Puella Magi Adfligo Systema
- Thread starter Firnagzen
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- 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?
Higure
Witch of Faith
- Location
- The Golden Land
Yeeeep. That was a horrible, horrible mistake.Being stuck at the Hercules and Sesshoumaru fight didn't help.
Just...too many distractions. You guys had enough on your plate already. You can certainly still win, but...I think I may need to make some adjustmemts to help you guys spot the important stuff.
Dirtnap
Kanmusu Affecionado
It floored me that Tanya is voiced by Madoka. Can't wait for season 2.Indeed
You should see the Nasuverse characters who share Homura's voice
Tamamo-no-Mae and Kuro
- Location
- USA
The Sword Art Online stuff seems super interesting (like, worth its own quest) and I like the Akemi Madness stuff, but I will admit I stopped reading when Hercules/Berserker attacked... the choice the questers voted on seems to be waaay too chaotic to really get into any one goal, too many varying crossovers and power-levels.
In other topics, mooore Mami fanart. I need it. Battle-Oujo's seem surprisingly hard to find.
Higure
Witch of Faith
- Location
- The Golden Land
This'll be my last Renascence-related post here.
Anyone who wants to talk about it should either head to the thread (discussion is always fine, regardless of whether I've updated recently or not), or post to my profile/PM me.
Anyone who wants to talk about it should either head to the thread (discussion is always fine, regardless of whether I've updated recently or not), or post to my profile/PM me.
Well, feel free to just skip it, if you want. Some interesting stuff happened, but nothing truly plot essential.
Karnewarrior
Leastmost of the Hanged Man Arcana
Since it won't likely be brought up again in-omake, yes. There was a brief period where the outside world was convinced Sabrina had gone full Gilgamesh and meant to work them for labor or whatever sounded worst to the girls at hand, and there was an invasion. Kyuubey did so because relations had been getting slowly colder over time and he didn't believe Sabrina would be willing to create more efficient grief, meaning he was losing efficiency, and it was the safest plan for him in his estimations. Either he "won" and Sabrina died, meaning he could resume normal operations, or she won and she never knew why she was under attack, or she caved and started manufacturing new structures of grief.
He fucked up though, and eventually Brina managed to realize what was happening and got a hold of Kyuubey and told him off. Relations haven't improved much since that point, but there's been some olive branches extended (it happened quite soon before WPN & Feathers, so Sabrina had some shit on her plate).
It's Canon in March 16th though that the QB scientists have been building theoretical structures of grief since they discovered Sabrina had the capability, but she hasn't let Kyuubey close enough to let him suggest cooperation since contracting. And with things only seeming to get worse, there was no reason to suspect they would ever have the ability to create those theoretical forms. Not sure if that's canon in PMAS unless we ask the coobster himself, but I for one would be surprised if the Incubators didn't have ideas on new fuels that they for some reason have no ability to manufacture; especially given magic as a whole is at the very least a only partially understood concept for them, as Kyuubey stated at some point, IIRC.
"We Don't Go To Asunaro..." pt. 8
"Of course it's alright," you say, smiling at Mami.
And it is. There are caveats and little niggling worries that worm at the back of your mind, of course there are. What if this becomes a habit? What if this affects Mami's standing in the school, what if the teachers -or that truancy officer- come asking around?
Those aren't important. They aren't relevant. Mami wants to skip school to hang out because an old friend, one she never thought she'd see again, came back. It's a blow struck against her loneliness - you'd do everything for Mami, and you do, but it's simply different. And the reminder of Kyouko, another friend who left her? You can't blame her.
There must be a way for Mami to sort out leaving the school early today. She has perfect attendance, that you know of. Part of her perfect magical girl image. She must be able to beg off for a day, as unimpressed as the teachers might be.
You don't want Mami to ruin her life because of you.
And she won't. You're sure of that. You'll fight for Mami, and you'll fight for Mami. If she wants to do this, here and now, you're not going to reject her.
And more importantly...
You don't care about Mami because of her perfect school attendance record. You don't care about Mami for her perfect magical image. You've seen her feet of clay, and you care about Mami because she's Mami.
You want Mami to know that.
"Of course it's OK," you repeat, tightening your arms around Mami and pulling her properly into the hug. "I always love spending time with you. This is no different."
She sags against you, body going limp.
"It- it's alright?" Mami whispers, burrowing deeper into your hug.
"It is," you affirm. "Do you need to tell your teacher? That you're not feeling well, or something?"
"I should," Mami whispers. "I- I'll tell them I'm not feeling well."
"That works," you say, smiling at Mami. She can't see it, but you smile at her nevertheless. "I'll wait for you at the front gate?"
Mami hesitates, curling up against your chest. She's practically sitting on your lap by now, but you hardly mind.
"I'm here, Mami," you murmur, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere. I- I'd offer to go to the front desk with you, but I think they might be suspicious."
"Alright," Mami whispers. "You'll be outside the school?"
"I promise," you say.
"Alright," she repeats. You can feel her swallow, before she uncurls, and stands. "Sorr-" she bites her lip.
You smile at her properly. What was it Kirika had said? Love her. Be there for her, be patient.
You can do that. Mami's healing, and it's slow, but you're willing to wait for her.
