'm saying it's something that needs to be redone for every Soul Gem you've got there."

"But what of ordinary healers?" Yuki asks, tilting her head. "Are they not a one-size-fits-all solution? After all, most healers don't have to do much more than wave their hand or wand, or perhaps make skin contact to heal - including the restoration of aforementioned tattoos and scars."

"Yyyyeah, but Wish magic is... Wish magic," Niko says. "If you can find a magical girl who can heal from nothing, that's my entire job done and you don't need me. Maybe someone who wished to be, oh, whatshisname, the guy from western comics with the uh-" She makes a fist, miming vaguely at claws.

"Wolverine?" Kirika beats you to answering, grinning and popping out a set of her own claws.

"That's the one!" Niko says, snapping her fingers and pointing at Kirika. "That kind of bullshit is what you need. It probably exists, but most magical girls need something to heal from. Which... actually, find me a strong healer and it'll cut the time to a quarter - figure out what's the minimum she needs and do that instead of trying to grow a whole-ass body."

"... huh, alright, that makes sense," you concede. "I know a couple of strong healers, so I can ask around. Do you have a rough estimate of what you can do?"

Sayaka's collection of powers might help, but then again, she might not have the mastery of them to push them like that. Yuma can certainly heal, and she can certainly heal well, so... maybe. Rin might be able to do it, but you don't really have a good feel for the intricacies of her power. The Murasaki Shrine maidens have two healers, if you recall correctly? It might be worth asking.

"More than a day, less than a week. I think? I'll be honest, I've never tried this before, so I don't know for sure," Niko says, scowling. "Unless you find a really weird healer, it's not as simple as just growing a lump of cloned flesh, you know. I need to figure out a way to instantiate something of them. Of identity."

Mirai turns mildly green, clashing with the lavender of her hair.

"... let me know if any of them wake up and panic or anything like that, or if you need to wake them up," you say. "The kidnappers laid some kind of stasis effect on them."

"Yeah, I noticed that. Will do," Niko says, nodding. She kicks the tank of formaldehyde, making some of it slosh over the side. "Now, if that's all, I need to get rid of this, apparently."

"Do not pour it down the drain!" Mirai says. "Also, Miss Mikuni here wanted to meet you?"

"I know, I know, I'll just... there's a tank around here somewhere, I just need to find it," Niko grumbles, before turning to Oriko. "But yes! Hi!"

"A pleasure," Oriko says, smiling and inclining her head. "But I'm afraid that I have no grand project for you or anything of the sort, I just wanted to meet you in person after hearing about you from Sabrina."

"Ah, my reputation precedes me, does it?" Niko says, grinning. "Probably for the better, though, I'm gonna have my hands full with this one. Nice to meetcha, Miss Mikuni."

They exchange a few pleasantries, and you bid Niko farewell and good luck, then Mirai ushers you back upstairs - through a different door out of the lab, a different corridor, and a different set of stairs to take you to a... living room. It's a lovely living room, airy and spacious, provided you can overlook the sense of decor, with teddy-bear embroidered cushions on the sofas, teddy-bear print wallpaper, teddy-bear-head-shaped lamp, teddy-bear-head-shaped table with teddy-bear-head-shaped teapot and teddy-bear-shaped-plates with teddy-bear-shaped mochi.

... the sofa is perfectly comfortable, though. You nod at Umika, exchanging greetings as you all settle in - except for Mirai, who blows a kiss at Umika before hurrying off.

"I must admit, I was surprised to hear that you wanted to meet with me," Umika says, raising an eyebrow at you after serving everyone tea. "What can I help you with, Miss Vee?"

"Not me, per-se," you say. "It's for Oriko here."

"Indeed," Oriko says, and explains her dilemma of losing her precognition magic and the attendant prophecies that she actually foresaw. Umika nods along, eyes narrowing in thought.

"I am uncertain if I can do it," she says finally. "Memory, yes, been there, done that, it's perfect for when I had a good idea to write and then forgot it. Or if we're out shopping and Kazumi left the grocery list at home again. I've... never even thought about something like this."

"But Ori-" Kirika jolts off her sofa, already prepared to argue the point, only for Umika to cut her off.

"However!" Umika declares, pushing her glasses up to glint under the lights. "I'm more than willing to try."

"Oh," Kirika says, subsiding back onto the sofa.

"Will there be anything private, by the by?" Yuki asks, setting her teacup down with a decisive clink. "I am perfectly willing to step outside if so."

"I don't... believe so," Oriko says, glancing sidelong at you.

"Not that you ever told me about, Oriko?" you say. You appreciate the hand-off, that cautious just-in-case. "And maybe it's actively helpful if you stay and listen in, Miss Tsuruya? Less to repeat, if we do dredge up something from Oriko's memories. Still, your memories, so... final say is yours, Oriko."

"Don't worry about privacy issues," Umika adds brightly. "My magic is true writing, it goes exactly as far as you pass around what you wrote. And you can always just scratch over it if you need to hide something in particular."

"In that case, I have no problem with it," Oriko decides after a moment of consideration and a fortifying sip of tea. "If anything... embarrassing should come up, then I will consider that a small price to pay for peace of mind."

"Though on that note, I would still like to put up a privacy field, to ensure that it goes no further than the six of us here - just to be careful about unwanted eavesdroppers or scryers and such," you say. Or Kyuubey, you mentally append. "Though, er, it is going to have that Witchy sensation. So... if that's alright with everyone?"

"I'll let everyone know," Umika decides as a round of general agreement goes around the room.

"Alright, then... let me know when," you say, reaching sideways into hammerspace to pull out a blob of enchanted Grief, moulding it lightly between your hands.

Umika takes just a moment to confirm that the rest of the Saints are fine with it, which is your cue. All it takes now is a moment of concentration, of focus to impress your will upon the world, the magic-saturated Grief flowing into the familiar shape of a circlet set upon a pedestal, the sensation of Witch, Witch, Witch beating a familiar pressure against your senses and the world beyond hazing to blurry darkness.

Yuki looks the most unsettled by far, leaning back in the sofa as if to try and get away from it even as she fixes it with a curious stare. Umika seems fascinated, craning her head to examine your construct, while Oriko and Kirika both give it a look before settling back. Mami, nestled into your side, lifts her head as you set the construct down on the table, then smiles and takes your now-free hand.

"And we are secure?" Umika asks, glancing around at the hazed darkness surrounding you.

"Yeah," you say. "You can walk through the field, but no sound, no light, not magic, nothing gets through to the outside. Um. Sorry, Miss Tsuruya."

"It's merely something I have to get used to," she says, shaking her head. "It just feels... unusual, to be sitting at ease while my instincts are screaming at me that there's a Witch nearby."

"It is something that one can get used to," Mami offers. "There's a distinct note of Sabrina in there that distinguishes it from ordinary Witch barriers - not something that's easily picked out, unfortunately, but it's somehow reassuring, I've found."

Yuki nods slowly, a frown stealing across her forehead.

"... mind if I test something, Miss Vee?" Umika asks after a moment.

"By all means?" you say.

Umika flicks her hands, a leather-bound book appearing between them in a burst of cobalt light, and flips it open to a blank page. Another flash of light is a feather quill, lavish with magic that all but blazes in your mind's eye, shimmering a rich azure under the light. Umika holds it over the page, and... hesitates, her brow knitting in confusion and strain even as the magic writhes within the quill.

"... impressive," she allows after a moment, her hand unmoving. "Nothing at all. Alright."

She nods, makes that book vanish in a sparkle of light, and then produces a much plainer and slimmer volume which she tosses at Oriko, Kirika catching it for her. Another flick of Umika's wrist launches the quill at Kirika, who snatches it out of the air without hesitation.

"Alright. That's just an empty book," she says. "I'll vanish it when we finish up here, so there'll be no records left but what's in our heads. Now, Miss Mikuni - focus on what you want to know, and let your hand write. I'd also recommend closing your eyes, it can feel pretty weird."

Oriko nods hesitantly, retrieving both from Kirika and flipping the book open on her lap. Her gaze flickers over to Kirika, then you.

"Don't let me fall into the same trap I did before," she murmurs, and sets the quill to the page, shutting her eyes firmly.

A moment of silence, then a scrape of quill on paper. Another. Oriko's lips thin as she begins to write in earnest, the sound of the quill scratching over the page the only sound in the bubble of privacy, everyone seeming to hold their breath in anticipation.

Seconds pass, then a minute, then two - and Oriko's hand slows down and stops, a frown spreading across her forehead.

"I... there is a... certain amount of resistance, though it's ignorable," she says, her eyes still shut. She hesitates, then shuts the book with a snap that seems to echo through the confines of your privacy. She holds it out to you. "But let us take this as a start."

Mami hums, shifting off your shoulder and pointedly looking away at the ceiling so you can read in privacy.

"Resistance, huh?" Umika says, adjusting her glasses again. "I can't say I've ever encountered that before, but I suppose we're talking about the interaction between Wishes, so I suppose it's not unreasonable?"

Of course, that barely impinges. Written on the page in Oriko's neat handwriting are just two sentences.

The Law is broken. She searches for the missing fragment.

[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

It didn't fit in the text properly, but Hestia and Pistis are Yuki and Yuma's Witches respectively, since I don't believe that's come up before.

... and because I've been bad about updating my own damn notes about these things, if they have come up before, then that's my bad.

