Just you and Mami, ghosting over the late evening Mitakihara. It's fully night now, the city glowing with life. Threads of light wind through the streets, the never-ending pulse of the city circulating.
You cuddle a little closer to Mami, sinking into her arms as she hugs you, and you savour the sensation of being
with her. She's made your life better, just by being a part of it. And... when you think about it, you're not really sure you've
told her all that before.
You can change that.
But for now, you have... one last conversation to get to before you arrive home, just to clear the air. Just to clear it out, and focus on your time with Mami.
"
Nadia?" you call, casting the telepathic message.
It takes a few minutes for Nadia to respond, which you occupy by letting yourself sink deeper into Mami's embrace, snuggling closer to her.
"
Sabrina?" Nadia says. "
What is happening?"
"
I met with Rionna," you say. "
Or rather, she met us."
"
Ah, good," Nadia responds. "
I was not sure, I had not heard she was travelling besides what you said."
"
Except, well..." you say, trying not to grimace. "
She... I don't know. It seems
like she might have come to kill me for being a Grief Controller."
"
... I have not heard of this," Nadia says, voice turning sharp. "
What happened?"
"Well-" For the fourth time in less than an hour, you go over what happened with Rionna. Nadia's silent as she listens, only responding when you prompt her to make sure she's still there. And finally, as you draw to the end of the explanation, she sighs.
"
I apologise," she says. "
I did not know. I did not... she seemed pleasant enough when I met her. Rude, but pleased to have me over."
She pauses, seeming to think it over. "
I did not know she was coming. She is not known
to leave Edinburgh, fimti
? And she did not say either, when she was going down to Mitakihara. If she does not, and her visits are not common... I did not know. I am sorry."
"
I'm not blaming you," you say with a mental sigh. Something twinges at your mind. Wouldn't Rionna have left
witnesses behind? Other magical girls, who she didn't kill and enslave. Hopefully. "
Just... updating you. And... there's going to be PR fallout of this, isn't there? For attacking her? Do you have any idea how I might deal with it?"
But then again, her powers would be
uniquely suited to simply making individual magical girls simply
disappear from right under the noses of others. You suppress a shudder, but not before Mami notices. She peers down at you, concerned.
"I'm OK," you tell Mami with a soft smile. "Just keeping Nadia updated, that's all."
"Alright," Mami says, returning the smile. She returns to playing with your hair.
"
Be honest about it," Nadia says. "
It is what I will do. You do not want to let her kind stand. So, you did something. If someone is afraid of you for that, then that is their problem."
"
I don't want to scare people off from coming to Mitakihara, especially if they're in need," you say. "
And I don't want people coming after me because of rumours that I take down people at my own whims."
"
Hah!" Nadia snorts. "
That is not a concern. The fact that you do not automatically
attack people already sets you apart, fimti
? Welcoming people? A rarity, if people are in need or want to come, they will. This will not scare them, and if they want to attack to steal
you away, this may persuade them otherwise."
"
I... that's fair," you say, hesitating for a second. You're not sure whether you should bring up
Kyuubey stirring shit up, but this is something that -unlike Rionna- she
must be well aware of. "
Is there anything I should do?"
"
No?" Nadia says. You can hear the audible shrug in her voice. "
It is not like there is a press for you to give a statement to, fimti
?"
"
... yeah, that's true," you say. "
Thanks, Nadia."
"
You are welcome," Nadia says. "
I apologise for the poor information."
She disconnects, and you sigh. Mami's fingers pause for a moment in your hair, giving you another look - but then, she's always been able to read your emotions even when you try to hide them.
"No, it's nothing, just... well, Nadia," you say. "I mean, I guess I can't blame her for not being omniscient, but still. If I'd
known ahead of time..."
"It would have saved a lot of trouble, had we known," Mami agrees. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be ridiculous, Mami," you say, smiling up at her. The wind sets her hair whipping out, framing her face with a soft, golden halo lit by the glow of the city below. "
You are not at all at fault."
"I'm sorry you had to go through it," Mami says, shaking her head. "And I'm-" She bites her lip.
"Mami?" you prompt, sitting up properly to look at her.
She giggles faintly. "I was... I was going to apologise that I couldn't help more," she says. "But I realised that you wouldn't accept it."
"Damn right I wouldn't," you say, smiling and relaxing back into her embrace.
Mami huffs, and wraps her arms a little tighter around your midsection. The conversation lapses into a comfortable silence as you head home. Home with Mami, home to Mami's apartment, the two of you descending the steps at a rapid trot. You shuck your shoes and lock the door behind you, barely an afterthought, before flopping face down on the sofa.
There are still dishes soaking in the sink, but you don't really care right now.
"Geh," you grumble, feeling the cushion depress as Mami sits next to you. She gently lifts your head and slides over so that your head is resting on her lap. "Mmrm."
"How are you?" she asks quietly.
You roll over so that you're face-up, and smile at her. "Better. Tired, but... better. Thank you, Mami."
"I didn't do much," Mami says, returning the smile, soft and warm.
"I..." you pull yourself upright, one hand on the back of the sofa, and shift so that you're facing Mami properly. You take a breath, and smile at her. "Mami, I've been thinking. Or, well, the pendant, the things you've said about what I've done for you... it got me thinking."
"I... I understand what I've done for you, I think," you say quietly, and pull Mami into a hug. "And I like to think I understand some of what... what it
means to you, the importance of all of it. 'I'm not alone anymore', as you said. I... hope it isn't too arrogant to say that I filled a, a void in your heart?"
