#*kyoko and mami voice* we have a WHAT NOW

[shortcakecuties]

Madoka magica x Twisted wonderland! (And reader >u<)

Summary, In which the madoka cast stumbles upon a mirror, leading them to somewhere unknown...

I will write a part 2 to this or make hcs to this !!

Ask by @themoshi666 ♡

The quintet was on daily witch patrol, just like any other evening. As they all entered the entrance to a labyrinth, they were greeted with a sweet lullaby.

"I thought these labyrinths were supposed to be scary, this witch is definitely is gonna be a cake walk." Kyoko commented confidently, her voice echoing in the elegant halls. The halls looked similar to a castle from a fairy tale, having huge windows showing fake scenery.

"I feel like a princess in here! Whoever turned into a witch definitely had taste." Sayaka mentioned, completely captivated by the beautiful architecture.

They finally arrived to what seemed the entrance to the main part of the labyrinth. All of them prepared their weapons to attack. Homura pulled the giant wooden doors and there it was, the witch. The majority of it was a mirror, with a face? Some of the quartet was distracted by the strange coffins levitating and the paintings of famous childhood stories decorated all over the strange patterned walls. "Its like someone's childhood here..." madoka mumbled. Sayaka agreed, "I kind of feel bad trying to kill this witch." Homura quickly interjected their conversation. "This is a witch, it's not human anymore. let's go."

No doubt that they were being bested by this witch. One by one they were getting exhausted. The labyrinth kept changing from a castle littered with hearts and checkered floor to an ocean with fish of all kind swimming around. With each place change, it kept getting stronger. It didnt help that their soul gems were getting quite clouded with darkness.

Kyoko yelled at everyone, "We have to go! Were getting nowhere with this fight!" Madoka looked over just for second and suddenly felt a sharp pain behind her. The tentacles of the sea witch had hit her. Homura caught a quick glance of it and yelled "Madoka!"

She fell to the floor hard near where they had all entered. Homura quickly came to her aid. The rest had given up quickly and rushed to the entrance. The wooden doors was now a huge coral blocking the entrance. Mami tried shooting at it but it wouldnt budge. Before everyone knows it, they were cornered. They all thought their last moments would be near as the sea witch swung her tenticals their way. Before they could feel any pain, a blinding light overtook their senses.

☆

Spending after school cleaning with ace, deuce, and grim was not on your plan today... Yet they somehow managed to drag you down with them. You sigh as you wipe down the mirror in the mirror chamber. Hearing them bicker for the 10th time today was getting to you. "It was not my fault! Those hedgehogs have a mind of their own!" Ace complained. Deuce followed up with, "all because you wanted to take a break...yeah, definitely not your fault." Grim snickered at ace and once again they continued to fight.

Suddenly you noticed something weird about the mirror it had a faint glow to it...maybe its just your imagination? The glow started to intensify little by little. You wanted to ask the trio about, "Hey-" before you could even finish, a blinding white light enveloped the room and you felt something push you down.

Multiple grunts of unfamiliar voices filled your ears. Once the light died down, there was revealed to be four, no..five girls? You were frozen in place once you saw one of the girls point a gun at you.

"Where are we?" Homura demanded. Ace and deuce tried to get closer but homura pointed the gun at them instead.

"Damn! You don't have to be hostile! You're the ones who came out of nowhere!" Ace argued back. Mami held her arm out, blocking homura's aim of fire.

"I dont think we're in a labyrinth anymore. These are actual humans." Mami stood up and apologized "Sorry, we were previously in a battle before this, were kind of shaken up."

Deuce finally spoke up, clearly confused, "then why are you guys in school uniforms?" To their dismay, their transformations faded. Quickly the rest of the girls stood up and walked up to mami,

"our soul gems look fine but I cant transform!" Sayaka panicked. Then quickly asked the boys, "how can we go home?! We're completely magicless here!"

You lift yourself up from the floor and walked over to the group, "all you have to do is go up to the mirror and say where you came from." You spoke, you had a gut feeling that it wouldnt work and they'll maybe end up just like you.

Madoka went up to the mirror and sternly told it, "bring us back to Mitakihara city!" The mirror did nothing. It only replied, "there is no such thing as Mitakihara city."

Everyone just stood in silence as they took in the information. You hate how you're always right.

☆

[lopsicle]

How To Make Purple

TickleTober Day 6: Cuddles

Characters: Lee! Kyoko, Ler! Sayaka

Summary: Once Kyoko refuses to go sleep, Sayaka thinks an unconventional method will work well on her friend.

Warnings: None, just a tickle fic.

Kyoko had always looked out for herself, hunted for herself, survived for herself. Kyoko lived to survive, to keep going for day after day, no matter how hard it was sometimes. She was an amazing Magical Girl, one of the best, and in her mind, that meant she was above things like feeling alone. The empty hole in her heart was temporarily filled with the simple pleasure of food. Kyoko Sakura did not need anybody. That’s why if you told her that eventually, she’d be all cuddly and happy in her girlfriend’s arms, she would’ve thrown up.

Sayaka had corroded Kyoko’s tough exterior, the newbie did something to Kyoko that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. She challenged her. She wanted to be something with her, a friend at the time. Neither of them really wanted to be alone. It started with hunting wraiths together, a mutually beneficial alliance that soon blossomed, allies, friends and then lovers. Kyoko wasn’t alone anymore, and Sayaka had somebody that wanted her for who she was, both the good and bad parts. It was love like they had never experienced before.

Kyoko could never imagine herself being soft. Even now, the word made her shiver slightly, before she reminded herself that didn’t make her weak at all. Kyoko wouldn’t have survived this long if she was weak. There’s nothing wrong with needing a little bit of comfort every now and then, Mami’s voice ring in her ears. She found herself curled up in Sayaka’s lap, clinging onto her like how a koala would a tree. Sayaka’s hands wrapped around her waist securely, keeping the magical girls safe together. Kyoko closed her eyes and leaned her head against Sayaka’s chest, breathing gently to the sound of her beating heart. Sayaka’s fingers brushed against Kyoko’s arms, soaking up the warmth of her skin, reminding herself that they were both still human, that they were both still here. Living as a magical girl was horrifying but right here, right now, nothing else mattered. Not Wraiths, not Kyubey, everything was perfect and safe.

Eventually, Kyoko began giving into the comforting atmosphere and yawned into Sayaka’s shoulder, her eyelids groggy, feeling as if cob webs had been weaved between them that made it so much easier to just keep her eyes closed. Sayaka giggled to herself a little at that, her hands beginning to stroke Kyoko’s long ponytail.

“I think we should be getting to bed now.” Sayaka suggested, although this didn’t fly over well with Kyoko.

“Noooo..” Kyoko complained, her voice dripping with exhaustion, feeling her grip tighten onto the back of Sayaka’s shirt. She still wasn’t used to having other people tell her what to do, even if she knew it was for the better and that Sayaka was just trying to help her. More importantly though, she couldn’t be with Sayaka if she was asleep, she wouldn’t be able to feel her body against hers, she couldn’t listen to the rhythm of her heart, or the sounds of her breathing in and out. Kyoko couldn’t let this moment end.

“You know you’ll have to eventually,” Sayaka commented, both of them far too stubborn to consider backing down. Sayaka nudged Kyoko slightly and ,when she just snuggled her body against hers more, she slipped one hand underneath the girl’s knees and scooped her up, getting up off the couch of her apartment.

“Sayaka, I wanna stay here, I’m not even tired..” Kyoko mumbled into her girlfriend’s collar, though she wasn’t fooling anyone, it was blatantly obvious that the moment her head touched her pillow it would be lights out.

“Uh huh, sure you aren’t,” Sayaka commented, before grinning to herself as an idea popped into her mind, “well, how about I tire you a little then?”

Kyoko’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Hm? What’s that supposed to meeaAA-?!” Kyoko’s drained voice shifter into a loud squeal at the feeling of Sayaka’s hands squeezing the side of her thigh, her body spasmed about in her girlfriend’s grip, clinging onto her desperately.

“What was that, darling? I couldn’t quite here you,” Sayaka commented smugly, waiting for Kyoko to try and retort back to jab her nails into her thighs and wiggle them about against her skin.

“St-stohohp that, it’s ahahahannoying!” Kyoko tried to kick at Sayaka or bat away her hands but it was difficult to do anything when she was being cradled like this, especially when she didn’t really want to be let go that much.

“Aww, is it? Can the big strong witch hunter not handle a little tickling?” Sayaka cooed in her teasing, a little mocking, a little adoringly. How could she not finding her sleepy girlfriend crumbling in her arms from getting tickled absolutely adorable? Kyoko, on the other hand, went nearly as red as her hair, groaning loudly.

“Cahahahn you just quit it?! I wahahahanna cuddle!” Kyoko begged lightly, whatever semblance of the spiky, loner persona she had crumbled away at this point.

“So do I, silly, your the one who keeps squirming away! I just want to spend some sweet, quality time with my lovely girlfriend and you keep trying to leave me!” Sayaka playfully teased her, before sitting back down on the couch with Kyoko on her lap to make it easier to tickle her. Keeping her in a light hold, Sayaka’s fingers began plucking and pressing at Kyoko’s ribs, playing her like a piano. Kyoko’s upper ribs got her squealing and shrieking, while her lower ribs made her cackle and laugh breathlessly, and those sweet little spots between her ribs practically made her scream. She wiggled all about on Sayaka’s lap, but never enough to actually break her comforting hold.

“‘C-cahahause yohohour ti-tihiHIHIHCKLING MEHEHEHEHE!!” Kyoko screeched, clinging onto Sayaka desperately for comfort, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to distract herself from the buzzing, swarming sensations by focusing on the peaceful, pleasant act of cuddling her girlfriend. Of course, that didn’t work, but neither of them were complaining about the arrangement.

“It’s not my fault your this fun to tickle! Just look at you, all smiley and squirmy, you look adorable like this!” Sayaka doted, she really couldn’t get enough of seeing Kyoko like this, happily giggling and screeching, cuddling against her like a kitten.

“SAHAHAHAYAKA!!” Kyoko screeched in a tone that a mother’s child would if she was embarrassing them, flapping about wildly in Sayaka’s lap. Having Sayaka fawn over her was unreasonable flustering for the poor girl, it was so caring and sweet and adoring that she couldn’t help but melt at the compliments, any come backs she might have had moulding into little stutters that got lost in her laughter.

“Think you wanna go to bed now?” Sayaka asked dutifully, slowing down her attack on Kyoko’s ribs just enough so that she wasn’t overwhelmed. Kyoko shook her head appreciatively against Sayaka’s body, clearly Sayaka wasn’t tiring her out enough…or maybe she just wasn’t playing Kyoko right. Cautiously, her fingertips traced down to Kyoko’s stomach, before beginning to gently circle and rub around her tummy, the sensations being just sensitive enough to leave her giggling.

“You know, we can just stay like this and sleep, we’re not gonna have to separate just to go to bed!” Sayaka commented, her voice quietened down, more soft and alluring. Kyoko made a mumble of agreement, utterly melting into the attention and squeezing her eyes in sleepy bliss. The two’s bodies stayed in a comfortable entanglement on the couch.

“Thanks..you know..for all of that..” Kyoko vocalised in a voice tinier than she thought possible, though all of this once seemed impossible. She was here, with her girlfriend, letting her take care of her. And they were both safe.

Kyoko soon drifted into a gentle sleep, though Sayaka stayed awake for as long as she could, snuggling up to her girlfriend and listening to her heartbeat before eventually clocking out peacefully.

[pinkberrypocky]

pmmm rewatch live notes: ep 5

this is the ep w the convo/fight between kyoko and sayaka and wough is there a lot to unpack from that. kyoko talks abt the food chain of magical girls and witches here which makes me fucking feral bc she's so right there is a food chain but she doesn't realize that she's not at the top. she doesn't realize that the entire being of magical girls and witches is cannibalism all for the sake and benefit of kyubey. just. ugh. kyoko thinks she's figured it out and sayaka is naive and in the dark but in reality neither of them understand what's going on. anyways also i think they should kiss. or at least hold hands.

When sayaka makes her contract with kyubey the lighting is red

Kyubey is entirely backlit and a black silhouette

Kyubey pulls a ball of light out of sayaka’s chest and she collapses in pain

Foreshadowing how the soul gems contain the literal souls of the girls and the bodies are just empty shells

Hence sayaka collapsed bc her being left her body

Sayaka is laughing and in a good mood the day after making her contract 

Not thinking at all about the weight of her decisions

Madoka is concerned and voices this but sayaka is determined to stay in her idealistic naive world 

Madoka, dispute being the most naive seeming, is actually the one out of the two of them who is maturely able to grasp the severity and reality of the choice to become a magical girl

Red lighting on the hospital building as sayaka approaches to visit kyosuke when he first knows his hand is healed

Why are there so many chairs around kyosuke’s hospital bed?

Maybe he used to have a lot of people cheering him on for recovery since he was a genius but they slowly left until only sayaka remains

Kyosuke apologizes for lashing out at sayaka and we see a yellow flower petal

Lots of yellow lighting and yellow flowers on the roof scene when kyosuke plays again for the first time

Kyosuke is a backlit black silhouette when he first takes the violin in his hands again

And all the people are like this when he plays again (him, his family, sayaka)

Sayaka says that kyosuke playing again is the happiest moment of her life 

And like yeah it sure it bc making the wish that allowed that is what made your life go downhill so fast afterward and led to your death

Kyubey reveals that he doesn't know who homura is and he can’t predict her actions

Kyoko is unbothered by things in an overconfident snooty way that is distinctly different from how mami tried to protect and how sayaka tries to stay blind to the truth 

Homura says “No matter how hard you try there is no thanks” ouch yeah no matter how hard homura tries to save madoka no one ever thanks her 

In fact they all curse her and say she’s the villain 

This is the reason that sayaka is a bad magical girl, because her whole reason for being a magical girl is to get kyosuke’s wish fulfilled which she is in denial about wanting thanks for 

Sayaka is a bad magical girl bc she doesn’t understand something which is so integral to homura’s experience 

Madoka is told by homura to give up on sayaka but we know that is not at all what she does

Because madoka is unable to ever give up on her friends or the people she loves her strength lies in the lengths she will go for her loved ones

Madoka asks homura if she’s given up and homura says yes

OUCH

Homura had to give up on the life with madoka that she yearns for and is now fighting for madoka’s life with no regard for where it will leave her

Yellowish orangish lighting as madoka meets sayaka on her way to begin her first witch patrol

Madoka asks sayaka to let her come with her even though she knows she won't be of any help and might even get in the way 

As long as it’s not a bother let me stay with you

Literally me fr

 Kyubey says he doesn't mind madoka coming on patrol w sayaka bc sayaka thought it through but his real reasoning is bc he knows sayaka is likely to get in an emergency and if madoka is there when that happens he can get her to make a contract

As they go into the labyrinth sayaka has kyubey on her shoulder and his tail in the shadow of her silhouette makes it look like she has long pigtails like mami did

Kyoko is jaded from the reality of the world while sayaka is still living in her delusion of an ideal world

Kyoko equates using grief seeds to eating witches

Calls it a food chain 

Kyoko instigates sayaka by asking her incredulously if she really believes in things like justice

She knows just what to say bc she used to be sayaka

And that’s why sayaka ticks her off so much

There is yellow lighting during kyoko and sayaka’s fight that barely filters into the alleyway 

It glints off of sayaka’s sword

When kyoko and sayka’s weapons come head to head in a stalemate the energy formed is yellow

Madoka can’t understand why they are fighting since they’re both magical girls on the same side and begs kyubey to stop them

He just uses this as another excuse to push her to make a contract

Shows her genuine concern for all living beings

Cries as she is about to make the decision bc she knows how much she is sealing herself in a miserable fate

When homura interferes with the fight there are water droplets frozen in time around her that go in slo mo which foreshadows her power being time manipulation

[goji-pilled]

How to domesticate a Sweetswitch:

Step 1: Cheese.

