Office Complex pt. 12
Lunch, lunch, lunch!
Lunch with your friends. Lunch with Mami, and you'd prepared the special lunch for Mami, too, with your own safely tucked away in your bag. Your smile stretches across your face as you come in for a landing, Grief folding away behind you as you drop to a light landing on the roof.
Mugin flutters to the roof, and then up to the aggressively fency crenellations surrounding the roof. You're reminded of Mami's art homework last night, which makes a bizarre amount of sense now that you think about it. For every staid, practical building in Mitakihara, there's at least one architect's mad fantasy. Of course it'd be covered in the curriculum.
Hah.
You could check the time, but you don't need to - you can almost feel the electric anticipation drawing the air tight as a thousand students watch the clock. And there goes the bell, right on cue, and the strident calls of the class representatives intermixing with the scrape of chairs, and the explosion of noise and chatter.
And there's Mami, a bright, blazing presence sprinting up the stairs. You do hope that she doesn't get in trouble for that.
You meet her at the entrance to the stairwell, both of you laughing in delight as she crashes into your arms and you lift her off her feet into a tight, spinning hug. You kiss her gently on the cheek as you set her down, beaming and trying not to blush too much.
"I missed you," she murmurs, and pulls back a little to stare up at you, wide smile on her face - but only for a second, as her eyes widen to a wondering stare.
Slowly, dream-like slow, her hand reaches up to cup your face, her fingers warm against your skin. Her other hand circles around your wrist, thumb stroking gently over your forearm.
"Your skin is so soft," she marvels, and then her eyes narrow to slits that transform into a disappointed droop of an expression. "Sabrina. Did you go to a spa without me?"
"I-" You did nothing wrong, and yet that tone in Mami's voice sends a frisson of panic and bewilderment chasing through your veins. "Eh? No, no spa."
"Spa? Did I hear that right?" Sayaka bounds up the stairs, a few steps ahead of the rest of your friends. "Oh. Hitomiiiiiiii, cover Madoka's eyes. And Homura's. Mami and Sabrina are being disgustingly lovey-dovey again."
"No, I did not go to a spa," you repeat, endeavouring to stand strong in the face of Mami's disappointed pout. You wrap your arm around her waist, pulling her close. Her hand stays glued to your face, fingers exploring curiously. "I didn't! Really!"
"Your hair does look good," Hitomi observes as she emerges from the stairwell behind Sayaka, armed appropriately for lunch with a lunchbox. "Are you using a new shampoo?"
"What, really?" you say, hand flying up to your hair. It feels the same as ever. And that-
"Still messy," Homura observes.
-oh. You'd scrubbed yourself down after meeting Anri, just in case. Scrubbed yourself down thoroughly with Grief, hair and all, and this, this must be what it's like for everyone else when you jump onto a tangential thought.
"Messy but glossy," Madoka says, beaming. "A bit like Homura's hair! But not as nice."
"Sabrina," Mami says and wow you've never quite heard that particular tone of whine in her voice before.
"I didn't!" you protest, holding up your hand. "I really didn't. I went over to Fukushima to check on Airi, and I decontaminated myself after that by, uh, scraping myself down with Grief."
"Did you, uh, scrape yourself down that hard?" Madoka says, boggling at you.
"I mean, I suppose so," you say, pouting right back at Mami. You tug her into a proper hug, and she sighs fondly before tucking her head against your collarbone.
"Oh, Sabrina," she mumbles.
"Mami, if I ever go to a spa, I promise you'll be right there with me," you say firmly. "I wouldn't deprive you of that!"
"I'll hold you to it," Mami says.
"Oi, what about us?" Sayaka protests.
"I mean, if you want to come along, you can?" you say, obliging Mami's insistent nudges towards the bench. She tucks herself against your side. "We could make an outing of it sometime. Also, uh... My hair? Tell me more?"
"Still a mess," Homura notes, running a hand through her own beautiful, midnight black mane.
Madoka giggles.
"It looks good, Sabrina. The style suits you," Mami says reassuringly, one arm reaching up to thread through said hair. "And it's so smooth!"
"Huh," you say, beaming.
"... I don't use magic in my hair," Homura adds.
