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?
The Phoenixian
The Glacier Witch
- Location
- My own little world
No, clearly, the answer is to reimagine Sakuya with Moemura grade front braids.
EDIT: rationale
What better way to draw the parallel between one time stopper and another via a hair mashup?
Last edited:
- Location
- Here
Grow hair to homu length, but take advantage of its motility to start gesturing with hair-hands. Better to do our own thing than try and fail to imitate Mom.
- Location
- Florida
Does that mean we'll be able to hug using our hair? Sign me the hell up!
The Phoenixian
The Glacier Witch
- Location
- My own little world
Honestly, we might not fail here. The recent joke from the Rebellion watch, after all, is that Homura's hairflip is so good because she has prehensile hair and just doesn't know it. (Which is probably where the prehensile hair came from in the first place, now that I think of it.) And now we do too.
- Location
- Not the asylum anymore
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I thought it was Mom's hair unfolding in more than three dimensions?
(We probably wouldn't be able to try that now, not without replacing Sabrina's hair wholesale. After that, it's either keep the grief wig until our natural mop grows back, or go bald.)
(We probably wouldn't be able to try that now, not without replacing Sabrina's hair wholesale. After that, it's either keep the grief wig until our natural mop grows back, or go bald.)
Aranfan
Team Plasma Grunt
So, a mild dilemma as I write: on the one hand, accurate Sakuya cosplay with somewhat-past-shoulderlength hair.
On the other, homu-hair.
What do?
Knee length hair.
Obviously.
Office Complex pt. 31
You give the stew a quick stir, thinking hard. Really, the problem with bringing Sayaka is that you don't want to pressure Kyouko. You don't want to put her in a position where it seems like you're bringing a show of force against her: Mami, Homura, you... and Sayaka.
"A touch of soy sauce?" Mami asks, watching the bread anxiously.
"I think so. And I'll thicken it with a little flour, I think, since we don't have time to really reduce it properly," you say. Despite that, however, it can wait a moment, so you replace the lid and join Mami in squatting beside the oven, bumping your shoulder gently against hers.
"... sorry," Mami says, ducking her head and leaning against you, presenting the perfect opportunity to wrap your arm around her shoulders.
"Don't be ridiculous," you say with a fond smile. You press a gentle kiss to her cheek. "It's fine to be nervous or worried about it."
"I know," Mami says. "And I've got you, and Homura with me. I... I think the bread's just about done."
"Alright," you say, releasing Mami to let her retrieve the loaf from the oven, fresh and piping-hot.
Sayaka. And Homura.
You continue thinking as you stir in a dash of soy sauce to the stew. You're not even sure that you want Homura to come along, even. You're deeply and utterly grateful for her support, but... again, you don't want to pressure Kyouko, even if you'd already mentioned Homura to her. But then again, maybe therein lies the answer.
Sayaka's friendly with Kyouko and Yuma. She's as close to neutral as anyone might be, here, so... you could ask her to act as such, if she's up to it.
You nod. That could work.
Mind made up, you switch mental tracks to lighter topics. A thought and a flare of light leaves you transformed and Mami looking at you in concern as she sets the bread on a cooling rack. You wink at her, grin, and hold a finger over your lips. She relaxes, and smiles.
The stew will keep for a few more minutes. Which leaves you with other considerations of utmost concern, of course. A second of focus has your hair exploding out to mid-back, the same length as Homura's. And even if you have a steady, sinking feeling that this won't work, it's worth a try.
You hook your fingers through your hair, and a smooth, steady flick -exactly the way Homura does it- sends it whipping out sideways, a rippling banner of purest white that almost hangs in the air, suspended for a moment.
And yet.
And yet.
"Oh, Sabrina," Mami murmurs, walking over to hug you gently, and instead of her usual fond exasperation, there's pity in her voice and in her eyes.
"I..." You sigh, ignoring the way a pit opens in your stomach. So close, and yet so far. So very far. The taste of disappointment is bitter indeed. "I had to try."
"I know," she says. She goes up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against your cheek. "I understand, Sabrina. It was a very good try."
