Our Benefactor pt. 14
You bite your lip, worry churning your stomach. You fight the urge to throw caution to the wind, to race to Mami's side by every means you have available to you. It wouldn't help, not here.
You think.
You desperately hope you're not making a mistake.
"Mami, I..." you say, looking around the bare rooftop. Nothing really here, apart from a small entranceway to what you presume are the stairs to the rest of the building. "Don't push yourself too hard, please? Take your time."
Mami doesn't respond for a moment. "I... It's hard."
You lower yourself to sit on the roof, legs crossed. You can see the towering glass edifice of Mitakihara Middle School just beyond the park, so close you can almost touch it. And somewhere within that school is Mami. Mami, Homura, Madoka, Sayaka, and Hitomi. Your friends.
"Mami," you say, keeping your voice gentle. "Um, have you checked your Soul Gem?"
A pause. "Oh," she says, voice small.
"Hey. It's alright," you say, trying to keep your voice soothing. To hide the worried tremor that wants to sneak in. "Do you have a Grief Seed with you?"
"I, yes, of course," she says. "I... let me make sure the nurse isn't looking."
"That's fine," you say. Absently, you check the time on your phone. Not too much longer to go. Would they let Mami out when school's finished? She's in the nurse's office, after all. "But hey. Do you want to talk about it?"
Mami doesn't respond for a moment. You worry at your lip, brow furrowing as you stare at the school in the distance, but... you don't push her, letting her gather her thoughts. Instead, you spare a sliver of attention to dissolve the... you suppose you could call it an Ioun stone. Grief streams away from the azure blue stone as it shatters and the colour drains.
"I cleansed my Soul Gem," Mami says, a minute later.
"OK, good," you say, relieved.
"I-it's hard," Mami whispers. "I... I want. S-Sabrina, I'm trying."
"I know," you say. "And... you don't need to force yourself, Mami. Really, you don't. Just, please. Take as much time as you need?"
"I... I'll try," Mami replies, and falls silent again.
You wait, but Mami doesn't seem inclined to start speaking again. "Well, I'm on my way to school. Do you want me to drop by now? Or maybe ask Madoka and Homura to come visit you?" you ask cautiously.
"N-no," Mami says hurriedly. "I-I'll come out as soon as I can."
"OK," you say. You hop to your feet in one smooth motion, and your wings pump once, just enough to send you over the edge. You plummet to the alley below, and begin walking towards the school at a fast clip, threading past the few people on the streets at this hour. "I'll be there, OK?"
"A-alright," Mami replies, a tiny trace of relief in her voice.
"Won't be long until school's dismissed, right?" you ask, more out of wanting to say something, anything - you already know it is, after all.
"I, yes," Mami says. "I'll ask the nurse to let me out."
"Mmm... Don't push yourself, OK? I can come up, if you like?" you offer. You're still not entirely sure how you'd get up there, but it's not insurmountable, by any means. More of a matter of how subtle your arrival is going to be. And how much not-really-bitching you're going to get from the furry white rat.
"It should be fine..." Mami says.
"Alright," you agree. "I'll be there."
A few minutes later, you're waiting at the school gates when the bell rings.
Scant moments later, Mami's form appears at the doors, moving almost at a sprint. She crosses the distance in moments, slowing to a tremulous walk a few steps in front of you. Behind her, the few students who don't have club activites for the day finally begin leaving the school, sending confused glances at Mami.
[] Write-in
Hmmm.
You think.
You desperately hope you're not making a mistake.
"Mami, I..." you say, looking around the bare rooftop. Nothing really here, apart from a small entranceway to what you presume are the stairs to the rest of the building. "Don't push yourself too hard, please? Take your time."
Mami doesn't respond for a moment. "I... It's hard."
You lower yourself to sit on the roof, legs crossed. You can see the towering glass edifice of Mitakihara Middle School just beyond the park, so close you can almost touch it. And somewhere within that school is Mami. Mami, Homura, Madoka, Sayaka, and Hitomi. Your friends.
"Mami," you say, keeping your voice gentle. "Um, have you checked your Soul Gem?"
A pause. "Oh," she says, voice small.
"Hey. It's alright," you say, trying to keep your voice soothing. To hide the worried tremor that wants to sneak in. "Do you have a Grief Seed with you?"
"I, yes, of course," she says. "I... let me make sure the nurse isn't looking."
"That's fine," you say. Absently, you check the time on your phone. Not too much longer to go. Would they let Mami out when school's finished? She's in the nurse's office, after all. "But hey. Do you want to talk about it?"
Mami doesn't respond for a moment. You worry at your lip, brow furrowing as you stare at the school in the distance, but... you don't push her, letting her gather her thoughts. Instead, you spare a sliver of attention to dissolve the... you suppose you could call it an Ioun stone. Grief streams away from the azure blue stone as it shatters and the colour drains.
"I cleansed my Soul Gem," Mami says, a minute later.
"OK, good," you say, relieved.
"I-it's hard," Mami whispers. "I... I want. S-Sabrina, I'm trying."
"I know," you say. "And... you don't need to force yourself, Mami. Really, you don't. Just, please. Take as much time as you need?"
"I... I'll try," Mami replies, and falls silent again.
You wait, but Mami doesn't seem inclined to start speaking again. "Well, I'm on my way to school. Do you want me to drop by now? Or maybe ask Madoka and Homura to come visit you?" you ask cautiously.
"N-no," Mami says hurriedly. "I-I'll come out as soon as I can."
"OK," you say. You hop to your feet in one smooth motion, and your wings pump once, just enough to send you over the edge. You plummet to the alley below, and begin walking towards the school at a fast clip, threading past the few people on the streets at this hour. "I'll be there, OK?"
"A-alright," Mami replies, a tiny trace of relief in her voice.
"Won't be long until school's dismissed, right?" you ask, more out of wanting to say something, anything - you already know it is, after all.
"I, yes," Mami says. "I'll ask the nurse to let me out."
"Mmm... Don't push yourself, OK? I can come up, if you like?" you offer. You're still not entirely sure how you'd get up there, but it's not insurmountable, by any means. More of a matter of how subtle your arrival is going to be. And how much not-really-bitching you're going to get from the furry white rat.
"It should be fine..." Mami says.
"Alright," you agree. "I'll be there."
A few minutes later, you're waiting at the school gates when the bell rings.
Scant moments later, Mami's form appears at the doors, moving almost at a sprint. She crosses the distance in moments, slowing to a tremulous walk a few steps in front of you. Behind her, the few students who don't have club activites for the day finally begin leaving the school, sending confused glances at Mami.
[] Write-in
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Hmmm.
