"Sure," you agree carefully.
"A-ah. You're sure you're OK with it? I mean, if you'd rather sleep in your own room..." Mami asks anxiously.
"No, it's fine," you smile at her.
"Thank you, Sabrina." She returns the smile tentatively. "Umm... I need my hairbrush."
You shake your head. "Go ahead! I'll be right here," you say.
Mami pushes off the couch and moves to her bedroom. You can hear her yanking the drawer open, before she darts back out into the living room with her hairbrush in hand, eyes fretfully hunting for you again. You smile at her from the sofa, and she hurries over to sit beside you again.
You pat her on the shoulder as she shuffles forward a little bit on the sofa seat and begins brushing her hair, leaning forward to avoid the sofa back. Her eyes slide closed, and she hums a little in contentment over the familiar task.
Eventually, her hair is brushed to her satisfaction, and she looks at you.
"Time to sleep?" you ask.
"OK," Mami says.
The two of you move to her bedroom, and you find the mattress leaning against a wall. "I'll take the mattress, OK?" you say, before Mami can offer.
"No, you can take the bed," the blonde disagrees.
You hold up a hand. "Mami, it's
your bed, and the mattress is perfectly comfortable," you say.
"O-oh," Mami says, looking like a kicked puppy. "If you're sure."
"I'm sure," you smile at Mami as you drag the mattress over beside the bed while Mami helps you bring over the pillow and blankets.
"Ah... well," Mami perches on the edge of her bed, watching you settle down for the night. "Good night, Sabrina."
"Good night, Mami," you say, burrowing under the blankets as she turns out the lights.
=====
When you wake up -late, since it's a weekend and you didn't set an alarm clock-, there's a warm presence burrowed into your side.
Well.
Can't say you didn't expect that.
You look down at Mami's peacefully sleeping face, pressed against your shoulder.
"Mami," you say, gently shaking her. "Time to wake up."
"Mrh," the blonde mumbles, cuddling closer to you.
... can't say you didn't expect
that, either.
"Mami!" you say a little louder, and shaking her a little more firmly.
"Mrrrm..." Golden eyes crack open, peering lazily at you, before they fly fully open in alarm. "Sabrina?" The blonde flinches back from you and pulls herself into a sitting position, cringing like she's touched a hot stove. "Ah! I'm sorry!"
You shake your head, likewise sitting up. "It's
fine, Mami. Just... it's past eight now," you say, tilting your head at the clock.
"Oh," Mami says. "I'm sorr-"
"Don't," you say, but soften the rebuke with a smile. "You have nothing to apologize for, OK? And we're both awake now, so... breakfast?"
"I... yes, that would be nice," Mami says.
"Alright, then." You rise to your feet, yawning hugely and stretching. The sun streaming in through the window is a stark contrast from yesterday's enormous storm, and a glance at the twisted, tangled mess of bedsheets on Mami's bed - it's easy enough to guess at what happened last night, you think. Nightmares and then some.
You wash yourself up, going through the familiar routines of your morning ablutions, with rather more haste than usual - you suspect Mami is giving the door that lost puppy look again.
And indeed, she is, to which you can only respond with what you hope is a reassuring smile. Or...
An idea strikes you, and you direct a handful of Grief marbles to waft out of your bag, moulding themselves into your musical instruments. "Hey, Mami," you smile at her as you meander over to the sofa. "Do you have any requests?"
"Ah... maybe that tune again?" Mami asks, smiling tentatively. "If that's OK?"
"Sure," you agree, and begin
playing. "I'll be in the kitchen, OK?"
Mami nods timidly as she walks into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
You leave the instruments playing in the living room as you move to the kitchen to begin preparing some simple breakfast. Hopefully the music should reassure her... though you're not entirely sold on it.
Mami hurries into the kitchen as you set the kettle to boil and turn to stare contemplatively at what you have left, which is not much. "... cereal?" you ask. "We could make pancakes, too, but we had that this week... And it's not like we need to prepare rice for lunch today."
