1694/Reunion

Reunion
Date of Scene:	01 March 2015
Location:	Old Mitakihara
Synopsis:	Four years in the making.
Thanks to:	Everyone who came for a very great intro. ^^
Cast of Characters:	2, 134, 253, 331, 383, 439, Eryl Fairfax, 570, 720

---

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    The rays of a melancholy twilight coat the sides of the emptied buildings astride the warpgate in a sleepy sort of amber. The group seems to be in the midst of a city, but there is so little sound that the gentle wisps of the wind can be heard whenever they come. Any magical girls present would detect a fathomless amount of miserable energy here, but also know that it's residual; there are likely no witches here right now, but it would suggest that the like absence of people is owed to one somehow. Further, any puella magi coming in would probably be able to recognize exactly what city they've stepped into due to the context of the situation and the presence of a certain bus stop covered by a cylindrical glass sheathe: Mitakihara. Only, -this- Mitakihara is even more dismal than many of its extraversal twins.

    In spite of the labyrinth created by debris and skyscrapers, the group would likely have no problem whatsoever finding their way to the cliff just beyond town where the other Madoka had requested to meet them. The radiant energy of emotion spikes again there, and it's somehow more fresh than it is anywhere else in the town. Why this is is painfully unclear -- might it be because something else happened here after whatever catastrophe took the town proper? Could it be because of all the graves? Or could it be Madoka's presence? None can say at present, but at least it was able to be purposeful in some way.

    Once they do arrive, though, they would find Madoka standing at the edge of the cliff, eyes turned toward the waning sun. It's almost impossible that she has not realized their presence, but still she does not turn. This is apprehension on her part, and though the origin of this unrest would be clear, the way her brain has decided to parse it is still in flux. Is she scared because she thinks that she is about to wake up and realize her hearing Homura's voice again was just a dream? Or is she scared because she believes her appearing here will be a complication -- an inconvenience? It's much more likely that all these fears taunt her in tandem, and they all conspire together to form chains that hold her body in place.

    She's lived alone for so long now that she's grown used to it. Only recently had she finally found a balance in her mind that would allow her to continue living without constant risk of becoming a witch. If she turns, though -- if she turns and sees Homura standing there, what will happen to her? Will that balance go away? She can't know for sure, but one thing transcends all potential doubt: when she turns, her life will change forever. Again. This could be the end of a very miserable chapter of her existence, and that thought fills her with as much hope as it does fear. Even if Homura's wish has kept her soul gem from turning all these years, she still can't shake the feeling that if she is given this gift now, fate will call that guard to expire. It would be too fitting for this world to decide her time is done just as things have begun to improve, wouldn't it?

    Thoughts like that make her scared, too. After all this time, she has begun to entertain such thoughts of cynicism. They're fleeting -- she would never allow them to appear on the surface, but even so, she worries she could never live up to this Homura's expectations. This Homura knew another Madoka. A younger Madoka, a sweeter Madoka, a more innocent Madoka. She could never be that no matter how hard she would pretend, or wish, or hope. Thinking this, she gently wraps her arms around herself. But she does not cry. She promised herself she would never cry.

    A gust of wind blows past in that moment. Madoka steals the opportunity for a quick breath, and...

... she turns.

    Somehow, she's smiling. It's a calm smile -- a quiet smile, but still a smile. She would raise her flattened palm in greeting, close her eyes, and softly echo:

    "Hi, everyone."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Normally, when he gets out a car, Psyber opts to bring a muscle car. Today he's in a more modest sedan, though. This is in order to facilitate carpooling as many people who were at the office as he can without needing to requisition a more attention-grabbing vehicle like a dropship or a helicopter. Those are, occasionally, a pain to bring to new worlds. His car IS transmitting a trackable, followable tracer for Unionites to know where they're going if they didn't ride with him from the office.

    Most of his ride over was spent very extensively lecturing Homura (In person or over private radio is up to her on whether she rode along) about not getting carried away. For all the closeness in his relationship with her and for all he puts faith in the amount Homura has changed for the better, he's still hyper-cautious (and a bit hypocritical) in wanting to make sure Homura doesn't destroy herself if this world is going to need an extensive amount of work on their parts. A small subset of the ride was also spent making sure Laine was feeling at her top shape and sure she wanted to come along. He hadn't had an active deployment with the wolf in a while, and so is hyper-cautious about that too.

    Otherwise, it's a pretty quiet car trip. Serious enough that he doesn't even turn on the radio for most of it. Warp gates make it an easy trip, and soon enough the car rolls through the destroyed city and carefully comes to a stop on the abandoned cliff, "Remember. Play it easy. Something was off about her voice tones. She sounded... scared to meet us all."

    Stepping out of the car, Psyber carefully adjusts his jacket and looks towards the girl on the cliff-side, "Salutations." He notes, immediately shutting off the part of him that wants to strongly intervene. Not a healthy response, especially after the group berated him over it just a couple weeks back, but it keeps his impulses in check for the moment, "I am Reserve Colonel Psyber, Union Specialist Response Division and Private Investigator."

    A basic, formal introduction.

Laine (383) has posed:
    Psyber needn't worry about Laine. The werewolf is in wolf form, and has her head out the window. Pant pant pant pant. Looks like she's just enjoying the ride over, for now. It might be hard to tell that she's a wolf, not a dog, but she doesn't show any of the tension that some of the others might.

    The wolf leaps out of the car when it comes to a stop, padding silently up next to Psyber. She isn't revealing she can speak for now, taking on the appearance of some sort of guard animal, perhaps. Yet her nose twitches, taking in the scents of the city... disturbing though they might be.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    As can be expected, this takes Homura somewhat by surprise. She's uncomfortable, THAT shouldn't be a surprise. Too little information; they're going in blind. Guess this new world mustn't be in the database yet. Union probably goes through too much to get everything up in a perfect, timely matter. Not anyone's fault. Is this a world set in the period of loops? Before? After? Knowing would help a lot.

    It's with a resigned sigh that Homura grabbed her coat. She's dressed formally, with a nice white shirt and a pair of clean black pants. Her black coat is over a shoulder, rather than worn. Her hair's loose today, still divided along the middle from the years of keeping it in braided tails. That's probably not how hair works but in anime land, it is.
    She does have her glasses on, at least.

    The sight of the destroyed Mitakihara brings bad memories to the surface, and eventually Homura will just insist they get out of the car and walk. She knows where Madoka is waiting, but wouldn't be able to explain why. Or maybe Madoka sent the location. Either way, navigating the ruins to the cliff, and walking up to join the new pink-haired girl. Standing there, facing her back-- and when she turns, it's that scene she's seen a hundred times already. Just... the roles are reversed. Circled all the way around, that. And they're not in school, this time.

    "What happened here? The city is in ruins. Don't tell me you fought Walpurgisnacht on your own...?" She knows Madoka well enough, there's no way she'd leave, say, Sayaka behind for a meeting like this. But then she notices this Madoka seems a bit older, even if it's barely.

    "No, that's the wrong question. How long ago did this happen?"

    But, once Madoka does turn fully, that's when she notices the small details. 'Small' details. The headband, the Soul Gem. That's... telling. Well, now she knows how she made Kimiko feel when she gave her her own Soul Gem.

    In retrospect that was a huge douche move.
    Not as much as giving her her own Grief Seed but.
    Up there.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Sakura was not particularly nervous about this, because she'd tried to make a habit of staying as calm as she could recently. She's still staying in Dun Realtai, and so she's still dressed up for rather cold weather, though it had finally started to be merely horrifyingly cold instead of the previous apocolyptically cold in the most recent weeks.

    This means she's only got three hats on, mostly, rather than the prior five. The outermost is a handknit one, no less, though not by her.

    She's not coming with anyone else, as such, so while she very much recognizes the city, she tries to ignore the atmosphere. She'll get there a minute or so behind many of the others, though, and as such she'll be listening, rather than speaking up, waiting to see the response to Homura as the medic herself tries to get an idea for this Madoka's state of mind and of being.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl arrives after moving through multiple warpgates, following the signal Psyber sends to find where he needs to go. Emerging in the ruined Mitakehara , a saddened look crosses his face. It's very much like home, but whatever happened was recent enough that glimpses of the city's former beauty lingers on.

