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# Puella Magi Adfligo Systema

- Thread starter Firnagzen
- Start date May 19, 2014
- Tags
    bad decisions dating mami tomoe diabolical laughter friendship is the best ship handholding identity crises microwaving tea gets you put in the bad place names are important puella magi adfligo systema puella magi madoka magica the body is the fursona of the soul this is not the baked goods thread we don't talk about rionna what could possibly go wrong? who in the world is azure sanfrancisco?

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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Jun 12, 2015

- #50,693

Mami and Homura are both looking to you, waiting for you to make a move, though Homura admittedly looks more impatient than anything, fingers flexing slowly, tension strung taut in her jaw. Mami... is anxious, and worried, her grip almost crushing on your fingers. Probably literally crushing but for the fact that you're a puella magi.
Oriko too is staring at you, her breaths shallow and fast. There's obvious strain on her face, and a pained wince squeezing her eyes nearly shut.
Your frown deepens. You don't get what's happening here. Did the present... change, when you made that Barrier? But it's the second time you made it. Nothing happened the first time. And there's the Feather. You're not sure when you'd mentally assigned it a capital letter, but there it is.
It's too much of a coincidence.
You take a deep breath and blow it out, trying to center yourself. "OK, OK," you say, holding up your hands. "First things first, Soul Gem cleanses, everyone. We have... time to spare." You gesture around at the timestop.
Mami gives you a wan smile before tilting her head towards you, presenting her flower shaped Soul Gem, glinting a warm gold. The same colour as her eyes. Homura's expression doesn't shift, but she lifts her hand towards you, the amethyst of her Soul Gem a brilliant echo of her faded lilac eyes.
"My Soul Gem is with Kirika," Oriko observes.
... wait.
Your hand, rising in a habitual gesture to cleanse Mami's and Homura's Soul Gems, pauses midair. You squint around at the grey hues of the timestop, and more importantly, at Kirika, just visible down the corridor. Frozen. You look back at Oriko, who simply frowns at you.
"Go on, then," you mutter, frowning at the seer. You can see Homura's jaw tighten for a moment, the muscles jumping. Her fingers whiten on the grip of her pistol.
Oriko nods, giving Homura a wary look before heading off to get Kirika.
"Hey, Oriko!" you hear Kirika calling a moment later. "Oh, this again. Hi, Sabrina!" She bounces into the living room, dragging Oriko by their joined hands. Homura's gaze locks on to the black haired girl, gun hand twitching.
"Hi, Kirika," you say. "Soul Gems, if you please?"
"Gotcha!" she chirps, producing her and Oriko's Soul Gems, clinking together. It takes only a sliver of attention for you to tug free the corruption bubbling in all the Soul Gems. It wisps into the air and flows out of the room, slinking along to join the main mass of Grief you'd left outside.
Oriko sighs, shaking her head. "This shouldn't have happened," she repeats herself.
"Oriko," you say. "OK, maybe your predictions were wrong. But you warned us, so... we can still intervene. We'll figure out why things changed, but Sayaka's safety comes first."
Oriko shakes herself, a shudder running through her body. Kirika gives her a concerned look, slinging an arm around her waist and hugging her close. "You don't understand," she says. "It's... it's wrong. You-" she jabs a finger at you. "Things change when you act. This. The future is truncated and..." she waves her hand in the air, trying to find the word. "Spliced."
"Is it like the future you were trying to prevent?" you ask, darting a look at Homura. The time traveller's frown is deepening slowly as she watches Oriko.
Oriko hisses out a breath, her eyes twitching sideways in a lightning fast glance at Mami. "Yes. No. Yes, if you mean it bears similarities in action but not in form," she says.
"In action but not in form?" you ask slowly. "So... similar manner of occurrence?" Were there feathers?
Oriko nods slightly. "Yes."
You frown again. "So is that all? Was there anything you couldn't you tell me over telepathy?"
The seer grimaces. "I don't want the Incubator to know more than he should."
Homura's eyes snap to the seer, staring at Oriko. Sea green eyes meet faded purple ones and hold each other's gaze.
"Sabrina?" Mami asks, looking at you. "What... what are you talking about?"
[] Write-in
=====​
Whoops?
Last edited: Jun 12, 2015
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Jun 13, 2015