Done.

[corisanna]

Another thing for @catboy-von-seckendorff's Domestic Witches AU

2-3 year olds should not be left unsupervised and uncontained

~~~~~~~~~~

Kyoko, Oktavia, and Mami unlocked the door and stepped inside their home. They took off their coats and gloves and started putting them away. Kyoko finished first and looked at the living room. No one was there. Usually, Nagisa and Yuma would keep Anthony corralled in the living room to entertain him with the TV or toys when they babysat. But they weren't there.

"Where are the kids?" Kyoko asked.

Mami and Oktavia turned to look. They stood there for a moment.

"It's too quiet," Oktavia said suspiciously.

Kyoko was about to reply when Yuma suddenly jumped out from the kitchen and stared at them like a deer in headlights.

"You're home early," Yuma blurted.

They all narrowed their eyes at her. Mami asked, "Is that a bad thing?" in her pleasant tone of doom.

Yuma flinched. "Of-- of course not. But maybe... maybe you should go out and have some fun with the time you saved by finishing early. Yeah."

Oktavia searched the room. "Where are your brother and sister?"

"Nagisa is just giving him his bath," Yuma said with fake innocence.

Kyoko knit her brow and suspiciously said, "His bath. It is not his bathtime. Try again."

Yuma shrugged and looked nervous. "She is giving him a very normal bath. So you don't have to tonight. Yeah." Then she cast a shifty glance toward the kitchen and back. A slip. "Maybe you should treat yourselves and go out for dinner."

"You're not getting rid of us, Yuma," Oktavia said firmly.

Kyoko started moving toward the kitchen. Yuma panicked and waved her arms and chanted, "No, no, no, no--!" Kyoko pushed past her and stepped into the kitchen. It took a moment to process what she was seeing.

A dark liquid was splashed and smeared about the floor like a messy murder scene; a bottle laying on its side explained that to be chocolate syrup. Little chocolate footprints traced paths around the kitchen. Small chocolate hand prints had been pressed to the fridge and freezer doors and their handles. In the middle of the room, the big plastic pail that had been three-quarters-full of solid vanilla ice cream was now a quarter full of vanilla sludge spotted with rainbow dots and hosted a half-empty bag of chocolate chips. An empty bottle that had contained sprinkles explained the colors. Ah, so he had learned to unscrew caps. Good to know. There was a trail of chocolate chips running to the open cupboard where they kept sweets and ice cream toppings. Had the baby lock failed or had someone left it open? Figure it out later. Mini marshmallows were scattered on the floor outside the cupboard like snow. Chocolate and vanilla finger painting decorated all of the lower cupboards.

Kyoko, Oktavia, and Mami stared in mute shock for a solid minute as they catalogued the destruction wrought by a toddler tornado.

Then Oktavia blew up and shouted, "Yuma, what the hell is all of this?!"

Mami put a hand on Oktavia's shoulder to hold her back and calmly asked, "Yuma, how did he get into the kitchen by himself for long enough to do this?"

Yuma looked panicked and waved her arms. "It was an accident, I swear!"

"How. Did he get into the kitchen. By himself. For long enough to do this?" Mami slowly repeated in her smooth murder voice.

Yuma had pushed Mami to repeat herself. She was toast.

"We-- we may have-- we forgot-- we forgot to close the baby gate," Yuma stammered, knowing she was toast.

"And you didn't notice he was gone?"

Yuma looked anywhere but at them. "N-no."

"You were supposed to be watching him," Kyoko snapped. "What were you doing instead?"

Yuma cringed. "Well. Um. You see, it was the two-episode series finale of Chaos Knights and-- um-- the battles were really cool, so...."

"You watched TV instead of your baby brother," Oktavia seethed.

Yuma looked up at them then at the floor and squeaked, "Yes?"

Kyoko turned on her heel and stalked down the hall, leaving Yuma to the other two. She stepped around larger chocolate footprints; Nagisa had probably picked up the mess when she grabbed Anthony. The door to the bathroom was open. She stepped inside and stared.

Nagisa whipped around, saw her, and looked like she anticipated being murdered. Good. Water gushed from the sprayer in Nagisa's hand but it seemed she hadn't had time to use it before Kyoko's arrival. Nagisa herself was smeared with chocolate, likely from carrying Anthony. Behind her, Anthony stood in the bathtub licking his arm. His arm that looked like it had been slathered in brown body paint. He had been stripped down to his diaper and had drying chocolate and vanilla plastered to all his limbs, his belly, and his face. His hair was spiked and swirled with the sugary mess.

Anthony stopped licking and cheerfully grinned at Kyoko. "Mom! I ice'ream alla self! Big boy!"

Nagisa just kept staring at Kyoko in silent horror.

Kyoko found herself in the strange position of wanting to howl in anger at Nagisa but howl in laughter at Anthony.

"Turn off the water," Kyoko ordered, voice tight from trying not to burst out with either reaction.

Nagisa dropped the sprayer, rushed to obey, and scrambled back to kneel far away from her.

"I need evidence that this is real," Kyoko muttered as she slid her phone out of her pocket and raised it in front of her.

Anthony perked up. "Picture?"

"Yes," Kyoko said, managing to keep her voice even. "Ready?"

Anthony threw his arms wide and brightly yelled, "Cheeeese!"

Click.

Kyoko started a video. "Anthony, tell me what you did."

Anthony repeated his first announcement. Got it.

Kyoko twirled a finger. "Turn around. I want to see your back."

He turned. The mess was all over the back of his neck and had dripped down between his shoulder blades. He had managed to smear the stuff on the backs of his arms and legs, too. Very thorough.

Kyoko took another photo. She had him turn forward again, then knelt and took a closeup portrait.

Nagisa sat in tense, terrified stillness the entire time. Kyoko slowly cut her eyes to meet Nagisa's. Nagisa gulped.

"You let him ruin Mami's kitchen on top of giving him an entire hour to possibly hurt himself," Kyoko drawled. "I hope you have funeral plans in place."

Nagisa dropped her head into her hands and mumbled something.

Kyoko stood and jabbed a finger at her. "You stay right here and keep him in the tub. I'll be back."

Nagisa nodded fervently as she turned to leave.

Kyoko found the other three in the living room. Mami was staring coolly at Yuma, who looked like she would prefer death. Oktavia was several paces away with her back to them, hands on the sides of her head and bent over slightly as she breathed deeply in an attempt to rein in her temper. Kyoko walked past all of them, stopped at the entry to the kitchen, and started taking pictures.

"What are you doing?" Oktavia growled.

"Gathering evidence that this really happened so people will believe us when we tell the story," she said.

Also to have something to laugh at forever, but yeah. Evidence.

Kyoko looked at Oktavia and Mami and evenly said, "You need to see our son."

Oktavia pressed a thumb and fingers into her eyes as if she had a migraine. "Oh, God. It's bad."

"Oh, yeah," Kyoko said, trying not to grin. She turned and yelled down the hall. "Nagisa, carry him out here! I need pictures of him at the scene of the crime!"

Nagisa emerged from the hall carrying him at arm's length, facing forward. Mami slapped a hand over her mouth at the sight of him, wide-eyed. Oktavia's face contorted into something between horror and hilarity as she was startled into ugly laughter.

"Mama! Mommy!" Anthony cheered, revealed in all his chocolate glory. "I'm big boy!"

Oktavia screeched and Mami convulsed with suppressed laughter.

"Put him down in the kitchen," Kyoko ordered, barely keeping it together herself. She had a duty to perform. She had to keep it together.

Nagisa put him down and scurried away to huddle with Yuma. Anthony looked up at Kyoko curiously, then around at Mami and Oktavia.

"Funny?" he asked.

"We-- we really should not re-- reinforce this beha-- behavior by l-laugh-ing," Mami gasped.

Kyoko jabbed a finger at Yuma and Nagisa. "Don't you two think you're off the hook because this is hilarious. This is still a disaster and you left him unsupervised which put him in danger. You understand?"

Both girls nodded quickly.

Kyoko had Anthony pose in the middle of the room then started a video and asked him to tell them what he did again. Anthony happily wandered around and narrated all his baby crimes for them. He was very proud of himself. It was a monumental struggle to not laugh over him for the video, but they mostly managed it. Mostly.

Cleanup of both kitchen and child was going to be a struggle. Convincing Anthony that what he had done should never be done again when they had blatantly been entertained was going to be its own struggle. Trusting Yuma and Nagisa to babysit ever again was going to be a struggle.

At least they got comedy gold out of it instead of an injury. Kyoko was definitely going to use these pictures to tease Anthony when he got older.

[takerfoxx]

So long as I'm getting caught up on all my stuff, here's the next installment of the Walpurgis Nights girls watch The Rebellion Story, this time stretching from Homura shooting herself in the head to her talk with Sayaka the vague-poster!

Reminder:

G=Gretchen

H=Homulilly

Op=Ophelia

Ok=Oktavia

Ca=Candeloro/Mami

Ch=Charlotte

...

=still screaming=

G: Turn it off, TURN IT OFF!

Ok, panicking: I got it, I got it! Off!

=TV winks out=

Ch: Sweet Christ!

=long pause, and then Gretchen gets up and runs off. Homulilly quickly follows=

Ch: This was a mistake.

Op: What. The fuck?

Ca: I should have known. I should have known it would go this way.

Ch: Candy, there’s no way you could have-

Ca: No! There was! I knew how bad it could get! I knew how far we could have fallen! I shouldn’t have let you guys see any of this.

Ok: It’s not your fault.

Ca: I still should have known. I should have at least screened this!

Ch: Yeah, one of us probably should have.

=another long pause=

Ok: So, uh, are we, like, done?

=suddenly Gretchen reenters the room, followed by Homulilly. They silently return to their seats=

G: Okay. Play it.

Op: Gretch, are you sure?

G: I need to know. I need to know what happens to her. I need to know if we turn out okay. Play it.

=everyone exchanges uncomfortable glances, and then look to Homulilly, who slowly nods=

Ok: Okay, if you say so…

Op: We’d better ease it with the commentary. I mean, this isn’t something we can-

G: No! Please, no. The talking…and the jokes…well, it makes it easier.

Op: Sure.

Ch: It’ll be kind of hard to find anything funny about this.

Ca: We can try to do what we can.

=they start the movie, and silently watch as Homura falls in slow motion, blood and brains spewing out. And then…=

Op: Wait, hold up! How is she still moving?

Ca: As I said, something like that won’t kill her. You would need to destroy her soul gem.

Op: So she can straight up just blow her own head off and walk it off?

Ca: So long as the act of healing didn’t use up too much magic, yes.

H: Okay, but why? Why would I do something like that?

Ca: Let’s find out.

…

Ok: Uh…Ooooh.

H: Oh. Really?

G: What’s going on?

H: I couldn’t get rid of the ribbon on my ankle. Every time I tried to shoot it off, Mami would just grow it back. So I tried shocking her so badly that she wouldn’t think to regenerate the ribbon long enough for her to be caught in the time-stop.

Op: By shooting yourself in the head?!

H: Clearly, I have a considerable amount of emotional issues.

Ch: You know, it’s really starting to concern me how you keep referring to her as yourself just now.

H: I apologize. I will try to differentiate between my alternate selves.

Ok: Oh great, now I’ve gone cross-eyed.

…

Ch: So…this is really uncomfortable. Again.

G: Is she going to shoot Cand-I mean, Mami?

Ca: I mean, there’s clearly a moral struggle.

H: Well. At least I didn’t turn out as a complete sociopath.

Ok: This is seriously gross. Can we just skip this part?

Ca: No.

Ok: But-

Ca: No.

Ok: Okay.

…

Op: In the leg. Well, I guess that’s not as-

Ok: HOLY!

G: What’s happening? What’s going on?

Op: Sweet flames, she’s…a ribbon monster? The fuck?

=pause, and then Charlotte starts laughing hard while Candeloro just sighs=

Ok: Charlotte! Explain! Now!

Ch: She did it! She actually did it!

Ok: Did what?!

Ch: You’ll see!

H: Wow, I am…I mean, she is just all tied up now.

G: Wait, Mami’s there? But I thought…then what was…

Ca: Oh, good grief.

Ok: Wait. Wait a second, you can clone yourself?!

Ca: It’s…not so much a clone as it is a puppet.

Ok: Since when could you do that?!

Ca: Um, well, I had figured it out a short time before our, um, deaths. I was training with Kyo…with Ophelia, and we were practicing with her illusion magic. You know, the duplicates?

Op: Uh-huh.

Ca: Well, she suggested that perhaps I could do something similar with my ribbons, since I could use my ribbons to form other objects. And, well…it worked.

Op: Ooooh. Okay, that’s actually kind of awesome.

H: I was fighting a copy the whole time?! How is that fair?

Ch: You can literally freeze time!

H: Hey, wait. How do you know that she could do that, Charlotte?

Ch: How do you think?

Ca: Like we said: our therapist suggested building positive associations around my change. We had to get creative.

Op: Oh, come on, that’s not fair!

Ok: Wait, you were the one betting on her!

Op: I’m not talking about that! When I do my duplicate trick all I can do with them is give Tavi a show! It’s not like she can touch any of them!

Ok: Babe. Relax. It’s honestly fine.

Op: All I’m saying I should be able to give you a lap dance while the striptease is going on.

G: TMI! TMI!

Ch: You, uh, do know that you can give her the lap dance and let your illusions handle the striptease, right?

Op: Do you know how hard it is to handle two kinds of dancing at the same time when you’re horny?

G: Please, I am begging you to stop!

…

Ch: So…I think someone owes me and Fee-Fee some talents.

Ok: Fight’s not over yet!

Ch: It clearly is…

G: You don’t know that! Maybe Homura will drop a hand-grenade to blow the ribbons up! Or maybe Kyoko will come to save her.

Op: Look, if other-me tags in, that’s an automatic forfeit. This is supposed to be one-on-one, and that clone trick is stretching things as it is.

H: Wait, wait, shut up. Wraiths? What are wraiths?

Ok: Dunno.

Ch: Did we miss something? I get that that nightmares replaced the witches, but what are wraiths?

G: Maybe…after I erased witches, wraiths are what replaced them!

Op: We should’ve just watched the damn show first.

Ch: Do you really think it’ll make things make more sense?

Op: Probably not, but at least we’d know about half of these names!

Ch: Jesus Christ, the fuck is that?

Ok: The sky wants to eat that giant walnut, apparently.

Ch: I can see that, but what does it mean?!

G: I think that’s an eye, actually.

Ok: An eye with teeth.

Ch: None of that answers any of my questions.

Op: Nope, this would still be just as weird even if we watched the show.

…

Ch: And here comes the rescue! Via…fire extinguisher for some reason. Sorry girls, Mami takes this.

Ok: Fine, fine. Thanks a lot, Homulilly.

H: Not my fault. None of us knew about the duplicate thing. I had her beat until then.

Ok: Wait, is that a sword?

Op: Guess it ain’t me with the steel chair, then!

G: Well, of course not. It’s a sword.

Op: That’s not…never mind.

Ok: It’s me! I’m coming in to save you!

H: I’m touched. But…why?

Ok: Because I had fifty talents riding on you, and you let me down.

H: Oh, don’t start.

Op: Wait. That ain’t your voice, Tavi.

Ok: Who else has a sword?!

G: Um, who is that?

Ch: Some kind of kid. Candy, do you recognize her back from before?

Ca: No, I really don’t…

Op: Wait, BEBE?!

Ch: Excuse me?!

H: Um…this is…a turn.

Ca: Don’t look at me, I’m as bewildered as you are.

Ch: Oh, so first I’m a creepy idiot doll, and now I’m a fucking child?!

Op: What is this, some kind of alternate universe bullshit?

Ok: I mean, basically. Uh, you okay over there, Charlotte.

Ch: Nope!

Ok: Wanna take a break?

Ch: Yes!

…

=everyone returns after half-an-hour=

Ch: I think I’ve figured it out.

H: Oh?

Ch: Butterfly effect. Like, okay, in this universe, Madoka somehow erased all witches, right? I mean, made it so magical girls don’t turn into witches anymore, right? And did it all through history, right?

H: Presumably.

Ch: So that means that there has to be major repercussions! Like, like, this girl doesn’t turn into a witch fifty years ago, so she doesn’t eat some random passerby, and that rando goes and marries someone that would have married someone else in the original timeline, so they have a completely different set of kids, so the kids they would have had originally don’t get born! So somewhere down the line, things got all screwy and I ended up being born a few years later!

G: Wow, that actually makes a lot of sense.

Op: I guess we’re all super-lucky that we got born at all. And that the rest of us ended up more-or-less the same. Um, no offense.

Ch: Right. That’s all it is. Different timeline, things happened differently, and I’m a little girl in this world. That’s it.

Ok: So…are you okay with this then?

Ch: Oh, absolutely not! But I can at least deal with it now!