     He takes it all in, recording everything he sees as he sprints through the city. All the while, he starts taking stock, his own brain and Original Face's heuristics making estimates of what happened, and what may happen. The energy collectors in his skin aren't picking up any ionizing radiation, so a nuclear strike is right out. But, the way the buildings all seem to bend in fixed patterns indicate that there was a clear singular source of destruction at work.

     Now, as the cliff comes into sight, he begins to consider how this meeting might happen. There were clearly a lot of emotions in that brief radio discussion. Would the meeting turn to tears of joy at an impossible reunion? Or an argument caused by resentment at being abandoned? Not even Eryl and Original Face in conjunction can say, they can only start planning contingencies for the latter.

     Soon, her arrives atop the cliff. He doesn't introduce himself just yet though, as the most important meeting is underway. He only offers a polite nod to everyone else, and a gentle wave at Madoka, standing a little away from them, but close enough to intervene if need be.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei took her own car, for anyone who needs a ride. Fitting, considering when she got the car. Thus she lags behind everyone else in walking up toward the magical girl, but she catches the tail end of what Homura said. It's the sort of thing she's not sure she should talk about, with Homura and Madoka here. Her Madoka. Whatever. At least she's dressed casually today.

    Oh right, she should introduce herself. "Shoutan Himei, Reserve Forces." She leaves her rank out of it... along with her magical girl nature. She DID bring something else though... a white cat hops out, padding up alongside her.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko seems, to anyone who knows her well enough to tell, a bit agitated. As she said earlier, the last time something like this happened, there was trouble. It's reasonable to expect that this won't be any better. The problems in her own iteration of Japan are bad enough for a world to have, but worse problems can spread.

    She's not far behind Psyber and Homura, this time. She's doing her best to sense what's around, in the fashion of a Puella Magi detecting prey. In fact, she's busy with that as soon as they go through the last warp gate. She's reasonably confident she can at least distinguish between Witches and Demons. The presence of either, even residually, is important to note.

    There she is, then. An unexpressive, high school-aged girl dressed for the last days of winter (jackets with scarves have become a thing), with sharp eyes glancing quickly, briefly, in each direction. A ruined city, is it--oh, that's where we are.

    "Shinobu, Kimiko. Agent. Puella Magi." That will have to do. Some kind of introduction is in order, given that she's probably dead in this world, too. Long-since dead. She never survived Walpurgis Nacht, even once.

Madoka Kaname (439) has posed:
    Well this was certainly an interesting development. Madoka had been busy NOT SETTING THE KITCHEN ON FIRE when it happened. In truth, Homura at least managed to teach her how to not set everything ablaze. Hearing her own voice on the radio- not coming from HER but from another her...
    Well it got Madoka quickly peering over Homura's shoulder very fast.
    "Ah, close your book, Homura."
    No cheatsydoodling.
    That was earlier.
    Now, she's following along with the other arrivals to the cliff, in a casual cream colored dress, long pink hair tied back in a single tail with one red ribbon. Homura is wearing the other of course.
    To her credit, she takes to meeting another iteration of herself fairly well, offering a gentle smile and opting to remain quiet as the others give their own introductions.
    And let Madoka approach her on her own terms.
    She's not dense. She SEES the state of the world; how dreary and dead it looks. And while it leaves her formulating who knows how many abstract hypothesis, she does not voice them right now.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Madoka would look to Psyber first. In fact, she would glue her gaze to him, as if to keep her from having to look at anything else that might remind her of her past. She would bow faintly in a manner Psyber would immediately recognize to be much too stiff, too formulaic for her norm. "It's good to meet you, Psyber. I'm... well." Raising from that bow, she would almost sweatdrop. "You already know who I am, I guess, but I'm Kaname Madoka. I'm a magical girl who fights..." Immediately, she would pause. She would grip a 'necklace' at her chest that seems to be a fragment of Homura's soul gem with Madoka's own red ribbon tied through it and begin to shift in place. She's obviously nervous. "... how much... how much do you know? What's happened in Ho... in the other world?" And completely uninitiated with the idea of a 'Multiverse'.

    After Psyber, Laine would get a long look. Someone's pet? She would inconveniently recall something someone had told her once about how acutely canines are able to sense the feelings of others and, hesitantly, she would swallow. She doesn't acknowledge her presence with words, but it's clear after her long, long stare and a shy wave that she could not have missed her. She would do her best to give the same to Sakura, Eryl, and Himei, just eschewing the long look for a smile instead.

    Kimiko would get a slightly longer look than the others if only because she calls herself a puella magi. She... she certainly has the look of one. Young, but so austere, so closed off, so... gah. Madoka winces at the thought. Had she lost her friends, too? Immediately she starts contemplating some way, any way that she could help her. She would eventually give her a wave, too, but it's delayed by the sheer intensity of her desire to say or do something, -anything- helpful. It's rapturous -- it keeps her from thinking of herself.

    After she looks to the last person, she would close her eyes. She would hold her position for an unbearably long time and, after a small eternity of waiting, turn her head to face Homura. Slowly, slowly, her eyes would creep open. Once, they would shut back again, but then her eyelids would come up fully, and she would make eye contact. Immediately, her heart starts beating. For any who would normally notice such things, her left leg starts shaking. Eventually, she would let her hands fall away from that object at her chest -- the necklace. As if that should have revealed some great, shameful secret she would tear her gaze away again, giving any who didn't notice it before time to look. Time to understand. This shouldn't take long. Why?

    Because it's a fragment of Homura's soul gem.

    She doesn't want to have to elucidate in words, so she latches on to Homura's other inquiries. They're less painful subjects, if only slightly. "I-I... I did. You tried to help me, but you..." Her eyes would squeeze shut again. "... you couldn't. You -tried-, but you couldn't. Then I lost. This is all my fault." She bites her lip. The next question asks for a number. Good -- numbers are much less painful. After another, deep breath that might betray more quivering in her voice, she would say, "F-Four... four years. It's been four years since then."

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    After Homura, there's only one thing left that can give her a relapse of the sheer shock she felt on the radio: seeing Madoka. The /other/ Madoka -- herself. She's... beaming. Bright. It's almost like she's glowing. Seeing herself so perfect makes her heart rupture. She wants to feel jealous, but she couldn't allow that. So instead it just translates into a horrible, sinking sensation that comes just short of knocking her off her feet. 'This is the Madoka who succeeded. Who did what you couldn't. Who didn't -fail-,' Her brain taunts her. All she's able to manage after coming to grips with those feelings is another, meek wave.

    By the end of all those introductions, she's already breathing heavily. She closes her eyes for another moment to give herself some space.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "I..." Tried to help, and failed?

    Homura's expression falls. There are a lot of things she could say to that. So many. Some good, some bad, some absolutely awful. She takes the number in; four years. So she's been dead for four years. And here she is, showing up. Yeah, it must be a huge pain to see her again. This is definitely not IDEAL, and frankly Homura already regrets bringing people. If this was just the two of them, it'd be a lot easier. Maybe three, if both Madokas were along.

    It's lucky that the older one doesn't actually speak her thoughts. She'd already call Madoka's current state a SUCCESS. It was her wish, certainly, but not the success Homura wanted. That still leaves her yearning for a different outcome. She's working on it. It's difficult, though. Her Node has given her ideas... but this isn't the time and place for that.

    Homura takes a step forward, shaking her head. "You're alive. Even if I died, that means I succeeded. If the me you knew was like I am, then... the only thing they ever wanted in this world was for your story to continue. No matter the cost to themselves, they would have done everything in their power for you to live on. And... you're here today. That means the other me didn't fail. I wish I could have found a solution that allowed you to keep on living, but... you're a very stubborn person and you wouldn't let me."

    That's a compliment and an insult at the same time.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Save for Psyber leaning down and scratching her behind the ears, Laine is left to largely her own devices in her activities. The wolf is far more spiritually instinctual than he is, and so he doesn't want to interfere with her ability to get a feel for this world. Anxious though he is to bug her for constant status updates on what her shamanistic nature is telling him, Psyber elects to retain a stoic look. He looks to Madoka when she looks to Laine, "That's Laine. She's a wolf. Jackal, technically."

