It was a quiet evening at the Kure mansion.
Oriko, Sabrina, Mami, and a grudgingly dragged along Homura were sitting in the living room, sharing tea and snacks, and eagerly watching the television, waiting for a certain show to start.
Quite some time had passed since that arduous month leading up to Walpurgisnacht's defeat, and their lives seemed to become even more difficult afterwards, leaving them little time to get together and simply enjoy each other's company.
Sabrina beamed at Homura, simply for the fact she was there. Homura rolled her eyes.
"Can I say," commented Mami, "I'm not certain this is a good idea?"
"Whatever do you mean," asked Oriko, an accusation in her voice.
"No offense, Oriko, but Kirika was not my first pick if I had to choose a Magical Girl for this."
"My dear Kirika wanted to be on T.V." the ex-Seer crossed her arms.
"Hey, chill," called Sabrina, holding Mami closer, "it's starting."
The four Magical Girls turned to watch the screen, which showed a smartly dressed woman sitting on a stage with none other than...
"... And here with me I've got one Kure Kirika, who claims to be one of the 'Magical Girls' who have shaken the world so much these days. Hello, Miss Kure."
"Hello~! And hello to Oriko out there! I know she's watching me."
"Oriko being another Magical Girl?"
"Yup, but Oriko's much more than that!"
Said girl swooned in her seat.
"Before we get side tracked, Miss Kure, could you explain what Magical Girls are? Do you have anything to say to the people claiming for gubernamental control over Magical Girls?"
"Pfft, as if that would do anything. Listen, we Magical Girls are a pretty normal sect, we share hugs and cuddles together, we do each others' nails and hair, we burn Witches together, all normal girly stuff, really."
"Did she just say sect?" murmured Mami, pinching the brindge of her nose.
Sabrina simply nodded, her hair brushing against the blonde's
"Some people have accused Magical Girls and witches of being one and the same."
"No, no, you got it all wrong, see? It's a pun, Magical Girls are Magical Girls, while witches are basically Magical Adults. Yuck. But really, if it wasn't for us, lots more people would be getting killed by Witches every day."
"So Magical Girls can't stop Witches from killing some times?"
"Well, of course not, are you crazy? We need to study, and hang out, have dates and get jobs like everyone else. We can't go around saving people's lives all the time. Plus, fighting Witches is dangerous and nobody pays us for it, you know? Really, people out there want to control us when they should be paying us, that would be a win-win because then being a Magical Girl could be a full time job and we'd save more people. Thankfully it's just a matter of time until things get better."
"Is she..." Sabrina scrunched one eye in a grimace, "Homura, do you think you could pop by there and stop this before it gets out of hand?"
"Just a matter of time? What makes you say that?"
"Well, you know Sabrina, right?"
"Homura?"
Said time traveller held a finger to her lips.
"Vee Sabrina?"
"Eh, she's just Sabrina to her friends, and let me tell you, we're pretty tight, so I know all about her plans to make the world better, by force if necessary! Hihihihihi!"
"Um, seriously-" insisted Sabrina, only to be cut off by a twin glare from Oriko and Homura.
"My Kirika's on TV."
"She's bringing up good points."
Sabrina gaped as the two simply turned back to watch the screen, in complete agreement with each other.
"There's been claims that Miss Vee has taken subversive actions against many governments."
"Pfft, that's nothing. Once Sabrina's done with the world, we'll have a great unified government who'll acknowledge and shelter Magical Girls, and everyone will have a fair wage, that is, within fair lower and higher limits, everyone's gonna have access to health care, education, blah blah blah, there'll be a good economy and all that stuff, and psychiatric care will be mandatory for everyone from the time they're born, and everyone's love lives will work out alright."
"Those are quite the claims to make... what about the rumour that Miss Vee is looking to fashion herself Empress of the World?"
"Hah! As if! Sabrina would be a terrible empress."
Homura, Oriko, and Mami nodded, the blonde cuddling closer to the white haired girl.
"So you deny these claims?"
"Yeah, Sabrina's gonna make Mami the World Empress."
"You are referring to Tomoe Mami, the Magical Girl many other seem to look up to?"
"Yeah, I'd say her campaign is pretty solid, she's got Sabrina eating out of her hand, she's got some cool looking ringlets, and can kick anyone's ass. Why, the only time I saw her not kick someone's ass was when I first met her, and that's because she didn't even need to, Oriko and I got our asses handed to us before Mami even had time to step in."
"How terrifying, Miss Kure. Are the rumours that Miss Tomoe and Miss Vee beat you and Miss Mikuni-"
"It's Kure now."
"I've been lead to understand-"
"She's. Oriko. Kure. Now. Understood?"
"... I understand, Miss Kure. If I may ask, is it true that the two of you were beaten into submission and forcibly integrated into Miss Tomoe's group against your will?"
"Oh, yeah, sure, it was pretty brutal."
"You do not deny these claims about the people you call friends?"
"Oh, no, we got lots of Stockholm Syndrome."
"Stockholm Syndrome?"
"Yeah, I was pretty angry at first, but they made sure to beat us up within acceptable limits and then were super nice and helped us. Really, Sabrina's told me in confidence about how hard it was to convince Homura to spare our lives, and that there were lots of tears involved, so I'd say she did us a solid, there."
"Miss Akemi was the one who wanted to kill both Miss Kure Oriko and you?"
"Yup. She's such a bitch, no matter how nice her hair is. And after convincing her, Sabrina had to convince Oriko, which let me tell you, I hear was a pretty harrowing, close thing. I love Oriko and would've supported her no matter what she went for, but I think being alive is pretty nice, so I'm glad we didn't die back th-"
"Ow, ow, ow, stop pulling already, I can walk on my own!" yelled Kirika, as her and Homura suddenly appeared in the middle of the living room.
By way of answer, Homura shoved her, as terrified screams rang out from the television.
"Hey-!"
Kirika's citrine eyes blinked as she bumped into Oriko, the taller girl's arms quickly wrapping themselves around her waist.
"Oriko~!" the crazed Magical Girl smiled a megawatt smile up at her girlfriend, "I was on TV!"
"And you're in trouble," answered Oriko in a non-nonsense tone.
Kirika immediately deflated.
"Noooooooooooooo..." she whined and let herself flop, to be held up only by Oriko's arms. "No faaaaaaair..."
"Well, maybe not too much trouble," smiled Oriko, rubbing a thumb against Kirika's cheek.
"Well, I see the show's over, we'll leave you alone for now," Sabrina quickly looked away while grabbing Mami's and Homura's arms and pulling them away and out the mansion. "Ciao, Oriko, Kirika!"
As the three girls left, a soft muttering was carried by the wind, a sinister whisper from a certain time traveller's lips barely managing to reach the couple inside.
"... dare call me bitch, you're in so much trouble once I..."
The couple shuddered as one, gulped, and sent a nervous look after their retreating friends.
"I'm gonna have to think up more dumb jokes," commented Kirika.
Oriko nodded. "Then we'll invite them for dinner, you do your best brain damaged buddies thing, and we'll use that good will to convince Sabrina to convince Akemi to not take revenge."
"Usually works, right?"
"Right."
With a shared sigh, tension bled off the Kure couple's shoulders, and so they returned to making lovey dovey doe eyes at each other.
"... Kure Kirika kidnapped straight from the stage in front of our eyes, apparently by the Magical Girl secret police force? What will the reperc-"
Oriko turned off the TV.
