2223/Time Loops: Madoka and Kamiko

Time Loops: Madoka and Kamiko
Date of Scene:	10 January 2025
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	During the time loops, Madoka has caught onto Setsuna's trolling and realizes... something is up. Eventually, she figures out it's Hinoiri looping! ... Then she figures it out again, and again, and... Hinoiri eventually snaps. But, later still? She asks for help...
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Madoka Kaname
Tinyplot:	Hinoiri's Eternal Loop

---

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Mid Loops:

Hinoiri had long, long since abandoned the concept of 'school'. Yeah, it was great. But you know what was worse than doing a class you'd studied ahead for? One you'd already passed. A dozen. Times. Sure, it was sweet acing every test and knowing the answer to every question... but that was like. Tuesday for her. And going from 98% to 100% really wasn't a huge leap. Well. It wasn't to most people. And to her, today?

It had since lost all meaning. Instead, she was now flipping through books in the library, on... sand. Books about sand. Mumbling to herself as she went through them. To say she'd been... curt... today... was an understatement. She may have made one student cry and yelled at them for ALWAYS taking twenty seconds LONGER THAN NEEDED in the doorway when they waved at a friend and... yeah.

She was a tiny bit tense.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka isn't doing anything that she isn't normally doing.

    Well, actually, from the perspective of everyone but Hinoiri, what she's doing is actually kindof abnormal, but it's the same thing she's been doing in every timeloop. Conspiring with her Chara to solve magical mysteries.

    Well, okay, actually maybe that is what she does every day. Generally though there's a Witch or a youma involved, and sometimes the mystery phase is pretty short because the answer to the question of, 'why is everyone falling over suddenly?' is generally 'that magic jerk over there.'

    Today, however, Madoka is going through a list of known magical or magic-adjacent students, and that list is quickly dwindling. "Well, there aren't that many names left. Everyone is acting perfectly normal, though."

    Kamiko is hovering over her shoulder, nervously glancing around. "Uh-um... I mean, do we really need to know? I'm sure they're fine. Maybe you can ask--"

    Madoka cuts her off and points the end of her pen at the divine Chara. "You were the one who wanted to know so badly this morning. Don't tell me you're suddenly changing your mind. We already put so much work in!"

    "I know but..."

    "We have a conspiracy board, Kamiko-chan! We used so much string!"

    The tiny goddess waves her tiny arms and says, "But that was Labyrinth string! We can always replace it!"

    Madoka isn't having it. "But what about the time we spent? All the other minidokas got all excited. Besides, someone might need our help. Now let's see, who's left on our list? I think Hinoiri-chan is next."

    Kamiko, with a too wide smile, says, "I mean it probably isn't Hinoiri. She hasn't touched magic since the Sun incident, right? We can just skip her."

    "If someone without powers is having magic trouble then that's all the more reason we should worry. Besides..." Madoka turns the corner, sees Hinoiri yelling at someone for doing something the same way every single day and...

    ... and well...

    Well that looks really suspicious all things considered. Madoka looks at Kamiko, who looks a little guilty. She squints at the divine Chara and then frowns. Then, with a sigh, the Chara Bearer starts walking towards the former dark energy user who totally isn't secretly Equivalence or anything. Kamiko trails behind her, looking down and somewhat defeated.

    "Hinoiri-chan? Is something bothering you?" asks Madoka. "... more than usual I mean."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
"Oh no, I'm just peachy keen. Just stuck dealing with this world's super stupid... no. There's nothing you can help me with unless you know the super secret weakness of... sand. Or sand monsters. And I'll give you a hint, it's not kicking it OR shooting arrows at it. I bucking swear. Hey, Kamiko-chan, nice to see you."

... She didn't look up for any of that. She just... gestured vaguelly at them.

"I swear, Mino-kun, if you come in here with that bag of pretzels I am going to *make you choke on them*," she snapped as one of the students had stepped in... looked down at their pretzels... and slooooooowly inched back out of the library.

