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653KiB, 1920x1200, PMMM Royale Start.jpg

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Fatale Albion #3

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:11:38 No.6173714 View View Reply Original Report

Quoted By: >>6173940 >>6176002 >>6176433 >>6189363

The Third (don’t ask what happened to the second) Thread in Fatale Albion!

The First Thread:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/6085308/

Other Threads by Lumina Canima:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=meguca+royale

INTRO (please do not skip this)

◕ Fatale Albion is a Spin-Off of Lumina Canima’s “Meguca Royale”, taking place in the U.K. Three players have already been selected in the first thread, one has quit and another took their place in the second. They each will answer to their own prompts with their own characters. This Quest will have major spoilers for PMMM, so if you haven’t watched it yet and don’t want me to ruin it for you, watch it right now or else. If you still want to read and participate in this quest then I’ll have something to show you.

◕ In the previous thread, the Witch was “Neutralised” and every civilian lost in the woods had been evacuated. Now the main concerns are whether Alba Appleton should follow up on Marisa’s invitation, and how Abigail is going to explain her deal with Claire. Along with Stephanie’s reaction to the “Soul Gem Talk”.

OTHER STUFF

>What happened to the second thread?

It fell off abruptly. Thankfully I keep a back-up of all relevant posts made. I’m also going to be posting the last active posts I made along with Abigail’s response.

>Can I also join in the suffering?

I’ve decided that I’m Not accepting new players because the pacing would become even worse than it already is. Apologies for anyone who got their hopes up.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:12:25 No.6173715 Report

Quoted By:

Active Dramatis Personae:

Name: ф Stephanie Smith ф

Appearance: A tall and skinny girl, with a pronounced slouch. She has black hair styled in a messy ponytail, due to a lack of means to properly take care of it. Wears thick prescription glasses. Previously did not own many clothes aside from a pair of school uniforms, so her fashion sense is still catching up. At this point she wears clothing fit for a hiking trip, this is due to the urgent situation she woke up to.

Profile: Being previously an orphan, Stephanie puts on a jaded, cynical, and self-serving exterior—aided in no small part by a rather foul vocabulary—, while in truth being quite soft and sensitive.
Though loathe to admit it, she will go to great lengths to help someone she even remotely considers a friend, and especially those she considers family. Like her current one, the Imeredalas, and her Friend-turned-sister, Megan.

Her Wish was “To have a loving family, loyal friends, and a place to belong. Maybe a pet dog. Or a cat? Both?”

Stats
>£ Physical Affinity: 12
>λ Magical Affinity: 12
>彡 Dexterity: 14
>メ Perception: 12
>⸫ Wisdom: 10
>π Intelligence: 10
>ღ Charisma: 10
>φ Mind: 14
>Ω Constitution: 14

>Abilities

Stephanie can be able to make herself, objects, and other people, adopt qualities from other matter nearby. She can make her body as hard as a steel wall and a rock as soft as a pillow. Turn her body into fire or water. A recent discovery
But she has to be wary of the consequences. If you turn your body into water, how will you hold something?
Stephanie can use Physical Affinity to force objects and people to gain the qualities of other objects. If the target is against the change being done, then Stephanie’s PA Vs. Target’s Con will be tested

A subset of Stephanie’s abilities is the manipulation of similar, discrete matter. A large pile of rocks can be freely manipulated. As can water, blood, flesh, and others that your imagination can think of.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:13:32 No.6173716 Report

Quoted By:

Name: 𐤌 Abigail Fulson 𐤌

Appearance: A girl with a standard build, long, brown hair that is let down and not styled in any particular way, and many freckles. She likes to wear long dresses and otherwise modest clothes.

Profile: A shy girl that speaks with a slight stutter. Whenever she’s overwhelmed by emotions and nervousness she can barely speak a complete sentence and retreats into her mind. But strong passions lay beneath the surface that flare when needed and cause her to spring to action.
A budding artist with a good eye, and a passion to do the previously impossible for the sake of what she believes to be good and fight against unfair conditions.

Her Wish was that "I'd really like it if Oliver was my boyfriend..."

Stats
>£ Physical Affinity: 10
>λ Magical Affinity: 14
>彡 Dexterity: 12
>メ Perception: 14
>⸫ Wisdom: 10
>π Intelligence: 10
>ღ Charisma: 12
>φ Mind: 14
>Ω Constitution: 8

>Abilities:

Abigail can link her mind (and soul) to another person. When this link is established, each person knows exactly where the other is at all times, and each person can communicate past all language barriers. Including, relevantly, stuttering and mutism.
Abigail can scan the thoughts and memories of a person she is linked to with an MA check.
Abigail always has a link to Oliver that can never be broken.

This connection can be made easily if there is consent between both participants. In the event where a non-consensual connection is made, Abigail’s MA Vs. Target’s Mind will be tested.

A side-effect of her Magic is that Abigail knows exactly where her thoughts end and others’ begin.
She has an acute awareness for what she is thinking at all times and whether or not those thoughts are normal for her, making forceful mental manipulation impossible.
Abigail cannot be mentally influenced by Magic that does not originate from herself.

A new development has arisen. Abigail now has a Witch named “Claire” sharing living space in her Soul. The exact mechanics of this have yet to be revealed, but many are not predicting anything good.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:15:03 No.6173717 Report

Quoted By:

Alba Appleton

Appearance: The shortest of the short, with a surprisingly athletic body. Her natural ginger hair is a short unkept mess thanks to cutting it off with her scissors. She wears a green beret at all times... Which might as well be Theseus’ Ship with how much she’s had to sew and patch back together.

Profile: She's always felt unimportant in the grand scheme of things and overlooked - As a consequence, she's grown with an evident desire for other's approval and praise. Needless to say, she's also a reckless show-off searching for attention.
She is particularly good at navigation and material work, such as textiles and engineering. Prone to bursts of genius between mundane, if hyperactive, thoughts. Whether this is a result of her Wish or something she just always had is a question for the ages.

Her wish was to ”Turn me into a natural born prodigy!"

Stats
>£ Physical Affinity: ??
>λ Magical Affinity: ??
>彡 Dexterity: ??
>メ Perception: ??
>⸫ Wisdom: ??
>π Intelligence: ??
>ღ Charisma: ??
>φ Mind: ??
>Ω Constitution: ??

>Abilities:
???????????????????????????????

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:16:34 No.6173718 Report

Quoted By:

Alba Appleton

Okay, Okay. All eleven of the missing people are right here in this one spot. How serendipitous! Alright, now to think of a way to get those students out of there! It would be really embarrassing to not get them out after that showy entrance. She can’t be known as a fool!

In the wise words of… Alba can’t remember: “Think smarter, not harder”. As much as she takes pride in her body, she knows for a fact that these vines and bushes are tougher than they look, like they were magically enchanted or something…
That’s it!

Alba climbs back up the tree and grabs some branches and vines, some of them broke off naturally, for as natural as this greenery is. She stretches and twists the vines out to attempt to turn it into a tough rope. Move the rope into a Z shape, rotate 90 degrees, put them together and- ta-da! A Constrictor Knot!

Surely she knows how to make a Constrictor Knot due to her classes and no other reason. Right?

These vines are abnormally tough, so if Alba uses them as rope they’re unlikely to break. She ties one end to her waist, if she fails then she falls in with them, and throws the other down to the students.

“Hey! Grab on, I’m gonna pull you all out! Do it one by one!”

They comply. The youngest student grabs the rope first. This student is still taller than Alba, but is lighter due to a lack of muscle. Lifting him should have been easy but those thorns are being awfully clingy. Regardless, he still gets out.

One by one, the students are pulled out of the thorns. At first it’s difficult but it gets easier over time until the thorns just snap of the last student. Huh.

After Alba drops out of the tree, she asks the students and staff to follow her out. Since she has shown that she is probably the most competent person in the area (surprising to the staff), they all follow her out.
Unlike before where the trees, bushes, and vines were all trying to get her lost, this time they’re easy to push through when needed and stay completely still. Alba is dismayed that her situation is strange enough where trees not moving needs to be noted.

She finally sees a procession of students and staff leaving the forest and joins them. She does a quick headcount, then double and triple-checks it. All of people are accounted for, finally!

One of the staff, Alba’s science teacher she thinks, walks up her.
“I honestly didn’t think we were going to get the students out of there without harm. It’s my responsibility as a member of staff you protect you from threats, but a student did the job better than me.”

“Damn right she did.”

“I didn’t even know how to navigate this place anyway, you really saved our lives. This is going to sound cliché, but you’re my hero!”

“Fuck yeah! Alba Appleton is the heroine of the Vale of York Academy! Long may her legend be told-”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:18:01 No.6173720 Report

Quoted By:

Alba’s thoughts of jubilation are cut short by an absolutely agonising feeling in her head. Like a combination of nails running over her brain and an emotional bomb blasting next to her. This feeling… it’s coming from a direction.

Alba looks towards where her heart leads her, and sees a massive black spire in the middle of the forest. She feels queasy and sick just looking at it, like it was an amalgamation of negative thoughts that was threatening to implant itself into her.
Just as abrupt as it appeared, it disappeared.
“What the fuck?!”

“Y-you all saw that, right? Felt it?” Alba really wants to confirm she’s not tripping balls before panicking.
“Saw and felt what?” One of the students asks.

Alba is now much closer to panicking.
“A-ah, i-it was- The black thing in the sky?”

“What are you talking about, Alba? Is there something in the air? Did you get stung by something in the trees?”

“Shite.” Alba decides that both panicking and asking more questions will make her look like a loon, so she does what she does best: Salvage her reputation.
“P-phew~ I-I’m probably tired or something, I’ll get out of here and rest now. I deserve it!”

“Uh- alright. See you tomorrow!”

Alba moves through the crowd of students while breaking out in a cold sweat. That pillar of black… something, it couldn’t have just been a hallucination right? She’s seen people under hallucinations and panic attacks before, and she sure doesn’t feel like it. So what kind of explanation is there for what she saw and felt?
She’s so occupied with ruminating that she eventually makes it to the front of the group without realising it. That is, until she bumps into someone.

“I-I’m sorry!” Alba says with a remorseful face.
She looks a bit closer at who she bumped into. Dark skin, black hair, holding a puppet (why does she carry that all the time?), it’s Marisa.

Marisa looks at Alba with a deadpan face. “Don’t worry, I’ve suffered much worse than just a bump.”

“About that, I was just thinking about a lot of stuff and didn’t notice you.”

“…” Marisa raises a brow in a quizzical look.

“What’s with that expression?” Alba feels like she’s going to be annoyed for some reason.

“In all of the attention-grabbing antics I’ve heard you partake in, I never thought you would think hard about something in your life.” Marisa says in a surprised tone. It’s not even an intentional insult.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:19:22 No.6173721 Report

Quoted By: >>6176433

“Oi!” Alba’s being is inflamed with offence and she pouts. “I’ll have you know that I’m very good at engineering and materials!” Alba shakes her head, “Whatever. I think I saw something that I really shouldn’t have seen and I might be going crazy.”

Marisa crooks her neck. “A giant black pillar that looked like it was made of darkness and negative emotion?” She’s using a questioning tone, but it’s obvious that it’s a rhetorical question.

“Yeah!” Alba shouts in affirmation. “-Wait, how did you use such an accurate description?”

“I saw and felt it as well, of course.”

Of course? Of course?! Alba was losing her mind a moment ago because no-one else saw it!
Alright.” Alba crosses her arms and adopts an inquisitive countenance. “Since you seem to be a smart-arse, why don’t you tell me what you make of that pillar appearing?”

“I… have some ideas. I would normally be wary of sharing them with you but if you can see it then telling you is okay. That pillar is likely a large amount of Grief that has been released after previously being inside a standard, concrete form, a Witch, or a Grief Seed.”

“...What?” Alba thought that she was going insane, but now she’s not sure if this girl isn’t as well.

Marisa face contorts in consternation, then she reaches an understanding. “Right, I understand now.”

“Understand what? Why can’t you explain this clearly like a regular person?”

“Because you’re inexperienced and wouldn’t understand what my explanations.”

Marisa pulls out a business card, didn’t those things go out of fashion in the 19th Century? “This has my workplace address on it. Later, today or tomorrow, go there and I’ll explain everything.”
With that, Marisa walks away into the crowd. Alba looks at the business card, she recognises the address as a textiles shop that she occasionally goes to. Only Marisa runs that place, her parents are mysteriously absent.

What kind of world did she just stumble into? Where forests move by themselves, trees are alive and trying to make you lost, people call you a hero, and weird girls with puppets give you business cards?
Enough, Alba needs to recuperate after all of this. She fiddles with her earring a bit, and walks out with the crowd.

Uncharacteristically, she doesn’t bring attention to herself.

>You have evacuated all of the students of The Vale of York. During this, you have met a strange girl who is offering explanations for the strange happenings in this forest. Will you go to meet her soon? Prepare at home first? Or just ignore it and find answers at your own pace?

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:20:49 No.6173723 Report

Quoted By:

𐤌Abigail Fulson 𐤌

Abigail looks at the girl in front of her. She refuses to call Claire a Witch at this point, it feels like trying to shove her into a box she really doesn’t belong. She was a girl swallowed by her Grief and despair, did actions in the name of revenge that she now regrets, and wants to make amends by… killing herself.

Abigail honestly believed that Claire shouldn’t have to be stuck like this. In the form of a mentally anguished girl who has no way out other than death. It’s unfair to her and everyone like her. Abigail doesn’t want to live in a world where people are dominated by their worst thoughts and are denied any chance of redemption!

Abigail gets closer to Claire. Her soul is resolute despite not having a concrete plan.
"It might be true that no Witch has 'gone back to normal', but has anyone tried? Has anyone reached out to them to try to help them? Has any Witch tried to return to normalcy?”

Claire gives Abigail a strained smile. “No. As far as Puella Magi are concerned, being a Witch is a one-way dead-end. We spread our labyrinths to inflict and gather Grief and suffering upon the masses, trying to help us will get you killed. Returning to normalcy was never on my mind, probably due to me being in my worst mental state.”

Claire’s smile somehow becomes even more strained, like she could cry at any moment and still smile. “It felt horrible, for me anyway. I didn’t believe everyone deserved this, but I couldn’t stop myself either. It felt like no-one else understood my pain of being alone with no-one to actually love you and I had to inflict that pain upon them. How could I recover from such a mindset?”

Abigail grabs Claire’s hand and puts them to her chest. Her heartbeat could still be felt despite her body not being physical. “Even if you feel completely alone right now, I'm here for you Claire. I am your advocate-”

Claire clenches her hands. “How could you possibly advocate for me?” She was under the belief that Abigail would give up eventually, not be more persistent in her goals. I-is she really serious about wanted to help a Witch?

“Because I know you can get better! Because I know your heart is good! You don't really want to hurt people. You might feel awful right now, but that doesn't mean there isn't a future! You are in control of your actions. You can choose to stand down. If you really feel like you are at the end of the line, then what's the harm in trying?” Abigail meant this as a rhetorical question, but-

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:22:31 No.6173724 Report

Quoted By:

Claire actually thinks about this for a moment “...Nothing, really.”

“Exactly! If this is the end, then you have nothing to lose and everything to gain from making the effort. Imagine the future friends you could make, the boy you could meet. Imagine what your example could mean for other Magical Girls falling into despair. You could be the first to show it is possible to live and be happy, even when life puts you down so harshly. Imagine the hope you would inspire, the lives you would save!”
Claire’s smile brightens up, and Abigail can tell it’s genuine happiness through the link.

“Abigail, you really are an interesting girl. A supernatural monster traps you and your boyfriend in a forest with the intention of killing you and you still think there’s hope for her.”

Abigail frowns at Claire’s self-deprecating words. “Claire, you’re not a monster. I will say it until you believe it. You’re just a girl who needs a path forwards.”

Claire chuckles at the audacity of Abigail’s words. “But you do make good points. Thanks to your help, I’m at least able to look at my actions in this form and regret them. I feel like that’s a big step up compared to every other Witch. Maybe… Just maybe I can get back to a regular life. For as regular as I was back when I was a Puella Magi. It definitely won’t be easy though…”

“Oh that is absolutely true. I can't promise it will be easy, in fact it will probably be very hard, but I'm here for you. But-” Abigail holds her hand out for Claire. “Please Claire, let me help you."

Claire ignores Abigail’s hand-

And embraces her in a hug.

“I’ll let you. I want it to be possible. I want to be better!”

“I-I want to see it. The friends I could make, the people I could save, and-” Claire giggles. “The boy I could meet! I want to see it! Have it! Experience all of the pleasures that a new life could give me!”

Abigail’s soul brightens at her affirmation. “Yes! Thank goodness! Now-” Abigail detaches from the hug and thinks for a moment. “How are we going to get you to a more permanently stable form?”