Also! I'll be taking a break until the new year. I've got some thinking and some plotting to do, in any case, so I reckon this is a good point to call it for the year. So, until 2024 - see you all! I'll be back, never fear.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] Hug Oriko
-[X] Reassure her that we aren't going to let her backslide, and thank her for being brave enough to face this.
[X] Explain we're here because Oriko predicted she was going to die and we're trying to get information on her killer so we can save her.
-[X] I've been calling this entity Feathers because Oriko said her visions were obscured by feathers when it acted.
-[X] Sayaka was transported into a Witch barrier before her contract, and when it happened, Oriko's vision of it was obscured by those same feathers.
[X] Provide booster construct to help with the resistance
[X] To Oriko:
-[X] Ask Oriko, in some cases to be answered with UmikaMagic
--[X] If she wants to answer privately to her question or when showing any answers, facilitate that.
-[X] What her question was
-[X] If she knows what "Law" and "she" refer to
-[X] What she was thinking when she said you and Homura could change destiny
-[X] What the feathers that were obscuring her visions looked like, relative to The Feather.
-[X] What she remembers about the attack on Sayaka
-[X] Where she was and what she was doing when she saw herself dying
[X] for yourself, Iterate through...
-[X] Everything Oriko wants to ask.
-[X] Your own questions about...
--[X] Your status before you woke up in the alley
--[X] Where your clothes came from (in the alley)
--[X] What you've done when tranced, when it was significant
--[X] What you recall Homura's feathers are supposed to look like
--[X] Why your potential was strange
--[X] Who the voice you've been hearing belongs to
--[X] "Who is dreaming?"
--[X] Where is the missing fragment?
[X] Show Umika the feather and see what she can get from it.

"Well she can't have me, I'm taken," you carefully don't say.

Instead, you purse your lips, eyeing Oriko, who's only now opening her eyes to give you a curious look. The only person to have laid eyes on what's written so far is you, and you have to decide who to tell about it - and more upsettingly than the knowledge itself, you have to make said decision under the expectant and curious looks of your friends.

That's not to say that it's not a damn bombshell, laid out in Oriko's flawlessly neat handwriting. Just two sentences, not even a full line across a page of the notebook Umika provided for the endeavour.

The Law is broken. She searches for the missing fragment.

There are vanishingly few interpretations of those two sentences, given what you know.

The Law of Cycles. Madoka's Law, the backbone of her ascension as a goddess that once upon a never, the salvation of magical girls. Except Madoka's right there at school, flesh and blood and alive and happily working through classes and not a disembodied concept of reality. Not just an unfading ribbon and lingering memories in the mind of Homura.

If the Law exists, then that once upon a never has already come to pass. Then Madoka has already sacrificed herself. To save every magical girl that had ever and will ever exist, to save every Witch before they could be born. To become a being that has no beginning and has no end, because she took her own end in hand and told it, 'It's OK now. You don't have to be a monster.'

If the Law exists, then once upon a never, Homura was left to linger. Not alone, for Madoka could never be so cruel, but... bereft.

If the Law exists, and if the Law is broken, then that once upon a never, Homura... snapped. Drunk on Grief, drunk on despair, drunk on love, she tore Madoka from the Law. Because only in Madoka's own self-sacrificing love could Madoka be so cruel to herself, to condemn herself to fight forever, far, far away from those who loved her, and how could Homura possibly accept that? So she took up the mantle of the devil, the dark goddess to oppose Madoka's light and render her human again.

None of this has happened yet. Once upon a never, in futures unwound and unmoored, it has come to pass.

And then... what? Do you assume that this happened in the acausal past, before another Wish wrenched back acausality to a point Witches exist? To give one more chance for a happy ending? Are Madoka and Homura both their ascended selves, their divinities suppressed? Is that why Oriko warned you that Homura must never know of Madoka's potential?

Your mind whirls, racing through the implications. How much to tell, how much to explain, how much is dangerous to share...

Mami's hand on your elbow grounds you, jolting you from your circling thoughts, and you shoot her a grateful smile.

"Oriko," you say lightly, tapping the book. "If this is the answer, I have to ask - what was the question? Was it 'what would cause Sabrina to develop a stress ulcer?'"

Oriko raises an eyebrow at you.

"... is it that bad?" she ventures. "The question I asked was 'what is the most important thing that I didn't communicate?'"

"It's... concerning," you say, and sigh. "Alright. First things first: Oriko. Thank you for being brave enough to face this. And of course we're not going to let you backslide. That's a promise from me, and in the astronomically unlikely event that something gets past Kirika, I'll help keep you on track too. OK?"

You shoot Mami a quick smile, and stand to walk over to give Oriko a firm hug. And sure, it's a little awkward, with all eyes on you, but... people are important. It helps to see the relief in Oriko's eyes, and Kirika's bright, fanged grin at you as you settle back next to Mami, wrapping your arm around her waist so she can burrow into your side.

"So what, exactly, is this about?" Yuki asks, emerald eyes sharp as she props her chin on her fist.

"Right, yes, sorry," you say, taking a breath. "So. Oriko's original magic was prophecy, but it mutated into clairvoyance after some, uh, life-changing revelations. But one of the things she did predict was her own death, and, y'know. I'm not letting that happen."

Umika pushes her glasses up, straightening fully on the sofa.

"You really should have started with that, Miss Oriko," she says, a gleam of interest in her eyes. "A murder mystery is right up my alleyway."

"Oh?" you say. "... does your true writing work better if there's a narrative to it?"

"... not as such, but it's my area of interest," Umika concedes, and you're rather forcibly reminded that she is a writer.

"Ah," you say, gaze flickering to Oriko for a moment. She looks mildly put out by the avid interest directed her way, but she doesn't seem to be about to say anything, so you let it pass.

"What all do we know of our... opponent?" Yuki asks.

"Very little. Oriko's magic changing also took most of her prophecies with it - it's why we're hoping that Miss Misaki's magic can recover more of it," you explain, and scowl at the ceiling. "And it's already borne fruit, but not in a way that's immediately relevant. Anyway. I've been calling the entity Feathers, because Oriko's visions have been invariably obscured by, well, feathers when it happens."

"What kind of feathers?" Umika asks.

"Black feathers, about yea big-" you hold up your hands forty centimeters apart, "-and, like. Hard flight feathers, not soft display feathers. Though, uh, we should double-check that, Oriko? That's what I know, so we should confirm that with your visions via Miss Misaki's power."

Even with that said, you're... pretty sure. Those feathers are like those of no living bird. Larger than any real bird, midnight black in a way that no real creature would have. That one feather is still tucked away in your hammerspace, enfolded in Grief and watched by a sliver of your mind at all times. It hasn't done anything, but you also know there's no bird that it could possibly belong to.

"Mm," Yuki says, frowning in consideration. "I've heard that Walpurgisnacht can appear in the physical world, without a Barrier, or perhaps by subsuming an entire region within its Barrier. It stands to reason that there might be other Witches that can do so. Is it simply a matter of power?"

She cracks a thin, sharp smirk.

"If nothing else, we could consider it a warmup against the coming fight against Walpurgisnacht," she adds. "Thwarting a prophecy sounds like something to burnish our reputations with."

"It's not a Witch, I'm afraid," Oriko says. "Witches, I can -could- forsee without issue."

"A magical girl, then?" Yuki says, giving Oriko a long, considering look. "Your clairvoyance might be different from your... foresight, but your powers were recently defeated by the Iowa group. Magical girls who Wish to be able to hide are... not uncommon, unfortunately."

"There's a confounding incident, one that has already happened," you interject. "At one point, before Sayaka made her Wish, she was... teleported practically into a Witch's Barrier, and Witch-kissed. Oriko's vision of the event was similarly obscured by the feathers."

You're eliding the fact that the Witch in question was Elsa Maria, a Witch that has been... associated with Sayaka, to say the least. So too are you eliding the fact that you'd been messing with a Barrier of your own at the time. And that is the self-same incident that produced the singular feather you have, to boot. None of that you say out loud, because these are dangerous, dangerous waters to tread.

"I see," Yuki says, frowning sharply. "Why was I not told of this before?"

You hesitate. You don't really want to air out Oriko's dirty laundry, even if Yuki's a friend.

"It is no fault of Sabrina's. We were enemies, owing to my actions in the beginning," Oriko says bluntly, staring Yuki down. "And I was... mildly suicidal. I've since reconsidered both stances, but this is, truthfully, the first time the topic has come up in any cohesive way since then."

"Ah," Yuki says, her frown lightening, then she nods. "I understand. In that case, thank you for telling me now. Does Miss Nakano know?"

"No, but I should also say that I don't really expect everyone to..." you trail off, a frown of your own developing. You don't expect to call in everyone for this threat, but you'd all signed onto a mutual defense pact, and you could just make it an exception, but you feel like Yuki in particular might take offense at the notion.

Judging by the amusement that flickers across her face, you've gotten predictable enough for her to figure out what you're thinking.

Mami giggles, taking your hand between both of hers, her fingers tracing over the back of your hand.

"... yes, well, anyway," you say. "So. That's the only... definitive action that Feathers has taken, so far. And, uh, yeah, I've been calling it Feathers, since that's the only identifiable thing about it that we know of."

There is, perhaps, one other name you could put to it.

Homura.

Homura had wings. Black feathers, a dark counterpart to Madoka's ethereal wings.

But that possibility you keep to yourself, for now.

"Which brings us to the current fact-finding session," Yuki says with a nod. She leans forward to collect her cup of tea, then settles back with an air of placid acceptance. "Thank you for explaining."

"Yeah, I'm more than glad to lend my help to a worthy cause like this," Umika says, bright interest undimmed. "Not that, er, I wasn't going to help anyway. You know what I mean."

