"Homura, you're my friend," you say, and draw her into another hug. There's a little squirm of discomfort in your gut, of faint worry about Homura's simple dismissal.
'It doesn't matter.' You remember that Homura would have left Mitakihara to Kyouko, that loop that never happened. Left
Mitakihara to Kyouko, in return for her help with Walpurgisnacht. A hefty ransom for Kyouko's help, and perhaps a lie, but for Homura to leave
Mitakihara...
Where would Homura go? Where would she
hunt? Away from Madoka?
Because she blames herself for everything she's done.
She could have been lying. Maybe it's even likely that she was lying, but
this is something you're going to keep an eye on.
You pull back to look Homura in the eye, and smile at her. "It'll work out. It'll
all work out. I promise, Homura. OK?"
She sighs, all but infinitesimally, and nods.
"You know that you can come to me if you ever feel like you need to talk about anything, right?" you say, and let your smile widen into a grin. "Or if you want a hug. But I'm sure you'd prefer hugs from Madoka, eh?"
"... thank you," Homura murmurs.
You relax, easing back. You shuffle around to lean against the foot of the sofa, near Mami's legs, and your grin turns amused. "So I was thinking..."
Homura's attention sharpens on you.
"So I realised I can rotate Grief into a fourth dimension, right?" you say, still smiling at Homura. "I was wondering, do you use, like... magic to make your hair
do that? A little dimensional trickery for you hair flips?"
"... no," Homura says, instinctively touching a hand to her hair. "I don't use magic for that."
"Maybe not consciously?" you ask.
"... no," she repeats, and gives you a faintly perplexed look.
You can't help the giggle, letting your head loll back against the sofa. You stare up at the ceiling, with the domed light greyed out in Homura's timestop. "OK, but... on a more serious note, will you be raiding the yakuza anytime soon? I need some pocket money."
Homura frowns a little. "I was going to acquire weapons from the JSDF tomorrow. We can raid the yakuza tomorrow instead," she says.
You beam at her. "Thanks-" mom "-Homura! Though, uh, there's no reason we can't hit both."
"It works better." She shrugs, a tiny motion with one shoulder. "I need money for the house, too."
"Ah. Good point," you agree. "Safe house just for Madoka?"
"For emergencies." Homura nods slowly.
"Yeah, I can see that," you agree. "Speaking of houses... Oriko and Kirika. I'm thinking a random apartment of our choice? I don't... I don't know the Kure adults, and I guess we shouldn't risk it."
Homura nods again, eyes intent. "Yes."
"I'm not absolutely foolhardy," you say with a faint grin. "Just... hopeful, when it comes to people."
Homura shrugs.
You pull her into one last quick hug, before smiling at her. "I know, I know. But I promise things will work out. They
will, Homura, I'm going to put everything I have into making sure it does," you say, and motion towards her shield. "Shall we? Unless there's anything else you're worried about?"
"No," Homura says, reaching for her shield. One hard crank, and-
-colour and
noise floods into the world, loud and vibrant and alive. Mami sucks in a sharp breath, but you're already squirming up to the sofa proper to hug her properly. She relaxes, and tucks her head against your shoulder.
Sayaka blinks, rubbing her eyes. "... hi," she says, glancing at Homura, who's still sitting on the floor by the coffee table.
Homura stands, brushing her skirt down and moving to reclaim her seat on the single sofa.
"... never gonna get used to that," Sayaka mutters, shaking her head vigorously. "Everything worked out?"
"Yeah... sorry about that," you say, shaking your head. "I just... don't like letting heavy topics go."
"Yeah, yeah," Sayaka says, flapping her hand at you. "You're our weirdo."
"I resemble that remark," you say drily. "Anyway, you guys wanna watch that spar video?"
"... hm," Sayaka says thoughtfully. "Actually, I wanna get my animal spies going first. Ah... Mami? Do you have any stale bread I could have? Or something like that?"
Mami shakes her head. "I don't keep the bread if it goes stale," she says.