- #50,831

You rub at your forehead, feeling an impending headache. Probably time and past for you to join the migraine club with Homura and Oriko, anyway.
Your purse your lips for a moment. "I think this might be related to the threat," you say, half to yourself, half to Mami. "The one Oriko saw." You tip your head in the general direction of the seer. Truth be told, you're still not absolutely certain, but... it seems a relatively safe guess.
You blink, shaking your head to clear the thoughts buzzing about your head, and focus on Mami. She looks more confused than anything, touched with that ever present edge of fear.
"Mami, you remember what I told you about there being something bigger than Walpurgisnacht coming?" you say. At Mami's hesitant nod, you continue. "I think... well, this might be the first we've seen of it. There's times when Oriko's visions are blocked by feathers. And I think that they're related."
"The only evidence of that is her," Homura cuts in, still staring at Oriko, her knuckles still white around her the blocky handle of her pistol.
"Not... quite, Homura," you say. It's just as well you'd meant to bring this up. "There was a feather earlier... and the time matches up with when Oriko said things changed." You jerk your head over at the seer, who nods.
Homura's frown deepens, but she doesn't say anything more.
"A feather, Sabrina?" Mami asks.
You bite your lip, slightly reluctant to bring up certain recent events.
Mami seems to make the connection on her on, glancing down. "Oh," she says, voice terribly small.
You squeeze Mami's hand, and step closer to her, hugging her close to your side. A flash of motion catches your eye - Kirika, giving you a measured nod, uncustomarily serious look on her face, before the expression fades and she grins brightly at you.
"And... 'Incubator' is another name for Kyuubey," you say, trying to push past the moment. "I'm... sorry I didn't tell you all of this before, Mami, I forgot to."
She nods slightly. "It's alright," she whispers.
"Hey," you say softly to her, reaching out and gently tipping her head up to look at you. "Whatever it is, we can stop it together, just by knowing what it is." You turn your gaze on Homura, too, and she glances at you briefly before blowing out a breath and returning her glare to Oriko and Kirika.
"Alright," Mami says again, leaning her head against you.
"We all want to keep everyone safe," you say, looking around the room. "And we can do this, together."
Oriko's the only one to really answer, giving you a measured, stately nod, while Homura just flashes you another annoyed look. Mami remains leaning against you, while Kirika is leaning on her oujo with an arm comfortably slung around her waist.
You hum softly to yourself, thinking hard. "Oriko, what do you mean by 'truncate' and 'splice', anyway?" you ask.
The seer shakes her head, looking irritated. "It's a figure of speech," she says. "The futures that I see, the threads, scenarios, they-" she breaks off, a flash of pain crossing her face. Kirika slips around Oriko, and begins massaging her shoulders with a concerned look on her face. "Aaahhh, thank you, dear- they, change, abruptly. I see Miki Sayaka at home, and then... at the warehouse. Any futures where she's at home are gone. Similarly, the Witch."
Kirika tugs Oriko over to the sofa, and sits her down sideways before curling behind her and continuing to knead her back.
"I see," you murmur, considering that. You've all the time in the world for more questions, you suppose, but... You glance at Homura, who seems on edge and well past ready to go.
[] Write-in
=====​
Bah, another short update.
Threadmarks Our Benefactor pt. 26
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Jun 15, 2015

- #51,034

You nod sharply, glancing over at Homura. She's a tight wound spring, muscles tense, and hands clenched over the grip of her pistol. Her finger, thankfully, isn't sitting on the trigger yet, merely lying flat along the guard. You briefly wonder where she learned trigger safety, but...
That's not exactly relevant right now. You glance at Oriko, questions poised on your lips, before they die unspoken. You grimace, glancing at Homura again. She seems to sense your gaze and looks at you with hard amethyst eyes, mouth set in an unhappy line. Tension hums in her body, and she holds your gaze for a moment before flicking her attention back to Oriko and Kirika, watching them warily.
Your grimace twists, and you swallow the questions. Instead...
"OK," you say, nodding at Oriko. "I think we know all we can figure out at this point. All that's left is really to go and save Sayaka."
"You should find her near... district 189," Oriko notes quietly. She gives you another of those slow, measured nods, managing to look perfectly dignified despite Kirika continuing to work at her shoulders with... considerably more enthusiasm than skill.
Homura... Homura doesn't quite relax. But something indefinable eases out of her posture, and she glances at you again, expression inscrutable.
"Alright, Sabrina," Mami says. "I-I think..." she bites her lip for a moment before shaking her head. "Later."
You give her a curious look, before glancing at Oriko and Kirika. "Alright. Thanks for the warning, Oriko, and... see you later, I guess," you say.
"Bye, Sabrina!" Kirika says brightly, still concentrating mostly on giving Oriko a massage.
"Bye," you say. "Mami, could you?"
She nods, twisting her hands. The ribbon unwraps from Oriko, grey hues of the timestop claiming her and Kirika.
Homura lets out a quiet breath, glancing at you.
Mami looks at the pair on the sofa moment, before looking up at you and squeezing your hand. "S-Sabrina? Can I say something?"
"Sure," you say, looking at her curiously.
"I..." she licks her lips. "I'm n-not sure that Mikuni is... correct. I-I'm sure you haven't m-misjudged her! But she could be wrong..."
You tilt your head. There's more going unsaid here than is actually being said, you feel, but in this instance, you have an answer. "I agree," you say, smiling at Mami, then at Homura. "Which is why I think we should check Sayaka's home first."
Mami blinks in surprise. "A-ah, yes," she says. "T-that sounds right."
"I agree," Homura nods. She glances away with a sigh, and slips her pistol back into her shield.
"Alright. Let's go, then," you say with a smile, turning and heading for the exit. You push out past the rose bushes, Mami giving the excavated one an odd look as you file past it. A few minutes later, the three of you are roofhopping across Mitakihara, crossing it at speed. A dense cloud of Grief spheres trails after you, dozens of basketball sized spheres drifting through the air.
You let Homura lead, this time, and the three of you find yourself headed to a surprisingly -or perhaps unsurprisingly- upscale part of the city. Not quite the same absurdity of rolling greenery as the Kaname residence or Mikuni mansion, but... it's a nicely appointed apartment block in what you recognize as one of the high class districts.
You suppose you can guess a bit at Sayaka's wories, comparing to her old apartment.
The three of you land on the roof, and make your way down the stairs to Sayaka's apartment. Homura touches a hand to the doorknob, and concentrates for a moment. There's a flash of purple, and the lock clicks open, Homura pushing her way into the apartment proper.
The entire apartment feels new. The furniture definitely is, from the looks of it, and the massive television on the wall, and the light fixtures, and the fluffy rugs, and... how bloody rich are the Shizukis?
... you can see the source of Sayaka's fretting, really.
What you don't see is a certain bleunette. You find her parents sleeping in the master bed room, which is just as luxuriously appointed, and you find what you're reasonably certain is her room, but you don't find Sayaka herself. No sign of struggle, either.
"Damn," you mutter under your breath.
Mami nods, looking worried. "Should we go to the industrial district?"
"Yeah," you mutter. "I hope Sayaka's OK."
Homura's already heading to the door, the ribbon tied in the middle of her back drifting after her in the still air in two long tails to match her hair.
... when was the last time you saw Homura do a hair flip, anyway?
The three of you head out to the industrial district, Homura again in the lead.
The industrial district is frozen, and difficult terrain for roofhopping, what with the proliferation of odd, metallic structures and towers in odd protrusions, interspersed by low slung buildings and factories. You make your way towards the place Oriko had indicated, and you find yourselves in a looming forest of girders, deep shadows cast by the evening sun.
"There," Homura murmurs, spotting Sayaka first.
You follow the time traveller's pointing finger to see Sayaka. She seems... off-kilter, leaning drunkenly to the side, mid-step. Her head hangs forward, fringe shading her eyes, and...
There's a sigil on her neck, stark black on white and radiating tapered spikes. You can feel it in your Grief senses, glowing with muted, malevolent intent. Something you've seen before. A Witch's kiss.
You can feel the Barrier, not terribly far from her.
[] Write-in
=====​
Do you hear that?
Last edited: Jun 15, 2015
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Jun 16, 2015