Op: Bet’cha anything that good ol’ Bebe here still has a major crush on Mami.

Ch: Oh, God! Don’t even go there!

Op: I’m just sayin’…

Ca: Ophelia…

Op: Stopping, stopping.

H: Shall we continue?

Ch: Yeah, I guess. I’m gonna need major therapy after all this is over, though.

G: We all will.

…

Ok: Okay, I know this is probably a bad time to point this out, but Sayaka has style!

Op: I mean, you’re not wrong. Look at you, being all effortlessly cool! Not that you aren’t already.

Ok: Nice save there.

Ch: Haha, Sayaka’s got it right! Taking on Mami was a dumb idea. Speaking of which…

Ok: Oh, come on! That clone trick was dirty and you know it!

Ch: Oh, I’m sorry. Are you upset that she so happened to have something that counters Homura’s extremely unfair timestop power?

Op: She’s got a point. A bet’s a bet.

G: All right, I guess it’s official. Mami won.

=Candeloro smirks=

H; You don’t have to be all smug about it.

Ca: True. I don’t.

…

G: Wait…

Op: So, what, Sayaka knows what’s going on?

Ok: Of course I do! I mean, I’m the brains of the bunch!

=Homulilly coughs=

Ok: I heard that.

H: I didn’t say anything.

Ch: Well, finally some exposition!

G: I do sort of wish that she’d just tell Homura what is going on without being so vague about it.

Ok: Look, I’ve been pretty much on the wayside this whole movie. Let me have my monologue.

Ch: What’s she getting at though?

H: Oh.

Ch: Huh?

H: I think…Never mind.

G: What is it?

H: I just had sort of a realization, but I’d rather not say it now.

Op: Eh?

H: Hang on. Let’s just watch a bit more.

…

Op: Jesus, Tavi! No need to show Homura up like that!

Ok: Let! Me! Have! This!

Ch: That was pretty cool, though. Shwing! Stopped her cold!

G: Wait, so one of us is the…

=voice trails off=

G: Is it me?

H: Um…

Op: Oh.

Ok: Oh.

Ch: What? Oh, okay. I get it now.

Ca: I sort of put it together too.

G: What? What are…Oh.

=everyone looks at Homulilly=

H: Well, it only makes sense. I guess.

Ch: You don’t seem all that upset about it.

H: Well, at least I get to become my best self in this movie.

G: But…how though? I thought I erased witches or whatever!

Ok: Let’s find out.

Ch: If your other self can ever get to the point.

Ok: Shhh…

…

Ca: Wait, I’m the witch? Is that what she’s implying?

Ch: Pretty sure that’s just a red herring.

Ok: You know, it’s nice that Sayaka is actually being all sympathetic toward witches. I mean, it’s kind of fucked up, isn’t it? That even the magical girls that know the score still hunt down witches instead of trying to help them.

G: I mean, it can’t really be helped, can it?

Ok: I know, I just like that I’m saying it.

G: The Law of Cycles? What’s that?

Op: Probably whatever trippy business you replaced the witch stuff with.

H: Oh, now I’m finally just saying it out loud! Madoka erased witches. Took us long enough to get to that point.

Op: Wait, sacrificed herself? Only Homura remembers her? What?

Ch: Pretty sure this was all explained in the show.

Op: Well, that’s what we get for watching this first. Should we go back and-

Everyone: No.

Op: Cool.

…

Op: Oh, freaky!

Ok: Wait, so I’m the witch now?

Ch: Could mean that in this timeline you turned into a witch before Madoka did her un-witching…thing.

Ca: That is what you looked like. Right before you became one with Charlotte, I mean.

Ch: Er…

Ok: Phrasing…

Ca: Oh, for Heaven’s sake. It is literally what happened. You turned into a witch while we were fighting Charlotte, and then the two of you fused. Then I became a witch and fused with that witch. And then Ophelia became a witch and we all fused together.

Ok: Yeah, but the way you said it…

…

H: Where’d she go?

Ok: Clumsy? You have the gall to call me clumsy? Who just saved who’s ass, just now!

H: Cut me some slack, it’s been a long evening.

Ch: Y’know you still got blood and brains all over your cheek, right?

H: I am certain that Homura does not care.

Op: I am certain that Homura is about to blow the brains out of the first punk-ass that looks at her wrong right about now.

Ok: Headshots for everybody!

H: Except Madoka.

Ok: Except Madoka. She can be the token un-brain-slushee.

G: Gee. Thanks.

Ca: I’d like to just point out that Homura came very close to turning me into a brain-slushee, but changed her mind.

Op: I doubt she’ll let you off so easy a second time.

Ch: Easy. Hey, may I remind you who won that fight?

H: You’re not going to let that go, are you?

Op: Tell yah what. Losing party treats the winners to dinner at the Tradewinds. Fair?

H: Fair.

Ch: Seriously? With the prices they have down there it’ll be cheaper just to cough up the fifty talents.

G: Yeah, but onion volcanoes!

Ch: Hard to argue with that logic.

Ok: So…on a scale of one to ten, how badly is Homura going to flip out when she realized that she’s the witch.

H: I will accept nothing less than a massacre.

Ok: Cool. Just so long as it’s not of us.

Op: I don’t know. The way this movie is going I wouldn’t be surprised if this turned into a straight-up snuff film.

[muffinrecord]

CW: Blood, Gore

Man, something else about Kyoko. I ALWAYS forget how mean or whatever she can be, because she constantly has moments like the following. Like, in the original anime, Kyoko tells Sayaka “hey idiot don’t defeat this familiar. Let it eat some humans, become a witch, and then kill it.”

Which is objectively kind of horrific??? Like jesus christ Kyoko. You also have moments where she’s introduced saying that “Mami died, huh? This territory is mine now suckers.” Once you read the Another Story manga it’s also hard to not be taken aback by how cold that is. 

When I say this out loud, it’ll sound sort of obvious, but Kyoko is a person who definitely compartmentalizes her world and I think she just ignores things that are painful. She doesn’t care that a familiar will kill people because she chooses not to think about it, and also she doesn’t know those people who are going to be devoured. I say this because I think Kyoko is fine with ideas in the abstract, but not when they’re right in front of her. Case in point,

Kyoko tries to be hard and mean for the sake of protecting herself due to the trauma she’s been through, but that trauma is exactly the reason she can sympathize with Yuma right now. It’s easy to not care about the fate of people you don’t know. It’s harder when they’re in front of you.

I think it’s also an interesting choice on the mangaka’s part here that Kyoko has a flashback to her sister, but we don’t see an image of the sister-- just Yuma, sitting in blood. I think it ties into what I said earlier, that Kyoko compartmentalizes things-- she remembers her sister’s voice, but not what her sister looked like. She tries to stay focused on the present, but little ways drag her back to the past.

Additionally, the imagery here is interesting too. Kyoko’s sister died and didn’t have a moment like Yuma did-- sitting amongst the blood and guts of her dead family, all alone with nothing to speak of it. It makes me think that Kyoko isn’t just remembering her sister, but also her younger self. 

[mistbornthefinal]

Madoka Magica Aniversary Analysis: Part 4

Unknowing of the Price

(spoilers below the cut)

We open on Sayaka running to Kyousukes hotel room but he isn’t there. The nurses explain that his physical therapy time has been moved up. As Sayaka leaves the recap what we should have figured out in the previous episode. Kyousuke was a violin prodigy before a tragic injury, while he may recover enough to walk he will never be able to play music again. The also praise Sayaka’s dedication to her friend.

On the elevator down Sayaka laments the cruelty of circumstance. She openly considers the prospect of using her wish to heal Kyousuke. Sayaka then wonder that if she did would would she want from Kyousuke in return before berating herself over her ulterior motive. A voice from a future Sayaka laments that at the time she had not idea what it meant to pray for a miracle nor what a miracle ultimately costs. (Cue connect)

At the Breakfast table Madoka stares into an egg yolk and remembers Mami and then bursts into tears. For some reason Madoka parents let her go to school after she breaks down sobbing about still being alive at breakfast. She meets up with Sayaka who is also desperately trying to maintain a façade of normalcy on the way there.

On the schools #Aesthic roof Madoka try to process the whole “secret magical conflict in which one of our Senpai died before our eyes”. Madoka says that since that day the people around her seem like strangers. Sayaka puts that feeling into more concrete words.

“We’re the only ones who know about the witches and Mami-san. Nobody else does. It’s like we’re living in an entirely different world from them.”

Essential even if they never make contracts they still can not return to the world of innocence and ignorance they inhabited in episode 1. Part of their minds will inhabit the world of magical girls and witches regardless. Sayaka asks Madoka if she still intends to become a magical girl, her lack of answer is enough even before the tears. 

Sayaka wonders to Kyubey what will become of Mitakihara with its’ protector gone. He replies that other magical girls will move in to the vacant territory. Sayaka laments that they are likely to be as she perceives Homura only caring for their own gain. Kyubey admits that Mami was a “rare breed” but in his opinion only other magical girls have the right to judge. He then bids them farewell (which is bullsquid he’s there immediately the second Sayaka falters)

After school Madoka is crying at Mami’s now abandoned apartment. She apologizes to Mami for being weak and she leaves behind her notebook of magical girl costumes from episode 2 as a sort of symbolic abandonment of her dreams of being a person like Mami.

Homura is waiting at the entrance of the apartment building. She seem to understand implicitly what Madoka is thinking saying that she is wrong to blame her self for Mami’s death. No one can fault Madoka’s decision not to become a magical girl, Homura won’t allow them to. Walking alongside Homrua, Madoka wonders that if she had been more attentive to her warning Mami might have been spared. Homura replies.

“That still wouldn’t have changed Tomoe Mami’s fate. But I was able to change yours. I’m glad to have save at least one life.”

(counting you chickens a little early Homura-chan) Madoka says that Homura seem like a veteran though not in the same way as Mami to which Homura is evasive. Madoka asks if Homura has seen people die before, Homura has stopped counting. Homura also explains that it will be a while until Mami is declared missing and as far as the world is concerned her fate will never be known. That is the ultimate fate of magical girls their bodies swallowed by the labyrinth with no one the wiser.

Madoka is distraught that after Mami spent so long protecting the city that not even the record of her death will remain. Homura says that it is simply the fare of magical girls who ultimately fight only for their wishes. This is simply the way it is. Madoka say no. 

Even if no one else does she will remember Mami, and Homura as well. Homura’s pain is visible. (this is another one of those scenes that hurts when you come back to it after ep 10)

At Kyousuke’s hospital room Sayaka sits by his bedside while he listens to a CD. She tries to make small talk but the atmosphere is too heavy. Kyousuke is in a black mood asking her if she trying to torture him with all these CDs full of music that he can no longer play. Sayaka tries to console him but apparently the doctors have told him to give up, only a miracle could restore his hand.

Madoka see Hitomi on the way home and immediately notices the witches kiss on her neck. When Madoka tries to talk with her she’s clearly out of it. Madoka decides to go along with her to wherever she’s going as she doesn’t have Homura’s cell and isn’t willing to abandon Hitomi. 

Their destination an abandoned warehouse and they are not alone. This witch is making a big play, a cult mass suicide by means of homemade poison gas. Madoka grabs the bucket of chemicals and throws them out the window, which prompts the witches thralls to go full zombie. Madoka locks herself in a storeroom but that’s not obstacle for the witch (H.N. Elly) herself who pulls Madoka into her labyrinth. 

The artstyle shift takes hold not only of the background but also Madoka herself losing her outlines and being animated in a more fluid style. 

Elly seems to have access to Madoka’s memories as images of Mami are displayed on the ubiquitous TV monitors. Pehaps effected by the witches presence Madoka starts to blame herself for Mami’s death again, seeing the current situation as her punishment for being a coward. The Fammiliars grab her body and stretch it in a really disturbing way. Before they can do too much damage a flash of blue cuts them down, and then slams into the Witch. Madoka flicker bad to the normal artstyle. 

Sayaka is a magical girl, and she makes short work of Elly. We see her victims start to come to their senses. Sayaka tries to wave away Madoka’s concern, but it’s clear she still has doubts. Sayaka turns to confront Homura who has arrived late to the party. It’s clear already that the two of them aren’t going to get along any better than Homura and Mami.

Back at the hospital Kyousuke awakens to stare disbelievingly at his hand, as if there was any doubt what Sayaka wished for. Elsewhere Kyoko complains through a mouth full of food as Kyubey tells her that there’s a new magical girl in Mitakihara. No matter says, Kyoko. It’s nothing a little violence cant fix.

So that’s Episode 4

The last one sort of left us in the lurch and so a lot of this episode just trying to grapple with what happened. The Mentor who help introduce Madoka and Sayaka into this world of magic and darkness is gone, and with her death has recontextualized their relationship with that world and denied them an easy exit. Both Madoka and Sayaka clearly feel an obligation to take up the torch, but at the same time how could they when the cost has been hammered home so brutally. 

Sayaka decides that she going to try to live up to the image that Mami projected, an image that unlike Madoka she never got the opportunity to see beneath. So by the end of the Episode she seamlessly inherits Mami’s antagonism with Homura, and is already hiding her fears from Madoka. I don’t think anyone who was paying attention thought this is going to go well, even if the somehow missed the whole unrequited romance. 

Madoka on the other hand is undecided. The more she learns about this whole magical girl thing the less she likes of it. Already she’s lost her initial dream of heroism represented by the notebook she abandoned at Mami’s apartment. That said she also made her first rejection of Kyubey’s system if a minor and symbolic one. If it’s Mami’s fate to be forgotten Madoka say’s she will remember her forever. Indeed come Episode 12 she will find a way to remember every magical girl who fought and died alone.

[ethereaiin]

Breathe | Puella Magi Madoka Magica

synopsis; to give into despair would mean to give up your humanity. you could not stand the thought of leaving them and so you would continue to hope against all odds. [female reader]

featuring; you, tomoe mami, kaname madoka, akemi homura, miki sayaka, and sakura kyoko. | AU

        There was a strange scent in the air, it smelled of strongly of fire and tears. The tears were not her own, neither were the flames created by her hand. She could feel the despondency hovering the air, filling her lungs with not only the smoke of flames, but the fear of death.

        She stood in the middle of five other girls, her position being at the front of the group and her arms outstretched into a defensive stance. Her [eye color] eyes, which burned with an unwavering intensity, were locked with the towering figure of the witch before them. It's body was distorted, its top half ceaselessly spinning while the doll like bottom half hung limply. It's eerie laughter pierced the tense air and the mere notion of it taking joy in their hopelessness had only made the [hair color] haired girl grit her teeth in frustration.

        Her fingers clenched around the handle of her weapon, the [favorite color] gem embedded on the inside of her palm glowing in response to her growing anger. Her heart beats harshly in her ears, her throat constricting with tears she desperately attempted to will away. She couldn't afford to look weak now, not when she was the only one left who could finish the job. She exhaled a bated breath, relieving some of the heaviness in her chest and only when she lifts her weapon slightly in preparation to charge the oversized witch does she hear the soft call of her close friend, Tomoe Mami.

        "Don't!" She freezes at the blonde's words, her head slightly tilting to meet the gaze of Mami's through the side of her eye. "It's too strong, it'll. . ."

        The sharp hiss that left her lips, caused [name] to kneel before her, hands hovering over her shoulders as her brows furrowed with concern. Mami held onto her side, the brown corset of her magical girl outfit was stained and ripped from a gash given to her by none other than the witch before them. [name] casted a glance towards her other companions, her gaze lingering on their pained expressions and the red that stained their clothes. Their normally smiling faces were dirtied from the earlier fight and various scratches litter their cheeks. She would have been just as injured as them if it weren't for her regeneration magic.