You beam at her.
"Dang," Sayaka mutters. She scowls, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Might be good to have something to bribe 'em with."
Homura reaches behind her shield, and silently withdraws a loaf of bread, and then a packet of... what looks like nuts. Almonds. She offers them to Sayaka, who blinks in surprise.
"Oh, thanks!" Sayaka says, grinning and grabbing the bags, one in each hand. "I'll just pop outside, since you probably don't want birds and stuff in here."
"You would be correct in making that guess," Mami says gravely, before ruining the serious facade with a giggle.
"Cool," Sayaka says, hopping to her feet. "I'll be back in a bit, later!"
"Homura, you will be staying for dinner, right?" Mami says, giving her an inquisitive look. "And Sayaka, you won't?"
"Yup," Sayaka confirms, in conjunction with Homura's nod.
Mami smiles, rising to her feet. "I shall start defrosting some meat, then."
"Need help?" you ask, beaming at her. You wave at Sayaka as she heads over to the door.
"It'll be just a moment," Mami says, smiling back at you.
"OK," you say, relaxing on the sofa. You can feel Homura's stare on the side of your head, and grin at her. Her gaze flicks over to Mami's disappearing back, and then back to you.
Mami's learned to relax, just a little.
That doesn't stop Mami from hurrying back to your side, of course, and you all settle back into an easy, comfortable silence. With some encouragement, Homura moves over to the sofa near you, prompting a reshuffling of seating positions: Mami in the middle between you and Homura, who returns to practicing her shield enchantment, with Mami's help. You're on the side of the sofa instead, and practicing your own magic.
Your own enchantment... your own
control enchantment, which you imbue into Grief. Simple, raw Grief.
And you spare a bit of attention to check in with Masami and Hiroko, too.
"
Hey Masami, Hiroko," you say. Grief takes the enchantment surprisingly well, the magic sinking in without fuss. "
You guys have a moment?"
"
Hello, Sabrina," Hiroko responds. "
Certainly, is something happening?"
"
Yo," Masami offers.
"
Nah, nah, just checking in," you say. "
Also, I thought of a group name for the two of you. Maybe the three of you? I dunno, but - the Animators."
"
I... don't follow?" Hiroko says.
"
Er... you know, a group name," you say, starting to mould the Grief under your fingertips. "
For when out of town people need to distinguish us, that kind of thing. I thought it might be a good name?"
"
I kinda like it," Masami says thoughtfully. "
Suits you, Hiroko."
"
And you too, Masami," you offer. The enchanted Grief flows easily, without even requiring that you
will it into shape, and you start forming it into a little chibi version of yourself. "
That's why it's a group
name, you know?"
Masami snorts, sounding amused.
"
Well, it certainly works if there's a need," Hiroko says. "
Ah... how are you, Sabrina?"
"
Doing well," you say. "
Uh, just to let you know, we've formed a mutual defense pact with Fukushima. It doesn't involve you guys directly, but since we're neighbouring, I thought I should let you know?"
"
Hmm... I see," Hiroko says. There's a long pause on the other hand, and you get the impression of a hurried conversation. "
Thank you for letting us know, Sabrina."
"
Do... do you want to sign on to something similar?" you offer hesitantly. "
I mean, it's not like we're not gonna come to your aid if there's an attack or something, but still."
"
We're fine," Masami says, just a tad sharply.
"
Thank you for the offer, Sabrina," Hiroko says. "
We'd certainly appreciate the help if the worst should happen, but, ah... personal entanglements, you understand."
"
Yeah, I get that," you say. Masami, Mami's old student. Of course. "
No problem. Speaking of personal entanglements, how's Ono doing?"
"
She's got those weird hangups about looking good," Masami says. "
But we're getting her to the point where she can actually fight properly. She still kinda hates your guts, by the way."
"
That's... good," you say. "
That the training's going well. Thank you for agreeing to help with this, by the way."
"
You're very welcome," Hiroko says warmly. "
You helped us a lot too."