Mami gives you a wobbly smile as you collect her lunchboxes and your own. You tuck them into your bag, and give her a quick smile. "I'll hang on to these."
She swallows, and nods jerkily before taking a step back, eyes not leaving yours. "A-alright."
"I'll be outside the school," you say, still smiling. "I promise, Mami."
Mami nods, taking another hesitant step back. You force yourself to stay where you are, even though you want to just rush forward and sweep her into your arms, to reassure her that everything will be fine.
She's strong. She doesn't know it, but she is. She'll be fine - and you'll help her.
Finally, Mami reaches the stairwell and turns away to descend, step by step. You wait until she's completely out of sight, and sigh, letting yourself slump.
Just for a moment before you straighten. One long hop, arching over backwards, has you sailing over the fences around the rooftop. You land with an adroit twist, shoes scraping lightly over the pavement, and hurry around the back of the building to the front, where you wait for Mami. You toy with Mami's ribbon, still in your pocket.
But no. Mami doesn't need it. She's stronger than that.
You don't have long to wait, either. Barely ten minutes pass before you feel Mami descending the stairs. She's escorted out by a familiar face - that truancy officer you see every morning. Mami spots you immediately, and you can tell that the only thing that's stopping her from sprinting to you is the presence of the man at her side.
You suppose that if they needed any justification beyond Mami's own say-so to let her out, they'd have to look no further than her expression, the worry etched into her face. She lights up when you smile at her.
They walk over, the truancy officer giving you a sharp once-over. "Take care of her," he says gruffly.
You open your arms, raising them towards Mami. She crashes into your hug an instant later, arms winding tight around you.
"I will," you tell the truancy officer. He nods, and turns to head back in to the school.
You bury your face in Mami's hair. "Here we are," you murmur. "I'm here, right?"
"You are," Mami whispers, pulling back a little so that she can meet your eyes. "It's alright? Really?"
"Yeah," you say, smiling at her. "It's not like I care about you because of your school attendance, right?"
"No, that's not..." Mami bites her lip, looking down. "That's not it."
"Mami, it's OK. It really is," you say. You know what she means. "It is. I care about you because you're you. I don't care that you need a day off, and it makes me happy that you want to spend time with me - and with Kazumi!"
Mami nods jerkily, burrowing into your hug again. "W-where are they?"
"Up there," you say. You'd point, but both your hands are occupied with hugging Mami right now. On the third, non-existent hand, you can sense the Asunaro trio watching from the rooftop of the next building over.
"Oh," Mami says.
"Shall I call them over?" you ask.
"Y-yes," Mami says, straightening, but not pulling away.
"OK," you agree, and reach out telepathically as you guide Mami away from the school, walking slowly. "Hey, girls, you can come on over now."
"Oh! Sorry, Miss Sabrina," Kazumi says, sounding only a little bit abashed. "Is Mami OK?"
"Yeah," you say, certainty lacing your tone. You won't allow anything else. "She'll be fine."
"Good!" Kazumi says. You can feel the three of them moving, plummeting down the side of the building and walking over to join you.
"Hey girls, just an update - Mami's fine," you say, speaking to your friends, who must be in class now. Madoka and Homura and Sayaka and Hitomi. "She's, um, taking the rest of the day off from school."
"Oh, that's a relief!" Madoka says.
"What happened?" Sayaka asks. "Um... If you don't mind my asking?"
"Sayaka," Hitomi says reprovingly.
"No, it's fine," you say. By this time, Kazumi and her friends are just rounding the corner, hand raised in a cheery wave. "Just... a bad memory."
"I see," Homura murmurs. Of all your friends, she probably does see the best.
"Well, enjoy yourselves then!" Sayaka says. "Meanwhile, we have class..."
"Have fun!" you say. "Later!"
You exchange goodbyes with your friends, and greetings with the Asunaro girls. Mami doesn't separate from you, shifting just enough so that she can give them a wobbly smile as you congregate into a loose circle.
"So what are we gonna do?" Kazumi asks, bouncing lightly on her toes.
"Hm... Mami?" you ask, smiling down at the head of golden hair tucked against your shoulder. "Any ideas? I was going to suggest shopping or karaoke or doing some experimenting with our powers-" you cock an eyebrow at the Asunaro girls, questioning, "-or hanging out at home and watching a movie or cooking or something, but do you have any ideas?"
"We could go sightseeing?" Mami hazards.
"You know, I've never actually had the opportunity to have a... I dunno, look at the sights of Mitakihara," you muse.
"I have an idea!" Kazumi says, sticking her hand up.
"What is it?" Mami asks, turning curious eyes to her.
"I heard Mitakihara has a really big shopping centre!" Kazumi says. "It's famous! How far is it from here?"
"Ten minutes?" Mami hazards, frowning. "If we roofhop there."
"No, no," Kazumi says, flapping her hands. "What if we walked there? And if there are any sights along the way we can go and see them? This way we can do sightseeing and shopping!"
"Oh, that's a good idea," you say, smiling.
"Yeah!" Umika agrees, patting her friend's shoulder. "What do you think, Miss Tomoe?"
"Sounds good to me," Mami says. "I don't know how good a tour guide I'll make, though..."
"You'll be great," you say, and tighten your hug reassuringly. "Besides, it's more about hanging out as we walk, right?"
