Renascence: A Homura Quest

[Higure]

[X] Push her to hold off on making a decision.
-[X] Offer to explain the details of being a Magical Girl, so that she knows what she's getting into.
-[x] Suggest going to Sayaka's house before explaining everything in detail. The miffle of the street is not the best place for this kind of talk.
--[x] If Kyuubey continues to insist on making the contract, calmly say that she should wait with the decision until she has all the information.
--[x] Color things negatively, but don't go overboard. Make sure to imply that wishes are Monkeys Paws without actually saying it.

The white creature steps out from behind Sayaka, the azurette blinking in surprise, "Hey!"

Madoka's eyes go wide, and she steps towards him. You catch her gently by the shoulder, "He's cute, I know, but he's also very clever. He's the creator of Magical Girls, and the one who recruits new members. He's harmless enough, usually, but he's here to sell you on his contract, first and foremost. Keep that in mind."

She pauses, glancing back and forth between the two of you, before nodding slowly, "Oh." She smiles politely and bows slightly towards Kyubey, "It's nice to meet you, Kyubey-san."

He straightens, and bows slightly in return, 'I hope we can do business together, Kaname-san.'

You clear your throat, "I think it might be best to continue this conversation at Sayaka's. We should have privacy, there. Is that okay, Madoka?"

She wilts faintly, but nods, "Alright. You'll come see my house tomorrow, though, right?"

Her pleading look tears through your defenses, and you immediately agree, "Of course, Madoka. I'm looking forward to it, too."

Perking up slightly, you begin making your way to Sayaka's, Madoka phoning home briefly.

'You intend to interfere.'

If you tell him nothing, he will try to poison Madoka against you. It will be better if you make yourself seem manageable, and should help in future interactions. 'I intend to inform. I am driven to protect the happiness of my friends, as you know.'

'I see.'

Kyubey goes silent, and you soon arrive at Sayaka's home, heading inside as Sayaka opens the door for your group.

You check on Mrs. Miki briefly, finding her still deep in her game, and sit down with the others in the living room.

Madoka speaks up first, "So...what do I need to know?"

Kyubey sits down in front of the couch, 'If I may?'

You nod. Better he give his pitch first, so that your words will be fresher in her mind.

'When you contract, you will receive a single Wish. This Wish can be for anything you desire, and it will certainly be granted. In return for this Wish, you will become a Magical Girl. Magical Girls have supernatural powers, which allow them to combat beings which pray upon normal humans, known as Witches. You, as a Magical Girl, will be responsible for exterminating Witches.

'In order to ease this for you, adjustments will be made to your biology. You will be given the ability to detach yourself from the sensation of pain, as well as to survive normally fatal injuries, which synergizes well with the magical regeneration you will likely possess as a Magical Girl. This is accomplished by shifting the metaphysical phenomenon associated with your consciousness into a secondary control center, known commonly as a Soul Gem.'

He begins to move on, but Madoka cuts him off, leaning forward, "Wait! Wait...you're saying you're going to move my soul into a rock? Is that right? How does that even...will I still be...me...?"

Kyubey shakes his head, smiling up at her, 'Don't worry, Kaname-san. While it's true that the existence we are referring to is the basis for your consciousness, as well as your ability to use magic, we have no clear confirmation that it is the same "soul" which any of your human religions refer to. It might be easier for you to think of it as your "mind," instead. As for whether you will still remain yourself, I can safely confirm that you will not be any more changed, in terms of your personality, by the relocation than by any other major life experience.'

Madoka nods, keeping her expression firm, but you can see her body language relax. He's managed to preempt the discomfort associated with the Lichbomb; he realized, of course, that you would attempt to leverage that.

'Do be aware that, even as a Magical Girl, you will have certain limits. As you use magic, your Soul Gem will become corrupted...in order to cleanse it, you will require Grief Seeds. Fortunately, these are naturally obtained as you fulfill your role as a Magical Girl--they are left behind after you defeat Witches, you see, and the average Grief Seed can cleanse an average Magical Girl's Soul Gem fully, sometimes more than once. If your Soul Gem becomes fully corrupted, this will have deleterious effects upon your "mind," and you will likely cease to be a Magical Girl, if you are not cleansed immediately."

Madoka starts looking nervous at this, and you strike while the iron is hot, "You will become a Witch. That is the fate of Magical Girls. If we do not obtain enough Grief Seeds to keep ourselves cleansed, our despair can consume us, turning us into Witches...who will, in turn, be hunted by other Magical Girls. I assume you can guess what Grief Seeds really are?"

Madoka's eyes go wide with horror as she turns to look at you, "Wait, so...so...you're going to...?"

You grimace, "Someday, maybe. I'm good at surviving. It's probably more likely something will happen to my Gem, first, but who knows?"

