- Location
- The Surface Of A Hostile Planet
Note that we've been surprised by PMMM Japan before - like with the Idol industry. It's possible that there isn't the same sort of anti-therapy stigma in this timeline compared to IRL.
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?
Note that we've been surprised by PMMM Japan before - like with the Idol industry. It's possible that there isn't the same sort of anti-therapy stigma in this timeline compared to IRL.
- Location
- Earth
Implying Psychology is not a part of Mitakihara middle school curriculum.
Angrygenius
Professional Insomniac
- Location
- Florida
- Pronouns
- Him/He
To be honest, I'm surprised world hunger is still an issue right now. It'd be awesome if Therapy didn't have it's stigma, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Jonen C
F.M.D.G.
- Location
- Lincopense, Ostrogothia, Suecia
Just struck me, but given the things Firn likes to drop about this world that differs from IRL...
Is this Omelas?
Is the state of the world comparably better due to being powered by forsaken children?
Angrygenius
Professional Insomniac
- Location
- Florida
- Pronouns
- Him/He
The cow of wisdom may have your answer.
94000130FFF70000
Absolutely the Worst
- Location
- Midwest USA
We may want to do a quick telepathy check with our friends to see if there's stigma around therapy, then tailor our response to the answer to that.
- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Kaizuki
TJSomething
That's... that's impossible!
I'd be surprised if there was no stigma for therapy. Therapists really work against Kyubey's goals, so he would have a direct interest in creating a stigma against them. It's plausible that its psyops are advanced enough to bring that up. I also I'm somewhat skeptical that therapy would be the subject of wishes.
That said, I feel like the issue is easily avoided. Open with specific goals, like "teaching magical girls proven techniques to cope with trauma" and "giving girls a non-judgmental place to talk out and release their private issues," and let them fill in the blanks. That will let us judge where they stand on the issue. Additionally, by opening with goals, we open ourselves for ideas that we didn't even think of. A little bit of light brainstorming here could help build trust.
That said, I feel like the issue is easily avoided. Open with specific goals, like "teaching magical girls proven techniques to cope with trauma" and "giving girls a non-judgmental place to talk out and release their private issues," and let them fill in the blanks. That will let us judge where they stand on the issue. Additionally, by opening with goals, we open ourselves for ideas that we didn't even think of. A little bit of light brainstorming here could help build trust.
The nurse interaction when we first found Nagisa might be the closest thing to that issue coming up.
- Location
- USA, Midworld world line
[X] Introduce and Use Privacy. Tell them that you will find a way to give them a device to do the same. Explain that Magical Surveillance is a thing.
-[X] We will be fully open with them, using precautions. Please ask us.
-[X] The Incubator is a passive optimizer, and thinks in alien ways unlike an animal or human. Suspect that it is content to benefit from the novel information we generate as we struggle at current. And repeat that emotion is not to be expected from it.
[X] As we lead our Wish to change the world, we need to join allies among all adult populations.
-[X] Initial focus on influence, economics and academics, so we can consolidate. All are welcome, all can help.
-[X] Shizukis could be our first representatives, bring people into the Masquerade for us.
[X] Constellation isn't 'Magi and fighters' - it is our shared cause. Hitomi and Madoka will be in charge of much of the economic process, because they can be heroes. First is real estate expansion and charity.
-[X] Details on magic productivity for a further meeting, maybe Monday? These girls are far more than couriers.
[X] Explain some of Sabrina's upcoming tasks in general terms. Diplomacy, Research, Charity, Defense and more.
-[X] We are a career girl.
-[X] May produce visible aids to explain the Territory system. How new contractees become homeless, orphans or prisoners so often. Recapitulation of the Shogunate, anyone?
[X] Talk availability of mental health care at current. Declare the teaching of stress management and reduction of abuse symptoms to be vital. Show them a desire to fix the problem at-scale, by hiring and joining up with therapists specifically for Magical Girls. The special conditions and the access restrictions make the regular heathcare model too strained to help them all - but this can.
[X] Give them the rest of the reason - explain the basis of Grief, demonstrate the 'bad side' of solid Grief, do a cleansing. Make it clear that 'the emotion' is exactly the dark stuff they see.
[X] Prophesy of Walpurgisnacht, and that we have the information and allilies to save all the persons, and enough of the city to keep Mitakihara alive. Expect literal Kaiju destruction, move your selves and your treasures.
[X] End on the high note, enchant some Hope. Really we need to do this more.
Enjoy this remix of the good work from Kai, now adding in Protection From The Incubator. Please keep Sabrina's world firmly in mind as we vote.
Thank you, @TJSomething .
#########
Rewording my version for clarity below:
Introduce them to the Privacy enchantment dome. Use it to:
Call to Action: We need to find adult allies for vital missions, and strongly interact with the economy. We can't win without joining hands.
Our aim today - "Train the Trainer" so the Shizuki's can independently select and get other people to join our cause. We can support their efforts.
Hitomi and Madoka will be taking charge of much of this face-work. Consellation is as much them, and the Shizukis / adult confederates as it is our Magi going forward. We need open doors. We need to be freed of preconceptions. Grant them opportunity and credibility as of yesterday, so they can make us capable of upholding our obligations to Magical Girls. We can schedule a longer meeting to explore the full range of magic allied to us. We may diorama the Japan Territory map as it stands, mention Tokyo very briefly. Suggest Monday for deep dive into details.
What Hitomi's efforts mean is the possibility that the rest of us can use the magic for its best purpose. Sabrina intends to continue with peacekeeping, diplomacy, development and disaster mitigation, until economics start happening. We work hand-and-glove, bringing hope back to Magi and regular folks alike.
We are already working this as a full-time (if medieval) career.
Explain Grief, demonstrate the bad side of Grief, do a cleansing, make it clear that 'the emotion' is the dark stuff they are looking at. Segue into confiming our awareness of the current mental health model. Discuss hiring multiple therapists, and doing it so it can scale. Magical girls are selected with a bias towards their rapid deaths. The needs of Magi require special training, and a level of access that current business would strain to provide - but we can do better.
We are going to make Warlord culture obsolete. It is hard, but we must make that happen faster to cure the isolation that is killing so many.`
And we are defending the city from a literal Kaiju attack, prophesied for 30th. Explain Walpurgisnacht. State our preparation, and that we have advanced information. Give them insight that we will save all the people, as well as keep enough of the city alive. Explain the attacks of ordinary Witches.
