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Puella Magi Adfligo Systema

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Right, pulling the Nagisa bit with the expectation that we'll be able to give it the attention it deserves in a future update.
 
Should we maybe add some more hopeful notes about the Constellation, to make sure we don't scare him? He needs to know the danger involved to show why we needed to act, but he also needs to know that we knew we would come back to her.

While Iowa was a threat we couldn't ignore, it was also a fight we knew we could win. We out numbered them about 2 to 1 iirc (I don't remember exactly who all participated) and as dangerous as the Iowa group was they didn't have anything that we didn't have a counter for. Grief economics means that coalitions on the scale of the Constellation are completely unprecedented in the magical girl world, making us one of if not the single strongest unified group around despite our age.

It's a fine line to come across as self assured without sounding arrogant, but I think it's a line worth treading.
 
Torgamous said:
I don't think Sabrina is capable of discussing Constellation without sounding hopeful.
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True enough lol, but I think my point still stands.

I think that along with our explanation of the facts of life of the magical world we should mention that we're working on solutions, and that the Constellation genuinely has the power needed to make things better.
 
... huh. Apparently I never posted the disclaimer for no update last week, sorry about that - had it typed and apparently failed to actually hit the post button. Whoops. That said, I'm really sorry, but the update isn't going to be this week, either, my energy levels are once more out of whack, I'm sorry, and Nagisa's uncle is being uncooperative.

This weekend!
 
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Hazard Course Pt. 53
  • Threadmarks
    • d
    [X] How do you approach telling Momoe Shin?
    - [X] Magic is real.
    - [X] Aliens are real and they're douchebags
    - [X] Aliens give girls wishes to make them magical girls
    - [X] Magic comes from the soul, and creates Grief there. Feeling bad also creates Grief. Grief causes feeling bad.
    -- [X] Grief can be removed with grief seeds or Sabrina
    -- [X] Grief seeds can be acquired by hunting witches or robbing other magical girls
    - [X] On Saturday, we noticed the world's most notorious raiders spying on us, and had a small window to follow their magic back and arrest them
    - [X] We took the opportunity to form Constellation
    [X] Don't have Nagisa around. A lot of this is really heavy, and the light parts risk painting Shin into a corner by telling Nagisa that her big sis is a superhero.

    You watch the city go by, the sound of children playing and distant conversations a muted buzz. Ultimately, though, as the sun dips towards the horizon, Mami's the one to break the silence, taking a deep breath and lifting her head off your side.

    "Mm... if we don't want to rush, for dinner with Mr. Momoe, we should probably leave now," she says, peering up at you.

    "Probably," you agree, and watch as Mami rises gracefully to her feet, offering you a hand and a brilliant smile.

    With plenty of time before the dinner, there's no time to rush back, and so you take your time to walk, taking in the sights as Mitakihara shades towards evening, crowds of people filling out the streets as the end of the workday starts to hit. You can all but feel the city come alive, with the lights slowly starting to turn on as the sunset sky lights up with brilliant oranges and reds and pinks.

    You take a moment to check in with your friends - they're apparently still sorting out the paperwork, and are expecting to get it done later in the evening, and Madoka's happy to inform you that they've already updated Yuki, too, so that she isn't kept waiting, and that Sayaka's convinced Kyouko and Yuma to join them for dinner. Which is definitely a surprise, but you're not complaining at all.

    Still, you make it home, you and Mami getting changed. Back into that same vest suit, since it's the only formal outfit that you own - though it's definitely served you well so far, you feel. Deep, navy blue vest with white, vertical pinstripes, and a collared shirt of pale lavender and matching, narrow-cut trousers.

    "You look wonderful, Sabrina," Mami says, looking you up and down as you emerge from the bedroom. "Absolutely dashing."

    "Dashing, am I?" you ask, beaming at her. She's dressed in a lovely, pale pink dress, cinched in at the waist and accentuated with a dark emerald shawl - not quite matching your colours, but adjacent.

