No, you're right, there's no point in the thread where Firn says "range" outside of a threadmark in that context. It might've been mentioned in the Discord back when that was a thing, but fuck finding stuff from that.
I did find Oriko referencing telepathy wiretapping, and she's pretty reliable about that kind of thing.
Would you like me to go through the Story Only thread tomorrow looking for a case of Kyubey interjecting in telepathy conversations, or is that sufficient?
I feel there is little difference between the assumed and explicit, as we're going to be acting as if it can listen either way. At least, it is an academic thing at present; knowing more about telepathy might allow us to make it both safe and reliable, enough so to risk trying to 'wake' a Clear Seed that has been sufficiently prepared. I suppose I'm just feeling pedantic, especially since I already argued that right now is a horrible time to make that test, when we should be bringing along our de-Witching team. If nothing else, having Nico and Sayaka present might give us more information to use to refine our approach.
Fanart time! I discovered that the 90s live-action Animorphs series is on YouTube recently, and I started imagining what a similarly low-budget vintage adaptation of PMAS would have looked like. I also wanted to test out the brand-new Flux.1 text-to-image AI, so this seemed like a good way to kill two birds with one stone.
Turns out, Flux is just barely at the edge of what my PC is capable of handling if I use every possible optimization. And by that I mean generating a single picture takes several minutes, during which I can barely use my PC for anything else since Flux is using up literally all the RAM I have. The prompt comprehension is amazing, though, and I really liked the way it made Sabrina's wings look like a cheap practical effect. It was even good enough to more or less understand my description of Sabrina's Soul Gem (which every other model I've tried it on, including the otherwise amazing PixArt Sigma, has just ignored entirely), but it came out looking weird enough that I decided to leave it out of the actual generation and add it manually in Krita. After that, I used NTSC-RS to add the VHS visual effect, then finally cropped the image it to a historically accurate 4:3 aspect ratio. If anyone is curious, here's what it looked like fresh out of Flux:
Mika should beat us to the punch on getting Yuki a boat. Sure with the recent earthquake it's a fixer upper and it seems more theme park attraction than actual boat but still it's in the right place and everything.
Edit: It actually sailed apparently? Sailed to Sendai if the google translate of the Japanese version of it's Wikipedia page is to be believed. And it only had hull damage during the earthquake with more extensive damage being done during a storm on April 27-28? (Although it was later found to have a warped hull which might have happened during a different earthquake but that might be an issue of translation.) Guys we have to steal save it!
[X] "Good news! Looks like you're making progress."
-[X] Tell Anri what we sense about Arzt Kochen aside from us seeing details of her happy memories.
-[X] If Anri wants to attempt telepathy herself, spot her.
And inhale.
Just a bare handful of seconds to find that...
Well.
You don't really know, not for sure.
Just a bare handful of seconds to find that there's something in there. You're hesitant to say someone, when even thinking the name Arzt Kochen slides ghostly, sepulchral fingers down the back of your spine. But there is something in there, something sufficiently awake and aware enough to turn its attention upon you, albeit barely so. And...
You have hope.
You have hope that a Witch may be turned back into the girl she used to be. Just as you can feel Dedolere lurking at the bottom of your own soul, so too was Arzt Kochen part of Yuuri's. Maybe, just maybe, there's something there. Everything could be fixed, after all, and that's perhaps a paltry thread to hang your hopes on, but then again, Madoka made that Wish. And you believe in Madoka.
"Well?" Anri demands, impatient despite the scant few seconds you spent observing and thinking.
"Good news," you say. "It looks like you're making progress."
You see hope flare in her eyes, but then it dies again, just as quickly.
"But not enough," she concludes, her fingers curling around the Clear Seed possessively, pulling it away from you once more.
"I... sort of," you say, scrubbing your hand through your hair. "So... please remember that this is as experimental for me as it is for you. For the whole world, because I doubt anyone's been in a position to try something like this before. We're breaking new ground, and I can only speak in guesses at best."
"You still really like the sound of your own voice," Airi mutters, but the way she darts looks at the Clear Seed, then you, gives lie to her apparent indifference.
"You're not exactly giving me a lot to work with," you say mildly, then wave it off. "And it's important to qualify all this as... it's a good sign, a very good one, but I don't know for sure. I'm hopeful, but I don't know for sure."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Airi says, scowling. "What's happening? I- can we get Yuuri back?"
You get the distinct impression that your warnings are going in one ear and out the other, but... there's only so far you can push the matter. You've been promising her the revival of her loved one she thought dead, and there's only so much caution you can put in front of that.
You really, really hope your plan works out, because you suspect she might just shatter if it doesn't. And perhaps your first Witch revival should have been a less emotionally fraught one, but at the same time, some part of you rather suspects that if it works, it'll only work because of Airi's emotional investment.
You chose, long ago, to put this in Airi's hands. Here and now, you choose to leave it in her hands. If she continues to press forward, and you think she will, then you'll help her. But you won't push her. You'll be facilitator and backup and safety net, but you won't be the one leading the charge on this, because Yuuri is Airi's. So you'll make sure she goes into this with open eyes, but you'll let her go into this.