Our next Enchantment session we ought to produce items to make the sales process easier - Privacy for everyone, and safe(ish?) power items to let non-Magi prove the existence of magic, Telepathy as soon as Niko can gives us the help for it.
Feel free to poke me for redundant / missing thoughts in the vote.. . . And craft your Vote, too! Sabrina is as good as YOU make her, so please be your best.
-[X] We will be fully open with them, using precautions. Please ask us.
-[X] The Incubator is a passive optimizer, and thinks in alien ways unlike an animal or human. Suspect that it is content to benefit from the novel information we generate as we struggle at current. And repeat that emotion is not to be expected from it.
[X] As we lead our Wish to change the world, we need to join allies among all adult populations.
-[X] Initial focus on influence, economics and academics, so we can consolidate. All are welcome, all can help.
-[X] Shizukis could be our first representatives, bring people into the Masquerade for us.
[X] Constellation isn't 'Magi and fighters' - it is our shared cause. Hitomi and Madoka will be in charge of much of the economic process, because they can be heroes. First is real estate expansion and charity.
-[X] Details on magic productivity for a further meeting, maybe Monday? These girls are far more than couriers.
[X] Explain some of Sabrina's upcoming tasks in general terms. Diplomacy, Research, Charity, Defense and more.
-[X] We are a career girl.
-[X] May produce visible aids to explain the Territory system. How new contractees become homeless, orphans or prisoners so often. Recapitulation of the Shogunate, anyone?
[X] Talk availability of mental health care at current. Declare the teaching of stress management and reduction of abuse symptoms to be vital. Show them a desire to fix the problem at-scale, by hiring and joining up with therapists specifically for Magical Girls. The special conditions and the access restrictions make the regular heathcare model too strained to help them all - but this can.
[X] Give them the rest of the reason - explain the basis of Grief, demonstrate the 'bad side' of solid Grief, do a cleansing. Make it clear that 'the emotion' is exactly the dark stuff they see.
[X] Prophesy of Walpurgisnacht, and that we have the information and allilies to save all the persons, and enough of the city to keep Mitakihara alive. Expect literal Kaiju destruction, move your selves and your treasures.
[X] End on the high note, enchant some Hope. Really we need to do this more.
Enjoy this remix of the good work from Kai, now adding in Protection From The Incubator. Please keep Sabrina's world firmly in mind as we vote.
Thank you, @TJSomething .
#########
Rewording my version for clarity below:
Introduce them to the Privacy enchantment dome. Use it to:
Call to Action: We need to find adult allies for vital missions, and strongly interact with the economy. We can't win without joining hands.
Our aim today - "Train the Trainer" so the Shizuki's can independently select and get other people to join our cause. We can support their efforts.
Hitomi and Madoka will be taking charge of much of this face-work. Consellation is as much them, and the Shizukis / adult confederates as it is our Magi going forward. We need open doors. We need to be freed of preconceptions. Grant them opportunity and credibility as of yesterday, so they can make us capable of upholding our obligations to Magical Girls. We can schedule a longer meeting to explore the full range of magic allied to us. We may diorama the Japan Territory map as it stands, mention Tokyo very briefly. Suggest Monday for deep dive into details.
What Hitomi's efforts mean is the possibility that the rest of us can use the magic for its best purpose. Sabrina intends to continue with peacekeeping, diplomacy, development and disaster mitigation, until economics start happening. We work hand-and-glove, bringing hope back to Magi and regular folks alike.
We are already working this as a full-time (if medieval) career.
Explain Grief, demonstrate the bad side of Grief, do a cleansing, make it clear that 'the emotion' is the dark stuff they are looking at. Segue into confiming our awareness of the current mental health model. Discuss hiring multiple therapists, and doing it so it can scale. Magical girls are selected with a bias towards their rapid deaths. The needs of Magi require special training, and a level of access that current business would strain to provide - but we can do better.
We are going to make Warlord culture obsolete. It is hard, but we must make that happen faster to cure the isolation that is killing so many.`
And we are defending the city from a literal Kaiju attack, prophesied for 30th. Explain Walpurgisnacht. State our preparation, and that we have advanced information. Give them insight that we will save all the people, as well as keep enough of the city alive. Explain the attacks of ordinary Witches.
Our next Enchantment session we ought to produce items to make the sales process easier - Privacy for everyone, and safe(ish?) power items to let non-Magi prove the existence of magic, Telepathy as soon as Niko can gives us the help for it.
Feel free to poke me for redundant / missing thoughts in the vote.. . . And craft your Vote, too! Sabrina is as good as YOU make her, so please be your best.
Last edited:
Lowlife pt. 34
You all dine in thoughtful quiet, offering a few compliments to the food and watching in amusement as Ichiro steals a few pieces of steak off Haruka's plate. Haruka seems fondly exasperated, apparently having expected that. You all take a few moments to relax after finishing your meals, sitting back and digesting both the food and the revelations of the day.
It's nice to sit back and relax, even with everything.
Hitomi draws Homura into a quiet conversation about property values with an offhanded, "Since we were on the subject of housing..."
They make a rather odd duo. You listen with a fragment of your attention as they converse, Hitomi elegantly formal and Homura so reserved, so tightly wound. You've wormed your way into Homura's good graces, and you've learned to read her, but that's you. And yet it seems to work out, Homura adding a few murmured contributions every now and then, but mostly listening to Hitomi.
Heh.
Hitomi has as much steel in her as Madoka does. She expresses it differently, of course. Calm, unflappable, and imperturbable, but not uncaring. Unperturbed by the revelations, unperturbed by the worst of the world. Sensible. And you can see where she got it from, too.
The elder Shizukis look deep in thought, both of them silent and exchanging looks every now and then. You'd almost accuse them of having telepathy themselves, with the way their gazes seem to lock onto each other's without the need for anything so trivial as speaking, but well...
You feel Mami's eyes tracking over to you, and you turn your attention to her. Golden eyes crinkle into a warm, private smile, the one that's yours and yours alone, and you soften, some of that ever-ratcheting tension bleeding away. She tilts her head in a silent question, and you smile in response, gently taking her hand once more.
