Puella Magi Adfligo Systema

[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.