View source for 2052/Survey of the Twilight River

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/04/18
|Location=Old Mitakihara
|Synopsis=Numerous investigation threads are followed.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=2, 253, 255, 385, 562, 720, 737, 740, 747
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As one would expect, it's dusk as the group arrives in the city. Mayumi, the magical girl they had encountered before, is here, her hands clenching the bar of a seawall. Beside her is Eri, her non-magical friend. The latter notices the Multiversal party first, though she does very little to react to them herself; rather, she gives them a fleeting, irritated-to-neutral look before gingerly tugging on the skirt of Mayumi's dress to alert her to their presence. She practically twirls back to face them, twintails swaying elegantly with a breeze that that airy gesture almost cinematic ally conjures into being. When she completes her revolution, the heel of her boot clicks against the tanned stone, and she swiftly joins her hands together in a bow of greeting.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hi, everybody~." Her voice is almost melodious enough to sound mocking -- like what a mother might use with their child. Upon closer inspection, though, one might garner that this isn't so much intentional as it is a natural quirk of her bizarrely demure tone. Indeed, something about her expression and tone make her seem as though she must be at least twice her age. She gives glances in all directions, smiling pleasantly wheresoever she may meet another person's eyes. "How are you all doing tonight? You wanted me to show you around the city, right? I can totally do that! It's about the right time for familiars to start showing up anyway, if you're worried about keeping things safe; I don't know what it's like elsewhere, but around here the dark meanies seem to get a lot more active at night." Where 'dark meanies' presumably refers to witches and their spawn.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But!" She sways in place somewhat. "If you guys are here to see the sights and stuff, I know a few really good places to eat that stay open until pretty late. Ooohh, or or!" She looks to Eri. "We could go visit Izumi's house! They might like to meet her too." In all likelihood, most of them have been approached by Kyubey at this point, so she may subtly be trying to help them get into contact with the girls before they make their wishes. Or this could be entirely unrelated! It's horribly unclear what this girl's angle is, if she even has one. Either way, Eri folds her arms at the suggestion, her eyes wandering back to appraise them.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I dunno. I think it would be kinda weird to have a group of random strangers come to your house at this hour. But maybe if two or three of them wanted to go, you could show them the way while I guide the rest of them. What do you guys think?" Eri's eyes scroll around the group a moment before landing on Madoka. She rests her cheek in her hand briefly in contemplation before looking to Homura and Psyber. "... would you guys wanna talk to Izumi? You two know a lot about things work here, so... I'll leave it up to you." She knows that Setsuko does, too, but like Eri said it would probably be strange to have more than four people go.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So, they have a lot of choices here: they can elect to go look for SUSPICIOUS AREAS where witches might be hiding, they can go check out an ICECREAM PARLOR or two, they could try visiting local LANDMARKS to learn more about the area, or go anywhere else they might think of. Psyber and Homura have also been invited to visit the house of IZUMI, another prospective magical girl. Even if they aren't alltogether interested in her, Mayumi has been volunteered to lead them which might provide an ideal opportunity to interrogate her away from prying eyes. For her part, Madoka will likely accompany Psyber and Homura no matter what they decide to do.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If you expected Psyber to be here, you guessed correctly! Psyber has a personal investment in the happenings of the newest Madoka, which would have him there regardless. But because she explicitly invited him, he has all the more justification to be here. Thusly, many other things he could be doing are at least temporarily shelved in order to show up and aid Madoka. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If you expected him to NOT be working, though? You would be incorrect. The tablet PC that might as well be grafted to the half-angel's hand some days is out and Psyber is tapping and swiping and filing through work and forms as he goes. One moment he's grading Homura's latest term paper (A+, as expected) and emailing her the results, and the next he's filling out artifact reassignment forms with taps of his fingers. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Greetings," Psyber says to their host, lifting his eyes up briefly to make eye contact with her and nod his head politely. He's slightly mroe terse than usual, but seems less grouchy and more just constantly preoccupied as he does nowadays, "I'm doing acceptably. Work is busy, but this is the norm." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He listens to the comment about the streets growing more dangerous at night, letting out a soft, "Mmn, I see," and then he considers things, "Certainly, talking to Izumi seems like an excellent use of time. Please, by all means, lead the way." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He prepares to follow after Mayumi.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Having been invited to help investigate this new city, Yuna Kagurazaka is here, along with the little robo-faerie Elner. Elner's minimizing its visibility, though - so for the most part it would just look like Yuna's wandering into town more-or-less on her own, while Elner flits around a few stories above street level, keeping clear of windows.<br /><br />"Good evening!" Yuna greets Eri and Mayumi, smiling and waving to the two magical girls. She also waves to Psyber and Homura, and to the other Unionites whom she knows.<br /><br />"Going out to supper seems like a good way to get a feel for the city," she muses - she'd be interested in meeting with Izumi, but that offer seemed directed mostly to Psyber and Homura; Yuna's quite willing to defer to them on that. And if there are things going bump in the night - particularly the sort of things that a magical girl should be prepared to intercept and dispose of - then being out-and-about is probably a good way to find out what sort of darkness wanders the streets of this city ... although if nothing happens to show up, she certainly won't complain.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Sure," Homura offhandedly answers, trailing along in Psyber's shadow. She's not exactly the social butterfly of the group or anything, not even when it's the weekend, but the house sounds like as good a place to start as any. The Puella Magi is dressed little differently than usual today, as well; the white dress shirt, the black pants, the vest over one shoulder, glasses. Her hair's loose, today, the only trait that changes significantly these days.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Much as I might like to meet this Izumi myself," an approaching voice chimes in, "With my presence... I don't think I'd be good for a first meeting."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's little surprise Setsuko would be here. For her own reasons, some philosophical, some personal, she's been very invested in the plight of the Puella Magi almost since their first appearance. Wherever the demigod has parked her usual vehicle, it's out of sight; she walks calmly, with a guitar case slung over her back that almost certainly conceals Zanjintou from the prying eyes of the public. Even so, her six-foot height, her warrior's build, her visible scars, her odd choice in outfits... some might mistake her for a punk rocker, perhaps, but most passers-by are almost certainly giving her at least a second or two of staring regardless. There's always that 'something' about her that seems to demand attention. Even when she doesn't want it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If we're going to be touring the city, I should probably join that group. Or..." A thoughtful frown. "...Depending where we go, I might make us look even more suspicious. My first instinct is to look for sites of possible Witch activity, or other magical girls we might not know about."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Elphelt arrives on the scene in a way that's distinctly /not/ subtle. The bridal-themed magic-bot skids to a stop on her flowery rocket-ship that took her down quite a few streets and utterly abused more than a few traffic and aviation laws. Someone should /really/ tell her that she could get a ticket going three-hundred miles per hour down a freeway and flying off of it on the corners into a highway. Thankfully, no one was harmed today in El's transportation. <br /><br /> The Bridal Express stops, and in a poof of roses, Elphelt is holding a bouquet of flowers that she quickly slings into her dress' holster. Hands in front of her in a dainty way, she wears a smile that might give Mayumi's own a run for her money. <br /><br /> "Hello! I'm Elphelt! You can call me El if you want!" She announces warmly to the two girls, not at all put off by Eri's irritated ways. She's still a sight better than Sol, after all. <br /><br /> The Valentine waits for a bit for the entire group to arrive, particularly Homura and Psyber, the ones whom apparently know the most. All the while, she stands primly, but with an oddly artificial way about her that many an artificial being possesses: her breathing's just too measured, her little idle movements too repeated as though she were running on one monstrous loop. <br /><br /> Cue a half angel. Psyber gets a cheery wave from Elphelt, before she's focusing back on Eri and Mayumi. El rubs her chin with a finger, sticks her tongue out to the side in that little quirky way, and then throws that finger up in the air in an 'Ahh-hah!' moment. <br /><br /> "Well, you see, I'd reeeeeally love to see the sights! I mean, a town like this, it's just so pretty and a little rustic and on that boarder of biiiig bustling city with all the nice people to meet and yet has that down-home, 'low'-tech old-timey charm where you see faires and farms and other nice things all rolled into one package that's just so cute and you could live your whole life here happy!" Comes the sudden enthusiastic burst that El is so known for. Then she calms a bit, one hand on her hips as she frowns. <br /><br /> "But a town like that doesn't need some mean..familiars? Hurting nice people. So I'll help investigate those areas too if anyone wants." Pause. <br /><br /> "What's a familiar, anyway?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:737|Vivio Takamachi (737)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vivio has been itching to get out and see more of the Multiverse. So the offer of a guided tour seems like a perfect opportunity! Convincing her mothers to let her go took a little work, but the fact that she's here seems to indicate that she succeeded... Or she snuck out... Probably the former, since Vivio is a good girl!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vivio half skips alongside the others, hands holding the straps of the backpack she's wearing. Her eyes dart around at city's sights as she marvels at both the differences and similarities to her own. Floating along in the air beside Vivio is her Device, the plush bunny apparently less interested in the city than its master.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the group arrives to find Mayumi, Vivio jumps to a stop and looks at their guide, 'Ohh, pretty!' And then its time for her introduction! Vivio raises a hand in greeting and responds with, "Hiiiiii. I'm Vivio! And this is Chris~" She motions to her floating companion. She then grins and continues, "I'm doing well, thanks!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vivio had heard that the place might be dangerous, but she doesn't seem concerned. Instead her eyes light up at the offer of seeing the sights. That sounds like fun! Though as Elphelt brings up the question of what a familiar is, Vivio listens on intently as she too is unsure.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:562|Eryl Fairfax (562)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ever since Unification, Eryl has come to love those times where he can leave his route and visit cities that still stand and thrive. After all that time of picking through ruins and wandering dusty plains, it can be easy to lose sight of what it is you are trying to accomplish. Nothing like visiting still-living civilisations to fix that! <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But, this isn't a vacation. From what he understands of this breed of magical girls, allowing emotions to run rampant is A Bad Thing. As such, he has decided he will be a walking recording device, trying to gauge the mental well-being of Mayumi and her friends who are interested in becoming like her. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So, here he is! He's ditched his cape somewhere though, not wanting to stick out too much. Looking for all intents and purposes like a casual businessman, albeit one who could stand to take his suit to the dry cleaners. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He offers a nod and a soft smile to everyone, mostly hanging in the back and taking everything in. He manages to catch Eri's less than pleased response to everyone's arrival and makes a note of it. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I, for one, am always interested in visiting places of cultural import. I would love to see the landmarks of Higurekawa. Although, I am happy to tag along with the group, should a majority of others decide to do something else." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He looks over as Psyber and Homura and says, "Good luck. I am just a radio call away should you require assistace." <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:747|Scarlet Everille (747)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scarlet knows nothing of witches or magical girls, soul gems or wishes, and she most certainly doesn't know any of these girls or this city. She has a certain interest in Madoka herself though, in part due to her being a new coworker, and in part due to the more "unusual" aspects of her she had perceived when they had met face to face. Besides, if there's a reason to look around this place, and Heaven or Hell is interested, there must be something important going on, right?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, that means her attention is immediately drawn to the mention of "dark meanies", and even moreso, "familiars". She's brought a couple of her own familiars here after all, as she usually does, currently occupying an immaterial phase state for obvious reasons. Eri clearly doesn't like any of them though, and she seems to be their potential host for the evening, and so she immediately boots up Circle Ceint, aiming for the magically augmented impression of being unassuming and undemanding, easy to get along with and generally harmless. It helps she's actually had the chance to dress down today.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She loos to Setsuko, pointedly doing her best to try and seem as if Elphelt's flashy entry hasn't ruffled her at all. "I hope you'll forgive me, but I'm not familiar with Witches or what this world means by familiars. If you'll have me, I would accompany you in the interests of learning."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh, you think I should show them, Eri? Not you?" Mayumi taps a finger to her chin for a moment before deciding, "... ah, I guess that's fine~. I -do- wanna get to know some of the cool off-world people, so this seems like a pretty good place to start. So!" She bounds over to Madoka, Homura, and Psyber with three quick, mirthful hops, wrapping her arms behind her back as she arrives beside them with another cute, warm grin. "Hi! Psyber, Madoka, and Homura, right? Good to meet you! Well, meet you again I guess." She points to the road ahead with her finger before adding, "Her house is that way, two streets down and to the right. Here, I'll show you!" She walks ahead of them a bit so that she's in the lead.