"Yes, well, uh... on that note, question for you before we continue, Miss Misaki," you say. "I can also create a magic booster that amplifies, well, magic in general by reinforcing it with my own. Would it help here?"

Umika looks thoughtful, collecting a teddy-bear-head-shaped mochi from the teddy-bear-shaped plate on the teddy-bear-shaped table before you and popping it into her mouth, chewing as she thinks.

"It might, but I doubt it," she says after swallowing. "The quill is a direct manifestation of my magic, and it might benefit, but it's rarely about power. It is possible to use magic to resist my magic, but something like that is pretty noticeable. So perhaps if something like that comes up? Otherwise, I doubt it would be useful."

"Alright, fair enough," you say with a shrug. "Then... I guess it's back to you, Oriko. Though I'm curious?"

You toss the book back at her, Kirika catching it for her once more. You wait for her to open the book and look at what she wrote, her brows knitting in confusion.

"... I was gonna ask if you knew anything about that, but judging from that look, probably not?" you venture.

"Not at all," Oriko admits. "'The Law is-'" She breaks off, giving you a curious look, but you just gesture for her to continue. "'The Law is broken. She searches for the missing fragment.' I... have no idea what that's referring to."

She casts a look at Umika.

"Hey, don't look at me," Umika says, shaking her head. "I am... nowhere near an expert on the interaction between powers."

"You seemed to have an idea, Miss Vee?" Yuki asks, the emerald-green of her eyes sharp.

"I do, but... mm," you say, hesitating. "Let's just say it's a message for me, with a lot of context that isn't mine to share. And... arguably dangerous to share." You bite the inside of your cheek. "I can promise that I will tell everyone if it becomes relevant, but for now, trust me, please?"

Yuki nods slowly, holding your gaze and tucking her arms back under her cloak, practically disappearing into the fabric.

"I'll accept that for now," she says. "Your judgement has been sound for the most part, and while I would like to register my concerns about the topic, I am entirely cognizant of how information can be dangerous. But please do keep in mind that the less we know about this threat, the less we can do about it, Miss Vee. "

"I can tell Kazumi about this later, right?" Umika says.

"Preferably under cover of proper privacy measures," you say, motioning towards the interdiction field sitting on the table. "I... especially do not want the white rat getting even the slightest whiff of this."

"Understandable, gotcha," Umika says. "Full privacy only."

"I admit I'm deeply curious," Oriko says. "But I'll trust your judgement on this too, Sabrina." The ghost of a smile dances on her lips. "If only to avoid chasing my thoughts in spirals on the matter, I suppose. Having some paths flatly denied is annoying but helps me to focus on what's in front of me."

Kirika hugs her even as you exhale, relieved.

You're sure you know Mami's answer, but even so, you're not going to take her for granted, so you glance at her - only to find her already smiling back at you, golden eyes meeting yours steadily for a moment as she nods. She trusts you, and... there's gratitude in the way her smile widens and her fingers interlacing with yours.

"Thanks, everyone," you say, looking around the group and meeting everyone's gazes for a moment. "For trusting me. I promise I'll do my very best to uphold that trust."

Umika chuckles lightly.

"You're the one with an overview on the situation," she says. "And Kazumi trusts you, so I trust you. But that surely wasn't the only question you wanted answered, right?"

"Ah, yeah!" you say. "Mm... Oriko? You can take the lead on this one for any questions you want - I've got a few to follow up, and... I'd like to try it myself if possible, Miss Misaki?"

"Oh, answering some of your own questions?" Umika says. "Of course, but keep in mind that my power doesn't just pull information out of thin air. You can try things like hypotheticals, but if there's no way at all of knowing, it's not going to work. Admittedly, the only thing you'll waste is time and a bit of my magic in the attempt."

"Understood," you say, exchanging a look with Oriko. "I'll be happy to cleanse your Soul Gem if you want?"

"No need," Umika says with a grin. "It's an excuse to stick with Kazumi for a bit."

"Ah," you say, nodding solemnly. "Then... it's in your hands, Oriko."

"Of course," she says, and takes a deep breath, her voice slipping into a steady, measured cadence, one she might have been taught for public speaking. "I'll state my questions out loud for everyone, and save us some time. As such: second question. Who is the entity that kills me, in my visions?"

She sets the quill to her book and... pauses, her hand unmoving. She purses her lips for a moment, then shrugs.

"Third question," she continues. "What is the entity that kills me?"

And when that doesn't yield a response either, she sighs.

"Why does the entity kill me?" is her next question, and to your lack of surprise, there is no answer. She's trying to probe her visions, and motivation is something that would be difficult to divine at the best of times, after all. Still, she seems undaunted, continuing with, "When does the entity kill me?"

Scratch. The quill moves with surety over the paper, multiple lines. Yuki's eyes snap to the booklet, thoughtful, while Kirika stiffens.

"A list of dates and times," Oriko reports, grimacing. "The last one being Tuesday, the twenty-sixth of April. As we've previously discussed, then. Next. Where does the entity kill me?"

More scratches of the quill over paper, unrelentingly filling in the page, and the next, Oriko's expression steadily becoming more drawn until she forcibly yanks her hand away.

"A... very comprehensive list of locations," she notes, shaking her hand out. "All over Mitakihara, and less so in various locations across Japan, including Asunaro." She frowns. "Seemingly not beyond its borders, however."

"Does that mean we might be able to prevent it by moving you out of Japan?" Yuki asks.

"I am... uncertain," Oriko admits, and sighs. "My magic did not envision a future where I left Japan, but was that because I simply would not have been able to set aside the opportunity to influence events here? Would I always have thought that it was something I could fight, or maybe something I would have accepted as my fate?"

"Point taken," Yuki says.

"Moving on to the next question, then," Oriko says, setting the quill once more to the page. "How does the entity kill me?"

Silence - which Oriko seems undeterred by.

"Who, why, when, where, and how," Oriko says after a moment. "With not too many answers forthcoming. Next, the... attack on Miss Miki. We know the when and where, of course, leaving three questions."

To your total lack of surprise, 'who' goes unanswered, as does 'how' - but as she asks 'why', the quill jolts into motion. Judging by the flinch and the way Oriko stares at her hand, she hadn't expected an answer there, either.

"It was ordained by fate," she reads out a moment later, expression drawn. "What does that even mea- wait. What, specifically, was the vision that led me to conclude that?"

Scratch.

"... I apparently foresaw Miss Miki's death at the hands of that Witch," Oriko says slowly. "But my prophecy was overwritten twice over, first by Sabrina's actions, then by the entity's actions, and ultimately defied once again by Sabrina."

"... what?" you say, blinking. "Does that... OK, so... you're saying Sayaka was destined to die there, but I changed her fate, and the entity... tried to course-correct reality, and then I defied fate definitively by saving her? Well, Mami, Homura, and I."

"Apparently so," Oriko says, staring down at the book.

"Why Miss Miki?" Yuki asks, her brow creasing. "Why her specifically, and why then?"

[] How do you answer?
- [] Gloss over it; admit your own uncertainty
- [] Write-in
[x] Vote in abeyance
[] While trying to divine answers about yourself...
- [] Conceal the answers from everyone else
- [] Don't bother concealing the answers
-- [] How do you address your friends' curiosity?
--- [] Write-in

Spoiler: Vote in abeyance

[X] for yourself, Iterate through...
-[X] Everything Oriko wants to ask.
-[X] Your own questions about...
--[X] Your status before you woke up in the alley
--[X] Where your clothes came from (in the alley)
--[X] What you've done when tranced, when it was significant
--[X] What you recall Homura's feathers are supposed to look like
--[X] Why your potential was strange
--[X] Who the voice you've been hearing belongs to
--[X] "Who is dreaming?"
--[X] Where is the missing fragment?

=====​

New year, new start! A bit later than I had intended, and jetlag is still kicking my ass a bit, but it's good to be back in the saddle! I'll try and keep the updates rolling.

Also, I dropped the line to show Umika the feather for brevity, because I can say that she'll get nothing from it - you can vote it back in if you want, though.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] I don't know
[X] Speculation:
-[X] Sabrina doesn't exist in the main timeline she knows about through her metaknowledge.
--[X] Incidentally, if that's destiny, fuck destiny.
-[X] Perhaps Sabrina can change things, but Feathers crudely shoves things back on track when Sabrina's back is turned.
-[X] Oriko said Sabrina and Homura working together could change destiny. Perhaps Homura's involvement can "lock in" changes.
--[X] Sabrina and Homura are not united on Oriko. If this is true, fixing that is how we save Oriko.
[X] Oriko questions:
-[X] Can you confirm or deny the speculation?
--[X] If not, what did you mean when you said that?
-[X] In your first answer: Who is "she"? What is the missing fragment? Why is "she" searching for it? Where is it?
[X] Sabrina questions
-[X] Don't conceal answers about Sabrina
[X] Explain Madokami's ascension and the Rebellion
-[X] Don't identify Homura or Madoka
-[X] Don't mention the loops or why Madoka's potential was so high
-[X] Avoid the Witchbomb. The Law of Cycles wish was to eliminate Witches before they're born. Don't elaborate further.
[X] for yourself, Iterate through...
-[X] Everything Oriko wants to ask.
-[X] Your own questions about...
--[X] Your status before you woke up in the alley
--[X] Where your clothes came from (in the alley)
--[X] What you've done when tranced, when it was significant
--[X] What you recall Homura's feathers are supposed to look like
--[X] Why your potential was strange
--[X] Who the voice you've been hearing belongs to
--[X] "Who is dreaming?"
--[X] Where is the missing fragment?