"A question, if I may," Ichiro says at last, stirring. "Two questions, even. First of all, would you like dessert?"
"Dessert would be nice, if it isn't too much trouble?" you say, glancing to Mami and Homura for confirmation.
"Dessert it is, then," Ichiro says. The waiter is summoned to bring the menus back, and you inspect it before deciding on a caramel lava cake to share with Mami. Orders made, you settle back around the table.
"So, ah... Mr Shizuki, you mentioned having two questions?" you say as the door slides shut behind the departing waiter.
"I did," Ichiro says, steepling his fingers in front of his face. Haruka notices, and gently pushes his hands down with a reproving look, and Ichiro, for his part, continues speaking as if uninterrupted. "You mentioned fighting monsters called Witches. What are they like, in your words?"
"No two of them are alike," Mami says, after looking to you for a moment. "Ah... mostly, but I'll get to that in a moment. They're monsters that live in what we call Barriers, or Labyrinths - pocket spaces where they control much of the environment, which are often extremely bizarre. And they have minions called Familiars, usually."
"I see," Ichiro says, his expression inscrutable. "What do they do?"
"Ah, as I said, no two Witches are alike, but the common thread is that they prey on humans," Mami says with a wince. "They can influence people, lure them in... and I suspect that more than half of mostly unexplained deaths are because of Witches."
"Kyuubey covers them up," Homura adds tonelessly. "Gas explosions. Suicides. Disappearances."
Ichiro's eyes narrow.
"I see," he says. "That makes a sad amount of sense, but - Incubators aside. Can ordinary humans fight Witches with our weapons?"
"I... that's a tricky question," you say, determinedly not looking at Homura. "Many Witches can be hurt and indeed killed by conventional munitions - bullets, grenades, bombs. But there are enough that can't, and you... can't really tell ahead of time. And there's the issue of getting to them. As far as I know, magic is the only way to access a Witch's Barrier."
"As well as issues of physical capability," Mami adds. "Witches are immensely fast, tough, and large. We magical girls are equally as fast and tough, and... ordinary humans aren't."
"Mmm," Ichiro says. His frown deepens, cutting a craggy trench in his forehead. He sighs, the exhale puffing out his cheeks. "Again, I mean no offense, but you are children. Teenagers. I have no doubt you're competent and capable of fighting, but you shouldn't have to."
"Speaking of fighting Witches," you say slowly. "There's a fairly important matter to bring up. In just over a week, on the night of April 30th, a massive Witch known as Walpurgisnacht is going to arrive."
"Oh?" Ichiro says, raising an eyebrow. "I take it it's no ordinary Witch, or you wouldn't be raising the matter."
You flick your eyes to Homura, checking to see if she might want to take over - but it doesn't seem like she does, so you continue.
"It's not," you say, grimacing. "It may very well be one of the strongest Witches on the planet, and it is going to do... ruinous damage to the city if left unchecked. We have plans in place to handle it, but we're..." You wince. "We're expecting damage comparable to a hurricane, to put it mildly."
"We've faced hurricanes before," Ichiro says, his expression smoothing out into that calculating mask once more. "But I get the feeling that this will be worse?"
"Quite possibly. It's..." You dither for a second.
Maybe you're coming off as a bit intense, a bit melodramatic, but you need them to believe this, too. Hitomi's parents have been accepting of everything, but you need them to believe that this is happening.
A giant Witch out to destroy the city?
A bunch of teenagers out to defend said city?
It's a hard sell, for all their amiable acceptance. And, hah, you are going for a hard sell, you suppose. You don't want the elder Shizukis to panic, but they are adults. They can take some blunt truth in how bad it can get.
Perhaps an overt display of magic to underscore the point. Presentation. A flick of your hand, Grief flowing together over the table to form a model of Walpurgisnacht in deep, fractal purple, hovering over the center of the table. Another swift glance at Homura, checking that she's alright with this - and it seems she is, so you continue.
"That's Walpurgisnacht. The queen of Witches," you murmur. "And to scale..."
More Grief sprouts up, blossoming together to build a familiar skyline, the elder Shizukis watching in rapt fascination as the shape of Mitakihara's commercial district flows together.
"And this is what Walpurgisnacht can do in just a few minutes. What she does, within a few seconds of arrival." You clench your fist, and shatter the city. Buildings torn apart, knocked over as if by a giant's kick. Rubble raining down to the table's surface, other chunks rising into the air to form a parody of a halo around your model Walpurgisnacht as she floats serenely past the destruction.
Homura stares, her expression pinched. Not afraid. Not angry. Just tired.
"We're going to fight it, and we're going to limit the damage it can do, but it's impossible to predict how events will work out," you say quietly, your eyes returning to the devastation. The damage unwinds itself, rubble leaping into the sky to rebuild the city. "We are going to fight. This is not going to happen. Not if we have anything to say about it."
Because this, too, you need them to believe. That the worst case won't come to pass, that people are preparing to stand in its way.
"We've been arranging for allies to help fight," you say, filling the silence. "Maybe more magical girls than have ever been in one place before. We're co-opting the meteorology bureau to issue evacuation orders. One of the things we've discussed with Miss Nakano is to help with rebuilding afterwards, too. Forewarned is forearmed, after all, and we are going to ensure that Walpurgisnacht will be beaten soundly and that the city will recover."
Ichiro lets out a shaky breath after a moment, closing his eyes. He raises a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, evidently thinking hard.
"I suppose you've considered attempting to intercept this Walpurgisnacht before it arrives in the city?" he asks without lowering his hand.
"We have, and... the thing is, well... we have information about Walpurgisnacht, but it's fragmented at best," you say, grimacing. "As best as I can tell? Walpurgisnacht doesn't really... come from anywhere. It just shows up wherever it chooses to."
"As if by magic," Haruka says with a pained sigh, one that matches her husband's.
"Just so," you admit. "We might be able to push it somewhere else after it manifests, but I don't think we can prevent it from manifesting here. We're going to fight it. We're going to win, and everyone will damned well live. But I don't know how much of the city we can definitively protect."
Maybe all of it. Maybe not. You certainly intend to try. But you want the elder Shizukis to understand how badly it could go.
"What do you expect us to do?" Ichiro asks. He folds his hands on the table, full attention on you.
