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Puella Magi Adfligo Systema

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[X] Torgamous

Firnagzen said:
She purses her lips. "I will make it a hard condition that you keep me updated on any relevant changes in a timely manner. I don't think that's too much to ask - and I insist that you inform Miss Nakano, as well as Miss Watanabe and Miss Saito."
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We do need to talk to them about the recent Rebellion revelation.
 
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To work on my art skills I've been drawing the stories which over the years I found inspiring. Excellent writing draws vivid images in my mind and I've always wanted to return the favor. Not quite ready to draw my more complicated ideas, but one step closer today!
So here's to PMAS!

(I went back to the early updates to check how Sabrina's outfit was described. Apparently her pants are dark grey not blue?)
 
Godwinson said:
Yep, there's an official reference art image here, though admittedly they do look bluish in the image's composition.
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See that's the thing! That exact image was one of the ones I checked before drawing. I saw it and thought "Yup that looks blue".
Then I read the line about them being grey - and decided to make them blue anyway. Because that was just the thought which was in my head.

Admittedly I could have gone with a darker blue. Call it an artistic license.
 
JayTar said:
To work on my art skills I've been drawing the stories which over the years I found inspiring. Excellent writing draws vivid images in my mind and I've always wanted to return the favor. Not quite ready to draw my more complicated ideas, but one step closer today!
So here's to PMAS!

(I went back to the early updates to check how Sabrina's outfit was described. Apparently her pants are dark grey not blue?)
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Ooooh, thank you! I do always love fanart; I'll add it to the index! :D
 
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Riding Shotgun pt. 1 New
  • Threadmarks
    • [x] What are your morning plans?
    - [x] Go visiting somewhere?
    -- [x] Noriko, Akemi, and the Soujus

    You make it over to Madoka's place at a stroll, content and warm with Mami at your side, despite the chill steadily creeping into the air. The weather forecast predicted unseasonal snowfall tomorrow, if you recall correctly, though you're not sure that's still true given the way the Iowa girls were messing with the weather.

    In some ways, unseasonal snowfall might be a good thing - it'd lend additional credence to warnings of other unseasonal weather, like, say, a monstrous superstorm arriving with very little warning.

    The windows of the Kaname residence glow with light, an almost palpable sense of cheer radiating into the dark of the night. It's a quiet neighbourhood at this hour, lush greenery transformed into soft, waving shadows by the glow of the street lights and moon.

    Madoka's the one to greet you at the door, beaming happily with Tatsuya toddling along at her feet.

    "Hi Mami, hi Sabrina!" she says cheerfully, taking a smooth half-step back and expertly scooping Tatsuya up in a side-long carry before he can escape, grunting slightly with the effort. "Good timing!"

    "Hi Madoka, hi Tatsuya," you say, returning the smile and carefully ruffling Tatsuya's sparse, dark pink hair. You give him a solemn look. "Tatsuya, I must tender my most sincere apologies to you. The last time we met, I referred to you as a baby. I have since concluded that this was in error, and I apologise from the bottom of my heart for not referring to you as a toddler, as I should have."

    Tatsuya stares at you with big, uncomprehending eyes as you bow.

    "Um?" he says.

    You lean slightly towards Madoka even as Mami muffles her laughter into her hand.

    "He is, like, four years old, right?" you stage-whisper to her.

    "Just three years old!" Madoka whispers back, giggling. "But he's tall for his age. Come in, come in, Hitomi says it'll be soon and they were thinking of calling you, but you're here a little early. So come in, it's a homework party!"

    "Huh, must be your father's fault he's so big," you say, snickering as you shuck your shoes and step in after Madoka.

    "Ah, that reminds me that I'll have to do catchup, too, since I wasn't in school today," Mami says ruefully as she follows, swinging the door shut behind her.

    "I hope it isn't too bad..." Madoka says as she lets Tatsuya down. He immediately toddles over to you and latches on to your leg, staring up at you in undisguised fascination. "If it's anything like taking a sick day, catching back up with everyone else is always the worst part."

    "I'm sure it won't be," Mami says. "And besides, I have Sabrina to help!"