Claire makes a face of consternation. “As long as I exist physically in the forest, I’m likely to subconsciously lure people here for their Grief.”
A second in and they were already at their first issue.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:23:43 No.6173725 Report

Quoted By:

“How did you lure people into the forest anyway?”

“Oh, it’s a thing called a ‘Witch’s Kiss’, but I can explain that later. What I wanted to bring attention to is that I need to not exist physically, at all. That’s the only way I’m not going to harm people by merely existing.”

“Oh…” Abigail says in a disappointed tone. “How are we going to contain you? Unless you destroy your body, but we both know that’s not a real option.”

Claire makes a smug face. As if she’s hiding a treat from a friend. “Here’s a hint: I just need to have my Soul contained somewhere. That should mitigate most of the issues, but it will create whole new ones with the potential plan I have.”

Abigail is puzzled. “Potential issues? And what could contain your Soul-”
Then she realises.

Megan said that her Soul was no longer contained in her body. Her transformation- she was looking at… That piece of jewellery.

It appears in Abigail’s hand. Not because it’s the actual thing, but because she thought about it hard enough that it appeared in the forefront of her mind.

“This is a... ‘Soul Gem’?” Abigail was able to get the name from Claire’s mind, but no other details.

“Yep! As the name implies, your Soul is in there!” Claire says in an unfittingly cheery tone.

H-her Soul was in a piece of jewellery? Abigail didn’t understand- that’s a lie, she did but she just doesn’t want to admit to the mechanics of this yet. She needs more time to adapt to this revelation.

“So now we have a container for a Soul!” Claire exclaims.

“Yes, a Soul. Singular. There’s no way I can fit another person’s soul in here.” At least, Abigail doesn’t think so.

“Why not?”

“Huh?”

“Why can’t you fit another Soul in there? we’re currently in my mind and soul right now. You have around six people linked with you right now with no problems. Why can’t you just.. let me in deeper?”

Abigail ponders for a moment, “I actually don’t know. I’m completely new to my magic, just got it yesterday and only really used today. There might be a lot of things that are possible that I don’t know are.”

“That’s why you have me!” Claire exclaims. “Believe it or not, my magic is very similar to yours. Or at least was when I was a Puella Magi. Connections, minds, it wasn’t as deep-cutting as yours, but I could still link with people, like you. Consider me your… mentor in that case.”

“That’s great. But how is this all relevant to my Soul Gem?”

“I’m getting to that! But first I have to explain a lot of things to you.”

“Like?” Abigail wonders if she can create a notebook or something here.

“Well, first thing’s first-”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:25:00 No.6173726 Report

Quoted By:

ᛗ The Trio, et al

"Hold on. Hold the fuck on, now. You, with the bow. What the hell do you mean by 'kill her in order to continue living'? What's that all about?"

Stephanie Smith was confronting Riko Inuyama in a cursed forest, surrounded by chimeric Familiars frozen in time like statues. Riko had just said something that caused her confusion: ‘Kill her (the Witch) in order to continue living.’

Riko sighs, “I was hoping to save this conversation for later. It’s a very earth-shattering reveal for many people.” How long was she going to delay it for? Would she conveniently wait long enough to leave before explaining anything?

Stephanie huffs, “Too bad. You’re going to have to explain it now since I can tell this is important. And trust me, I do not like people withholding important things from me.”

Megan winces, “Y-yeah, you better tell her now. Or rather, WE should. I have a feeling she’ll be more willing to believe this if both you and her sister, me, tell her.”

“Is it really that far-fetched?” Stephanie asks.

“Well, that and it’s harrowing.” Megan says blithely.

Megan moves to unclasp and take off her right gauntlet and vambrace, hidden inside is a blue piece of jewellery in the form of an egg. It gives Stephanie a similar “Vibe” to her own piece. Does everyone here have one of those? She has one, Viktoria has one, Abigail has one, Riko has one. The only exception here seems to be Harriet.
“This is the most important part of us: our Soul Gem. As the name implies, it contains our Soul.”

Wait, what? What?! Stephanie quickly pulls out her Soul Gem, a slightly dark green. If what she’s saying is true, that explains that weird empty feeling last morning: Her Soul wasn’t in her body!

“When we signed the contract and became Puella Magi, that creature, we call it ‘Kyubey’, pulled our Soul out of our body and turned it into this thing. I once tried to ask it why it did this-”

“Its response?” Viktoria asks. She’s awfully calm, at least on the outside, despite finding out her Soul is not where it should be.

“It said some tripe about how human bodies are fragile to begin with, and it just converted our souls to a container less likely to be destroyed by accident. Always hated that fucking thing, I think it was lying like it always does. One plus side however is that as long as you’re in range of your Soul Gem and it’s not damaged, you can’t really die.”

“Wait, range?” Is Stephanie going to have to wear this necklace all the time? She’s not a necklace person and it might get stolen or lost!

“Yeah. The rough maximum range of a Soul Gem and your body is around 100 Metres. Once you go beyond that, you basically ‘Die’ due to the connection between your Soul and your Body being stretched thin. At least, that’s how I visualise it. But other than that? Your physical body is just something you, as in your Soul, is piloting.”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:26:08 No.6173727 Report

Quoted By:

Stephanie starts breathing heavily, and eats from her food container in a bid to keep calm.
Soul mechanics. Megan is talking about Soul mechanics like she’s an expert on it- Wait, Megan has been a Magical Girl for longer than Stephanie herself. How did she not notice this? How many other people are like this?

“So we’re Liches with Jewellery Phylacteries?” Stephanie really wished she could’ve said that as a joke, but she can’t.

“Yes. Thank you for paying attention.” Megan says like a proud lecturer.
She clears her throat performatively, “This next part is very important and central. Pay attention!”

Stephanie looks in grim fascination at her sister. Viktoria looks at her teacher while standing behind Harriet, who’s not surprised by this talk at all.

Abigail is lying on the ground sleeping like a baby.

Megan starts her most important talk, “Whenever we use magic, sustain extensive physical damage, or experience strong negative emotions such as sorrow, or grief, our Soul Gems darken with impurity. We call this impurity “Grief”. Yes, it gets confusing sometimes.”

Riko continues where Megan left off, “If our Soul Gem becomes too impure, then it turns into a Grief Seed and we transform into a Witch.”

Viktoria lets out a gasp. She has enough decorum to not start screaming during a lecture.

“Wow, way to rip the band-aid off, Riko.” Megan says disapprovingly, “Yeah, we turn into Witches when our Soul Gems become too impure.”

Aren’t they way too casual about this?! How long have they been living like this?!
“So how do we make sure that we don’t turn into THAT?!” Stephanie shouts while pointing at Clarion, still frozen in time.

“Simple: We kill Witches and harvest their Grief Seeds. It can purify our Soul Gems and prevent that whole debacle.”

Stephanie puts together the dots while looking at her Soul Gem, which she notices is darker than it was last morning. Magical Girls inevitably gain Grief, so they hunt Witches for Grief Seeds, but they have to use Magic to do so and negative emotions and injuries are a fact of life, so Magical Girls inevitably turn into Witches, who are hunted by other Magical Girls for Grief Seeds, and the cycle goes on.

Who the fuck created this system?!

“Alright, I’ve understood it.” Stephanie says in a grim tone.

“I have also internalised this… lesson.” speaks Viktoria in a tone coloured with sorrow.

“Great,” Riko says, “Now you know why I said that we need to kill this Witch in order to continue living. Unless being a Witch sounds attractive to you?”

Viktoria was actually going to respond to the rhetorical question before all of the group heard movement. Yips, howls, and other animals sounds are heard as they realise that the Witch and her Familiars are out of their Time Gaol. But… Stephanie notices something. Despite the sounds, they’re completely still.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:27:25 No.6173729 Report

Quoted By:

Not hesitating for even a second, Viktoria hoists up her cannon and aims a shot.

“Wait!” Stephanie shouts.

Uncharacteristically, Viktoria actually waits.
“Hmph, if they approach then I can just stop them. What is it, Stephanie? We have important things to do, and Witches to kill.”

“About that: Remember what Abigail told us before about the Witch wanting to leave us alone and kill itself? The Witch and her Familiars aren’t even attacking us, so maybe the Witch was actually truthful when saying that.”

“Yes, the thing she told us before immediately going into relative silence again. I do wonder why you would trust a Witch.” Viktoria rebukes.

“Well- Witches used to be people like us-” Stephanie shakes her head, no way she’s going to be convinced by that. “If the Witch really were hostile, then she would have sicked her dogs on us the moment you raised your cannon.”

“Obviously they’re frozen in fear due to-”

“STOP IT!”

Viktoria was surprised. Not only because of the gall one had to tell her what to do, but also who it was that shouted at her.

Everyone, even the Witch looks in the direction of the voice and sees Abigail. Trying to stand up. Awake. With a mood completely unlike someone who was knocked out, and more like someone who was given a mission to accomplish.

“Abigail!” Megan and Stephanie help her up to her feet. “Why were you out for so long?”

Abigail smirks. “Trust me, you would not understand a thing I told you if I tried to explain it. It’s even more complicated than the mess our Souls are in.”

“Oh, you got The ‘Soul Gem’ Talk?” That would save her another awkward lecture.

“Yep. But I had a different teacher.” Abigail omits the important information for pure fun.

“W-what? Who? Who could’ve told you everything while you were out?” There are not many Puella Magi in York to begin with, nearly all of them are in this clearing.

“Let’s just say I got someone from the other side.” Okay, now she’s just being mean. “And I need to meet with her.”

Abigail runs as fast as her legs can take her towards the Witch- Claire. In response, Riko draws an arrows and Viktoria loads a rifle shot.
“Don’t hurt the Witch!” Abigail shouts, “We have a plan! An agreement!”

“Are you insane?!” Riko responds. “How the Hell could you talk to a Witch and have a good plan?! This will end badly, just watch!”

“I must concur with the Oriental Huntress, dear Abigail! This is a dreadful idea!”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Fri 10 Jan 2025 16:29:04 No.6173731 Report

Quoted By: >>6174543 >>6176002

Abigail ignores them both and pulls out her shining blue Soul Gem. In response, the Witch reaches out for it. To the absolute shock of everyone, Abigail keeps running towards the monster completely unperturbed.

“Shit!” Stephanie starts running after her, and Megan follows thereafter. Given the talk they just had, having your Soul Gem in direct contact with a Witch cannot be a good thing.

Abigail makes it into the Claire’s reach. Riko and Viktoria give up on trying to talk her down and instead fire at the Witch’s hand in an attempt to bat it away.

They are too late by a few seconds.

The moment Abigail’s Soul Gem touches Clarion, a large amount of pressure washes over everyone in the clearing, except Harriet. Clarion’s body explodes in a large black pillar, most likely of Grief. Eventually the pillar reveals its true nature, a type of black “Light”. Said “Light” travels from the air.

And then aims directly for Abigail’s Soul Gem.

Everyone looks in horror as the “Light” seeps into her Soul Gem, until it is all inside of the phylactery.
The pressure dissipates and the sky clears, revealing a cloudy afternoon sky. They all get the feeling that the forest is less dangerous than it was before.

In a small miracle, Abigail is completely unharmed. Not even in pain.
That doesn’t stop everyone from worrying about her.

Stephanie and Megan catch up to Abigail and immediately start fussing over her.

“Yo, are you okay? I really don’t want you turning Witch on us!” Stephanie says in a worried tone.

“Yeah, that looked very dangerous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my life. Probably because no-one was stupid enough to put their Soul Gem right next to a Witch!” Megan says.

Viktoria show calls out from afar.
“Abigail, if you wish to recuperate from any… ailments that may have caused, then my Manor’s doors are open to you. I would hate to lose a budding tactician after such an interesting first meeting.”

Riko shows her concern in a different way.
Aiming her bow and arrow at Abigail, or rather her Soul Gem, she asks one question:
“What did you just do?”

>How will Abigail explain what she just did? It’s a first in Magical Girl history to absorb a Witch into your Soul Gem, at least in Britain. On a less urgent note, the Witch has been neutralised. Which means that this nightmare is over, and everyone is free to go about their day. Assuming nothing bad happened in that event, relaxation should come soon.

Kruppman

Kruppman ID:fm0ylUNE Fri 10 Jan 2025 23:38:08 No.6173940 Report

Quoted By: >>6174849

>>6173714
Hell yeah, more 'duca questing. Happy New Year menheras!

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R ID:mO17fVG6 Sat 11 Jan 2025 19:38:47 No.6174543 Report

Quoted By: >>6174849 >>6180772

>>6173731
"I did my job as a magical girl; I saw a terrified girl in distress, and I helped her. And I intend to keep helping her until she doesn't need me anymore.

That girl's name is Claire. She's scared, she knows what she's been doing is wrong, and she wants to do better. Claire is doing her best to stop anyone else from getting hurt, and that meant removing her physical presence from the world. And I know she means it, because I formed a link with her, I would *know* if she were trying to trick me. She's not. Claire means it, and so I'm giving her a chance no one else even considered giving her, and I'm going to do my best to return her to her normal life.

Do you think you are so different from her, Riko? Do you think life's circumstances won't catch up with you like they did with Claire, and make you do things you regret? Wouldn't you rather there to be another path other than becoming soul feed to the next generation of magical girls? Wouldn't you rather there be a light at the end of the tunnel? Claire might be a Witch right now, but she's also a *person*, one just like us at that. If she's willing to try to be better, we, more than anyone else, owe it to her to try to see it to fruition.

Claire is with me now, Riko, and you aren't going to hurt her, not before going through me."

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:VDkUOHHc Sat 11 Jan 2025 22:34:40 No.6174721 Report

Quoted By: >>6174849

sorry marie, i saw it fall off the board but i couldn't archive your second thread on time because i was traveling, missing out on the first half of witch mindlinking in the archives now

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sun 12 Jan 2025 01:19:43 No.6174849 Report

Quoted By: >>6174855

>>6173940
Yep. New year, new problems.
And we're starting off the year with...

>>6174543
I will be honest, when I started this Quest I did not have "Witch Redemption Arc" on any sort of list or bingo card.
I would say this is a bad idea all around, but these kind of plans are only bad if they fail.
If you succeed then it's an awe-inspiring story about recovering from your lowest point (with the Power of Friendship no less). Fail, and it's seen as a foregone conclusion. People will wonder how you could've been stupid and naive enough to try and help a Witch.
You only get to write history if you are a victor, and victory is an uphill battle here.
I wish you good luck

>>6174721
Completely understandable. It shouldn't be your responsibility anyway.

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R ID:mO17fVG6 Sun 12 Jan 2025 01:30:14 No.6174855 Report

Quoted By: >>6175548

>>6174849
tbf I didn't anticipate trying to get the witch to choose to not be evil anymore to mean absorb her into my soulgem, but we're here now

ರೃ Lucinda Newhorn ರೃ !LMqLgTkxyA

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Mammoth_Posting.jpg, 43KiB, 640x480

ರೃ Lucinda Newhorn ರೃ !LMqLgTkxyA ID:/Am/G+O6 Sun 12 Jan 2025 22:43:17 No.6175490 Report

Quoted By:

Well, if it isn't my favorite bunch of magical bitches! So nice to see y'all again!

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO jar.jpg, 470KiB, 675x1000

Anonymous ID:vyNYF6Aw Mon 13 Jan 2025 00:07:34 No.6175548 Report

Quoted By: >>6175603 >>6180836

>>6174855
the true miracle is that the witch isn't just perpetually mind screaming. in canon there's only been 1 witch that got rational again but that was due to a wish and she was still killing people. maybe you can absorb more and be like a circus car

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:VDkUOHHc Mon 13 Jan 2025 02:17:15 No.6175603 Report

Quoted By:

>>6175548
kek that'd be based

Stephanie !!70G3Lwc7KYL

Stephanie !!70G3Lwc7KYL ID:1JQ0cyfS Mon 13 Jan 2025 18:17:07 No.6176002 Report

Quoted By: >>6180772

Huh. An empty feeling. So that's what being dead felt like. Well, "dead". As far as Stephanie was concerned, she seemed quite alive in a physical sense. But in a spiritual (or metaphysical or somesuch; quite uncharacteristic words and lines of thinking for Stephanie these are, to be sure) sense, that was that, wasn't it? Her soul was no longer in her body. If that truly wasn't death, it was damn sight close. This knowledge weighed heavy now. The strange sensation aside, Stephanie felt plenty alive going about her day at home. But a sheen of dread now seemed to descend upon her world. Would she be able to see past it and enjoy life? Granting of her wish and finding out she had magical powers with which she'd fight evil monsters was like a dream. Stephanie kicked herself for falling for it. Oh, this was real life, alright, and it most certainly didn't work like that.