        "[name]-chan, please don't go." Her gaze flickered towards the pleading eyes of Madoka. "I can't stand to see another one my friends—"

        Her gloved hands clamped over her mouth as sobs racked her body. Her shoulders shook with despair and her rose colored eyes fluttered shut in a weak attempt to cease her tears. At her words, [name]'s attention flipped towards the two beside the pink haired girl. Sayaka's back was turned towards her, the upper portion of her body hunched over the body of Kyoko. She could see Sayaka shuddering slightly with muffled whimpers as she continued holding onto Kyoko's corpse. 

        As much as she wished she could follow Madoka's and Mami's words of protest, she knew that there would be no end to this unless someone destroyed the witch terrorizing them. Kyoko sacrificed her life for them and she wasn't going to allow her death to be in vain. With a wistful smile picking up at the ends of her lips, she rose back up to her feet. Her hands once again clenched, readying her weapon as she swilved back towards the still giggling witch. It was almost mocking how it seemingly awaited for them to finish conversing with a smug patience; as if it already knew of its victory over them.

        "Don't worry," She assured, though the words sounded empty to her companions. "I'll make sure we get out of this together. For Kyoko-chan."

        "I'll help you then." Her ears perked at the sound of a gun cocking and when she turned around, she was met with the determined gaze of Homura. [name] furrowed her brows, her lips parting to voice her concerns before the raven haired girl cut her off with a prepared answer. "My wounds aren't as serious as everyone else's, I'll be fine." 

        With a huff the older girl nodded before turning her gaze to Madoka who looked between the two with tear brimmed eyes. "Madoka-chan," Her voice was warm, filled with an affection that felt so out of place in the situation they were in. "Keep watch over Mami and Sayaka-chan, okay?"

        "Wait!" A harsh tug to her sleeve was felt by the [hair color] haired girl. She stopped in her tracks, glancing down at the blonde who struggled to keep a grasp on her amongst the intense waves of pain. She was still seated on the concrete floor, Madoka hovering next to her; hands steadied on the blonde's shoulders. 

        Mami's teeth sunk into her bottom lip, her fingers still bundled in the fabric of [name]'s sleeve despite the weakening grip. Her free hand was wrapped around her waist, cradling her open wound. There was a melancholic countenance in her dandelion gaze, her worries leaking out in the form of tears. [name] felt the urge to wipe them, to hold her close and reassure her of returning back, but she knew filling the girl with hope only to crush it would be a fate worse than death.

        "Y-You have to come back." Her voice slightly wavers despite the stern frown pulling at her soft lips. The grip on [name]'s sleeve tightens once again. "You promised you wouldn't—"

        "Leave you." [name] finishes, her calm smile never leaving her face. She slightly moves her arm, shifting it so her hand could grip Mami's. "Don't worry, I didn't forget."

        [name] gives her hand a squeeze before dropping it. She turns back to Homura as another shrill bout of laughter is emitted from the witch. Her warm smile is dropped completely and replaced with a tenacious frown. There is a deep exhale vented from her lips and the beating of her heart once again picks up it an erratic pace to indicate the nervousness that she desperately tried to hide. Homura walks beside her, their paces carrying a reluctant but convicted gait. Both of them were determined to end the life of the witch who not only killed one of their friends, but threatened the lives of the others. It would be no walk in the park, they both knew that, but what else could they do other than place their hope into an arduous task?

        "Homura," the older girl called, her voice low but not quiet enough to go unheard. There was a silent agreement in their connected gazes and from the tone of voice [name] used to call her name, there was also an unspoken question that begged to be understood. 

        "I know." She responds, her eyes hardening slightly before returning back to the sight before her. Despite never admitting it outloud, the both of them held trust in each other's capabilities. They were strong, formidable among their companions, but even they had limits. There was no such thing as immortality in their line of work, a fact the two have been faced with numerous times.

        Mami stared after the two, an endless stream of tears staining the pale skin of her flushed cheeks. Her hand that held onto [name]'s felt as if it were burning with a tingling sensation. She held it close to her chest, her heart heavy with a unwanted sorrow that only reminded her of the reality of their situation. As much as she wanted to believe in [name]'s promise—their promise—their adversary was strong, too strong for just two people. Her head lowered, bubble tears falling from her lashes and onto her beige colored skirt.

        "You can't die." She sniffled, her whispered plea being carried off into the wind like the fleeting hope lingering in her chest. "I'll never forgive you if you die." 

        Madoka sat next to the blonde, her attention solely focused on the backs of her brave friends. Despite Homura assuring them that she was well enough to continue fighting, Madoka knew she was far from being 'fine'. If it should have been anyone who accompanied [name], it should have been herself. She was relatively unscathed compared to the others, yet she couldn't will herself to protest against Homura's actions. She knew why hesitation weighed heavily on her lack of action. She was afraid. The fear clawed and twisted at the pit of her stomach and her heart felt as if it were harshly beating in her throat. Each and every swallow of saliva felt as if it were made of lead and her fingers trembled within her tightly clenched hands. 

        There was a semblance of shame forming in the back of her mind. She essentially abandoned the two girls she called her friends to a similar fate Kyoko suffered. They left to fight for them, to protect them, and yet she couldn't even force herself to offer assistance. She's always admired the bravery and leadership they offered when situations become complicated. She wanted to be like them, to emulate their fearlessness and to abandon the meek and shy Madoka she hid behind.

        Turns out she hadn't changed one bit.

-

        The quietude of peace was anything but serene. Crimson painted the pale blue of her blouse and leaked from her parted peach colored lips. The strong metallic scent that lingered in the air filled her senses and burned her nostrils. As she collapsed to the concrete below, she found herself thinking that the scent of fire was better than the scent of blood.

        The sharp sound of her weapon clattering to the ground had fell onto deaf ears and had gone ignored by its wielder. Her eyes, a once vibrantly colored [eye color], now dulled with fading life. Her arms ached with exhaustion and her lungs stung with the lack of air her blood was preventing her from getting. She coughed, more of the crimson liquid spewing from her mouth and splattering onto the ground she crumpled against.

        The witch, the one she and her companion attempted to rid the world of, still stood strong before her fatally injured form. It's laughter filled the once droning silence. It was mocking them, its screeching giggles an indication of how ineffective their feeble attacks were against it. It took joy in their suffering and it was then that the hope [name] tried so hard to preserve, was beginning to flicker out.

        Her hand weakly reached for the handle of her fallen weapon, each movement of her body causing a wave of pain to shudder through out her body. Her regeneration magic was slowly mending her wounds, but at this rate she would die from blood loss before then. Her fingertips graze the edge of the cold metal, the prickling sensation that began enveloping her arms alarmed her of what she already knew was coming. Her hand dropped flat against the ground, fingers no longer wiggling on her command.

        "H-Hom. . . ura." She calls, her voice shaking from the lack of strength. The gaping hole in her abdomen protests against her actions and more of the dark red liquid spills from her lips. She quickly loses the strength to keep herself up and her cheek is forcefully pressed against the rough concrete below. Her breaths are ragged, uneven and unable to keep a rhythm that guarantees her survival. She could feel blood pooling around her form, staining her pretty blouse in a foreboding color.

        There is another moment of tense silence before there is a quick shuffling of movement that catches her eye. Homura falls to her knees next to her, her hands hovering inches above her body as if she were attempting to find a way to help. There was an expression of concern laced onto the normally stoic girl's features that [name] would have laughed at if it weren't for the world of pain she was experiencing at the moment.

        "Why—" She winced at the blood staining her leggings, the thundering beating of her heart slowing to an agonizingly slow pace. The girl beneath her looked worse for wear, her face caked in dried blood and her clothes ripped and shredded from a nasty tumble she took. That familiar feeling of frustration built up in Homura's chest. "Why'd you save me? I could have easily dodged it!"

        [name] weakly smiled, her lips only twitching slightly before falling once again. Homura knew she was barely holding on, the fading light in her dull eyes was just another sign of her sealed fate. "Because. . . you can—" She swallows another mouthful of blood, its taste lingering on her tongue even after it was gone. It reminds [name] of her own failure to uphold the promise to the blonde still awaiting her return. ". . . still save. . . them."

        Homura reached for the girl's hand, brows furrowing at the chill her skin carried. The soul gem embedded on her palm is cracked and the ravenette winces at the pieces that crumble at her touch. "Don't speak." Her voice held an edge of command that caused [name] to feebly shake her head. "Your magic can't heal you if you keep wasting your strength."

        "Tell her. . . I'm sorry."

        She didn't need to ask to know who [name] was referring to. Her lips parted, the reassurance she meant to speak melting on her tongue before disappearing completely. The blankness in [name]'s gaze and cease of wheezing had determined her slow death. That agreement they made before departing from their friends was one that they made long ago, the day they became magical girls.

                "There's something I need you to promise me."

        There's a breeze that gently blows across the bridge they occupy. [name] stares her down with a rare serious expression that completely contrasts her usual sly grin. The sunset outlines her figure, basking her in an orange glow that adds to her serene features. For as long as Homura had known [name], there was never a time that the girl ever asked anything of her. The two were childhood friends, sticking by one another through the years, an unbreakable bond between them. Homura hums in response to her statement, tilting her head slightly as she continues to gaze at the [eye color] eyed girl.

        "Tomoe Mami." Her brows are pulled together as she utters the name of the older girl who was in the same class as [name] and a fellow magical girl. Homura remembers the blonde as the one who introduced them to witches and showcased the duties one would undertake if they chose to create a contract with Kyubey. "If anything were to happen to me, I need you to make sure that she'll be alright without me around anymore. Despite how mature she acts, she's terribly fragile."

        "Don't talk as if you're planning on dying." Homura flicks the girl's forehead and she laughs in response. Her hand goes to cradle the spot after Homura retracts her own hand away from her. She pays no attention to the feigned whine of pain emitting from the [hair color] haired girl's lips. ". . . But fine, you have my word."

        "You're feeling soft today, huh?" A genuine smile filled with gratitude lifts at the corners of [name]'s lips and her eyes twinkle with appreciation. It was the first time Homura had ever heard the girl speak seriously and it indicated just how much Mami must have meant to her. 

        Homura sighed through her nose, shifting slightly when [name] threw her arms around her shoulders to bring her into a one sided embrace. "Shut up."

        If Homura had known that it would be the last time she may ever get the chance to embrace her friend, she might have relished in it a lot longer than she did. She lifts a trembling hand, slender fingers grazing against the pale cheek of [name]. Her hand travels further up her friend's face, swiftly closing her lifeless eyes in one swift motion.

        Tears brim the rim of her eyes, her breaths shudder and her violet eyes flutter close in an attempt to keep any tears from falling. There is a heavy feeling weighing down on the center of her chest, one she recognizes as the feeling of both sorrow and anger. Her gaze snaps open, eyes narrowed in determination as she rose back up to her feet. The soles of her heels are dipped in the crimson red of her friend's blood, a reminder of the being who had damaged the girl beyond repair. 

        'I can fix this. . .' Homura thinks as the looming shadow of Walpurgis towers over her. Its shrill laughter taunts her as she lifts her arm possessing her magical weapon. The silver shield rotated counterclockwise, indicating her usage of her time magic. 'I can fix everything.'

        Her eyes lifted to meet the cheshire grin of the witch before dropping back down to the body of [name]. There was a flash of bright light that enveloped her, surrounding her in a warmth that comforted her with the assurance of rewriting fate itself. Her lips twitched into a small smile, her head filling with images of her friends alive and happy, their gazes filled with mirth rather than hopelessness. The memory of [name]'s teasing grin, her fluttering laughter and warm embraces placed an airy feeling to replace the strain in her chest.

        "I'll save you this time," She promises herself, her eyes filled with resolve. "I'll save you all." 

[dreamy--dolly]

fluffy madosaya goodness!! ft: a future where they can grow up and study abroad!

Sayaka wakes up—bleary, clumsily scratching at the sleeping grit caught in her eyes—to the sound of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony blaring from her phone. Moments prior she’d tossed and turned in tandem to the urgent texting that made her phone vibrate at her bedside, now when sunlight still does not light up her room through the uncovered windows she recieves a phone call. Sighing, she swings her legs over the bed and picks up, the orchestra ceasing to play.

“Hello?” Her voice comes out thick and scratchy.

“It’s Mami.” Mami’s voice is demure but crackly through the static, but something else is there too. “Sorry for waking you up so early—“

“Don’t apologize,” Sayaka grumbles. She scratches at her cyan blue hair—once she’d left for college she’d decided she didn’t like it hanging so long at the nape of her neck and snip, snip snip, got it fashioned into a pixie cut. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s Madoka. We went to the bar and even though she said she’s a lightweight she’d drink with us anyway and now she’s drunk.”

“Madoka Kaname? Drunk?”

There is something between her and Madoka that has lingered for the years they have known one another, discernible but not tangible. It is in the little glances they give each other, secret codes that not even they know the words to. It is in the way Sayaka instinctively snatches up Madoka’s hand on the subway the moment the train begins to whir to life. It is in the way they lean on one another, reaching out for something tantalizing that they want but haven’t quite recieved yet. And now the girl Sayaka has known since kindergarten—sweet innocent Madoka Kaname, who’d never say a curse word or do anyone or anything harm in her life—is blackout drunk.

“You’re the only one of us who can drive her back to the dorms—I live close enough to walk, Homura doesn’t have her license or her permit, and Kyoko should not be let anywhere near a car. Please?” Her words come strained through the phone.

“Alright,” Sayaka says, tossing off the covers with a rustle. “I’ll be there.”

-

“COME ON BABYYYY, LET’S RIIIIDE. WE CAN ESCAAAAPE TO THE GREAT SUNSHIIIINE. I KNOW YOUR WIIIIIFE—”

In the almost deserted bar a young girl teeters on top of one of the tables. Her glasses hang askew from her ears, large intoxicated grin stuck to her face. Her movements are clumsy, jerky, and every time she stumbles too close to the edge of the table the dark haired girl seated at the bar cringes, her redheaded friend buries her head in her hands, and the blonde-haired young woman with them pleads for her to get off the table.