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once she's gone ahead, Madoka sweatdrops, but abstains from comment out of politeness. Instead, she looks to Homura and Psyber again. "Oh, um. Thanks again for coming. It's really nice to have so much help whenever I ask for it." Very different from what she's gotten used to by now, that's for sure.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;More than one person here is vocally unfamiliar with the threat this world presents. Considering that for a moment, Setsuko glances from Vivio to Elphelt before finally nodding her head to Scarlet. "If you're all curious, I can give a primer over the radio as we walk. There is a fair bit to cover." She seems relatively unperturbed by Elphelt's arrival as well, though there are a few extra glances thrown that way.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yes! Psyber, nice to meet you. This is Homura, we're very close," The half-angel repeats, giving a wide smile. One of his hands reaches out and he pats Homura squarely on the shoulder a couple times before he notices a couple people he's never met before. Vivio and Elphelt specifically, "Nice to meet you both as well." He nods his head a couple times and then takes off to following as the group splits. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Thank you, Eryl. The support is appreciated. Keep yourself safe, please," He notes as he leaves, raising his free hand up in a half-wave. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To Madoka, Psyber nods his head, "It is not a great imposition to come help you. Please do not hesitate to ask. I will do whatever is within my power to see this to a positive end."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Psyber is right, this isn't really something I'd call a hindrance. If you need help, you need just ask," Homura adds in after Psyber, to Madoka, before glancing at Mayumi as they walk.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Akemi Homura, yes. Pleasure to meet you. Ah, so... how close are all of you? How long have you all been... you know, hunting?" Better start with easy questions to pass time and collect potentially useful information.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eri listens as people voice their particular preferences on where they would like to go. Seems like most of them want to check out witch sites, which she can't really help with, but she can definitely help out with the sightseeing thing. One of them wanted to grab a bite to eat, but they can't really go alone, so Eri makes a proposition for Yuna: "Hey. If you wanna get something to eat, would you mind going with the people who want to see the city first? We could go see a few landmarks like that one guy wanted to do, maybe look in a few stores, and then we could finish off with food. There will probably be a few places still open by then -- this town gets most of its tourism at night. Kinda weird, but I think it has something to do with the name."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As for the people who wanted to go witch hunting? She addresses them next. "Witches lurk around creepy places, right? Like abandoned buildings, places like that? There's an old marina that got shut down a few years ago across the water." She points across the water, far to the other side of the small enclosure created by the land. Sure enough, there's a decidedly empty looking port there. "You guys could check that out."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And, uh. Familiars? "Honestly, Mayumi would know better than me, but I think she's said they're like... mini witches. Or the things that help witches. I dunno the specifics but maybe she," She gestures to Setsuko, "could explain it better."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once she's finished talking, she leads the group down the street on the opposite end of the seawall, past several restaurants, clothes stores, and an arcade. "We can come back here later," She idly offers, "if you guys see anything you like." For now, though, she's headed for a roundabout that circles around a statue. Probably the monument Eryl was after.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eri's suggestion earns a faint smile from Setsuko. "That's a good place to start. Don't worry. If we find anything, I'll know before it's a danger." Her battlesense is incredibly useful for sensing ambushes well in advance or finding where they're supposed to be by following the sense of future fighting; Witches tend to interfere with it, given that the fighting takes place within their labyrinth, but she can still sense it well enough if she gets reasonably close. "If you have any other suggestions, you can pass them along through the others. We keep in radio contact."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That said, Setsuko shifts her guitar case on her back a little and turns to go, leading the way without a second thought. While she does so, she starts to speak into her radio, beginning the offered primer.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> El isn't one to /not/ give Homura, Madoka, and Psyber a send-off. Cue copious cheery waving. And a bit of dusting from random roses that flit off of her bouquet in its holster. <br /><br /> "Be safe, okay!" It's simple, but full of meaning. The robot-woman already has a bad feeling about this place, if so many strong people have shown up. A magical person of any kind wouldn't just call for help on a whim likethis in her experience, limited as it may be. <br /><br /> Setsuko gets the woman's attention, and soon she's over with her. She beams a smile to those seeking out the Witches and/or Meanies (tm). <br /><br /> "Oooh, that'd be great! Uhh, Setsuko, right? Nice to meet you! I'm all ears! Bad parts first. Better to end things on a high note, right?" She giggles just a bit, following along. An errant stick has her flailing momentarily, ruining her prim-and-proper bridal ways before she catches herself. A little flushed, she whistles and tries to pretend it didn't happen. <br /><br /> Then Eri's speaking! "So find the creepiest place, and you'll find a witch, and maybe a familiar! Got it!" <br /><br /> She gives a big wave to Eri and company too! "You guys be safe too! We'll call you over the radio if something happens!" <br /><br /> Then she's over to Setsuko and fellow witch hunters. <br /><br /> "So do you guys want a ride? It's a two-seater, but you all might be able to hold tight." Here she summons the rocket, Bridal express. Only two seats indeed, but with a bit of clinging one might manage the group with minimal danger to life and limb. <br /><br /> "Or we could take the long way!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Yuna grins at Eri, nodding. "Sure! I'd be happy to check out the city with everyone - I just kinda figured we'd hit a late-night restaurant or all-night diner or something towards the end of things, I'm not THAT hungry!" she adds, bowing apologetically. "But sure, seeing the sights, light and dark - that sounds good."<br /><br />... yes, her version of 'tourism' for purposes of this visit DOES include possible Witch-busting. If Eri wanted to keep that separate from actual, non-combatant tourism, then - well, Yuna doesn't know otherwise, and she certainly wouldn't complain about NOT having to fight anything this trip. It's been a hectic week for her.<br /><br />To that end, she does keep her ears perked when Eri mentions where witches are known to lurk ... and she's checking to see who's going with that group instead of sightseeing - and when the groups split up, Elner heads off with the witch-hunter group. If nothing else, the robo-faerie can keep Yuna appraised, and if the hunting group DOES run into trouble, Elner can stay in the real world and teleport Yuna over to reinforce them.<br /><br />So Yuna heads down the main drag with the sightseers, taking in the shops and attractions ... and nearly slows to a halt on the way past the arcade, trying to see what familiar games they have. She catches up with the others quickly enough, though; the sight of that monument almost makes her wish she'd brought a camera.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:747|Scarlet Everille (747)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A spooky abandoned dock. That's wonderful. Scarlet doesn't even attempt to hide the reluctance on her face to go anywhere near the marina, though not out of fear of a witch, but out of intense displeasure at the idea of what kind of humans might potentially be hanging around there. She does manage to hide her resignation at the fact that she'll be with Setsuko for the immediate future. She doesn't have anything against the woman, other than that her demigod nature makes her presence blindingly obnoxious to her magically augmented vision. She attempts to do the Japanese thing and bow a little bit in thanks before following the war divinity, hanging a little ways back from her just so she's not face first in the middle of her aura.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The woman's explanation of the terms "witch" and "familiar" over the radio firmly has her attention. "A form of alien entity that exists in extradimensional space. I can say that I'm very familiar with that particular concept, even if not the idea of human emotions being made manifest as anything." Peering into dimensionally isolated spaces to locate supernatural creatures is what a magus does as an everyday affair after all. As they approach the marina, Scarlet begins quietly cycling through higher and higher ranges of vision, searching for parallel spaces or dematerialized beings in the vicinity.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura and Psyber get a series of silent, somewhat bashful nods for their kindness. She has to fight hard to suppress another thank-you, but is ultimately successful. Really, she's just incredibly happy to have people so willing to help her around; it's been a pretty hard few years. To Homura, Mayumi chimes, "Ume Mayumi! It's nice to meet you too, Akemi!" She bends her knee and raises a foot to give another, slightly more nuanced bow of greeting. She's careful to hold her hat as she does so to keep it from falling off. To the questions that follow, though? Ummm. "Oh, I'm the only magical girl around here. I get the feeling that it's really unusual to only have one magical girl watching over an entire city, but seriously, I'm the only one! It's been that way for a year, at least."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Though how 'close' are they? What a weird question! "Uhhh~. Eri and I have known eachother since we were both six or seven, so I would say we're very close! I don't really know Izumi that well, though; she's more Eri's friend. We just know eachother through her. Sometimes we go to movies together and stuff, but we've never really stopped to chat. I still don't think it'll be weird for her to see me at her door, though!" Probably a bit more weird than seeing Eri, but oh well. She doesn't seem too worried.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As she explains, she leads them further down the road. It's not a terribly long walk before they reach the corner Eri had indicated and turn, brining them to a sleepy residential street. Izumi's, it seems, is a standalone residence, its outskirts guarded by a simple stone fence. There's a garden on the interior of the property, cut through by a neat, clean white walkway. Mayumi skips over to the front door, ringing the bell.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's some time before there's a response, but eventually a red-haired girl, dressed in a casual jacket and skirt, appears. She's silent at first and might even quirk her brow, but eventually says, "Uh... hi?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She has no idea what's going on right now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:562|Eryl Fairfax (562)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Eryl suppresses a sigh of relief when Eri offers to give some people a tour and direct others to a potential Witch nest. From what he has heard of these Wtiches, reality plays fast and loose within their Barriers. With Original Face, he would be dead weight. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So, he tags along with Eri, waving at the Witch-hunters as he goes, glancing at the conjured rocket with some concern (and a wince, because Original Face can't understand where Elphet was hiding it). "Thank you for guiding us, Miss Eri," he says to the young lady. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Eryl only idly glances at the places of business. Though he might linger a little longer should any of them be a store that sells suits. But, when the statue comes into view, Eryl breaks from the group to go and investigate! <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Being the total weirdo he is, he stands before the statue and cranes his neck back to the get a good look at the whole thing. After a moment, he walks up to it, looking for any plaque or engravings on the base that state why it is there. Should one exist, he stares at it for a moment before returning to the group. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:737|Vivio Takamachi (737)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hmmmm, see the sights or go hunt some evil things... See the sights or go hunt evil things... It's a tough choice. Vivio is certainly interested in testing her combat abilities against the bad stuff in the Multiverse. But at the same time she'd like to look around this new city! Well, it seems like the hunting group has enough people, so Vivio decides to go with the group that are exploring!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Vivio steps over to join the tourism group, she still pays attention to the location pointed out as a good place for hunting. Just in case she needs to head there for some reason. She also listens to Eri about the city, piping up with, "The city where I live is busy all the time! Though it is the capital for a government spread across lots of worlds..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the tourism group begins to move off, Vivio follows. She 'oooohs' and 'aahhhs' at some of the stores they past. The clothing stores get a look, making Vivio wonder about fashion across worlds... The same goes for the arcade, as she idly wonders if they have any neat fighting games. She's only half paying attention to the lecture going on over the radio.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the group gets closer to the statue in the distance, Vivio points to it and says, "Hey Chris, look at that!" The plush bunny turns in the direction indicated by its master, only to be plucked out of the air by said master. Gripping the bunny, Vivio raises it in the direction of the statue and gives it a squeeze. The bunny's eyes flash with light. Vivio squeezes it a few more. Flash! Flash! Vivio then asks Eri, "What's that statue for?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Mmm. A year, you say?" Psyber casts a worried look over at Homura. And for good reason, too. A year of being the only Puella would mean that there was a reduced Witch count in this city. It might be good for them to get a look at her gem in the near future. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He then turns back to Mayumi and says, "Greetings. I'm... a private investigator. I'm here with my associate to investigate some events in the city we believe may be connected to you." He explains, before kind of stepping back a bit. He'll let Homura and Madoka take point momentarily. The girls might relate to those two better than his lumbering and intimidating form.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The Witch Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Those headed for the marina are able to reach the area without any challenge, and any more conspicuous methods of travel they may defer to go completely unnoticed by the locals -- most of them are already inside their homes, it seems, so there are few on the streets who might notice them. Likewise, there is no one loitering around the harbor, so the group is given virtual carte blanche... so long as they don't make too much noise. The curtain of buildings may block sight, but it will not function the same way for sound.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The area seems entirely void of activity at first. The quiet churning of the wakes as they collide with the shoreline reverberates throughout the area, but there is little else to speak of. -Disturbingly- little else, one might say, particularly when there exist underlying feelings of darkness that suffuse the area. With her battlesense, Setsuko might get the impression that some form of struggle had occurred here before, and Scarlet's senses might alert her to the presence of magic. Of a kind, anyway -- whatever this is is a very heavy, oppressive, inherently 'wrong' iteration thereof.