You suck in a breath between your teeth. That's a tricky question to answer, isn't it? You think you know what that might be, but you have to be careful about what you reveal, because much of it isn't yours to reveal. But then, your friends and allies deserve to know, and... maybe this is the time to do it.

"I... don't know," you say, then amend, "Not for sure."

"Not for sure?" Yuki echoes sharply.

"I have speculation," you say. "And..." You sigh. "So. I have speculation that is based on some knowledge of my own about a possible future. Call it a one-off, extremely limited precognitive event, let's say?"

Yuki arches an eyebrow, setting down her teacup and focusing entirely on you. She's not the only one either, the levity fading from Umika's face as she, too, turns her full attention on you, blue eyes intent behind her glasses.

"I have knowledge of a potential future," you say slowly. You've been sitting on these secrets for too long - and maybe you can't reveal the whole truth, but... it's relevant, here and now. "It's by no means guaranteed or anything, but well... if that's destiny, then fuck destiny."

"Ah. Walpurgisnacht?" Yuki says, her expression one of intense concentration. You can practically see the gears whirling behind her eyes, working through the implications with ferocious energy.

"... I was wondering how you knew about that," Umika says. "I actually tried to divine it, but came up empty-handed."

"That's part of it," you say. "But I... OK, so. I..."

You rub your hand over your face, closing your eyes briefly. You've been sitting on this particular secret for so long. And sure, you trust your friends. But you've been sitting on this particular secret for so long, even as it burned to keep these secrets from your friends. And they deserve to know, but you're just... afraid.

Afraid of things going wrong.

Afraid of your friends being scared off.

Afraid of Kyuubey finding out.

A gentle squeeze of your hand grounds you, warm fingers tracing over the back of your palm, then your wrist. You shiver, leaning into Mami's presence even as you manage a smile for her.

"Take your time, Sabrina," Mami says softly. "I'm sure nobody here insists that you tell everything right this moment, right?"

"Certainly not," Yuki says. Her eyes remain intent, but she leans back deliberately. "As Miss Tomoe says - please take your time."

"Right, yeah," you say, taking a shuddering breath, then another. "First. I... some things I will gloss over. Feel free to ask for more detail, and I'll clarify as I can, but... a lot of this is just not my story to tell. It's interwoven with other peoples' stories and secrets, you know?"

You can't help but regret that Sayaka's not here, you have to say. She deserves to know as well, after all.

"Of course," Yuki says, nodding.

"So," you say, chewing on your lower lip. "The Witch that Sayaka was... shoved into? was one that was significant to Sayaka in the future I'm aware of. That much I know for a fact, and also that prior to the intervention of, ah, Feathers, Sayaka was nowhere near that Witch. So I speculate that Feathers was trying to do some kind of... course correction?"

Yuki shudders.

"I hope you take no offense, but that is a terrifying thing to say, Miss Vee," she says.

"... well, it might be slightly more reassuring to note that I can change that future, and I have been working on exactly that to make sure all my friends are safe," you say, meeting her eyes steadily. "I'm... sorry that it's come up like this, but just... Ugh. I hope you understand why I've wanted to be cautious about this whole thing. It's less a can of worms and more Jormungandr in a tin."

"Certainly I understand," Yuki says, inclining her head - but her frown remains unabated, her arms folded within the depths of her cloak. "But I trust you understand in turn my concern."

"Yeah," you say grimacing and rubbing your face. "... Sorry."

"To be clear, I have no intention of breaking off our alliance," Yuki says, turning her glare fully on you. "My word is law, and I remain convinced of the worth of being your ally, especially in the longer term. But I expect you to respect that you are asking a lot of us all. And I think it is far from unreasonable to say that we want to know the full scope of this... issue so I can better understand what I'm facing."

You exhale, quashing the flare of guilt. In some ways, it's almost a relief to be rebuked like this. You've been keeping secrets, and of course people aren't happy with that. And it's not like you're glad to be scolded, but there's a certain rightness to the pushback. You're not the sole person with a stake in this, not the single person guiding your collective courses.

"... more than fair," you admit, squeezing Mami's hand in yours and drawing strength from the touch. "Alright. So. The next thing... the reason I'm confident that we're not particularly doomed or anything is that I'm not in that future that I know about, despite it being something that I would intervene in, you know?"

Mami's hand tightens for a moment, and you can feel the tension abruptly thrumming through her body for a moment before she deliberately relaxes, nestling a little more firmly into your side.

"So you believe your actions are... a sort of spoiler, against that future," Yuki says, pursing her lips. "And... ah, I see. That's the source of your confidence in changing the future that you foresaw. Have you verified this? That is to say, you have definitively encountered an event that you foresaw, and through your actions, caused a different outcome?"

"Yes, I have," you say firmly. "Too many such instances to even begin listing, frankly, and the effects have rippled out, to say the least, and things are already substantially different." You chuckle lightly. "That we're even having this conversation is proof."

"And I can verify it, from a different angle," Oriko says. "Sabrina has defied my foresight many times over."

Silence settles in, thick and cloying and full of busy thoughts - Yuki looking pensive, and Umika looking almost... excited. Contemplative, but excited. Oriko's eyes flick over to you, seafoam green meeting yours for a second, before she smiles slightly and collects her teacup from the table once more, taking the moment to snuggle up against Kirika.

You... have a question on the tip of your tongue. Oriko once said that you and Homura could change destiny, and you want to confirm that. It may just be that without the both of you aligned on a topic, Feathers has an opportunity to slip in.

Homura's come around on Sayaka. Not totally, but thanks to you giving Homura the opportunity to see Sayaka in a different light, Homura's opinion of Sayaka has risen starkly. And you know that Homura knows that Sayaka dying would drag Madoka down, too.

And Feathers hasn't hit Sayaka since that first time. Granted, it was you who opened the door to it affecting the world, somehow, someway, with that incident with your Barrier - and you've been steadfast in not giving it another opportunity since then. Maybe it's just that Feathers hasn't had that opportunity. But you can't help but wonder.

Homura has not changed her opinion on Oriko...

... and Oriko prophesized her own death.

And so the question is: is it simply that you and Homura aren't aligned on the topic?

But.

This is one question you're not willing to voice out loud. Not here. You trust Yuki, and you'll extend the trust to the rest of her group. You trust Umika, and you trust Kazumi and rest of the Saints. But.

You don't know them.

You don't mind the focus on yourself. You're already someone who interacts oddly with magic, with destiny. If they haven't already put two and two together, especially with that entire oddity with Toshimichi Akane, then this conversation, here and now, only highlights it. You made a weird Wish, gaining weird power, and your very nature is weird, defying karma and destiny and time. You'll own that.

You do not want that sort of attention on Homura.

Homura doesn't want that sort of attention on her. And her secrets you have no qualms of keeping.

So you bite your tongue for now.

"So I've got a question, Oriko," you say as the silence drags out. "The first answer you got - do you have any sense of additional details or anything? Who is 'she', what is the missing fragme-"

Oriko's already shaking her head.

"I don't know. Miss Misaki's magic didn't restore my memory, just provided me with prompts," she says, and hesitates, setting her teacup down. "But I'll make the attempt to ask."

You nod, and as Oriko sets quill to paper once more, Yuki stirs.

"Miss Vee, it sounds to me that your vision of the future was a more... definite thing than Miss Mikuni's foresight," she says, fixing you with her gaze. "That is to say, Miss Mikuni had flashes that changed with circumstances, whereas you have knowledge of a singular course. Is that correct?"

"That's correct, yes," you say. "I... assume you want to know more of that?"

"You assume correctly," Yuki says.

"Well... I'll speak in the loosest of terms. Because, again, much of it isn't my place to tell," you say, meeting Yuki's eyes steadily. Because on this matter you will not be swayed. "And I must emphasize - please, please be careful of where and when you share the information about this. The results could- no, will be catastrophic if the information gets into the wrong hands, and I think you'll understand why."

Yuki motions for you to continue, her expression focused and giving nothing away. Umika also nods, that odd blend of excitement and consideration bubbling in her expression and posture.

It feels like you're standing on the edge of a precipice. The first time you've shared these secrets with anyone.

"Well. The crux of this is that at some point in the future, someone is- uh. Someone... will be going to make a Wish?" You scowl. "Tenses are hard. The Wish is to eliminate all Witches, before they're born, and that Wish gives rise to what's known as the Law of Cycles. And the magnitude of that Wish... that girl became an atemporal existence, becoming the Law itself. Because she Wished to eliminate all Witches with her own two hands, past, present and future."

That gets shocked, indrawn breaths from just about everyone around the table.

"But Witches do exist!" Kirika points out, bright and chipper.

"I've noticed," you say drily. "But it's... look, it's a vision of a future, that I... thought hadn't happened yet? Because Witches still exist?"

"Or... 'The Law is broken'," Oriko quotes softly. "And so Witches exist once more."

"So we are dealing with the outcome of something defying a monstrously powerful Wish," Yuki says. "And there are few enough things that can outright contravene a Wish, in my experience."

She sighs, and drags her hand down her face, that blank mask finally falling away to reveal grim contemplation as she stands, her cloak draping over her form.

"Please excuse me," she says. "I need a moment to think. By your leave, Miss Misaki? I won't go far, perhaps to the end of the corridor." Her eyes flick over to you. "Rest assured that I stand by what I said, Miss Vee, and I most certainly will not reveal this to anyone. Especially not over telepathy."

