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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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Threadmarks Under the Radar pt. 19
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Feb 14, 2015

- #33,130

You stare aimlessly at the elaborate fractal edges of the Barrier entrance as you mentally debate the pros and cons of doing some experiments here and now, working through a quick outline to try and determine the difference between time inside and outside a Barrier and an extensive dissection of a Familiar and...
"Yeah, let's go," you say, shaking your head to clear away the gathered wool. You'll have enough time later, you figure. You can always find another Witch, even, it's not like Mitakihara doesn't have enough of them. And you think you know what the Barrier's structure is, so you can try that too - later.
Weeeeell, you have a little time, right now.
"Um," you say, as Mami and Homura line up behind you, ready to enter the Barrier. "Actually, one thing?"
"What is it, Sabrina?" Mami asks.
"I'd like to try something with a Familiar," you say, turning around to face your two friends. "Since, you know, they're made of Grief, and I control Grief, so I figure there might be something there?"
Mami smiles at you. "That sounds like it might be interesting."
Homura tilts her head very slightly to the side, and nods slowly. "It might," she allows, a hint of interest entering her voice.
"So, yeah," you say, smiling at their agreement. "And, well, after I'm done with that... you know, if there's anything you ever wanted to try, but couldn't, maybe we could try it now?" You wave a hand at yourself. "I'm here, so cost, well," you smirk depreciatingly, "-and there's three of us to watch each other's backs if we need to. So... I'm thinking, if there's anything that was too big, too impractical..." You let your smile widen into a full grin.
Mami's eyes brighten a little, her back straightening. "That's a great idea, Sabrina," she says, giving you a warm, delighted smile.
Homura nods again.
"OK then!" you say, and turn back to the glowing slit in reality. You suck in a deep breath and step forward.
The second thing that hits you like a wet slap to the face is the overpoweringly... earthy smell, rotting meat and dung and something sickeningly sulphurous, like a million rotting eggs. The first is the repulsive, nauseating sensation of a Witch's Grief, all around you.
"Ugh," you comment, looking around at the landscape. Rickety old wood decking, crusted with a gummy, dried layer of disturbingly organic looking gunk, creaks under your booted feet.
Mami's nose is wrinkled in a genteel displeasure, and even Homura looks faintly unhappy with the smell, looking around the surroundings of the Barrier with an tiny scowl on her face.
"Buk."
You look in the other direction, to find what looks like a perfectly normal chicken peering at you. Perfectly normal, apart from the fact that it comes up to your waist. It's standing near a low wall, one made of the same rickety wood as the floor.
"Buk," the Familiar announces decisively, turning away to peck at the wall behind it.
"Umm, Sabrina?" Mami asks.
"Right, right," you say. It seems like the Familiars of this Witch aren't hostile - then again, most aren't, until you attack. "Watch my back?"
"Of course," Mami says. Homura just bobs her head in quick acknowledgement, a heavy pistol appearing in her hand with a sharp click. Mami, not to be outdone, removes her beret and waves it over the floor in front of her, muskets sliding out to thump against the floor, balancing on their muzzles in stark defiance of gravity.
Marbles drift out of your bag, twirling into concentric, spinning orbits around you - a defensive perimeter of your own, just in case. You start forward, trotting towards the chicken Familiar with your arms outstretched.
"Um... here, chicken chicken chicken?" you say, feeling more than a tad ridiculous. You reach out with your senses, examining the Familiar closely. It contains...
You frown to yourself.
There's something that might be a Witch's core, albeit one so minute, so fractional that it's nearly imperceptible. It'd... be fair to say that this is a nascent Witch, which, well, it is. It feels... incomplete, incredibly so, something essential to it missing.
"Sabrina?" Mami calls, a hint of concern in her voice. You'd been standing still, staring at the Familiar which is in turn still pecking away at the wall, sharp beak tearing out splinters of wood from the wall.
"Yeah, one last thing!" you say. You take a deep breath and reach out with metaphorical fingers, steeling yourself to try and grab that core. You pause for a moment- and slam your will down. Mine.
Pain.
Pain, raw and jagged, rips into your mind in a flood of white-hot agony, pounding upon you in a tremendous, sledgehammer blow. Your back arches, your breath driven from your lungs in a single, harsh scream. The searing attention of something vast upon you.
Distant screams.
You're on your knees.
You utter failure.
Did you really think so highly of yourself?
Do you hear that?
That's Mami, screaming your name. Shaking you.
You reduced her to this.
She would have been better dead than stuck to your side.
You break everything you touch. Everyone you touch.
You bend them to your will because you know better.
Put her in a gilded cage, where she'll be safe.
Because you want to protect her.
These are not your thoughts.
You snarl, calling your powers to yourself.
And you scream with what little breath is in your lungs, a thin, thready sound.
Grief from your Gem.
It pours out, a syrupy, rippling torrent that floods into the air and instantly crystallizes into razor shards you spin around you and the two human forms near you in a tight, protective barrier.
Your breath, coming in harsh gasps loud in the echoing, dead silence.
A familiar, solid form, clutching at you with desperate strength.
"Sabrina? Sabrina, please, talk to me!" Mami's voice, shaking.
"I-I'm here," you gasp.
"Sabrina!" her grip on you momentarily becomes a bonecrushing hug, warm arms holding you close to her in a shaking grip.
Homura pushes a Grief Seed into your hand. "Here," she says in her quiet voice, a humming undercurrent of worried tension singing under her calm facade.
[] Write-in
=====​
Ouch.
Last edited: Feb 14, 2015
Threadmarks Under the Radar pt. 20
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Feb 15, 2015