She thought of the Imeredalas next and the heartache only grew. Such fucking rotten luck. To have two of the three children in your house end up being reanimated corpses engaged in a lifetime of battle against (other) supernatural monsters. A lifetime, right? How long was this contract going to hold? Well, Stephanie supposed that she'd have to "work off" her wish, since apparently even when it came to magic there was no such thing as a free lunch. So much for a happy family life. She began to wish she'd just turned away from the fluffy white creature, dismissed it as a dream or a hallucination, never made her wish...

...but then Megan would have had to shoulder the burden alone. So there was a silver lining, after all. Maybe this little group of theirs could be the loyal friends she'd wished for?

>>6173731
And now this weirdo freak with a bow was threatening the said group. Stephanie gripped her sword with both hands and got between Abigail and Riko.

"See, I wouldn't be doing that, were I you. No lie, I'm as concerned about what this dumb, naive bint just let that witch do to her soul, but I won't have you shooting her over it. So, you can stop aiming that stupid little bow of yours at her and we can talk about this all civilized like or you can fuck right off."

>>6173714
Wooo, glad this is back, OP. I was concerned at the sudden fall off the board. Hey, if the workload is getting to you, I'm down for effortposting a bit more so you don't need to divine a character's feelings and motivations all on your own. Let me know if there's anything else the players can do to help speed things up.

Alba

Alba ID:1bJyP4DI Tue 14 Jan 2025 12:27:32 No.6176433 Report

Quoted By:

>>6173721
Oh... Bloody hell.
Just what was that?!? As much as I'd like to bask in my newfound glory by boasting a GLORIOUS victory speech... After witnessing that, uhm, Spire? I suppose? All the motivation that bubbled within me just popped outta' me. Anyways, while I don't know how to describe that Lovecraftian black vortex... Something just seemed to beckon me towards it - I guess it's kind of a given due to how reckless I can be, but I feel like there was something more to it. That sixth sense that has been nagging at me all day, it 'told me' that there might've been something of interest over there. Buuuuuuuu nope. Noooooo thank you. Enough adventures for one day. You know what they say, curiosity killed the cat. Too bad I'm a... Lion, yeah, ha! ... ... ... At least I'd like to believe that, okay? Let a girl dream. S-Still, I don't think a Lion can take care of whatever summoned that thing. And what did Marisa call it? Oh yeah. A witch. Lion vs Witch. Not the greatest matchup I've seen, and I don't think Dorothy's house is going to fall from heaven and flatten whatever this wood-tangling witch. I hate to admit it, but ther ewas definitely something paranormal at play here. More importantly, why would I risk my life by delving into the woods again if there's no one I can show my witch-beat-up-skills (which, unfortunately, I very much lack) to?

...I'm thinking in circles again. Where was I going with this? Why am I staring to use so many big words in my thoughts again? Why was I able to see that black spire? What was that thing she called it, Grief? Why did the forest only now 'calm down'? Wait, and where did that surge of strenght even-... ARGH! Stop thinking so much and asking so many questions to yourself already!! Keep it together, Alba! Urgh. My head will blow up at this point. This sixth sense thing is starting to get overwhelming.

OKAY - I'll choose to believe my eyes as usual and go see little Marisa, who seems to know more than I do about whatever was going on in these woods... Immediately! Seriously, does she think she can just leave a girl hanging like that?! Heeell no. There will be no room for cryptic messages with me. I got a lot of things to do once I get home like playing games, watching the new episode of Sailor Queen, and... and... Homework... Yeah. Maybe. I hate maths. Yeah. I'm totally not going to little Marisa's because I want to procrastinate on my homework.

>>6173714
Aw. Shame that we lost the last thread to the void. Glad to see you and the other Gucas back QM. Somehow, I didn't spot the thread on Sunday, so my late resonse is on me.

ᕙ Jimena Gimenez ᕗ !!qJCWLFk95iI

ᕙ Jimena Gimenez ᕗ !!qJCWLFk95iI ID:VHntG+tj Thu 16 Jan 2025 04:21:25 No.6177282 Report

Quoted By: >>6177370 >>6177451

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6130937/

Here's a little hint galpals, the window to archive a thread is waaaaay bigger than just falling off the board. This one's a freebie, next time you are on your own.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:I5GTbL5Z Thu 16 Jan 2025 07:10:27 No.6177370 Report

Quoted By: >>6177557 >>6177614 >>6177850

god-daaaayuum, niagara. this still going?

>>6177282
what a titan

so what you guys think about fatale albion so far? i still got to catch up, but, is it my impression or has the encounter with the witch lasted for like over three months now?

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:VDkUOHHc Thu 16 Jan 2025 10:53:01 No.6177451 Report

Quoted By:

>>6177282
aaaa i kneel, this is why you're the senpai

ᕙ Jimena Gimenez ᕗ !!qJCWLFk95iI

ᕙ Jimena Gimenez ᕗ !!qJCWLFk95iI ID:VHntG+tj Thu 16 Jan 2025 16:56:18 No.6177557 Report

Quoted By:

>>6177370
>is it my impression or has the encounter with the witch lasted for like over three months now?
Boy, let me tell you about the morning of December 21 of 2023...

To summarize, I like how the different zones of brit guca society were explained at the beginning, I like how quick they got to the action and learning their powers, there's a lot of dialogue and characters interacting which is nice, the girls themselves i don't care much about besides Viktoria but Abigail just did something really out there so... I see potential

Alba

Alba ID:1bJyP4DI Thu 16 Jan 2025 19:11:01 No.6177614 Report

Quoted By:

>>6177370
...Ha.. Haha... Hahahaha... About that.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:VDkUOHHc Fri 17 Jan 2025 03:17:41 No.6177850 Report

Quoted By: >>6178219

>>6177370
i normally don't respond to BITCHES who vanish for months but i can't help it
good that you continue to exist
i don't usually give feedback unless the person asks for it or i feel like i know them well enough to not care about bruising feelings, but plotwise mindlinking with a witch was an interesting idea, and the main thing to work on is something i'm sure marie knows all too well, being update speed

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:I5GTbL5Z Fri 17 Jan 2025 21:24:17 No.6178219 Report

Quoted By: >>6178226

>>6177850
i guess i deserve that. in my defense, i didn't want a repeat of what happened to Mini. i get why Marie takes so long to post- even if its a bit too long. also thanks nyaga

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:VDkUOHHc Fri 17 Jan 2025 21:57:19 No.6178226 Report

Quoted By:

>>6178219
noooo wtf, you're not supposed to take it to heart
i'm glad you're here

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:VDkUOHHc Sun 19 Jan 2025 23:44:39 No.6179621 Report

Quoted By: >>6180836

damn, now that i've thought about it more, there's some real fucking kino shit you can do with this 'accepting witches into your soul gem' thing
some natural consequences follow
but i'll let marie set that up

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Tue 21 Jan 2025 22:01:01 No.6180772 Report

Quoted By:

>>6174543
>>6176002

ᛗ The Trio, et al

Despite the greatest threat to life in the forest being neutralised, none of the Puella Magi were calmed.
Especially because one of them had an arrow pointed at another.

Stephanie established her stance quickly, and put herself and her blade between Riko and Abigail.
"See, I wouldn't be doing that, were I you. No lie, I'm as concerned about what this dumb, naive bint just let that witch do to her soul, but I won't have you shooting her over it. So, you can stop aiming that stupid little bow of yours at her and we can talk about this all civilized like or you can fuck right off."

Viktoria glared at Riko. “I would also have compunctions with Abigail being shot as if she were a wild animal. Arguments about hunting Familiars and Witches are one thing, but we were just co-operating with Abigail a moment ago. She deserves the decorum of not being put under duress by an impatient Oriental. If you don’t act with tact, then I will react in kind and strike upon you.”
Despite the aggressive words, Viktoria did not prepare any weapons, because she had all the time in the world to do so.

Riko sighs, and lowers her bow.
“Abigail, how do you feel right now?” She said in a completely uncaring tone.

“I feel the same as I usually do. A bit upset that the same girl almost killed me again, but otherwise normal.”

Riko raises her brow in curiosity. “Really? No negative emotions? Sorrow? Jealously? Envy?… Grief?”

“I feel nothing like that. Not even regret.”

“Trust me, the regret will come later. What were you thinking with this stunt? What are you trying to accomplish with this?”

“I am doing my job as a Magical Girl. I saw a terrified girl in distress and I decided to help her. And I will continue helping her until she doesn’t need my help any more." Abigail says resolutely

Riko scoffs. “Do you even know this girl’s name? And I mean the name she had when she was regular girl—As regular as Puella Magi can be—not her Witch title.”

Abigail looks behind her. “That girl's name is Claire. She's scared, she knows what she's been doing is wrong, and she wants to do better. Claire is doing her best to stop anyone else from getting hurt, and that meant removing her physical presence from the world.”

Riko makes an ugly laugh. “And you just believed her when she said that?”

Abigail face hardens in anger, but she still doesn’t look at Riko. “I know she means it, because I formed a link with her, I would know if she were trying to trick me. She's not. Claire means it, and so I'm giving her a chance no one else even considered giving her, and I'm going to do my best to return her to her normal life.”

Riko pauses. Then blinks. Twice.
“You want to bring her, a Witch, back to a normal life? What kind of naive pie-in-the-sky thinking is that? That’s never happened before-”

“Because no-one else tried!”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Tue 21 Jan 2025 22:03:10 No.6180773 Report

Quoted By:

“For ages, people like Claire were put into a one-way dead-end by a system that was rigged against them. They were sent barrelling into their worst case scenario with no way back. But I don’t want to live in a world where once you slip into Grief, you never come back.
Witches like Claire were people just like us, and they deserve a chance to become better. We were all given a raw deal with tainted Wishes-come-true, but we can at least alleviate each other’s suffering and Grief, and pull ourselves out of a dark place. Did you never want to bring a trusted friend back? To prevent them from doing things they will regret?”

Riko breaks into a sweat. Even without the link, Abigail can tell this is the most emotional she has been in a while.

“Besides, what about you and us? As I said before, Claire was a person just like us: a Magical Girl.
Sooner or later we’re also going to become Witches like her. Wouldn’t you want a light at the end of the tunnel? Because otherwise the only path left is to terrorise people you once called your friends until you’re killed, and become soul feed to the next generation of Magical Girls. I am trying to allow another path back to exist for at least one person.
Claire may be a Witch now, but she’s a person. She’s trying to be better. We, as the people closest to her in nature, owe it to her to try to see her rehabilitation to fruition.
She is with me, and I am with her. If you want to hurt her, you’re going to have to go through me.”

Riko stays silent for a bit after Abigail’s speech.
Then she asks a question. Purely out of curiosity.
“Do you think that Claire would try to protect you as you do her?”

Abigail finally turns her head and looks at Riko. Despite the argument that just happened, she has a bright smile on her face.
“I don’t think that she would protect me. I know that she would protect me. In fact-”
Abigail looks behind her again. ”Hey Claire, what do you want to say to Riko?”

Claire, a young, black-haired girl the same age as Abigail, is sat behind her. But nobody else sees her. ”Well...”

“Claire said: ’I promise to protect Abigail as much as I can in this state, and not harm her. Intentionally, anyway. Riko, I know you don’t care much for moral platitudes, so I’ll argue from a pragmatic perspective.
I’m inside Abigail right now. If she dies or gets hurt then I will likely suffer as well. Even if I was the most selfish person ever, letting her get damaged is a flat negative to my continued existence.’”

Riko’s face is inscrutable, but Abigail can feel confusion surfacing in her mind.
“Why not have her tell me that herself? Why does she need to use you as a mouthpiece?”

Abigail looks at her blankly. “Do you want to hear her suddenly talking in your mind?”

Riko quickly answers. “No. That sounds uncomfortable.”

“And that’s exactly why she didn’t do that.”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Tue 21 Jan 2025 22:04:55 No.6180774 Report

Quoted By:

“If that’s the case…” Riko starts. “I won’t pester you for now. I think you’re naive, crazy, and that you will see the consequences of this later. But your conviction is a rarity I would rather not spoil. Besides, if you fail then it’s likely just another Witch and another Grief Seed in the future. Though I do wonder what happens when a Puella Magi turns into a Witch while having a Witch inside them…
A macabre question that hopefully we will never see the answer to.”

Abigail lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Megan, having just stood by as if she knew the situation would resolve itself, finally chimes in.
“Alright, now that this spat is over with, we can say that this Witch Hunt is over. And no-one died! Not even the Witch! I think this is a first in Puella Magi history.”

Stephanie gazes into the sky listlessly. Her thoughts are of rumination and the few who could look inside are not willing to infringe on her privacy.
“What do we do next?”

Stephanie takes out her phone and looks at the time. It’s still early afternoon.
“De-transforming and getting out of this forest is on the top of my list. This isn’t a Witch Labyrinth any more and we’re all natives, so we can walk out just fine. We’ll look weird in these outfits.
Not to mention that usually after defeating a Witch we would get a Grief Seed, but whatever Abigail did prevented that from happening.”

“Right! Shit, Grief!” Stephanie panics and takes out her Soul Gem in its oval form again.

(Ф: 80%)

She examines it, and finds that although it’s a slightly darker shade of green than when she first got it (“I always had it, it’s my Soul.” She reminds herself), it’s nowhere near the pitch black of Grief that she’s hoping she never gets familiar with.

“Here’s a piece of advice from your little sis: Worrying about your Soul Gem so much will just make it impure faster. Negative emotions and all that.” Megan says casually.

“Right, right.” Stephanie wills her Soul Gem back into its innocuous necklace form. She stares at it for a good while, and that empty feeling in her chest that she had almost forgotten turns into a gnawing pain.
She’s holding her Soul in her hand right now. It’s outside her body and anybody can just take it (Not that she would let anyone). The implications of this are mind-shattering. Is she dead? Her Soul is literally separated from her body, so it’s a damn sight close.
So every Magical Girl is a walking corpse forced into a fight with other supernatural entities that were just like her? Getting to fight evil monsters with magic powers sounds like a reality every girl like her dreamt about. Well, it’s a reality for her now, and reality is almost always worse than fiction, unfortunately.
The strangest part is that she didn’t really notice her Soul being gone until it was directly told to her. Would she have gotten used to it? Does she want to get used to it-

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Tue 21 Jan 2025 22:06:34 No.6180775 Report

Quoted By:

“Stephanie.” Megan addressing her directly snaps her out of her thoughts.
Megan knew what Stephanie was thinking. She had seen that face before.
After all, she once had those thoughts as well.

“I know that you’re probably thinking about, well, the entire nature of your existence. This may sound callous, but you just shouldn’t think about it too hard until you’re more experienced. Trying to understand the entirety of the Human Nature and Experience is difficult enough when we don’t have our Souls separated from our bodies, and we don’t have to hunt creatures from our nightmares.
Besides, we have a family to go back to now! I wonder how we got so lucky?” Megan gives Stephanie a look.

Megan’s attempt at comforting Stephanie by reminding her of her newly gained family backfires immensely, as Stephanie starts to think about rotten situation the Imeredalas are now in.
They adopt two children and they both turn out to be reanimated corpses who have to constantly battle against supernatural creatures. Rotten luck all around, for all involved.
And how long was she going to have to fight monsters? It looks like “Forever” is the correct answer, as it turns out that this isn’t the Make A Wish Foundation and you have to “work off” your Wishes. The more she thinks about this, the more Stephanie wished that she just discarded that white creature (Megan said it was called “Kyubey”? Weird name.) as a hallucination and went back to sleep-

“Stephanie!” Megan shouts.

“Yeah? I’m right next to you, you don’t need to shout.” Stephanie said in a prickly tone.

Megan sighs. This is going to be tough. Megan herself never had anyone to guide her through the beginnings of the trauma The “Soul Gem” Talk can cause, and if Stephanie was just another Puella Magi then Megan would’ve just given up on trying to comfort her and left her to just deal with it or spiral into despair.
But Stephanie is her sister. They have to stick together in moments like these and she owes it to Stephanie to stick by her side for more reasons than anyone knows. Megan’s face makes her determination obvious.

“Stephanie, you were my protector and my friend in my most desperate moments. Your will to protect those you care about, your bluntness in confrontation, your capacity for friendship, all of the things that make you don’t disappear even when you aren’t ‘alive’ by the strictest definition of the term. Besides…” Megan’s face goes from serious to a playful smirk. “If you decide to go off the deep end then who will be the Big Sister™ of the family?”

That gets a chuckle out of Stephanie, but she realises the sincerity and meaning behind the words. If she didn’t make the decisions she did then Megan would have had to continue being a Magical Girl without her. For some reason, the thought of Megan getting hurt when she could have prevented it really tears at her heart.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Tue 21 Jan 2025 22:07:52 No.6180777 Report

Quoted By:

“A-alright, alright. I get the point, little sis. I’m not going to do anything rash for now.”
Stephanie took a deep breath and looked on the bright side. She has a family, and these girls, strange as they are, could be the loyal friends she wished for.
She watched the rest of the group fuss over Abigail and listened in on their discussion. It seems like Megan’s reminder of the usual Grief Seed harvesting had the same effect on them as it did on her, as they were all checking their Soul Gems.