    "You fight Witches," Psyber notes, when Madoka asks how much he knows, "A painful experience for anyone who knows their origins, and a tragic one," Psyber says, deliberately skating around the core truth, but making it clear he does know a good deal of the situation.

    Eyes flick over her. Ribbon differentiation, headband instead. Fashion differentiation due to advanced age? No. Maybe. Teenage girls were hard to predict. Lavender shard. It looks familiar. Of course it does, he held its origin object in his hand at several points.

    Red eyes narrow a bit. The inherent detective begins to piece together a narrative as she speaks. A lost battle, Madoka the only survivor. The narrative makes sense, but something is missing. Not a lie, because this all adds up. Walpurgis Night happened, Madoka and her friends fought, Madoka survived and her friends di-

    It clicks.

    "Your story is lacking a critical explanation," Psyber states in a firm tone, "The loss of your friends and, in specific, the loss of Homura should have been a sufficiently critical blow to your emotional state to trigger an event horizon, but you persisted beyond the tragedy. Why?"

    While not uncaring, he feels on some level that Homura is the best-equipped to emotionally handle Madoka, while he would be better suited to handle Homura's extraneous emotions as she needed him to. Madoka or Himei... or most people here besides himself are more nurturing, he internally justifies. This means he can take a more clinical line of questioning.

    This is all mostly an excuse, though, so that he can justify asking questions he internally hates himself for knowing.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    It doesn't take long before Kimiko's finished looking around, and done trying to sense what's nearby. It's already clear what state this world is in, in regards to the evils the Puella Magi face. She looks only at this world's Madoka, after that, trying to gauge what kind of state this one ended up at. The look she gets in return is a bit confusing, and causes the silver-haired Puella to glance toward her own Mitakihara's Madoka. From there, she glances between the two and Homura, and--steps back. She takes a few steps off to the side, and just keeps them in her peripheral vision, while appearing to again be looking at the ruined city.

    It's possible that she shouldn't have come. But, she needed to see it. She has an obligation.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Sakura doesn't want to be the one to explain anything, because no matter how much she knew about it, it wasn't quite as personal for her as for one of the Madokas, the Homura, or Kimiko. Still, she's got a certain amount of obligation here, and given the obviously puella nature of this particular Madoka, she really wants to get a sense for just what the newcomer's gem state might be. As such, the answer to Psyber's question is rather important to her, and she'll pause to hear that even as she approaches closer, offering a smile up to the newly arrived Madoka to try and be reassuring. Given her own slightly sickly look, she might not be super successful at the reassuringness.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Looking back to Homura, she blink and stare. Blink, and stare. It's some time yet before she would come out of that pattern, and begin to remember the person who Homura - not the character time had created in her head, but the actual person - was... is, and what her priorities were. Are. Somewhat absently, she would softly intone, "My Homura said that she just wanted me to be happy." Slowly, her smile would widen slightly. It's not happy, either. It's heartbreaking. "And I am. I always will be. So I guess her wish did come true after all." She tries her best to sound upbeat, but it's horribly artificial. Looking into her eyes, Homura would know - *everyone* would know - that she isn't happy. How could she be? And yet, here she is, doing something that Madoka would never do: lie. Not only does this tell the group that she's a very different Madoka, but a very scared one.

    Idly, though, she would open up another topic. "You still have your glasses in your world, huh?" She would... giggle. It sound a little more genuine, but one could never be sure whether this is because she's actually becoming happier or because she's getting better at faking it. If she is, though, she's horrifically good at it. "I don't know how many years it's been in your world, but I always thought you would grow out of them or something. I always thought your eyes would get better." Her look deflates slightly. "Thinking back, I almost wish that I would have wished for that instead. It would have made a lot more sense." She's... leaving out details. Being vague. Why? It's... it's almost like she's picked up some of Kyubey's conversational tactics.

    Madoka's eyes widen as Psyber confirms the extent of what he knows. And if he does... her eyes would scan the crowd. Do -all- of them? If only they could have been here before. If only her world could have entered the Multiverse four years ago... but. There's no use in thinking that, so she does everything she can to shove the thoughts aside. Her smile would shift into a slightly more somber expression, though, and she would gingerly nod her head. "Yeah." What more can she really say? Though, as he continues, her eyes would widen further. And further. She would begin to quiver again until she looks like she's on the verge of snapping apart. The pace of her breathing quickens. What can she say to that?

    "I-I..." She would grip the soul gem shard again, desperately. "I had people I needed to save. My family and so many innocent people were there, too. I couldn't just give up -- I had to keep fighting. Their faith in me kept me going." Doesn't explain how she kept going -after- her fight with Walpurgisnacht, especially since she lost. Wouldn't a loss on her part practically -equate- to a witch transformation if she didn't run away, too? Slowly but surely, the pieces are falling into place.

    Her eyes would wander to Kimiko. She would stare, and stare, and stare. It may be unnerving to her, but to Madoka she needs something else to focus on. This conversation is driving her to the edge quickly.

Madoka Kaname (439) has posed:
    Perfect may not be the best word for Madoka right now. Actually endeavoring to appear fairly normal rather than in her divine incarnation; but that matters very little at the moment. Already the Law of Cycles is pursing her lips. Hands folding behind her back, as this Madoka relays her past; her painful, abysmal past, and that four years have passed since Homura- her Homura's apparent failure.
    Pink eyes flit towards the living Homura in a beat of silent communication. Some things are slipping in to place. The desolate state of the world. A Magical Girl who fights witches... Well...
    "Four years is a very long time for a Puella Magi to last." Madoka notes gently. Not many get to live that long after all, either succumbing to despair, or being killed in battle against Witches. And if this Madoka is anything like how she used to be well... There is some mild internal surprise at how the girl hasn't cracked yet.
    But she does not voice that at allt, instead, stepping forward, a gentle touch; one hand daring to set on the other girl's shoulder. "I'm sure Homura did her best. But you don't have to lie to us. To me."
    She can see it. The girl isn't exactly as happy as she lets on.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Does Himei know? Himei knows a LOT about Puella Magi, but for obvious reasons she's letting everyone else talk for now. Instead, she sits down next to Laine, holding out her hands so that Dusty can leap into them and be snuggled up against her chest. "Unless this world works differently from the one we know," she points out. "Because it could. Even if it doesn't, there's a large divergence here."

    Dusty nuzzles against her neck, then peers over at Madoka. He says what Himei didn't: "She looks a lot like you used to, Himei." Yeah, the cat talks.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko glances toward Kaname, and doesn't avert her gaze afterward, once their eyes are locked. She's still really not sure how to take this--as long as she's known another Madoka, there are so many points of dissimilarity. She nods, however--not clarifying as to what. Something said, probably. Several things, in fact.

    It doesn't look like she can really get out of being part of this scene, for better or worse, so she again turns to face it. The better to be able to look for the signs of impending doom, at that mention of 'four years.'

    Still, she's nothing to say in response.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    She would freeze at the other Madoka's touch. "... l-lie?" She had only told one lie. She hasn't told the whole truth, either, but she hasn't -lied-. And why does it matter if she lied about her feelings? That... that doesn't matter. Situations matter, outcomes matter, -people- matter, but what she thinks about all those things... can't she choose to ignore that? Would that really be so wrong? Looking into the other girl's eyes, she contemplates her words. 'Me'. 'Us'. 'I'. This girl isn't her; if anything, she's who she wishes she could be. But she's trying to 'help' her and, when she thinks more rationally, she knows that she's going to have to tell them all what happened one day. Should she, though? She hasn't told anyone for four years. Could a few more hours be that trying, really? Though, it isn't just these few hours, is it? Her secrets will have to last for the rest of her life.

    She glances to Homura. No... no. She won't say anything unless she's forced to.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl carefully observes the conversation, barely needing Original Face to grasp what this Madoka is feeling. A pointed aversion to looking at Homura, deliberately leaving her until last. Carefully wording her sentences to only give minimal information. Seemingly ashamed to see other... Puella Magi, yes? He read about them in Union files.