    "You really, really are," Mami says in an utterly fond tone, before her voice turns amused. "When you're not being a colossal dork, to borrow Sayaka's words."

    "But you like that too," you say happily, offering your arm as you start to head out. You hesitate for a moment, then tuck the parmesan and mandarins you'd bought for the Momoes into hammerspace.

    Mami laughs.

    "I do," she admits, her smile mirroring yours. "It's... really, really nice, to not have to be at my best, every single moment."

    You grin at her as you head out. By mutual, silent agreement, the two of you take to the rooftops for this last leg of the journey. This time, you're headed for a sushi restaurant downtown, at Shin's suggestion, and when you arrive, you're shown to a private room rather than being seated at the sushi bar along with the other restaurants. It's a very traditional-looking establishment, low table with cushions laid upon tatami mats and screen walls, muted illumination shining from discreetly hidden LED lights.

    Nagisa's uncle is already there, kneeling on a cushion at the table and waiting for you - a slender, middle-aged man with snow-white hair the exact same shade as Nagisa's, dressed in slightly rumpled business casual with steady brown eyes giving the two of you curious looks as you step into the room.

    "Good evening, Mr. Momoe," you say, bowing politely, Mami echoing you.

    Shin chuckles, shaking his head.

    "No need for that, Miss Vee, Miss Tomoe," he says with a genial smile. "I admit, I was put out about Nagisa being left with your friends, but I can hardly complain that those friends were untrustworthy, either."

    "Even so, I want to make amends and explain the reason," you say. "Especially as those reasons might also pertain to Nagisa, too."

    "Is that so?" Shin asks, his eyes sharpening. "I'll be glad to hear those reasons, but really, amends aren't necessary."

    "Allow us to pay for dinner, at least?" you say, smiling.

    "No," he says, frowning. "No, I'm afraid not." He softens it with a smile. "I'm sure you're sincere about making amends, but I don't think my pride can afford letting two teenagers pay for me. Half. And please, sit down."

    "... half, then," you say, bobbing your head as you take a seat, Mami gracefully folding onto the cushion beside you.

    He laughs.

    "You don't need to make it sound like such an imposition to not pay the whole bill, Miss Vee," he says, pouring tea for the both of you. "But come, let's not talk about such serious matters just yet. Let's make our orders, and discuss after we eat."

    "That sounds good," you say, taking an offered menu and scanning through it. It's sparse, but you expected nothing less of a more traditionally styled sushi place - you take what the chef offers, and consider yourself lucky if you get any choices at all.

    Then again, this isn't quite as fancy as a full-on omakase experience, both you and Mami taking a moment to decide on some relatively simple courses, as does Shin. A button summons the waitress, who takes the order and departs.

    "How has school been?" Shin asks curiously. "You're enrolled in... Mitakihara Middle School, as I recall? The same with Miss Kaname?"

    "Ah, I am, yes," Mami says, smiling. "One year ahead of them. But Sabrina isn't."

    "I'm not in school at all," you say, and grin sheepishly. "I've got all the knowledge and the papers to prove it-" eliding exactly where and how you got those papers, of course, "-and a lot of things to do outside of school, so yeah."

    "Ah, I see," Shin says, blinking. "I think you must have told me that at some point, but it slipped my mind. That said, Miss Tomoe, there's a strong chance Nagisa will be studying there in a few years, too, and I would value an insider's opinion on it, if you don't mind? Do you like the school?"

    "I've certainly had no complaints about the instruction," Mami says with a smile. "I suppose I don't have much to contrast it against, but my experience with the teachers has universally been positive - they're both supportive and well-versed in the material."

    Dinner turns out to be excellent, freshly made sushi served by the wooden platter, with chunks of whole wasabi root arriving with little graters to garnish to taste. Nothing newfangled or adventurous, no rolls or anything, just fresh fish of various kinds on vinegared rice, but delicately flavoured and delicious, paired with fresh, hot tea.

