Seeing Red [PMMM x LoR]

[Naron]

Light sparks in the void.

The Hermit stops smiling when its streamers begin to converge on her. An attempt to bat them away just phases through the ethereal strands. The fracture was barely patched over, leaving many little gaps to slip through.

You tug on what rests within. And Oriko, on the other side, pushes herself forward.

The fracture tears open again, then widens when dainty hands break through. The Hermit stumbles back, warbling in pain as those hands pull her body open from the inside. Amber light, alike the colour of molten rock, shines from within. It illuminates the pale blonde hair on the emerging head, crowned by a steely tiara.

Oriko emerges slowly, wrapped in her casual clothes. The pale blue of her button-up shirt is offset by a spiderweb of gleaming ochre strands, centering over her right breast. They weave around her back and tangle in the air, bulging out toward their tips to form hook-like claws. Light pulsates through every single one.

She pays no mind to the flubbing shell on the floor as she steps out of her like a shed skin. The fracture in the Hermit's chest snaps shut.

"I'm back," Oriko greets with a smile. A glowing crystal orb zips up to float above her palm, ochre like the strands of her new power. The same light flares in her eyes, a flame ignited that will never fade again.

Yuki hugs her around the waist.

Oriko's expression softens in response. She wraps her arms around the shorter woman, offering her the comfort she seeks.

"I doubted you," Yuki murmurs into her chest. "I didn't want to, but I did. I shouldn't have. You always come through in the end."

"It's okay. I'm here now."

Yuki does not want to let go, but she knows she has to. They are still in the void, so this is not over. Eight seals shine like stars in the sky, each in the signature colour of the person they hold. Each one pulsates as they fight their bindings, but none can escape even now.

And not far from them, the Hermit fights herself back to her feet.

"It seems," she wheezes, "that I was the fool in the end."

"Then do us the favour and die quietly," Yuki shoots back. "I'll make it quick."

"Hah."

The Hermit's pallid skin smoothes out as she smiles, brandishing her staff. "I can't serve with that, old friend. Our story remains the same even now. And once the festival has concluded, it will return to where it should be."

Oriko starts frowning while Yuki tilts her head. Something about the way the Hermit said it strikes her curiousity.

"How so?"

She cackles in response. A sharp, mean sound.

"Have you never wondered how you got here?" she asks curiously. "An arbiter was needed, someone impartial. And you were chosen to arbitrate. But the one quality of yours that brought you here, you now discard. This world was not meant to last, old friend. And she has known that from the start."

She motions for Oriko, whose eyes narrow dangerously. Yuki feels a twinge of annoyance, more for the cryptic explanation than anything her friend might have withheld.

"So you saw that as well," Oriko says, and smirks. "But I'm afraid you're wrong on one count: this world will last. And to start, we're going to banish you from it. Together."

"We will see about that."

The Hermit draws pink gossamer strands around herself to power up. But though Yuki wants to charge, Oriko places a hand on her shoulder.

"Let me guide you. Trust me?"

They lock eyes for one eternal moment. Then Yuki nods.

One of the ochre strands hanging around Oriko slims down, then attaches itself to Yuki's cranium. She can feel waves of something pulsate up and down her spine as it spreads through her body. Oriko folds her hands, standing serenely as her presence appears in the back of Yuki's mind. She oozes absolute certainty.

They need no words anymore. Yuki darts forward, knowing that a shield comes up before it happens. She adjusts her angle and swings below, shattering the Hermit's right shin. The Hermit tries to smash her staff down, but Yuki already dodges by the time she starts moving.

With Oriko guiding her every motion from afar, Yuki dances around the Hermit like a ballerina. Not a single strike connects, no trick can surprise her. And when the Hermit sacrifices her arm to block a hit while striking at Oriko, the seer simply steps aside. The loose strands of her net slice into the staff, holding it contained after failing to break it.

With two limbs useless and her staff locked down, the Hermit becomes open. She tries to duck under Yuki's next swing, but that is foreseen as well.

Yuki smashes her mallet into the Hermit's face, sending her flying straight at Oriko. Her friend's E.G.O lashes out to impale their enemy a dozen times, right along the spine.

Back arched and blood running down the gossamer strands, the Hermit hangs limply. The eyes sewn into her cloak roll around rapidly, trying to see her end.

Oriko pulls the final strand out of Yuki with a soft sigh.

"Yuki deserves a future," she tells the dying woman. "You're just a memory of her past. You don't have the right to take it from her."

Then she impales the Hermit's broken skull for good measure.

The body lurches and falls still.

The chains she held until the end come loose and fly away, seals quickly opening. The sky reverberates in pink and purple as the power used to build this prison comes undone.

