I was talking more like maps and stuff, the where more than the how but I was unclear, apologies.
Puella Magi Adfligo Systema
- Thread starter Firnagzen
- Start date
-
- Tags
- 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?
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
We don't really need those either, since meguca can substitute magic for vital functions and Yuki can just make buildings airtight. The current plan as I understand it is to plop a prefab shed somewhere and have Yuki claim it.
- Location
- LEO
Oh yeah, definitely, but with Yuki portaling in resources and sabrina handling fabrication we can set up anywhere. Current moon base location speculation starts and ends at water.
True, but redundancy is good if we are going to have our prisoners and the support staff to keep them ethically. Heating, cooling, internet and power.
Raiseth
I Find Your Lack of Memes Disturbing
- Location
- Russia
She is obviously Rosea Sanangelo. In fact, we should give these names to all our color-schemed friends.
- Location
- LEO
Funny how shackleton is the name of the crater that is the best moon base location and we are talking about a penal colony.
Burned_Cookie
Very tired girl.
- Location
- Plato´s cave.
- Pronouns
- She/Her/It/Its
Joking about a penal colony. A moonbase, while cool, is actually less safe than what we have now.
The moon is very empty. Anyone with large scale scanning magic will find a base at once. The earth? White noise until you drown.
No, I don't whant to know whose boyfriend cheated on whom, why does this keep happening.
The moon is very empty. Anyone with large scale scanning magic will find a base at once. The earth? White noise until you drown.
No, I don't whant to know whose boyfriend cheated on whom, why does this keep happening.
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
And then they'd have to get to the moon and back. I don't think anyone likes Iowa enough to put in that kind of effort.
- Location
- LEO
IDK, using a hypothetical moon base could solve some problems for us.
Pros
- Escape proof. Your whole "white noise" issue goes here.
- No tricky "existing laws" or "unlawful detention". If we had a earthbound prison, we would have to work within japan's legal system once the masquerade falls.
- No Innocents in range. The only people who would be hurt would be people aware of the risks and protected as much as we can reasonable protect mundane people.
- Intimidating effect. Shuttling people off world for containment requires a lot of power. I shouldn't push it.
Cons
- Nobody knows how to run a moon prison.
Non issues
- Setup cost. Buying an isolated building on earth will take lots of time.
- Transport time. Yuki teleportation.
- Support staff. The kind of people able to keep the secret would be also willing to keep the secret of a moon base.
- Legality. We are already operating outside the law.
- Damage during escape attempt. Poking holes in the moon base is bad, but any of the iowa girls escaping on an earth based prison would have a civilian population nearby who would be at their mercy.
- Health effects. I'm assuming Yuki can fix the gravity problem and portal in air and water so the health effects should be the same as indoor confinement. If any of the girls prove capible of being trusted to go outside they are one portal away.
- Location
- Australia
5. It's currently early-mid 2011; the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fandom is just starting to kick in to gear, and we are thus in the absolute prime position to make 'To the MOOOOON!' memes to any hypothetical brony meguca we meet.
EDIT: Never mind, just looked up the origin of the meme, doesn't happen until August. My dreams are dead.
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AuraTwilight
The Sorcerer of Smiles
- Location
- The Silver City
Counterpoint: This means Sabrina can take credit for inventing it.
Burned_Cookie
Very tired girl.
- Location
- Plato´s cave.
- Pronouns
- She/Her/It/Its
I would rather not get burned at the stake, if it is all the same to you.
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I agree that Sabrina isn't the best meguca player character to get burned at the stake, but I'm sure we could have fun with it.
- Location
- Australia
If we somehow found the spare time to meddle in pop culture alt history, I think it'd be better spent somehow curtailing the rise and subsequent oversaturation of the isekai genre. Can we truly claim to have Fixed Everything (TM) if abominations like 'Master of Ragnarok and Blesser of Einherjar' or 'Highschool Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World' are permitted to exist?
- Location
- The Surface Of A Hostile Planet
We should contact Urobuchi and tell him we have an interesting new pitch for an anime...
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Wouldn't that be hypocritical of us? Sabrina is like Katarina Claes in more ways than she isn't.
Jonen C
F.M.D.G.
- Location
- Lincopense, Ostrogothia, Suecia
UNCLOS does apply and has some notions about piracy and slavery (and not stated but derived from those: trafficking) that may prove to be issues.
edit: Another pro(?): "Bang, zoom, straight to the moon!"
Lowlife pt. 27
"Yeah, an even distribution of Seeds sounds about right," you say. You briefly consider turning down a share of Grief Seeds for yourself, since you don't need them, but... that's not true. You don't need them on a day-to-day basis, but they're things you use to trade, to make Clear Seeds, to experiment upon.
"I'll pass them out before everyone leaves, then," Yuki says with a sharp, decisive nod.
"The only caveat I have is that I'd prefer that they not end up with Kyuubey, but..." you frown. "That's something I'll bring up later."
You purse your lips, bracing yourself on one arm against the railing as you stare down at the windows into the holding cells, glowing bright against the impossible shadows. You look at the girls you'd captured. Raiders. Murderers. Knowingly complicit, at the very least.