- #33,404

You take the Seed gratefully, giving Homura what's probably a rather ghastly looking smile. Shakily, you touch it to your Soul Gem, just to be sure. No Grief flows from your Soul Gem; it seems like you'd cleansed it fully.
"Thanks, H-Homura," you manage, voice still shaky.
Mami drags you into a tight hug again. "Sabrina, you're alright. You're alright," she whispers, speaking to herself as much as she is to you.
"Y-yeah," you say, closing your own arms around Mami. You swallow, trying to control the jittering, and try again. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's... just some feedback from... the Familiar, or the Witch, I'm not sure which."
"D-don-" Mami whispers. "Don't do that to me. P-please."
"I'm fine," you say again, drawing back a little. Teary, worried eyes meet yours, and you reach up, gently wiping away her tears with a thumb, giving her a small smile. "But I'm sorry, Mami. I'm so sorry, Mami, for making you worry." You look at Homura, kneeling beside you and Mami, and meet her eyes as well. "And you too, Homura. I'm sorry. I... didn't expect that to happen at all, and I won't do it again."
"I-I," Mami gulps. "I-I can't l-lose you, Sabrina."
"And you won't," you say firmly. "I can learn from my mistakes, and I won't do this again." You raise your left hand, Grief ring still on your little finger, to the Soul Gem resting on her hair and pull the Grief away with a light touch. "Homura?"
The time traveller your regards you, examining you closely, before holding her hand out to you, shield humming on her forearm. You cleanse her Soul Gem too, the Grief wisping away to mix with Mami's and coalesce into marbles.
You stand, gently pulling Mami to her feet and giving her another gentle hug, trying to reassure her that you're fine. You take a step back, noting the ribbon tied around your leg, and spread your arms in a wordless, see? I'm fine, all my bits still attached.
Glancing over Mami's shoulder, you see the chicken Familiar mid-explosion, bloody chunks of flesh and feathers frozen in the act of flying apart. A discarded musket hangs frozen in midair where Mami was standing. It's... still intact enough, that you can sense that same nascent core, just beginning to break up, but recognizably unchanged. Still the same pathetic, incomplete thing, a dim, barely-there glow nearly swamped under the surrounding Grief.
Mami looks at you, concern evident in her golden eyes. "Sabrina, do you want to go home?"
You shake your head. "Let's finish this Witch," you say, smiling. "And I won't be trying anything like that any more, but... Mami, Homura, you've still got things to try, right?" You see Mami start to protest, and hold your hands up. "That was an... experiment I'm not going to try again, and it happened because I was... careless. There's no reason that you need to stop!"
A slow shake of her head, from Mami, biting her lip. "I..."
"Mami, I'm fine," you say, the smile remaining on her face. "And with the three of us here..." you wave around. "Really, we can afford to."
Mami swallows. "I... are you sure, Sabrina?"
You cross the distance to her in a quick step, picking up both her hands in yours. "I'm sure," you say, smiling.
Mami nods slowly.
Your smile broadens encouragingly, and you hold it until a sliver of an answering smile appears on Mami's face.
You glance at Homura, who says, simply, "Yes."
"OK, then," you say, stepping back from Mami, but keeping a hold on her hands. "And, um. I still kind of want to experiment a little too, but nothing like what I did back there. Just... it might feel a bit like a Witch." Mami nods again, a worried frown on her face.
"Shall we?" you ask, squeezing her hands lightly again.
Homura nods, reaching for her shield and gripping the rim, and cranks it around with a sharp jerk and a crash of gears.
Colour and motion flood back into the world, the Familiar finishing its messy disincorporation. Noise, a virtual hurricane of sound, slams into you, a furious cawing torn from a thousand beaks.
A wave of brown and white and black - chickens of all types, it seems, flood down towards the three of you, swarming over the rickety wooden structures dotting the landscape to claim vengeance upon you. Homura's pistol replaces itself with a tiny, combat submachine gun of some variety -a PM-9, you think?-, and the purple light of magic glows in her far hand.
Homura gestures with her glowing hand, and a pulse of magic bursts forth, a concave blast that rapidly crosses the distance, picking up and throwing Familiars like, well, chickens in a strong wing. It doesn't seem to kill any, though, merely tossing them backwards in disarray. Homura lets out an annoyed, "Tch."
And it's expensive, a spike of Grief forming in Homura's Gem. You crook your finger, drawing the Grief out from her Soul Gem with casual ease, looking at Mami.
Mami takes a slightly worried glance at you, a deep breath, and then a hesitant, pirouetting step forward. Golden ribbons flow in a circle around her, wrapping into a ring of muskets, each one pointing outwards from her in a starburst of primed firepower.
She sweeps her arm forward, and the ring begins revolving around her, the first one in front of her firing with a booming, echoing report, the shot lancing out to smash a Familiar. It immediately falls away, ribbons whipping in to form another in his place, golden and silver blurring as the ring of muskets picks up speed. Frowning in concentration as she maintains it, Mami takes a step forward.
And then another.
And she breaks out into a run, shots cracking in a rolling thunder of thunderbolts raining destruction upon the Familiars with unerring precision. You and Homura follow on her heels, flickering purple blasts licking out from her as the time traveller tries to adjust her magic blasts. You keep your marbles orbiting, but hold off on attacking with them.
You draw a warhammer over your shoulder with one hand, and sweep your free hand up in a vaguely threatening gesture as you follow on Mami's flank. You concentrate on Grief, and a baleful red beam -disintegration!- licks out from your pointing finger, lighting up as Witch!
Mami stumbles, golden eyes flickering across to you, and the spinning ring of muskets judder to a halt, shots going wild. Homura whirls on the spot, pivoting on a foot and submachine gun rising for a moment before amethyst eyes find you.
Damn.
The Familiars take advantage of the momentary lull in fire, swarming forward.
"Damn it, sorry," you hiss, immediately dropping the beam and taking two swift steps forward to overtake Mami. Grief marbles melt away into swarms of razor sharp blades, and you whirl them forward in a vicious, buzzing swarm that tears mercilessly into the oncoming Familiars.
"Mami, Homura!" you call. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes," Mami says.
"Sorry, sorry," you chant.
"Don't do that," Homura says, amethyst eyes glinting as she frowns at you. "Not without a proper warning."
"Sorry!" you repeat yourself, wincing.
Homura nods, and raises her submachine gun at the swarming Familiars. She squeezes the trigger, shots chattering out singly or in pairs to chew through Familiars.
The sound of gunfire seems to galvanize Mami, and she casts you a worried look, before reaching out and pulling a musket out of thin air. She raises it to her shoulder and fires with a sharp crack, the shot pulverizing a Familiar.
The three of you storm forward, settling back into a steady rhythm - Mami and Homura's pinpoint accuracy and devastating firepower ripping through the swarming chickens, while you settle for picking off the few that slip through.
Finally, as the flocks of Familiars peter away, you find a series of steps, of the same rickety wood as everything else in the Barrier, rising up into the distance. The three of you sprint up the steps, weapons raised, and with a wre-
-nch, you arrive.
You find yourself under a gargantuan glass dome, incandescent light glaring down from above to shine upon a tremendous egg, one built out of the same rickety, rotting wood as everything else in this Barrier has been.
The Witch, then.
[] Write-in
=====​
Huh. Suddenly appearing to be a Witch when you're with two keyed up magical girls hunting Witches is a bad idea. Who'dathunk.
Last edited: Feb 15, 2015
Threadmarks Under the Radar pt. 21
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Feb 16, 2015

