Puella Magi Megami Tensei

[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "No one is ever truly gone."

"...That's why you've gotta keep living." You tell him, "Y'know, for the people we've lost in the past, and the ones we'll meet in the future. And in that, you'll never truly be alone. You'll fight together in spirit, if nothing else."

At first, Kazuya doesn't respond. He simply looks down at his lap, deep in thought. Then...

"...That was a little corny." He cracks a small smile, "Even for you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." You faux-huff, "But those kinds of unbreakable bonds are what means everything to me!"

"Yes, you've made your point." Kazuya stands up slowly, "The others in there are lucky to have someone like you."

"What do you mean?" You ask, standing with him.

"You're compassionate." He explains, "You care about them, all of them. You explain, you embolden, you rally..." He sighs, shaking his head, "...And you managed to get me out of my slump. You actually listened, and provided feedback instead of telling me to "get over it". That's got you a pretty decent score in my book."

It's a little disheartening to you, being thanked for basic kindness like this. Just how bad were his supposed "friends"? But before the words leave your lips...

"I didn't even notice that I was hungry." Kazuya shakes his head, "Do you think that pizza place down the road accepts Macca?"

"What-- no, we've got dinner ready!" You walk past him, opening the door, "Spaghetti!"

He looks taken back for a moment, then follows you. "Sounds great." He comments, "Smells great, too."

"Yeah, Grandma's the best cook I've ever met!" You open the door to--?

"Oh, hold on! It gets better!" Grandpa says, voice haughty, "That demon wanted to fight me, but Mei decided she didn't want her dance interrupted! So she just blasted the thing with a glance!"

Sayaka roars with laughter, slamming her hand onto the table. Kyoko chuckles to herself, nudging Mami all the while. Madoka is happily listening to Grandpa's story.

Grandma sighs, shaking her head, "I had bought a new dress for the night, and I wasn't going to let some overzealous demon ruin it." She seems a little embarrassed...

...But then again, she's smiling.

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] Enjoy a nice dinner with everyone~!

"Did Kohaku get a plate?" You ask, reaching for the bowl of noodles.

"She was the first one I served!" Grandma replies with a smile, "Now, eat up! I won't let anyone leave with an empty stomach!"

Everyone helps themselves, and begin eating heartily.

"Hey, Madoka," Sayaka begins in between bites, "Do your parents know you're here?"

"Yes, I called them about an hour ago!" Madoka nods, "Dad said that he's happy that I'm interacting with everybody!"

"Ooh, Oriko, look!" Kirika shakes Oriko's shoulder, "There's a kitty here~!"

"Yes, dear, I see it...!" Poor Oriko has to reorient herself in her chair, "Yumi, you never mentioned that your grandparents owned a cat."

"Huh?" You turn where Kirika is pointing, and sure enough, there's a black cat perched up on a cabinet. "When did you guys get a cat?" You ask.

"Oh, that's just Gouto." Grandpa answers casually, "He's Raido's."

Kyoko nearly chokes. "That guy has a cat?" She blurts, "I thought he'd have, like, a fish!"

"I always pictured him with a basset hound." Mami crosses her arms.

"Kitty...!" Yuma stares at the cat stop the shelf, wide eyed.

"I suppose Raido is here, then!" Grandma chuckles, "Gouto only shows up when he comes home."

As if on cue, the door opens, revealing Raido. He must've left his overcoat at the door.

He sighs, flopping down into the closest chair, and helps himself to a plate of spaghetti. He seems tired. Preparing for the Disciples must have been exhausting.

"Hello to you, too." Grandpa remarks dryly.

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "You guys info dump, I'm hungry."

You know what? It's been a long day for you. You've had two separate entities try to eat you, an open war to prepare everyone for, and you've just about had it with today!

The others can interact with each other without your say so! You'll just be here, eating your spaghetti!

Your uncle looks at you, "...You're quiet." Raido remarks, taking a small bite of spaghetti.

"Raido, she's had a stressful day." Grandma leaps to your defence, "Let her eat."

"We've all had a rough day." Homura interjects, "Personally, I appreciate a little silence." (That's Homura code for "Shut up".)

"I must agree." Oriko nods, calmly gathering another bite, "Did you add anything to this sauce? It tastes... Sweeter than the sauce I buy at the market."

"That's a secret!" Grandma smiles, "But thank you for the compliment."

Raido uncomfortably shifts in his chair, "...I've got our "bunker" ready. Just need to stock it with--"

"Got some water bottles in the closet, and canned food in the kitchen." Grandpa cuts him off, "Oh, and if you need it, there's a whetstone under the--?"