People.
"Penny for your thoughts, Sabrina?" Mami asks, her fingers trailing slowly over the back of your hand.
"They're monsters," you say, echoing Mami's earlier words. "They're also just... girls who were tossed into the same situation we all were. Also, the more I think about Amy down there, the more creeped out I get."
"Are they?" Sayaka asks, stepping up to join you at the railing, to Homura's right. "I mean, they were, but... they made their choices. And they chose to get their imperialist murderhobo hats on."
"They did," you say. "And that's why they're all stuck in here, now. But still. They started out in the same shitty system that we did, and... they deserve rehabilitation, not execution."
"I mean... I don't disagree, I guess," Sayaka says, shrugging. "It just feels a bit weird. They've gotten... we don't even know how many people killed! Maybe Miss Bennouna knows. And we're still giving them second chances. It doesn't feel like justice to lock them up in cushy cells and put them through therapy and stuff."
Sayaka holds up both hands to forestall your reply.
"I know, I know, punitive measures aren't necessarily justice. We covered a bit of jurisprudence a while ago and those essays are still stuck in my mind," she says. She sucks in a breath between her teeth, and when she speaks again, she does so with the air of quoting a lesson. "Criminals, even murderers, are people. Because that's how human rights work."
"Exactly," you say. "I honestly wouldn't be opposed to..." You trail off, frowning. "OK, first of all, speaking of other magical girls in general, I sort of want to find a magical girl who can do the penance stare. Second of all, on top of the therapists and various specialists and all, we should probably think about grabbing a few legal scholars."
"Are we setting up a government, Sabrina?" Mami asks, faintly amused.
"I mean, a legal system, maybe," you say.
"I bet Hitomi can grab us a few lawyers at least," Sayaka says with a snort. "Or, like... there's a whole world out there, I bet we can find a magical girl lawyer somewhere. And, uh, penance stare? Like that uh..."
"Ghost Rider comics, yeah," you say. "I mean, making people experience what they did to others probably comes decently close to justice, though if we do find one I'll want to think about it a bit more before actually doing it. Maybe throw a few philosophers and legal theorists into a mosh pit for a while."
"... Yeah, point," Sayaka says. She brightens. "Also, I'd get to copy that."
"Speaking of copying and powers, Sayaka," Mami says with a smile. "Did you have fun?"
"Oh yes," Sayaka says, her eyes gleaming. She points down at the test room, which is currently an utterly wrecked mess stripped down to the concrete of the walls and the floor. Everything from the furniture to the fixtures is torn to shreds, or a molten puddle. "Feels good to cut loose. Speaking of which, Miss Tsuruya, I'm really impressed with your magic."
"It was difficult keeping up with your destruction," Yuki says, nodding respectfully. "I could feel the draw, and you would have torn your way out without my active intervention, I suspect. It was a good test."
Sayaka grins proudly, earning her a sidelong look from Homura. When Homura looks your way, you just smirk at her, raising an eyebrow.
Mami leans into your side, radiating amusement.
"Alright," you say, levity fading after a moment. "Miss Tsuruya? Can I make an announcement that will be heard by all of them?"
"Easily done," Yuki says, gesturing. The railing in front of you twists unsettlingly, brass flowing like water to form a tube with a cone on it.
"... A speaking tube?" you say, thoughts jolted from their rather gloomy track.
Yuki shrugs.
"Would you prefer a microphone?" Yuki says. "The form doesn't actually matter, after all."
"Nah, this is fine," you say, frowning in contemplation as you mentally assemble a statement. "I... Mm."
You look for a button to press, shrug, and lean a little closer to the tube, trusting Yuki to handle the volume and such for you.
"Good afternoon, Iowa," you say in English, and watch as the prisoners' heads jerk up at the sound. Parró, in particular, obsidian black eyes drilling into the ceiling as if trying to burn through Yuki's interdiction. "I am Sabrina Vee. I'm here to help. I'm here to help everyone. And... you're under arrest for your misdeeds."
You watch the reactions. Parró doesn't flinch, glaring into the ceiling still with that same simmering anger. Amy bites her lip, twisting her fingers against each other before crossing her arms across her chest in a worried sort of half-hug. Not-Power Girl flips her middle finger at the ceiling, apparently launching a tirade at the ceiling that you should probably be grateful you can't hear.
And so on, and so forth. A few protests. Anger. Acceptance, or perhaps just seeming acceptance.
"You're under arrest for your misdeeds," you say again. You keep your voice steady, but firm. "And you will remain as such until I and my allies are satisfied that you will no longer continue to be threats to others. If you want to talk about it at any time, I'm open to it. Send me a message via Miss Tsuruya. If you have any messages you want to send to your families, I can forward them."
"Miss Allais claims she wants to talk," Yuki murmurs, indicating the room where Amy seems to be saying something. "I'll talk to her in person later, see if she has anything different to say."
You nod your thanks to her, your gaze sweeping across the rest of the rooms, and with nothing out of the ordinary, you continue.
"I have unlimited magic," you say quietly. "And so I have unlimited time. I'll be waiting."