“Alright, I’m here.” Sayaka marches through the door of the bar, the sickly sweet aroma of alcohol ever pungent in the air. Empty chairs are propped up at empty tables, fully-drained glasses once full of beer scattered across the room. Madoka’s singing comes out slurred and twisty, words dangling where they shouldn’t when she sings. But even so, her voice is still light and chirpy and darn it—this is where Sayaka presses her lips together tightly—how can she still sound so honey-sweet when she’s blackout drunk.

“Sayaka’s here! She’s coming to drive you back!” Mami calls out.

“Whooooo?” Madoka babbles. She leans dangerously low to peer at Sayaka. “I dunno you but you’re preeeetty. You have nice blue hair. Like cotton candy. I wonder if it’s nice and fluffy like cotton candy.”

A small hand combs through Sayaka’s hair. “Whoa, it’s nicer than cotton candy! I’m pretty sure your hair doesn’t taste very good, but it’s so nice and fluffyyyy.”

“Well, I’m glad you like my pretty hair, but you have to go home.” Sighing, she reaches up and wraps her arms around Madoka to carry her off.

“Put me down, ma’am! I gotta stay on top of the table so I can see my kingdom! I’m princess of Pepperland, I gotta—”

Her sentence is cut short by a loud belch. At the bar, Kyoko laughs whispery, wheezing giggles, mumbling, “Oh my God, she really is a lightweight.”

“Thank you so much, Sayaka. We all really appreciate it.”

“It’s not a problem at all, Mami.”

She cradles Madoka close, making her way through the almost empty Pepperland with its solitary occupants, and into her car, where she tucks the seatbelt over her princess and takes up the front seat as chauffeur.

“Where’re we goiiiiing?”

“Home. Back to our dorms. It’s three in the morning on a Friday and you’re wasted.”

“Wasted?” Madoka pouts in the rearview mirror and something swells up in Sayaka’s chest. “I don’t wanna be wasteful. I don’t wanna waste time.”

“Wasted as in you’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk! If I was drunk could I do this?”

She clenches, pressing down on the accelerator. The car hums to life and Sayaka clenches down on the steering wheel. She knows what comes next.

“THE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR IS READY TO TAKE YOU AWAY! READY TO TAKE YOU AWAAAAAAY—”

It is going to be a long, long ride home.

-

Madoka lies bespectacled and face flushed as pink as her hair. She flops and thrashes about on the small, plush bed in her dorm. Gone are the babydoll dress and cardigan from earlier, replaced with a nightgown she’s described as “duckling yellow” in color. Still, she has her high heels on and Sayaka has to dodge from getting kicked in the chin trying to pry them off.

“Madoka, hold still—”

“I am a lady, Sayaka, and a lady does not take her heels off!” Madoka pouts, rose pink hair rustling soft on the pillowcase.

“Your feet—are gonna—hurt—in the morning—when—” Off pops one high heel that crashes to the floor “—You’re—hungover—too!” And then off comes the other.

Sighing, Madoka finally ceases her thrashing and buries her head on the pillow. The room is faintly lit with the warm, golden glow of a single lamp in the corner. Then she loosens her grip on the pillow and pulls Sayaka close. She smells like beer but even with the stench of alcohol is her vanilla-scented shampoo and the perfume of fresh-baked cookies from an afternoon spent at Mami’s house. The sweetness wraps over Sayaka like a blanket, draping her in warmth and memories of sugar.

Then she remembers she has to change out of her clothes and back into her pajamas.

“Where are you going?” Madoka murmurs, plaintive voice thick with sleep.

“Just to put my pajamas on.” “You’re gonna come back, right?”

“Of course. Why do you ask.”

“Because I love you, Sayaka.”

Halfway to the dresser, Sayaka stops in her tracks. Even if the words might be because of the beer she’s drank, they’re words she’s been hoping to hear for a long time. They hang in the air and Sayaka clings to them as she rummages through her drawer, wondering if there’s perhaps something more—

A loud snore shatters the once silent dorm room. Sayaka sighs pulls on a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, crawling back into her own bed and pondering.

“Good night, Madoka.”

-

The next morning drags on, hazy and a moment hanging in suspension as time flows on outside. Madoka sits up in bed bleary-eyed and hair coated with frizz, squinting and gulping down a mouthful of water with advil.

“We’ve still got pancake mix if you want any.”

“Oof, no. My head hurts too much for that. Why’d I think drinking that much last night was a good idea—it feels like my head’s gonna split open.”

“Oh, last night sure was something,” Sayaka grins into her coffee, smudging the faint lip gloss she wears on the rim.

“Say what?”

“You’d gotten black out drunk. For realz. You were just dancing on the tables and belting out Lana Del Rey—I hadn’t gotten there soon enough for you to blurt out the especially raunchy bits, but you were singing Cola. Then you thought you were a princess for some reason. You burped a lot too. And then you started singing the Beatles when we got in the car, and…”

Even though her head probably aches, Sayaka watches Madoka propped up by the pillows laugh till she clutches her stomach and her head presses against her knees, shoulders shaking with high-pitched giggles.

“Then you said you loved me, but—”

“I said what?” The laughter evaporates. Madoka sits straight up.

“You said you loved me. I was kinda worried ‘cause you were drunk and you might not’ve been serious, but I mean, I really love y—Oh God, I don’t even have to get drunk to mess up, did I just say that out loud?” Sayaka buries her head in her arms, coffee forgotten to grow cold.

“I don’t know where you got the idea where I must’ve been drunk when I say those sorts of things. Sayaka Miki, if I say ‘I love you’ to you and you alone, I mean it.”

“You do?”

“Of course.” Madoka’s lips curve upwards into a smile.

“And,” she adds, “I’m happy to see that you feel the same way.”

For a moment they sit in the sunshine and are able to reach out and grab hold of what they’ve been looking for. And they know that they’ll never let go.

Then Madoka doubles over. “Owchie, hangover still hurts—”

“Yeesh, that bad? I’m sorry. But you know what? We’ve got the whole day to ourselves to sleep it off, and I’ll get another painkiller for you.” She gets up from where she’s been leaning over towards Madoka and stumbles over to the medicine cabinet.

“Thank you,” Madoka mumbles through her headache. And for good measure, she repeats it with an addition. “Thank you, dear.”

Halfway to the medicine cabinet, Sayaka looks back.

“You’re welcome. Dear.”

[clarafell]

“ you’ve gotten so used to being hurt that happiness scares you. ” from madoka ;)

Poetry Sentence Starters  :    Accepting!

↳ @madeimpact

“That isn’t true!” She does not mean to for her tone to be so harsh or for her voice to be sharp with denial. “No, that can’t be true…” Her voice sounds exhausted and it was drizzled with denial. It takes her a few moments to recover her normally reserved and calm composure as she bites her bottom lip to avoid recklessly speaking. Truthfully, she did not recover that said composure. She just holds her tongue back from speaking so blindly like that to someone as soft as Madoka. Someone who should not be the target of her ugly emotions. Taking a deep breath, she tries to stop that shaking of her hands. She tries to silence the mocking giggles of her dolls that she hears thanks to her earring. The lizard-shaped earring has the ability to whisper information to her. Of course, the relayed information is gathered by her servants. But she can still occasionally hear what her dolls are up to in this world.

In this case, the dolls are giggling and lurking. Mocking. Enjoying every single minute of this walking disaster known as Homura Akemi. Autumn is here instead of spring and it seems like the grinning children are active on this beautiful autumn afternoon. In a real world that is no longer stuck in spring, Homura is struggling to adjust to the shift in scenery. Struggling to accept what is happening right now and struggling with this universe. Once again, she refuses to sleep right now because she could not afford to sleep. Truthfully, she cannot sleep and this has always been a problem for her to begin with. But it was not like anyone noticed in her lonely home. No one lived with her. When it came to the Law of Cycles… Madoka had a family, friends, and a whole future that she had to give up. She gave up her whole existence for the sake of everyone.

But when it came to Homura tearing apart of the Law of Cycles and taking over— It was fitting of her to ascend to this form (known as evil) because she would be willing to throw her existence away in the blink of an eye. That and her family was nonexistent. While she is indeed something else entirely different from the Law of Cycles, she wished she could have taken Madoka’s place way back then. If she took Madoka’s place back then, Madoka would be happy and existing. Everyone would be alive. Madoka would be happy with Sayaka, Mami, Kyoko, Hitomi, and her family. Madoka would be human. None of this would have happened if she could have taken Madoka’s place. She would do that in a heartbeat. Technically, she did in fact take Madoka’s place. Technically. Almost. But Homura was not so sure what she was even doing. One thing that she did know is that she would NEVER actually destroy the world. Why could she destroy the world that Madoka sacrificed herself for.

Right now, Madoka is human again. Right now, the Incubators are being punished with the world’s curses. Right now, there is a balance and no chaos. The times are changing just like the changing seasons. As much as she tried to keep a distance from everyone, she somehow managed to speak to Madoka. She fell into old habits and found herself drawn back to her like a moth to a flame. After all, Madoka was her light in such a dark world.

“I just don’t deserve HAPPINESS—” She speaks up and soon cuts herself off as she avoids eye contact. Her voice is softer and more quiet now. Cutting herself off in an attempt to start over, she tries to make eye contact. She has the whole universe at her fingertips yet she cannot manage to look Madoka in the eye. She cannot put on her facade in front of her. She has always been a horrible actor in the eyes of her dolls. At one point, they threw tomatoes at her when she confronted Sayaka. When she threatened to destroy the world in front of Sayaka, that was a mere act. Even her dolls knew that her acting was horrible. (We could do better, Mistress Good-for-Nothing!) The self-proclaimed devil soon finds herself slowly looking up at Madoka as she tries to find the will to speak. It was always so hard to speak to Madoka because of everything that she remembers. All of the timelines. She can still recall the false city as well. She could remember everything. Every single moment. Every single death. Struggling emotionally, she tells herself over and over to focus.

“I’m sorry, Madoka…for…for…” She fumbles over her words.

For everything.

I’m sorry for everything.

She betrays the serious facade that she tries to wear in front of everyone (again) and reveals a glimpse of her older self. She stops for a moment as she tries once more to regain her composure. It was such a struggle to be around someone as brilliant and soft as Madoka. She was too much of a mess to be around.

“But I don’t believe that is true… Happiness does not scare me…” (But does that mean you’ve been so used to being hurt?) She felt so awful for disagreeing with Madoka. It felt like her heart broke apart as soon as she heard those words leave Madoka’s mouth. She had been speechless as soon as she heard Madoka’s words.

With deep pain reflecting in her lilac eyes, the ravenette keeps her gaze focused on Madoka. “You… You are right about me being used to being hurt. I am used to such pain by now. It’s okay. But I deserved it…especially now…” Homura explains in a vague manner as she let out a shaky sigh. She felt horribly guilty for raising her voice in front of Madoka. “But I do not deserve happiness. You do, Madoka. You deserve happiness and so much more. Focus on yourself and your happiness…please…”

Oh, how ironic. Madoka was talking about her and focusing on her. However, Homura avoided it. She turns it around and talk about Madoka. But Homura is firm on believing that she does not deserve happiness. Deep down, she was scared of happiness. Throughout her entire life for as long as she can remember, happiness has absent from her life. If it was not absent from her life, it was always fleeing away from her grasp. Even when she did find happiness after meeting Madoka and friends, it always managed to backfire on her. No matter what Homura says, Madoka was absolutely correct with her statement.

“Why does it even matter, Madoka?”

[wheremytwinwatches]

[Where My Twin Watches]: PMMM Rebellion - Part 8

Last time on Rebellion: YES

The truth came to light, each of the Magical Girls got their moments to shine, Madoka once again found the Third Way (Let Homura kill herself to set them free/Kill Homura to free the others/Screw that, shoot out the ceiling and hug it out with the bae), and the Incubators got fucked up. Hot damn but that was satisfying.

We pick up after Madoka’s Arrow Rain, the surrounding area utterly devastated with not a single Bunny-Cat to be seen. Homura’s still out cold, lying on some sort of slab while holding her bow (I think? I know her post-Madokami weapon is a bow, but might be a staff of some sort). A Soul Gem enters? Mami places it on Homura’s sleeping form, it looks rather beat up from the Incubator’s experiment. Also, blue? I thought Homura’s color was purple.

Flutes pick up as more Redeemed Familiars gently set down the Muggles who were trapped in the Labyrinth (hey, I recognize these ones, they were in the Suicide Cult Labyrinth and appeared to tear apart Madoka. Brrr.). Some students, the Teacher, and Madoka’s family! Hey guys!

Meanwhile, Kyoko’s Batgirling on some rubble, looking out over the desert. Yeah, she did just get to hold hands with Sayaka (*squeeee!*), but now the Paladin’s job is over, isn’t it? Back to Magical Girl heaven. Same with Bebe/Nagisa/whatever her name is.

[Mami]: “No. They’re finally taking her away with them.”

What. What. Is you serious? Yes yes yes yes YES!

Loophole abuse! -Madokami leaves Magical Girls on Earth to fight Wraiths, takes away those who are about to become Witches -Homura Witchified inside her Soul Gem, remained an almost-Witch in the real world -Requirement for Magical Girl Heaven met!

[Madokami]: “Now I remember. I came here for Homura.”

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS! We’ve got some Last Battle of Narnia feels going on here! Further up and further in…

Nagisa and Sayaka are here too, driving one of Walpurgisnacht’s carts. Nothing but the finest chauffeur services for Homura.

Homura wakes up to see the Welcome Wagon, her friends standing by, and then Madokami in all her glory.

[Madokami]: “I’m sorry for making you wait so long. You’ve worked so hard all this time.”

[Homura]: “Madoka…”

Finally. Finally. The feels, you guys. The feels!

[Madokami]: “Now, let’s go. We’ll always be together from now on.”

Wait. What’s with the head turn. Why shadows

[Homura]: “Yes. We will.”

Homura what

[Homura]: “I’ve waited so long for this moment.”

Whats with the closeups why the deep tone and shadows why smirk what

HOMURA WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT WHY ARE YOU GRABBING MADOKAMI’S WRISTS

[Madokami]: “H-Homura.”

RED ALERT RED ALERT MADOKAMI IS SHOCKED MADOKAMI IS ALARMED

[Homura]: “I’ve finally…”

Homura’s Soul Gem just turned pitch black what no why despair now what

[Homura]: “caught you.”

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!

Yeah, I’m with you girls, what’s going on? Technicolor lights are spilling from the Soul Gem, music is picking up. Crap crap crap.

Her Soul Gem has changed color? “Worse than a curse?” So this technicolor stuff is worse than Black Despair? What is it then? Desire? Obsession?

Oh hell.

[Homura]: “It’s only natural that you don’t understand. Yes… no one in the world could possibly understand. This emotion is mine alone.”

Oh my Madokami, would you stop being emo for five seconds.

[Homura]: “It is for Madoka alone.”

Um, Homura’s Soul Gem is beginning to crack. And so is the surrounding area?

Hell, are they still in the Labyrinth?

Madokami is pleading with Homura (freaking pleading, what is this), saying that she’ll be ripped apart-

Ripped apart. Oh no. I see it now.

Ranubis said:[Madoka]: “You know how wimpy I am. And because I could never bear to do something that would make someone as strong as you cry like this.” Homura is saying that she understands, that she made a stupid mistake? [Homura]: “I shouldn’t have allowed that to happen. That no matter what I would’ve had to do, I should have stopped you back then.”

This was planned. This is Homura’s savior complex. She devoted herself to saving Madoka. In the end, Madoka saved her. But she intends to “save” Madoka. From herself.

Madokami DAMN it Homura!

The cracks have now struck Madokami, splitting into images of her human and Ascended forms.

