Puella Magi Megami Tensei

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] Plan Just Finish It

Before you can shout your orders, the enemy demon attacks again.

(CENTAUR ATTACKS: BUFUFYNE: 10)

Nadja jumps out of the way of its spell, narrowly avoiding being at the epicenter of a blizzard. While it's distracted...

"Raiju, end this! Zionga!!" You shout.

"I'm trying, boss!" He shoots back, casting his spell.

(RAIJU ATTACKS: ZIONGA: 17)
(DMG ROLL: 12+13)
(TOTAL: 82)

The spell collides with its target, and the demon reels back, already dissipating. As it fades away, the Lost Samurai turns to you.

"Good work." He begins, but you have a gut feeling he's not done. "You have a sound grasp on tactics, and you keep a level head even in the midst of battle. However, your skills in demon commanding need honing if you are to reach your fullest potential."

You cross your arms, looking at your party, who are currently celebrating their victory. "What can I improve?" You ask.

"Use your Gauntlet to silently issue commands. If the enemy knows your plan, they can work to counter it. Furthermore, I have noticed that you wince slightly whenever one of your demons takes damage." The Lost Samurai sighs quietly, "Getting hurt is inevitable. Keep in mind that demons, no matter how close you feel to them, are expendable. They can heal easily, revive easily. You cannot. They're meant to assist you, not the other way around."

You prepare to speak, but you stop before you begin.

"Am I "expendable" as well?" Dawn asks in her usual curious tone.

"That is..." He seems caught off guard by the sudden question, choosing his words carefully, "...Not a particularly easy question to answer."

...

[] At the end of the day, yes. Dawn is expendable.
[] No.
[] Hell no.
[] Write in...?

The world rattles. You hear something pound on your skull, viciously screaming out its solemn order.

Let me in.

Before you can even double over in pain, your teacher shoves you away. Then...

(CHOOSE A TRAIT.)
[] Arms Master: Physical skills cost half as much MP to cast.
[] Trade-off: RPL: Light, Wk: Ice, Force.
[] Drain Ice.
[] Do away with the traits, gain +2 Skill slots.

(CHOOSE A MODIFIER.)
[] A chill in the air...
[] Specks of red fill the night...
[] Bend to my will.

...You wake up. As you fully wake, you discover a noticable weight on your arm. You slowly lift the blanket...

...Only to find Yuma snuggled up to you. She's sound asleep.

(INT ROLL: 11+5)

There are tiny wet spots near her head. If you weren't looking right at them, you might not have noticed. She was crying...?

Did she have a nightmare?

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

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] Absolutely not.

"Absolutely not." You reply to Dawn. "Never."

Just as you think this, the world begins to rattle...

PRESENT...

[X] Drain Ice.
[X] Specks of red fill the night...
[X] Pet Yuma's head

You smile slightly, patting Yuma on the head softly. She doesn't stir, surprisingly, but she smiles a little. You should probably get up soon, though...

"Oh, you're awake?" Kohaku asks quietly, "Here, I'll just make breakfast myself today. Just so you don't have to wake up Yuma!"

You smile at her, giving Kohaku a thumbs up with your free hand. "Thanks."

She doesn't reply, turning around and walking over to your stove. She hums quietly as she works on breakfast, expertly grabbing her required ingredients.

She's gonna be an amazing cook someday. Hopefully, you'll be there to eat some of it! You bet it'll be really tasty...!

"...Mm?" Yuma finally wakes up at the sound of cooking, "Good morning...!" She groggily greets you, rubbing her eyes.

"Morning, Yuma!" You smile at her.

You hear a dull thud from the other room, and sure enough, Griffon flaps out and perches on a chair. "Man, it was great to spread out! My wings feel amazing!"

"Did you kick Yuma out of her bed?" Kohaku asks cheerfully, holding the frying pan. "Answer truthfully, now."

"Hey, she just had a nightmare or whatever!" Griffon defends himself, "No, not the "me" kind, before you ask!"

You look back to Yuma, who looks a little embarrassed. "...Yuma had a bad dream." She admits.

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

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] Hug Yuma, "That's okay, do you wanna talk about it?"
-[X] "Want to know a secret? We have bad dreams sometimes too."

