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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 Interloper pt. 34
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Apr 2, 2015

- #43,226

You can only look on helplessly as Homura virtually huddles in on herself.
"Homura? Please, talk to me?" you ask softly, reaching out to her hesitantly, before stopping your hand short of actually touching her.
She shakes her head slowly, eyes closed. "You..." she whispers a single word, before lapsing into silence again.
"Homura, please. What's... what's on your mind?" you ask, almost pleasing.
"My magic," she whispers, left arm shifting just far enough for the shield to clack against the side of the bench. Her head slumps back against the bench, lolling backwards.
A laugh, a strangled, choked thing. "You," she says, opening her eyes. Tired amethyst eyes fix themselves on you.
You?
You blink at her. You... think you've got an idea of what she means.
"You know," she says, eyes drifting to stare into the distance, through the open door of the lobby. "You know what's... what I've been through. How long I've... But you... I've never seen you before." Her hands close into white knuckled fists in her lap.
Yeah. She's said as much before, hasn't she?
"I'm here now, Homura," you say.
"Yes," she hisses before you can get any further, her voice quiet, but almost... edged, a tinge of desperation underlying every word. "I... we... you might actually win. We might beat Walpurgisnacht. We might..." she swallows, throat working convulsively. "We might keep Madoka safe. It's been so long..."
You nod in agreement. "Yeah, we wi-"
Homura shakes her head, a single sharp jerk to the side. "I... Oriko killed Madoka once. It... she isn't necessary. She k-killed Madoka. She could still be dangerous."
"Homura... you know that..." you bite your lip. "You know that I was terrified of Oriko when we first met, right?"
"Then why?" Homura asks, frustration leaking into her tone.
You exhale slowly, mind whirling. You have answers you could give. Could. Maybe should.
But...
You're not sure Homura needs an answer, right this moment.
She needs... reassurance.
Won't. Not yet.
"Homura?" you ask softly. "May I give you a hug?"
Her expression shifts, fear and worry giving way to faint annoyance, overshadowed by confusion. "I..." She breaks off, sighing. "Go ahead."
You reach out, wrapping your arms around her too-thin frame, and you hug her close. Despite everything, she slowly relaxes, body slumping against you. Too thin, too worn, still too tired despite everything.
[] Write-in
=====​
Short update today. Homura's not much of a talker.
Threadmarks Interloper pt. 35
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Apr 3, 2015

- #43,408

Even with your arms around Homura, it only takes an effort of will and the crook of a finger to pull the Grief seething in Homura's Soul Gem away. It's not really all that much, you find, but you can feel her relax slightly, a measure of the tension ebbing from her tightly wound shoulders, steel cord slowly unknotting.
You hold her for a long moment, your breathing and hers the only sound in the unnerving, oppressive silence of the timestop. You study the wall behind Homura, greyed out in the grip of her power. Your gaze wanders over the fresh paint, idly inspecting the small bumps and contours of the concrete underlying it.
"Homura?" you ask, voice slow and gentle. "I've never really explained the things I know to you, have I?"
The time traveller exhales slowly. "No," she says. She pulls back from your hug, and you let her, returning your hands to your lap.
"Well," you say, looking at Homura. "Some things... I just know. Straight up knowledge. But most things... most important things... I know... snippets, flashes of people's lives. Bits and pieces here and there, in the past, and in other timelines. That's why there's so much I don't know that you do, Homura."
Homura watches, amethyst eyes fixed on yours, faded purple against brilliant blue. "Bits and pieces?"
"The bits I do know tend to be... important," you say. "Key moments in people's lives." You smile, a bitter, ragged thing that quirks the side of your mouth up. So much you know, and sometimes, so little you can do. "So... I know who became the Sweets Witch after her mother died. I know what made Mami so fragile."
You tilt your head slightly to the side, still holding Homura's gaze with your own. "I know what wish Oriko made, and why she made it. I know what she holds dear, and what she'll fight for. I even know some things she hasn't realized about herself yet." Even if you're still debating about the specifics of it, you amend internally. "I've got a... good idea of what makes her tick. And under what circumstances she'll be dangerous."
Homura looks away from you, shoulders sagging.
"Homura..." you say gently, reaching out and touching her lightly on the shoulder again. This time, she doesn't flinch away, though you can feel her muscles quiver, tensing for a moment before she forces herself to relax. "Do you remember the question you asked her just before you killed her the first time?"
"No," she says, still not looking at you.
"'Why did you start this battle?'" you quote. "'To protect my world.'" You smile, and pause, letting it sink in. "Right now, we're working towards the same goal, and sh-" You cut yourself off as Homura shakes her head.
"Enough," she says. "I... I can't convince you." She pauses, taking a ragged breath. "And I can't... I can't force you to help me."
"You don't have to, Homura," you say. "I'm with you, Homura. We are going to succe-"
The time traveller holds up a hand, cutting you off. "Enough," she says again, voice quiet and even. Measured. "I... you'll fight with me, right?"
"Yeah. Of course," you say, nodding.
"Alright," she says, looking back at you. Her expression's still... strained, at the edges, but you can see she's fighting for control, her worry subsumed under her more customary poker face.
"By the way, Homura," you say, watching Homura. "What's with the 'you'? It's we, Homura. I can't do it without you, and we're in this together. In the end, it's up to us to succeed - and we will, Homura. We can beat Walpurgisnacht and whatever else might come. And we're going to make a world where Madoka doesn't feel like she needs to contract to fix things or to help people."
You give her a little smile. "And the more help we can use, the better."
Homura nods again, blowing out a slow, measured breath with her eyes closed. "Is there anything else?" she asks, opening eyes of faded lilac to regard you impassively.
[] Write-in
=====​
Tsk.
Last edited: Apr 3, 2015
Threadmarks Interloper pt. 36
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Apr 4, 2015