    Ultimately, dinner winds down, the last piece of sushi -the choicest, fattiest bit of tuna belly- going to you and Mami at Shin's insistence. And OK, sushi is supposed to be eaten in a single bite, not split in half, but neither you nor Mami are willing to take it from each other, and the sushi chef isn't here to threaten you with knives for the heresy.

    "So," Shin says, surveying the two of you with an indulgent smile as you wash the sushi down with another sip of tea. "What did you want to talk about, Miss Vee?"

    You exchange a look with Mami, then focus fully on Shin. Nagisa's uncle. His eyes are sharp and focused despite the bags, evidence of lost sleep over the past few weeks. Stress from work, or grief, or sorting things out for Nagisa?

    Either way, this is important.

    "Well... what I'm going to say may sound incredible, but I have proof, here and now," you say. You take a deep breath, your expression serious. "Magic is real."

    Shin blinks, then starts to smile, disbelieving.

    "What do you mean?" he asks, amused.

    You shake your head, smiling in turn.

    "Let me prove it," you say. You snap your fingers, and let the mandarins and Parmesan drop onto the table in front of Shin, pulled from hammerspace with a flex of thought.

    "Wh-" Shin jolts on the cushion, staring at the bag.

    "A gift for you and Nagisa," you offer. "I'm sure she'll like the cheese, at least."

    Shin examines the contents of the bag, giving you a quizzical look.

    "That was a very impressive trick, Miss Vee, but... magic?" he asks, the indulgent amusement fading, but that same disbelief colouring his tone.

    "Magic, in the vein of magical girls, yes," you say gently. "I... take a napkin and tear it into pieces, if you please?"

    You make no motion towards the napkin dispenser, instead laying your hands flat on the table, as does Mami, showing that you're not pulling any trick. Shin, moving slowly, as if hypnotized, grabs a napkin, and shreds it with a few quick tugs.

    "As you requested, Miss Ve-"

    He stares as the pieces rise into the air and reassemble back into a single sheet. Nanofog is all but invisible, after all, and it doesn't take much effort for you to weave cellulose fibers back together, straightening out the napkin back into a pristine whole.

    "I, uh," he says, taking the repaired napkin with shaking fingers and examining it. "Are you a spirit?"

    "Just a flesh and blood girl, I'm afraid," you say. "Just one who can use magic. Mami, too."

    "Why haven't I- how is this a secret?" he asks, expression strained as he smooths the napkin out with trembling motions.

    "There are vested interests keeping magic a secret so it can be exploited towards their own ends," you say, your smile fading.

    For some reason, that seems to ground Shin, a thin, mirthless smile finding its way to his face.

    "Of course there are," he says. "Governments and power. Of course. I... the Imperial Family? Are you- am I- do we have to worry about things like that? The PSIA?"

    You blink, thrown for a loop by the logical leap made. You see his point, you suppose, and given what Toshimichi Akane claims, it's not even a far-fetched idea that the Imperial Family would be dabbling in magic. Nor would it be any great stretch to think that Japan's internal security and intelligence agency would be involved in it, either.

    "Not from any authorities, no," you say evenly. "Government or otherwise."

    Shin's eyes narrow.

    "But there is someone exploiting magic," he says.

    "Unfortunately, yes," you say with a sigh, and grimace. You don't know Shin well, but he seems like the kind of person who would prefer blunt, unvarnished truth to anything else. "They're called Incubators. You can... consider them malevolent spirits, but honestly, they're not from this world. They're aliens, and they're douchebags."

    Shin's eyebrows shoot right up, even as Mami stifles a startled giggle at your phrasing.

    "Aliens," he says, skepticism creeping back into his tone. "Of course."

    Which... you can't really blame him for. It's a lot to pile on at once.

    "Like I said, you might as well consider them malevolent spirits," you say evenly. "It comes close to what they do, anyway. They catalyze Wishes for girls, and in turn, they... harvest magic from our souls. They steal power from us at the moment of our becoming magical girls, and over time after that."

    Shin presses his lips together, staring at you for a long, long moment.