You lay your other arm over her, "That's okay, Yuma. Do you want to talk about it?"

"...Mama was there." She admits, "And she hurt Yuma. And Big Sis Kyoko." Her voice wavers, "A-And Big Sis Yumi...! Yuma was scared...!"

You pull her in. "It's okay, it's just a bad dream." You reassure her, before adding, "You wanna know a secret?" When she nods, you continue, "Even we have bad dreams sometimes."

"I can attest to that...!" Kohaku mumbles, keeping her focus on cooking.

"Just remember that it was all imaginary!" You smile as Yuma slowly attempts to sit up. "Dreams can't hurt you."

Griffon scoffs, but doesn't grace you with a sarcastic comment.

As you attempt to find a way to reassure her more, Kohaku finishes her work, already setting the table.

"Are you hungry, Yu-"

Yuma flops up, gets her feet on the ground, and marches to the table.

"...ma?" You finally finish.

Kohaku shakes her head, "She's very food motivated...!"

You sigh fondly. Never change, Yuma.

You follow suit, slowly getting up to eat breakfast. You stretch out, hearing your back pop as you settle back into your usual posture.

You make your way to the table, where everything is all ready for you. Griffon takes the opportunity to glide over to the couch, taking up the entire seat.

Looks like Kohaku made omelettes for everyone! Yours even has ketchup!

[] Breakfast topics?

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "What's the plan today?"

"Hey, Kohaku!" You take a bite of your omelette, "Is there anything you wanna do today?"

"After we discuss the Disciples situation, you mean?" She replies, playing with her hair, "Not really. I mean, I'd like to relax at the park, but besides that..."

"Eh, we can just wing it for today!" You smile at Kohaku.

"Isn't that what you do every day?" She responds coyly.

"Fair, but it works!"

You take another bite, and have a thought. "Say, Griffon, how common are Nightmares anyways?"

"I mean, including me, I've only ever seen four." He adjusts himself on the couch, "And I'm the only one of them who can talk, by the way. Weird, right?"

"So, we won't have to worry about finding one in the "wild"?" Kohaku air quotes the word.

"I wouldn't bet on it, but you guys are weird. Physical manifestations of trauma brought about by crazy magic demon swords aren't too commonplace, no matter how weird you guys are!" Griffon pecks at the TV remote. "C'mon, stupid thing! I wanna watch the news!"

Yuma finishes her omelette, and hops off her chair, heading to the shower. The cane that Griffon apparently came out of rests near the head of her bed.

You try to take another bite of omelette, but discover that you've already eaten all of it. You've been getting lost in thought recently...

Before you can ponder any more, Kohaku swipes your plate and makes her way to the sink.

"You want some help? I can't let you do all the work!" You offer.

"No, I've got it!" Kohaku smiles at you, "Just relax, let me do something for you for once!"

You sigh, sitting back down.

Seems like Griffon got the TV on, and the sound of some morning talkshow fills the room.

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

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] Lampshade Hanging.

While Yuma's in the bathroom, you might as well look around what was supposed to be your room. To be honest, you're not really torn up about her being in here.

You see some boxes that you've (still) neglected to unpack. Maybe you should look through, just to be safe. Worst case scenario, you dig out some of your older clothes!

(LUK ROLL: 17+1)

...Oh, hey! It's that old photo album Shoji put together back in the sixth grade! You were wondering where this went...!

You crack it open, and take a look at all of the memories Shoji captured...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Child of man, can you hear me?"

Unresponsive. That girl did a number on this one...

"I would like to make a deal with you."

Unresponsive. Her breathing is slow, nearly unnoticeable. Her eyes make their way to you.

"My terms are as follows, so listen well. You will act as my Godslayer, and do my bidding. You will do as I instruct without hesitation. In return, you will be granted--?"

"You...!" She says in a raspy voice, "Why... Do you...?"

"It's quite simple." You shouldn't have to explain this to a mortal, why are you humoring her? "Humans are granted the greatest power of all. They can observe the world, and imprint emotions onto--"

"You feel... Famil... Iar..."

"Familiar?" You repeat.

"Why...?" She barely speaks.