"Yes, but that's because you have naturally awesome hair, Homura," you say. "The rest of us lesser mortals have to make do with whatever advantage we can ge-"
"Caw!" Mugin demands, fluttering down from the fences and strutting imperiously over to Sayaka.
"Ah, there you are," Sayaka says, producing a small handful of birdseed from somewhere in her uniform. Mugin noses through the seed, picking out just a few choice morsels from the pile. Probably because it's full, spoiled brat of a bird that it is.
"... And now that that's come up, Sayaka, it's Munin, not Mugin," you say, grinning.
"... really?" Sayaka says, blinking. "But... it sounds better if it's Mugin. Hugin and Mugin, it rhymes."
"Didn't we cover it in class last year?" Hitomi muses "Norse mythology, I mean."
"Mnyeeeh," Sayaka says, sticking her tongue out at Hitomi.
"And while we're on the subject, what pronouns do I use for Mugin, anyway?" you ask. "I've been referring to it as, uh, 'it' in my head this entire morning, and that just feels rude."
"I have no idea," Sayaka says with a shrug. She plops down on a bench, settling her lunchbox on her lap and coaxing Mugin up to her knee. "Let me ask."
"Let's eat!" Madoka says, clapping her hands happily as she sits down onto a bench, claiming the space beside Homura.
You hear the popping of catches, and turn just in time to see Mami's delighted gasp as she beholds the lunch you'd prepared for her: not hearts, because that would be cliché. Instead, you'd carefully arranged the food into a chibi version of Mami herself. Carefully cut strips of fried egg for her hair, black and white sesame seeds and ginger for detailing on her costume...
"Oooooo," Madoka says, craning her head over to look, alongside Hitomi. "Sayaka, come look!"
"Hmm?" Sayaka says, looking away from Mugin and leaning over your shoulder. "Oooh. Very nice!"
"It's lovely, Sabrina," Mami says, beaming at you. "But I don't know how I'm supposed to eat this."
"Rather a conundrum, isn't it?" Hitomi muses, smiling. "I suggest you use your mouth."
"Hitomi!" Madoka protests, stifling a giggle. She pulls out her phone and waves it questioningly at Mami.
Mami laughs, and obligingly holds the lunchbox out for Madoka to take pictures. "I love it, Sabrina. Thank you. What did you make for yourself?"
You chuckle, and flip your own lunchbox open to reveal a considerably plainer meal. "The problem is that there's not much food that's actually blue, so I couldn't figure out how to make my own uniform. I mean, there's blueberries, I suppose, but first of all, we didn't have any in the fridge, and second of all, blueberries don't match for lunch."
"I feel vaguely offended, somehow," Sayaka observes. "Also, Mugin's a he, apparently. He says you brought him lots of interesting places today."
Mugin caws loudly, apparently recognising his name.
"You're a raspberry, not a blueberry," you tell her. "And also, that's good to know, and also also, yes, I did." You pause thoughtfully. "Also-also-also, I'm curious, how much does he actually understand, anyway? I know crows are really smart. Human speech smart?"
"Nah, he doesn't understand human speech, or I wouldn't have to use my power," Sayaka says, shaking her head. "But crows are really smart. The main hurdle was convincing him that humans do things for a reason even if he doesn't understand them, you know?"
"Like... recognising the things we do?" Madoka asks curiously. "I read about that parrot... what was his name? Alex?"
"The grey parrot?" Hitomi asks.
"I think so," Madoka says, nodding.
"Kind of, Madoka," Sayaka says. "It's like... the things we do seem utterly nonsensical, y'know? Birds have no concept of sitting down for four hours in a row to listen to someone teach, that kind of thing. There's no, uh, survival imperative to it, and I don't think I can explain the concept to Mugin, but I could explain that it is useful eventually."
"Makes a lot of sense," you agree, sneaking a smile at Mami, who's produced her own phone to take a few pictures of her lunch. She catches your eye and giggles sheepishly before picking up her chopsticks and tucking in.
You let the conversation wash over you, chatting lightly with your friends as you all blunt your hunger with lunch.
"You visited Fukushima?" Homura asks during a lull in the conversation.