"And Homura doesn't even use any magic to do it," you mutter darkly as you start to shorten your hair. Not quite to its usual length; enough to hang past your shoulders, and enough for it to weave into a pair of thin braids that frame your face on either side.
Mami nestles into the hug, tucking herself against your chest and worming her own arms under your coat. "It's alright, Sabrina," she murmurs. "It's alright."
"Yeah," you say. "I know."
"Shall we finish preparing dinner? Homura must be getting hungry," Mami offers.
"I don't know if I can look her in the eye anymore," you mutter, but exhale, and smile. "But yeah. Thank you, Mami."
"Of course," Mami says, separating from the hug. "Now, shall we?"
"We shall," you agree. And as Mami turns to making a light salad and you busy yourself tending to the stew, you focus on your costume. Fabric ripples and crawls across your body to fill out the shape of a costume - tights and a dress of deep blue, knee-length and trimmed with a frilly white hem and puffy white sleeves. You top that with a white half-apron that goes around your waist, tied with an enormous white bow at the back. A frilly headband, grey to stand out against your white hair, finishes the ensemble along with blue-green ties to close your braids.
Out of the corner of your eye, you notice that Mami's stopped preparing dinner and is now leaning against the counter to watch you, a soft smile on her face.
"It looks good on you, Sabrina," she says. "But you'd look good in anything."
You flush a brilliant red. "I-I-"
Mami giggles, and crosses the kitchen once more to fiddle with the thin ribbon bow around your neck. "You're beautiful, Sabrina," Mami says. "And... I will always, always be glad that you... that you chose me."
"T-thank you," you say, raising your hand to curl your fingers around hers. "U-um. Yeah. Thank you."
She smiles at you, and you're glad to see the anxiety displaced by impish amusement. For the moment, at least. "You're not really used to compliments, are you?" she asks.
"Well... no?" you say. You fidget.
"I see," she says, sing-song, and spins away. "Now, we've kept Homura waiting for long enough!"
You blink dumbly at Mami's retreating back as she walks out of the kitchen, platter of neatly sliced bread in hand.
On the one hand, you feel like she got the better of you there.
On the other hand, you're glad to see her in a better mood.
You laugh quietly to yourself and collect utensils and the stew - three bowls balanced on a disc of Grief, held on your hand like a serving platter, the pot on its own floating disc, and of course, a small dish of nuts for Mugin. Then you straighten up, fold your arm behind your back, and stride out of the kitchen.
Homura looks up at Mami's arrival, and then her eyes catch on you. Her head tilts slightly to the side, gaze tracking you as you lay out the meal with ritual motions and near robotic precision.
"Please be seated, Lady Tomoe, Lady Akemi," you say, stiffly formal. You pull the chair back for Mami and for Homura, courtesy of a bit of Grief.
Homura snorts slightly, but deigns to sit. Mami flows gracefully into her chair with all the regal elegance of royalty, beaming at you.
"And you, Miss Vee," Mami says, tone just as formal as yours. She gestures, and a third chair slides out. "Fret not of the impropriety - you have my leave to dine with us."
Homura snorts quietly, almost under her breath.
And that's as far as your straight face will take you, your poker face cracking into giggles as you slip into the chair.
"Let's eat," Mami says, beaming at you. "Itadakimasu."
You echo Mami, as does Homura, and tuck in, joined by Mugin who scrabbles over to investigate the food. Freshly baked bread and savoury stew, thickened to perfection, and a light salad to round it off, and Mugin seems content with the nuts after behind gently redirected.
"... did your hair grow?" Homura asks.
"Yup!" you say, raising one braid in a cheerful wave.
"Oh." Homura blinks, and seems to give this a moment of consideration before nodding, and returning to her meal. "... the food is good. Thank you."
"You're very welcome, Homura," Mami says warmly.
Dinner's a quiet affair, conversation sporadic, but it's a comfortable silence broken by the clink of cutlery. You had been planning to talk about Sayaka's training, but... perhaps not, to let Mami gather herself before the confrontation with Kyouko.