    "That's right, you get to monopolize Sabrina," Madoka says, giggling.

    "I do indeed," Mami says gravely.

    "I, of course, am an entirely neutral party and have no opinion on the matter," you say loftily, reaching down to ruffle Tatsuya's hair again. "What about you, Tatsuya? What do you think?"

    "You're like papa!" he says, holding his hands out to you. "Up, please?"

    "Sure, sure," you say with a laugh, and bend down to scoop him up into a side-long carry.

    "Ah, he likes you." Madoka beams. "C'mon, let's go!"

    You share a smile with Mami as you follow Madoka, Tatsuya happily snuggled into the crook of your arm. Madoka heads up the stairs, to the room you recognise as hers, side-stepping around a new chair in the corridor -plain, lacquered wood, but expertly carved- and pulling the door open.

    "Hey, everyone," you say cheerfully as you breeze into the room. "Did you know that the word 'rosette', which in English is a French-derived word that could be used to refer to reddish or pinkish shades of hair, also refers to a kind of sausage?" You beam at everyone, especially Madoka. "I'm definitely not imagining you with, like, charcuterie in place of your ribbons, by the way."

    "I like sausage!" Tatsuya contributes.

    "... so, logarithms, inverse trigonometry, algebraic functions, regular trigonometry, and exponentials last of all?" Hitomi says over Kyouko's muttered 'Jesus Christ,' turning deliberately away from you to face Homura.

    Homura nods at you in acknowledgement, then turns to focus on the homework sheets.

    "It's a guideline, not a hard rule," Homura murmurs. "And even then, it can be complicated. Look at the next question."

    "Mm... arctan," Hitomi says, frowning thoughtfully. "Uhhh..."

    "Oh, I know this one!" Madoka says brightly, lowering her hands from her hair and skipping over to grab her pen. "v is one, and arctan is u!"

    "Is one an algebraic function?" Sayaka muses. "I mean, x to zero is one, right?"

    "Bah, no-one appreciates my genius," you say, sniffing haughtily. "Also, yes, constants are formally zeroth order polynomials."

    "I appreciate you," Mami says, patting your shoulder.

    "Bah, I say," you grumble as you carefully let Tatsuya down and settle in for the homework session.

    It's a little odd to have Kyouko and Yuma here at all - by all accounts, Sayaka wrangled them into showing up with the promise of food, the stack of takeout boxes in the corner testifying to the noble sacrifices of the meals in question. That they're still here is probably testament to Kyouko being bored, but... you're hopeful that it means she's a little more amenable to being social.

    And certainly she's content to laze about and throw out the occasional jibe, despite mostly focused on sucking down an ice-pop and the manga she'd produced from somewhere - Yuma flopped on Madoka's bed with an earlier issue of the same series. You don't recognise it, but she and Yuma seem to enjoy it, so it's not like you're going to argue with that. Given the situation, you consider raising that idea of getting Yuma enrolled in school, but... it doesn't seem like the right time to press Kyouko on the matter.

    You're happy enough to spend your time helping out with homework, chatting with everyone, and helping Mami catch up on the day she missed. Tatsuya dozes off on your lap at some point, apparently unbothered by the noise and rampant math occurring all around him.

    But all good things must come to an end, and in this case, it's interrupted by Hitomi's phone lighting up with a cheerful, tinkling ringtone. She steps out inot the corridor to answer it, and when she returns, it's with a firm nod and a slight smile as she catches yours and Homura's eyes.

    The four of you -Homura, Hitomi, Mami, you- promise to return soon, Madoka gently lifting Tatsuya off you and making you promise to come back soon. And so you head out into the night to meet a harried-looking man who brushes off your apologies with a confused look and a rejoinder that he's being paid overtime for the rush job. Hitomi gives you a sheepish smile when you look at her, and notes that her father helped pull some strings, and you choose not to think about the fact that strings pulled or not, there's apparently little fuss in handing over a house to a teenager.

    Homura signs the paperwork with a steady hand and a cramped scrawl of her name.

    Yuki meets you and Mami at Warehouse-kun, declining a flight from you, instead choosing to take in the view of Mitakihara at night: a breathtaking web of light and life, woven together by human hands and spirit, and the three of you rejoin Homura and Hitomi before the house, just a few streets over from Madoka's.