Madoka's expression crumbles as she stares down at her hands, "That's...that's not right. Someone who protects people like you...you shouldn't have to..." She looks up, eyes flaring with familiar steel, "You shouldn't have to suffer like that. Kyubey...I have my--"

You grab her by the arm, pressing a finger to her lips as you let your blood loose, "NO...no, Madoka. Do not wish lightly, do not throw yourself away like that. You are worth far, far too much to the people who love you...to the people who know how truly wonderful you can be. If you truly want to Wish...then be certain, first. Think carefully, and make sure your wording and intent are perfect. If you fail to convey your true desire precisely, then it will all go wrong. I've known many girls who have been destroyed by their Wishes, so promise me...promise me that you won't give your Wish up carelessly."

[Rolled Wordsmithing: 45 + 30 (Wordsmithing) + 10 (Akemi Madness) = 85]

"I...alright, I'll think about it first. I still think I have the right idea, but I'll hold off, for now..."

---

To be Continued...

 

[Higure]

???

Whiteness. An empty blankness devoid of all life and color. Why are you seeing this? This is wrong.

...wrong...? What's...wrong? Right...? Something...

A memory of pink. A gentle smile and two eyes shining with Hope.
"I wish..."
The whirring of gears fills your head as your mind begins salvaging itself, trying to remember...

Oh, that's right. You're the one who tries to save Madoka. There's supposed to be a name...
Click. Name. Click. Homu...homu...Click. Homura
You remember now. Your name is Homura Akemi. You've been looping through time to save Kaname Madoka, for as long as you can remember.

The whiteness suddenly makes sense again. The ceiling of your hospital room. One of the few things that never changes.
'Hospital...how strange. Why would I need to be in a hospital again...' Click 'Oh, my heart. Strange.'
You sit up, looking around as best as you can with your eyes as they are. Your calendar is hooked onto the wall, as usual. Everything is just as it should be.
'Wrong...wrong...wrong. Everything is wrong. What is this place. All the walls...the walls! Where are the walls!?'
Wearily, you sit up. It's day one again. You have a general idea of where you can go from here...

[THE CENTER OF THE MIND]

Spoiler: Tutorial

Allow me to introduce you to yet another new feature, here in Renascence. It's still in development, but this will do for now.

This is a menu of sorts. It's where you get you can decide on a course of action. More importantly, it has several other features.

Firstly, there is a dedicated tally of all of your important numbers. Things you need to keep track of.

Secondly, there is the Memory Access Menu. Homura has learned a lot already, but trauma has forced her to lock away many of these memories for her own sanity. The MA Menu contains 2 things: Pertinent Information Homura has access to, and indicators that there are locked memories of significance. These locked sections may be unlocked, if you choose, but this will have a negative effect on her mental stability. The more unstable she bcomes, the faster her Sanity will change, and the more emotional energy (incuding Grief) she will produce.

On the other hand, opening locked memories can potentially be very valuable. Whether you unlock them or not is up to you.

All unlocked memories will remain unlocked in future loops.

Grief: 0/1000
Sanity: 400/1000
Stability Multiplier: 1.0

​

Options:
[] You usually get out of here as fast as possible, but looking around the Hospital might make a nice change of pace. You can't recall having done that before, at least not right away.
[] This place is full of bad memories. You just want to get out of here and find a nice place to sleep. Time to go find a place to live...
[] A place to sleep is important, but it couldn't hurt to pick up some more supplies first. Furniture, maybe a nice bed. Or maybe some more weaponry?
[] Check your inventory
Memory Access:
No Pertinent Memories.

 

[Higure]

On a whim, you decide to double check you inventory. Your memory has been a little fuzzy sense waking up...actually, you don't even remember coming back? What went wrong? You remember the towering form of Walpurgisnacht as it made landfall in the middle of Mitakihara. You remember pulling out your fleet, and then...the next thing you knew...you were staring at the ceiling.

Well, that's another good reason to check you shield. Who knows how many warships you lost this time?

You stretch, making your way to the door, and close it quietly before transforming. Thankfully, nothing strange happens. Your shield is comfortably clipped onto your arm, your Soul Gem?is right where it belongs, and your heart is behaving itself.

You lower you hand to your shield, allowing your mind to wander its way into the confines of your inventory. You wait patiently for visions of its contents to appear in your mind...

Nothing happens. Nothing appears. Nothing at all.

Your entire arsenal is gone.​

[THE CENTER OF THE MIND]​

Grief: 55/1000
Sanity: 395/1000
Stability Multiplier: 1.0
Options:
[] Panic.
[] Try to remember what happened. Surely you couldn't have used everything? At least your food should be left inside...
[] See if anything might have made it back outside of the shield.
[] Lay down. Relax. Try not to scream. You'll figure this out.
[] Write-in (For future reference, Write-in is always an option, unless I explicitly indicate otherwise.)

Memory Access:

Spoiler: Missing Items. Unlocked.