    "... girls, you say?" he asks. "Magical girls."

    "The fantasy sold to unsuspecting girls is indeed that of magical girls," Mami says. "It's a seductive one, with TV shows and movies and manga alike pushing the narrative. It's... one that took me in, and it took Sabrina to break me out of it."

    She shoots you a warm smile, taking your hand beneath the table.

    "Nagisa," Shin says.

    "The Incubators would have grabbed her within days, I'm all but certain," you say quietly. It's the logical connection to make, you suppose, but you're impressed he made that conclusion so quickly. "She has the potential, and the... signs were there. And I wasn't about to let the Incubators claim another victim."

    Shin rocks back on the cushion, pressing a fist to his mouth as his frown deepens.

    "Shit," he concludes, eventually.

    "Yeah," you agree with a sigh. "I... there's more, but... do you need to take a moment to think it through?"

    "No," Shin says, shaking his head. "I need to know. What do these... Incubators look like? How do I keep them away from Nagisa?"

    "They look like this, except white-coloured, with red eyes," you say, shaping an Incubator out of Grief on the table with a wave of your hand. "And..." You sigh. "They are very careful, and... well, they can be invisible. Keep an eye out for them, but... I think the best way is to keep an eye on Nagisa. I'll always look out for her, but I can't be there for her all the time. Warn her of strangers, and ask her to come to you if there's anything unusual."

    An unhappy look flickers across Shin's face, dismay and simmering anger.

    "Then... another related question," Shin says, his expression grim and focused. "What is magic? What can magic do? You were using... some kind of telekinesis, Miss Vee? Is it something that can be learned?"

    "As far as I know, it can't be learned, or granted to anyone if they don't already have the potential. That first question is, uh." You wave a hand vaguely. "It's difficult to answer, and I'll come back to it in a moment, but as to the rest of the questions... magic is an intensely personal thing, and basically every single magical girl expresses it differently. I don't actually have telekinesis - I have control over a substance called Grief, which I can divide so finely it's invisible to the naked eye. Like fog, essentially."

    You demonstrate with an apple-sized blob of Grief pulled out of hammerspace, splitting it over and over into smaller and smaller spheres until it just disappears from view.

    "And Miss Tomoe?" Shin asks.

    "Ribbons," she says, smiling and splaying her free hand out, ribbons dancing between her fingers before twisting into a flintlock pistol in her hands.

    "Which Mami has taken to an absurd level of control and capability," you say, smiling proudly as Mami holds the pistol out to him. "But I've seen other magical girls with superspeed, control over elements, teleporting, cloning, power copying... as I said, basically everyone manifests their magic differently."

    "And all of this is somehow kept secret," Shin says. He nearly drops the flintlock as he receives it from Mami, distractedly running his fingers over it while giving you a skeptical look.

    "The Incubators work overtime to make sure it never makes it to public awareness," you say, grimacing. "I don't suppose you heard about that 'gas explosion' in Sendai a couple weeks back?"

    Shin frowns, then nods.

    "That was a fight between magical girls," you say. "I... Mami and I were there to try and help, and I like to think the only reason it wasn't worse was because we were able to end it quickly and to help out in the aftermath."

    "I see," Shin says, setting Mami's flintlock down on the cluttered table with a click and rubbing his forehead. "I'm sorry, Miss Vee, it's not that I don't trust you, but this is a lot to take in."

    "I'm sorry," you say. "I would have broken it more gently, but things came to a head, and... yeah."

    Shin barks out a short, unhappy laugh.

    "That magic is real is... a wonder. To see proof of it with my own two eyes is a gift," he says. "That it's being exploited by malevolent beings, that my niece is actively being targeted... I don't think there's any way you could have softened that blow. Rather, I appreciate that you're not dressing it up in fancy words and platitudes."

    That's something, at least. You bite your tongue for the moment, letting Shin work through his thoughts, Mami a comforting, ever-present warmth at your side. Seeming to sense your thoughts, she takes your hand once more, stroking her thumb gently over your skin. Shin takes a convulsive gulp of tea, and focuses back on you.