"Feel free," Umika says. "Just mind any of the doors marked green, those lead outside of our private space."

Yuki nods, and heads to the door.

[] Follow Yuki
- [] To do what?
[] Wait for Yuki to return, then continue
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

I am so sorry this update took so long - first it was the sickness, then just being sapped of energy to write. But here's hoping that I can keep this energy rolling!

Also, this update is... somewhat open to course-correction, since this reveal is a pretty big moment for Sabrina. So I'll do what I can if I've misinterpreted the vote or such.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Holy crap this is a behemoth of a winning vote

[X] Wait for Yuki to return, then continue
[X] This is scary, yes, but not hopeless.
-[X] I'm telling you this now because I believe we can fix this. Before I didn't even know there's something to fix to begin with and just talking about them was dangerous.
-[X] Constellation is not defenceless; these cosmic entities can be influenced by Puella Magi's powers, for example isolation field is enough to hide from Law of Cycles. With how much power and powersets we amassed, we can play on their level.
-[X] Please understand that I am reluctant to share more than general overview of these entities because they are not some faceless dietes but a bunch of traumatized teenagers who never wanted nor deserved any of that.
[X] Basic overview of Wraiths, Grief Cubes, etc.
[X] Rebellion
-[X] Kyubey tortured the one girl who remembered the previous events as part of a scheme to interfere with that Wish and bring back Witches
-[X] The girl managed to tap into the Power of Love, broke out of the torture chamber, then tore the human part out of the Law of Cycles
-[X] She erased the girl's memory so she wouldn't merge back with the Law of Cycles, and made the universe into a gilded cage
[X] Their respective god transformations gave both girls feathered wings. The Law of Cycles' were white, the other girls' were black
-[X] The girl with the black feathers hated the way things played out, so she would never want to put things back on track.
-[X] I'm not sure what was left of the Law of Cycles without the human part, or what it was doing It might be related to Feathers
[X] Neither girl is a god now as far as we can tell.
-[X] That suggests a "break" might have happened to the second girl at some point too.
--[X] She wouldn't have wanted things to stay on track, but maybe her unguided, haywire powers might.
-[X] We worry if either girl learns about this, they'll link up with their respective godheads, or at least draw their attention.
--[X] Aside from maybe losing them as people, which is unacceptable, there's also the risk they'll start rearanging the cosmic furniture.
[X] "She"
-[X] Could be the rest of the Law of Cycles
-[X] Could be the other goddess looking to put the girl back in her gilded cage
-[X] Could be a third goddess made of all the combined grief and despair of the Witches the Law of Cycles ensured would never exist.
[X] "The Missing Fragment"
-[X] Could be either goddess' human component.
-[X] Could be Sabrina
--[X] Sabrina has wings. They aren't just Grief Constructs like we thought.

The door shuts behind Yuki, and you can't help the gusty sigh that escapes you, the click of the latch sounding with finality. It's not too late to go after Yuki, but the moment is definitely passed.

... she should be alright. You can still sense her Soul Gem, the Grief seeping slowly into it. A bit above normal rates, perhaps, and you'll keep an eye on that, but you can hardly blame her for a bit of emotional turmoil.

You've just dropped a hell of a bombshell on her lap, and you can't blame her for being shellshocked. And heck, she's an... eminently practical sort of person. She's never been anything less than bluntly mercenary: money, influence, and Grief Seeds to support herself and her friends. Straightforward and respectable in a way, not exactly power hungry for its own sake. And she's been entirely clear that she signed up with you because she expected that to be the best way to do so.

She didn't exactly sign up for a war in heaven, did she? You have every intention of upholding your end of things, but none of this could possibly come easy to her. You can hardly blame her for balking a bit.

"Well," you mutter. "That could have gone better."

"Could it?" Oriko asks mildly.

You snort.

"I don't know. It's... a troubling revelation, even for me," you admit. You turn your attention to Umika, who's now staring into the middle distance, at once thoughtful and perturbed - a sharp contrast with her earlier glee. "Are you alright, Miss Misaki?"

"Huh?" She refocuses on you, then smiles, her eyes practically sparkling. "Oh! Never better. I can't say I haven't dreamed of this sort of thing, you know?"

"What, a massive new problem to handle?" you ask.

"Not exactly," Umika says, schooling her gleeful excitement back into something more sober. "We are magical girls. And even leaving aside all the portrayal in media, I always hoped there would be something... greater out there than just our day to day struggles. Not that fighting Witches and saving people from them is unworthy, of course."

"Ah," you say, slightly bemused. Well, she is a writer, you suppose, and a dreamer. "... well, I hope it isn't too much."

"Not at all," Umika says. "And I'm sure Kazumi would agree."

"Well... good," you say, and clear your throat. "I'm glad you're alright with that, but if you don't mind my saying so, you seemed a bit uncomfortable just now?"

"Ah," Umika says, a look of chagrin slipping across her face. "I thought I was hiding it better, but, ah, your enchantment is getting to me a bit."

"Oh," you say, glancing at your privacy construct - that little green circlet, set on a pedestal and radiating that endless pulse of Witch, Witch, Witch that you'd somehow almost forgotten. "Right, sorry. I could dismiss it?"

"No, no, we'll have use of it again soon, and I wouldn't want to put you through the trouble," Umika says, straightening her glasses. "But I think I might go for a walk." She purses her lips. "I should go get more hot water for the tea, anyway."

"... if you're sure," you say. "I can just dissolve it and recreate it."

"I'm sure!" she says. "And if I see Miss Tsuruya, I'll see whether she needs a somewhat neutral shoulder to vent on, or simply a bit of space."

"Alright," you say.

Umika collects the teapot and departs with footsteps whispering over teddy-bear-patterned rugs, leaving four of you remaining in the privacy of the interdiction field. Oriko sighs lightly and arches a supercilious eyebrow at you, an apparently-dozing Kirika tucked under her arm.

"Are you entirely sure this is wise, Sabrina?" she asks.

"Wise? No, I'm not sure," you say, sighing. "I'll be honest, I'm surprised I'm not freaking out more about sharing what I do know here. But I do think that with the confirmation from your magic, it's not right to hang on to those secrets when it might spill over on them, and catastrophically so."

"Mm," Oriko says, amusement flickering across her face. "I suppose I shouldn't be arguing against your principles."

You snort.

"Yeah, well," you say, shrugging, and turn your smile to Mami. "Mami? Are you holding up OK? I know you've complained about the silence in the privacy field before, I could put up some music? Er, that goes for you too, Oriko, Kirika."

"Mm... maybe if we wind up having to wait much longer?" she says, not stirring from your side. "I'm not feeling too uncomfortable right now, but I'll tell you if that changes, Sabrina."

Mami tilts her head back to smile at you, and then she winks at you. And... ah. She's doing alright, yes, but it might well be because she's thinking. You can all but see the gears spinning furiously in the warmth of her golden eyes, her mind evidently processing the revelations so far, but she doesn't seem to want to bring it up just yet.

You tilt your head inquiringly. Because she needs a little more time to finish thinking it through?

Her smile widens, and she lets her head drop back against your side, then reconsiders and nudges your arm over her shoulders so she can wiggle that little bit closer. So it's a thought that she'd rather finish before raising it with you, huh? That's alright with you.

In the end, you do wind up playing some music, Oriko being the sole person with an actual opinion and vote for music. Then again, she might just be amusing herself by testing your knowledge of relatively obscure composers - which you wind up having to dredge your mind for a moment before placing the particular song she wanted.

In the end, both Yuki and Umika wind up returning at the same time, Yuki hesitating for a moment before stepping back into your interdiction field, then tilting her head as she listens to the music. She chooses not to comment, shrugging and settling back into her chosen seat while Umika refills everyone's cups, and you all take a moment to enjoy the tea before you launch back into the discussions.

"I apologise for the delay, Miss Vee," Yuki says at length as she lowers her teacup.

"Please don't," you say, faintly pained. "I... you have completely understandable concerns over a frankly massive blindside I hit you with. That you needed a minute to absorb it is frankly the least I could offer you - and speaking of which, do you need a cleanse? That goes for everyone, by the way."

"I don't believe so," Yuki says, joined by a general round of agreement. Yuki sighs, and looks at you. "I am concerned, not despairing."

"Fair enough," you say, exhaling slowly. "But if I may offer my perspective on things?"

She motions for you to continue.

"Well... just set aside the nature of the powers for a moment," you say slowly. "I know the sheer scale of things, with Witches and Wishes and whatnot is massive, but we'll get back to that in a moment. Just imagine two very powerful magical girls in conflict. A lot of magic in motion, potentially a lot of collateral. But here's the thing: at the heart of it, they're still just girls. Teenagers, just like us."

You smile, but you keep your eyes on Yuki. Because she's the one here, out of all of you, who's worried. Who needs reassurance. Because she's the one who was blindsided by all this. Because...

"Because at the end of the day, it's about the people," you say. "It's the people at the heart of it all that matter. They never would have wanted this, they never deserved this."

You spread your hands, motioning to everyone sitting around the (teddy-bear-shaped) coffee table, variously sipping their tea or nibbling their biscuits or simply listening to you. Each and every one of you a magical girl, each and every one of you who understands what being a magical girl is like, whether forced into it by circumstances or otherwise.

And for some reason, Yuki laughs. Just a single, sharp bark, but she's smiling faintly.

"That's certainly one way to look at it," she concedes. "I can see why you would think that way, but knowing more would help."