"To protect that which you hold dear," you say bluntly. You look to Hitomi, then back to Ichiro, and Haruka. "Your family, your friends. If you can, get your company ready for a disaster. I don't... look, we're not on good terms with Kyuubey, but I'm... also not sure we're on bad terms with it, either. I don't understand its current goals, and I'm getting off track."
You wave your hands, trying to stem the tide of a thousand thoughts at once. Because you don't understand why Kyuubey has been as lax as it seems to have been with you. Maybe it's using you, pointing you at people it'd rather have taken off the board - like the Iowa Group. Maybe it's just sitting back and watching and waiting and gathering information to crack you like an egg. And that's still off-track. And needlessly defeatist.
"My point is that I'm telling you this because you deserve to know. Everyone in this city deserves to know," you say. "And I would be shouting it from the rooftops if I thought it would work. But I don't know how far Kyuubey's permissivity will stretch before it starts clamping down. So... yeah."
"I see," Ichiro says.
"Papa..." Hitomi says, sipping calmly at her cup of tea. "You should already know she's not like that by now." The look she shoots you over the rim of her cup is nothing less than smug. "What you see is what you get."
"I know, sweetheart," Ichiro says.
"... hey," you say. You vaguely feel like you should be insulted, but you're also pretty sure Hitomi was defending you.
"What help can we offer?" Haruka asks.
"I... Short term?" You scowl, running your hand through your hair, thinking. "Having Miss Nakano's help will be great for rebuilding, but... frankly, what we need is the Disaster Management Bureau. But now that I've said it out loud, I'm not sure how we can do it."
Ichiro arches an eyebrow. "You've mentioned co-opting the meteorological department. When do you intend to do it?"
"Uh." You catch Homura's eye, because she was the one handling that.
"Already done," Homura murmurs. "A modification to their weather prediction models that leads to them discovering a supercell formation."
Ichiro leans back in his chair.
"I'm sure I don't know anything about any potentially illegal events that may or may not have taken place," he says drily. "Do you know when they'll put out an announcement?"
"Two days before," Homura says.
"Not early enough," Ichiro says crisply. "Can you make it earlier?"
"Yes," Homura says, blinking slowly. "I'll have to confer with the... specialist who worked with me."
"Remind me about that if you need help, Homura," you say. She'd commissioned the original set of instructions from Inoue Yuuki, as you recall.
"Good," Ichiro says, nodding. "I don't have any particular dealings or connections with the DMB, but their knowing about this in advance will help greatly in preparing the immediate disaster response." He smiles. "We'll ask around, but I'm uncertain of achieving anything in such a short time frame."
"No, that- that was already helpful," you say, shaking your head. "Somehow, that just, er, never occurred to me. That to give the government an actual early warning would also be giving the bureaucracy time to react."
"Well, a different perspective can certainly shed new light on matters," Ichiro says with a laugh.
"Speaking of, I don't suppose you mind if I keep leaning on Hitomi for advice on this kind of thing? And Madoka, too," you say, and turn your attention directly to your friend, smiling. "I mean, not that you aren't already a huge help, Hitomi."
"You hardly need my permission to ask Hitomi for help," Ichiro says, waving it off. "But in my personal, and completely unbiased opinion, you should definitely be listening to my daughter more."
Hitomi snickers, covering her mouth politely and preening just the tiniest bit.
"As I said, I'm glad to be part of this," she says. "Of something grand like this. But no offense meant - I'll leave the fighting to you."
"Well... fair enough," you say, beaming. "I mean, that's probably the smarter thing to do, honestly. And... mm. Mr. Shizuki, I, we-"
You gesture at yourself.
"As you said, Mr. Shizuki, I am a teenager," you say, gathering your scattered thoughts. "In the medium term, government officials, companies, colleges and the like are all entities we're probably going to want to get into contact with, but they're not going to take me seriously - which, as an aside, I do sincerely appreciate that you're giving me your time and attention."
"I am in the habit of trusting my wife and daughter," Ichiro says drily, a tiny smirk dancing on his lips. "That said: if you need recommendations and introductions, I think we'd both be happy to help make them where we can? You understand that I won't be speaking as a representative of the company, of course."
"Of course," you agree, and blink. "Ah. On that note, a slight diversion - what does your company do?"
"Hm?" Ichiro says, blinking at Hitomi.
"I'm not in the habit of discussing business with my friends, papa," Hitomi says.
"Really?" Ichiro's eyebrows arch. "It seems to me that you have been discussing business with them."
"You know what I mean, papa," Hitomi says.
Ichiro laughs.
"Indeed," he says, turning to you. "Well, my lovely wife here is the CFO of Maeba Holdings, and I'm the director of HR. We're an investment firm, with a primary focus on technology and development, and real estate."
"Ah!" you say. A smile hides your surprise - you're not quite sure what you were expecting, but you don't think Chief Financial Officer and Director of HR was quite it. And real estate and technology seem to be a bit disparate, but you can see how they might synergize. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you."
"The direct assistance we can offer on behalf of Maeba would be limited, but we'd both be happy to offer our personal assistance," Ichiro says. "And if you should decide to start a business related to our areas of interest, I can certainly help arrange a meeting."
"That would be a lot of help," you say with a smile, thinking about it. You are going to need money, and a good deal of it, too. And as is, this is a huge boost to what you might be able to do, even leaving Mika aside.
A discreet knock at the door is the waiter returning with desserts, so you shut up for the moment and dig in, savouring the sticky-savory-sweet warmth of a lava cake, the better for being shared with Mami. Homura nibbles quietly at her lemon sherbert, looking... not exactly discontent.
You nudge her gently, offering a reassuring smile. This meeting is going well - extraordinarily well, in your opinion. It's another step forward, bringing in Hitomi's parents, and you hope that Homura can see that, too. And hopefully they can help when the time comes to tell Madoka and Sayaka's parents. You'd been considering bringing that up, but... perhaps not today.
Homura stares at you for a moment, amethyst eyes distant, and she nods. Just the tiniest fraction of a centimeter, before she returns to her sherbert. She gets it, you hope.
"There is... one more thing I can think of that would be an enormous help," you say after a few minutes. "And I realise it might be out of your direct field of expertise or relevance, but... therapists."