"Right," Mami agrees, relaxing against you.
Kazumi beams at you, still bouncing on her toes. "Kaoru? Umika?"
"Sounds good to me," Kaoru says. Her smile is just a bit strained as she adds, "Uh, I'd rather not do karaoke. I can't sing well."
"Nonsense!" Kazumi declares, looping her arm around the orange-haired girl's neck. "Your voice is beautiful, Kaoru! Right, Umika?"
"You have a beautiful singing voice, Kaoru," Umika agrees, standing placidly on Kazumi's other side. "I still don't understand why you're embarrassed by it. I, on the other hand-"
"Oh no you don't, you don't get to throw me under the bus and then squeak out," Kaoru says, flailing and reaching for the blue haired girl. "If I'm doing this, then so are you."
"Well, we may not do karaoke, anyway," you say, smiling at their antics.
"Aww," Kazumi says, pouting exaggeratedly. "Anyway, let's go!"
"Yup," you say, nudging Mami. You separate from the hug, but you find your hand trailing naturally down her arm to find her hand. "Shall we?"
Mami squeezes your interlaced fingers, finally starting to relax. "Let's," she agrees, starting down the street.
You smile, falling into a comfortable rhythm at Mami's side.
"Mitakihara is huge," Kaoru says, beaming around as she bounces along in your wake.
"It is!" you agree. "I forget sometimes."
"Mitakihara is a new city," Kazumi says. "Right, Mami?"
"Mm," Mami agrees. "It's only... fifty years old?"
"Huh," you say. "It definitely feels new. Apart from the old industrial district, but that's not really old, just, mm, abandoned."
"The industrial district has been in decline since... Well, before we were born," Mami says, shaking her head. "I don't remember a time when it wasn't like that."
"That's where we hunted when I was here!" Kazumi pipes up. "Right, Mami?"
"It is!" Mami agrees. "There tend to be quite a few Witches there, and..." Her smile dims a little. "It tends to be where people... in trouble go."
"Yeah..." Kazumi says, shoulders slumping.
"Witches are attracted to despair," Umika offers with a sigh.
"Mm," you agree. Not quite the full story, but it's true enough. Time for a transparent change of topic. "There's a big power plant there, right? I've passed it a few times."
"Oh, I remember it! It has these big, biiiiig chimneys," Kazumi says, grinning at Umika and Kaoru. "We used it as a landmark, because you can see it from forever away!"
"There is," Mami says, wrinkling her nose. "I think it's operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company?"
You shrug, smiling. "Cool."
"What's that building?" Kazumi asks as the five of you round a corner. She points past you at the now visible downtown skyline, all glittering towers of glass and steel and concrete - and she's pointing specifically at the tallest spire, one that soars far above its neighbours in angular, tapering steps.
"It's the DBJ building," Mami says. "Development Bank of Japan? I think it's their new headquarters, actually."
"Ooh," you say. You recognise the building, of course. You'd been to the top of it with Mami before. "I didn't know that."
Mami gives you a warm smile, finally starting to relax properly as you walk onwards. It's a leisurely stroll, a touch too warm thanks to the midday sun, but none of you are complaining. Kazumi's more than happy to bounce questions off you and Mami, chattering eagerly about Mitakihara and your friends. Umika and Kaoru are comparatively quiet, injecting comments from time to time.
You let Mami answer wherever she feels comfortable. It's good for her confidence, and she relaxes more as you approach the big shopping centre.
"That's a really pretty bridge," you observe idly as you look at the pedestrian bridge over the road, with its looping, helical spars twisting around the walkway.
Mami giggles, leaning against you as you stroll over the bridge. "I... suppose it is! I've gotten used to it."
"Bet it looks really pretty at night," Kaoru offers, pointing at the lights inset on the decorative beams.
"Probably does," you say, tapping your chin thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure I've passed this at night before, but well, not on the ground level."
"You spend a lot of time doing magical girl things, right?" Kazumi asks, waving a reproving finger at you. "You should learn to relax!"
"You're one to talk," Umika mutters half-heartedly.
"We're on vacation now, right?" Kazumi says, sticking her tongue out at the blue-haired girl.
You laugh as you watch their antics, exchanging a smile with Mami as you stroll towards the shopping centre.
"Are we after anything in particular?" you ask. "Toiletries and changes of clothing and all that?"
"Oh!" Kazumi says, eyes going huge. "I completely forgot to pack that!"
"I've got it," Umika says, off-handedly.
You cast a questioning look at the girl - who rather distinctly isn't carrying any bags or anything that might be bulky enough to have changes of clothing in it. She doesn't notice the look, occupied instead with being glomped by a squealing Kazumi.
"Was she this much of a ditz when you last met?" you murmur to Mami.
"She was," Mami says, giggling and shaking her head.
"Windowshopping?" Kaoru suggests, watching her friends with a fondly amused look.
"Yup," you say, tapping your chin. You want to buy a dress for Mami, really. Maybe one for yourself, something nice-casual, since you don't actually have one. Hm. Something to keep an eye out for.
Your first stop, though, is to pick up a milkshake - one apiece for all of you, apart from Kaoru, who opts for pearl tea. You pick up a nice strawberry shake, which has fresh strawberries blended in, even. Then you're off, Kazumi staring around the grand shopping centre with bright-eyed interest as you shop.
