Puella Magi Megami Tensei

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "DON'T BE MEAN TO MY SWORD!!"

"It's okay, Dawn." You mutter to her as you pat her pommel, "I just hurt his pride alongside his... Uh, "weak point"."

"But exploiting vulnerabilities is how battles are won...?" Dawn replies, confusion evident in her tone, "Shouldn't he be content with the duel now that such a glaring issue has been revealed, and in turn can be corrected?"

You almost respond, but you catch a glimpse of Yuki staring at you out of the corner of your eye. Saying that he's confused would be putting it mildly.

"Oh, my sword is alive." You explain a little, "And she's got thoughts and feelings."

"...I'm sure she's a great gal." Yuki replies, thoroughly unconvinced.

"She is, but that's beside the point," You brush past that remark, "I actually found her where we first met! Pulled her right out of the ground, and it was smooth sailing from there! ...Although, I've got no idea where the sheath came from."

You take Dawn and her sheath into your hands, and inspect them both.

...Wait, were there always so much graffiti on her scabbard?

No, it was always jet black. Why has it got a bunch of drawings all over it? For example, there's an eye that looks suspiciously like your own near the top of it, there's a patch of plaid smack dab in the middle, and Dawn's name in big cartoony letters near the bottom.

You blink, staring at the new paint job that seems to react to your touch.

[] ???????????????????????????????????

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "Huh. Neat." ~ Sonic, Dorkly

"...Neat!" You smile, "Hey, Dawn, are those markings new?"

"Indeed, Master Yumi Konishi. You have a keen eye." Dawn replies, "I have designed my scabbard myself."

"Wait, you can control what shows up on here?" You ask, looking at all of the colors, "You think you might be able to "talk" through it?"

"...I suppose I could try." Dawn answers before concentrating for a moment.

The word "Hello" appears on the scabbard. Kohaku approaches, obviously interested in meeting your sword.

...Wait, that sounded like you were planning to kill her for her "insolence" or something.

"Hello there, um, Dawn!" Kohaku happily (albeit awkwardly) greets Dawn, "How are you?"

The colors on her scabbard flow and shift, until a message appears.

"You are pretty."

Kohaku blushes wildly. "I... I am?"

"Of course."

"Man, Dawn is pretty direct!" You chuckle as you hand Dawn to Kohaku, "But yeah, she's alive."

"Your sword... Just calls it like she sees it." Shoji agrees, "Reminds me of you when we were kids."

"Wh-- You know what? I'm gonna take that as a compliment!" You cross your arms.

"Go right ahead!" Shoji laughs, "It's one of the things I kinda respect you for!"

(INT CHECK: 20+10)

As you laugh with your friends, you catch a glimpse of Yuki out of the corner of your eye. He's just... Standing there, staring at all of you. Where once you couldn't discern any emotion other than vague annoyance...

...You see a deep sorrow, laced with jealousy.

He lost his friends, his family, his whole world... But he still recognizes the people he loved in this one. He must be feeling so out of place right now...

[] ????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "Get over here!" ~ Scorpion

You shake your head, "Yuki! Get over here already!" You wave him closer, "Bring it in, you big dummy!"

Yuki looks like he just snapped out of a trance, "Uh, alright...?" He approaches hesitantly.

Watching him force himself to interact with you and your friends brings to mind an abused dog, worried and nervous about every tiny movement.

"So, living sword?" He tries to make small talk.

Shoji nods, "And the sword's a she."

"Exciting times we live in, huh?" You ask, nudging Yuki with your elbow.

"So, Dawn, how do you like Yumi?" Kohaku asks, eyes still locked on your sword.

The words that appear on her sheath say, "She is the greatest master I've ever had."

"...Is she the only master you've ever had?" Yuki asks.

"...Yes."

"Do you have bones?" Pixie asks, deadpan.

"No."

"Aww, dang it." Pixie sighs, "I want to see bones!"