"You should tell 'em that being under arrest means that they'll be cared for," Sayaka mutters. "Part of the... social contract."
"Any enemies they've made," Homura murmurs.
"No harm will be brought against you, and you will be cared for. Anything else is up for negotiation," you say, nodding slightly at your friends but keeping your attention focused on the Iowa girls. "If you've made enemies, and they come after you, then I will defend you." Probably by talking to them: if they were wronged by the Iowa girls, you can only imagine they have legitimate grievances. "Though frankly, I'd appreciate a warning, if you're expecting that."
Mami nods approvingly, and you grin at her, waiting for a moment to see if there's any takers.
"If there's nothing, then... until next time, I suppose," you say, wincing slightly at how lame that speech ended.
Yuki nods at you, green eyes flicking up to your face and then the prisoners.
"I think that will help," she murmurs. "We'll see."
"Let me know if anything comes up?" you say. "And... again, Miss Tsuruya, thanks. I know this probably wasn't what you had in mind when this whole thing started, and I'm really grateful you're willing to take up this role."
Yuki smiles.
"It's an apt role for me," she says. "A shift from what I do, but apt nevertheless. And yet the reasons for this are more noble than most we've fought for, and the reasons I had for joining your cause remain. But the thanks are appreciated."
"Mm," you agree, rubbing your chin thoughtfully. "Maybe... hm. No, but OK, first, before I forget - there's a couple of the Iowa crew who I don't know the powers and names of yet. Uh. Miss Tsuruya?"
"Krystal," Yuki says, pointing at the girl in the green bodysuit.
"Their power enhancer, correct?" Mami says, leaning forward with a pensive look.
"Yep!" Sayaka says. "Looking forward to fiddling with that one properly, I gotta say."
"Mmm," you agree, eyeing the girl. She's flopped over on the bed, unheeding of the way the sheets catch on the armoured plates of her costume, arms splayed and staring blankly at the ceiling. And yet it feels like she might have seen you, the reddish-orange of her eyes seeming to meet yours for a moment.
"Sarah, who you're familiar with," Yuki says, shifting to point at not-Power Girl.
"Ah. Finally a name," you say. "I've been calling her Power Girl."
"Another western comic book reference, eh?" Sayaka asks.
"I mean, I've got 'em on the mind because... well, magical girls, superheroes, same difference," you say. "Besides, look at her. She definitely had it in mind when she made her Wish - she's basically a walking copyright infringement! Right down to the... you know." You gesture vaguely at her own chest.
"And her power matches too," Sayaka concedes. "It's nice to have a flying brick package, I have to say."
"Don't rely on it too much," Mami says with a hint of a smile. "Predictability and overreliance on brute force are easy to exploit."
"Blaaaaaaaagh but it's fun," Sayaka complains, and grins. "I know, I know. I'll try not to."
You snicker, grinning at Sayaka, and motion to Yuki to continue.
"Their healer is named Catherine," Yuki says, pointing.
Your scowl at the girl in question, but you just nod and gesture to Yuki to continue again. Locking conscious people into their own bodies is effective but terrifying, as far as capabilities go, and if you visit her, you'll probably be giving yourself the post-Anri treatment: a full deep cleansing with Grief.
"Stealth and... some kind of revenge power," Sayaka supplies, pointing at the last two girls. "Need more experimentation with that one."
You slide a glance Homura's way, but she either doesn't notice that or ignores it. She might not think much of having bullet holes blown through herself, but you do, dammit.
"Hilda and Linnea, respectively," Yuki adds.
Hilda, the stealth girl, is rather incongruously dressed in something... vaguely roman legionnaire-inspired, all banded, shiny armour that's rather form-fitting. No helmet, and the shock of brilliant red hair really doesn't suggest stealth in the slightest, but magic is magic, you suppose.
Linnea, darker skinned than the rest of her crew, is very goth. Gothic, even. Sheer, flowing cloth and black lace and a veiled hat and black gloves, a single bright splash of colour being what you presume is the mounting for her Soul Gem - a ribbon bow around her upper arm, flashing as she fidgets with her glove.
"Alright," you say, committing names and faces and powers to memory. Witch names too, sepulchral voices whispering in your ear of despair and endings. "Got it. Thanks, Miss Tsuruya."
"Of course," Yuki says, nodding.
You smile, and push yourself off the railing, turning your attention away at last as you stretch.
"Alright," you say. "Alright."
"Alright?" Mami asks, quirking an eyebrow.
"Alright!" you declare cheerfully. "Next thing on the menu."
"There's a menu now?" Sayaka asks.
"Yes there is!" you say. "And today, we dine in a meeting room, if Miss Tsuruya wouldn't mind hosting us?"
"What's this about, Sabrina?" Oriko asks. She seems to have noticed your movement away from the railing, but otherwise hasn't deigned to cease her cuddling with Kirika, which you can't blame her for, you suppose.
"Sabrina wants to start a government," Mami supplies helpfully.
"I do no- well, OK, I sort of do, but I'm going to start small," you say. "And I want to talk to everyone about it."