"Do the grocery stores around here accept Macca?" Kazuya asks, "I can pitch in if they do."

"Macca is demon money, right?" Sayaka asks, trying to commit it to memory, "I always get Macca and yen confused. Like one time, I handed the clerk--"

"Classic Blueberry Blunder." Kyoko grins.

Mami sighs, "Please don't tease dear Sayaka, Kyoko. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Except Oriko!" Kirika blurts.

"Especially Oriko." Homura retorts.

"True." Oriko agrees, taking another bite of spaghetti, "I was initially poised to be your enemy."

"Oh, right." Kirika looks at you, "How's your back, anyhow?"

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "It's good, no thanks to you."

"Homura and Mami gave me a once over, so it got pretty healed up." You tell her, twirling your fork in your spaghetti.

"Um, not to interrupt, but it was just Homura who helped you." Mami corrects you, "I was keeping watch while she worked."

"Ah, yes. Our first meeting." Homura quietly reminisces, "That marked the end of my sense of normalcy."

"What happened to your back?" Shoji asks, leaning back in his chair to get a better look at your back.

"Oh, yeah! You weren't here yet!" You clear your throat, "I had a bit of a tussle with these two when I first got here." You say, pointing to Oriko and Kirika, "That was before I even had my first demon, actually. That same night, I got my--?"

"I'm sorry, they attacked you?" Raido cuts you off.

"Yeah?" You answer, "But now, we're friends."

Raido stares at you in confusion for a moment.

Grandma shrugs, "That's our Yumi."

"She's always been like this?" Kyoko asks, chuckling.

"Anyhow, back on the topic of money," You cleanly move along to the next topic, "Jack Bros. General Store accept both yen and Macca! A trip there could be worthwhile!"

"Maybe, but I doubt they stock food." Kazuya interlaces his fingers on his lap, "I'll head there on the way home."

"I might visit as well." Raido adds, "Might have some interesting wares."

"Raido, sir?" Madoka begins, getting your uncle's attention, "May I, um, pet your cat?"

Raido shrugs, "If he lets you."

Madoka nods, reaching under the table. "He's soft!"

You look to the cabinet where he once resided, then under the table. Sure enough, he managed to get under there without you noticing.

The black cat's back arches as Madoka pets it. "His name is Gouto, right?"

"Yup."

The voice that answered was not your uncle's.

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "I'm not a cat!" - The cat I found in the Metaverse

You take a deep breath, and sigh. "Okay, I know I'm the last person who should be saying this, but you guys heard that too, right?"

"Yes, I definitely heard that." Homura answers, looking under the table.

"The cat?" Kyoko asks, "What about it? It just meowed."

"Another talking cat." Sayaka mumbles, "Great."

Madoka is still in shock, unable to respond to the conversation.

Mami looks over to her pink friend, "Madoka, are you all right?" She asks, a slight tone of worry in her voice, "You look a little pale."

Raido grumbles, holding the bridge of his nose. "...Damnit. I knew I forgot to mention something...!"

"My uncle's cat talks." You rationalize, "I... Should be surprised, right?"

"I'd be surprised if the situation was flipped." The cat, Gouto, says, "But yeah, I can talk."

Gouto, not wasting a moment, hops up onto Madoka's lap. Then, he climbs up on the table.

"...I was right." Gouto says to himself, looking at you, "You are a dead ringer for her."

Oriko simply stares at the cat, unable to form any coherent thought.

"Hey, furball!" Kyoko growls, "Off the table!"

"Kyoko, you don't have to yell at the poor thing!" Mami scolds her friend, "That approach rarely works with animals!"

You look to Raido, a deep confusion in your mind. "How are they not...?"

"Only those who have directly contracted a demon or gained demonic power can understand him." Raido quietly relays, "I'll explain later."

"Please, do." Oriko mutters, staring at Gouto.

"Gouto." Grandpa begins, restraining his voice as well as he can, "Off."

"Just ask me nicely." Gouto hops onto your lap, making himself comfortable.

Yuma looks like she wants to pet him.

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "So is Gouto a demon, or...?"

"So, uh, is Gouto a demon, or...?" You trail off, hoping for your uncle to explain.

"No, he's just an immortal cat." Raido states plainly.

"Works for me." You shrug, handing Gouto over to Yuma.

"What the--?! Hey!" Gouto shouts at you, "You can't just pass me around like a--?"

"This kitty can talk...!" Yuma happily pets him gently, eyes practically sparkling. "Nagisa, he's really soft!"

"Can I feel?" Nagisa doesn't wait for an answer, reaching over and stroking Gouto, "Wow, you're right! He's so soft!"