- #43,626

You fall silent for a moment, an icy sensation settling into your gut. Homura's impassive stare remains resting lightly on you, tired amethyst eyes regarding you steadily. You...
You messed up.
You... you upset Homura. Of all people, you upset Homura.
And... that...
You swallow thickly, finding that there's a lump in your throat that doesn't seem to want to move.
"I'm doing it again, aren't I?" you say. Whisper, really. "I'm acting like I know best and everyone else should just follow my instructions."
Homura's expressionless gaze doesn't shift.
For some reason, you find it very hard to meet her eyes.
"I..." You take a shuddering breath. "I'm sorry, Homura. I... you didn't deserve that. You, I. I'm terrible at reading between the lines. You were... you want me to trust you. And I, I didn't even notice."
The time traveller exhales slowly in a soft sigh, eyes closing for a moment. "I wasn't," she says. "I just want threats to Madoka eliminated."
"I... Homura," you say, voice cracking. "You have... good reasons to distrust Oriko. And I, I'm sorry that I just ignored them. I'm sorry for... I'm sorry all that. For not noticing, and for dismissing you." You scrub at your eyes with the heel of your palm.
A minute shake of her head. "It's fine."
Your gaze drops from Homura's.
You stare at your hands, folded in your lap over the dark green skirt you'd bought in that shopping trip in what feels like an age ago. Slender, delicate fingers, held loosely.
"I do trust you, Homura," you whisper. "You... I let you think otherwise, and that's wrong. I... I trust you so completely and implictly that I take you for granted. I feel like... if you raise the slightest objection, I have to justify myself to you."
No response from Homura, but you can hear her breathing, loud in contrast to the pervasive silence of the timestop.
You smile at your lap, a bitter, jagged thing. "I should have realised. That I was hurting you. And. I'm sorry for that, too. I... when you don't say anything, I... I guess I just figure everything must be OK. But I..." you laugh bitterly. "I should know better."
So much you know. So much you see. And yet... so much you miss.
The rustle of cloth, Homura shifting on the bench beside you. "Cleanse your Soul Gem," Homura says quietly.
You sigh, reaching across with your free hand and touching a trembling finger to your Soul Gem. As you pull your finger away, a seething torrent of Grief billows into the air, and a faint, ephemeral pressure lifts from your shoulders. You stare at the roiling cloud of despair for a moment, before an effort of will crushes it down into marbles.
"I... thanks," you say. "Thanks, Homura."
The two of you sit quietly for a moment.
How can you make this right?
"I'll listen to you. And I... I'll be more careful," you begin slowly. Somehow,it feels like you've made that promise before.
It didn't stick then, either, did it?
"But... I don't want to give up on them." You doubt you have to specify on who 'them' is. "I... I maybe I'm wrong, but... I do think we'd... benefit from having them on our side, and I will be more cautious."
"Fine," Homura says.
"I won't let Oriko hurt Madoka," you say, looking back up at Homura, hoping to see anything on her face. "I... I won't. But... Homura, what can I do? To... address your worries? I... if she runs, I'll find her. I don't care if I have to search every crevice, every crack in this city to find her."
Her face remains impassive as she answers. "It's fine," Homura says.
A quick dart of your tongue over dry, cracked lips. "I... You're right, I've been trusting Oriko too much," you say. "I... I'd like you to keep me from making a mistake in my trust for her. If you're willing. I could run what she tells me by you? Or..." you shake your head. "You can listen in, when I talk to her by telepathy, and come along when I go to meet her?"
Homura's quiet for a moment, before she finally speaks again. "Telepathy is fine," she says.
"OK," you agree quickly. "I... Homura, is there anything else I can do?"
She sighs, looking away. "No. It's fine."
"I..." you trail off.
'It's fine.' But it's... not, is it. And you're not sure what you can do, what you can say, right now.
You huff out a slow sigh. You... guess you'll tell her some of what Oriko's told you. You said you would. "I, then... the most recent thing is... do you know about the Soujos? Ayase and Luca Soujo?"
Homura shakes her head.
"They're... two magical girls in one body. They hunt and collect Soul Gems," you explain. "That much I... know. But Oriko's predicted that they'll be here in about two weeks, and I... I'd rather like to pre-empt that, and recover the Soul Gems she's collected."
Eyes of tired, faded lilac regard you for a long moment. "She's making you stretch yourself thin," Homura observes.
"I... can't deny that," you say. "But I... I'm not sure how that would be her plan, either."
Homura shrugs fractionally.
"Though. Well." You pause, thinking. For a mad moment, you almost blurt out that she might actually be, in some odd timey-wimey way, your mother. Anything to break her icy glare, even if only to replace it for confusion. The moment passes, and instead, you continue on. "I... I agreed to help the Sendai, University and Ishinomaki groups. Help them cleanse their Soul Gems and refresh their Grief Seeds."
Her head tilts slightly, and she nods slowly. "Will they help for Walpurgisnacht?"
You sigh. Can't say you didn't expect that option. "I don't know. I haven't asked them yet."
She nods, a slow bob of her head.
"Then... one last thing," you say. "I... I want to tell Mami. It doesn't sit right with me to have Mami left out. I... can we? As much as we can... reasonably tell her. About the loops. About Madoka and Sayaka... 'dying', if they contract, and about... me."
A flicker of a grimace crosses Homura's face. "No."
You sag. You... can't say you didn't expect that. Here and now. Maybe... another time.
"I... alright, then," you say. "If there's... anything else I can do, please tell me. I... I know you're going to worry no matter what, but... the least I can do is try to alleviate as much of it as I can."
Homura nods quietly, shifting on the bench again. The conversation lapses again, the both of you mired in silence.
Finally, Homura stirs. "Nothing else?" she asks.
[] Write-in
=====​
What someone says and what they mean can well be different things.
Next vote probably brings you back to Mumi, so vote accordingly.
Threadmarks Interloper pt. 37
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Apr 5, 2015

- #43,878

You let out another shuddering breath. "No," you say. Nothing else. Nothing else you can think of doing. "Just... give me a moment?"
Homura nods.
You close your eyes, hunching over and pressing the heels of your palms against your eyelids.
And you let yourself breathe, slow breaths pushing out between your hands as you try to collect yourself.
A few moments later, you straighten again. "Alright," you say, pushing yourself to your feet. A light tug on your wrist reminds you of the string tying you back to Homura. The time traveller rises with you, before turning to face you fully, one hand on the string around her own wrist and an expectant look in her eyes.
You sigh. "OK, I'm good," you say. "And Homura, I'm sorry. I truly am."
Homura hesitates for a moment, the harsh lines around her amethyst eyes softening for a moment. "See you tomorrow," she murmurs, and with a twist of her hand, the string fa-
-lls away, and you're left staring at empty space where Homura used to be. The thunder of cars and distant murmur of Mitakihara city, muffled by the lobby doors, fills your ears, and the gentle pastels of the apartment lobby meets your eyes. Riotous noise and colour, after the oppressive blanket of the timestop.
"Sabrina? Are you OK?" You look up to see Mami looking at you as she waits for the lift, an inquisitive, faintly worried look in her eyes.
You take a slow breath. "I... not-" You stumble over your words.
Mami's at your side in an instant, warm arms enfolding you in a hug. "Sabrina?" she asks, peering up at you in worry.
"I... no," you say. "I just talked to Homura, and it... didn't go well."
Incomprehension shutters across Mami's face, quickly replaced by unhappiness, worry filling her golden eyes. "Homura? What happened, Sabrina?"
The lift chooses to arrive at this moment, the doors sliding open with an incongruously cheerful ding. "I, no. Can we... Let's go home, first," you mutter.
"Of course," Mami agrees, loosening her hug. She keeps one arm around you, though, hugging you close as the elevator doors slide shut and you ascend back up to Mami's apartment.
You drop into the sofa when you get home, letting yourself sag back into the soft cushions. Mami locks the door with a click, and rushes over to wrap you in a hug again. "Sabrina, what's... what's wrong?"
You sigh again. "I... I'm OK. Just... I messed up," you admit.
"Sabrina, no..." Mami says, voice soft and reassuring as she leans against you, hug tightening.
You pause for a moment, mouth twisting in an unhappy grimace. "Do you think... Oriko and Kirika. Homura doesn't trust them, and..." you swallow. That lump in your throat hasn't moved. "I think she trusts me less now, too..."
"I... no, Sabrina, you... have your reasons," Mami says, her hand shifting to rest atop yours and squeezing lightly.
"I'd like to think I do," you say, staring blankly at the city past the enormous glass windows. Rivers of car headlights pour through the streets below in their neverending streams. "But... I'm so blind. I... she was... Homura wanted me to trust her. Trust her. And I didn't even see it until... until I'd already upset her."
Another squeeze of your hand. "Sabrina, it's alright," Mami says. "You... you couldn't have known."
"I should have," you say. "I should have... Homura's one of my friends, and I want to help her."
Mami shakes her head, no. "Oh, Sabrina..." she says. "You don't have to take everything on yourself."
"I..." you start, before trailing off, and sighing gustily. "I didn't see what she actually wanted, and I tried to... argue, like it was about winning a debate. I... What else have I missed?"
Mami's hug around you tightens, pulling you against her. She doesn't say anything, this time, simply holding you close and letting you draw comfort from her. You wrap your arms around her, hugging her in return.
"Sabrina..." she says, sadness and pride and fondness mixing in her warm voice. There's iron conviction in her tone as she speaks. "You do so much for everyone you know. You don't have to blame yourself for not being perfect."
You don't respond, simply sitting in silence. The only sound in the apartment is the ticking of the clock on the wall, and the sounds of breathing, slow and steady.
Mami continues speaking, voice low and soothing. "Homura... maybe she's upset with you. But I think... she'll forgive you. Who wouldn't?"
"Mmm," you say, not quite agreeing, not quite disagreeing. But... she's right, isn't she? You let yourself mull over it as you lapse into silence, Mami simply holding you and allowing you time to recover.
Eventually, you stir, and pull back, keeping one hand on hers. You give Mami a weak, thankful smile. "Thank you, Mami," you say.
She squeezes your hand, smiling warmly at you and shaking her head fractionally. "I... Sabrina, you don't have to thank me," she says. "You've done so much for me."
You shake your head in disagreement, but you hold your tongue. Your smile firms as you meet Mami's warm, honey eyes, and you straighten. A crook of your finger has Grief streaming out from your Soul Gem in a billowing torrent that you force down into marbles. Not very many of them. You give Mami a questioning look, and she holds her left hand, bearing her Soul Gem ring, out to you.
You take her hand in your own, and an effort of will pulls Grief out from that, too. Not too much of it, you're glad to see.
"I'm... I'm OK," you say, taking a deep breath, and blowing it out, feeling... lighter, like a load's been lifted off your chest, more than what cleansing yourself of accumulated corruption did. You... you made a mistake. That's still true. But Mami's right, isn't she? It's not irrecoverable.
"Good," Mami says, smiling.
"Alright," you say. "I... I'd apologize for taking up your time, but... no. Mami, what would you like to do tonight? I could help you study, and maybe a Witch hunt later?"
Mami considers this for a moment. "That sounds good," she says. She pauses for a moment, before asking in a cautious tone, "I... do you want to invite Homura for the Witch hunt?"
[] Write-in
=====​
Turnabout.
Threadmarks Interloper pt. 38
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Apr 7, 2015