"Yeah, I did," you say, and grin at her. "I was meaning to bring it up, actually, so thanks for the segue. So... first things first, I met the rest of the team."
"How was it?" Mami asks.
"Kind of awkward," you say. "Also, we should do a proper meetup at some point, between our teams, since we're allies, but... OK, first, before I get into details, one of Miss Tsuruya's teammates is named Shinobu."
"Like the mountain?" Madoka asks.
"Exactly like the mountain and damn if she doesn't deserve the name," you say. "She is built like a brick wall, and her biceps are like..." You gesture in the air. "I mean, OK, from the beginning, when I heard her name, I was guessing that Miss Tsuruya's Wish was to literally bring the mountain to life to be her friend."
"I'm actually disappointed that that's not the case," Hitomi notes, daintily tucking away a bite of a dumpling.
"Right?" you say. "I mean, come on, it'd fit. She even has green hair. But she's apparently just a magical girl and I am just so disappointed with reality." You sigh, slumping against Mami in dejection.
Mami laughs, patting your head gently in consolation. "There, there, Sabrina."
"Anyway, yeah, Fukushima," you say, shaking yourself. You summarize the meeting, Sayaka paying avid attention. Madoka and Hitomi too, evidently curious about this team from out of town, and you can feel Homura's watchful eye on both you and Madoka. You tell your friends about the group from Hirano, too.
"I wanna meet the group living in the volcano," Sayaka notes as you wind down.
"Yes," you agree fervently.
"Do they have hot springs?" Madoka asks, eyes bright.
"Prrrrobably?" you say. "I mean, there are hot springs in the area anyway, aren't there?"
"I think so," Hitomi says. "They sound interesting. The group out in the volcano, I mean. Though I wouldn't say no to a visit to the hotsprings..."
"Yes they do!" you agree, grinning.
"Hm..." Mami muses. "I'm not surprised that Miss Tsuruya's group is somewhat wary of us still, but it's good that they had outright stated intentions of working on it. It does bode well for working together with them."
"Agreed," Hitomi says. "They're awfully practical people, aren't they?"
"Suppose it comes with the territory," Sayaka says.
"Hey, speaking of practicalities - I was thinking, Mami, do you think you could contact Chiyoda now that everyone's onboard?" you say, and smile. "Better sooner than later, right?"
"Hm... just to arrange a meeting, right?" Mami says, and smiles. "I think I can do that - but I'll need your help to contact them."
"Ah, right," you say, pursing your lips. "I'll have to ask Miss Nakahara to relay, and... hm. Sayaka? Could you get ready with anti-magic and just blast the two of us afterwards?"
"Are we being that paranoid?" Sayaka asks, pursing her lips. Despite her words, she puts down her chopsticks and reaches behind her back, producing the ring of tabbed power jewels.
"You- we do think they have some kind of mind magic, right?" Madoka says, worrying at her lower lip. "I think it's a reasonable precaution."
"I agree," Homura says quietly, eyes hooded. Her attention divides itself between you and Madoka, her shoulders tense.
Madoka beams at her.
"I'm not sure it'll affect me," you admit. "But it's better to be safe than sorry."
"What, because you don't have a brain to be affected?" Sayaka says, smirking at you.
"Why are we friends again?" you wonder.
Mami laughs, and smiles at you. "It's good to have backup, regardless. Shall we, Sabrina?"
"Ready over here," Sayaka says, cracking her knuckles.
"Hokay... and just to be sure - in case there is any mental contamination, I'll be keeping this to just Mami and myself," you say. You take Mami's hand, squeezing gently before switching to telepathy. Everyone's eyes are on you. "Miss Nakahara? This is Sabrina Vee and Tomoe Mami. Do you have a moment?"
"Certainly. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Tomoe," Kurenai responds after only a moment. You imagine, vaguely, her tossing her brilliantly-red hair. "Your reputation preceeds you."
"Thank you, Miss Nakahara," Mami says, equally polite. "Sabrina has told me only good things about you."
"I'm flattered," Kurenai says. "If I may, what do you require, Miss Tomoe, Miss Vee?"
"We would be interested in contacting the Chiyoda group to set up a meeting, as I believe Sabrina mentioned previously?" Mami says. "With that in mind, would you be willing to make introductions for us, Miss Nakahara?"