3 Aircraft Carriers

Numerous Planes

Numerous Helicopters

A practically endless supply of Firearms.

10 Strategic Nukes

50 Tactical Nukes

Food for 6 months. Hot, fresh food.

10 Grief Seeds, for a total of 40 Charges.

Madoka's Ribbons (Gift)

Kyouko's Cross (Gift)

Teacup (filled with fresh Tea from Mami)

Grandfather's Pocket Watch

Laptop

Manufacturing Equipment

Gunsmithing Tools

Golf Club

Miscellaneous supplies

Spoiler: Tutorial

Here we have your first locked memory file. This one's depressing, but not seriously traumatic, to review, so no stability damage and only a minor sanity change.

If you want to open it, vote for []Unlock "Missing Items". This will add a +1 to the vote count.
If you want to keep it closed, vote for []Ignore "Missing Items". This will add a -1 to the vote count.
If you don't care, don't vote.

If the vote total is at 3 or higher after 15 minutes, it will be unlocked. Otherwise, it will be ignored.

This vote is distinct from the action vote, and will be tallied separately, after a substantially longer period. This allows you to factor in unlocked information in your final decision regarding a primary action.

 

[Higure]

You rapidly run through all the things you just lose, clenching you teeth as you realize that you've just lost you entire fleet and, more importantly, all of your keepsakes from your friends and family.

'No, there's got to be something left. Maybe...maybe something made it back some other way?'
'What other way? I only carry things inside my shield. It's all gone.'
Biting back panic, you search your Magical Girl outfit for anything you may have slipped somewhere for safe keeping, to no avail. The outfit has no pockets, and nothing appears to have been slipped between your shirt and jacket.

'Okay...if it's not on me...maybe something landed nearby?'
'Even my own body doesn't make the jump. Why would some object from my pocket dimension suddenly appear here?'
You begin scrambling around the room, your dignity forgotten for a moment as you search for some fragment of your life in this place...your heart skips a beat as your hand closes around the cool metal of your grandfather's pocket watch, laying under your sheets, and you almost faint in a sudden attack of dizziness.

You quickly bring your hand up to your chest, stabilizing your heart with magic. You know that you can fix it completely, but altering a natural defect is much harder than restoring damage to the body. Messing up is simply to big of a risk to take, with your limited knowledge.Medical Check: 10/100. Insufficient for Passive Success.

You turn the watch over in your hands, a fleeting memory of a near-forgotten childhood appearing in your mind...

flashback

It's spring, and the rooftop garden of the hospital is lush with new growth. The chirping of birds fills the air as you play in the garden. The doctors say you're safe to go outside today, as long as you don't push yourself to hard, so your Grandfather has taken you up to play games with him.

Right now, you're playing your favorite game. Well, it isn't really a game as much as a puzzle or lesson or something, but it feels like a game to you. Your grandfather is sitting against a tree beside you, and his pocket watch is laying in pieces on the ground.

"Now, Homura, I'm going to show you the right way to put it back together. You have to memorize it as fast as you can, and then see if you can't do the same, okay? We can try as many times as we need to, so don't worry. I know you'll get it right if you just keep trying."

With that, he began reassembling it before your eyes with all the skill of the professional watchmaker that he was. You watch with wide eyes, trying to memorize where each and every part goes, mentally taking notes as fast as you can in order to find the solution to your grandfather's puzzle.

The last piece slides into place, and he holds it up to demonstrate it's condition. A soft ticking sound echoes from it as you listen, soothing all your worries away with its clear, predictable beat. Just like it always does.

Moments later, he has it in pieces again, and pats the ground near him, in an attempt to draw you closer to the watch. You slide over with a smile, looking over the pieces. Your smile is soon replaced by an intense gaze and pursed lips as you try to remember where everything goes. You wouldn't want to break something...

You gasp as the thought occurs to you, looking to your grandfather with sudden concern, "Wait! What happens if I mess it up too badly? What if I break it worse than you can fix it?"

Your grandfather only smiles broadly, "You won't, Homura. I have faith in you."

side effects

+50 Sanity.
Stability Increased (-0.1 Multiplier).
Childhood memories awaken forgotten knowledge: +5 Mechanics Expertise.

You hold the watch to your chest, breathing in time with it's soft ticking sound as it soothes all your worries away with its clear, predictable beat. Just like it always does.

You continue searching the room for a while longer, but you don't find anything else. You're not surprised. This isn't the watch you left behind, after all. It's the one that was in this room from the start. Your calm does not desert you, however. You've lost a lot, but you can still get it all back. You're still able to try again, for now, at least.

You glance down at your shield. Only a few grains of sand remain. You noticed it...a long time ago. The slowly decreasing sands of the hourglass. Each grain sufficient to carry you back one time.

You're almost out of loops.

Despair tries to claw its way up in your throat, but you slam it back down with a lifetime of emotional control, sealing it back where it belongs.