- #44,103

"I'm... not sure," you admit. "She did say she'd see us tomorrow, so, well. Maybe I should just give her her space tonight?" you muse out loud. "Umm. Do you think it's a good idea, Mami? I've... already messed up once, tonight."
Mami's hand, still held in yours, turns to grip yours and squeezes lightly. She gives you a warm, reassuring smile. "I think tonight would be too soon. That said," she purses her lips in a moment of thought. "I think you should talk to her tomorrow, maybe? You shouldn't leave it to fester too long."
You nod. "OK," you say, squeezing her hand back. "That sounds like a plan." Probably more of a plan than you have, if you're being honest with yourself. "And, Mami?"
"Mm?" the blonde asks.
"I'm sorry if I made you worry," you say.
Mami shakes her head in disagreement, hair-drills flapping. "Sabrina, no. I... you've done so much for me. It's the least I can do," she says.
You huff out a sigh.
Certainly you've done a lot for Mami. Some days, though, you wonder whether it was for the best. The least awful option, perhaps. You can hardly say that her... fixation on you is the healthiest thing in the world, though.
"We'll agree to disagree," you say, forcing a smile onto your face. "Anyway. I believe you have studying to get to?"
Mami pouts. "I suppose so," she says, not making any movements to get up from her position, comfortably ensconced in your side.
You push yourself to your feet, and then turn to offer Mami a hand and a smile. She accepts your hand, and lets you pull her to her feet.
"Hmm," Mami says as she pads over to the shelf to collect her schoolbag. "We had math today, so I should revise that, and I suppose... I think there's going to be a makeup test for geography. I should study for that, too." Mami returns to the coffee table in front of the sofa, curling her legs under her and pulling a textbook out.
"Alright," you say. You perch yourself on the sofa so that you can look over her shoulder as she settles down. She tilts her head up to look at you, and you smile down at her, patting her hair. She giggles, and looks back down at her work.
Time passes slowly, Mami studying in quiet contentment as you peer over her shoulder, helping with mistakes and clarifying the more tricky bits. You help to quiz her every now and then, too.
Eventually, Mami pushes the books away and leans back against your legs, stretching luxuriously. "I think I'm done for the night," she says, twisting from side to side. She peers up at you again, smiling. "Thank you for your help, Sabrina!"
"No problem, Mami," you say, smiling and leaning down to give her a hug. "Are you feeling up to the Witch hunt?"
"Yes, I think so," Mami says, nodding against your hug.
"Well then," you say, releasing the hug and hopping lightly to your feet. "Shall we?"
"Let's!" Mami agrees, starting to pack away her books with quick, eager motions.
You grab your sling bag from off the shelf, hearing the marbles clack against each other inside the bag. In your other senses, you can feel the the looming mountain of Grief spheres brooding on the roof of the building.
Mami finishes packing, and joins you by the shelf, replacing her bag. A few minutes later, the two of you putting on your shoes. You debate suggesting taking Mami on a magic carpe- Grief carpet ride, but ultimately decide not to.
"I think we'll cover the north western area tonight," Mami calls back as she locks the door.
"Sure, Mami," you agree. The two of you are soon hopping along the rooftops, looping out across Mitakihara on a broad arc, headed north west. You see the tall spire of the DBJ on your right, standing tall in the glittering heart of the city. Dim lights glow up from below, cars flowing in rivers of lights across the roads below as the two of you leap across the yawning chasms.
You're quite glad you don't actually seem to experience vertigo.
"Oh, that's new," Mami says as the two of you touch down on a roof.
You shoot her a quick smile, and a questioning look. "Hmmm? What is?"
"The shopping center," Mami explains, pointing at the building in question as she pushes off the rooftop. "It was still under construction... two weeks ago?"
You leap after Mami, turning to peer at the distant structure, brilliantly lit. "Oh, neat," you say. "Maybe we could come here some time?"
"That sounds great," Mami agrees.
"Mmm," you hum in contentment, the sound lost in the wind rushing past you.
A moment later, you sense a Barrier, glowing on the edge of your senses. "Mami, this way," you call out, veering off to the left.
"Ah?" Mami says, following you.
You touch down on the rooftop of a seemingly newly constructed building. An apartment block, one so new that there's still that protective plastic layer stuck on the windows. You can sense the Witch Barrier, somewhere inside the building.
Mami shoots you a quick smile as the two of you wind your way down the stairwell into the depths of the building. The interior's nearly pitch dark, save for what little light penetrates the plastic coating the windows, but you home unerringly in on the Barrier, and find it on the... you think this might be the seventh floor. Not like you were counting.
Behind you, the masses of Grief from Aurora follow you down the corridor - you'll probably need to bring it into the Barrier with you if you don't want it to disperse, or... whatever it does when large quantities of Grief are freed of your control. Come to that, you probably have enough Grief to make a mech to fight the Witch with.
You and Mami stand in front of the glowing slit in reality. She smiles at you. "Shall we?"
[] Write-in
=====​
Witch tiem.
Threadmarks Interloper pt. 39
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Apr 8, 2015