- #51,179

You approach Sayaka cautiously, scanning around the area for possible traps. If someone, or perhaps something, knew about Homura's timestop, then a simple tripwire wired to an explosive would be deadly effective. You push your Grief senses, trying to pick up everything that might be dangerous in the area.
Homura and Mami, ahead of you and close beside you, respectively. Sayaka, just there, with the malignant tumour of the Witch Kiss on her neck, and the Witch Barrier. A bit further away, and... you squint. It looks like it's set on the end of a half finished and abandoned building, resting near the tip of an exposed girder.
Mami follows the direction of your gaze and spots the Barrier, nodding at you. She frowns around the area, expression businesslike as she looks around the scene, eyes flicking across the area as she, too, scans for threats. She still sticks close to you, though.
Hmmm.
Homura stalks across the dusty road, reaching Sayaka first. She stops short, heels clicking on the pavement as she inspects the girl.
You join her, the three of you simply staring at Sayaka, trying to divine how this had happened - or at least, that's what you're trying to do. You probe the Witch Kiss with your senses, but... it seems to be more or less the same as the last Witch Kisses you'd looked at. Something that's practically a Familiar, something winding ephemeral tendrils of Grief into Sayaka.
Homura makes an annoyed sound in the back of her throat, and glances at you. "We should just kill the Witch. That will end the Kiss," she states.
"I think I can get rid of the Witch Kiss, actually," you say with a shake of your head.
The time traveller frowns dubiously, her mouth twisting into a grimace, but doesn't say anything more.
A thought strikes you, and you cock your head. "Hmm, actually..." you say, a frown flickering across your face. "Have you heard of potentials-" you tilt your head to indicate Sayaka, "-being Witch Kissed before?"
Homura blinks at you, expression unchanged. "Yes."
"Um," Mami says, looking at you. "Yes, girls with potential are n-normal people. Until they m-make their c-contract with..." She breaks off the sentence, swallowing and eyes dipping towards the floor.
"Ah," you say. "That makes sense. Thanks, Homura, Mami." You smile at them, and capture Mami's hand, giving it a quick squeeze of reassurance and silent thanks. She looks up at you, giving you a wavering smile.
You nod at Mami. "Alright, then," you say. "I think I can do this, so..." You let go of Mami's hand. You crack your knuckles, using the pause to mentally prepare for this. It shouldn't be any different from melting a Familiar, but you want to be focused for this, after all. Centered, and focused, you reach out a hand towards Sayaka.
Mami interrupts you. "Sabrina, w-wait," she says. "A-are you..."
She trails off, looking down at the floor.
You lower your hand, looking over at Mami. "What is it, Mami?" Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Homura frowning at Mami, then at you.
"N-no," she says. "Never mind."
"Mami..." you say, reaching out to take her hand gently. "What is it?"
Her eyes follow your arm up to your face, her golden eyes huge and worried. "I-I. I'm sure y-you can do it, Sabrina, but..." Mami swallows hard. "A-are you... sure? That it's s-safe?"
[] Write-in
=====​
Oh.
Threadmarks Our Benefactor pt. 28
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Jun 18, 2015