Though speaking of which...
"Hey, Sayaka?" you murmur, chewing busily on a piece of stew-soaked bread to hopefully disguise the telepathy. Not that there's much hope of that, with Mami right beside you. "You free?"
"Yeah? What's up?" Sayaka responds after a moment. "'m at home."
"So... I know I've loaded a hell of a lot on your plate already," you say. "But uh... so, you know I was talking to Kyouko, right?"
"... yeah?" Sayaka says carefully.
"I've somehow managed to wrangle a meeting between Mami and Kyouko," you say. Hm, a lump of gristle in the beef. You start chewing more vigorously. "To take place tonight."
"Hooo." Sayaka's quiet for a moment. "And... you wouldn't be calling me and apologising first thing if you didn't want me there, huh?"
"Yeah," you say with a mental sigh. "If you feel up for it? I don't... no, let me back up. You know both Mami and Kyouko pretty well, and I'm... I'm obviously biased, as you said. Homura'll be there too, but I don't want to pressure Kyouko with too many people 'taking sides' against her. It's gonna be emotionally charged as is."
"I... yeah, you know what?" Sayaka says slowly. "I'll be there. Where?"
"After dinner, I think - and I don't know where, but Mami would, apparently," you say. "Come by our place when you're finished with dinner?"
"Gotcha," Sayaka says. "Not too late, so that's fine too."
"Great," you say. "Thanks, Sayaka."
"'course," Sayaka says. "See ya soon."
You can't help but notice Mami's mood slipping, as the silence turns awkward and dinner dwindles to drips of gravy in your bowls to be polished off with cooling bread. You place your hand over hers, and offer both a smile and a vigorous waggling of both braids when she looks up at you.
It gets a half-hearted giggle, at least, as she turns her hand over to interlace your fingers.
"We should... we should get the dishes done," Mami says.
"We're not in a big rush," you say. "We're waiting for Sayaka, anyway."
"Sayaka- Sayaka's coming?" Mami says. You catch Homura glancing up at you out of the corner of your eye, too.
"Yeah," you say, smiling at Mami. "It was Homura's suggestion, and I agreed - it might be good to have someone who's familiar with both you and Kyouko?"
"Oh," Mami says, and nods. "Alright. T-thank you, Homura."
"Speaking of, I..." You trail off for a second. "Mami, I'm on your side to the end. You know that, right?" You smile at Mami, and wait for her to nod before you continue. "But for this... this is between you and Kyouko. I don't want to interfere, and I'm afraid I'd make things worse if I tried. So... I'll stand to the side. Homura, Sayaka, and me. If you're alright with that?"
"I-" Mami's words die in her throat as she swallows, her hand tightening on yours.
"You can do this, Mami," you say, encouraging and warm. "You're stronger than you know."
"A-alright," Mami says. "But you'll be t-there, right?"
"I will," you say. "We all will."
"Alright. Alright," Mami says. She hesitates for a second, hand tightening on yours. "I... alright. Shall we do the dishes? They... they do need to be washed, regardless."
"Sure," you say with a smile. Homura silently helps you collect the dishes and ferry them to the kitchen, but any further help is politely but firmly turned down. You stick close to Mami, elbows and shoulders bumping and fingers brushing as you wash with easy, familiar coordination.
You find Homura seated comfortably on the sofa when you re-enter the living room, apparently lost in thought but entirely alert, from the way her attention snaps up at the sound of your approach. She eyes Mami for a second, and then nods.
"You won't have a problem," she says.
"Thank you, Homura," Mami murmurs.
"Well. I guess we're just waiting for Sayaka to get here," you say, and rub your face as you urge Mami to sit down. Madokami on high, please let this go well - not for your sake, but for Mami's.
Homura nods, settling back on the sofa with an air that suggests she'd be happy to wait until the end of time if need be. You try to imitate that as Mami curls into your side, projecting strength and confidence you don't quite feel for Mami. You know Kyouko, and you know Mami. You know that both of them do want their friendship back, and yet...
"Almost there!" Sayaka's voice sounds inside your head a few minutes later, jolting you from your thoughts. "Sorry, hope I'm not late?"