- #44,396

"Yes, let's go," you say, rolling your neck. You take a step forward, plunging into the Barrier hanging on the wall in front of you.
Scorching heat blasts into your face. Your skin feels tight and dry as you fight your instinctive revulsion at the sensation of Witch, Witch Witch all around you. You look around the Barrier as Mami appears behind you.
You're standing on dry, cracked soil that's a solid, orangey-pink hue. Around you, smokeless fires roar in virtual walls, enormous pillars of scorching heat scattered across the rolling hills of the landscape, flames blazing up well past your head. Infernos gout up into the sky, plumes bursting and rising in tremendous fireballs. The air above you shimmers with the heat.
Despite the heat, you're not sweating.
"Cheery place," you say, smiling at Mami. She smiles back, looking around at the fiery, apocalyptic landscape.
"It certainly is," Mami agrees, heavy irony in her voice.
You huff out a breath, glancing at the masses of Grief that followed you into the Barrier, a titanic mass of spheres cast in a deep purple so dark it's nearly black.
Honestly, goofing off a little, just a little, with your powers, sounds good. You've... put yourself through a lot of self recrimination lately, haven't you? And, well, maybe you deserve some of it, but then again, maybe not. You've done some good, at least. And you can afford to have a little fun, you think.
You smile.
"Hey, Mami?" you say.
"Mmm?" she asks, looking at you.
"I'm going to try something," you say.
Mami bites her lip. "Be careful, Sabrina," she says. "I'll keep watch?"
"Yeah, I will," you agree. "And... this shouldn't be dangerous, just... bigger than anything I've done before."
Mami nods, 'pulling' one of her trademark muskets from her sleeve and raising it to a half alert position as she scans the landscape around you.
You take a deep breath, turning to face at the masses of Grief drifting slowly through the air. You take two steps towards it, stopping just shy of touching range.
And you focus. Grief. Raw material that you can work with. You've never tried anything quite on this scale before, but you've never had any trouble before, have you?
You thrust one clawed hand skywards. The Grief leaps into the air, deep purple spheres soaking in the light cast by the fires of the Witch's Barrier. You gesture, arms swinging open in a grandiose gesture. You pivot to face Mami, a broad smile on your face and arms spread wide as you sweep into a bow.
You don't need to look behind you to see what's happening - you can feel every speck of Grief freewheeling across the backdrop of flame. Heavy sloped slabs of Grief, adamantine armour layered over a supporting skeleton of armour to form a hulking, bulky form that tapers off to a long tail.
A pair of powerful, stocky legs slam into the ground, supporting the enormous weight of the body, and a smaller pair of arms form further up the body. Huge, swept back spikes run the length of its back from head to tail, lending it a cruelly dangerous look. Its body stands at an angle, leaning forward so that an angular, jagged head can leer down at you with a pair of jaws filled with starkly defined teeth. Deepset eyes glare down at the pair of puny girls standing at its feet, eyes that could, in an instant, kindle to life with fearsome power at your will.
From the belly of the beast leers a caricature of a face, a huge, angular mouth yawning wide in an enormous smirk. Over the eyes juts an enormous, triangular pair of sunglasses, glinting in the light.
You straighten from your bow, grinning widely enough to do your mecha proud. "Would you care for a ride, Mami?" A twist of will, and behind you, the mecha you built takes a step back, and it dips into a low crouch, presenting the cavity in the top of its head -the cockpit, one with a single chair and a console full of switches in front of it- to you.
Mami stares, eyes wide in shock and surprise. Slowly, she blinks once, and then she throws her head back and laughs, clear peals ringing out in stark defiance of the Barrier. She steps forward and throws her arms around you, still laughing.
"Oh, Sabrina," she gasps between breathless, bubbling giggles. "I-is that mecha Godzilla? And Gurren Laggan?"
You pout. "Well," you say. "Not to put too fine a point on it... Yes. Yes, it is."
That draws a fresh round of laughter from her. "Oh Sabrina," Mami gasps. "I- I'm sorry for laughing, Sabrina, but it's Mecha Godzilla Gurren Laggan."
You begin laughing yourself. "N-no, that's q-quite OK. It is a bit overdone." You grin up at the cockpit of the mecha - well. You say cockpit, really, it's a chair. "Hey, Mami, I'm going to finish this up, OK? It's... going to feel like a Witch."
Mami nods, still giggling as she steps back to give you room to work. Despite her mirth, through, her eyes are still alert, darting around the Barrier.
You turn back to your MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN. Allcaps, even inside your head, because it absolutely deserves it. You clap your hands together, and focus, once more. You could make the drill key, but then again, nah, you're only going to take this reference so far.
Colour blooms to vivid life, washing over the MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN in brilliant blue and grey, the same colours of your costume. Solid Grief turns to metal, and bearings, and servoes, impossibly strong to support an impossible construct. White highlights accentuate the leering face cast across its belly, and scintillating yellow light kindles to life in the eyes of both faces.
Witch.
The fires dotting the landscape crackle louder, plumes of fire bursting into the air more energetically.
"Sabrina!" Mami's voice calls in warning, and her musket thunders out a shot.
You spin just in time to see the shot punch into one of the walls of flame- they're moving.
You look around frantically.
The patches, the walls of flame are closing in on you.
Another shot booms out, hissing harmlessly through the wall of flame. "I think the Familiars are inside the fire!" Mami calls.
"Mami, c'mon!" you say, taking a long step forward and hopping up to the cockpit riding atop MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN's head in a single smooth, flowing motion. You turn, holding a hand out to Mami.
She nods, and tosses the musket aside, leaping to join you in the cockpit.
An effort of will, and MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN rears back, roaring defiance against the scintillating heat of the sky above, with the two of you effortlessly staying balanced in the cockpit, supported by grips on the chair back. Another twist of your mind, and the cockpit seals shut, the walls turning perfectly transparent. A vent in the console clicks open, and cool air starts blowing out, bringing welcome relief from the heat.
Mami lets out a surprised laugh. "I... this feels strange, but... this is amazing, Sabrina," she says.
"And the air conditioning's nice, too," you say. You focus for another split second, and one chair becomes two, side by side.
"True," Mami agrees. "Hmm... how do we fight from in here?"
"Well," you say, frowning. MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN shifts its weight, one mighty, clawed foot lifting and stepping on one of the patches of fire crowding around its knees, snuffing it out. "Bit slow, though," you say critically.
Mami chuckles. "Could you make me some openings? Run... channels to the arms?"
"Sure," you say. An effort of will opens up small, hollow pipes running from the bottom of the cockpit, dozens of little holes opening along the forearms of your mecha. Mami gives you a smile, and raises her hand, ribbons unfurling and spreading in a golden cascade to plunge into the openings.
A moment later, dozens of muskets poke out of the openings on your titan's arms.
"Well," you grin. "I can work with this."
Mami shoots you a quick smile, and frowns in concentration. Intuiting what she's going to do, you shift MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN's arms to a better firing position, aiming down at the Familiars crowding around the feet of your mecha. Stuttering, staggered booms sound, and shots rain down in a fusillade. Some of the Familiars are snuffed out, gouts of fire vanishing.
"Off centre, clever," Mami says, nodding. The muskets eject from the firing ports, unravelling as they fall to the ground, far below.
"Well," you say. "Let's get to it." You drop into one of the chairs -nicely cushioned with real Grief-leather- and motion for Mami to do the same. She obliges with a smile, and MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN starts forward.
One mighty step forward for a mecha, one giant setback for half a dozen Familiars. The ones under your feet, specifically. Golden shots slam down from MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN, thunderbolts roaring down with unerring accuracy to wreak havoc amongst the blazing firestorms. Under your will, MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN shifts to the side, pivoting on one foot, its massive, spiked whirling forward to pound Familiars into the ground, bursts of flame sputtering out in pitiful coughs.
You march forward, the Familiars trying, and failing to retaliate against the invading titan in their land. You leave behind you... well, nothing in particular, but a trail of enormous clawed footprints in the dry, red soil.
Motion in the corner of your eye, and you swivel your chair to take a better look. Something massive, a tremendous cloud of obscuring, roiling black smoke thundering across the landscape.
"Uh, Mami, is that..." you start.
"Witch," Mami agrees. "Um, should we..." She gestures around at the cockpit.
[] Kaiju fight tiem
[] Fight on foot
[] Write-in
=====​
ENEMY TEAM IS BABIES. EXCEPT THAT GUY.
No seriously. Giant mecha versus Familiars. What did you expect?
Threadmarks Interloper pt. 40
- View content