[Homura]: “I told you, Madoka. I’ll never let you go again.”

Homura clutches Madoka as her Soul Gem shatters, this weird blotchy technicolor spreading out to cover all the Magical Girls. Then the Cracks and Colors continue to spread, covering the desert. Then the planet. Then onwards and outwards through space, covering the galaxy (that’s not the Milky Way? Or just a bad angle?). Finishing as a circle, a sigil of some sort.

A spool of pink thread falls.

Homura stands against a red-and-yellow background, Mysterious Transfer Student-ing it up. Then she… spits out her Soul Gem? I thought it nope guess it breaks here as she bites down on it. The pink thread reforms as some mix of a black chess piece and a purple crystal ball. Homura grabs it-

Ah. Incubator. Kinda telling that things have gotten so fucked up that that’s all the reaction I can muster for Bunny-Cat.

[Incubator]: “The world is being rewritten. Does this mean a new principle has been born into this universe?”

Now Homura’s got the “Voice from Everywhere” thing going on. She’s telling the Incubator(s) floating around that this is the second time she’s been here.

[Incubator]: “I don’t believe this. Your curse-blackened Soul Gem should have vanished along with your soul. So why…?” [Homura]: “Because I finally remembered. All the times I repeated history, got hurt and suffered over and over, all of that was proof of my feelings for Madoka. So now, even pain is dear to me. It’s no longer curses that soil my Soul Gem.” [Incubator]: “Then what does?” [Homura]: “Something that you have no chance of understanding, Incubator. It is the pinnacle of all human emotion. More passionate than hope, far deeper than despair.”

Homura what are you doing with the Chess-Orb? Eating it. Apparently.

Ah. It seems that Homura has pulled a Madoka, found a Third Way. -Hope, for Magical Girls. -Despair, for Witches. -”Love”, for whatever she is now.

Now Homura’s dressing up oh ok wow that is a thing.

[Demon!Homura]: “Indeed… As I am now, I’m not even a witch anymore. She was as sacred as a god, and I pulled her from heaven and undermined her. A being that could perform such feats could only be called a demon, I suppose?"

Seeing how Homura’s acting, the Incubator swears off human emotion. Bit late for that, dude. Demon!Homura grabs it, tells it that they’re sticking around to handle all the curses of the world now.

We get flashes of galaxies as I struggle to comprehend everything that’s happened. Then, back to earth.

Homura (in a much more sensible outfit) is sitting at a table. Ignored by the passing students? Mami’s walking by, there’s a brief shot of a Familiar moving behind a falling rose petal. Mami raises a hand, then Homura knocks a cup to the ground. Mami turns at the sound, but there’s no-one there. She looks into her hand, and sees a black feather. Does she remember- GAH GOTH KIDS JUST CROSSED SCREEN

Now some of Homura’s bird Familiars, they’re eating at an apple held by- wait, Kyoko? Food girl is willingly feeding wild animals. What is wrong with this topsy-turvy world Homura’s made?! Then she apparently sees more of the Goth Kids, throws an apple but Homura shakes her head and it falls into the stream instead. Kyoko looks startled by this.

Now it’s Sayaka’s turn. But she sees Homura?

[Sayaka]: “Do you realize what you’ve done?” [Homura]: *Turns, earring glints* “I see. Looks like you understand what’s happened, Sayaka Miki.” [Sayaka]: “You’ve broken off a part of the Law of the Cycle! The power of salvation that was the hope of all the magical girls!” [Homura]: “All I took was a tiny piece of it. Just the records of the person that Madoka was before she ceased to exist. Somehow, all of you wound up being pulled in as well, and it seems you can’t return to wherever you were before.”

Uh, yeah? Because I’m pretty sure you overwrote the last galaxy.

Sayaka’s pissed, asking what right Homura had to do all this. Homura… straight up says her alignment is now Evil, that’s she’s the Antagonist of the world.

Uh, scene of a bunch of Goth kids surrounded by shoes, jumping off… yeah, I know enough about Japanese culture to know what that is.

Homura’s all “only natural I upset the laws set down by a god.” Madoka- or now Devilura damn it, this really was Homura rebelling against Madoka, wasn’t it.

Sayaka asks if Homura intends to destroy the universe, not even moving as she summons Octavia behind her. Alright, still got your powers I see. Not sure how effective they’ll be against this new Homura, but…

Homura does a hair-flip, says that maybe she will once all the Wraiths have been destroyed. Uh, what?

[Homura]: “When that time comes, I suppose I can be your enemy. But do you think you’ll be able to stand against me, Sayaka Miki?”

All these shots of Homura have been of half-closed eyes, and looking at her now I can only describe her as tired. Still, far from weak. She claps her hands, and Octavia instantly disappears as Sayaka slumps.

[Homura]: “Even now, your memories are gradually changing, are they not?”

Shot of Nagisa running through falling black feathers, laughing. Sayaka grits her teeth, says that she “thinks” she was part of a larger being before.

[Homura]: “Why don’t you simply enjoy the happiness from getting another chance to live a human life?”

So wait, in your new world they aren’t Magical Girls then? What, you’re just setting the Incubators on the Wraiths?

Even as Homura calmly tells her that all this will seem natural someday, Sayaka insists that she will always remember that Homura is a demon. Homura just smiles, and says that they should pretend to be friends in daily life. After all, don’t want to upset Madoka, do they?

Goth Kids are running around, throwing tomatoes at Homura. Yes good there’s a part of you that knows this is wrong, listen to it!

And with that we’re back to Sayaka in the “real world”, watching students and Nagisa go by. A “good morning” from Hitomi and Kyosuke. And she cries? But not from sadness, but from happiness that she can see them again.

Wait, flash of her Magical Girl ring? So she still has her powers?

In class, Teacher is ranting about boyfriends fussing over breakfast as Homura looks out the window. But Teach says there’s a new Transfer Student? But Homura’s already here-

[Teacher]: “Come on in, Miss Kaname!”

Ah. That got Homura’s attention. Madoka enters, says that Mother got assigned overseas so the family’s been living in America for three years.

Later, the girls in class are asking Madoka about her American life. Madoka’s a bit sheepish but not as shy as I expecte-

[Homura]: “Everyone, you’ll tire Miss Kaname out, bombarding her with questions like that.”

The girls scatter, and Homura “introduces” herself to Madoka. And “offers” to show her around the school. Ah, reversal of the Hallway Scene then. Obviously Madoka’s a little confused at why this strange girl is pushing for first names already and leading her around.

[Madoka]: “No, it actually seems like absolutely nothing has changed. In fact, if I had to pick the one thing that had changed, I’d say it was me.”

Homura comes to a stop in the Hallway. And seems very upset at Madoka’s comment.

Madoka goes on, saying she should have a different form, a different role. Sudden swirls of light around Madoka, is she fighting it off?! Come on, you can do it!

But no. Homura grabs her.

[Homura]: “It’s all right. You are exactly what you truly are.”

We’re back in the Hallway.

[Homura]: “Madoka Kaname. Do you treasure this world? Do you consider stability and order more important than desire?” [Madoka]: “Well, I…Um...I-I do treasure it. I guess I do think it’s kind of bad to break rules because you feel like it.” [Homura]: “I see. Then I suppose someday, you will become my enemy as well.”

Homura removes her ribbon- ah. That’s the ribbon that Madoka gave her before. Now she’s giving it back.

[Homura]: “But I don’t care. Because even then, I will continue to wish for a world in which you will be happy.”

Yeah, absent of context I’m sure that Madoka is utterly confused and kinda concerned right now.

The sun sets of Mitakihara City. Sayaka steals pocky from Kyoko in the courtyard. Mami races forward to save Nagisa from falling boxes of cheese. In House Kaname, Madoka moves boxes with her family. And in the sky overhead, a stone turns.

Credits.

Post-credits. Night, the hill where I originally thought Homura was being brainwashed by Madoka (HAH). Homura sits on a chair, on half of a hill. Same with the moon, perfect semi-circle. Grass rustles, Homura turns to see the silhouette of the Incubator. Homura summons her Chess-Orb, and then dances to the music past WHAT that’s the beat-up form of the Incubator. Then she falls off the hill. Closeup of the Incubator, with matted fur andshaking eyes.

“The End.” … … … FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[alteredphoenix]

Red Fruit (WIP)(Sailor Moon/Madoka novelette)

A/N: This is an old WIP from July 10, 2015, as part of a crossover series between Sailor Moon and Madoka Magica, in an AU in which (and I put this in the simplest terms possible, because 2015!AlteredPhoenix was and still is super big on metaphysics and ontology) the cast of Madoka existed in a more high fantasy/military fantasy, Warcraft-inspired version of the Silver Millennium and were also reincarnated in the present day but in a separate timeline outside the Sailor Moon continuum. In this AU, all the planets of the universe were Earth-like and existed within their own Dyson Sphere, but the fall of the Millennium and Queen Serenity’s sacrifice (here described as an event called the Diaspora that is remembered now only by the remnants of the Mau race that exist in the shadows) saw the natural balance of life and death torn asunder and persist in atmospheres that they are known for today.

When constructing the series (which went under the name “Until We Meet Again”, although that version is old and discontinued, but is planned to be salvaged in some capacity and can be read on Fanfiction.net), my goal was to make the girls of Madoka deviatory from their canon personalities. Here Kyoko is a nondenominational girl that is very much anti-police and anti-establishment. She does not have faith in the pantheon of Mars and cares little for the interplanetary affairs that prelude the war that would destroy the Golden Age of the Silver Millennium. This fic would have her be put in the crosshairs of Mars’ law force and see her sentenced to serve as a pack mule to Endymion and his Four Guardians as they go on a mission (that I can’t remember the life of me what it was).

This mission would change Kyoko’s worldview and mold her as the person she is depicted in canon, and would carry over into the main AU story in the present, post-Rebellion world that would see her and Sayaka jump through timelines trying to reclaim Goddess!Madoka from hiding from Devil Homura’s hunt to recapture her.

(Mami would be elsewhere in the present day Sailor Moon timeline (which, at the time of that story, “A Passing Glance”, set it around 2017), infected with a parasitic version of Walpurgisnacht that is only held at bay by Nagisa’s watchful eye and the hope that Rei will purge and cauterize the blight before it overcomes Mami.)

-

“I thought you said you weren’t interested in seeing them?” said the voice, and Kyoko nearly dropped the apple she was holding.

Tightening her grip on it, she glanced behind her to see Mami and her damn pleated fan, unfolded to display a watercolor scene of flying fish with their oval mouths open to swallow the stars; a sleepy, rural village basked beneath a sky full of alien moons. It was a surreal image, one she did not understand, and staring at it for too long made her nerves itch in the way sliding a rusted nail down a used chalkboard would. “With all the noise they’re making, it’s hard not to ignore them,” she said, and peered over the balcony. “Look how garish they dress! Are they supposed to be soldiers or stoplights?”

Mami joined her and studied the cavalcade of men marching down the cobblestone road. She studied their uniforms for a moment—sharp, finely-pressed plated suits ranging from black to royal blue to ashy grey. “They look like they could blend right in at night.”

“Not those guys! The ones grouped around tall, dark, and pale.” Kyoko nodded their way, just as they were crossing beneath them.

Mami finally saw the quintet and nodded. “Ah, Prince Endymion and his Four Heavenly Kings. I don’t see King Aethlius among them. He must be in the Basilica with the other dignitaries and magistrates.”

“I don’t care about the King or any of that drivel!”

“Then what troubles you?”

“Just look! They’re not wearing any helmets! They’re not blending with the rest of the crowd! A sniper could put a round in every one of their heads and they wouldn’t even know what hit them!”

Mami watched the rest of the procession arrive. “I highly doubt an enemy of the state would risk his life attempting an assassination with this many people.” She waved the fan airily at her face. “We can’t see them from this angle, more or less be able to even if we tried, but the Talonites are all around us. They know all the secret places of the Forum as well as the Eternal Flame knows all about them.”

“So say I throw this apple at blondie there,” Kyoko said, pointing at one of the Kings with short, wavy hair the color of wheat. “Or that guy with the bleached roots.” She indicated a taller male towering over his brothers and Prince. “Would the gods see fit to cast a compulsion on their warrior-priests and make me spontaneously combust with a snap of their fingers? Or perhaps someone will jump out of these very shadows and turn me into a pile of ash with a single swipe of his uchiwa?”

“Any and all threats will be dealt with, depending on how severe the order the High Priests gives them,” said Mami. “If I were you, I wouldn’t waste precious food.” She leveled a pointed stare at the bag of apples pressed against the other girl’s chest.

Kyoko scoffed. “It’s not wasting food. It’s sustenance and makes for good ammunition.” She sank her teeth into the fruit and chewed.

Mami sighed. “Not only would you face possible death to the warrior-priests, the local merchants would have your head if they hear about it.”

“Why should they? There’s plenty of arable land, and no one’s howling for blood this year. Human sacrifices are so last millennium.”

“The Republic of Mars hasn’t been ‘howling for blood’ in over seventy-five years, since before the King’s father Aeolus passed away,” Mami groaned. “Must you always sleep through history, Kyoko?”

“None of that matters to me,” she said, and dropped the apple core into the bag; she was not about to incur Mami’s ire over leaving her spoils in a place that wasn’t a container or trash receptacle. “It shouldn’t matter to you, either. You’re not from here so that’d be understandable. But why should I go through all the trouble learning about the history of the Alliance when it’s written by gods-fearing victors?”

“You shouldn’t say that!” Mami shouted, and started, surprised at her outburst. Her cheeks coloring, she looked over the balcony and saw that the retinue had come and gone. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Need I remind you the consequences for spouting heresy?”

Kyoko rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, I’ve heard it all: the forty lashes, exile by vote of majority, the public stoning, the burning at the stake. ‘S nothing new.”

“You can’t just say stuff like that in a place like the Republic, especially in a region that boasts the highest population of Talonites and religious adherents on the entire planet.”

“I’m entitled to my rights just as much as the next person.” She pulled another apple out of the bag, polished it off against her shirt, and took a hefty bite from it. “’Tough titty,’ said the kitty.”

“Kyoko,” said Mami, and the tone of her voice was like tempered steel, “you’ve been warned twice by the political police. If it happens one more time,” her eyebrows knotted worryingly. “If it happens one more time,” she pushed on, more softly, “we’ll never see each other again.”

Kyoko stopped, no longer feeling hungry. She sighed, dropped the apple into the bag and wiped her hand of its juices against the brown paper. “Mami—“

“Have you ever stopped and wondered what your family thinks about you?” Mami asked suddenly. “What your neighbors must think? When they see you with the heretics, the non-believers, taking to the streets, wreaking havoc and disrupting the peace with your beliefs, what do you think goes through their minds?”

Kyoko’s mouth went dry, her tongue arid as the red deserts that lend credence to Mars’ name. For one brief, absurd moment, she kicked herself for not having brought something to relieve her thirst. “Hey now…I’ve never actually hurt anyone. The ones that incite all the riots and clashes with the police…I’m not part o’ that crowd.”

“But surely you were a part of them?”

“Well, when I’m tryin’ to get away from everything, then yeah, I have to push and shove my way through. I’ve gotten into a few scraps, but it’s not like I cause them. There’s a reason for getting off scot-free and claiming self-defense by having the aggressor throw the first punch.”