- #51,318

You lower your hand, thinking furiously. Mami's staring up at you, half in hope and half in fear, and... she has a point. You don't know for sure that it's safe. Should you be testing it with Sayaka as your guinea pig?
You swallow. "It's probably safe," you say, grimacing. And you don't... Mami's exposure to the results of your experiments has been fraught, to say the least. You don't want to push her even more on this. "But... no. You're right, Mami, I can't say for sure."
"T-then..." Mami says, trailing off.
"We'll kill the Witch," you say, nodding. "Take it out, and Sayaka should be fine, right?" You give Mami and Homura an inquiring look. Mami nods in agreement, her worried expression fades a little. She gives you a wavering smile. You return it, trying to give her some reassurance. Her smile strengthens a little, still a touch sickly.
Homura nods sharply, turning to look up at the Barrier, far above on the exposed girder.
You pull Mami into a quick hug as Homura stalks off towards the hulk of the half finished building. "Though, um. Mami?" you say. "Could you make sure Sayaka doesn't hurt herself?"
She nods. "Of course."
Mami walks towards Sayaka, holding her hand out towards the bleunette. A ribbon lashes out, as if spooling from some invisible reel, and snaps around Sayaka's waist.
Vibrant colour blossoms across Sayaka, leeching back into her in waves, and she sways, almost slipping from the ribbon. She struggles weakly, fists swinging blindly before golden ribbons loop around her wrists, yanking them to her sides and binding her securely in a cocoon.
Mami smoothly steps forward, catching Sayaka and easing her to the ground by the side of the building as the girl wiggles fruitlessly against the bindings. "It'll be alright, Sayaka," Mami says softly, twisting her hand and breaking the ribbon. She looks up at you, eyes worried.
"It will, Mami," you agree, holding out your hand to her. She takes it, and you pull her to her feet.
"This way." You look up to see Homura standing at the doorway of the building, watching the two of you silently. You nod, and walk over, following Homura as you step into the building.
The three of you make your way up the stairs, footsteps thudding dully against the bare concrete. The noise is sucked away, swallowed by the yawning silence of the timestop as you travel up the building, finally reaching the unfinished portion. Without hesitation, Homura steps out onto the exposed girder, balancing surely on the I-beam that's no thicker than a few handspans. Homura pauses in front of the Barrier, glowing faintly even in the colour drained hues of the timestop, glancing back at you before stepping into the Barrier.
You follow, plunging through the glowing opening.
The familiar miasma of a Witch's Barrier hammers in on your senses, and you take a moment to center yourself.
You, Mami, and Homura are three splashes of colour, dull in the spidery shadows of the starkly monochrome landscape you'd expected. Homura's timestop leached what little bright white there was to a dead grey, lending the already eerie Barrier an entirely unsettling ambiance.
Faint shatterlines web across the dead, leaden sky, and abyssal black paints a wide stripe beneath your feet - a long, straightforward path to a distant, spiked monstrance of brilliant crimson, faded to a muted vermilion. A faint whispering seems to resonate from the ground, distant and nearly inaudible.
Who are you?
Homura frowns at the ground for a moment before withdrawing an assault rifle, blocky and matte black with a shrouded barrel, from her shield. The clicks draw your attention, and Mami nods sharply, removing her hat from her head and pulling out a musket. She inhales, closing her eyes, and when she lets the breath out, her hands are steady on the weapon.
You draw a hammer over your shoulder, silvery motes of light coalescing into the familiar, comforting weight. Grief spheres melt and run, flashing into gleaming blades of deep purple that are nearly invisible against the stark black of the Barrier. They swing out in a virtual sandstorm of razor sharp blades, hunting through the twilight shadows of the Barrier.
Homura glances back at you, amethyst eyes scanning you and Mami both before looking ahead. She prowls forward, assault rifle held at a low guard. Abruptly, she snaps it up, and fires a single shot. The bullet tears away into the Barrier, trail of vapour streaking through the air before freezing in front of a spindly, snake-ish thing that rises above your head level. A Familiar. More shots roar out, Homura's aim shifting a hair as she shifts to a fast trot.
Mami only takes a moment to consider the frozen, nightmare tangles of Familiars, dozens of Medusa heads captured mid writhe by Homura's timestop. Just a quick moment, as she speeds after Homura. A deft flick tosses her musket into the air, spinning, and she spreads her hands out, an array of muskets spinning out of ribbons. They fire as one, the balls slashing through the air in a fan of smoky trails to join the chattering shots of Homura's assault rifle.
She darts forward, catching the first rifle as it plummets from the sky, and flourishes it boldly before discharging it into another Familiar.
Shots hammer through the air like demented hornets, intricate geometrical patterns sketched of straight lines unfurling and fanning out through the leaden air in delicately beautiful, deadly arcs.
You trail along behind the two, trying to stay out of the way of the storm.
"This is... an odd way of fighting," Mami says, almost conversationally even as she kicks another musket from the ground and into her waiting hands with a deft flick of her foot.
Homura grunts in response, deftly replacing the magazine in her rifle with a fresh one pulled from her shield. The motions are brisk and almost instinctual, born of long practice. "It's safer," she allows, voice flat.
"It is," Mami agrees.
Your progress up the path is... methodical. A single bullet apiece for each Familiar, calm and businesslike, with none of the usual frenetic storm of battle. The pace picks up, the three of you moving at a brisk jog. Nothing even comes close to you -nothing can- come close to you, and you content yourself with dissolving the few of the Familiars that are out of the immediate line of fire.
It's almost boring.
You force yourself to keep alert, even as your blades whicker through the air in lazy orbits. Just in case, you keep enough Grief nearby to instantly throw up a defensive Barrier if need be. Your senses scan deeply, watching for any possible tricks Elsa Maria might have.
You have no idea where that Feather came from, and that worries you. Might things have changed?
You don't know. And that terrifies you.
Looming overhead is the faded vermilion starburst of the monstrance, drawing ever closer. Your footsteps pound on the only blackness of the Barrier, hard on the heels of Mami and Homura. Behind you, a lethal flowerburst has blossomed, each and every Familiar marked for death.
And ahead of you, just a little further, is the hunched figure of Elsa Maria. A small humanoid thing, barely larger than an adult, bent over in prayer, with its back to you. You know very well that given half the chance, it'd sprout a massive, writhing forest of tendrils, spearlike and razor sharp, to tear into unwary intruders.
But here and now...
"Homura?" Mami calls, piouretting as she slams home a last few shots. "Is it safe to attack the Witch?"
"Yes," Homura says. A dark ovoid drops into her hand, and with a practice motion, Homura pulls the pin from the grenade. She hefts it in her hand for a few seconds before tossing it, arcing it high over Elsa Maria before it freezes midair.
Mami blinks at the tumbling explosive, before bracing herself and spreading her hands. A mass of ribbons explodes out and winds into her signature cannon. "TIRO! FINALE!" she calls out, and the cannon booms out its shot, the huge ball stopping just short of the Witch.
The cannon blast is sucked up by the empty silence of the timestop, and any echoes swallowed up by the gaping void. Mami's hands drop limply to her side, the cannon dissolving, and she eyes the frozen cannonball oddly.
[] Write-in
=====​
Timestop curbstomp~
Threadmarks Our Benefactor pt. 29
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Jun 19, 2015

