[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] 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.
[X] Pause flight, turn windows opaque. It's not a privacy field, but it's the next best thing.
[X] Intent: We cannot properly answer Sayaka's question without breaking Homura's trust, so we need to address Sayaka's motive in asking, which is that she's worried about the weirdness with Homura and Madoka. To this end, we need to assure Sayaka that we know what's going on, and that even if we can't tell her, we trust Homura.
[X] Tone: Intensity of conviction. Sayaka has every right to ask, but she needs to know just how much digging into this would be asking.
[X] "I would love to be able to just talk about it, but it would hurt Homura if I did. More than that, it would betray her trust in me, trust that does not come easily to her, because of everything that she's been through. Homura is a hero, in the classical sense of the term, someone who has suffered in the course of trying to do something seemingly impossible."
[X] "I get why you'd ask -- Madoka is your best friend. I've tried to convince Homura to let me talk about the things around all of that, but it touches on some serious trauma for her, enough so that I'd feel really uncomfortable trying to pressure her on it. What I can tell you is that Homura has good reasons for the way she acts, and for keeping so many secrets, and that they'll make complete sense once you have the context for them."
[X] "If you really want to know what's going on, then it'd mean you would have to learn about that horrible secret before we could even look to convince Homura about the rest."
[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] 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] 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] Enroll with an email provider online. Connect it with cell number over SMS.
[X] Enchant some Grief