You review your resources. You don't have any of your old possessions, but you did manage to scrounge up a few things from your childhood. The pocket watch; your old Laptop; some old textbooks you planned on studying, once upon a time; and an empty planner your...mother, was it, bought you, which you have quickly filled out with some important dates you recall.

They'd have to do for now.

items obtained

• Grandfather's Pocket Watch
  • +1 Sanity/hour if kept close while sleeping.
• Laptop
  • Contains various essential software and allows internet access. Contains nothing related to your life as a Magi.
• Intro to Medicine
  • +1 to Medical Skill/Hour Studied. Maximum of +5 increase.
  • (0/5)
• Beginning Watchmaking
  • +1 to Mechanics Expertise/Hour Studied. Maximum of +5 increase.
  • (0/5)
• Monthly Planner
  • Calendar Unlocked! (Not presently editable. Will become so later. You'll have to go back to March 2011 to find events.)

[THE CENTER OF THE MIND]​

Grief: 80/1000
Sanity: 430/1000
Stability Multiplier: 0.9

Calendar

Active Effects:
[Enchantment: Increase Heart Performance. Cost: 5 Corruption/Hour]

Options:
[] You usually get out of here as fast as possible, but looking around the Hospital might make a nice change of pace. You can't recall having done that before, at least not right away.
[] This place is full of bad memories. You just want to get out of here and find a nice place to sleep. Time to go find a place to live...
[] A place to sleep is important, but you need to restock your Inventory first. Time to go shopping and "shopping."

Memory Access:
No pertinent files.

 

[Higure]

You move to place your meager possessions within the confines of your shield, only to hesitate as you recall what happened last time.

Deciding it's best to make sure your shield hasn't become a black hole, you grab the pillow from your bed and seal it inside. Moments later, it rests in your hand again, unharmed.

You quickly drop your new acquisitions inside. You don't have any other practical way to carry them, after all.

Ending your transformation, you adjust your glasses before heading out into the hallway. Your feet are already carrying you towards the exit, when a thought strikes you; you've never actually seen what happens here on the first day. At least, you can't recall checking. You always just rushed out instead.

With that, you turn and head deeper into the buidling, roaming the halls of the hospital, keeping an eye out for anything that might be of use or interest to you.

As you stroll the building, you try to relax, but it's difficult. It seems like every time you start to relax, you manage to stumble across something upsetting. Parents grimly watching over their bedridden children, children clutching the hands of dying parents, it's a montage of human suffering as you wander through the halls of the hospital. Many of these people will never leave, others will never fully heal. There was a time when you could easily have fit either category.

As you stroll through, you begin to notice the individual voices around you, glancing in doors to see if you can spot anyone or anything of interest. You occasionally get a vague sense of familiarity from certain people, possibly from memories of your childhood, but nothing significant for quite a while. You do, however, notice a psychiatric office and your own cardiologist's office, and note their locations before continuing your stroll.

You walk for another ten minutes or so, exploring multiple floors, before you stumble across something you didn't expect.

Sayaka's here, visiting Kyousuke. If you wanted to, you might be able to introduce yourself as a fellow patient.

[THE CENTER OF THE MIND]​

Grief: 100/1000
Sanity: 420/1000
Stability Multiplier: 0.95

Calendar

Active Effects:
[Enchantment: Increase Heart Performance. Cost: 5 Corruption/Hour]

Options:
[] Go in, introduce yourself. Befriending Sayaka early on isn't something you've done often, and certainly not this early on...
-[] How do you go about it?
[] Nope, you're not messing with her drama right now. You'll add it to your calendar, but you've had enough stress today already. Instead...
-[]Go see your cardiologist.
-[]Check out the psychiatric office. Maybe you could steal some meds, or even talk the doctor into prescribing you some.
-[] This place is full of bad memories. You just want to get out of here and find a nice place to sleep. Time to go find a place to live...
-[] A place to sleep is important, but you need to restock your Inventory first. Time to go shopping and "shopping."

Memory Access:

Spoiler: Sayaka's Issues

Miki Sayaka is a fairly normal girl, if exceedingly headstrong. Her fixation on Kamijou Kyousuke often leads to her wasting her wish on him, which ends badly if he fails to reciprocate her crush. In the past, he has occasionally accepted her confessions, but they rarely remain together long, due to Sayaka's life as a Magical Girl.

Spoiler: Sayaka's Issues (2). Unlocked.

Many different versions of Sayaka's romantic escapades and life as a Magus have played out throughout your life, and a few very clear patterns have arisen..