- #51,436

You turn around, looking back down the path. Ethereal, gleaming trails of vapour arc out, forming interlocking fans of lethal firepower captured in the frozen grasp of the timestop. Behind you, a gentle shower of grenades on the cusp of detonation, as well as Mami's Tiro Finale shot stand poised to slam into Elsa Maria.
"Maybe we should back up a little? Just in case?" you murmur. "It couldn't hurt to have a little more time to react to things."
"Good idea," Mami agrees, starting to back away from the kneeling figure of Elsa Maria.
Homura doesn't respond verbally, simply walking away from the Witch, apparently unconcerned.
The stygian darkness of the ground continues to moan under your feet, unintelligible almost-words in a low, constant mutter as the three of you gain some distance from the Witch. You pick your way around the smoky grey lines sketched through the air by the passage of the fanning arcs of firepower.
"By the way, um," you say. "Did anyone hear... a voice when you came into the Barrier?"
Mami blinks. "Umm. Do you mean the..." she indicates the ground.
"No, I do mean a voice-voice," you say, frowning. What was it? You have the distinct impression someone asked you who you were, but you're not entirely sure what that was...
Then again, you're not even sure you're able to answer that question, in all honesty.
Mami shakes her head. "No, I didn't," she says.
"Hmm. Homura?" You glance over at the time traveller.
She shakes her head, a frown that mirrors your own crossing her face. "Nothing beyond the Barrier."
"Is something wrong, Sabrina?" Mami asks.
You grimace. "No, I must've imagined it. Probably just the Barrier," you say, tapping a foot against the ground.
Mami doesn't look entirely convinced, giving you a concerned look. You smile at her, shaking your head. She gives you a weak smile in response.
"OK, Homura," you say. "Go for it, I think?" Elsa Maria's still within your range, and you focus, reaching out with metaphorical fingers and ready to rip into the body of the Witch.
Mami tenses, drawing one more musket from her chest, and holds it tightly to herself in readiness. Homura nods, and reaches for her shield. She cranks it across with a sharp jerk and a humming of gears.
Hundreds of bullets and musket balls slam home simultaneously. The roar of noise runs together, a cacaphonous sledgehammer of sound smashed against your ears. Familiars explode, torn and shredded by the rivers of precisely placed firepower. A staccato series of dull whumps are Homura's grenades.
Mami's Tiro Finale crashes into Elsa Maria, the impact more felt than heard. The Witch is smashed to the ground, seemingly rooted on the spot but pounded into the floor by the enormous impact and shredded by shrapnel.
You reach out with your powers for the nightmare figure of the Witch, tearing at the Grief. You pull, and the figure shivers, deforming and melting away in wispy, guttering flickers. Grief pours into the air, the figure practically sublimating, and Elsa Maria shrieks, thrashing weakly.
Elsa Maria dies.
The monstrance, once more a vivid crimson, shatters with a sharp crack. The ground shudders beneath your feet, and the Barrier starts to waver. The monochrome landscape shimmers like a mirage, stark blacks and whites bleeding away.
You let the Grief of Elsa Maria go. It drains away, swirling down to a single point as the Barrier fades. There's a quiet ping, just audible over the dying echoes of noise, and the Grief Seed drops to the floor.
Falling. You find yourself falling again as the abyssal ground fades away to nothing. Mami and Homura are falling beside you, an-
A ribbon snaps around your waist.
Your fall shifts into a smooth swing, and that building's coming up awfully fast and you grab the ribbon and twist midair. You slam feetfirst into the wall, as if you're doing a particularly energetic bout of abseiling. A quick glance about shows that Mami's just a little bit above you, looking down at you in concern, and Homura's somehow managed to land safely on a girder.
"I'm OK," you call to Mami with a smile.
She nods shakily, and begins letting herself down. You feel your ribbon extending too, and you let yourself slip down the wall slowly. A quick scan of the area, just to be sure... there's nothing in the area. Or nothing new, anyway. You can sense Sayaka in the distance, the bindings around her glowing with magic.
Homura's waiting for you when you get to the ground, Grief Seed in hand.
"Hey," you say, smiling at her. "Good hunt."
She nods slightly.
Mami nods. "It was, though it was a little... odd," she says.
A flicker of something, too fast to see, crosses Homura's face, and she nods again at Mami.
"Anyway, cleansing, everyone?" you ask, already raising a hand. "And um, may I take the Seed?"
"Take it," Homura says, holding out her hand, presenting both her Soul Gem and the Grief Seed to you. Mami just smiles, and tilts her head towards you.
You take the Seed from Homura with a quick smile, and you flex your will slightly to pull the Grief free from Mami and Homura's Soul Gems. You cleanse your own as an afterthought, crushing all the Grief down to your usual marbles and tucking them away into your bag, and you smile around at them.
"Ah... we should probably check on Sayaka," Mami says. "She's probably awake, by now."
"Yeah, let's go," you agree, turning to head in that direction.
Homura follows, frowning. "It's strange that Miki Sayaka was the only one Kissed by the Witch," she notes quietly.
"Hmm?" you say, glancing back at her.
"That's... true," Mami says, looking thoughtful. "Witches usually Kiss their victims in groups."
"Hey! Is someone there? Mami? Sabrina?" Sayaka's voice bounces off the derelict buildings, cutting off any response you might have made.
You break out into a jog, Mami and Homura just a hair behind, and you round the corner to find Sayaka very much awake, and struggling hard against the ribbon bindings. She's still in the lee of the wall, and she's lying face up - she can't see you yet.
"We're here!" you call.
"Sabrina?" Sayaka relaxes slightly, her struggles stilling. "W-what's going on?"
Mami flicks her fingers at Sayaka, and the ribbons fall away from her. Sayaka immediately twists free, and struggles to a sitting position before you reach her. "W-what's going on? Where am I?" She looks around frantically, before her eyes settle on you.
[] Write-in
=====​
Well, then.
Last edited: Jun 19, 2015
Threadmarks Our Benefactor pt. 30
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Jun 20, 2015