"Ah, certainly!" Kurenai says. "Please hold one moment."
You squeeze Mami's hand again, leaning your head against hers. Sayaka, meanwhile, has returned to eating, conversing quietly with Madoka and Hitomi - and, by the looks of it, trying to draw Homura into the conversation too.
"Miss Tomoe, Miss Vee?" Kurenai returns after a minute, a new presence joining the telepathic conversation. "This is Miss Shimada Aoi, from the Chiyoda group. Miss Shimada, this is Miss Tomoe Mami, and Miss Vee Sabrina from Mitakihara."
Hm. Not the enigmatic Toshimichi Akane. You catch Homura's eye, nodding slightly and flicking your eyes to Sayaka - contact made, be wary, and keep Sayaka in the loop.
"Thank you, Miss Nakahara. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Tomoe, Miss Vee," Aoi says, her mental voice low and perhaps a tad rough. "How may I help you?"
"We are contacting you as part of a coalition of magical groups from Mitakihara, Fukushima, and Asunaro," Mami says. "We would be interested in meeting you to establish diplomatic contact and various related matters, among them the disposition of Sabrina's offer for cleansing - though that has since been changed to an offer of what we term Clear Seeds. I understand that has been the cause of some deadlock in the Tokyo Council, and we were hoping we could help resolve that."
"That is indeed the case," Aoi says. She actually sounds excited, to your surprise. "Naturally, we would be pleased to accept! Did you have a particular time in mind? Would this Sunday work?"
Mami pauses, catching your eye.
[] Confirm meeting for Sunday
[] Another time? (Write-in)
[] Anything specific to address to the Tokyo group right now?
[x] Continue vote in abeyance
I'm sorry for the later update again. @_@
Lunch with your friends. Lunch with Mami, and you'd prepared the special lunch for Mami, too, with your own safely tucked away in your bag. Your smile stretches across your face as you come in for a landing, Grief folding away behind you as you drop to a light landing on the roof.
Mugin flutters to the roof, and then up to the aggressively fency crenellations surrounding the roof. You're reminded of Mami's art homework last night, which makes a bizarre amount of sense now that you think about it. For every staid, practical building in Mitakihara, there's at least one architect's mad fantasy. Of course it'd be covered in the curriculum.
Hah.
You could check the time, but you don't need to - you can almost feel the electric anticipation drawing the air tight as a thousand students watch the clock. And there goes the bell, right on cue, and the strident calls of the class representatives intermixing with the scrape of chairs, and the explosion of noise and chatter.
And there's Mami, a bright, blazing presence sprinting up the stairs. You do hope that she doesn't get in trouble for that.
You meet her at the entrance to the stairwell, both of you laughing in delight as she crashes into your arms and you lift her off her feet into a tight, spinning hug. You kiss her gently on the cheek as you set her down, beaming and trying not to blush too much.
"I missed you," she murmurs, and pulls back a little to stare up at you, wide smile on her face - but only for a second, as her eyes widen to a wondering stare.
Slowly, dream-like slow, her hand reaches up to cup your face, her fingers warm against your skin. Her other hand circles around your wrist, thumb stroking gently over your forearm.
"Your skin is so soft," she marvels, and then her eyes narrow to slits that transform into a disappointed droop of an expression. "Sabrina. Did you go to a spa without me?"
"I-" You did nothing wrong, and yet that tone in Mami's voice sends a frisson of panic and bewilderment chasing through your veins. "Eh? No, no spa."
"Spa? Did I hear that right?" Sayaka bounds up the stairs, a few steps ahead of the rest of your friends. "Oh. Hitomiiiiiiii, cover Madoka's eyes. And Homura's. Mami and Sabrina are being disgustingly lovey-dovey again."
"No, I did not go to a spa," you repeat, endeavouring to stand strong in the face of Mami's disappointed pout. You wrap your arm around her waist, pulling her close. Her hand stays glued to your face, fingers exploring curiously. "I didn't! Really!"
"Your hair does look good," Hitomi observes as she emerges from the stairwell behind Sayaka, armed appropriately for lunch with a lunchbox. "Are you using a new shampoo?"