     This Madoka has something deep and personal to hide.

     And now he has a dilemma. Should he draw attention to it, demanding that she fill them in? It is clear that she is extremely fragile right now, and putting too much pressure on her might cause her to snap, something he understands is undesirable in those like her.

     He soon comes to a decision. He will go with the indirect approach. Speaking up, he places a hand on his chest and bows to Madoka. The new one, that is. "Miss Kaname. I am Eryl Fairfax, diplomat for the ReGenesis Corporation. First of all, it is a pleasure to meet you." He stands up straight once again and smiles. "Secondly, judging by your access to Union channels, it seems you have joined out ranks. We are happy to have you as a comrade."

     He crosses his arms and looks at Madoka with an unmistakable look of concern. One would almost think he practiced it. "I get the feeling that you've probably felt alone for a long time. I do hope that having allies once more will help alleviate that." He offers a friendly grin. "And if you ever have something to get off your chest, you'll usually find a sympathetic ear somewhere. Even late at night, from the likes of me who don't need sleep."

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    It should not surprise Psyber that eventually, Homura gives him a death glare, something along the lines of 'oi, this is still Madoka, stop pushing so hard'. But he would also know she can't really fault him for asking the obvious questions that she's thinking herself and not voicing due to... well, personal bias and an attempt not to hurt this new Madoka.

    She glances back towards her, and their eyes meet briefly, although it's Homura who averts first this time. "That's correct. Any wish I would make, would come down to wishing for your happiness. So... if I died because of that, I wouldn't care. Because it's what I wanted. I know it's probably difficult, but... if you keep going forward and being so miserable, don't you think you're undermining my wish?" Well, not her wish. But Madoka should get what she means. The older one. Not the cloud. But the cloud would too.

    She accepts the topic change, abruptly. "I do. I... grew out of them for a while. Used magic to fix my eyes, but... I went back to them, eventually. That and..." She motions towards her hair. Notably the fact Madoka's ribbon is in them. Seems that no matter the world those ribbons end up being used for things like this.

    "What did you wish for?" Wait. Holy shit that's personal. Err. "T-That is, if you don't... mind saying. Was it Amy?" She THINKS that Madoka's original wish would always have been that, but she can't really be sure. The timelines changed a lot, and this one seems to have a huge variation.

Laine (383) has posed:
    Contrary to what people would believe, Laine doesn't chase Dusty. She does eye the cat, but she sits down and stares at Madoka(the new one) for a long while... then she yawns. It's not a bored yawn, it's just a yawn from sitting still so long. Stretching, she folds her ears back with a low growl... which fades off before she even attempts to say anything.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    When Madoka hears Eryl's voice, she quickly turns to face him. Being able to respond to him -- someone who doesn't know so much, who isn't so stigmatized -- is a small sort of salvation. She would resurrect her smile briefly to reply: "You already know, but I'm Madoka. It's nice to meet you too, Eryl!" Then, "Yes, I'm in the Union now. I hope I can be helpful somehow." The others might begin to get a very clear idea of why Madoka has been able to last this long, aside from any secrets she's still keeping: she's become impossibly good at 'smiling in the face of adversity'. Clearly, though, this is a poisonous contortion of the phrase. Still, his next few statements give her pause. It's s brief and inconspicuous break, but likely not to a trained diplomat.

    But, she would nod. "... I just hope that I'm able to help somehow." Parroting herself, almost. She won't tell him that she doesn't feel like she deserves a listening ear because, frankly, she knows he would tell her otherwise. And she does not want to hear that right now.

    Then, back to Homura. It's getting slightly easier to face her, but it's... still hard. The next thing she says, though, is -not- taken the way that Homura likely hopes that it will be. Where she might have meant it as encouragement to -become- happy where she so obviously isn't, Madoka takes it as a validation of her most horrible fear: that she -is- undermining that wish. She shuts off. Her eyes glaze over. Her hands quake and, for once, her voice becomes louder rather than quieter. "B-But I am happy!" It's almost a shout, but still comes with a conversational inflection. "I've been happy this whole time! Every day I've been able to save people and fight to protect them. There's no way I couldn't be happy! Your wish -did- come true, Homura! I promise!" Is she speaking to this Homura, or her Homura? The lines blur. She probably doesn't care.

    Good. -Good-. She asked about her wish. She changed the subject. "I wished to fix your glasses, Homura!" She stops. This isn't that Homura. "... I mean, I wished to fix -my- Homura's glasses. You... she dropped them on the floor one day and she was really struggling the next day in class, so I didn't want her to have to wait for a new pair. So I asked Kyubey to fix them for you!" Why on Earth does she sound happier now? This... is very bizarre, but likely not very hard to figure out.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    As Madoka explains the situation, Psyber reaches towards an inside pocket on his jacket. He withdraws a silver flask, which the half-angel unscrews the lid on and tilts back as he listens. He swallows a couple times and then places the cap back on the flask and puts it back into his jacket. He keeps his gaze on Madoka with those piercing red eyes of his.

    Enough time spent with Elliana and Nathan has also given him a keen instinct for when someone is giving you a deflection disguised as an answer. Both of those two do it with frightening regularity, and so when Madoka does it in so heavy-handed a way, Psyber easily pierces through it with a flat gaze. She's not lying, that much he can tell. Couching her truths to fit a mold, perhaps. The first and most notable thing: Emotional trauma. Enough to cause someone to retreat from social connection. This he has experience with working through. Survivor's guilt? Something else? She, at the core point, avoided fully answering his question in lieu of something that appeared to be an answer but still lacked finality. He had received most of a story.

    "So noted," Psyber says to Madoka's story.

    He slowly shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath. Mentally, he begins to shadow-box with the conversation, playing it out and planning his approach like any detective would. She's taking a turtled stance, not unlike his own. That means that he and her will likely spend their time exhanging jabs, vying for position and proper emotional distance. He thinks he can out-play her in that game, but he'd come out looking bad. He could step in and attempt to break through her defense, but that would have the same effect. Third option: retreat from the engagement, wait out the round, coming out swinging after the bell next round. It will also let other people take point for him.

    When he opens his eyes again, his gaze is no longer on the new Madoka, but instead on Homura. Her death glare is responded to with a flat-eyed look. Not hostile, not dismissive, but definitely distant and clinical. He wants to deal with Homura, too, but is fighting impulse there, too. He preferred to let Homura come to him when she needed an emotional outlet or some support, unless the situation was glaringly demanding of his attention. It had not reached that point yet. He's backing off Madoka, though, so at least he can grant her unspoken request.

    Instead, he shifts his gaze over towards Himei and Laine. He steps forward carefully and sits down on the opposite side of Laine from Himei, "What are you three thinking?" He asks to Himei, Laine and Dusty in a hushed tone, "I am not sure what to think or how to proceed, but there are missing elements to the narrative."

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei keeps her voice down, speaking to Laine and Psyber. "She's lost her best friend, and probably more. Her home, too, looking at the city. At this point I would guess the only thing letting her keep it together is the potential to help people. She's on automatic... she isn't really thinking about it, she's just doing it because it's all she can do."

    Dusty lends further context, "That's how Himei was before she unified. Maybe she's projecting a little, but something like that?"

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Madoka stares at Psyber for a moment before nodding. She looks... relieved? It's not hard to tell, even if she is giving her all to hide it. Maybe -because- she's giving her all to hide it. At the least, though, he seems to be letting her off the hook. She didn't catch Homura's glare so she doesn't know -why-, but she does know that she isn't going to have to answer any more really uncomfortable questions. Maybe. Probably. At least... not for a while? She really hopes so.

    With the brief moment of reprieve she's been given, she would look to Himei, Laine, Kimiko, and Sakura, but with particular focus on the former two. She's gently curious as to what the pair of them are thinking, and she has, at least of the corner of her eye, noticed that cat staring at her. It's... well. Suffice it to say, it looks unnervingly familiar, but that's not something she would react that poorly to when she has so much going on around her already. So she would just wave pleasantly to each of them again, horribly awkward and uncertain of how to address them all. Still, they make good visual targets for when she needs a moment to catch her breath.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Sakura will sigh, finally just giving in to her curiousity and asking. "Well. If you don't mind, ah, I have a little bit of expertise.." She pauses, again. There's really not a polite way that she knows of to ask to look at someone's soul. It'll derail her.