    "... so, why did you have to leave so abruptly?" Shin says at length. "I assume it was some specific situation that arose because of magic, but you said it wasn't the Incubators."

    "You... may have wondered why magical girls would be fighting each other," you say slowly. "And the answer is that being a magical girl has a cost. Magic... magic is the ability to express our wills upon the world, of bringing our souls to bear against reality. The cost to doing so is to have Grief within our souls, more and more - and the term is literal. To have Grief in our soul is to feel bad, to feel bad is to have yet more pouring into our souls."

    "... the same Grief you control?" Shin asks, giving you a sharp look.

    "The same," you say. "I became a magical girl with full knowledge of what it is to be one, and the costs thereof... and my magic is unique in that it lets me limitlessly remove Grief from my own soul, and that of anyone, and congeal it in physical form."

    "And for everyone else?" Shin asks neutrally.

    "Monsters called Witches," you say. "We're obliged to kill them for their Grief Seeds, which we use to cleanse our souls."

    "Ah," Shin says, closing his eyes once more. "Fighting for, for basic sustenance. Among teenagers. And no one's doing anything about it. No one even knows."

    "Sabrina is," Mami says.

    "We are," you say, shooting her a quick smile. "But we're getting ahead of ourselves a little. The reason we had to leave in a hurry was because we noticed, ah, the most notorious raider group in the world spying on us, and we had a very small window of opportunity to trace them back and arrest them."

    "'Arrest'?" Shin asks.

    "There's no governing body of magical girls," you say, and grin. "As you said, no-one's doing anything about it, and I find that unacceptable. We spotted these raiders, and we were in a position to intervene. And we... by 'we', I'm referring to myself, Mami, and some friends of ours from across Japan, we've agreed to band together to form an... organization of sorts dedicated to mutual aid, and to change the world for the better."

    Shin stares at you, unreadable emotion in his eyes, and sighs.

    "Miss Vee, how old are you?" he asks.

    "Sixteen," you say, deciding to skip over the weirdness with your own age. "I know. But someone has to do something. I'm in a position to actually drive some actual change."

    "I don't disagree, but you're sixteen, Miss Vee," he says, shifting uncomfortably on his cushion. "I can only commend your willingness to step up, but you shouldn't have to do this."

    "And teenagers shouldn't be forced into fighting for their lives on a daily basis," you say. "I can do something about that - and I have a duty to. And so I shall."

    Shin sighs again, then drains his teacup and pours himself a refill.

    "If nothing else, I can only admire your conviction," he says heavily. "And offer my thanks for your work to spare Nagisa from being drawn into this. Are there any other adults in the know about this?"

    "There are," you say.

    He hesitates.

    "The Kanames?" he asks tentatively.

    "Not yet. I do plan to tell them, but not yet," you say, and then it's your turn to hesitate. It's not like this is a personal secret of any sort, after all. "It's the Shizukis; their daughter is a friend of ours. You've met her briefly - she has green hair?"

    "Ah. That's something, at least," he says, frowning off into the distance. "Well. I suppose I am reassured of your reasons for having to leave Nagisa with Miss Kaname and your other friends, and I am glad that you trust me with those secrets. Thank you."

    "Do I hear a 'but'?" you venture carefully.

    "No," he says. "Bluntly, Nagisa looks up to you, and I think you're a positive influence on her, even beyond your desire to keep the Incubators away from her. That said, you've given me a lot to think about. I... assume that revealing this secret to others will be fraught?"

    "It's... probably, yeah," you say with a sigh. "The Incubators tend to leave direct relations alone, but go one step removed from that, and..." You snap your fingers. "Also, in the event that you see any girls with a ring and fingernail mark like this? They're almost certainly a magical girl."

    You hold up your left hand, as does Mami, so he can see.

    "I will let you know if I do," he says, nodding. "I need to digest all these revelations. Was there anything else?"

