AuraTwilight
The Sorcerer of Smiles
- Location
- The Silver City
Actually <Imagine> would be perfect for Sabrina's stand name, since it ties in to both Dedolere's themes and her actual powerset of "Whatever she can fucking think of doing."
Puella Magi Adfligo Systema
- Thread starter Firnagzen
- Start date
-
- Tags
- puella magi adfligo systema puella magi madoka magica be gay do crimes (gay) female protagonist bad decisions dating mami tomoe (tomoe mami) diabolical laughter friendship is the best ship handholding identity crises microwaving tea gets you put in the bad place names are important the body is the fursona of the soul this is not the baked goods thread we don't talk about rionna what could possibly go wrong? who in the world is azure sanfrancisco?
Karnewarrior
Leastmost of the Hanged Man Arcana
Are there merged stands? Because Mami and Sabrina's could be <UNBREAKABLE>.
The Narrator
Disembodied Voice
- Location
- Somewhere Offscreen
My first thought: "They still make new Looney Tunes shorts?"
My second thought: "The animation in Looney Tunes has gotten hardcore."
"We Don't Go To Asunaro..." pt. 5
The 'big radio tower'. You spot it easily, even from a distance - a huge, circular building that soars far above the other structures around it. It's vaguely reminiscent of the Tokyo Skytree, actually. Probably a deliberate copy thereof, really. If Tokyo doesn't have something even more neofuturistically ostentatious, anyway.
You divert towards it, slowing even more. You dismiss the transparent windshield too, and you doublecheck that your Grief utility fog has been reduced to near-imperceptible levels. You want to make a good impression, after all!
Of course, with the Pleaides Saints all bunched up nicely on top of the tower, this would be the best time for Plan Caw, Caw. You could just swoop down and... collect Michiru and Umika and Kaoru.
Alas, that would probably give entirely the wrong idea. As would flying in upside-down. The only person who would get it is Homura, and she would be deeply disapproving were she here.
You arrive at the tower before they do, alighting gently amongst the forest of metallic spars. You try not to disturb them - as it is, you're probably causing all sorts of horrible cell phone coverage issues just by being here amongst the antennas.
Just as well you didn't do the flying-upside-down thing. They aren't even here yet, probably because Michiru got delayed.
Heh. It makes sense, but magical girls do tend to gravitate to high places. Scaling tall buildings comes naturally to you, and you get a commanding view of the surrounding area. It just comes with the territory, you suppose. Good thing that Asunaro isn't more gothic, or you'd be wrestling the urge to start monologing about dead parents while perching on a gargoyle. Your probably-parents aren't even dead!
On the other hand, the thing to do would technically be to start ranting about love and friendship and hope, you suppose. You are a magical girl, after all.
You take a moment to guide little specks of Grief to the edge of your coat as stare out over the city. For all your fretting over Asunaro, it's still just a city, not that much different from Mitakihara. The radio tower you're currently roosting on seems to be solidly within the housing district - there's a shopping centre at the base of the tower, surrounded by squat apartment blocks.
You have to wonder if it's the same shopping centre where the events you hope you've derailed start. Ah, well. It's irrelevant, especially now: you can sense three magical girls, approaching on foot. In an elevator, judging by the way they're moving straight up the tower at a perfectly steady velocity.
Their Soul Gems... ooh, yeah, they're having Witch shortage issues, alright. Kazusa's Soul Gem is rather uncomfortably full, to your Grief senses. Not so much Umika, nor Kaoru.
Hmm. Just three? There should be seven of them.
They emerge a few minutes later on the roof of the building. In the lead is a slender, black haired girl. She looks about the roof in what she probably imagines is a surreptitious way, the effect completely ruined by the vibrant red and white dress she's wearing. She's cradling a box carefully in her arms as she glances around, short bob-cut hair flopping in the breeze.
Kazusa Michiru, nicknamed Kazumi. The girl whose Witching Out sets the entire chain of dominoes toppling. Following her is an orange.
OK, fine, that's a bit mean, but the girl following Michiru has orange hair and orange eyes and a nice, white blouse... with an orange skirt. There's such a thing as colour coordination, but damn, girl. She bounces forward to walk beside Michiru, showing off muscled calves.
That would be Maki Kaoru, then. Good girl, all around. Soccer player, and unless you remember wrongly, she made her Wish to help other girls who were hurt.
Check, check...
"Hey, up here!" you call. Putting one hand on the spar of the antenna mast, you vault down towards them as the last member of their party emerges from the stairwell.
... and check. It's a nice blouse and skirt combo complimented by the dark tights she wears underneath, you'll grant. But you'll also grant the critical lack of pants.
Misaki Umika, dark blue hair that hangs down to her back. The rich one of their team. Blue eyes framed by her bangs are the first to find you, her face lighting up with a pleasant smile.
"Oh! Hi, Miss Sabrina!" Michiru says, greeting you with a bright smile. "Ah- I should shake hands, but- Kaoru, take this!"