She then sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I bucking swear I bucking hate this world's lack of magic. At least back home when I ran into something nasty that tried to kill me there were some ancient ruins I could dive in or old tomes I could unearth. Here I get... nothing. Just weird science facts."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Ah yes, the typical Hinoiri response. Madoka looks at her somewhat nonplussed, reminds herself that this is a friend and she's looking for answers. Answers about sand monsters. The pinkette raises an eyebrow, looks at Kamiko who shrugs, and then back at Hinoiri.

    "Hi, Hino-chan. Have you tried water?" asks Kamiko. "Or um..." She reaches into a very lacey and pretty Labyrinth portal and pulls out a Pokemon strategy guide that's comically large for how small she is. "Oh! It says here that ground types are also weak to sand or grass. Do we know any plant magic users?"

    Madoka shrugs and says, "Do Tuxedo Mask's roses count as grass type?"

    Kamiko snaps her fingers and says, "Oh! What about flipping the hourglass around and flipping it back again? I mean no one said anything about an hourglass I'm just guessing because of sand monsters and the... like..."

    Madoka clears her throat, and squits at Kamiko further, but doesn't call her out on it. Instead she focuses on Hinoiri and says, "It just kinda seems like you're tired of doing the same things over and over again, which kinda makes me wonder if you're having time-related problems."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah, stuck in a time loop. Funny, you don't usually figure it out for like... another half hour, I think." She paused, looked at her watch... Wait, did she have a watch before today? Wait, did she steal that from someone?! Yes, she did. "Or maybe my time is off today. But no, you *Can't* help. You've tried. All you've done is get in my way. And no, water isn't going to work, it's not a bucking pokemon. I already *tried* flooding the street. Ladybug still died and I got stabbed. Quicksand, it's much worse."

"And I am so bucking tired, but you know what? I've almost got this figured out. I--" She paused before glancing at her watch and then getting to her feet before she started power walking off... As an alarm went off on it? She quickly switched it off. "Shut up, I'm already on the way, stupid alarm..." she muttered, as if she hadn't set it.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka gives Hinoiri a wide-eyed stare. Stuck in a timeloop? And Madoka doesn't usually figure it out about a half-hour from now? The Chara Bearer pauses for a moment, then starts tapping her chin. "So... it was you, and nothing we've tried so far works, and someone's going to... die." That last part is said with a tinge of sadness, but... not really surprise. It's a timeloop. Of course someone dies.

    Hinoiri goes to leave, and Madoka is about to let her, but... after a pause, the pinkette realizes something. "Hey wait. Wouldn't you get in the way? I'm pretty sure you don't have..."

    Kamiko covers Madoka's mouth with her tiny hands to shush her. Madoka sighs, then pinches her between two fingers and pulls the tiny fairy away. "Don't we have measures against this? Forgetting timelines?"

    Kamiko shrugs, "They don't work if Hinoiri is doing the looping."

    Madoka rolls her eyes and, true to her nature, decides to get in Hinoiri's way a bit. She trails after the girl, and Kamiko trails after her. After a moment, the pinkette jogs to catch up to her and says, "What if we just shove them into a Labyrinth? Or... did we try that already, too?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara took a slow, deep breath. "Three times. You have tried stuffing me in a labyrinth three times. Your benotafraids? They are oddly affectionate, but the one with the blue bow? Very susceptible to chin rubs." Pause. "At... least I hope that was a chin. Also, clean out that bag, it smells like cheese!" ... What bag?

"And no, I don't get in the way. I'm the one who remembers everything, ergo, I need to fix it. And yes, you tried to help me once, fighting it. Didn't work. It just drew more attention and then... hold on." She then grabbed a kid and pushed him... he was about to object, a moment before a basketball bounced past, hitting the wall behind him, and bouncing away harmlessly.

"Sorry!" a kid yelled from down the hall.

"And... buck it. Why not. Not like this matters anyway. I've already bucked up the earlier bit today with the daffodils. So today is likely looping anyway. I'm Equivalence. And don't kidnap me again. I don't... want to hurt your charas. Even if I have to and it doesn't stick, it doesn't feel nice."