"No, no, we just finished dinner," you say. "We'll meet you on the roof?"
"Sure," Sayaka says. "I'll be here."
"Cool," you say. "Mami, Homura? Sayaka's almost here. Shall we head up?"
"Alright," Mami says. There's the faintest quaver in her voice that you hate, hate hate and want to wipe away. You want to chase those fears away, because you don't want to see Mami looking afraid, but the best you can do is to continue holding her hand as you both stand and transform in unison.
You don't let go, all the way through gently ushering Mugin out of the room, and all the way up the stairs to the roof. Sayaka sails in for a smooth landing, blue motes of light dissipating from her feet as she cleanses her Soul Gem with her Clear Seed before nodding at you.
"Hey," she says quietly.
"Hey yourself," you say.
"Where're we headed?" Sayaka asks. "... also, are you cosplaying?"
"Maybe," you say with a crooked, half-hearted grin. "You like it?"
"Not a bad look," Sayaka says, snickering. "Nnnnot sure it's something you wear to a formal meeting, though."
"Well, yeah," you say, starting to undo the costume changes, and the hair extensions. "But I kept it up 'cuz I thought it was kind of neat. And as to the where... well, I don't know, actually. Mami? She... she said that she'd be at the bridge, and you'd know where."
"Oh," Mami says, swallowing. "I... I do know. I'll lead the way."
She turns towards the edge of the roof and freezes, one leg up on the ledge. You squeeze her hand gently.
Sayaka notices, of course. She doesn't say anything, simply walking up and lacing her hands behind her head, tilted back to look at the stars - silent support for Mami. Homura hovers a step behind, a solid, immovable presence that manages to loom despite her slight form.
"Alright," Mami whispers, taking a shaky breath. "Let's go."
She pushes off. And you're not about to let her go. Not now, not when she needs you. So your hand remains tight on hers as you leap for the next roof with her, forcing back your instinct to roll with the landing as you race forward by her side.
"Hey, Kyouko? We're on our way," you call. Kyouko's only response is a wordless grunt and cutting the connection.
Sayaka and Homura flank you, one to a side as you leap over the glowing chasms between buildings. Both silent, because the nerves are catching. Both transformed. Sayaka's cape streams in the wind, a bold mirror to the midnight black swathe cut by Homura's hair.
Your path takes you nearly to Kasamino. Not quite, but close, the buildings thinning out as you approach. It's quiet enough, near enough to the industrial district that the four of you drop to ground level as you approach.
A quiet area.
A bridge. Brick.
You recognise it, of course.
The very same place Kyouko and Mami parted ways.
Under the pool of a street-light, you see a splash of red.
A ponytail sways as its owner turns to look in your direction.
"I-" Mami's grip is crushing, grinding the bones of your hand together.
"You can do this, Mami," you murmur to her. The four of you slow to a walk, Sayaka and Homura peeling off to the side.
You stop a few meters from Kyouko.
Kyouko, whose eyes are fixed on Mami, hard grin -sneer, really- on her face. She glances from Mami to you, then to Sayaka, then to Homura.
If Yuma's around, she's not in your sensing radius.
"So," Kyouko says, breaking the silence. The sneer, fierce and feral and challenging and forced, doesn't move. "You wanted me here so badly?"
Kyouko spreads her arms. "Here I am."
She's not transformed, either, dressed in that same ratty teal jacket and shorts and incongruously fashionable boots.
"Kyouko," Mami whispers, one hand reaching for her, and the other clutching yours.
"Yeah, that's my name." Kyouko folds her arms, slouching against the lamppost. There's a glint in her eye, a challenging tilt to her chin. "Y' girlfriend's been hanging out in Kasamino, you know. Her 'n blue over there."
[] Let Mami handle it
[] Speak up
- [] Write-in
[] Move to the side
Ah, Kyouko. You just can't resist poking.
"A touch of soy sauce?" Mami asks, watching the bread anxiously.