The two friends standing beneath this sky smile at each other. They clasp hands, forgetting the fading Hermit nearby.

"Let's go meet everyone," Oriko says.

Yuki nods back.

And their prison breaks.

---

Curtain Call for the Realisation of Yuki!​

New Trait:

Those Who Are Faithful And Trustworthy

No man is an island. In order to grow, we need to put faith in others.

Yuki's description changes:

Previous

The Magical Girl of Courage is a guardian at heart. A lawmaker, a scholar, and the highest judge in her dominion. Ever impartial, she seeks improvement for all. Her detachment is a great boon to the goal, but also a detriment; for she can not form attachments of friendship, lest the rabid beast in her heart awaken.

But she does not want to be just that anymore.

New

Yuki, the Magical Girl of Courage, is a guardian of all no more. She now guards those dear to her, moving into the future by their side. Her detachment gave way to a more open, more emotive behaviour. At her core however, Yuki's stoicism remains. It always will, because this is her.

Oriko gains a new trait:

Awakened E.G.O - The Eye Of Prometheus

Oriko can perceive future events and share her glimpses with others at her leisure. If another consents, she may attach strings to guide them in battle. Moderate defense, moderate offense.

Oriko's threat level changes from TETH to WAW.

 

[Naron]

 

[Naron]

After three weeks of rapid-fire updates, we will return to the regular schedule tomorrow. Which is also when the next regular chapter goes up.

Thank you to everyone who kept up-to-date on this and voted throughout. I appreciate it.

Though I am now curious, what do people think of my playing around with the voting in this Quest? Is it interesting? Fun? Annoying, perhaps?

 

[Nyarky]

The Hermit stops smiling

Click to shrink...

Best sentence of the whole update, not gonna lie.

Finally, finally the Hermit is realizing she is not in control.

She pays no mind to the flubbing shell on the floor as she steps out of her like a shed skin. The fracture in the Hermit's chest snaps shut.

Click to shrink...

So, Hermit of the blue forest, how does it feel to be on the other side of a hostile takeover?

Hurts, right?

"I doubted you," Yuki murmurs into her chest. "I didn't want to, but I did. I shouldn't have. You always come through in the end."

Click to shrink...

I'll repeat it once again: It is not your fault, Yuki.

"Have you never wondered how you got here?" she asks curiously. "An arbiter was needed, someone impartial. And you were chosen to arbitrate. But the one quality of yours that brought you here, you now discard. This world was not meant to last, old friend. And she has known that from the start."

Click to shrink...

Defeatist talk, also, once again trying to manipulate Yuki when Oriko did tell us she had seen the end of the world happen.

The only new information here is that the one that called wanted an arbiter.

One of the ochre strands hanging around Oriko slims down, then attaches itself to Yuki's cranium. She can feel waves of something pulsate up and down her spine as it spreads through her body. Oriko folds her hands, standing serenely as her presence appears in the back of Yuki's mind. She oozes absolute certainty.

Click to shrink...

Something tells me, Oriko now can choose the future that will happen instead of just see it.

The sky reverberates in pink and purple as the power used to build this prison comes undone.

Click to shrink...

In pink and purple, heh?

Interesting, the hermit did take some power from Homura too.

Click to shrink...

If she never says that someone is trapped in her web, I am going to riot.

Though I am now curious, what do people think of my playing around with the voting in this Quest? Is it interesting? Fun? Annoying, perhaps?

Click to shrink...

The rapid fire updates made it work, I don't think waiting a week for the answer when we reached the Homura and Oriko phases (and thus only had one vote) would have worked as well.

As it is, it was interesting to follow and try to see how the girls would help during the realization.

 

[Talow]

I personally enjoyed the playing around with the voting system you employed.

 

[Kalibrius]

Agreed you did it right naron

 

[Redsoff]

It was fun!

Oriko's new look is a bit like a moth.

Oh, spiderweb pattern. Neat. Symbolic.
Her EGO outfit mostly looks like normal clothing with the blouse and skirt combo.

 

[Naron]

Her EGO outfit mostly looks like normal clothing with the blouse and skirt combo.

Click to shrink...

Those are regular clothes, actually. Only the glowy bits and the tiara are her E.G.O

 

[Herofox]

Though I am now curious, what do people think of my playing around with the voting in this Quest? Is it interesting? Fun? Annoying, perhaps?

Click to shrink...

Your quests introduced me to the concept of Weighted Voting and it's an amazing mechanic.

The 100 votes thing is still one of the most hype things ever.

 

[*name*]

Oriko gains a new trait:
Awakened E.G.O - The Eye Of Prometheus Oriko can perceive future events and share her glimpses with others at her leisure. If another consents, she may attach strings to guide them in battle. Moderate defense, moderate offense.
Oriko's threat level changes from TETH to WAW.