"Therapists?" Ichiro arches an eyebrow at you. "Ah. I think I understand."
"In general, maybe, but..." You tap your ring, which you'd returned your Soul Gem to. "The cost of using magic is Grief. Which is very, very literal - as we use magic, we get more tired, more sad, more depressed. It reinforces negative emotions, and a bad breakdown..."
You mime a steep slope with your free hand, and sliding down it. Mami's claimed your free hand once more, her expression grim.
"That's horrible," Haruka murmurs, echoing her earlier words.
"I see," Ichiro says. "And that's what you use Grief Seeds for - to absorb that build up?"
"Yeah. It is. On both accounts. Therapy has a certain... stigma, but the fact is that we're dealing with teenagers who have gone through a lot of trauma, and are in literal, immediate danger from it," you say, setting down your spoon. "So we need every bit of help we can get."
"A tricky request, to be sure," Ichiro says, stroking a non-existent beard. "You need, in effect, therapists skilled in dealing with... child soldiers, in essence, and you need ones open-minded enough that they can be brought in on the secret, or they won't be sufficiently informed to deal with the issues."
"Not all of the... problematic experiences are from the fighting, per se, but yeah," you say, sighing. "Therapists. I'd like to make it an... in-house thing, eventually, with people on-call, but for now I'd settle for having therapists available at all."
"I suppose much of this hinges on the forbearance of the Incubator," Ichiro muses. "From what you tell me, it might not be happy about you trying something like that. But if it's as simple as getting a foot in the door, again, Haruka and I would be happy to see about setting up some meetings, but we have no particular pull in the field, or even any detailed knowledge."
"I'm aware of that," you say, nodding. "The alternative, booking an appointment and then trying to explain my pitch to them during said appointment..." You make a face. "Lying to get your foot in the door is nooooot exactly a good start to a working relationship at all."
"Of course," Ichiro says. He gives you a considering look. "Well... I can't commit to anything, other than an offer to keep an eye out and the standing offer to help make introductions? And possibly guidance on organizing and human resource management, if you need that."
"That's more than plenty," you say. "Thank you. I'll probably take you up on that offer at some point? And, ugh, I need to... well. Hitomi, we might be making Monday a working lunch of sorts."
"You know where to find me," Hitomi says loftily.
"... do you go to Mitakihara Middle School, Miss Sabrina?" Ichiro asks, looking curious.
"I go there for lunch?" you offer, sneaking Mami a smile. She giggles quietly.
"Ah, which school do you go to, then?" Ichiro asks. "... hang on, do you sneak out of school for lunch? I suppose flying must be useful."
"Er, well. None," you say, shuffling in your seat. "I'm not technically a delinquent, but only because I'm not registered for a school at all?"
Ichiro blinks, evidently surprised, then focuses.
"Education is important, Miss Sabrina," he says. "I won't deny that what you're doing is important, but an education would... hmm." He trails off, looking thoughtful. "Maybe... no."
"Sabrina seems to know everything, anyway," Hitomi says, delicately spooning more pannacotta into her mouth. "She helps us with our homework, and if there's something that stumps her, we certainly haven't found it yet."
"Is that so?" Ichiro asks. He smiles slightly. "I was going to say that education isn't just about knowledge, but about the opportunities that arise from the credentials, but much of what you do is off the grid, is it not?"
"It is," you say.
"And I won't probe any more into certain legally ambiguous areas," he continues, dark eyes almost seeming to dance.
"In any case, Sabrina has me," Mami says, smiling. "Anything she might be interested in, I am entirely happy to support."
"That's certainly fair," Ichiro says.
The rest of dessert is finished with lighter conversation, about school, about the elder Shizukis themselves - you learn, for example, that they'd met when they were working for rival companies, and that Ichiro had nobly recused himself when Haruka jumped ship, avoiding her for months on end until Haruka, determined and ambitious and determined, found herself a promotion or three and hunted him down.
And as you finish and prepare to leave, Ichiro stands, extending his hand towards you.
"Thank you for an illuminating dinner, Miss Sabrina," he says. "It was most certainly a pleasure."
[] Any last things to say to the Shizukis?
[] Anything else to say to Homura before she leaves for the night?
[] What do you do for the rest of the night?
- [] Just relax!
- [x] Book that restaurant for a date tomorrow
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
And that brings the dinner to an end!
It's nice to sit back and relax, even with everything.
Hitomi draws Homura into a quiet conversation about property values with an offhanded, "Since we were on the subject of housing..."
They make a rather odd duo. You listen with a fragment of your attention as they converse, Hitomi elegantly formal and Homura so reserved, so tightly wound. You've wormed your way into Homura's good graces, and you've learned to read her, but that's you. And yet it seems to work out, Homura adding a few murmured contributions every now and then, but mostly listening to Hitomi.
Heh.
Hitomi has as much steel in her as Madoka does. She expresses it differently, of course. Calm, unflappable, and imperturbable, but not uncaring. Unperturbed by the revelations, unperturbed by the worst of the world. Sensible. And you can see where she got it from, too.
The elder Shizukis look deep in thought, both of them silent and exchanging looks every now and then. You'd almost accuse them of having telepathy themselves, with the way their gazes seem to lock onto each other's without the need for anything so trivial as speaking, but well...
You feel Mami's eyes tracking over to you, and you turn your attention to her. Golden eyes crinkle into a warm, private smile, the one that's yours and yours alone, and you soften, some of that ever-ratcheting tension bleeding away. She tilts her head in a silent question, and you smile in response, gently taking her hand once more.
"A question, if I may," Ichiro says at last, stirring. "Two questions, even. First of all, would you like dessert?"
"Dessert would be nice, if it isn't too much trouble?" you say, glancing to Mami and Homura for confirmation.
"Dessert it is, then," Ichiro says. The waiter is summoned to bring the menus back, and you inspect it before deciding on a caramel lava cake to share with Mami. Orders made, you settle back around the table.
"So, ah... Mr Shizuki, you mentioned having two questions?" you say as the door slides shut behind the departing waiter.
"I did," Ichiro says, steepling his fingers in front of his face. Haruka notices, and gently pushes his hands down with a reproving look, and Ichiro, for his part, continues speaking as if uninterrupted. "You mentioned fighting monsters called Witches. What are they like, in your words?"