"What, really?" you say, hand flying up to your hair. It feels the same as ever. And that-
"Still messy," Homura observes.
-oh. You'd scrubbed yourself down after meeting Anri, just in case. Scrubbed yourself down thoroughly with Grief, hair and all, and this, this must be what it's like for everyone else when you jump onto a tangential thought.
"Messy but glossy," Madoka says, beaming. "A bit like Homura's hair! But not as nice."
"Sabrina," Mami says and wow you've never quite heard that particular tone of whine in her voice before.
"I didn't!" you protest, holding up your hand. "I really didn't. I went over to Fukushima to check on Airi, and I decontaminated myself after that by, uh, scraping myself down with Grief."
"Did you, uh, scrape yourself down that hard?" Madoka says, boggling at you.
"I mean, I suppose so," you say, pouting right back at Mami. You tug her into a proper hug, and she sighs fondly before tucking her head against your collarbone.
"Oh, Sabrina," she mumbles.
"Mami, if I ever go to a spa, I promise you'll be right there with me," you say firmly. "I wouldn't deprive you of that!"
"I'll hold you to it," Mami says.
"Oi, what about us?" Sayaka protests.
"I mean, if you want to come along, you can?" you say, obliging Mami's insistent nudges towards the bench. She tucks herself against your side. "We could make an outing of it sometime. Also, uh... My hair? Tell me more?"
"Still a mess," Homura notes, running a hand through her own beautiful, midnight black mane.
Madoka giggles.
"It looks good, Sabrina. The style suits you," Mami says reassuringly, one arm reaching up to thread through said hair. "And it's so smooth!"
"Huh," you say, beaming.
"... I don't use magic in my hair," Homura adds.
"Yes, but that's because you have naturally awesome hair, Homura," you say. "The rest of us lesser mortals have to make do with whatever advantage we can ge-"
"Caw!" Mugin demands, fluttering down from the fences and strutting imperiously over to Sayaka.
"Ah, there you are," Sayaka says, producing a small handful of birdseed from somewhere in her uniform. Mugin noses through the seed, picking out just a few choice morsels from the pile. Probably because it's full, spoiled brat of a bird that it is.
"... And now that that's come up, Sayaka, it's Munin, not Mugin," you say, grinning.
"... really?" Sayaka says, blinking. "But... it sounds better if it's Mugin. Hugin and Mugin, it rhymes."
"Didn't we cover it in class last year?" Hitomi muses "Norse mythology, I mean."
"Mnyeeeh," Sayaka says, sticking her tongue out at Hitomi.
"And while we're on the subject, what pronouns do I use for Mugin, anyway?" you ask. "I've been referring to it as, uh, 'it' in my head this entire morning, and that just feels rude."
"I have no idea," Sayaka says with a shrug. She plops down on a bench, settling her lunchbox on her lap and coaxing Mugin up to her knee. "Let me ask."
"Let's eat!" Madoka says, clapping her hands happily as she sits down onto a bench, claiming the space beside Homura.
You hear the popping of catches, and turn just in time to see Mami's delighted gasp as she beholds the lunch you'd prepared for her: not hearts, because that would be cliché. Instead, you'd carefully arranged the food into a chibi version of Mami herself. Carefully cut strips of fried egg for her hair, black and white sesame seeds and ginger for detailing on her costume...
"Oooooo," Madoka says, craning her head over to look, alongside Hitomi. "Sayaka, come look!"
"Hmm?" Sayaka says, looking away from Mugin and leaning over your shoulder. "Oooh. Very nice!"
"It's lovely, Sabrina," Mami says, beaming at you. "But I don't know how I'm supposed to eat this."
"Rather a conundrum, isn't it?" Hitomi muses, smiling. "I suggest you use your mouth."
"Hitomi!" Madoka protests, stifling a giggle. She pulls out her phone and waves it questioningly at Mami.
Mami laughs, and obligingly holds the lunchbox out for Madoka to take pictures. "I love it, Sabrina. Thank you. What did you make for yourself?"
You chuckle, and flip your own lunchbox open to reveal a considerably plainer meal. "The problem is that there's not much food that's actually blue, so I couldn't figure out how to make my own uniform. I mean, there's blueberries, I suppose, but first of all, we didn't have any in the fridge, and second of all, blueberries don't match for lunch."