• If Sayaka heals Kamijou, but does not receive recognition for this fact, she regrets her wish severely, often leading to Grief Spiral.
• If Sayaka heals Kamijou and receives recognition and support from him, but not romantic interest, she is upset, but this lone does not seem to trigger Grief Spiral.
• If Sayaka confesses to Kamijou, and is rejected, she will Grief Spiral without sufficient emotional support and/or the appearance of a new romantic interest. Kyouko often ends up fulfilling this role, but others have as well, in the past.
• If Sayaka does not confess, and Kamijou finds someone else, Sayaka is consumed by self loathing and enters Grief Spiral.
• If Kamijou is not healed by April 20th, he commits suicide.
  • If Sayaka is a Magus at this point, she blames herself and enters Grief Spiral. This version of Sayaka's Grief Spiral is almost completely unstoppable once it begins.
  • If Sayaka is not a Magus at this point, she falls into a period of deep misery. Pulling her out of this is possible, but very difficult.
• If Sayaka discovers the truth of Soul Gems after becoming a magus, she has a high probability of entering a Grief Spiral. This chance is increased drastically if she is still romantically interested in a non-magus at this point in time.
• If Sayaka discovers the truth of Soul Gems before becoming a magus, the probability of Grief Spiral is reduced drastically, if not fully averted.
• If Sayaka discovers the truth of Witches at any point, she becomes obsessed with saving them. She is generally at her most cooperative while in this state, but is unwilling to kill Witches. She will demand for all Grief Seeds she uses to be rehatched, so that she may try to save the resulting Witch.
  • She has yet to succeed at restoring a Witch, but has managed to get abnormal responses out of several Witches: Charlotte, Candalero, and Ophelia.
  • This almost always leads to her demise at the hands of one of the very Witches she attempts to save.

Spoiler: Sayaka's Issues (3). Voted required: 5. Cost: +70 Corruption, -40 Sanity, +0.2 to Stability Modifier (Decrease in Stability)

Locked.

 

[Higure]

[X] Go in, introduce yourself. Befriending Sayaka early on isn't something you've done often, and certainly not this early on...
-[X] Analyze the situation, be sure that sayaka wont take it as you Interrupting something, is she wearing the uniform? play that angle, you recognized the uniform and wanted to get a head-start into making friends seeing as you've been in the hospital so long.... play the sympathetic angle and apologize if it was too forward of you.

You breathe, recalling most of what you know about Sayaka and Kyousuke's personal lives with a shudder. These two our a pair of time bombs. You'll have to be delicate.

You slowly walk up to the open door, knocking gently, "Hello?"

They both turn to look at you. Sayaka seems confused, while Kyousuke looks furious, as usual during this phase.

"What the hell do you want!?"

You tap into your sealed resevoirs of Moe, blushing brightly, "I-I'm sorry. I saw her uniform, and..." You perform a swift bow towards Sayaka, internally grinding your teeth, but used to using facades when needed, "I'm Akemi Homura. I'll be transfering to your school soon, and...um, would you please take care of me? I've been here for most of my life, and when I saw someone that might be able to help me get used to the outside..."

Kyousuke frowns, "Wait, most of your life...actually, I've seen you here before, haven't I? Your heart?"

You blink, surprised to be recognized. He never...'Oh. The braids. Still need to take those out.'

"Mmhm. The doctors say that I'm finally healthy enough to leave, and I've been given a slot on the school roster."

He nods, "Good. I'm happy to see someone getting out of this place." His gaze flicks to Sayaka, "Watch out for her. Anyone who gets stuck in here deserves to have someone waiting for them outside."

'Wait...what?'

She smiles at him, and then you, "Definitely! I'll show you the ropes, Akemi-san! I bet Madoka will be happy to help you out too! You'll be skipping class in no time!"

'...did Miki Sayaka just go into her version of Senpai-mode...?'

You feel a headache coming on as you smile, "Thank you. I'll let you get back to your conversation."

With a nod, you leave the two to themselves and head back into the hall.

'Well...that happened.'

So...where do you go from here?

[THE CENTER OF THE MIND]​

Grief: 105/1000
Sanity: 421/1000
Stability Multiplier: 0.95

Calendar

Active Effects:
[Enchantment: Increase Heart Performance. Cost: 5 Grief/Hour]

Options:
[]Go see your cardiologist.
[]Check out the psychiatric office. Maybe you could steal some meds, or even talk the doctor into prescribing you some.
[] This place is full of bad memories. You just want to get out of here and find a nice place to sleep. Time to go find a place to live...
[] A place to sleep is important, but you need to restock your Inventory first. Time to go shopping and "shopping."
[] Write-in, as always.

Memory Access:
No Pertinent Files

 

[Higure]

[X]Go see your cardiologist.
-[X] Go see if you can get a detailed rundown on your heart problems, what causes it, and theoretically how to fix it. Maybe with enough information you can figure out a way to use Magic to fix the problem or at least make it cost less Magic/Corruption.

Shaking off the surreal feeling from that experience, you contemplate your options...what time is it, anyway?
10:30:47 AM
You pull out your pocket watch, checking. It's 10:30 am. You've still got plenty of time until you're formally released at 2:00 pm, but you can slip out of the building whenever you want.