Click to shrink...

she's about to pull a Terpsichora on herself or go ultra instinct

 

[Volo]

very fun, you did it amazingly

also from the new classifications how high is her waw?

 

[Naron]

very fun, you did it amazingly

also from the new classifications how high is her waw?

Click to shrink...

Oriko's WAW-rating comes from the fact that her precognition got a significant boost. One fairly significant point will be covered next update, but can be inferred from the current information. But even with that not taken into account, well. She can dodge anything that is possible to dodge with her physical abilities; the only way to defeat her now is to create a situation where she has no way to avoid the hit, because her direct defense is fairly meh.

But if she has a buddy around? Like, say, Kirika or Yuki? She can give them the exact same ability. And it is not limited to just one person. That is what makes her so scary now.

There are some other, out-of-combat nuances I can think of, but those may come up later. So I will leave it at this.

 

[Suleverf]

Though I am now curious, what do people think of my playing around with the voting in this Quest? Is it interesting? Fun? Annoying, perhaps?

Click to shrink...

It's an interesting thing to see in that it parallels the way that Project Moon games can toy with the game mechanics to express something meaningful in-universe. Ludonarrative as they call it.

Compared to In the Name of Love and Hatred, it was cool to see the players overcome an even more rigged vote in a way that was not expected by the QM. Though I suspect if it shows up in a future quest, it will lose its novelty fast for those who have already seen it twice.

 

[Naron]

It's an interesting thing to see in that it parallels the way that Project Moon games can toy with the game mechanics to express something meaningful in-universe. Ludonarrative as they call it.

Compared to In the Name of Love and Hatred, it was cool to see the players overcome an even an more rigged vote in a way that was not expected by the QM. Though I suspect if it shows up in a future quest, it will lose its novelty fast for those who have already seen it twice.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. The only reason I went with this approach a second time was that I actually did not expect a success this time. So the premise of the vote was the exact opposite of In The Name Of Love And Hatred.

Mind, playing with the nature of weighted votes only works in very specific circumstances, and they vary depending on the character in question

 

[Nyarky]

Yeah. The only reason I went with this approach a second time was that I actually did not expect a success this time. So the premise of the vote was the exact opposite of In The Name Of Love And Hatred.

Mind, playing with the nature of weighted votes only works in very specific circumstances, and they vary depending on the character in question

Click to shrink...

Weighted votes in general are a difficult tool to use.

A vote like the one you did only works if you have the voters invested in it, one way or the other, and trusting enough that you won't completely fuck them over to understand that losing is not the end of the day.

But in the more generic cases, it can induce resentment via thinking that they are placed on rails, so it needs an actual justification behind it.

Like all tools, the way it's used is what's make or break it, but some don't understand that and end up misusing the thing.

 

[dugong]

Great conclusion, can't wait to see everyone reunited! In particular, Kyubey's reaction to Oriko no longer being a magical girl ought to be fascinating. I'm speculating here, but Kyubey might fully pivot from magical girl grief to the light as a more efficient energy source. Which, among many other potential concerns, would flip the status of humanity from expendable resource to essential component, since the light is intrinsically tied to humanity. On the other hand, if I remember correctly Kyubey already stated that Walpurgisnacht fulfils all energy requirements, so he might just emulate a corporation and go with the low risk low investment option instead.

Though I am now curious, what do people think of my playing around with the voting in this Quest? Is it interesting? Fun? Annoying, perhaps?

Click to shrink...

I think it worked amazingly well in specific cases here. Not sure how to put this into words, but tying the narrative and voting together for the 100 votes had each one heighten the others effect. And it was super hype when inevitability was overcome! I'm glad such an extreme weight only came up once though; it'd sour pretty quickly if done multiple times.
I'm more ambivalent on the normally weighted options. While it makes narrative sense, I don't recall the disadvantaged options winning, which isn't particularly interesting. Part of it I think is the number of active voters; with a small voter pool, an advantaged option can quickly skew towards being certain from early voting. Perhaps it can be solved by less heavy weighting (so the other options are nominally competitive).

 

[Nyarky]

On the other hand, if I remember correctly Kyubey already stated that Walpurgisnacht fulfils all energy requirements, so he might just emulate a corporation and go with the low risk low investment option instead.

Click to shrink...

Actually, he says this about Kriemhild, and only about earth's *quota*, not about the amount of total energy he needs (which is infinite, as he is trying to maintain an infinite amount of space for an infinite amount of time).