... Well... at least... one of them. Kamiko. She doesn't want to hurt Kamiko.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "What? No I meant put the sand monsters in--. Wait, I kidnapped you?!" asks Madoka. Would she--?

    Honestly, Madoka probably would if she thought it would help. There's a very big difference between being a good girl who follows the rules and a magical girl who actually does something useful. Though now she's wondering what set of circumstances would get her to trap Hinoiri.

    Probably to question her, more likely than not. Which means...

    ... that Hinoiri is always exactly this obstinate and unhelpful and... well actually that's the least surprising thing about this whole conversation.

    "Okay, okay, I won't stuff you into a Labyrinth. And I'll clean out the ... cheese bag?" Madoka tentatively agrees, then looks at Kamiko who shrugs. No idea what she's even talking about. "I'm kinda shocked to learn that you're Equivalence, though. So... you've been active since before Gretchen became Kamiko. Am I to understand that Kami-chan knew this and didn't tell me?"

    Kamiko is facepalming, and cringing. "Hino-chan... I'm glad you're resetting today."

    Madoka says, "More important than that, it seems like you're trying to solve all of the day's problems by yourself. I don't think that's going to work as well as you want it to. Even as a time traveller, you can't be everywhere at once." After a pause she says, "What are you trying to get out of this loop? Is it just saving Ladybug? Or do you even have a choice in the matter?"

    Yes, Hinoiri already said that she can't help. Madoka doesn't believe her.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara glanced to Kamiko and nodded. "Yeah, don't worry. I wouldn't tell her if like, she was going to remember. And I'm not sure." She started walking again. "I thought stopping the witch was enough, but nope. Then I thought maybe it was figuring out fencing, but I got a few hits in. Arcade, nope. Won a race, nope. Punched a few jerks, that felt nice. Helped Amy with the witch, nope. Worked with Riventon to try and break it and, ah... ha ha ha ha ha *no*."

She shuddered at that. "Also, don't blame Kamiko. I made her promise not to tell anyone. But I have to do it. I'm the only one who can do it without getting hurt. The library isn't it, either. Emi's an idiot, but she's trying her best." She then pushed out a... door stopper, before walking on.

A few seconds later, the door opened and... "Oh, whew."

"Dude, are you okay?"

"Yeah, door caught me!"

Hinoiri just kept walking. "Ladybug's got a big sand thing and, yeah. She's... died. I became ladybug for a bit. I... don't want that. I really, really don't. But it's my responsibility. I need to find out how to save everyone. I just need to get the timing right and figure out how to stop the sand youma. I've done it a few times, but then Hawk Moth shows up... and then there was the time that Riventon tried to rewrite reality... and then there was the council of vending machine youma, don't ask. Just trust me. Don't. Ask."

"... I swear I can still see the soda when I close my eyes..."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka and Kamiko listen as they follow Hinoiri. The pinkette sees Hinoiri help someone who will likely never realize it and remembers, frankly, why this person was worth all the trouble she caused. Regardless of personality differences, Madoka likes to think that she and Hinoiri have roughly the same goals. Even if they disagree on the route.

    Poor her, though. Homura had so much trouble even trying to save one person, and had over a month to do it. Madoka can't imagine the stress that Hinoiri is going through trying to fix everything in a day.

    "I knew the vending machines were evil!" declares Kamiko. "You can't trust them. Never could! I bet they're behind everything. I bet when we find out who actually runs Obsidian, we're gonna find a vending machine!"

    Madoka awkwardly laughs. "Still holding onto that old grudge, huh? ... Honestly though, I'm surprised that rewriting reality didn't pan out. Seems like it'd work to me."

    Kamiko suggests, "Probably because Riventon was doing it."

    Madoka crosses her arms and considers out loud. "So... you've beaten them before, but that's not enough. You want a more efficient way, and all of the obvious ideas have been tried. Water just makes quicksand. Hardening the sand might just lead to fighting rock monsters. I'm guessing a really big fan wont help either. I don't suppose you have any shield magic to help protect Ladybug."

