1146/Outliers

Outliers
Date of Scene:	20 February 2024
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Sayaka visits Madoka in order to check up on her, and they start talking about their situation and similar experiences. Especially those experiences that involve being a Witch. Despite how bad things have gotten, there's still hope for a brighter future!
Cast of Characters:	Madoka Kaname, Sayaka Miki

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Madoka Kaname has posed:
    It's been a rough few days since Madoka first learned the Witch Secret, which had the added horror of potentially losing her best friend. At school, the pinkette has been somewhat withdrawn, and she's also kept herself busy with magical girl business.

    Gretchen, also, has been hanging out with her a bit more often; either hiding within her Labyrinth or hovering over her Bearer's shoulder. That's a pretty big change considering that up until recently the X-Chara had been avoiding her.

    Madoka has been meaning to talk to Sayaka ever since Valentine's day, but there hasn't really been a good time. Right now she's sitting in her room, at her desk, doing a small amount of homework. Her phone is on the desk, screen lit up in case someone calls. Most of her Chara are downstairs, playing with Tatsuya because apparently small children can see them no problem.

    Madoka lets out a heavy sigh. As much as she tries to concentrate on her work, she can't really push the mental image of Oktavia out of her mind. They got lucky this time, and Sayaka was able to be saved, but she can't help but think about all the other Puella Magi who have turned into Witches. It's scary to think that the world is full of such things.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
<PHONE> Sayaka Miki texts Madoka Kaname: Hey, Madoka-chan, how are you doing? I am coming over, felt like hanging out.

Though, Sayaka isn't just coming because she want to hangout with Madoka (even if Sayaka sending those types of messages is enough of a normal occurrence that Madoka possibly wouldn't find it odd). She has in fact noticed that she has been slightly more withdrawn ever since that fight.

Sayaka herself has felt much better than she has felt for a long while ever since she was back to being herself, both in the Scroll department and in the Witch department. There is always that anger at Kyubey for his lies, but actually coming back from it despite the fact he was urging everyone to kill that part of herself has actually given her more than enough reasons to hope that there are more things out there able to do the rat in and reverse the progress. The only matter now is finding them.

She can't do much about it in the short though, not like she can do when it comes to checking on her best friend. Lots has happened, and it might at least do Madoka some good to talk about it with someone, especially when that someone is a person she has known as long as Sayaka.

About 15 minutes after Madoka gets that message, Sayaka knocks at the door of the Kaname household, announcing her name and waiting to be let in. When Sayaka is allowed entry, she cordially gives her greeting before removing her shoes and walking to Madoka's room. "Hey, Madoka-chan, it's me, Sayaka", the bluenette says while knocking on her door.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka sees the text show up on her phone and she quickly grabs her phone to tap out an immediate response.

<PHONE> Madoka Kaname texts Sayaka Miki: Okay! I'll be here.

    She doesn't quite answer the question of 'how she's doing' because she's not even sure what the answer to that even is. Kyubey urging them to kill Oktavia as soon as possible gives Madoka feelings of anger that are uniquely reserved for the white cabbit. Not even Hinoiri with all of her almost psychotically selfish behavior really stirs up the same level of ire. The pinkette isn't prone to spite, but knowing what she knows now... having seen what Gretchen showed her... she can't help but feel like Kyubey has always been their enemy.

    When Sayaka enters the house, it's Madoka's dad that greets her. Lydian and Brai notice her and wave happily. Gretchen's magic can be sensed nearby but she seems to be keeping to herself in the garden.

    Shortly after Sayaka knocks, Madoka's bedroom door opens and she invites her friend inside. "Hi, Sayaka-chan. Come in. Thanks for coming by."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka doesn't just greet Madoka's dad, but also her Charas, in a way that evades Tomohisa's attention. She also whispers to Lydian to tell Gretchen hi for her, since she can't just make an unjustified trip to the garden.

When Sayaka is allowed into Madoka's room, she looks at her best friend with a judging eye, as if she wanted to unearth the innermost secrets of her being.