- #33,628

You take a long look around this part of the Barrier - a huge glass dome arcs overhead, suspending a single, enormously bright source of light directly over the Witch. The Witch itself is a huge wooden thing, planks and spars and scraps stuck together haphazardly in a rough egg shape, resting on the slightly raise plinth above the floor. The floor itself is a glossy, white plasticky thing, and the same nauseatingly organic, sulphurous stench as the rest of the Barrier hangs in the air.
You'd hesitate a guess that this is an incubator of some kind. Heh. You're fighting inside an incubator.
You glance at Homura and Mami, smiling at them. Mami returns the smile, while Homura glances at you, faded lavender eyes holding yours for a moment, a faint frown gathering in her eyes. you gesture to the side in a wordless apology, and she nods slightly.
"Well, there's the Witch," you murmur, reaching out for the swarms of razor shards under your control, dissolving them into Grief. "Let's do this."
Mami takes a step forward, glancing back at you again. You give her a reassuring smile, and she faces foward firmly, steeling herself before taking off at a run, sprinting sideways with her hands outstretched, golden ribbons wrapping into a musket. Almost as if that's a pre-determined signal, Homura bolts in the opposite direction, a machine gun of some kind dropping into her hands.
Wings of corruption explode from your back, and you leap skywards to the sound of the deep, booming coughs of musket fire and the vicious chatter of machine gun bullets. The wooden egg shudders under the onslaught, and it only takes a moment for the river of firepower to chew through the flimsy structure.
A gargantuan shape explodes from the egg in a wave of clear, sticky slime. Throbbing red veins web throughout a tremendous yellow sac, huge, all-black eyes floating within it, and with a gurgling heave, it surges forwards and upwards at you atop a pillar of clear, sludgy fluid.
Your wings fold, and you dive. Egg white -what else could it be?- splatters after you, and you roll to the side, the chatter and roar of gunfire stitching holes through the Witch and shattering the glass of the dome, spiderwebbing it with cracks
"Sabrina! On your left!" Mami shouts. You immediately roll in midair, one wing sweeping in front of you in a defensive shield. Just in time. Heavy, clawed bone axes down towards you in a hammerblow that drives you backwards in the air.
The bony limb whirs back, withdrawing into the yolky body of the Witch. Its midnight black eyes roll wildly, each skidding independent of the other across the surface of the yolk.
You slam into the ground, dropping into a smooth roll. Your wings gouge trenches into the ground and you whirl to face the Witch, longcoat snapping around you and both wings sweeping up in a defensive barrier.
"Grenade!" a voice calls - Homura.
You brace, and there's a wet, concussive thump that rocks you backwards, an enormous bubble boiling to the surface of the Witch and popping to release a stomach churning, burning smell, mixing with the already sulphurous stench of the Barrier.
You're off again, sprinting from the Witch at speeds only puella magi can attain, the enormous egg gurgling after you, streaks splashing across the pristine glass of the Barrier. Jagged bone limbs seem to sprout at random, slamming down at you with enough force to pockmark the floor as the Witch races after you. It seems to particularly hate you, for that stunt with the Familiar earlier, maybe?
"Tiro-" Mami's voice, ringing out clarion-clear. "-finale!"
The enormous shell splits the air with an enormous boom, the shell passing clear through the Witch.
The Witch flies apart messily, yolk and white splattering over glass and plastic with wild abandon.
You grin fiercely, waiting for the Barrier to start dissolving.
It doesn't, and you meet Mami's eyes in confusion, across the opposite side of the shattered egg. Her eyes suddenly widen in surprise. "Sab-"
You whirl on the spot, hands already coming up. You can sense it - the Witch gathering itself behind you, a huge, stinking mass blobbing up behind you. "Dissoluzione-" You bear down with your will, hands rising in tandem.
"-bianca!" you thunder, ripping away the Grief that makes up the Witch. You rend away the very fabric of the Witch, wisps torn away in great plumes that leave behind naught but ash spraying across the Barrier as the egg-like substance collapses. You can feel the moment the Witch dies, the form losing cohesion under your will.
The Barrier begins fading, its structure wavering and dissolving under the crush of reality flooding in now that the Witch is gone. The Grief floods inwards in torrents, pouring down into a single point, the Grief Seed falling to the ground with a faint click.
You, Mami, and Homura find yourselves inside the house now, looking at each other. It's dusty in here, a few faint footprints on the ground. A weathered old backpack sits against the wall, a few empty plastic bottles and wrappers strewn about the tiled floor. There's an area slightly clearer of dust, surrounded by innumerable smaller footprints. You suck in a grateful breath of air - even with the dust, the air out hear is considerably better than that inside the Barrier.
You look at Mami and Homura, finding yourself unable to quite meet their eyes, now that the fight is over and the adrenaline is fading. "So, well. Um." You struggle for words for a moment, before finishing, lamely, "Sorry. I... guess I'm not exactly MVP today." A fraction of your attention focuses on folding your wings back into marbles, the tiny spheres coalescing out of the fabric of Grief and filing back into your sling bag.
Mami takes a step forward and catches you in a tight hug. "It's alright. It's not your fault, Sabrina."
Looking over Mami's shoulder, you see Homura look faintly annoyed before she sighs, walking forward to clap you lightly on the shoulder. She has to reach up a little to do so, and she says simply, "Don't do that again. Either."
"I'm sorry," you repeat yourself. "I really should have thought properly."
Mami separates herself from you, stepping back. "It's just... we weren't ready for that, Sabrina," she says. "It was... too sudden, and we were expecting to find a Witch..." She grimaces, looking down at the floor.
You sigh. "Yeah, I need to figure out a way to see if I can fix that... maybe try and change the way it feels or something? Because... I can do a lot that way."
Mami nods. "We can work on it," she says. "But you have to be careful, Sabrina. Y-you, back there, you..."
"I will," you say insistently. "Nothing's going to happen."
Mami just nods again, looking away.
A rustle of cloth is Homura picking up the Grief Seed, and she holds it out to Mami quietly.
Mami shakes her head. "N-no, you should keep it, Homura," she says.
Slowly, Homura nods, sliding the Grief Seed away into her shield.
"Oh, that reminds me," you say, fumbling in your pocket. You withdraw the Grief Seed that Homura gave you earlier - you used it, technically, but your Soul Gem was clean, so it's technically also unused. You hold it up to Homura. She reaches out for it, before hesitating and stopping. "Keep it," she says softly.
"Alright. Thanks, Homura," you say, slipping the Grief Seed back into your pocket. "Um, shall I cleanse your Soul Gem?"
Wordlessly, Homura holds her hand out, presenting her Soul Gem to you. You draw away the Grief from the the lavender Gem, taking the time to siphon the Grief out of your own and Mami's Soul Gems.
You let the Grief drawn free circle your upraised finger slowly, a deep purple cloud that's barely visible in the dim light filtering through the filthy windows of the abandoned house. "I... do you mind if I try something?" you say tentatively. "I know, I know, but just, while everyone's here..."
Homura nods, a faint frown on her face, followed by Mami.
You frown, focusing on the Grief circling your hand. You want... a cube that doesn't feel like anything but a Witch. A headache grows in the back of your head, a pounding migraine that steadily ramps up in intensity until you stop. The pain ebbs almost immediately, and you sigh, looking up at Mami and Homura.
Mami gives you a concerned, solicitous look, and even Homura seems slightly worried, studying you closely. "Didn't work," you say. "Was just trying to see whether I could at least change the sensation, but..." you shrug.
"We can work on it," Mami says firmly. "But I think we should all go home and rest, now."
"OK," you agree. "Unless there's anything else? Homura?"
She shakes her head, already turning to head for the door. "No."
The door swings open at a touch, unlocked, and you leave nothing behind but footprints in the dust as the three of you walk outside, the cool night air a welcome relief. Homura turns to look at you before she goes, and you give her a smile and a wave. "See you tomorrow, Homura," you say.
"See you," Homura agrees. She hesitates for a moment before adding, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Homura," Mami says, smiling a little. "See you tomorrow."
Homura bobs her head again before turning and walking away, breaking out into a run a moment later.
"Shall we head home?" you ask Mami.
"Yes, let's," she agrees.
You follow her as she takes off at a lope - you'll hop up to the rooftops when the rooftops actually permit it.
"Mami?" you call, the words almost snatched away by the wind.
"Sabrina?" Golden eyes look back at you.
"I'm sorry," you say again. "I'm so sorry for making you worry."
Mami slows down, indicating that you should too, and she turns to you. "It's... I wish you could be more careful, Sabrina," she says, giving you a soft smile. "But... as long as you're here... it's alright."
You return the smile, even as your heart sinks a little. "I'm fine, Mami," you gesture at yourself. "And I'm here to stay."
She nods, blonde hair-drills bouncing with the motion, and she steps forward to hug you. You close your arms around her, letting her draw comfort from you. A moment later, she steps back, and gestures wordlessly down the road.
You nod, and take off at a jog, Mami following behind you.
"Umm... Sabrina?" she calls out, a moment later.
"Yes?" you ask. "Uh, by the way, rooftops?"
"Yes, I think so," Mami agrees. "Umm... you used 'Dissoluzione bianca!' earlier..."
You chuckle to yourself. "I did!" you say cheerfully, swerving into a convenient alley. You coil your feet under you, and leap, bouncing from wall to wall to ascend to the rooftop.
Mami touches down on the rooftop a heartbeat later. She gives you a pleased smile. "Um, well, thank you."
"Thanks nothing, Mami," you say. "Though, uh, it's a bit of a mouthful," you say sheepishly as you walk to the edge of the roof, squinting at the next building over.
"Oh," Mami says. "Sorry."
"No, no," you say, stopping and turning to face her. "I like the idea! Just... maybe something shorter? We can brainstorm something together."
The growing look of worry fades into a smile. "Oh! I... I'd like that."
"Well, sometime soon, then," you say, nodding firmly. With that, you turn, and bound over towards the next building, Mami following you.
Eventually, you reach home. The scent of dinner still hangs in the air, savoury and mouthwatering. You shake your head ruefully, grinning at Mami. "You know, dinner was amazing," you say to her as you take your shoes off and tuck them neatly into the shoe rack.
"You cooked too, Sabrina," Mami says, returning the grin with a little smile as she takes her own shoes off.
You move into the apartment, dropping your bag off in its usual place and plopping onto the sofa. "Yes, but the gyoza were fantastic."
"I think the okonomiyaki was better," Mami says, walking over and sitting beside you, pressing up against your side.
"Well, I think the gyoza was better," you say. "Hmmm... should we make some tea?"
Mami gives you a look that says that she knows you're changing the subject. "That would be nice," she says, getting up. She looks down at you, a questioning look in her eyes, and you hop lightly to your feet, smile fixed firmly on your face.
It doesn't take too long before you and Mami are settled back onto the sofa, each holding a warm, fragrant cup of green tea.
[] Write-in
=====​
Here's a reference image for the Witch. Uh, probably not safe for for appetite. Or if you really, really like eggs.
Last edited: Feb 16, 2015
Threadmarks Under the Radar pt. 22
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Feb 17, 2015