She shoves the icebox into Kaoru's arms and advances on you, arm outstretched. You meet her halfway, shaking her hand firmly.
"Good to finally meet you," you say, smiling. "I'm Sabrina - um, Sabrina Vee, I suppose. Vee Sabrina, since we're in Japan, but the surname is a work in progress. Still getting used to ti!"
"Kazusa Michiru!" Michiru says, pumping your hand rather more enthusiastically than is necessary before letting go. "But everyone calls me Kazumi, so you should too!"
"Sure, Kazumi-sempai," you say, grinning back at her.
"Oh~!" the black haired girl says, spinning to beam at her friends. "Hear that? Kazumi-sempai. Why don't you call me that?"
"You aren't a sempai of anyone," Umika says, reaching up to flick Kazumi on the side of her head. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Vee."
"No no no, don't call me Miss Vee," you protest. "Just Sabrina will do. You're Misaki Umika, right?"
"You can call me Umika," she says with a nod. "And this meathead is Maki Kaoru."
"Hey!" Kaoru protests, kicking Umika's ankle.
"Nice to meet you all," you say, smiling. "Say, uh, aren't there seven of you?"
"Oh, Saki and Mirai and Satomi and Niko aren't here right now," Michiru says with a bright smile. She reclaims the ice box from Kaoru, fussing with it. "Um... you can meet them later!"
"Oh, hm... well, actually, I was kind of hoping to do something, here" you say. "Um, Kazumi, have you told your friends about my powers?"
"Nope~?" Michiru says, giving you a curious look.
"I control Grief," you say, spreading your arms wide. Your Grief spheres answer the call, bobbing down into view with the nanoscale camouflage peels back and dissolves to reveal their deep, mottled purple colour. With a thought, you start flapping the end of your coat in a suitably dramatic faux wind, and pull the Grief spheres into the points of a geodesic sphere that orbits lazily about you.
A moment of pause for effect...
"And yes, that includes cleansing Soul Gems," you say, grinning.
Umika's and Kaoru's eyes are very, very wide.
"You can cleanse Soul Gems?" Umika breathes.
"Yup," you say cheerfully, and hold your hand out as you let the spheres drop with a thud. "May I demonstrate?"
"Ahh... Kaoru!" Michiru says, nudging the other girl with her elbow. "You go!"
Hmm. She's hiding the status of her Soul Gem, isn't she?
Kaoru produces her Soul Gem, holding it cupped in the palms of her hands and giving you a look of mild trepidation. There's a thin, filmy layer of Grief churns under its surface, just enough to be noticeable. Moving slowly, you make a little pinching motion with two fingers and tug with both your hand and your mind.
Grief wisps forth, filling the air like a noxious banner that you crush into two little marbles.
"Wow," Kaoru breathes, eyes practically shining as she beholds her Soul Gem.
"That's amazing, Miss Vee," Umika says. There's reverence in her voice. "It's- it's a true cleansing? The Grief isn't just moved elsewhere?"
"Technically it is," you say, smiling and holding up a finger. You set the two marbles orbiting above the tip of your finger. "Right here. And what did I say about calling me Sabrina?"
"Right," Umika says, nodding. "Sorry, Sabrina."
Michiru beams at you, starting to bounce on her toes before remembering her precious cargo and forcing herself to stop. "Mami's so lucky."
"Nah," you say. You shake your head, smiling softly. "If anything, I'm the lucky one for her taking me in."
"Ah, speaking of! Shall we get going?" Michiru asks, perking up.
"Well, as I was saying, I actually wanted to do something before I go," you say. "I was thinking I could offer cleanses to everyone who's staying behind, too? For free? And, um, I can refresh Grief Seeds that have been used to brand new or better, actually."
"Oh, that would be wonderful," Kazumi says, beaming. "Um, let me call Niko! I think Saki and Mirai are busy..."
"Sure," you say, smiling cheerfully. Niko... Kanna Niko, the tech-head of their team. Of course, you'd have to keep an eye out for Hijiri Kanna. "Are you sure you don't want to bring everyone over, even if they're busy?"
"Oh, it should be fine," Kazumi says. "We're coming back soon anyway, aren't we?"
"Fair enough," you agree. You slip your hands into your pockets, rocking back and forth on your feet as you wait.
"Um, Sabrina? What did you mean by making a Grief Seed better?" Kaoru asks, giving you a curious look.
"Aha, yes," you say. You were hoping someone would ask. There was just no good segue for it. You pat down your pockets and locate Hildegarde, holding the Grief Seed up by its point. "This is what I call a Clear Seed. It's what happens when I take a regular Grief Seed and empty out all the Grief."
"Cool!" Michiru says, shifting her icebox to her hip and leaning closer to examine the Seed. "What does it do?"
"Same as a Grief Seed, really," you say. "You can cleanse with it, just that, uh..." You summon a marble to float in front of you at eye level. "This is about a day's worth? And, well-"
You gesture grandly, the Grief spheres leaping once more into the air. "This is about half of what a Clear Seed can take."