You stop outside a clothing shop, humming quietly as you eye the selection.
"Do you want to go in?" Mami asks, smiling at you.
"Yep," you say, beaming at her. "Guys, do you mind?"
"Clothes shopping?" Umika asks, grinning at you. "You must be joking."
She's the first into the store, Umika and Kazumi hot on your heels. You follow, snickering, and smiling at Mami.
"Do you need more clothes?" she asks you.
"Nope," you say, smiling at her. "I was thinking, well, I saw some dresses that might suit you."
Mami's eyes go very wide. A furious blush stains her cheeks, and she opens her mouth for a second before closing it. "I- alright," she manages, hand tightening on yours.
You grin, just a little red yourself. Just a little. "Shall we~?"
"Y-yes," Mami says.
You lead the way over to the racks of dresses - there are a few that caught your eye, even from outside the window. Nothing in yellow. Colour matching is certainly a thing, but Mami has blonde hair and golden eyes, and that'd just drown her in too much yellow. Even her costume has yellow as highlights, not a primary colour.
You can hear Kazumi squeeing over clothes in another corner of the store as you pick out a few patterned dresses, mostly in pastel colours. The green one or the pink one, perhaps.
"You should get one for yourself too," Mami hazards, following you with dresses piled on her arms.
"Mami first," you say, smiling softly at her and adding a nice, cream-coloured dress with petal patterning. "Give these a try?"
"Alright," Mami says, returning the smile. You walk over to the dressing rooms, finding Kaoru already there and waiting for her friends to change.
"Heya," you say, flopping down onto the bench beside her. Mami smiles at you, and retreats into the dressing room.
"Heya!" the orange-haired girl says, smirking at you.
"Hm..." you say, tapping your chin. "So, I have a question - I can sense magical girls. Uh, when Miss Kanna was coming over earlier, there was another magical girl following her. Do you know who that might be?"
Kaoru cocks her head, and shrugs. "Probably Mirai," she says. "She's the one who always worries about Niko."
"Why didn't she come up, then?" you ask.
"Probably 'cuz Kazumi didn't ask her too," Kaoru says, and she grins at you. "Look, you know the way everyone in your group looks up to your Mami, right?"
"Yeah?" you say.
"We're the same with Kazumi," she says. She looks like she's about to continue, but that's exactly when there's a swish of curtains and Kazumi flounces out of the dressing room. She's wearing a crimson dress with puffy sleeves and a scandalously short hemline that makes Kaoru's face flame the colour of said dress.
You laugh over her spluttering, and Umika pokes her head out of the cubicle to see what the fuss is about. She goggles at Kazumi, blushing red before retreating back behind the curtains.
... hm. You feel vaguely guilty now. You're somewhat in violation of your resolve to show the Asunaro girls -Asunarites?- the glory of pants. On the other hand-
Mami emerges, eyes hunting for you. She's wearing the green dress that falls to mid-calf, a deep green patterned densely with white flowers, and sleeveless to show off her arms.
You beam at her. "It looks wonderful, Mami," you say. "Turn around?"
"Thank you, Sabrina." Mami beams at you and twirls, pausing midway to look askance at Kazumi. "Miss Kazusa, that's a bit... short."
"It's great?" Kazumi pouts.
"Yeah, I agree," you say. "Uh, with Mami."
"Fiiiiiiine," Kazumi says, flouncing back into the dressing room.
You shake your head, and smile at Mami. "The dress looks good, but try the rest?"
"Mmhm!" Mami agrees happily.
Kaoru laughs, reclining on the bench. "So, yeah," she says. "I wouldn't worry about it."
Voting opens
[] Worry anyway
- [] Ask more?
[] Finish shopping
[] You have about one more hour before school ends
- [] What next?
- [] What do you decide for Sayaka's training session?
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
With thanks to @Choo Choo for helping me with fashion!
And it is. There are caveats and little niggling worries that worm at the back of your mind, of course there are. What if this becomes a habit? What if this affects Mami's standing in the school, what if the teachers -or that truancy officer- come asking around?
Those aren't important. They aren't relevant. Mami wants to skip school to hang out because an old friend, one she never thought she'd see again, came back. It's a blow struck against her loneliness - you'd do everything for Mami, and you do, but it's simply different. And the reminder of Kyouko, another friend who left her? You can't blame her.
There must be a way for Mami to sort out leaving the school early today. She has perfect attendance, that you know of. Part of her perfect magical girl image. She must be able to beg off for a day, as unimpressed as the teachers might be.
You don't want Mami to ruin her life because of you.
And she won't. You're sure of that. You'll fight for Mami, and you'll fight for Mami. If she wants to do this, here and now, you're not going to reject her.
And more importantly...
You don't care about Mami because of her perfect school attendance record. You don't care about Mami for her perfect magical image. You've seen her feet of clay, and you care about Mami because she's Mami.
You want Mami to know that.
"Of course it's OK," you repeat, tightening your arms around Mami and pulling her properly into the hug. "I always love spending time with you. This is no different."
She sags against you, body going limp.
"It- it's alright?" Mami whispers, burrowing deeper into your hug.
"It is," you affirm. "Do you need to tell your teacher? That you're not feeling well, or something?"