- #33,893

You take a sip of tea and set the cup down on the table. You lean back, stretching your arms luxuriantly as you stare up at the ceiling, before letting your arms flop over, draping them over the back of the sofa and simply thinking for a while. That abandoned house drifts before your mind's eye again, and you feel vaguely sick in your stomach as you tease out what might have happened. Small footprints, surrounding a clear spot in the dust.
Urgh.
Could you have done better?
You could. You could be spending your every moment in the time stop, hunting down every Witch in Mitakihara, in the world, with Homura. But... It'd take an age to do it. It'd be an immense, exhausting undertaking. And... Mami wouldn't take it well, and Homura... simply wouldn't.
"Sabrina?" Mami peers up at you, an expectant, curious look on her face.
You sigh, forcing a smile onto your face as you set those thoughts aside. "It's nothing, Mami," you say softly, half turning on the sofa to face her fully. "Just... I have some things I need to talk to you about." You swallow. "Things I need to apologize for."
A small, apprehensive, expression replaces curiosity, Mami looking worriedly at you. "Sabrina, I'm sure there's nothing for you to apologize for..."
You meet her eyes seriously. "I... there is, Mami." She opens her mouth to protest, and you hold up your hands. "Please hear me out first?"
Mami nods cautiously, reaching out to hold your hand. "Alright, Sabrina, but you don't ha-"
You raise a finger, and she cuts herself off, looking faintly sheepish as she realizes what she was doing.
A deep breath. "Mami, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for taking you for granted. I... Mami, you're an amazing, brilliant person, and I keep treating you as a... non-entity, and I just assume you'll go along with it, most of the time. I... I keep doing that, and I'm sorry."
Mami opens her mouth to protest, but you shake your bead, continuing. "And... I don't... I know you worry, Mami. When I... I don't, uh, take the best care of myself, and I keep getting hurt. I know you worry about me." You pause, taking a breath.
Mami flinches, the worried frown growing on her face. "Sabrina, that's n-not true, I- it's what makes you you, Sabrina, and I w-wouldn't change it for the world." She reaches out towards you, taking one of your hands between hers.
You close your hand around hers, but you shake your head as you continue. "And... that's just it, Mami," you say, your stomach twisting. "I... Mami, I feel like every time you even disagree with me, you're... scared. Scared of me, scared that I'll leave you." Mami's hands slacken on yours, and you grip back fiercely, bringing your other hand up to cover hers and not letting her pull away.
You look at Mami, looking at the worry lines etched around them, the worried, terrified frown framing her usually sleepy, half lidded golden eyes.
"I won't, Mami," you say. "I'd never leave you like that, never over something so small. I'm sorry for making you think that I would." You squeeze her hands in yours. "I'd never leave you, or think less of you, for being yourself."
"Sabrina, I-" Mami chokes off her own words, swallowing convulsively. Her hands tighten on yours. "I- Sabrina, no, I... I'm... I'm not..."
You smile at her, a small, tentative thing. "You told me you wouldn't change me for the world. I wouldn't change you for the world, Mami. I... I don't want you to change yourself because of me, Mami. I... please don't be afraid of disagreeing with me. I don't want you to be scared of me."
"I-I..." Mami tries to return the smile. "S-Sabrina, I. I can't lose you."
"And you won't, Mami," you say. "And if you need to tell me off for doing something stupid, you should."
"I..." Mami trails off, trying to meet your eyes. "I'll try, Sabrina. I-I'm sorry."
"No, I'm sorry, Mami," you say, bowing your head. "I'm sorry, for making you worry. I'm sorry, for taking you for granted. I'm sorry for making you afraid of me, Mami."
"It's not your fault, Sabrina," Mami says. "J-just..." She essays a smile. It's weak and fragile, but it's there. "Y-you said I should tell you off if you're being s-silly, right? S-so... Y-you're being silly, Sabrina." Her hands squeeze yours.
You can't help but chuckle a little. "OK, I asked for that." Your mirth fades all too quickly, though, and you look at Mami again. You suck in a deep breath. "But... I have one more thing to apologize for, Mami."
Mami shakes her head. "Sabrina, you... you don't have anything to apologise for."
Your heart sinks, just a little. She's still idealizing you, putting you in a pedestal."Please hear me out?" You say, pleading.
She nods, the golden drills of her hair swaying with the motion.
You take another deep breath. "Mami... There are... some things I haven't told you. I..." You swallow, watching her expression anxiously. "I don't want to keep secrets from you, Mami, but some of them aren't mine to tell, and... I'm not sure how to talk about some of the others."
You stop, still watching Mami's expression. A complex mess swirls in her eyes, that same fear from before making a return, and denial, and desperation. She licks her lips. "I... Sabrina, I."
"Mami," you say urgently, desperately, still holding her hands tightly in hers. "I don't want to keep these secrets from you. B-but. Some of them aren't mine to tell, and some... I'm don't... I'm not sure how to tell you."
You watch Mami helplessly as she works through it. Finally, she sucks in a breath, speaking in a soft, anguished voice.. "A-are you... S-Sabrina, I-I. Are you k-keeping t-things like. Like K-kyuubey did? B-beca- I-I- Sabrina.."
[] Write-in
=====​
And touchdown from my flight! Holding in abeyance:
[X] If she seems ok or if she asks... Tell her about the metaknowledge. We knew who she was when we met her, the same way we did about the system and Kyubey. We don't know how. We knew who Madoka and Sayaka were too, despite that being impossible...and Homura too. But we were scared to tell her, so we...pretended. We're sorry we kept the truth from her. We knew she was a good person, and we really did want to be her friend.
Threadmarks Under the Radar pt. 23
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Feb 18, 2015

- #34,287

You keep your hands on Mami's. Your own stomach churns uneasily. "No!" you blurt. "No, not like... no. Never, Mami."
A fraction of your attention, that cold, analytical part, watches Mami's Soul Gem carefully, the Grief ticking up in jolts and spikes. The rest of you frets, watching Mami's anguish helplessly, your mind whirling with thoughts.
"T-then-" Mami's hands shiver in yours, and she tries half heartedly to pull back. You tighten your grip, and she stops trying to pull back, making a low, agonized keening noise.
She doesn't meet your eyes.
Her eyes stay on your joined hands, tears starting to gather at the corners of her eyes.
"Mami," you say, words rushing over each other in your effort to make this better. "Mami, after I woke up in that alley, I had no idea I would find a, a best friend, someone who believed -believes- in me so strongly, so quickly. I... I couldn't, I can't imagine anyone who would accept me like you do. It... you snuck up on me."
"But." You lick dry lips. "Mami, you mean so much to me. I tried to-" you swallow hard, "-I tried to protect you from some of the ugly things I know. And. And I was... I was afraid of what you would think of me. What you would do."
"S-Sa-," Mami stutters. She blinks furiously, trying to hold back the tears glimmering at the corners of her golden eyes. "Sabrina, I... I can't- I don't-" She breaks off mid sentence, floundering for words.
"Mami, I'm sorry." You say it as earnestly as you can, your grip on her hands tightening. Your heart aches at the sight of Mami looking so lost, so uncertain. "I was wrong, and it was a mistake. Because a best friend deserves my complete trust. Because you deserve my complete trust, Mami. Because..." You swallow hard. "Because you've placed so much faith in me. Because... I want to be able to stand beside you without feeling like I don't deserve to."
You try, again, to swallow the lump that seems to be lodged in your throat as you watch Mami struggle with herself - with what you're saying. "And... it isn't right, Mami, that I keep all this from you. It's been... eating at me, Mami. And..." You try to smile, but it's a ghastly, half-formed thing. "You know me. If I see something wrong, I have to fix it. Especially so if I'm the one in the wrong."
You fall silent, watching Mami as she tries to process your words. Her mouth works, but nothing comes out, tears beginning to streak down her face. You squeeze her hands lightly in yours. "Mami, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't want to lose you," you say in low, wretched voice.
Mami shakes her head weakly. "I-I," she tries. "I. Sabrina. J-ju- I- Y-you'll s-stay, right?"
"Yes," you say fervently. "Mami, I won't leave you."
With an inarticulate wail, she lunges at you, throwing her arms around you. You return the hug, holding her close as she shivers in your embrace. "I'm here, Mami," you say. "I'm here. And I'm here to stay."
She doesn't cry much, curling into your side, cold shudders wracking her body in quivering waves. You hold on to her, trying to comfort her, to reassure you that you're not leaving her.
"Mami," you say softly, stroking her back gently. "I. I'm going to tell you everything I can. I'm going to... struggle through whatever's difficult to explain." You can think of a few ways to do it, including an object demonstration of your knowledge. But...
"For what isn't mine to tell, I'll try to persuade them," you continue on. "But... Mami, there's some things I'm-" you gulp softly, thinking of what could happen, has happened elsewhen, "-too afraid to say... please, Mami, I beg for time. Just... enough time for me to work through my... fears."
"N-n," Mami says. "N-no. I. I-I don't n-need to k-know, Sabrina. J-just. Just. Stay. I, I, it's alright." Her Soul Gem, the ring on her finger, doesn't seem to be accumulating much more accumulation at the moment. It's... about a third full. Not critical, but not healthy, either.
[] Write-in
=====​
By the way, if and only if you guys do the Babel-on vote, do me a favour and do the translations for me if there's a specific phrase you guys are particularly enamoured of - not-Google Translate greatly preferred. I'm on vacation and I'm not going to figure out the grammars of a dozen different languages for this.
Last edited: Feb 18, 2015
Threadmarks Under the Radar pt. 24
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Feb 20, 2015