He also doesn't do *low risk low investment* if you look at canon, otherwise he would've continued using the Wraiths instead of trying to reinstate the witch system in rebellion. If he can get a better payout, he will go for it, he won't stop using magical girls if Oriko offers a potential alternative, he will try to use both systems at once.

 

[A_Somebody]

Your quests introduced me to the concept of Weighted Voting and it's an amazing mechanic.

The 100 votes thing is still one of the most hype things ever.

Click to shrink...

Holy shit yes! That was pretty amazing.

Also wow Oriko has full resouled herself? Interesting. Wonder how Kuybey is gonna react to that

 

[Herofox]

Also wow Oriko has full resouled herself? Interesting. Wonder how Kuybey is gonna react to that

Click to shrink...

Honestly, it's more like she took it back because of shenanigans.

Not exactly the most replicable thing in the world, and her strength of self is a big factor in a world like that.

 

[Naron]

There is no gradual change as the extradimensional prison shatters. From one moment to the next, a group of ten girls stands back on that same bridge. The cracks in reality mend, unseen by all but one.

"Welcome back," Kyubey greets, seated on the ground right in front of them. "I was examining this spacetime fracture, but found no way to support you within. What happened on the inside?"

"Later," Mami tells them softly. A fond smile graces her lips, much as it does most of the others. "A lot happened, please give us some time to adjust."

"Very well. I will talk to you later, then."

Kyubey obediently gets up and strolls away, leaving the girls to their own devices. Kirika is wrapped around Oriko, kissing her desperately. Nagisa and Yuma stare at the couple in wonder, Kyoko in embarassment.

Madoka smiles at the lot of them, still a little whoozy but happy that all turned out well. Homura subtly keeps near her.

And Ai wraps an arm around Yuki's shoulders, grinning.

"Looks like we got through in the end," she says. "Yay, us!"

"We did," Yuki agrees, then shudders. "Do you mind if I cry for a bit?"

The pinkette stares back owlishly, but she nods after a moment. Yuki, still smiling, buries her head in her chest and lets go.

She has never really cried. A tear or two slipped out at times, but that was all. Now that she allows herself to let it out all, all her anxiety and relief, it feels good. Like a heavy burden lifts from her shoulders.

The moment those around her realise what happens, a ballistic pair of elementary schoolers slams into both of Yuki's sides. They hug her, holding her tight. Just like Ai does.

"Thank you," Yuki finally croaks, once the tears ran dry. She wipes her eyes with a handkerchief Oriko offers. "All of you. For standing with me through all of this."

Ai ruffles her hair in response, uncaring for the wet spot on her shirt. "That's what friends are for," she answers cheerfully.

Friends. The word made her convulse in the past, but now Yuki just feels warm.

Oriko places a hand on her shoulder next. It feels special from her, being the first to accept Yuki as her friend.

"While I was trapped in there, I heard voices," she explains. "We spoke of... a number of things. But the one that stayed till the end, she said to tell you that you did well. I never asked her name, and I saw no face to describe. But I wanted you to know this. There's more than just us rooting for you."

"Although she did call you 'Naftali' for some reason," Oriko adds as an afterthought, confused.

Yuki has to snort in response. She could guess before, but now she knows for certain.

"Binah. Of course."

She can not help but smile, doubly so when she sees the confusion on the faces around her. Yuki has to find a way back one day, if just to thank her in person. Without Binah, she would not be here right now.

She was right. There was nothing Yuki could not overcome.

"You said that name before," Nagisa chimes in, brows furrowed in thought. "I know you did. And you said she was mean, too. That was... when we were talking about where you came from, right?"

"Yes. Binah headed Lobotomy Corporation's extraction department. She's the one who created just about every Abnormality, including myself. Or rather, my old self."

"She has a brutal way with words," Oriko adds. "But she didn't seem mean so much as stern. She doesn't coddle. And, well, it felt like she knew everything about me from just a conversation."

"That sounds about right."

Yuki can only offer a sage nod at that point. Chances are that Binah gleaned a little more form the surrounding events than Oriko suspects, but still.

Kyoko slowly raises her hand and breaks the emerging silence: "If we're already talking about what happened in there, can we talk about some of the other stuff? Like you," she points at Kirika, "talking about killing yourself?"

Kirika hesitates, expression flip-flopping between nonplussed and guilty. Then it settles on acceptance as she scratches the back of her head.

"I guess I did say that. The old me wasn't all that happy, you know?"

Kyoko nods her understanding, as does Yuki. Homura's expression softens minutely; she, too, can empathise.

"I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say we're glad you're here," Ai adds, one hand clasping Kirika's shoulder.

The others voice their agreement in various forms, making Kirika outright glow. It is true she needs no one but Oriko, but their validation still makes her feel over the moon. Her expression flits to pure joy and she proceeds to hug the air out of everyone in succession with a squeal. This prompts some laughter from Kyoko, but only until it is her turn to get squeezed until she wheezes.