    Hell, she hasn't even introduced herself, she realizes. She's bad at this. "I'm Sakura, with the Union's medical services." Among other things, but that's the one that matter the most. "But you can call me Flowers. We're here to help you, okay? It's just.. figuring out what we know that applies, and what doesn't; it can be a little bit awkward, getting to know people who you know should be a friend, but not wanting to screw it up. You don't have to tell us everything right away, but it helps when you share what you can." She finishes, recovering a little bit from her awkwardness.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Complete honesty requires admitting Homura is not a people person. Not even for Madoka. If she could, in fact, successfully juggle a social situation and relationship correctly, convincing Madoka to stop doing stupid things might have been possible. And even after all these years she hasn't really gotten better at it, as evidenced right about now with a statement that she really should not have made the way she did.

    She awkwardly scratches the back of her head, trying to think of what to say. In retrospect she should have let Psyber continue, it would have taken heat off her. Eyes vaguely plead towards Himei, in a 'please tell me what to say' way. or 'please come say the things I am not getting right'.

    "You don't... seem happy. You didn't sound happy. I know... a part of that might just be from seeing me and hearing my voice again. I don't want to make you sad by my presence, so if you need me to step away..." Well, she'd just need to say one word. "But... your smile doesn't seem honest, right now."

    And that is probably the only thing she'd be qualified to tell, when it comes to reading people. Madoka's state, in general. A sigh, as she tries to pursue the secondary topic, which, now that she's allowing it to sink in, just makes her feel horrible. "You never did have anything you wanted to wish for. You'd wish to save a cat, to have cake for a friend, even to fix a pair of glasses, but you'd never use the wish for yourself. How selfless. It's refreshingly you, even if it's something I feel the need to scold you for."

Laine (383) has posed:
    Laine doesn't have much to speak of. In fact she's been quiet this whole time! Hearing Himei and Dusty talk, she glances at them, then at Psyber. With Madoka looking this way, the wolf finally looks up and meets the magical girl's eyes, tilting her head with a low growl. Now, she wuffs and rumbles in the lupine language of the Garou, letting the Translation Effect carry the one-word question.

    <<Duty?>>

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl suppresses a little grin when he catches Madoka's pause. Perhaps she won't be opening up today, but she probably will someday. Hopefully. But now, there's something else he was wondering. All... this. The destroyed city. Happened four years ago. So what has she been doing with her time since then? Given how cagey she's been, he wonders if he'll even get a straight answer.

     But, it never hurts to try. So he starts to speak. "Miss Kaname, if you don't mind me asking. What have you been doing with yourself these past four years?" He phrases it as innocently as possible, with just the right amount of curiosity. Taking the edge off, so it doesn't sound like an interrogation. "One would like to think you carried on with your life as best you could but... since you are standing in a ruined city in that outfit, that seems unlikely."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    The half-angel looks towards Madoka, then Homura as she gives a pleading look to Himei, and then back over to Himei, "It seems I'm out-classed in terms of experience here," Psyber notes in a quiet tone, practically whispering to the veteraned magical girl sitting next to him.

    "My skills are woefully deficient to help the present state of affairs, but you probably have a good grasp on it," He's starting to fall back into his normal cadences and demeanors as he talks to Himei. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a cigarette, sticking it in his mouth and lighting it.

    "Bothersome. I'll defer to you."

    A hard call for him to make, but Psyber tags in Himei over himself despite his desire to continue questioning. Or to go help Homura.

    He watches as Haruno asks about Madoka's medical condition. That is a good thing for her to be checking on. Eryl also seems to be making headway in his own style of asking questions, which is gentler than Psyber's.

    And finally, when Laine wuffs out her single word, Psyber looks back towards Madoka to listen.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Madoka tilts her head at Flowers. What does she mean 'expertise'? Medical expertise? She's not hurt. And she's not... oh. -Oh-. She would glance briefly to a ring on her finger anointed with a pink gem, gently pinching it between two fingers of the opposite hand and staring at it with some degree of caution. But she keeps talking. She'll... she'll get back to her soul gem.

    First, she greets her with that usual smile. "Hi, Flowers! I guess you know me already." She's... being -extremely- repetitive. Is that just a coincidence? A quirk of her speech? It probably isn't the latter -- the other Madoka doesn't do that, does she? That aside, her expression would straighten out as she insists that she try to talk to the others more. That's... that's a subject of some contention for her. Being silent hurts, but would telling the truth hurt more? She thinks it would hurt the group more and she's outright convinced that it would hurt Homura more, and that matters more to her than having to endure the pain herself. So, still, she does not yield. Just another nod, just another smile. "Mmmhmm! I will, don't worry!" Too cheery. Way too cheery.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    "-No-." As in, 'No, don't go anywhere.' Madoka's hand reaches for Homura just slightly, but she would quickly clamp her other hand around it in attempt to cancel the gesture. Whether it was seen or not, though, there was a noticeable difference in her tone. It was /real/ emphasis, and that much would be obvious to everyone even if they weren't consciously aware of why. Her expression freezes for a moment and she folds her hands together at her waist, fiddling with her fingers and squirming uncomfortable. It seems she's having just as much or more trouble parsing what she wants to say as Homura is for fear that she will somehow reveal one of the secrets she's fighting so hard to keep accidentally. She doesn't acknowledge the claim that her smile isn't genuine. She doesn't elucidate that her 'No' was in reference to Homura leaving. But maybe, maybe, some tiny part of her hopes that she'll grasp her meaning anyway.

    Though, back to her wish. The notion of a 'scolding' brings a much more genuine smile to her lips. In fact, it becomes so wide that the breakage as she begins to speak again isn't due to hesitation -- rather, she's suppressing a laugh. "... sorry, Homura, but it's kind of hard to imagine you scolding me." Pretty frank for her, but undeniably true. Beyond that, though? She might blush at the suggestion she is - or in this case, was - selfless. That's a nice word to her. A good word. It's soft, and it has a sort of healing property to it. It's the same word she had clung to to justify everything she had done since she had become a magical girl, practically. "But, you're right. It was a pretty silly wish. I mean, like I said, I could have just wished your eyesight better. Or I could have wished that no one could ever have their eyes go bad." She knocks on her own head gently. "Ehehe. I can be kinda stupid sometimes."

Himei (331) has posed:
    Great. Himei's put on the spot. But she DOES have a little experience with this, or at least a background in it. She watches Madoka answer Homura, then sighs and sets Dusty down, pushing herself upright. "Hey. It's pretty obvious you're bothered by something. Probably lonely, I don't know. I know how THAT is... I had to go it alone for five years before I unified. It's soul-crushing, you know?"

    Himei crosses her arms. "It's a whole new world, though. I'm not telling you to cheer up, that's dumb. What you do need to do is realize that now there are people out there you can be with who might be able to understand... or just keep up with you. It's not our right to ask you to open up right away... HOMURA certainly didn't. But the whole Union, pretty much, knows how things work in this world. Settle in, see how we work, and I think you'll realize you can relax a little. But don't push yourself, okay?"

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    "What have I been doing?" Madoka winces a bit. "I've... I've been fighting witches. Helping Kyubey. All the things that magical girls are supposed to do." Clearly she does not wish to elucidate what constitutes -help-, but the others present would likely know enough to understand how utterly wrong that is. She's been doing the same thing since -well- after she learned what Kyubey was actually up to. If Himei is listening, she would certainly understand that her thoughts had been correct. She is like her insofar as she has been fighting for 'justice'. She's been desperately clinging to the promise, the hope beyond hope that what Kyubey was doing was actually the best plan of action given the circumstances. She -needed- to believe that so that she could go on living.