"Alright," you say, nodding. "The facts, then. First, we, Constellation, are not defenceless. Magical girl powers work. This isolation field, for example, is enough to hide from the Law, and I believe your claims over buildings are equally inviolate. Working together, we can play on their level."

"What would you say is this level?" Yuki asks, her eyes narrowing.

"Difficult to quantify exactly," you say. "As I mentioned, the Law of Cycles was created from a Wish to destroy all Witches, past and future. But in an open confrontation..." You shrug. "As difficult to categorize as any magical girl, you know? It would not be inaccurate to call them cosmic entities, but it's not accurate either."

Yuki purses her lips, but nods reluctantly, accepting the point.

"Regardless: I believe we can fix this," you say. "Before, I can't say I knew for sure that this was something to fix, and just talking about them was dangerous, but... now, this is something to work towards."

"What do you mean, dangerous to talk about?" Yuki asks, folding her arms.

"Among other things, neither of the two girls at the heart of all this stuff are their ascended selves, as far as I can tell," you say slowly. Madoka is Madoka, and Homura is Homura. "But... and I have to emphasize that this part is speculation on my part, but not unfounded - if either of them find out about all this, they might draw their respective... godheads to them, or maybe draw the attention thereof."

You flick a glance at Oriko. She's warned you about Homura before, hasn't she? But her returning look is just confused. When you look back to Yuki, you find her attention to be almost a physical thing, like she's trying to dissect you with her eyes alone.

"... and what all does that entail?" Yuki asks.

For some reason, that question gives you pause. You don't think it's what she was going to ask, but she's... chosen not to ask what was on her mind.

"... mm," you say. "Storytime, I suppose."

And so you launch into an explanation. You leave out names and specific details, of course, apologizing to everyone for that. But they're not faceless deities, it's Madoka and Homura. You'd left off on the future past of Madoka's Wish and her ascension: so you follow into what you think of as Rebellion. Of Kyuubey trapping and torturing the one girl who remembered, because of that painfully human greed. To undo Madoka's Wish in favour of profit.

And if venom enough to make Yuki and Umika flinch leaks into your voice as you tell that part, well... you have little qualms about despising Kyuubey.

Then comes the breaking, of the Law of Cycles shattered. Of Homura loving Madoka enough to tear her from the Law, to make her human again, and to remake the universe into a gilded cage to hold Madoka in place, to save her from her own sacrifice.

"... but there is where what I know ends," you conclude. "Except... both of them had wings. The girl who became the Law of Cycles has these translucent, ethereal ones, and the one who tore her down..." You sigh. "Wings of black feathers."

Mami claimed your hand once more at some point during the story, her grip tight and almost painful. But you can hardly complain, when you're squeezing back just as hard.

"That's... quite the story," Yuki says.

"Oh, yes," Umika breathes, awe in her voice and expression. Rather like she's just had a religious revelation, actually.

Yuki gives her a sidelong glance, and decides to ignore that.

"And you're sure of all this? That this has already happened, Miss Vee?" she says instead.

You suck in a breath between your teeth.

"I'm certain the events that I laid out could happen, yes," You shake your head. "There's a gap between my vision-slash-knowledge and our current circumstances. But the message relayed by the conjunction of Oriko's and Umika's magics? It... matches far too well."

Yuki nods slowly.

"Then what is your plan?" she asks. There's a faint emphasis there on the 'your', almost a challenge to you.

[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

Spoiler: Parts of the vote that were not covered

[X] Their respective god transformations gave both girls feathered wings. The Law of Cycles' were white, the other girls' were black
-[X] The girl with the black feathers hated the way things played out, so she would never want to put things back on track.
-[X] I'm not sure what was left of the Law of Cycles without the human part, or what it was doing It might be related to Feathers
[X] Neither girl is a god now as far as we can tell.
-[X] That suggests a "break" might have happened to the second girl at some point too.
--[X] She wouldn't have wanted things to stay on track, but maybe her unguided, haywire powers might.
-[X] We worry if either girl learns about this, they'll link up with their respective godheads, or at least draw their attention.
--[X] Aside from maybe losing them as people, which is unacceptable, there's also the risk they'll start rearanging the cosmic furniture.
[X] "She"
-[X] Could be the rest of the Law of Cycles
-[X] Could be the other goddess looking to put the girl back in her gilded cage
-[X] Could be a third goddess made of all the combined grief and despair of the Witches the Law of Cycles ensured would never exist.
[X] "The Missing Fragment"
-[X] Could be either goddess' human component.
-[X] Could be Sabrina
--[X] Sabrina has wings. They aren't just Grief Constructs like we thought.

Spoiler: Outstanding questions for Umika's true writing

[X] for yourself, Iterate through...
-[X] Everything Oriko wants to ask.
-[X] Your own questions about...
--[X] Your status before you woke up in the alley
--[X] Where your clothes came from (in the alley)
--[X] What you've done when tranced, when it was significant
--[X] What you recall Homura's feathers are supposed to look like
--[X] Why your potential was strange
--[X] Who the voice you've been hearing belongs to
--[X] "Who is dreaming?"
--[X] Where is the missing fragment?

=====​

In case of future link rot, the music linked was Divenire by Ludovico Einaudi, which I happened to be listening to at the time.

Also. Madokami doesn't have white feathers. She doesn't have feathers at all, actually, just ethereal pink silhouettes.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[x] Neither girl has any motive that matches what we see from Feathers. You think that what's happening is more mechanistic than we'd see with very powerful people. The letter of the Law acting in the absence of the spirit, or something similarly fucky happening with the other one.
-[x] Probe gently around the edges to figure out what the rules are, and then work from there.
[x] Past that, the basic idea behind both the Law and the other was the idea that the universe couldn't be fixed without throwing it out and starting over. Pushing back against that will probably be important no matter what the specific rules of Feathers are.
-[x] So just your basic Magic of Friendship. Prove to everyone, including but not limited to those two, that we can build a better world. Get everyone invested in the building. Pretty much what we've been doing.

"The power of friendship," you say confidently, the answer rising easily to your lips. You grin, and raise your hands immediately. "Wait, no, don't run away, I'm serious. Mostly. Hear me out."

"Mm," Yuki says, raising an eyebrow. "I believe I see the point you're making - as you said, it's about the people, right? To convince them to not be as... dangerous."

Despite the magnitude of the revelations you've just dropped on her, the story of Madoka and Homura seems to have perturbed her less than the original revelation, her posture deliberately relaxed as she leans back on the sofa. Her eyes, however, remain intense and focused, the force of her gaze nearly a physical thing pinning you to your own seat.

She's not the only one focused on you, Umika giving you a look of utter hunger that barely manages to edge out the delight, her arms locked at her sides as if she's physically restraining herself from bursting with questions. It's a little concerning, you admit, but... you trust Kazumi. You trust the strength of their relationship, and you trust Kazumi to know what's important.

Oriko and Kirika are curled in their own little corner, Oriko's frowning at the ceiling, blurry beyond the confines of your interdiction field. Kirika's all but curled on her lap now, seemingly uncaring... but her eyes dart to you for a moment, on watch even as Oriko's lost in thought.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," you say. "I'll come back to that exact thing in a moment, but... what Feathers has done so far doesn't match what either of the two girls in question are like - it doesn't match either of their motives. Combined with the fact that, well, the two girls in question evidently aren't their ascended selves, I believe what's happening is basically more... mechanistic than anything."

"Hence trying to 'put things back on track'?" Umika asks, lowering her teacup.

"Yeah," you say. "The letter of the Law acting in the absence of the spirit, or something similarly fucky happening with the other one. Something of the sort."

"But not, it would seem, functioning properly at all, if Witches still exist," Yuki says, giving you a searching look. "If you're right, then something would seem to be thoroughly broken on that front. Hence what we might consider... misguided attempts."

"I should say that godlike power without anyone controlling it is not a particularly reassuring idea," Oriko observes drily as she leans forward to collect a cookie, breaking it in half to share with Kirika.

"Oh, yeah," you say, sighing. "I need to... probe around the edges to figure out what the rules are, basically."

"You do?" Yuki asks sharply.

"I... yeah. Me," you say, grimacing. You shoot Mami an apologetic smile. "It's not..." You sigh. "I'll definitely get people to spot me for the investigations, but I... ugh. It's not that I'm not willing to share what I know, it's just, ugh. It's dangerous to share the knowledge, and it's just not my secret, and that means that I'm the one who actually knows where to poke, and that means that I'm the one who has to take the lead on all this."

Mami's hand tightens on yours for a moment. You'll probably have to reassure her that you'll be careful with those experiments, given the last time she'd found you amidst one such experiment. But as you meet her eyes, you spot concern swimming in the honey-gold depths of her gaze... but also determination. She tilts her head slightly to indicate a silent later, and smiles, small but real.

"I would make the argument that since we're all part of this, it is relevant for us to know," Yuki says.

"I've told you most of what I can," you say apologetically. "I'm sorry, and believe me, I would absolutely tell you everything if it wouldn't be jeopardizing the trust of other people. Just... it's about them, you know? I just... like I said, forget about the whole... reality-writing goddess aspects of it. At the end of the day, that's just not what's important. It's about two traumatized girls that I want to help, at the end of it all. The rest of it is just the set dressing."

"'It's about the people'," Yuki quotes, her expression neutral as she leans forward, hands emerging from her cloak as she props her elbows on her knees and fixes you with an intense, unyielding look. "I can't say I like it. You've earned enough credit that I'll put my trust in you, but..." She purses her lips. "I will make it a hard condition that you keep me updated on any relevant changes in a timely manner. I don't think that's too much to ask - and I insist that you inform Miss Nakano, as well as Miss Watanabe and Miss Saito. I appreciate that you did share it with us as soon as you gained confirmation, but this isn't much of an alliance if secrets are being kept from each other."