"You'll get along well with Niko," Umika murmurs, eyes wide with awe.
"Well." You shrug, smiling. "The point really is that if you want one, and if you have a spare Grief Seed, I can make you girls one right now. It'll last... Uh. A while."
"Really? You'd do that?" Michiru squeals. She starts forward before forcing herself to stop, eyes darting to her cargo. "Umika- hug her!"
"Kaoru, you do it," Umika snaps, tucking her hands behind herself and taking a step backward.
"Nuh-uh," Kaoru says. "My hugs are for Kazumi."
You blink, and laugh. "No need. I'm here to help," you say. You'd be insulted by your apparent lack of huggability, but you prefer hugs from Mami, and she doesn't have any complaints. "Niko's bringing Grief Seeds, right? I can make one for you, if you like."
"Yes, please! If you don't mind," Umika says.
You sense two presences approaching, one lagging behind the other. The slower one pauses and breaks off as the one in the lead approaches the tower - and she doesn't take the elevator, either.
"Oh, I think that's Niko," you say, turning to peer over the mess of antenna spars. You spot what looks like a splash of teal blue, standing out stark and bright against the dizzying crisscross of roads far below.
"That's her!" Michiru says, poking her head out besides yours. "NIKOOOO! UP HERE!"
... you don't think Niko can actually hear her.
Nevertheless, the girl arrives a few minutes later, what looks like a hangglider folding tidily into her backpack as she lands smoothly on her feet. Her puella magi costume is the same teal green, consisting mainly of a jacket that ends mid-thigh and leaves her legs bare. You feel kind of offended, really. Aviator goggles ride high on her leather helmet, offsetting the warmth in her blue eyes as she greets Kazumi.
"And this is Sabrina!" Kazumi says, turning towards you. "She's Tomoe Mami's friend, and she's here to help!"
"That's me," you say, swallowing a snicker. That really does about sum you up nicely. "I can cleanse Grief Seeds, and I can..."
You repeat your spiel, and provide the usual warning that Clear Seeds and regular Grief Seeds don't mix.
"That's fascinating," Niko says, leaning in close. "Can I see the Clear Seed? Yes- just hold it up, thank you."
You oblige, and watch in faint bemusement as she pulls out her smartphone and starts poking away at the screen.
"... can I see what you're doing?" you ask.
"Hmm?" she asks, fumbling in her pocket. She pulls out one of the normal Grief Seeds you sense on her, and holds it up beside the Clear Seed.
You twitch, moving it a little further away just to be sure, and you shuffle around so you can peek over her shoulder. Her phone screen displays...
Well, it's something, that's for sure. You can't make out the mess of glyphs and graphs.
"It's no use," Umika says, shaking her head. "Ask her later."
"Well, actually-" You check the time on your phone. "Um, OK, if you want a Clear Seed, I need to start now. We're on a schedule to meet up with Mami for lunch."
You could rush, but that'd probably ruin Michiru's parfait.
"Niko..." Kaoru pats the blonde on the shoulder. "Can you give us a Grief Seed?"
The blonde doesn't seem to notice that, either, muttering quietly to herself. And so Kaoru starts poking through Niko's pockets, finding a Grief Seed eventually. "Here we are!"
"I'll definitely want to ask later," you muse as you take the Grief Seed. "Give me a bit."
You focus, and you start drawing Grief forth from the Seed. The Pleiades watch with mingled awe and interest, especially on Niko's part - she seems to be taking notes now, thumbs practically blurring over the touchscreen of her phone. The Grief you yank free you immediately compress into spheres, scaling them over with the same sky-blue anti-radar camoflage.
And when you're done, you present the Clear Seed to the Pleiades. Niko snatches it immediately, eyes intent.
You can't help but laugh, though you were hoping to get Michiru to use it. Perhaps you should try and ask her alone, later. Regardless, it is time to go, so you start reforming your Mobile Oppression Fortress.
"All aboard Mitakihara Meguca Airlines Flight 004 to Mitakihara," you say cheerfully as you step up on to the platform. You've even added proper seats this time - hard Grief, but as ergonomic as you can make them, in a row of three with one more in front for yourself. No transparent windshield either; you don't want to freak them out too much. Layered shutters of Grief will let you see out the sides without letting in too much wind, anyway.
Michiru clambers eagerly on board, taking the middle seat and looking around for a place to put her cargo down. You obligingly form a little holder under her seat, exactly right to hold the icebox snugly.
"Come on up!" she calls to her friends, and Umika and Kaoru scramble on board. You blink as you notice Niko starting to follow too, still muttering absentmindedly to herself.
She's stopped by Kaoru's hand planted squarely on her face. "No, Niko," she says firmly. "You take the Clear Seed that Sabrina has given to us, and you go home, alright? Don't let it touch other Grief Seeds, either."
