- Location
- Somewhere
That's about what I expected. But it was something worth considering and asking about non-the-less.
Renascence: A Homura Quest
- Thread starter Higure
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy Mystery
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
I think my personal list of preferences is still: Ruki > Oriko > Kyouko/Kirika > Mami/Snow > Yuuma
The main reason I didn't provide an option for Ruki in my list of (two) plan votes was because I didn't feel like typing it up at the time.
- Location
- Somewhere
Hm...then with that, how about something like this?
[ ] Plan: Day Of Departure (side Ruki)
Investigative Actions: 2
-[ ] Friends (598/2000) [Madoka]
-[ ] Akemi Madness (199/500)
--[ ] with Houhouin Kyouma
Social Actions: 1
-[ ] Mami (200/200) (Link Up Ready!)
Home Actions: 2
-[ ] Train Melee
--[ ] With Miho Miki (Bonus: Sword Specialist Training)
-[ ] Special: Play SAO with Sayaka and Miho Miki
Mission Actions: 1
-[ ] A Royal Invitation (Will involve leaving Mitakihara for several days. The crown is providing a private jet.)
--[ ] Ruki
Creative Actions: 1
-[ ] Research A Theoretical Magical Working
--[ ] Cure Homura's heart condition, without need for reapplication or ongoing maintenance unless reset by Time Loop.
--[ ] Ambition 5
Training Actions: 1
-[ ] Train A Skill
--[ ] Social
---[ ] Request - Snow
Sleep Actions: 4
-[ ] Sleep
-[ ] Sleep
-[ ] Train A Skill
--[ ] Development
-[ ] Train A Skill
--[ ] Clocksmithing
This vote sort of combines both of your vote, @catDreaming in some areas and edits things to be a vote for Ruki instead of Oriko. Changes I made are adding Houhouin Kyouma back in for the Akemi Madness Investigative Action since he already is researching it himself, making Ruki the one we take to England and keeping Snow as our social teacher/fellow student so she can give us training more focused on Western Culture and high society. I also added in an ambition level for the Magical Working.
Personally my own Vote, right now, will look something more like this:
[X] Plan Ready for Departure
Investigative Actions: 2
-[X] Friends (598/2000) [Madoka]
-[X] Akemi Madness (199/500)
--[X] with Houhouin Kyouma
Social Actions: 1
-[X] Mami (200/200) (Link Up Ready!)
Home Actions: 2
-[X] Train Melee
--[X] With Miho Miki (Bonus: Sword Specialist Training)
-[X] Special: Play SAO with Sayaka and Miho Miki
Mission Actions: 1
-[X] A Royal Invitation (Will involve leaving Mitakihara for several days. The crown is providing a private jet.)
--[X] Oriko
--[X] Ruki if Oriko is unavailable
--[X] Kyouko if both above fail
Creative Actions: 1
-[X] Research A Theoretical Magical Working
--[X] Cure Homura's heart condition, without need for reapplication or ongoing maintenance unless reset by Time Loop.
--[X] Ambition 5
Training Actions: 1
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Social
---[X] Request - Snow
Sleep Actions: 4
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Development
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Clocksmithing
It's mostly the same as Day of Departure (side Ruki), just substituting Oriko for Ruki, with Ruki and Kyouko as backups. Kyouko edged in over Kirika due to the fact we already have some extremely minor control over the redhead that we lack with Kirika. I'm voting on a magical working for Homura's heart not because I want to eliminate as many variables for comparing Magical Workings to Magical Spells. We saw results for Ambition 5 for creating a spell for Homura's heart, so now we're checking Ambition 5 for a Magical Working for the heart. Our skill levels are still the same as before in the relevant areas, so the results should be a good comparison, even though we will likely never use the Magical Working as spells are just easier to perform and we already know the spell we did create will give Homura a permanent heart at near normal levels unless reversed by Time Reset. Once we have the comparison, we can decide which is better for working towards making Homura's magics more efficient.
EDIT: Lastly, while I prefer Oriko over Ruki for the trip, the difference in preference isn't so great that I cannot be easily swayed to side Ruki with decent to good reasonings.
[ ] Plan: Day Of Departure (side Ruki)
Investigative Actions: 2
-[ ] Friends (598/2000) [Madoka]
-[ ] Akemi Madness (199/500)
--[ ] with Houhouin Kyouma
Social Actions: 1
-[ ] Mami (200/200) (Link Up Ready!)
Home Actions: 2
-[ ] Train Melee
--[ ] With Miho Miki (Bonus: Sword Specialist Training)
-[ ] Special: Play SAO with Sayaka and Miho Miki
Mission Actions: 1
-[ ] A Royal Invitation (Will involve leaving Mitakihara for several days. The crown is providing a private jet.)
--[ ] Ruki
Creative Actions: 1
-[ ] Research A Theoretical Magical Working
--[ ] Cure Homura's heart condition, without need for reapplication or ongoing maintenance unless reset by Time Loop.
--[ ] Ambition 5
Training Actions: 1
-[ ] Train A Skill
--[ ] Social
---[ ] Request - Snow
Sleep Actions: 4
-[ ] Sleep
-[ ] Sleep
-[ ] Train A Skill
--[ ] Development
-[ ] Train A Skill
--[ ] Clocksmithing
This vote sort of combines both of your vote, @catDreaming in some areas and edits things to be a vote for Ruki instead of Oriko. Changes I made are adding Houhouin Kyouma back in for the Akemi Madness Investigative Action since he already is researching it himself, making Ruki the one we take to England and keeping Snow as our social teacher/fellow student so she can give us training more focused on Western Culture and high society. I also added in an ambition level for the Magical Working.
Personally my own Vote, right now, will look something more like this:
[X] Plan Ready for Departure
Investigative Actions: 2
-[X] Friends (598/2000) [Madoka]
-[X] Akemi Madness (199/500)
--[X] with Houhouin Kyouma
Social Actions: 1
-[X] Mami (200/200) (Link Up Ready!)
Home Actions: 2
-[X] Train Melee
--[X] With Miho Miki (Bonus: Sword Specialist Training)
-[X] Special: Play SAO with Sayaka and Miho Miki
Mission Actions: 1
-[X] A Royal Invitation (Will involve leaving Mitakihara for several days. The crown is providing a private jet.)
--[X] Oriko
--[X] Ruki if Oriko is unavailable
--[X] Kyouko if both above fail
Creative Actions: 1
-[X] Research A Theoretical Magical Working
--[X] Cure Homura's heart condition, without need for reapplication or ongoing maintenance unless reset by Time Loop.
--[X] Ambition 5
Training Actions: 1
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Social
---[X] Request - Snow
Sleep Actions: 4
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Development
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Clocksmithing
It's mostly the same as Day of Departure (side Ruki), just substituting Oriko for Ruki, with Ruki and Kyouko as backups. Kyouko edged in over Kirika due to the fact we already have some extremely minor control over the redhead that we lack with Kirika. I'm voting on a magical working for Homura's heart not because I want to eliminate as many variables for comparing Magical Workings to Magical Spells. We saw results for Ambition 5 for creating a spell for Homura's heart, so now we're checking Ambition 5 for a Magical Working for the heart. Our skill levels are still the same as before in the relevant areas, so the results should be a good comparison, even though we will likely never use the Magical Working as spells are just easier to perform and we already know the spell we did create will give Homura a permanent heart at near normal levels unless reversed by Time Reset. Once we have the comparison, we can decide which is better for working towards making Homura's magics more efficient.
EDIT: Lastly, while I prefer Oriko over Ruki for the trip, the difference in preference isn't so great that I cannot be easily swayed to side Ruki with decent to good reasonings.
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Macros
omnisciently vague councilman
- Location
- Dirac Sea
[X] Plan Ready for Departure
I'm down for that one. I think I'd put Kyouko above Ruki if this was just down to me - but I also kind of expect Ruki to actually say no if asked. Even if I'm wrong about that, it's probably fine.
Just one thing: I think you forgot to edit the Training Action and kept Snow as our Social helper - which made sense when the plan had her come with us to England, but probably isn't terribly relevant in this version.
I'm down for that one. I think I'd put Kyouko above Ruki if this was just down to me - but I also kind of expect Ruki to actually say no if asked. Even if I'm wrong about that, it's probably fine.
Just one thing: I think you forgot to edit the Training Action and kept Snow as our Social helper - which made sense when the plan had her come with us to England, but probably isn't terribly relevant in this version.
- Location
- Somewhere
I left it in there for the same reasoning as Side Ruki. Basically she's the best trainer we have for western high society social, which will be relevant once we are in England. Oriko is best if we think her precog powers can show us her the entire meeting, at which point we might want to just vote "Oriko's recommendation" for who we take. But since we have reason to believe another precog is in play, Oriko's ability to train us in the appropriate areas is in question. After Oriko, there's not really anyone else to train us in social for high society except Mr. Akemi.
EDIT: Thank you for catching what looked like an oversight. In this specific instance though, it was intentional.
EDIT: Thank you for catching what looked like an oversight. In this specific instance though, it was intentional.
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NanayaMode
(Verified Unverifiable)
- Location
- Out of my mind
Homura is a descendant of King Arthur.
Homura is a descendant of Morgan le Fay
There is a nonzero chance of getting the Golden Ending this loop.
Homura is a descendant of Morgan le Fay
There is a nonzero chance of getting the Golden Ending this loop.
Higure
Witch of Faith
- Location
- The Golden Land
Homura is not a descendant of King Arthur.
I will not answer at this time.
There is zero chance of getting the Golden Ending this loop.
NanayaMode
(Verified Unverifiable)
- Location
- Out of my mind
So is Morgan a relative or a red herring.
Timeline confirmed to be expendable. Thank you.
- Location
- Somewhere
Yeah, this loop has been expendable at least since I before I started playing this quest. That said, there are things from this timeline I do wish to try to preserve into later timelines. Top among them is this version of Sayaka. Homura has never had a Sayaka that actually liked her before...least not in a timeline where Sayaka contracted.
Also, "confirmation" of being Morgan's descendent has me sort of on edge. We're about to head to Artoria's domain, where we can expect Zero to have some presence. The Britannia's are descended from Arthur. And the family feuds of the Pendragons are literally legendary.
The other concern is if Morgana is a red hearing, we might still be descended from Mordred, depending on the version of the legends Higure is playing with. In the Fate universe, where he's at least getting the images and maybe the demeanor of Arotria from, Mordred's relation to Arthur is a clone-son (despite being female), which means Higure could be technically right if he says we are not descended from Arthur but we are Mordred depending on how you look at it.
EDIT: And that's not counting that there allegedly are versions of the legend where Mordred is Arthur's cousin or even just another warlord/nobleman in the area that fought alongside Arthur. In both of those scenarios Homura could be Mordred's descendant without being Arthur's. END EDIT
Actually... just to prune branches...
Homura is a descendent of Mordred.
Also, "confirmation" of being Morgan's descendent has me sort of on edge. We're about to head to Artoria's domain, where we can expect Zero to have some presence. The Britannia's are descended from Arthur. And the family feuds of the Pendragons are literally legendary.
The other concern is if Morgana is a red hearing, we might still be descended from Mordred, depending on the version of the legends Higure is playing with. In the Fate universe, where he's at least getting the images and maybe the demeanor of Arotria from, Mordred's relation to Arthur is a clone-son (despite being female), which means Higure could be technically right if he says we are not descended from Arthur but we are Mordred depending on how you look at it.