"Wait, when did you...?" You glance at your shoulder, where Pixie sits.

"Oh, I got bored, so I summoned myself!" She replies happily, "Who's Blue Guy?"

"Boy me from another world." You answer.

"Oh, cool." Pixie nods, looking at Yuki, "So, he's like your brother?"

"Kinda." You answer again, "Also, you can talk to my sword now! Her name is Dawn--?"

"Oh, I know!" Pixie smiles, "Hey, do you like killing demons, Dawnie-Girl?"

"...Whuh?"

"Is your blade your body, or like, your teeth?" Pixie asks another question.

"I don't understand."

"Is your scabbard like your clothes?" Pixie... Wait, what?

[] ????????????????????????????????????????

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "Dude."

"Pixie, girl, I don't think Dawn can really answer those questions. She's only been alive for two weeks." You clarify.

"She's just a baby?!" Pixie blurts out, "And you're using her to stab people?! That's metal!"

"Not to mention the fact that she's a sword!" Kohaku adds, "She probably doesn't even know what teeth and clothes are like to have!"

"Come to think of it, I actually don't know exactly when she began to... Well, be alive." You reply, "I just kinda noticed that there was a voice in my head that wasn't mine after I beat Morax." You pause for a moment, "...Or was it after I met up with Kohaku?"

"Man, that feels like ages ago...!" Kohaku says with a wistful sigh, "You rescued me again, after all of that time...!"

Yuki raises his eyebrow, arms crossed, "Is that how you two met up again?"

"Yeah! How'd you meet me in your timeline?" Kohaku asks, only realizing what she said after the words left her mouth.

"Oh, you called Uncle to hire him to kill you." Yuki answers, only realizing what he said after the words left his mouth.

"...Oh." Shoji mutters, "...Oh, uh... I don't even know how to... Continue after that."

[] ??????????????????????????????????????

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "Backstory." ~Yuki. "Why did you just say "Backstory"?" ~Yumi

"...Y'know, we never did get around to figuring your story out." You cross your arms, "Of course, you don't have to if--!"

"I'm not going to." Yuki cuts you off, "Every loop was different for me. It's pointless to go over all of them. From what I've gathered, this series of events is completely new to me."

"Still!" You try again, putting your hand on Yuki's shoulder, "I know things aren't going to be one-to-one, but any info is good info! Plus, I want to hear your strategies for dealing with the Fiends!"

"The who?" Yuki asks, a little confused.

"The Fiends!" You clarify as best you can, "You know, the skeleton guys who keep showing up to kill us?"

"I repeat, the who?!" Yuki asks louder, "I've never fought skeletons! I was hunted by other dark summoners!"

"What's a dark summoner?" Shoji asks as he turns his attention from Dawn to Yuki.

"Oh, it's a demon summoner who uses their powers and demons to cause chaos and bolster themselves. You were one once, and Akemi never stopped being one." Yuki explains casually, "Sakura was labeled as one for a while, but I helped Miki clear her name. Man, Uncle was pissed that I went behind his back like I did...!"

[] ?????????????????????????????????????

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] Plan Namedrop Convos

"Well, some of that has happened here. Madoka, Homura and Sayaka are all summoners, but they got their summoning program from a guy named Stephen." You explain happily.

"Oh, you have him here too?" Yuki asks, "Yeah, he did the same thing for Kaname and Miki where I come from."

"Yeah, and Uncle was pretty peeved with me after I told him. He thought I was trying to "build an army", when I was really trying to help people defend themselves." You continue a little, "You should probably talk to this world's Homura, though!"

Yuki crosses his arms, "Not a terrible idea..." He nods slightly, "...I could do that, get a run-down on--?"

"Actually, I do have a question!" You accidentally interrupt Yuki, "How'd you get your Magatsuhi form without fighting the Fiends? I only figured it out after I watched Matador absorb Magatsuhi."