"Mmhm," Niko says, turning away from the platform. Instead, she wanders to the far edge of the roof, walking right off without seeming to notice the actual drop.
"... should we be concerned?" you venture, eyeing the spot where she'd dropped off.
"No, she gets like that when she has something interesting to focus on," Umika says with a sigh. "She'll make it home safe enough, if only because all her equipment is there, but she might not leave for a few days."
"Uh... huh," you say. You can sense that she's flying, at least, instead of, well, falling. That's something.
"It's normal!" Michiru says brightly.
"Right," you say, only slightly reassured. You settle into your chair and grin at the Pleiades Saints. "Anyway, um... right. Yes. Welcome aboard Mitakihara Meguca Airlines flight 004. Please keep hands and other extremities inside the vehicle at all times."
"That's for rollercoasters!" Kaoru points out.
"Well, it's my vehicle, so there," you say, grinning. "Anyway. Here we go!"
You lift off gently from the roof to the whoops of Kaoru and Michiru, who cheer and peek eagerly out of the shuttered windows as you rise above the city.
"Hey, Mami?" You reach out across the distance for that familiar presence.
"Yes, Sabrina? Is everything alright?" Mami responds.
"Yeah," you say, unable to help the gentle smile that comes to your face just from hearing her voice. "It's all good - I'm on the way back with Michiru and her friends now."
"Ah," Mami says. "Do you-"
"She's looking forward to meeting you again," you reassure her. "I'll be back soon, alright?"
"Alright," Mami says, and you can feel her smile.
"See you soon," you murmur.
"Alright," Mami says again. "See you soon."
"This is so cool!" Michiru squeals, staring out the windows with wide eyes.
"Thank you," you say, beaming at her. "Really, I was very lucky. Both with my powers, and with Mami."
"I'll say," Umika notes drily.
You laugh, and kick your feet against the floor to spin your chair around and face them. You're accelerating slowly but steadily, and you'll start decelerating at the halfway point. Just enough time to make it back for lunch, by your reckoning.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any in-flight refreshments," you say with a grin. "And I suppose Michiru's icebox is for dessert after lunch?"
"Call me Kazumi!" Michiru protests. "And duh it's for after lunch."
"Fair enough," you say. "So how did you girls meet, anyway?"
"Oh! Well, there was a Witch-" Kazumi starts to explain their story. She'd been a magical girl before the rest of the Saints, and she'd actually saved them from Witches. Not all at once, contrary to what you remember, and without that bizarre, out of character testing you remember she'd put them through.
But she'd saved them, one after another.
You let the conversation flow, applauding Kazumi's heroics. Umika and Kaoru seem to thoroughly agree with the sentiment, heaping the black haired girl with praise she seems reluctant to accept.
As you chat, though, you feel another telepathic link snap up.
"Sabrina?" Nadia's accented voice sounds in your head.
"Ah, Nadia? How goes it?" you ask, even as you ask Kazumi about her cooking.
"It goes well," Nadia says. "The Shiogama girls, they have agreed that they will travel to Mitakihara. I will bring them there, we will arrive tomorrow morning. Is that good?"
"Hm, I could probably give you a lift, if you want?" you respond.
"There is no need. We can travel, fimti?" Nadia says.
Hm. That could be a bit of a problem. Considering that Kazumi asked whether the city could support more magical girls, you're pretty sure the Asunaro girls intend to stay a day or two, or at the very least the night. Which could clash with a few things, like Sayaka's training, experimenting with Mami's powers, and, of course, integrating the Shiogama girls into your team.
Voting opens
[] Confirm the Asunaro girl's stay
[] Write-in an alternative
[] Continue with vote in abeyance
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
A little bit of a clash. You can choose to work around it, of course.
You divert towards it, slowing even more. You dismiss the transparent windshield too, and you doublecheck that your Grief utility fog has been reduced to near-imperceptible levels. You want to make a good impression, after all!
Of course, with the Pleaides Saints all bunched up nicely on top of the tower, this would be the best time for Plan Caw, Caw. You could just swoop down and... collect Michiru and Umika and Kaoru.
Alas, that would probably give entirely the wrong idea. As would flying in upside-down. The only person who would get it is Homura, and she would be deeply disapproving were she here.
You arrive at the tower before they do, alighting gently amongst the forest of metallic spars. You try not to disturb them - as it is, you're probably causing all sorts of horrible cell phone coverage issues just by being here amongst the antennas.
Just as well you didn't do the flying-upside-down thing. They aren't even here yet, probably because Michiru got delayed.
Heh. It makes sense, but magical girls do tend to gravitate to high places. Scaling tall buildings comes naturally to you, and you get a commanding view of the surrounding area. It just comes with the territory, you suppose. Good thing that Asunaro isn't more gothic, or you'd be wrestling the urge to start monologing about dead parents while perching on a gargoyle. Your probably-parents aren't even dead!
On the other hand, the thing to do would technically be to start ranting about love and friendship and hope, you suppose. You are a magical girl, after all.