"
Mm," Masami agrees.
"
I'm glad," you say. "
Also, er. Another question, if I may - have you had any success with the search for Kuroki?"
"
Yea- well yeah and no," Masami says. "
Swung by there while looking for a Witch, and we spent 'bout twenty minutes looking around."
"
Ah, thank you," you say. "
Did you find anything?"
"
Yeah... Hiroko?" Masami says.
"
Yes and no," Hiroko says. "
She was definitely there for a while. You took her phone, right? Found what looked like the remaining bits of one. I'd guess she was there a few days ago, maybe a week. Stayed there for a while, but I can't find any final exit point from there. She just vanishes, it seems like."
"
Huh," you say, your heart sinking a little. That's
not good news. "
Well, thank you for the help!"
You exchange a few more pleasantries, and smile to yourself as you end the call. Mami notices, of course, and you beam at her before returning to poking at the enchanted Grief.
It almost seems to snap into form, without your conscious
will acting upon it. All you have to do is mould it approximately, and it simply
focuses, gaining clarity and shape and
colour. Before long, you have a tiny chibi version of yourself, palm-sized, but inanimate.
You purse your lips thoughtfully. Perfectly shaped, but inanimate and... incomplete, somehow. You can feel it with your magic, and it's
missing something. Letting your eyes slide shut, you bring your will to bear, and breathe
life into it.
Your eyes flutter open, just in time to see Mami reach down and pick you up, putting you on her lap. You giggle, and cuddle against her side, leaning your head against her shoulder.
"How long did that take?" you ask, blinking huge eyes up at Homura.
"No time at all," Mami says. "As far as I could tell?"
"Huh. Cool," you say, leaning back and hooking your arms over the back of the sofa.
You can still feel the pulse of
Witch, Witch, Witch against your senses, but it's not
quite as noticeable with a fully willed Grief-chibi. You can
also feel the matrix of enchantment tying your miniature form together.
The door cracks open -you didn't lock it- and Sayaka returns. Her hair's a
mess, and the bags of nuts and bread are empty, but there's a smirk on her face.
"Got half the animal population of Mitakihara checking in on 'em," she says. "Well, birds mostly. They were the easiest to call."
"Tell me you didn't tell the birds to crap all over their house," you offer, making yourself comfortable on Mami's lap.
"Nooooooo?" Sayaka says, walking over to the sofa and looking down. "Oh. Another one."
"What's that supposed to mean?" you say, planting your fists against your hips and looking up at her. You have to crane your head a
long way back from this angle.
"It's a plague of Sabrinas, is what I mean," Sayaka says, snorting. "Anyway, I need to head home about now. Er, sorry, took longer than I expected to talk to all the animals."
"Ah, certainly," Mami says.
Homura gives you a long, considering look.
"Excuse me," she murmurs, and picks you up by the back of your shirt before gently placing you on a rock before tapping her finger on said rock. A lilac shield blooms around you, perfectly spherical.
"Excuse
me," you say indignantly, banging a fist against the side of the shield.
"Important testing," Homura says placidly, and places you -shield and all- on the floor.
Sayaka snickers, already grabbing her bag. "I've really got to go," she says. "See you all tomorrow?"
"You will," Mami agrees, rising to her feet. You stand with her, giving Sayaka a smile. You all exchange goodbyes, and see Sayaka to the door, waving.
"We should start cooking dinner," Mami says as you shut the door behind her.
[] Oriko and Kirika
- [] Confirm the new arrangements with them
- [] Bring up selling the mansion
[] Homura
- [x] Assist Homura with testing the shield
- [] Talk to her about a specific topic
-- [] About?
[] Mami
- [x] Cooking
- [] Talk to her about a specific topic
-- [] About?
[] After dinner
- [x] Make order for tracking device
- [] More enchantment work
- [] Watch the DVD of the spar
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
=====
If there's nothing major, the next post will bring you through the night. Also, minor OoC note: don't worry about Kyouko talking to Nakano. Kyouko will bring it up.
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