- #34,588

You keeping holding Mami, stroking her back in slow, rhythmic circles. She curls into your side and ducks her head against you, hiding from the world in a tight, shivering huddle of misery pressed up against your side.
"Yes," you say fervently, speaking into the golden mass of hair tucked under your chin. "Yes, of course I'll stay, Mami. I wouldn't leave you for the world."
Mami doesn't react, still clinging tightly to you.
You hold her, letting her reassure herself with your presence. The silence stretches out, broken by quiet, huffing breaths from Mami as she cuddles against you. Slowly, the shivering slows, and evens out.
"Mami?" you ask, voice quiet. "May I clean your Soul Gem?"
You feel her nod, her hair brushing against your skin. A flex of your will draws the Grief away from her Soul Gem, resting in ring form on her finger, to form a tenebrous cloud drifting aimlessly in the air. You crush it down into your usual marbles, packing them into you bag.
Tightly wound tension ebbs from Mami's body, and she sighs quietly as she sags against you. You continue to hold her, rubbing her back soothingly.
A while later, Mami stirs, turning her head so that she can speak. "I-I can't," Mami whispers so softly you can barely hear her. "I c-can't go back to b-being a-alone, S-Sabrina."
"And you won't, Mami," you say, maintaining your hug. "And... Mami, it's not just me. Madoka and Sayaka care about you too. Even Homura, in her own way." You smile into her hair, even if she can't see it. "I'm just the lucky girl who gets to live with you."
"N-" Mami shifts in your arms, looking up at you. "S-Sabrina, y-you're not just-"
You stroke her hair gently. "Mami, my point is that they're your friends, too. Just like me," you say, smiling at her.
Mami doesn't respond, simply returning to leaning her head against you.
You exhale slowly, returning to rubbing her back in slow, soothing circles. This... is really something that needs to take time to heal, you think. And maybe therapy, but then again, Japan. Your mind wanders a little, a thought you've been turning over for a while bobbing to the fore. Who are you? Apart from the obvious?
You... think you were created by Madoka's Wish, last loop. And you think Homura thinks so, too. You could technically call Madoka mom, in that case. Momdoka? Madomom? You can only imagine the expression on Homura's face if you said that in front of her. Or called her mom.
Mami shifts, turning in your arms to press closer into your side as your hand slows.
She needs, deserves, really, all the help you can get her. Maybe therapy, you muse, returning to that earlier thought. Track down a good therapist, and fill him in on magic, with a few object demonstrations of magic, a transformation or two. Perhaps get Kyuubey to agree to not wiping his mind.
Maybe.
Mami shifts again.
"Mami?" you ask, looking down at her.
She shakes her head. "N-nothing," Mami says, not looking up at you.
"Are you sure, Mami?" you ask gently. "I'm willing to listen if there's anything you want to say."
Mami hesitates for a long moment, shifting uncomfortably. She looks up at you, that fear still swimming in her golden eyes, before finally asking, "I-it's just. I. S-Sabrina, t-the s-secrets you k-know..."
"Yes, Mami?" you say. "I can tell you... some of it, if you want to hear. I'm sorry, I. Some of it, I can't tell."
"N-n-" Mami shakes her head. "N-no. I j-just. How b-bad is it, S-Sabrina?"
[] Write-in
=====​
Progress?
Threadmarks Under the Radar pt. 25
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Feb 21, 2015

- #34,870

"Some of it's..." you press your lips together, mulling over how best to put it. "Some of it's just things about... myself that I want to share with you, Mami. It's... kinda stupid for me to call them secrets at all. Just... things I haven't gotten around to saying, or... things that don't make sense. That I don't understand myself, yet."
Mami remains looking up at you, anxiety growing in her eyes. "S-Sabrina, y-you-"
You shake your head, sighing. "Beyond that... there's some... tragic stories about... other people that aren't mine to tell," you say halting, picking your way around the words. "That I can't tell without permission. A few things I feel... guilty for. Some things I know that aren't easy to explain."
Mami reaches up to you. "Sabrina, I... you d-don't- It's a-alright, y-you're... I-I. I'm s-sure it's not s-so bad."
A deep breath, as Mami watches you in worry. "The worst of it, though, it's bad," you say, grimacing unhappily. "I won't lie. It's something... horrible... about the system that I hope to change."
It's who you are, really, right from the start. System breaking. The system breaking magical girl.
You shake your head. "But," you say, bringing a smile to your face, one that, you hope, shows the depth of your regard for Mami. "There is nothing that changes how highly I think of you, and nothing that would make me leave."
Golden eyes blink up at you, before she slowly nods. "Al... alright," she says. Moving slowly, she returns to leaning against you, hugging you tightly again. You return the hug, suppressing a sigh.
What Mami needs most is time. Time and friends who'll stick by her. She has the latter, in you, and Madoka, and Sayaka, and yes, even Homura. Time... You do sigh. You can't help but wonder if something's moving behind the scenes, to cause future trouble for you, perhaps. You'd... you'd had a feeling Oriko would be your enemy, and yet, now she's apparently happy to while her days away with Kirika.
Didn't she say she wouldn't live to see Walpurgisnacht?
And she's... simply content to spend her time in her mansion, being a happy couple with Kirika?
... If you put it that way, there are worse ways to spend your last days alive, you suppose.
But then again, is Oriko really the type? A fatalistic seer, happy to passively wait for her death?
Perhaps, perhaps not. You're probably being paranoid.
Then again, there's also Kyuubey, wandering around, probably stirring up problems for you, since it's a dick like that. Combat and chaos and conflict are good for magical girls, after all. Or bad, depending on your point of view. And... ugh. Asunaro. And goodness knows what else might be stirring under the radar, what you might have missed.
Mami remains cuddled into your side, the slow pulse of her heartbeat, the movement of her chest the only motions she makes.
"Mami?" you ask softly.
"Sabrina?" she looks up at you, shifting slightly so that she doesn't have to crane her neck back too far.
You give her a soft smile, adjusting your hug around her. "Nothing serious. Just thinking, maybe we should try and watch that mecha anime Sayaka mentioned, some time."
Mami blinks at you, before nodding. "That sounds good," she says.
"Do you watch any shows, actually?" you ask curiously.
"Ahh... I w-was actually t-thinking about watching that s-show about m-magical g-girls," Mami says hesitantly. "B-but..."
"Ah," you say.
The conversation lapses, and Mami shifts to lean against you again.
You glance at the clock. It's about nine thirty, now. Late enough to consider sleeping, perhaps. Or perhaps enough time to tell Mami a little bit of the secrets?
[] Write-in
=====​
Do keep it civil, ladies and gents.
Threadmarks Interloper pt. 1
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Feb 22, 2015