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the distance, one of them might happen to notice a lone figure. With a particularly unsteady, almost ill gait, they amble behind an emptied tackle shop, quickly disappearing from sight.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's probably a bad sign.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ah, well... it can be unusual, but not always. It's certainly ideal if there's only the one; no competition. Having multiple can lead to a shortage of Grief Seeds, rivalries, bitterness... it turns what's already a complicated life a lot more complicated," Homura answers Mayumi, with facts that are probably pretty obvious and didn't need to be stated.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"A year, though, that's... actually very good. You must be pretty skilled to last that long." Homura rarely compliments, so take it while you can. Puella Magi typically last a few months, a year is really good. Two is exceptional, and three's almost unheard of.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They're close, though. That's always dangerous. Kyubey never contents himself with just ONE magical girl. He'll likely try to grab her friends, and even the toughest friendships can become fractured as a result.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Right, well. There's there, so she shuts up about that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What he said. Akemi Homura, I'm, huh... intern?" She's too young to pull off the cop look. Barely seventeen, so. Assistant makes more sense. Bit early for that, too, but whatever.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Can we come in?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It sounds as if you're mentally prepared, then," Setsuko replies to Scarlet as they walk. It's the closest to a joke she'll typically venture; no matter how much one reads about Witches or hears of them in advance, even those who don't find the concept a surprise tend to take the reality of it rather hard their first time. But Scarlet seems well-enough equipped to handle it; she's more worried about Elphelt. She's exactly the type to take it hardest. "Yes, Setsuko Kaminagi," she replies to the girl. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine walking. Or flying," she adds, with what could almost be described as mischief. Almost.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As they arrive at the docks, Setsuko does something perhaps a bit peculiar; her eyes close entirely. She's focusing on her hearing, primarily, but also her other senses; putting her superhuman perception to work to both hear any peculiarities and 'sense' any conflict. It doesn't take long for her eyes to open again.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This way," she says simply. "Can you feel it?" A question for Scarlet in specific. "Battle happened here previously. Probably not long ago."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then her eyes spot a strangely-moving figure. "...Be on your guard." With no more caution than that, the demigod launches into a full-speed run, darting after the mystery 'person' with a foot speed that could keep pace on a freeway.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Giving a weak thumbs up to Setsuko, Elphelt primarily rides on Bridal Express. There's a distinct lack of sparkles and pink jet from the conveyance, El's mood unusually subdued on the way. The cheery robot is certainly not herself, mulling over Setsuko's words repeatedly as they travel. <br /><br /> Eventually her hands clench. No. She won't just give up on someone so easily. With sudden determination, El looks up in time to spot the area. <br /><br /> Elphelt hasn't, in fact, ever visited a marina. Thus the lack of activity doesn't do a thing on her 'unusual radar. She does glance to the mage and demigod however. <br /><br /> "Anything strange?" She asks quietly. She might be naieve, but she's not foolish enough to not rely on those who might know the difference between 'creepy' and 'wrong' here. <br /><br /> But Elphelt spies the lone figure. Her green eyes go wide, and she waves her hands as she reappropriates her bouquet. <br /><br /> "HEY! Are you okay!?" Elphelt quickly pulls out her medical kit, but Setsuko beats her to it. She's running, and noticing odd things! <br /><br /> Once again she proves her lack of subtlety, a pink pistol yoinked and loaded from her bouquet in one hand, and that white-and-green medkit in the other. <br /><br /> "Come back! We're not going to hurt you!" Pause. She looks back to Setsuko and Scarlet. <br /><br /> "Uhm, if you don't give us a reason to! We just want to help!" Setsuko might be more right than she realizes on El.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The Sightseeing Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For her part, Yuna might notice a few naughty kids likely out after their curfew playing DDR, or something similar to it. The sounds from the game aren't allowed to filter out to the street, but the lights and colors certainly are, which might seem extremely dissonant with the monument with which Eryl seems so enamored. It's a Buddha statue that has presumably been here far, far longer than the streets themselves; it's more likely that they were built around it. There are cracks in its form here and there, but otherwise it looks fairly well taken care of. It does possess a plaque, but it elucidates very little: it mentions that it was ostensibly carved in the 11th century by an unknown sculptor. It mentions that it has been here nearly as long as the city has existed, too.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eri inches up beside Eryl and Vivio, canting her head to the side at the odd way in which he chooses to observe the figure, but she's soon looking up at it too. "This guy has been here foreeevveeerr," She idly comments. "I've always thought it was sort of stupid to have an old, Buddhist statue outside of a freaking arcade, but those sorts of things happen when you have towns like this that just... suddenly modernize." There's a brief pause before she adds, "... y'know, since you seem really interested in history, there's a bit of a story to that. There was this town further North, Mitakihara, that got destroyed by some weird natural disaster. A lot of the people who used to live there moved here in droves. Since a lot of them were kinda well-off, they brought their money and tech know-how with them, and... boom. This happened."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She lowers her gaze from the statue, looking now to Eryl. "I always thought it was kinda creepy. Sorta like a ghost story. I mean, there's just this massive Earthquake or something that nobody understands, and then they all pack up and come here. I bet that Mitakihara place is haunted. Or maybe there are witches there? Maybe I'll ask Mayumi about it later."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:747|Scarlet Everille (747)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I most certainly can." Scarlet says in response to Setsuko, though her carefully practised expression is kept calm and unconcerned, as if this were an everyday occurrence for her. For some reason, she simply seems to give off the impression that she is already entirely in control of this situation, to the degree that Setsuko would hopefully feel comfortable trusting her to act alone for the time being. "I think we're likely in the right place. Something is still here. Active magic. I've never seen a Witch, but I imagine this is what one feels like. I can't say it's pleasant."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances sideways to the stumbling figure the instant it comes into view, watching it out of the corner of her eye rather than staring at it directly. She remains still as Setsuko takes off into a superhuman sprint, silently linking her sight to one of her familiars and dispatching the invisible creature in the opposite direction, serving as a flying, magical, observation drone that should be able to cut off a path if absolutely needed.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:737|Vivio Takamachi (737)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I read a story once where statues were used to hide things inside them. Things that would sleep for a long, long time and then wake up one day." Vivio looks at Eri, Yuna and Eryl with an expression of cautious concern... But then giggles, "But that was just a story! I doubt this one has anything in it."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Still, the story about Mitakihara gets Vivio looking thoughtful, "That's sad... Losing your home like that. But it seems like everyone has made a new home here! It seems like a nice city, even if it has some bad things in it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:562|Eryl Fairfax (562)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Eryl gives a sheepish smile and scratches the back of his head as he rejoins everyone. "My apologies for running off. I uh... really like statues." He turns to look back at the Buddha, and begins to speak. "Think about it: statues are cumbersome to create and install, can be knocked over or destroyed, and require a lot of maintenance to keep them from being worn away by the elements. There are much simpler ways to preserve some piece of history, or bring some artistic thought into reality." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He clears his throat before continuing. "The way I see it, a society that creates such things is a true society. Consider our most distant ancestors. They could only preserve history via oral tradition, or primitive cave paintings. Relatively simple means, so as to not get in the way of base survival. But a society that puts so much time and effort into such things? That is a society that considers its past, and decides that it is worth remembering in the most extravagant way possible." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He stops suddenly, looking a bit bashful and shaking his head. "But, uh. I shall stop rambling here." He listens to Eri talk about Mitakihara, remembering the ruined city he met Madoka in. He taps his foot quietly, as he ponders on telling her what happened. Her involvement with magical girls could lead to her becoming one also. She should know the risks of such thinks, and a cautionary tale is one way to instil that knowledge in her... <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He kneels down to her level and whispers, so as to not be overheard. "Mitakihara was destroyed by a powerful witch. Walspurgisnacht, I believe was its name. And that was while it was being defended by magical girls." He ponders on mentioning Madoka's involvement, but decides not to. That's for her to say. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Yuna takes a moment to clasp her hands respectfully before the Buddha statue - not exactly proper form for a prayer, but she tries to show some measure of respect in any case - which is what this is, really.<br /><br />When Eri starts talking about the destruction of Mitakihara, though, THAT gets Yuna's attention again in a hurry. "An earthquake?" she asks, wincing. "How many people survived overall ... do you know?" She does remember another version of Mitakihara, one that many people fought tooth and nail to save against the unimaginably powerful Witch among Witches. Apparently, she considers, this is one world where Mitakihara was not saved ...<br /><br />It wouldn't entirely surprise her if the Buddha statue is partly kept nowadays in the memory of those who died ... although it does seem rather unlikely. Still, enough people survived to move to this city and set new roots down here instead; that's at least something to take heart in.<br /><br />Vivio's recollection prompts a brief grin, although Yuna refrains from tousling the younger girl's hair. "It's old enough that they might have, but a time capsule like that should be *very* well protected," she says. She gives the statue a somewhat more contemplative look ... not because there might be a treasure, but because it *is* a great treasure as it is. And as Eryl shares his comment about how high-maintenance they can be, Yuna has to nod in agreement.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== Izumi's House ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mayumi's head bobs up and down once quickly in reply to Psyber. "Yup! A year. I've been a magical girl for a pretty long time now, I guess." Managing a whole city, alone, for an entire year. And she's still acting so chipper? That witch hat of hers may be starting to seem like some sort of a bad omen. She's silent for a while after Homura begins speaking, though she eventually responds with, "Ehehe... yeah, probably a good thing. I'm not too sure I would have made it this long if there had been more people, honestly. Like you said -- competition. This is sort of why I kept it from --" Her eyes widen slightly, and the expression on her face screams 'Crap'. Well, no revoking it now, so she continues: "-- why I kept it from Izumi and Eri for so long. I didn't want to get them involved. I guess I did /okay/, though; Eri only figured it out a little while ago."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her response to Homura's next few words may be a bit more ominous, though. "Oh, it's easy! You can last as long as you want as long as long as you don't get upset over anything. It's been easy for me to keep my cool since I was so happy with my wish. Still don't regret it, even now!" Her expression calms from its exuberant grin shortly thereafter, though why is anyone's guess.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But back with Izumi, Homura and Psyber's responses only bewilder her even more. "Oh, a private eye? I'm not in trouble or something, am I?" There she goes, jumping to conclusions. Thankfully, though, she seems extremely calm as she makes that assumption -- her expression remains perfectly even, as does the inflection of her voice. When they ask to enter, though, she's a bit reluctant. "Come in? Well..." She rests a cheek in her hand. "It's already pretty late, and I don't know you, so... can we talk in the morning or something? I was just about to go to bed, and --" Before she can finish, something comes creeping out from the doorframe. Something familiar.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A bushy, white tail weaves around the corner. Two beady red eyes peek out at Psyber and Homura. Madoka's face immediately pales, as does Izumi's, but Mayumi remains completely unphased. Obviously, Kyubey isn't affected by the atmosphere either and says, calmly, "Madoka!" Without any hesitation, he leaps on to her shoulder, nestling in. Madoka bites her lip, and Izumi looks away.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... things just got kinda awkward, it seems.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mentally, Homura flips a table.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In reality, Homura produces an unfolding table from one of her pockets, sets it down in full, and then flips it, likely off to the side of the door. She adjusts her shirt and then crosses her arms. "Hey, it really does help feel better."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But it's distracting, and kind of silly.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She'll avoid this in the future, she thinks.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hello, Kyubey."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then a glance at Mayumi.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't think secrecy is an option anymore. Perhaps it's best to come clean right now rather than later."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The Witch Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There probably isn't much that could prepare the group for what they see next, so it's a good thing that Scarlet and Setsuko were already psyched up. As they cut around the corner, they meet immediately with the dilapidated side of the tacklshop. There's a large hole in the wall which gives them an aperture just large enough to bear witness to every detail of the next scene. Inside, a single chair rests amid countless toppled shelves and scattered boxes. The person they had seen before is standing on top of it for the first few seconds, a rope tied to the ceiling held around their neck, before they kick the chair back. They immediately fall, the rope catching them. There's absolutely no question as to what's going on here: this is an attempted suicide.