The first thing she does after is approach the pinkette with a hug, telling her "It's so good to be back, Madoka-chan. The last few days have been a lot", before undoing the hug after a bit. "How are you holding up?" she asks again what hasn't been answered her via phone.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka isn't sure what to make of the look that Sayaka gives her, but she gladly accepts the hug. She closes the door behind the bluenette and then goes back to her desk. She sits sideways in her chair to better look at Sayaka when talking to her.

    There are, to note, a number of empty chairs in Madoka's room. Most of them have plushies in them, but some have been cleared out for normal human use. This isn't new. Madoka's room has always been this way.

    "I'm glad to have you back, too. I wish things could have been better, but... they also could've been a lot worse." Doka looks down at the floor, and starts gripping the pleats of her skirt. There has been a lot to process lately. "Honestly... I've been pretty upset. Once Gretchen realized that she couldn't hide things from me anymore, she told me... a lot of really sad things."

    She puts her hands in her lap and looks over to Sayaka before saying, "I think... more than anything, my mind keeps coming back to Kyubey and how he acts and thinks. I can't see him as anything but our enemy."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
When Madoka sits down, the bluenette walks towards one of the unoccupied chairs, turning it around if it isn't already so she can look at Madoka. Sayaka doesn't really pay any mind to the unusual collection, it being a quite familiar sight for her.

The bluenette patiently listens to Madoka talk before replying too. "I can imagine, Ula warned me that she likely knew and so you had been told a lot still. Though, she knew we would have had a lot to talk about, so she stayed behind in order to give us space. What did Gretchen tell you?"

Sayaka sighs as Kyubey is mentioned. She never really regarded him as a friend, thanks to Madoka's own warning about the Soul Gems 'killing them' and how the white critter had pushed Sayaka away from her best friend. "He really only has gotten more despicable, the more we started knowing about him", she agrees. "I have never forgiven him for separating us with underhanded trickery, but this? This is on a whole other level."

She rotates the Soul Gem ring by a complete circle out of habit. "Being a Witch hasn't been nice, and knowing that every single Puella that has become a Witch is going through the same thing... No, he is a monster, through and through. I don't think I could give him over Grief Seeds anymore, they are our comrades. Even if I have to find another way to get around that." The memories she got from Klarissa/Oktavia are quite horrible.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka leans sideways into the back of her chair as she considers what to say, and how to say it. Sayaka deserves to know these things, especially considering what she is right now. Being reunited with Klarissa post-Witching has put her in a unique situation, one that Madoka suspects might be very precarious.

    "One of the things... that Gretchen told me..." Madoka glances away. "... well, really, what she showed me, was the ways that Puella Magi react to this knowledge. Many of them reject it outright, because it sounds too horrible to be true. Other times, when they realize the truth, they might start hunting down other Puella to prevent them from becoming Witches."

    The pink Chara Bearer starts wrapping her arms around her own stomach, as if the current subject is making her sick. "To think that people entered into this life wanting to do good, only to end up doing something like that..."

    Making eye contact with Sayaka, Madoka says, "I think we should be careful who we tell. Especially if they're a Puella Magi. I don't want people making Wishes without knowing this, but at the same time... I don't want the Puella Magi to all turn on one another, either."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka blinks as she takes in what Madoka has revealed her about the ways Puellae take the news. Not the reaction themselves, but the fact Gretchen showed her. When could she have seen such a collection of reactions? She was born recently, was she not? And Puellae are largely unaware.

"Hold on, Madoka-chan, et's take a few steps back", Sayaka says, raising her hand in a 'Stop' sign. "How can Gretchen have shown you? Where did she find enough Puellae to have various ways they take the secret available to have you look at them?"

Sayaka scowls at Madoka's reaction, not liking the clear tension Madoka is feeling. "Yes, that's just a mockery of what they signed up for. But still, it's alright, Madoka-chan. Becoming Witches isn't the end, I am the proof of it. We just need to find a way to save them. Kyubey was already wrong once", the bluenette grins at her in a comforting smile.

And Sayaka had already decided keeping this secret hidden was only sensible, as much as it revolted her playing into Kyubey's hands... paws? "Yes, you are right: even if we intend for it to be good, it can become harmful very quickly. We need to thread lightly. I don't want to think how they would react to seeing Oktavia either."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    How can Madoka explain this? Gretchen had to keep this secret all to herself, but Madoka isn't sure what to say. Is there a middle ground between being honest to Sayaka without betraying Homura?