"I think so. And I'll thicken it with a little flour, I think, since we don't have time to really reduce it properly," you say. Despite that, however, it can wait a moment, so you replace the lid and join Mami in squatting beside the oven, bumping your shoulder gently against hers.
"... sorry," Mami says, ducking her head and leaning against you, presenting the perfect opportunity to wrap your arm around her shoulders.
"Don't be ridiculous," you say with a fond smile. You press a gentle kiss to her cheek. "It's fine to be nervous or worried about it."
"I know," Mami says. "And I've got you, and Homura with me. I... I think the bread's just about done."
"Alright," you say, releasing Mami to let her retrieve the loaf from the oven, fresh and piping-hot.
Sayaka. And Homura.
You continue thinking as you stir in a dash of soy sauce to the stew. You're not even sure that you want Homura to come along, even. You're deeply and utterly grateful for her support, but... again, you don't want to pressure Kyouko, even if you'd already mentioned Homura to her. But then again, maybe therein lies the answer.
Sayaka's friendly with Kyouko and Yuma. She's as close to neutral as anyone might be, here, so... you could ask her to act as such, if she's up to it.
You nod. That could work.
Mind made up, you switch mental tracks to lighter topics. A thought and a flare of light leaves you transformed and Mami looking at you in concern as she sets the bread on a cooling rack. You wink at her, grin, and hold a finger over your lips. She relaxes, and smiles.
The stew will keep for a few more minutes. Which leaves you with other considerations of utmost concern, of course. A second of focus has your hair exploding out to mid-back, the same length as Homura's. And even if you have a steady, sinking feeling that this won't work, it's worth a try.
You hook your fingers through your hair, and a smooth, steady flick -exactly the way Homura does it- sends it whipping out sideways, a rippling banner of purest white that almost hangs in the air, suspended for a moment.
And yet.
And yet.
"Oh, Sabrina," Mami murmurs, walking over to hug you gently, and instead of her usual fond exasperation, there's pity in her voice and in her eyes.
"I..." You sigh, ignoring the way a pit opens in your stomach. So close, and yet so far. So very far. The taste of disappointment is bitter indeed. "I had to try."
"I know," she says. She goes up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against your cheek. "I understand, Sabrina. It was a very good try."
"And Homura doesn't even use any magic to do it," you mutter darkly as you start to shorten your hair. Not quite to its usual length; enough to hang past your shoulders, and enough for it to weave into a pair of thin braids that frame your face on either side.
Mami nestles into the hug, tucking herself against your chest and worming her own arms under your coat. "It's alright, Sabrina," she murmurs. "It's alright."
"Yeah," you say. "I know."
"Shall we finish preparing dinner? Homura must be getting hungry," Mami offers.
"I don't know if I can look her in the eye anymore," you mutter, but exhale, and smile. "But yeah. Thank you, Mami."
"Of course," Mami says, separating from the hug. "Now, shall we?"
"We shall," you agree. And as Mami turns to making a light salad and you busy yourself tending to the stew, you focus on your costume. Fabric ripples and crawls across your body to fill out the shape of a costume - tights and a dress of deep blue, knee-length and trimmed with a frilly white hem and puffy white sleeves. You top that with a white half-apron that goes around your waist, tied with an enormous white bow at the back. A frilly headband, grey to stand out against your white hair, finishes the ensemble along with blue-green ties to close your braids.
Out of the corner of your eye, you notice that Mami's stopped preparing dinner and is now leaning against the counter to watch you, a soft smile on her face.
"It looks good on you, Sabrina," she says. "But you'd look good in anything."
You flush a brilliant red. "I-I-"
Mami giggles, and crosses the kitchen once more to fiddle with the thin ribbon bow around your neck. "You're beautiful, Sabrina," Mami says. "And... I will always, always be glad that you... that you chose me."
"T-thank you," you say, raising your hand to curl your fingers around hers. "U-um. Yeah. Thank you."
She smiles at you, and you're glad to see the anxiety displaced by impish amusement. For the moment, at least. "You're not really used to compliments, are you?" she asks.
"Well... no?" you say. You fidget.