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's just enough light filtering from a candle in the corner of the room for Setsuko to resolve something all too familiar: a Witch's Kiss. It's branded across the person's neck in full view. In the heat of the moment the group may not realize, but in the background, sequestered behind a dusty shelf is a gleaming white crack in the wall. That oppressive, haunting feeling seems to itensify whenever one looks in that direction, leaving little ambiguity as to what it must be connected to. There's a barrier right here in this room. If they go in to save this person, they may be sucked inside, but they've already begun to strangle themselves. They can't just leave them there, right? So...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At least there isn't anything attacking them directly. Yet.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber stops and mentally scans his options. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Action One: Kill Kyubey <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Result: Buys Privacy. Buys Time. Look like Psycho Killer. Scare girl. Arrested by japanese government for having a firearm. Banned from yet /another/ Japan. <br /><br />Action Two: Tolerate Kyubey. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Result: No privacy or time. Maintain image of sanity. Not banned from Japan. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber seems to grapple with these two options for a very long time, "Mmm. Hello, Kyubey," He says stiffly. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He turns to look at Izumi, "No, you are not in any current trouble that I am aware of. It is possible you may wind up as such in the future, but not presently. Tell me, have you had prolonged contact with this creature? It is known to carry and transmit a somewhat serious condition with no known cure."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the blink of an eye, Setsuko shifts into high gear. Her sprint alone was something, but the inhuman speed and precision with which she reacts is on an entirely different level. An order is spoken swiftly and smoothly into her radio, and then she explodes into motion. Her blade clears its sheath so quickly it almost seems to be a blur, and in a pair of darting steps, she brings herself close enough that the drawing motion itself can go right through the rope.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Elphelt's face is a look of pure horror as they finally catch up to the poor person. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on, and as Setsuko rushes forth with her blade to cut the rope, Elphelt lifts her dress just a smidge and goes running at a speed that's damn impressive for one wearing a bridal outfit. She does a diving leap for the would-be-suicidee, flowers and sparkles seemingly propelling her forward in a burst of that odd flower-based magic. <br /><br /> There's some metallic grinding sounds as her armored dress scrapes along the floor, and there's definitely some blood and skin missing from poor El's legs, but she doesn't seem to care as she tries to make herself a soft landing spot for the person as she rolls onto her back at the last minute with her arms open! <br /><br /> "You deserve to live! Come on, we can work this out, there's someone wonderful in /everyone/!" There's already tears in El's eyes.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:747|Scarlet Everille (747)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Viewing through the eyes of a familiar means that whatever Scarlet's reaction is to seeing a man hanging himself, neither Setsuko nor Elphelt will ever know. By extension, nobody else will either. It also means that she is well beyond the others when they dive into the shop without hesitation. She doesn't have drastically superhuman speed or magical rocket thrusters, and so she has to suck it up and run, holding her messenger bag tight under her arm as she pounds pavement around the long way, sending her other familiar ahead of her to observe what happens next. Even assuming she should get there before something else happens though, she'll slow down outside of the building as soon as she becomes aware of the close proximity of that dimensional divide, not quite foolhardy enough to charge right in if she knows it's there.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The Sightseeing Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eryl gets a long, long stare from Eri. Uuuhhh... you can only have a real society if it makes statues? This philosophical stuff seems totally lost on her, so she just sort of nods along, maybe scratching her head here and there where appropriate. She gives him a sort of confused 'What the hell are you talking about' look when he's done, but doesn't comment on it. He seems contrite enough on his own power without her saying anything, so she's just gonna... let it go. Yeah. She's immediately brought back out of lala-land when he makes his concluding statement, though, and her eyes nearly bulge out of her freakin' head.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"WHAT?" Her mouth hangs open for a minute before she realizes just how loud she had been and glances around. There was... no one around to hear that, right? Right. Good. A bit more quietly, she asks, "You mean there are witches strong enough to destroy whole -cities-? Man, Mayumi didn't tell me -that-! That's horrifying! What the heck has she been doing for the past year?" She folds her arms for the sake of comfort. The pace of her breath has noticeably quickened.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She turns to look at Yuna, but on account of her shock her reply is somewhat delayed. "U-Uh... I think the death count was somewhere up in the tens of thousands? Definitely more than fifty-something, but probably less than one hundred thousand. God, I really hope it's less than that." She quakes once, looking back to Eryl. "Brrr... do you know for sure if that's what happened, guy? If that was really a witch? That's... that's kinda hard for me to believe. I mean, I've seen Mayumi kill several of them all by herself. I don't get how something like that could kill so many people."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And speak of the devil. Almost as soon as Yuna leaves to join the other group, Eryl and Vivio might catch a glimpse of something else unsettling. On the street past the statue, there's something Vivio would resolve as a dark shadow of a magical girl, and something Original Face may only perceive as painful static. Whatever it is, it dashes further down the road as soon as it's noticed. Whether or not they pursue it is up to them.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>There are reasons why Yuna wouldn't divulge that kind of unsettling information - and Eri's reaction to the news is kind of a good demonstration. However, that's also when Setsuko reports contact with the Witch, and Yuna bows apologetically to the others. "I need to go help Setsuko and her team ... I'll try to catch up with you guys later, okay?" She heads away from the group, vanishing around a corner; there's only a blink of light to indicate her full disappearance.<br /><br />And then Yuna is standing at the coordinates that Setsuko pinged, courtesy of Elner's ability to teleport other people. She immediately heads to join Setsuko, Scarlet, and Elphelt, a swirl of wind and light beginning at Yuna's feet and rising around her as she jogs towards them - and where that effect ripples up along her body, her civilian clothes vanish, replaced by the sleekly armored contours of her Light Suit, leaving the blonde girl equipped fully for battle.<br /><br />She isn't nearly fast enough to help Setsuko rescue the would-be suicide, but she trusts the swordswoman/demigoddess implicitly: if the person can be saved, Setsuko will make sure that life isn't lost. But the Witch - if that 'crack' in the wall does indeed lead into a Witch's labyrinth - Yuna is ready to help with THAT, and no questions asked.<br /><br />She just has no idea what the group she just left might be running into ...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== Izumi's House ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the table Homura flips clatters to the ground outside the house, Izumi jumps. She was already a bundle of nerves after Kyubey came running outside, so now she might literally be shaking. She bats her eyelashes continually, rapidly, her gaze fervently skating back and forth between each of those present. Mayumi, Psyber, Homura, Madoka, Kyubey -- she nervously eyes every one of them, unsure of what to say or do. She can -immediately- tell that Homura and Psyber are upset, but she either (1) has no clue what she's done wrong or (2) knows exactly what she's done wrong. Either way, her reaction is exactly the same.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To Homura, Mayumi cants her head. "Come clean about what? What being a magical girl involves?" She shrugs. "Yeah, I guess we might as well tell her. So that she knows what she's getting into. But don't you think you would be better suited to that? I mean, you've got -that- look. The look of someone who didn't really get what they wanted with their wish, right?" She might... smile, faintly. "It's kinda easy to tell one when you see one. If you think she shouldn't become a magical girl, you could make the stronger case. I'm pretty satisfied with what I got. I'll be paying it off for the rest of my life, but I'll never, ever be disappointed." Izumi looks at her in something akin to horror as she speaks. She might suddenly feel that she's gotten in way, way the heck over her head.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And of course, what Psyber says is taken literally. She retreats into her home in an attempt to find refuge from Kyubey's 'ailment'. "H-He's sick? I did know --" She's interrupted by the plaguebringer themselves. "I don't have any illness which I'm aware of, Izumi! I believe they were reflecting on what it means to become a magical girl. But! While you can never take it back once you've signed a contract, I promise it won't make you sick! I don't personally believe that that's a very good description of things, honestly."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka and Mayumi both abstain from further comment.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:562|Eryl Fairfax (562)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Ah, forgive my poor manners. My name is Eryl Fairfax, diplomat for the ReGenesis Corporation," Eryl says quickly. "It is possible that Miss Mayumi does not know herself. That creature, Kyubey... from what I hear, he is not exactly forthcoming with information." Original Face is not needed to tell that he's upset Eri, so he gently rubs her back for a moment. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I was not there, but I heard the story directly from one of the magical girls that was there. She had no reason to lie, so I am inclined to believe her." When Yuna heads off to aid the Witch-hunters, Eryl waves her off. "Be careful." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But then, out the corner of his eye, a burst of static. Eryl glances over, and sees it completely, wincing and covering his eyes. "Something over there..." he mutters, powering up his weapon systems. "Miss Eri, stay behind me." Lowering his hands, he starts to head into the alley, grimacing through the migraine he is starting to get. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber looks flatly at Kyubey, "Just as you can use alternate phrasings to obfuscate or create alternate impressions, so can I," He notes in a bland tone, "You are the transmission vector for an incurable ailment. The aforementioned condition originates solely within your species and has no other known origin. If any statement I have made is incorrect, please tell me." And then, just to rub in precisely what he's doing, Psyber does a Kyubey-style sideways tilt of his head, staring at the feline creature. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He looks to Izumi and says, "He, himself, is not sick. He is, like a rat or other rodent, a carrier for the ailment. It is only capable of transmission to vulnerable hosts." The half-angel keeps his arms hanging simply at his side as he explains this. He'll let Homura explain it in a less douchey way.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:737|Vivio Takamachi (737)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vivio stares at Eryl in much the same way as Eri, rather lost at the philosophical talk. She mostly just saw statues as something nice to look at. Of course, she misses the end part due to whispering. But Eri's reaction is noticeable enough, "A-an entire city?" Even where she's from, destroying an entire city takes a special level of power... A thought that brings back bad memories.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thankfully Vivio is distracted by the talk on the radio. So the other group found something? A witch? Vivio is admittedly curious, but she expects that the other group can handle themselves. Besides, Yuna is going to help, "Be careful!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After watching the older girl run off, Vivio turns back to look at the others, wondering what they should do now... And that's when she catches sight of... Something... Vivio isn't sure what it is. A girl? But, then it starts to run away. Curiosity drives Vivio as she cries out, "H-hey, wait!" Vivio begins to chase, running pretty quickly down the street after the dark figure. She doesn't seem to be waiting for Eri or Eryl.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No. Well, yes," Homura tells Mayumi, rubbing her temples briefly. "To... both of those. Yes, we should tell her now. Yes, I have that look. That's... an uncanny ability to observe you have, there," she even compliments again. That's twice! Mayumi sure knows her business. She even knew to keep her friends out of it. If only that were common sense.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Puella Magi breaks her stare to Mayumi to-- tug on Psyber's ear. "Stop being Kyubey at Kyubey. Let's just..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ugh, what a mess.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She turns to look at Izumi.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"How much do you know about what you have just gotten into? Please do not misunderstand me; I am ill-placed to judge your desire for a wish, and I hope you picked something you will not regret. We simply want to make sure you do not go into this blindly."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The Witch Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The rope snaps.<br /><br />The person falls and is caught by Elphelt.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scarlet's familiar bears witness to all of this as the young woman herself comes near enough that she's able to feel the negativity pouring out of the divide in the shop's corner. As soon as they are out of danger, though, the woman seems to fall unconscious. The tattoo left by the Witch's Kiss evaporates into a sort of subtle, dark mist, floating through the air until it's absorbed into the white crevice that connects with the witch's barrier.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And that quickly, it seems, things have settled back down. Or it seems that way at first, at least - as Yuna arrives, the whole group may feel a sudden 'shock'; a powerful, electric vertigo which momentarily obscures their vision. An image of the barrier with its surreal platforms, sickly colorations, and bizarre textures, flashes into their minds, along with a fleeting glimpse at the witch herself. It's likely, though, that this image does not last long enough for anyone to recall how that form actually appeared. This sensation fades as quickly as it had begun, yielding to the more mundane, dismal atmosphere of before.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The barrier, however, is still there. All of them would feel as though they're being watched. In addition to that, though, they don't feel a deep malevolence or violence so much as they do fear -- it's abundantly clear to any being with empathy that this witch does not want to fight them. Naturally, this doesn't mean that it won't go right back to tormenting other people after they leave, but it doesn't seem to have any interest in pulling them inside its isolated reality unless they enter of their own accord.