"Oh, Walters entered a "Proto-Nahobino" State and did it, letting excess fall to the wayside. I just absorbed what was left, and killed her." Yuki says, casual as ever.

"I'm sorry, "Proto-Nahobino"?" Shoji pipes up, "I thought it was "you're either a Nahobino or you're not"."

"That's how it usually is, yeah," Yumi explains more in-depth, "But since Walters's soul was stuck in a gem, it fucked up the union of beings. They were essentially stuck as a "Half Witch Half God" monstrosity. Really ugly, by the way. You threw up."

"...I feel like that's the appropriate response to seeing that." Shoji nods.

"Probably," Yuki shrugs, "But I still gave you shit for it."

"Wait, we're getting a little off topic." Kohaku interjects, "Yumi, you were talking about those skeleton guys, right?"

"The Fiends?" You ask, "Oh, yeah! We were! Uncle Raido said he knew about 'em, and Dante seemed to recognize them, too. In any case, they know more than I do."

"...Who the hell is Dante?" Yuki asks, clearly confused.

"Just another difference between our timelines, I guess!" You pat him on the shoulder as you lean forward, "Anyhow, did you ever have to deal with Eris and Athena gunning for--?"

"Oh, fuck, she's here?" Yuki groans, "Eris is a bitch, but Athena? She's a piece of work. Athena is a spoiled brat of a goddess who constantly underminds even her own allies because "I know best, mortal"! I never let her search for her other half because I had her pegged as a traitor from the moment she said "I'vE USe fOR yOu, mORTal"." He mocks her tone (you think. You've never met her), "Seriously. She's a tool."

[] ????????????????????????????????????????

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] Plan Smalltalk - Tweaked

"I knew she'd be a scumbag, but not a stupid scumbag." You sneer, "She tried to get Hitomi to spy on Shoji for her. Titania thinks that she might be interested in his skills with computers."

"Titania would be right." Yuki nods, "Her plan in my world was to make a shit ton of Dark Summoners to overwhelm the Kuzunoha Clan, distracting everyone long enough to find her other half. She fucked it up the second she tried to "enlist" me, though."

"So, is that how Kyoko and Homura got the summoning program?" You ask, crossing your arms and legs, "I know Stephen gave Madoka and Sayaka the program, but how did Kyoko get it? Heck, how did she even get something to run it on?"

"Well, one, she stole Uncle's phone, two, she stole my phone, or three, Uncle gave her his phone." Yuki elaborates, "Usually the second option, and rarely the first. But more commonly, she'd just ignore the program as a whole. And steal my shit just to prove a point." He adds quickly.

"What point?" Shoji asks hesitantly.

"Beats the hell outta me, she always laughed too hard to bother explaining." Yuki nearly leans back, but stops himself from doing so, "Anyhow, who is Dante?"

"Oh, he's one of those Devil May Cry guys, with his brother Vergil. They kinda just..." You motion vaguely in the air, "...Do their own thing, but they're not really "in the way" or generally threatening. Heck, they even helped out a little! The red one is Dante, and the blue guy is Vergil."

"What, is their dad purple or something?" Yuki asks jokingly.

You all stare at him.

"...No." Yuki shakes his head.

"Yeah." You nod.

"You're not serious."

"Serious as a heart attack."

Yuki snickers a little, "Okay, that's kinda funny."

"Indeed." You agree, "But that's beside the point."

"This conversation had a point?" Kohaku asks honestly.

[] ?????????????????????????????????????????

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] Plan Less Blather

"By the way, I do not recommend fighting either of them." You tell him frankly, "They outclass me in ways I can't even describe, and whatever punishment I can put on them doesn't stick."

"Doesn't stick?" Yuki repeats, "What does that mean?"

"They just kinda... Heal past it." You try to explain, barely understanding the phenomenon yourself, "Vergil will blitz you down without mercy, whereas Dante actually seems to be drawing the fight out. There was blood when I hit them, but the actual wound just... Stops existing."