    Kamiko speaks up, "I'm surprised you have the timing down this good. You'd think the butterfly effect would make it almost impossible to keep up with all the changes."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
"It's Father Obsidian," Hinoiri said. "He's not a vending machine. Only met him once, would rather not do it again. Scary as buck. Err, who's running Obsidian. Don't get any ideas. I'm avoiding Obsidian, the first time they got involved, Riventon had to sacrifice himself to save me from them because they were going to..." She paused, looking down the hall... three... two and... She stepped out, catching a girl as she tripped and righting herself.

"O-oh, tha-- err... okay, then," the girl said, watching Hinoiri already heading off towards the next problem, checking her watch.

"No, there's so much magic in the air already. Believe it or not, while this is a big problem to me, it's likely, in the grand magical scheme of reality, not that big a deal. Besides, I'm pretty sure that 'one butterfly flap can change history' thing is a load of bunk. Sure, little things can have big consequences... but I think time tends to follow more of a 'flow' than a set pattern. But like, if I was to, say... kiss you? It likely wouldn't have that much of a change than if I was to slap you, at least not today. It might have some ripples that go off, but the variables can't alter as much, since there's not enough time. But for you, it'd likely throw off your whole day, so it really depends on how much of an effect you have on things. And trust me, you're likely not as important as you think you are."

She then knelt down with a screwdriver and... started... messing... with one of the exit doors?

"And no, I don't have shield magic. At least, I don't think I do. Equivalence... isn't... normal. It's... kind of a combination of magical things I found..."

"... and maybe one I stole..." she kind of mumbled that part. A little guilt in her voice.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Kamiko seems suspicious. "Are you sure he's not a vending machine? They can be awfully tricky."

    Madoka, somewhat mortified by what she's hearing, says, "A-ah, so you would've met him then. Well you can trust me not to turn to Obsidian for literally anything."

    Kamiko theorizes, "Hm. I'm not sure I completely agree, but maybe the butterfly effect isn't that strong over short periods of time, and some events are more variable-dependant than others." She watches Hinoiri correctly predict and prevent another problem, then says, "Either way it seems pretty irrelevant to your situation."

    Madoka starts to say something, then stops just as Hinoiri does, careful not to run into the other girl. "I mean... Something big like Walpurgisnacht was going to show up regardless of whatever we did individually, but whether a single person lives or dies can depend upon a single bad moment. Or a series of bad moments. I guess that's what you're trying to deal with."

    Kamiko shrugs and says, "Have you considered giving Ladybug a dire mysterious warning, doing a hairflip and then walking off without explaining anything?"

    Madoka frowns at Kamiko and comments, "I'm pretty sure that doesn't actually work that well, Kamiko-chan."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah... just... yeah. There are some good people in Obsidian. Believe it or not, Riventon is one of them." After a moment, the door fixed, she sighed. "Okay, that was driving me nuts for like, the last month." She pushed open the door and walked out, letting her follow her if she so wished.

"But he's also incredibly arrogant. Helps keep the dark energy in check. Stops him from snapping under it, like I did. But yeah. I learned in that loop, don't steal a time key from Pluto and *never* let Riventon have it because, in the end? I was grateful for it to loop. Holy buck."

"Yeah, the evening is the hardest. Possibly because things have ballooned out. School, though, that's pretty simple. And... I've... managed to stop Ladybug from dying."

"... I died instead, that time. But I'm... pretty sure she was okay..." She sighed. "And... some other things. Frankly, though, I'm the only person really equipped to deal with this. It's just a giant magic problem. There's a lot of variables, I just need to figure out the right complications, perfect the route, then bam. The loop has to end. Obviously, once I've protected everyone I'll be let out, right? Then I can *finally* move on with my life. I swear. Also, as an aside? I think we've had this talk like... fifteen times now? Looking forward to seeing what changes... but seriously. The hair flip thing? I'm trying to make her survive, not fall in love with me!" Hinoiri called back before suddenly running off. Welp, time to either get running or fall behind!

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Kamiko hears the 'fall in love' comment and glances towards Madoka. "Well, it worked on that front at least."

    Madoka makes a shoosh noise at her Chara, then watches as Hinoiri starts to run off. When there's enough distance she whispers, "Don't! If Homura could've helped with this she would have... And even if we don't remember this conversation, Hinoiri will!"