You stare at her, face deathly still.

Now that she mentions it...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You reach the last page, where you find a certain picture. In this photo...

[] ...Is Kohaku, who seems incredibly awkward being the focus of the shot.
[] ...Is Shoji, taking a selfie. He seems honestly happy.
[] ...Is you, trying to goad everyone into a kendo match.
[] ...Is the whole group. Shoji, Kohaku, and you! Dad took this one!

You smile, closing the scrapbook. That was a nice trip down memory lane...

You get up off the floor, and step out of the room. Yuma's almost ready for school, and it seems Kohaku has jumped in the shower.

Yuma looks like she's lost in thought, kicking her legs off the side of the couch. Griffon has retracted his wings, leaving space enough for Yuma.

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

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] ...Is the whole group. Shoji, Kohaku, and you! Dad took this one!

You smile, remembering Shoji's reluctance to let your Dad hold his camera. He always protected it.

You wonder if he still has it...

[X] "Do either of you have a plan for what Griffon is going to do while you're in class Yuma? Because if he's staying out of the staff he might prefer to wait outside of the school."

"Do either of you have a plan for what Griffon is gonna do while you're in school?" You ask to both of them, but mainly Yuma.

"Huh?" Yuma tilts her head at you.

"Yeah, I'm staying in a tree or something." Griffon lowers the volume, "Them teacher types don't like guys like me too much."

"You're not going with Yuma?" Yuma asks.

"I'll go with you, but I ain't going inside!" He explains, "Jeez, are you even--?!"

"Staying out of her class is for the best." You reassure Griffon's decision.

"See?" Happy to be agreed with, Griffon begins, "I told you I-- Hey! That was an insult!!"

The bathroom door opens, and Kohaku steps out, stretching. "All yours, Yumi!" She got dressed just after getting out of the shower.

You nod, quickly entering the bathroom. As you shower, your mind wanders...

(×3 INT ROLLS: 19+5, 20+5, 13+5)

Victoria might still be alive. You should keep your guard up, just in case she tries anything...

Magatsuhi... What even is it? Why and how does it come from humans? How can you use it to do... All that stuff?

Soul Gems are an enigma wrapped in a puzzle inside of a riddle. Are they crystalized souls?

You sigh, reaching for the knob to turn the water off--?

"Ah, Yumi Konishi." Kyubey greets you from the bathroom window, "I have a matter to discuss with you."

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

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "At least wait for me to clothe myself, what is it now?"

"Shit, can you at least wait for me to get some clothes on?" You growl at Kyubey.

"Of course." Kyubey swishes his tail, not moving from his seat on the windowsill.

You glare at him. "...While not staring at me?"

"Fine, fine." Kyubey hops to the sink, and you finish turning the water off.

Fucking creepy beady eyed shit.

You grab your towel, and get your clothes on soon after. Then, you open the curtains.

"So, what do you want?" You ask, clearly already fed up with him.

"Did you kill a Magical Girl the other day?"

"What? No, but I fought one." You answer, "She got nabbed by a demon, though."

"I see. That is expected, but nonetheless disappointing." Kyubey stares at you.

"That I fought her, or--"

"That she was abducted." Kyubey clarifies, "She was quite useful in making contracts, you know."

(CALM DOWN.: 5+5)

"Are you about to ask me to rescue that bitch?" You mutter.

"If it's convenient, I would--"

"Go fuck yourself." You sneer, moving to step out of the bathroom.

"Perhaps Kyoko Sakura would be interested, then." Kyubey thinks aloud, "If I were to promise a reward of some kind..."

(HE'S TRYING TO PLAY YOU.: 16+5)

You take a deep breath, keeping your absolute hatred of Kyubey under control. What is his game here? Why come to you if he's just gonna ask Kyoko...?

Your eyes widen.

He knows that Kyoko can't effectively fight demons. This is a veiled threat.

"Do this for me, or Kyoko rushes to die." That's what this is.

Damnit all!

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

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] He's trying to play you. Deflect.

You drum your fingers on your Gauntlet. "Shouldn't you know where she is?" You deflect, trying not to show emotion, "I mean, you can just go wherever you want. What makes you think I can find her if you can't?"