#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Apr 9, 2015

- #44,552

"We can take it," you say. "Together." You shoot Mami a broad grin.
An answering smile. "Together."
You glance back at the still distant Witch, MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN's feet shifting idly to crush one of the few Familiars remaining. Well, what you see is a tremendous cloud of noxious black smoke rolling across the landscape.
You can fix that.
You will MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN forward. The ground trembles under the thunder of two steps of footsteps, yours, and the Witch's. You pick up speed, keeping the cockpit steady but for the tremors reverberating up the body of your mecha with each footfall slamming into the ground. Mami laughs in startled delight from the chair next to yours.
Despite that, though, the muskets bristling from the form of MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN remain steady, hammering out shots and falling away to make way for new ones in a rapidfire, cracking rhythm. Musketballs lance out, punching into the distant cloud of smoke to no discernable effect.
"Sabrina!" Mami call as you guide the mecha forward.
"Yes?" you ask, sparing her a glance.
"Give me the shoulders!" Mami says.
"What?"
"Mecha Godzilla has shoulder cannons!" Mami answers.
"Oh!" You shoot her a bright smile, finding a delighted, answering grin coming right back at you. An effort of will, and two holes yawn in the floor, openings to tubes threading through MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN's body to its shoulders. Without hesitation, Mami snaps her hands out, ribbons unfurling in golden blossoms.
You glance at the roiling bank of smoke. Close enough.
MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN's jaw yawns open. And it roars.
Thunder shatters the air. A blast, a pure concussive shockwave, tears through the air and slams into the bank of smoke.
The concealing black smoke rips off the form beneath. A nightmarish shape, plunges out of the smoke, six spikes of legs in harsh angles supporting a high stepping, arachnoid body, built along the same slender, serrated lines. Vicious, predatory mandibles hang from its head, jagged, and angular, perfect for ripping and tearing. The entire Witch seems to be roughly hewn of wood, scorched black. Trailing, bright coloured ribbons stream back, mingling with eddying wisps of noxious smoke.
You slam into it, bowling it over backwards. Mandibles, titanic and vicious, scissor past your cockpit. You grin, and MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN lunges and bites. Charcoaled wood crunches under your own jaws. The Witch screams, and scuttles back with surprising speed, ribbons waving with the motion. Smoke eddys around its nightmarish form.
"Ready!" Mami says, at your side.
A quick glance. Two enormous cannons gleam on MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN's shoulders. They're easily double the size of Mami's normal Tiro Finales, filigreed and ornate. You eye the Witch. It's fast and nimble for something that size.
You shoot Mami an exhilarated grin. "Let me pin it first."
Mami nods, returning the grin with one just as eager.
At your will, MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN pounds forward, stocky legs kicking hard. You swing to the side, and the tail whips in a tight circle to smash into the nightmare bulk of the Witch. It accepts the blow and lunges at your torso, mandibles snapping.
You can't grapple - arms too short. But MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN has teeth.
Tremendous jaws bite into the wooden flesh of the Witch, cleaving and rending.
The Witch screams, ripping wood and crunching charcoal accompanying the sound.
You gesture, and MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN leans back. One stocky leg rockets up to slam into the Witch with monstrous force. The kick bowls it over backwards, and you storm forward. One foot, clawed and powerful, slams down onto its body. MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN leans forward, leering down at its pinned foe.
"Mam-"
"TIRO! FINALE!" Mami yells.
Thunder.
The cannons kick against MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN's shoulder. Two titanic shots slam into the Witch, and charcoaled wood shatters. Splinters fly, pinging off the cockpit and scattering across the landscape.
Your mecha's foot crunches through suddenly frangible wood, ploughing into the ground with an enormous jolt.
You feel the Witch die, quivering tendrils of magic beginning to fade.
You grin at Mami. "Job's done!"
Mami laughs, clear as a ringing bell. "Yes, it is!"
MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN kneels as the Barrier wavers like a mirage in a breeze, and the cockpit opens, letting in the still scorching air of the Barrier. You hop out, turning to offer Mami a hand. She accepts it with a smile, and the two of you step out.
An effort of will dissolves the construct -you don't exactly want to drop a five story tall mecha Godzilla into the middle of an apartment block- and you hang on to the Grief amidst the malestrom of the dissolving Barrier.
Bubbling laughter, and Mami wraps you in a delighted hug as the two of you are unceremoniously returned to reality in another corridor of the same apartment block. The Grief Seed pings to the floor at the far end of the corridor. "T-that, that was amazing, Sabrina!" Mami gasps from in between giggles.
"Yeah, that was fun," you agree happily.
The giggles slowly taper off, and Mami pulls back, still smiling broadly. "But don't forget, Sabrina, that Witches can be very dangerous," she admonishes, trying to be serious. She can't supress the smile quirking the corners of her lips, though.
"Yeah, I know," you say soberly. "But... it worked out, in the end, right?"
Mami giggles again. "It did!"
You hug her again. "Glad you had fun," you say.
"I did!" Mami says.
"I didn't get to use the eyelasers, though," you note.
Mami pats you on the back. "There'll be other opportunities," she says.
"True," you agree. You're... probably going to give most of that Grief to Kyuubey soon, though, considering the sheer bulk of it.
You separate from Mami, and trot down the corridor to pick up the Grief Seed, pushing aside the spheres of Grief packing said corridor. Footsteps behind you, as Mami follows you closely.
You turn to Mami, smiling, and firmly press the Grief Seed into her hand. "This is yours, Mami," you say.
"You did most of the work," Mami demurs, pushing the Grief Seed back to you.
"I don't need it, Mami," you say. "Really, you should have it."
"Neither do I," she says, smiling warmly at you. "But... thank you." She accepts the Seed, slipping it away somewhere in her costume.
You smile, nodding. "Shall we continue on, then?"
"Yes, we should," Mami says. "Clock's ticking, and it's getting late."
"Let's go, then," you say, starting for the stairwell.
The two of you are soon hopping along the rooftops again, leaping across the canyons of the urban cityscape and looking down at all the people, the cars, travelling the roads. The cool, crisp night air comes as a welcome relief after the burning air of the Witch's Barrier, and you follow Mami on the patrol route.
The patrol continues without further incident, and you eventually arrive home, making your way from the roof down to Mami's apartment. You step in, calling out a cheerful, "I'm home!"
"Welcome home," Mami says, following you in.
You flop over on the sofa, dropping your bag on the floor and patting the dust off your blouse and skirt. "Whoo," you say. "That was good fun."
"It was," Mami agrees, settling down beside you to nestle into your side. "Mecha Godzilla! And Gurren Laggan!" She giggles again. "How did you even think of that one?"
You shrug. "I have no idea," you admit, reaching an arm out for the television remote. Finding it obdurately out of your grasp, and unwilling to stir from your current position, you will a few Grief marbles to grab the remote for you instead. Remote in hand, you click the television on. "And it's MECHA GUREN ZILLA LAGANN," you correct her.
"Oh, Sabrina," Mami says, a familiar, fond tone in her voice.
"... local politician Rokuro Himura proposes plan to revitalized Mitakihara's ailing industrial district..."
You chuckle. "Well, it worked!" you say. "And don't think I didn't notice the Tiro Finales, Mami!"
"Well, I can't really make them that big, normally," Mami says, smiling.
"... weather for tomorrow looks cloudy over most of Mitakihara..."
"Ah, I see," you say. "And that reminds me. Cleansing?"
Mami nods, idly holding up her hand. A small twist of will sets Grief streaming free from both your Soul Gems, collapsing into marbles that slide into your bag without fuss. That done, you drag the bag over to the shelf by the marbles inside it.
"... in sports, local basketball team..."
"Say, Mami?" you ask.
"Mmm?" She tilts her head slightly to look up at you with half lidded golden eyes, a contented smile on her face.
"Could you help me with enchantment, some time?" you ask. "I'm not really making much progress by myself."
"Of course, Sabrina," Mami agrees, reaching up to pat your shoulder. "When would be good?"
"Eh," you shrug. "Maybe one of these days?"
"... the time now is eleven o'clock..."
Mami stirs, and sits upright, stretching. "Would you like to use the shower first, Sabrina?" she asks.
"Nah, you can go ahead," you say, likewise stretching. "I'll be right here when you're done, OK?"
Mami nods. "OK," she says, and walks to the shower.
You smile to yourself in contentment, contemplating what comes next. Bed, of course, and things... things need to change, you feel. Simply make it casual, make it a matter of course, you think?
The door clicks open behind you, and you turn. Her eyes are a touch anxious, but she relaxes when she sees you, and you smile at her. "Your turn," she says, raising the towel in her hands to dry her hair.
"Alright," you say, smiling as you walk past her.
It doesn't take too long for you to finish your shower, and the two of you head to the bedroom. "Mami?" you ask, tone slow and cautious.
"Yes, Sabrina?" she asks, looking curiously at you.
"I... Mami, it's a little silly, with the mattress and all," you say. "Do you mind if I, you know..." you trail off, and wave at the bed.
"I- eh? You m-mean-" Mami stutter, blushing. "Bed?"
"Yeah," you say. "Do you mind?"
"N-no, n-not at all," Mami says, blushing.
"Alright, then," you say, bending down to pull your pillow and blanket off the mattress. "We'll put this away tomorrow?"
"A-alright," Mami says, standing stock still and watching you lean the mattress against the wall.
You sit on the bed, and pat the space beside you. Hesitantly, Mami walks over and sits down. You manuveur to the other side of the bed, and lie down. The mattress beside you dimples as Mami also lies down, and moving slowly and tentatively, Mami wraps an arm around you.
"Good night, Mami," you say, reaching an arm up to pat Mami's.
"... good night, Sabrina," Mami says, arm tightening around you.
As you drift off to sleep, Mami cuddled into your side, a single thought drifts across your mind.
Madokami forbid Oriko or Kirika finding out about this. You'd never hear the end of it.
[] Write-in
=====​
The railgun didn't happen because, well... this flowed better? *shrug*
And here ends Book two, chapter two: Interloper.
Last edited: Apr 10, 2015
Threadmarks Our Benefactor pt. 1
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Apr 11, 2015

