Residue processing pt. 13
"Well then," you whisper to yourself. You've just about had it with her, and... truth be told, some part of you would dearly like to let her die, or Witchout, if that's what's happening. It'd... solve a lot of problems, and you can come back and quietly clean up later.
But no.
You don't do things like that.
And besides... Someone, somewhere, is fighting for you, and all that. Maybe she doesn't know it, but... you're on her side. You want her to live.
You become aware of Mami gently stroking your hand, teasing your tightly clenched fist open and holding your hand between both of hers. You squeeze her hand lightly, giving her a smile.
"Mami, Homura?" you say. You don't have to raise your voice too much, with your carpet cruising in a slow circle. "She won't accept my help, or my apology... but I can't just leave her alone." You press your lips together. "Much as I'd like to. But we can't. It'd literally kill her."
Homura shakes her head, expression flat. There's a hint of apology in her posture, her shoulders slightly hunched.
Mami clasps your hand between both of hers. "I think..." she swallows, looking up at you. "I think she's just, just lashing out. She was angry that we didn't make it to our appointment, and just... lashing out. We have to be firm with her. Just show up. I-I don't think she will like it, but it may be the only way."
"Do you think so?" you sigh, rubbing at your forehead. You really don't know whether this is for the better. It's in line with what you've been thinking, and it's nice to have confirmation, but... you're not entirely sure you trust your own judgement.
She nods tentatively. She doesn't look very sure herself, more torn than anything.
"OK, then," you say, eyeing Homura. The girl's expression is set, her violet eyes staring out into the darkened horizon. The thick clouds shrouding the sky have finally started moving, scudding across the sky in sluggish spurts. The moon, waxing towards its first quarter, occasionally peeks out from above.
"I was thinking of using Homura's power to head in quickly, find her, and see what her situation's like?" you say.
"I don't think she's really busy," Mami offers, grimacing.
"Neither do I," you murmur. "But she might be in distress." You tap your own Soul Gem meaningfully.
"I don't have any objections," Homura notes quietly, resting her fingers lightly on the rim of her shield.
Mami nods, spreading her fingers to show golden ribbons starting to web between them.
You take a deep breath, and exhale slowly. "Alright. Let's do it, then," you say.
Homura twists her shield with a hum of clockwork, gears singing. Grey hues explode across the night, swallowing up the bright glows of traffic suddenly paralyzed in the streets below. You feel motion at your waist - Mami's ribbon, twisting sinuously around to bind you to Mami and Homura.
You smile at your friends. "Thanks for indulging me," you whisper.
"Of course, Sabrina," Mami says, giving you an answering smile.
Homura just gives you a nod.
You sigh. "Somewhere in that direction, right?" you confirm, gesturing in the general direction of Yokosuka Academy and glancing at Homura.
She nods again, this time in affirmation, and you will the carpet forward, zooming towards the school. It only takes a few minutes' flight before you arrive at the enormous glass edifice that you're increasingly sure was built purely for the express purpose of one-upping Mitakihara. It even has those crennelations topping it, except wrought of gleaming steel and glass into swooping spires and arches.
"Somewhere in that direction," Homura murmurs, pointing to the west. You nod, and redirect the carpet.
"By the way, Mami," you ask. "Does Yokosuka have a rivalry with Mitakihara Middle School or something?"
"Yes, we do," Mami confirms with a shrug. "I never really bothered much with it, though..."
"Ah. That would explain it," you say.
Mami glances back at the building. "... it is a bit ostentatious," she agrees.
"Ostentatious," you snort. The grin fades back into seriousness, though, and you look at Homura again. "Any idea where better?"
She shakes her head. "Somewhere here," she says.
"Hmm..." you say, reaching out with your senses. You can feel the crackling glows that are your friends, sitting beside you. Beside you, and beneath you, are the tenuous, sepulchral presence of Grief ghosting through the air. A faint shadow of Grief, somewhere below, but... no. No other magical girls, and no Witch.
"Hm. Nothing that I can sense," you say with a frown. The carpet dips lower towards the ground, swooping between the canyons formed by the buildings, and you speed along the streets.
You spend fifteen minutes zigzagging along the streets before... "There," you murmur. "Found her, I think. Or I've found a magical girl."
A slightly poorer area, you think. A little shabby, and the facade perhaps a little more dirty than you usually see. Glowing on the ninth floor, in your sight beyond sight... A presence. Grief and magic, the distinctive twinned signature of a magical girl.
You head in.
Your impressions are confirmed as you head in. Not the best maintained place, indeed. Nothing bad. Just a bare shade less opulent than might be expected, or perhaps if you compared it to Oriko or Madoka's places. Or even Mami's apartment block.
Without prompting, Homura unlocks the door with a flash of purple light and steps into the apartment.
You're confronted with a frozen tableau. An older woman, bearing more than a passing similiarity to Megane, is slumped on the sofa, a can of what's obviously beer in her hand. A few empty cans lie abandoned on the ground, and the television's on.
Beyond that, a door that's rather pointedly closed, and presumably, locked. You can feel Megane just beyond that, and a little help from Homura sees you through.
You find Megane sitting on her bed, legs drawn up to her chest. Crumpled in her hand are some papers, ones you can't make out. Her Soul Gem, gleaming on her finger, is perhaps a quarter full... and you can't sense that Grief Seed you'd given her anywhere.