    Kamiko crosses her arms and sticks out her tongue, but doesn't say any more.

    Madoka pauses for a minute, and then starts sprinting after Hinoiri. She henshins with Kamiko for a moment, just so she's able to catch up to Hinoiri. Floating next to her, Hope Concept says, "Are you sure we can't help? Even in a small way? Just to make it easier to protect Ladybug? I hate to think you're doing this all on your own. A time loop like this must be pretty isolating, and dying always sucks."

    Madoka feels like she already knows what the answer is going to be, even if she doesn't really think it's the right one. At the same time, she thinks that this is something Hinoiri is going to have to learn on her own.

    "I'm guessing you don't have a pocket space that follows you between timeloops."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara eventually skidded to a stop and...

... Bought a popsickle?

Waiting and waiting and... a minute later, there was a kid who dropped theirs. Only for Hinoiri to push a new, unopened one, in their hand. Then run off.

The ironic thing is that Hinoiri wasn't being polite about this. Not explaining it to anyone. Just... a steady stream of stopping issues, fixing things where she could... but without explaining anything. Kind of being a jerk about it, even ignoring people who tried to thank her. Single minded kindness in the most jerkish manner possible.

"You can't. I've brought you before. It drew more attention, caused more problems. Then there was the time you tried to just watch, more problems. Then there was th etime you sent your little spies. More. Problems. And then I'm guessing you told one of your other friends, weird girl with black hair? She bucking shot me, by the way. Not like, very hard? But it still *hurt*. Again. More problems. And no, nothing comes with me. This would be soooo much easier if stuff did. I'd like, be able to swipe so much stuff. Okay, if I cross here, then... maybe I can cut off two minutes..." she mumbled, holding up her hands in a L and reverse L gesture.

"So, is there anything you want to do or try that you're worried about and want to know the consequences of? Now's the time. Once I break this loop, I can give you the details." Pause. "Oh, don't do the pudding thing."

That time? That time she was just screwing with her.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hope Concept, naturally, watches and frowns as Hinoiri spells out all the various ways she's messed things up. Even telling Homura turned out bad. Then again, getting her girlfriend to open up to, or even hang out with, anyone but Madoka has proven difficult. Poor girl has her own problems.

    Instead, the quasi-goddess just clasps her hands in front of her and hears Hinoiri out, and decides, for at least this timeloop, not to get in the way. She doesn't actually fully believe Hinoiri, but... she does trust her, in as far as that makes sense.

    "Okay, well..." she speaks with a voice that almost doesn't seem like a voice. Like it's telepathy or... maybe even something deeper. "If you truly think so, I'll stay out of it this time, but Hinoiri... if you do need help with something? You don't have to wait for me to figure out who's looping. You can just tell me. Or Saya-chan. I know asking for help can be hard sometimes, but we can't work as a team if we aren't on the same page."

    After a pause, she frowns and says, "Also... I know there isn't a pudding thing. You can't trick me that easily. Not when I'm like this."

    Then a portal opens wide in the sky overhead, and there's a whole thing with an eldritch choir sings pleasantly while Hope Concept ascends into her personal Paradise. It's like a pretty big ostentatious production that literally no one but probably Hinoiri (or anyone else nearby whose magical) can even see right now. Then the portal closes and Madoka is gone.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Many loops later:

It wasn't that late in the morning when suddenly... Hinoiri just TACKLED MADOKA AND SHOOK HER BY THE SHOULDERS! While sitting on her stomach and leaning over her.

"Yes, it's a time loop! No, I don't need your help! I HAVE IT UNDER CONTROL! No, I am NOT GETTING THERAPY! I HAVE ACHIEVED ENLIGHTENMENT, BUCK IT!" she yelled down at the, likely very confused, girl. Eye twitching. "And a few hundred times by now! OKAY?!"

This. This will not end well.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka drops her list of names when she finds herself accosted by a random Hinoiri. "Huh? What? How did you-- how many times have we had this conversation."