"How about porridge?" Mami suggests.
You shrug. "Sure."
Breakfast, in the end, is a particularly thick porridge, with some pickled vegetables and the very last of the salmon left in the freezer. "Groceries the very first thing today, I guess?" you say as you spoon up some porridge, listening with half an ear to the weather program playing on television.
Mami nods, delicately grabbing some of the pickled vegetables.
"... Hyundai set to reveal their latest offering early next week..."
"Hm... do you think Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura will be awake yet?" you ask thoughtfully.
"... sunny today over Mitakihara City, with a possibility of light showers in Kasamino..."
Mami nods. "I guess so?"
"Well, let's try it," you say, and reach out, including Mami in the telepathic call. "
Hello?"
Homura's the first the respond, with a simple. "
Good morning."
"
Ah! Sabrina, Homura?" Madoka responds. "
Good morning!"
"
Mnnnnugh," is Sayaka's only response.
"
Sayaka!" Madoka says. "
How are you?"
"
Madoka?" Even Sayaka's mental voice is slurred from sleep.
"
Oh, are you sleeping?" the pinkette asks. You glance across the table at Mami and roll your eyes with a grin, to which she responds with a smothered giggle.
"
I was," Sayaka complains muzzily.
"
Ahem." You inject yourself back into the conversation. "
Good morning, everyone."
"
This is the second time you woke me up too early," Sayaka grumbles at you.
"
Sayaka!" Madoka scolds. "
Good morning, Sabrina! Is Mami there?"
"
Yes, I am. Good morning!" Mami says.
"
Good morning," Homura repeats patiently.
"
Oh, you're here too," Sayaka responds. "
Yeah, 'morning, I guess. 's not a good one. Too early."
"
Anyway!" you say. "
Mami and I are going shopping later today at the big shopping center , maybe after lunch. Would you like to come along?"
"
Mrrrrrm. Sure. Mum and dad don't need me around today," Sayaka says.
"
Ah... I can go!" Madoka replies.
"
I'll be there," Homura responds immediately after the pinkette. If you were the suspicious sort, you'd guess that she had been waiting to see whether
Madoka was going before she made her own decision...
"
Great! See you all later, then?" you say.
"
Later," Sayaka replies. "
I'm going back to sleep now."
"
See you later!" Mami says brightly.
"
See you!" Madoka says.
And finally... "
Bye," from Homura.
You smile at Mami as the call ends. "Well, that's that, then!"
Mami smiles at you across the table. "I'm still amazed that you managed to... ah... make Homura human."
"Oh come on, she's not that bad," you tell her.
"I know that
now," Mami says. "But I would never have seen it myself..."
"Ah, well," you say meaninglessly. "Groceries time?"
"Sure," Mami nods, pushing back the chair and picking up her dishes for washing.
=====
Homura's telepathic voice intrudes on you as you contemplate some tomatoes. "
Sabrina?"
"
Yes, Homura?" you respond absently, selecting a tomato and checking its skin for flaws.
"
You told Mami about the nature of Soul Gems."
"
I did," you confirm, hefting the tomato in your hand before dropping it into a plastic bag to join another three of its companions.
"
And we're going shopping later?" Homura continues.
"
Yes?"
"
... OK." Homura says.
"
Is it that
hard to believe?" you ask, a trace of annoyance leaking in to your mental voice.
"
... yes," Homura admits.
"
Well, it happened," you tell her, looking around for Mami. She's in the next row over, and you catch her peeking at you instead of choosing some vegetables as she's supposed to. You smile at her, and walk over to join her.
=====
Laden with plastic bags full of groceries, you and Mami walk back home, and unload all the groceries. It's still early, though, about ten thirty.
[] Suggest training
[] Just hang around the apartment
[] Write-in
=====
You have one thousand, four hundred and thirty seven Grief marbles, and three Grief Seeds in your pockets.
Also, unless you guys vote not to, you'll presumably be going shopping with the others after lunch.