"I see," she says, sing-song, and spins away. "Now, we've kept Homura waiting for long enough!"
You blink dumbly at Mami's retreating back as she walks out of the kitchen, platter of neatly sliced bread in hand.
On the one hand, you feel like she got the better of you there.
On the other hand, you're glad to see her in a better mood.
You laugh quietly to yourself and collect utensils and the stew - three bowls balanced on a disc of Grief, held on your hand like a serving platter, the pot on its own floating disc, and of course, a small dish of nuts for Mugin. Then you straighten up, fold your arm behind your back, and stride out of the kitchen.
Homura looks up at Mami's arrival, and then her eyes catch on you. Her head tilts slightly to the side, gaze tracking you as you lay out the meal with ritual motions and near robotic precision.
"Please be seated, Lady Tomoe, Lady Akemi," you say, stiffly formal. You pull the chair back for Mami and for Homura, courtesy of a bit of Grief.
Homura snorts slightly, but deigns to sit. Mami flows gracefully into her chair with all the regal elegance of royalty, beaming at you.
"And you, Miss Vee," Mami says, tone just as formal as yours. She gestures, and a third chair slides out. "Fret not of the impropriety - you have my leave to dine with us."
Homura snorts quietly, almost under her breath.
And that's as far as your straight face will take you, your poker face cracking into giggles as you slip into the chair.
"Let's eat," Mami says, beaming at you. "Itadakimasu."
You echo Mami, as does Homura, and tuck in, joined by Mugin who scrabbles over to investigate the food. Freshly baked bread and savoury stew, thickened to perfection, and a light salad to round it off, and Mugin seems content with the nuts after behind gently redirected.
"... did your hair grow?" Homura asks.
"Yup!" you say, raising one braid in a cheerful wave.
"Oh." Homura blinks, and seems to give this a moment of consideration before nodding, and returning to her meal. "... the food is good. Thank you."
"You're very welcome, Homura," Mami says warmly.
Dinner's a quiet affair, conversation sporadic, but it's a comfortable silence broken by the clink of cutlery. You had been planning to talk about Sayaka's training, but... perhaps not, to let Mami gather herself before the confrontation with Kyouko.
Though speaking of which...
"Hey, Sayaka?" you murmur, chewing busily on a piece of stew-soaked bread to hopefully disguise the telepathy. Not that there's much hope of that, with Mami right beside you. "You free?"
"Yeah? What's up?" Sayaka responds after a moment. "'m at home."
"So... I know I've loaded a hell of a lot on your plate already," you say. "But uh... so, you know I was talking to Kyouko, right?"
"... yeah?" Sayaka says carefully.
"I've somehow managed to wrangle a meeting between Mami and Kyouko," you say. Hm, a lump of gristle in the beef. You start chewing more vigorously. "To take place tonight."
"Hooo." Sayaka's quiet for a moment. "And... you wouldn't be calling me and apologising first thing if you didn't want me there, huh?"
"Yeah," you say with a mental sigh. "If you feel up for it? I don't... no, let me back up. You know both Mami and Kyouko pretty well, and I'm... I'm obviously biased, as you said. Homura'll be there too, but I don't want to pressure Kyouko with too many people 'taking sides' against her. It's gonna be emotionally charged as is."
"I... yeah, you know what?" Sayaka says slowly. "I'll be there. Where?"
"After dinner, I think - and I don't know where, but Mami would, apparently," you say. "Come by our place when you're finished with dinner?"
"Gotcha," Sayaka says. "Not too late, so that's fine too."
"Great," you say. "Thanks, Sayaka."
"'course," Sayaka says. "See ya soon."
You can't help but notice Mami's mood slipping, as the silence turns awkward and dinner dwindles to drips of gravy in your bowls to be polished off with cooling bread. You place your hand over hers, and offer both a smile and a vigorous waggling of both braids when she looks up at you.
It gets a half-hearted giggle, at least, as she turns her hand over to interlace your fingers.
"We should... we should get the dishes done," Mami says.
"We're not in a big rush," you say. "We're waiting for Sayaka, anyway."