    She would jump slightly when she hears Himei's voice. Did she... did she figure something out from what she had just said? No... no. She's talking about something else. She listens and nods, but the content of her words makes her want to scream 'no'. She -isn't- sad, she -isn't- lonely, she -isn't- suffering. If she admits that she had been upset, then she would be breaking a promise. She glances to Homura, shuts her eyes, and resolves not to draw any further attention to her mood. She's long since lost the ability to tell whether she was truly happy or sad because she's been trying too long to force herself to feel happy. Why she's so committed to doing so may not be obvious to everyone, but for some reason she keeps glancing at Homura. Homura, Homura, Homura -- she's central to all of this, somehow.

    Though, how is she going to deflect Himei this time? Probably... probably by not contradicting her. Yeah. So, she just nods and keeps quiet. She didn't say that she was happy, but she didn't say that she wasn't either. Good. Things are safer that way. Better.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    After another, deep breath, Madoka would respond to Laine. "Yes. A duty to help people. That what magical girls do, and that's..." She would swallow. "... and that's what Kyubey does." Wait, though, wait -- she talked? She would turn to face Laine more fully and her eyes would light up. She's never heard another animal speak besides Kyubey... or at least, she doesn't remember speaking to another animal. This probably shouldn't surprise her, but it still does. Not enough for her to mention it, though.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Vague or not, Homura understands the emphasis is about her leaving. It's not too surprising, the same situation in reverse would play out this way too. Madoka's body language reveals a lot-- conversely Homura's had more time to learn to cloak hers, although she's still fidgeting uncomfortably. This isn't her Madoka-- she technically doesn't need to be this emotional over it, but now she just kind of feels like the fact her Homura died means she has to help however she can. And, well, it's Madoka. 'Hers' or not, it's hard to ignore that face and voice.

    Especially when it looks so distressed.

    "You can be... frustratingly selfless, yes. I wouldn't say the word stupid out loud, that's more in-line with what I think about Sayaka." Well, sometimes. STILL SURPRISED SHE WAS THE LAST ONE STANDING. That's NEVER going to sink in. "Me? Not the scolding type...?" ... waaaaait. Gears start turning at that. Could it be... "Was my-- your Homura. Did she... say what her wish was?"

    Himei gets a thankful glance for stepping in. It might be Homura that pulled Himei out of her hole but evidently it's Himei that actually became the better one at dealing with people. Even if it's awkward either way.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber is, for his part, not doing anything. Everyone has the points they want to make or approach with. He mostly provided the catalyst and some opening questions, but is awkward proceeding further mostly due to public venue. He knew most people here, but is still guarded about his more personal workings.

    So this is not a pose with a great deal of content. He's watching the others talk and, at one point, he takes the cigarette out of his mouth to produce his flask again. Overall, he's pretty quiet.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    'Frustratingly selfless'? Had her Homura ever said something similar? From what she can recall, her Homura had been a lot more... nervous. A lot more shy. At that realization, a million thoughts rush through her head. Had she just had more time to grow up in the other world? Yeah, that must be it. She's just a lot more mature. She remembered Homura as more shy and awkward, but this one is, although still a bit awkward, much more deliberate from an outside perspective. Madoka acknowledges this somewhat idly, asking in a somewhat hushed voice, "You don't wear your hair in pigtails anymore, huh?" She has no idea to approach the change in her character directly, but for the first time since this meeting had begun she finally allows herself to think, 'This isn't my Homura either'. And she's right.

    The next question, though, makes her jolt. It's a touchy subject -- one that will hurt to pursue, but considering the reaction it just got, probably one that needs to be pursued. She would swallow again. She would fidget in place. "I was there when she made her wish. It was when we were fighting Walpurgisnacht." She squeezes her wrist with the opposite hand. Her nervousness is mounting. "You wished to protect me." The details will likely come back, now. She made the wish when they were fighting Walpurgis, and yet, because of that wish, she could no longer fight. There's a paradox there -- a contradiction. Why?

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    'A duty to help people.' "That is correct." Kimiko speaks for the first time since her terse introduction. "As magical girls, we do have such an obligation." She walks back over into a more conversational range as she speaks. "Incubators do not accept the same role. Not the ones we've known. But, they aren't human."

    She gives the new Madoka a neutral look, showing no evidence but for that stare's duration what her thoughts are. "You've done well to survive this long, while still remembering that." She's not speaking as she would to a friend, a point that could only really be considered from her perspective, given a lack of her own presence in this world. She's speaking to a near-stranger, but a fellow in situation and circumstance. "I will hazard you one piece of advice, despite having just met you. It is something that forced me to drastically change my thinking. I apologize if it is unnecessary." She doesn't sound sorry, but only because she doesn't really sound like anything. She's just quietly speaking, now that she's close enough to do so.

    "When there exist those who would care for you, even if their existence is a sudden surprise, there is also a duty to oneself, for their sake. A duty to avoid harming them, by avoiding destruction of your self."

    It's entirely possible, in Kimiko's mind, that she's said too much--but she's not really one to avoid saying these things, either. Some social missteps need to be risked for the sake of life. She gives a short bow, glances between Homura and Himei for a moment, and then turns to walk away.

    It would only be someone standing farther back, perhaps Psyber or Laine, that would notice how tired Kimiko looks after she turns away.

Laine (383) has posed:
    Laine glances at Psyber, then stands up. Himei spoke well, and even after having her mind healed, Laine is simply... hard to talk to. She knows this. So she gives Psyber's side a nuzzle before padding over, then flopping against Kimiko's side. It looks so lazy, but it's an attempt to give support to the other Puella Magi.

    Homura could use support, too, Laine thinks, but with Himei here Homura doesn't need support enough to break the no-licking rule.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Kimiko takes Madoka a bit by surprise. She had seemed so reticent moments ago, but here she is now 'praising' her and giving her advice. It catches her a bit off-guard, and her mouth forms a small 'o' of surprise. She would nod along with her throughout her preamble, but when the advice itself comes, she doesn't quite no what to make of it. Yes, that's... that's true, but it's confusing. She isn't destroying herself, is she? She isn't... no. She knows she's holding things back, and she knows she wants to cry, but is she really sad? If she was, then she would be breaking another promise -- failing another duty that she had to someone else. So, she can't be sad. She's long since lost the ability to discriminate between what it means to show sadness and what it means to actually experience the feeling, though, so even if she denied feeling it... she might not be lying. She might just not know any better.

    It could easily be said that Madoka's 'duty' is torn between two things: her duty to her Homura, and her duty to be helpful to the people she finds herself in the company of now. And the dichotomy is making her head hurt.

    Madoka would sway in place somewhat. She clearly has no idea what to say, but she would eventually nod again in some form of acceptance. "I promise I'll do my best to make everyone happy. I promise." Again, not a lie. She doesn't know how to keep her promise to her Homura while 'becoming' happy now, because that would suggest she wasn't already. And to not break her promise, she could never have been unhappy. She rubs her head a bit. Maybe... maybe she could just never say that she was unhappy, and feel better by spending time with these people? But, again, if she needs them to be happy, then she couldn't have been happy while she was alone, and...

    ... her thoughts are starting to consume themselves. She closes her eyes.

    This hurts.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei rubs her eyes, then looks up... and smiles. "Well... like I said, don't take things with... don't feel like you're pressured to share everything. You'll meet a lot of people here who know about Witches, and Puella Magi. You'll meet people who want to help you... sometimes really enthusiastically and clumsily. More importantly, you'll meet people who CAN help, but I know you won't take my word for that. I can just tell. So just give us a chance to prove it, is all I ask."

    Saying that makes Himei pause, realizing something. "Actually... I know this is a /tremendous/ leap of faith... I remember the look Kimiko gave when we asked the same of her, though that wasn't me." She glances at Kimiko. "May we see your Soul Gem for a moment? Given what it is, I'll understand if you say no."

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "So I wished to protect you... and then died doing so, I assume," Homura says, pointing to the broken Soul Gem around the older Madoka's neck. After all, that would be a Grief Seed otherwise. Granted it would be a very bad idea to keep a Grief Seed for four years like that, but that's a tangent. The fact is, a broken Soul Gem means death ensued-- natural death (so to speak), probably the best way to go back then.