- #35,082

You raise your hand to Mami's hair, stroking it gently. "Mami?"
"Y-yes, Sabrina?" she asks, tilting her head against your hand.
"Um, well," you say. "It's still a bit early, but we kinda slept rather late yesterday, so..."
"Ah..." Mami says. "That's a good idea." She doesn't make any move, though, apparently content to remain flopped against you, arms around your waist.
"Um... Would you like to go shower?" you suggest gently.
"Mmmnm," Mami says. She disengages her arms from around you, separating reluctantly and sitting up. Reaching above her head, she stretches -like a cat, though if anything Mami's more of a dog person, maybe?- for a moment, before giving you an anxious look.
"I'll be here, Mami," you answer the unspoken question, hiding your own worry for her, unable to shake that deep current of unease.
Mami bites her lip, looking down. "C-could you..."
"Yes, Mami?" you smile at her.
"Could you p-play some music?" she asks. "I-I'm sorr- n-no, y-you sai-" She cuts herself off with a quick shake of her head and an unhappy grimace, her hair bobbing.
You shake your head, smiling. "Of course I will, Mami," you say gently. "And it's alright, I'm not going to get mad at you for asking." A fraction of your attention goes to lifting the marbles from your bag, melding them into musical instruments.
You give Mami another warm smile as the first notes of her song start playing. "I'll be right here when you're done, Mami," you say.
"A-alright," Mami says, standing slowly and moving to the bathroom. She turns to glance back at you as she steps in, and you gesture at the sofa, maintaining your encouraging smile.
Finally, Mami shuts the door. You keep the music playing, staring contemplatively up at the ceiling. Another in a series of long days. You let your mind wander as you sit there, letting Mami's song play through, and then looping it from the start a few times through.
Eventually, you hear fumbling at the bathroom door, and you half turn on the sofa just in time to see Mami burst out, damp and clean. Her eyes snap to the sofa, worried tension easing from her shoulders when she sees you.
You smile, and pry yourself off the sofa, joints popping from how long you'd been sitting. "My turn to shower," you say.
Mami nods slightly, essaying a small, fragile smile as you move past her and into the bathroom.
You make the shower a quick one, continuing the music as you bathe, and emerge, wearing pyjamas. Mami's sitting on the sofa, brushing her mane of golden hair, but she immediately turns to look at you.
You smile and move over, sitting down beside her. Idly, you start combing your shoulder length hair out with your fingers to help it dry faster, the white strands flowing through your fingers. You briefly consider asking Mami about that hairflip you'd seen her trying to do, diverting briefly into the thought of Grief hair extensions.
... Proooobably something best left as a long term goal, if that.
It takes a while for Mami's cascade of golden locks to dry, but dry it does, eventually, and the two of you move off to the bedroom, flicking off the lights. You flop onto the mattress, burrowing comfortably under the blankets.
"S-Sabrina?" Mami's voice, soft and tentative.
You bite your lip, unseen in the darkness, your stomach clenching. If she deliberately asks about sleeping, well, together... that's probably going to lead to some fairly uncomfortable talks. "Yes, Mami?" you reply, just as softly.
"Thank you," she says. "I-I know I'm... T-thank you."
"Mami, no matter what, I care about you," you say firmly, sitting up to stare at her. She blinks golden eyes at you, nearly luminous in the dim light refracted in from the window. "And... I'd do nothing less for you."
"Thank you," she says softly.
You smile, reaching out to stroke her hair once before lying back down, settling in for the night.
=====​
When you wake up, you're sprawled face up on the matress, arms splayed wide, and there's a warm, soft form cuddled into your side, as has become... normal. You gently ease out from under Mami's arm, and try to remove your own arm from under Mami. You don't succeed, though, and golden eyes flick open, blinking muzzily before refocusing on you.
You smile at her. "Good morning, Mami."
"O-oh," Mami says, flinching back. "S-sorry."
You shake your head, wrapping your arm around her and preventing her from pulling back entirely. "No."
A hesitant answering smile forms on Mami's face. "S-sor-" she cuts herself off with a shake of her head.
You nod approvingly. "Now, uh, my arm..." you wiggle your numb fingers.
"Oh!" Mami says. This time, she does roll off, and you let her, pushing yourself to a seated position and shaking the feeling back into your hand.
"Sorry," she offers with a smile.
You shake your head, smiling too as you drag yourself to your feet and stretch. Without being asked, you reassemble your musical instruments, hesitating for a moment before starting in on an appropriately morning song. You offer Mami a hand, and she accepts it with a smile, letting you pull her to her feet.
"I'll-" you stifle a yawn, "-wash up first, if that's OK with you?"
Mami nods, and you wander off into the bathroom to perform your morning ablutions and change. You take care to make it quick, and when you open the door, you find Mami hovering anxiously. You give her a smile, and gesture grandly at the bathroom behind you. "I'll be in the kichen, OK?" you say.
She nods as she closes the door behind her, and you exhale slowly, before walking over to the kitchen and starting breakfast. On the way, you click the television on to the news.
A moment later, Mami walks in at a quick clip, to find you mixing batter. The rice cooker burbles away in the background, already boiling happily to prepare the day's lunch.
"Are we making pancakes, Sabrina?" Mami asks, watching curiously as you add raisins into the batter.
"Nope," you answer with a smile. "Muffins!"
"Ah, that sounds great!" she says, moving over to check the rice cooker.
You set down the batter and turn to locate the baking tray, but you find Mami presenting it to you with a smile. "Thank you!" you say, taking it.
It doesn't take you too long to prepare the muffins, and the two of you sit down to breakfast - muffins, tea, and some fruit. "These look great, Sabrina!" Mami says.
"Thanks!" you say brightly. "Lunch looks great, too!" you compliment in return, and it does - artistically decorated rice and salmon with carefully arranged vegetables. You feel a small pang - you may not eat it, if you're meeting Kyouko, though buying her a meal and not eating is an option, of course.
"Thank you, Sabrina," Mami says, smiling.
"Shall we check in on everybody?" you ask as you pick up your fork.
Mami nods.
"Gooooooood morning Mitakihara!" you call with a grin, reaching out mentally to Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura.
"Good morning, Sabrina!" Madoka's the first to respond. "Good morning, Mami!"
"Good morning," Mami says.
"Good morning," Homura echoes a moment later.
And finally... "I asked for this, didn't I?" Sayaka groans, asperity in her voice. "I hate mornings."
"Ah... They're not so bad, Sayaka," Madoka says.
"Yes, they are," the bluenette complains. "Gah, I'm up."
You grin as you bite into your muffin. "Well, yes. You did, in fact, ask for this," you say with a grin. Mami, across the table, smiles at you.
"Guh," Sayaka complains. "Fine."
Madoka giggles quietly over telepathy. "Sabrina, you're terrible."
"Mornings are... peaceful," Homura offers.
"Ugh. I'm not surprised you like 'em," Sayaka says.
"Heh, well. How's everyone doing this morning?" you ask.
"Ah... I'm having breakfast now!" Madoka offers happily.
"So're we," you say.
"How the heck are you people so happy in the morning," Sayaka complains.
You snort. "Iunno."
"Gah," Sayaka says. "I'm not talking to you any more. See you later."
You chuckle out loud, shaking your head. "Poor Sayaka," you say.
"Ah... I should be getting ready to go to school, too," Madoka says. "See you later!"
"See you!" you say cheerfully, echoed a moment later by Mami and Homura.
You smile at Mami as the call closes, continuing to eat your breakfast.
"Ah, Mami?" you ask awkwardly, a few minutes later. "Um... could I have a bit of cash?"
"Hmm?" Mami says. "Of course, Sabrina! How much do you need?"
"Uh, not much," you say. "Enough for... lunch for three?"
Mami blinks in confusion. "Oh?"
"Oh, um," you say, setting down your fork. "Well, I'm actually planning on going around to meet some magical girls today," you explain. "Um... Sakura Kyouko, and maybe Masami amongst them." Pre-empting Mami's response, you stand, moving around the table to catch Mami in a tight hug.
"I'm just going to fill them in on things that've been happening with Sendai and Ishinomaki and so on," you say soothingly.
"I..." Mami grimaces, looking down. "I... won't see you at lunch?" she asks in a small voice.
[] Write-in
=====​
I suppose this is as good a place as any to end the previous chapter. Here begins a new chapter: Interloper.
Holding in abeyance:
[x] Walk to school with Mami
-[x] Let Mami know that you are going to be going around talking with several people today, including Kyouko and perhaps Masami
-[x] Do a scan for unexpected magical girls at the school, and any witches in the area
-[x] If any magical girls are detected, let Mami and Homura know so that they can check during school hours
-[x] If any witches are detected, let Mami and Homura know that you'll take care of it
-[x] Find a remote location away from the school and attempt to make a grief sphere that "blocks observation. Use magic or will grief for lighting.
--[x] If successful, consult the notebook for any witches that appear today or tomorrow.
[x] While doing the magic scans, make some telepathic calls.
-[x] Call Rin and check how things are going with the group and with Akiko. "Say hi to Sakura for me."
-[x] Call Chouko and check how things are going for them.
-[x] Call Kyouko and ask for a time that's convenient to meet today. There's some things you'd like to talk to her about. While you're there you can also cleanse her gem and refresh her seeds.
--[x] If she's reluctant, insist that you really do need to talk with her today. Note that you can be there in as little as 5 minutes.
Last edited: Feb 23, 2015
Threadmarks Interloper pt. 2
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Feb 23, 2015