    After a moment or two of hesitation, Madoka says, "If you really think about it, it's not that strange. Gretchen knew about Witches from the start, and she's known a lot of other things too. I'm... not really sure how to describe how she gets that knowledge..." Again, she hesitates, before saying, "What I'm about to tell you, you shouldn't tell anyone else. Keep it a secret between us. Gretchen is aware of other universes. Parallel timelines where things went differently, and very badly. In a lot of those alternate realities, I turned into a Witch. That, or Walpurgisnacht or something else killed me. It's hard to describe but... the world we're living in right now is like... I think the phrase to describe it would be 'statistical outlier'. Most of the time, I either become a Puella Magi or stay as a human. The very existence of my Chara goes against fate."

    Madoka shakes her head and says, "I've said more than I should. If anyone but you had asked me that question, I wouldn't have answered. I'm just glad that I can't become an actual Witch in this world. Being Hope Witch isn't the most pleasant experience, but I'd prefer it to the fate that Kyubey had in store for us."

    Looking up to Sayaka with a soft smile, she adds, "You're right. It's not the end of the line. If we found one miracle we should be able to find another. Maybe eventually we can help others, too."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Honestly, what Madoka tells her isn't really any more ridiculous than what they have already been living through. Machines killing you for a questionnaire? Talking animals? Eldritch pockets in space? Real mermaids? Souls can be extracted? Dark Energy on Motorcycles? Divine trees? Honestly, at that point, she could have believed any explanation.

"So how many times has this been happening exactly?", Sayaka asks, absorbing the information, especially the part where Madoka became a Witch. "I guess that explains a lot about her. So, I imagine she is sort of using the power of Witch you? I am glad you escaped being a Puella this time, but really, this magic set forth by Kyubey just doesn't want to leave you alone", Sayaka comments with a tinge of exhasperation.

And Sayaka certainly has to agree that being a Witch is a terrible experience. "Yes, being a Witch is an experience that I don't want to repeat, ever. Just 1 time was too much." She doesn't even want to begin describing it, not that Madoka would want to hear with her own experience being Hope Witch. "But hey, at least, now I got all the space I could need, and more!", she says to lighten up the atmosphere.

And really, having hope is already a good thing. Sayaka is actually trusting the future despite all the events, enough trust that she can feel she can handle anything thrown at her. "This is just the beginning of our comeback, Madoka-chan", the bluenette declares confidently.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    When Sayaka asks how many times this has happened, Madoka shakes her head. "I don't know. With the way Gretchen's memories are, everything's all jumbled up. I remember seeing at least ten different birthday parties, or were they twenty? Each one was different, and that's not even counting the timelines where I didn't have a party. If I had to guess, it'd probably be over 100 different worlds I've been shown. All of those memories were tied to my potential, and when Gretchen took that potential she also took those memories. So really... all her knowledge of Witch magic comes from me having been a Witch in other universes. Even her name comes from the name of my Witch."

    When her childhood friend tries to cheer her up, Madoka does actually smile a bit. With a laugh, she says, "Yeah, having our own little worlds has its benefits. Our own personal army too, really. As long as we don't mind the eccentricities of our Familiars." Sitting up a bit more straight, she nods and smiles at Sayaka's confidence. "I mean... nowhere to go but up, right?"

    She starts to fidget with her hands for a bit as she considers how to approach the subject, then says, "Though, I've been meaning to ask. How have you been holding up? You and Oktavia... I suppose that makes you a half-Witch now? You seem to be a lot happier, in spite of everything that happened."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
100 timelines... That certainly isn't a small number, and living through them all is just something she wouldn't wish onto anybody. "Gretchen must be amazing to be holding this well even with 100 timelines worth of misery in her mind." That certainly requires a lot of strength. "Gretchen is the name of your Witch, too? There really is no way to shake off these things. But now that we know, there is no reason for her to be the only one carrying that weight, nor you", she says resolutely.