    But it also means this Madoka only knew the skittish, shy, withdrawn Homura. The one with the heart condition that couldn't really do anything right, and that idolized Madoka. Err, well, not that she still doesn't, but it's kind of a different sort of worship now. And it means this world is still dealing with Witches, and Kyubey is still a huge asshole. Okay that last part is mostly the same, yeah. And Madoka had already confirmed the Witches part earlier.

    "I grew out of the pigtails, but I wear them sometimes anyway. You let your hair grow, yourself. I like it like that." Not that there's a hairstyle that she thinks wouldn't work on her, anyway.

    "So... what happened to the others? Sayaka and Mami must also be... and I assume Hitomi never contracted, here. You may have never met Kyoko, or..." Ah, well. Now SHE'S the one pushing into Madoka. She sighs. "No, nevermind. You don't have to answer all these questions. I think it would be better if you went at your own pace. Rather than let us shake answers out of you, provide them when you are ready. The only thing I would ask... is that you not withdraw yourself. You owe it to her to attempt to be happy, even if that means being happy without the person you want to be happy with."

    That, she's a bit too familiar with.
    Sure, her Madoka is around, but it's not... the same. She isn't always. And let's face it, the Law of Cycles is shouldering the grief of an entire universe, there is no way that's as pleasant and derpy an experience as she makes it look. So, to that end, Homura is unable to be happy with the person she would like to be with.
    But again, that's on her to-do list. We'll get there.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Himei has, mercifully, established herself as a 'source of least pain' for Homura throughout the course of this conversation. As such, she accepts the suggestion that people will both try and be able to help fairly readily, and returns with a much more genuine sort of smile. "Thank you, Himei." Though, no degree of trust could prepare her for what comes next. She asks to see her soul gem, something someone else had less directly asked about earlier. She looks to her ring as she did then, taking a deep breath. There's... there's no avoiding this now without telling her 'no' outright, and that might disappoint her. Madoka doesn't want that. So she trusts her. She would lay her hand flat, and her ring is enveloped in a gentle pink light. It would transform into its larger, egglike shape, hovering in the air just a moment before her hand accepts it. Once the light fades away, one could easily inside, and the sight...

    ... its sight is gruesome.

    There is so much black that she might wonder how in the world Madoka hasn't turned yet. But she doesn't have to wonder long. If she concentrates, she can tell that something strange is going on inside of it. Small splotches of black glimmer now and then, transforming autonomously back into the healthier pink that should dominate the gem. If her eyes aren't deceiving her, that would mean Madoka has a way of curing her own soul gem of its corruption. Is this a special ability of hers? Maybe, but it may also be something else entirely. Still, this phenomenon is apparently not happening fast enough to keep the majority of the darkness out of it, and it -must- be grating her somehow. Certainly far more than she's letting on.

    Madoka would attempt to smile. "I... I hadn't realized how bad it had gotten." And yet, she doesn't look surprised.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Laine gets a smile when she nuzzles into Psyber's side and he doesn't stop her from going over to Kimiko. He can see the tired look on the Puella and knows that Laine is better served over there for the moment helping out the stoic girl. The half-angel crushes the remainder of his cigarette in his hand and continues to watch the exchange.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    There's something that Flowers at least wants to try to offer, and looking over at Himei, she decides that the former Sailor Nothing was on a good, slightly more subtle approach to the topic than she might manage. This is not a very high bar, but she'd still like to try and support that attempt.

    Of course, that doesn't really prepare her for just how bad the situation actually is for Madoka's soul gem. That gets a muffled curse of surprise out of the mednin, who gets pulled out of her attempt to work up to offering their healing on it, her eyes completely focused on the darkness there.

    Her voice a bit ragged, she'll start into it. "There is a method that we were able to develop for helping with that. Um. I was going to try to offer it for later, but it seems like it might be something you need sooner. Himei might explain in full better." She suggests, with just a hint of the stress in her voice that would signal to those who know her better that she wants to drag the possessor of the soul gem in question somewhere safe and start working on it now.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Stop saying that she isn't happy.

    Please.

    Please, please, stop.

    She hugs herself. As much as Homura tells her not to close herself up, not to withdraw, she can't help it. She hasn't thought of a solution yet. She can't think of a way to have been happy while also starting to be happy because that's a logical contradiction and no matter how hard she tries, she can't ignore it. She can't -admit- to being unhappy because that would mean she had already broken her promise, but for that same reason, she can't say that out loud. She's trapped. Completely and utterly trapped. In spite of all her attempts at the contrary, she would hug herself again. She would squeeze. And, for the first time, she would finally begin to cry. She bows her head to spare Homura the visual, but it's not long before they drizzle off on to the ground. She can see them as they fall.

    Suddenly, the group would understand why there was a surge of dark emotion here when they entered -- it /was/ Madoka. The ground at her feet distorts and, within its expanse, the ground looks discolored. -Wrong-. There are bright, shifting colors there that look as though they've emerged from another world. A strawberry clad in eyes would peek out at Homura before quickly zooming past. It appears to have been made out of paper mache.

    This tiny pool beneath her feet is a witch's barrier.

    This is bad. Whether she agrees to Sakura's proposal or not, she will have to act as though she had, and quickly. The one good thing about this, though, is that these convulsions her sadness have finally put her in a position to be more honest. More direct. So in a pained, trembling, grief-stricken voice she would almost shout, "I -killed- them. I had to. They were witches. We never found Kyoko when she left, but I think I killed her too. I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry!" She grips her head and quivers. The barrier begins to spread out from her feet. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

    She's still holding her soul gem. One of them could probably snatch it from her.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Alright."

    Psyber finally rises to his feet. Slowly, ponderously, like a bear awakening from hiberation. The half-angel shakes himself off a bit as he can see the distress that Madoka is undergoing. He has no doubt the other two will probably back off and retreat from the point, but there's no need not to reiterate it.

    "I think we've about reached the end of question-asking-time. Shoutan, Akemi. You can relate to her problems, but you also know that if you poke too hard, too fast, you're going to hurt more than help."

    He sighs a bit before his eyes go slightly wide as he spots the Witch Barrier forming at her feet. That was not what he expected, particularly in a partial manifestation. He doesn't move to grab for the gem, mostly because he's not the closest one to it.

    He does, however, slowly pull back one side of his coat and rest his hand on the gun at his side out of caution.

Laine (383) has posed:
    And the gem is dark. Laine peers over at it, canting her head... but she can see, and sense, the shimmering distortion of the Barrier forming. That won't do. It looks like Himei and Sakura really should get the Gem soon... and that's why Laine acts. Or... does she?

    Laine is just not there any more. She tensed, she growled... and then she was gone. Instead, a fluttering owl is swooping in, darting in to snatch the Soul Gem and banking immediately, to attempt a quick snag and drop into Sakura's hands.

    The owl lands lightly on Psyber's shoulder, fluffing up and letting out a hoot.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Four years, mostly alone, just fighting and protecting? There's something Eryl can understand. As he considers the puella magi before him, he finally starts to understand where he's seen the likes of her before.

     In his journeys, he sometimes comes across settlements with children. Their parents do their best to protect them from the cruel realities of the world, forcing a smile and assuring them that everything is okay. Even as food runs out. Even as sickness they have no means of treating strikes. Eventually, they reach the point where the lines between the mask and their true feelings blur.

     Of course, he cannot make so many assumptions based on a single meeting, but... that's really what he thinks. He starts to move to Psyber to make a few suggestions on helping her... but then Madoka starts to snap, and weird things happen that makes Original Face yell at him. He starts to power his weapon systems, calculating nonlethal takedowns when Laine snatches the gem.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    She... pushed buttons. Without intending to.

    And the fact of the matter is that right now, Madoka is-- dying, in a manner of speaking-- and if it were not for the presence of Psyber, Laine, Himei and Flowers, literally four out of five of their cleansing experts, it would almost surely be too late. And it would be her fault. In her attempt to make Madoka feel better, Homura actually made it a thousand times worse and... for all intents and purposes, would have killed her.