"No two of them are alike," Mami says, after looking to you for a moment. "Ah... mostly, but I'll get to that in a moment. They're monsters that live in what we call Barriers, or Labyrinths - pocket spaces where they control much of the environment, which are often extremely bizarre. And they have minions called Familiars, usually."
"I see," Ichiro says, his expression inscrutable. "What do they do?"
"Ah, as I said, no two Witches are alike, but the common thread is that they prey on humans," Mami says with a wince. "They can influence people, lure them in... and I suspect that more than half of mostly unexplained deaths are because of Witches."
"Kyuubey covers them up," Homura adds tonelessly. "Gas explosions. Suicides. Disappearances."
Ichiro's eyes narrow.
"I see," he says. "That makes a sad amount of sense, but - Incubators aside. Can ordinary humans fight Witches with our weapons?"
"I... that's a tricky question," you say, determinedly not looking at Homura. "Many Witches can be hurt and indeed killed by conventional munitions - bullets, grenades, bombs. But there are enough that can't, and you... can't really tell ahead of time. And there's the issue of getting to them. As far as I know, magic is the only way to access a Witch's Barrier."
"As well as issues of physical capability," Mami adds. "Witches are immensely fast, tough, and large. We magical girls are equally as fast and tough, and... ordinary humans aren't."
"Mmm," Ichiro says. His frown deepens, cutting a craggy trench in his forehead. He sighs, the exhale puffing out his cheeks. "Again, I mean no offense, but you are children. Teenagers. I have no doubt you're competent and capable of fighting, but you shouldn't have to."
"Speaking of fighting Witches," you say slowly. "There's a fairly important matter to bring up. In just over a week, on the night of April 30th, a massive Witch known as Walpurgisnacht is going to arrive."
"Oh?" Ichiro says, raising an eyebrow. "I take it it's no ordinary Witch, or you wouldn't be raising the matter."
You flick your eyes to Homura, checking to see if she might want to take over - but it doesn't seem like she does, so you continue.
"It's not," you say, grimacing. "It may very well be one of the strongest Witches on the planet, and it is going to do... ruinous damage to the city if left unchecked. We have plans in place to handle it, but we're..." You wince. "We're expecting damage comparable to a hurricane, to put it mildly."
"We've faced hurricanes before," Ichiro says, his expression smoothing out into that calculating mask once more. "But I get the feeling that this will be worse?"
"Quite possibly. It's..." You dither for a second.
Maybe you're coming off as a bit intense, a bit melodramatic, but you need them to believe this, too. Hitomi's parents have been accepting of everything, but you need them to believe that this is happening.
A giant Witch out to destroy the city?
A bunch of teenagers out to defend said city?
It's a hard sell, for all their amiable acceptance. And, hah, you are going for a hard sell, you suppose. You don't want the elder Shizukis to panic, but they are adults. They can take some blunt truth in how bad it can get.
Perhaps an overt display of magic to underscore the point. Presentation. A flick of your hand, Grief flowing together over the table to form a model of Walpurgisnacht in deep, fractal purple, hovering over the center of the table. Another swift glance at Homura, checking that she's alright with this - and it seems she is, so you continue.
"That's Walpurgisnacht. The queen of Witches," you murmur. "And to scale..."
More Grief sprouts up, blossoming together to build a familiar skyline, the elder Shizukis watching in rapt fascination as the shape of Mitakihara's commercial district flows together.
"And this is what Walpurgisnacht can do in just a few minutes. What she does, within a few seconds of arrival." You clench your fist, and shatter the city. Buildings torn apart, knocked over as if by a giant's kick. Rubble raining down to the table's surface, other chunks rising into the air to form a parody of a halo around your model Walpurgisnacht as she floats serenely past the destruction.
Homura stares, her expression pinched. Not afraid. Not angry. Just tired.
"We're going to fight it, and we're going to limit the damage it can do, but it's impossible to predict how events will work out," you say quietly, your eyes returning to the devastation. The damage unwinds itself, rubble leaping into the sky to rebuild the city. "We are going to fight. This is not going to happen. Not if we have anything to say about it."
Because this, too, you need them to believe. That the worst case won't come to pass, that people are preparing to stand in its way.
"We've been arranging for allies to help fight," you say, filling the silence. "Maybe more magical girls than have ever been in one place before. We're co-opting the meteorology bureau to issue evacuation orders. One of the things we've discussed with Miss Nakano is to help with rebuilding afterwards, too. Forewarned is forearmed, after all, and we are going to ensure that Walpurgisnacht will be beaten soundly and that the city will recover."
Ichiro lets out a shaky breath after a moment, closing his eyes. He raises a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, evidently thinking hard.
"I suppose you've considered attempting to intercept this Walpurgisnacht before it arrives in the city?" he asks without lowering his hand.
"We have, and... the thing is, well... we have information about Walpurgisnacht, but it's fragmented at best," you say, grimacing. "As best as I can tell? Walpurgisnacht doesn't really... come from anywhere. It just shows up wherever it chooses to."
"As if by magic," Haruka says with a pained sigh, one that matches her husband's.
"Just so," you admit. "We might be able to push it somewhere else after it manifests, but I don't think we can prevent it from manifesting here. We're going to fight it. We're going to win, and everyone will damned well live. But I don't know how much of the city we can definitively protect."
Maybe all of it. Maybe not. You certainly intend to try. But you want the elder Shizukis to understand how badly it could go.
"What do you expect us to do?" Ichiro asks. He folds his hands on the table, full attention on you.
"To protect that which you hold dear," you say bluntly. You look to Hitomi, then back to Ichiro, and Haruka. "Your family, your friends. If you can, get your company ready for a disaster. I don't... look, we're not on good terms with Kyuubey, but I'm... also not sure we're on bad terms with it, either. I don't understand its current goals, and I'm getting off track."
You wave your hands, trying to stem the tide of a thousand thoughts at once. Because you don't understand why Kyuubey has been as lax as it seems to have been with you. Maybe it's using you, pointing you at people it'd rather have taken off the board - like the Iowa Group. Maybe it's just sitting back and watching and waiting and gathering information to crack you like an egg. And that's still off-track. And needlessly defeatist.