"I should," Mami whispers. "I- I'll tell them I'm not feeling well."
"That works," you say, smiling at Mami. She can't see it, but you smile at her nevertheless. "I'll wait for you at the front gate?"
Mami hesitates, curling up against your chest. She's practically sitting on your lap by now, but you hardly mind.
"I'm here, Mami," you murmur, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere. I- I'd offer to go to the front desk with you, but I think they might be suspicious."
"Alright," Mami whispers. "You'll be outside the school?"
"I promise," you say.
"Alright," she repeats. You can feel her swallow, before she uncurls, and stands. "Sorr-" she bites her lip.
You smile at her properly. What was it Kirika had said? Love her. Be there for her, be patient.
You can do that. Mami's healing, and it's slow, but you're willing to wait for her.
Mami gives you a wobbly smile as you collect her lunchboxes and your own. You tuck them into your bag, and give her a quick smile. "I'll hang on to these."
She swallows, and nods jerkily before taking a step back, eyes not leaving yours. "A-alright."
"I'll be outside the school," you say, still smiling. "I promise, Mami."
Mami nods, taking another hesitant step back. You force yourself to stay where you are, even though you want to just rush forward and sweep her into your arms, to reassure her that everything will be fine.
She's strong. She doesn't know it, but she is. She'll be fine - and you'll help her.
Finally, Mami reaches the stairwell and turns away to descend, step by step. You wait until she's completely out of sight, and sigh, letting yourself slump.
Just for a moment before you straighten. One long hop, arching over backwards, has you sailing over the fences around the rooftop. You land with an adroit twist, shoes scraping lightly over the pavement, and hurry around the back of the building to the front, where you wait for Mami. You toy with Mami's ribbon, still in your pocket.
But no. Mami doesn't need it. She's stronger than that.
You don't have long to wait, either. Barely ten minutes pass before you feel Mami descending the stairs. She's escorted out by a familiar face - that truancy officer you see every morning. Mami spots you immediately, and you can tell that the only thing that's stopping her from sprinting to you is the presence of the man at her side.
You suppose that if they needed any justification beyond Mami's own say-so to let her out, they'd have to look no further than her expression, the worry etched into her face. She lights up when you smile at her.
They walk over, the truancy officer giving you a sharp once-over. "Take care of her," he says gruffly.
You open your arms, raising them towards Mami. She crashes into your hug an instant later, arms winding tight around you.
"I will," you tell the truancy officer. He nods, and turns to head back in to the school.
You bury your face in Mami's hair. "Here we are," you murmur. "I'm here, right?"
"You are," Mami whispers, pulling back a little so that she can meet your eyes. "It's alright? Really?"
"Yeah," you say, smiling at her. "It's not like I care about you because of your school attendance, right?"
"No, that's not..." Mami bites her lip, looking down. "That's not it."
"Mami, it's OK. It really is," you say. You know what she means. "It is. I care about you because you're you. I don't care that you need a day off, and it makes me happy that you want to spend time with me - and with Kazumi!"
Mami nods jerkily, burrowing into your hug again. "W-where are they?"
"Up there," you say. You'd point, but both your hands are occupied with hugging Mami right now. On the third, non-existent hand, you can sense the Asunaro trio watching from the rooftop of the next building over.
"Oh," Mami says.
"Shall I call them over?" you ask.
"Y-yes," Mami says, straightening, but not pulling away.
"OK," you agree, and reach out telepathically as you guide Mami away from the school, walking slowly. "Hey, girls, you can come on over now."
"Oh! Sorry, Miss Sabrina," Kazumi says, sounding only a little bit abashed. "Is Mami OK?"
"Yeah," you say, certainty lacing your tone. You won't allow anything else. "She'll be fine."
"Good!" Kazumi says. You can feel the three of them moving, plummeting down the side of the building and walking over to join you.
"Hey girls, just an update - Mami's fine," you say, speaking to your friends, who must be in class now. Madoka and Homura and Sayaka and Hitomi. "She's, um, taking the rest of the day off from school."
"Oh, that's a relief!" Madoka says.
"What happened?" Sayaka asks. "Um... If you don't mind my asking?"
"Sayaka," Hitomi says reprovingly.
"No, it's fine," you say. By this time, Kazumi and her friends are just rounding the corner, hand raised in a cheery wave. "Just... a bad memory."
"I see," Homura murmurs. Of all your friends, she probably does see the best.
"Well, enjoy yourselves then!" Sayaka says. "Meanwhile, we have class..."
"Have fun!" you say. "Later!"
You exchange goodbyes with your friends, and greetings with the Asunaro girls. Mami doesn't separate from you, shifting just enough so that she can give them a wobbly smile as you congregate into a loose circle.
"So what are we gonna do?" Kazumi asks, bouncing lightly on her toes.
"Hm... Mami?" you ask, smiling down at the head of golden hair tucked against your shoulder. "Any ideas? I was going to suggest shopping or karaoke or doing some experimenting with our powers-" you cock an eyebrow at the Asunaro girls, questioning, "-or hanging out at home and watching a movie or cooking or something, but do you have any ideas?"
"We could go sightseeing?" Mami hazards.