- #44,873

You awaken to warm limbs wrapped around you, hugging you tightly from behind, and warm breaths tickling the back of your neck.
Mami's bed is a lot more comfortable than that mattress on the floor, you have to admit. You wiggle a little, trying to free yourself, but Mami murmurs something indistinct and nestles tighter against your back. You can feel her wavy hair brush against the back of your head as she tucks herself in.
... Well, at least she didn't steal the blanket overnight.
Your arm's trapped by Mami's arm. You try to move it, but she's wrapped around you tightly like a four limbed octopus.
You chuff out a breath. Could be worse things to wake up to, you suppose. You're... well, you don't really want to slide into self recrimination again, but you do wish that Mami weren't so, so dependent on you. It's better for her than her loneliness, her dependence on Kyuubey.
That's something you can hold to yourself. And hold to helping Mami. Helping everyone.
And hey. Mami was genuinely happy yesterday. That counts for something.
You huff out a breath, blinking up at the wall in front of you, illuminated by the faint streetlights shining in through the window, casting their dappled patterns. Plans, plans, plans for today. Breakfast, annoy Sayaka by being too cheerful, ask about the healing, check in with Ono... Visiting warehouse-kun.
You chuckle quietly to yourself.
"Mmm," Mami mumbles, her grip on you shifting. "Mm- Sabrina?" You can feel her freeze for a moment, her breath hitching for a moment. "Sabrina?" she asks, arms loosening for a moment.
"Good morning, Mami," you say, turning over and giving her a smile.
"Good morning, Sabrina," she breathes, golden eyes wide and very awake.
You blow a puff of air at her face, smiling, and she flinches back, giggling. "Good morning, Mami," you say, sitting up and rubbing at your eyes. "Did you sleep well?"
Mami sits up beside you, yawning widely. "I did," she agrees.
"Good," you say emphatically, sliding your feet off the bed. "Would you like to use the washroom first?"
"Um, OK," Mami says, slipping off the far side of the bed. She pads over to the door, casting a look backwards at you.
You smile at her, and follow her to the living room. "I'll be here, Mami," you say.
Mami smiles, pausing at the bathroom door. "OK. M-maybe..." she trails off, smile faltering for a second. She shakes her head. "You'll be here?" she asks again.
"Yes, I will," you say firmly.
"Alright," Mami says, and closes the door behind her.
She takes longer, today. When she pulls the door open, it's with no less alacrity than she usually does, but her eyes are warm when she finds you, leaning against the wall. "I... I'll get breakfast started, Sabrina?" she asks, voice tentative.
You smile warmly at her. "Sure."
You don't take too long to clean up. When you walk into the kitchen bare minutes later, you find Mami fussing with the ricecooker. She looks up, tension easing from her shoulders and a relieved smile spreading across her face when she sees you.
"Hey, Mami," you say, moving to peer over her shoulder. Beyond the rice, she's got the frying pan and the big mixing bowl out, so... "Pancakes?" you guess.
"Mmmhm!" Mami confirms.
"Right, then," you say, reaching for the flour.
Amiable jockeying for the cooking utensils and the sizzle of batter fills the air, breakfast shaping itself quickly in the form of a small pile of pancakes, and lunch packed neatly into two lunchboxes. You eventually find yourself sitting across from Mami, the savoury smell of the pancakes wafting into the air.
Mami smiles at you across the table as you begin to dig in. "Shall we check in with our friends?" she asks as she slices her pancake into neat little squares.
"I was just thinking that," you say, pouring syrup over your own pancake. "Gooooooood morning everybody!" You reach out telepathically for your friends - Mami, Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura. You'd include Hitomi, you suppose, but you can't.
And, well, you suppose Oriko and Kirika are your friends. Sort of? Kirika is, anyway. Bestbuddy. Bestpuppy? She kind of is about as cheerful and eager and energetic as one... a mental image of Kirika as a puppy, being enthusiastically patted by her oujo crosses your mind.
Mami giggles.
Sayaka's the first to respond, with a long, drawn out moan. "How are you so cheerful. How."
"Good genes," you say flippantly. "Or so I assume."
Sayaka's only response is another moan.
"Good morning!" Madoka says, with perhaps a little less pep in her tone than you.
"Good morning, everyone," Mami says, smiling at you as she forks up a piece of her pancake.
Homura's the last to respond, with a toneless, "Good morning."
"So, how's everyone?" you ask, smiling as you feed a piece of pancake into your mouth, letting the fragrant, fluffy slice melt in your mouth, flavours of syrup and butter mixing, tempered by the pliable, absorbent pancake.
"Ah, I'm waiting for breakfast now! Papa's frying sausages and eggs this morning!" Madoka says, cheer in her voice.
"That sounds delicious," Mami says.
"It is!" Madoka says. "How about you, Sayaka?"
"Cereal," the bleunette grumbles. "We're not morning people."
You chuckle under your breath, grinning at Mami. She shakes her head, unable to hide a fond smile.
"Oh, hey, Sayaka, I just remembered," you say, cocking your head slightly. "About Kyousuke. We might try to finish off his healing sometime today. Would you prefer me to wait until we can all go as a group again?"
"Um," Sayaka says, clearly befuddled. "Uh, I think... um, I want to be there?"
"Alright, then," you say, taking the opportunity to eat more of the pancake.
"Um. Thanks again, Sabrina, Mami. Thanks, Homura. I... I'll see you all soon?" Sayaka says, her voice still fuzzy from sleep. "'s too early for this."
"Yep," you agree. "Later!"
"See you soon!" Madoka says.
And finally... "See you," Homura says, voice as quiet and neutral as ever.
Mami echoes the goodbyes, smiling at you as she does so. Breakfast rolls by with the clink of cutlery and quiet conversation. Half an hour later finds you and Mami strolling down the street, threading the sparse early morning crowds and headed to Mitakihara Middle School. Mami walks close at your side, her school bag hanging over the far shoulder.
You smile, breathing in the crisp morning air. "Hey, Mami?" you say. "I need to make a phone call, OK? To Megane."
Mami nods. "Alright," she agrees.
The phone rings a few times before it's picked up. "Hello, Ono Megane speaking," the girl's voice replies.
"Good morning, Miss Ono," you say, tone carefully polite. "This is Sabrina."
"Good morning, Miss Sabrina," she says, pausing and evidently waiting for you to continue.
"How are you doing?" you ask. "And have you used the Grief Seed?"
"I'm doing acceptably," Megane replies. "And yes, I have, this morning," she says. "One use, so far. Do you want it back?"
"No, that's fine," you say as you and Mami turn into the path to school, the lush vegetation a welcome shield from the slowly rising bustle of Mitakihara waking up. "I meant it when I said that everyone should have at least one."
"Very well," Megane says.
"Mami! Sabrina!" a voice calls from behind you. You look up, and spot Madoka and Sayaka waving at you from up ahead. Homura's also there, standing beside Madoka in her customary pool of silence. You wave back, and then point at the phone held to your ear. Sayaka nods, and makes a zipping motion over her mouth with her hand as you and Mami walk over to join them.
"Excellent. So, where and when would you like to meet?" you ask into the phone.
"Would just after school be acceptable?" Megane replies.
You purse your lips in consideration. Well, it's not like you didn't forsee this scheduling clash, but it's still annoying. Healing Kyousuke, meeting Megane... It's not like you can't juggle one or the other around, but still.
[] Write-in
=====​
And here begins Book 2, chapter 3: Our Benefactor.
Last edited: Apr 11, 2015
Threadmarks Our Benefactor pt. 2
- View content