    It's a sleek, modern building -made with modern materials and standards, apparently- and smaller than the Kaname family home, of course, but it still has a generous, inexplicable garden and patio space. Two stories tall, a grand floor-to-ceiling window 'round the side... entirely dark, for the moment, the utilities not yet set up.

    "A lovely place," Yuki says. "Miss Akemi, seeing as the building is yours, would you care to do the honors and to go in first?"

    "Does it matter?" Homura asks, looking down at the keys in her hand.

    "My magic works best on homes," Yuki says. "If you would care to live here, that would be even better, but I understand that this is a means to an end. Even so, small gestures help - I could have taken claim of this house even before you signed for it, but this is easier and stronger."

    "We might turn this into a way station of sorts, I think?" you note, glancing at Homura for permission. She just seems pensive, motioning for you to continue. "We don't have any particular plans nailed down yet."

    "I'm aware," Yuki says, flashing a sharp little grin to take the sting out of it. "A waystation... a transitory home, a transitory transport hub. It does feel right."

    "I do like the idea of Mitakihara becoming a hub of international magical girl travel," Mami says. "Well... it feels like it already is, some days! But I think that's a topic for another day."

    "I still have homework to do," Hitomi notes mournfully. "And don't you dare apologize, Sabrina. This is a worthy cause, and it isn't even remotely you driving all this to happen, or even at this hour."

    You shut your mouth with a click.

    "You can be terribly predictable sometimes, Sabrina," Mami says, her words bolstered by a firm nod from Hitomi.

    Homura snorts softly and strides forward. A jingle of the keys, and the door swings open to reveal the darkness beyond - right up until Homura produces a flashlight and continues onwards, shoes discarded.

    "Tadaima," she murmurs. I'm home.

    "Okaeri," you respond as you follow her in. Welcome back.

    It doesn't take much longer to resolve the business of joining the house to Yuki's network. Cold and empty the house might be, but you do have hopes that it won't always be, and judging by the satisfied smile on Yuki's face as she sinks her magic into the walls and ground and space of the house, it will suffice. Hitomi hangs back watches with a curious eye, observing the glow of purple limning the house with faint awe and sharp interest.

    Still, that's all there is to it, Yuki noting that her she'll revoke her claim on Warehouse-kun and departing with a wave over her shoulder as she vanishes through the doorway. Literally so, disappearing between one step and the next with a pulse of her magic.

    "Do you think it'll work?" Homura asks, amethyst eyes on you. But there's something about the way she asked, the set of her jaw and the tension in her shoulders that tells you that the question runs deeper than her words.

    Do you think that putting something like this, so close to Madoka, was the right choice? True, it would mean that emergency reinforcements for Madoka would always be close at hand, beyond Homura herself or anyone she can wrangle. But it means trusting another magical girl, it means putting magic near Madoka.

    "I think so," you say, and grin. "And even if it doesn't, I'll make sure it will.

    "As Sayaka is not here, I feel it is my solemn duty to take up her exhortations in her stead," Hitomi says, raising an eyebrow before she smirks. "Lighten up, you two. Homura, I know it's a lot of money, but you certainly didn't seem to care up until now. If it doesn't work out, I'll help figuring out what next, too. Maybe renting?"

    Homura shrugs.

    "You know how it is with realizations setting in only after you commit to a course," Mami chides gently. "Besides, I think we'd all like for this little project to work out."

    She gives Homura a meaningful look.

    "True, true," Hitomi says. "Shall we head back to Madoka's? I still have a bit of homework I'd like to tackle before we head home for the night."

    "Yeah," you say. "Let's go."

    Homura is the last to leave, giving the empty house a long, lingering look before moving to catch up. You offer her a smile as she joins the group, and she nods slightly. Worried, but for the moment, satisfied.

    The rest of the night passes uneventfully, Tomohisa stopping by with snacks midway through the little homework party. You wind up running late enough that Madoka offers to let everyone sleep over, but ultimately, no one takes her up on that offer, lured away by the siren song of your own beds, and Madoka sees you all off with a smile.