"My point is that I'm telling you this because you deserve to know. Everyone in this city deserves to know," you say. "And I would be shouting it from the rooftops if I thought it would work. But I don't know how far Kyuubey's permissivity will stretch before it starts clamping down. So... yeah."
"I see," Ichiro says.
"Papa..." Hitomi says, sipping calmly at her cup of tea. "You should already know she's not like that by now." The look she shoots you over the rim of her cup is nothing less than smug. "What you see is what you get."
"I know, sweetheart," Ichiro says.
"... hey," you say. You vaguely feel like you should be insulted, but you're also pretty sure Hitomi was defending you.
"What help can we offer?" Haruka asks.
"I... Short term?" You scowl, running your hand through your hair, thinking. "Having Miss Nakano's help will be great for rebuilding, but... frankly, what we need is the Disaster Management Bureau. But now that I've said it out loud, I'm not sure how we can do it."
Ichiro arches an eyebrow. "You've mentioned co-opting the meteorological department. When do you intend to do it?"
"Uh." You catch Homura's eye, because she was the one handling that.
"Already done," Homura murmurs. "A modification to their weather prediction models that leads to them discovering a supercell formation."
Ichiro leans back in his chair.
"I'm sure I don't know anything about any potentially illegal events that may or may not have taken place," he says drily. "Do you know when they'll put out an announcement?"
"Two days before," Homura says.
"Not early enough," Ichiro says crisply. "Can you make it earlier?"
"Yes," Homura says, blinking slowly. "I'll have to confer with the... specialist who worked with me."
"Remind me about that if you need help, Homura," you say. She'd commissioned the original set of instructions from Inoue Yuuki, as you recall.
"Good," Ichiro says, nodding. "I don't have any particular dealings or connections with the DMB, but their knowing about this in advance will help greatly in preparing the immediate disaster response." He smiles. "We'll ask around, but I'm uncertain of achieving anything in such a short time frame."
"No, that- that was already helpful," you say, shaking your head. "Somehow, that just, er, never occurred to me. That to give the government an actual early warning would also be giving the bureaucracy time to react."
"Well, a different perspective can certainly shed new light on matters," Ichiro says with a laugh.
"Speaking of, I don't suppose you mind if I keep leaning on Hitomi for advice on this kind of thing? And Madoka, too," you say, and turn your attention directly to your friend, smiling. "I mean, not that you aren't already a huge help, Hitomi."
"You hardly need my permission to ask Hitomi for help," Ichiro says, waving it off. "But in my personal, and completely unbiased opinion, you should definitely be listening to my daughter more."
Hitomi snickers, covering her mouth politely and preening just the tiniest bit.
"As I said, I'm glad to be part of this," she says. "Of something grand like this. But no offense meant - I'll leave the fighting to you."
"Well... fair enough," you say, beaming. "I mean, that's probably the smarter thing to do, honestly. And... mm. Mr. Shizuki, I, we-"
You gesture at yourself.
"As you said, Mr. Shizuki, I am a teenager," you say, gathering your scattered thoughts. "In the medium term, government officials, companies, colleges and the like are all entities we're probably going to want to get into contact with, but they're not going to take me seriously - which, as an aside, I do sincerely appreciate that you're giving me your time and attention."
"I am in the habit of trusting my wife and daughter," Ichiro says drily, a tiny smirk dancing on his lips. "That said: if you need recommendations and introductions, I think we'd both be happy to help make them where we can? You understand that I won't be speaking as a representative of the company, of course."
"Of course," you agree, and blink. "Ah. On that note, a slight diversion - what does your company do?"
"Hm?" Ichiro says, blinking at Hitomi.
"I'm not in the habit of discussing business with my friends, papa," Hitomi says.
"Really?" Ichiro's eyebrows arch. "It seems to me that you have been discussing business with them."
"You know what I mean, papa," Hitomi says.
Ichiro laughs.
"Indeed," he says, turning to you. "Well, my lovely wife here is the CFO of Maeba Holdings, and I'm the director of HR. We're an investment firm, with a primary focus on technology and development, and real estate."
"Ah!" you say. A smile hides your surprise - you're not quite sure what you were expecting, but you don't think Chief Financial Officer and Director of HR was quite it. And real estate and technology seem to be a bit disparate, but you can see how they might synergize. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you."
"The direct assistance we can offer on behalf of Maeba would be limited, but we'd both be happy to offer our personal assistance," Ichiro says. "And if you should decide to start a business related to our areas of interest, I can certainly help arrange a meeting."
"That would be a lot of help," you say with a smile, thinking about it. You are going to need money, and a good deal of it, too. And as is, this is a huge boost to what you might be able to do, even leaving Mika aside.
A discreet knock at the door is the waiter returning with desserts, so you shut up for the moment and dig in, savouring the sticky-savory-sweet warmth of a lava cake, the better for being shared with Mami. Homura nibbles quietly at her lemon sherbert, looking... not exactly discontent.
You nudge her gently, offering a reassuring smile. This meeting is going well - extraordinarily well, in your opinion. It's another step forward, bringing in Hitomi's parents, and you hope that Homura can see that, too. And hopefully they can help when the time comes to tell Madoka and Sayaka's parents. You'd been considering bringing that up, but... perhaps not today.
Homura stares at you for a moment, amethyst eyes distant, and she nods. Just the tiniest fraction of a centimeter, before she returns to her sherbert. She gets it, you hope.
"There is... one more thing I can think of that would be an enormous help," you say after a few minutes. "And I realise it might be out of your direct field of expertise or relevance, but... therapists."
"Therapists?" Ichiro arches an eyebrow at you. "Ah. I think I understand."
"In general, maybe, but..." You tap your ring, which you'd returned your Soul Gem to. "The cost of using magic is Grief. Which is very, very literal - as we use magic, we get more tired, more sad, more depressed. It reinforces negative emotions, and a bad breakdown..."
You mime a steep slope with your free hand, and sliding down it. Mami's claimed your free hand once more, her expression grim.
"That's horrible," Haruka murmurs, echoing her earlier words.
"I see," Ichiro says. "And that's what you use Grief Seeds for - to absorb that build up?"
"Yeah. It is. On both accounts. Therapy has a certain... stigma, but the fact is that we're dealing with teenagers who have gone through a lot of trauma, and are in literal, immediate danger from it," you say, setting down your spoon. "So we need every bit of help we can get."