You feel a brief pang, worrying about Nagisa, but... this is important, too. You want to strike while the iron's hot, and you trust Madoka and Hitomi. You trust them to take care of Nagisa, and you'll definitely make time for her later, too. And read Shin in.
"I wanna be the vizier," Kirika says, sticking her hand up.
"It'd be a lot of work, dear," Oriko says fondly. "Viziers did most of the day to day running of a country. And if you want to be an evil vizier, you'd have to look stylishly evil all the time."
"I don't wanna be the vizier," Kirika says in exactly the same tone.
Yuki chuckles. "I can certainly manage a big meeting room. In fact, we might as well use one of the existing ones."
She claps her hands, and there you are.
There everyone is.
You find yourself at the head of an oblong table, positioned just in front of a particularly plush-looking office chair. Carpeted floors in a tastefully understated pattern, a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window that looks out over Fukushima city proper, a small drinks station at the side of the room... Mami on your left, Homura on your right, and Sayaka on Mami's left.
Eighteen magical girls in total, arranged around the long table. Everyone who came with you, plus Shinobu.
Kyouko's still on the beanbag. In fact, it doesn't look like she's moved since you last saw her, facedown with her hair splayed everywhere and Yuma burrowed in beside her. As you watch, she makes a grumbly noise and worms deeper into the beanbag.
... hang on, there were eighteen of you in Mandalay, plus Shinobu, sitting next to Yuki, so-
"Hi, everyone," you say, scooting the chair a bit to your right so that you're not directly at the head of the table. "So, uh, before we begin, where's Miss Nakano?"
"She went for a flight!" Kazumi says. "Said she had a lot of nervous energy to burn off. But I let her know we're, uh, having a meeting, and she's-"
Tap, tap.
Yuki flicks a finger at the window, glass melting away to let a fashionably windswept Mika into the room.
"Heya!" she says, plopping her down into one of the chairs at the far end of the table. "Company meeting? Smells like a company meeting."
"Well, we're not a company yet," you say, grinning a little. "Or anything other than a loose alliance."
"I'm in!" Kazumi says, waving frantically.
"... I, uh, appreciate that, but let me make my pitch first?" you say, wincing. You glance Kyouko's way, and conclude that she's probably listening, but you're not completely sure. She definitely hasn't moved.
Moe snickers, muffling it behind her hand.
"Well. We did something pretty damn cool today," you say, taking that as your cue to begin. "We took down one of the worst gangs roaming the planet. And, well, thank you. Each and every one of you, just... thank you for coming when I asked."
"Hey, you started it," Mika says, grinning. "Anyone who gives me free stuff gets to call me up for help."
"Hear, hear," Kazumi says.
"We couldn't do anything less," Akemi says.
"Be that as it may, thank you all," you say. "But... y'know, just. Generally, we did a hell of a lot today by working together. We've got effectively infinite magic available to us now, and... I mean, look, we've only begun to see what we can do by cooperating."
"If I may interrupt, Sabrina?" Oriko says, raising a finger. You motion towards her, and she continues in an utterly dry tone. "I don't think anyone here needs much convincing."
"We fought together," Kazumi says, stretching her arms out. "We did it for a good reason, and we saved people."
"And my own rather disappointing display aside, we did it well," Yuki says, nodding. "If your suggestion is of a more formal alliance, Miss Vee? I'm all for it. A company... would be a harder sell."
"An alliance, yeah," you say. "Not just to fight, but. What can we do outside of combat, working together? We've got some of the most ridiculously versatile powers in Japan together under one roof, right here, right now. What can we do? I honestly don't know! And I'd love to find out. Swap ideas, swap powers, whatever. Hell, if we can figure out some service or goods we can sell, maybe we can start a company."
"Cure cancer?" Umika offers.
"I- eh?" you say.
"I think we could cure cancer," Umika says, pushing her glasses up her nose. "It's not like it's a really major thing, but I believe we could do it."
"Not a major thing-" you pinch your nose. "Curing cancer."
You get a few quizzical looks from your friends around the table.
"It's not like cancer is really a major problem, statistically speaking," Umika says with a shrug. "But I know Niko had some thoughts on it that never panned out because of opportunity and access to healers. After Kaoru and Miss Chitose worked together, though..."
"I... you know what? Sure," you say, gesturing weakly. "Yeah. There's an example. Curing cancer. We can put it on our agenda. And that's my point - we're all friends, new and old, but... we all have goals, and we can only benefit by supporting each other."
"Where do I sign up?" Kazumi asks, grinning. "Like I said, I'm in."
"As am I," Yuki says. "It sounds like an excellent step to take."
"Mm..." Mika hums thoughtfully. "You know what? I'm in. It sounds like fun, and safety is no small thing to turn down. Goals..."
She smiles, and stands.
"I'm not sure if everyone here's made the connection, but I'm Nakano Mika. Yes, that Nakano," she says, nodding slightly in Kyouko's direction. "One day, I'll inherit the corporation. Well, probably. We don't really do dynasties, so I'll have to prove myself, but I've got a good leg up. Nepotism, eh?"