#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Apr 13, 2015

- #45,075

You purse your lips for a moment, considering. In the end, you did ask to meet Megane first, so it'd be kind of rude to push that back, you figure. "Yep, that's acceptable," you say.
Sayaka motions up the road, looking questioningly at you. You nod, and fall into step, the five of you heading in to school at a leisurely stroll under the luxurious, shady canopy. "Though come to that... Where would you prefer to meet?" you ask.
"There is a cafe near my school," Megane suggests.
"Right, I think I know it. Open air, blue coloured signboard? Next to a laundry?" you ask. You'd passed over it when you were checking Yokosuka Middle School, you think.
"That's the one," Megane confirms.
"Excellent," you say. You glance along your small group of friends - Mami and Sayaka are talking... about school clubs, judging from the snatches of converation, and Madoka's talking to Homura. "By the way, Miss Ono, since you're a solo magical girl, there's a trick I'm not sure you know about. Would you mind lifting your phone from your ear for a moment?"
"Very well...?" the girl's voice fades out as she complies.
"We can talk to each other like this," you say telepathically to Megane.
"What? Is this like how Kyuubey talks?" You can hear her voice, distant and tinny, from her phone.
"It is, Miss Ono," you say. "All magical girls should be capable of telepathy. Try it."
"Hello?" her voice sounds in your head. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can," you answer. "Right, so... You can contact anybody who Kyuubey hooked up to telepathy, and you need to know who they are to do so. A bit like a phone network, I guess, you need to know who you want to contact and they need to have a phone, too."
"Ah. So I can contact you and Tomoe Mami?" she asks.
"Yup," you confirm. Sayaka's giving you a questioning look, which... you're holding the phone to your head, in total silence. Probably does look odd. You answer Sayaka with a poke to the side of your head. Telepathy. The bleunette makes a confused face and shrugs. You shrug back at her. "Last thing. Please do hold onto that Grief Seed? I can refresh it when we meet again."
"Alright," Megane says.
"Right, then. See you after school," you say. You end the phone call, nodding in satisfaction. The motion catches Mami's eye, and she breaks off her conversation with Sayaka and Madoka, looking to you and smiling. "Did that go well?"
"Yep," you say. Simultaneously, you pulse a telepathic message to her. "One thing, though... We did agree to meet Miss Ono after school today."
"I remember," Mami says. "Ah, Sayaka's friend..."
"Yeah," you say as the five of you stop at the traffic light, waiting for the light to change, joined by a small crowd of chattering students, all dressed in the familiar uniform of Mitakihara Middle School, some casting curious looks at you. "I... Well, Miss Ono did come first, so..."
"I agree," Mami says, shooting you a quick smile. The light turns, and you cross the road along with the rest of the crowd.
"Hm, how long do you think it'll take for us to, ah, orientate Miss Ono?" you ask.
"Well... She's new, but I think she's killed at least one or two Witches before?" Mami says. "Not too long, I suppose, we just need to explain our patrolling habits and so on?"
"Hmm," you say. "Earmark it for half an hour, and then we can get to Kyousuke?"
"Sounds right," Mami agrees.
"Hey... I need to wait for Hitomi," Sayaka says, stopping at the opposite side of the street.
"I'll wait with you!" Madoka says.
"So will we," Mami says, shooting you a look. You nod, and a quick smile flashes across her face.
Homura ghosts behind Madoka silently, amethyst eyes scanning the street.
"Ah, Homura!" Madoka says. "Are you OK?"
"I'm fine," Homura says, voice quiet.
Madoka glances at her, soft face wrinkled in a worried expression.
Homura sighs almost imperceptibly. "Really, I am."
"O-OK," Madoka says. Pink eyes flicker over to you, worried frown still framing her eyes. The low purr of a car pulling up distracts her, though, as Hitomi's car stops at the kerb. Sayaka steps forward, helping the verdette out of the car.
Hitomi's father nods approvingly, bidding Hitomi a goodbye before driving off. Hitomi, on the other hand, sighs instead, trying to take her schoolbag back from Sayaka. The bleunette stubbornly holds on to the bag, a mulish expression on her face, and Hitomi gives up a moment later.
Finally, Hitomi looks around, smiling faintly. "Good morning, everyone," she offers. "Shall we head to school?"
"Let's go!" Madoka says.
You soon find yourself bidding a farewell to everyone at the schoolgates, the teacher on duty fixing you with a gimlet stare. Mami stops, turning to you as the others go ahead. You smile at her. "I'll see you after school, OK?"
Mami nods, trying to smile. "I... alright."
You pull her into a hug. "And there's always this, right?"
She nods against you. "Yes. It's not the same, but... yes."
"OK," you say, stepping back, smiling warmly at her. "See you after school!"
"See you, Sabrina," Mami says, the edges softening from her smile, becoming more natural. She walks into the school, turning to glance back at you. You raise your hand in a wave, and you can see her smile once more before disappearing into the school building.
You chuff out a breath, smile fading. Well. Time for... everything else, then. You turn, walking away from the school and finding a convenient alley. You're soon winging over Mitakihara, an angel flying on corrupted wings, if you're in a poetic mood. Heh. You chuckle to yourself.
Time to check in with the two groups back in Sendai, you muse as you bank along a thermal. Really, you don't need to, but the sensation of lift under your wings is kind of nice. "Hello, Miss Mori?" You reach out telepathically.
"Miss Sabrina?" the healer's voice replies to you almost immediately.
"Good morning!" you say cheerfully.
"Good morning," Rin allows. "How are you?"
"Doing good," you say. "What about you? Is everyone alright over there?"
"Ah. Yes, no problems," Rin replies, before sighing. "No new problems."
You wince. "No change in Akiko?" You... you don't really regret going after Akiko, not really, but you do regret what happened to her, you guess.
Another telepathic sigh from the healer. "None."
"Ah. No trouble with the University group? Or any independents?" you ask.
"No, we've been mostly keeping to ourselves," Rin says.
"OK, then," you say. "I should be dropping by sometime to refresh the Grief Seeds. When would be best?"
"Maybe... this weekend?" Rin suggests.
"Right, noted," you say. "No promises yet, but... We'll figure out exactly when closer in?"
"That's fine," Rin replies.
"Alright. Later, then," you say, and suddenly grin to yourself midflight. "Say hi to Sakura for me." You can imagine the teleporter's reaction already.
"See you this weekend," the healer agrees.
You swoop through the air, hair blown across your face by the wind of your flight. Absently, you check on the masses of Grief still following you around. A huge mass of spheres, spread out across the sky, trail you at a distance.
Alright, then. Next up... "Hello, Miss Tsubaki?"
"Miss Sabrina?" Chouko replies. Her voice sounds considerably less sleepy than it did yesterday.
"Good morning, Miss Tsubaki," you greet her as you skim past that flue exhaust tower. It's practically a landmark to you by now, really. You squint at the power plant below, smiling and banking away.
"Good morning, Miss Sabrina," the girl replies, voice bright and cheerful. "How are you?" she asks.
"Was just about to ask you that. I'm doing well, though, thanks for asking," you say. "How are you?"
"Ahhh... we're doing great!" Chouko says, obvious cheer in her voice. "It's great to not have to worry about Akiko and her gang coming after us."
"Good to hear. No trouble?" you ask. You briefly consider the notion of multiple Sayakas. Maybe Homura might have stashed a few Sayakas in her shield before? You... sort of doubt it, but you never know, really. Well. There can only be one!
"Nope, haven't seen any of them," Chouko replies.
You shake away thoughts of a heaping pile of Sayakas. "Right," you say. That agrees with Rin's story, then. Trust, but verify, and all that. "So it looks like I'll probably be dropping by this weekend or so to refresh your Soul Gems, any particular preferences for times?"
"Ah... well, we're all quite free," Chouko says. "Any time is alright?"
"OK, then," you say. "I'll get back in touch with you closer in and fix a time?"
"Sounds good to me!" Chouko says.
You can see that old abandoned warehouse below you right now. "Right. Anything else?" you ask. You fold your wings and let yourself plummet like a stone.
"Um... yes, actually," Chouko says, sounding preoccupied. "Um... Did you call me yesterday?"
You blink. "Yes. Yes, I did. You were kind of sleepy at the time?" Your wings flare wide, dragging you to a stop, and you land amidst a huge cloud of sand kicked up by the downdraft.
"Oh. Um. Sorry," she says. "I... Yeah, I was asleep. I uh. Think I meant to call you back, but I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or no."
The Grief cascades down after you, spheres of ominous looking deep purple dropping from the sky to hover around you in orbiting, concentric rings.
You take a deep breath. What shall you do for today?
[] Write-in
=====​
And here... we... go.
Threadmarks Our Benefactor pt. 3
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#### Firnagzen