“And for everything else? Do you put a halt to evening traffic and topple vehicles to delay the opposition in their pursuit? Do you fight back with restricted magic as per the laws of the Basilica Carta? Do you vandalize holy sites like the Face of Vulcan? Have you been injured by a Talonite and asked yourself ‘I will give unto him what he has given unto me tenfold’?”

“I don’t regret what I do,” Kyoko said testily. “I’ve been beaten and kicked like a sack of rice while being pinned down and bound by spellweavers. I’ve been sent to jail and harassed by officers and prisoners alike that my efforts weren’t worth the trouble. I nearly had my hair burnt to a crisp by one of those priestly chaps. Hell, at one point I got trampled by my like-minded brothers and sisters making a hasty retreat and almost died.”

“But have you?” Mami snapped the fan closed and jabbed it under the girl’s nose.

Kyoko growled and swiped at it, but Mami was faster and pulled away before the fan could be ripped from her grasp. “So what if I have? I’m human! I don’t claim to be perfect or a saint! Not like you,” she grumbled the last part.

“I am as imperfect and sinful as you are,” Mami said, frowning tiredly. “As are the free peoples of the Alliance and the far-flung races of the known universe. But you must be careful, Kyoko! The sons and daughters of Kagutsuchi will not tolerate any more of your antics.”

“They’re not antics! And I’m not afraid of those flame-worshipping lapdogs. They’re going to have to do more than dress like festival dancers to scare me.”

“You’ll be scared when they come into your house one night and drag you out—by force—to the execution grounds,” Mami snapped, and then, more softly, “No amount of pleading on the behalf of your family will sway them to ignore the Word bestowed by their elders…or that of the Eternal Flame. Peace, Kyoko, must be maintained…and you’re not helping.”

Kyoko sighed, ran a hand through her hair. “Nothing’s gonna happen to me, Mami.”

“I want to believe that,” she said, turning away. She looked out beyond the conical spires of the high-rises, past the cupolas and lighted braziers of the Church of the King of the Hunt, to the horizon. It looked like rain, and where there was rain there would be lightning and thunder, and there would be fire. Vicious, hungry fire, dancing and out of control. “I want to, but I can’t bring myself to. Something’s got to give.”

“You mean something I’ve got to give.” And she wasn’t going to. Not her beliefs. Not her cause. Not her life. Nothing.

“How else are you going to stop them? It’s either that or you’ll die.” Mami looked at Kyoko, and her face was long and haggard and sorrowful. “And I don’t want you to die. I will heal any injuries you might sustain or ease any anger or worries you might have, but I can’t cure death.”

“Ah, yes. Death. The Talonites can stamp out religious persecution and all manner of crime, but they can’t stop what’s inevitable.” Kyoko gathered the bag in both arms and, putting all her weight into her haunches, pushed herself onto the balls of her feet and rose. She joined Mami at the balcony and breathed in a lungful of air through her nose. The air was charged, thick and heavy with the coming downpour. It was pure and refreshing, but it was nothing like the smoky, sulfurous odor flames were wont to exude. “Kinda ironic, isn’t it?”

Mami nodded. “Aye. But for the phoenix that builds its nest atop the tallest mountain and sets itself ablaze, it rises anew from the ashes.”

“It’s just a bird,” Kyoko scoffed.

Mami sighed and pressed the tip of the fan to her forehead, brow furrowed in resignation. “Once again, you fail to see my point. Kyoko, I won’t ask you to promise me not to get into any more trouble than you already are…but at the very least try to stay out of it. I’m not always going to be there for you when you need a place to hide or words to whitewash any misgivings. I’m only here until summer’s end and—”

“’I won’t be here forever.’ I get it. Thanks for the warning, Mom.” Kyoko quashed the guilt skewering her breast at the hurt that flashed across Mami’s face. She couldn’t let that bother her. Not here, and especially not in front of Mami. She could feel like shit later, away from everything in the privacy of her home.

“Very well,” Mami said calmly, stiffly. “I entrust you to be on your…ahem, best behavior. As you were.” She stuck the fan into her waistband and glided past Kyoko, as a skimmer does on the surface of a still lake.

[i-w-p-chan]

Third Phase, Part 1

Summary: Enma picks up his sister after her support group meeting for the first time and ends up meeting Sawada Tsunayoshi, who flips Enma's life around. Enter: Enma's Colossal Crush. (A Hanahaki or two make an appearance.) Hanahaki AU.

Notes: I was reading Hanahaki fics when I wondered about other possible details for such an AU and this happened.

Hanahaki: is a fictional illness that one gets due to unrequited romantic love. Hanahaki manifests in flowers growing in the lungs, which causes the person who has it to cough out flowers and blood. It can be cured by having the feelings that caused reciprocated or by surgery; the surgery removes the feelings that caused it along with it. If it's left without treatment for too long it will lead to death.

WARNINGS: Shameless Self-Indulgence, This Is A Very Wild Ride, 90% Directed By The Characters, Way Too Many Food Mentions, Hanahaki Fic But The Hanahaki Is Only Brought Up When It's Convenient, Past Minor Character Death, Enma Being A Protective Older Brother, Enma's Huge Crush, Feels, Lots Of Feels, Is This What They Call Romance Fiction?, Brief Cat Therapy At One Point, Mama And Papa Kozato Exist At The Edges, Non-Decimo Tsuna AU, Way More Characters Than Expected, FEELS, Crying, SURPRISES, A Shameless Time Skip Somewhere In This Fic, Actually Has Something Cliché And Cheesy And It's Not Hard To Notice, Too Many Warning Tags.

Disclaimer: Don't own KHR.

.

Enma leaned against the car, checking his watch before returning his eyes to observe the building he parked in front of. Mami was bound to leave soon.

Not five minutes later, his sister exited the building in the company of a young man with fluffy brown hair and amber eyes. The two were quietly conversing.

Enma cocked his head to the side in curiosity; it was his first time picking Mami up after her support group meeting and so it was his first time meeting another member of the group.

Did the guy have Hanahaki like Mami? Enma wondered, looking over the person and noting his features.

Just who could possibly not reciprocate that guy's feelings?

His inner Mami metaphorically whacked him over the head, screeching, "Hanahaki is about ROMANTIC love not lust!"

Enma shook his head in faint amusement; it wasn't like a person couldn't grow to love another over time.

(The thing called dating existed, after all. And the only reason Enma didn't suggest this to Mami to help her with Hanahaki was because she had the misfortune to fall in love with an aromantic person.)

"Enma-nii."

Mami's greeting shook him from his thoughts, and he smiled at her, "Mami, you ready to go?"

Mami hesitated slightly before she nodded, "Sorry if I was late, Tsuna-san was just telling me something." She looked to her side only to notice that her companion, 'Tsuna-san', wasn't there.

She huffed in mock exasperation and turned to yell at Tsuna-san who was some distance away from the siblings, "Tsuna-san! Just because kaa-chan isn't here it doesn't mean you get to escape from the Kozato clutches! Enma-nii will give you a ride!"

Enma walked up to stand next to Mami and sent what he hoped was his most charming smile.

Tsuna-san scrutinized them both for a minute before he relented, huffing in amusement, "Mami-chan, I can walk home. My place isn't that far away from here." His voice was quiet and slightly hoarse.

"Yeah, sure."

"Just this once, okay?"

Mami smiled and pumped her fist in the air.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please, call me Tsuna."

"Kozato Enma-" Enma's smile widened, "-Please call me Enma. And the pleasure is all mine."

Mami gave him a cursory glance, wondering about his sudden openness, he gave her a look. I saw a guy so beautiful, it brightened my day, his look said.

Mami elbowed him lightly in the side, the look in her eyes promising an interrogation session once they got home.

Tsuna seemed to not notice the byplay (or if he did, then he made no sign to show it).

The car ride was short and quiet, only filled with Mami's voice as she directed him to Tsuna's house. Enma was surprised his sister didn't talk his or Tsuna's ears off.

After they bade Tsuna goodbye and returned to their own house, Enma was starting to get worried. Mami was still surprisingly silent.

"Mami? Is there something wrong?" Enma put his arm around her shoulders.

Mami sucked in a breath and let it whoosh out of her chest, trembling and shaking, she coughed lightly into her hand and brought out a tissue from her pocket, using it to clean up the blood-stained petals that fell from her mouth and wiped her lips.

She tossed the dirty tissue in the nearest trash can and threw herself into one of the couches, "Tsuna wants to have the surgery to get rid of his Hanahaki. He said he'll have it next week."

Enma sat next to her, silent as he pondered what she just said.

He knew Mami didn't want to go the surgery route to heal; she was scared, she'd said when she explained why she didn't want it, not only of the operation, but of what will happen after it. The surgery will get rid of the disease, and it will take away the cause of the disease, and Mami was scared of the gaping hole that would leave in her heart.

It was clear that Mami felt scared for Tsuna.

"Tell you what? How about I take you to check up on Tsuna whenever you have the time? Do you have his number?"

Mami, who stared at him wide-eyed and hopeful, turned skeptical, "Are you sure this isn't just an excuse to have his number?"

"No, promise."

.

Unfortunately for Mami, she had homework piled up and couldn't contact Tsuna about coming over sometime in the next few days before his surgery, which left her no choice but to give Enma Tsuna's contact number to do it instead.

Enma stared at Tsuna's contact number in his phone, wondering whether he should text or call, before deciding to text.

[Hi, Tsuna! This is Enma, Mami's brother.] He hit 'send' before he could second guess himself or his choice of words.

He breathed in deeply, contact made. Now all he had to do was wait for a reply.

His phone pinged, indicating an incoming message.

That… was fast.

[Hello Enma ^^]

Enma's fingers went to start typing a reply asking Tsuna if he was fine with Enma and Mami visiting in the next few days, before they froze in place, one formal sentence already typed. He deleted it quickly and threw the phone to the table before throwing himself to the couch.

Oh god, what was he supposed to do? How could someone even text a person they find cute?

Enma curled up, agonizing in silence; his messages-sending experience included only either very informal, stupid texting with his close friends and family members, or very formal e-mail sending to people at work.

If Mami saw him at the moment, she'd have cackled.

Fifteen minutes later, he uncurled himself. Deciding to risk it, he grabbed his phone and typed.

[I was wondering if it's okay with you if Mami and I come over to your place sometime in the next few days before you have your surgery?]

He fidgeted, was he being too personal? Insensitive? Did he offend the guy? God, he hoped not.

Tsuna's reply came not a minute later.

[Sure. you can come over anytime ^^ I'm not doing anything time sensitive this month so I'm almost always free.]

Enma smothered a triumphant shout against a pillow, hoping that Mami didn't hear him, and then he sagged back into the couch, smiling at the message.

.

The visit came both too soon for Enma, yet not soon enough at the same time.

Enma subtly fidgeted in front of the door, careful not to let Mami see (now was not the time for her teasing).

The door opened, revealing a brightly smiling girl, with amber eyes and light brown, long hair, who ushered them in, "Hello, Mami-chan, Kozato-kun! I'm Kyoko, a friend of Tsuna's. As much as I'd like to stay and spend time with you, I have to go, my bae and I are meeting up later." She smiled at them, "Take care of Tsuna for me, yes?"

"Kyoko, you don't have to…" Tsuna walked into view, looking soft and approachable in his long hoodie and sweets. Enma wanted to cuddle him.

"Of course we will!" Mami nodded vigorously.

"Thank you, Mami-chan!" Kyoko's smile widened.

"Mami-chan." Tsuna slightly pouted. Enma smothered a smile.

Kyoko nodded at Mami with a dangerous glint in her eyes, Mami looked back at her with the same glint. The two appeared to share a secret between the two of them.

Looking at Tsuna, Enma could perfectly understand what the secret was, and briefly wondered where he could sign up for the protection squad.

After Kyoko left, the three of them settled in the living room.

Tsuna stared at Mami, prompting her to sigh.

"You wanted to talk to me more about why I decided to go with the surgery after all." Tsuna cocked his head to the side.

Mami fiddled with the hem of her shirt before she went to seat herself next to Tsuna, "Yeah. I did; still do."

"Mami-chan," Tsuna started, "You know about what happened."

"I do." Mami bit her lower lip, "But, still, aren't you scared? Of what will happen after? Of what you will feel? Of what you won't feel?"

"Of course I'm scared, Mami."

"Then, why-?!"

"Because I'm more scared of dying." Tsuna's lips twisted into a mockery of a smile, "Because I'm selfish and a coward. I have a lot of people I care about, a lot of people I'm selfish enough to want to keep. And I'm a coward, I'm afraid of death. I don't want to die. I'm not ready to die. And if all that is stopping me from living is Hanahaki, then I'll get rid of it."

Mami sagged into Tsuna's side, staying silent instead of replying.

The silence lasted for a minute before Mami stood and went to the kitchen, "Do you have cookies?"

"Yeah, the usual."

Mami opened the jar on the kitchen's table and peered in, making an excited noise before she put the lid back on it and scooped it into her arms, carrying it with her back into the room.

Tsuna looked back towards Enma, who had been merely observing the two throughout their interactions.

There was a spark in Tsuna's eyes, Enma noted, and while he didn't understand what the spark meant explicitly, the way the spark intensified when Tsuna's eyes landed on Mami, who was inhaling her way through the cookie jar, made a part of Enma stand up at attention, ring with mutual understanding; it made a part of Enma consider Tsuna one of his own, a member of the family.

A person to care about deeply beyond his friendship with Mami.

.

The ride back from Tsuna's place was silent, though this time, Enma had expected the silence.

The two had just entered their house when Mami surprised Enma by tightly wrapping her arms around Enma and burying her face in his chest.

Enma responded by wrapping his arms around her.

"Nii-chan," Mami spoke, her voice somewhat muffled into Enma's clothes, "Tsuna is brave. He calls himself a coward, but he's brave. Braver than me. I'm the coward, aren't I?"

Enma slightly freaked out, not knowing what to do; he was never good at talking to Mami when it came to Hanahaki-related things, evidenced by the fact that whenever he tried, he'd just end up fighting with her.

Mami solved his dilemma by stepping away from him, "I'm going to my room."

Enma remained where he stood for five minutes before heading to his own room, mind going a mile a minute.

He didn't know what having Hanahaki was like, but he knew that it was a disease that infected the mind and heart just as it did the body, that it infected people who were close to the ones who had it.

He knew what it felt like to wake up every day with the knowledge that it was another day closer to the deadline, to Mami hitting critical stage and there being no hope of either requited love or surgery to cure her.

He knew what it felt like to hold Mami's hair out of her face and rubbing her back as she had another bad attack and coughed blood and flowers all over the floor.

He knew what it felt like to hold his sister as she cried herself to sleep on the particularly bad days.

He knew he wanted that horrible infection uprooted from her body.

He knew he couldn't do much to convince her to have the surgery.

(But if Tsuna did, then by god Enma would lay the world at Tsuna's feet in gratitude.)

.

Mami mass-baked on the day of Tsuna's surgery and recruited Enma to help her.

"I know we can't go visit him in the hospital, but that isn't stopping me from visiting him after he's released OR sending him cookies."

"Oh? And how are you planning to send them?" Enma said as he finished packing the cookies into tupper-ware.

The doorbell rang and Mami rushed to answer it, coming back a second later while dragging Fuuta behind her.

"Here! Give these to Tsuna and send him our regards. Tell him we'll be visiting him after he's released."

Fuuta smiled at Mami as he received the cookies, "Thanks. I'm sure Tsuna-nii will love them."

Mami's cheeks colored slightly as she averted her eyes, "Yeah, sure, he better. Go and give him those already."

"I will, see you later! I'll text you when I have news!"

"Okay!"

Enma put his arm around Mami's shoulders after she returned from sending Fuuta off.

Fuuta was a good kid, honestly, no wonder his sister grew smitten with him.