    Suddenly Homura Akemi is just right there. Where did she come from? She's pushing herself between Madoka and Hinoiri, and glaring at the... unicorn? alicorn? girl with violet eyes. "Look. I know you're going through a rough time, but don't take it out on Madoka-chan. She didn't do anything to you."

    Poor Madoka is just looking between Homura, Hinoiri, and Brai who has just showed up. The competence chara says, "Interesting. She seems to have become aware of our investigation almost as soon as it began. Could it be that we made this confrontation inevitable from the moment we made the decision?"

    Homura's cold unchanging glare is locked on Hinoiri, and her head is tilted ever so slightly to the side. She's not reaching out to pet Brai even if she kinda really wants to. She runs her hand through her silky black hair, flips it confidently, and says, "You never did strike me as the 'enlightened' type, from what Doka-chan has told me. I see you're more of a hothead. I'm guessing you had a bad loop? We can talk about it. Instead of wasting everyone's time by getting into a pointless fight."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara blinked, staring at Madoka for a few moments. Then the girl who pulled her off and--

"You. I know you. You're the girl who *shot me*, aren't you? Yes. You did. You're the shooty girl..." she said.

"Enlightenment is BULLSHIT! 'Time is merely a notion, it, like all things, is meaningless.' I spent MONTHS listening to that yoga instructor and NO! I REFUSE! I REFUSE ENLIGHTENMENT IF IT MEANS I HAVE TO BE STUCK IN THIS LOOP! I don't NEED your help, I don't need ANYONE'S HELP! I don't WANT IT! So just stay the BUCK out of my way! Understand?! Out. Of. My. Way! This goes for you, too, Kamiko! Gah... AGGHHHH!" she yelled, before storming off, eye twitching a bit...

Oh, yes, she'd been here a while.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Homura raises an eyebrow at Hinoiri's accusation, but her expression doesn't change. "Me? Shoot the girl who keeps getting into fights with the one person who means more to me than literally the rest of this planet? Why I would never."

    Madoka makes an 'eheh' noise while standing behind her girlfriend. "Homu-chan..." The pinkette really hopes that Homura doesn't get into a fight here. Fortunately it seems like the black-haired girl is content to just let Hinoiri vent.

    Kamiko, who was just down the hall, looks up from the vending machine that she was just fussing at to shout out, "Huh?! But I'm too tiny to be in the way!"

    After Hinoiri leaves, and is well out of earshot, Homura turns her back and looks over to Kamiko. "Try not to take it personal. She's going through some things." She looks down at her Soul Gem contemplatively for a moment. "I have to admit I never once tried yoga, though. Do you think it would've worked?"

    Madoka looks past Homura to where Hinoiri vanished off to, and laughs awkwardly. "... probably not."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Recovery Loop:

Many, many loops later... so many... And... As Madoka was starting to get her list together... There was a light knock on Madoka's desk and Hinoiri was standing there. Arms crossed, looking around and... "Hey. Madoka-chan? Mind if... we have a little chat? It's about... a time loop."

"... I... think I need your help. Or advice. Also, Kamiko-chan's."

Hinoiri seemed... different, somehow. Softer, in a way.

She looked nervous. Almost shy. Gentler. "We uhhh... might need to skip class, but it won't stick, I promise. But... I think you've... kind of been through this? And I think by now you've figured out what's going on, so... good time? Or bad?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka looks up with surprise as Hinoiri, of all people, approaches her.

    With such a drastic change.

    The pink Chara Bearer gulps for a moment, and gives Hinoiri a look of awkward commiseration. "Oh geeze. You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Madoka glances towards Kamiko, and then back to Hinoiri. "I haven't... exactly... but close enough. The details aren't my secret to give away... but... my link to other timelines..."

    Madoka pauses to try and figure out how to say it, and she wonders how much she has given away before, and then she clears her throat and decides not to dwell on it too much. "If we need to skip class, that's fine. If someone asks, I'll just say I had to help you because you were sick. I'm sure Meiou-sensei would... understand."