She shrugs.
"I've gotten off track," Mika says. "My point is: I'm happy to throw in with all of you. You seem to be good people, and Miss Vee gave me a Clear Seed, so that kind of biases me. And if you'll help me, then Nakano Corporation will one day stand with you."
"Are we planning corporate takeover now?" Sayaka asks, her eyes gleaming.
"Entirely aboveboard, I assure you," Mika says with an easy grin.
"... what the hell, Hitomi would kill us for not agreeing," Sayaka says, tipping you a nod.
"I think it's a good idea," Mami says with a smile.
"Heck yeah!" Kazumi crows.
You smile at your friends, and catch Homura's eye. She shrugs minutely, the barest rise and fall of her shoulders.
"Well. Miss Tsuruya? Oriko, Kyouko, Miss Akemi?" you prompt.
"I'm not sure what we can contribute, but if you'll have us, we're more than happy to join the alliance," Akemi says.
"We'd be happy to have you," you say firmly.
"I really see no reason not to," Yuki says with a laugh. "I'll admit, I had no idea what I was getting into when I first proposed a mutual defense pact, but... this isn't unwelcome. We're in."
"As are we," Oriko says, smiling.
"Kyouko?" Sayaka asks, leaning over to prod the redhead in her side.
"Grmph," Kyouko says, finally levering herself upright from the beanbag. She shoots you a glare before you can say anything. "Yeah, I've been listening. I'm in too."
"... really?" The incredulity slips out of your mouth before you can clamp down on it.
"Piss off," Kyouko grunts, and flops back down - but at least she's facing the table this time. All scowly and folded arms and all, but she's paying attention.
[] Any stipulations to add, points to raise?
- [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
[x] Vote in abeyance
Apologies for the somewhat late update!
"I'll pass them out before everyone leaves, then," Yuki says with a sharp, decisive nod.
"The only caveat I have is that I'd prefer that they not end up with Kyuubey, but..." you frown. "That's something I'll bring up later."
You purse your lips, bracing yourself on one arm against the railing as you stare down at the windows into the holding cells, glowing bright against the impossible shadows. You look at the girls you'd captured. Raiders. Murderers. Knowingly complicit, at the very least.
People.
"Penny for your thoughts, Sabrina?" Mami asks, her fingers trailing slowly over the back of your hand.
"They're monsters," you say, echoing Mami's earlier words. "They're also just... girls who were tossed into the same situation we all were. Also, the more I think about Amy down there, the more creeped out I get."
"Are they?" Sayaka asks, stepping up to join you at the railing, to Homura's right. "I mean, they were, but... they made their choices. And they chose to get their imperialist murderhobo hats on."
"They did," you say. "And that's why they're all stuck in here, now. But still. They started out in the same shitty system that we did, and... they deserve rehabilitation, not execution."
"I mean... I don't disagree, I guess," Sayaka says, shrugging. "It just feels a bit weird. They've gotten... we don't even know how many people killed! Maybe Miss Bennouna knows. And we're still giving them second chances. It doesn't feel like justice to lock them up in cushy cells and put them through therapy and stuff."
Sayaka holds up both hands to forestall your reply.
"I know, I know, punitive measures aren't necessarily justice. We covered a bit of jurisprudence a while ago and those essays are still stuck in my mind," she says. She sucks in a breath between her teeth, and when she speaks again, she does so with the air of quoting a lesson. "Criminals, even murderers, are people. Because that's how human rights work."
"Exactly," you say. "I honestly wouldn't be opposed to..." You trail off, frowning. "OK, first of all, speaking of other magical girls in general, I sort of want to find a magical girl who can do the penance stare. Second of all, on top of the therapists and various specialists and all, we should probably think about grabbing a few legal scholars."
"Are we setting up a government, Sabrina?" Mami asks, faintly amused.
"I mean, a legal system, maybe," you say.
"I bet Hitomi can grab us a few lawyers at least," Sayaka says with a snort. "Or, like... there's a whole world out there, I bet we can find a magical girl lawyer somewhere. And, uh, penance stare? Like that uh..."
"Ghost Rider comics, yeah," you say. "I mean, making people experience what they did to others probably comes decently close to justice, though if we do find one I'll want to think about it a bit more before actually doing it. Maybe throw a few philosophers and legal theorists into a mosh pit for a while."
"... Yeah, point," Sayaka says. She brightens. "Also, I'd get to copy that."
"Speaking of copying and powers, Sayaka," Mami says with a smile. "Did you have fun?"
"Oh yes," Sayaka says, her eyes gleaming. She points down at the test room, which is currently an utterly wrecked mess stripped down to the concrete of the walls and the floor. Everything from the furniture to the fixtures is torn to shreds, or a molten puddle. "Feels good to cut loose. Speaking of which, Miss Tsuruya, I'm really impressed with your magic."
"It was difficult keeping up with your destruction," Yuki says, nodding respectfully. "I could feel the draw, and you would have torn your way out without my active intervention, I suspect. It was a good test."
Sayaka grins proudly, earning her a sidelong look from Homura. When Homura looks your way, you just smirk at her, raising an eyebrow.