By the time she finishes with Mami, the blonde's expression has morphed into something apprehensive.

"Speaking of things that happened inside," she begins warily, turning to Nagisa, "your transformation, miss Momoe. What exactly was that, if I may ask?"

Nagisa taps her chin in thought, Soul Gem flipping on her palm. "I said before that I don't know," she says, shrugging. "It's like, um, turning myself inside out? Here, I can show you."

She transforms into her magical girl attire, then promptly collapses on herself and turns into the same doll from before. Yuma crouches before her with a squee, hugging Nagisa's new form to her chest.

"Aww, you're so small and soft and cute, Nagisa!"

She completely misses how much Homura tensed up. Mami and Kyoko do as well, if far less so. The two veterans recognise a Witch for what it is, but the time traveler must have seen this one before.

Yuki grimaces, expression mirrored by Oriko. Those girls are too smart not to make the connection sooner or later.

"It's curious," Oriko finally says, carefully weighing her words. "It seems that, even though the process is supposedly inevitable, Nagisa can harness the power of her Witch without losing herself."

Her voice catches everyone's attention in moments. Kyoko's head snaps around and Mami closes her eyes in sad understanding.

"You're serious?" the redhead demands of Oriko, halfway between shock and angry denial. "That can't be what that is."

"It is," Yuki assures her calmly. "Kyubey told me so when I asked. Magical Girls mature into Witches when their Soul Gems turn completely black."

"Damn it!" Kyoko shouts, slamming her fist onto the nearby railing. It leaves a dent. "Of course it's gotta be something like this!"

She takes a deep breath afterward, calming herself down. Then she looks around at the forlorn expressions pointing her way, and her eyes narrow.

"Why aren't you all upset about this, anyway? And why do you," she says to Oriko, "sound like you knew all along?"

Mami twitches at that, quickly looking around to confirm that, yes, she and Kyoko seem to be the only ones surprised by this. Yuki can see the immediate suspicion form in her mind.

Oriko sees it too, but she maneuvers the situation much better than Yuki could have. By giving a soft nod and indicating for herself.

"I can see the future, Kyoko. Not just what will happen, but countless possible timelines that we shift toward at any given moment. I knew for a while, and I also knew how volatile this knowledge is. I told only Kirika, for hopefully obvious reasons. Yuki found out recently. Homura, if I may call you that," she notes toward the time traveler, who nods, "already knew for a while. Madoka, I admit, was Yuki's call to inform ahead of everyone else, seeing that she isn't at risk."

Madoka nods faintly, not at all happy.

Kyoko stares between the named people with clenched fists and grit teeth, but says nothing. Mami, for her part, stands perhaps a little too still. Her calm expression is as fake as it could possibly be.

"I didn't know," Yuma volunteers into the silence, still hugging Witch-Nagisa to her chest. "And I don't care."

"Huh?"

With the older girls both focussed on her now, they fail to notice Oriko's pleased expression. Yuki follows her lead and lets Yuma talk, the youngest of them standing in front of Mami and Kyoko now.

"I don't care because it doesn't matter," she explains, eyes bright with determination. "We're not Witches right now, and we won't become Witches tomorrow. We're us. Why do we have to worry about things that won't happen for a long time? And look, Nagisa can stay herself even like this!"

She holds up the cloth doll for emphasis, who waves with her stubby arms. Then she gives an ear-splitting smile, showing off a mouth full of giant teeth.

The Witch collapses into herself and returns to being Nagisa, who drops from Yuma's hands onto her feet.

"Yuma's right," she says. "You shouldn't lose hope just because things seem hopeless, miss Kyoko, miss Mami. We will find a solution for this. Just like we found one for miss Yuki. And even if not, maybe it won't happen at all if I teach you how to transform like this?"

Where Oriko was measured, those two are so earnest that their desire to live sweeps their seniors away. Kyoko drops her aggression with a soft huff, then Mami lets her expression go and starts to cry. Nagisa leaps into her arms for a big hug, comforting her without any prompt.

"That will be a work-in-progress," Oriko murmurs to Yuki while they wait for the developing hugpile to dissolve. It is just them and Kirika at the sidelines, and Ai who kept so quiet that she was forgotten for a spell.

"What a load of nonsense," the pinkette adds in. "Are days like these normal with you girls?"

"Nah," Kirika returns with an absent wave, "today's just a special kind of bad."

"Gotcha. I've got additional questions, like what that whole Witch stuff even means, but that's probably best saved for some other day."