"You know, I've never actually had the opportunity to have a... I dunno, look at the sights of Mitakihara," you muse.
"I have an idea!" Kazumi says, sticking her hand up.
"What is it?" Mami asks, turning curious eyes to her.
"I heard Mitakihara has a really big shopping centre!" Kazumi says. "It's famous! How far is it from here?"
"Ten minutes?" Mami hazards, frowning. "If we roofhop there."
"No, no," Kazumi says, flapping her hands. "What if we walked there? And if there are any sights along the way we can go and see them? This way we can do sightseeing and shopping!"
"Oh, that's a good idea," you say, smiling.
"Yeah!" Umika agrees, patting her friend's shoulder. "What do you think, Miss Tomoe?"
"Sounds good to me," Mami says. "I don't know how good a tour guide I'll make, though..."
"You'll be great," you say, and tighten your hug reassuringly. "Besides, it's more about hanging out as we walk, right?"
"Right," Mami agrees, relaxing against you.
Kazumi beams at you, still bouncing on her toes. "Kaoru? Umika?"
"Sounds good to me," Kaoru says. Her smile is just a bit strained as she adds, "Uh, I'd rather not do karaoke. I can't sing well."
"Nonsense!" Kazumi declares, looping her arm around the orange-haired girl's neck. "Your voice is beautiful, Kaoru! Right, Umika?"
"You have a beautiful singing voice, Kaoru," Umika agrees, standing placidly on Kazumi's other side. "I still don't understand why you're embarrassed by it. I, on the other hand-"
"Oh no you don't, you don't get to throw me under the bus and then squeak out," Kaoru says, flailing and reaching for the blue haired girl. "If I'm doing this, then so are you."
"Well, we may not do karaoke, anyway," you say, smiling at their antics.
"Aww," Kazumi says, pouting exaggeratedly. "Anyway, let's go!"
"Yup," you say, nudging Mami. You separate from the hug, but you find your hand trailing naturally down her arm to find her hand. "Shall we?"
Mami squeezes your interlaced fingers, finally starting to relax. "Let's," she agrees, starting down the street.
You smile, falling into a comfortable rhythm at Mami's side.
"Mitakihara is huge," Kaoru says, beaming around as she bounces along in your wake.
"It is!" you agree. "I forget sometimes."
"Mitakihara is a new city," Kazumi says. "Right, Mami?"
"Mm," Mami agrees. "It's only... fifty years old?"
"Huh," you say. "It definitely feels new. Apart from the old industrial district, but that's not really old, just, mm, abandoned."
"The industrial district has been in decline since... Well, before we were born," Mami says, shaking her head. "I don't remember a time when it wasn't like that."
"That's where we hunted when I was here!" Kazumi pipes up. "Right, Mami?"
"It is!" Mami agrees. "There tend to be quite a few Witches there, and..." Her smile dims a little. "It tends to be where people... in trouble go."
"Yeah..." Kazumi says, shoulders slumping.
"Witches are attracted to despair," Umika offers with a sigh.
"Mm," you agree. Not quite the full story, but it's true enough. Time for a transparent change of topic. "There's a big power plant there, right? I've passed it a few times."
"Oh, I remember it! It has these big, biiiiig chimneys," Kazumi says, grinning at Umika and Kaoru. "We used it as a landmark, because you can see it from forever away!"
"There is," Mami says, wrinkling her nose. "I think it's operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company?"
You shrug, smiling. "Cool."
"What's that building?" Kazumi asks as the five of you round a corner. She points past you at the now visible downtown skyline, all glittering towers of glass and steel and concrete - and she's pointing specifically at the tallest spire, one that soars far above its neighbours in angular, tapering steps.
"It's the DBJ building," Mami says. "Development Bank of Japan? I think it's their new headquarters, actually."
"Ooh," you say. You recognise the building, of course. You'd been to the top of it with Mami before. "I didn't know that."
Mami gives you a warm smile, finally starting to relax properly as you walk onwards. It's a leisurely stroll, a touch too warm thanks to the midday sun, but none of you are complaining. Kazumi's more than happy to bounce questions off you and Mami, chattering eagerly about Mitakihara and your friends. Umika and Kaoru are comparatively quiet, injecting comments from time to time.
You let Mami answer wherever she feels comfortable. It's good for her confidence, and she relaxes more as you approach the big shopping centre.
"That's a really pretty bridge," you observe idly as you look at the pedestrian bridge over the road, with its looping, helical spars twisting around the walkway.
Mami giggles, leaning against you as you stroll over the bridge. "I... suppose it is! I've gotten used to it."
"Bet it looks really pretty at night," Kaoru offers, pointing at the lights inset on the decorative beams.
"Probably does," you say, tapping your chin thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure I've passed this at night before, but well, not on the ground level."
"You spend a lot of time doing magical girl things, right?" Kazumi asks, waving a reproving finger at you. "You should learn to relax!"
"You're one to talk," Umika mutters half-heartedly.
"We're on vacation now, right?" Kazumi says, sticking her tongue out at the blue-haired girl.
You laugh as you watch their antics, exchanging a smile with Mami as you stroll towards the shopping centre.
"Are we after anything in particular?" you ask. "Toiletries and changes of clothing and all that?"
"Oh!" Kazumi says, eyes going huge. "I completely forgot to pack that!"