Mami leans into your side, radiating amusement.
"Alright," you say, levity fading after a moment. "Miss Tsuruya? Can I make an announcement that will be heard by all of them?"
"Easily done," Yuki says, gesturing. The railing in front of you twists unsettlingly, brass flowing like water to form a tube with a cone on it.
"... A speaking tube?" you say, thoughts jolted from their rather gloomy track.
Yuki shrugs.
"Would you prefer a microphone?" Yuki says. "The form doesn't actually matter, after all."
"Nah, this is fine," you say, frowning in contemplation as you mentally assemble a statement. "I... Mm."
You look for a button to press, shrug, and lean a little closer to the tube, trusting Yuki to handle the volume and such for you.
"Good afternoon, Iowa," you say in English, and watch as the prisoners' heads jerk up at the sound. Parró, in particular, obsidian black eyes drilling into the ceiling as if trying to burn through Yuki's interdiction. "I am Sabrina Vee. I'm here to help. I'm here to help everyone. And... you're under arrest for your misdeeds."
You watch the reactions. Parró doesn't flinch, glaring into the ceiling still with that same simmering anger. Amy bites her lip, twisting her fingers against each other before crossing her arms across her chest in a worried sort of half-hug. Not-Power Girl flips her middle finger at the ceiling, apparently launching a tirade at the ceiling that you should probably be grateful you can't hear.
And so on, and so forth. A few protests. Anger. Acceptance, or perhaps just seeming acceptance.
"You're under arrest for your misdeeds," you say again. You keep your voice steady, but firm. "And you will remain as such until I and my allies are satisfied that you will no longer continue to be threats to others. If you want to talk about it at any time, I'm open to it. Send me a message via Miss Tsuruya. If you have any messages you want to send to your families, I can forward them."
"Miss Allais claims she wants to talk," Yuki murmurs, indicating the room where Amy seems to be saying something. "I'll talk to her in person later, see if she has anything different to say."
You nod your thanks to her, your gaze sweeping across the rest of the rooms, and with nothing out of the ordinary, you continue.
"I have unlimited magic," you say quietly. "And so I have unlimited time. I'll be waiting."
"You should tell 'em that being under arrest means that they'll be cared for," Sayaka mutters. "Part of the... social contract."
"Any enemies they've made," Homura murmurs.
"No harm will be brought against you, and you will be cared for. Anything else is up for negotiation," you say, nodding slightly at your friends but keeping your attention focused on the Iowa girls. "If you've made enemies, and they come after you, then I will defend you." Probably by talking to them: if they were wronged by the Iowa girls, you can only imagine they have legitimate grievances. "Though frankly, I'd appreciate a warning, if you're expecting that."
Mami nods approvingly, and you grin at her, waiting for a moment to see if there's any takers.
"If there's nothing, then... until next time, I suppose," you say, wincing slightly at how lame that speech ended.
Yuki nods at you, green eyes flicking up to your face and then the prisoners.
"I think that will help," she murmurs. "We'll see."
"Let me know if anything comes up?" you say. "And... again, Miss Tsuruya, thanks. I know this probably wasn't what you had in mind when this whole thing started, and I'm really grateful you're willing to take up this role."
Yuki smiles.
"It's an apt role for me," she says. "A shift from what I do, but apt nevertheless. And yet the reasons for this are more noble than most we've fought for, and the reasons I had for joining your cause remain. But the thanks are appreciated."
"Mm," you agree, rubbing your chin thoughtfully. "Maybe... hm. No, but OK, first, before I forget - there's a couple of the Iowa crew who I don't know the powers and names of yet. Uh. Miss Tsuruya?"
"Krystal," Yuki says, pointing at the girl in the green bodysuit.
"Their power enhancer, correct?" Mami says, leaning forward with a pensive look.
"Yep!" Sayaka says. "Looking forward to fiddling with that one properly, I gotta say."
"Mmm," you agree, eyeing the girl. She's flopped over on the bed, unheeding of the way the sheets catch on the armoured plates of her costume, arms splayed and staring blankly at the ceiling. And yet it feels like she might have seen you, the reddish-orange of her eyes seeming to meet yours for a moment.
"Sarah, who you're familiar with," Yuki says, shifting to point at not-Power Girl.
"Ah. Finally a name," you say. "I've been calling her Power Girl."
"Another western comic book reference, eh?" Sayaka asks.
"I mean, I've got 'em on the mind because... well, magical girls, superheroes, same difference," you say. "Besides, look at her. She definitely had it in mind when she made her Wish - she's basically a walking copyright infringement! Right down to the... you know." You gesture vaguely at her own chest.
"And her power matches too," Sayaka concedes. "It's nice to have a flying brick package, I have to say."
"Don't rely on it too much," Mami says with a hint of a smile. "Predictability and overreliance on brute force are easy to exploit."
"Blaaaaaaaagh but it's fun," Sayaka complains, and grins. "I know, I know. I'll try not to."
You snicker, grinning at Sayaka, and motion to Yuki to continue.
"Their healer is named Catherine," Yuki says, pointing.