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Still, it might inspire -some- sympathy; in a distant way, this might feel like watching someone else crying.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Safe.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Setsuko's rapid movement has its consequences; in the relatively narrow space, with the rope cut, all she can do is keep going until she hits the opposite wall, smashing through any furniture or storage space that might be there. Her guitar case, open and empty, hits the wall just about the time she does and breaks entirely; however, the demigod comes away from the wall immediately, uninjured, and calmly clips the sheath to her belt at her left side. "...Good. We-"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A pulse of vertigo, of emotion, of vision.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Setsuko sways on her feet for a split second, then turns to look at the barrier with a frown, before shifting her gaze to Elphelt. "...I know what you're thinking right now. But the being in there... there is no reason in it. If it has any thought processes at all, they're so alien that it can't comprehend anything you might say or do. And if we leave it alone, it will only continue to prey on people."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She returns her weapon to its sheath, and turns to face the opening into the barrier. "...We don't have a way to purify the negative emotions magically, either. And negative emotions are its entire existence right now, the very fabric of its being. That's the nature of a Witch. It's a cruel, hard truth, but we have to destroy it. For its own sake, and for the safety of everyone around it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The 'Sightseeing' Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Vivio bolts in the direction of the 'dark' magical girl, Eri vaults a hand after her. "C-Crap... wait up is my line!" She looks briefly to Eryl in a way that very distinctly questions 'What the hell he's standing around for' before beating feet herself. She makes every attempt to catch up to Vivio and, if she's able to, she would lock a hand around the girl's wrist. "Are you insane? Look, I don't know what the heck you think you saw, but didn't that other girl just leave because something bad is happening in another part of the city? We need to stay together, okay? We need to --" She's cut off by a creeping feeling of dread. She look ahead of herself to see the 'magical girl' from before waving at them. She opens her mouth to speak...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... and is promptly cut off by the sound of something shifting far, far above. Two more magical girls, each distinct in shape and size, push heavy crates from on high. Eri tugs Vivio's arm several times, but after several attempts she realizes that her legs have been frozen in place by fear. As much as she wants to, she can't move. She just keeps staring and staring as those boxes fall toward her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At this rate, she'll... they...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eri holds her breath.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== Izumi's House ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's certainly true that no species in the known Universe aside from ours is able to grant wishes," Kyubey counters Psyber, "but I still think that a sickness is a very bad analogy for a contract!" This... is definitely just going to keep going around in circles, but he's probably used to this by now. Same Kyubey, different day. To Homura's commentary, Mayumi cryptically replies, "Do you know the saying, 'The eyes are the gateway to the soul'? Well, I'm really good with mirrors~." She wraps her arms behind her back once more, brandishing a smile.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... ever so faintly, she might begin to detect a certain degree of... pomp, in her. Of presumption. Something reminiscent of Oriko, maybe, just completely void of the sense of responsibility. Or maybe she's just imagining things? Meh.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Izumi slowly nods her head as Psyber clarifies, but at the moment she seems hesitant to maintain eye contact with him. He's... well, he already made this observation: he's a big, scary dude talking about illness. Kyubey is a tiny, adorable cat talking about wishes. It's kind of hard for her to will herself into believing the former over the latter in this case, especially without context. Mercifully, though, Izumi starts shaking her head after Homura speaks again.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I... haven't made a wish yet," She confirms. Phew. Safe for now. "I was just talking with Kyubey about things I could wish for, and what being a puella magi would be like. I know Mayumi is one, but honestly... that's all I knew until tonight. Kyubey told me that magical girls fight witches and that they get powerful magic to do that, but... well." She folds her arms. "That's... really it so far. I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me more. Mayumi and I don't talk much." She gives the blue girl a quick glance. Mayumi waves at her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka inches away from Mayumi for a reason she can't quite comprehend at the moment.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:562|Eryl Fairfax (562)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Eryl chases after Eri and Vivio, distinctly remembering his lessons about dealing with young people. Namely, to expect everything from them, because you never know when they're going to run off and do something foolish. Unfortunately, the ache caused by Original Face caught him off-guard, so he has to pursue Eri and Vivio. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When he catches up, he nods along with Eri. "She is right. This city is certainly quite lovely, but there are dangers here." Speaking off, Eryl's ears pick up the scraping of crates against the ground, and looks up in time to catch them starting to fall! <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In those few seconds, Eryl computes their potential landing sites, too many of which are on Eri and/or Vivio. He rushes forward, going to push Eri and Vivio if he can, still moving in the hopes that he gets clear of them also. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You may feel it is an unsatisfactory analogy, but I would posit that your method is equally poor, for you do not inform them of the full scope of their contra-AH!" Psyber lets out a cry of faux-pain as Homura grabs his ear. It's an impressive feat for her, due to his height, so he'll at least award the effort. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After a couple moments, he stands up straight again and looks to Izumi, "You would do well to, at some juncture, as him the full scope of your contract. Including what happens when you can no longer fulfill your duties, and other such things. He will omit these facts unless explicitly asked." He advises to her, his hands falling to his pockets. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The half-angel looks to Mayumi carefully, as if trying to decide what he thinks of her. He's not an idiot and can tell he's an intimidating figure, but Mayumi seems non-plussed by a lot. He thinks for a long moment, standing in silence.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:737|Vivio Takamachi (737)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vivio might be fast, but she's also still pretty small. Vivio is pulled to a stop by Eri and turns to look at her, "Huh? B-but I saw..." Well, she doesn't know what it is she saw, but it ran away and Vivio felt a need to chase it... To find out... Something? Vivio was about to say something when Eri suddenly stops. Turning to look as well, Vivio sees the 'magical girl'. Unsure for a moment what to do, Vivio just decides to say, "Hello...?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eri's tugging causes Vivio to look at her and then up, vivid red and green eyes going wide at the sight of the falling crates. 'Why would they do that?' is one thought that goes through Vivio's mind. Though it is rather eclipsed by the desire to NOT GET CRUSHED! It's a good thing the older girl already had an arm around Vivio... Vivio wraps her own around Eri for a better grip, just before the crates smash into the ground!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Phew, that was close!" Several metres away, where Vivio and Eri had ended up after a short magical burst of speed, Vivio releases her hold on the other girl. Seeing Eryl close to the crash site of the crates, she calls out, "Hey, are you okay?" Completely oblivious to his attempted save, as focused as she was on taking care of herself and the person holding her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Yuna grimaces, but nods in agreement with Setsuko. "If we just leave the Witch here, gods alone know how many others will fall to the same fate as that person," she indicates the almost-suicide. "There are some villains who can be redeemed, drawn back to the path of the Light. But a Witch isn't one of those - short of a miracle that's beyond our reach here, there's only one thing we can do."<br /><br />She lets out a breath, steeling herself against what'll almost certainly lie in wait within the Barrier, and the Matrix Divider materializes in her hands with a focused thought. She's ready to follow Setsuko inside - or to be swallowed up by the Barrier itself, if its Witch decides to pull them in physically.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Elphelt will need a moment, as she's wrangling the would-be suicide victim. It'll be really, really difficult for the person to struggle, as the Valentine is markedly above human strength. She's managed to find some bit of rope, and works on tieing up the poor person so they can't hurt themselves again. It's a hog-tie, a bit disgraceful really, but it's about all she knows in knot-work. <br /><br /> "There! Now they can't hurt themselves. Uhm, we should reeeeally get them out of here just in case." She'll look to Yuna and Elner at that bit. <br /><br /> She clears her throat as Setsuko speaks. She's silent for a moment, but then she shakes her head violently. <br /><br /> "It doesn't take magic to sort out negative emotions. Come on. We're going in there." Then? Yanking out her pink shotgun, she cocks the large magical gun and makes for that crack. The feeling of all that negativity both greates and fills her with nothing but empathy. It /hurts/ such a loving soul as Elphelt. And from the look on her face, Setsuko's words rip at her just as much. <br /><br /> She simply can't just agree that someone should be killed. Stopped, sure. But to just kill them? Even if she knows she might be wrong in her heart, Elphelt Valentine has to try. If nothing else, this 'Witch' should at least know that someone cares. A glance to Yuna. <br /><br /> "Let's just go!" She says once again, all the more seemingly unprepared for all of this.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cryptic, yes. Reminders her of Oriko, yes.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That is not a good thing.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura frowns, but rather than address the matter, decides to answer Izumi and focus her efforts there instead. "That's correct, in the same sense you would describe a car as a means to go somewhere. The fight is harduous, and will keep you up at night. It is demanding, in both effort and time, to the point it could strain your friendships. And naturally, you must keep it quiet; the world would change overnight in panic at the sight of magic, and creatures they cannot see."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then on the matter of the wish: "But if you proceed regardless, think long and hard on your wish. You only get one, and regret is akin to a death sentence."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:747|Scarlet Everille (747)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scarlet arrives just in time to see, and feel, the proverbial fireworks. She leans in around the hole in the wall to assess the room with her own eyes, both of which stand out as bright scarlet points against the shadow on her face for a few seconds before returning to a simple hue. The evaporation of the Witch's Kiss hasn't escaped her notice, but with the victim unconscious and not in life-threatening danger, her attention is entirely only the barrier present in the room. This is her first time encountering one, after all. The sickening sensations that grate on her sense of reality are novel and fresh, albeit she is better equipped to deal with them than most, able to keep a level bearing from her long exposure to Nowhere.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Right now?" she catches at the end of Setsuko's reassurance to Elphelt. "Was there a point at which the Witch didn't exist on negative emotions? You made it sound earlier as if they only come into being from accumulated human toxicity." She doesn't quite sound suspicious, but her voice carries a certain kind of unplaceable tone to it that suggests that she's caught onto something. A feint more than anything, but a potentially productive one. "This isn't really what I came here to do..." she says, carefully stepping over the clutter that litters the floor, making sure not to stand on anything. "but if it's something that has to be taken care of right now, I suppose there isn't a choice." She seems remarkably collected despite the fact she had undoubtably felt the Witch's pitiable cry of fear. Only magic prevents it from appearing sociopathic.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite ostensibly being the least armed and intimidating person present, Scarlet is the first to step right into the barrier, expressing a supreme level of confidence in crossing over into what can only be the realm of the maddeningly bizarre. The barrier ripples twice more as the familiars pass through after her, plainly visible to the others.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The Witch Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so, the group elects to delve into the Witch's Barrier.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As they approach the white crack, they would feel a repulsion contrary to the usual sensation of pulling one might feel whilst approaching a barrier. And as they make contact and begin to step inside, they would hear a blood curdling <span class=" bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">screech</span>. The witch does everything that it can to keep them from entering, and by the end of their short sojourn between realities, they might emerge feeling as though they have just passed through a window of glass. It could be not more obvious that this entity just wants to run away, but something seems to be preventing it from doing so.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Barrier itself is structured fairly simply. The floors are wrought of an endless sea of... junk. Paper mache, mechanical refuse slides and shifts underneath their feet, making footing unsure for any incapable of flight. Tarnished blades and chains rattle around within the undulating mess. Earnestly, this looks less like a barrier and more like an otherworldly trash dump -- there's no end in sight to all this trash.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And even -more- of the stuff coagulates in the center of the realm. The witch presides over her world of decaying baubles from a mountain of the stuff. Shingles and windows peek out of it from several levels, giving the impression that -whole houses- have been consumed by its onslaught. Their quarry cants its head at them, its 'antlers' - vaguely reminiscent of a motorcycle's handles - tilting to one side as its arm - a complementary 'muffler' - points in their direction. There's another ear-rending cry from the heart of the realm as a confluence of trash, carried by black 'puddles' with eyes, approaches the lot of them. All of them twitch and spin in their approach, attempting to slam each interloper with cudgels similar in appearance to car engines.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sensation of wrongness here is so profound that it might feel like their heads are splitting open every second.