Oriko nods her agreement. "We all had a long and arduous day," she says, raising her voice to be heard by the others as well. "Perhaps it is for the best that we all get a good night's sleep and talk it over tomorrow. And if possible, none of us should be alone tonight."

She clearly means Mami and Kyoko, but neither of them calls her on it. Yuma immediately invites Nagisa to a sleepover. Madoka shily glances to Homura, who stood at the sidelines with her for the previous events.

"Do you want to come over as well, Homura?" she dares ask, earning first hesitation and then a soft nod.

"If you'd have me."

"Of course!"

"Sounds like you got it figured out," Ai chimes in, directing attention to herself. She grins mirthlessly and waves to the slowly darkening sky. "I've gotta run now, it's late. Despite everything, I had fun today. See you girls sometime."

A chorus of goodbyes answers her, then Ai takes off in a light jog. And that becomes the signal for the others to break into their own groups. Goodbyes are said when they separte, though Mami in particular seems more composed than before. Perhaps Nagisa caught onto her fragile state, seeing how she never leaves her side.

"Will they be alright?" Yuki asks Oriko once they are alone.

Her friend wordlessly summons her crystal ball, the lightshow barely covered by a notice-me-not spell.

"I could hardly check with everyone watching," she explains while amber light flickers across the fractal. "People don't react well to your words when they know you know how they will react. But yes, Mami will be alright. Adding little Yuma is an almost certain way to prevent a breakdown on her end. Nagisa being there just made it a proper certainty."

"It's still kind of freaky to see," Kirika adds. She walks on Oriko's other side, holding her hand. "I know I'll turn into one eventually, but it felt far away until now."

"Oh, Kirika."

Oriko squeezes her girlfriend's hand with a gentle smile. "You won't. I don't allow it. We will stay together."

Something in Kirika shifts and her trepidation washes away. She nods, resolute now.

"Alright. Then I won't."

"Can you stop flirting for five minutes?" Yuki interjects. Her voice is so blank that it takes both teens a minute to realise she jokes.

Once they do, Kirika shakes her head with a smirk. "Nope. You chose to hang around us, so you'll see us flirting all day long."

Yuki rolls her eyes in response. She continues as if they agreed, deciding to just ignore the sappiness. Not like there is anyone else to see.

"On another note, can we talk about your E.G.O?"

"My what? Do you mean this?" Oriko asks, raising the oddly coloured crystal ball. "It came from within, feeling quite similar to transforming as a magical girl. Do you know more about that?"

"I do. E.G.O is a special kind of gear from the world I come from. It's manifested from the mind of a person, or produced from an Abnormality's refined Enkephalin. That's the energy we constantly emit. E.G.O is your self turned physical. And most people don't actually reach a stage of manifesting it properly. Yours seems stable."

Oriko nods, an ethereal strand of amber playing around her fingers. "I get that," she says. "I remember futures where you told me about this before. Wielding your equipment is dangerous, no?"

"Correct. Holding another's E.G.O means that you superimpose their self on you. If you can't withstand it, it will swallow you."

"So theoretically," Kirika interjects, pointing, "if I hold that thingy, something bad happens?"

"Possibly," Yuki confirms. "I don't actually know if this is true of conventionally manifested E.G.O, though. It's the case for Abnormality E.G.O, or whatever I am now. But it doesn't happen at once unless the disparity is far too great."

"Oh. Can I?"

Kirika reaches out halfway to the orb, which Oriko plops into her hand without hesitation. Her widening eyes begin to gleam in that same amber colour. The entire spiderweb of energy blooms to life, surrounding her.

A soft "Whoa" escapes the dark-haired girl. She looks between the pair of them, then starts giggling for some reason.

"This is freaky! I can see, like, five different ways this conversation goes. And they didn't even happen yet!"

"But as you speak, possibilities close and others open," Oriko answers knowingly. "It's quite the rush."

"You should stop, else you will get a headache," Kirika says, cutting off her girlfriend with the words she was about to say. Then Kirika hands the orb back.

"Woo, yeah. Now I'm feeling kinda whoozy. Is it normal that I just knew how to use that thing?"

"That's normal. It's actually a property of all E.G.O, and part of what makes it so powerful. Knowledge and skill mean nothing to it, only your affinity for the equipment does."

"Which is also true for our outfits and equipment when we become magical girls," Oriko adds, casting a glance between the other two. "Would that make those E.G.O as well?"

Kirika shrugs, but Yuki has to pause and consider it.

"Pass me some of your gear?" she asks, and is quickly handed a hooked claw from Kirika.

Knowledge fills her mind immediately. Grabbing the weapon tight, Yuki assumes an unfamiliar form. Oriko recognises it as Kirika's basic stance, though.