    Kamiko, sitting on Madoka's shoulder, floats higher as Madoka gets out of her chair. "It's a good time. Don't worry about it. Especially if it doesn't stick, but even if you manage to break the loop this time I'm sure I can handle it. Should we... go for a walk, or something?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah. Uhhhh... a walk sounds nice," she said, giving a small nod. She then started to walk with the other girl. As they walked...

There were moments she stopped, moments where... things happened. There were little trips, little falls. And Hinoiri stopped, watched them, but didn't interfere this time.

And none of them were serious. None of them were major. Nobody really got hurt worse than, maybe, a small bruise. But she tensed up every time.

"I've looped a lot of times, Kamiko-chan. I lost count. But... I've been fighting, a lot. Did a perfect loop, even. Saved everyone. Nobody got hurt. Nothing broke. Everything was perfect... and I'm still looping. So... I gave up. Went to Sayaka. Spent a few days hanging out with her. She taught me to surf, you know? I'm not as good as her, but... well... I'm good enough."

'Good enough'. Wasn't really something she was the best at. "Talked with Rashmi... made her angry enough she tried to strangle me. Spent a few loops trying to figure things out... still... can't. But... I tried delegating."

"... Other people took care of things. People were okay." She glanced towards a kid who tripped. Once, she'd saved him. This time? He fell, only for another kid to step over and help him up.

"... Learning to... let things go, even. Feels weird. Calmer. Better. But... it's hard, kind of. The... loop you were a part of. When... all is said and done?"

"... How do you accept that it's not all your job? That you don't have to do... everything? And... how do you not go absolutely *mad*?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka joins Hinoiri in her walk, and Kamiko floats along with them. The other Chara (and Homura) don't join them this time. They weren't invited and don't feel the need to butt in.

    The pink girl sees what Hinoiri is looking at, sees her... watching things happen. Kinda sees how... hard it is for her. Kamiko and Madoka both listen as the usually abrasive and emotionally guarded girl starts pouring out her heart, asking deep questions, and then...

    She asks about the timeloop.

    Madoka has to take a moment to consider how to answer that.

    "I... in a way I'm still in that timeloop. At any moment, I could die a horrible painful death. Some horrific creation of Obsidian or some other terror from beyond could show up and I'll rush off to face it and... wont come back. Then time will reset, back to over a year and a half ago, because there's someone who can't accept my death, no matter what."

    With flat lips and a sad expression, she says, "Honestly... I had to realize... I can't just ask the people who love me to accept that I wont be there anymore. I wouldn't be able to just move on and so... I don't have any right to expect anyone else too either."

    She pauses for a moment, and then lets out a deep sigh. Kamiko chimes in while her Bearer is considering what to say. "Hinoiri-chan... I think you're a much kinder person than you ever give yourself credit for. You keep wanting to do your best, and far be it from me to ever tell you to do otherwise, but it always feels like you don't think it's good enough."

    Madoka giggles and says, "Maybe you're letting perfect be the enemy of good." The pink girl glances towards the dorm, and then looks straight ahead. "As for avoiding going mad... I don't think you do. Practice radical acceptance, I guess? You're holding onto something that you don't want to let go of, and yet you feel it pulling away from you anyways. That's going to hurt. Sometimes all you can do is brace for it."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara listened as they walked, and well... she couldn't help looking concerned. "Really? I'm... sorry. I can understand that, though. Some people... sometimes you just can't accept things until you get undeniable proof."

"... I've... never had... that... though..." she mumbled. "People... who couldn't move on without me. I... couldn't move on without Sora, but she... never cared..." she mumbled softly. "I spent... so long trying to be perfect. Believing I had to be. I thought... I thought I was just... disappointing Sora. That I could just... do better. But it was never a matter of doing better, was it?" she asked. "The same with this loop. I told myself I had to do everything. And I got.... involved in everything. I told myself if I just fixed everything, everywhere, all at once? It'd fix everything. But it didn't. And it doesn't."

"... I reached out... and asked for help. Asked others to do it... and it has been going so much better. Everyone is okay. They're doing better than when I did it myself. I'm not... quite as stressed."