Your scowl at the girl in question, but you just nod and gesture to Yuki to continue again. Locking conscious people into their own bodies is effective but terrifying, as far as capabilities go, and if you visit her, you'll probably be giving yourself the post-Anri treatment: a full deep cleansing with Grief.
"Stealth and... some kind of revenge power," Sayaka supplies, pointing at the last two girls. "Need more experimentation with that one."
You slide a glance Homura's way, but she either doesn't notice that or ignores it. She might not think much of having bullet holes blown through herself, but you do, dammit.
"Hilda and Linnea, respectively," Yuki adds.
Hilda, the stealth girl, is rather incongruously dressed in something... vaguely roman legionnaire-inspired, all banded, shiny armour that's rather form-fitting. No helmet, and the shock of brilliant red hair really doesn't suggest stealth in the slightest, but magic is magic, you suppose.
Linnea, darker skinned than the rest of her crew, is very goth. Gothic, even. Sheer, flowing cloth and black lace and a veiled hat and black gloves, a single bright splash of colour being what you presume is the mounting for her Soul Gem - a ribbon bow around her upper arm, flashing as she fidgets with her glove.
"Alright," you say, committing names and faces and powers to memory. Witch names too, sepulchral voices whispering in your ear of despair and endings. "Got it. Thanks, Miss Tsuruya."
"Of course," Yuki says, nodding.
You smile, and push yourself off the railing, turning your attention away at last as you stretch.
"Alright," you say. "Alright."
"Alright?" Mami asks, quirking an eyebrow.
"Alright!" you declare cheerfully. "Next thing on the menu."
"There's a menu now?" Sayaka asks.
"Yes there is!" you say. "And today, we dine in a meeting room, if Miss Tsuruya wouldn't mind hosting us?"
"What's this about, Sabrina?" Oriko asks. She seems to have noticed your movement away from the railing, but otherwise hasn't deigned to cease her cuddling with Kirika, which you can't blame her for, you suppose.
"Sabrina wants to start a government," Mami supplies helpfully.
"I do no- well, OK, I sort of do, but I'm going to start small," you say. "And I want to talk to everyone about it."
You feel a brief pang, worrying about Nagisa, but... this is important, too. You want to strike while the iron's hot, and you trust Madoka and Hitomi. You trust them to take care of Nagisa, and you'll definitely make time for her later, too. And read Shin in.
"I wanna be the vizier," Kirika says, sticking her hand up.
"It'd be a lot of work, dear," Oriko says fondly. "Viziers did most of the day to day running of a country. And if you want to be an evil vizier, you'd have to look stylishly evil all the time."
"I don't wanna be the vizier," Kirika says in exactly the same tone.
Yuki chuckles. "I can certainly manage a big meeting room. In fact, we might as well use one of the existing ones."
She claps her hands, and there you are.
There everyone is.
You find yourself at the head of an oblong table, positioned just in front of a particularly plush-looking office chair. Carpeted floors in a tastefully understated pattern, a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window that looks out over Fukushima city proper, a small drinks station at the side of the room... Mami on your left, Homura on your right, and Sayaka on Mami's left.
Eighteen magical girls in total, arranged around the long table. Everyone who came with you, plus Shinobu.
Kyouko's still on the beanbag. In fact, it doesn't look like she's moved since you last saw her, facedown with her hair splayed everywhere and Yuma burrowed in beside her. As you watch, she makes a grumbly noise and worms deeper into the beanbag.
... hang on, there were eighteen of you in Mandalay, plus Shinobu, sitting next to Yuki, so-
"Hi, everyone," you say, scooting the chair a bit to your right so that you're not directly at the head of the table. "So, uh, before we begin, where's Miss Nakano?"
"She went for a flight!" Kazumi says. "Said she had a lot of nervous energy to burn off. But I let her know we're, uh, having a meeting, and she's-"
Tap, tap.
Yuki flicks a finger at the window, glass melting away to let a fashionably windswept Mika into the room.
"Heya!" she says, plopping her down into one of the chairs at the far end of the table. "Company meeting? Smells like a company meeting."
"Well, we're not a company yet," you say, grinning a little. "Or anything other than a loose alliance."
"I'm in!" Kazumi says, waving frantically.
"... I, uh, appreciate that, but let me make my pitch first?" you say, wincing. You glance Kyouko's way, and conclude that she's probably listening, but you're not completely sure. She definitely hasn't moved.
Moe snickers, muffling it behind her hand.
"Well. We did something pretty damn cool today," you say, taking that as your cue to begin. "We took down one of the worst gangs roaming the planet. And, well, thank you. Each and every one of you, just... thank you for coming when I asked."
"Hey, you started it," Mika says, grinning. "Anyone who gives me free stuff gets to call me up for help."
"Hear, hear," Kazumi says.
"We couldn't do anything less," Akemi says.
"Be that as it may, thank you all," you say. "But... y'know, just. Generally, we did a hell of a lot today by working together. We've got effectively infinite magic available to us now, and... I mean, look, we've only begun to see what we can do by cooperating."