[] Write-in
Will you take on the world's problems?
But no.
You don't do things like that.
And besides... Someone, somewhere, is fighting for you, and all that. Maybe she doesn't know it, but... you're on her side. You want her to live.
You become aware of Mami gently stroking your hand, teasing your tightly clenched fist open and holding your hand between both of hers. You squeeze her hand lightly, giving her a smile.
"Mami, Homura?" you say. You don't have to raise your voice too much, with your carpet cruising in a slow circle. "She won't accept my help, or my apology... but I can't just leave her alone." You press your lips together. "Much as I'd like to. But we can't. It'd literally kill her."
Homura shakes her head, expression flat. There's a hint of apology in her posture, her shoulders slightly hunched.
Mami clasps your hand between both of hers. "I think..." she swallows, looking up at you. "I think she's just, just lashing out. She was angry that we didn't make it to our appointment, and just... lashing out. We have to be firm with her. Just show up. I-I don't think she will like it, but it may be the only way."
"Do you think so?" you sigh, rubbing at your forehead. You really don't know whether this is for the better. It's in line with what you've been thinking, and it's nice to have confirmation, but... you're not entirely sure you trust your own judgement.
She nods tentatively. She doesn't look very sure herself, more torn than anything.
"OK, then," you say, eyeing Homura. The girl's expression is set, her violet eyes staring out into the darkened horizon. The thick clouds shrouding the sky have finally started moving, scudding across the sky in sluggish spurts. The moon, waxing towards its first quarter, occasionally peeks out from above.
"I was thinking of using Homura's power to head in quickly, find her, and see what her situation's like?" you say.
"I don't think she's really busy," Mami offers, grimacing.
"Neither do I," you murmur. "But she might be in distress." You tap your own Soul Gem meaningfully.
"I don't have any objections," Homura notes quietly, resting her fingers lightly on the rim of her shield.
Mami nods, spreading her fingers to show golden ribbons starting to web between them.
You take a deep breath, and exhale slowly. "Alright. Let's do it, then," you say.
Homura twists her shield with a hum of clockwork, gears singing. Grey hues explode across the night, swallowing up the bright glows of traffic suddenly paralyzed in the streets below. You feel motion at your waist - Mami's ribbon, twisting sinuously around to bind you to Mami and Homura.
You smile at your friends. "Thanks for indulging me," you whisper.
"Of course, Sabrina," Mami says, giving you an answering smile.
Homura just gives you a nod.
You sigh. "Somewhere in that direction, right?" you confirm, gesturing in the general direction of Yokosuka Academy and glancing at Homura.
She nods again, this time in affirmation, and you will the carpet forward, zooming towards the school. It only takes a few minutes' flight before you arrive at the enormous glass edifice that you're increasingly sure was built purely for the express purpose of one-upping Mitakihara. It even has those crennelations topping it, except wrought of gleaming steel and glass into swooping spires and arches.
"Somewhere in that direction," Homura murmurs, pointing to the west. You nod, and redirect the carpet.
"By the way, Mami," you ask. "Does Yokosuka have a rivalry with Mitakihara Middle School or something?"
"Yes, we do," Mami confirms with a shrug. "I never really bothered much with it, though..."
"Ah. That would explain it," you say.
Mami glances back at the building. "... it is a bit ostentatious," she agrees.
"Ostentatious," you snort. The grin fades back into seriousness, though, and you look at Homura again. "Any idea where better?"
She shakes her head. "Somewhere here," she says.
"Hmm..." you say, reaching out with your senses. You can feel the crackling glows that are your friends, sitting beside you. Beside you, and beneath you, are the tenuous, sepulchral presence of Grief ghosting through the air. A faint shadow of Grief, somewhere below, but... no. No other magical girls, and no Witch.
"Hm. Nothing that I can sense," you say with a frown. The carpet dips lower towards the ground, swooping between the canyons formed by the buildings, and you speed along the streets.
You spend fifteen minutes zigzagging along the streets before... "There," you murmur. "Found her, I think. Or I've found a magical girl."
A slightly poorer area, you think. A little shabby, and the facade perhaps a little more dirty than you usually see. Glowing on the ninth floor, in your sight beyond sight... A presence. Grief and magic, the distinctive twinned signature of a magical girl.
You head in.
Your impressions are confirmed as you head in. Not the best maintained place, indeed. Nothing bad. Just a bare shade less opulent than might be expected, or perhaps if you compared it to Oriko or Madoka's places. Or even Mami's apartment block.
Without prompting, Homura unlocks the door with a flash of purple light and steps into the apartment.
You're confronted with a frozen tableau. An older woman, bearing more than a passing similiarity to Megane, is slumped on the sofa, a can of what's obviously beer in her hand. A few empty cans lie abandoned on the ground, and the television's on.
Beyond that, a door that's rather pointedly closed, and presumably, locked. You can feel Megane just beyond that, and a little help from Homura sees you through.
You find Megane sitting on her bed, legs drawn up to her chest. Crumpled in her hand are some papers, ones you can't make out. Her Soul Gem, gleaming on her finger, is perhaps a quarter full... and you can't sense that Grief Seed you'd given her anywhere.
[] Write-in
=====
Will you take on the world's problems?
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