- #51,480

You extend your hand towards Sayaka. "Hey. It's OK, Sayaka," you say. Absently, you check her for any residual Grief. Better safe than sorry and all, you suppose, and really, it can't hurt to be absolutely sure, for something like this. To your immense relief, she seems clear, to the best of your ability to tell.
Sayaka stares at your hand, eyebrows bunching. "W-what happened?" Hesitantly, she takes your hand, and she struggles to her feet with a little help.
Mami crowds in, looking at Sayaka. "Are you hurt, Sayaka?"
"N-no. Sore, but I-" Sayaka says, looking more confused by the moment. She rolls her shoulder, a wince flickering across her face. "I- why was I tied up?"
"You were influenced by a Witch," Mami says, biting her lip. "I'm sorry about the bindings, but we had to keep you safe."
"Influenced by a Witch?" Sayaka asks. Panic crosses her face, her eyes darting about, taking in the desolate industrial area. "I-it's-"
"Sayaka." You cut her off firmly. "It's OK. We got a warning, and we killed the Witch, so it's fine, now. Everything's fine, Sayaka."
"Nnngh-" Sayaka shudders, rubbing her forearms with her hands as if cold. "D-did I do anything?"
"No," you say gently, grabbing her gently by the shoulders and forcing her to look at you and meet your eyes. "You didn't do anything, and it's fine, Sayaka, we've got you. The Witch is dead, and you're fine."
"I-" Sayaka shakes herself, seeming to calm down a little. "Y-yeah... B-but what happened?"
"You were Kissed by a Witch," Mami says. "They can do that, and... draw people to them. It's part of how they hunt."
You release Sayaka and step back to let Sayaka talk to Mami. She'd probably do a better job at this, you figure. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Homura step out of line of sight from Sayaka and Mami, and she flickers slightly, snapping to the side.
"A Kiss?" Sayaka echoes. "I... I don't remember that."
Mami nods, smiling reassuringly. "It's to be expected that you might be a little confused, but you'll be alright after a while."
"Y-yeah," Sayaka says. "Yeah, OK. Are... when did this happen?"
"We don't know," Mami says with a quick shake of her head. She glances at you.
You shrug. "Hmm... what do you remember, Sayaka?"
Sayaka opens her mouth, and then closes it, frowning. "I was at home, about to ea-" Her eyes widen, and she sucks in a sharp breath. "My parents! Did the Witc-"
"No!" you say, almost in stereo with Mami. You glance at her, and she tilts her head towards you. "No, they're fine, Sayaka, we checked in on them!"
"I- you're sure?" It's Sayaka's turn to grab you by the shoulders, her eyes wide and panicked.
"Yeah, I am, Sayaka," you say. "They're fine. You're fine. Though we uh... kinda had to break into your home while looking for you. We locked up after leaving!" you reassure her hurriedly.
Sayaka seems to realize what she's doing and releases you, lurching back a step. Her shoulders slump, mouth twisted into a grimace. "Oh. Yeah, OK."
"They were sleeping when we looked in," you say. "Um. Is it normal for them to turn in this early?"
A frown flickers across her face. "N-no. They were sleeping? It's... what, six?"
You shrug. "About."
"N-no," she says, expression worried and... frightened again. "It's not." Her hands open and close jerkily, her fingers flexing. "I... think I want to go h-home," she mutters.
[] Write-in
=====​
Ouch. You OK there, Sayaka?
Threadmarks Our Benefactor pt. 31
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Jun 21, 2015