"If I may interrupt, Sabrina?" Oriko says, raising a finger. You motion towards her, and she continues in an utterly dry tone. "I don't think anyone here needs much convincing."
"We fought together," Kazumi says, stretching her arms out. "We did it for a good reason, and we saved people."
"And my own rather disappointing display aside, we did it well," Yuki says, nodding. "If your suggestion is of a more formal alliance, Miss Vee? I'm all for it. A company... would be a harder sell."
"An alliance, yeah," you say. "Not just to fight, but. What can we do outside of combat, working together? We've got some of the most ridiculously versatile powers in Japan together under one roof, right here, right now. What can we do? I honestly don't know! And I'd love to find out. Swap ideas, swap powers, whatever. Hell, if we can figure out some service or goods we can sell, maybe we can start a company."
"Cure cancer?" Umika offers.
"I- eh?" you say.
"I think we could cure cancer," Umika says, pushing her glasses up her nose. "It's not like it's a really major thing, but I believe we could do it."
"Not a major thing-" you pinch your nose. "Curing cancer."
You get a few quizzical looks from your friends around the table.
"It's not like cancer is really a major problem, statistically speaking," Umika says with a shrug. "But I know Niko had some thoughts on it that never panned out because of opportunity and access to healers. After Kaoru and Miss Chitose worked together, though..."
"I... you know what? Sure," you say, gesturing weakly. "Yeah. There's an example. Curing cancer. We can put it on our agenda. And that's my point - we're all friends, new and old, but... we all have goals, and we can only benefit by supporting each other."
"Where do I sign up?" Kazumi asks, grinning. "Like I said, I'm in."
"As am I," Yuki says. "It sounds like an excellent step to take."
"Mm..." Mika hums thoughtfully. "You know what? I'm in. It sounds like fun, and safety is no small thing to turn down. Goals..."
She smiles, and stands.
"I'm not sure if everyone here's made the connection, but I'm Nakano Mika. Yes, that Nakano," she says, nodding slightly in Kyouko's direction. "One day, I'll inherit the corporation. Well, probably. We don't really do dynasties, so I'll have to prove myself, but I've got a good leg up. Nepotism, eh?"
She shrugs.
"I've gotten off track," Mika says. "My point is: I'm happy to throw in with all of you. You seem to be good people, and Miss Vee gave me a Clear Seed, so that kind of biases me. And if you'll help me, then Nakano Corporation will one day stand with you."
"Are we planning corporate takeover now?" Sayaka asks, her eyes gleaming.
"Entirely aboveboard, I assure you," Mika says with an easy grin.
"... what the hell, Hitomi would kill us for not agreeing," Sayaka says, tipping you a nod.
"I think it's a good idea," Mami says with a smile.
"Heck yeah!" Kazumi crows.
You smile at your friends, and catch Homura's eye. She shrugs minutely, the barest rise and fall of her shoulders.
"Well. Miss Tsuruya? Oriko, Kyouko, Miss Akemi?" you prompt.
"I'm not sure what we can contribute, but if you'll have us, we're more than happy to join the alliance," Akemi says.
"We'd be happy to have you," you say firmly.
"I really see no reason not to," Yuki says with a laugh. "I'll admit, I had no idea what I was getting into when I first proposed a mutual defense pact, but... this isn't unwelcome. We're in."
"As are we," Oriko says, smiling.
"Kyouko?" Sayaka asks, leaning over to prod the redhead in her side.
"Grmph," Kyouko says, finally levering herself upright from the beanbag. She shoots you a glare before you can say anything. "Yeah, I've been listening. I'm in too."
"... really?" The incredulity slips out of your mouth before you can clamp down on it.
"Piss off," Kyouko grunts, and flops back down - but at least she's facing the table this time. All scowly and folded arms and all, but she's paying attention.
[] Any stipulations to add, points to raise?
- [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
[x] Vote in abeyance
[X] If Kazumi and Yuki are on-board, extend an invitation to Mika to attend the Tokyo meeting with us as a partner in our coalition.
-[X] Ask Kazumi and Mika if they're interested in letting Yuki set up a node near them - Mitakihara's getting one, and near-instant transport would make future collaboration much easier.
[X] Discuss possible names for the coalition. Make your own suggestions.
-[X] Ask Kazumi and Mika if they're interested in letting Yuki set up a node near them - Mitakihara's getting one, and near-instant transport would make future collaboration much easier.
[X] Discuss possible names for the coalition. Make your own suggestions.
=====
Apologies for the somewhat late update!
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- Location
- The Surface Of A Hostile Planet
It's happening! Man, once we get the organization name settled I'm gonna have a whole bunch of work to do restructuring the wiki, but I'm really excited to see how this goes!
FORTHEYOLOZ
Morgana-sama!!!
- Location
- Omega Hell
At long last. I thought I might get gray hair before we got to this point.
Jonen C
F.M.D.G.
- Location
- Lincopense, Ostrogothia, Suecia
I mean, we still could do one. Everyone is onboard with the idea, but we need to also agree on a
Um, I think you meant to use together.
So, what's the status of the vote for our alliance's name?