[x] Answer her. That's a good part of it. Yes. [x] Why? The short answer is Homura cares for Madoka very much and is doing the best she can to keep her safe. [x] The long answer is complicated and involves things I can't tell you and aren't mine to tell. I was hoping one day she'd tell you herself. [x] Homura has her reasons. They are good ones and they'll make complete sense to you once you have the context but only then. [x] Sayaka? She's a good person. Just... be patient with her okay? Things are hard for her.
[X] Pause flight, turn windows opaque. It's not a privacy field, but it's the next best thing.
[X] Intent: Establish that this topic is kept secret to protect Homura from emotional damage, and involves other secrets too.
[X] Tone: Frustrated with your inability to act and fix things, sympathetic to Sayaka's right to ask (it's her best friend who is the target of this, after all), and sombre empathy for Homura's reasons for keeping quiet.
[X] "Goddess, I would love to be able to talk about it, but it would be a breach of Homura's trust, and it's hard enough for her to be able to trust me -- trust anyone -- as it is. She's been burned by opening up to people before, and been called a liar and a traitor because of it. Even more, talking about this would get into some really painful, traumatic stuff for Homura, so I don't feel right trying to pressure her into talking about it. I've been talking to her about all of it, trying to help, but there's only so much that talking can do when dealing with years of trauma."
-[X] "It would also mean getting into that other secret, the one that's bad enough that if Chiyoda is using memory magic toward it... I don't approve, but I can understand someone using it on enemies, allies, and friends."
[X] Pause flight, turn windows opaque. It's not a privacy field, but it's the next best thing.
[X] Intent: Establish that this topic is kept secret to protect Homura from emotional damage.
[X] Tone: Frustrated with your inability to find a better solution to the problems at hand, supportive of Sayaka's right to ask (she has good reasons), deep empathy mixed with admiration for Homura.
[X] You'd really like to explain everything to her about it, actually, but doing so would involve outright harming Homura.
-[X] The thing is -- and she should emphatically not speak of this to anyone, as you're only telling her it because you aren't certain it's safe to not -- that Homura's past is outright legendary, and like many legends it is not happy. She has suffered evils almost beyond belief. One result of this is that she doesn't want her past talked about -- at all, if possible. Another is that you are deeply unwilling to do wrong by her. She is owed that, and by far, far more people than just you.
--[X] To be clear, you don't feel that Sayaka has done something "wrong" here -- on the contrary, she has good reasons to be asking these questions. The problem is the collision between the good reasons on both sides. You've honestly been expecting it, but... it hasn't made dealing with it any easier.
---[X] ... If she starts treating Homura like she's been Hitomi, you will have words. She needs friends and the ability to take things at her own pace.
[X] It's one of those things that's not mine to tell.
[X] I'd tell you to ask Homura about it, but she's probably not ready. It's difficult for her to talk about it even with me, but I am watching out for Homura, and Madoka too.
[X] Do let me know if you think Homura's behavior is troubling Madoka, you know her better than I do.
[X] Sayaka did notice
-[X] How does she think Madoka feels about that?
-[X] Is she aware what sort of answer she is asking for?
-[X] Would she leave it to us to schedule a time for her to ask Homura?
-[X] We want to help them during a complicated conversation that might result.
-[X] We can't speak for Homura, but we can vouch for her.
--[X] By the Goddess.
[X] Consider Chinese IRC contact with Sayaka
[X] Enchant some Grief
[X] Answer - [X] Goddess, I wish I could talk about it. But it isn't my story to tell. Homura, well, you know how private she is about herself. Talking to you about any of that, revealing anything, no matter how little... It would be a breach of her trust. I'm sorry. All I can say is she has her reasons for the things she does, how she acts, everything. Looking out for Madoka, well, she has reasons for that too. I hope she'll be able to tell you them herself, eventually. {Vaguely This, I'll Let The Thread Threadpilot. Or Sabrina. Or Firn.} [X] If there's time left before school ends, go to a library and contact the Japanese meguca IRC. Standard greeting protocols. -[X] Sayaka's clone can join the important outreach/shitposting if she wants.
[X] How do you answer Sayaka? - [x] Confirm in vague terms. Reassure Sayaka about Homura's intentions. You want Sayaka to support Homura, not go digging and set her off. - [x] Apologize for not being able to say more. You hope that Homura will be able to tell everyone everything one day, but for now Homura trusts you to keep her secrets. - [x] In the meantime, assure Sayaka that Homura is a good person and doing what she can to help. Everyone deserves helping, but she deserves more than most.