- #35,329

"I'll do my best to be there, Mami," you say, smiling at her. "Honestly, it's not like I have to meet them at lunchtime, right?"
Mami nods, looking somewhat relieved, and you ease back from the hug to slip a hand into your pocket. Withdrawing your phone, you click through the menus and set an alarm forty-five minutes before noon - that should be plenty of time to get back, even from Kasamino. You'll probably make it with time to spare if you push yourself hard, in any case.
You smile at Mami again, reaching across the table to rest your hand on hers. "And no matter what, you can always reach me. Whenever you want."
Another slow nod, a faintly worried smile on her face.
"A-alright," Mami says. "U-um. I'll give you the money after breakfast?"
"Sure," you say, squeezing her hand lightly, before returning to eating your breakfast. "There's no rush."
Breakfast is quickly finished, and Mami prepares for school, doing her hair with a snap of her fingers and short-lived flicker of magic. As you walk past Mami to the door, you reach out, lightning quick, to pull one of her trademark hair-drills out, and then let it snap back. "Boing," you say with a grin.
A startled, breathless giggle escapes Mami.
Your grin widens. "Well, shall we head to school? I'll walk you there, of course."
Mami nods, a small smile spreading across her face. She unlocks the door, stepping outside and putting her shoes on with quick, practiced motions.
You follow her out, and the two of you walk slowly, merging into the sparse early morning crowds of people. Half an hour and the pavement will be crammed shoulder to shoulder with people, but for now... A comfortable silence falls between you and Mami as you listen to the rumble of passing cars, the susurration of a dozen different conversations going on in the background, and the ever-present sensation of Mami at your side, bumping into you every now and then.
"Oh," Mami says, as if remembering something. She fumbles in her bag, and pulls her purse out, transferring the bag to her shoulder. She pulls out a few notes and hands them to you.
You take the notes, deliberately closing your hands over hers for a moment, and smiling at her. "Thank you, Mami." You tuck the notes away into a pocket in your sling bag.
"You're welcome," she says, smile fading.
You pause, turning to her and giving her a smile. "I'll do my best, OK?" you repeat patiently.
"O-OK," Mami says, her smile returning fractionally. Hesitantly, she reaches out, bumping the back of her hand against yours, and you turn your hand, grabbing taking her hand in yours.
The two of you get some odd looks, but eventually, bustle of the awakening city fades away as you turn into the lush vegetation of the path to Mitakihara Middle School, the burble of the stream beside the path a constant companion. You spot Madoka and Sayaka waiting further up the path, conversing with each other. Sayaka spies you a moment later, raising her hand to call out a greeting.
"'morning, Mami, Sabrina!" she calls.
"Good morning, Madoka, Sayaka!" you return the greeting brightly.
"Good morning," Mami says. She looks around, scanning the groups of students passing by. "Isn't Homura around?"
"Good morning, Mami! Good morning, Sabrina!" Madoka says, smiling softly at the two of you. "Ah... I haven't seen her this morning."
You sense Homura before you see her, the black haired girl suddenly appearing in a side path, stepping out from behind some trees a moment later. "Hey, Homura," you call, raising your free hand in a lazy wave.
"Good morning," Homura says, amethyst eyes resting briefly on you, then Mami, then Madoka.
"Good morning, Homura!" Madoka says.
"Good morning, Homura," Mami says, smiling a little.
Chatter between the five of you whiles away the time as you walk to school. Sayaka stops at the school gate, looking down the road as if waiting for something. Her smile slips a little as she stands there, setting her bag down at her feet. "I think I'll wait for Hitomi," she says, faux cheeriness in her voice. "You girls go ahead."
"We'll wait too," Madoka says, stopping and glancing worriedly at Sayaka, her own shoulders sagging slightly, and she gives you a mournful look. You sigh, Mami squeezing your hand slightly. Homura gives the bluenette a minute, nearly imperceptible frown, before turning to regard the school.
A few minutes later, Hitomi's car pulls up, a middle-aged man -her father, presumably- bidding her farewell. Sayaka moves forward, taking Hitomi's bag, while the green haired girl disembarks from the car, manoeuvring her cast carefully. "Good morning, everyone. Ah, thanks, Sayaka."
"Good morning, Hitomi!" Madoka greets brightly, and the rest of you echo greetings.
"So anyway, guess I'll see you girls later," you say.
"Ah, see you later, Sabrina!" Madoka says.
"See you!" Sayaka says, a school bag in either hand.
"See you, Sabrina," Hitomi says.
Homura nods. "See you."
Finally, Mami turns to you, looking up at you. You smile softly at her, and catch her in a quick hug. "See you, Mami," you say quietly. "I promise I'll do my best."
"A-alright," Mami says. "See you soon, Sabrina."
You step back, and watch as your friends head in to school as a group. You exhale slowly, and turn, walking briskly away. Things to do, today.
The first thing to do... you feel mildly paranoid today, as if some interloper might come by. You circle around the perimeter of the school, walking along the fence while checking for any... unexpected magical girls, or Witches. Simultaneously, you reach out telepathically. "Rin? This is Sabrina."
It takes a moment before Rin replies. "Sabrina? Good morning. Is there anything wrong?"
"Good morning! No, just checking in. How's things going, how's Akiko?" you ask.
"Acceptably," Rin says cautiously. "Akiko is... not well."
"Ah," you say as you squint up at the top of the school building. "Do you... need my help to cleanse her?"
A pause. "No need, but thank you. She's just... she's not responding to much. We have to feed her, or else she doesn't eat."
You wince. "... ah."
An awkward silence ensues, as you consider the absurdly ornate fence surrounding the school rooftop, your feet continuing to trace a path around the school. Seriously, it's like a castle up there. A fantasy castle, not one of those brutish, boringly practical castles of real life.
"Is there anything else, Sabrina?" Rin asks.
"No, not really. All the best, I'll probably drop by again some time soon," you say. "Oh, and say hi to Sakura for me?"
"Noted, and OK," Rin says. "Bye."
"Bye." As that call closes, you start a new one, to the other Sendai group. "Chouko? This is Sabrina."
"Mmmn?" Her response is muffled and sleepy.
"Um... hello? Did I wake you up?" you ask. Well, if she doesn't go to school...
It takes a while before Chouko responds again "Mm. Good morning," she says muzzily.
"Well, I'll be quick. Are things going OK for you?" you ask.
"Yes, thank you, Sabrina," she says.
"OK. Then I won't disturb you any more. Sleep well," you say.
"Mmmn thanks," Chouko replies.
... huh. Whoops? Well, not really. Just, uh. Bad timing, but no harm done, you suppose.
And finally... "Kyouko?"
"Yo. Still alive?" the redhead replies.
"No, I'm a ghost, back from the dead to haunt you," you reply, deadpan. You've reached the school gates again, and you watch as the teacher on duty starts taking down names for latecomers for a moment, before walking away.
"Go haunt someone else," she grunts. "Whatcha want?"
"To meet you for a talk, actually," you say. "I'll buy lunch or something, and cleanse your Soul Gem."
"Why? Whatcha want from me?" Kyouko asks, suspicion in her voice.
"To talk, honestly," you say. You turn down a secluded alley, and with a few ricochets, bound up to the rooftop of the apartment building. You plonk yourself down on a clean-looking vent, looking up at the sky.
"You're offerin' your cleanses?" she asks, still sounding suspicious.
"Yeah," you confirm.
"Ugh, fine," she says. "When's good?"
"Was going to ask you that, actually," you say.
"Y' think my schedule's particularly tight or something?" she asks. "You pick a time."
You shrug to yourself. "Well, lemme get back to you on that in a moment, then," you say.
"Sure, whatever," Kyouko says.
You close the connection, and reach out instead for the Grief marbles in your bag. You pull them up, forming them into a thin sheet that you wrap around yourself in a hollow sphere. There's not exactly a lot of Grief, and you're force to hunch over in the dark, cramped confines. A small effort of will, and a small segment starts glowing with a gentle luminescence, enough to read by. You focus your will, and you try to imbue the Grief with an absolute interdiction of outside observation.
The entire sphere, all around you, lights up with the distinctive feel of a Witch signature.
You smile in satisfaction, and reach for the notebook sealed in Grief, opening it up and starting to flip through it, looking for anything that might be happening today.
Nothing that much, it seems, but you find a mention of a glass Witch, written in a precise, delicate hand. A note beside it says that it doesn't show up every timeline, unlike... you flip through the notebook in the other direction, noting that some Witches are common, and others infrequent. Charlotte, for example, crossed out, appears nearly every timeline, apparently.
Which is... odd, considering Nagisa and Kyuubey's apparent complete disinterest in her. Hmm.
You check the book again - it does seem that there won't be much by way of notable Witches today. You're not sure if Homura recorded every Witch in here, though, probably just the more notable ones. She doesn't have a perfect memory, after all.
You sigh softly, considering what to- well, actually. You seal the book away in Grief again and dissolve the sphere, taking deep, grateful breaths of the fresh air outside the sphere. You're pretty sure you don't actually need to breathe, but the air in there was getting rather stale.
[] Write-in
=====​
Well, yeah, the sphere was airtight.
Last edited: Feb 24, 2015
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Feb 25, 2015