Operator

- Apr 14, 2015

- #45,434

Lots of things to do, you decide. Lots of things. And the first thing would be to make sure that you're not late for your next thing. You blink curiously, head tilting at that last mentally conjugated sentence. Your mind is silly, sometimes.
... more than sometimes.
You reach for your phone and tap in two alarms. One for... fifteen minutes before lunch and one just an hour before that. Maybe you'll go see Masami or someone? You're not sure. But really, it wouldn't do to be late to lunch. Heh. Lateness. That truancy officer earlier's probably wondering about you, but hey, you're a foreigner. He probably won't do anything.
Then again, dedication to jobs and all that.
You chuckle to yourself and slip your phone away, idly combing your hair with your free hand. You briefly contemplate getting rid of all that Grief, but then you'd have to talk to Kyuubey again. And you don't really want to, so.
You shape a nice, comfortable chair out of Grief for yourself, first of all. Spinny base, nice, tall back and plush Grief-cushions. Arms for you to rest your own arms on. You sink back into the chair, longcoat settling around you and the Grief moulding underneath yourself for the most comfortable fit. You cross one leg over the other, smiling in satisfaction.
"Mami?" you pulse out telepathically as you relax into the chair. Absently, you reach for your Soul Gem, detaching it from your chest, while your other hand dips inside your pocket and withdraws Hildegarde.
"Sabrina?" Mami replies immediately. "Is something wrong?"
"No, not at all," you hasten to reply. "Just... had a thought." You hold the two up to the light, letting the slowly rising sun catch on the two. Clear Seed, smoky, silvery Soul Gem.
"Oh," Mami says, sounding significantly relieved. "What is it?"
"Well, I was wondering... would you like to tutor me in magic and advise me on some things I want to try later today? After dinner, maybe?" you ask. You squint at the two items you're holding up to the light, spinning idly in your chair. What's the difference between the two?
"Ah! Of course, Sabrina," Mami agrees. "That won't be any trouble at all."
"Thank you, Mami," you say warmly. "Anyway, how's class right now?" You squint at Hildegarde, inspecting it by sight and magical and Grief senses. To your eyes, it's just a Grief Seed, albeit one that's clear crystal as opposed to the usual midnight black.
To your Grief senses, Hildegarde is... sleeping, dormant. No activity at all. A far cry from a normal Grief Seed, slowly bubbling fonts of Grief ftom which you can still sense the predatory hunger of the Witch.
"Oh! It's English class now," Mami says.
"Ah, you should have no problem, then!" you say, smiling. You look at your own Soul Gem, smile disappearing. Your own Witch... ugh. You spread your senses, looking at the silvery Gem.
Dedolere.
Just Seeing the name is like having icy fingers run down your spine, someone walking over your grave. A quiet, slumbering presence lying quiescent within the crackling storm of magic that is your Soul Gem, slowly everting Grief into your Soul Gem.
"Ah... I wouldn't say my English is good," Mami says.
"I would," you say firmly, switching over to English. "I've heard you speak it, remember?"
Mami replies in English. "Ah, thank you, Sabrina," she says, and you can practically hear the pleased smile in her voice.
"No need to thank me for telling the truth," you continue in English.
"I... well, thank you anyway," Mami says.
You sigh, smiling up at the clear blue sky. "No problem, Mami," you tell her. Didn't the weather report say something about it being cloudy today?
"Oh, we're having a reading session now," Mami says. "I'll... see you at lunch?"
"Yep!" you agree. "I even set an alarm for myself!"
"Alright," Mami says. "See you soon, Sabrina."
"See you," you say, ending the call.
You look back at the Soul Gem held in your hand, and then the Seed, help up by its point in your other hand. Is there anything missing? You inspect both with your Grief senses and your puella magi senses. Nothing really noticeably missing on the latter... and nothing really in your Grief senses, either.
Hmmm. That's sort of interesting, you guess, insofar as it implies that nothing... really changes much? Which means there's yet hope, you think? Well. It's never wrong to hope, to paraphrase a certain pinkette.
That does mean... perhaps you could try healing the Grief Seed? On the basis that there's something wrong with it and you can fix it?
You set the Grief Seed down, the spiky little ball balancing with equinamity on the tip of your kneecap, and reaffix your Soul Gem to your coat. That done, you grab the Grief Seed again, and summon the silvery glow of healing magic to your other hand.
You take a breath, and press your glowing hand to the Grief Seed. The magic... slides off, finding no purchase.
Hmmm.
You dismiss the magic from your hand, cupping your chin and staring at the Grief Seed thoughtfully. Not entirely unexpected, you guess? There's nothing to heal, per se, or rather, no flesh. You're not convinced it can't be done. Just... you're not sure you're going the right way about it, either.
You chuff out a sigh as you tuck Hildegarde away, back into your pocket. Annoying. You kick the floor idly, and spin yourself in your chair a few times, thinking.
Moving on, then. Something that can identify and analyze all the parts of a Soul Gem. You're not entirely sure how that would work, really, but then again, you made a phaser and a blaster some time back, didn't you? And sure, you could wurble on about nadion particle beams and tibanna gas and all that, but it doesn't actually work that way.
You think.
You shake your head, blowing out an irritated breath. You draw a small glob of Grief to you, the sphere smack into your hands. You focus on it, bearing down on it with your will. Analysis. Analysis of Soul Gems.
It's-
You strain.
Just-
You push.
-out of reach.
You fall back into your chair, sweat beading on your forehead. Your head aches, and your muscles are knotted balls of tension that you force to relax.
You take a shuddering breath, raising a shaky hand to your Soul Gem and pulling a long, ropy streamer of Grief from it that pours away to join the rest of the Grief orbiting you.
That was different.
[] Write-in
=====​
Wheeeee.
Last edited: Apr 14, 2015
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