"This is humiliating." Gouto grumbles, flicking his tail, "Serves me right for coming down here..."

"At least pretend to tolerate it, Gouto. They're kids." Raido tells the cat.

"I'm trying, Kuzunoha." He replies through gritted teeth.

"Well, at least we've solved the mystery of who's teaching Mitakihara Middle School's students to summon demons." Raido's face twitches a little.

"At what cost?" Gouto asks no one, "My poor, poor pride..."

"Anything to say about that, Yumi?" Raido turns to you, "Or is there some other demon summoner running around?"

You hesitate, thinking about a response, but...

"There is, in fact." Homura defends you, "I haven't seen him summon anything, but he's the one who made the app. Somehow, he installed it onto Madoka's phone from across the street. Yumi merely wanted to make sure we could safely use it. If you have a problem with anyone, take it up with the resident mystery man."

"I wouldn't go that far..." Madoka begins hesitantly, "...Although, he did put the program on my phone without my knowledge. We were already involved, and Yumi told us how to be safe with it."

"We wouldn't have been able to defend ourselves without it anyways!" Sayaka backs up Madoka's claim, "What, would you have wanted us to just roll over whenever a demon came knocking?"

"Holy shit, Blueberry is talking sense...!" Kyoko mutters to herself.

Mami nudges her, "Language."

"I can use magic!" Nagisa adds, wanting to be involved in the conversation, "And Yuma can control cool things, too!"

Gouto looks up at Yuma, his face the textbook definition of doubt.

"Wait, it's a program?" Oriko asks, "So, all I'd need is a phone...?"

"Mine was shareware." Kazuya states plainly, raising his arm computer.

Raido shakes his head, "...Yumi, a word. I'll be outside." He takes his leave, pushing an empty plate away from him.

...

"Jeez, he always makes a big deal out of this stuff." Grandpa grumbles, "If they want to fight, let 'em fight."

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] Go talk to your uncle.

You shake your head, beginning to stand up, "After everything that's happened, I can't say I blame him. I'm gonna..." You nod your head in the direction of the door.

"Try to be patient with him, Yumi." Grandma offers, "He seems stressed enough already."

Arisu stares at you, her nervousness clearly visible on her face. Her nervousness turns to shock as you begin chugging your drink. As you're doing this, you place the rest of your spaghetti into your Gauntlet.

Before anyone can ask any questions, you step out of the dining room, and try to figure out where he went...

"Are you looking for your uncle?" Kohaku asks, sitting up and eating her spaghetti slowly, "He just went out the front door. He seemed, um..."

"Thanks, 'Haku!" You smile at her as you pass, and step outside. Raido is standing on the front porch, face unreadable.

He huffs, looking out into the dark street. "What made you think it was a good idea to bring children into this?" His voice is calm, although his strained tone does little to put you at ease. "What could have possibly happened for you to induct children into demonic affairs?"

[] "They needed to defend themselves."
[] "It was either this or be a Magical Girl."
[] "I didn't have a choice, either!"
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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "There was no choice."

"We got involved in this around the same time!" You argue, "None of us got a choice, me included!"

Raido's anger falters as the weight of your words sink in. "You...?"

"Stephen is the one who gave them the app, not me." You ball your hand into a tight fist, "Nagisa learned magic on her own, I didn't teach her. It just kept happening, and I had to keep reacting! It's like..." You huff, "...It's the perfect storm for them to just get their foot in the door! Trust me, if I could've, I would've sent 'em on their merry way and told them it was all a dream, but considering the little white rat's shenanigans, it would've spiraled out of control even more than they already are!" You slam your hand into the wall. Your breathing is quick, shallow, and full of frustration.

Raido stands silently. He's listening to you carefully, but no pity seems to escape his expression.

"Hell, they'd already be dead if I left them on their own!" You growl, "Either their Monkey Paw Style wish system would catch up with them, or Kyubey would decide he needed "test subjects" and send them into the demons head on! Oh, and Oriko and Kirika?" You add, your own frustration betraying you, "They wouldn't be at this fucking table if I didn't get them involved. Oriko was adamant about killing Madoka because she saw something so unbeatable come from her wish that their only option was to kill her. It doesn't take a detective to figure out what she saw."

"A Witch?" Raido answers, "One so powerful that it's mere existence puts our world in jeopardy?"