"I feel vaguely offended, somehow," Sayaka observes. "Also, Mugin's a he, apparently. He says you brought him lots of interesting places today."
Mugin caws loudly, apparently recognising his name.
"You're a raspberry, not a blueberry," you tell her. "And also, that's good to know, and also also, yes, I did." You pause thoughtfully. "Also-also-also, I'm curious, how much does he actually understand, anyway? I know crows are really smart. Human speech smart?"
"Nah, he doesn't understand human speech, or I wouldn't have to use my power," Sayaka says, shaking her head. "But crows are really smart. The main hurdle was convincing him that humans do things for a reason even if he doesn't understand them, you know?"
"Like... recognising the things we do?" Madoka asks curiously. "I read about that parrot... what was his name? Alex?"
"The grey parrot?" Hitomi asks.
"I think so," Madoka says, nodding.
"Kind of, Madoka," Sayaka says. "It's like... the things we do seem utterly nonsensical, y'know? Birds have no concept of sitting down for four hours in a row to listen to someone teach, that kind of thing. There's no, uh, survival imperative to it, and I don't think I can explain the concept to Mugin, but I could explain that it is useful eventually."
"Makes a lot of sense," you agree, sneaking a smile at Mami, who's produced her own phone to take a few pictures of her lunch. She catches your eye and giggles sheepishly before picking up her chopsticks and tucking in.
You let the conversation wash over you, chatting lightly with your friends as you all blunt your hunger with lunch.
"You visited Fukushima?" Homura asks during a lull in the conversation.
"Yeah, I did," you say, and grin at her. "I was meaning to bring it up, actually, so thanks for the segue. So... first things first, I met the rest of the team."
"How was it?" Mami asks.
"Kind of awkward," you say. "Also, we should do a proper meetup at some point, between our teams, since we're allies, but... OK, first, before I get into details, one of Miss Tsuruya's teammates is named Shinobu."
"Like the mountain?" Madoka asks.
"Exactly like the mountain and damn if she doesn't deserve the name," you say. "She is built like a brick wall, and her biceps are like..." You gesture in the air. "I mean, OK, from the beginning, when I heard her name, I was guessing that Miss Tsuruya's Wish was to literally bring the mountain to life to be her friend."
"I'm actually disappointed that that's not the case," Hitomi notes, daintily tucking away a bite of a dumpling.
"Right?" you say. "I mean, come on, it'd fit. She even has green hair. But she's apparently just a magical girl and I am just so disappointed with reality." You sigh, slumping against Mami in dejection.
Mami laughs, patting your head gently in consolation. "There, there, Sabrina."
"Anyway, yeah, Fukushima," you say, shaking yourself. You summarize the meeting, Sayaka paying avid attention. Madoka and Hitomi too, evidently curious about this team from out of town, and you can feel Homura's watchful eye on both you and Madoka. You tell your friends about the group from Hirano, too.
"I wanna meet the group living in the volcano," Sayaka notes as you wind down.
"Yes," you agree fervently.
"Do they have hot springs?" Madoka asks, eyes bright.
"Prrrrobably?" you say. "I mean, there are hot springs in the area anyway, aren't there?"
"I think so," Hitomi says. "They sound interesting. The group out in the volcano, I mean. Though I wouldn't say no to a visit to the hotsprings..."
"Yes they do!" you agree, grinning.
"Hm..." Mami muses. "I'm not surprised that Miss Tsuruya's group is somewhat wary of us still, but it's good that they had outright stated intentions of working on it. It does bode well for working together with them."
"Agreed," Hitomi says. "They're awfully practical people, aren't they?"
"Suppose it comes with the territory," Sayaka says.
"Hey, speaking of practicalities - I was thinking, Mami, do you think you could contact Chiyoda now that everyone's onboard?" you say, and smile. "Better sooner than later, right?"
"Hm... just to arrange a meeting, right?" Mami says, and smiles. "I think I can do that - but I'll need your help to contact them."
"Ah, right," you say, pursing your lips. "I'll have to ask Miss Nakahara to relay, and... hm. Sayaka? Could you get ready with anti-magic and just blast the two of us afterwards?"