    It's late by the time you and Mami make it home, Kyouko and Yuma in tow - Yuma yawning widely and leaning against Kyouko.

    "Long day," you say, yawning yourself.

    "It does feel like it's been a long day," Mami agrees, sighing happily and stretching. "But a good one. Kyouko, would you and Yuma like to shower first?"

    "... you first," Kyouko grumbles, and turns a scowl on you. "In return, you don't wake us up in the morning."

    "I make no promises if the smell of food wakes you up," you say with a grin. "But yeah, thank you. Ah... I won't be joining you for hunting Witches tomorrow morning, but maybe later?"

    "Tell me 'bout whatever and we'll see," Kyouko says, rolling her eyes and ushering Yuma off to the guest room.

    You exchange a helpless glance with Mami, who shakes her head slightly. Best not to press right now, and you've already discussed ideas for how to work things out. Best to leave it be for the moment.

    By the time you and Mami have taken your showers, dried off your hair -with a trick of magic Mami shows you- and bedded down for the night, you're stifling yawns of your own. It's not that late by any grand standard, but it sure feels like it's been a long day, and you're grateful for the rest. You're asleep moments after your head hits the pillow, Mami curled up in your arms.

    =====​

    You awaken to a chill in the air and the alarm in your ears, for once. You almost start reaching out to silence the noise before realizing that it would let the cold air into the nice warm cocoon of blankets, so instead, you smack the button down with just a bit of Grief. You take a moment to luxuriate in the warmth and of Mami's arms around you, but a discontent murmur against the back of your neck tells you that Mami's waking up too.

    "Time t' get up?" Mami mumbles.

    "A few more minutes," you tell her.

    Mami makes another wordless, grumbling noise and tightens her embrace.

    It's chilly today - not quite the snowfall promised, you think, but definitely unseasonably cold. You lie there for a few minutes longer before sighing and reluctantly starting to sit up.

    "Cold," Mami whines, latching stubbornly onto you to try and retain the heat.

    "It is, rather," you say. "But we've got to get up now to make breakfast."

    "Do we really have to?" she mumbles.

    "'fraid so," you say mournfully. "Wish we could just stay here the whole day, but..."

    Mami sighs, eyes still firmly shut as she curls herself tighter around you in an attempt to prevent you from escaping the bed. Sadly, you have to harden your heart and gently chivvy her out of bed and off to the bathroom to ready herself for the day.

    By the time Mami emerges, significantly less dishevelled, you already have breakfast started - a corn potage in the pressure cooker, rice in the cooker, and eggs being whisked for omelettes enough to add to lunch. An incongruous mix of food, maybe, but you think Mami would enjoy it, and there's nothing that says a breakfast has to be thematically aligned. And some warm soup against the chilly day sounds perfect.

    "'morning, Mami," you say cheerfully.

    Mami smiles sleepily and shambles towards you, only stopping when she butts her face against your back and wraps her arms around your waist.

    "Good-" you feel her crack a yawn, "-morning, Sabrina. I don't understand how you're always so awake."

    "Magic," you say solemnly.

    "Must be," she mumbles into your back.

    With Mami there, it's your turn to go wash up, and she gives you an amused look when you return - commentary about the mismatched breakfast, but then again, she started frying some fish to go with it, so really, who can say? Either way, it's a good breakfast, your telepathic call full of the usual grousing and morning cheer.

    Kyouko and Yuma are still asleep by the time you and Mami head out for the day, to your surprise - you'd half expected the smell of food to wake them up again, but then again, you can respect a determination to sleep in. Still, whenever they do wake up, they've got a big half-pot of soup and fish and omelettes waiting for them. You even remember to collect the cake for Kagoshima girls, storing it in your hammerspace.

    The day is beautifully crisp, the chill hanging off the wind and dew and swirling with the wind, and yet, a brilliantly blue sky stretches overhead, the sun just barely beginning to peak over distant buildings. Light jackets and coats abound, the people of Mitakihara undaunted by the cold snap. It's just another Tuesday, after all, unusual weather or not.

    "Good morniiiing!"