You take a moment to guide little specks of Grief to the edge of your coat as stare out over the city. For all your fretting over Asunaro, it's still just a city, not that much different from Mitakihara. The radio tower you're currently roosting on seems to be solidly within the housing district - there's a shopping centre at the base of the tower, surrounded by squat apartment blocks.
You have to wonder if it's the same shopping centre where the events you hope you've derailed start. Ah, well. It's irrelevant, especially now: you can sense three magical girls, approaching on foot. In an elevator, judging by the way they're moving straight up the tower at a perfectly steady velocity.
Their Soul Gems... ooh, yeah, they're having Witch shortage issues, alright. Kazusa's Soul Gem is rather uncomfortably full, to your Grief senses. Not so much Umika, nor Kaoru.
Hmm. Just three? There should be seven of them.
They emerge a few minutes later on the roof of the building. In the lead is a slender, black haired girl. She looks about the roof in what she probably imagines is a surreptitious way, the effect completely ruined by the vibrant red and white dress she's wearing. She's cradling a box carefully in her arms as she glances around, short bob-cut hair flopping in the breeze.
Kazusa Michiru, nicknamed Kazumi. The girl whose Witching Out sets the entire chain of dominoes toppling. Following her is an orange.
OK, fine, that's a bit mean, but the girl following Michiru has orange hair and orange eyes and a nice, white blouse... with an orange skirt. There's such a thing as colour coordination, but damn, girl. She bounces forward to walk beside Michiru, showing off muscled calves.
That would be Maki Kaoru, then. Good girl, all around. Soccer player, and unless you remember wrongly, she made her Wish to help other girls who were hurt.
Check, check...
"Hey, up here!" you call. Putting one hand on the spar of the antenna mast, you vault down towards them as the last member of their party emerges from the stairwell.
... and check. It's a nice blouse and skirt combo complimented by the dark tights she wears underneath, you'll grant. But you'll also grant the critical lack of pants.
Misaki Umika, dark blue hair that hangs down to her back. The rich one of their team. Blue eyes framed by her bangs are the first to find you, her face lighting up with a pleasant smile.
"Oh! Hi, Miss Sabrina!" Michiru says, greeting you with a bright smile. "Ah- I should shake hands, but- Kaoru, take this!"
She shoves the icebox into Kaoru's arms and advances on you, arm outstretched. You meet her halfway, shaking her hand firmly.
"Good to finally meet you," you say, smiling. "I'm Sabrina - um, Sabrina Vee, I suppose. Vee Sabrina, since we're in Japan, but the surname is a work in progress. Still getting used to ti!"
"Kazusa Michiru!" Michiru says, pumping your hand rather more enthusiastically than is necessary before letting go. "But everyone calls me Kazumi, so you should too!"
"Sure, Kazumi-sempai," you say, grinning back at her.
"Oh~!" the black haired girl says, spinning to beam at her friends. "Hear that? Kazumi-sempai. Why don't you call me that?"
"You aren't a sempai of anyone," Umika says, reaching up to flick Kazumi on the side of her head. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Vee."
"No no no, don't call me Miss Vee," you protest. "Just Sabrina will do. You're Misaki Umika, right?"
"You can call me Umika," she says with a nod. "And this meathead is Maki Kaoru."
"Hey!" Kaoru protests, kicking Umika's ankle.
"Nice to meet you all," you say, smiling. "Say, uh, aren't there seven of you?"
"Oh, Saki and Mirai and Satomi and Niko aren't here right now," Michiru says with a bright smile. She reclaims the ice box from Kaoru, fussing with it. "Um... you can meet them later!"
"Oh, hm... well, actually, I was kind of hoping to do something, here" you say. "Um, Kazumi, have you told your friends about my powers?"
"Nope~?" Michiru says, giving you a curious look.
"I control Grief," you say, spreading your arms wide. Your Grief spheres answer the call, bobbing down into view with the nanoscale camouflage peels back and dissolves to reveal their deep, mottled purple colour. With a thought, you start flapping the end of your coat in a suitably dramatic faux wind, and pull the Grief spheres into the points of a geodesic sphere that orbits lazily about you.
A moment of pause for effect...
"And yes, that includes cleansing Soul Gems," you say, grinning.
Umika's and Kaoru's eyes are very, very wide.
"You can cleanse Soul Gems?" Umika breathes.
"Yup," you say cheerfully, and hold your hand out as you let the spheres drop with a thud. "May I demonstrate?"
"Ahh... Kaoru!" Michiru says, nudging the other girl with her elbow. "You go!"
Hmm. She's hiding the status of her Soul Gem, isn't she?
Kaoru produces her Soul Gem, holding it cupped in the palms of her hands and giving you a look of mild trepidation. There's a thin, filmy layer of Grief churns under its surface, just enough to be noticeable. Moving slowly, you make a little pinching motion with two fingers and tug with both your hand and your mind.
Grief wisps forth, filling the air like a noxious banner that you crush into two little marbles.