In the mean time, you decide to go talk to your cardiologist. You normally avoid the man...his rambling is grating, especially when you have more urgent matters to attend to, but maybe he can give you the insight you need to heal your heart properly.

It can't hurt to try.

You set back down the hall, returning the door to his office. A glance in the window confirms his presence, and you knock twice.

A few moments, and he opens the door, "Oh! Homura-chan. I'm surprised to see you in my office on your big day."

You channel some more Moe. It's getting tiring to do so, but he doesn't know your older self, just the child you were before, "Well, um, I...could you tell me about my, um...my heart? I know it's a heart disease, and that it's the reason I used to get those dizzy spells, but..."

He smiles and gestures for you to come in, "I've been waiting ten years for you to say that. Have a seat."

You sit down across from him as he folds his hands on his desk. He seems to ponder for a moment, before rotating his computer's monitor towards you, "Here, take a look. This is your heart."

A scan of your heart appears on the screen, and he begins gesturing towards different part of the image, indicating the exact nature of what you suffer from. He goes on to explain, over the course of an hour, the causes of each symptom and the reasons for each treatment they used on you over your lifetime.[+2 Medical]

"So...do you have any questions?"

About three quarters of that went over your head, but you did learn quite a bit. Still, if you want to actually use what you learned..."Um...just two. Could I have copies on those images, and...could you maybe recommend a related text? I'd like read up on some more, but I don't really know where to look."

He smiles, "No, no! I will not be recommending any texts!" He stands, striding over to his bookshelf, before pulling off two books and handing them to you, "For the girl who's been through hell, a couple of free books is the least I can do! As for the scans..."

He presses a few keys on his computer's keyboard, and the pictures slowly emerge from a nearby printer, "Here you go. It's always good to see a young lady getting interested in medicine. If you need any more help, just stop by!"

You fight back a momentary urge to produce a genuine smile. You'd forgotten how kind he was, after all these years, "I will. Thank you!"

You quickly hurry out, checking the label on his door as you go, "Doctor Smith. What a strange name...then again, he is foreign."

A quick glance across the hall confirms the psychiatrist has gone on lunch break. You won't be talking to her today, it seems.

Items Obtained:
Cardiology Texts (+1 to Medical/Hour studied. Maximum +3. When used as a reference, provides a +5 to Medical when treating Heart Disease.)
Heart Scans (+5 to Medical when treating Homura's heart condition.)

[THE CENTER OF THE MIND]​

Grief: 110/1000
Sanity: 423/1000
Stability Multiplier: 0.95

Calendar

Active Effects:
[]Enchantment: Increase Heart Performance. Cost: 5 Grief/Hour]

Options:
[] Break into the Psychiatrist's office. You can still steal some things, at least.
-[] How do you do it?
[] Wait around until it's time for you to be released. Maybe grab some lunch. (Time skip to 2 pm. It's ~12 pm right now. Lunch will be Hospital Food.)
[] This place is full of bad memories. You just want to get out of here and find a nice place to sleep. Time to go find a place to live...
[] A place to sleep is important, but you need to restock your Inventory first. Time to go shopping and "shopping."
[] Write-in, as always.

Memory Access:
No Pertinent Files

 

[Higure]

You look at Sayaka for a moment, before deciding that bringing her along might be nice. Besides, maybe this rabbit hole leads to somewhere practical. Shopping, however, doesn't seem like the best idea right now. You can't use your inventory in front of her unless you reveal the existence of Magi, and you have nowhere else to store things right now, so...it's time to find your home for this loop.

It's a pretty big decision, for various reasons, and you can't afford to let Sayaka make any decisions about it, but you suppose there's not harm in discussing some of the options with her. You can then go, get moved in, and go shopping. Sayaka can still join you, if she feels like it at that point.

You channel some Moe yet again as you smile at Sayaka, "Um...actually, I have something I have to do first. I'm new to Mitakihara, and I need to find a place to live while I'm here, so I'm afraid I can't go shopping until I have somewhere to store everything. I...I don't suppose you know of anywhere that has room?"

You hold your breath as Sayaka goes silent, a violent twitch manifesting on her brow, and you worry for a moment that you've somehow angered her.

"WHAT KIND OF PARENT MAKES A 14 YEAR OLD LIVE ALONE!?"

Her shout echoes throughout the station, and you resist the urge to facepalm as you continue, "N-no, really. It's alright. My parents don't live around here, and they're paying for all my needs. I just have to find a place that..."

She has the nerve to place a hand over your mouth, "No! I won't hear of it! Someone new like you shouldn't be trapped all alone in some random apartment! You're staying with me!"

She pauses, blushing slightly before waving her hands in front of her in an apologetically defensive gesture, "I-I mean, if you don't mind. I can maybe talk one of my friends into letting you stay over?"

Hmm...it seems that Sayaka is determined to interfere with this. You might be able to talk her into dropping the issue somehow, or maybe convince her you know someone who will let you stay with them?

If all else fails, you suppose you can just slip away. It will probably upset her, but at least you'll get her out of your hair for now.

[THE CENTER OF THE MIND]​

Grief: 120/1000
Sanity: 426/1000
Stability Multiplier: 0.95

Calendar

Active Effects:
[Enchantment: Increase Heart Performance. Cost: 5 Grief/Hour]

​

Choices:

[]Stay with Sayaka.
[]Sneak away from Sayaka.

[] Move in with Sayaka (Easy, with Sayaka's support.)
[] Move in with Madoka (Requires Wordsmithing Roll to convince Junko. Sayaka grants a bonus to this.)
[] Move in with Hitomi (Requires Wordsmithing Roll to convince Hitomi and her parents. Sayaka grants a bonus to this.)
[] Move in with Mami (Requires Wordsmithing Roll. Sayaka could help or impede this, depending on how you handle it.)
[] Move in with Kyouko (Requires Wordsmithing Roll. Sayaka won't help you here.)
[] Move into your normal Apartment (Easy to get in, but Sayaka won't like it. A Wordsmithing Roll will determine the results of that conversation.)
[] Find an abandoned warehouse (Easy to get in, but Sayaka REALLY won't like it. It will take more than Wordsmithing to convince her to let you live there.)
[] Write-in.

Memory Access:

Spoiler: Another Option? 4 Votes needed. 50 Corruption, 30 Sanity, +0.05 Stability

Locked.

 

[Higure]

[X] Wait around until it's time for you to be released. Maybe grab some lunch. (Time skip to 2 pm. It's ~12 pm right now. Lunch will be Hospital Food.)
-[X] Use the time to get a headstart with those books Dr. Smith gave to you.

You contemplate breaking out, but realize that doing so might make coming back here less pleasant. It wouldn't do to upset major sources of medical knowledge, after all, and they might contact your school, too. It's probably best to just wait it out. You can do some reading in the mean time, and the food here, though pretty poor fair, is certainly edible.

You make your way down to cafeteria, charging your card for a glass of iced tea before settling in with your books. You don't really have a notebook or reference sheets or anything, but you can at least read up on things some. (Study speed halved, due to lack of proper materials.)

The next two hours pass in relative quiet as you study the details of your heart condition, and cardiology in general, although you do take a moment to grab a sandwich or two while you work. There's no point in going hungry after all. Eventually, 2:00 roll around, and you head to check out.

The checkout proceeds as usual, and you're soon on your way to the train station. It's the quickest way to get around, short of Time Stop, after all. You calmly make your way to the station, trying to decide what...

"Hey there, Akemi-san! Finally out of that place, huh?"

You turn towards the voice, taking in the sight of a smiling Miki Sayaka. You blink, "Indeed."

She blinks at your cold tone, but seems to wave it off as she continues, "It just remembered that, seeing as your only recently getting out, you probably don't have all the stuff you need. You know, school supplies, clothes? Oh, and there's a really cool arcade you should check out! Me and my friends hang out there sometimes, and they've got the..." You tune her out as she continues to ramble for another minute or two, before eventually returning to her point, "...so, I was thinking that I could show you around town! How about it, Akemi-san?"

...well, that's different. This could make it harder to restock you arsenal, but you can always do so tomorrow. On the other hand, Miki Sayaka is rather exhausting to be around...even when being as strangely friendly as she is at the moment.

[THE CENTER OF THE MIND]​

Grief: 120/1000
Sanity: 425/1000
Stability Multiplier: 0.95

Calendar

Active Effects:
[Enchantment: Increase Heart Performance. Cost: 5 Grief/Hour]

Status Updates:
[+1 to Medical.]
[Trait: Amateur Cardiologist (1/5 Unlocked)]
[Cardiology Texts (1/3 Studied)]

Options:
[] Let Sayaka show you around.
-[] Go shopping with Sayaka.
--[]Have some fun while you're at it. (Roll required to loosen up. 1D100, best of the first 3. Natural 100s and 1s trump other rolls. Roll must be greater than 50.)
-[] Find a place to live. Sayaka will come along to help you move in.


[] Turn Sayaka down. You've had enough weirdness today already, and you could use some weapons.
-[] Find a place to live.
-[] A place to sleep is important, but you need to restock your Inventory first. Time to go shopping and "shopping."

[] Write-in, as always.

Memory Access:
No Pertinent Files

You can either go shopping/"shopping" or find a place to live this update. Doing both will take multiple updates.

 

[Higure]

You freeze up for a moment as you contemplate her offer. Living with Miki Sayaka is not something you've ever done, at least not under such friendly conditions. She and her family are likely to be somewhat obstructive to your work, as well, but...perhaps doing this will make it easier to understand in the future. That's not even mentioning the immediate access you will gain to Madoka's social circle...you nod. This is worth giving a chance. Maybe this will make a difference.

"Are you sure? I-I mean...really? I don't really want to live alone if I don't have to, and it would be nice to have someone to spend time with...are you sure your parents won't mind?"

Mentally you scoff. Miki's mother is one of the most pleasant people around. She'd never leave a young girl on her own if she could avoid it.

Sayaka replicates your internal sentiment, "Heh! Yeah right. Mom would kill me if I didn't bring you home with me, or at least find you a good place to live. Let's go, the train won't take us closer to home, so we might as well leg it...um, you're allowed to walk that far, right"

You blink, still trying to adjust to this side of Sayaka, before nodding, "Yes. I can walk as far as will be necessary."

Now she's the one blinking as you internally curse yourself. You keep slipping up, thanks to the surrealism of the situation.

Time to salvage this, "I...I mean, that's what the doctor said at least. So, I guess it should be fine? I'm cleared to attend Gym when I get into school too, so..."

You can see her frown for a moment before regaining her smile, "Heh, those doctors can sure be stiffs, huh?" She makes what you can deduce is her idea of a serious expression, "Yes. I can walk as far as will be necessary."

Smiling again, she throws an arm over your shoulder, sending a prickling sensation up the length of your back, 'Too close Sayaka...'

"Now, come on! I'll show you the way!"

With that, she grabs your wrist and begins leading you west, towards her home. You do your best to stumble along behind her, rather than simply picking her up and roofhopping your way there, as you'd prefer.

'This is going to be a long loop.'

...

After walking for a solid hour, you eventually reach the Miki residence. Sayaka has barely stopped speaking throughout the walk, telling you thing about the city that you learned...a long time ago.

She eventually drags you up to her front door, "So, come on in! Let me show you the place!"

She slips her key in the lock, casually popping the door open, "Mama, we're home!"

Footsteps echo from within as her mother steps out of a doorway, "Welcome home, Sayaka! Wait...we?" She glances at you, "Oh! Hello, are you one of Sayaka's friends?"

Recalling a certain incident involving Mami from a number of loops back, you easily blush, "Um...I-"

Sayaka cuts you off with a hair ruffle, "Yep, she sure is! This is Akemi Homura. She's new to town, just released from the hospital, and her parents have left her alone in the middle of the city. I told her she was coming to live with us."

Her mother smirks, "That's my girl." With that, she turns around and kneels down slightly to look you in the eye, "Nice to meet you, Homura-chan! Welcome home!"

A strange feeling runs through you at those words. You've had many homes over your lifetime, but...you find yourself smiling, "Thank you, Miki-san."

The woman ruffles your hair, much like her daughter before her, "Now, why don't you get moved in...oh, wait. The guest room's not ready. Would you mind staying with Sayaka tonight, Homura-chan? We can pick you up a bed tomorrow, but..."

You start to refuse, "N-no, it's fine. I can sleep on the-" The elder Miki is giving you a very familiar stubborn look. You know she won't budge now, "U..um, okay. I need to go shopping anyway..."

She smiles brightly, "Wonderful! Sayaka, why don't you give her the tour. The day's still young, so make sure you enjoy yourselves."

Sayaka nods, "Follow me, Homura-chan! Um...can I call you that?"

You almost snort, 'Better than "transfer student."'

"Um...sure. Can I call you Sayaka-chan?" She smiles brightly in response and nods before showing you around her home.

Eventually, the two of you find yourselves sitting on the couch, "So...now that you're here, what do you want to do? Where's your stuff, anyway?"

You stifle a groan as you try to find an explanation that doesn't involve magical shields, "...they had it moved to a storage building. I'll go pick it up later, after shopping."

She seems a bit unsure of that, not that you blame her. There is no good reason for you to be leaving without at least your laptop on your person. Despite that, she nods, "Oh...huh. Okay, we'll make sure we stop by. Now, like I said. It's you're big first day out, so what do you want to do?"

[THE CENTER OF THE MIND]​

Grief: 125/1000
Sanity: 430/1000
Stability Multiplier: 0.95

Calendar

Active Effects:
[Enchantment: Increase Heart Performance. Cost: 5 Grief/Hour]

​

Choices:

[]Go shopping now.
-[]Have some fun while you're at it.
-[]Have Mikimom drive you.
-(Sayaka will insist on coming along. Mikimom will drive you if you ask, but she'll tag along for the trip too.)
-(Mikimom and Sayaka have successfully loosened Homura up. No rolls needed to have fun now.)
[]Play video games.
-[]What genre?
[]Talk about music.
-[]What type? Homura favors metal and punk. Sayaka obviously favors classical.
[]Tell her about Magic.
-[]How?
[]Write-in.