"Yes, this feels remarkably similar. Here, you try mine."

Kirika receives Yuki's mallet, but the skin around her fingers begins to peel about as soon as she grasps it. She still gives it a swing, nodding appreciatively, then hands it back.

"Okay, that's really cool. So my claws are that same stuff?"

"It makes sense," Oriko notes, motioning for the transformed magical girl. "This gear comes from our Soul Gems, which contain our souls and minds. E.G.O is that exact thing. But then I have to wonder why mine changed appearance, and if it relates to my not being a magical girl anymore."

"Hold on, what?"

Kirika stops to stare at Oriko. Yuki misses a step as well. The seer offers an innocent smile and presents her hand, where the imprint of a ring still sits on her middle finger. But the ring itself is absent.

"My Soul Gem is gone," she explains. "I don't know if it was the exact events of what happened, or if this is normal, but the fact remains. My powers grew stronger than they used to be, too."

"Then it may be that a magical girl manifests an unstable E.G.O, helped along by whatever Kyubey does to make a Soul Gem," Yuki reasons. "You manifested yours properly, so it might have subsumed the rest."

Oriko nods her understanding. "I'm not complaining. Now we should get going before that group of partygoers sees us doing magic in the streets."

Her E.G.O vanishes as she says it. Yuki's mallet follows and Kirika detransforms. Five seconds later, the promised half dozen young adults troops past them without a second glance.

The three of them exchange weary looks. It was a long day.

So they head back together, with a short detour to buy groceries.

Even though Kazuko has no idea what happened, she picks up on the changes within two minutes. Her gaze wanders between the far more relaxed girls. She notices Oriko's condition as well, the fair skin and pale blonde hair that regained their luster.

"You look much better than earlier," she mentions during dinner. "All of you, really. Did something happen?"

Kirika is about to open her mouth, only to flip back into quiet and sheepish. Oriko looks to Yuki for what she wants to do, seeing how this is primarily about her.

Yuki considers talking about it now. She feels much, much better than before; all that leftover tension is gone. But at the same time, she will probably have to recount the whole thing for Junko anyway.

"I'll tell you everything tomorrow," she settles on. "But you don't need to worry about us, Kazuko. Things turned out a lot better than expected."

Kazuko looks between the three, finding them hale and hearty, smiling. So she smiles as well and nods her head.

"Alright then. But I'll hold you to that, Yuki."

Yuki offers a thumbs-up and continues to eat. She does notice how her host's expression swerves downward in the ensuing silence, but does not point it out. Kazuko only now remembered to be conflicted about her previously admitted murders.

Being honest, Yuki still does not regret those. The people who hurt her friend are gone forever, as it should be.

After negotiating a sleepover for Kirika, including the half-joking promise not to get frisky under Kazuko's futon, the girls take quick showers in succession. Although 'quick' is relative in Yuki's case; the hot water somehow makes her feel even newer, as if it peeled off a layer of grime she only imagined. She stands under the spray for a while, just soaking up this new sensation.

And yet, when she looks at herself in the mirror afterward, she can find few changes with herself. Her height is the same, her skin remains fair, her voluminous hair the same shade of green. Her clothes' default state lacks the emeralds now, having become a pale green suit in truth. Her blindfold is gone, but the crimson shade of her eyes remains the same.

She absently fingers the pair of crosses on her necklace and her mirror image does the same. For a moment, Yuki imagines Naftali standing in the mirror, about to wink back at her.

But she herself is Naftali, there is no boundary between them.

This mirror shows her as she is.

And for the first time in her life, Yuki is happy with what she sees.

She smiles softly until bedtime. Then she curls up under her blanket and drifts off into gentle slumber.

She will have to decide how to approach the conversation tomorrow, but that can wait until morning.

Maybe she can take someone along?

---

[] Go alone

[] Bring...
-[] Oriko
-[] Madoka
-[] Kyubey
-[] write-in

 

[Naron]

As mentioned yesterday, we now return to our regularly scheduled one-chapter-per-week cycle.

I will say, I did not mean to be ambiguous about the second voice after Carmen being Binah. But at the same time, I understand in retrospect why one would expect Ayin to show up in that situation.

Also, everybody seems to have forgotten there was a certain bomb set to explode since the Jester's little stunt

 

[Herofox]

Another happy ending.


…For now.

 

[Nyarky]

"Welcome back," Kyubey greets, seated on the ground right in front of them. "I was examining this spacetime fracture, but found no way to support you within. What happened on the inside?"

Click to shrink...

Found no way to support us within, yeah, of course, you did say you were only examining the fracture, not the inside of it.

You didn't find a way to help because you weren't searching for one in the first place.

