considering maison... HMMM...

[sagittaluminis]

Mundane-san... are you-- really going to try and take us there?

... well-- it will be scary to be all alone, but... I'll do my best. I'll do whatever I can to protect the people there! Even if they're all strangers... if any of them are in danger, I'll do my best to help them, however I can. Maybe we can even make some new friends there.

Comments

[sagittaluminis]

...?

... oh-- can you fight? I mean, just enough to defend yourself.

Oh my GOD I need to fix the icons it imported.

[dataneverlies]

....

[He doesn't even know how to answer that. Theoretically, of course... well, he's physically capable of it. But...]

It's never really come up.

HA HA HA... I mean I'm so sorry.

[sagittaluminis]

... ooh. Well, that's alright. If anything happens, I can protect you!

You are not.

[dataneverlies]

...

[... this girl is... literally a foot shorter than he is, and in nowhere near the physical shape he is. If anyone's going to be protecting anybody, Inui is pretty sure it's going to be him.]

...I think it would be better if I took the lead in that initiative.

:3c <3< also WOW INUI HARSH

[sagittaluminis]

[Madoka just... smiles brightly at him.]

I do appreciate the offer, but... I think I can handle it. After all, it's my job to protect people!

[dataneverlies]

[Inui just sort of stares at her for a few seconds.]

...

[sagittaluminis]

[... hee. she closes her left hand, holding it to her chest briefly, and then opens it and holds her palm up to show him the soul gem now residing there. it brightly glows pink.]

I'm a puella magi! That means that it's my job to help people, and to fight away the monsters that might hurt them.

[dataneverlies]

[Inui just... looks at her. She's obviously pulled some sort of sleight of hand; he is unimpressed. He straightens, pushing his glasses back up his face.]

...illogical.

Magi are a fantasy element, as are monsters. Neither one exists in reality.

[This is said sternly, as though to a small child for whom strictness is necessary.]

[sagittaluminis]

[... she seems a little put out, but it only lasts for a second before she's smiling again. okay, fine. TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE please pretend it's not the weird naked one. a lot of twirling and pink light is involved. MEDUKA BECOME MEGUCA]

[dataneverlies]

[...what.

What.

What.

You have COMPLETELY BROKEN HIM--

--not. He just stands there, looking torn between complete disbelief and... anger? Inui isn't really known for being irritable...]

[sagittaluminis]

[she just. SMILES, striking a pose. and then she drops it because that's just silly.

... oh. her smile fails a little at that expression.]

I... is something wrong?

[dataneverlies]

[His voice is clipped and... kind of harsh. Those black brows of his are knitted together, too.]

If you think you can deceive me with flashy lights and ribbon, you are sorely mistaken.

I refuse to have anything to do with enabling your strange magical fantasy.

[Nagging voice goes: BUT HOW DID SHE DO IT...

His brain is working very hard trying to dissect an answer that doesn't contradict itself. It's a bit difficult to 'sleight of hand' a full clothing change... unless she changed places with someone... HMM...]

[sagittaluminis]

I-- I'm not trying to deceive anyone! It's the truth. I know that it seems... impossible, but-- it's true.

[dataneverlies]

Reality has strict rules and laws that must be observed--I cannot believe anyone who claims to break them. Your flashy display has only convinced me that you have pulled some sort of trick... have you changed places with someone?

[So serious.]

[sagittaluminis]

No-- why would I do that? [her magical girl outfit fades back into her school uniform, with far less fanfare than the initial transformation required. this time the switch is just made in a puff of pink glow.] I'm telling the truth. I swear.

[dataneverlies]

[Inui is not amused, and does not take well to the idea of being deceived. A gentle giant he may well be, but this is serious business and he will treat it as such.

He snatches the soul gem from her, intending to inspect it more closely--his theory is, of course, that it is the source of the ridiculous pink light she uses.]

[sagittaluminis]

Ah--!

[OH NO THAT'S HERS :( she tries to reach to get it back, but she's... far too tiny.]

Please-- give it back! That's my soul gem!

[dataneverlies]

Your...

[He raises an eyebrow at her, then frowns before returning his attention to the gem. He opens his mouth as though to speak, but right as he does, a huge crow flies down and snatches it out of his grasp!

Inui's mouth just kind of remains open for a second, because WHAT.

Then he actually feels kind of bad, because he didn't mean for something like that to happen. He was going to give it back to her when he finished...]

[sagittaluminis]

No--!

[Madoka starts to follow the bird, but it gets away from her. because, once again... she's tiny. she just... gives up after a few minutes.]

Wait...

[she watches the bird fly into the distance, panic starting to rise in her chest.



and then her legs suddenly buckle and then fold under her, and she collapses into a lifeless heap on the floor.]

[dataneverlies]

[Wh--

Inui turns, torn momentarily between COLLAPSED GIRL and ESCAPED ROGUE BIRD. He stops, though, and drops down to check her, because part of him is still convinced she's faking--

--until he checks her pulse, anyway.]

W... what--?

[The bird, meanwhile, settles in a nearby tree to eye and peck at its new prize.]

[sagittaluminis]

[no pulse, no breathing. she is quite remarkably dead. she is an ex-Madoka.]

[dataneverlies]

[Oh my GOD, brb panicking. The only conclusion Inui can reach is that, somehow, some way, that soul gem is related to this. He turns frantically, searching for the bird, which is still in the tree.

...time to get that gem back.

He sneaks up on the tree as best a six foot tall tennis player can, trying not to spook the bird. He doesn't want to hurt the crow any more than he wanted to hurt Madoka...

For brevity's sake, he climbs the tree and manages to catch the crow and retrieve the gem. Bringing it back to Madoka now because... because he doesn't know, it's hers, anyway.]

[sagittaluminis]

[it takes a minute, but, when the gem is returned to her, it's not long before she stirs, gasping in a sudden breath. she pushes herself up to a sitting position, a hand clutched at her chest.]

What... what happened...?