"Your magic's definitely having an effect," you say. "I can definitely sense it in the Clear Seed, and it's not dissipating or anything, as far as I can tell - the Seed is hanging on to it. And..." You take a breath. You really, really hope that she doesn't take the wrong message from this. "The Clear Seed is aware. Whoever's or whatever's in there is fragmented, and hurt badly. Enough so that I can't tell you anything more precise, but... it's aware enough to notice me looking."
"Yuu- she's hurting?" Airi blurts, her fingers tightening around the Clear Seed, then relaxing spasmodically. "I- is it- how do you know?"
You grimace.
"I have a bit of soul-sense I've learned to use," you say. "And I can only describe it by analogy, but you know how you get impressions of the person via telepathy? Facial expressions, their mood, that kind of thing? It's on a similar wavelength - I can feel that something's broken, that the mind is scattered and hurting."
"So Yuuri-"
You hold up your hand with a sharp gesture, and for a wonder, Airi actually lets you speak.
"Witches are in agony, Miss Anri," you say crisply. "Clear Seeds are sleeping. And whoever's in the Clear Seed is neither. Something's different - it's awake, and it's hurting, but it's healing. I feel confident in saying that what you've done has helped it, but anything more specific than that, I don't know."
"I want-" Airi swallows, her throat bobbing. "I- can I talk to her?"
You sigh, leaning back in your Grief chair. You give Airi a long look, at the desperation drawing lines on her face, of the Grief seeping slowly into her Soul Gem.
"It's... not impossible. I'm willing to help you, if you're sure," you allow slowly. "There's a couple of problems, though, and the first is that regular telepathy goes through Kyuubey."
Airi flinches back, her expression collapsing into a frown... and then she nods, expression still stuck in that fierce grimace. No surprise to her, then, just one she hadn't thought of, and it's a problem that she's not going to fight you on. But still, her fingers are clutched tight around the stem of Arzt Kochen's Clear Seed, and you can see the mulish set to her jaw as she opens her mouth again to speak, so you continue.
"The solution to that is also a problem in and of itself," you say. "The only other way I can think of, and that I can teach, would be for you to try and make soul contact - knowingly trying to mingle your soul. And that's dangerous, because you're vulnerable to-"
"Yuuri would never hurt me!" Airi snaps, half-rising to her feet, only for her thighs to jar the table and bounce the laptop into the air.
You catch it with Grief, freezing it midair, then pick it up with your hands, shut the lid, and set it aside gently as Airi collapses back into her own seat, slumping bonelessly as the energy drains away.
"She wouldn't," you agree gently. You're not going to touch the possibility that it might not be Yuuri in there. "If she were in her right mind. What if she couldn't tell if it was you? What if one of the things that's... broken is her perception?"
"She- she would know if it were me," Airi says, her eyes dropping to the Clear Seed in her hand. There's no conviction in her voice even as she insists, "She would. She would hear my voice."
"I never knew Yuuri, but... I believe you," you say. "So. If you're sure you want to try, I don't mind helping you make the attempt? I'll be here to spot you, just in case."
"I..." Airi swallows, staring down at the Clear Seed with desperate hunger on her face. "I-"
You watch as she wrestles with herself, her eyes darting from the Clear Seed, to you, to the wall, her gaze blind as she thinks furiously. And ultimately, she makes an agonized noise, collapsing back in her chair, free arm hanging loosely - and that Clear Seed cradled to her chest.
You want to say something, but you bite your tongue instead. You decided to let her choose, so you'll let her choose.
And ultimately, she slumps in place like a puppet with its strings cut, all her fire gone in an instant even as her Soul Gem seethes with Grief. A simple thought drains it away, condensed and shunted into hammerspace without ceremony.
"It's not enough," Airi whispers, her eyes squeezed shut and Clear Seed still curled close to her chest, clutched in both hands. "I don't- I don't know, it isn't enough. It never works out, it never does."
Silent tears trickle down her face.
[] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)
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Ugh, that took longer than I'd hoped for, I'm sorry.
Anyway. I'll also say that Airi's going to reject any attempts at physical comfort - so if you want Sabrina to go for it, be sure to account for that.
If she wants to make an attempt, perhaps two people pushing Hope-magic at the same time? See if she's willing to push magic at the same time as Sabrina as a telepathy work around?
Though I moderately to severely worry about a magic mixing interaction occuring, like with Mami's ribbons and such...
[X] "Anri, it hasn't even been a week."
-[X] She's regrowing an entire person. This was never going to be quick and easy. This much progress this soon is way more than you were expecting.
--[X] She doesn't have to do this alone. We can figure out how to let everyone else who loved Yuuri contribute.
--[X] We are going to be bringing in more experts on every kind of magic as our alliance grows. There's already someone in Tokyo that might be worth showing this to. Or maybe the pair that showed up today who can function just as soul gems could have some insight.
-[X] This will work out, one way or another. You won't allow anything else, and you don't think Anri will either.