EDIT: And that's not counting that there allegedly are versions of the legend where Mordred is Arthur's cousin or even just another warlord/nobleman in the area that fought alongside Arthur. In both of those scenarios Homura could be Mordred's descendant without being Arthur's. END EDIT
Actually... just to prune branches...
Homura is a descendent of Mordred.
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Higure
Witch of Faith
- Location
- The Golden Land
Homura is not a descendent of Mordred.
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
[X] Plan Ready for Departure
Investigative Actions: 2
-[X] Friends (598/2000) [Madoka]
-[X] Akemi Madness (199/500)
--[X] with Houhouin Kyouma
Social Actions: 1
-[X] Mami (200/200) (Link Up Ready!)
Home Actions: 2
-[X] Train Melee
--[X] With Miho Miki (Bonus: Sword Specialist Training)
-[X] Special: Play SAO with Sayaka and Miho Miki
Mission Actions: 1
-[X] A Royal Invitation (Will involve leaving Mitakihara for several days. The crown is providing a private jet.)
--[X] Oriko
--[X] Ruki if Oriko is unavailable
--[X] Kyouko if both above fail
Creative Actions: 1
-[X] Research A Theoretical Magical Working
--[X] Cure Homura's heart condition, without need for reapplication or ongoing maintenance unless reset by Time Loop.
--[X] Ambition 5
Training Actions: 1
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Social
---[X] Request - Snow
Sleep Actions: 4
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Development
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Clocksmithing
While I'd prefer Ruki over Oriko, the point that Ruki is likely to refuse if asked is a fair one. This plan covers all the bases I wanted, and even covers the possibility of getting Houhouin Kyouma to help out with Investigating the Akemi Madness. One minor nitpick, though: Working Ambition is determined by Higure as opposed to us. Another difference between them and spells.
Investigative Actions: 2
-[X] Friends (598/2000) [Madoka]
-[X] Akemi Madness (199/500)
--[X] with Houhouin Kyouma
Social Actions: 1
-[X] Mami (200/200) (Link Up Ready!)
Home Actions: 2
-[X] Train Melee
--[X] With Miho Miki (Bonus: Sword Specialist Training)
-[X] Special: Play SAO with Sayaka and Miho Miki
Mission Actions: 1
-[X] A Royal Invitation (Will involve leaving Mitakihara for several days. The crown is providing a private jet.)
--[X] Oriko
--[X] Ruki if Oriko is unavailable
--[X] Kyouko if both above fail
Creative Actions: 1
-[X] Research A Theoretical Magical Working
--[X] Cure Homura's heart condition, without need for reapplication or ongoing maintenance unless reset by Time Loop.
--[X] Ambition 5
Training Actions: 1
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Social
---[X] Request - Snow
Sleep Actions: 4
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Development
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Clocksmithing
While I'd prefer Ruki over Oriko, the point that Ruki is likely to refuse if asked is a fair one. This plan covers all the bases I wanted, and even covers the possibility of getting Houhouin Kyouma to help out with Investigating the Akemi Madness. One minor nitpick, though: Working Ambition is determined by Higure as opposed to us. Another difference between them and spells.
NanayaMode
(Verified Unverifiable)
- Location
- Out of my mind
[X] Plan Ready for Departure
- Location
- Somewhere
More branch pruning blue truths.
Homura is not descended from a member of King Arthur's Court.
The idea here is to eliminate all potential knights like Percival, Lancelot, and Gawain (among others) under Arthur's banner, most of which were not related to Arthur himself, as well as Merlin and Guinevere and similar figures who weren't knights and wouldn't be counted if I had tried only the Knights of the Round Table. So, unless there's a version of the legends where Morgan le Fay was part of Arthur's court before she started being evil or never did turn evil, she should be excluded from the above Blue Truth's parameters.
If Higure refuses to answer, there's a few possibilities that come into play. Could be Morgan had a daughter with a member of the court. Could be another red haring similar to Morgan herself potentially being a red haring.
Homura is not descended from a member of King Arthur's Court.
The idea here is to eliminate all potential knights like Percival, Lancelot, and Gawain (among others) under Arthur's banner, most of which were not related to Arthur himself, as well as Merlin and Guinevere and similar figures who weren't knights and wouldn't be counted if I had tried only the Knights of the Round Table. So, unless there's a version of the legends where Morgan le Fay was part of Arthur's court before she started being evil or never did turn evil, she should be excluded from the above Blue Truth's parameters.
If Higure refuses to answer, there's a few possibilities that come into play. Could be Morgan had a daughter with a member of the court. Could be another red haring similar to Morgan herself potentially being a red haring.
Higure
Witch of Faith
- Location
- The Golden Land
I will not answer at this time.
There's an extremely obscure hint in a previous post.
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- Location
- Somewhere
Yeah, unfortunately my best guess at the hint is the source of Akemi Madness being linked to this Welsh noblewoman ancestor. And...that doesn't really help me at all. I do not know Arthurian myth so well that I can place this or that character as being mad or letting their emotions run wild. Best guesses are Merlin and Morgana or both.
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Crow
Falling is a Pleasure. Regardless of its Fate
Iiiii dont think Snow is actually. You know. Good at social.
- Location
- Somewhere
Okay, since apparently either no one is getting my reasoning on requesting Snow, or is not actually arguing why my reasoning is bad, I am going to go over this again and try to break it down as much as possible.
We know that Homura is about to head off to England to meet with King Arthur. From the interlude that featured Arthur and how the invitation was delivered to Homura, we can presume that she is King both from the perspective of being a Magical Girl Ruler and from the perspective of the actual public. From that, we can presume that our meeting with Arthur will involve some form of high society socialization. This is reinforced by the dress selection vote we had, or at least the way we came to that vote.
Among the various people Homura knows that could train her in social, almost all of them are school girls, used to relatively casual social interactions with friends, classmates or the occasional authority figure in the form of an adult. Mami is overly formal, but that formality is still only experience in the senpai kohai relations she has with Magical Girl candidates and some minor politicaling with the Magical Girls from outside Mitakihara, specifically that Tokyo council she single-handedly reduced to a number of about seven when they attacked her.
Oriko's precog could give us some useful tips, but that presumes she can see the future situations Homura will see herself in well. Something that is not certain because of evidence that Arthur has a precog in her employ.
Snow, on the other hand, we know has some level of training in high society situations due to her past as the daughter of a wealthy CEO of a major company. We also know she is from America or Europe. We do not know how long she has been out of that sort of environment from her disowning her family, but we do know she used those experiences and training as the director of the military Magical Girls. This shows she has experience with politics in a western culture context, which includes the United Kingdom. It also means that whatever little she can teach us due to time, and potentially her own social score being low, will be relevant regardless of her ability to properly predict what Arthur wants with us.
Now, I do not know how Higure determines sub sections of socializations interact with training or determining our score. In the worst case scenario that our Social is just a flat number with the specifics of sub categories we asked for training in being there simply to act as flavor text for the actual results, our score goes up no worse than if we asked for training from Sayaka or Mami, but lower than if we get training from someone we know has high social like say Madoka. In the best case scenario where training specifically in high society social gives us some sort of bonus, either doubling social experience or a flat bonus to our score when in a high society environment, Snow appears to be the best bet for getting that maximum bonus.
If people are still so concerned with my plan having Snow as our trainer, I am willing to edit the plan. But I need to know soon so votes do not get locked and everyone that voted for my plan by copy-pasting the entire plan might need to edit their vote as well.
EDIT: Just to give some numbers, I tried doing some calculations. Presuming the needed experience to level up Social climbs by 5 each level, worst case scenario with Snow as our trainer, we have a 62% chance to level up Social once. If she gives the +50 bonus (I think it was called Study Buddy) or we go with someone that gives that bonus, we are guaranteed a level up and have a 37% chance of obtaining a second level. If she's counted as a Teacher for that +100 or we go to someone with that bonus, we are guaranteed a level up with a 87% chance of a second.
If Higure decides that training specifically for this trip does not get us a teaching bonus, but a limited bonus to social rolls in the specified environment, in this case specifically dealing with King Arthur's present day court in a high society situations, we need only get a bonus of +2 to our rolls to equal the what we are likely to get with our best training from anyone else and it exceeds our worst case training scenarios where Homura bombs her rolls. A bonus of +3 or more surpasses even our best case scenario for training.
Essentially, with my vote, I'm banking on Higure considering Snow a trainer because we are specifically looking for training for dealing with Arthur and we get that +100 to Homura's Social xp roll, but we can still get some good payoffs if she's only considered good enough for that +50 and we don't lose too much if we don't get any bonus to training, though in that scenario I'm hoping we get some sort of small bonus to our social rolls with Arthur.
EDIT: Made a change to the best training scenario...somehow missed 20 percent in there, giving us 87% to get two levels rather than 67%.
We know that Homura is about to head off to England to meet with King Arthur. From the interlude that featured Arthur and how the invitation was delivered to Homura, we can presume that she is King both from the perspective of being a Magical Girl Ruler and from the perspective of the actual public. From that, we can presume that our meeting with Arthur will involve some form of high society socialization. This is reinforced by the dress selection vote we had, or at least the way we came to that vote.
Among the various people Homura knows that could train her in social, almost all of them are school girls, used to relatively casual social interactions with friends, classmates or the occasional authority figure in the form of an adult. Mami is overly formal, but that formality is still only experience in the senpai kohai relations she has with Magical Girl candidates and some minor politicaling with the Magical Girls from outside Mitakihara, specifically that Tokyo council she single-handedly reduced to a number of about seven when they attacked her.
Oriko's precog could give us some useful tips, but that presumes she can see the future situations Homura will see herself in well. Something that is not certain because of evidence that Arthur has a precog in her employ.
Snow, on the other hand, we know has some level of training in high society situations due to her past as the daughter of a wealthy CEO of a major company. We also know she is from America or Europe. We do not know how long she has been out of that sort of environment from her disowning her family, but we do know she used those experiences and training as the director of the military Magical Girls. This shows she has experience with politics in a western culture context, which includes the United Kingdom. It also means that whatever little she can teach us due to time, and potentially her own social score being low, will be relevant regardless of her ability to properly predict what Arthur wants with us.
Now, I do not know how Higure determines sub sections of socializations interact with training or determining our score. In the worst case scenario that our Social is just a flat number with the specifics of sub categories we asked for training in being there simply to act as flavor text for the actual results, our score goes up no worse than if we asked for training from Sayaka or Mami, but lower than if we get training from someone we know has high social like say Madoka. In the best case scenario where training specifically in high society social gives us some sort of bonus, either doubling social experience or a flat bonus to our score when in a high society environment, Snow appears to be the best bet for getting that maximum bonus.
If people are still so concerned with my plan having Snow as our trainer, I am willing to edit the plan. But I need to know soon so votes do not get locked and everyone that voted for my plan by copy-pasting the entire plan might need to edit their vote as well.
EDIT: Just to give some numbers, I tried doing some calculations. Presuming the needed experience to level up Social climbs by 5 each level, worst case scenario with Snow as our trainer, we have a 62% chance to level up Social once. If she gives the +50 bonus (I think it was called Study Buddy) or we go with someone that gives that bonus, we are guaranteed a level up and have a 37% chance of obtaining a second level. If she's counted as a Teacher for that +100 or we go to someone with that bonus, we are guaranteed a level up with a 87% chance of a second.
If Higure decides that training specifically for this trip does not get us a teaching bonus, but a limited bonus to social rolls in the specified environment, in this case specifically dealing with King Arthur's present day court in a high society situations, we need only get a bonus of +2 to our rolls to equal the what we are likely to get with our best training from anyone else and it exceeds our worst case training scenarios where Homura bombs her rolls. A bonus of +3 or more surpasses even our best case scenario for training.
Essentially, with my vote, I'm banking on Higure considering Snow a trainer because we are specifically looking for training for dealing with Arthur and we get that +100 to Homura's Social xp roll, but we can still get some good payoffs if she's only considered good enough for that +50 and we don't lose too much if we don't get any bonus to training, though in that scenario I'm hoping we get some sort of small bonus to our social rolls with Arthur.
EDIT: Made a change to the best training scenario...somehow missed 20 percent in there, giving us 87% to get two levels rather than 67%.
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- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
I am not opposed to training Social with Snow, and my reasoning comes from numbers. As long as Snow's Socialize is anywhere in the range of 0 to 29, any Training for Socialize with her will contribute to both her own and Homura's Socialize, much like it has with Mami so far. With this in mind, even if Snow is not so good at Socialize, training with her will still be mutually beneficial.
It also gives us half a social action with Snow to continue progressing her Social Link, which is never a bad thing.
Tangentially related, it occurs to me that my future plans will likely include Requesting Sayaka in addition to spending a Home Action on her Social Link, because if we want her Link to persist through Time Loops, it seems quite possible that it will need to be Maxed off at 10. This means that we need (5+6+7+8+9)*100 - 248 = 3252 Progress, excluding any lost from not overflowing. To keep things simple, let's assume we'll be able to start getting a Home action with her again on the 28th. That gives us somewhere in the range of 29~34 days for doing that Social Action (excluding any others). That means that, to max off her Social Link, we would need to be getting somewhere in the range of 92~112 Social progress with Sayaka per day.
With only a single Social Action, we would need to be rolling at least 74 every day to pull that off. If we help Sayaka train on something/Request her once each day, then only need to roll a combined 64 between the proper and the half Social Roll, a much better 80.47% chance. Essentially, we'll need to not only be doing at least one Social Action with Sayaka each day to complete her Social Link, we'll also need to be helping her and/or asking for her help at least once a day to have a reasonable chance of completing her Social Link as is. And at Social Link 5, she is going to be adding 1d50 in addition to any of her other bonuses when Requested, so she's definitely going to be contributing.
It also gives us half a social action with Snow to continue progressing her Social Link, which is never a bad thing.
Tangentially related, it occurs to me that my future plans will likely include Requesting Sayaka in addition to spending a Home Action on her Social Link, because if we want her Link to persist through Time Loops, it seems quite possible that it will need to be Maxed off at 10. This means that we need (5+6+7+8+9)*100 - 248 = 3252 Progress, excluding any lost from not overflowing. To keep things simple, let's assume we'll be able to start getting a Home action with her again on the 28th. That gives us somewhere in the range of 29~34 days for doing that Social Action (excluding any others). That means that, to max off her Social Link, we would need to be getting somewhere in the range of 92~112 Social progress with Sayaka per day.
With only a single Social Action, we would need to be rolling at least 74 every day to pull that off. If we help Sayaka train on something/Request her once each day, then only need to roll a combined 64 between the proper and the half Social Roll, a much better 80.47% chance. Essentially, we'll need to not only be doing at least one Social Action with Sayaka each day to complete her Social Link, we'll also need to be helping her and/or asking for her help at least once a day to have a reasonable chance of completing her Social Link as is. And at Social Link 5, she is going to be adding 1d50 in addition to any of her other bonuses when Requested, so she's definitely going to be contributing.
Crow
Falling is a Pleasure. Regardless of its Fate
Hm I vibe more with this honestly.
[X] Plan: Day Of Departure (side Oriko)
Investigative Actions: 2
-[X] Friends (598/2000) [Madoka]
-[X] Akemi Madness (199/500)
Social Actions: 1
-[X] Mami (200/200) (Link Up Ready!)
Home Actions: 2
-[X] Train Melee
--[X] With Miho Miki (Bonus: Sword Specialist Training)
-[X] Special: Play SAO with Sayaka and Miho Miki
Mission Actions: 1
-[X] A Royal Invitation (Will involve leaving Mitakihara for several days. The crown is providing a private jet.)
--[X] Oriko
Creative Actions: 1
-[X] Research A Theoretical Magical Working
--[X] Cure Homura's heart condition, without need for reapplication or ongoing maintenance unless reset by Time Loop.
Training Actions: 1
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Social
---[X] Request - Oriko
Sleep Actions: 4
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Development
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Clocksmithing
[X] Plan: Day Of Departure (side Oriko)
Investigative Actions: 2
-[X] Friends (598/2000) [Madoka]
-[X] Akemi Madness (199/500)
Social Actions: 1
-[X] Mami (200/200) (Link Up Ready!)
Home Actions: 2
-[X] Train Melee
--[X] With Miho Miki (Bonus: Sword Specialist Training)
-[X] Special: Play SAO with Sayaka and Miho Miki
Mission Actions: 1
-[X] A Royal Invitation (Will involve leaving Mitakihara for several days. The crown is providing a private jet.)
--[X] Oriko
Creative Actions: 1
-[X] Research A Theoretical Magical Working
--[X] Cure Homura's heart condition, without need for reapplication or ongoing maintenance unless reset by Time Loop.
Training Actions: 1
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Social
---[X] Request - Oriko
Sleep Actions: 4
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Sleep
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Development
-[X] Train A Skill
--[X] Clocksmithing
NanayaMode
(Verified Unverifiable)
- Location
- Out of my mind
It is impossible to get the Golden Ending this loop for one or more reasons unrelated to Akagi Matoko/Gertrude.
There has been at least one loop where Homura died.
There has been at least one loop where Homura became a Witch.
There has been at least one loop where Homura encountered one or more Wraiths.
Time travel does not include natural passage of time or time dilation for these Truths.
For these Truths. The term "time traveler" does not include any of the following: extremely powerful beings such as gods; beings that exist outside of time; dimensional travelers; beings from a higher level of reality such as Umineko-type Witches and author avatars.
It is possible for something to travel back in time and arrive at a point in the same timeline.
There have been other time travelers in previous loops.
There have been other time travelers in all previous loops.
There has been at least one other time traveler in this loop.
I will have to attempt to clarify at least one of the Blue Truths in this post.
There has been at least one loop where Homura died.
There has been at least one loop where Homura became a Witch.
There has been at least one loop where Homura encountered one or more Wraiths.
Time travel does not include natural passage of time or time dilation for these Truths.
For these Truths. The term "time traveler" does not include any of the following: extremely powerful beings such as gods; beings that exist outside of time; dimensional travelers; beings from a higher level of reality such as Umineko-type Witches and author avatars.
It is possible for something to travel back in time and arrive at a point in the same timeline.
There have been other time travelers in previous loops.
There have been other time travelers in all previous loops.
There has been at least one other time traveler in this loop.
I will have to attempt to clarify at least one of the Blue Truths in this post.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
It occurs to me that, in the future, Houhouin Kyouma could be a good Request for Investigation training. The guy did a lot of it in his own search for a Golden Ending, both solo and in cooperation with others, and it doesn't seem like a stretch that Reading Steiner could be related to Investigation somehow.
Friday, March 25th
Higure
Witch of Faith
- Location
- The Golden Land
QM Note: It's done. I hope you all enjoy it. I will update the character sheet tomorrow, so don't count on that being up to date.
Going to pass out now.
(598/2000) > Rolled (58) + 30 > (686/2000) > Madoka Rolled (52) + 10 > (748/2000)
She smiles that shining, precious smile of hers, "Nope! Maybe they're superheroes, or cyborgs, or magical girls!"
"Bwahaha! Cyborgs, you say? Interesting! Yet, how would these four particular girls--perhaps five--become cyborgs? No, it must be something else…" I stroke my chin, bristles scratching my fingers as I consider it, "There's certainly something odd going on, but, as a Mad Scientist, I can't dismiss anything out of hand! Christina! What do you think!?"
My Assistant looks up grumpily from where she's working on Future Gadget 13, "I think you need to stop stalking teenage girls, and my name's not Christina." I clutch my chest at the ruthless assault upon my pride as a man, but persevere.
"You know this is strange, Christina. You're not blind. I genuinely believe this may somehow be connected to the temporal anomalies." I lay off on the ham a bit for a moment, hoping she'll scale back the banter too.
She sighs, setting down her tools for a moment to think it over, "Maybe they are anomalies? I've been checking our DNA for changes, but we're a small sample size. Perhaps anomalous people are naturally stronger or more durable…or maybe it's just magic?" She smirks at that, mocking me, and I chuckle heartedly, spreading my arms wide.
"Yes, clearly, it's magic! Why ever would I think otherwise!? Very enlightening, you two!" I indicate the two most important women in my life before heaving a sigh, "Well, it can wait I--"
There's a knocking at the window, and everyone turns to it, exchanging confused looks. Slowly, I make my way over, pulling the curtains aside to reveal…
Nothing. Just the view.
I open the window, sticking my head out to look down, then up, and find Homura Akemi regarding me impassively from the rooftop.
I close the window immediately, growling slightly as I rush out the door and up the stairs, the Lab Members giving me questioning looks as I go.
Soon enough, I reach the roof, where Homura Akemi is waiting calmly for me.
"Hououin. I was wondering if I could obtain your assistance with a matter." She says, cool as a cucumber, as if she had not just given me a heart attack.
"What is that, Homura-san?" I ask, "And why could you not simply knock at the door?"
She shrugs, almost seeming a bit confused herself, "This seemed appropriate. Regardless, I seek the secrets of my bloodline and its madness. As a Mad Scientist, I thought perhaps you could assist with the matter."
I start to object, then pause, considering the request. I had been looking into the Akemis already, and if she is anomalous…
Yes, this is an opportunity! I must grasp it with both hands!
"I would be happy to help you with this endeavor and, as a good first step, I would ask for a sample of your blood, so that we might sequence your DNA, and see if that might not reveal something about your family's genetics!" As well as if she is conventionally human, or somehow other.
She nods, drawing a knife and a flask--wait, where did she pull those from--and takes the blade to her wrist with complete calmness, as if she doesn't feel the pain at all.
As a man who has done much the same before, I can tell you that should not be terribly possible.
"Stop!" I rush across the rooftop towards her, but it's too late already, obviously. The girl is clearly mad--no, of course she's mad, what was I thinking!?
Only, as I reach her, she merely lightly bandages the wound--I still did not manage to catch where she took the bandage from--and hands me the flask, which is far too full for my liking.
"Here, that should be more than enough." She says as I stare down at the bottled pint of blood in my hands, then back up at her. The bandage on her arm is red with blood, but the stain isn't spreading further, almost as if the bleeding has stopped already.
"How?" I ask, determined to obtain an answer to this madness, "How can you do that? How did you make it to the window and back up so quickly? How did you even reach the window in the first place, and how did you survive jumping out yesterday!?"
She regards me for a long moment, then smiles slightly, as if enjoying a joke, "Magic. You'll get me the results?"
I just stare silently, mouth slightly agape at the obvious lie, before sighing, "Yes, I'll get you the results. Do you want to come and meet the team?"
She shakes her head, "Another day. I have to do quite a bit, then be on a plane for England this evening. I'll text you."
With those parting words, Homura Akemi leaps off the rooftop and into the alley below. It does not surprise me when I see nothing upon looking down for her.
Akemi Madness (199/500) > Rolled (10) + 30 > (239/500) > Hououin Rolled (4) + 75 > (318/500) > Kurisu Rolled (17) + 50 > (385/500)
Houoin Kyouma (0/200) > Rolled ((55) + 14 + 25 (Connoisseurs of Crazy)) / 2 > (47/200)
Social Actions
Mami PoV
Knock knock knock
I look up from Friendship as a knock sounds a the door, tensing slightly. Kyouko would simply come in. Kaname-san would have called ahead.
That leaves either a stranger, or…
I walk to the door, glancing through peephole, and find Akemi-san staring directly at it, those cold purple eyes boring into my own even though she can't see me.
After a moment to dust myself off, I open the door for her, plastering a smile on my face. I'm glad to see her--I really am--but she still sets me a bit ill at ease, coming around like she does, 'What use does she have for me, to spend so much time on me? Why are her eyes like that? Why did she have to tell me about--' I end that train of thought sharply, knowing better than to brood in my condition.
"Ah, Akemi-san, what can I do for you?" I ask, trying to measure her like Madoka suggested--you have to see if there's a chance of friendship, and if it's desirable, before you can build something. Do those cold eyes seem a little warmer, now that she can see me, or is that wishful thinking?
"I had an idea on our shopping trip, but didn't have a time to act on it then. May I come in?" She speaks oddly. It's almost like she's forgotten how she's supposed to speak, or maybe like she never knew exactly? It's as if she's engineering her words for others, not simply speaking.
It makes me feel a little happy, knowing I'm not the only one who's trying so hard. Is that commonality something I can build a friendship on, or is it just a minor thing?
"Of course, Akemi-san! Please come in!" Please come in, so that I can figure out how to make friends with you.
She steps inside, and I close the door behind her, the two of us making our way to the living room--I put a lot of work into picking and arranging the new furniture just right, to create a kind of comfortable intimacy in that space, and I think it's working, maybe.
She sits in the chair that puts her back to the corner--it's my favorite chair, since it keeps my back covered, but I'm not going to complain--and I sit across from her in one that at least lets me watch the door, so I can bind it closed if someone tries to force their way in.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Akemi-san?" I ask, curious and a bit anxious. I hope she's not worried about me spending so much time with Kaname-san lately, considering how protective she is of the Potential.
Her shield appears for just an instant, flickering into existence on her arm for a fraction of a second--something I've learned to spot. A moment later, the are two boxes in her hands.
My eyes widen as I recognize them, and raise a hand to cover my mouth daintily--oh, there's the "princess" persona creeping in again--as my mouth drops open.
Akemi-san turns them around to reveal two identical gunpla: the PG Unleashed RX-78-2 Gundam model. I had been planning to build one, but--
I recall the ruined remains of my collection I had found upon visiting my apartment, and my chest hurts at the thought. All of those hours, all those memories, gone in an instant.
"I'd been thinking about picking up the hobby, and was wondering if you'd teach me, Senpai? Since we're friends?" She says without a moment of hesitation, those cold eyes gleaming ever so faintly, as if trying to be warm and failing.
'Since we're friends, she says. Like it's that simple. Like you just become friends, without any ceremony, or…' I recall how Kaname-san had just suddenly bought me a chair two days ago--for her home, so I would have somewhere to sit when I visited, 'Is Akemi-san trying to do the same thing, having seen that worked? Or is she just the same as Kaname-san, in some strange way? Is this the ceremony?'
I don't really understand it, but I'm already smiling as I answer instantly, "YES! Yes, of course!" I stand, restraining myself from hugging her without warning like I did with Kaname-san, "Umm…may I hug you, Akemi-san?"
The girl smiles at that, something about the expression not quite fitting. It's almost like she's remembering something, rather than happy about what I said. She stands, though, setting the gunpla down, and nods.
I embrace her. It's like hugging a piece of stone, the girl's body all hard muscle and bone, but there's something…
I can feel tears dripping down my face, and the strangest feeling of grief passes through me as I hold my friend.
???
meta
For a bare moment, a scream of despair tries to tear itself out of my chest, my arms tightening protectively down upon a clearly startled Homura--a Homura who's only 13, rather than 17--and then--
I blink the tears away, wiping my eyes as I try to recall what got me so upset, and release the smaller girl, "Sorry, Homu-chan. I don't know what came over me. Are you alright?"
She blinks, faint tears in her own eyes, but nods, "Yes, I'm fine. What about you?"
After a moment's hesitation, I nod back, "Yes, I think so. Things have been rough lately, and I'm glad to have you as a friend. Shall we get started?"
I indicate the Kits she bought us, and she nods quickly, turning to lift them from coffee table as we make our way to the larger kitchen table and I begin to show her the ropes.
Mami (200/200) > Link Up! > (0/300)
Mami 2 > 3
Craft Gunpla (0/0) > Rolled ((33) + 100)/2 > (67/0) > Level Up! > (67/5) > Level Up! > (62/10) > Level Up! (52/15) > Level Up! > (37/20) > Level Up! > (17/25)
Craft Gunpla 0 > 5
Trait Gained: Golden Bonds - +20 to all Socialize Rolls with members of The 15 Friends.
Melee (178/190) > Rolled (64) + 100 > (342/190) > Level Up! > (152/195)
Sword Specialist (289/1500) > Rolled (17) + 100 > (406/1500)
Miho (0/300) > ((20) + 14)/2 > (17/300)
Sayaka (248/500) > Rolled (14) + 14 > (276/500)
Miho (17/300) > Rolled (93) + 14 > (124/300)
"You sure about this, Ribbons? I'm not exactly royal palace material, if you know what I mean." The redhead at your self-deprecates, scratching at her neck in embarrassment.
Kyouko's incredulity is not misplaced, you reflect--she's certainly not the best choice for this. Unfortunately, Ruki's father put his foot down at intercontinental travel, apparently, and Oriko assured you that she was the primary thing standing between Mitakihara and disaster in your absence; she also took the opportunity to imply that was also true when you were present, but you weren't going to humor that. Really, she probably just wasn't willing to leave Kirika's side.
Considering Madoka and Sayaka aren't contracted, Snow and the mercenary girls might be treated as US representatives, and bringing Mami would be like bringing a warhead into a meeting room, Kyouko had seemed like the best option.
"You're well-educated. You speak English, Greek, and Latin. You're a known Magical Girl, but not a political rival to Arthur. You also have my trust. There are not many better candidates." You explain simply as you stroll through Mitakihara Airport.
"Only in classical lit and religion. I didn't finish middle school, Ribbons!" Kyouko objects to being well-educated, gesticulating as she does so.
Passersby are giving you strange looks, but you can't be bothered to care. If they recognize you, they'll dismiss it as Akemi business. If they don't recognize you, they probably do not matter.
You make your way through the FBO, security a triviality thanks to your total lack of luggage--your shield's storage is very convenient--and make your way onto the private jet supplied by Arthur.
It's decadent, for a plane, with only a handful of seats, situated at proper tables, with the appropriate plugs for electronic devices stationed throughout the first room. Beyond it, you can see what appears to be a bedroom, with two single beds in place for yourself and Kyouko--one in purple, and the other in red.
"Well, they've either got a precog or a very good clairvoyant, and I honestly would prefer the former." Kyouko says, eyebrow rising at the sight, "But hey, at least it's comfortable. I normally hate flying, but this is pretty cushy. Wanna play chess?" She indicates an ornate gold chess set out on one of the desks.
"Later. I'm going to look around." You answer, already making your way through the bedroom into the space beyond--a dining room. It's currently occupied, to your surprise, by a red-headed girl in her mid-teens, who's walking in your direction with a confident stride.
A red-headed girl currently in what you instinctively recognize as full Magical Girl regalia--even though hers might pass as normal clothing, you can sense the magical nature of the jumpsuit--almost like the alien-ness of a Witch's barrier, but far subtler. Of course, the gleaming red Soul Gem that shines on her chest is a dead giveaway, regardless.
"Hey, so you're our VIP? Kallen Stadtfield, nice to meet ya." She say is perfect Japanese. Her expression seems bemused as she looks down at you--she must be relatively fresh, if she's still not used to treating an apparent middle schooler as a peer.
"Homura Akemi. You're one of Arthur's?" You ask, curious. She seems casual, for a royal agent, but you do not know the new monarch yet.
The girl raises a hand, tilting it back and forth, "Sorta, but not really. I answer to Agravain. Uh…how much do you know about the Knights?"
"She's really going hard with this Arthur schtick, isn't she?" Kyouko's voice asks from behind you as she strolls into the room, "Is she expecting us to believe that the Knights of the Round Table have followed her from ancient history, too? I can't imagine they were all women. Covering something like that up would be more trouble than its worth for Kyubey."
Kallen chuckles, "Nah, though the King does seem pretty sad about it. No, they're being used as titles, and kinda aliases, too? Not supposed to hand out real identities, probably to protect their families or something. But yeah, I work for Agravain, who works for Arthur. He apparently pulled some strings to get me as your pilot--seems like he's watching out for you, maybe."
You're not certain, but the smirk you receive from Kallen makes you suspect you've failed to hide your surprise, "He? They're not all Magical Girls?"
"No, Arthur doesn't seem to care much either way, she just wants the best. I don't know who all the Knights, though." She explains.
You wave her towards the sitting room, "Can we talk a bit before takeoff, then? I'm curious."
She shakes her head, "Sorry, need to get in the air, but we've got a layover to refuel in Paris--we can talk there!" She turns and walks off towards the front of the plane, waving a casual goodbye as she goes.
"Oh, wow, Paris. Uh…guessing no time for sightseeing?" Kyouko asks, looking around the dining room, "Also, do we get food?"
"It's only a brief layover--an hour or so. We do get food, though. There's apparently a chef on board--which implies a kitchen somewhere, I guess--who will bring food out for dinner in a couple of hours."
She rubs her hands together, smiling, "Perfect. Can't wait to see how the royals eat on the go."
You sigh fondly, shaking your head, and the two of you make your way back to the cabin to get that chess game in.
…
Several hours pass in comfort, the two of you relaxing, playing games, and reading books together.
Eventually, after a dinner provided by an excellent chef you suspect is also a Magical Girl, based on the quality, the plane makes landfall in Paris, and Kallen makes her way to the sitting room.
"Alright, we're gonna be here for an hour for refueling and a bit of maintenance. You wanted to talk?" She takes a seat, sinking into it slightly as she gives a sigh of comfort, "Oh, I wish we could have chairs like this in the cockpit."
Kyouko snickers, but you merely nod, "Yes, I wanted to ask about what we're walking into, if Agravain's really on our side."
She shrugs, "I don't know much, to be honest. I've only met the King a few times, and I'm no politician, so…well, she's really intimidating, but also seems to be fair, as far as I can tell. Strongest Magical Girl I've ever met, though--that Excalibur of hers can destroy pretty much anything, as far as I can tell. Outside of that? Good leader, good at management, best government Britain's had in my lifetime, at least. If you want to know more than that, you can talk to Agravain when we arrive."
"So, what's your boss like? He a normal stuck-up rich guy, or what?" Kyouko's diplomatic value, or lack thereof, makes itself known quickly, but Kallen seems unbothered.
"Eh, he has his moments, but he's…" She trails off, blushing faintly, "…he's hard to describe. You'll get it once you meet him."
You exchange looks with a smirking Kyouko, who throws a smirk at Kallen a moment later, "Oh, I think we've got the idea. You two engaged yet, or…?"
Kallen growls slightly at the light teasing, "Whatever, I'm gonna go get my dinner. See you two later." She stands, stalking off to the kitchen, face growing more red by the moment as she makes her escape.
…
Early the next morning, you find yourself standing before the open gates of Buckingham Palace, the guards firmly at attention as you're led in by Kallen--apparently your bodyguard for now, in addition to your pilot.
She leads you to an immaculate, decadent bedroom, "This one'll be yours, Akemi-san. The one next door is yours, Sakura-san."
Kyouko yawns at that, covering her mouth with one hand as she walks down to the next door, "Nice. Gonna go to bed, then. See you in the morning, Ribbons."
As she goes to open it, Kallen catches her hand, "The other one next door, Sakura-san." She leads your friend to her actual room as you go into your own, taking in the ornate purple decorations and the dozen clocks that fill the room with a heavy sigh.
You're looking forward to sleeping, but you really have to get some work done first.
Kyouko (66/400) > Rolled (68) + 14 > (148/400)
Kallen (0/100) > Rolled ((71) + 14) / 2 > (43/100)
"So…you want to teach me how to make friends, before you fly off to England?" Snow seems somewhere between excited and insulted as you regard her from across her desk.
You shake your head, "No, I want to work together to learn how to be better a building trust and enduring bonds."
She relaxes at that, clapping her hands together in a decisive gesture, having apparently come to a conclusion. "Oh, I see, so you want to work together to learn how to effectively win people over for social advantage." She deduces, based upon your wording. She is certainly not entirely wrong.
"Yes, exactly. I even brought a book." You put Friendship on the desk, suppressing a wince as you realize you've contradicted yourself a bit in doing so.
She picks it up, thumbing through a few pages, "Hmm…well, sounds good to me! Maybe I can figure out how to get Rose to talk to me again. So…start with some basic exercises?"
You nod, "Sounds like a good start."
Socialize (32/70) > Rolled (58) + 50 (Friendship, Part 1) + 50 (Training Partner) > (190/70) > Level Up! > (120/75) > Level Up! > (45/80)
Socialize 14 > 16
Snow Socialize (0/50) > Rolled (67 + 50 (Friendship, Part 1) + 50 (Training Partner) > (167/50) > Level Up! > (117/55) > Level Up! > (62/60) > Level Up! > (2/65)
Snow Socialize 10 > 13
Snow (0/200) > Rolled ((12) + 14) / 2 > (13/200)
Ambition DC Increase: 25
"Heart Surgery" Working Research DC: 50
Rolled 43 + 12 = 55 | Success!
'Alright, now, remember Homura--your components are incredibly important. Even the slightest error in size for a gear can make a clock run fast or slow. That's why it's important to measure everything--especially when using parts you didn't make yourself, which I generally do not recommend.'
You carefully measure a gear for the fifteenth time--they've all been perfectly sized so far, but Jii-san would not have been so insitent if it weren't--
Your thoughts grind to a halt, and you measure the same gear for a second time, wondering if you made an error.
You have not. One singular spoke of this gear is one hundredth of an inch too long. This is what you get for using mass-produced parts, you reflect.
Development Roll: [5] + 5 = 5 10 | Failure!
Deciding to try your hand at fixing it yourself, you attempt to narrow down a Magic Blast enough to trim the spoke with it--only for the Blast to come out too large, annihilating the gear and blowing a in one of the Royal Family's tables in the process.
'Great. Hopefully it's not too expensive.'
Onto the next gear, and the next, and the next, and soon you've set aside very malformed one, leaving you with a collection of suitable components for your training project.
'Now that you've made sure every piece is perfect, you can actually begin assembly. First…'
Following the faint memory of Jii-san's words from your childhood, you set to work with passion and precision, each piece seeming to dance along your fingers as you slip them into their places, securing and adjusting them until they're exactly right--yes, this clock will be ready soon, even if it will not be suitable as more than a training aid.
Trait Revealed: Clocksmithing Prodigy - Double all Clocksmithing Training Rolls.
(0/65) > Rolled ((13) + 100 (Memories of Jii-san) + 50 (The Glory of Clocks)) X 2 (Clocksmithing Prodigy) > (326/65) > Level Up! > (261/70) > Level Up! > (191/75) > Level Up! > (116/80) > Level Up! > (36/85)
Clocksmithing 13 > 17
With your training clock now resting comfortably on the table, covering the hole you created, you move on to your next task--improving your spell Development, so that doesn't happen again.
"So…form a clear idea of the spell you want internally, considering each necessary aspect of the reality you wish to impose, and hold tight to it until it crystallizes--then push it outwards. That's the basic magical theory, according to Oriko."
You take a deep breath, and form the image of a flickering sphere of light in your mind. It seems to naturally reach for other concepts, trying to grow into something else, and you have to actively trim those away in order to get the simple light creation spell you're trying to make. It's not the sun, it's not Madoka's smile, it's not a soul, it's not the revelation of secrets. It's just a light that glows. That's all.
Development Roll: [43] + 5 = 48 | Success! Light Sphere Spell Created!
The light forms above your hand as you extrude that concept you've formed out into the world, magic flowing into it naturally as you do so.
A success. A small one, but good practice, for sure.
Development (0/25) > Rolled (44) > (44/25) > Level Up! > (19/30)
Development 5 > 6
Homura
Grief: 150/1000
Sanity: 522/1000
Bloodheat: 0/100
Kyouko
Grief: 405/1000
Sanity: 600/1000
[Daily Events]
[Texts and Emails]
[Madoka]
Madoka: Who was the author for that book you and Kyouko brought to the study group the other day? "Friendship." Was it Yamato Ishida?
Homura: Yes. Why?
Madoka: Turns out he's a friend of a friend's older brother. Apparently Part 2 is coming out soon.
Homura: Strange coincidence.
Madoka: A little, but it's a small world! Always weird when RL and online friends collide.
Homura: I get the feeling there's something more to this.
Madoka: Not exactly. Eight's a good friend, but some weird things happen in chats with her sometimes.
Homura: ?
Madoka: I'll just send a screenshot.
screenshot
Homura: You didn't actually Wish, right?
Madoka: No, not yet. I'm sure she knew more than she was letting on.
Homura: Is she usually secretive?
Madoka: A little, but not too much. Just a lot of private stuff.
Homura: I'm not sure if it means anything, but keep an eye out, and let me know if anything happens. Could potentially be a Witch, or an anomaly.
Madoka: I'll be careful.
[Kyubey]
Kyubey: While you're in London, we'd be willing to pay a Seed it if you'd look into an Anomaly--there's a certain detective agency there which has been setting off our sensors severely. The file is in your desk drawer. We'd also be willing to pay for information on the Britannia family beyond what's on public record.
Homura: I will consider it.
[Arcana Magi, Requests, and Akemi Madness]
If you wish to perform an Action as a different Arcana Magi (Kyouko, for now), simply add the following subvote to the action:
-[ ] Arcana - Kyouko
If you wish to Request help from another character(s) for an action, add the following subvote to the action:
-[ ] Request - (Character Names)
If you wish to use Akemi Madness for an action, add the following subvote to the action:
-[ ] Akemi Madness
[Available Characters]
The following characters you can contact for Requests. Keep in mind that Alllies will expect a Favor in return, while Friends will help as long as they have time and are willing. You do not get information on willingness and availability prior to the vote, due to the amount of complexity this would add to the process. Social Links values are listed here--multiply these by 10 to determine the size of the die they will roll when assisting with an Action.
Keep in mind some characters may not be suitable for some Actions--Homura will simply not involve a mundane individual in magical combat, for example, unless there are extraordinary circumstances. If you really feel the need to involve someone in something they normally should not be (like involving Miho Miki in a Witch Hunt, or anything Magical), please include a justification as a subvote, for mine and Homura's consideration.
Mysteries
[ ]Friends? (598/2000) [Madoka]
"Igor claims there are 14 special friends I need to find. I should try to find more of them…and maybe find out how they're my friends if I don't know them."
"I did experience a strange connection to Nagisa when I met her, and she's apparently "The Death."
"I have a strange memory of Matoko, which led me to her Barrier. She was clearly older--in her late teens, I'd say--and I'd swear I was the same age, in that moment. It's impossible, but the memory remains."
"I encountered Yuma Chitose, and she has appeared among the list of Arcana Magi in the Velvet Room, as the Wheel of Fortune."
[ ] Igor's Contract (Progress 0/1000)
"I don't remember signing any Contract with Igor, but he insists I did."
[ ] False Memories (121/200)
"I have doubled memories of my first meeting with Weiss. I'm sure there are probably others I haven't noticed yet, too. Maybe if I can recognize them, I can figure out more about this strange timeline?"
"I got in touch with Clovis Britannia, apparently a childhood friend as well. His family's background seems to mesh poorly with the rest of history, suggesting he is an artificial addition, rather than someone that's supposed to be in this timeline."
[ ] A Missing Memory (0/1000)
"When I was talking to Igor, there was a memory that I couldn't find. It was something about selfishness? The Devil? What could have happened?"
[ ] Akemi Madness (385/500) [Hououin Kyouma] [Kurisu Makise]
"There's a strange inherited insanity in our family. It's always been a fact of life before, but others seem scared by it. Maybe I should try to find out more? Looking into our family's history should be a good place to start."
"My Father apparently knows something about this. Meeting with him might help me make some headway, too." (You can spend a Social Action with Takeshi Akemi for a Clue)
[ ] Detective Agency (0/100)
[ ] Britannia Family (0/100)
City
[ ] London
Known Locations
[ ] Buckingham Palace
[ ] Big Ben
[ ] The Tower of London
People
[ ] Arthur
[ ] Agravain
[ ] Galahad
[ ] Kallen Stadtfield
[Social Actions: 1]
[ ] Madoka (Maxed)
[ ] Sayaka (276/500)
[ ] Kyouko (148/400)
[ ] Miho Miki (124/300)
[ ] Takeshi Akemi (6/300)
[ ] Kayaba Akihiko (31/100)
[ ] Soichirou Mikuni (44/100)
[ ] Hououin Kyouma (47/200)
[ ] Kallen Stadtfield (43/100)
[ ] Write-In Character
[Home Actions: 2]
[ ] Investigation: Arthur
[ ] Investigation: Buckingham Palace
[ ] Social: Kyouko
[ ] Social: Kallen Stadtfield
[ ] Social: Agravain
[Mission Actions: 1]
[ ] Go Shopping
-[ ] Shopping List
[ ] Go Thieving
-[ ] Thieving List
-[ ] Target Location
[ ] Meet with King Arthur
[ ] Write-In (Subject to QM Approval, Cannot Overlap with other Action Types.)
[Creative Actions: 1]
Applicable available resources will be used automatically.
Craft Actions
[ ] Craft Something (Appropriate Craft Roll Required)
-[ ] Product Type (Clock, Gun, Etcetera)
--[ ] Ambition (1-20; Higher Ambition produces a better product, but sets a higher DC.)
--[ ] Rough Description
-[ ] Special Product
--[ ] Exact Product Description. (Ambition will be decided by QM. Some products may fail automatically.)
Magic Actions
[ ] Spell Development (Development Roll Required)
-[ ] Existing Prototype Name or Spell Description (Broader descriptions are more likely to produce easily developed Spells.)
[ ] Spell Usage
-[ ] Spell(s)
-[ ] Action.
-[ ] Reason for action.
[ ] Attempt to perform a Magical Working. (Magical Theory Roll Required)
-[ ] Working Objective. (Ambition will be decided by QM. Some workings may fail automatically.)
Research Actions
[ ] Research a Theoretical Crafting Product
-[ ] Product Type (Clock, Gun, Etcetera)
--[ ] Ambition (1-20; Higher Ambition produces a better product, but sets a higher DC.)
--[ ] Rough Description.
-[ ] Special Product
--[ ] Exact Product Description.
[ ] Research a Theoretical Spell
-[ ] Spell Purpose
-[ ] Ambition (1-20; Higher Ambition produces a better product, but sets a higher DC.)
[ ] Research a Theoretical Magical Working
-[ ] Working Objective.
Grand Undertakings
[ ] The Restoration of the Yamato (78/500) [Ruki]
[Training Actions: 1]
Applicable available resources will be used automatically. Students may refuse lessons if they are busy, or don't know you well.
[ ] Train a Skill
-[ ] Skill
[ ] Train someone else in a Skill.
-[ ] Skill
-[ ] Student
[Sleep Actions: 4]
[ ] Sleep (Gain 20 + Modifiers Sanity)
[ ] Write-In Action of another Type (Cost: 20 Sanity)
Going to pass out now.
Investigation Actions
Friends?
(598/2000) > Rolled (58) + 30 > (686/2000) > Madoka Rolled (52) + 10 > (748/2000)
Akemi Madness
"Madoka Kaname, Sayaka Miki, Kyouko Sakura. Junko's daughter and her childhood friend. Two orphans--one that attends the local middle school, one that's been missing for years, following her father's murder-suicide. Death defying and nigh-superhuman stunts, which no sane person would even attempt. Weapons skill that is frankly inhuman. Whatever happened with Karen Kohirukimaki when the footage bugged out. I'm not seeing things, am I, Mayuri?" I ask, indicating the footage from the Laser Tag arena Homura Akemi recently played at with her friends.She smiles that shining, precious smile of hers, "Nope! Maybe they're superheroes, or cyborgs, or magical girls!"
"Bwahaha! Cyborgs, you say? Interesting! Yet, how would these four particular girls--perhaps five--become cyborgs? No, it must be something else…" I stroke my chin, bristles scratching my fingers as I consider it, "There's certainly something odd going on, but, as a Mad Scientist, I can't dismiss anything out of hand! Christina! What do you think!?"
My Assistant looks up grumpily from where she's working on Future Gadget 13, "I think you need to stop stalking teenage girls, and my name's not Christina." I clutch my chest at the ruthless assault upon my pride as a man, but persevere.
"You know this is strange, Christina. You're not blind. I genuinely believe this may somehow be connected to the temporal anomalies." I lay off on the ham a bit for a moment, hoping she'll scale back the banter too.
She sighs, setting down her tools for a moment to think it over, "Maybe they are anomalies? I've been checking our DNA for changes, but we're a small sample size. Perhaps anomalous people are naturally stronger or more durable…or maybe it's just magic?" She smirks at that, mocking me, and I chuckle heartedly, spreading my arms wide.
"Yes, clearly, it's magic! Why ever would I think otherwise!? Very enlightening, you two!" I indicate the two most important women in my life before heaving a sigh, "Well, it can wait I--"
There's a knocking at the window, and everyone turns to it, exchanging confused looks. Slowly, I make my way over, pulling the curtains aside to reveal…
Nothing. Just the view.
I open the window, sticking my head out to look down, then up, and find Homura Akemi regarding me impassively from the rooftop.
I close the window immediately, growling slightly as I rush out the door and up the stairs, the Lab Members giving me questioning looks as I go.
Soon enough, I reach the roof, where Homura Akemi is waiting calmly for me.
"Hououin. I was wondering if I could obtain your assistance with a matter." She says, cool as a cucumber, as if she had not just given me a heart attack.
"What is that, Homura-san?" I ask, "And why could you not simply knock at the door?"
She shrugs, almost seeming a bit confused herself, "This seemed appropriate. Regardless, I seek the secrets of my bloodline and its madness. As a Mad Scientist, I thought perhaps you could assist with the matter."
I start to object, then pause, considering the request. I had been looking into the Akemis already, and if she is anomalous…
Yes, this is an opportunity! I must grasp it with both hands!
"I would be happy to help you with this endeavor and, as a good first step, I would ask for a sample of your blood, so that we might sequence your DNA, and see if that might not reveal something about your family's genetics!" As well as if she is conventionally human, or somehow other.
She nods, drawing a knife and a flask--wait, where did she pull those from--and takes the blade to her wrist with complete calmness, as if she doesn't feel the pain at all.
As a man who has done much the same before, I can tell you that should not be terribly possible.
"Stop!" I rush across the rooftop towards her, but it's too late already, obviously. The girl is clearly mad--no, of course she's mad, what was I thinking!?
Only, as I reach her, she merely lightly bandages the wound--I still did not manage to catch where she took the bandage from--and hands me the flask, which is far too full for my liking.
"Here, that should be more than enough." She says as I stare down at the bottled pint of blood in my hands, then back up at her. The bandage on her arm is red with blood, but the stain isn't spreading further, almost as if the bleeding has stopped already.
"How?" I ask, determined to obtain an answer to this madness, "How can you do that? How did you make it to the window and back up so quickly? How did you even reach the window in the first place, and how did you survive jumping out yesterday!?"
She regards me for a long moment, then smiles slightly, as if enjoying a joke, "Magic. You'll get me the results?"
I just stare silently, mouth slightly agape at the obvious lie, before sighing, "Yes, I'll get you the results. Do you want to come and meet the team?"
She shakes her head, "Another day. I have to do quite a bit, then be on a plane for England this evening. I'll text you."
With those parting words, Homura Akemi leaps off the rooftop and into the alley below. It does not surprise me when I see nothing upon looking down for her.
Akemi Madness (199/500) > Rolled (10) + 30 > (239/500) > Hououin Rolled (4) + 75 > (318/500) > Kurisu Rolled (17) + 50 > (385/500)
Houoin Kyouma (0/200) > Rolled ((55) + 14 + 25 (Connoisseurs of Crazy)) / 2 > (47/200)
Social Actions
Mami Tomoe
Mami PoV
Knock knock knock
I look up from Friendship as a knock sounds a the door, tensing slightly. Kyouko would simply come in. Kaname-san would have called ahead.
That leaves either a stranger, or…
I walk to the door, glancing through peephole, and find Akemi-san staring directly at it, those cold purple eyes boring into my own even though she can't see me.
After a moment to dust myself off, I open the door for her, plastering a smile on my face. I'm glad to see her--I really am--but she still sets me a bit ill at ease, coming around like she does, 'What use does she have for me, to spend so much time on me? Why are her eyes like that? Why did she have to tell me about--' I end that train of thought sharply, knowing better than to brood in my condition.
"Ah, Akemi-san, what can I do for you?" I ask, trying to measure her like Madoka suggested--you have to see if there's a chance of friendship, and if it's desirable, before you can build something. Do those cold eyes seem a little warmer, now that she can see me, or is that wishful thinking?
"I had an idea on our shopping trip, but didn't have a time to act on it then. May I come in?" She speaks oddly. It's almost like she's forgotten how she's supposed to speak, or maybe like she never knew exactly? It's as if she's engineering her words for others, not simply speaking.
It makes me feel a little happy, knowing I'm not the only one who's trying so hard. Is that commonality something I can build a friendship on, or is it just a minor thing?
"Of course, Akemi-san! Please come in!" Please come in, so that I can figure out how to make friends with you.
She steps inside, and I close the door behind her, the two of us making our way to the living room--I put a lot of work into picking and arranging the new furniture just right, to create a kind of comfortable intimacy in that space, and I think it's working, maybe.
She sits in the chair that puts her back to the corner--it's my favorite chair, since it keeps my back covered, but I'm not going to complain--and I sit across from her in one that at least lets me watch the door, so I can bind it closed if someone tries to force their way in.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Akemi-san?" I ask, curious and a bit anxious. I hope she's not worried about me spending so much time with Kaname-san lately, considering how protective she is of the Potential.
Her shield appears for just an instant, flickering into existence on her arm for a fraction of a second--something I've learned to spot. A moment later, the are two boxes in her hands.
My eyes widen as I recognize them, and raise a hand to cover my mouth daintily--oh, there's the "princess" persona creeping in again--as my mouth drops open.
Akemi-san turns them around to reveal two identical gunpla: the PG Unleashed RX-78-2 Gundam model. I had been planning to build one, but--
I recall the ruined remains of my collection I had found upon visiting my apartment, and my chest hurts at the thought. All of those hours, all those memories, gone in an instant.
"I'd been thinking about picking up the hobby, and was wondering if you'd teach me, Senpai? Since we're friends?" She says without a moment of hesitation, those cold eyes gleaming ever so faintly, as if trying to be warm and failing.
'Since we're friends, she says. Like it's that simple. Like you just become friends, without any ceremony, or…' I recall how Kaname-san had just suddenly bought me a chair two days ago--for her home, so I would have somewhere to sit when I visited, 'Is Akemi-san trying to do the same thing, having seen that worked? Or is she just the same as Kaname-san, in some strange way? Is this the ceremony?'
I don't really understand it, but I'm already smiling as I answer instantly, "YES! Yes, of course!" I stand, restraining myself from hugging her without warning like I did with Kaname-san, "Umm…may I hug you, Akemi-san?"
The girl smiles at that, something about the expression not quite fitting. It's almost like she's remembering something, rather than happy about what I said. She stands, though, setting the gunpla down, and nods.
I embrace her. It's like hugging a piece of stone, the girl's body all hard muscle and bone, but there's something…
I can feel tears dripping down my face, and the strangest feeling of grief passes through me as I hold my friend.
Homura looks at me from the fencepost, where's she's posed dramatically, and I immediately leap up onto one myself, following suit. She dressed in her magical girl outfit, for once--it's nice to see, since so many of the others have started to wear them less and less as we've gotten older.
"What brings you over, Homulilly?" I ask, getting fully into my role as Magical Girl Candalero, Hero of Mercy and Justice.
The younger girl--younger, though she'll be out of high school soon--gives me a weak smile, "There's a problem, Candalero. Kyubey's missing--no one's seen him in several days. Can you help?"
I wink at her, raising two fingers up to my face in a classical magical girl hand gesture, "Candalero's on the case!" I pause for a moment, considering the problem. If something's happened to Kyubey, we're in big trouble, and, aside from that, he's been there for us through thick and thin--I can't let him down now!
"What do we know, Homu-chan?" I ask, abandoning my playfulness for the moment as Homura begins to tell me his last whereabouts.
"What brings you over, Homulilly?" I ask, getting fully into my role as Magical Girl Candalero, Hero of Mercy and Justice.
The younger girl--younger, though she'll be out of high school soon--gives me a weak smile, "There's a problem, Candalero. Kyubey's missing--no one's seen him in several days. Can you help?"
I wink at her, raising two fingers up to my face in a classical magical girl hand gesture, "Candalero's on the case!" I pause for a moment, considering the problem. If something's happened to Kyubey, we're in big trouble, and, aside from that, he's been there for us through thick and thin--I can't let him down now!
"What do we know, Homu-chan?" I ask, abandoning my playfulness for the moment as Homura begins to tell me his last whereabouts.
A Bond has Transcended Time.
That which is Lost can be Regained. The End is the Beginning.
Witness the Rebirth of The Empress.
That which is Lost can be Regained. The End is the Beginning.
Witness the Rebirth of The Empress.
For a bare moment, a scream of despair tries to tear itself out of my chest, my arms tightening protectively down upon a clearly startled Homura--a Homura who's only 13, rather than 17--and then--
I blink the tears away, wiping my eyes as I try to recall what got me so upset, and release the smaller girl, "Sorry, Homu-chan. I don't know what came over me. Are you alright?"
She blinks, faint tears in her own eyes, but nods, "Yes, I'm fine. What about you?"
After a moment's hesitation, I nod back, "Yes, I think so. Things have been rough lately, and I'm glad to have you as a friend. Shall we get started?"
I indicate the Kits she bought us, and she nods quickly, turning to lift them from coffee table as we make our way to the larger kitchen table and I begin to show her the ropes.
Mami (200/200) > Link Up! > (0/300)
Mami 2 > 3
Craft Gunpla (0/0) > Rolled ((33) + 100)/2 > (67/0) > Level Up! > (67/5) > Level Up! > (62/10) > Level Up! (52/15) > Level Up! > (37/20) > Level Up! > (17/25)
Craft Gunpla 0 > 5
Trait Gained: Golden Bonds - +20 to all Socialize Rolls with members of The 15 Friends.
Home Actions
Train Melee with Miho
Melee (178/190) > Rolled (64) + 100 > (342/190) > Level Up! > (152/195)
Sword Specialist (289/1500) > Rolled (17) + 100 > (406/1500)
Miho (0/300) > ((20) + 14)/2 > (17/300)
Play SAO with Sayaka and Miho
Sayaka (248/500) > Rolled (14) + 14 > (276/500)
Miho (17/300) > Rolled (93) + 14 > (124/300)
Mission Actions
A Royal Invitation
"You sure about this, Ribbons? I'm not exactly royal palace material, if you know what I mean." The redhead at your self-deprecates, scratching at her neck in embarrassment.
Kyouko's incredulity is not misplaced, you reflect--she's certainly not the best choice for this. Unfortunately, Ruki's father put his foot down at intercontinental travel, apparently, and Oriko assured you that she was the primary thing standing between Mitakihara and disaster in your absence; she also took the opportunity to imply that was also true when you were present, but you weren't going to humor that. Really, she probably just wasn't willing to leave Kirika's side.
Considering Madoka and Sayaka aren't contracted, Snow and the mercenary girls might be treated as US representatives, and bringing Mami would be like bringing a warhead into a meeting room, Kyouko had seemed like the best option.
"You're well-educated. You speak English, Greek, and Latin. You're a known Magical Girl, but not a political rival to Arthur. You also have my trust. There are not many better candidates." You explain simply as you stroll through Mitakihara Airport.
"Only in classical lit and religion. I didn't finish middle school, Ribbons!" Kyouko objects to being well-educated, gesticulating as she does so.
Passersby are giving you strange looks, but you can't be bothered to care. If they recognize you, they'll dismiss it as Akemi business. If they don't recognize you, they probably do not matter.
You make your way through the FBO, security a triviality thanks to your total lack of luggage--your shield's storage is very convenient--and make your way onto the private jet supplied by Arthur.
It's decadent, for a plane, with only a handful of seats, situated at proper tables, with the appropriate plugs for electronic devices stationed throughout the first room. Beyond it, you can see what appears to be a bedroom, with two single beds in place for yourself and Kyouko--one in purple, and the other in red.
"Well, they've either got a precog or a very good clairvoyant, and I honestly would prefer the former." Kyouko says, eyebrow rising at the sight, "But hey, at least it's comfortable. I normally hate flying, but this is pretty cushy. Wanna play chess?" She indicates an ornate gold chess set out on one of the desks.
"Later. I'm going to look around." You answer, already making your way through the bedroom into the space beyond--a dining room. It's currently occupied, to your surprise, by a red-headed girl in her mid-teens, who's walking in your direction with a confident stride.
A red-headed girl currently in what you instinctively recognize as full Magical Girl regalia--even though hers might pass as normal clothing, you can sense the magical nature of the jumpsuit--almost like the alien-ness of a Witch's barrier, but far subtler. Of course, the gleaming red Soul Gem that shines on her chest is a dead giveaway, regardless.
"Hey, so you're our VIP? Kallen Stadtfield, nice to meet ya." She say is perfect Japanese. Her expression seems bemused as she looks down at you--she must be relatively fresh, if she's still not used to treating an apparent middle schooler as a peer.
"Homura Akemi. You're one of Arthur's?" You ask, curious. She seems casual, for a royal agent, but you do not know the new monarch yet.
The girl raises a hand, tilting it back and forth, "Sorta, but not really. I answer to Agravain. Uh…how much do you know about the Knights?"
"She's really going hard with this Arthur schtick, isn't she?" Kyouko's voice asks from behind you as she strolls into the room, "Is she expecting us to believe that the Knights of the Round Table have followed her from ancient history, too? I can't imagine they were all women. Covering something like that up would be more trouble than its worth for Kyubey."
Kallen chuckles, "Nah, though the King does seem pretty sad about it. No, they're being used as titles, and kinda aliases, too? Not supposed to hand out real identities, probably to protect their families or something. But yeah, I work for Agravain, who works for Arthur. He apparently pulled some strings to get me as your pilot--seems like he's watching out for you, maybe."
You're not certain, but the smirk you receive from Kallen makes you suspect you've failed to hide your surprise, "He? They're not all Magical Girls?"
"No, Arthur doesn't seem to care much either way, she just wants the best. I don't know who all the Knights, though." She explains.
You wave her towards the sitting room, "Can we talk a bit before takeoff, then? I'm curious."
She shakes her head, "Sorry, need to get in the air, but we've got a layover to refuel in Paris--we can talk there!" She turns and walks off towards the front of the plane, waving a casual goodbye as she goes.
"Oh, wow, Paris. Uh…guessing no time for sightseeing?" Kyouko asks, looking around the dining room, "Also, do we get food?"
"It's only a brief layover--an hour or so. We do get food, though. There's apparently a chef on board--which implies a kitchen somewhere, I guess--who will bring food out for dinner in a couple of hours."
She rubs her hands together, smiling, "Perfect. Can't wait to see how the royals eat on the go."
You sigh fondly, shaking your head, and the two of you make your way back to the cabin to get that chess game in.
…
Several hours pass in comfort, the two of you relaxing, playing games, and reading books together.
Eventually, after a dinner provided by an excellent chef you suspect is also a Magical Girl, based on the quality, the plane makes landfall in Paris, and Kallen makes her way to the sitting room.
"Alright, we're gonna be here for an hour for refueling and a bit of maintenance. You wanted to talk?" She takes a seat, sinking into it slightly as she gives a sigh of comfort, "Oh, I wish we could have chairs like this in the cockpit."
Kyouko snickers, but you merely nod, "Yes, I wanted to ask about what we're walking into, if Agravain's really on our side."
She shrugs, "I don't know much, to be honest. I've only met the King a few times, and I'm no politician, so…well, she's really intimidating, but also seems to be fair, as far as I can tell. Strongest Magical Girl I've ever met, though--that Excalibur of hers can destroy pretty much anything, as far as I can tell. Outside of that? Good leader, good at management, best government Britain's had in my lifetime, at least. If you want to know more than that, you can talk to Agravain when we arrive."
"So, what's your boss like? He a normal stuck-up rich guy, or what?" Kyouko's diplomatic value, or lack thereof, makes itself known quickly, but Kallen seems unbothered.
"Eh, he has his moments, but he's…" She trails off, blushing faintly, "…he's hard to describe. You'll get it once you meet him."
You exchange looks with a smirking Kyouko, who throws a smirk at Kallen a moment later, "Oh, I think we've got the idea. You two engaged yet, or…?"
Kallen growls slightly at the light teasing, "Whatever, I'm gonna go get my dinner. See you two later." She stands, stalking off to the kitchen, face growing more red by the moment as she makes her escape.
…
Early the next morning, you find yourself standing before the open gates of Buckingham Palace, the guards firmly at attention as you're led in by Kallen--apparently your bodyguard for now, in addition to your pilot.
She leads you to an immaculate, decadent bedroom, "This one'll be yours, Akemi-san. The one next door is yours, Sakura-san."
Kyouko yawns at that, covering her mouth with one hand as she walks down to the next door, "Nice. Gonna go to bed, then. See you in the morning, Ribbons."
As she goes to open it, Kallen catches her hand, "The other one next door, Sakura-san." She leads your friend to her actual room as you go into your own, taking in the ornate purple decorations and the dozen clocks that fill the room with a heavy sigh.
You're looking forward to sleeping, but you really have to get some work done first.
Kyouko (66/400) > Rolled (68) + 14 > (148/400)
Kallen (0/100) > Rolled ((71) + 14) / 2 > (43/100)
Training Actions
Socialize
"So…you want to teach me how to make friends, before you fly off to England?" Snow seems somewhere between excited and insulted as you regard her from across her desk.
You shake your head, "No, I want to work together to learn how to be better a building trust and enduring bonds."
She relaxes at that, clapping her hands together in a decisive gesture, having apparently come to a conclusion. "Oh, I see, so you want to work together to learn how to effectively win people over for social advantage." She deduces, based upon your wording. She is certainly not entirely wrong.
"Yes, exactly. I even brought a book." You put Friendship on the desk, suppressing a wince as you realize you've contradicted yourself a bit in doing so.
She picks it up, thumbing through a few pages, "Hmm…well, sounds good to me! Maybe I can figure out how to get Rose to talk to me again. So…start with some basic exercises?"
You nod, "Sounds like a good start."
Socialize (32/70) > Rolled (58) + 50 (Friendship, Part 1) + 50 (Training Partner) > (190/70) > Level Up! > (120/75) > Level Up! > (45/80)
Socialize 14 > 16
Snow Socialize (0/50) > Rolled (67 + 50 (Friendship, Part 1) + 50 (Training Partner) > (167/50) > Level Up! > (117/55) > Level Up! > (62/60) > Level Up! > (2/65)
Snow Socialize 10 > 13
Snow (0/200) > Rolled ((12) + 14) / 2 > (13/200)
Creative Actions
Heart Surgery Working Research
Base "Heart Surgery" Research DC: 25Ambition DC Increase: 25
"Heart Surgery" Working Research DC: 50
Rolled 43 + 12 = 55 | Success!
- Prototype - Heartcrafter
- School: Puella Magus
- Cost: 100 Magic
- A Working that slowly corrects flaws in the heart until it is able to operate as a healthy organ. As this is a slow process carried out over the course of an hour, there is no need for the user to have an absolute understanding of the human heart, and the process can be assisted by a medical expert to account for lack of personal expertise.
- Development DC: 75
- Special Prerequisite: Medical 50. This can be provided by a second party, who does not need to be a magic user.
Sleep Actions
Clocksmithing
'Alright, now, remember Homura--your components are incredibly important. Even the slightest error in size for a gear can make a clock run fast or slow. That's why it's important to measure everything--especially when using parts you didn't make yourself, which I generally do not recommend.'
You carefully measure a gear for the fifteenth time--they've all been perfectly sized so far, but Jii-san would not have been so insitent if it weren't--
Your thoughts grind to a halt, and you measure the same gear for a second time, wondering if you made an error.
You have not. One singular spoke of this gear is one hundredth of an inch too long. This is what you get for using mass-produced parts, you reflect.
Development Roll: [5] + 5 = 5 10 | Failure!
Deciding to try your hand at fixing it yourself, you attempt to narrow down a Magic Blast enough to trim the spoke with it--only for the Blast to come out too large, annihilating the gear and blowing a in one of the Royal Family's tables in the process.
'Great. Hopefully it's not too expensive.'
Onto the next gear, and the next, and the next, and soon you've set aside very malformed one, leaving you with a collection of suitable components for your training project.
'Now that you've made sure every piece is perfect, you can actually begin assembly. First…'
Following the faint memory of Jii-san's words from your childhood, you set to work with passion and precision, each piece seeming to dance along your fingers as you slip them into their places, securing and adjusting them until they're exactly right--yes, this clock will be ready soon, even if it will not be suitable as more than a training aid.
Trait Revealed: Clocksmithing Prodigy - Double all Clocksmithing Training Rolls.
(0/65) > Rolled ((13) + 100 (Memories of Jii-san) + 50 (The Glory of Clocks)) X 2 (Clocksmithing Prodigy) > (326/65) > Level Up! > (261/70) > Level Up! > (191/75) > Level Up! > (116/80) > Level Up! > (36/85)
Clocksmithing 13 > 17
Development
With your training clock now resting comfortably on the table, covering the hole you created, you move on to your next task--improving your spell Development, so that doesn't happen again.
"So…form a clear idea of the spell you want internally, considering each necessary aspect of the reality you wish to impose, and hold tight to it until it crystallizes--then push it outwards. That's the basic magical theory, according to Oriko."
You take a deep breath, and form the image of a flickering sphere of light in your mind. It seems to naturally reach for other concepts, trying to grow into something else, and you have to actively trim those away in order to get the simple light creation spell you're trying to make. It's not the sun, it's not Madoka's smile, it's not a soul, it's not the revelation of secrets. It's just a light that glows. That's all.
Development Roll: [43] + 5 = 48 | Success! Light Sphere Spell Created!
The light forms above your hand as you extrude that concept you've formed out into the world, magic flowing into it naturally as you do so.
A success. A small one, but good practice, for sure.
Development (0/25) > Rolled (44) > (44/25) > Level Up! > (19/30)
Development 5 > 6
Homura
Grief: 150/1000
Sanity: 522/1000
Bloodheat: 0/100
Kyouko
Grief: 405/1000
Sanity: 600/1000
[Daily Events]
- Meeting with Agravain at breakfast.
[Texts and Emails]
[Madoka]
Madoka: Who was the author for that book you and Kyouko brought to the study group the other day? "Friendship." Was it Yamato Ishida?
Homura: Yes. Why?
Madoka: Turns out he's a friend of a friend's older brother. Apparently Part 2 is coming out soon.
Homura: Strange coincidence.
Madoka: A little, but it's a small world! Always weird when RL and online friends collide.
Homura: I get the feeling there's something more to this.
Madoka: Not exactly. Eight's a good friend, but some weird things happen in chats with her sometimes.
Homura: ?
Madoka: I'll just send a screenshot.
Eight: Yamato's not really into writing, usually, but he's taking time away from his band to work on these books. They're really important to him.
HopeHurts : Part 1 seemed insightful, from what I saw! He's clearly been through a lot, though.
Eight: YOuR PrAyeR hAs bEEn HEArd
HopeHurts: Eight!? What's wrong!?
Eight: I didn't write that.
Eight: Maybe a hacker, or…
Eight: What have you been praying for, Hope?
HopeHurts: I haven't been, not really. I guess that I've been wishing for everyone's salvation, though?
Eight: I mean, me too, but nothing new?
HopeHurts: There's been some new problems around town that I'm worried about, I guess? Are you sure you didn't send that?
Eight: No, I didn't. Don't worry about it.
HopeHurts : Part 1 seemed insightful, from what I saw! He's clearly been through a lot, though.
Eight: YOuR PrAyeR hAs bEEn HEArd
HopeHurts: Eight!? What's wrong!?
Eight: I didn't write that.
Eight: Maybe a hacker, or…
Eight: What have you been praying for, Hope?
HopeHurts: I haven't been, not really. I guess that I've been wishing for everyone's salvation, though?
Eight: I mean, me too, but nothing new?
HopeHurts: There's been some new problems around town that I'm worried about, I guess? Are you sure you didn't send that?
Eight: No, I didn't. Don't worry about it.
Homura: You didn't actually Wish, right?
Madoka: No, not yet. I'm sure she knew more than she was letting on.
Homura: Is she usually secretive?
Madoka: A little, but not too much. Just a lot of private stuff.
Homura: I'm not sure if it means anything, but keep an eye out, and let me know if anything happens. Could potentially be a Witch, or an anomaly.
Madoka: I'll be careful.
[Kyubey]
Kyubey: While you're in London, we'd be willing to pay a Seed it if you'd look into an Anomaly--there's a certain detective agency there which has been setting off our sensors severely. The file is in your desk drawer. We'd also be willing to pay for information on the Britannia family beyond what's on public record.
Homura: I will consider it.
[Arcana Magi, Requests, and Akemi Madness]
If you wish to perform an Action as a different Arcana Magi (Kyouko, for now), simply add the following subvote to the action:
-[ ] Arcana - Kyouko
If you wish to Request help from another character(s) for an action, add the following subvote to the action:
-[ ] Request - (Character Names)
If you wish to use Akemi Madness for an action, add the following subvote to the action:
-[ ] Akemi Madness
[Available Characters]
The following characters you can contact for Requests. Keep in mind that Alllies will expect a Favor in return, while Friends will help as long as they have time and are willing. You do not get information on willingness and availability prior to the vote, due to the amount of complexity this would add to the process. Social Links values are listed here--multiply these by 10 to determine the size of the die they will roll when assisting with an Action.
Keep in mind some characters may not be suitable for some Actions--Homura will simply not involve a mundane individual in magical combat, for example, unless there are extraordinary circumstances. If you really feel the need to involve someone in something they normally should not be (like involving Miho Miki in a Witch Hunt, or anything Magical), please include a justification as a subvote, for mine and Homura's consideration.
- Friends
- Madoka Kaname : 10
- Sayaka Miki : 5
- Kyouko Sakura : 4
- Mami Tomoe : 3
- Ruki Shironome : 4
- Miho Miki : 3
- Yuma Chitose : 1
- Junko Kaname : 2
- Nagisa : 1
- Hououin Kyouma : 2
- Allies
- Nanoha Takamachi : 2
- Rose : 1
- Freya : 1
- Akane : 1
- Oriko : 3
- Kirika : 2
- Snow : 2
- Clovis Britannia : 2
Mysteries
[ ]
"Igor claims there are 14 special friends I need to find. I should try to find more of them…and maybe find out how they're my friends if I don't know them."
"I did experience a strange connection to Nagisa when I met her, and she's apparently "The Death."
"I have a strange memory of Matoko, which led me to her Barrier. She was clearly older--in her late teens, I'd say--and I'd swear I was the same age, in that moment. It's impossible, but the memory remains."
"I encountered Yuma Chitose, and she has appeared among the list of Arcana Magi in the Velvet Room, as the Wheel of Fortune."
[ ] Igor's Contract (Progress 0/1000)
"I don't remember signing any Contract with Igor, but he insists I did."
[ ] False Memories (121/200)
"I have doubled memories of my first meeting with Weiss. I'm sure there are probably others I haven't noticed yet, too. Maybe if I can recognize them, I can figure out more about this strange timeline?"
"I got in touch with Clovis Britannia, apparently a childhood friend as well. His family's background seems to mesh poorly with the rest of history, suggesting he is an artificial addition, rather than someone that's supposed to be in this timeline."
[ ] A Missing Memory (0/1000)
"When I was talking to Igor, there was a memory that I couldn't find. It was something about selfishness? The Devil? What could have happened?"
[ ] Akemi Madness (385/500) [Hououin Kyouma] [Kurisu Makise]
"There's a strange inherited insanity in our family. It's always been a fact of life before, but others seem scared by it. Maybe I should try to find out more? Looking into our family's history should be a good place to start."
"My Father apparently knows something about this. Meeting with him might help me make some headway, too." (You can spend a Social Action with Takeshi Akemi for a Clue)
[ ] Detective Agency (0/100)
[ ] Britannia Family (0/100)
City
[ ] London
Known Locations
[ ] Buckingham Palace
[ ] Big Ben
[ ] The Tower of London
People
[ ] Arthur
[ ] Agravain
[ ] Galahad
[ ] Kallen Stadtfield
[Social Actions: 1]
[ ] Madoka (Maxed)
[ ] Sayaka (276/500)
[ ] Kyouko (148/400)
[ ] Miho Miki (124/300)
[ ] Takeshi Akemi (6/300)
[ ] Kayaba Akihiko (31/100)
[ ] Soichirou Mikuni (44/100)
[ ] Hououin Kyouma (47/200)
[ ] Kallen Stadtfield (43/100)
[ ] Write-In Character
[Home Actions: 2]
[ ] Investigation: Arthur
[ ] Investigation: Buckingham Palace
[ ] Social: Kyouko
[ ] Social: Kallen Stadtfield
[ ] Social: Agravain
[Mission Actions: 1]
[ ] Go Shopping
-[ ] Shopping List
[ ] Go Thieving
-[ ] Thieving List
-[ ] Target Location
[ ] Meet with King Arthur
[ ] Write-In (Subject to QM Approval, Cannot Overlap with other Action Types.)
[Creative Actions: 1]
Applicable available resources will be used automatically.
Craft Actions
[ ] Craft Something (Appropriate Craft Roll Required)
-[ ] Product Type (Clock, Gun, Etcetera)
--[ ] Ambition (1-20; Higher Ambition produces a better product, but sets a higher DC.)
--[ ] Rough Description
-[ ] Special Product
--[ ] Exact Product Description. (Ambition will be decided by QM. Some products may fail automatically.)
Magic Actions
[ ] Spell Development (Development Roll Required)
-[ ] Existing Prototype Name or Spell Description (Broader descriptions are more likely to produce easily developed Spells.)
[ ] Spell Usage
-[ ] Spell(s)
-[ ] Action.
-[ ] Reason for action.
[ ] Attempt to perform a Magical Working. (Magical Theory Roll Required)
-[ ] Working Objective. (Ambition will be decided by QM. Some workings may fail automatically.)
Research Actions
[ ] Research a Theoretical Crafting Product
-[ ] Product Type (Clock, Gun, Etcetera)
--[ ] Ambition (1-20; Higher Ambition produces a better product, but sets a higher DC.)
--[ ] Rough Description.
-[ ] Special Product
--[ ] Exact Product Description.
[ ] Research a Theoretical Spell
-[ ] Spell Purpose
-[ ] Ambition (1-20; Higher Ambition produces a better product, but sets a higher DC.)
[ ] Research a Theoretical Magical Working
-[ ] Working Objective.
Grand Undertakings
[Training Actions: 1]
Applicable available resources will be used automatically. Students may refuse lessons if they are busy, or don't know you well.
[ ] Train a Skill
-[ ] Skill
[ ] Train someone else in a Skill.
-[ ] Skill
-[ ] Student
[Sleep Actions: 4]
[ ] Sleep (Gain 20 + Modifiers Sanity)
[ ] Write-In Action of another Type (Cost: 20 Sanity)
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