"Wow," Kaoru breathes, eyes practically shining as she beholds her Soul Gem.
"That's amazing, Miss Vee," Umika says. There's reverence in her voice. "It's- it's a true cleansing? The Grief isn't just moved elsewhere?"
"Technically it is," you say, smiling and holding up a finger. You set the two marbles orbiting above the tip of your finger. "Right here. And what did I say about calling me Sabrina?"
"Right," Umika says, nodding. "Sorry, Sabrina."
Michiru beams at you, starting to bounce on her toes before remembering her precious cargo and forcing herself to stop. "Mami's so lucky."
"Nah," you say. You shake your head, smiling softly. "If anything, I'm the lucky one for her taking me in."
"Ah, speaking of! Shall we get going?" Michiru asks, perking up.
"Well, as I was saying, I actually wanted to do something before I go," you say. "I was thinking I could offer cleanses to everyone who's staying behind, too? For free? And, um, I can refresh Grief Seeds that have been used to brand new or better, actually."
"Oh, that would be wonderful," Kazumi says, beaming. "Um, let me call Niko! I think Saki and Mirai are busy..."
"Sure," you say, smiling cheerfully. Niko... Kanna Niko, the tech-head of their team. Of course, you'd have to keep an eye out for Hijiri Kanna. "Are you sure you don't want to bring everyone over, even if they're busy?"
"Oh, it should be fine," Kazumi says. "We're coming back soon anyway, aren't we?"
"Fair enough," you agree. You slip your hands into your pockets, rocking back and forth on your feet as you wait.
"Um, Sabrina? What did you mean by making a Grief Seed better?" Kaoru asks, giving you a curious look.
"Aha, yes," you say. You were hoping someone would ask. There was just no good segue for it. You pat down your pockets and locate Hildegarde, holding the Grief Seed up by its point. "This is what I call a Clear Seed. It's what happens when I take a regular Grief Seed and empty out all the Grief."
"Cool!" Michiru says, shifting her icebox to her hip and leaning closer to examine the Seed. "What does it do?"
"Same as a Grief Seed, really," you say. "You can cleanse with it, just that, uh..." You summon a marble to float in front of you at eye level. "This is about a day's worth? And, well-"
You gesture grandly, the Grief spheres leaping once more into the air. "This is about half of what a Clear Seed can take."
"You'll get along well with Niko," Umika murmurs, eyes wide with awe.
"Well." You shrug, smiling. "The point really is that if you want one, and if you have a spare Grief Seed, I can make you girls one right now. It'll last... Uh. A while."
"Really? You'd do that?" Michiru squeals. She starts forward before forcing herself to stop, eyes darting to her cargo. "Umika- hug her!"
"Kaoru, you do it," Umika snaps, tucking her hands behind herself and taking a step backward.
"Nuh-uh," Kaoru says. "My hugs are for Kazumi."
You blink, and laugh. "No need. I'm here to help," you say. You'd be insulted by your apparent lack of huggability, but you prefer hugs from Mami, and she doesn't have any complaints. "Niko's bringing Grief Seeds, right? I can make one for you, if you like."
"Yes, please! If you don't mind," Umika says.
You sense two presences approaching, one lagging behind the other. The slower one pauses and breaks off as the one in the lead approaches the tower - and she doesn't take the elevator, either.
"Oh, I think that's Niko," you say, turning to peer over the mess of antenna spars. You spot what looks like a splash of teal blue, standing out stark and bright against the dizzying crisscross of roads far below.
"That's her!" Michiru says, poking her head out besides yours. "NIKOOOO! UP HERE!"
... you don't think Niko can actually hear her.
Nevertheless, the girl arrives a few minutes later, what looks like a hangglider folding tidily into her backpack as she lands smoothly on her feet. Her puella magi costume is the same teal green, consisting mainly of a jacket that ends mid-thigh and leaves her legs bare. You feel kind of offended, really. Aviator goggles ride high on her leather helmet, offsetting the warmth in her blue eyes as she greets Kazumi.
"And this is Sabrina!" Kazumi says, turning towards you. "She's Tomoe Mami's friend, and she's here to help!"
"That's me," you say, swallowing a snicker. That really does about sum you up nicely. "I can cleanse Grief Seeds, and I can..."
You repeat your spiel, and provide the usual warning that Clear Seeds and regular Grief Seeds don't mix.
"That's fascinating," Niko says, leaning in close. "Can I see the Clear Seed? Yes- just hold it up, thank you."
You oblige, and watch in faint bemusement as she pulls out her smartphone and starts poking away at the screen.
"... can I see what you're doing?" you ask.
"Hmm?" she asks, fumbling in her pocket. She pulls out one of the normal Grief Seeds you sense on her, and holds it up beside the Clear Seed.
You twitch, moving it a little further away just to be sure, and you shuffle around so you can peek over her shoulder. Her phone screen displays...
Well, it's something, that's for sure. You can't make out the mess of glyphs and graphs.