    [] No, that's it
    [] Yes, actually...
    - [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

    =====​

    Fun fact! If the wasabi isn't grated in front of you from the actual root, it's probably not actually wasabi - the stuff loses flavour fast, so the paste you get out of tubes is mostly horseradish with green food colouring.

    Anyway. I'm sorry this update took so long. Just one thing after another, really, but at least it's a decently-sized update?
     
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    • [X] There's a kaiju scheduled in Mitakihara on the 30th. We're gonna kill it, but it'll do a lot of damage first, so be ready to evacuate for that.
    -[X] We asked Nakano Mika to help fix the city afterwards, which we understand has affected his workload. Sorry.
     
    Firnagzen said:
    An unhappy look flickers across Shin's face, dismay and simmering anger.
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    Given his reaction to hearing that Nagisa might be at risk, I feel like some encouraging parting words might not be out of place.

    [] Yes, actually...
    - [] The Incubators prefer to target girls who are alone, feel use- or helpless or have suffered great loss. From what you've seen he's already done a good job making Nagisa a less appealing target, even unknowingly.
    - [] (what Torg said regarding Walpurgisnacht.)

    Anything else that might need covering?

    Edit: also holy shit I cannot believe it just hit me how the best anti-incubator advice is literally identical to keeping children safe from mundane predators
     
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    Woohoo! An update! There was one instance of a comma without a space after it and an instance where you used one word but I think you meant to use another, but I can find neither again over a quick skimming of the update, so I apologize for that. Someone with better/more awake eyes than myself should be able to spot either.
     
    [X] The Incubators prefer to target girls who are alone, feel use- or helpless or have suffered great loss. From what you've seen he's already done a good job making Nagisa a less appealing target, even unknowingly.
    [X] Talk about how we plan to bring in therapists, legal scholars, and business contacts into the secret for their help, so that hopefully things won't be run fully by teenagers in the future.
    [X] There's a kaiju scheduled in Mitakihara on the 30th. We're gonna kill it, but it'll do a lot of damage first, so be ready to evacuate for that.
    -[X] We asked Nakano Mika to help fix the city afterwards, which we understand has affected his workload. Sorry.


    I'm tempted to say we should reveal the whole soul gem thing being literal for consistency's sake since we revealed that to the other parents, but at this point we're at a weird point in the conversation to add that in, and idk if we really need to anyways besides hammering in the fact that magical girl = bad and guaranteeing he understands that filled gem = "death" instead of no magic.

    Maybe some general warning about witches, like if an area seems suspicious empty turn away, or if a person or a group of people are acting weird and unresponsive, while walking in a certain location, call us and go the other way?
     
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    I'm wondering if we could enchant something useful for Nagisa.

    Besides Walpurgisnacht and witches in general, I think the only other thing I feel is important to explain now is that we're going to need therapists, legal scholars and business contacts. I don't remember what Mr. Momoe's line of work is, though.

    I guess we could talk about soul gems but that doesn't seem especially urgent?
     
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    spicyice101 said:
    I'm tempted to say we should reveal the whole soul gem thing being literal for consistency's sake since we revealed that to the other parents, but at this point we're at a weird point in the conversation to add that in, and idk if we really need to anyways
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    He's got a lot to process already. Maybe contact information for other people in the know? Address of Constellation's Tokyo office, so he can hear the Tokyo Council's perspective on things, or even speak with those raiders we arrested? Letting him dig into the subject on his own schedule and initiative avoids single-source biases. Extend an open-ended permission to ask further follow-up questions whenever they occur to him, of course, if that wasn't already clear.
     
    StellarMonarch said:
    Besides Walpurgisnacht and witches in general, I think the only other thing I feel is important to explain now is that we're going to need therapists, legal scholars and business contacts. I don't remember what Mr. Momoe's line of work is, though.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Hard agree, editing my original vote to include this, he's a high level business man, he might not be able to do much for the therapists, but every possible contact helps!
     
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