"... yeah, that's more than reasonable," you say, nodding. "Agreed, then, that I'll do my very best to keep everyone informed on progress and occurrences."

"Then that will do for now," Yuki says, her expression smoothing out as she relaxes back onto the sofa once more, collecting her teacup on the way.

"So... yeah," you say. "I'll be taking the lead, and keeping everyone informed. If I need help, whether it be spotters or different magic, I'll ask, and if I find out anything important, or if anything comes up, I'll let everyone know." You purse your lips. "I'm... really going to need to rely on your territorial claims for transport, Miss Tsuruya."

"You'll have it," Yuki says. "And if you don't mind my saying so, your power does seem eminently... Law-related," Yuki muses. "Your magic is uniquely capable of destroying Witches, after all. And perhaps I'm jumping to conclusions, but I've observed that you do have wings, as you say the two girls do in their ascended forms."

"... yeah, I was going to mention that, actually," you say. "My wings are... So I thought they're just an aspect of my magic, 'just' a particular technique that I know, like how all magical girls have a lot of instinctive tricks, right?" Nods of agreement. "Well... recently, we were in a Witch Barrier that seemed to show our souls, and my wings aren't a magical thing, they're... I don't actually know for sure, but even without exerting any effort, they were there."

Yuki gives you a look, one mirrored by Oriko in an odd moment of synchronity.

"You've never struck me as particularly puffed up on your own self-importance, so I... would not doubt you on this," Yuki says after a moment. "But you must realize how that sounds."

"Yeah, I know," you say. A story of goddesses that essentially only you can verify, and your own relation to them? Oh, yes, you certainly see Yuki's point. So you nod at her in acknowledgement, but you meet her eyes squarely. "All I can say is that I didn't want to keep this from you guys any longer, now that I've got confirmation from Oriko and Miss Misaki's magic."

Mami squeezes your hand, straightening off your shoulder and drawing eyes to herself with a gentle, steady smile.

"It seems to me that these revelations, functionally do not change much for us, for the moment," she says. "We are still working together towards the same goals. We have an additional goal to be mindful of, true, but it's not a goal that demands any additional effort from anyone other than Sabrina for the moment, and perhaps Miss Mikuni. Am I wrong?"

"And potentially an extremely dangerous threat capable of utterly blindsiding us," Yuki notes. "But I take your point. It was always present, I'm simply aware of its presence now."

"One thing I'd like to note is that, well... both the Law and its opposite were predicated on needing to rewrite the universe," you say. "And I am very, very much opposed to that. I'm happy with the life I've built for myself here, you know? But the point here is... making the world a better place, one step at a time, showing that it can be made a better place? Constellation's ideals are defiance against that idea."

"Hear, hear!" Umika says cheerfully. "We're absolutely with you, Miss Sabrina, and I'm sure Kazumi will be too."

"Nothing more and nothing less than our charter," Yuki muses. She nods. "So, what we were going to do anyway."

"I dunno why you're worrying 'bout it so much," Kirika pipes up, brushing cookie crumbs off her shirt as she sits up. "Sure, maybe we got two magical girl goddesses having an argument, but all it means is that we gotta drag them to relationship counselling. The dragging's a 'lil harder since they're goddesses, but the important bit ain't complicated."

"... I resent that that analogy makes sense," you say, levelling an accusing finger at her.

"Because I'm right," she says. The grin she directs at you is entirely undeterred by your pointed finger, that little fang of hers only serving to emphasize the smugness.

"Because you're right," you agree. "That is essentially an accurate summary of my plan. But you've missed an important part: we don't have a relationship counsellor."

"Sure you do!" Kirika says, jabbing a thumb at herself. "Right here! I know all 'bout love. But failing that, I suppose you could probably do an OK job."

"We're doomed," you say.

That, at least, gets you a round of laughter, over Kirika's indignation. Then again, Kirika's mostly right. It is about Madoka and Homura, and their relationship. There's a sideline about the Law itself, and it's important that people can be saved from turning into Witches, yes, but the most important part is to make sure that there's some way you can achieve that without Madoka having to permanently disappear herself from the world.

"Well," Yuki says. "I find myself assured, for most part-" a smirk slanted your way, "-of our doom."

"I'm glad," you say, trying not to look too relieved and covering it up by taking a sip of tea. "I'll loop everyone else in, and try and have something more concrete for everyone soon."

Yuki nods.

"Do let me know if you want backup while speaking to Miss Nakano," she says. "Or Miss Watanabe and Miss Saito."

"I will. And..." you say, checking the time on your phone. "Ugh, I had questions I wanted to run through Miss Misaki's magic, and I think you did too, Oriko? But we're sort of running out of time with the detour we took, and we need to head back to Mitakihara in time for lunch pretty soon. But... alright. Miss Misaki, Miss Tsuruya, I hope I've sufficiently addressed your concerns about the whole... Feathers affair?"

"You have," Yuki says, nodding.

"And you're certainly welcome back anytime for more questions," Umika says. "I'd offer to lend you a quill, but they lose magic quickly."

"... how quickly?" you ask.

"Less than an hour if I'm not nearby to keep them powered, I'm afraid," Umika says, a fond smile flickering across her face. "Believe me, we've tried - Niko wanted to give us all magical gear, and she wouldn't let me hear the end of it until we tested combining her magic and mine."

"Ah, that's a shame," you say. "Well, then... thank you for your hospitality today, Miss Misaki."

"No, thank you," she says, a broad grin cracking her composure. "You've given me much food for thought."

"... ah..." you hesitate, trying to figure out how to word a gentle prod around that eagerness for the narrative.

"Don't worry, I remember what you said about secrecy," she says. "I just..." She sighs happily, adjusting her glasses. "I love a good story, you know?"

"Ah," you say. "Well, alright. Thank you."

"No, thank you," she says, grin widening.

You laugh.

"Anyway, I'll go find Kazumi and see if your friend, uh, Miss Sakura's finished talking to her?" Umika says. "Since you're getting ready to leave and all."

"I'd appreciate that," you say.

"OK! See you soon, then," Umika says, pushing herself up and heading out, hesitating at the hazy edge of the privacy field before stepping out.

You lean forward, collecting the privacy bubble and preparing to dismiss it, before Mami nudges you, forestalling that.

"Sabrina, I've got a question?" she says, her gaze flicking over the rest of your friends. "In private, if that's alright with everyone?"

"Oooh," Kirika says, already bouncing to her feet and dragging Oriko up with her. "That sounds important! Let's go, Oriko!"

Oriko laughs, inclining her head at Mami as she rises to her feet at a rather more measured pace, gliding out of the bubble with nary a complaint and the picture of grace rather undermined by the way Kirika darts over to the table to grab a small stack of teddy-bear-shaped cookies on their way out. Likewise, Yuki tips a nod your way before vacating the bubble without complaint, striding after Oriko and Kirika with apparent intent to talk to them.

And that leaves you and Mami alone in the blurry grey confines of your privacy field, the world beyond deadened and hazy, but with Mami smiling slightly at you, your hand in hers.

"It's Madoka and Homura, isn't it?" she asks.

[] How do you answer Mami?
- [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
[] Heading back to Mitakihara
- [] Bring Yuki with you, as planned
-- [] Lunch?
- [] Ask Yuki to reschedule slightly

=====​

Reminder, since it's been a while: the general schedule for the day is that Yuki will be heading to Mitakihara with you, with the intention of meeting Homura and Hitomi after school as they settle the house acquisition (Hitomi's expediting it), and Yuki will claim it. There's a slightly awkward slice of time between lunch and school letting out, of course, and the matter of whether Yuki will be joining you for the usual lunch atop the school!

You could, of course, reschedule slightly and resolve to nip back to Fukushima just before school lets out. Mika also intends to drop by after school finishes to meet Hitomi face-to-face. Also, the leader of the Iowa Group, one Miss Parró, wants to speak to you; the plan was to do so as the inaugural trip through Yuki's Mitakihara-Fukushima link.

Also, as a side-note; the logistics of housing for the soon-to-be re-embodied victims of the Soujus will probably come up during and after lunch. Niko will take a bit of time, which is good for pacing since the current day has already dragged on way too long IRL, but it is going to come up.

 

[Firnagzen]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] Yep
-[X] Be casual.
[X] There are other things I want to tell you I wasn't ready to say in front of the others too
-[X] According to Homura, last loop, Madoka wished that "Everything could be fixed."
--[X] Homura seems to think my presence is related to that wish.
--[X] A lot of things we shouldn't have been able to intervene to help with have been an option. I've taken this as her wish helping us along.
-[X] When we beat Oriko, she said she'd done it all to make sure I ended up working with Homura because "together we can change destiny".
--[X] If Feathers is Homura's wish acting on its own, it may be protecting her agency. Maybe I can change things, but she needs to "lock them in".
[X] Keep the privacy construct in hammerspace for possible use at lunch.

Calm, Sabrina, calm. Casual.

"Yep!" you say brightly.

Nailed it.

And then you drag Mami onto your lap and into a tight, tight hug. You find laughter bubbling from your throat unbidden, bright and delighted and completely helpless to stop because Mami got it. Because this, this is the second-to-last secret you've been holding on to, because Mami gets it, then that means you can talk about it.