"I cannot locate her Soul Gem." He explains, "Furthermore, she was abducted by a demon, correct? That is, decidedly, your area."

"Hm." You make a noise at his reasoning. "We'll have to continue this later, seeing as I need to--"

"Take Yuma Chitose to her class?" He finishes for you, "I must say, it is rather disappointing that she is with you. I could have made a contract with her to--"

(AUTOMATIC ACTION, ALIGNMENT OVERRIDE)

"Do yourself a favor and never suggest anything like that again." You speak with a deep pit of anger towards the rat. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Kyubey barely has time to speak again before you shut the bathroom door in his face. Hopefully. You weren't looking.

You huff, trying to rid yourself of the scowl currently plaguing you. Just get Yuma to school.

Kohaku eyes you warily as you get ready for your walk, before finally approaching you. "Yumi, is something wrong? You look... Upset."

Yuma is too focused on "helping" Griffon get ready for school to notice your conversation.

Kyubey is a bad way to start your day.

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

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "The rat told me."

"I just got word from the resident rat..." You point your thumb to the bathroom, "...That the crazy Magical Girl from the junkyard had a "change in vitals" or something."

"Good for her. Why should we care?" Kohaku asks casually.

"He can't find them anymore, namely." You add.

"So, she's dead?"

"That's best case scenario." You sigh, "You know how potent healing magic is, right? I'm thinking we're gonna see her again, only with some demonic friends to back her up."

"She'd fit right in. Now..." Kohaku deadpans, standing up. "...Enough about Kyubey and crazy Magical Girl killers. Let's get Yuma to school, and worry about all that later."

You smile, "Good call! You ready, Yuma?"

Yuma slings her tiny backpack onto her shoulder, holding the strange cane in both hands. She nods at you, prompting Griffon to become airborne.

"Ugh, finally!" He bemoans, "I thought you were gonna let little Broccoli here do my nails!"

You and Kohaku give him a confused glance.

"...I'm serious! She was gonna!"

Your confused glances turn to each other.

Before any more confusion can set in, you begin to walk Yuma to school...

...Only to be met with Pyro Jack.

"Hee-Hello, valued customer!" He greets cheerfully, "Jack Bros. General Store has some new stuff to sell! Need Life Stones, weapons, cool accessories, and slash or body armor?"

"...First, why did you say the slash? Second..."

[] "...After I'm done taking Yuma to school."
[] "...Later today. I'm kinda busy."
[] "...Not in the cards right now. Sorry, bud."
[] Write in?

 

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] Yumi: "It is what it is."

"Sorry, guys, I'm getting real low on funds at the moment." You admit, sighing, "But if I find some cash on the way back after I take care of Yuma, you'll be the first place I check."

"Oh, okay." Pyro Jack floats slowly behind the railing, "Just thought I'd ask, Hee-Ho. Well, I'm gonna bother some of the other Hee-Humans from the other night!"

As you process what he just said, Pyro Jack floats away, lantern in hand.

"So, is that just what demons do around here?" Griffon asks, "Just open stores?"

"These ones, I guess." Kohaku replies, not entirely sure of herself.

"...Anyways." You begin to make your way to the stairs, "Let's get you to school, Yuma."

"Yuma likes the pumpkin guy's big hat!" She says, running up to join you.

You ruffle her hair, and truly begin your walk.

(EVENT ROLL: 57)

Although you keep an eye out for the resident psychopath, you don't see any sign of her. Good.

...Or maybe not. You need to at least find out if she's dead or not, if for no other reason than to put you at ease.

Come to think of it, you haven't seen any demons, either. Guess they aren't really morning people, which is understandable...?

You were so lost in thought that you almost walked right past the school. Bopping yourself on the head, you turn to see Yuma off.

"See you tonight!" You wave, which Yuma returns. Griffon perches in a tree not too far away, probably getting ready to nap.

"Back home, then?" Kohaku smiles at you, beginning to walk back the way you came.

You nod, "I guess, but maybe we can make a plan on the way--?"

To your surprise, you see Kyoko stomp out of an alleyway. Her hair is a little... Crazy, and she looks like she hasn't slept.

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