"I've got it," Umika says, off-handedly.
You cast a questioning look at the girl - who rather distinctly isn't carrying any bags or anything that might be bulky enough to have changes of clothing in it. She doesn't notice the look, occupied instead with being glomped by a squealing Kazumi.
"Was she this much of a ditz when you last met?" you murmur to Mami.
"She was," Mami says, giggling and shaking her head.
"Windowshopping?" Kaoru suggests, watching her friends with a fondly amused look.
"Yup," you say, tapping your chin. You want to buy a dress for Mami, really. Maybe one for yourself, something nice-casual, since you don't actually have one. Hm. Something to keep an eye out for.
Your first stop, though, is to pick up a milkshake - one apiece for all of you, apart from Kaoru, who opts for pearl tea. You pick up a nice strawberry shake, which has fresh strawberries blended in, even. Then you're off, Kazumi staring around the grand shopping centre with bright-eyed interest as you shop.
You stop outside a clothing shop, humming quietly as you eye the selection.
"Do you want to go in?" Mami asks, smiling at you.
"Yep," you say, beaming at her. "Guys, do you mind?"
"Clothes shopping?" Umika asks, grinning at you. "You must be joking."
She's the first into the store, Umika and Kazumi hot on your heels. You follow, snickering, and smiling at Mami.
"Do you need more clothes?" she asks you.
"Nope," you say, smiling at her. "I was thinking, well, I saw some dresses that might suit you."
Mami's eyes go very wide. A furious blush stains her cheeks, and she opens her mouth for a second before closing it. "I- alright," she manages, hand tightening on yours.
You grin, just a little red yourself. Just a little. "Shall we~?"
"Y-yes," Mami says.
You lead the way over to the racks of dresses - there are a few that caught your eye, even from outside the window. Nothing in yellow. Colour matching is certainly a thing, but Mami has blonde hair and golden eyes, and that'd just drown her in too much yellow. Even her costume has yellow as highlights, not a primary colour.
You can hear Kazumi squeeing over clothes in another corner of the store as you pick out a few patterned dresses, mostly in pastel colours. The green one or the pink one, perhaps.
"You should get one for yourself too," Mami hazards, following you with dresses piled on her arms.
"Mami first," you say, smiling softly at her and adding a nice, cream-coloured dress with petal patterning. "Give these a try?"
"Alright," Mami says, returning the smile. You walk over to the dressing rooms, finding Kaoru already there and waiting for her friends to change.
"Heya," you say, flopping down onto the bench beside her. Mami smiles at you, and retreats into the dressing room.
"Heya!" the orange-haired girl says, smirking at you.
"Hm..." you say, tapping your chin. "So, I have a question - I can sense magical girls. Uh, when Miss Kanna was coming over earlier, there was another magical girl following her. Do you know who that might be?"
Kaoru cocks her head, and shrugs. "Probably Mirai," she says. "She's the one who always worries about Niko."
"Why didn't she come up, then?" you ask.
"Probably 'cuz Kazumi didn't ask her too," Kaoru says, and she grins at you. "Look, you know the way everyone in your group looks up to your Mami, right?"
"Yeah?" you say.
"We're the same with Kazumi," she says. She looks like she's about to continue, but that's exactly when there's a swish of curtains and Kazumi flounces out of the dressing room. She's wearing a crimson dress with puffy sleeves and a scandalously short hemline that makes Kaoru's face flame the colour of said dress.
You laugh over her spluttering, and Umika pokes her head out of the cubicle to see what the fuss is about. She goggles at Kazumi, blushing red before retreating back behind the curtains.
... hm. You feel vaguely guilty now. You're somewhat in violation of your resolve to show the Asunaro girls -Asunarites?- the glory of pants. On the other hand-
Mami emerges, eyes hunting for you. She's wearing the green dress that falls to mid-calf, a deep green patterned densely with white flowers, and sleeveless to show off her arms.
You beam at her. "It looks wonderful, Mami," you say. "Turn around?"
"Thank you, Sabrina." Mami beams at you and twirls, pausing midway to look askance at Kazumi. "Miss Kazusa, that's a bit... short."
"It's great?" Kazumi pouts.
"Yeah, I agree," you say. "Uh, with Mami."
"Fiiiiiiine," Kazumi says, flouncing back into the dressing room.
You shake your head, and smile at Mami. "The dress looks good, but try the rest?"
"Mmhm!" Mami agrees happily.
Kaoru laughs, reclining on the bench. "So, yeah," she says. "I wouldn't worry about it."
Voting opens
[] Worry anyway
- [] Ask more?
[] Finish shopping
[] You have about one more hour before school ends
- [] What next?
- [] What do you decide for Sayaka's training session?
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
=====
With thanks to @Choo Choo for helping me with fashion!
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- Location
- The Surface Of A Hostile Planet
No need to worry about Niko, I think.
With only an hour left before school ends, there isn't that much time left to start something new. We could probably stop by another store, if there's something else we want, and fill up the time that way. Or just slowly take a different route back to school.