"Are we being that paranoid?" Sayaka asks, pursing her lips. Despite her words, she puts down her chopsticks and reaches behind her back, producing the ring of tabbed power jewels.
"You- we do think they have some kind of mind magic, right?" Madoka says, worrying at her lower lip. "I think it's a reasonable precaution."
"I agree," Homura says quietly, eyes hooded. Her attention divides itself between you and Madoka, her shoulders tense.
Madoka beams at her.
"I'm not sure it'll affect me," you admit. "But it's better to be safe than sorry."
"What, because you don't have a brain to be affected?" Sayaka says, smirking at you.
"Why are we friends again?" you wonder.
Mami laughs, and smiles at you. "It's good to have backup, regardless. Shall we, Sabrina?"
"Ready over here," Sayaka says, cracking her knuckles.
"Hokay... and just to be sure - in case there is any mental contamination, I'll be keeping this to just Mami and myself," you say. You take Mami's hand, squeezing gently before switching to telepathy. Everyone's eyes are on you. "Miss Nakahara? This is Sabrina Vee and Tomoe Mami. Do you have a moment?"
"Certainly. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Tomoe," Kurenai responds after only a moment. You imagine, vaguely, her tossing her brilliantly-red hair. "Your reputation preceeds you."
"Thank you, Miss Nakahara," Mami says, equally polite. "Sabrina has told me only good things about you."
"I'm flattered," Kurenai says. "If I may, what do you require, Miss Tomoe, Miss Vee?"
"We would be interested in contacting the Chiyoda group to set up a meeting, as I believe Sabrina mentioned previously?" Mami says. "With that in mind, would you be willing to make introductions for us, Miss Nakahara?"
"Ah, certainly!" Kurenai says. "Please hold one moment."
You squeeze Mami's hand again, leaning your head against hers. Sayaka, meanwhile, has returned to eating, conversing quietly with Madoka and Hitomi - and, by the looks of it, trying to draw Homura into the conversation too.
"Miss Tomoe, Miss Vee?" Kurenai returns after a minute, a new presence joining the telepathic conversation. "This is Miss Shimada Aoi, from the Chiyoda group. Miss Shimada, this is Miss Tomoe Mami, and Miss Vee Sabrina from Mitakihara."
Hm. Not the enigmatic Toshimichi Akane. You catch Homura's eye, nodding slightly and flicking your eyes to Sayaka - contact made, be wary, and keep Sayaka in the loop.
"Thank you, Miss Nakahara. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Tomoe, Miss Vee," Aoi says, her mental voice low and perhaps a tad rough. "How may I help you?"
"We are contacting you as part of a coalition of magical groups from Mitakihara, Fukushima, and Asunaro," Mami says. "We would be interested in meeting you to establish diplomatic contact and various related matters, among them the disposition of Sabrina's offer for cleansing - though that has since been changed to an offer of what we term Clear Seeds. I understand that has been the cause of some deadlock in the Tokyo Council, and we were hoping we could help resolve that."
"That is indeed the case," Aoi says. She actually sounds excited, to your surprise. "Naturally, we would be pleased to accept! Did you have a particular time in mind? Would this Sunday work?"
Mami pauses, catching your eye.
[] Confirm meeting for Sunday
[] Another time? (Write-in)
[] Anything specific to address to the Tokyo group right now?
[x] Continue vote in abeyance
-[X] Have Sayaka anti-magic you of any foreign effects afterwards to be safe.
-[X] Contact Yuki and Kazumi to share the confirmed date.
[X] You'll be going with Sayaka to visit Kyouko this afternoon. Hug Mami and promise to see her after.
-[X] Encourage Mami to hang out with Homura while you're away.
[X] Ask Homura to privately talk with you towards the end of lunch. (Timestop)
-[X] Contact Yuki and Kazumi to share the confirmed date.
[X] You'll be going with Sayaka to visit Kyouko this afternoon. Hug Mami and promise to see her after.
-[X] Encourage Mami to hang out with Homura while you're away.
[X] Ask Homura to privately talk with you towards the end of lunch. (Timestop)
=====
I'm sorry for the later update again. @_@
Last edited:
