... We are going t headpat the fuck out of her at some point.
Also, shame about her roll. With her bonuses that's a "I can't quite reliably pull this off, but if I do I can look awesome for Senpai" and god didn't she go sparkly eyed fast... wait a sec.
... Okay, it's "starry-eyed." Though it was something like "with sparkles in her eyes" and I was going to have to ask how literal that was.
And Ruki instantly goes to number 2 on the list of Most Practical Teenagers Homura Knows, surpassed only by Hitomi. Not that it's a high bar to clear, given that number 3 is a tie between Chair Fetish and "YOLO! Lerooooy Jenkins!".
5PM's not that late, is it? It's more that we just spent the entire day with them and Madoka and Sayaka likely have homework and family time to catch up on. @Higure what would the Homumind say about bothering the girls this late?
5PM's not that late, is it? It's more that we just spent the entire day with them and Madoka and Sayaka likely have homework and family time to catch up on. @Higure what would the Homumind say about bothering the girls this late?
They're probably eating dinner right now. I mean, you can definitely introduce her to Sayaka--you live together--but it might be a bit odd to take her to anyone else right this second. You'd be better off doing it in an hour or two, or, better yet, tomorrow.
Gah, rolz.org image. Flashbacks to Sayaka Quest (especially with accompanying failure).
Might as well meet Rose et al first.
[X] Go to the Military Base with Ruki.
Homura recognizes someone named Azumi (Shimamiya)? Who...? Ohhh.. The friend from SAO! My first image was Himawari Shinomiya, but obviously the name doesn't match.
You think it briefly, before making your decision--it wouldn't do to trouble Mami and Kyouko during dinner, after all. For now, you'll go meet these "Military" Girls.
"Let's get going, then. You can contact Rose via Telepathy?"
She nods, pulling her jacket back on, "Yeah, that won't be a problem. You'll need a pass card to get in," She pulls out an ID Card with her picture and name, flashing it to you, "But I'm pretty sure they'll be willing to get you one. Rose didn't make it seem like a big deal."
You aren't sure how much that means, but you nod, rather an call her on it, for now.
"Alright, calling her. Give me just a second."
She goes quiet, staring off into space for a few moments, before you suddenly hear a cheery-sounding "voice" over telepathy.
"Heya! This is Rose! Ruki says you're interested in meeting us, Akemi-san?"
"I am. I will confess that I'm curious why the U.S. military has brought foreign Magi into Mami Tomoe's city."
There's a long pause, '…ehehe, oh, wow, I didn't, uh…right…one sec.'
You send a skeptical look at Ruki as you wait, "You said she was a veteran Magus?"
The rookie shrugs, "Well, I figured she was. She definitely knows her stuff. Maybe she's newer than I thought, though."
After a minute or two, Rose's voice reaches you again, 'Okay, uh, sorry about that, but I had to talk to my boss. She says, and I quote, "We're not here to start anything, please don't sic Tomoe on us." I'm not sure what's up with her, but…uh, really, we're not here to cause trouble. We're just here because Witches have been eating soldiers, and stopping that's one of our main jobs."
'Then you should have made arrangements with Mami first. The U.S. Military doesn't decide territory disputes.'
'...but, I mean, they're--'
'Normal humans, and foreigners at that. Mami will probably wave this off, because she's far too generous, but I won't have you taking advantage of her.'
'Hey! You don't even know how many of us there--'
'Not en--'
'STOP IT YOU TWO!' Ruki's voice cuts through the rising argument, 'I don't get exactly what's going on, but there's no reason to get so upset. Let's just try to find a way to work this out, alright?'
You grunt in annoyance, but don't allow it to bleed into your telepathy, 'Very well. When can we meet?'
Rose seems to have had the wind taken her sails as she responds, 'Yeah, alright…I already started the paperwork, so…just come on over whenever. I'll meet you outside the gates. Uh…sorry about that. I think we're going to be talking to Mami soon, to make formal arrangements.'
'Good. We'll see you soon.' You "hang up" and look over towards Ruki, "I don't like her."
She sighs, "Just give her a chance. I'm sure she'll grow on you."
Standing, she begins making her way out, "Well, let's go."
The two of you make your way out of Yamato, leaping down to the ground outside of it. You're already heading for cavern exit, when you notice Ruki isn't present, and turn to look at her.
She's standing near the ship, waving up towards the deck, "See you later, Yamato! I'll be back to fix you soon, I promise!"
She waits a moment in silence, then smiles and nods before catching up to you, "Alright, I'm ready to go."
You leave it be, politely not calling her on her hallucinations, and the two of you depart.
It takes about 30 minutes to reach the entrance to the Military Base, where you find a tranformed Magus awaiting you, her red cloak billowing in the wind as she spots you and waves cheerily, "Hee~ey! Over here."
You approach the girl wordlessly, Ruki waving slightly from beside you before faltering, hand falling to her side.
The girl runs up to you suddenly, becoming little more than a streak of red as she stops next to you, eyes wide as stares down the barrel of a Desert Eagle.
"Eee! Ah! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you, just wanted to run over, and…uh…"
You lower the gun, sighing, "…and you sprinted straight at a veteran Magus without warning, without considering her reaction properly. Are you sure you're with the military?"
She flushes, eyes downcast as she taps her fingers together, "Ehehe…well, I mean, sorta…but I'm mostly an engineer anyway. Look, it doesn't matter. Here's your ID."
She hands you an ID card with your name and a photo--it looks to be one of the ones from the hospital, which might bode poorly. On the other hand, it has "VIP" printed in place of "Guest."
"Gotta say, you're looking pretty different from your photo, but…well, Akemi, right?" She smiles nervously, and you respond with silence, aiming to keep her off balance.
"...yeah, alright, I get it. Still angry at us."
Ruki throws you a pleading look, and you reluctantly relent, forcing a slightly smile for her sake, "Work things out with Mami, and we'll be fine."
The girl nods, smiling brightly, "Alright! Then let's go in!"
She proceeds to simply jump the fence, making you wonder why you have ID as you follow, only for things to become clear as she uses her own badge to get through a secure door.
As she leads you deeper into the base, she explains some things.
"So, since you're going to meet everyone--err, well, most everyone, at least--I guess I should clear something up; we're not actually military personnel. There are girls that work for the U.S. directly, but we're technically a PMC. It gives us a lot of wiggle room if we don't want to do something, and the contract is loose enough that we can pretty much do what we want, outside of the specific task we're assigned to."
"I see. That's generous of them."
"Eh, not really. Not a lot of girls will stick with them for long, since…well, muggles. Us choosing to work with them in the long term like this is really good for them, and they don't have to deal with the complications that come with hiring a Magus directly."
You had wondered how they made that work, with most Magi being minors, but had mostly assumed that Kyubey just contained it. Even now, you still suspect that is largely the case; no government contains information well enough to keep Magi under wraps.
"Do they have an agreement with the Kyubey, as well?"
Her smile fades, "...yeah, they do. I don't like it, but...it is what it is. We still do good in the world, at least, by killing Witches."
You nod, saying nothing; without knowing the extent of her information, you don't dare comment too much on the issue.
"So, what are your teammates like?"
"Huh? Oh...well, um...you should probably just meet them, really. Kinda hard to put it into words. They're good people, though, if a bit weird." She gives you a meaningful look, then glances upwards, eyes silently indicating a security camera nearby.
You restrain your surprise, but take note of their secrecy and smoothly play along, "I'll look forward to it, then. It never hurts to know more about other Magi." You leave the implication hanging, to see how she takes it, but Rose either misses or dismisses it as she smiles.
"It doesn't, does it? It's funny, my life was way worse before I knew the others--turns out that normal people are kinda hard to get along with, once you Wish."
Glancing around quietly for more cameras, you nod, maintaining your composure, "They can be, but I find it largely depends on which people you spend time with."
"...yeah, I guess you're right. I just don't really get to go out and meet people from outside the military much. We're not actually stuck here, of course, but we do have a job to do, and secrecy is kinda a thing." Turning to you with a smile, she raises a hand up next to her mouth and lowers her voice to a stage whisper, "I don't think the U.S. trust Kyubey to keep things quiet."
You try to smile back some, but your rising concerns make it difficult, "As they shouldn't. Are we almost there?"
She nods, turns a corner, then comes to a stop, "Here we are!" She poses, arms wide and indicating an unassuming door.
Fire a sphere of crystallized magic from your Shield.
Charge Time: 3 Seconds
Fast Attack
100% Accuracy
1000 Power
Massive Damage
Cost
300 Grief
Adds to or alters the abilities of an object. Different effect have different costs, and must be discovered and studied in order to determine what works and what doesn't. As always, proximity to your natural magical talents lowers Cost and Difficulty.
The costs listed below are the costs to enchant a handheld item. Vehicles cost 5 times this amount to enchant, and larger objects (buildings, warships, etc.) cost 5 times as much as a vehicle (25x the listed cost). All Enchantment Costs are rounded up.
Automation: The object or device will act on its own according to your will. (Cost: 5 EE/Hour)
Increase Power (1 EE/Power point. Max 20.)
Increase Speed (10 EE to double speed. Max 4x Speed.)
Increase Durability (1 EE/Durability point. Max 20.)
Increase Damage (30 EE to increase Damage scale by 1 step. Max 1.)
Enhance Other Ability: Examples include allowing plane to fly freely in hurricane, improving the sight enhancement from glasses, and making medicine more effective. Extremely exotic effects may be achieved through study, experimentation, and practice.(Cost: Varies).
Grant Supernatural Ability: Allow an object to do something that it normally can't. The stronger the relationship between the object and the effect, the lower the Cost and Difficulty will be (Homing Bullets and Auto Reload are relatively cheap. A Homing Cello, on the other hand...)
Homing Projectiles (1 EE/Projectile)
Auto Reload (5 EE)
Flying Sword/Knife: 30 EE
Ego
Enchantment allows you to apply your full Ego score to attacks with enchanted mundane weapons, just as if they were created through magic.
Cost: 5 EE
Use Magic to distort the past slightly, averting a single disaster before it occurred. Very powerful, but has limits.
Practical Electronics for the Home Inventor. 1st Edition. [Skilled | Electronics Expertise] [0/5]
Research
A Guide to Basic Research and Information Analysis. 1st Ed. Honya. [Amateur | Research] [0/7]
Other:
Untitled Book [???]
Arsenal
31 Handguns [214 Clips]
21 Machine Guns [253 Clips]
5 Sniper Rifles [112 Clips]
2 Rocket Launchers [20 Rockets]
1 Mini-Gun [12000 Rounds]
16 Katana
30 Knives
12 Pipe Bombs
1 Umbrella
Special
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.
Monthly Planner
Unlocks Calendar
Heart Scans
Homura receives a +5 Bonus to Medical Checks when treating her Heart Condition.
Kyouko and Mami's Cake
Gives Sanity when eaten. Gives more when eaten with friends.
High-Quality Sake
Payment for Yuuko's time.
Yuuko's Business Card
Gives instant access to Yuuko's shop.
Devices
Shield Clock (Quality: +19) (Enchanted)
Time Stop:
Cost:
1 EE/Second; Rounded Up
10 Sanity/30 Minutes; Rounded Down; Totaled Daily
Shield of Protection:
Negates a single attack entirely.
Cost
X EE
X is equal to the Power of the attack negated.
Magic Blast:
Fire an energy blast from your Shield.
Instant Attack
100% Accuracy
100 Power
Low Damage
Cost
20 EE/Second; Rounded Up
Fairly easy to alter, with a little work.
Attimo Finale (Magic Blast Variant)
Fire a sphere of crystallized magic from your Shield.
Charge Time: 3 Seconds
Fast Attack
100% Accuracy
1000 Power
Massive Damage
Cost
300 Grief
Enchant:
Adds to or alters the abilities of an object. Different effect have different costs, and must be discovered and studied in order to determine what works and what doesn't. As always, proximity to your natural magical talents lowers Cost and Difficulty.
The costs listed below are the costs to enchant a handheld item. Vehicles cost 5 times this amount to enchant, and larger objects (buildings, warships, etc.) cost 5 times as much as a vehicle (25x the listed cost). All Enchantment Costs are rounded up.
Automation: The object or device will act on its own according to your will. (Cost: 5 EE/Hour)
Increase Power (1 EE/Power point. Max 20.)
Increase Speed (10 EE to double speed. Max 4x Speed.)
Increase Durability (1 EE/Durability point. Max 20.)
Increase Damage (30 EE to increase Damage scale by 1 step. Max 1.)
Enhance Other Ability: Examples include allowing plane to fly freely in hurricane, improving the sight enhancement from glasses, and making medicine more effective. Extremely exotic effects may be achieved through study, experimentation, and practice.(Cost: Varies).
Grant Supernatural Ability: Allow an object to do something that it normally can't. The stronger the relationship between the object and the effect, the lower the Cost and Difficulty will be (Homing Bullets and Auto Reload are relatively cheap. A Homing Cello, on the other hand...)
Homing Projectiles (1 EE/Projectile)
Auto Reload (5 EE)
Flying Knife/Sword (30 EE)
Ego
Enchantment allows you to apply your full Ego score to attacks with enchanted mundane weapons, just as if they were created through magic.
Cost: 5 EE
Bargaining:
Use Magic to distort the past slightly, averting a single disaster before it occurred. Very powerful, but has limits.
Cost
500 Sanity
500 EE
Weapons:
Durability: 300
Maximum Number: 1
Attack Types:
Slash: Effective Power = Power * 1.2, Standard Damage
Stab: Effective Power = Power * 1.5, Moderate decrease in Damage
Special Ability:
Progressive: If contact is maintained with the target, the attack's effective Power increases by 10 for each second of sustained contact, assuming pressure is maintained, to a maximum of +100 Power
Durability: Infinite
Maximum Number: 1
Special Abilities
Focus for Shield of Protection}
Focus for Time Stop
Required for Time Reversal
Armor:
Durability: 50
Special Abilities
Multiplies Speed and Strength by 10
Accessories:
Durability: 15
Special Abilities
Contains your Soul
How do you want to approach this?
[ ] Politely. You're a guest here, and they have you outnumbered.
[ ] Boldly. You're Homura Akemi, and you have them outgunned.
[ ] Conspiratorially. There's more going on here than is apparent, and they might appreciate your help.
[ ] Casually. This is a tense situation, but you can perhaps gain the upper hand if you catch them off guard. Of course, you're not the best at casual interaction...
[ ] Professionally. You have things you wish to discuss with potential allies; there's no need for games.
[ ] Write-In.
What do you gain here?
[ ] Information about them.
[ ] Their help with Walpurgisnacht.
[ ] Their assistance in something else.
-[ ] Write-In.
[ ] Their friendship.
[ ] Write-In.
I kind of want a mix of Professional and Conspiratorial. Politely is kind of "Ha" worthy because we've both been a bit growly about being and are a veteran. Numbers don't mean a whole lot to someone who can just stop time in 99% of situations. Much less has an armory and could freely kill and/or disable everyone in said time-stop.
Casually is... just no. And no need to shove it in their faces, no need to be antagonistic. Yet.
So Professional, but Rose hinted that something is going on in the base, or at least someone is watching. Whether she was just being polite and/or friendly because she's PMC and doesn't really work for them or because they need help in some way, but that's kind of why I'm on the fence. Do they need help or was she just being friendly/offering a branch by telling us?
>Raises one hand
>fishes out phone
>"hi mami sugar mommy so did you know there's megucas in the military base?"
>everyone loses their fucking minds.
But yeah guess we can play it professionaly with some sneaky sneaky conspiration stuff for now. we can break out the Ham after that depending on stuff.
It takes about 30 minutes to reach the entrance to the Military Base, where you find a tranformed Magus awaiting you, her red cloak billowing in the wind as she spots you and waves cheerily, "Hee~ey! Over here."
But yeah guess we can play it professionaly with some sneaky sneaky conspiration stuff for now. we can break out the Ham after that depending on stuff.
Did we already have a plan for what we wanted from them? Info and a warning about Wally plus asking for help with it if they're up for it, but not expecting anything. Wally's kind of a monster after all.
Homura's not really one to ask for Friendship either and I'm really not sure what else to ask after... Maybe anomalies? Like Heracles, Yamato, and Sesshomaru? Just to keep an eye out and send us a message if something comes up.
[X] Professionally. You have things you wish to discuss with potential allies; there's no need for games.
-[X] Conspiratorially. There's more going on here than is apparent, and they might appreciate your help. On the other hand it might not be anything, so no need to push where you aren't wanted. Telepathy while you're talking about something you don't need to focus on heavily with the one best suited for keeping a calm face or not participating in the conversation. Perhaps find out if their phones and rooms are secure so you could call or text later as well.
[X] Professionally. You have things you wish to discuss with potential allies; there's no need for games.
-[X] Conspiratorially. There's more going on here than is apparent, and they might appreciate your help. On the other hand it might not be anything, so no need to push where you aren't wanted. Telepathy while you're talking about something you don't need to focus on heavily with the one best suited for keeping a calm face or not participating in the conversation. Perhaps find out if their phones and rooms are secure so you could call or text later as well.
... on day, ONE DAY we are going to order weapons and Koko is going to show up and I won't even be surprised.
Also if Yamato forms a Mental Model I won't be surprised either.
She hands you an ID card with your name and a photo--it looks to be one of the ones from the hospital, which might bode poorly. On the other hand, it has "VIP" printed in place of "Guest."
I mean, the fact that they managed to track down Homura's face so quickly is interesting, but not particularly remarkable. It does speak to the nimbleness of their organization, though, that they'd be willing and able to have a ID card printed that quickly.
I mean, we kind of already did when we halfway went Akemi Madness on poor Ruby just now.
[X] Professionally. You have things you wish to discuss with potential allies; there's no need for games.
-[X] But be open to conspiratorial plotting if they bring it up; Ruby clearly wants help with something, and that can be leverage.
[X] Information about them.
-[X] Offer to make introductions to Mami; if the local military base is having Witch problems an alliance would be prudent, and it'd be best to get any hint of poaching taken care of before examples need to be made.
We should wait until we're not in a place where the walls have ears before mentioning Walpurgisnacht; I imagine the US military will try something heroic and futile if they find out.
Ah, but if we're expecting it that just means we'll have her suit also in that order and we can just throw it at her then and there.
Seriously, Koko's basically Best Girl right now. Though Sayaka might have a serious running as well if Homura wasn't so "The fuck am I supposed to do with this" with her because of how different she is from what Homura expected.
Also if Yamato forms a Mental Model I won't be surprised either.
Well, let's see: Basically a minor Kami from her history, her history doesn't actually have her doing much though and she's not quite a century old, couple more decades left to go. If some Wish magic gets involved I could see a maybe for a full mental model? I could see her being able to move herself but still being fundamentally just a ship more easily as it stands. *Shrug*
Ultimately, it's magic. Not even Kyuuby tries to predict where that shit will land.
It's probably what we do if someone is somehow threatening them and making it stick.
We should wait until we're not in a place where the walls have ears before mentioning Walpurgisnacht; I imagine the US military will try something heroic and futile if they find out.