(𐤌: 90%)

Abigail’s Soul Gem was still shining a bright blue.
Riko was almost offended by this. “I can’t believe this girl shoved an entire Witch into her Soul Gem and it’s still almost completely pure.”

“Perhaps dear Abigail has a talent that you have not seen before that allows such feats.” Viktoria says.
Her Soul Gem was also in almost pristine condition, but that was understandable due to her sparse use of Magic and lack of wounds.

“I-I barely know why myself.”
Abigail was being honest. Although she did know that the process would be harmless in the short-term, she didn’t know why. By all logic and current knowledge, she should be drowning in Grief right now. Maybe she could make some guesses as to why?
I’ll probably find out later.”
”I have some guesses, but I need to confirm them before telling you.” Claire adds.

Megan yawns and stretches her arms before de-transforming; changing back into her regular clothing, a drab set of trousers and a shirt. A consequence of this is that all of her Regalia disappears.

𐤌 Abigail Fulson 𐤌
π Intelligence: 16 > 14

ф Stephanie Smith ф
£ Physical Affinity: 18 > 12

Ө Viktoria Walker Ө
£ Physical Affinity: 16 > 22

Harriet
£ Physical Affinity: 18 > 8

Out of everyone, Abigail felt the least… different.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Tue 21 Jan 2025 22:09:23 No.6180778 Report

Quoted By: >>6181348 >>6181360

“So,” Megan looks at her phone absent-mindedly. “What are you all planning on doing after this? I’m going to watch Euphonic Mukuwa when I get home.”

Riko also changes back into her civilian clothing. Stephanie notices just how normal Riko looks when not transformed. She looks like a survivalist, sure, but not the kind that would hunt monsters and almost shoot girls her own age.
“I will hunt.” Riko states simply.

“But the Witch is already dealt with? And as far as I know, Multiple Witch appearances in one day don’t happen often in York.” Megan says.

“I mean I will hunt animals, of course.” Riko says, as if it were obvious.
Abigail remembers her brief meeting with Riko in Stockton(-on-the-Forest) almost shooting her. The fact that she seems to regularly hunt animals in forests is unsurprising, though she wonders how she became interested in such a hobby.

“Ah, hunting!” Viktoria starts cheerfully. “A vaunted, patrician pastime. My parents, father particularly, was fond of it, but I was far more interested in reading and studying. When I return to my abode I will likely perform research with Harriet.
Stephanie, Abigail, what of you two? Surely you must have some interests and hobbies that sustain your happiness in turbulent times?”

>What will Stephanie and Abigail do from now? The entire afternoon is free and they have no responsibilities, so they are free to do whatever they want. Although their families may worry about them...

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Tue 21 Jan 2025 22:10:40 No.6180779 Report

Quoted By:

Alba Appleton

Oh… Bloody hell.
This day was unimaginably strange. She was able to save a whole bunch of people, and she was praised by a teacher, a bit, but she can’t really celebrate after witnessing that… spire? What should she call it?
Whatever it was, after seeing that, all of her motivation for grandeur disappeared. But she also feels… drawn to it. The instinct (though she would call it more like a sixth sense) that’s developed inside of her is telling her that there might be something of interest of there, an urgent matter. But…

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Tue 21 Jan 2025 22:12:25 No.6180780 Report

Quoted By:

”Naaaah mate, I’m good. I’m not going there, I already had to deal with a lethal forest evacuation. We all know that curiosity killed the cat- though I’m more of a lion, and lions are pretty tough! Just like me!…. At least I’d like to believe that, I deserve self-confidence!
Even with that said, something tells me that a Lion VS. Witch fight is going to end in favour of the Witch. She could probably hex the lion to hell and back, and I don’t think Dorothy’s house is going to miraculously fall from a twister and flatten the Witch. And just like the lion, I probably can’t beat up a Witch, so I would just be risking my life in a fight with a Witch that I can’t win and there’s no one to show off to anyway!”
Alba shakes her head. ”Wait, I’m thinking in circles again. I’m not dumb, I know my thoughts can be… hyperactive at times. Do I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Probably not, I may be impulsive and reckless, but I can complete tasks just fine, and I cope with stress decently… I think- gah!
I’m doing it again! Why do I know this much about ADHD anyway?! I never studied this! Why do I keep using big words now? How come I was able to see that black spire and no-one but Marisa saw it? She called it ‘Grief’, right? Isn’t that an emotion? I don’t think it causes giant black towers to appear? Why did the forest start to ‘calm down’ since that spire disappeared? And-”

Alba catches herself getting lost in her thoughts again and kicks a tree, hoping to feel some pain to jolt herself into focus.
The power of her kick breaks open the tree.

Alba starts breathing heavily. ”I-I definitely couldn’t do that in the past. Why- No! No more questions! I need answers now, and something tells me I’m way too lacking on context and information to come to proper conclusions. I need to find someone who might know more about… all of this.”
She examines the business card Marisa gave her ”If seeing is believing, you can consider me converted. Marisa definitely knows more about what’s going on, especially since she said all of that stuff and just left. I’m catching up with her as soon as possible, cryptic messages are just a method authors use to lazily foreshadow and build suspense for later events while not actually adding anything to the story, not something well-adjusted people do in real life!
Besides, I have stuff to do when I get home! Important stuff! Like watching the new episode of Sailor Queen and… doing homework.”

She’s definitely going to Marisa now that she’s remembered that.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Tue 21 Jan 2025 22:14:48 No.6180782 Report

Quoted By:

Alba moves clear of the forest and surprisingly blends in with the group. She would be a bit miffed about the fact that no-one recognises the person who saved them, but she wants to get to the bottom of these supernatural events more than she wants adoration from others.
She looks around and finds her bike. She was just taking a casual biking trip just outside central York before she saw all of her classmates walking into the forests like zombies, or maybe mind-controlled masses would be more accurate? It’s a good thing it’s still here, she would’ve been cross if it was stolen.

Riding her bike, she goes back into the City Centre of York, using her knowledge to find Marisa’s shop. Unlike everything else she’s figured out, she already knew where Marisa’s shop has been for a long time. Alba had to buy supplies from Marisa to rebuild her clothes, particularly her hat, far too many times. It’s near a whole bunch of hotels and museums, so any tourists who come to York rather than London or the like will likely pass by her shop and take interest in the clothing. At least, that’s what Alba thinks Marisa’s business strategy is.
The shop itself is very much of low prominence, however. It’s between two stores on a busy street and right next to an alleyway. The only thing that makes it stand out is a sign out front that has a bunch of symbols that Alba can’t read. Maybe it’s a foreign language from Marisa’s home country? But Alba took a picture of it once and couldn’t find anything like it anywhere on the Internet.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Tue 21 Jan 2025 22:17:22 No.6180783 Report

Quoted By: >>6181129

A bell (an actual bell rather than electronic tone, Alba always found that a bit strange) rings as Alba enters the shop. The exterior of the store looked marginally modern and doesn’t really stand out amongst the other buildings, especially as Britain loved to keep old architecture, but the interior looked like a seamstress’ shop lifted straight out of the Victorian Era.
As Alba looks around, she spots Marisa in a very unflattering position, kneeling in front of some shelves looking for something. Marisa is wearing a skirt. Alba is right behind her.

She looks away and coughs conspicuously, she really did not want to see that today.
“Hey Marisa, I’m here.”

Marisa finally gets up and walks towards Alba.
“Ah, are you here for more supplies to repair your hat?” Marisa says with not a hint of insincerity.

“Yeah, just here for some extra thread to prepare for the next time- of course I’m not here for that! Lass, you said some weird cryptic nonsense and then ran off! I’m here to get answers!”
Despite Alba’s loud volume, Marisa knows that she’s not being aggressive. She’s likely frustrated by Marisa’s ignorance.
Many people get frustrated by it.

“In that case, I will answer all questions you ask. Keep in mind that I am not omniscient and cannot answer all questions in full depth. Though I think I have a document from someone who is…”

”Woah, woah, wait. There are actual omniscient people? Is she messing with me? Whatever, it’s a question I can ask… right now, actually!”

>This girl, Marisa, can answer any questions you may have at the moment. You can also buy sewing and weaving materials from her. You would think a girl who knows about Witches would run an Occult shop or something. Maybe this entire thing is just a front for a Magic Shop? Or maybe Alba’s imagination is being hyperactive again. Who knows? Probably Marisa herself.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Wed 22 Jan 2025 00:20:27 No.6180836 Report

Quoted By:

>>6179621
>>6175548

Let's just say that we are very lucky it was Abigail Fulson who attempted this on Claire.

Not to say that other Puella Magi could do the same thing or something similar, but it does have untold risks no matter what method is used, and Abigail is particularly suited to mitigating those risks. Believe it or not, this solution is actually one of the least risky ones.

Alba

Alba ID:1bJyP4DI Wed 22 Jan 2025 11:11:38 No.6181129 Report

Quoted By:

>>6180783
By now I've learnt how to deal with Marisa as if she were a long, loooong lost cousin. She may act in quite an eccentric manner, hell, she may almost seem ignorant and dismissive, but Marisa just wouldn't be Marisa without that ditzy attitude. It's something you've got to grow and adapt into, although keeping my regular attitude together after that ordeal is going to be quite troublesome. You can't blame the lass for her Idiosyncratic behaviour, it'd be demea-... W-.. huh.. h-..w-wh-.. I-Idosee... Ideeotsychrony. O-Ok. It's like I heard that word once and it's resurfacing on it's own to hunt my head... Ugh. I'll just... Discard that line of thought for now and get to the point. I just hope she doesn't get mad at me from the barrage of questions that I'll relentlessly be shooting her way. Like hell I'm going to hold back after today's events.

Alba plops her hat where she usually does when she comes around for repairs, takes a nice little seat on the cold floor whilst adjusting her skirt and clasps her hands in the patented Gendo-pose without a shred of doubt in her intent. She lightly bobs her head in a downwards tilt, as if asking Marisa to 'sit' down too.

"Soooo... Miss Marisa. Let's start from the beginning of the curriculum, since it seems I missed every class this year and I'm out of the loop."
Inhaaaaaaaaaaale.
"Since when do forests come to life and try to trap and kill people?!? I'd get it if I stumbled across some mutated elk or some strange beast like that... A freak of nature! B-But I swear the forest itself coiled around me and the rest of the class - And that's for starters. What about that tower of darkness that got spouted from the forest up into the sky?!? Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn... Gngh... What the hell was that? Abd... Before you answer... Well... You did call it 'Grief', but I've got no clue what that's supposed to mean here. ... And what's that about witches? Hm, I vividly remember speaking with a furball of a cat yesterday. Kind of like a pallid mockery of what an actual cat should look like... Was this 'Witch's' familiar or something? I-I did end up making a wish to it... But I'm not cursed, right? R-Right? I-I c-can't... I mean, I don't FEEL cursed - if anything - I feel like the world is moving in slow motion while my mind is processing everything at twice its natural speed. You probably won't believe me, but add to that how I thrashed a tree in half with my foot and... a-and... and I really don't know what to make of my situation."
Exaaaaaaaaaaale.
"...Oh, and since I'm already asking all of this, what's with the language on the sign outside your shop? I took pictures, but never managed to make sense out of-Oh! ...Ooooh!! WAAAAIT. Let me guess! What if that's not a language at all?! A-Are those magic scribbles to ward off occult, demonic influences? C-Could you inscribe my hat with some of those?!"

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R ID:mO17fVG6 Wed 22 Jan 2025 21:15:30 No.6181348 Report

Quoted By:

>>6180778
Well first I need to check on Oliver and make sure he's ok, and tell him he can leave his hiding place now. This whole situation makes me realize I might need to have a talk with him... But I have Clair with me now in a bit of a permanent way. Can she hear what I say over a mind link? She certainly would hear what I say in person. She can't hear my thoughts can she? I really hope not, or it's going to get very embarrassing very quickly. Actually, if Claire is always here, seeing what I'm seeing, won't... ||going out||... or even being with Oliver be hard on her? Oh no, maybe I'll even have to cancel on the party! How could I possibly go and have a good time knowing someone who loved the person I'm with is watching every intimate detail? Holy hell... I need to find a solution for this *fast*.

Well, after checking on Oliver, I'll need to go back home to let dad know I'm ok. Normally it would be good to ask him how I should handle this, but there's no way he knows the first thing about magic, let alone returning a witch to normalcy.

I suppose I can hear Clair out on her theories for the situation. Then, I'd like to maybe explore my powers some more... however someone does that. Claire was a magical girl, maybe she can help me. There has to be something I can do with my powers to help her, and the fast I grow and learn how, the faster Claire can return to normal... ||and the faster I can actually start to enjoy my wish...||

Stephanie !!70G3Lwc7KYL

Stephanie !!70G3Lwc7KYL ID:1JQ0cyfS Wed 22 Jan 2025 21:52:34 No.6181360 Report

Quoted By:

>>6180778
"It's been real, all of you, but the two of us," Stephanie says as she elbows Megan in the side, "really need to be getting back home. Our parents are worried enough as it is, what with this idiot sneaking off without a word first thing in the morning. The cheek of it."

That said, Stephanie would be loathe to take leave of this newly-minted witch-hunting team (for that is what they were now and she'd brook no argument) without at least getting their contact information and arranging a meeting sometime soon (maybe in a park or some other public place). With that done, she drags Megan off home with her.

"It's quite a walk, so you've plenty of time to come up with a convenient excuse for why you ran off like that."

In spite of this declaration, she gives Megan very little actual time to come up with much of anything before starting to barrage her with questions "Anyroad, what am I going to do about my soul thingy getting all dirty? Wait for another witch to show up? Do they show up often? How'd you like my powers, though? Pretty wicked, huh? Oh and who were all those people? Did you actually know any of them, aside from the creep with the bow?"

Speaking of people carrying around archaic weaponry, all the excitement of fighting monsters and the dread of world-shattering revelations having subsided, Stephanie realizes that she is, in fact, carrying around a full-on longsword.

"Yeah...this is fine. This looks perfectly normal. I'm just coming back from a...a FEMA club or something? Nothing even slightly out of the ordinary, right? R-right, Megan?"

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:42:48 No.6188627 Report

Quoted By:

ᛗ The Trio, et al

The group that had been gathered in this forest, by fate or chance no longer matters, had accomplished their duties in protecting those that they cared for. It was now time for them to go their separate ways again.

"It's been real, all of you, but the two of us," Stephanie says as she elbows Megan in the side, "really need to be getting back home. Our parents are worried enough as it is, what with this idiot sneaking off without a word first thing in the morning. The cheek of it."

Megan pouts in mock offence. “Look, it’s not my fault if a Witch suddenly kisses multiple classrooms worth of people and lures them to a forest okay?!”

Stephanie laughs at the sheer absurdity of that statement. God, this new (un)life is going to be hard to get used to, innit?
"It's quite a walk, so you've plenty of time to come up with a convenient excuse for why you ran off like that."

In spite of this declaration, she gives Megan very little actual time to come up with much of anything before starting to barrage her with questions "Anyroad, what am I going to do about my soul thingy getting all dirty? Wait for another witch to show up? Do they show up often? How'd you like my powers, though? Pretty wicked, huh? Oh and who were all those people? Did you actually know any of them, aside from the creep with the bow?"

Megan responds quickly despite the barrage of questions. “The Soul Gem getting cloudy is ‘easy’ to resolve. You’re right, we do wait for another Witch to show up or look for another one ourselves. As for how long it takes for a Witch to appear… It depends on a lot of circumstances, but from what I’ve seen from living here in York, we have a Witch appearance every two days.”

Stephanie and Abigail try to take in the implications of that statement. Every two days some supernatural monster appears and does stuff like turn the forests into a Horror movie set? How did they never notice this?!

Megan continues. “I had no idea who the girl with the knife was until today, she has some bravery, that’s for sure. And the girl with the massive tits is similarly a stranger to me.”

Harriet looks to her mistress, expecting her to be offended in being described in such a way. Shockingly, Viktoria has no strong reaction to Megan’s crass words.

Megan turns towards Riko with a scowl. “As for her: Riko Inuyama is very infamous in the British Magical Girl Community, for how much one exists. That’s all I’m saying on her. I didn’t call her here.”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:44:27 No.6188628 Report

Quoted By: >>6192070

Stephanie nods. “So we have two absolute strangers and one naff boogeyman, got it. We should probably introduce ourselves. I’m starting.
I’m Stephanie Smith- though it’s Imeredala now. I was recently adopted by the Imeredalas after a life of not having a family. Megan right here was my only friend, and now she’s my sister! Funny how the world works, huh?”