"I didn't know you know how to bake."

"I don't."

Enma froze, "What?"

Mami sent him a sly smirk, "I don't know how to bake. Tsuna better come teach me after."

Enma huffed in amusement, "So, Fuuta, huh. Is he the reason you met Tsuna?"

Mami hummed as she took off the apron she wore, "He convinced me to join a Hanahaki support group, told me his adopted brother was in one. And when I accepted, he personally took me to the same group his brother was in."

Enma smiled softly at the fond look Mami had in her eyes.

"He said he wanted me to be in good hands, and if there was anyone he'd entrust me to, it'd be his brother."

Enma's smile widened; maybe he should get Fuuta a nice gift to thank him for the miracle that was Mami meeting Tsuna.

.

End part 1.

Next

[magiatales]

Madoka’s Birthday Party, ch 3

"Alright, everybody, settle down! Settle down... Hey, Kyoko! Shut up!" Everyone looked to Sayaka, and Kyoko stuck out her tongue. The blunette ignored it and continued. "Okay, so... Hitomi, your stomach okay?"

Hitomi nodded, though looked a little tired. "I'll be fi-"

Sayaka interrupted her. "Good, how about you, Kirika? How's your face?"

Kirika's forehead was still a little red from sliding across the ground, but she smiled. "Ready for battle!"

"Your face is ready for battle... okay... Well, now that everyone's ready-" Now Sayaka was interrupted herself.

Kyoko spoke over everyone else. "I'm fine too, thanks for asking!"

Sayaka adjusted the collar of her shirt. "I didn't ask. Anyway, it's time for the next event. Everyone, please follow me!" Regaining enthusiasm, Sayaka marched into another room, with the others following her. "If you'll all notice, this room contains many features that you've already been enjoying at this party, such as the couch, some chairs, a stuffed... frog... okay, but you'll also see that there is indeed a television affixed to the wall. This will be the point of focus for the next event! If you'll notice, there are three game controllers on the floor in front of the television!"

The girls noticed, and most quickly began envisioning having three arms.

Mami, on the other hand, went wide-eyed. "Oh my God! You have a Nintendo 64!"

Madoka cut in. "It belonged to my dad!"

"Belonged?" Kyoko wondered.

Madoka corrected herself quickly. "Belongs!"

Hitomi questioned Madoka. "Why are you being defensive about owning a Nintendo 64?"

Madoka shook her head. "I'm not being defensive!"

Sayaka nodded, agreeing with Hitomi. "Yeah, you kinda are."

Madoka looked pleadingly to Oriko. "Help me, I have no idea if owning a Nintendo 64 is good or bad!"

Oriko shrugged. "I dunno... Kirika has one."

Madoka whimpered. "Now I'm even less sure..."

Sayaka put a stop to the confusion. "Regardless, we are playing on that very same ancient piece of gaming technology! The game of choice is none other than the very best video game for playing at parties! Mario Kart! We have nine players, so we'll be going in groups of three! First up we have Madoka, Kyoko, and Oriko! Next will be Mami, Kirika, and myself! Then we'll have Homura, Hitomi, and the runt. The three winners will compete in the final round to determine who will wear the crown! Who will be the queen of Mario Kart!"

Yuma kicked Sayaka in the shin.

By the time the blunette had finished hopping around on one foot, the first round was already beginning. Sitting in the third player spot when selecting a character, Oriko was already on Princess Peach. Madoka looked dejected when Peach was no longer an option, but quickly jumped on selecting Yoshi instead. Kyoko went for Wario without a second thought. Looking over all the available races, Kyoko pounced on Wario Stadium before anyone could stop her. Just as the race was starting, Kyoko's face of glee dropped into a look of morbid terror at the realization. Madoka had this game in her house, and Oriko's best friend had one as well. They were likely both experts at the game.

The game started and Kyoko was left in the dust as Madoka and Oriko sped away. The entire race went by with Kyoko getting progressively farther behind. Madoka and Oriko consistently avoided all the items Kyoko got, and managed to stay practically tied with each other through the entire race. On the second lap, Kyoko found herself being lapped already by the other two. They were on their third lap. Madoka and Oriko sped off, heading up the ramp to the large jump.

The sound of Homura clearing her throat caught Kyoko's attention. Looking over, Kyoko saw in Homura's hands a crisp new ten thousand yen bill. Homura nodded suggestively. Kyoko understood. Looking back to the screen, she saw the green shell in her inventory. She may not be able to win, but by golly would the winner have her to thank. For a bonus, she could make money off of this. She just had to hit just this once. The green shell flew, striking true and sending Oriko flying and falling through to an earlier part of the track. Madoka made the jump, landing safely on the other side.

Acting as a rear guard, Kyoko stayed right behind Madoka until the end of the race, only to then realize that she was still a lap behind Oriko. She wailed in despair as she was smashed by a lightning bolt. A moment later, vengeful Oriko ran through her while shining with the power of a star. The race ended in a humiliating way for Kyoko, but she took consolation in her profit.

The next three jumped in eagerly. Kirika was quick to choose Donkey Kong, and Mami picked Toad. Sayaka chose Luigi, thinking that she related to the man in green somehow. With the same enthusiasm Kyoko had shown before the previous race, Kirika selected Banshee Boardwalk. The race begin and all three shot off. The first turn came and the difference between the player was obvious. Sayaka bounced off the wall, but kept going fast, while Kirika sped around the turn flawlessly. Mami hit the wall head on, not turning in the slightest.

Mami looked down at the floor. "I don't know how to turn." She remained in that spot for nearly the rest of the race, only escaping her predicament when she figured out how to reverse.

Already knowing she shouldn't have chosen Luigi, Sayaka found herself too far behind Kirika to hope for a win. Luigi is always second. Kirika, who had played this game every day of her childhood, was driving perfectly right until the end when, in front of her, she saw Mami going in reverse across the finish line. They slammed together, Donkey Kong's weight sending Toad flying. Unfazed by the impact, Donkey Kong soared across the line, winning the victory for Kirika. Sayaka passed in a measly second, but she was glad her loss was not as humiliating as Oriko's.

The third race began. Hitomi had chosen Peach, Yuma had chosen Mario, and Homura picked Bowser. The race selected left them all a little confused, as only one knew what they would face but had feigned ignorance. Hitomi had been to Madoka's house before. She knew what Toad's Turnpike held, and should have known better than to try navigating the never-ending onslaught of oncoming traffic. Her plan came crashing down on her as a large yellow bus smashed her less than two seconds after the race started.

Yuma took the lead, though mostly out of sheer luck. Homura kept a close second, out of sheer desperation. Hitomi only lost ground, unable to steer clear of the monstrous vehicles that seemed to aim for her. Nearly half the way through the third lap, Yuma lost focus on the purpose of the game and decided to try following behind a white car. While she succeeded, not crashing or hitting the wall, her speed fell and she never noticed when Homura passed her moments from the finish in a burst of mushroom speed.

With the three races over, Sayaka took to announcing the final round. "Now our winners will compete on the most obvious course made for victory, Rainbow Road! And our winners are Madoka, Homura, and myse-"

Kyoko hit Sayaka over the head with a stuffed frog. "You lost, damn it!"

Sayaka fell over, mumbling from the ground. "I meant to say Kirika."

The race went about as expected. The three girls had returned to their chosen characters of Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Bowser. While all were moderately deterred by the chomping creatures that chased them down the track, Homura predictably used every item she could get her hands on to keep Kirika behind Madoka. So strong was her determination that her aim was perfect. Her tactics were flawless. Her motive was questionable. Madoka would win.

The race went about as expected, until the beginning of the third lap where Kirika, still managing to stay not far behind, let out a mighty roar. "DESPERATE MEASURES!"

Immediately after crossing the line, reaching the third lap, Kirika hit the steep hill and pulled the right trigger, causing her kart to jump. Swerving to the left at just the right moment, time seemed to stand still for everyone as they watched. The kart flew into the blackness of space. Just when Homura's face began to show a grin of true victory, voices rose in a great cheer behind her. Kirika landed, safely across the abysmal void, on the other side of the track. Homura turned blue. True to form, Kirika was now well out of reach, thus making Madoka's victory equally out of reach. Homura had failed. Again.

After that, the win was assured. Kirika took the victory, and the even ended. Madoka, and all the others, cheered and praised the winner.

Finally snapping out of her trance, Homura stormed over to Kyoko. "Give it back."

"What? No! I did what you wanted. You're the one who sucked when it counted."

Giving in and letting Kyoko keep the money, Homura turned on her heel and walked away, grumbling to herself. "Seems I've failed in this timeline as well."

[corisanna]

So first, sorry about my last sent ask; it was a mess of many ideas and not enough text space to properly explain. But I do have a more involved question this time: how do you get into the feel of the characters (and have them rebel in your writing)? I wanted to write fanfiction, but I could never really "get" that realistic sense of the character I'd be writing about like you do. Well, anyways, good luck with the writing! (Also I had a mental image of Homura doing the Getsuga Tenshou help).

No worries! I was just too tired to answer before.

Hmmmm. There are several facets to that.

CUTTING BECAUSE LONG ANSWER IS LONG

AND HAS PICTURES

The shortest answer is “attention to detail, character analysis, obsession, and pseudo-roleplaying.”

PMMM is short enough that I was able to do my ideal thing and re-watch or re-read several times, each time focusing on only one character and figuring out why they would react/behave like they do. I try to put myself in their shoes and consider only what they know. I pay attention not just to dialogue and major actions, but small cues like patterns of speech, tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions. Sometimes things are plain and sometimes you have to extrapolate.

For example, early on, I got a lot of people objecting that Homura no longer cared about any magical girl besides Madoka. However, when I watched the anime and focused closely on only her, I found these:

Homura’s reaction to Mami, her former mentor, telling her she’s done talking and the next time they meet she’ll fight her:

pain

Homura’s reaction to Madoka throwing Sayaka’s Soul Gem off a bridge:

horror

She could have allowed Sayaka’s Gem to be lost and not have to deal with her while being absolved of blame for offing Sayaka, but she sprinted down a highway and climbed a truck to retrieve it.

Homura’s reaction to Kyoko getting curbstomped by Oktavia and preparing a suicide attack:

using her given name, voice soft and worried

looking mournful during Kyoko’s monologue

regret/grief

Plus how she acts furious but can’t keep it up and breaks down with Madoka

And that doesn’t even consider Homura’s perfect world in Rebellion, which included the other girls AND gave them better, happier lives. She didn’t have to do that, yet she apparently wanted to do that.

So I characterize her as having a cold mask and warm fluffy inside. Her softness has been wounded so many times that the coldness developed into a desperate shield. Having a “shield” personality thematically matches her soul’s weapon. I view her as trying to limit her heartbreak by trying to make herself believe she doesn’t care, but cracking and getting hurt anyway. I also think that while we don’t see her have breakdowns after scenes with Mami and Sayaka, they probably happened off-screen, perhaps in frozen time where she can scream privately. Moemura isn’t dead, she’s buried in trauma and armor. She tries to become the mask but fails because she still cares too damn much.

Now.

Sayaka is an example of extrapolating a lot. We know very little about her aside from her crush on Kyosuke, love of music, teasing nature, tendency to hero-worship, and trying to call attention/admiration to herself. In a drama CD, she says she’s petit bourgeoisie. We don’t know anything about her family. The only potential view we have of her parents is this one, where I presume they took her to the orchestra when she was little.

IF those are her parents. Who else would she be sitting by?

That seems to be how she met Kyosuke. But what was she doing there in the first place?

Writing Sayaka was hard because there were a lot of gaps to fill in with extrapolation. I had to do more working backwards for her. I needed causes for the notable aspects of her behavior. Especially for her pinning all her desperate need for attention on one person, becoming infatuated, and crashing when her One Person Who Might Totally Understand Her paid attention to someone else. That made me think she’s starved for attention.

Which would imply she doesn’t get enough of it-- or enough of the right kind of it-- at home. So I knew I wanted to make her parents distant/disengaged. Which meant I needed something for them to be focusing on instead of their kid. At which point I looked at the above cap and noticed that the mom(?) is wearing a business dress to the orchestra. So I constructed a kinda headcanon involving Sayaka having also been a child musician of some kind and her parents taking her to try out at an orchestra or something in one of those gambits parents trying to be successful through their kids do.

Then Sayaka’s Magia Record transformation came out and I settled on her having been a pianist. It just hasn’t come up in the story.

If she knew the joy of making music, that would drive her empathy for Kyosuke’s situation off the charts.

That concoction gave me a neat scaffolding for Sayaka to feel pressured to be awesome, feel like she would only get the attention of those whose attention she wants if she’s awesome, and feel worthless if she’s not needed. I filled in more and more details. I needed her to be "whole.”

So.

Then I take the profile and filter canon events through “if I was her, how would I feel about x?” It’s a bid to take the actions and extrapolate the emotions.

There’s a factor there that enhances my immersion in that mindset: I am an intensive maladaptive daydreamer. Have you ever read “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”? Dat me. I don’t know how much of a factor it is to writers in general, but for me I obsess over basically roleplaying a scene in my head on infinite repeat, adding more detail with each iteration. In daily life, it’s a very Mitty-like thing; mundane scenery like the bus and my office and my garden spark a “what if” and suddenly fifteen minutes have passed as I build a story around it with me as the main character.

“Me as the main character” is the important part.

When I do the re-watch/re-read focusing on a character, it is to view the events through their eyes. When I was first about to write Sayaka, I jumped to scenes with her in them and ignored everything else. “How would I feel if x?”

If something doesn’t make sense, I think what missing detail would make it make sense.

Once I’ve poked at canon that way, I can switch tracks and apply the persona to non-canon events. I’ve trained myself to think like the character. When I’m figuring out and writing a scene, I am actively pretending I’m that character. The scene is a form of roleplay. I just don’t write it in first-person POV.

I think the source of “character rebellion” is that obsessive knowing of the characters and that even when I’m focused on a different one, some corner of my mind is still running the “how would I feel if x?” program for every other character. When something contradictory pops up, my “sense” of the character shrieks its rejection as refusing to do the thing and suggesting an alternative. If you remove the fiction/creative writing element, it’s basically a pattern recognition system flagging inconsistencies. And once I actually acknowledge them, not heeding them is extremely difficult and can result in a thing I had happen maybe three times: character strike, where my “muse” for that character just shuts down completely because what I’m trying to force it to do is “wrong.”

It’s a really hard mental state to describe.

My advice would be to start small with something featuring only one or two characters you know really well. Study them even more; read their fandom wiki articles and stuff, research the things they like.

Oh no now I’m imagining Homura slinging a Getsuga Tensho off her shield like a frisbeeeeeeeee XD