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;== The Sightseeing Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vivio grabs Eri, pulling the both of them away from the prospective crash site of the crate just in the nick of time. As she was dashing for dear life, however, she might not have realized as the two crates knocked against one another, sending one of them straight toward their new position. A coincidence? Likely not -- those same 'puella magi' from before are in mid-air now, two of them giggling behind the crates in midair. It would seem that they are responsible for these incredibly inconvenient happenings. What might normally be considered bad luck, it seems, is caused by these elusive beings.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Phenomenally, however, Eryl is able to reach the pair just before that second crate falls upon them. He grabs them and skates just beyond its area of impact before the whole structure -crashes-, sending splinters and planks flying all around the city. The two dark beings pout in unison, balling their fists and turning away their heads in gestures that almost perfectly mirror one another. Then they fold their arms rebelliously, each of them disappearing into the warble of the night sky.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All three of them are then left in the alley between two buildings. Still, there doesn't seem to be another soul around. Eri slowly regains her footing, patting herself down once she's gotten her bearings. She's breathing heavily.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I-I think now... would be a good time for food." That's enough adventure for her for one day.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You'll see," Setsuko replies to Scarlet.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The instant they step into the barrier, Setsuko can feel the difference from what she's accustomed to. No Witch has ever really /resisted/ their entry before. Not like this. They will attack hostile intruders, they will lure people in to give them a Witch's Kiss and kill them, but she's never faced resistance in simply entering the labyrinth. And the oppressive atmosphere is entirely different besides. Even if this being is weak, it immediately has her exceptionally on her guard - it's like nothing she's faced before.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Do you understand now?" the swordswoman asks, holding her sword vertically. "It's not that the Witch is a being that's experiencing negative emotion. The Witch itself /is/ negative emotion. If hate and fear and resentment are wind, then a Witch is like a tornado." She whips the blade around, and with a *SNAP*, the hilt and crossguard expand, and a tremendous, impossibly huge blade takes shape. Twice as long as Setsuko is tall, and she swings it around herself as if it weighed next to nothing.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For the moment, however, she's not moving. Only standing guard, carving up every attack that comes their way. Protecting Scarlet and Elphelt until they recover from whatever shock they might be experiencing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> The initial screech nearly takes Elphelt off of her feet. Her head feels like a thousand hammers are slamming into her skull, and she can barely think. Her gaze follows the debris that makes up the giant heap, her steps uncharacteristically slow and graceless. She manages to stay aloft, balancing on some old beam that might have once supported a building as it shifts under her. <br /><br /> But to hear such anguish, such pain, tears Elphelt to the core. She couldn't stop tears from falling if she wanted to. Even as those familiars come for her and her compatriots, she de-summons the shotgun. In its place is her bouquet, and she looks up to the creature atop the junkheap. <br /><br /> "Hey! What are you afraid of? What hurts?" She calls out to the being. Scarlet's words and the oddness of the moment catch her heart as she listens to the radio. A tiny little glimmer of hope sets in. Setsuko's sword is assisted by her bouquet, the metallic roses making quite the defensive bludgeon as she paries the familiars and generally beats about like it's some kind of war-club. <br /><br /> She, for now, seems to ignore Setsuko. <br /><br /> "...I'll listen! I promise! Just tell me what's wrong! I don't know what's made you so afraid, but, you don't have to bear burdens alone! If I can, I'll help you! You just need to tell me!" She calls out to Giselle, going on a hunch and a prayer.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It is quite possibly the first time that Yuna's encountered a Witch which is outright *afraid*. Certainly it's not something that she's expecting - and as the wave of familiars charges towards the group, Yuna switches her weapon to a crude one-handed grip, allowing her to conjure her shield - and she immediately drives the kite shield's lower point into the ground, trying to wedge it in there so it'll stand without support.<br /><br />Then she crouches, not quite behind it, and readies her grasp on the Matrix Divider again, whether it ultimately be to shoot or to slash. She's letting Setsuko set the lead on that, at least until the moment when she HAS to protect herself. If she has to cut it that close then she'll probably have to resort to melee in any case.<br /><br />At Setsuko's explanation, though, Yuna wonders if it's worth trying to calm the Witch's fear. She has to smile a little at Elphelt's attempt to begin a conversation with Gisela - she beat Yuna herself to trying, that's for sure - but she'll be really surprised if a coherent answer is returned.<br /><br />Then again, it's probably worth at least trying to listen for a reply. Yuna stays ready to protect herself and her allies, for now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:562|Eryl Fairfax (562)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Eryl is relieved as Vivio goes to rescue Eri, and just keeps moving. But overhead, he hears the crates bumping into each other. Right now, he can't afford to look up, so he simply grabs the two and gets them just out of the way! Even managing to avoid getting hit himself, which is a bonus. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He spins about and looks up at the perpetrators, showing a fierce look on his face to hide the pain Original Face is causing him (PEOPLE DON'T FLOAT). He frowns as they disappear after their little tantrum and sets Eri and Vivio down. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Goodness, that was close..." he says, breathing a sigh of relief. He chuckles, and nods to Eri. "Sounds fine to me. Consider it my treat, for the tour." Not like he has much to spend his Union salary on anyway. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;== Izumi's House ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Homura pinches Psyber's ear to pull him away from his conversation with Kyubey, the tip of the Incubator's tail flicks in a way that could almost indicate satisfaction. Or it would, perhaps, if he could feel anything of the sort. Regardless, he sees no reason to dignify that fragment of conversation with a response, so he remains silent until the half angel has finished making his recommendation. "I'd be happy to tell you anything that you want to know, Izumi!" His eyes close in a pleasant, cheerful manner to complement his omnipresent grin. "The better informed you are, the easier it will be for you to fight witches later! The only reason I haven't told you more already is because it's so much easier to understand everything if you experience it firsthand."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Insistent little bugger.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura's explanation, though, seems to hit home a bit more fully. It'll strain her relationships. It'll be demanding. It'll be with her for the rest of her life. It's hard for her to wrap her head around the notion that she'll be fighting for the rest of her life, least of all through a device of magic; so hard, in fact, that the possibility hasn't even registered. It's probably a good thing, even a necessary thing, that she has Homura's words to help sober her ideas of what might happen. With another glance at Kyubey, she's already questioning whether this is something she's really willing to go through with.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then her gaze falls to the ground. She gingerly dusts her foot on the floor of her home. "I..." She hesitates. "I have a younger brother. He has... he's sick. I don't think it's curable. He has to stay in bed all day, and it's so hard for me to go to school, see other kids his age, and know that he's... here, trapped, alone." She bites her lip. "Being a magical girl sounds hard, I know, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm a bad person if I don't take this chance to help him. But this is why I wanted to ask: is being a magical girl like... a job? Is it something that you'll always succeed at as long as you put forth effort? Or is it... is it more than that?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It seems like she's starting to get the idea. But that last thing Homura said -- calling disappointment a 'death sentence' -- keeps echoing in her mind. "And hey, why is it so important that I'm satisfied with my wish? Will something bad happen if I make the wrong one?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:747|Scarlet Everille (747)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scarlet is holding one hand over half of her face by the time she stumbles through the barrier attempting to focus on the ground in front of her feet rather than the sensation of being metaphysically repulsed by a manifestation of cornered fear. That hand suddenly claps itself over her mouth as she is greeted by the vista of living junk, fighting down the urge to be sick at the feelings that assault her finely tuned supernatural senses. She has to shield her eyes as she looks up at the Witch itself, as if staring against the sun just to see it, taking deep breaths to try and accustom herself to the nauseating atmosphere.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She only manages to stumble back as the first wave of familiars surges in from around her, too disorient to avoid anything with any kind of grace, before mercifully ending up behind Setsuko, leaning over to rest her hands against her knees as the first chunk of car engine goes sailing over her head in order to gather herself. Only once Yuna and Elphelt are stuck into the fray does she seem to regain her self-control, having successfully inured her other senses to the barrier for the time being.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her first move is to abruptly downshift both of her familiars through several tiers of Phase and straight into the reality of the labyrinth, revealing them to the naked eye. One is the size and shape of a large, excessively skeletal dog, covered in slick, hairless grey skin and ripples with the motions of millions of fine cilia, trailing drifting flagella from the back of its faceless, gill-slitted head like a jellyfish. The second rests on her shoulder like a falcon, though it appears to be composed entirely of some sort of morphic crystal, folding in on itself through repetition of maddening fractal patterns until its actual anatomy is impossible to discern. As far as magical familiars go, both are hideously alien. Their appearance abruptly sends out a pulse of a completely different kind of wrongness to the Witch's. Both of them appear to be doing nothing more than guarding their master, for the moment.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:737|Vivio Takamachi (737)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vivio blinks in surprise as one of the crates is sent flying in their direction. Already she has a plan in mind to stop it... Though it seems unnecessary as she and Eri are swept up and pulled away from the crash site of the second crate.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As they come to a stop once more, Vivio turns to watch the two dark begins upset about their failure and then disappear. As they vanish, Vivio seems... Disappointed? Indeed, she wanted to learn more about them... Maybe get a chance to fight them.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, the sound of Eri's heavy breathing and her words reminds Vivio that the older girl probably isn't quite as interested in such potentially dangerous situations. First looking at Eryl, Vivio says happily, "Thanks for the save!" She then turns to Eri and nods, "I think that's a good idea!" She takes the older girl's hand in her own and asks, "So! What should we get?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber doesn't have too much else to add. The Kyubey has already gotten its influence in, Psyber is a far less endearing being THAN the small cat, and he realizes this. So he simply takes a tactical retreat, placing his hands in his pockets and falling silent during the conversation to follow. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura will be the far better candidate to appeal to this girl than he will be. He knows that pretty much for certain. Anything he does runs a risk of impeding what she has to say orher own appeal to the matter. So, for his part, he's mostly silent.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"A magical girl's magic is connected to her emotional state. If you experience intense sadness, regret or grief, your magic will become less efficient. Eventually, there are no two ways around it, it'll cost you your life. A happy, or at least emotionally neutered magical girl will last longer... but the system simply isn't built to accomodate that. As you defeat Witches, you expend magic. Witches drop Grief Seeds, that allow you to replenish your magic. The more magical girls there are, the less Grief Seeds there are to go around all of them. It creates rivalries, sacrifices..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homura wobbles a hand in the air.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You must get the idea. Am I saying it is a worthless ideal? No. Without magical girls, people would die every day, more than they already do. It's... simply something you need to think about very carefully before accepting. Perhaps..." She looks towards Psyber. "We could arrange one of our special doctors to pay your brother a visit? Keep your wish for something more important, if we're able to provide."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The Witch Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Setsuko is the only one to strike, at first, her flurry of slashes downing a trio of the black blips and slicing their mechanical hammers into halves. The engine heads soon clatter to the ground to join the rest of the writhing storm, but more enemies are swift in their coming. There is another terrible shriek, but this time it comes from nothing so clear or soft as a voice -- it comes as a result of the union of metal upon metal, steel grating steel. The metallic ocean shift and churns, forcing its constituent parts to make a sound eerily reminiscent of a cicada's cry.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, another sound: there's a brust of the metal. Defunct analog computers and televisions rain down from the sky as two 'tentacles' of technology rear their forms to make a series of wide sweeps at the group. This is the only reply Elphelt's efforts at reconciliation are ever going to receive, and this retort is completely without ceremony; the lashes of the the newly-formed whips likely come before she can even complete her sentence. Should Yuna and Setsuko wish to protect the others, they might be well advised to attempt to break apart these grisly appendages before they can do any greater harm.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The witch themselves warbles and shifts atop its tower. If it sees that the group has successfully countered the prior strikes of its minions, it would give them no quarter nor time for recovery: it brings its weight to bear on its precipice of steel, sending a tsunami of rust their way. If they stay in place, they will likely be submerged.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As soon as those tentacles start to take shape, Yuna raises the Matrix Divider, shifting her aim skywards - and no sooner have the techno-tendrils begun their downwards strike than Yuna opens fire, powerful bolts flashing from the Matrix Divider's blade/barrel assembly, crackling through the air to try and blast the congealed junk back into scraps of harmless rubble. Being sure nothing hits Elphelt - or anyone in the group - WILL take Setsuko's help, though; if Yuna splits her fire between both tendrils (and she may need to anyway), the swordswoman will need to make sure nothing big enough to hurt them falls from where they get blasted apart.