Because there's nobody you'd trust more to know this secret. Because the girl you love is utterly, utterly brilliant. And because you're not alone any more. You have someone to talk about it with, someone who understands, who truly understands what you've been fighting for, who's wholly on the same page as you.

Mami beams at you, her own giggles meeting yours as she all but melts into your arms. And there's nothing but understanding on her face, profound acceptance in her honey-gold eyes as she beams at you and laughs.

It takes you a few minutes to relax, bumping your forehead gently against hers and allowing your eyes to slide shut.

"You, my dear, sweet Mami, are a genius," you murmur. "Yeah. It's them."

"Anyone who knows you could have figured it out from that story," she says softly. "Anyone who's seen the way you are with Homura and Madoka."

"Maybe, but you're the one who did," you say. "You're the one right here with me. I've been so scared of... both keeping it a secret, the harm that could do, and just as much the harm it could do if I did reveal it. You figured it out, Mami, and that's... everything."

"Mmm," Mami says, leaning back. Your eyes flicker open just in time to see her studying your face thoughtfully for a moment, then she smiles, soft and radiant. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"I couldn't do otherwise," you protest softly. "I couldn't."

"I know," she says, smile unabating. "That's why you're amazing."

You huff.

"I'm not winning this argument, am I?" you ask.

"Of course not," she says.

"Well... alright," you say, grinning. "I'll change the topic, then. So there's... details that I'd like to tell you, since you know, now."

Mami regards you for a long moment, studying your face once more as if trying to divine some secret from your expression. But just for another moment as an amused smile spreads across her face like the sun breaking through clouds, lighting her expression up.

"You deserve all the praise and more, Sabrina," she says. "I'll have to get you used to it. But yes, please do tell?"

"I- That's not fair," you whine.

"I know," Mami says, beaming. "It wasn't supposed to be, just as you're not winning the argument you're not amazing."

"Well... alright," you say. A deep breath, and you smile at Mami, willing the blush you definitely don't have away. "Are you alright with all this?"

"Of course I am," she says, smile fading a little. "It's terrifying to think that all of that could happen - or has already happened, and was undone just as we could be undone. But it's Homura and Madoka, and... I know them. I know you, Sabrina. And I fully believe that we'll manage to figure something out. And if the worst happens..."

Her smile fades entirely even as she cups your face, her fingers war against your cheek.

"If the worst happens, you'll find me in the next world," she says.

"It won't-"

Mami presses her finger to your lips, smile returning.

"It won't come to that," she says. "I know it won't."

"Good," you say with quiet vehemence. "It's for Homura, for Madoka. For you. For Sayaka, and Kyouko, and Yuma, and Nagisa, and Kazumi, and... everyone we know." You lay your hand over hers, squeezing. "There's a lot to fight for and to like about this world, and we won't let it be taken from us."

"We won't," Mami agrees, squeezing your hand back.

You smile, enjoying the quiet intimacy and relief of knowing in your bones that Mami understands, truly understands, and that both of you are fully aligned in belief and purpose. The sole twinge of worry you have is the sole secret you're still holding back from her: the origin of Witches. The one secret you truly fear could break Mami, still.

Some part of you thinks that you should rip off that final bandage and tell Mami. And you worry that Mami might figure it out on her own, because she has nearly all the pieces she needs. She knows Madoka. She knows what Madoka Wished for. And that paranoid part of you worries that it's just a short jump to the darkest truth of being a magical girl.

But you trust Mami, and you know Mami. If she does figure it out, she'll come to you. You are her anchor, just as she is yours. She'll come to you, and you'll talk her through it. It's not ideal, but you know her, and you trust her, and you'll be there for her.

By the same token, you think you could reveal it to her, and talk her through it. Maybe it would be best to do it under controlled circumstances. You've been making things better, and you've been working on de-Witching, of healing the harms done. Solid arguments all, but you're just... scared of hurting Mami.

It's the same type of same fear as she has, after all. You are going to help Homura and Madoka, you are going to resolve the war in heaven. The world isn't going to be rewritten. You are going to talk Mami through the Witchbomb, and she will heal from the pain and the hurt.

But. But. You can't silence that irrational fear, that whispered what if?

So not now. You'll gather your courage, and... maybe you'll find the right time for it. But not now.

"... so," you say after a moment. "I think I've told you before that Homura said that last loop, Madoka Wished that 'Everything could be fixed'. And she thinks my presence is related to that Wish, and... yeah."

"Which would explain why you... wouldn't have existed, in previous timelines," Mami says, her hand seeking yours and squeezing.

"Yeah," you say with a sigh.

"Well," she says thoughtfully. "Does that mean I'm dating the daughter of the goddess?"

That startles a laugh out of you.

"And the devil, sort of?" you say. "It's... weird, though, and it's way too egotistical to actually say. Miss Tsuruya was definitely right about that one."

"Well, you are an angel," Mami says, smile returning, then flickering to confusion. "... the Soujus knew?"

"... I... honestly have no idea what's up with them," you admit. "They're, uh. Really weird, even by my standards, and... I did know of them, but they're different from my knowledge, so I can't really say."

"Ah, alright." Mami nods. "But... alright. What are the implications, if you were created by Madoka's Wish?"

"It's probably why I have an impossible power?" you say. "And it's... we've been able to intervene in things that... shouldn't have been possible? I've taken this to be, well. Madoka's Wish easing things along."

"... like the Soujus?" Mami says.

"I think so," you say. "It might just be that my knowledge of them was fuzzier because their stories didn't interact with Homura and Madoka's much. But... speaking of stories."

You press your lips together for a moment, taking a moment to think about your next point.

"Oriko. When we beat her, she said she'd done it all to make sure I ended up working with Homura because 'together, you can change destiny'," you say. "Now, I don't know how much of that was her bullshitting. I trust her, but... I mean, you know her, right? She's, ah..."

"Dramatic," Mami supplies.

"Dramatic, yeah, let's go with that. All I'm saying is, Kirika's definitely a good girlfriend for her," you say, grinning and holding one hand over your eye to signify Kirika's eyepatch. "Anyway. Point is, the first half about working with Homura? I like to think that would have happened anyway, even if Oriko made it easier. The other part, though..."

"... given what I now know, I... can see how it could work," Mami says. "It's what you were alluding to, when you mentioned 'locking in' changes to Miss Tsuruya."

"Yeah," you say. "If Feathers is Homura's Wish acting on its own, it might be... I don't know, trying to protect her agency? Trying to shape events towards what happened to give birth to said Wish?" You frown. "I don't like the phraisng there, that's attributing it too much agency. Inertia, maybe. Ontological inertia, guiding things."

"I see your point," Mami says, frowning.

You open your mouth to continue, and then close it slowly. There's an air of distraction to Mami's expression now, the look of someone working through a thought, so you hold your tongue and let her finish it.

"... Homura's Wish, yes," Mami says. "But what about Madoka's? Not her most recent one. The Law. Is that what's making it possible to intervene? Madoka's Wish gave the unguided Law a task?"

"Huh. Maybe," you say. "It sounds plausible, but... a bit unprovable for the moment?"

"That's true," Mami says. "But it seems to me that there's a third piece to this? If working with Homura might work to change destiny, or whatnot, then... what about Madoka?"

You blink.

"I... don't know," you admit. "But you're right. I'd assumed that her part in this was..." You wave vaguely. "The support, since she's not a magical girl. But you're right. It's about Madoka and Homura, together, after all, and it... might take all three of us to make lasting change stick? I don't know. I'll have to think about it."

"She doesn't have to be in danger, but she is a part of all this," Mami muses.

"Yeah, and..." You frown. "It's... been something I've been struggling with, honestly. I admit I'm not sure how to reconcile it with Homura's desire to keep Madoka away from danger."

"Make her part of making a better world," she murmurs, her frown mirroring yours as she considers the problem. "That's what you've been trying to do, right?"

"Yeah," you say. "But I've been worried that it's not enough."

"I'll put some thought into it too, then," Mami says, nodding. "And I'll see whether I can lead into some opportunities."

"Thank you," you say, smiling gratefully at Mami and hugging her again.

"Of course, Sabrina," she says warmly.

You both luxuriate in the closeness and the warmth for a moment, before pulling back by mutual agreement, sharing another smile.

"We should probably not keep our friends waiting too much longer," Mami says. "But there is one more thing - I suspect that Miss Tsuruya knows that Homura is one of the girls involved in your story. Likely not Madoka, but that it's Homura is... obvious, from the way you act around her. And Homura has time magic."

You grimace unhappily.

"You might be right," you say.

"I would say it was an inevitable outcome, from the moment you revealed the story to her," Mami says. "But..." She bites her lip. "You should definitely avoid letting Miss Tsuruya observing the way you, Homura, and Madoka interact for too much. She's perceptive, and the logical inference would not be a difficult one to make."

"... ah," you say.

You wouldn't really mind Yuki knowing, you think. She's never been anything less than honest about what she wants and what she intends, and you can trust that.

But Homura would mind.

"Yeah. You're right," you say. You take a deep breath, and nod. "Alright. Then... unless there's anything, it's time to get moving?"

"No, I think that's my curiosity and my concerns settled for now," Mami says, smiling as she shifts on your lap. "I'll let you know if I think of anything."

[] Back to Mitakihara
- [] Invite Yuki along to claim a random building
-- [] Warehouse-kun?
-- [] Some other option?
- [] Invite Yuki along for lunch
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

=====​

As discussed in thread, I was actually incorrect - the plan was for Yuki to grab some random building while Homura and Hitomi expedite the acquisition of Homura's ideal location, near Madoka's place.