"Sayaka- Sayaka's coming?" Mami says. You catch Homura glancing up at you out of the corner of your eye, too.
"Yeah," you say, smiling at Mami. "It was Homura's suggestion, and I agreed - it might be good to have someone who's familiar with both you and Kyouko?"
"Oh," Mami says, and nods. "Alright. T-thank you, Homura."
"Speaking of, I..." You trail off for a second. "Mami, I'm on your side to the end. You know that, right?" You smile at Mami, and wait for her to nod before you continue. "But for this... this is between you and Kyouko. I don't want to interfere, and I'm afraid I'd make things worse if I tried. So... I'll stand to the side. Homura, Sayaka, and me. If you're alright with that?"
"I-" Mami's words die in her throat as she swallows, her hand tightening on yours.
"You can do this, Mami," you say, encouraging and warm. "You're stronger than you know."
"A-alright," Mami says. "But you'll be t-there, right?"
"I will," you say. "We all will."
"Alright. Alright," Mami says. She hesitates for a second, hand tightening on yours. "I... alright. Shall we do the dishes? They... they do need to be washed, regardless."
"Sure," you say with a smile. Homura silently helps you collect the dishes and ferry them to the kitchen, but any further help is politely but firmly turned down. You stick close to Mami, elbows and shoulders bumping and fingers brushing as you wash with easy, familiar coordination.
You find Homura seated comfortably on the sofa when you re-enter the living room, apparently lost in thought but entirely alert, from the way her attention snaps up at the sound of your approach. She eyes Mami for a second, and then nods.
"You won't have a problem," she says.
"Thank you, Homura," Mami murmurs.
"Well. I guess we're just waiting for Sayaka to get here," you say, and rub your face as you urge Mami to sit down. Madokami on high, please let this go well - not for your sake, but for Mami's.
Homura nods, settling back on the sofa with an air that suggests she'd be happy to wait until the end of time if need be. You try to imitate that as Mami curls into your side, projecting strength and confidence you don't quite feel for Mami. You know Kyouko, and you know Mami. You know that both of them do want their friendship back, and yet...
"Almost there!" Sayaka's voice sounds inside your head a few minutes later, jolting you from your thoughts. "Sorry, hope I'm not late?"
"No, no, we just finished dinner," you say. "We'll meet you on the roof?"
"Sure," Sayaka says. "I'll be here."
"Cool," you say. "Mami, Homura? Sayaka's almost here. Shall we head up?"
"Alright," Mami says. There's the faintest quaver in her voice that you hate, hate hate and want to wipe away. You want to chase those fears away, because you don't want to see Mami looking afraid, but the best you can do is to continue holding her hand as you both stand and transform in unison.
You don't let go, all the way through gently ushering Mugin out of the room, and all the way up the stairs to the roof. Sayaka sails in for a smooth landing, blue motes of light dissipating from her feet as she cleanses her Soul Gem with her Clear Seed before nodding at you.
"Hey," she says quietly.
"Hey yourself," you say.
"Where're we headed?" Sayaka asks. "... also, are you cosplaying?"
"Maybe," you say with a crooked, half-hearted grin. "You like it?"
"Not a bad look," Sayaka says, snickering. "Nnnnot sure it's something you wear to a formal meeting, though."
"Well, yeah," you say, starting to undo the costume changes, and the hair extensions. "But I kept it up 'cuz I thought it was kind of neat. And as to the where... well, I don't know, actually. Mami? She... she said that she'd be at the bridge, and you'd know where."
"Oh," Mami says, swallowing. "I... I do know. I'll lead the way."
She turns towards the edge of the roof and freezes, one leg up on the ledge. You squeeze her hand gently.
Sayaka notices, of course. She doesn't say anything, simply walking up and lacing her hands behind her head, tilted back to look at the stars - silent support for Mami. Homura hovers a step behind, a solid, immovable presence that manages to loom despite her slight form.
"Alright," Mami whispers, taking a shaky breath. "Let's go."