Abigail perks up. “I-I’m going to introduce myself next.
I’m Abigail Fulson. I came into this forest because Riko told me my b-boyfriend- God, I need to get used to saying that, Oliver was in danger. She was right, he was in this Labyrinth. I told him to hide so hopefully he’s safe.”

Viktoria theatrically clears her throat, conveying her intent to speak.
“I am Viktoria Walker, of the prestigious Walker Family. I have come here to research more about the culture and technology of our people. As for my presence in this forest: my servant, Harriet, was absent and called to inform me of her location but also told me to not search for her. I decided to regard her warnings as poppycock because my servant is important for me and my goals.
A good day to you all.”

Megan steps forward and puts on her best smile.
“I’m Megan Imeredala! Just like Stephanie, I was adopted after a long life alone. I’m also likely the most experienced Puella Magi here. Excluding her, of course.”

“Speaking of this ‘Puella Magi’ stuff, we might as well share numbers and such since we’re a Witch-hunting team now.” Stephanie says.

Megan has a brief look of shock. “We’re a Witch-hunting team?”

Stephanie nods. “We hunted a Witch, in a team. The Witch may not be dead, but we did hunt it as a team, so we’re a Witch-hunting team.” She says matter-of-factly.

Megan sighs. She knows she’s not going to argue Stephanie out of this; besides, she’s right, they hunted down this Witch together. And Megan herself was more suited to playing support for someone else, not hunting by herself.

“I have no objections to this.” Viktoria says as she hands Stephanie her phone.
“If a Witch appears every two days as Megan states then we might as well co-ordinate so we are not caught off-guard and can cover our backs. Also, we should watch over Abigail in case anything happens with that Witch inside her.”

Abigail stutters, and then says: “Uh, hmm. I-I’m not coming to a conclusion yet.”

“That’s okay, we can at least share contact information.”
“Speaking of that: Is there really a point to sharing phone numbers when we can communicate instantaneously with our minds?”
Damn, Abigail actually makes a decent point.

“T-think of it like a sign of trust. Not to mention that our link might get broken or something, best to have a back-up way of communicating.”

>Abigail can choose whether or not to share her phone number.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:45:37 No.6188629 Report

Quoted By:

“Now that the introductions are over with, let’s plan a meet-up!”

“What?” Megan was even more confused at Stephanie’s behaviour.
Sure, Stephanie was never a bad person of any sort, but she wasn’t as sociable as she was being right now. Sharing numbers, planning meet-ups, all with a smile on her face. She’s acting like… a regular schoolgirl, what’s going on?
Megan stares at Stephanie and she stares back, still smiling.
Then Megan realises: Holy shit, this is the first ever time Stephanie has potentially had real friends other than her, of course Stephanie wants to do regular girl stuff with them.

“Right, right! I actually know the perfect meeting spot! It’s owned by an… acquaintance of mine.”

“We’re not gathering in the orphanage, Megan.” Stephanie says in an annoyed tone.

“T-that’s not what I meant!” Megan says in offence.
“There’s a shop in the City Centre of York that’s a safe place to discuss anything. Including our… special jobs.”

“Oh, cool! Why didn’t you ever invite me there?”

“You weren’t a Puella Magi is why. Welcome to the club; I recommend we go there tomorrow or something; you’ll need a break after all of this, most of the newbies do.”

“Well, that’s all from us then, right? Let’s go home!”
Stephanie drags Megan away before anyone can say anything more.

Abigail chuckles nervously, changes into her regular clothing, and walks towards the nearest exit she knows.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:47:03 No.6188630 Report

Quoted By:

𐤌Abigail Fulson 𐤌

While walking back, Abigail checks on her first priority, her entire reason for being here: Oliver.

”Oliver? Are you okay?” Abigail should know that Oliver is okay through the Bond, but when it comes to his safety she won’t chance anything.

”Yep, all of my limbs intact and everything!” And there’s that damn smooth voice. Even when he’s speaking through his mind he’s slick. It’s unfair! Why does he have to be this cool?!

Abigail coughs into her hand and recomposes herself. ”Was the hiding place enough to keep you safe?”

”Eeeh... it was until a girl broke it open.”
Oliver senses Abigail imminent panic through the Bond and calms her quickly. ”Don’t worry, I got out just fine. The girl who broke it open helped me out, actually.”

”A-and who was this girl?” Abigail isn’t sure what these emotions are. It’s like her worry for Oliver is mixed with her upset over someone putting him in danger.

”Her name escapes me right now, but she was short, ginger, athletic, and had a green beret that definitely saw better days.”

Ginger, short, roughshod green beret… That must’ve been Alba. It’s kind of hard to not know about her given her attention-grabbing antics in York Academy. It’s not a surprise she was also in this forest, what’s shocking is the fact that she got out and managed to get Oliver out as well.
Abigail isn’t sure whether to thank her for getting Oliver out or shout at her for potentially risking his life.

”Sooo~ We can communicate through our minds now, huh?” Oliver ‘says’, cutting through Abigail’s thoughts.

"H-huh? O-oh, yeah. We can do that. Is it weird for you? I’m sorry if it is!"

”I’m more surprised by the fact that magic exists and we can use it.
Hey, did you cast a love spell or something on me?” Oliver says playfully.

Abigail’s heart-rate spikes through the roof and she nearly stumbles onto the floor while walking. Did her Wish count as a love spell of some kind? Did she force Oliver to love her? Is it really true love in that case?

Abigail can somehow feel him laughing through the Bond. ”Oh relax! Even if you did hit me with a love spell, that would probably have made no difference; I’ve loved you for far longer than is normal for a person, the love spell would either make me love you even more or have no effect because I already love you as much as I can.
All you need to know is that I will love you for as long as I’ll live and more than anyone else. You’re unique to me, you hold a special place in my heart that I don’t think anyone could replace, Abigail. Just take my love and don’t be nervous, damn it! His frustration is still as playful and sarcastic as his previous tone.

”...” Abigail has accomplished what many have sought for: emptying her mind by accident.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:48:26 No.6188631 Report

Quoted By:

”Thanks for saying that~ Now excuse me, we- I mean, I need to leave. Walking while talking like this is hard.” Abigail(?) replies. It sounds like her, at least.

”Alright then. Hope you keep safe! Oh- by the way: The party is cancelled for reasons that should be obvious. Bye!”

The communication cuts off not unlike a phone being put down.

“Bweauh?!” Abigail makes a sound that Claire had never heard before, except maybe out of some animals she made.

”You blanked out for a moment and I had to cover for you.

“Oh- uh, thanks.” Then Abigail realises. “D-did you hear everything we talked about?

”No. I only noticed when you somehow achieved abnegation of your thoughts. The only thing I know is that you were talking to Oliver.

“Right.” Phew! Sounds like Claire can’t hear all of her thoughts. That would’ve been really awkward given Claire’s past and the fact she’s dating Oliver.

”Don’t worry, I can’t hear anything you think unless I want to. And you would know if I was listening in.”

“Wha- how did you know I was worried about that then?!”

Claire chuckles, the sounds reverberating in Abigail’s head. ”Some things are obvious even without reading minds. Listen, I don’t really care any more if you’re dating Oliver; you’re giving me another chance at life and he loved you, not me. It would be rude to try to break you two up or something. If anything I’m more likely to help you get hitched with him because then he’s more happy.”

“...Thanks. At least I don’t have to worry about you freaking out while we’re on a date or something.”

”Or snooping during more intimate moments. I’m not a voyeur.”

Abigail’s face flushes red. “H-hey, I never thought of that! I-I mean-”

“Yeah, yeah, you prude. let’s just get out of here.”

Abigail makes it out of the forest, with minimal help from Claire if any. She starts to think of the near-future: She needs to get back home to let her dad know she’s fine. She could use a normal “I got lost in the forest” excuse if he asks.
Just as she’s trying to think of more excuses, she hears a familiar, masculine, gruff voice. “Abigail!”

She looks in the direction of the voice and sees exactly who she expected: Her dad.
“Abigail!” Her father rushes towards her and sweeps her into a hug. It’s tight, as if she were a precious thing he didn’t want to drop. “I heard that a bunch of people got lost in this forest, and I was really hoping you weren’t caught in this freak incident! When you didn’t come back for a few hours, I got worried and came here! Thank goodness you’re safe either way!”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:50:30 No.6188632 Report

Quoted By:

After Abigail manages to calm her father (it’s harder than you would think), they both walk home. While travelling, she thought of her situation and whether her dad could help. He might have wisdom on talking to other people and getting them not to do bad things, right? And he would care. But… this is a supernatural situation, would he really have advice that fits this occasion? She ultimately decides against telling him anything for now.

When they make it home, Abigail’s father tries to fuss over her a bit more, but she makes it clear that she’s okay and just needs some privacy. He respects her privacy.

Abigail walks into her room and jumps onto her bed and lies down, looking at the ceiling.
“Claire, what do you think is the deal with our situation?”

”You want to hear about my guesses?”

“Yeah. Out of the two of us, you’re definitely more experienced in this whole “Magical Girl” stuff, so your guess is likely better than mine.”

”Alright.”
”To oversimplify the situation: I’m in your Soul, or your mind, right now. But we haven’t explored the implications of that.
How can I, a being that is made of Grief, inhabit your Mind and Soul? Ignoring the fact that your Mind and Soul can apparently fit two people, by the logic most Puella Magi follow you should be filled with Grief and Witching Out.

“Have you ever been told that you’re terrible at comforting people?”

”All the time. That’s why you have the boyfriend and I don’t.”
”Anyway, I do have a guess why this is: Imagine your Soul or Mind is like a house, and the house has multiple rooms; There’s a room for all of your surface-level thoughts where you regularly hang out, a room for your subconscious that you don’t pay attention to but contains all of the utilities that make your house run, and a final room made for Quarantining potentially dangerous thoughts.
Usually this last room wouldn’t exist and the thoughts you don’t want would just be dumped into your subconscious where it would still have an impact on you. Either your Magic caused this change in your mind or your mind adapted to the fact that thoughts other than yours would be going through your it. Either way, you have a ‘Filter’ for certain thoughts now.
My guess is that since your mind now filters out and compartmentalises certain thoughts automatically, Grief-inducing ones from external sources are also filtered. After all, the human mind and body always strives for self-preservation no matter what, and turning into a Witch is an unenviable fate. Trust me, I would know.”

“So you’re saying that the reason I’m not...’Witching Out’ is because my mind automatically filters any thoughts that could cause that?”

”Any thoughts from external sources, yes. In other words: only you can make yourself suffer Grief. At least, as far as I know.”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:52:56 No.6188634 Report

Quoted By:

“It’s as good a guess as any. But… I feel like this only a temporary solution to your problems. A flawed one, no less. Sure, you won’t be able to hurt anyone like this, but you can’t really live like this. You should have the opportunity to do the things you enjoy, and find a person who makes you as happy as Oliver makes me. Living vicariously through me is no life lived at all.”

”…Damn, lass, you really are a bleeding heart. Yeah, this is a rough temporary solution I came up with, and one that could fall into shambles no less. But I wouldn’t have chosen it if I didn’t have hope.
You know that shop that Megan told us to go to? I believe I know who runs it, and she can help us.”

“The shopkeeper is also a Magical Girl?”

”Yep. A real unique one as well.”

“Well it’s good that we have someone else who can help, but I want you help you somehow. I need to get better at this whole ‘Magical Girl’ deal so I can you, and myself.”

”Ah, it’s a good thing I’m here then! Consider me the ‘big sister’ you never had! Or just a mentor if you like that dynamic better. As I said a while ago, my Magic was similar to yours, so I can give you advice on how to exploit it.”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:54:56 No.6188635 Report

Quoted By: >>6192070

– WITCHCRAFT

”I’m a Witch, so this stuff is going to be on the macabre side. And I was going to use this while we were in the forest, so let’s call it ‘Witchcraft’ to differentiate this from regular Magic!”
”No, this isn’t me trying to sound cool! Shut up!”

Abigail didn’t even say anything.

>Abigail can choose to learn this Witchcraft:

 – AGONY
”Pain is a feeling. It may be linked to nerves, stimulus, and other things that a Biologist or Neurologist gets paid to care about, but in the end your brain and mind make it real. Usually the mind has to have a good reason to press the ‘I’m in pain’ button, like being on fire or getting stabbed, but we can sneak into people’s minds and whisper things to them. What’s stopping us from jamming our thumb on the ‘I’m in pain’ button? Usually the fact that the subconscious is a tough nut to crack. But with both our expertise and powers, we can tell the subconscious to press that button for us, and never let go.”

>”AGONY” allows Abigail to Test Intelligence + Magical Affinity in order to inflict a painful sensation on an individual. The target’s future rolls are reduced by the amount of Successes on this Test. If the Successes on the Test meet or exceed the target’s Constitution, the target will soon become incapacitated by the pain.
>If the target is aware of the mental manipulation, they can resist, turning the Test into a Contest of Intelligence + Magical Affinity VS. Target’s Mind + Magical Affinity, with the Target’s Degrees of Success reducing Abigail’s Degrees of Success.
>Abigail can target anyone within her vision with Agony. However if Abigail has a Bond with the target or is in contact with their Soul Gem, AGONY can be used on the target at any range.
>The sensation can be any sort of pain Abigail wants. Nails under the skin, a painful sensation in the chest, a literal burning feeling, etc.

“...A-alright, it’s good that you want to help me, but maybe you should help me by teaching me something that doesn’t revolve around making people suffer?” Abigail wasn’t sure why Claire thought that was going to fly with her.

”Oh fine, you wallflower-” Then Claire realised what she was doing. Inflicting suffering is not her job any more. She should help people like her out of their rut.
”...Okay, I have some ideas but they’ll need vetting from you.”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:56:20 No.6188636 Report

Quoted By: >>6192070

– Magia

“These are made for protection and co-ordination. I’m going to be a great co-ordinator with these!”
”Co-ordinator?”
“What?”
”Sorry, that means something much different than what you’re thinking of in our community.

>Abigail can choose to learn up to 2 of the following Magia:

 – Succour

“Having your mind manipulated by someone you don’t know… that has to be scary, I learned from Claire that it can be caused by something called a ‘Witch’s Kiss’. Considering that Witches appear in York every two days, I’m going to need a method to cure mental manipulation.”

>“Succour” allows Abigail to spread her mental filter to those near her. This does not require a Test.
>Abigail can target an unlimited amount of people within her vision. All targets have their Mind increased by Abigail’s Mind + Magical Affinity, and any targets inflicted by any form of mental manipulation at the time of casting are immediately cleansed of its effects, this, importantly, includes a Witch’s Kiss.

 – Remembrance

“As exemplified by Claire, some of our memories can become forcefully blocked. Either because we don’t want to remember or we’re not in the right mindset, but these memories can contain the best and worst parts of us. If I want a Witch to recover from their Grief, showing them a memory of their best self is a good bet. I-I could also use it to guilt-trip someone, but I’m not sure if that’s something I’m willing to do.”

>”Remembrance” allows Abigail to Test Wisdom + Magical Affinity to pull a memory from a target’s mind. The target (and Abigail) will view the memory from a third-person perspective.
>Abigail can choose what emotion she wants to spark with the memory. Regret, happiness, hope, etc.

 – Obscure

“The mind prioritises certain things in your vision over others. Things in your peripheral are not worth paying attention to, certain unimportant details in your sight are filled in, often inaccurately. By taking advantage of this quirk in human cognition, I can cause certain things to be removed from focus.”

>”Obscure” allows Abigail to Test Charisma + Magical Affinity to obscure certain things from the vision of those near her.
>Abigail can target an unlimited amount of people within her vision. All targets have to perform a Contest of Perception VS. Amount of success Abigail got on her initial Charisma + MA Test to properly perceive the obscured object(s).
>Objects can become practically invisible in that no-one will notice their presence, until they bump into it or something. The opposite effect can also happen. When all other things melt away, only one thing can be worth paying attention to.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:58:24 No.6188637 Report

Quoted By: >>6192070

“Hmm. I do wonder: How can I do any of this when I normally need to make a connection to someone in order to properly take advantage of my Magic?” Abigail was new to this, but even she knew that flat-out manipulating someone’s senses had to require a deeper link. Heck, just communicating required her to actively create a bond.

”Oh, that’s another lesson about your Magic that we’ll have to do later. All you need to know for now is that we’re exploiting how connections work in order to make these tricks easier.”

>Mechanically speaking, Magia do not make impossible things possible. Abigail is able to do everything the aforementioned Magia describes without learning them. Learning them just makes it easier.
>For example: “Succour”, without learning it, would require an Intelligence + Magical Affinity Test of increasing Magnitude for every target in order to connect to them, then Abigail’s Mind + Magical Affinity would be split between all of them!