    "I'm... I'm sorry. I'll... Psyber, Himei, take care of this, please," is all she manages. She's not anywhere near as bad off as Madoka is right now, buuut... it's not like she's giving people a chance to check up. Because one moment she's there, and the next she is not, disappearing without a trace, flash of light or even sound. The usual abuse of time magic to avoid having to interact with people at all, or explain herself.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei would love to explain things. She's getting ready to when she sees that gem. Fortunately, Laine is a quick thinker when she needs to be, and the Theurge deposits that dangerously-cloudy Gem right into the mednin's hands. "Shit," she mutters, registering Homura's flicker.

    She'll have to talk to Homura later.

    Right NOW Homura wouldn't forgive her if she let Madoka die. "Flowers, do what you can. Psyber, Laine... any help would be nice." She can probably handle it with just her and Flowers, but when it's this bad... help would make it much easier. She rests a hand on Sakura's shoulder, and another on the Soul Gem, preparing to blast off the negative emotions into the air when the others start. That's her usual job, that's what she'll do now.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko stops when she feels Laine touch her leg. She'd actually intended to just keep walking away, and leave this for the others to handle, but... at that point, she instead kneels down, both accepting the comfort and rubbing Laine behind her ears. Yes, she's petting the werewolf, if that's allowed. It's really more for the comfort to her of having that physical contact than for any other reason.

    When the Soul Gem is asked for, she looks back, recalling a particular other memory just referenced, and then she freezes. Her reaction after that point is rather similar to Psyber's. For him, a gun. For her, a knife that's silently summoned, blade between thumb and forefinger. It's as much reflex as anything else, but she pauses, watching an owl grab the gem and carry it to the ninja.

    And then Homura is gone. Well. That happened.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Sakura is slightly surprised to be receiving it quite so suddenly, though not at all surprised to see just how bad it is, and nowhere near surprised enough to actually drop it or any such thing. She'll shoot a worried look to Madoka herself, but the medic is generally at her best when she actually has a patient to attend to, even if said patient is a gemstone.

    It may be a very odd sensation for Madoka, as Sakura's hands glow green, her concentration going fully into the delicate work of drawing out the corrupted emotions for Himei to blast away at. It's more complex than normal, and the procedure is always rather draining for her, so it may be best to just let her work for now.

    This probably tickles a bit. At Madoka's soul, no less.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Quick enough, Psyber looks to the owl on his shoulder and then over to Haruno. What once took him a bit more effort and work to summon, the Hand of the Redeemer at least makes easier as a conceptual channel point.

    He has no time to think about Homura vanishing. Track her down later. She has an exam Monday, so he at least knows he'll see her then. He forms a plan, loosely, in the time it takes him to walk from position A (not next to Haruno) to Position B (immediately next to Haruno).

    His right hand is also ablaze with white energy, "Right. Let's get to work. I'll handle corruption dispersal if you can help channel it into my hand."

Laine (383) has posed:
    Laine is asked to help! Thus the werewol- wereowl flutters a little, then spreads her wings with a loud 'HOOT!' and a stare at the Soul Gem. Power flares out from her and wraps around it, the gentle caress of Gaia's Chosen touching the Gem and helping to tug the corruption out of it with the modified Excorcism.

    Also, yes, Kimiko is allowed to scritch and pet Laine in wolf form. Most of Heaven or Hell is allowed.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Seeing as Madoka has been incapacitated by the very thing the others in the group are fighting to rid her of, she can do little to protest as her soul gem is snatched away by Laine. She would, however, slump to her knees afterwards, her hands moving to cover her eyes. The barrier continues to expand until an unnerving overlay of childish drawings and neon colors begins to appear across the sky, but mercifully, the gem soon lands in Sakura's hands. She would slowly draw the corruption out of the gem, and... well. It looks like there's even -more- when it's outside of the gem. It would pour like a fountain of tar, threatening to cascade out of her grasp if Himei doesn't quickly dispose of it all. Luckily, she's able to split the task with Psyber who is able to vent it in to the atmosphere.

    Things work perfectly well for a while, but it becomes clear after fifteen seconds or so that this is going to continue for quite a while. The corruption is only about a quarter of the way by then, which might lead those present to another conclusion: this soul gem contains far more corruption than should be physically possible. That's to say, there quite literally is not space without the gem to accommodate it all, and yet, it's all here. The quantity of it built up would suggest that she hasn't used a grief seed to rid herself of it in weeks, maybe -years-. It is painfully obvious at this point that her soul gem is completely aberrant in some way that goes far, far beyond her natural aptitude as a magical girl.

    But in the midst of the cleansing operation, they likely can't think of that. Corruption is continually vented out. Some might sneak out on to Sakura's hands here and there if they aren't incredibly meticulous, and if they have oversights, some of it might even sneak on to the ground and hide in the edges of the witch's barrier. Thankfully, though, that barrier has clearly begun to recede, and it's back to the size it had been when it first started to appear. Those not involved in the operation - like Eryl and Kimiko - might still catch a glimpse of what's inside: familiars. They see silhouettes of other magical girls, ones that the latter may recognize to be the outlines of Mami and Sayaka. At one point one of them would even grip the ground in vain attempt to escape, but be kicked back inside by the retreating borderline.

    By now, only a fourth of the gem is dominated by corruption. Still, though, it vents into the atmosphere at full strength. It continues to do so until the moment the last fleck of the stuff leaves, and Madoka finally collapses.

    It's not obvious whether she's unconscious, or just hiding from further interaction. She might be -playing- unconscious, too; even if her soul gem is ostensibly 'healthy', that doesn't mean she's any less anguished, and it certainly doesn't take away the memories.

    Secretly, yes, she is conscious. Once she's had enough time to herself in pretending not to be, she would likely resume her crying. This time, though, it's because she forced Homura to leave. For every ounce of guilt the other girl might have felt, she's feeling the same, now. She's... she's been selfish. She hasn't felt this selfish in what feels like an eternity. She doesn't know if that's good or bad but, for once, she cannot seem to convince herself that she's happy no matter how hard she tries. It's agonizing. She just wants to sleep, to drift away; to pretend this whole day was a dream.

    ... but then, another part of her doesn't at all. Another part of her wants to greet this world full on, and to try to... well, fine, she'll say it: to try to be happy again. She's tired of being lonely, and she knows it. She's met another Homura, and she made her run away. She was right -- her Homura wouldn't want this. And Kimiko was right, too -- she's hurting people by being like this.

    ... so she couldn't keep her promise. But maybe, just maybe, she can start to make good on it now.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     As the barrier expands, Ery's brain stings just looking at it. But, since the others are busy with something important, he purposefully places himself in between them and Madoka, to protect them from... whatever happens. Original Face is pushed to its processing limits despite its protests. It scans the barrier, taking in everything that appears, saving it in the highest quality it can muster. It might all be important later.

     But eventually, he doesn't need to fight anything. As the barrier receeds, he slumps to his knees for a moment, blinking away tears as Original Face's alerts wind down. Eventually, he staggers to his feet and walks over to Madoka, picking her up in both arms. He pauses for a moment, looking at her. Can he tell that she's faking it?...

     If so, he doesn't mention it. Looking to the group, he says, "Could someone take her to Medical? I think she needs a bed for the night, at the very least."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber, as the cleansing reaches its conclusion, swiftly flicks his hand. The white flames that surrounded it extinguish and he looks over to the suited man, "Are you okay, Eryl?" He asks seriously, narrowing his eyes. Seems, despite focusing on one thing, he has a fine sense of other things going on around him.

    Of coruse, more importantly, Psyber thinks, "Yeah. I can get her a room in medical pretty easily. With uh... Homura gone, my car should have the space. We can put her in the back seat." Probably with the Comfort Wolf to watch over her, is Psyber's thinking .

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl's eyes still water a little, both from not blinking for an extended period, and the splitting headache that Original Face gave him. But, he grins through the pain and nods his head reassuringly. Seems he and this Madoka aren't so different after all.

     "I'll be fine. The headache will go away eventually." When Psyber volunteers his car, Eryl nods and goes to carefully sit the magical girl in the back seat of it. "Well... that was certainly interesting. I'll uh, be on my way. Wouldn't want to give ReGenesis an excuse to get on my case."

     He chuckles wryly before waving to everyone and making his way back to the warp gate in Mitakihara, unless stopped.