- #51,533

"Yeah," you say quietly, glancing at Mami. Mami nods at you in silent agreement, while Homura looks as remote as always, expression utterly neutral. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Let's get you home."
At your will, Grief sweeps around you in a short lived whirlpool, draining away from dissolving spheres and building into a pane of Grief hovering above the ground. "C'mon," you say, sitting down. Mami sits beside you, reaching out to claim one of your arms and hug it close, leaning against your shoulder.
Sayaka drops onto the carpet on your other side, while Homura steps daintily around to sit behind you. Another effort of will lifts the carpet into the air, taking off at as high a speed as you're willing to push it with Sayaka on board. Then onrushing wind whips your hair about - don't really want to raise a windshield, not with Mami in the state she's in.
You're vaguely glad Homura's sitting behind you, rather than in front. Though... wouldn't the wind mess her hair up?
"Sayaka," you say to the girl - telepathy, rather than speech, since you don't feel like shouting over the wind. "Your parents should be just fine. We're going there to check right now, and make absolutely sure, OK?"
"Yeah," Sayaka says. She sounds nervy, anxious. Her eyes, like yours, are squinted against the wind, but they remain fixed on your destination, her apartment. "Thanks, Sabrina."
"Not a problem," you say. "What're friends for?"
"Yeah, yeah," she says, flashing you a quick smirk, but her heart isn't in it, her gaze snapping forward again.
You nod. That's about as good as you'll get for now, you think. You turn your attention to Homura, just behind you. "Homura?" you pulse telepathically.
"Yes?" she replies. You can feel her gaze on your back.
You hesitate for a moment. "Did you check on Madoka? Is she OK?" You're all but absolutely certain she used her timestop for a jaunt, judging from that flicker earlier and the Grief suddenly present in her Soul Gem, and you're pretty sure that she wouldn't be here if there were anything wrong with Madoka, but it's nice to be sure.
Homura pauses for a moment before responding. "Yes, I did. She's safe."
You nod slightly to yourself, careful not to disturb Mami. "Good," you say emphatically. "Do you want a cleanse?"
"Yes, I would," she says.
You don't really need to look at her to do anything. A sliver of attention drains the Grief from her Soul Gem, and you meld the effluence into the material of the carpet with barely more effort.
"There!" Sayaka says, pointing. A little needlessly, but then again...
You begin to slow to a stop, dropping smoothly onto the roof of the building. The carpet dissolves underneath you to leave the four of you on the rooftop, and Sayaka takes off as soon as her feet touch down. She heads for the fire escape, with the three of you following.
You stay close to Mami, giving her a quick smile as you head down the stairs.
Sayaka's fumbling in her pockets long before she actually reaches her door, before stopping short and patting herself down with increasing degrees of franticness.
"Is there something wrong, Sayaka?" Mami asks.
"I don't have my key," the bluenette says.
Homura sighs almost inaudibly, and brushes past you. She reaches for the door, touching a hand to the lock and concentrating for a moment. There's a small burst of purple light, and the lock clicks open. She steps aside, flicking her hair out in the same, smoothly elegant motion. The midnight black strands flow through her fingers like a-
You tear your eyes away from Homura's perfect coiffure, giving yourself a quick shake, and you step forward, catching the door just before it bangs shut. Sayaka's already rushed into the apartment, calling out. "Mama? Papa?"
Silence.
"Mama? Papa!" Sayaka calls out again, hysteria edging in her voice.
You're already sprinting for the master bedroom, Mami right beside you, when-
"Hmrfssssayaka?" A sleepy voice responds. You recognize the voice - Kenji, Sayaka's father.
"Papa! Mama!" You slow to a stop before entering the bedroom. There's a loud oof and the distinctive sound of a bed being jumped on - bedsheets and springs.
"Something wrong, dear?" A woman's voice, Miho.
You back away a step from the open door, exchanging a look with Mami. She shakes her head slightly, tilting her head towards the door, and over her shoulder, you can see that Homura's already headed back out.
[] Write-in
=====​
Oh. All that paranoia was for nothing, was it?
Threadmarks Our Benefactor pt. 32
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Jun 23, 2015

- #51,725

Homura pauses at the door, looking back towards you. You respond with a quick nod, before glancing at Mami and tipping your head at the door. She flashes you a quick smile and starts heading out.
You give the Miki apartment one last once over, visually and with your Grief senses, making sure that there's nothing obviously out of place. You make sure to keep an extra sharp eye out for any feathers, which, other than a rather garish painting of a... you think that's a Bird of Paradise of some kind... you don't see any, nor do you sense anything unusual.
"Hey, Sayaka," you say telepathically as you start to head out. "I don't sense anything wrong, so... We're headed out, OK?"
"Hm? Damn it, I don't - yeah, OK," Sayaka replies, mental voice distracted.
"Alright, see you," you say, joining Homura and Mami outside the door.
Homura pushes the door shut and locks it with another purple flare of magic, before turning to leave.
"Hey, Homura, wait a moment?" you say.
She stops, pivoting to face you.
Giving her and Mami both a quick smile, one returned in more force by Mami, you reach out telepathically, including both of your friends. "Oriko?"
Homura's expression flattens out, and her eyes harden.
"Miki Sayaka is not going to be attacked by a Witch," the seer replies immediately.
You frown. "That's oddly specific."
"I... dislike absolutely statements. For example, she might be run over by a bus tomorrow, though that is exceedingly unlikely," Oriko says tartly.
You roll your eyes at Mami, but she just makes a confused expression at you, and shuffles two steps closer to your side. You smile at her, and continue talking to Oriko. "And Sayaka's family?"
"Similarly," Oriko says. "Relative safety, that is, not the bus."
"Good enough," you say. "Mami, Homura?" you prompt out loud, looking at both of them.
They shake their heads.
"Alright. Oriko, anything else?" you ask.
The seer hesitates for a moment. "No, that's it."
"Alright. Thank you for the warning, and... Bye, then," you say, with a nod.
"Good bye," Oriko murmurs.
You cut the connection, and look at your friends again, smiling. "Hey. I think we did well today. You especially, Homura," you say, giving her an extra broad smile. "Thank you. Things could have gone much worse without your help."
Homura nods slowly. Her jaw works silently as if she's working up the nerve to say something, her eyes flickering back to the closed door. After a moment, she glances at Mami and turns away.
"Hey," you say softly, exchanging a mystified look with Mami. You slip an arm around Mami's waist, pulling her into a quick, sideways hug, and hesitate for a moment, before reaching out and touching Homura lightly on the shoulder. "Is there something wrong, Homura?"
Another long pause.
"Yes," Homura says, still facing away. "That shouldn't have happened." She glances back over her shoulder at you, tilting her head to do so.
Mami frowns unhappily. "It's... strange. Especially if Miss Mikuni is telling the truth."
Homura's eyes narrow.
Mami catches the expression. "I don't trust her either, but... she gave us good information. Um, Sabrina?" She looks up from your shoulder.
You shake your head. What do you think of her? Some part of you instinctively wants to trust her, but... you do have a bit of an issue with wanting to trust everyone. And sometimes, you still wonder if she's really on the same side as you are.
Still. Mami's giving you an expectant look, and Homura's turned to face you fully, amethyst eyes wary and tired. There's a hint of expectation in her eyes, too.
[] Write-in
=====​
[x] Ask Mami if Homura could join us for dinner tonight.
-[x] Don't push for it if Homura and/or Mami decline though.
[x] Go home. Clean up the mess you made earlier and help prepare dinner.
-[x] Also tea.
Threadmarks Our Benefactor pt. 33
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Jun 27, 2015