Abigail takes notice of the first part of Claire’s sentence. “Why do the lesson later? Why not now?”

Abigail can just feel Claire smirking. ”Don’t you want to go on a date with your boyfriend first? The party was cancelled, but that doesn’t mean you two can’t have some alone time. In fact, it might even be better for you two have some alone time, then you won’t freak out about how you act in front of everyone else.”

“Will it really be ‘alone time’ if you’re going to be there?” Abigail still wasn’t sure if Claire was going to poke in or anything during any dates with Oliver.

”Look, I’m just going to ignore anything that goes on out there and pass some time alone myself. Unless you want me to play wingwoman with your dates, I won’t bother you at all unless something important comes up.
Anyway, you can go for some extra lessons with me, ask Oliver to schedule a date or something, or do whatever else you want. You’re your own boss.”

>Getting better at this whole “Magical Girl” thing is pretty important… But what’s the point of wishing for love and getting a boyfriend if you can’t even enjoy your Wish and hang out with him?

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 11:59:58 No.6188638 Report

Quoted By:

ф Stephanie Smith ф

“God, what a barmy day.”

“Same for me too, but for different reasons.”

The friends-turned-sisters duo take a stroll out of the forest. This day wasn’t even starting, it’s barely even the afternoon!

“Oh, by the way, it’s really cool.” Megan says.

“What?”

Megan smiles. “You asked me what I thought of your Magic. It was the only question I didn’t answer so I’m answering it now: your Magic is really cool. It helps that you’re still alive.”

Stephanie decides to ignore the last part of Megan’s sentence, being alive should be a given, no?
“Yeah, getting to kill monsters with a sword, manipulate the earth, find out about world-shattering secrets about my friend-slash-sister. An eventful day.”
Then Stephanie realises.

“Oh shit, I’m still dressed in this outfit and holding a sword! I’m gonna look like a weirdo walking through the street!”

Megan shrugs. “Usually if you change back to your regular form all of that stuff disappears.”

Stephanie somehow instinctively understands how to change back to her regular clothes. Weird.
In a flash of light, all of her gaudy Magical Girl attire disappears.

Except the sword.

“Why the fuck did the sword not disappear?!” Stephanie shouts in confusion.

“I don’t fucking know?!” Megan shouts in equal confusion. Truly destined to be sisters, these two were.
“Okay, usually this means that the sword isn’t a part of your Puella Magi form. But where did you get the sword from then?!”

Stephanie quickly scrolls through her memory and remembers: “I got it from our big sister, Liza. She gave it to me just in case I would need it. Thank goodness.”

“Usually every Puella Magi would get at least one weapon as part of their attire, no matter how unorthodox. And it’s still a bit weird to be having a sword. At least knives are more common.”

“T-this is fine… This looks perfectly normal! I’m just coming back from a… a FEMA club or something?”

“Unless you mean the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Association, I’m pretty sure you meant ‘HEMA’.”

Stephanie playfully nudges Megan’s shoulder. “Oh- hush you smart-arse. Besides, I’m pretty sure Liza is into HEMA and that’s why she had this. So that excuse might fit.”

“Let’s hope it does.” Megan says exasperatedly.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 12:01:18 No.6188639 Report

Quoted By: >>6188729 >>6189359 >>6190806

Stephanie and Megan make it to the City Centre of York and start walking back home through their phones’ in-built maps. They surprisingly don’t get bothered a whole lot by anyone due to the sword, but just to stay safe they take some shortcuts through alleyways.
It is in one of these alleyways they meet their first “Threat”.

A boy dressed in a hoodie, about the same age as Stephanie and Megan, attempts to ambush them, but Stephanie notices and drags Megan out of the way. The boy brandishes a knife and points it at them in a way that’s supposed to be threatening. At least, Stephanie thinks.

“Give me your money or your life!” The boy says in a youthful, high-pitched voice.

“Come on, you dunce, if you’re going to try to mug us at least not use such hackneyed lines!” Megan shouts.

“And try not to mug someone who has a LONGSWORD!” Stephanie exclaims while putting her sword in an en garde position.

“D-don’t fuck with me, I have more friends waiting in the shadows to attack you!”

“You fucking idiot, why would you tell us that?! You completely ruined your element of surprise! Blimey, just tell us your date of birth at this point!”

Stephanie notices the boy quivering, but he still looks willing to attack. Why the hell was he attacking someone with a longsword while he has a knife? Does he want to die, or does he not have to do this for something else?

>Either way, he’s likely not going to leave you alone, so you need to deal with him somehow.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 12:02:32 No.6188640 Report

Quoted By:

Alba Appleton

By now Alba’s learnt how to deal with Marisa as if she were a long, loooong lost cousin. She may act in quite an eccentric manner, hell, she may almost seem ignorant and dismissive, but Marisa just wouldn't be Marisa without that ditzy attitude. It's something you've got to grow and adapt into.
“Although keeping my regular attitude together after that ordeal is going to be quite troublesome. You can't blame the lass for her Idiosyncratic behaviour, it'd be demea-
... W-.. huh.. h-..w-wh-.. I-Idosee... Ideeotsychrony. O-Ok. It's like I heard that word once and it's resurfacing on it's own to hunt my head... Ugh. I'll just... Discard that line of thought for now and get to the point. I just hope she doesn't get mad at me from the barrage of questions that I'll relentlessly be shooting her way. Like hell I'm going to hold back after today's events.

Alba plops her hat in a specialised spot on the counter that Marisa made for Alba specifically (because she values repeat customers), takes a nice little seat on the cold floor whilst adjusting her skirt and clasps her hands in the patented Gendo-pose without a shred of doubt in her intent. She lightly bobs her head in a downwards tilt, as if asking Marisa to 'sit' down too.

“...I can bring out a chair if you want me to.” Marisa offers.

“Nah, the floor’s fine.” Alba says without a hint of sarcasm.
Unbeknownst to Alba, Marisa was tempted to also sit on the floor just so Alba wouldn’t be lonely.
She decides to actually sit down on the floor next to Alba. Alba offered, after all.

"Soooo... Miss Marisa. Let's start from the beginning of the curriculum, since it seems I missed every class this year and I'm out of the loop." Alba then performs a dramatic inhalation.

“There is likely no curriculum for the questions you have.” Marisa says in an emotionless tone.
Alba almost ruins her dramatic inhaling by laughing but recovers long enough for the effect to still be felt, in her opinion.

Then Abigail’s stream of questions begin.
"Since when do forests come to life and try to trap and kill people?!? I’d-”

“Since antiquity. Puella Magi, and therefore Witches, have likely existed for far longer than any of us know. Henceforth, it is likely that more than one Witch has made a Labyrinth in a forest.”

Alba would’ve been a bit mad at the fact she was interrupted, but she figures it’s best that she just takes the answer given.
Besides, Marisa said something that piqued her interest.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 12:04:24 No.6188641 Report

Quoted By:

“Labyrinth? You mean like the thing made by Daedalus to hold the Minotaur?” Alba winces after saying this. She never studied Greek Mythology deep enough to know that. So why does she know that?!

“Yes. Witches often make Labyrinths over an area. As the name implies, these are often difficult to navigate. The actual appearance of the Labyrinth itself often depends on where it is made and the mental state/theme of the Witch. Witches will lure people to these Labyrinths, often to consume them.”

Okay, now Alba was confused for an entirely different reason.
“Alright, I'd get it if I stumbled across some mutated elk or some strange beast like that... A freak of nature! B-But I swear the forest itself coiled around me and the rest of the class! That’s a rather roundabout way to get a meal, if you ask me!”

“I said ‘often’, not ‘always’. Some Witches lure people to Labyrinths to simply inflict suffering upon them, whether the Witch herself gains sustenance or not. Perhaps the Witch just wanted you all to get lost for as long as possible before consuming you all.”
This talk turned out more grim than Alba expected. And Marisa still has that calm tone in her voice. How can she talk about this calmly?

Ugh, can wonder about that later. I’m just getting started with these questions.
“What about that tower of darkness that got spouted from the forest up into the sky?!? Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn... Gngh... What the hell was that? And... Before you answer... Well... You did call it 'Grief', but I've got no clue what that's supposed to mean here.”

“That ‘Tower of Darkness’… That’s something that I have personally never seen either. I would normally just say it was a magical attack, but that much Grief in one action almost never occurs-
Right, Grief. ‘Grief’ is what we call the impurity that can appear inside our Soul Gems. It is also seemingly also what Witches are made of. Grief is also an emotion that can cause impurity in our Soul Gems. Before you ask, yes, it gets confusing.”

Grief is an impurity in a Soul Gem. It is also what Witches are made of. Alba can feel her mind processing the implications of those two statements combined, but she stops it there. She needs to know more.

“What's that about witches? Hm, I vividly remember speaking with a furball of a cat yesterday. Kind of like a pallid mockery of what an actual cat should look like... Was this 'Witch's' familiar or something? I-I did end up making a wish to it... But I'm not cursed, right? R-Right? I-I c-can't... I mean, I don't FEEL cursed - if anything - I feel like the world is moving in slow motion while my mind is processing everything at twice its natural speed. You probably won't believe me, but add to that how I thrashed a tree in half with my foot and... a-and... and I really don't know what to make of my situation."

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 12:06:09 No.6188643 Report

Quoted By:

Marisa pauses and looks at the floor for a moment. Like she’s a computer running a search query for the answers. After an agonising few seconds, she talks.
“Let’s start with the strange animal you spoke with. That ‘Animal’ is more like an alien creature. We all call them ‘Kyubey’. A quick question to you: Did you make a ‘Contract’ or ‘Wish’ with this ‘cat’?”

“Uh, yeah? Why do you want to know- Was I actually cursed?! Oh no, no, no!-”

“Whether the deal you made was a curse greatly depends on what you get out of it and whether you believe the bad outweighs the good. Either way, you have become involved in a world that you are likely not ready for.”

“Stop it with the cryptic answers already! Just tell me what’s up with… all of this!”

“To cut it short: Since you made that Wish with Kyubey, you are a Puella Magi.”

Alba’s mind quickly puts together a rough translation of the last term she said.
“’Girl of The Mage’?”

Marisa sighs in exasperation. “Yes, it is a bastardised Latin term made who knows how long ago. The more accurate term would be: Magical Girl.”

For once, Alba was completely still and silent. This was something that Marisa had never witnessed before and worried her immensely. Was she upset? Scared? If she was having trouble processing this then what about the later, more harrowing news? Would she have to get a Grief Se-

”I’M A MAGICAL GIRL?! LIKE IN SAILOR QUEEN AND EUPHONIC MUKUWA AND KYOTO NYA NYA A-AND SeCure?!”

Marisa thinks for a moment, then nods. “Yes. Your… strange developments are likely your mind and body subconsciously using your Magic.”

”Oh my God, magic is real and I have some and I get to do Magical Girl stuff and-
"...Oh, what's with the language on the sign outside your shop? I took pictures, but never managed to make sense out of-Oh! ...Ooooh!! WAAAAIT. Let me guess! What if that's not a language at all?! A-Are those magic scribbles to ward off occult, demonic influences? C-Could you inscribe my hat with some of those?!"

Marisa gives Alba a rare smile and says: “You’re close, but not entirely accurate. It is a script for a language, we call them ‘Witch Runes’. As the name implies, the Witches use them and some knowledgeable Puella Magi-”
“Magical Girls” Alba interrupts.
“...some knowledgeable Magical Girls can read them. Writing in them is usually a pain, but I have found some shortcuts and made a few signs.”

“So you’re saying it’s not going to ward off supernatural influences?”

“As far as I know, Witch Runes do not have any effect on the supernatural, other than the fact that supernatural entities use them.”

“Aww.” Alba seems genuinely disappointed.

Marisa chuckles. Seeing Alba being excited makes her happy in a way she doesn’t feel often. The disappointment on her face when her hopes are dashed is similarly cute.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 12:07:35 No.6188644 Report

Quoted By: >>6189363

“I can still inscribe your hat with them if you want. I can even do specific words.”

Alba actually considers this offer. “And how much would that cost?”

“Nothing at all. Frankly, you’re going to need all the positive emotions and morale you can get now. I would rather not disappoint my most frequent customer either.”

“Hmm, could you teach me how to read and write it as well?” Alba asks this purely out of curiosity, not necessarily because she wants to learn these runes.

“I can teach you, but it would take… roughly four times the amount of time it takes one to learn a regular language.”

“F-four times?! But wait- my mind moves really fast now, maybe I can learn faster than the average person!”

“Hmm, perhaps. It would still take really long though. It took me a while to figure out as well. There’s not many actual practical advantages either.”

>It is possible to learn Witch Runes from Marisa, but it will take multiple days of lessons to become a master. Until then, Witch Runes will go from “Unreadable” to “Rough Translation”, increasing in accuracy over time. Some people may not need lessons due to unique circumstances however...

Well in that case, that’s all of Alba’s questions answered… Except it feels like she’s forgetting something. What could it be? Oh!

“Hey, you talked about a Soul Gem. I’m guessing it’s this earring I have now?” Alba fiddles around her ear and takes off the earring she mysteriously gained.

Marisa’s tone shifts, and Alba can recognise that although it sounds as emotionless as always, there’s an edge behind it. “Yes. Make sure you keep it close to you and that no-one steals it. If anyone asks you for it, don’t give it to them.”
“Unless that person is me.” Marisa adds at the end.

“Wow, this thing is really important, huh?”

“Yes, almost unthinkably so. Speaking of ‘Important things’, there is something I want to show you now that you have ‘learned the curriculum’, so to speak. It’s inside my basement.”

>A person asks you to “Look at something important” in their basement, she’s having a laugh if she thinks Alba’s going down there. But she has known her for a while… But then most cases of assault are performed by people the victim knew closely! To go into the basement or not, which is it?

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:Urql77Qc Mon 03 Feb 2025 15:27:30 No.6188729 Report

Quoted By: >>6188764

>>6188639
can't be called a brit quest without a knife mugging lmao

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Mon 03 Feb 2025 16:36:22 No.6188764 Report

Quoted By:

>>6188729
Witches may take 2 days to appear in York, but a knife mugging? That's every day, with no breaks.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO fine.png, 56KiB, 200x200

Anonymous ID:6FIK0bQP Mon 03 Feb 2025 18:49:45 No.6188854 Report

Quoted By:

>gigaposts that span half the thread
>coordinators doomed to be relevant
>imeredalas
>mugging
glad to see the old traditions well and alive. heil erika

Alba

Alba ID:wnl7CQHS Tue 04 Feb 2025 09:31:37 No.6189359 Report

Quoted By: >>6190806

>>6188639
Welcome to britain, Steph. This is why you walk with an arming sword down the streets of York in broad daylight. Go on. BEAT his ass.

Alba

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Alba ID:wnl7CQHS Tue 04 Feb 2025 09:39:21 No.6189363 Report

Quoted By: >>6189469 >>6196711 >>6196712 >>6196713

>>6188644
I-I'm a Magical Girl. I'm a goddamn Magical Girl! Fighting monsters, destroying evil and most important of all… Burning incandescently like a violent shooting star as I pummel them into tiny bits?! Ha! So that pallid muppet is just my magical mascot?! Kyubey, what an odd name. Not cute at all. He’s been awfully absent… But that’s what I’ve got Marisa for right now! One day you’re just casually stretching by your patio and then your life is suddenly overturned in a chance meeti- W-Wait! Chance? No-no-no-NO!! Both Sailor Queen, SeCure White AND SeCure Black were chosen because of their fortitude, empathy and ability to do good deeds! D-Does… Does that mean I’m a special girl, like the heroines from my anime? A-Am I really more important than my peers? …Is that right? HAH!! I always, ALWAYS, knew that! I knew I always had the potential to be different from them and I’ve finally gotten confirmation that it’s true!

“I’ve become involved in a world that I’m more than glad to be in, Marisa! I may not know a whole lot about it… But trust me, I’m more than ready to prove my worth! Who cares if I’m ‘cursed’?! Who cares if I have to face that gut-wrenching spire of despair on a random Tuesday?! Who cares if I have to tread through labyrinths that want to gobble me right up?! From now on I’m a bonafide Magical Girl! Plus… I’ve got you here to act as my mentor… He-he-he-he~! Don’t try and deny it! You looove it.”

I’m surprisingly taking things in stride.

“H-Hey, Marisa! Before I forget and you stuff me away in that basement of yours (please don’t) …Uhm…What was that about impurity? It’s awfully specific wording. I can manage my ‘Grief’ just fine, don’t you worry, I haven’t cried at all since I was a babe. But you’re saying that witches are concentrated forms of ‘Grief’? And… Impurities are born in our Soul Gems..? O-Oh… Don’t tell me that they’re Magical Girls that have turned to Evil’s side allowing their Soul Gems to be consumed! That'd be completely unforgivable!!”