She pushes off. And you're not about to let her go. Not now, not when she needs you. So your hand remains tight on hers as you leap for the next roof with her, forcing back your instinct to roll with the landing as you race forward by her side.
"Hey, Kyouko? We're on our way," you call. Kyouko's only response is a wordless grunt and cutting the connection.
Sayaka and Homura flank you, one to a side as you leap over the glowing chasms between buildings. Both silent, because the nerves are catching. Both transformed. Sayaka's cape streams in the wind, a bold mirror to the midnight black swathe cut by Homura's hair.
Your path takes you nearly to Kasamino. Not quite, but close, the buildings thinning out as you approach. It's quiet enough, near enough to the industrial district that the four of you drop to ground level as you approach.
A quiet area.
A bridge. Brick.
You recognise it, of course.
The very same place Kyouko and Mami parted ways.
Under the pool of a street-light, you see a splash of red.
A ponytail sways as its owner turns to look in your direction.
"I-" Mami's grip is crushing, grinding the bones of your hand together.
"You can do this, Mami," you murmur to her. The four of you slow to a walk, Sayaka and Homura peeling off to the side.
You stop a few meters from Kyouko.
Kyouko, whose eyes are fixed on Mami, hard grin -sneer, really- on her face. She glances from Mami to you, then to Sayaka, then to Homura.
If Yuma's around, she's not in your sensing radius.
"So," Kyouko says, breaking the silence. The sneer, fierce and feral and challenging and forced, doesn't move. "You wanted me here so badly?"
Kyouko spreads her arms. "Here I am."
She's not transformed, either, dressed in that same ratty teal jacket and shorts and incongruously fashionable boots.
"Kyouko," Mami whispers, one hand reaching for her, and the other clutching yours.
"Yeah, that's my name." Kyouko folds her arms, slouching against the lamppost. There's a glint in her eye, a challenging tilt to her chin. "Y' girlfriend's been hanging out in Kasamino, you know. Her 'n blue over there."
[] Let Mami handle it
[] Speak up
- [] Write-in
[] Move to the side
-[X] Let Mami and Kyouko talk it out, and hopefully acknowledge and speak candidly about their relationship to each other and feelings about each other.
--[X] Stay hands off, but take action to guide things it if that isn't happening on it's own.
-[X] Potential specifics
--[X] Interject if something comes up that you feel a need to respond to with "Okay, that's just not true."
--[X] Intervene if the encounter is going downhill in a way that Mami is having trouble recovering from or it looks like violence is about to happen.
--[X] Stay hands off, but take action to guide things it if that isn't happening on it's own.
-[X] Potential specifics
--[X] Interject if something comes up that you feel a need to respond to with "Okay, that's just not true."
--[X] Intervene if the encounter is going downhill in a way that Mami is having trouble recovering from or it looks like violence is about to happen.
=====
Ah, Kyouko. You just can't resist poking.
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Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
[x] Let Mami handle it
A fact which Kyouko is more than happy about, yet her tone would suggest trespassing or something.
Is this the famed Kyouplomacy?
Jonen C
F.M.D.G.
- Location
- Lincopense, Ostrogothia, Suecia
"Studying the Tsundere in her natural habitat."
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
It never took off. The Incubators are aliens advanced enough to implement a technological solution to physics itself. Electronic communication is just as vulnerable to interception and manipulation as routing our communications directly through them is.
Raiseth
I Find Your Lack of Memes Disturbing
- Location
- Russia
Some things, even miracles can not accomplish.
Only fucktons of shampoo.
Snrk.
Ah, sending Yuma away so that she couldn't smooth things over.
A masterful opening move, as dictated by all traditional interpretations of Aggressive Kyouplomacy Doctrine.
A worthy opponent!
Let this Social Battle... Begin!
- Location
- ⇙
Kyouko is so unbelievably terrible at this. No wonder she expects Mami to shoot her if this is how she starts the conversation.
Homura encouraging Mami is gold. Without the meeting with Kyouko weighing things down towards the end this was a pretty great dinner. Shows that while there's still a ways to go, things are getting better for both Mami and Homura.
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I will support any vote that has us say this out loud.