She has never really cried. A tear or two slipped out at times, but that was all. Now that she allows herself to let it out all, all her anxiety and relief, it feels good. Like a heavy burden lifts from her shoulders.

Click to shrink...

Did you know that crying help restabilize your emotions and release endorphins?

Don't listen to all the crap saying things like *a real man don't cry* or *crying makes you weak*, crying is a normal part of life and letting it happen is good for you, showing your emotions in general is good for you in fact.

"While I was trapped in there, I heard voices," she explains. "We spoke of... a number of things. But the one that stayed till the end, she said to tell you that you did well. I never asked her name, and I saw no face to describe. But I wanted you to know this. There's more than just us rooting for you."

"Although she did call you 'Naftali' for some reason," Oriko adds as an afterthought, confused.

Yuki has to snort in response. She could guess before, but now she knows for certain.

"Binah. Of course."

Click to shrink...

Binah, cannot help but be confusing even as she helps, especially as she helps.

Kyoko slowly raises her hand and breaks the emerging silence: "If we're already talking about what happened in there, can we talk about some of the other stuff? Like you," she points at Kirika, "talking about killing yourself?"

Click to shrink...

Not surprising it would not escape Kyouko, she has very, very good reasons to never want to let anyone that contemplates suicide go through with it.

She transforms into her magical girl attire, then promptly collapses on herself and turns into the same doll from before. Yuma crouches before her with a squee, hugging Nagisa's new form to her chest.

"Aww, you're so small and soft and cute, Nagisa!"

Click to shrink...

That's Yuma, pointing out the most important bit right away.

Homura is having flashbacks right behind them, isn't she?

She completely misses how much Homura tensed up. Mami and Kyoko do as well, if far less so. The two veterans recognise a Witch for what it is, but the time traveler must have seen this one before.

Click to shrink...

Yep, she does.

"I didn't know," Yuma volunteers into the silence, still hugging Witch-Nagisa to her chest. "And I don't care."

Click to shrink...

You can always count on Yuma to defuse the situation.

then Mami lets her expression go and starts to cry.

Click to shrink...

As long as there is no Tetris music, everything's ok.

Though, hmm, we'll need someone on suicide watch during the next weeks, I propose Kyouko and Yuma, they will be happy to.

Madoka shily glances to Homura, who stood at the sidelines with her for the previous events.

"Do you want to come over as well, Homura?" she dares ask, earning first hesitation and then a soft nod.

"If you'd have me."

"Of course!"

Click to shrink...

YES! It happened! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

"So theoretically," Kirika interjects, pointing, "if I hold that thingy, something bad happens?"

Click to shrink...

*Looks at Kirika's wish, looks at the fact this is Oriko's E.G.O*

...Yeah, that would be one of the worst possible combination to try out, please do not do that.

*Literally one line later*

And of course they did, at least no one was hurt.

"Hold on, what?"

Kirika stops to stare at Oriko. Yuki misses a step as well. The seer offers an innocent smile and presents her hand, where the imprint of a ring still sits on her middle finger. But the ring itself is absent.

Click to shrink...

Oriko was enjoying finding the perfect moment to say this, wasn't she?

-[] Kyubey

Click to shrink...

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

No, hell no.

Anyone else's fair game, but the rat doesn't get to learn anything.

I will say, I did not mean to be ambiguous about the second voice after Carmen being Binah. But at the same time, I understand in retrospect why one would expect Ayin to show up in that situation.

Click to shrink...

In hindsight, the very first sentence she said was not Ayin's style at all, but the fact is that the first person that will come to mind for me if you are interrupting a conversation with Carmen will always be Ayin.

[x] Bring...
-[x] Oriko
-[x] Madoka
-[x] Homura

Madoka and Homura are already in the same place anyway, so bringing one is the same as bringing the other.

 

[Naron]

Don't listen to all the crap saying things like *a real man don't cry* or *crying makes you weak*, crying is a normal part of life and letting it happen is good for you, showing your emotions in general is good for you in fact.

Click to shrink...

I am fairly torn on this, to be honest. I get it, but at the same time I am a fairly apathetic person; I do not show that much emotion, and I feel perfectly fine.

Then again, I am not suppressing anything, either. So my case may be a little different.

 

[Nyarky]

I am fairly torn on this, to be honest. I get it, but at the same time I am a fairly apathetic person; I do not show that much emotion, and I feel perfectly fine.

Then again, I am not suppressing anything, either. So my case may be a little different.

Click to shrink...

The *not suppressing anything* is the operative part of this.

You do not show much, but if you show what you have? That is, in itself, enough.

The problem is when someone begins hiding their emotions to everyone and everything (or, as I called it for myself when I did it: *eating them*), worse when this includes yourself.