<br /><br />"It was worth a try!" she says encouragingly to Elphelt. "But I don't think there's ever been a Witch that can hold a conversation ..." At least not a FULL Witch, she corrects internally, but that's NOT a subject she wants to bring up with people who are new to this kind of world. Once the immediate attacks have been fully countered, Yuna hefts her shield - but only to dismiss it again: she would have to be in Powered Form to use it along with the Matrix Divider, and her partner for that isn't here. She can, however, try to cleave through the tsunami and open a path for her allies to charge forward.<br /><br />And that's exactly what she does, the Divider flaring and crackling in her hands before she yells a kiai and CLEAVES downwards, releasing a shockwave along with the slash. It's not up to the level that Setsuko's probably seen her at previously, but hopefully it'll be enough that Setsuko can join the charge directly instead of helping open the path.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Even El finally gets it through her head that this thing won't...or more likely can't...speak. The woman gives a swift nod to Yuna, holding up her bouquet like a shield as the two warrior women work on letting her /not/ get showered by horrible bits of rusted metal. It does well enough for anything that the pair might miss, and she bodily tries to leap over to Scarlet to help protect the potentially squishier magess. <br /><br /> "Then if I can't get her to talk, I'll at least try to make it so she can't hurt people!" She calls out to the others. <br /><br /> It's a desperate plan, and she drops her bouquet. A few bits of metal slam against her dress, but the armor there holds as she hops onto Bridal Express. A look to Scarlett and the others. <br /><br /> "All aboard!" <br /><br /> She'll generally try to use her rocket after anyone gets on to blast up the deluge of falling metal in a wildly uncontrolled way, unlike how her previous display was. <br /><br /> Mostly because a powerful ball of energy starts forming in her right hand as she concentrates. To anyone with magical senses, it's like some kind of vortex, seeking out magic and devouring and sealing a very specific kind. It's aimed at the Witch, as Elphelt tries to seal away the abilities of the (presumably) magical creatures. It's made to only work on entirely magical beings like Elphelt. Will the Valentine Nullification work on a Witch!?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The Sightseeing Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eri rubs the back of her neck, echoing Vivio: "Yeah, what she said. Thanks for the save." Then to the magical girl herself, "And you, too. Thanks. I kinda clammed up there. I-I..." She takes a deep breath. This next thing is gonna be a bit hard to say, so she does so in a far quieter tone. "... I don't think I've ever been that close to dying before. That was... th-that was something else." In case she ever needs a reason not to wander around at night, now she has one. If you go out after curfew, you might be killed by a pair of evil magical girls. If that's even what they were.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She starts walking back in the direction of the arcade afterwards. Idly, she asks, "Do... do you guys have to do stuff like this all the time? Mayumi said that you're heroes from another world or something." Since she's finally had a chance to calm down, she wraps her arms behind her head, cradling it in a decidedly casual gesture. "I wonder if this is what life is like for Mayumi all the time. Almost dying, always being scared..." She shuts her eyes, but somehow forces a smile. "... nah. She's way too happy for that to be true. She's always smiling, and she always does so great on her tests, and she's always dressed so well..." Her tone shifts from one that states fact to one that's almost... oddly admiring. "She could never be upset by anything. Sheesh, I wish I could be more like her."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eventually, she happens upon a Gelato shop. She stares inside for a moment, sees goodies they have tucked away in the display cases, and she's immediately sold. "Hey," She says, looking back, "would you guys mind if we went in here?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If they say 'no', then she'll be getting something mango flavored. To wash away that disgusting taste of 'almost died'.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In truth, a corner of Setsuko's mind was curious. Whether, perhaps, the differences already shown could mean other differences.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her curiosity is crushed when a pair of junk tentacles come towards them with brutal killing intent. The tremendous form of Zanjintou whips around her, and she pauses just long enough to give Scarlet's familiars a brief look before turning and swinging the colossal blade she calls her own in a vicious downward arc to cleave the tentacle apart before it can hit her or Elphelt.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...its very existence is nothing but suffering," she says, her tone softer than before. "Setting it free of that is a kindness at this point. I wish that there were another way. We've looked for one for a long time. But there isn't."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then the warrior woman surges into the air.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;True to her words of before, she's quite capable of flight, and she uses it to go straight up and over the surging tide of metal entirely. Rather than try to carry Elphelt out of the way, she means to dive right into the gap Yuna is creating and unleash a devastating blow, to kill or cripple the Witch and take the strength out of its attack. And she comes in right behind the Divider blast at full speed, Zanjintou trailing behind her, taking full advantage of the moment of attack and the cover said attack will provide.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"ZANJINTOU..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And her own strike takes full advantage, in turn, of the speed and momentum she gathers in that headlong charge. A weapon whose essence has become entwined with her own, she wields the Zanjintou with skill and technique that come as naturally to her as breathing, capable of transferring all the speed of her movement into a single hard upward swing the instant her foot touches down on something solid. But that's only the first strike. Adding strength to that swing, hauling the sword around into a spin that strains every muscle of her body, she whips it in a full circle before bringing it around for a second, horizontal strike at a right angle to the first, and finally lunging right /past/ in the process.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...RAIKOU GIRI!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:747|Scarlet Everille (747)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In stark contrast to the way she had gasped and staggered her way through the cripplingly intense perversity of the Witch's barrier only a minute ago, after finally getting her proverbial sea legs, Scarlet's following reactions are sharp, decisive, and superhumanly swift. Both familiars break from her position at a mere hand gesture, communicating one of the trigger orders established in their binding that causes them to split up and charge forward along two converging arcs, each turning into streaking blurrs of motion. The magus left behind engages her smartcollar's grimoire function to project a kinetic evocation circle onto the back of her hand, kneeling to the shifting sea of junk beneath her and pressing her hand to a flat shingle floating on its surface, waiting until the wave of corroded metal is just about to hit her before releasing the spell's impulse into the ground, propelling her straight up like a gunshot.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The flying familiar angles up sharply to intercept her in midair, catching her as she begins to fall and swooping low to drop her in such a way that she hits the ground running. The flanking quadruped leaps straight into the mass of familiars, zigzagging from target to target so fast that shards of broken metal spew from its every motion. Where it travels, the delicate tendrils following it whip through the air in slicing arcs that carve through ceramic, glass, metal and flesh with alarming ease, scything down everything in its way. Its companion darts down the center path, accelerating to a velocity that makes too quick to see as anything but a trail of light; one that splits into a twisting spirograph as its body breaks down into a swarm of crystal lances, each homing in on and puncturing through multiple enemies in quick, accurate succession.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As soon as the field is sufficiently thinned out, Scarlet bolts straight through the widening gap, calling both Nobodies back to her as she produces something the size of a tarot card patterened in an excessively complicated, concentric design. Hurling it forward, the card embeds into the Witch's perch, and then explodes into a shimmering cage of hexagonal glass plates, surrounding it in a reflective ward should it try to escape. Both familiars dive into the bounded space like rabid animals, intent on savaging their quarry.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== Izumi's House ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Izumi listens intently as Homura continues. For once, Kyubey has no counters for what she says. It's all true, so he won't deny it, but in the interest of attempting to secure a contract in the future he keeps silent. He's trying to plan this as tactically as he can, and right now that means not muttering anything that would provoke further questions in this dismal vein. Izumi, on the other hand, is ever the more inclined toward inquiry in light of what Homura's already said. First, though, she needs to get one thing straight. She needs to be sure she didn't misunderstand this. "S-So... you mean that, if I become a magical girl, I'll..." She hesitates. She shuffles her feet again, whispering the dreaded syllables through gritted teeth: "... d-die...?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That... that changes things. That -really- changes things. It's a bit easier to justify not using the wish for her brother if it would just end up taking her life instead. Glancing to Psyber, she finally understands what he was saying: Kyubey makes the girls he contracts with terminally. In exchange, he gives them a wish. With that sudden, more complete realization, she begins to feel sick to her stomach. The gravity of it sets in, and her face becomes pale once more. And immediately, she loses her ability to inhibit herself.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"W-Why??" She outright -yells- at Kyubey. Wow, seems the tables have turned. "Why would you *do* that?? How could it possibly help anyone for you to go around -killing- people? Don't you know how wrong that is?" She clutches her forehead. Pleasantly, Kyubey replies, "Don't focus so much on that! Think about the last thing Homura said. If no one became a magical girl, no one would be able to protect the world from witches and their familiars! Someone needs to do it, even if it's dangerous. And after all," His tail flicks, "you're allowed to wish for anything you like. I think that's a very fair exchange!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madoka closes her eyes in anguish. Mayumi just continues to smile. Izumi casts her gaze to the floor briefly, but when she's able to face Homura again, she breathlessly asks, "Did you... know that when you made your wish? How long have you been a magical girl? I..." She shakes her head in disbelief. "... I don't think there's anything I could ask for that I would be willing to die for. I'll have to give this a lot more thought."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a small abatement of her distress when Homura makes her offer to help, though. Her eyes widen slightly. "You... you would do that? You -could- do that? H-How?" She shakes her head again. "No, nevermind. I would... be extremely grateful if you could send a doctor, yes. Please!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the end, it seems that Kyubey might've lost this one.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:562|Eryl Fairfax (562)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Eryl's eyes constantly flick around as they hunt for a place to eat, checking the streets, the roofs, even the storm drains, just in case that pair decides to strike again. He's so attentive, that he almost misses Eri's question. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Hm? Oh, uh, yes," he says in response to her asking if he deals with that all the time. Though, as Eri starts to ramble about how great Mayumi is, the corners of his mouth are tugged downwards. He's been put on a pedestal several times by those he helps, and even by his support team a few times. It's never fun. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Just because she does not wear her problems on her sleeve, that does not mean she does not have them," he says, speaking slowly as he constructs his argument. "I would be any amount of money that she was as afraid as you just were the first time she fought a Witch. Doing it over and over may have tempered that fear, but I doubt she no longer feels it." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Original Face notes the tone of Eri's voice, and he chuckles. "But, I can tell you look up to her. And it is sweet that you admire her so, but sometimes people need equals, not fans. Perhaps you feel that you are not as 'special' as her because she is a magical girl and you are not. But that is not the case, and I think Miss Mayumi would agree with me. I am sure that she sees you as a treasured friend." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He's kind of rambling a bit now, but he keeps his tone even and kindly. "So, as her friend, you should try and be there for her. Even if she seems totally unaffected by her role, you should try and help her be a normal girl. I think she would appreciate it." When they reach the gelato shop, Eryl nods and pays for Eri's sweet Italian treat, as well as anything Vivio might like to order. As for himself, he orders two scoops of chocolate gelato with caramel sauce and nuts. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hey, he's still feeling that migraine, he deserves a treat. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I didn't. And... a long time," Homura answers truthfully, though, in Kyubey's defense, she does say, "But, some wishes are worth dying for. Others are not. Technically, we're all going to die one day, aren't we? Becoming a magical girl is like enlisting in the military during a time of heavy war. It doesn't guarantee you'll die sooner, but it makes it much more likely. The odds are against you... but I cannot deny that if no one did it, at this point, it wouldn't take long for Witches to swallow the world."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sighs. "It is a necessary evil. Not one we all approach the same way. Some magical girls don't care about the world, they just want a wish. Some don't care about the wish, they just want to save lives. Some balance it out. And some do not even get the luxury of choice," she says bitterly towards Kyubey. "Pressure can be dangerous. If you were about to die and Kyubey offered you a wish, would you care about the consequences?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But, really, enough about that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Sorry. I can be... kind of grim and somber sometimes. I'm working on it. But if I've impressed on you how important the wish needs to be before you take such a risk and decision, no harm done."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber nods to Homura at her statement, "Medical treatment is available. I have no less than three capable physicians that could likely treat your brother's condition." For given definitions of 'physicians'. One's a dog, one's a ninja, and one hunted Nathan Hall through the library like a safari. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber looks to Izumi and says very honestly, "I may be scary, but it is the nature of my work to do so. Once one spends enough time dealing with tragedy, they become hardened and will do what it takes to prevent it. I am not a bad person, I am simply a less appealing truth. You have made a wise decision today to question this." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But it's to Kyubey that Psyber speaks next. The half-angel looks to the creature and stares long into its eyes, "Understand this, Incubator. Whatever world you go to, whatever prey you find, I will follow you. I have no compunction about this fact. If I have to hunt, heal, or save every Witch and girl on every world that you go to, I will do so with no hesitation." His tone carries no threat to it. In fact, it's got a scary Nathan Hall-like monotone to it that conveys it as a promise more than a threat. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I am working on your punishment. Until then, please understand I am not playing this game so that I will win," He takes a slow breath, "That is not my goal. My goal is for you to lose, utterly and completely. And I will do whatever I have to to see this happen. Know that it is coming." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Psyber then looks to Mayumi. He narrows his eyes a bit at her and does what he always does when he lacks the words to truly convey how he feels about someone. He quotes the Bible, "Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked." He pauses, "Consider this when you wish to bring more people in without warning them, Mayumi."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:737|Vivio Takamachi (737)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vivio smiles happily at Eri's thanks, "No problem!" Vivio does her best to keep her spirits up, for Eri's sake. At the mention of being close to dying, Vivio realises she didn't think of it like that... Had the crates hit her, Vivio is confident her protective magics would have at least blunted the impact and kept her alive. But then, Eri doesn't have that kind of power... Which is why people like Vivio have to protect her!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vivio looks a little thoughtful at the question, "I'm actually pretty new to this myself... Though I've been fighting against people for a while, they weren't trying to kill me. Still..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vivio rushes ahead a little and spins around to face Eri. She gives the older girl a reassuring smile and says, "Even with the danger, and the fear, I wouldn't give this up for anything! Because I can use my power to protect people, like you. And like you say, I'm sure Mayumi feels the same way!" Vivio doesn't know the Puella Magi very well, but Vivio likes to think she has a feeling for this sort of thing!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As they stop, Vivio looks at the Gelato shop and then nods quickly in agreement, "Sure! That's fine with me." She heads into the store and at the question of flavour, happily says, "Strawberry, please!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The Witch Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The combination of Setsuko's slashes, Yuna's blasts, and the efforts of Scarlet's familiars effortlessly cleave the tentacles into pieces. Once again, refuse rains and clatters to the ground, all of it being swiftly consumed by the grounds. -Something seems to churn under the ground, threatening its return, but ultimately the slight hills of machinery duck more fully beneath the pools of decay to avoid the coming mortal wake. Any remaining familiars in the area are dispersed by Scarlet's familiars, all of which crumble before the great cascade. Then their leftovers pieces are consumed as the peak of the towering wave breaks, bending such that it creates a tube over the party. Bits and pieces of technology begin to rain upon them, hinting at inevitability.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But that fated doom, it seems, is not so fated after all. Setsuko's and Yuna's concerted efforts part the ocean, creating a portal through damnation -- an aperture which points exactly to the witch themselves. Through that opening, Elphelt looses a pulse which the witch cannot seem to comprehend; they bumble and flail about, but they still cannot understand that their magic has, as intended, been sealed. It's helpless, then, as Scarlet seals it in a crystalline tomb, and Setsuko rushes. Her strikes are elegant, piercing, and final -- a slash runs through Gisela, allowing yet more garbage to rain from her wound. She screams once in agony before she's struck again, and again, and again. The barrage of all their strikes ultimately proves too much, and with Elphelt's sealing it cannot even dream of resistance.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Its body erupts. A mushroom cloud of debris appears briefly over the drawn-on sun at the peak of the barrier, all of it pausing in place in an instant before congealing again in some further corrupted image of its previous self. Then Gisela's form, along with every other scrap of metal in sight, begins to melt, all of it degrading into an inky black bile that begins to slosh across the entire area. Blackness falls back down in the form of precipitation, but before even a droplet can touch one of the fighters, the world crumbles before their very eyes. Then, at once, they are all back in the tackle shop from before -- back in reality.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The person from before is still unconscious, and the area is still silent. In a way, though, they might be able to sense a considerable difference in the atmosphere. That oppressive feeling from before has faded, and there's an almost pleasant chill. Yes, the chill of an errant gust that has arrived from the sea rather than the horrid frigidity of terror.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gisela, it seems, has been freed. In this case, the mercy to which Setsuko referred is tangible in every facet of the world around them.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For the second time tonight, Setsuko's headlong rush and lunge-through result in skidding to a stop on the other side, holding her posture perfectly still with the tremendous form of Zanjintou pointed straight out frontward. As the body of Gisela erupts behind her, she intones in a voice of rote ritual, "There is nothing my Zanjintou cannot cut."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And with a snap and a sheen, the weapon returns itself to the form of an ordinary katana, just in time for the barrier to come apart entirely. She sweeps the weapon around herself, sheathes it, and then turns to look around the tackle shop. "Look around for a bauble. About the size of a golf ball. It looks like an ornamental peice of silver containing a ball of blackness. That will be what remains of the Witch." While looking around herself, she explains, "It's called a 'Grief Seed'. Think of it as a larval form of the Witch. If we leave it lying around long enough, the Witch will eventually re-emerge. But the Puella Magi also need these to replenish and recover themselves. We'll give it to Kaname."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> As it all fades, and Giselle is slain, Elphelt tumbles from her conveyance. When that horrible barrier finally is gone, she's on her knees, staring at the crack where that poor, pitiful being had been. <br /><br /> Her arms wrap around herself, guilt, anger, and a feeling of senselessness to it all fills her. It's worse than the opression that the Witch's presence hoisted along the area. <br /><br /> From the looks of things, Yuna or Scarlet might need to search for the Grief Seed, El staring at that former crack, quietly sobbing for the sake of the lost witch.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Elner, can you scan, help us try to pick up on the Grief Seed?" asks Yuna, sinking to her knees in relief and exhaustion. True, it's not like she DID too many things, but she put a lot of her inner strength behind cutting through the rust-wave - and the mental strain of confronting a Witch is still something that takes a lot out of her.<br /><br />It is probably just as well that she didn't manage to hitch a ride on the flying bouquet ... although she's giving Elphelt an appraising look; she really didn't know anyone could do something like that. There is a friendship which needs to be forged in earnest here; Yuna likes meeting other magical girls, especially if they hew closer to the model in some way than Yuna herself does.<br /><br />... but right. For now, Grief Seed. While Elner scans, effective or not, Yuna focuses on the wall where that crack led into the Barrier. Top, bottom, all along it, behind or underneath anything near that part of the wall, anything that a Grief Seed might be concealed by.<br /><br />Heck, if the wall is hollow at all, she'll ask Elner to specifically scan within it, between drywall and studs and whatever, because who knows what a Grief Seed can get stuck inside if it tries? Although it might be the first time THAT has ever happened.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:747|Scarlet Everille (747)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scarlet looks more than a little relieved as the Witch's labyrinth fades into oblivion. It is likely the others will mistake it for the relief of someone who comes down hard after struggling to keep themselves calm in a life or death situation. That probably suits her just fine. In reality, she's just relieved that the awful pounding in her head is gone. She holds out her arm, errant shards of crystal congealing together over her wrist, folding in on themselves in spartially impossible ways until the glittering, winged mass rests there like a falconer's hawk. Absently, she runs her fingers over the neck of the hideously alien beast winding its way around her legs, as if petting a cat.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I can tell you're an expert on this, but I was under the impression that Madoka was relatively new here." she says to Setsuko, adopting a deceptively harmless tone. "Was there another like her before? I've read that kind of thing can happen in the multiverse. If that's the case though, you gave me the impression that was something was off about this one. I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you have any reason to suspect something here?" The two familiars split up, the quadruped brushing against Yuna in such a way that she can feel its faintly writhing skin on her leg, and the roving mass of non-euclidian abstract sculpture orbiting around Setsuko's head, both of them searching for the seed.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== Izumi's House ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Homura speaks, Izumi seems to calm back down. Her eyes twinkle a bit as she continues speaking, which may hint that her message come off a bit less bitterly, a bit less grimly than she might have been expecting. And rather than crumbling further when she hears her conclusion -- that 'some wishes are worth dying for' -- she nods with unprecedented resolution. It seems that, even though she's far more innocent, far more protected, far less initiated, even she can comprehend some of what it must mean for her to be able to say something like that. This is a person who could have been a magical girl for five years or more for all she knows, and yet she -still- believes that some wishes can be worth the trouble. She can't imagine that's something she's able to say lightly.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And yet, at the same time she's so calm in her acceptance of Kyubey's 'necessity'. In a way, it makes her want to blush; in the same vein as before, she has no idea what's going on here in earnest, and she really has no right to be passing judgment on the Incubator. Particularly when it seems like she and this man who's arrived with him have seen so much more of him than she has. In the end, though, the culmination of her thoughts manifests as a simpler proclamation to Homura: "You... definitely have. Thank you. So much." Her eyes linger on the older puella's for a while, and she seems to contemplate something. She wants to say something else, anything else, but in the end no more words come.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She wants to say something that might help Homura, but what would she? She bites her lip. No, that's... that's not something she can do. It feels wrong to accept words that may very well have saved her life without giving anything in return, but she can think to do nothing else. Oh well.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Next, she looks to Psyber. She actually finds it within herself to smile at him, and she shakes her head when he claims to be 'scary'. "No, no, no. You're not scary. I might've thought that at first, but... I don't anymore, don't worry. I think you're kinda cool, actually." Her eyes scroll to Homura briefly so that she can add, "And you, too. I... guess that might be kinda awkward to hear, but I really think so. I think you guys kept me from doing something I would have regretted a lot. Maybe... maybe even something that would have killed me." She puts her hands together at her waist and gives an unusually deep, respectful bow. "Thank you, again. I really can't say it enough."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For his part, Kyubey returns Psyber's vehemence with a stare. He earnestly can't comprehend where any of this emotion of his might be coming from. 'Don't humans typically develop these feelings over time,' He muses, 'rather than immediately after meeting someone?'. This singular interaction is enough to hint to him that this man has likely interacted with another iteration of him, somehow. Might there be another race of incubators in the Multiverse? Might there be another world like this one? ... ahhh. With a glance to Homura, he finally understands. This Akemi has come from another world entirely. He'll have to look into this, but for the time being he has only one, final thing to say in retort: "If we lose, everyone loses."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So he will ever continue to promise. So will ever be his truth, even if it is shared by none.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For Mayumi's part, her smile finally fades when Psyber speaks to her. In the end, all she can really say is, "Don't worry, I don't really want anyone else involved. And I didn't know that Kyubey was even here." That much, at least, is true. As is the final thing she has to say in parting:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"My only wish now is to keep on living."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Setsuko regards Scarlet with a stare that last several seconds, her expression cool and neutral. "...You don't need to wear a mask of curiosity with me," she finally says. "You have a sharp enough mind I can see the gears working. I don't mind if you speak frankly." Having so said, however, she continues her search, and also continues to talk.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It wasn't Madoka I thought was off - it was the Witch. I've never known a Witch to express anything like the fear we felt. Never known them to be anything except concentrations of hate, blindly lashing out at the world, just as a fire can only burn. And I don't recall a Witch whose barrier had an atmosphere nearly so oppressive. In the others we've faced, there's only a brief burst of it, when they push their name into your mind. Other than that, it's simply been... a general miasma, I suppose. You could feel the anger and despair in the air around you, but it didn't really press in like that. It could simply be a sort of 'pollution' to fit the nature of the Witch we just fought, but I don't know."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She does stop what she's doing, however, long enough to add, "The previous Madoka Kaname in the Union was a kind, dedicated young woman who gave up everything, and more, for her world. More than that, isn't my story to tell. Ask Homura. The current Madoka... she seems a bit different, but shares the same goals."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:720|Kaname Madoka (720)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>== The Witch Group ==<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Grief Seed isn't at all hard to find. Several seconds after they emerge, there would sound a ginger tinkling in the center of the room. On the floor, a delicate orb of darkness rests, an aged bracelet's thin metallic band slipped through a pin's eye near the top.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We'll call that a memento.<br> <br>


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