- #35,664

"Well," you mutter to yourself, leaning back on the vent to squint up at the clear skies. You take a few minutes to contemplate what to do with Kyouko, or even what you want from her. Though really, you're not entirely sure, if you're being perfectly honest with yourself. 'Being her friend' would be a start, you think.
Still, things to do first, namely, that one Witch. You'll see whether you can't intercept the magical girl. You hop off the vent and pivot on a foot, throwing your arms out in a grand bow to an audience that's not there, simultaneously transforming in a blaze of light.
"Hey, Kyouko?" you call. Best to let her know, when you'll be going over.
"Yeah? Coming over now?" the redhead asks, a slight edge in her voice.
"Ah, well, I've got something to investigate first, but I'll be headed over to meet you at about... nine-thirty, ten-ish?" you say. "Barring something unusual happening, I mean."
"Yeah, 'kay. I'll see whether I can clear some time off my busy, busy schedule for you," she drawls, a healthy heaping of sarcasm in her tone.
You roll your eyes as the connection closes. Someone's pissy.
You tuck away your Grief-sealed book, and with an effort of will, a handful of your Grief marbles circle your hand in a tight orbit. The majority of the Grief marbles dissolve under your will to form your wings, and they ripple out from your shoulders, the familiar deep, nearly black purple with unsettling, fractal patterns carved against the sky.
Well, it's not like you can help that.
You take flight with a leap, wings unfurling to their full length with a snap and bearing you skywards with great, thundering beats. Your coat flaps behind you in the rushing wind as you circle, gaining height.
You have a location and a rough time. That's enough, you hope, with a little help. You hold your hand out, with its circling bracelet of Grief marbles, and you focus. Detection.
Gold blooms in febrile tendrils, weaving across your hand to form that familiar, flared golden gauntlet, studded with sockets. The last thing to form is a gem set in the socket at the base of your middle finger. You blink at that for a moment, squinting against the wind. You're... fairly sure the gems don't actually mean much, and that you haven't actually created the -a?- Infinity Gauntlet, but... that's not where that Gem was last time.
... huh.
Shrugging that off, you focus, trying to sense. You frown, considering. You... well, there's nothing to detect at the moment, it seems. You soar across the city, heading for the location Homura noted down - one of Mitakihara's shopping districts, it seems.
"Sabrina?" Mami's voice sounds in your head.
"Hey, Mami! How are you?" you ask.
"Ah, we're having PE now!" Mami tells you. "We're playing basketball today."
"Oh, that sounds fun," you say, smiling to yourself.
"I... don't like it much," Mami confides. "It's... not my kind of game."
"Ahhh, well," you say sympathetically. "Well, it won't be too long, right?"
"It won't," she agrees. "It's just... I prefer volleyball. Or even swimming."
"Ahh," you say as you bank to the left, homing in on your destination. It'd taken you a while to get used to the layout of Mitakihara, but you think you've got a fairly good hang of it, now. "Hang in there, Mami!"
"I will," she promises firmly.
"Great!" you say, smiling.
"Ah... We're up now. I'll see you later?" Mami says.
"I'll do my best," you say firmly to her.
"Alright," Mami says. "See you, Sabrina."
"See you!" you say, wings beating as you come in for a landing, legs bending to absorb the impact with the roof.
You walk to the edge, looking around to orient yourself - you're on the roof of the mall now, and you think that... that would be the building where the Witch appears - a smaller apartment block. Good location, you can't help but think, looking at the entrance to the subway nearby.
You toss yourself into the air again, focusing on the gauntlet in your hand and trying to push your senses out to the maximum as you scan back and forth. You slowly spiral outwards, looking for either a Witch or a magical girl. You'd vastly prefer the latter, of course.
The city rolls by beneath you as you wing outwards in an ever expanding spiral, scanning carefully.
Nothing.
Zip.
Nada.
You even take the time to check the nearby school, one Yokosuka Middle School, and scan it carefully.
Nothing there, either.
Last resort, then. "Hey, Oriko?"
The seer's reply is sleepy and curt. "Yes, Sabrina?"
"Good morning!" you say cheerfully. "I'm searching for something, and wondered if you could give me any pointers."
Oriko grunts with nigh masculine skill. "And what is that something?"
"A Witch," you say. "Glass is its theme, apparently."
"I- one moment," Oriko says, cutting herself off mid sentence.
You coast in for a gentle landing on a convenient building, coat settling about your perch. You could probably do a reasonable Batman impression, you think to yourself as you wait for Oriko to get back to you. As an afterthought, you dissolve the gauntlet back into Grief, leaving just that one Grief ring on your little finger.
When she does a moment later, her mental voice is breathless and... considerably more cheerful. "First off, I'd ask if you should be talking about this over telepathy, but I am reasonably certain I know the answer. In any case, I do not know. 'A Witch themed after glass', and one which does not have any... prior impingement is... entirely too vague."
You sigh, standing and stretching, with your fingers interlaced and arms pushed out over your head. "Fair enough," you say, a hint of frustration leaking into your voice.
"You do realize that your every action affects events, right?" Oriko says drily. "Things may happen earlier, later, or not at all."
Well, she makes a fair point, you suppose. It might be worth your time to check again later, or tomorrow, or some such.
Then again, it might not.
"Well, fair enough," you say again. "Thanks. I'll leave you to your sleep, then."
"You're welcome," Oriko says, and closes the connection.
You grumble to yourself, and throw yourself skyward again. Time to go meet a certain redhead, and probably not possess her by means of a diary. Hm, then again, you do technically have a phylactery of sorts that coooouuuld possibly stand in.
... That's probably a bad idea, though.
"Hey, Kyouko," you call telepathically, reading out for the redhead. "I'm on my way over, should be there in, oh, fifteen minutes depending on whether SAL flight 002 catches a tailwind or so?
"... The fuck are you even going on about?" she asks, sounding more puzzled than anything.
"I'm flying over," you explain, as you bank towards the river, glittering in the distance. "I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Where can I meet you?"
"D'you even know much of Kasamino? Same park 's last time'll do," Kyouko says caustically.
"Gotcha. On my way," you say.
You turn your thoughts to science as you lance across downtown Mitakihara, coat snapping behind you like pennants in the wind. Dimensions. You've... got an idea about how Witch Barriers work, and perhaps an idea of how you can replicate them. Dimensional, literal spatial dimensions, fuckery. You muse on that for a bit. Maybe something for later today, or tomorrow?
You shrug lightly to yourself as you cut across the river, glittering far below in the morning sun, and you grin as you remember the last time you were here, and your jump across the river. Of course, you can fly now, but that was still fun.
You spot the park from above, and fold your wings, diving for it. You aim yourself at the denser foliage, where there's no one -visible, anyway-, flaring your wings out once before you hit the ground. The wings fade away into swirling storm clouds of loose Grief spiralling around you to coalesce into marbles, and you detransform, leaving yourself in a pale green blouse and darker skirt.
You can already sense Kyouko and Yuma approaching on the path as you stroll out to meet them - they probably saw you dropping in. As you walk, you reach up, fiddling with your wind-ruffled hair, trying to pat the messy strands back into a semblance of order.
You see them first - Kyouko and her adopted little sister walking side by side, both untransformed. "Hey, Kyouko, Yuma," you call out.
Kyouko's gaze snaps up to see you. "Yo," she says warily, around the stick of pocky hanging from her mouth.
"Sabrina!" Yuma greets exuberantly, waving happily at you. She looks considerably healthier than the last time you'd seen her, a bit more well fed, her eyes a little less hollow, and even looking like she'd cleaned up recently.
"Good morning," you say cheerfully, hiding a frown. You can sense Kyouko and Yuma's Soul Gems; while Yuma's is clean, you can feel the swirling corruption occluding Kyouko's. You purse your lips. "So, first order of business. Soul Gems?"
Yuma looks around with exaggerated motions, making sure no one's looking before holding up her hand, the gleaming orange egg of her Soul Gem forming on her outstretched palm.
Kyouko sighs. "Y' know, I'm beginning t' think that... ah, fuck it." She holds her hand out, crimson ruby of her Soul Gem shimmering into existence. You can see the filmy darkness swirling across the surface of the Gem in a rippling curtain, about a sixth or so, at a guess - and she doesn't seem to be carrying any more Grief Seeds, either.
A raised hand, and an effort of will tugs the Grief free in great, ropy torrents that you compress into marbles with practiced ease.
Kyouko watches silently as you cleanse her Soul Gem, leaving it gleaming. "Y' know, that's still bloody unnatural," she grunts half heartedly. Her mouth works, the stick of pocky disappearing before she replaces it with another one from her pocket.
"'Unnatural'?" You raise an eyebrow at her.
"Big sis, that's rude!" Yuma says, tugging at Kyouko's hand.
Kyouko blows out a breath, patting the younger girl on the head and giving her a stick of pocky, before looking up at you. "Eh. Thanks, anyway," she says reluctantly.
"No worries," you say, putting away the marbles into your bag. "So where do you want to eat? My treat, of course."
Kyouko sighs. "Same place 's last time, I guess," she says. "Come on, Yuma."
She takes the younger girl's hand, and without waiting to see if you're following, begins walking away. A telepathic communication floats back to you from her as you follow. "Square wi' me. Mami put you up to this? Promise I won't chase you off for it."
[] Write-in
=====​
Back in business.
Last edited: Feb 25, 2015
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