"I guess so", Sayaka replies unsure when Madoka inquires about her state. "That's certainly a weird thing to be, but I have all of Oktavia's memories and I don't see how else I would still be capable of calling onto her and her abilities if I were still a normal Puella. Though, even if I am indeed half-Witch, I don't think that makes me any less of a human. I left that doubt behind me when I came to terms with the Soul Gem, and moreover I am still me. My personality hasn't changed any besides becoming more confident in myself. The reason I am a lot happier is that I know believe in my own value, I no longer have all of that stress that came with discovering where my soul is now, I have the certainty of how many people care for me and I have something to hope into. That's all the reason I need to be positive. You did a lot for me, Madoka-chan, and I am never forgetting it."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka considers Sayaka's praise of Gretchen. "I mean, I think Gretchen does her best with what she has. I think the reason why she kept to herself so much was because of that pain. Even now, she likes to be alone. On the bright side, now that I know the truth she's felt a lot more comfortable around me. Still..." Madoka stands up and clasps her hands behind her back, then faces Sayaka. "With our shared experience, at least we aren't alone, right?"

    The pinkette leans against her desk, facing the bluenette. "So... you have Oktavia's memories now. Does that include Klarissas? I'd assume so, since you're both reunited now."

    The news that Sayaka has left her doubts behind comes as a relief, especially considering how bad that all got. With a soft, gentle smile Madoka says, "I'm glad. That's all I wanted you to see, your own intrinsic value. I know you've always wanted to do the right thing, Sayaka-chan, and I'm glad you're starting to believe in yourself. I couldn't tell you how much I wanted to find the right words to say that would make you feel better... I'm guessing I'm not the only one who felt that way, either."

    Her smile brightens, and she tilts her head to the side causing her pink ponytails to swish for a moment. "I'm always happy to help you, Saya-chan. We're friends, after all."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
"Of course we aren't alone", Sayaka exclaims, nodding with vigour. "We made friends with all sorts of dependable people, and if she has started opening to you more, this is a sign that it's actually possible to make her feel genuinely happy, even if the road ahead may be quite long still. We have two objectives now: assemble a squad to defeat Walpurgis, and find a way to undo turning into Witches. With that done, I am sure Gretchen will feel much better."

Sayaka fixes her hairpin a bit while she replies on Madoka's next question. "Yes, that includes her memories too, and leaving aside the despondency of it all, it's actually quite weird having two sets of memories about the same events. It's quite perplexing."

When Madoka smiles, Sayaka smiles back with full intensity. "The same goes for me, Madoka-chan. You are the best friend I could ask for, and I don't want you to be alone if you need help, be it to deal with one of those off days, or to face an impossible problem as bad as Walpurgis."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    As Madoka listens to her best friend's words, a bit of her own depression starts to go away and her smile gets a bit brighter. Seeing someone who was once so incurably depressed start acting so cheerful and hopeful really shows that even when things seem really bad, there's always a hope for a brighter tomorrow.

    Also, the fact that Sayaka has been a lot more supportive of Gretchen lately has been touching. "For Walpurgisnacht... the more we bring the better. It's something that affects the whole town, so I'm sure there will be many willing to fight. As for undoing the Witches..." Madoka pauses, letting her uncertainty show for a moment. "... Honestly, before the other day, I don't remember that happening in any other timeline. Still, now that we know it can be done..."

    Scratching the back of her head, she mentions, "I guess we're both in the same boat, huh? With the jumbled up memories I mean. It'll probably take a while to sort all of that out."

    Shaking her head, Madoka says, "You're my best friend too, and I'm glad you're doing better. I know I wont be alone, and I wouldn't want you to be left alone, either. We'll get through all of this, one way or another."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka listens intently when Madoka goes over what to do for Walpurgisnacht. "When the time comes, we can totally show that Witch why these times things are different. We don't have to limit ourselves to people on our side either. Something so destructive will impact even the people at Obsidian, so even they will show up. Everyone will be there, I can bet on it."

Then she addresses her uncertainty, moving closer to take her hand. "Yes, and remember what you said earlier? This timeline is a statistical outlier, so just because it never happened doesn't mean we won't succeed."

"The fact the things that happened to us have these similarities means that we are best equipped to support each other", Sayaka muses. That was a very big silver lining to their situation.

Once Sayaka feels that cloud of bad mood hanging above Madoka begins dissolving, she nods towards the door. "How about we go on a walk? The weather is quite good, and I am sure the fresh air will be great for us both."