Why did her line of thought lead her that way? Huh? She didn’t mean to jump to that assumption so why-?! Oh. That annoying sixth sense is leading her like a fiddle.

“...Oh. And come on! You know that what you said before is idle prattling with me. Of course I want to learn those runes! Most Magical Girls wouldn’t even bother, so imagine if they stumbled upon a translator fluent in the language - They’d have to rely on her, totesies! …And I guess it’d also help us fight and understand witches better, but that’s just an afterthought.”

And it’s time for Alba to follow her down into the totally non-suspicious basement. Alba trusts her, and sometimes, just sometimes, she gets her hat dirty on purpose to get an excuse to see her. Not like she’d ever truly admit it to herself - and god forbid - Marisa.

>>6173714
Let me know if I'm writing too much QM. I tend to get carried away. Lmao.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:6FIK0bQP Tue 04 Feb 2025 16:47:53 No.6189469 Report

Quoted By: >>6189560

>>6189363
>the votes are longer than the posts themselves

things are as they should

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:Urql77Qc Tue 04 Feb 2025 18:39:45 No.6189560 Report

Quoted By:

>>6189469
oi don't encourage an arms-race of post length :P

Stephanie !!70G3Lwc7KYL

Stephanie !!70G3Lwc7KYL ID:1JQ0cyfS Thu 06 Feb 2025 15:56:45 No.6190806 Report

Quoted By: >>6196715

>>6188639
"Might as well give us your government name, while you're at it, you absolute weapon."

After looking around the alley for the aforementioned friends waiting in ambush and adjusting her grip on the sword, Stephanie continued. "So you're the hardest of the lot, then, is that it? They've got you front-and-center, those 'friends' of yours. I'll say, I'm not that worried about whatever gay little gang thing you've going on here, then. Why don't you piss off before you get yourself hurt, yeah?"

Stephanie took a step forward. "Wait up, here, let me show you I mean business..."

...and moved to whap him on the top of his head with the flat of the longsword!

>>6189359
Alas, he does not have his mugging loicense.

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R ID:mO17fVG6 Sat 08 Feb 2025 18:52:36 No.6192070 Report

Quoted By: >>6192071 >>6196718

>>6188628
>Share my phone number

>>6188635
>Elect not to learn the Witchcraft
I appreciate it but... well... I'm already going to be on shaky ground with people knowing I'm housing a witch, knowing and using witchcraft is going to exacerbate things. Also, this seems a little cruel...

>>6188636
>Learn Succour
>Learn Remembrance
Succour seems incredible for saving allies that have their minds ensnared and the innocent caught by witches, and Remembrance seems like a great first step to helping Claire, and any others that might be struggling.

>>6188637
"Well... ok, if you're sure. Please tell me if you start to feel lonely and want to talk or anything. I don't want you to suffer when there's something I can do about it, and not just because I don't want my soul blown up! Let's try to meet your friend in that shop sometime soon."

Call (with the phone) Oliver and set up a... d... d-date. For... today...? Isn't this too soon? Actually, didn't Oliver just get finished telling me of his undying love?? Ah... D-Don't think about it! I'm going to short circuit! Focus! No one just loves someone like that do they?! I mean, I don't l-l-love him, right? I just really really like his personality, his traits, his charm, his figure, I want to be with him, I hold a deep affection for him, his- ok stop this is going to go on, I get the point. Ok, I need to make him *prove* he loves me and isn't just making fun of me or teasing me. Just... call him. Whew, would you look at that, it only took 22 minutes this time to dial his number! Yeah, progress!

Yes, I KNOW I could have just used the bond but I wanted to hear your voice! ...(blush) STOP SMIRKING!!! Look, Oliver, you said you L-L-Lo-L-Lo-L grrrr.. you L-... y-you s-said you- yes that! I want you to prove it to me! I want to know you're not making a fool out of me saying all those strong things and making my heart flutter! (and you know, we can also just talk about the day and unwind, there's so much I learned recently and I really need you right now). How's that family restaurant on 4th street?

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R ID:mO17fVG6 Sat 08 Feb 2025 18:53:36 No.6192071 Report

Quoted By:

>>6192070
After the call I realize I'm not at all dressed for a date and fuss with Claire hastily going through my wardrobe for something that's cute but not too gaudy but not too relaxed but I want to look nice but that one's too pink but that's too dull and isn't that skirt way too short, it barely reaches my shins?!?

Ok, so, I'd like to talk with Oliver about what I learned about all this magic stuff, vent to him about how disagreeable some of the magical girls are, the tragic case of the witch (which I will tactfully omit how we dealt with), and whether I should open up about this with my father who definitely has no experience about this stuff. It's not like he knew anybody that was magical right? I've never even heard of magic until the kyubey thing came to me, so there's no way it's common at all... even if somehow a witch comes every two days. Ah... this is all so serious. We should also just talk about less world-shattering things, try to relax some. Maybe there's a movie coming out soon we could watch together? Oliver always knows what to say, he can probably help me calm down.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:8vO1Loer Mon 10 Feb 2025 05:37:20 No.6193441 Report

Quoted By: >>6193448 >>6193450 >>6193461

guys i'll take a minute while marie is cooking. mihanon caught me on twitter and we've been having a chat, and i kinda got to wonder, regarding the original unholy sextet: do you guys still even remember at this point? like, do you still care? cause it's been a while, and i was wondering if an epilogue or something is long overdue at this point since you guys stuck to the end and i couldn't deliver

just in case yall niggucas still lurk the marienas's trench

凸Rita Hammerhead凸 !!v46EKBmjocO

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO whowin.png, 417KiB, 768x597

凸Rita Hammerhead凸 !!v46EKBmjocO ID:YdWpllxu Mon 10 Feb 2025 05:55:30 No.6193448 Report

Quoted By:

>>6193441
Rita will always remember...
Rita will always care...
I miss you menhera motherfuckers

ᕙ Jimena Gimenez ᕗ !!qJCWLFk95iI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO the lebanese.jpg, 305KiB, 1920x1080

ᕙ Jimena Gimenez ᕗ !!qJCWLFk95iI ID:m3dD4arB Mon 10 Feb 2025 05:59:13 No.6193450 Report

Quoted By:

>>6193441
I'll never forget dude. Even if we wait our whole lives, even if the honeymoon phase already passed. The original story was eight years for Homura and aeons for Madoka, and for the fans it's been 14 to get some fucking closure. There's no end to it. We just gotta hope.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:VDkUOHHc Mon 10 Feb 2025 06:14:14 No.6193461 Report

Quoted By:

>>6193441
Told ya

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:00:06 No.6196711 Report

Quoted By: >>6196712 >>6196713

>>6189363
Alba Appleton:

In Marisa’s textiles shop, Alba was practically vibrating on the floor in excitement. Why was she excited? Well...

”I-I'm a Magical Girl. I'm a goddamn Magical Girl! Fighting monsters, destroying evil and most important of all… Burning incandescently like a violent shooting star as I pummel them into tiny bits?! Ha! So that pallid muppet is just my magical mascot?! Kyubey, what an odd name. Not cute at all. He’s been awfully absent… But that’s what I’ve got Marisa for right now! One day you’re just casually stretching by your patio and then your life is suddenly overturned in a chance meeti- W-Wait! Chance? No-no-no-NO!! Both Sailor Queen, SeCure White AND SeCure Black were chosen because of their fortitude, empathy and ability to do good deeds! D-Does… Does that mean I’m a special girl, like the heroines from my anime? A-Am I really more important than my peers? …Is that right? HAH!! I always, ALWAYS, knew that! I knew I always had the potential to be different from them and I’ve finally gotten confirmation that it’s true!”

“I’ve become involved in a world that I’m more than glad to be in, Marisa! I may not know a whole lot about it… But trust me, I’m more than ready to prove my worth! Who cares if I’m ‘cursed’?! Who cares if I have to face that gut-wrenching spire of despair on a random Tuesday?! Who cares if I have to tread through labyrinths that want to gobble me right up?! From now on I’m a bonafide Magical Girl! Plus… I’ve got you here to act as my mentor… He-he-he-he~! Don’t try and deny it! You looove it.”

Marisa’s mouth opens in shock, then she does something that Alba has never seen her do: Blush. Full-faced. Completely red, like a tomato.
She clears her throat and regains her posture (far too late for Alba to not take notice), then responds in a (mostly) calm voice.
“You reacted to this news much better than most. Perhaps because not all of the downsides have been stated or set in. Also-”
Ah! There’s that blush again! She turns away real fast and speaks her next sentence just as quickly.
“...Iwouldnothaveaproblemwithbeingyourmentor.”

“Aha! I told you that you love it!”

Marisa attempts to save face by standing up and dragging Alba across the floor into her basement, but Alba resists for a moment (as much as she can while sitting) which causes Marisa to stop.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:01:09 No.6196712 Report

Quoted By: >>6196713

>>6196711
>>6189363

“H-Hey, Marisa! Before I forget and you stuff me away in that basement of yours please don’t …Uhm…What was that about impurity? It’s awfully specific wording. I can manage my ‘Grief’ just fine, don’t you worry, I haven’t cried at all since I was a babe. But you’re saying that witches are concentrated forms of ‘Grief’? And… Impurities are born in our Soul Gems..? O-Oh… Don’t tell me that they’re Magical Girls that have turned to Evil’s side allowing their Soul Gems to be consumed! That'd be completely unforgivable!!”

“… It’s impressive how close and yet far you are. That sixth sense of yours will be awfully dangerous to some. I won’t tell you the absolute nature of this impurity and Grief unless you ask me directly, because it is rather harrowing to find out, and I would rather keep that smile on your face and your hopes high for as long as possible.”

Alba was a bit conflicted at her response. It was nice that Marisa wanted to shield Alba’s feelings, but perhaps knowing the truth wouldn’t hurt? After all, like she said, she hasn’t cried since she was a babe, it would take a lot to make her upset. In any case, she’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask Marisa later.
For now, there was a more interesting topic at hand.

“...Oh, and by the way: You know that what you said before is idle prattling with me. Of course I want to learn those runes! Most Magical Girls wouldn’t even bother, so imagine if they stumbled upon a translator fluent in the language – They’d have to rely on her, totesies! …And I guess it’d also help us fight and understand witches better, but that’s just an afterthought.”

Marisa gives Alba a strained smile.
“It’s good that you’re interested in the language, even if it’s for… self-serving reasons. I’ll help you with learning it, some Magical Girls may actually rely on you for translation. But for now: The business in my basement.”

And it’s time for Alba to follow her down into the totally non-suspicious basement. Alba trusts her, and sometimes, just sometimes, she gets her hat dirty on purpose to get an excuse to see her. Not like she’d ever truly admit it to herself – and god forbid – Marisa.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:02:46 No.6196713 Report

Quoted By: >>6197321

>>6196712
>>6196711
>>6189363

The door to the basement opens automatically when Marisa walks near it even though Alba swears she can’t see any mechanisms or electronics. Must be magic or something. Alba feels her head trying to hyperactively think of engineering designs made possible with magic but she clamps down on it fast.
Alba’s eyes wander around the basement, and it catches on a familiar white figure.

”Oh my God, it’s the furball!”

She looks more closely at the white thing and- yeah, it’s the cat-like thing: Kyubey! It’s really still, and doesn’t look to have the same skin fabric though… It must be a stuffed plush or something. Marisa must have made it, but why would she make a plush of Kyubey anyway? And how did she get references, considering how Kyubey has been scarce recently?

Marisa theatrically clears her throat, catching Alba’s attention.
“The plush of the rodent is the least important thing in the room. Look here.” Marisa says while pointing towards a map.

“R-right, right! Sorry, you know how my attention can be at times!”
Sometimes, just sometimes, being expected to be a bit dense can be an advantage.

The map is a large one, it covers the entire back wall, and it’s of a place that Alba is already very familiar with: The entire UK. Some regions of the map are darker than others, with the region west of Birmingham being completely blacked out.
Right underneath the map is an ornate piece of jewellery, similar in form to a Fabergé Egg. There’s no way that’s there for no reason.

“I call this the ‘Despair Map’.”

“Charming name.” Alba says with full sincerity.

“Thank you. I try my best.
This map tries to track the density of Grief all over the UK. Black ink darkens parts of the map based on how much Grief are in those areas. It’s not perfect, but it’s still good enough for a general analysis of severity. Getting this map completely cleared of black ink is a large-scale project, but I want to gather a… a party, a large one, to complete this grand task. I would really appreciate it if you considered joining my endeavour.
Of course, I would completely understand if you refused my request, given that this is likely impossible and you will probably die trying to accomplish this, and I do not want to send you to a quick death. But if you were a part of accomplishing such a task, then you would be known as a legend in the British Magical Girl Community.”

Oh no, Marisa is tempting her with fame and attention! Why did she have to know Alba so well?! Damn, damn, she needs time to weigh up the fame of being a legend with the absolute risks of this adventure…
Isn’t she forgetting something?

“Hey, weren’t you going to teach me Witch Runes?” Alba says, expertly changing the topic.

“...Yes. Good that you remembered. We should probably start with that first before dumping the fate of the United Kingdom on you.”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:04:08 No.6196714 Report

Quoted By: >>6196728

It turns out the reason Marisa said that learning Witch Runes would take four times the amount of time as a regular language is because Witch Runes have four different scripts: Modern, Archaic, Latin, and Musical. Marisa was starting with Modern, because apparently it’s the simplest and most commonly used by Witches nowadays.
Thankfully Alba realised really fast that even though the script was different, the words were all English. And Marisa confirmed that even if the Witches do use different symbols than any human culture, the words are often of a language they knew back when they were still human.

This accidentally confirmed one of Alba’s guesses: Witches were formerly human.

>Skill Learned: Modern Witch Runes: Broken/Semi-Literate
>”Broken/Semi-Literate” is an incomplete understanding of a language. You can read/write in it, but only recognise important words immediately. Reading in stressful situations (Such as during combat) requires a Test of the higher of Intelligence or Wisdom.

This Foreign Language lesson ends with Alba spelling her name in Witch Runes.

“With this done, I hope you can consider my offer. You can choose whether to decline or accept later, just please consider it. And it will be no hard feelings either way, you can just leave and go back home to prepare for school tomorrow.”

>It’s good that she’s giving Alba time to consider this, it’s a serious undertaking. Also, she has a point about school, but what about Alba’s parents? She hasn’t been back home since the debacle in the forest, they must be worried sick about her!

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:05:16 No.6196715 Report

Quoted By:

>>6190806

ф Stephanie Smith ф

"Might as well give us your government name, while you're at it, you absolute weapon."

If one looked at Stephanie and Megan, they would not think either of them are particularly aggressive or capable fighters. Stephanie was a tall, skinny girl wearing thick glasses who stands with a slouch. Megan was similar except shorter, thicker, and with better posture. Both of them were the first thing people pictured when they thought of a “Nerdy Girl”.
But one of them was hurling insults while holding a sword, and the other was hurling insults sans sword. Labels and covers really do not fit in this case, as the ruffian mugger was going to find out.

After looking around the alley for the aforementioned friends waiting in ambush and adjusting her grip on the sword, Stephanie continued. "So you're the hardest of the lot, then, is that it? They've got you front-and-center, those 'friends' of yours. I'll say, I'm not that worried about whatever gay little gang thing you've going on here, then. Why don't you piss off before you get yourself hurt, yeah?"

Stephanie took a step forward. "Wait up, here, let me show you I mean business..."

...and moved to whap him on the top of his head with the flat of the longsword!

“Wuah!” The boy makes an awfully pathetic sound after being hit. He didn’t even move to step out the way, he has terrible self-preservation instincts. “Alright, alright, I’ll leave!”

“Wait-” Megan shouts. But he runs faster than either of them thought a regular human could. Where was this speed when he sprung his ambush? And the fact that he ran proved something that Stephanie found out in her initial look: This kid had no back-up, and was bluffing.

Stephanie and Megan continue their walk through the alleyways. Maybe others would be deterred by an attempted mugging, but these two weren’t like most girls, and the incompetence of the first one just made them wonder what all the good muggers you see in the news were doing.
They eventually make it home, and Stephanie takes in how… luxurious the house is compared to her past. It was a three-story house, with multiple bathrooms (Stephanie and Megan definitely knew that was a privilege), and a spacious attic. It makes them wonder how one could afford a house like this in the City Centre.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:06:47 No.6196716 Report

Quoted By: >>6201606

Upon opening the door, Stephanie and Megan are immediately pulled into a hug by their parents.

”Huh, so this is how it feels to have parents hug you when you get home. Feels… nice”

Their mother, Heather, starts with the fussing. “We were so worried about you two! Liza told us you left for Megan and that she gave you a sword but y-you don’t know how to use it and you could’ve hurt yourself a-and we were so worried!”