- #52,047

You glance from Homura, to Mami, and then back again. Thoughts cascade through your mind, and you're fairly sure that Mami, at least, picks it up from the way she cuddles into your side. You press your lips together, flip-flopping for a moment, trying to decide how much, and how to tell Homura...
You blow out a hard sigh. "Mami, Homura, could we speak more privately?" You hold Homura's eyes for a moment, and then deliberately let your eyes drift down to the shield on her arm.
The time traveller nods imperceptibly, glancing at Mami, who in turn glances at you. You nod too, and Mami holds one hand out, golden ribbon spooling out from her palm to curl around Homura. You keep your arm around Mami in that half hug, giving her a quick, grateful smile.
Homura waits for the ribbon to secure itself before cranking her shield sharply with a whir of clockwork.
The smartly modern buildings of the apartment blocks around you shade to ashen monotone. Sullen hues of grey wash across the world, sound and colour leached away by Homuras power. Your breaths are suddenly terribly loud in your ears, and you can hear every rustle of cloth that accompanies your motions.
It's nothing novel to you, not now, but it's still... off-putting. A little unsettling.
You close your eyes, and exhale slowly again. "OK. Yes," you say, nodding slowly. You fumble for the right words, the right thing to say to placate Homura and Mami. "Things are... definitely not right. I agree, it shouldn't have happened - but at least Sayaka's OK."
Homura's face twists into what would be a scowl on a lesser person. "This entire situation can't have happened."
With your eyes fixed on Homura, you feel, more than you see, Mami nod, her hair brushing against your shoulder. "I... agree," she says. "This is very unusual."
You wave your free hand in irritation. "I know, I know - the Witch shouldn't have just targeted Sayaka like that. And yes, Oriko gave us good information, but it's also clear that she has no real idea what caused the attack."
With your attention mostly fixed on Homura, you see the flash of irritation wash across her face before she wipes it back to a disapproving mask, her weight settling on her back foot.
"I..." you sigh again, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind your ear. "Homura, Mami, the three of us, this team, need to figure this out. It seems to me that Sayaka was specifically targeted by the Witch, and... even ignoring Oriko, something unknown to us might have directed this attack."
Homura twitches, her hands clenching into white-knuckled fists. "Kyuubey," she hisses.
Mami flinches. You hug her, giving her an encouraging smile. She returns a wan, trembling smile.
"He... it could have done it," you allow. "But there's something else."
You know which sphere of Grief the feather's in, and you summon it over with a moment's attention, catching it in your free hand. You bring it smoothly froward, presenting it to Homura and Mami. A line splits the featureless, midnight purple surface, and it parts to reveal the Feather, long pinioned and matte black.
Both Mami and Homura look at the Feather uncomprehendingly. A frown etches itself onto Homura's face.
"I made a Barrier, maybe an hour or so ago," you say, hugging Mami in silent apology. "When I dissolved it... this appeared. And maybe half an hour later, Oriko called me about the Witch. The timing matches up."
Mami frowns. "You think that this... had s-something to do with the Witch?"
"I don't know," you say. "I honestly have no idea. The only things I have to go on are that the timing matches, and that, well. Um. Oriko mentioned feathers blocking her visions before."
"Do your powers have anything to do with this?" Homura asks, voice quiet. Her weight shifts again, balanced, hands hanging loosely at her side. She's not exactly tense, but... something about the set of her shoulders suggests worry.
[] Write-in
=====​
[X] Homura... I've given some thought to what we talked about yesterday.
-[X] I know I'm not the most sensible person when it comes to being trusting. So I'm relying on you - both of you - to watch out for me or reign me in. Like you tried to do yesterday. So, thank you for that, and I'm sorry I made you worry.
-[X] Oriko gave us useful information today, but you're right that I shouldn't rely on her information to always be good. I know I like to think the best of everyone, but Oriko has been mistaken, can withhold information, or influence me towards plans she doesn't disclose.
-[X] I mean, there's a difference between thinking, and trusting, that she won't do anything dangerous again. It's going to take a lot of solid proof to make up that difference. I hope we get that, but I understand your skepticism.
-[X] I guess what I'm saying is, treat her as only one potential source. Doublecheck any information she gives us, while staying alert for omissions or hidden agendas.
[X] If what we said seems ok, then:
-[X] Apologize for not having the sense to just say that yesterday. Reiterate that despite all the things we take on, we'll always be her friend and ally first. Hug Mami closer so she understands she's included in that statement.
Last edited: Jun 27, 2015
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