"Oh, and demons were just a giant blind spot in her visions before." You add, "So it was only a matter of time until they'd walk right into the slaughterhouse. And about Madoka and them!" You start on another tangent, "There's no doubt in my mind that they'd immediately hop on the MG Train if that all went down without me! I mean, why wouldn't they? Mami's their knowledgeable "senpai" who, for all she knows about the affairs of a Magical Girl, is completely in the dark about... Fucking everything!" You throw your arms up in the air, "That white piece of shit pegged her as a sucker from day one! A-And how would I even break the news to her about all of this?! She thinks Kyubey's her best friend! If I just told her, she... God-Fucking-Damnit!!" You shout into the night, panting.

Raido doesn't seem to move.

"There's not a chance in hell that any Magical Girl can take a demon in a fight, either!" You begin again, "Sure, a couple of small fries aren't an issue, but Morax was thrashing Mami without so much as an effort! And she's a veteran!" You pant wildly, your throat feeling raw, "At that point, it was either "Catch them up on the dangers of this new threat" or "Leave them to Kyubey to toy with or whatever the flying fuck he does for the "greater good" because who cares"! So tell me, what would you have done, huh?!"

You pant, having said all of the words trapped in your mind for so long. You...

...You shouldn't have blown up at him. You should've spoke calmly, and--

"Yumi. I apologize." Raido's voice is barely audible. "I made an ill informed assessment on you, and in doing so, blamed you for your allies getting involved. So, I apologize." Raido breathes in, "You were stuck in between two extremes, and chose your own way out. These kids... You aren't gathering some kind of army, you're teaching them how to survive. Now, I can't say whether or not you're doing the right thing..." He puts his hand on your shoulder, smiling softly, "...But I think you're doing the best you can. And that's all you can do, at the end of the day."

You don't know how to respond. You... Your thoughts are a mess.

(INT ROLL: 2+8, FAILURE)

You're crying. You're shivering. You...

You slump onto the wall behind you, unable to stop yourself from being vulnerable.

Raido sits next to you. "I'll be here for you. As long as you need." He puts his arm around you, staring forward.

...

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] I'm glad you didn't slap him.

Part of you wants to storm off, shouting about how the other girls in there need to be helped more than you, to chew him out about suddenly now wanting to be in your life after fifteen years.

Maybe you would, if you weren't appreciating your uncle's presence.

"...It's hard." You manage to say, "There's so many people who need my help, but I can't protect them 24/7. A-And new shit just keeps piling up!" You add, motioning wildly, "And I can't just beat up every problem anymore!"

Raido is silent, staring at his lap.

"For the first time since middle school, I'm..." Your throat tightens as you force it out, "...I'm scared. I am scared that, when I'm needed most, I'll...!"

"I know." Raido quietly says, "Trust me, Yumi, I know. And that fear sticks with you, in every fight, at every turn... But you don't have to let it control you." He chuckles dryly, "Shit, Ryoko used to say that to me all the time, but I never really got it until just now."

"What do you...?" You tiredly turn to your uncle, not bothering to finish your question.

"Up until a few days ago, I let fear control me." He admits, removing his arm from you, "After Ryoko's... You know, I assumed it was a demon that killed her. That's all it could've been in my mind." He sighs heavily, "So I didn't want this life for you. And in my "great" wisdom, I thought the best way to protect you was to leave you be." He looks frustrated with... Himself? "So, I want to apologize to you. For everything. The absence, the doubts... All of it. I don't expect forgiveness. I just think it's not fair to you if you don't know."

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[TremendousMilk3]

[X] "You can try." Pops, Regular Show

"...It's a start, of nothing else." You admit, beginning to sit up, "Also, you're talking to Dad when this is over."

"That's not a great idea." Raido tells you, "Your father and I don't really--?"

"This isn't a request. You can't stop me." You inform him right back, "Guess we should head back in, huh?"

"Only when you feel ready. No rush." Raido stands up, cracking his back, "Next time, can we sit in chairs for our discussion? My back's been killing me recently."

You can't help but smile as you wipe your eyes on your sleeve. You can't have people seeing you cry like a baby, you're almost an adult! You stand up, taking your uncle's hand as he offers it. Then, you--

"Yumi." Raido begins as he turns around, holding your shoulder, "Is that the man from the warehouse?" He nods to the front lawn.

You follow his nod until you catch sight of a familiar red duster. "Yup, that's him." You reply, raising your voice a little to ask him, "How did you find me?"

Dante shrugs, smirking wryly, "I got bored of waiting at the office for you, so I decided to spice up the night by bumping off a few Witches! And that..." He motions to himself, "...Led me here. So, while I'm here, and you're here... What do you say about finishing our little duel?"

"We were just about to head inside." Raido quickly counters.

"C'mon, kid! It'll be fun! What do you say?" Dante grins, awaiting your response.

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