Dad, or Jakob, scoffed and briefly looked at the door leading to the living room. “Yeah, all of us except Liza. For some reason she seemed cocksure of your safety.”

“I told you guys they would be fine!” Liza shouts from the living room.

“Either way, thank goodness you two are back! Where were you two?”

Stephanie almost stumbles over an excuse before Megan lies expertly.
“I got lost after taking a walk in the woods and Stephanie was able to show me a way out.”

Stephanie just nods. If the excuse is already good enough then there’s no need to potentially ruin it with embellishment.

“Ah, it’s good to see your big sister is looking out for you. Both of them in this case since Liza gave Stephanie the sword. You’ll probably want to relax for now, getting lost and then fussed over by us is hardly the most calming day to have.”

Megan leans over and whispers to Stephanie. “I’m going to be setting something up in the attic, meet me there later.”

“I’m gonna go watch Magical Girl Drillface! See ya!” Megan exclaims like the child she is.

“Oh, look at the cute darling go.” Heather says. “So what will you be doing? Fate and Opportunity haven’t been fed yet, a real mistake on our part because we were sick with worry, but now we’re too busy to feed them since we’ll be leaving for work soon. Perhaps you could get on that?”

Heather – Stephanie’s mum, she might need some time getting used to that – then leans over and pegs Stephanie in one sentence.
“I know you would love to hang out with them.”

Leaning back away, she brings up a more human-oriented activity. “Liza is over in the living room playing video games, some… ARPG. She’s a girl of many hobbies, you could join her or have her teach you something about actually using that sword. Just waving it around like a maniac isn’t going to work!”

After those suggestions, she goes upstairs. Likely to her shared bedroom to prepare for work with her husband.

Leaving Stephanie on her own to decide what to do.

>Stephanie finally has some time to enjoy her wish for once. Hang out with the dog and cat she always wanted, the sister she always wanted, the other sister she always wanted and had. And have love she always craved. But how will she enjoy it?

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:08:23 No.6196718 Report

Quoted By:

>>6192070

𐤌Abigail Fulson 𐤌

Learning Magia was simultaneously easier and harder than Abigail was expecting. When one thinks of learning Magic with a Witch they would usually either think of long hours of study in some library within a tower or castle, alternatively the image would be of dark rituals done using esoteric ingredients and strange metaphysics – Okay, maybe strange metaphysics were still at play here – but it was a whole lot simpler than either of those things.

It felt a lot less like unlocking arcane knowledge and a lot more like she’s just exercising a natural talent she had. It was like when she was learning Art on her own, except she had someone else to look over her work and give feedback.

It was harder than she thought because all of her powers are centred on people. How was she supposed to know she was making progress when she had no-one to test on? Remembrance worked out because Claire was a valid target, but she wasn’t sure about Succour. Claire said that it would work out, and Abigail wanted to just believe her, but her anxiety wasn’t calming down about this.
Claire then reminded her that being anxious was liable to get her Soul Gem impure. It was a slightly callous way of calming her but it somehow worked.
Then Claire reminded her of planning a date with Oliver. Abigail tried to confirm again that Claire was really okay with this, and Claire once again reminded her that it would be a net negative to hinder Abigail’s love life.

"Well... Okay, if you're sure. Please tell me if you start to feel lonely and want to talk or anything. I don't want you to suffer when there's something I can do about it, and not just because I don't want my soul blown up! Let's try to meet your friend in that shop sometime soon."

While Abigail looks at her phone, she freezes and just stares blankly at Oliver’s phone number.
“Okay, just call him and set up a... d... d-date. For... today...? Isn't this too soon? Actually, didn't Oliver just get finished telling me of his undying love?? Ah... D-Don't think about it! I'm going to short circuit! Focus! No one just loves someone like that do they?! I mean, I don't l-l-love him, right? I just really really like his personality, his traits, his charm, his figure, I want to be with him, I hold a deep affection for him, his- Okay stop this is going to go on, I get the point. Okay, I need to make him prove he loves me and isn't just making fun of me or teasing me. Just... call him. Whew, would you look at that, it only took 22 minutes this time to dial his number! Yeah, progress!”

”This is progress? How long did it take before?”

”1 hour and 45 minutes.”

”Wow, I have a lot of wingwoman work cut-out for me. Good luck.

”Wait, don’t leave me!”
But Claire already disappeared into the crevices of Abigail’s sub-conscious. How does her hiding even work-

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:09:54 No.6196719 Report

Quoted By:

“Hello?” Rings out Oliver’s voice.

“H-hi- hello!”

“Alright, your mind’s still here. Is there really a point to using phones when we can communicate instantaneously with our minds?”

“Yes, I KNOW I could have just used the bond but I wanted to hear your voice!”

“Uh huh, good to know that my voice is irresistible to you. Not mocking you, you have same effect on me.” Even without the Bond, Abigail can hear him smirking through his voice.

“STOP SMIRKING!!!” Abigail shouts while pushing down her blushing. “Look, Oliver, you said you L-L-Lo-L-Lo-L grrrr.. you L-... y-you s-said you- “
“Love you?”
“-Yes that! I want you to prove it to me! I want to know you're not making a fool out of me saying all those strong things and making my heart flutter! And you know, we can also just talk about the day and unwind, there's so much I learned recently and I really need you right now. How's that family restaurant on 4th street?”

The phone becomes silent on the other side. For an extended period of time.
Strange, usually this is the other way around.

“A-alright, I can do y- I can go to the restaurant! What do you want- wait why would you know do you even know the menu- We can order at the restaurant!”

“Yeah! Order at the restaurant!” Then again, what else would they do at the restaurant?

“Alright! You can go over to the restaurant on 4th Street. If I’m late then I swear on my life it’s not because I don’t want to be there, it’s because I’m preparing something for you.”

“Oh- alright.”

With that, the call ends. And a lot of other anxieties begin.

”Claire, what am I even going to wear for the date?! I’m not dressed for it at all!”

”Oh. We’re going to have to go through your wardrobe and hope to pull something together.”

And so begins their mad dash through Abigail’s wardrobe.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:11:42 No.6196720 Report

Quoted By:

Claire thought that she was going to have to set Abigail’s standards, but to her surprise Abigail already knew one of her own strengths. She was cute, not sexy, so she should emphasise cuteness in her fashion choice.

“But I want to look nice, but not too gaudy, but not too relaxed, and-”

”Okay, we’re just going to lay out some clothes and I’ll throw suggestions at you.

With all of her clothes presented in front of her, the gauntlet begins.

”How about the sundress with the hatching pattern?”

“That one's too pink.” The pattern was a chessboard that alternated between white and pink squares.

”Alright, what about the dress with the solid colour?”

“Too dull.” It was a brown dress. Brown was a very dull colour to the majority of mankind.

“Alright, what about that one. I think it would really bring out your curves-”

“Isn't that skirt way too short, it barely reaches my shins?!? I thought we established I’m more cute than sexy here!”

“Ugh. Okay, I kind of forgot. You know what, you should just wear what you think makes you look good and what you’re comfortable in.”

“Wha- but what if Oliver thinks I look ugly in it?!”

“Oliver is head over heels for you! You could wear a burlap sack or nothing at all and he would still want you! Besides, your main issue is confidence. If you wear something that you think you look good in then at least you’ll be okay with how you look rather than worrying what someone else thinks.”

“Okay. Okay, maybe you have a point. It doesn’t matter if I look drop-dead gorgeous if I still feel like puking every time he looks at me with those eyes.”

From there on, Abigail just puts on clothes on autopilot, and settles on what she thinks looks best on her.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:14:09 No.6196721 Report

Quoted By:

Abigail waits outside an authentic Italian Restaurant on 4th Street. Currently trying to stop her mind from racing at 5000 Kilometres an hour because Oliver still isn’t here!

“Oh God, what if he didn’t want to come to restaurant and I was rushing him?! Or maybe he thought I was being too needy by saying that he needed to ‘prove he loves me’ or whatever, what was I thinking while saying that?!”

”I don’t know, I wasn’t snooping. Also, don’t shout out to yourself in public.”

”Right! Oh no, what if he was here and I just made myself look crazy in front of him?!”

”Honestly, I don’t think he would care if you were crazy.”

“Hey! Hey, don’t freak out!” Abigail hears in a familiar voice.

She looks towards the voice and sees the boy that paradoxically calms her and sends her heart into overdrive: Oliver
Oliver runs towards Abigail and seems to motion in the intent to hug her, but his hands are full. There is a large blue box in his hands.

“Oliver, you arrived! Why were you late, what were you making?”

“This box is filled with gelato. You’re going to want dessert after your meal right?”

“Wait, this is an Italian place, wouldn’t they serve gelato here?”

“Yeah, but it’s overpriced. It’s both cheaper and more heartfelt for me to make the gelato myself.”

“Wait, you made the gelato yourself?!”

“Mhm. I made the box myself as well. Now you can see why I was late. Now hopefully the gelato tastes good as well. Let’s get in the restaurant, I had to make a reservation and we’re pushing the time slot.”

Abigail really thought that she would be more calm after Oliver arrived and confirmed he didn’t ghost her. It turns out that being in a restaurant’s table for two with the boy you really [s:lit]love[/s:lit] like and apparently likes you as well is super nerve-wrecking!

”Oh no, oh no, what do I talk about?! At least I know that Claire won’t bother us, but that means I’ve got no-one to bounce ideas off of! Why don’t I tell him about what happened recently?”

“So you know how we got trapped in that killer forest, right?”
”Why am I reminding him of what might be a traumatic event?!”

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:15:44 No.6196722 Report

Quoted By:

“How could I? That was the moment I found out that magic exists and my girlfriend-to-be can use it.”

“Right, right. Ugh, trying to get through that was a pain. You know that girl who almost shot me with an arrow? She was there with me. She had some issues on how I resolved the situation with the Witch.”

“Wait, Witches are real as well? Are you one?”

“Eh, yes and no. Witches are real but the definition is much more complex than ‘female magic user’. And a lot more tragic.
The Witch that I dealt with did all that she did in the forest because she loved someone a lot and that person didn’t love her back. Neither person was bad in this case, the boy didn’t lead her on, and the girl just wanted someone to love her, but her Grief from rejection after a life of not having friends caused her to do drastic, terrible things…”

“That’s… That’s heart-wrenching. If the stuff in the forest didn’t happen I would’ve considered what you said a good story, but the fact that it was likely real… It really tears at my soul.”
Oliver takes Abigail’s hand in his, then presses them against his chest. This reveals to Abigail that his heart is beating about as fast as her one and might just leap out of his body.
“I promise I won’t break your heart like that ever. For as long as I live I want you to know that my love for you is certain.” His face was resolute when saying this.

”Oh God, those words- No! He always says this and it makes me swoon but this date is to make sure he can back it up with more than words!”
With those thoughts, Abigail decided to dig into the gelato made by Oliver. It was a gift, so this is one of his expressions of love!

“How is it?”

“It’s… it’s amazing! The texture is creamy and smooth while the flavour is intense, and the density and richness… How come I never knew you could make stuff like this?!”

“Because I usually work with tools and technology. Cooking… I only do that for myself or people I really care about. Also, pace yourself, you might get a brain-freeze and there’s no way you’re finishing it today.”

“Mmm-okay.” Abigail says with a full mouth.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:17:25 No.6196725 Report

Quoted By:

As Abigail continues digging into the gelato and Oliver gets his order of Spaghetti Nero, the conversation moves to slightly more pedestrian topics.

“There was this one girl who was with us, blonde, looked mean all the time, had- well, she was very well-endowed. She almost ruined our chances of finding the Witch. We were going to follow this Familiar that the Witch made and-”

“She killed it immediately?”

“-Yeah, she did! I was cross, and another one with me was livid!”
Abigail calms down a bit and continues. “The real issue is that all of this is new to me. I only found out about all of this yesterday when some weird “Kyubey” thing came up to me. Considering neither of us found out about this until now it can’t really be common.”

“What, you mean to tell me Witches turning forests into death traps isn’t common?”

“...Actually, I was told something similar happens roughly every two days.”

“How have neither of us noticed this?”

“I don’t know? I guess Magical Girls are really good at their jobs.”

“Oh, speaking of: If you’re going to be taking this Magical Girl stuff seriously then I want to help.”

“How? You can’t use Magic.”

“That is true, but I have a ‘Magic’ all of my own: I can make stuff for you. Equipment, armour, weapons, you name it, I’ll make it.”

“...Are you saying that you’ll be my arms dealer?”

“Whoa, that’s an unflattering way to put it. But yes.”

”Okay, my [s:lit]boy[/s:lit]friend just said that he would potentially break the law for me. I don’t know if that’s hot or concerning. Maybe both? Ah, we should stop talking about this before we incriminate ourselves!”

“Ah, I just want someone to talk to about this. I can’t talk about it to my dad obviously because he’s never been near magical stuff. So you’re the only one I can spill my heart out to.”

“Maybe you’re thinking about it too much.”

“What?” She thought this is something she should think about carefully.

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:18:31 No.6196726 Report

Quoted By: >>6202581

“Think about being a Magical Girl as you job. You don’t want to think and talk about work all the time, that’s boring and stressful. You should make sure that when you have time off, you spend it well. Practice your hobbies, like Art, talk to your friends, and, most importantly, hang out with a person who loves you.” Oh, he thought he was being smooth with the last one. Sure Abigail’s heart is practically exploding but she expected it and that’s all that matters!

“You know what? Maybe you’re right and I should just relax with you. What about a classic date activity: A movie. Anything coming out soon we could watch together?”

“Hmm…” Oliver looks at his phone for a moment, looking for new releases. “There’s a Romcom, a Horror movie, and an Action movie. The common ones you see as seasonal releases.”

>Romcom… sounds way too fitting for the situation. Horror… Abigail doesn’t look like the kind of person who does well with Horror, but we all have layers. Action… Well, she’s probably going to be getting into a lot of fights, so it might be good for inspiration?

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO ALBA.png, 20KiB, 756x253

White Creature of Anti-Entropy !XpRgFFUvaU ID:zMe/bu0f Sat 15 Feb 2025 10:19:42 No.6196728 Report

Quoted By:

>>6196714
As a small extra: This is "ALBA" in Modern Witch Runes.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:VDkUOHHc Sun 16 Feb 2025 05:11:03 No.6197321 Report

Quoted By:

>>6196713
Clearly the plush Kyubey is the most important thing there

Stephanie !!70G3Lwc7KYL

Stephanie !!70G3Lwc7KYL ID:1JQ0cyfS Sat 22 Feb 2025 18:58:44 No.6201606 Report

Quoted By:

>>6196716
"Oh, no," Stephanie shouted. "Poor Fate and Opportunity! Are they hungry? They must be very hungry! I will go and feed them right now!"

She barely managed to restrain herself from bolting and, with some effort, lowered her voice. "...and I'll go do...some other things, too...I guess..."

As much as she would have liked to forget all about witches and magical girls and spend the rest of the day chasing the pets around the house, there were still other things that demanded her attention. For one, she had to return the sword to Liza—and regale her with the story of how the said sword was used to prevent a mugging. With that sorted, it seemed that Megan was up to some magic shit in the attic and she had to be there for it, for whatever reason. There truly was no rest for the wicked, was there?

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R

Abigail !!CWmei5RXx6R ID:mO17fVG6 Sun 23 Feb 2025 22:31:38 No.6202581 Report

Quoted By:

>>6196726
Action movies are mostly watched just for the spectacle and immediate entertainment right? Sure, they're fun, but unless they're really good there probably won't be much to talk about afterwards. The same is true to a degree with horror, but I think it's more likely to be thought provoking, mysterious, and leave questions afterwards to talk and theorize about. Also, I might get spooked, which isn't a pleasant experience, but an excellent excuse to maybe hold Oliver's hand or arm, or better yet, get him to put his arm around me! Ah who am I kidding, I'm amazing with horror movies, there's no way I would genuinely be scared, I wonder if I would be good at faking being scared.

"Oooh, let's watch a horror, that sounds fun! You don't need to worry about me at all, I'm great at those! I only screamed three times watching Casper the Friendly Ghost, and twice in The Grinch who Stole Christmas." I say with a smug look on my face.

Wait, that was too honest! I don't want him confident in my ability to handle horror!

I quickly over the course of a several seconds as my thoughts catch up change my disposition and correct myself.

"Haha, I mean, of course, that, um, I'm just ok with horror. That action movie sounds boring, who wants to see the conclusion to that series everyone was watching with all those celebrities? There is the off chance I might get scared, but it's worth it for the experience you know?"

Yes! I knew I could be smooth! No way he saw through that! No way he saw my traitorous eyes glancing at his hands and arms.

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