"It's no use," Umika says, shaking her head. "Ask her later."
"Well, actually-" You check the time on your phone. "Um, OK, if you want a Clear Seed, I need to start now. We're on a schedule to meet up with Mami for lunch."
You could rush, but that'd probably ruin Michiru's parfait.
"Niko..." Kaoru pats the blonde on the shoulder. "Can you give us a Grief Seed?"
The blonde doesn't seem to notice that, either, muttering quietly to herself. And so Kaoru starts poking through Niko's pockets, finding a Grief Seed eventually. "Here we are!"
"I'll definitely want to ask later," you muse as you take the Grief Seed. "Give me a bit."
You focus, and you start drawing Grief forth from the Seed. The Pleiades watch with mingled awe and interest, especially on Niko's part - she seems to be taking notes now, thumbs practically blurring over the touchscreen of her phone. The Grief you yank free you immediately compress into spheres, scaling them over with the same sky-blue anti-radar camoflage.
And when you're done, you present the Clear Seed to the Pleiades. Niko snatches it immediately, eyes intent.
You can't help but laugh, though you were hoping to get Michiru to use it. Perhaps you should try and ask her alone, later. Regardless, it is time to go, so you start reforming your Mobile Oppression Fortress.
"All aboard Mitakihara Meguca Airlines Flight 004 to Mitakihara," you say cheerfully as you step up on to the platform. You've even added proper seats this time - hard Grief, but as ergonomic as you can make them, in a row of three with one more in front for yourself. No transparent windshield either; you don't want to freak them out too much. Layered shutters of Grief will let you see out the sides without letting in too much wind, anyway.
Michiru clambers eagerly on board, taking the middle seat and looking around for a place to put her cargo down. You obligingly form a little holder under her seat, exactly right to hold the icebox snugly.
"Come on up!" she calls to her friends, and Umika and Kaoru scramble on board. You blink as you notice Niko starting to follow too, still muttering absentmindedly to herself.
She's stopped by Kaoru's hand planted squarely on her face. "No, Niko," she says firmly. "You take the Clear Seed that Sabrina has given to us, and you go home, alright? Don't let it touch other Grief Seeds, either."
"Mmhm," Niko says, turning away from the platform. Instead, she wanders to the far edge of the roof, walking right off without seeming to notice the actual drop.
"... should we be concerned?" you venture, eyeing the spot where she'd dropped off.
"No, she gets like that when she has something interesting to focus on," Umika says with a sigh. "She'll make it home safe enough, if only because all her equipment is there, but she might not leave for a few days."
"Uh... huh," you say. You can sense that she's flying, at least, instead of, well, falling. That's something.
"It's normal!" Michiru says brightly.
"Right," you say, only slightly reassured. You settle into your chair and grin at the Pleiades Saints. "Anyway, um... right. Yes. Welcome aboard Mitakihara Meguca Airlines flight 004. Please keep hands and other extremities inside the vehicle at all times."
"That's for rollercoasters!" Kaoru points out.
"Well, it's my vehicle, so there," you say, grinning. "Anyway. Here we go!"
You lift off gently from the roof to the whoops of Kaoru and Michiru, who cheer and peek eagerly out of the shuttered windows as you rise above the city.
"Hey, Mami?" You reach out across the distance for that familiar presence.
"Yes, Sabrina? Is everything alright?" Mami responds.
"Yeah," you say, unable to help the gentle smile that comes to your face just from hearing her voice. "It's all good - I'm on the way back with Michiru and her friends now."
"Ah," Mami says. "Do you-"
"She's looking forward to meeting you again," you reassure her. "I'll be back soon, alright?"
"Alright," Mami says, and you can feel her smile.
"See you soon," you murmur.
"Alright," Mami says again. "See you soon."
"This is so cool!" Michiru squeals, staring out the windows with wide eyes.
"Thank you," you say, beaming at her. "Really, I was very lucky. Both with my powers, and with Mami."
"I'll say," Umika notes drily.
You laugh, and kick your feet against the floor to spin your chair around and face them. You're accelerating slowly but steadily, and you'll start decelerating at the halfway point. Just enough time to make it back for lunch, by your reckoning.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any in-flight refreshments," you say with a grin. "And I suppose Michiru's icebox is for dessert after lunch?"
"Call me Kazumi!" Michiru protests. "And duh it's for after lunch."
"Fair enough," you say. "So how did you girls meet, anyway?"
"Oh! Well, there was a Witch-" Kazumi starts to explain their story. She'd been a magical girl before the rest of the Saints, and she'd actually saved them from Witches. Not all at once, contrary to what you remember, and without that bizarre, out of character testing you remember she'd put them through.
But she'd saved them, one after another.
You let the conversation flow, applauding Kazumi's heroics. Umika and Kaoru seem to thoroughly agree with the sentiment, heaping the black haired girl with praise she seems reluctant to accept.
As you chat, though, you feel another telepathic link snap up.