We agreed to do a hunt, so I think the order here will be:
• School Ends
• Group Hunt (~1 hour)
• Set up a cooldown activity
• Excuse ourselves and Sayaka
• Contact Kyouko and pick a training ground
• Do some shop talk with Sayaka
• Observe the training at a distance
• Telepathy with Mami so we're in contact
• After training, pay Kyouko
• Head back
• Metabomb Sayaka
• Rejoin the group
• Do karaoke and other silly things
Does that seem reasonable?
With only an hour left before school ends, there isn't that much time left to start something new. We could probably stop by another store, if there's something else we want, and fill up the time that way. Or just slowly take a different route back to school.
We agreed to do a hunt, so I think the order here will be:
• School Ends
• Group Hunt (~1 hour)
• Set up a cooldown activity
• Excuse ourselves and Sayaka
• Contact Kyouko and pick a training ground
• Do some shop talk with Sayaka
• Observe the training at a distance
• Telepathy with Mami so we're in contact
• After training, pay Kyouko
• Head back
• Metabomb Sayaka
• Rejoin the group
• Do karaoke and other silly things
Does that seem reasonable?
BlackoutSampler
So Easily Forgotten
Noooo, their power is too strong! Soon everyone is going to start wearing fashions that might bump up the rating level a notch! We must hold steadfast! QUICKLY Don the 18th Century-esque Poofy European Oversized Tank Dress! Its layers of cloth will protect us... although we might have to fly to keep up with everyone, if we do it upside-down the skirt won't get in everyone else's way as we talk. Hmmmmm.
- Location
- Illinois
I sometimes find myself mentally substituting "Kazumi" for "Kaizuki".
*shakes fist*
I'll show you nyan just you wait
- Location
- The Surface Of A Hostile Planet
Hrmmm...
I've changed my mind. I think we should do Sayaka's training first, and the group hunt in the evening.
By doing the group hunt later, we'll have everybody gathered at the same place afterwards, and not have to personally excuse ourselves. That means that the odds of roping Homura into karaoke are much higher.
I've changed my mind. I think we should do Sayaka's training first, and the group hunt in the evening.
By doing the group hunt later, we'll have everybody gathered at the same place afterwards, and not have to personally excuse ourselves. That means that the odds of roping Homura into karaoke are much higher.
- Location
- The Surface Of A Hostile Planet
Draft:
[] Slowly finish up shopping, take a different, scenic route back to school.
-[] Have a nice conversation, get Mami and Kazuza talking to each other.
--[] Telepathy Homura, ask for advice on a training ground for Sayaka and Kyouko.
[] Find a descrete moment, let Mami know you'll do Sayaka's training relatively soon after school, then come back for the group hunt... and then maybe karaoke~~
-[] Contact Kyouko. Unless she has another plan, ask her to meet at whatever training area you decided was most appropriate.
[] Meet up with your friends after school.
-[] Make sure the mood will remain pleasant after excusing yourself and Sayaka.
--[] Comfort Mami as needed.
[] On the way to training, discuss with Sayaka:
-[] How her (lack of a) power is a sore spot for Kyoko.
-[] Your ideas regarding her power (power amplifier in Kyoto, training boosting powers, etc.)
150 words on the dot.
[] Slowly finish up shopping, take a different, scenic route back to school.
-[] Have a nice conversation, get Mami and Kazuza talking to each other.
--[] Telepathy Homura, ask for advice on a training ground for Sayaka and Kyouko.
[] Find a descrete moment, let Mami know you'll do Sayaka's training relatively soon after school, then come back for the group hunt... and then maybe karaoke~~
-[] Contact Kyouko. Unless she has another plan, ask her to meet at whatever training area you decided was most appropriate.
[] Meet up with your friends after school.
-[] Make sure the mood will remain pleasant after excusing yourself and Sayaka.
--[] Comfort Mami as needed.
[] On the way to training, discuss with Sayaka:
-[] How her (lack of a) power is a sore spot for Kyoko.
-[] Your ideas regarding her power (power amplifier in Kyoto, training boosting powers, etc.)
150 words on the dot.
Vebyast
Nascent Transhuman
...Well, that's an explanation for the lack of pants that I hadn't expected. They're all showing off for their girlfriends.
Karnewarrior
Leastmost of the Hanged Man Arcana
Zedman7054
Eternally 3rd
- Location
- United States
Do I even need to read the chapters about fluffy stuff with Mami before giving it a hug? Yes, yes I do because it's so adorable. The relationship between Sabrina and Mami really is one of the strong points of this story.
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Wouldn't doing karaoke right after school give us the best odds of roping Madoka into karaoke, thereby forcing Homura to attend?
- Location
- ⇙
He ships it.
We'll get Kazumi to wear pants one day, you'll see. One day they will realise that pants can look great as well. It will be glorious.
Onmur
Archangel of Nutella.
Shipping or not, this marks the end of the Great Conflict Between Sabrina and Truant Officer.
They have found a shared objective.
Halp Mumi.
Brina-Mami kiss +1!
That makes 3.
Now we just need to wait on the Mami-Brina kisses.
This whole draft is terrible.
And it will keep being terrible until it specifically includes Sabrina trying on dresses for Mami.
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BlackoutSampler
So Easily Forgotten
...but isn't Tatsumi Oga stuck on babysitting duties? I don't think he has the time to be wandering into a crossover.
The Narrator
Disembodied Voice
- Location
- Somewhere Offscreen
I think I made this happen:
