Sarah Shepard leaned against the wall. In the crowded bowels of the ship, a wall to lean against...
Renegade Magica (PMMM/Mass Effect)
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Sarah Shepard leaned against the wall. In the crowded bowels of the ship, a wall to lean against was one of the closest things to a creature comfort that they had available to them.
They had finally managed to get the door to sit right, and there it sat, having been knocked over, she could smell the flames even as she hid, even as she heard her parents-
She shook her head. The batarians didn't like it when they cried, and thinking about that would just make her eyes water. Suppress it. Hide it. Stay strong, just for a little while. She doubted that they'd be able to keep track of them at all times, and she could vent when it was safe.
Her hands reached to the back of her neck before she stopped herself. They also didn't want them to scratch at the implants, even more than they disliked shows of emotion. No matter how much they itched.
She could wait. As long as she told herself that she was- as long as she continued to think that she was waiting, she could make it through this. Somehow. She wouldn't break.
Her eyes glanced to the rest of the hold. They'd done little to separate the prisoners, other than by age, which was… confusing, to her. The slavers were clearly trying to break their will, but why keep them together? Was it cheaper that way, or did they have some other goal in mind?
She didn't know if they had been separated from their parents, if they were on another shuttle, or… she knew what had happened to her own, though.
She'd seen-
"Hey." Sam knelt down next to her. "Don't worry, you'll get through this. We'll get through this. I mean, for you, even if we're stuck like this for the rest of our lives, well, you won't be so bad off, right?" He tried to grin. "Look at you, keeping all cool like that even after all this," he probably hadn't meant it to sound accusatory.
"You're dignified. You're aloof. You'll probably end up a house slave or something, more of a status symbol than a laborer, right?"
They didn't like it when they talked, why wouldn't he shut up? At fifteen, he wasn't that much older than her, there was no need for him to act the leader.
"Well, no reason to worry for the rest of us. Next shift, next time they'll be bringing us food, I'm breaking us out here, I'll attack them, I'll do… something." How many times had he said something like that so far?
He got up and wandered away. He was only, what was it, fifteen years old? And he still acted as though he were in charge.
She huffed, unable to stop herself. They wouldn't be able to do anything, now. There were krogan on this ship. Plural. Even if they could take the first few guards, even one krogan getting close to their group would end a riot before they could do more than get themselves killed. Even without that, the devices in their necks would cripple them before anything could happen.
She curled up further, and waited.
Lunch or dinner came, she didn't know which, and nothing came of Sam's plot.
Just wait until they got to a planet. Then she'd have a chance to do something. She wasn't giving up, she was waiting.
She glanced to the far side of the cage, to where Talitha was curled up.
She wouldn't be like that, couldn't be like that.
She'd survive. For now, though, she'd rest.
~~~~
It took her some time to fall to sleep, but when she awoke, it was to a foot in the side.
"Get up." Sam said, a scowl on his face. His arms were marked with bruises. Had something happened?
Sarah looked at him. "What?" Her voice was hoarse. How long was it since she had bothered speaking? Only a few days, right?
"I am tired, of your attitude. Acting like you're better than me, than the rest of us!" His foot struck her side, harder this time. Shepard rolled with the blow and crouched, ready to stand up at a moment's notice.
"I see the way you look down at me, but I'm trying, I'm doing something, alright!"
As he looked down at her, Shepard's foot found his leg, and knocked him over. He was bigger than her, stronger than her, but she was in better shape, and her fist struck his groin, making him wince, and allowing her time to stand up, and she slammed her foot into his nose, making him scream in pain and fury.
Shepard backed off, waiting for him to rise, but the door to the prison slammed open, and a guard came in. "What the hell's going on here?" he asked, his four eyes glancing between the two of them before settling on Shepard.
She wasn't supposed to have stood out, not supposed to have drawn attention. "I, I" at the guard's impatient look, she hurried, "He attacked me."
As he glanced between the two of them, Sam yelled out, "She just started hitting me."
She didn't know who the batarian would believe, or if he'd just punish them both. She had to do something, and there was, back of her head… some etiquette she'd heard of when it came to batarians, tilt her head, left or right? One would be submissive, the other arrogant. She took a gamble and tilted her head to the left, ever so slightly, not making eye contact, and the batarian sighed.
"You've proven yourself more trouble than you're worth." He said as he approached Sam and grabbed him. "Tell you what, the vorcha have been complaining about a lack of proper rations."
Sam didn't seem to react for a moment, before his eyes widened, "No, wait, stop, I'm sorry, I'll be quiet!" he yelled, grabbing at the floor as he was dragged away, and Shepard forced her face to a neutral position. The batarian glanced at her.
How should she react? Thank him? Beg for Sam's life?
No. Any of those might imply that she felt that she had any power at all.
She tilted her head to the left again, keeping her face as controlled as she could.
He shook his head again and walked away. "Just two more days of this and I'll be resting in Camala. And next time, try not to hit them in a place where it will show."
As she watched Sam be dragged away, her hand ever so slowly clenched into a fist.
She tried to ignore the way that the others stared at her as she stood up. She had enough space, she could do some stretches, at the least.
Two more days.
~~~~~
She could feel it when the gravity shifted, when the ship approached the planet.
It still took, she couldn't keep track, but at least a few hours before the doors opened and they were slowly herded out. As she followed the crowd, she walked out of one of the larger airlocks, and couldn't suppress a deep breath as she took in the fresh air. It had a taste to it than Mindoir's air, a vaguely unpleasant one, but it was still almost… refreshing compared to the recycled air and stuffed confines.
The sun, though, that still felt wonderful on her skin.
They walked, and even with the stretches she'd done, actual moving still made her legs uncomfortable. Still, as she noted Jessica trip and get hit by a baton, struggling to stand up straight again, she imagined that things would have been worse if she hadn't bothered.
Eventually, they came across a platform.
Was this… an actual slave auction?
She didn't see where any of the adults were, and she had seen them brought into the ships, but maybe they were brought somewhere else?
Regardless, they all assembled onto the platform with only a few nudgings, as the rest of the captives seemed to understand what was expected of them instinctively.
She was, by coincidence, near the front.
She looked out at the crowd, their four eyed faces staring at her in curiosity, contempt, amusement… she couldn't see any pity in their expressions, no sympathy, and she fought to keep her expression neutral, but judging by the glances that she received, she wasn't quite successful.
Hello there.
Her eyes widened, and one of the most infamous figures in the galaxy sat at a corner no one else seemed to be interested in.
She almost spoke out loud, but with a glance to the sides, she remembered one of the things that she'd read about Kyuubey, and projected her thoughts at him. Hello, and the thought seemed quick even in her own head. Are you here to make a contract with me?
The auctioneer was speaking, but it wasn't in English, and she didn't have a translator on her, so the conversation continued uninterrupted. Yes. I trust I don't have to tell you about what accepting a contract means?
Shepard gulped, and shifted her gaze from the red eyed thing. There weren't many human girls her age who hadn't had stern talks with their parents about this exact subject. Yes. You give me a wish, and then you take my soul, and I spend the rest of my life fighting, up until I die or…
Kyuubey nodded. A rather basic explanation, but yes. With your karmic weight, there is very little that lies beyond the power of your wish. What do you want?
Sarah glanced at her fellow captives, the markings on their necks where the implants were inserted, and out at the crowd, utterly uncaring of the suffering, of the-
I want to kill them all.
Kyuubey tilted his head for a moment. Are you certain? The question didn't seem to have any moral judgment to it, more of a request for a confirmation than a question of morality.
I want to kill every last batarian on this planet.
Kyuubey nodded. Your karmic weight outweighs that of the collective weight of the batarians on this planet. This wish can be granted.
With that, the Incubator hopped onto the stage, and approached her. Your wish shall be granted.
As its ears outstretched, the world shifted. Her eyes saw the ambient sound as colors and sound as she heard the colors and nothing made sense it was her body but it wasn't as her soul was ripped from its body and then, everything was normal again.
She stood, and looked at her black gown, and at the scythe in her hands, even as the batarians shouted and lifted their weapons.
A glance at them as she raised her blade and lowered it-
What she saw then was a blur. A single face shifting in size and coloration with a hundred subtle differences at a rate where she couldn't identify where one began and another ended. The environments around the face changed, again and again, but the face shifted stayed similar, the same build with endless variations.
The only constant were the four eyes, even if the coloration changed there were always four eyes and-
The blade fell to her side, and the crowd in front of her erupted in red.
AN: So, as I was writing Haunting at Shanxi, I hit some writers block. Like, major writers block. I tried curing it by rewatching the series, watching a review of the series, and reading some fanfiction, but in the end, all I really got inspired to write was what I had intended to be the sequel.
So, HaS is now a prequel that I'll be writing concurrently with this.
They had finally managed to get the door to sit right, and there it sat, having been knocked over, she could smell the flames even as she hid, even as she heard her parents-
She shook her head. The batarians didn't like it when they cried, and thinking about that would just make her eyes water. Suppress it. Hide it. Stay strong, just for a little while. She doubted that they'd be able to keep track of them at all times, and she could vent when it was safe.
Her hands reached to the back of her neck before she stopped herself. They also didn't want them to scratch at the implants, even more than they disliked shows of emotion. No matter how much they itched.
She could wait. As long as she told herself that she was- as long as she continued to think that she was waiting, she could make it through this. Somehow. She wouldn't break.
Her eyes glanced to the rest of the hold. They'd done little to separate the prisoners, other than by age, which was… confusing, to her. The slavers were clearly trying to break their will, but why keep them together? Was it cheaper that way, or did they have some other goal in mind?
She didn't know if they had been separated from their parents, if they were on another shuttle, or… she knew what had happened to her own, though.
She'd seen-
"Hey." Sam knelt down next to her. "Don't worry, you'll get through this. We'll get through this. I mean, for you, even if we're stuck like this for the rest of our lives, well, you won't be so bad off, right?" He tried to grin. "Look at you, keeping all cool like that even after all this," he probably hadn't meant it to sound accusatory.
"You're dignified. You're aloof. You'll probably end up a house slave or something, more of a status symbol than a laborer, right?"
They didn't like it when they talked, why wouldn't he shut up? At fifteen, he wasn't that much older than her, there was no need for him to act the leader.
"Well, no reason to worry for the rest of us. Next shift, next time they'll be bringing us food, I'm breaking us out here, I'll attack them, I'll do… something." How many times had he said something like that so far?
He got up and wandered away. He was only, what was it, fifteen years old? And he still acted as though he were in charge.
She huffed, unable to stop herself. They wouldn't be able to do anything, now. There were krogan on this ship. Plural. Even if they could take the first few guards, even one krogan getting close to their group would end a riot before they could do more than get themselves killed. Even without that, the devices in their necks would cripple them before anything could happen.
She curled up further, and waited.
Lunch or dinner came, she didn't know which, and nothing came of Sam's plot.
Just wait until they got to a planet. Then she'd have a chance to do something. She wasn't giving up, she was waiting.
She glanced to the far side of the cage, to where Talitha was curled up.
She wouldn't be like that, couldn't be like that.
She'd survive. For now, though, she'd rest.
~~~~
It took her some time to fall to sleep, but when she awoke, it was to a foot in the side.
"Get up." Sam said, a scowl on his face. His arms were marked with bruises. Had something happened?
Sarah looked at him. "What?" Her voice was hoarse. How long was it since she had bothered speaking? Only a few days, right?
"I am tired, of your attitude. Acting like you're better than me, than the rest of us!" His foot struck her side, harder this time. Shepard rolled with the blow and crouched, ready to stand up at a moment's notice.
"I see the way you look down at me, but I'm trying, I'm doing something, alright!"
As he looked down at her, Shepard's foot found his leg, and knocked him over. He was bigger than her, stronger than her, but she was in better shape, and her fist struck his groin, making him wince, and allowing her time to stand up, and she slammed her foot into his nose, making him scream in pain and fury.
Shepard backed off, waiting for him to rise, but the door to the prison slammed open, and a guard came in. "What the hell's going on here?" he asked, his four eyes glancing between the two of them before settling on Shepard.
She wasn't supposed to have stood out, not supposed to have drawn attention. "I, I" at the guard's impatient look, she hurried, "He attacked me."
As he glanced between the two of them, Sam yelled out, "She just started hitting me."
She didn't know who the batarian would believe, or if he'd just punish them both. She had to do something, and there was, back of her head… some etiquette she'd heard of when it came to batarians, tilt her head, left or right? One would be submissive, the other arrogant. She took a gamble and tilted her head to the left, ever so slightly, not making eye contact, and the batarian sighed.
"You've proven yourself more trouble than you're worth." He said as he approached Sam and grabbed him. "Tell you what, the vorcha have been complaining about a lack of proper rations."
Sam didn't seem to react for a moment, before his eyes widened, "No, wait, stop, I'm sorry, I'll be quiet!" he yelled, grabbing at the floor as he was dragged away, and Shepard forced her face to a neutral position. The batarian glanced at her.
How should she react? Thank him? Beg for Sam's life?
No. Any of those might imply that she felt that she had any power at all.
She tilted her head to the left again, keeping her face as controlled as she could.
He shook his head again and walked away. "Just two more days of this and I'll be resting in Camala. And next time, try not to hit them in a place where it will show."
As she watched Sam be dragged away, her hand ever so slowly clenched into a fist.
She tried to ignore the way that the others stared at her as she stood up. She had enough space, she could do some stretches, at the least.
Two more days.
~~~~~
She could feel it when the gravity shifted, when the ship approached the planet.
It still took, she couldn't keep track, but at least a few hours before the doors opened and they were slowly herded out. As she followed the crowd, she walked out of one of the larger airlocks, and couldn't suppress a deep breath as she took in the fresh air. It had a taste to it than Mindoir's air, a vaguely unpleasant one, but it was still almost… refreshing compared to the recycled air and stuffed confines.
The sun, though, that still felt wonderful on her skin.
They walked, and even with the stretches she'd done, actual moving still made her legs uncomfortable. Still, as she noted Jessica trip and get hit by a baton, struggling to stand up straight again, she imagined that things would have been worse if she hadn't bothered.
Eventually, they came across a platform.
Was this… an actual slave auction?
She didn't see where any of the adults were, and she had seen them brought into the ships, but maybe they were brought somewhere else?
Regardless, they all assembled onto the platform with only a few nudgings, as the rest of the captives seemed to understand what was expected of them instinctively.
She was, by coincidence, near the front.
She looked out at the crowd, their four eyed faces staring at her in curiosity, contempt, amusement… she couldn't see any pity in their expressions, no sympathy, and she fought to keep her expression neutral, but judging by the glances that she received, she wasn't quite successful.
Hello there.
Her eyes widened, and one of the most infamous figures in the galaxy sat at a corner no one else seemed to be interested in.
She almost spoke out loud, but with a glance to the sides, she remembered one of the things that she'd read about Kyuubey, and projected her thoughts at him. Hello, and the thought seemed quick even in her own head. Are you here to make a contract with me?
The auctioneer was speaking, but it wasn't in English, and she didn't have a translator on her, so the conversation continued uninterrupted. Yes. I trust I don't have to tell you about what accepting a contract means?
Shepard gulped, and shifted her gaze from the red eyed thing. There weren't many human girls her age who hadn't had stern talks with their parents about this exact subject. Yes. You give me a wish, and then you take my soul, and I spend the rest of my life fighting, up until I die or…
Kyuubey nodded. A rather basic explanation, but yes. With your karmic weight, there is very little that lies beyond the power of your wish. What do you want?
Sarah glanced at her fellow captives, the markings on their necks where the implants were inserted, and out at the crowd, utterly uncaring of the suffering, of the-
I want to kill them all.
Kyuubey tilted his head for a moment. Are you certain? The question didn't seem to have any moral judgment to it, more of a request for a confirmation than a question of morality.
I want to kill every last batarian on this planet.
Kyuubey nodded. Your karmic weight outweighs that of the collective weight of the batarians on this planet. This wish can be granted.
With that, the Incubator hopped onto the stage, and approached her. Your wish shall be granted.
As its ears outstretched, the world shifted. Her eyes saw the ambient sound as colors and sound as she heard the colors and nothing made sense it was her body but it wasn't as her soul was ripped from its body and then, everything was normal again.
She stood, and looked at her black gown, and at the scythe in her hands, even as the batarians shouted and lifted their weapons.
A glance at them as she raised her blade and lowered it-
What she saw then was a blur. A single face shifting in size and coloration with a hundred subtle differences at a rate where she couldn't identify where one began and another ended. The environments around the face changed, again and again, but the face shifted stayed similar, the same build with endless variations.
The only constant were the four eyes, even if the coloration changed there were always four eyes and-
The blade fell to her side, and the crowd in front of her erupted in red.
AN: So, as I was writing Haunting at Shanxi, I hit some writers block. Like, major writers block. I tried curing it by rewatching the series, watching a review of the series, and reading some fanfiction, but in the end, all I really got inspired to write was what I had intended to be the sequel.
So, HaS is now a prequel that I'll be writing concurrently with this.
- Location
- SoCal
Makes me wonder if the Batarians know about the incubators... because if they did, damn, was this ever a stupid move. And it seems like humanity at large know now. Interesting. I wonder how many citadel species know too... and if not species, certain individuals.
And man, are things going to get interesting. The buterflies, Duke, the butterflies!
And man, are things going to get interesting. The buterflies, Duke, the butterflies!
TimeDiver
Herald of Dis Lev
- Location
- In-between the parallel worlds...
Hmm.
Does this invalidate Sarah (Colonist/Ruthless?) having distant family (Spacer? Earthborn?) who aren't necessarily going to get along with her (or more like vice-versa)?
I mean, yeah, she technically could take up the big role if needed, but I don't see her doing so voluntarily.
Does this invalidate Sarah (Colonist/Ruthless?) having distant family (Spacer? Earthborn?) who aren't necessarily going to get along with her (or more like vice-versa)?
I mean, yeah, she technically could take up the big role if needed, but I don't see her doing so voluntarily.
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Unlucky Bibliophile
Meganekko
I'm not entirely sure about this. By writing this as a sequel to HaS, you effectively lock yourself into planning events for an unfinished story for an unplanned sequel. Whatever happens in either story might have possible repercussions in the other, which could make keeping events compatible in both versions difficult. There is a very likely possibility that you could write yourself into a corner.
In sequels and prequels, there is usually a strong foundation. With the fate of Haunting at Shanxi unclear, you have to build up from scratch. It's not a problem for most sequels, but those stories don't usually have to deal with its source material being written alongside it. Two things have to be kept in mind: how will Haunting at Shanxi affect Renegade, and how will Renegade affect Haunting at Shanxi? With your self-admitted writer's block on HaS, building a strong foundation for this is going to be difficult.
However, if this is really helping your block, then I say go for it. All writers have their own ways of dealing with blockage. I'm just airing a few concerns I have.
In sequels and prequels, there is usually a strong foundation. With the fate of Haunting at Shanxi unclear, you have to build up from scratch. It's not a problem for most sequels, but those stories don't usually have to deal with its source material being written alongside it. Two things have to be kept in mind: how will Haunting at Shanxi affect Renegade, and how will Renegade affect Haunting at Shanxi? With your self-admitted writer's block on HaS, building a strong foundation for this is going to be difficult.
However, if this is really helping your block, then I say go for it. All writers have their own ways of dealing with blockage. I'm just airing a few concerns I have.
Probably, oh, something like "No more slaves".
As in, every single time a batarian tries to enslave someone, that person is teleported to the nearest safe area. If that safe area happens to be on another planet, well...
Shepard's karmic weight is sufficient to handle that sort of thing. (Being literally in the top three list of the most important people in the galaxy will do that)
Though, more seriously, I do have some ideas in mind that require the specific wish made, so Paragon would have an entirely different plotline.
That and more will be covered in the next few snippets and their codex entries.
Well, for one thing, even if the Council isn't on particularly good terms with the Hegemony, it would be rather... undiplomatic to grant Spectre status to a magical girl who also wiped out nearly three million people.
So there are some shoes that she can't necessarily fill over along the canon rails, and a number of those roles can be filled by canon characters.
She'll definitely be intersecting with the main ME plot on more than a few occasions, though.
Well, if it helps assuage your worries, I actually have the ending of Haunting pretty well figured out in terms of what I want to happen.
It's mostly the getting there that I'm having trouble with.
And the events are... not difficult to mesh together. I'm screwing with the ME timeline, somewhat, so Haunting will be mostly self contained.
I do have some ideas for cross-foreshadowing and some plot points that will only be evident once both stories are read, so I don't... think I'll screw everything up.
Still, thank you for the concerns, and I will be keeping them in mind.
menosay
Quietly laughing at nothing in particular.
I wonder if they wanted a magical girl slave and the implants where meant to control even a Puella Magi, granted we know something like that wouldn't work but would the Batarians? Or the implants could be standard slaver gear I don't know ME well enough to say.
Sarah watched as the blood expanded with her eyes wide. That was all… her? She glanced at the scythe and the still dripping blood. She looked to the shocked stares of the others, the humans, as no batarians were left alive at the auction site.
Kyuubey looked to her. You are now a Puella Magi. Of course, there are currently no Witches on this planet, and as such I can direct you to various craft capable of reaching other civilized areas of space.
Shepard looked to him, then back to the scythe. Did I… kill them all personally?
That was the wording of your wish. Time and space was bent so that you could slay each and every one of them with a single blow. Its head tilted back. I believe that was what you actually wanted, wasn't it?
Shepard paused, It, it was, yes. She looked out at the bodies. This is what I wanted. She took in a deep breath. So, what now?
I could guide you to a ship, but before I do, would it be safe to assume that you want to disable the kill switches hooked up into the slaves of this planet? Your own is currently disabled as a side effect of becoming a Puella Magi.
Her eyes widened. That hadn't even occurred to her. "Yes!" She shouted in a half-panic, and the nearby survivors jerked back at the noise.
Just, go ahead and do it. She thought at him.
Kyuubey froze for several seconds, before looking at her again. It is done. Though, all I did was disable the deadman's switch and prevent the devices from receiving the activation signal. If the actual device is to be removed, they would need a surgeon's assistance.
You just did it? Shepard asked, glancing back at the crowd. No, stipulations, no selling their souls or anything?
Kyuubey tilted its head. Why would I do that? Their deaths would serve little purpose at this time, and would be a pointless waste. Besides, all I did was manipulate electronics, and that requires very little actual energy.
An Incubator's only sense of morality seemed to involve some twisted form of honesty and a distaste for waste, Shepard reminded herself, thinking back to the lectures that her parents had- that they'd- her face turned towards the ground.
I suspect that you will need to hunt down a Witch sooner rather than later, at this rate. I have the location of at least one fairly quick ship that should suit your purposes.
Shepard glanced to the crowd, who were just now starting to react. "What about them?"
If you'd like, I could direct them to a different ship, but they would be likely to want to rescue the rest of the slaves scattered across the planet before evacuating, and the situation is fairly more time sensitive for you.
Am I… really that close to despair?
You are… mostly stable, at the moment. But that isn't the thing that you have to worry about.
Shepard glanced at the Incubator. What do you mean?
Oh, after what happened here, there are a variety of factions that might want you dead. The Hegemony is likely to know that what happened here isn't something that can be repeated, as that level of speed was a onetime event, and as such they are likely to send a few agents to attempt to kill you, if they can't send an entire fleet against you. The fanatics among the hanar tend to target any particularly powerful magical girls, and there are factions in the Citadel that would be quite likely to want to punish you for the wish that you made.
That was… something that she hadn't considered. With a glance to her side, a soul gem appeared in her hand. It was dark green, and the darkness wasn't counting the encroaching black tendrils dancing around inside of it. Is that… normal?
Not really, but you were contracted under fairly unique circumstances, and are one of the most powerful Puella Magi ever contracted. Some peculiarities are to be expected, and I wouldn't worry about it.
So, she should be worrying about it? She shook her head even as another set of thoughts was projected towards her. Is there anything you'd like to do before leaving?
Shepard paused. She… didn't really know anyone else, did she? Most of the people she knew were… gone, and the rest… she didn't know where they were. She glanced at her Soul Gem. What color was it supposed to be when clean? She couldn't imagine that she had much time.
No, there's… nothing.
A small thought, an impulse, and he turned to the left. The ship is in that direction. I'll give you more precise instructions once you get there.
Shepard ran.
~~~~~
She tried not to look to much at the surroundings as she ran. The pedestrians at the sides of the streets, the crashed cars, the sheer… stillness of the city, with the only noise being the occasional crackling flames and the chiming of the billboards as they advertised their products in a language she couldn't understand.
They deserved it. She had seen their aloofness, their lack of outrage at what was happening, and- all of them?- No time to think about that now, as Kyuubey told her to take another right.
She soon stumbled onto what seemed to be a private spaceport. The ship in question has been left unlocked. Dock 8 is your destination.
Sarah glanced at the Incubator. How do you know all of this?
Investigations into all nearby space ports were begun the moment that your wish was made. We didn't want you to starve before you had a chance to save yourself. It would hardly be fair if we abandoned you on this planet without the ability to track down a witch before your soul gem completely darkened.
Shepard had already entered the port by the time Kyuubey had finished talking. The ship was… about frigate sized, she supposed. One of the smaller frigates. She… didn't know ships.
This ship was purchased as a gift from an exceptionally rich family, and has been designed to need very little actual knowledge of piloting to operate, as most of its systems are automated. It is not the highest quality vehicle, but it should suit your purposes.
Shepard walked to the ship, before her eyes widened at a leaking puddle of blood.
Kyuubey glanced at her, Ah, one of the reasons that this ship was unlocked was because its crew was already preparing for launch. All systems should be ready for takeoff, though I would recommend removing the bodies, first.
Shepard took a deep breath. This… why would this be so surprising? She thought to herself as approached the first body. H- it was a batarian, face down. She walked to it, holding her breath to limit how much of the stink of blood entered her nostrils, grabbed the arm, and began pulling, dragging the body outside of the craft.
This… wasn't as bad as she thought it might be, she thought as she heaved the rest of the body down the ramp, watching it slide.
Ah, that would be because your sense of smell and certain reflexes have been suppressed. Kyuubey hopped up to a crate sitting at the top of the entrance. I would imagine that this would be far more stressful for you if you had your natural reflexes.
Do you mean… you're altering my mind? Shepard froze. That wasn't like anything she had heard before, when it came to Incubators.
No. I'm simply weakening some of your base instincts, such as the need to vomit when exposed to certain stimuli, for the duration of this flight, because otherwise I doubt that you'd survive the trip. There are three more bodies still on the ship. You won't have to worry about the cleaning up the bloodstains; the previous owners had a VI cleaner capable of handling liquids on board.
~~~~~
Three bodies later, Shepard sat in the captain's chair, watching as the ship slowly ascended.
Kyuubey was perched on top of the copilot's seat. Air traffic won't be a concern, so breaking orbit won't need to pilot input.
Shepard leaned back in her chair, watching the skyline shift as the vehicle ascended. Her eyes shifted further up, and she saw a mirror, the sort one might see in an aircar, probably put there as the owner's idea of a joke. She was still in costume, a black and white dress that almost looked like a maid's uniform, but with silver threads running throughout. It also had more cloth. Short and dark brown hair completed the look.
This was who she was now.
So, what happens now? She glanced at Kyuubey.
Do you mean what happens to the other captives, the broader implications of your wish, or what is to happen to you?
She paused. All three, I suppose.
Kyuubey paused. The other captives have mostly reunited by now, and have had a chance to speak to others who happened to have been freed by your wish. There are several ships available to them that should be able allow for them to evacuate the planet, and from there they should be able to reach Citadel trading lanes without too much difficulty, and from there any attempts by the batarians to recapture them are significantly less likely to succeed.
Shepard let out a deep breath. That was good news. The… broader implications next, I guess.
Much of this is simply conjecture, but currently, we expect for the batarians to take at least a few days to actually begin investigating, as anything that makes a planet disappear so completely so suddenly would likely make them wish to investigate in force rather than send a smaller patrol fleet. If that is the course that they choose, it would provide a larger window for the slaves to escape. Regardless, it should take them some time to discover precisely what caused this event.
Kyuubey glanced through the window, continuing to speak. The only way that they could learn of what happened would be if someone at your contracting informed them, but it is more likely that the information will be leaked through the Alliance media. Regardless of the means that it does so, it is unlikely that the nature of your wish will remain secret for too long.
Shepard frowned. Couldn't the information be… suppressed, somehow? If they went straight to the Alliance?
Kyuubey shook its head. No, the issue of magical girls is still too contentious. Hundreds of people likely know exactly what happened, and there's simply no way to suppress information on events of this scale with the limited control over the media that the Alliance has.
Besides, Kyuubey continued, no matter what, there are those who would use the deaths on this planet to push their own agenda, those who would leak it from incompetence, or those who simply believe for whatever inexplicable reason that to keep a secret like this would be inherently immoral, regardless of whatever potential consequences the leak might cause. That particular trait of humans makes diplomacy with them rather more difficult than it needs to be.
So, no matter what she did, people would know what she wished for. Her fist clenched at her side. Like they would have any right to judge her for what she did. I think I want to talk about what happens with me, next.
Very well, all I had left was conjecture on how the market prices of slaves and eezo would be affected by your wish.
Well, probably a good thing she cut him off when she did. Where do I go from here?
While there are a number of planets that have Witch Alerts posted, it might be best to avoid Alliance space for the time being. This ship doesn't have the proper documentation to get through to Alliance planets, and would likely be impounded for long enough to be inconvenient. There's also a chance that they would delay you long enough for the fate of Camala to be revealed, and I cannot currently predict the actions of the System's Alliance should that information be revealed.
So, I need documentation as well? Shepard frowned, and her Soul Gem appeared in her hand. It… looked pretty dark. She didn't know what it looked like when perfectly clear, though. I can't afford to delay.
Of course. There is one place that currently has a Witch in the area, as well as having facilities where proper documentation could be forged.
Where is it?
While there are alternatives available, the most… neutral area with those parameters would be Omega.
Shepard frowned. The name didn't sound familiar. Well, I know nothing about that sort of thing, so, Omega it is.
~~~~~
I had planned to answer (and raise) a few more questions, but this started feeling a bit too exposition heavy as it was, and I decided that I might as well wait until after some stuff has happened to reveal more information.
Kyuubey looked to her. You are now a Puella Magi. Of course, there are currently no Witches on this planet, and as such I can direct you to various craft capable of reaching other civilized areas of space.
Shepard looked to him, then back to the scythe. Did I… kill them all personally?
That was the wording of your wish. Time and space was bent so that you could slay each and every one of them with a single blow. Its head tilted back. I believe that was what you actually wanted, wasn't it?
Shepard paused, It, it was, yes. She looked out at the bodies. This is what I wanted. She took in a deep breath. So, what now?
I could guide you to a ship, but before I do, would it be safe to assume that you want to disable the kill switches hooked up into the slaves of this planet? Your own is currently disabled as a side effect of becoming a Puella Magi.
Her eyes widened. That hadn't even occurred to her. "Yes!" She shouted in a half-panic, and the nearby survivors jerked back at the noise.
Just, go ahead and do it. She thought at him.
Kyuubey froze for several seconds, before looking at her again. It is done. Though, all I did was disable the deadman's switch and prevent the devices from receiving the activation signal. If the actual device is to be removed, they would need a surgeon's assistance.
You just did it? Shepard asked, glancing back at the crowd. No, stipulations, no selling their souls or anything?
Kyuubey tilted its head. Why would I do that? Their deaths would serve little purpose at this time, and would be a pointless waste. Besides, all I did was manipulate electronics, and that requires very little actual energy.
An Incubator's only sense of morality seemed to involve some twisted form of honesty and a distaste for waste, Shepard reminded herself, thinking back to the lectures that her parents had- that they'd- her face turned towards the ground.
I suspect that you will need to hunt down a Witch sooner rather than later, at this rate. I have the location of at least one fairly quick ship that should suit your purposes.
Shepard glanced to the crowd, who were just now starting to react. "What about them?"
If you'd like, I could direct them to a different ship, but they would be likely to want to rescue the rest of the slaves scattered across the planet before evacuating, and the situation is fairly more time sensitive for you.
Am I… really that close to despair?
You are… mostly stable, at the moment. But that isn't the thing that you have to worry about.
Shepard glanced at the Incubator. What do you mean?
Oh, after what happened here, there are a variety of factions that might want you dead. The Hegemony is likely to know that what happened here isn't something that can be repeated, as that level of speed was a onetime event, and as such they are likely to send a few agents to attempt to kill you, if they can't send an entire fleet against you. The fanatics among the hanar tend to target any particularly powerful magical girls, and there are factions in the Citadel that would be quite likely to want to punish you for the wish that you made.
That was… something that she hadn't considered. With a glance to her side, a soul gem appeared in her hand. It was dark green, and the darkness wasn't counting the encroaching black tendrils dancing around inside of it. Is that… normal?
Not really, but you were contracted under fairly unique circumstances, and are one of the most powerful Puella Magi ever contracted. Some peculiarities are to be expected, and I wouldn't worry about it.
So, she should be worrying about it? She shook her head even as another set of thoughts was projected towards her. Is there anything you'd like to do before leaving?
Shepard paused. She… didn't really know anyone else, did she? Most of the people she knew were… gone, and the rest… she didn't know where they were. She glanced at her Soul Gem. What color was it supposed to be when clean? She couldn't imagine that she had much time.
No, there's… nothing.
A small thought, an impulse, and he turned to the left. The ship is in that direction. I'll give you more precise instructions once you get there.
Shepard ran.
~~~~~
She tried not to look to much at the surroundings as she ran. The pedestrians at the sides of the streets, the crashed cars, the sheer… stillness of the city, with the only noise being the occasional crackling flames and the chiming of the billboards as they advertised their products in a language she couldn't understand.
They deserved it. She had seen their aloofness, their lack of outrage at what was happening, and- all of them?- No time to think about that now, as Kyuubey told her to take another right.
She soon stumbled onto what seemed to be a private spaceport. The ship in question has been left unlocked. Dock 8 is your destination.
Sarah glanced at the Incubator. How do you know all of this?
Investigations into all nearby space ports were begun the moment that your wish was made. We didn't want you to starve before you had a chance to save yourself. It would hardly be fair if we abandoned you on this planet without the ability to track down a witch before your soul gem completely darkened.
Shepard had already entered the port by the time Kyuubey had finished talking. The ship was… about frigate sized, she supposed. One of the smaller frigates. She… didn't know ships.
This ship was purchased as a gift from an exceptionally rich family, and has been designed to need very little actual knowledge of piloting to operate, as most of its systems are automated. It is not the highest quality vehicle, but it should suit your purposes.
Shepard walked to the ship, before her eyes widened at a leaking puddle of blood.
Kyuubey glanced at her, Ah, one of the reasons that this ship was unlocked was because its crew was already preparing for launch. All systems should be ready for takeoff, though I would recommend removing the bodies, first.
Shepard took a deep breath. This… why would this be so surprising? She thought to herself as approached the first body. H- it was a batarian, face down. She walked to it, holding her breath to limit how much of the stink of blood entered her nostrils, grabbed the arm, and began pulling, dragging the body outside of the craft.
This… wasn't as bad as she thought it might be, she thought as she heaved the rest of the body down the ramp, watching it slide.
Ah, that would be because your sense of smell and certain reflexes have been suppressed. Kyuubey hopped up to a crate sitting at the top of the entrance. I would imagine that this would be far more stressful for you if you had your natural reflexes.
Do you mean… you're altering my mind? Shepard froze. That wasn't like anything she had heard before, when it came to Incubators.
No. I'm simply weakening some of your base instincts, such as the need to vomit when exposed to certain stimuli, for the duration of this flight, because otherwise I doubt that you'd survive the trip. There are three more bodies still on the ship. You won't have to worry about the cleaning up the bloodstains; the previous owners had a VI cleaner capable of handling liquids on board.
~~~~~
Three bodies later, Shepard sat in the captain's chair, watching as the ship slowly ascended.
Kyuubey was perched on top of the copilot's seat. Air traffic won't be a concern, so breaking orbit won't need to pilot input.
Shepard leaned back in her chair, watching the skyline shift as the vehicle ascended. Her eyes shifted further up, and she saw a mirror, the sort one might see in an aircar, probably put there as the owner's idea of a joke. She was still in costume, a black and white dress that almost looked like a maid's uniform, but with silver threads running throughout. It also had more cloth. Short and dark brown hair completed the look.
This was who she was now.
So, what happens now? She glanced at Kyuubey.
Do you mean what happens to the other captives, the broader implications of your wish, or what is to happen to you?
She paused. All three, I suppose.
Kyuubey paused. The other captives have mostly reunited by now, and have had a chance to speak to others who happened to have been freed by your wish. There are several ships available to them that should be able allow for them to evacuate the planet, and from there they should be able to reach Citadel trading lanes without too much difficulty, and from there any attempts by the batarians to recapture them are significantly less likely to succeed.
Shepard let out a deep breath. That was good news. The… broader implications next, I guess.
Much of this is simply conjecture, but currently, we expect for the batarians to take at least a few days to actually begin investigating, as anything that makes a planet disappear so completely so suddenly would likely make them wish to investigate in force rather than send a smaller patrol fleet. If that is the course that they choose, it would provide a larger window for the slaves to escape. Regardless, it should take them some time to discover precisely what caused this event.
Kyuubey glanced through the window, continuing to speak. The only way that they could learn of what happened would be if someone at your contracting informed them, but it is more likely that the information will be leaked through the Alliance media. Regardless of the means that it does so, it is unlikely that the nature of your wish will remain secret for too long.
Shepard frowned. Couldn't the information be… suppressed, somehow? If they went straight to the Alliance?
Kyuubey shook its head. No, the issue of magical girls is still too contentious. Hundreds of people likely know exactly what happened, and there's simply no way to suppress information on events of this scale with the limited control over the media that the Alliance has.
Besides, Kyuubey continued, no matter what, there are those who would use the deaths on this planet to push their own agenda, those who would leak it from incompetence, or those who simply believe for whatever inexplicable reason that to keep a secret like this would be inherently immoral, regardless of whatever potential consequences the leak might cause. That particular trait of humans makes diplomacy with them rather more difficult than it needs to be.
So, no matter what she did, people would know what she wished for. Her fist clenched at her side. Like they would have any right to judge her for what she did. I think I want to talk about what happens with me, next.
Very well, all I had left was conjecture on how the market prices of slaves and eezo would be affected by your wish.
Well, probably a good thing she cut him off when she did. Where do I go from here?
While there are a number of planets that have Witch Alerts posted, it might be best to avoid Alliance space for the time being. This ship doesn't have the proper documentation to get through to Alliance planets, and would likely be impounded for long enough to be inconvenient. There's also a chance that they would delay you long enough for the fate of Camala to be revealed, and I cannot currently predict the actions of the System's Alliance should that information be revealed.
So, I need documentation as well? Shepard frowned, and her Soul Gem appeared in her hand. It… looked pretty dark. She didn't know what it looked like when perfectly clear, though. I can't afford to delay.
Of course. There is one place that currently has a Witch in the area, as well as having facilities where proper documentation could be forged.
Where is it?
While there are alternatives available, the most… neutral area with those parameters would be Omega.
Shepard frowned. The name didn't sound familiar. Well, I know nothing about that sort of thing, so, Omega it is.
~~~~~
I had planned to answer (and raise) a few more questions, but this started feeling a bit too exposition heavy as it was, and I decided that I might as well wait until after some stuff has happened to reveal more information.
Kyuubey seemed a little off in this, like he was too helpful. You could explain it away fairly easily, but he always struck me as more of a minimalist. Like the deadman switches? He wouldn't be opposed to doing it, but it'd be the kind of thing you'd have to prompt him about. I don't mind the characterization, and I can look past it, but an eventual explanation would be nice.
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Kyubey being helpful has plenty of precedent when he's trying to manipulate the latest sucker- and should set off alarm bells for trauma down the road. And he commented Shepard's basically a Madoka-tier potential.
Could just be PR? I mean it seems that in this universe/point in time, everyone knows about the incubators and what they are up to. Disabling the deadman switches and by extension allowing the slaves to escape will make the incubators look good, and if they look good there will be more people willing to contract. This is especially true since they probably got a negative PR-hit from helping wipe out an entire planetfull of Batarians.
- Location
- Bs. As.
Kyubey honestly trying to be helpful is weird and hilarious. As well as refreshing, considering how many instances of EVIL Kyubey I've seen so far. I have to wonder, though, because my interpretation of Incubators pre-Godoka was that if they could have a girl instantly witch-out, then they would push for that, as the energy gains are apparently worth it. Shouldn't Kyubey leave Sarah to die alone in the planet?
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
Depends on whether the pre-Madoka "Witch System" or post-Madoka "Wraith System" is in effect. Under the "Witch" system the Incubators seem to get their main pay-off from the Witch-out and lesser amounts from processing Grief Seeds. Under the "Wraith" system processing Grief Cubes seems to the only pay-off the Incubators get. How the 2 systems directly compare is unknown, comments by Kyubey in "Rebellion" suggest that the Incubators think the "Witch" system would yield more of a pay-off, but again is pretty much impossible to test.
In this case it sounds like the "Wraith" system is in effect so the Incubators need Sarah to live long enough to collect Grief Cubes to generate their return on investment.
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Ah, sorry for the delay in responding, I wanted the next snippet out before I posted, but, well, it's oddly harder than I thought to write while on a vacation, despite it being a vacation of the thoroughly lazy sort.
To answer a few questions:
Regarding motivations of a certain character: All I can say is that mentioning more about Kyubey's motivations is spoiler territory, but I do have a reason for everything he's done so far. (It's something that I don't think I've seen in PMMM fanfiction before, but I admit I haven't read too many of those.)
Also, I'll probably be editing every instance of "Kyuubey." I could have sworn it was spelled it two Us, but rewatching the subs that apparently isn't the case.
Just as a side note.
Cosmologically speaking, this is pre-Madokami, and also, well, pre-Homucifer (however tempting it was to attempt to figure out a system for that). I just feel that there's more that I can do with the Witch system than I can do with the Demon system, from a story point of view, and witches are just more... interesting.
PR is... not a concern for the Incubators.
For a few reasons, really...
To answer a few questions:
Regarding motivations of a certain character: All I can say is that mentioning more about Kyubey's motivations is spoiler territory, but I do have a reason for everything he's done so far. (It's something that I don't think I've seen in PMMM fanfiction before, but I admit I haven't read too many of those.)
Also, I'll probably be editing every instance of "Kyuubey." I could have sworn it was spelled it two Us, but rewatching the subs that apparently isn't the case.
Just as a side note.
Cosmologically speaking, this is pre-Madokami, and also, well, pre-Homucifer (however tempting it was to attempt to figure out a system for that). I just feel that there's more that I can do with the Witch system than I can do with the Demon system, from a story point of view, and witches are just more... interesting.
PR is... not a concern for the Incubators.
For a few reasons, really...
Nanao-kun
Klaxosaur Princess
- Location
- EST
Still don't know why anybody would consider the Incubators "good" or "evil". If a society has no emotions, ethics and morality become entirely hypothetical subjects that don't apply to them.
"Murder is bad" is a concept that doesn't exist for them because murder doesn't exist for them.
"Murder is bad" is a concept that doesn't exist for them because murder doesn't exist for them.
Shepard grabbed the dishes from the sink, and placed them in the cupboard.
I'm not quite sure why you're doing this. Even if it's purely natural energy, it might be useful to conserve it.
Shepard paused. How to best explain that she wanted the ship to look less… lived in, to have less of an impression of the people who had previously lived there? "It… puts me in a better head space."
In that case, I won't attempt to provide advice for a field I've never fully understood. Kyuubey paused. Though, there are some magical girls that swear by meditation or yoga, if you're looking for a way to calm yourself.
"That… doesn't really seem like my thing."
Hm. Well, if you want something to do, we'll be landing on Omega soon. Would you like me to tell you what to expect?
Shepard sighed, and sat down at one of the chairs. "Would knowing the area really make a difference when it comes to fighting a witch if I'm going to be fighting inside of a labyrinth anyway?"
Well, first you'll need to track the witch down, which could be difficult in a more… three dimensional area such as Omega.
"What do you mean?" Shepard leaned back.
The station is essentially a hollowed out asteroid. The entire station is a mess of architectural design motivated by adapting areas that were never meant for living spaces into homes or simply taking whatever actions seemed convenient at the time. You might not encounter such difficulties in the more trafficked areas of Omega which were more thoughtfully designed, but in the secluded areas where a Witch is likely to make her home?
"Huh." Shepard frowned. "Do you have any advice for me?"
Tracking witches through triangulation is normally a relatively standard method of searching for them if they haven't left an obvious trail, but that becomes substantially more difficult when one takes the third dimension into account, and many of the pathways around Omega are rather unintuitive, especially when one considers the need to maneuver around gang territory.
"Wouldn't the gangs let me through if I'm there to kill a witch?"
Most of the gangs are not particularly fond of humans or of magical girls in general, and others simply wouldn't trust any stranger with access to their territory, even if there is a Witch in the area. That's why we're going to meet with Aria as soon as possible.
"That's the…" Shepard paused. "Aria's the crime boss of Omega, right?"Kyuubey had mentioned that at some point in the past few days.
Yes, and getting her permission to operate on the station would make things substantially easier for you, even disregarding the possibility that she might be sufficiently annoyed at being snubbed that she might attempt to directly hinder your investigations.
"Right." It made sense. Everything Kyubey told her made perfect sense, and even when she didn't ask, he always seemed to have an answer to her questions. "Kyubey, why didn't you just… let me turn into a witch back on Camala?"
Kyuubey was silent for a moment. I suppose denying an ulterior motive would be pointless. Suffice it to say, you are a fairly… unique magical girl, and we have never successfully contracted someone with your raw potential before.
"Wouldn't that just make you want to, to harvest my Soul Gem sooner?"
Not… quite. This is the first time that we have had a chance to observe a magical girl of your power yet. We would like a chance to at least observe your soul gem being purged a few times before you complete your transformation, as there's a chance that a more thorough understanding of the processes involved could allow us to increase the efficiency of the system Witch system.
That seemed… sensible. Shepard peered at the Incubator's face. No tells. Obviously.
We will be arriving at the dock, soon. Is there anything else that you wished to know about Omega?
"Nothing off the top of my head."
Very well. Though, there is something that we should decide now before we land.
"What's that?" Shepard tilted her head.
Where do you plan to stay?
"I…" Shepard paused. "I was thinking that I'd just stay on the ship, actually."
The only dock I was able to rent is rather far from any of the major areas on the station, and going back and forth during your search would be rather inconvenient.
Shepard paused. "I guess I can see- you rented a spot?"
Well, there are several free docks available, but considering that we have no crew on the ship to defend it while you're on your search, renting a more secure area seemed prudent.
I was more thinking that renting something seemed pretty boring for an Incubator. "Er, actually I was surprised that you had money."
It makes certain things more convenient, and it's not too difficult to set up an anonymous account and earn money on the stock market. Incidentally, you might want to keep tighter discipline on your thoughts. I get the impression that you didn't intend on transmitting that last thought. While I don't particularly mind, encountering a new magical girl might be awkward if you are unable to keep your thoughts private.
Shepard scratched the back of her neck. I'll, uh, keep that in mind. So, considering the question of where to stay…
I have looked at a few options, for you. There are several apartments for rent near the area where the Witch was last suspected to have placed her labyrinth, but none of their owners are particularly trustworthy, should a bounty be placed on you, and the conditions are not quite sanitary. While you would survive an illness, it would be an additional strain on your Soul Gem.
Shepard winced. That… didn't sound comfortable. "Anything else?"
There are several other apartments whose residents have died recently.
"The Witch? How is that relevant?"
No. These were killed through normal crime on Omega. I do not believe that any of them were close to any other residents, and so your living in their homes would not raise any suspicions for at least a week, which should be enough for you to accomplish your objectives there. There is also a Cerberus Foundation safehouse available, but I am not certain as to whether or not they would be willing to support you, once the events of Calama come to light.
"Right." Shepard said as she considered it. "I think I'll go to one of the abandoned houses." It seemed… safer and less filthy.
Very well.
~~~~
After having played a few cheap games on her omnitool, Kyubey jumped near her. We have arrived at the station, and will be docking within three minutes. Is there anything that you need clarified before we dock?
"No, there's… nothing."
With that, Shepard stood up and walked towards the airlock.
There was a thud felt throughout the ship as it moved in against the dock and locked itself in, and a few moments later the door opened.
She walked along the airlock. It was clean, but there were numerous scuffmarks around the floor. Whoever did cleaned the chamber did so more to enable sanitary conditions more than any desire to make it look nice.
She walked through the corridor before she opened a door. Dark red lights with the occasional white lights that lacked any sort of warmth to them dotted the ceilings and lined the floors, and most of the surfaces were either dull metals, rock, or clinical white plastic.
Here, in the more common area, apparently they cared rather less about keeping things clean, though this stink was more… industrial, she supposed.
A man, human, ran up to her. "Hey, did you just come off the Gilded Copper?"
"The what?"
Kyubey nudged her. That's the name of your ship.
Ah, Shepard thought. Out loud, she said, "Ah, yes. Why did you ask?"
"Because the captain of that ship owes me money." The man said with a scowl on his face.
Hm, I didn't see anything like that in the records of the ship. Of course, it might have been the sort of arrangement where neither party wants to leave a paper trail, but I doubt that these two were the sort to travel in the same social circles.
Shepard paused, "Well, I own the ship, now."
The man looked her up and down. "Really, now." Oh, right. She didn't look like a person who would own a ship like this.
Or who would own a ship at all, really.
"So, this ship is yours, eh?" He glanced at the airlock. "Well, the way I see it, the debt probably passes along to whoever owns the ship, if you catch my drift." His hand trailed to his waist, Shepard's eyes widened as he revealed a gun.
I'd suggest transforming, now.
Shepard shook her head, trying to dismiss the shock. Of course, she was in her civilian clothes. She pulled out her Soul Gem, and forced her magic to travel throughout her body, as quickly as she could.
With a flash, her colony clothes had disappeared, and her outfit was there for all the world to see. Her scythe filled her hand, and she seized it.
The man's eyes widened, and he took a step backwards. "Oh, fuck me, I had no idea you were, uh, fuck, just, don't kill me and I'll-"
Give her your gun. The man's eyes jerked to the side, and Shepard knew that Kyubey hadn't been visible up until that very moment.
The man dropped it, not even bothering to put the safety on, and ran.
Shepard exhaled, before Kyubey leapt to the ground and looked at her. He wasn't truly a threat to you, you know. Mass accelerator weapons tend to do minimal organ damage as well as overpenetrate, which makes them poorly suited to killing magical girls.
"I… yeah." Shepard had seen the videos of magical girls fighting, or occasionally just preforming stunts to demonstrate their physical abilities, but… "It… still hasn't kicked in, honestly. I mean, I haven't even been in a fight yet. Guns are still… something that could hurt me, to my mind." She paused. "He ran… pretty quickly. Are magical girls so… feared?" There was terror in the man's eyes, real terror.
Ah, not everywhere. In Alliance territory, they're admired or pitied, but it's only in places where there is minimal law enforcement that they tend to need to fight enough people to instill terror. He had also threatened you, and your scythe manifested rather near his face, so his reaction was
understandable.
Shepard took a deep breath. "Alright then." She leaned down and picked up the gun. "Is there any reason why you wanted me to have this?"
Occasionally, you might end up in a fight in which you don't want to waste your magic. Using conventional weapons can be a rather useful way to conserve your power. Kyubey looked at the gun. Rather more high end than it looked. I suppose that man was less of a desperate straggler than I had assumed. Ah well.
Shepard paused. "Should I transform back?"
Kyubey stayed still for a moment, before hopping back on her shoulder. You'll attract attention regardless, and considering that you'll need to transform to prove your credentials to Aria, you might as well stay transformed. The attention that you receive as a magical girl is somewhat less likely to result in harm to yourself than the attention that you'd receive as an unescorted young girl.
Shepard nodded. It… made sense, and it wasn't as if wearing the costume took much energy. "Alright, so, where are we going?"
There's a club called Afterlife, and Aria has made it into her headquarters. I'll arrange for the airfare to be paid for one of these cabs.
~~~~
Shepard couldn't see too many of the sights, from the darkened windows of the cab. When it landed, her eyes widened. The place was… pulsating, was the best word to use.
Dark flashing lights, and even from almost a block away she could vaguely feel the pulse of the bass from whatever music was playing. The line was… rather long. There were probably several dozen people in it.
Ah, it hadn't occurred to me. You grew up on a small colony world, and probably haven't seen anything like this. Just so you know, most people on Omega are rather contemptuous of new people or tourists, so I'd recommend attempting to not gawk at the sights or smells.
She glanced at the line. It… didn't appear to be moving, from what she could tell. Um, Kyubey? Do I have enough time for… this?
You should, but if you'd prefer not to wait, you could always attempt to speak with the bouncer at the front of the line.
Shepard nodded, and began to walk.
A lot of the people there were wearing extravagant outfits, things that looked like they cost a lot, no matter how much fabric they lacked. Still, she was the one that they looked at. She could feel their eyes on her, even as she tried to follow Kyubey's advice and stare exclusively in front of her.
It didn't take her too long to reach the front of the line. "Exasperation: Back of the line." The… elcor said to her, and she felt only a moment of embarrassment for not immediately placing the species.
She looked up at its huge, grey and humped form, "I'm here to speak to Aria."
"Mild aggravation: If you want to speak with her, you can wait until she approaches you in the bar. Now, back of the line."
"But-"
"Irritation with a vaguely threatening undertone: Back of the line."
Shepard stepped back, and prepared to turn around, before pausing. "Aria's people are dying. I'm here to hunt down the Witch that's been murdering them. This isn't something a bunch of," Shepard paused, thinking of an appropriate word, "thugs can handle. If you want to tell Aria that you turned me away, fine."
The elcor paused, making a few odd twitches. "Frustrated resignation: Fine. You can enter. She's currently in a meeting that's still more important than you, so you can wait until that's finished."
Shepard nodded, and stepped to the open door, as she walked in, she heard a stranger yell, "Hey, what if I'm a magical girl too, huh?"
"Resigned Exasperation: I can smell your pheromones, human. Your are not young, nor are you a girl."
And then Shepard couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, because she had entered Afterlife.
And it was loud.
She didn't recognize the type of music being played, but she could feel the lower sounds in her bones as they played. The place was crowded enough that even a magical girl didn't attract more than a passing glance.
Lights played against the faces of the people there, and they didn't seem to care as they danced their mad dances. The place smelled of sweat, mingled with other scents that were completely alien to her.
On top of a platform was an Asari who was… gyrating… indecently… and-
Remember not to gawk. Kyubey was sitting on the platform right next to the woman.
Shepard shook her head and turned away from… that. Uh, where should I go? She'd never been anywhere like this before, so…
The bar, probably. It's somewhat more quiet, and it will likely be less disorienting for someone as unused to this sort of thing as yourself.
There was a stool available, and so she took it. She glanced at the bartender. A turian. "I'll have a water."
"Do you mean the slang "water", or actual H2O?" He asked.
"Slang water?" Shepard cocked her head.
"A recent fad. There's a clear drug that can be placed in liquids. Somehow it started being referred to as water." He shrugged as he began pouring a glass.
"That's… probably confusing."
"I've got a few amusing stories about it, but honestly, it's less confusing than you'd think. Not many people come in here asking for water of all things, no matter how hot it tends to get. You looked like the type, though."
Sheppard nodded, and smiled. "Thanks. So, amusing stories?"
"Sorry, I only share those with customers who buy actual drinks." And with that, he went to serve the next person.
A frown crossed Shepard's face. She glanced at Kyubey, Right, so, I just… wait here?
Yes.
She frowned. Would it be too insulting if she covered her ears with something? Maybe…
Hey, Kyubey. You can dull my pain, right?
Actually, the soul gem grants you the ability to dull your own pain. I can only input certain sensations from time to time, not reduce it further.
Could I also dull my hearing? Or… my ability to notice my hearing?
It's theoretically possible, but it's come up so rarely that I couldn't walk you through the process. Incidentally, don't otherwise react, but stick your pinky out from your glass and waggle it.
Shepard frowned, but followed Kyubey's instructions.
Why did I just do that?
Oh, Aria just finished her meeting, and was trying to observe you from a mirror. You just acknowledged her observation.
Shepard glanced at Kyubey, who was currently sitting on the drinks shelf. Do I… go over there now?
Oh, no. You need to wait for her to send someone to you. But by acknowledging her observation, you've just made it so that she'll make you wait for a smaller amount of time. Enough to make it clear that this is a powerplay, but not enough to be actively aggravating.
I'm… kind of aggravated, honestly.
Kyubey lay down on his back and started kicking his legs in the air. This is fairly standard, a sort of language that doesn't need to be spoken. While it doesn't make too much sense to me, actually speaking the messages that these actions are meant to convey would likely be considered too demeaning to be tolerated without violence, and so they use these gestures to do so instead.
Shepard frowned. You… seem to understand an awful lot of these subtle emotional things. Which didn't sound like what she had heard of Incubators.
We aren't idiots, you know. We can observe certain patterns in behavior and acknowledge them, even if they make little sense to us. In addition, now that we've revealed our existence, we've had plenty of time to consult with human behavioral analysts to help us understand certain peculiarities.
Shepard paused. But, what about-
"Aria will speak with you now." She jerked upwards as a batarian spoke behind her.
"Coming!" She winced even as she said it. She… really wasn't made for this life.
She stood up and followed the batarian, and headed up to the booth. Oddly, her heading to the booth seemed to be more of an eyecatcher than a magical girl, and she could feel the eyes on her back.
When she reached the top of the stairs, at a couch on the far end of booth sat an asari, with face tattoos (the significance of which escaped Sarah).
She stood there, somewhat awkwardly, as a batarian swept an omnitool around her. "She's clean."
With that, he stepped back, and Shepard stood there, not entirely sure what to do. "I've, been told that you're the person to talk to if I want to… operate on Omega?"
With that, Aria looked at her with a vaguely contemptuous expression on her tilted face, "What do you know about me?"
Sarah opened her mouth and glanced to the side of Aria, where Kyubey was perched on the couch-
"And don't ask your little pet for the answers."
Shepard froze, how did she know-
She guessed, in all likelihood. Your glance wasn't particularly subtle, and our existence is known.
"Um, I was told that you were the boss, the, uh, owner, of Omega."
Aria shook her head. "No one owns Omega. This is a land that respects only a single law. Don't fuck with Aria."
Shepard stood still, resisting the urge to fidget at Aria's stare.
"I… don't… intend on doing that?"
Aria sighed and waved a hand in the air as she walked back to her couch. "And I'm supposed to believe that this green rookie of a magical girl is capable of hunting down the Witch?"
"I'm… the only one on this station with a chance. If you waited for another girl, I don't know how many people it could kill."
"So far it's only killed the dregs. Junkies, refugees, vorcha… tell me why I should care?" Aria said, with a narrowed gaze.
"Because it will just keep growing, if it kills more people, and there will be more than one once it starts sending out its familiars."
Aria shook her head. "I'll have one of my people provide you with information on the more suspicious suicides and disapearences. You kill this thing, I'll have five hundred credits transferred to you."
Just for reference's sake, that's a very low price for a job like this. Kyubey informed her.
"But-"
"Magical girls are disposable, after you've made your wish. I can always wait for another one. Besides, if you succeed, you can get paid in the Grief Seed that you'll find in its corpse."
"I-" Shepard hesitated. "Alright. I'll do it." The terms were terrible, but with the state of her soul gem, she wasn't in much of a position to bargain.
Aria gave a wave of her hand, and Shepard knew that she was dismissed.
She walked away, and left the club.
"That… wasn't right."
If this topic is what I think it is, I'd suggest speaking telepathically, for a while.
Shepard clenched her fists at her sides. I wanted to help, she's the leader of this station. She should care about her people!
She suspects that the witch was created when a different magical girl snuck onto the station and didn't manage to leave in time to find a Grief Seed. She has reason to be suspicious of magical girls.
Shepard shook her head. Then she could have asked for help, or tried to treat someone who was willing to help with something other than… rudeness!
Kyubey shook his head. Are you saying that you're hunting the Witch because you want to save people or because you want the Seed?
Shepard paused, thinking back to the way that Aria had spoken, the way she seemed so… apathetic towards those "dregs". I want the Seed, and I'll save people. I'll hunt down any familiars that are left until this station is clean, and I'll kill the Witch.
Ah, but if you think along those lines, than Aria was entirely correct in assuming that you would be willing to work for the mercenary equivalent of table scraps.
Shepard paused. I should have shown more bravery; I made an idiot of myself.
Kyubey tilted his head. You know, one thing I might advise you on…
Shepard tilted her head. What?
If you deaden your feelings, or deaden your sensations, while it does reduce your reflexes, it can allow you greater control over your facial expressions. If you're gazing in utter confusion at a target, it instead looks like impassive analysis or utter control, and is apparently somewhat unnerving. It should allow you to hold your own better in any future negotiations.
I'll give it a shot, sure. Shepard took out her Soul Gem and felt it. But for now, we have a Witch to hunt.
~~~~~
Video Archived for Societal Analysis re: Systems Alliance Affiliated Magical Girls
The girl, woman, really, lifted a sword into the air, and a strange cube of angelic wings rustled, and dozens of feathers shot out at her. Her sword, a cavalry saber, batted away the ones that would have struck at her and ignored the rest, leaving craters gouged in the earth around her.
She tossed dozens of them into the air around her, and with a gesture, they froze in midair. She leapt from sword to sword, ascending towards the Witch even as she dodged the waves of feathers shot out at her.
The Witch wasn't smart enough to realize that the magical girl was leaping in a pattern- not true, the Witch was preparing a trap. The feathers began rising again. They weren't simply ammunition; they were familiars, servants that rose from the ground and shot out at the girl from behind.
Without even looking, the girl put her sword behind her back and blocked, again and again, the force of each blocked blow allowing her to ascend that little bit higher towards the Witch, and she dodged the ones that came directly from the cubical Witch.
When she ascended to above the Witch, her blade grew several times longer, and with a single sweep, the Witch was cleanly bisected. The woman didn't stop there, slicing at each of the halves, then the quarters, until finally the Witch disappeared.
The woman, while apparently unable to jump that high, had no problems landing from the eight story fall, and fell to the ground.
During the entirety of the engagement, she was not harmed once, nor was she pressured. Level of skill possibly unnatural.
The point of view shook as the person ran closer. The speech is muted, but there's a flash of what almost looks like anger on the woman's face, before the image jerks as though something had been cut from it.
Now the woman, clad in almost practical looking armor save for the ribbons attached to it. Her armor is pink and white, a not quite sponsorship deal having been made with the makers of Phoenix Armor.
Her face is not particularly comfortable with the situation, and substantially more unease is present on her face than it was during the battle. She tries to hid it, but lacks an instinctive knack for public appearences.
She introduces herself as Ashley Williams, and entreats anyone watching to know that the Alliance is willing to recruit any magical girls who are operating on their own, and promises that they can receive training from the Alliance's veterans, logistical support in transportation and learning the location of Witches, and for their first few Witch hunts can share the grief seeds with the veterans accompanying them. She also promises respect and support for any girls signing up.
The statements have some element of deception, but are mostly honest. The speaker wants for them to be true.
Following that, Ashley Williams is standing, digitally superimposed before a flag while a much more confident voice gives a statement roughly similar to the one Williams gave.
End Video.
I'm not quite sure why you're doing this. Even if it's purely natural energy, it might be useful to conserve it.
Shepard paused. How to best explain that she wanted the ship to look less… lived in, to have less of an impression of the people who had previously lived there? "It… puts me in a better head space."
In that case, I won't attempt to provide advice for a field I've never fully understood. Kyuubey paused. Though, there are some magical girls that swear by meditation or yoga, if you're looking for a way to calm yourself.
"That… doesn't really seem like my thing."
Hm. Well, if you want something to do, we'll be landing on Omega soon. Would you like me to tell you what to expect?
Shepard sighed, and sat down at one of the chairs. "Would knowing the area really make a difference when it comes to fighting a witch if I'm going to be fighting inside of a labyrinth anyway?"
Well, first you'll need to track the witch down, which could be difficult in a more… three dimensional area such as Omega.
"What do you mean?" Shepard leaned back.
The station is essentially a hollowed out asteroid. The entire station is a mess of architectural design motivated by adapting areas that were never meant for living spaces into homes or simply taking whatever actions seemed convenient at the time. You might not encounter such difficulties in the more trafficked areas of Omega which were more thoughtfully designed, but in the secluded areas where a Witch is likely to make her home?
"Huh." Shepard frowned. "Do you have any advice for me?"
Tracking witches through triangulation is normally a relatively standard method of searching for them if they haven't left an obvious trail, but that becomes substantially more difficult when one takes the third dimension into account, and many of the pathways around Omega are rather unintuitive, especially when one considers the need to maneuver around gang territory.
"Wouldn't the gangs let me through if I'm there to kill a witch?"
Most of the gangs are not particularly fond of humans or of magical girls in general, and others simply wouldn't trust any stranger with access to their territory, even if there is a Witch in the area. That's why we're going to meet with Aria as soon as possible.
"That's the…" Shepard paused. "Aria's the crime boss of Omega, right?"Kyuubey had mentioned that at some point in the past few days.
Yes, and getting her permission to operate on the station would make things substantially easier for you, even disregarding the possibility that she might be sufficiently annoyed at being snubbed that she might attempt to directly hinder your investigations.
"Right." It made sense. Everything Kyubey told her made perfect sense, and even when she didn't ask, he always seemed to have an answer to her questions. "Kyubey, why didn't you just… let me turn into a witch back on Camala?"
Kyuubey was silent for a moment. I suppose denying an ulterior motive would be pointless. Suffice it to say, you are a fairly… unique magical girl, and we have never successfully contracted someone with your raw potential before.
"Wouldn't that just make you want to, to harvest my Soul Gem sooner?"
Not… quite. This is the first time that we have had a chance to observe a magical girl of your power yet. We would like a chance to at least observe your soul gem being purged a few times before you complete your transformation, as there's a chance that a more thorough understanding of the processes involved could allow us to increase the efficiency of the system Witch system.
That seemed… sensible. Shepard peered at the Incubator's face. No tells. Obviously.
We will be arriving at the dock, soon. Is there anything else that you wished to know about Omega?
"Nothing off the top of my head."
Very well. Though, there is something that we should decide now before we land.
"What's that?" Shepard tilted her head.
Where do you plan to stay?
"I…" Shepard paused. "I was thinking that I'd just stay on the ship, actually."
The only dock I was able to rent is rather far from any of the major areas on the station, and going back and forth during your search would be rather inconvenient.
Shepard paused. "I guess I can see- you rented a spot?"
Well, there are several free docks available, but considering that we have no crew on the ship to defend it while you're on your search, renting a more secure area seemed prudent.
I was more thinking that renting something seemed pretty boring for an Incubator. "Er, actually I was surprised that you had money."
It makes certain things more convenient, and it's not too difficult to set up an anonymous account and earn money on the stock market. Incidentally, you might want to keep tighter discipline on your thoughts. I get the impression that you didn't intend on transmitting that last thought. While I don't particularly mind, encountering a new magical girl might be awkward if you are unable to keep your thoughts private.
Shepard scratched the back of her neck. I'll, uh, keep that in mind. So, considering the question of where to stay…
I have looked at a few options, for you. There are several apartments for rent near the area where the Witch was last suspected to have placed her labyrinth, but none of their owners are particularly trustworthy, should a bounty be placed on you, and the conditions are not quite sanitary. While you would survive an illness, it would be an additional strain on your Soul Gem.
Shepard winced. That… didn't sound comfortable. "Anything else?"
There are several other apartments whose residents have died recently.
"The Witch? How is that relevant?"
No. These were killed through normal crime on Omega. I do not believe that any of them were close to any other residents, and so your living in their homes would not raise any suspicions for at least a week, which should be enough for you to accomplish your objectives there. There is also a Cerberus Foundation safehouse available, but I am not certain as to whether or not they would be willing to support you, once the events of Calama come to light.
"Right." Shepard said as she considered it. "I think I'll go to one of the abandoned houses." It seemed… safer and less filthy.
Very well.
~~~~
After having played a few cheap games on her omnitool, Kyubey jumped near her. We have arrived at the station, and will be docking within three minutes. Is there anything that you need clarified before we dock?
"No, there's… nothing."
With that, Shepard stood up and walked towards the airlock.
There was a thud felt throughout the ship as it moved in against the dock and locked itself in, and a few moments later the door opened.
She walked along the airlock. It was clean, but there were numerous scuffmarks around the floor. Whoever did cleaned the chamber did so more to enable sanitary conditions more than any desire to make it look nice.
She walked through the corridor before she opened a door. Dark red lights with the occasional white lights that lacked any sort of warmth to them dotted the ceilings and lined the floors, and most of the surfaces were either dull metals, rock, or clinical white plastic.
Here, in the more common area, apparently they cared rather less about keeping things clean, though this stink was more… industrial, she supposed.
A man, human, ran up to her. "Hey, did you just come off the Gilded Copper?"
"The what?"
Kyubey nudged her. That's the name of your ship.
Ah, Shepard thought. Out loud, she said, "Ah, yes. Why did you ask?"
"Because the captain of that ship owes me money." The man said with a scowl on his face.
Hm, I didn't see anything like that in the records of the ship. Of course, it might have been the sort of arrangement where neither party wants to leave a paper trail, but I doubt that these two were the sort to travel in the same social circles.
Shepard paused, "Well, I own the ship, now."
The man looked her up and down. "Really, now." Oh, right. She didn't look like a person who would own a ship like this.
Or who would own a ship at all, really.
"So, this ship is yours, eh?" He glanced at the airlock. "Well, the way I see it, the debt probably passes along to whoever owns the ship, if you catch my drift." His hand trailed to his waist, Shepard's eyes widened as he revealed a gun.
I'd suggest transforming, now.
Shepard shook her head, trying to dismiss the shock. Of course, she was in her civilian clothes. She pulled out her Soul Gem, and forced her magic to travel throughout her body, as quickly as she could.
With a flash, her colony clothes had disappeared, and her outfit was there for all the world to see. Her scythe filled her hand, and she seized it.
The man's eyes widened, and he took a step backwards. "Oh, fuck me, I had no idea you were, uh, fuck, just, don't kill me and I'll-"
Give her your gun. The man's eyes jerked to the side, and Shepard knew that Kyubey hadn't been visible up until that very moment.
The man dropped it, not even bothering to put the safety on, and ran.
Shepard exhaled, before Kyubey leapt to the ground and looked at her. He wasn't truly a threat to you, you know. Mass accelerator weapons tend to do minimal organ damage as well as overpenetrate, which makes them poorly suited to killing magical girls.
"I… yeah." Shepard had seen the videos of magical girls fighting, or occasionally just preforming stunts to demonstrate their physical abilities, but… "It… still hasn't kicked in, honestly. I mean, I haven't even been in a fight yet. Guns are still… something that could hurt me, to my mind." She paused. "He ran… pretty quickly. Are magical girls so… feared?" There was terror in the man's eyes, real terror.
Ah, not everywhere. In Alliance territory, they're admired or pitied, but it's only in places where there is minimal law enforcement that they tend to need to fight enough people to instill terror. He had also threatened you, and your scythe manifested rather near his face, so his reaction was
understandable.
Shepard took a deep breath. "Alright then." She leaned down and picked up the gun. "Is there any reason why you wanted me to have this?"
Occasionally, you might end up in a fight in which you don't want to waste your magic. Using conventional weapons can be a rather useful way to conserve your power. Kyubey looked at the gun. Rather more high end than it looked. I suppose that man was less of a desperate straggler than I had assumed. Ah well.
Shepard paused. "Should I transform back?"
Kyubey stayed still for a moment, before hopping back on her shoulder. You'll attract attention regardless, and considering that you'll need to transform to prove your credentials to Aria, you might as well stay transformed. The attention that you receive as a magical girl is somewhat less likely to result in harm to yourself than the attention that you'd receive as an unescorted young girl.
Shepard nodded. It… made sense, and it wasn't as if wearing the costume took much energy. "Alright, so, where are we going?"
There's a club called Afterlife, and Aria has made it into her headquarters. I'll arrange for the airfare to be paid for one of these cabs.
~~~~
Shepard couldn't see too many of the sights, from the darkened windows of the cab. When it landed, her eyes widened. The place was… pulsating, was the best word to use.
Dark flashing lights, and even from almost a block away she could vaguely feel the pulse of the bass from whatever music was playing. The line was… rather long. There were probably several dozen people in it.
Ah, it hadn't occurred to me. You grew up on a small colony world, and probably haven't seen anything like this. Just so you know, most people on Omega are rather contemptuous of new people or tourists, so I'd recommend attempting to not gawk at the sights or smells.
She glanced at the line. It… didn't appear to be moving, from what she could tell. Um, Kyubey? Do I have enough time for… this?
You should, but if you'd prefer not to wait, you could always attempt to speak with the bouncer at the front of the line.
Shepard nodded, and began to walk.
A lot of the people there were wearing extravagant outfits, things that looked like they cost a lot, no matter how much fabric they lacked. Still, she was the one that they looked at. She could feel their eyes on her, even as she tried to follow Kyubey's advice and stare exclusively in front of her.
It didn't take her too long to reach the front of the line. "Exasperation: Back of the line." The… elcor said to her, and she felt only a moment of embarrassment for not immediately placing the species.
She looked up at its huge, grey and humped form, "I'm here to speak to Aria."
"Mild aggravation: If you want to speak with her, you can wait until she approaches you in the bar. Now, back of the line."
"But-"
"Irritation with a vaguely threatening undertone: Back of the line."
Shepard stepped back, and prepared to turn around, before pausing. "Aria's people are dying. I'm here to hunt down the Witch that's been murdering them. This isn't something a bunch of," Shepard paused, thinking of an appropriate word, "thugs can handle. If you want to tell Aria that you turned me away, fine."
The elcor paused, making a few odd twitches. "Frustrated resignation: Fine. You can enter. She's currently in a meeting that's still more important than you, so you can wait until that's finished."
Shepard nodded, and stepped to the open door, as she walked in, she heard a stranger yell, "Hey, what if I'm a magical girl too, huh?"
"Resigned Exasperation: I can smell your pheromones, human. Your are not young, nor are you a girl."
And then Shepard couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, because she had entered Afterlife.
And it was loud.
She didn't recognize the type of music being played, but she could feel the lower sounds in her bones as they played. The place was crowded enough that even a magical girl didn't attract more than a passing glance.
Lights played against the faces of the people there, and they didn't seem to care as they danced their mad dances. The place smelled of sweat, mingled with other scents that were completely alien to her.
On top of a platform was an Asari who was… gyrating… indecently… and-
Remember not to gawk. Kyubey was sitting on the platform right next to the woman.
Shepard shook her head and turned away from… that. Uh, where should I go? She'd never been anywhere like this before, so…
The bar, probably. It's somewhat more quiet, and it will likely be less disorienting for someone as unused to this sort of thing as yourself.
There was a stool available, and so she took it. She glanced at the bartender. A turian. "I'll have a water."
"Do you mean the slang "water", or actual H2O?" He asked.
"Slang water?" Shepard cocked her head.
"A recent fad. There's a clear drug that can be placed in liquids. Somehow it started being referred to as water." He shrugged as he began pouring a glass.
"That's… probably confusing."
"I've got a few amusing stories about it, but honestly, it's less confusing than you'd think. Not many people come in here asking for water of all things, no matter how hot it tends to get. You looked like the type, though."
Sheppard nodded, and smiled. "Thanks. So, amusing stories?"
"Sorry, I only share those with customers who buy actual drinks." And with that, he went to serve the next person.
A frown crossed Shepard's face. She glanced at Kyubey, Right, so, I just… wait here?
Yes.
She frowned. Would it be too insulting if she covered her ears with something? Maybe…
Hey, Kyubey. You can dull my pain, right?
Actually, the soul gem grants you the ability to dull your own pain. I can only input certain sensations from time to time, not reduce it further.
Could I also dull my hearing? Or… my ability to notice my hearing?
It's theoretically possible, but it's come up so rarely that I couldn't walk you through the process. Incidentally, don't otherwise react, but stick your pinky out from your glass and waggle it.
Shepard frowned, but followed Kyubey's instructions.
Why did I just do that?
Oh, Aria just finished her meeting, and was trying to observe you from a mirror. You just acknowledged her observation.
Shepard glanced at Kyubey, who was currently sitting on the drinks shelf. Do I… go over there now?
Oh, no. You need to wait for her to send someone to you. But by acknowledging her observation, you've just made it so that she'll make you wait for a smaller amount of time. Enough to make it clear that this is a powerplay, but not enough to be actively aggravating.
I'm… kind of aggravated, honestly.
Kyubey lay down on his back and started kicking his legs in the air. This is fairly standard, a sort of language that doesn't need to be spoken. While it doesn't make too much sense to me, actually speaking the messages that these actions are meant to convey would likely be considered too demeaning to be tolerated without violence, and so they use these gestures to do so instead.
Shepard frowned. You… seem to understand an awful lot of these subtle emotional things. Which didn't sound like what she had heard of Incubators.
We aren't idiots, you know. We can observe certain patterns in behavior and acknowledge them, even if they make little sense to us. In addition, now that we've revealed our existence, we've had plenty of time to consult with human behavioral analysts to help us understand certain peculiarities.
Shepard paused. But, what about-
"Aria will speak with you now." She jerked upwards as a batarian spoke behind her.
"Coming!" She winced even as she said it. She… really wasn't made for this life.
She stood up and followed the batarian, and headed up to the booth. Oddly, her heading to the booth seemed to be more of an eyecatcher than a magical girl, and she could feel the eyes on her back.
When she reached the top of the stairs, at a couch on the far end of booth sat an asari, with face tattoos (the significance of which escaped Sarah).
She stood there, somewhat awkwardly, as a batarian swept an omnitool around her. "She's clean."
With that, he stepped back, and Shepard stood there, not entirely sure what to do. "I've, been told that you're the person to talk to if I want to… operate on Omega?"
With that, Aria looked at her with a vaguely contemptuous expression on her tilted face, "What do you know about me?"
Sarah opened her mouth and glanced to the side of Aria, where Kyubey was perched on the couch-
"And don't ask your little pet for the answers."
Shepard froze, how did she know-
She guessed, in all likelihood. Your glance wasn't particularly subtle, and our existence is known.
"Um, I was told that you were the boss, the, uh, owner, of Omega."
Aria shook her head. "No one owns Omega. This is a land that respects only a single law. Don't fuck with Aria."
Shepard stood still, resisting the urge to fidget at Aria's stare.
"I… don't… intend on doing that?"
Aria sighed and waved a hand in the air as she walked back to her couch. "And I'm supposed to believe that this green rookie of a magical girl is capable of hunting down the Witch?"
"I'm… the only one on this station with a chance. If you waited for another girl, I don't know how many people it could kill."
"So far it's only killed the dregs. Junkies, refugees, vorcha… tell me why I should care?" Aria said, with a narrowed gaze.
"Because it will just keep growing, if it kills more people, and there will be more than one once it starts sending out its familiars."
Aria shook her head. "I'll have one of my people provide you with information on the more suspicious suicides and disapearences. You kill this thing, I'll have five hundred credits transferred to you."
Just for reference's sake, that's a very low price for a job like this. Kyubey informed her.
"But-"
"Magical girls are disposable, after you've made your wish. I can always wait for another one. Besides, if you succeed, you can get paid in the Grief Seed that you'll find in its corpse."
"I-" Shepard hesitated. "Alright. I'll do it." The terms were terrible, but with the state of her soul gem, she wasn't in much of a position to bargain.
Aria gave a wave of her hand, and Shepard knew that she was dismissed.
She walked away, and left the club.
"That… wasn't right."
If this topic is what I think it is, I'd suggest speaking telepathically, for a while.
Shepard clenched her fists at her sides. I wanted to help, she's the leader of this station. She should care about her people!
She suspects that the witch was created when a different magical girl snuck onto the station and didn't manage to leave in time to find a Grief Seed. She has reason to be suspicious of magical girls.
Shepard shook her head. Then she could have asked for help, or tried to treat someone who was willing to help with something other than… rudeness!
Kyubey shook his head. Are you saying that you're hunting the Witch because you want to save people or because you want the Seed?
Shepard paused, thinking back to the way that Aria had spoken, the way she seemed so… apathetic towards those "dregs". I want the Seed, and I'll save people. I'll hunt down any familiars that are left until this station is clean, and I'll kill the Witch.
Ah, but if you think along those lines, than Aria was entirely correct in assuming that you would be willing to work for the mercenary equivalent of table scraps.
Shepard paused. I should have shown more bravery; I made an idiot of myself.
Kyubey tilted his head. You know, one thing I might advise you on…
Shepard tilted her head. What?
If you deaden your feelings, or deaden your sensations, while it does reduce your reflexes, it can allow you greater control over your facial expressions. If you're gazing in utter confusion at a target, it instead looks like impassive analysis or utter control, and is apparently somewhat unnerving. It should allow you to hold your own better in any future negotiations.
I'll give it a shot, sure. Shepard took out her Soul Gem and felt it. But for now, we have a Witch to hunt.
~~~~~
Video Archived for Societal Analysis re: Systems Alliance Affiliated Magical Girls
The girl, woman, really, lifted a sword into the air, and a strange cube of angelic wings rustled, and dozens of feathers shot out at her. Her sword, a cavalry saber, batted away the ones that would have struck at her and ignored the rest, leaving craters gouged in the earth around her.
She tossed dozens of them into the air around her, and with a gesture, they froze in midair. She leapt from sword to sword, ascending towards the Witch even as she dodged the waves of feathers shot out at her.
The Witch wasn't smart enough to realize that the magical girl was leaping in a pattern- not true, the Witch was preparing a trap. The feathers began rising again. They weren't simply ammunition; they were familiars, servants that rose from the ground and shot out at the girl from behind.
Without even looking, the girl put her sword behind her back and blocked, again and again, the force of each blocked blow allowing her to ascend that little bit higher towards the Witch, and she dodged the ones that came directly from the cubical Witch.
When she ascended to above the Witch, her blade grew several times longer, and with a single sweep, the Witch was cleanly bisected. The woman didn't stop there, slicing at each of the halves, then the quarters, until finally the Witch disappeared.
The woman, while apparently unable to jump that high, had no problems landing from the eight story fall, and fell to the ground.
During the entirety of the engagement, she was not harmed once, nor was she pressured. Level of skill possibly unnatural.
The point of view shook as the person ran closer. The speech is muted, but there's a flash of what almost looks like anger on the woman's face, before the image jerks as though something had been cut from it.
Now the woman, clad in almost practical looking armor save for the ribbons attached to it. Her armor is pink and white, a not quite sponsorship deal having been made with the makers of Phoenix Armor.
Her face is not particularly comfortable with the situation, and substantially more unease is present on her face than it was during the battle. She tries to hid it, but lacks an instinctive knack for public appearences.
She introduces herself as Ashley Williams, and entreats anyone watching to know that the Alliance is willing to recruit any magical girls who are operating on their own, and promises that they can receive training from the Alliance's veterans, logistical support in transportation and learning the location of Witches, and for their first few Witch hunts can share the grief seeds with the veterans accompanying them. She also promises respect and support for any girls signing up.
The statements have some element of deception, but are mostly honest. The speaker wants for them to be true.
Following that, Ashley Williams is standing, digitally superimposed before a flag while a much more confident voice gives a statement roughly similar to the one Williams gave.
End Video.
- Location
- gmt -8
A very interesting cross. I await more eagerly. I especially like the way you were willing to throw specter! shepherd straight out the window. It is always a good sign that the author will not stick slavishly to canon (or something resembling canon closely).
Crystalwatcher
(Verified GM)
- Location
- Limbo
Now I really want to see how HaS is going to end. Following this, and Haunting if it's on this site and I can find it.
KIlling a planetwide infestation of batarians who'd just kidnapped a colony of human civilians to sell into slavery, in the process freeing the slaves and leaving a garden world with already-built infrastructure open for colonization due to lack of inhabitants.
Bad PR.
....
Unless the complaints are of the "you messed up, batarians aren't extinct" variety I'm having issues with seeing how this is going to make the Incubators look bad.