"A tricky request, to be sure," Ichiro says, stroking a non-existent beard. "You need, in effect, therapists skilled in dealing with... child soldiers, in essence, and you need ones open-minded enough that they can be brought in on the secret, or they won't be sufficiently informed to deal with the issues."
"Not all of the... problematic experiences are from the fighting, per se, but yeah," you say, sighing. "Therapists. I'd like to make it an... in-house thing, eventually, with people on-call, but for now I'd settle for having therapists available at all."
"I suppose much of this hinges on the forbearance of the Incubator," Ichiro muses. "From what you tell me, it might not be happy about you trying something like that. But if it's as simple as getting a foot in the door, again, Haruka and I would be happy to see about setting up some meetings, but we have no particular pull in the field, or even any detailed knowledge."
"I'm aware of that," you say, nodding. "The alternative, booking an appointment and then trying to explain my pitch to them during said appointment..." You make a face. "Lying to get your foot in the door is nooooot exactly a good start to a working relationship at all."
"Of course," Ichiro says. He gives you a considering look. "Well... I can't commit to anything, other than an offer to keep an eye out and the standing offer to help make introductions? And possibly guidance on organizing and human resource management, if you need that."
"That's more than plenty," you say. "Thank you. I'll probably take you up on that offer at some point? And, ugh, I need to... well. Hitomi, we might be making Monday a working lunch of sorts."
"You know where to find me," Hitomi says loftily.
"... do you go to Mitakihara Middle School, Miss Sabrina?" Ichiro asks, looking curious.
"I go there for lunch?" you offer, sneaking Mami a smile. She giggles quietly.
"Ah, which school do you go to, then?" Ichiro asks. "... hang on, do you sneak out of school for lunch? I suppose flying must be useful."
"Er, well. None," you say, shuffling in your seat. "I'm not technically a delinquent, but only because I'm not registered for a school at all?"
Ichiro blinks, evidently surprised, then focuses.
"Education is important, Miss Sabrina," he says. "I won't deny that what you're doing is important, but an education would... hmm." He trails off, looking thoughtful. "Maybe... no."
"Sabrina seems to know everything, anyway," Hitomi says, delicately spooning more pannacotta into her mouth. "She helps us with our homework, and if there's something that stumps her, we certainly haven't found it yet."
"Is that so?" Ichiro asks. He smiles slightly. "I was going to say that education isn't just about knowledge, but about the opportunities that arise from the credentials, but much of what you do is off the grid, is it not?"
"It is," you say.
"And I won't probe any more into certain legally ambiguous areas," he continues, dark eyes almost seeming to dance.
"In any case, Sabrina has me," Mami says, smiling. "Anything she might be interested in, I am entirely happy to support."
"That's certainly fair," Ichiro says.
The rest of dessert is finished with lighter conversation, about school, about the elder Shizukis themselves - you learn, for example, that they'd met when they were working for rival companies, and that Ichiro had nobly recused himself when Haruka jumped ship, avoiding her for months on end until Haruka, determined and ambitious and determined, found herself a promotion or three and hunted him down.
And as you finish and prepare to leave, Ichiro stands, extending his hand towards you.
"Thank you for an illuminating dinner, Miss Sabrina," he says. "It was most certainly a pleasure."
[] Any last things to say to the Shizukis?
[] Anything else to say to Homura before she leaves for the night?
[] What do you do for the rest of the night?
- [] Just relax!
- [x] Book that restaurant for a date tomorrow
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
=====
And that brings the dinner to an end!
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Finally fixed it!
Thanks, I'll get to fixing that soonish. I've got a backlog of other edits to make, too. Additionally, you can use [plain][/plain] tags to force Xenforo to print text exactly as is, or you can use [url=][/url] to make it a link.
The hope and the energy of it are exactly why I chose it. And this is definitely not the topic to discuss it in detail, but hey - change doesn't have to be a big thing. One small step at a time, eh?
I'd say you're almost finished with them, and Sabrina will autopilot the rest before heading to sleep tonight. (Which could be as early as the very next post.
)
Unaligned Player
Agony that desires to meet Extinction
- Location
- Adrift between sanity and madness
- Pronouns
- Shrug
84years.meme
Angrygenius
Professional Insomniac
- Location
- Florida
- Pronouns
- Him/He
I had Tropico 6 open while I read this, so I now believe that the restaurant had latin music in the background and you cannot tell me otherwise now.
Anyways, several things:
Anyways, several things:
Every second This man is here I just want him to be our dad more and more.
Wait, so how did Madoka and Sayaka accidentally get into the barrier they got introduced to Mami in?
I still believe we need to give these therapists a clear seed for any emergency cleansings that need to happen, or we need to be there as well. Something to tell the Shizuki's with the next vote?
Godwinson
"Well, I've got nothing."
"Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly now. Love mercy now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it."
Or to put it into other terms, if you've got a broken ankle, don't worry about helping to haul the load, focus on healing.
- Location
- a Minecraft Rollercoaster
Um about that... Why does the first time she sounds like she doesn't even know of the lichbomb at all, but the second time, she sounds as if both she and the magical girl she used to know both found out about it at some point. Also, we wouldn't have replied with "She may not have known, the entire time you knew her", if Mrs Shizuki implied that Ritsuko knew about it
Edit: @Firnagzen
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Kyuubey made you forget a word!
And he tricked you into turning the R in our into a T!
SRLYWHYTHO
Tzeentchian Pragmatist, Deutaragonist of my Story
- Location
- A very cold place.
Magic is the only way to enter without turning inmediately into Witch's chowder, and similar.
I mean, we don't actually have parents, or similar, and didn't Hitomi mention once something about wondering how it felt to have siblings?
Angrygenius
Professional Insomniac
- Location
- Florida
- Pronouns
- Him/He
Firn said that it was the only way to enter period though.
Madoka and Sayaka weren't magical girls at the time, so... ???????
SRLYWHYTHO
Tzeentchian Pragmatist, Deutaragonist of my Story
- Location
- A very cold place.
When in doubt, blame, and punt the bunnycat against a wall.
Angrygenius
Professional Insomniac
- Location
- Florida
- Pronouns
- Him/He
Oh yeah, was the little turd with them when that barrier opened?
hmm.