    You're greeted by cheerful calls as you make it to the park in front of Mitakihara Middle School. Madoka and Hitomi have their uniform coats on, but both Homura and Sayaka seem to have decided to eschew them, Sayaka waving enthusiastically at you as she always does.

    "'morning, everyone!" you say, beaming at everyone. "Hope you all managed to sleep OK?"

    "Ahh, it's fine, I've stayed up later," Sayaka says, rolling her eyes. "'sides, we cleared our homework. That makes it productive."

    "Unlike staying up to play video games, you mean?" Madoka snickers, giving Sayaka an impish look.

    Sayaka gives her a betrayed look.

    "Call of Duty?" you ask idly, a vague memory tickling your mind, of Sayaka identifying one of Homura's shotguns with rather specific terminology.

    "... no," Sayaka says rather unconvincingly, looking away.

    "Hmm," you say, narrowing your eyes. Sayaka refuses to meet your gaze. "Well, we should get some multiplayer games to play sometimes... Hitomi, do you play, actually?"

    "The occasional single player game," Hitomi says. "But I've never touched competitive games, no. What about you, Homura?"

    "... I've never tried," she admits quietly.

    "Well, we can't have that," Sayaka says. "Bet you'd be great at FPSes or something... well, actually, maybe you'd enjoy something calmer? Hm..."

    Homura blinks at her, then you, carefully hidden bafflement on her face. You grin back and shrug slightly - Sayaka means well, after all.

    "There are plenty of co-op games releasing, too," Mami contributes with a smile. "We can definitely find something that will suit all of our tastes, I imagine."

    "It's settled, then," you say cheerfully. "We'll figure out something that works for all of us... no, wait, we need to figure out what Homura likes, first."

    "That sounds like a lot of fun!" Madoka says, clapping her hands. "Oooh, maybe Homura would like Pokemon?"

    "It's mostly single-player, though, and I'm not playing competitive against Hitomi," Sayaka grumbles. "Never again."

    "It was a aesthetically appropriate team," Hitomi says smugly, turning her nose up.

    "Rayquaza," Sayaka says simply.

    "Aesthetically appropriate," Hitomi repeats, raising a hand to pat her hair.

    "A life orb Rayquaza!" Sayaka complains. "And a tyranitar."

    "It could have been worse," Madoka says philosophically. "She could have, ah... what was it? The training for stats?"

    "EV training?" you offer.

    "Yes, exactly!" Madoka says. "Could have been worse, Hitomi could have EV-trained it!"

    You snicker, and nudge Homura.

    "Hey, Homura, had a thought - you have a smartphone, right?" you ask, even as Madoka, Sayaka, and Hitomi slip into an easy rhythm of banter and teasing.

    "I do, yes," Homura says. "Why do you ask?"

    "Oh, I was thinking that I might make us a game of some kind if we can't agree on one," you say. "Something we would all like."

    "If you say so," Homura says. "You're visiting Kagoshima today, correct?"

    "Yeah, in the afternoon," you say. "I'll do my best to get them on board, but did you have anything specific in mind?"

    Homura hesitates, then shakes her head.

    "You'll probably have an easier time recruiting them," she murmurs.

    "I won't let you down," you promise.

    The six of you fall into an easy, ambling rhythm, meanderingly slowly towards the school, wending past dew-studded greenery alongside all the other students drifting in the same direction in herds and cliques. You're just one of many, friendly teasing and gossip and complaining about school abounding, and it's achingly normal, not a hint of magic coming up.

    Finally, it's time for them to head in, and for you to head off. You say your farewells, sharing a hug with Mami. You're graced with a kiss on your cheek, as has become tradition, and then she's off, glancing back at you every few steps. A familiar ritual, at this point, but one that still pulls at you - it will take time for Mami to set aside her fear of abandonment. But she'll have that time, you've long since promised yourself.

    You find the truancy officer eyeing you as Mami vanishes beyond the school doors.

    "Miss Tomoe's on my list to watch for today," he says gruffly. "She was sick yesterday?"

    "She wasn't feeling well, yeah," you say. "But she's feeling much better now."

    "I'm glad to hear that," he says. He gives you a long look, then nods. "Best wishes to her, then."