Let's not, then. Trying to touch someone who you know would rather you didn't is pretty much the opposite of comforting, and that goes double if they're technically your prisoner.
Trying to help someone who's filled with despair is *much* more difficult to accomplish alone. It's much less painful, and therefore more effective, if the help has help of their own. While calling in the M5 could help *us*, I don't know if it would help *Airi and Yuuri*, which is the important part.
Mami's friendship ribbons may be able to help channel hope magic more effectively, if she were aware of how all this worked.
Does anyone know if Airi and/or Yuuri have any friends/family of her own that are fully in the know and can help with this? Either way, we can always hold out hope ourselves and help AIri with the process.
[X] "Anri, it hasn't even been a week."
-[X] She's regrowing an entire person. This was never going to be quick and easy. This much progress this soon is way more than you were expecting.
--[X] She doesn't have to do this alone. We can figure out how to let everyone else who loved Yuuri contribute.
--[X] We are going to be bringing in more experts on every kind of magic as our alliance grows. There's already someone in Tokyo that might be worth showing this to. Or maybe the pair that showed up today who can function just as soul gems could have some insight.
-[X] This will work out, one way or another. You won't allow anything else, and you don't think Anri or Yuuri will either.
I would probably mention just how long it normally takes a human to become a person. Would not be surprised if this took as long as it takes babies to go from conception to learning object permanence.
I would probably mention just hope long it normally takes a human to become a person. Would not be surprised if this took as long as it takes babies to go from conception to learning object permanence.
An alternate track would be to appeal to spite. Kyubey wants people to give up hope because then he can harvest their grief. Is she going to give up hope, is she going to let Kyubey claim another victim?
Not sure how receptive she'd be to that argument though.
Maybe encourage her to put any positive thoughts she can come up with in there, every little thing to remind somebody drowning in despair of what there is to live for. Even poignant moments and little annoyances might reach her, where she isn't ready to see hope. In essence, I'm thinking that she needs to try treating the Seed as a depressed person she's talking to with her emotions.
I wonder if non-meguca can add their feelings in. I like the idea of bringing in others who knew her to help out.
I'm also thinking that the first de-Witching will be the hardest, because we simply don't know enough. Proof that it has worked, even once, will inject a lot of hope into the world of magical girls.
So, if her friend is shattered and in pain but vaguely aware, if we try to communicate with her, its very likely all we would hear would be multiple screams or garbled trash noises.
So Anri shouldnt be the first one to make contact.
I think Sabrina herself is better suited, with her infinite multi tasking, but we have to find a way to use telepathy without kyubey
Niko has a way to do that right? Or I remember smt like that... Anyways, Sabrina should go first, see how bad it is and then try to get Anri in the call with precautions.
Meanwhile the Soul contact method I think would be stronger and effective, but MUCH more dangerous, Sabrina has done it before after all and almost fell to the despair being transmitted.
Maybe with some defences up it would be safer, or doing it while the witch is completely dormant.
Maybe the Key is fixing their fragmented souls while they are dormant and then start pumping them with happy magic.
But how can we fix the fragmented soul and mind? Mind maybe that girl with the magic book could work, and soul.... Sayaka with her copy gems and voldemort's power?
So, if her friend is shattered and in pain but vaguely aware, if we try to communicate with her, its very likely all we would hear would be multiple screams or garbled trash noises.
So Anri shouldnt be the first one to make contact.
Remember in canon when Sayaka visited Kyosuke on a bad day and he yelled at her before fucking up his own hand? It would probably be like that but even worse.
Remember in canon when Sayaka visited Kyosuke on a bad day and he yelled at her before fucking up his own hand? It would probably be like that but even worse.
One of the few things Sabrina's confident about here is that pumping them with happy magic is helping them heal.
Again, out of the vote this time, it hasn't even been a week. We're rebuilding an entire person. That some stuff is still broken is only to be expected, and is not in any way a sign that we're on the wrong track.
As for telepathy, I maintain that the ball's in Anri's court there.
You also take a moment to update Noriko and Akemi, Masami and Hiroko, all of them relieved at hearing that the issue has been handled. You do feel like you should drop in on them at some point, but you also feel like you hardly have enough time, these days. You haven't even had time to visit Warehouse-kun for some proper Science in a while, too. You've been wanting to experiment with non-Kyuubey telepathy for a while, just to get off the Incubator wiretapping network.
You nod. That's probably just as well, for their sakes, and you might want to ask after the specifics at a later point. What they have is a step well beyond simple telepathy, and perhaps it could serve as a lead to getting off Kyuubey's telepathic network - and then again, perhaps not. You wouldn't be surprised if it's something entirely unique to their Wish.
Huh. It makes sense, you suppose, given that they have some sort of Soul- and magic- sense. Quite possibly senses plural, come to that. And seeing telepathy isn't a terribly big stretch, and now you're vaguely wondering whether they might also be able to help you figure out non-Incubator telepathy. Admittedly, you aren't too short on options for that, between Mami's connection magic, Niko's general mad-sciency-ness and heck, even Noriko herselves might be an option.