"No," Mami murmurs, wrapping her arms around you and leaning into the hug. "No, not in the slightest, Sabrina. You have. You absolutely have."
"I... well, I know it's not a, a
small thing," you say. "I know you think that it's a lot, even, but as much as it is, I think of the two of us as being
even on this kind of thing. I know I haven't really elaborated or expressed myself well on why or
how, but I..."
You smile softly at Mami, pressing a gentle finger to her lips before she can speak.
"You've done as much for me as I've done for you," you say. "You really have. I've done a poor job of telling you that. I've been leaning on the easy things, like... thanking you for taking me in, or simply
telling you that, but none of it is really
sufficient to convey what I want to. And I could never truly find the
words to really
tell you what I wanted to."
"I..." Mami's eyes are huge. She swallows, eyes huge as she stares at you. "I didn't... I
haven't done that much."
You take her hands between yours, running your fingers over the soft, delicate skin that belies so much strength. She turns her hand over and closes her fingers over yours, squeezing gently.
"I never really could tell you, but... I said something once. I didn't know we'd get along so well. I didn't know we could be
friends," you murmur, and smile at Mami. "Do you remember that?"
"I remember," Mami responds, her breath hitching slightly. "It was when you... I... remember."
You hug her. When you told her about yourself, how you woke up
knowing about her.
"Sabrina, I..." Mami swallows, looking up at you and smiling. "I trust you. You've... given me
everything. I trust you."
"I know," you murmur softly. "And I'm sorry I hurt you, then and now. But... what I said back then? It wasn't really accurate." You smile at her, gentle and warm, and speak before she can. "Not the fact that I'm your friend - I
am, Mami, now and always."
"But I always knew you could and
would have friends," you say, smiling ruefully and shaking your head. "In an... abstract sense, you know. 'Mami
can and
should have friends.' But
me... I was here to
fix things. I had a
purpose, I suppose, when I woke up. Do the right things, get everyone their happy endings. Put an
end to all the horrible things happening."
"I..." Mami swallows, curling up against your side and wrapping her arms fully around your waist. "That's not how it should be. You should have
more than that."
"That's just it," you say with a smile for Mami. "I never thought that
I would have a life outside that mission. I just never really
thought about it. And it was just the little things, at first. Having someone around who didn't mind my silliness, you know? The Portal theme, breakfast together, Mecha Godzilla Gurren Lagann, that kind of thing."
You squeeze her hand gently. "But it became more than that. I realised I could have you as a friend, and I realised I
wanted to have you as my friend. To know you better, to spend time with you, not because I wanted to
fix things, but because I
wanted your friendship, because I
enjoyed spending time with you."
Mami swallows, her eyes huge, following your every motion, every word. But you can see the growing
joy in her gaze, the way she wraps herself around you, arms around your waist and leg thrown across yours. Not the deathgrip of
fear that you might leave her, but because she wants to be
close to you - and you're clinging to her just as much as she is to you.
"You make me happy," you murmur. "You make me happy, and I have a
life now, and I want you as part of my life. Now and always." You smile softly. "And that I found out
any of this, Mami? That's thanks to
you."
"Sabrina, I..." Mami swallows. "I don't know what to say."
You smile, and lean into her embrace, tucking your chin against the crook of her neck. "And that's fine. I didn't... I didn't have the
words for this, couldn't put it together until now. But it's... it's what you've done for me, you know?"
"You've given me everything, Sabrina," Mami murmurs quietly. Her breath disturbs the hair over your shoulder. "I... I know I said that already, but you
have. I never thought I'd be
here today, with friends all around me, talking to my old student again... I never thought I'd have someone like
you with me. And it's everything."
You exhale slowly, still nestling against her.
"There's been... an image burned into my mind, from the very start," you say thoughtfully. "And... this is a non-sequitur, but I was thinking about it. Of
me. Alone, wandering the universe, and... someone asking me if I didn't want to stop, whether I didn't want to settle down with my friends. With everyone else. And there... I said no. It was a success. Everyone else was happy, and I would continue my job, my mission. Sad, but... everyone was
happy. That's all I could ask for."
"That's not-" Mami pulls back from the hug, something like horror stealing across her gaze. "That's not
right."
You smile at her, taking her hand and twining your fingers together.
"Not any more," you say, meeting her eyes squarely. "All I had, back then, was a mission. Now I have
you, and that's not something I'm willing to give up.
That's what you've done for me, Mami. It's not as...
dramatic as what I did for you, but no less life-changing."
You shake your head, hair flying. "I understand why you still worry that I might leave you. But it's not going to happen. Not as long as you'll have me. Someone would have to
force me to, because I have a life now, and I want you in it."
"I..." Mami takes a quick, shivering breath. "Always, Sabrina. I'll always want you.
Always."
"Thank you," you murmur. "I... I don't want to be alone, either." You pull Mami into a tight, crushing hug, and she reciprocates, arms wrapping around your back as if she'll never let go.
[] Relax for the rest of the night
- [] Homework for Mami!
- [] Enchanting practice for yourself?
- [] Ask about Mami's enchantment for the pendant
- [] Something else?
[x] Breakfast with Mami
- [] Good morning Mitakihara!
-- [] Any topics to hit?
[x] Shopping with Homura in the morning
[] Call up Nagisa, it's been a while!
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
=====
Again, slightly later than expected, but... better late than never?
)