    "I'll pass them on," you say, and grin cheekily. "See you tomorrow!"

    He nods at you, and you head out. It's only a few minutes before you leave the school behind, a telepathic call reaching ahead of you to check whether the formerly-Shiogama girls are alright with you visiting - and they are, so you take to the rooftops. It's not a long trip across the city before you're dropping down to the apartment, letting yourself into the building via the rooftop access.

    " Our angel!( She has come!) " the Souju's twinned voices ring out in your mind well below you actually reach their shared apartment. " What is your wish?( What do you command?) "

    [] How do you want to approach the Soujus?
    - [] Try to dissuade them from calling you an angel
    - [] Try not to show your discomfort with it
    [] You're here to check in on the living situation with the Shiogama girls and the Soujus, are you after anything specific?
    - [] Also, the Soujus shared a technique for handling Grief. Investigate it more
    - [] Write-in (word count limit: 150 words)

    =====​

    Gaaah, I hate to have left the update this late, but here we go, at least?

    Also, so - according to official material Tatsuya's four years old. But as @Godwinson pointed out to me, he's depicted younger than that in the anime, just in terms of what we see on screen, and I was treating him as being younger the last time we saw him here, so... yep. Splitting the difference.

    Also also, you know what? It's been a dang long time coming, and it feels good to say this again: thus ends Hazard Course, and thus begins a new chapter: Riding Shotgun!
     
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    • [X] How do you want to approach the Soujus?
    -[X] Try to dissuade them from calling you an angel
    --[X] Tell them that you'll discuss the accuracy and theology(?) of that later, but that for now you're just asking them to not call you that sort of thing because it makes you uncomfortable. You've got all this power and responsibility, sure, but you prefer to think of yourself as a fellow magical girl first and foremost. Even if they think it's being disrespectful, you'd consider it a personal kindness if they were to be disrespectful like that.
    [X] You're here to check in on the living situation with the Shiogama girls and the Soujus, are you after anything specific?
    -[X] Also, the Soujus shared a technique for handling Grief. Investigate it more
    -[X] Make sure that there's not been too much friction between the Soujus and Noriko, and that immediate needs are handled and any medium-term concerns can be brought up.

    I've gone ahead and drafted a quick, rough vote for handling the angel thing at least. Sabrina needs to start dealing with how her power and role means she absolutely is not an ordinary magical girl, and that her wanting to be considered such is a sort of vanity/coping-mechanism on her part.
     
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    My concern with their living situation is making sure that there's not been too much friction between the Soujus and Noriko.
     
    Godwinson said:
    --[X] Tell them that you'll discuss the accuracy and theology(?) of that later, but that for now you're just asking them to not call you that sort of thing because it makes you uncomfortable. You've got all this power and responsibility, sure, but you prefer to think of yourself as a fellow magical girl first and foremost. Even if they think it's being disrespectful, you'd consider it a personal kindness if they were to be disrespectful like that.
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    I would recommend dropping it after this. If they persist, then we're not likely to break it ourselves and may need to involve professionals.

    Continuing to argue over it after that point is just extra stress and a distraction that we don't need right now.
     
    artanis00 said:
    I would recommend dropping it after this. If they persist, then we're not likely to break it ourselves and may need to involve professionals.

    Continuing to argue over it after that point is just extra stress and a distraction that we don't need right now.
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    "Later" wouldn't be later in the day, it'd be, like, after Walpurgisnacht.
     
    Firnagzen said:
    there's apparently little fuss in handing over a house to a teenager.
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    I wondered back when Sabrina set up her bank account, with how accommodating the people at the bank were, exactly how many Wishes have been for money or a place to live.

    Firnagzen said:
    "Cold," Mami whines, latching stubbornly onto you to try and retain the heat.
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    Nanofog heating would fix that issue, letting you have the wonderful coziness of a warm bed in a cold room without needing to leave the bed before warming the room up.

    Firnagzen said:
    " What is your wish?( What do you command?) "
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    I suspect "wish" is a word that is a bit fraught, particularly when coming from a pair with seeming Wish-induced psychosis.
     
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