You purse your lips for a moment, considering. In the end, you
did ask to meet Megane first, so it'd be kind of rude to push that back, you figure. "Yep, that's acceptable," you say.
Sayaka motions up the road, looking questioningly at you. You nod, and fall into step, the five of you heading in to school at a leisurely stroll under the luxurious, shady canopy. "Though come to that... Where would you prefer to meet?" you ask.
"There is a cafe near my school," Megane suggests.
"Right, I think I know it. Open air, blue coloured signboard? Next to a laundry?" you ask. You'd passed over it when you were checking Yokosuka Middle School, you think.
"That's the one," Megane confirms.
"Excellent," you say. You glance along your small group of friends - Mami and Sayaka are talking... about school clubs, judging from the snatches of converation, and Madoka's talking to Homura. "By the way, Miss Ono, since you're a solo magical girl, there's a trick I'm not sure you know about. Would you mind lifting your phone from your ear for a moment?"
"Very well...?" the girl's voice fades out as she complies.
"
We can talk to each other like this," you say telepathically to Megane.
"
What? Is this like how Kyuubey talks?" You can hear her voice, distant and tinny, from her phone.
"
It is, Miss Ono," you say. "
All magical girls should be capable of telepathy. Try it."
"
Hello?" her voice sounds in your head. "
Can you hear me?"
"
Yes, I can," you answer. "
Right, so... You can contact anybody who Kyuubey hooked up to telepathy, and you need to know who they are to do so. A bit like a phone network, I guess, you need to know who you want to contact and they need to have a phone, too."
"
Ah. So I can contact you and Tomoe Mami?" she asks.
"
Yup," you confirm. Sayaka's giving you a questioning look, which... you're holding the phone to your head, in total silence. Probably
does look odd. You answer Sayaka with a poke to the side of your head.
Telepathy. The bleunette makes a confused face and shrugs. You shrug back at her. "
Last thing. Please do hold onto that Grief Seed? I can refresh it when we meet again."
"
Alright," Megane says.
"
Right, then. See you after school," you say. You end the phone call, nodding in satisfaction. The motion catches Mami's eye, and she breaks off her conversation with Sayaka and Madoka, looking to you and smiling. "Did that go well?"
"Yep," you say. Simultaneously, you pulse a telepathic message to her. "
One thing, though... We did
agree to meet Miss Ono after school today."
"
I remember," Mami says. "
Ah, Sayaka's friend..."
"
Yeah," you say as the five of you stop at the traffic light, waiting for the light to change, joined by a small crowd of chattering students, all dressed in the familiar uniform of Mitakihara Middle School, some casting curious looks at you. "
I... Well, Miss Ono did
come first, so..."
"
I agree," Mami says, shooting you a quick smile. The light turns, and you cross the road along with the rest of the crowd.
"
Hm, how long do you think it'll take for us to, ah, orientate Miss Ono?" you ask.
"
Well... She's new, but I think she's killed at least one or two Witches before?" Mami says. "
Not too long, I suppose, we just need to explain our patrolling habits and so on?"
"
Hmm," you say. "
Earmark it for half an hour, and then we can get to Kyousuke?"
"
Sounds right," Mami agrees.
"Hey... I need to wait for Hitomi," Sayaka says, stopping at the opposite side of the street.
"I'll wait with you!" Madoka says.
"So will we," Mami says, shooting you a look. You nod, and a quick smile flashes across her face.
Homura ghosts behind Madoka silently, amethyst eyes scanning the street.
"Ah, Homura!" Madoka says. "Are you OK?"
"I'm fine," Homura says, voice quiet.
Madoka glances at her, soft face wrinkled in a worried expression.
Homura sighs almost imperceptibly. "Really, I am."
"O-OK," Madoka says. Pink eyes flicker over to you, worried frown still framing her eyes. The low purr of a car pulling up distracts her, though, as Hitomi's car stops at the kerb. Sayaka steps forward, helping the verdette out of the car.
Hitomi's father nods approvingly, bidding Hitomi a goodbye before driving off. Hitomi, on the other hand, sighs instead, trying to take her schoolbag back from Sayaka. The bleunette stubbornly holds on to the bag, a mulish expression on her face, and Hitomi gives up a moment later.
Finally, Hitomi looks around, smiling faintly. "Good morning, everyone," she offers. "Shall we head to school?"
"Let's go!" Madoka says.
You soon find yourself bidding a farewell to everyone at the schoolgates, the teacher on duty fixing you with a gimlet stare. Mami stops, turning to you as the others go ahead. You smile at her. "I'll see you after school, OK?"