"Sabrina?" Nadia's accented voice sounds in your head.
"Ah, Nadia? How goes it?" you ask, even as you ask Kazumi about her cooking.
"It goes well," Nadia says. "The Shiogama girls, they have agreed that they will travel to Mitakihara. I will bring them there, we will arrive tomorrow morning. Is that good?"
"Hm, I could probably give you a lift, if you want?" you respond.
"There is no need. We can travel, fimti?" Nadia says.
Hm. That could be a bit of a problem. Considering that Kazumi asked whether the city could support more magical girls, you're pretty sure the Asunaro girls intend to stay a day or two, or at the very least the night. Which could clash with a few things, like Sayaka's training, experimenting with Mami's powers, and, of course, integrating the Shiogama girls into your team.
Voting opens
[] Confirm the Asunaro girl's stay
[] Write-in an alternative
[] Continue with vote in abeyance
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
[] Segue into explaining your overall goals, so you don't have to do it over lunch. Don't hog too much of the conversation, let Kazuza and co. steer the topic as well.
[] Over lunch:
-[] Help do introductions.
-[] Make sure that Mami is okay.
-[] Keep Homura from drifting away from the group.
-[] Ask if Umika's 『 S T A N D 』 is 『 Heaven's Door 』.
-[] And tell them about Cannone Picchio.
[] Over lunch:
-[] Help do introductions.
-[] Make sure that Mami is okay.
-[] Keep Homura from drifting away from the group.
-[] Ask if Umika's 『 S T A N D 』 is 『 Heaven's Door 』.
-[] And tell them about Cannone Picchio.
=====
A little bit of a clash. You can choose to work around it, of course.
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Jonen C
F.M.D.G.
- Location
- Lincopense, Ostrogothia, Suecia
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
If we have to put off refugees just because we have other visitors then we hardly deserve to be planning to take more in. We should probably start talking to them now over telepathy instead of waiting until they're here in person, though. And talk to our other teammates (Dokes and Hitomi included) about what arrangements we can make for them. Time management!
Always Happening
We could have prevented this.
- Location
- On a train with no brakes
told you guys Niko was best girl (after Michiru)
- Location
- The Surface Of A Hostile Planet
Mmm. I was kind of hoping Sabrina would catch this on her own - I recommended a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday training schedule for this exact reason.
As for these, the obvious choice is to just include the Asunaro girls in the proceedings. They're all idealistic enough that I don't see them having any issues tagging along while we set things up for newcomers, and Kazumi and Mami can catch up while we do practice.
Script Mak3r
(Verified Sun God) (Verified Feathers)
- Location
- Hell of Blazing Fires
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Also, you messed up on the time that the vote opens, again. Well, unless voting opened over a month ago.
- Location
- ⇙
I don't think the Asunaro girls staying is all that much of a problem. Sure we'll be busy, but they are nice girls and we should be able to work around any issues by rescheduling or just having them accompany us. Practice for later when more refugees or magical girl groups show up.
I don't think so. She's trying to hide how bad it is from the others so Sabrina didn't want to expose her. We should mention it once we have a moment alone with her or hide how much grief we pull out of her gem by mixing it with those of others when we do a general cleanse.
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Sabrina figured Sayaka wouldn't go for a Saturday training session.
Onmur
Archangel of Nutella.
A girl after our own heart...
... She totally owes us a hug.
I'm all for plan 'cleanse Kazumi in secret (after telepathy)' if we can pull it off. After all, her friends are paying a lot of attention to her.
Though, we could cleanse her slowly, so as to have the cleansed Grief be nigh invisible, and only cleanse her up to a point; it'd be suspicious if her Gem was fully clean without anybody seen us cleanse her.
Onmur
Archangel of Nutella.
Oh my lulz, one of the Pleiades had to guide Niko all the way here.
Niko is the worst! :O
You know, we should gift Niko some pants. Then she would be... well, not Best, because Mami is best, but close.
Vebyast
Nascent Transhuman
Yessssss, we got our dramatic wind. Utility fog is the best.
Is there a risk of Niko figuring out the witchbomb given that clear seed? If so, should we tell her to call us if she finds anything out so we can intervene? Actually, telling her to tell us if she finds anything is probably a good idea in the first place...
Agree with surreptitious cleansing plan.
Karnewarrior
Leastmost of the Hanged Man Arcana
That's what I was thinking. Something along the lines of:
"I definitely get not wanting to worry your friends about that, but it'd be a big problem for me if your gem went dark in front of Mami, so please put your gem down in this little holder so I can drain the grief quietly, and in the future please tell someone when you're having a problem."
Basically the Japanese version of "Stop being a idiot and let me cleanse you."
At the very least we should probably mention to them that flying around like that means they're flashing half the city.
Madou Sutegobana
Autocorrupt has been disabled.
- Location
- Twin Realms Mandala
It's not that kind of invisble plane.
Onmur
Archangel of Nutella.
We can't talk. We're ~girlfriends with Tomoe Mami.