Yuki stares at you for a moment. "...Oh." He mutters, "That's actually kinda intimidating."

"Yeah, it is. Trust me, I've seen it first hand." You agree, "They're kinda like you and me, at least in the weapons contrast. Y'know, I've got Dawn, and you've got..." You motion vaguely as you lead the conversation back inside, "...Your sword."

"So, one's got a katana, and the other one has a broadsword?" Yuki crosses his arms after sitting back down in the dining room, "That is weird."

"So, you've met Stephen, right?" You change the subject because you don't want to think about Dante for an extended period of time, "How much has he showed up in your world?"

"Not often." Yuki tells you, "I think... About twelve times, outside of our between-loop training sessions."

"Yeesh, he sure makes himself scarce on your end." You lean back, "He shows up... Semi-regularly on my end. We could try asking about it next time he shows up. Oh, and while we're at it, we can--?"

"I'd rather avoid talking to Stephen." Yuki looks away from you, "I... We had some disagreements, and I think I kinda burned that bridge."

[] ???????????????????????????????????????

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "Big oof."

"Oh..." You glance at your lap for a moment, "...Burning that bridge isn't really an option for me. See, that guy you met earlier is one of his guys, and he helps keep me safe when I go to sleep. I kinda... "Fall out" of the world when I lay down for the night, and it's a problem I've had since I moved here. It's actually how Kazuya got here!"

"And Kazuya is... That janitor you mentioned?" Yuki asks, "Works at Mitakihara Middle School?"

"He's their computer technician, but yeah." You stick your hands in your jacket pockets, "I found him half dead in his world when I was asleep. Boy, was I ever surprised when I found him running around Kazamino!"

"...Kinda like me." Yuki mutters to himself, "So, you just pick up strays?"

Before you can answer, the door to the kitchen swings open, and in strolls Kyoko. "Yo, Yumi. Yuma said...?"

"...Guess so." Yuki snickers to himself.

"Who's this blue jackass?" Kyoko, immediately seeing Yuki snickering, puts on her usual defensive persona.

Yuki sighs with a lopsided grin, "Another stray your older sister pulled out of the river."

"Oh, good." Kyoko turns to you, "Put him back where you found him. I'm not sharing a room."

...You honestly can't tell if she's joking or not.

"Sorry, Ponytail, she chucked the receipt. I'm here to stay." Alternatively, Yuki clearly is joking.

[] ???????????????????????????????????????????

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "He's worth one corn chip."

"Believe it or not, he's another world's version of me. Think Kazuya's situation, but more directly connected to us." You try to explain, "...Speaking of which, I should probably tell him before too long."

"...Oh." Kyoko crosses her arms, "That explains why he kinda pissed me off." She speaks casually, (probably) not meaning to offend.

"Never change, Sakura. Never change." Yuki rolls his eyes.

"I already told everyone else in the group chat, so they should all be in-the-know now!" You smile at Kyoko, "Long story short, he's here to stay!"

Kyoko scowls, "...I'm serious about the room thing."

"I don't want your crumby room." Yuki sneers right back, "Just give me Uncle's old room, and I'm a happy camper."

"Wait, does Uncle Raido even know you--?"

Your phone rings.

"...Speak of the devil." You answer your Uncle's call, "Hello?"

"So." Raido begins, the fatigue clearly audible in his voice, "A second you."

"...Yeah?" You nod, despite this conversation being over the phone.

"A... Boy you." He elaborates a little.

"Yes...?" You can't help but feel like you're being interrogated.

"Is he still with you?"

"Yeah, he's sitting right across from me." You glance at Yuki, mouthing the word "Uncle" to him.

Yuki nods, currently plotting the next smart comment to say to Kyoko.

"Good. I'm swinging by."

You sigh, "I really don't want to have to explain again."

"You don't have to. I want to talk to him privately." Raido reveals.

[] ?????????????????????????????????????