Mami nods, trying to smile. "I... alright."
You pull her into a hug. "
And there's always this, right?"
She nods against you. "
Yes. It's not the same, but... yes."
"OK," you say, stepping back, smiling warmly at her. "See you after school!"
"See you, Sabrina," Mami says, the edges softening from her smile, becoming more natural. She walks into the school, turning to glance back at you. You raise your hand in a wave, and you can see her smile once more before disappearing into the school building.
You chuff out a breath, smile fading. Well. Time for... everything else, then. You turn, walking away from the school and finding a convenient alley. You're soon winging over Mitakihara, an angel flying on corrupted wings, if you're in a poetic mood. Heh. You chuckle to yourself.
Time to check in with the two groups back in Sendai, you muse as you bank along a thermal. Really, you don't need to, but the sensation of lift under your wings is kind of nice. "
Hello, Miss Mori?" You reach out telepathically.
"
Miss Sabrina?" the healer's voice replies to you almost immediately.
"
Good morning!" you say cheerfully.
"
Good morning," Rin allows. "
How are you?"
"
Doing good," you say. "
What about you? Is everyone alright over there?"
"
Ah. Yes, no problems," Rin replies, before sighing. "
No new
problems."
You wince. "
No change in Akiko?" You... you don't really regret going after Akiko, not really, but you
do regret what happened to her, you guess.
Another telepathic sigh from the healer. "
None."
"
Ah. No trouble with the University group? Or any independents?" you ask.
"
No, we've been mostly keeping to ourselves," Rin says.
"
OK, then," you say. "
I should be dropping by sometime to refresh the Grief Seeds. When would be best?"
"
Maybe... this weekend?" Rin suggests.
"
Right, noted," you say. "
No promises yet, but... We'll figure out exactly when closer in?"
"
That's fine," Rin replies.
"
Alright. Later, then," you say, and suddenly grin to yourself midflight. "
Say hi to Sakura for me." You can imagine the teleporter's reaction already.
"
See you this weekend," the healer agrees.
You swoop through the air, hair blown across your face by the wind of your flight. Absently, you check on the masses of Grief still following you around. A
huge mass of spheres, spread out across the sky, trail you at a distance.
Alright, then. Next up... "
Hello, Miss Tsubaki?"
"
Miss Sabrina?" Chouko replies. Her voice sounds considerably less sleepy than it did yesterday.
"
Good morning, Miss Tsubaki," you greet her as you skim past that flue exhaust tower. It's practically a landmark to you by now, really. You squint at the power plant below, smiling and banking away.
"
Good morning, Miss Sabrina," the girl replies, voice bright and cheerful. "
How are you?" she asks.
"
Was just about to ask you
that. I'm doing well, though, thanks for asking," you say. "
How are
you?"
"
Ahhh... we're doing great!" Chouko says, obvious cheer in her voice. "
It's great
to not have to worry about Akiko and her gang coming after us."
"
Good to hear. No trouble?" you ask. You briefly consider the notion of multiple Sayakas. Maybe Homura might have stashed a few Sayakas in her shield before? You... sort of
doubt it, but you never know, really. Well.
There can only be one!
"
Nope, haven't seen any of them," Chouko replies.
You shake away thoughts of a heaping pile of Sayakas. "
Right," you say. That agrees with Rin's story, then. Trust, but verify, and all that. "
So it looks like I'll probably
be dropping by this weekend or so to refresh your Soul Gems, any particular preferences for times?"
"
Ah... well, we're all quite free," Chouko says. "
Any time is alright?"
"
OK, then," you say. "
I'll get back in touch with you closer in and fix a time?"
"
Sounds good to me!" Chouko says.
You can see that old abandoned warehouse below you right now. "
Right. Anything else?" you ask. You fold your wings and let yourself plummet like a stone.
"
Um... yes, actually," Chouko says, sounding preoccupied. "
Um... Did you call me yesterday?"
You blink. "
Yes. Yes, I did. You were kind of sleepy at the time?" Your wings flare wide, dragging you to a stop, and you land amidst a huge cloud of sand kicked up by the downdraft.
"
Oh. Um. Sorry," she says. "
I... Yeah, I was asleep. I uh. Think I meant to call you back, but I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or no."
The Grief cascades down after you, spheres of ominous looking deep purple dropping from the sky to hover around you in orbiting, concentric rings.
You take a deep breath. What
shall you do for today?
[] Write-in
=====
And here... we...
go.