"... But... I feel... like maybe... I don't matter, then. Maybe I never did," Hinoiri mumbled, her arms tightening around herself. "I just... I want to be helpful. I want to matter. But somewhere along the way I just... I replaced 'being helpful' with 'doing everything'. I give Riventon so much crud for thoughts like that, but I'm the same way. I just... come at it from a different angle."

"... I think... I just... I think there's something I need to let go of. And... I wonder. Is this loop... related to that? Do I need to grow? Is that why... it's... just me? Because... I..." Slow, deep breath.

"I think... I was kind of right. I think... Sora... was wrong to banish me. I think Sora was wrong. I think I was wrong. I... was a foal. I was wrong to try and be perfect, beyond perfect. But I got lost and forgot that I could just be good enough. That I don't have to be perfect. That I don't..." And then, slow breath. "It's not my job... to save everyone. To fix everything. It's okay for me to ask for help. And... I think... I'm sorry. No. I know I'm sorry. For slapping you. It wasn't fair. I know... what was happening to Sayaka then wasn't your fault. And I know you were hurting too. But I couldn't see that. All I could see was that she needed you and... I'm sorry."

... And then?

Then she hugged Madoka. "I'm so... so sorry... for everything..."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka is still... processing all of this, and being self-conscious of the fact that this isn't the first time she's had to process all of this, and not wanting to let Hinoiri down with a bad answer or by seeming like she's ignoring her distress...

    Then Hinoiri apologizes... wait, what? She apologizes? Like for real? And hugging her?

    Madoka, of course, is generally up for a hug. Especially in a moment like this. So she holds Hinoiri back and says, "It's okay... I understand. I understood even back then, even if we..." sheepish laugh, "... got into a few fights. Honestly, Hinoiri-chan... I think you needed something. You always did, and you wanted it from Sora, but she could never give you that. I can't pretend that I know all the secrets of your heart or your past, but... Sora let you down. Sora failed you. And whatever it was? I think you already know that you're never going to get it."

    The pink girl pats Hinoiri on the back and pulls away slightly. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way but... I was surprised at the time that Sayaka-chan was able to give you a chance back then, honestly. I'm glad she did, and she's very good friend to have but also... well she was very judgemental at the time. I know she gave Gretchen some grief, at least at first."

    Plus, well... Sayaka never seemed to get along with Homura in other timelines. As far as Madoka knows.

    "Don't worry about the slap. I joke about it now, but... we've hit each other a few times, both in and out of henshin. I'm willing to call it even and forget all that if you are."

    With a smile, she adds, "I always found you honorable, in your own way. We have that in common, I think. Each of us could've escalated things a lot further than we did, but we always had limits. We had lines we wouldn't cross."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara pulled back after a few moments from the hug. "Yeah. I... I was kind of a mess. I think I still am, admittedly. It's still really hard and I want to do everything. But it feels... different, now? Like... I don't know. I still... I think there are still people I need to talk to. And... I'm still working on it. Trying to fix things. Find out what... I can fix. What I need to fix. Things like... that."

"... And I think... I'm starting to realize... that... there's so much I'm missing, like this. I don't think I'm over it, but I think I'm on the road to recovery. During these loops? You kept trying to help me. Despite... everything we went through? You still kept trying, reaching out. There's a lot of hands reaching out to help me... and I think... I am finally understanding... it's not because of the things I can do, or how 'perfect' I can be. It's just... me. You all want me to be... me. And... I think I can accept that. And like it..."

"As for Sayaka... well... she was... I don't get it either. I was a *terrible* girlfriend. I was going through *so much* and she was going through *so much more*. I often felt like I was her only lifeline and was trying so hard to help, but I just... couldn't. She's such a paragon of virtue sometimes. But she's softened a lot. She gave me more chances than I deserved. You all did, admittedly... but I bucked with her way too much."

She then reached out to Kamiko and smiled. "As for you... thanks. I know you've been looking out for me a lot during all of these loops. So... thanks. You won't remember this... but... I'll try and remember to tell you, later, once I'm out."

She then glanced to Madoka. "As... for your looping? I... don't know if I can help with that. But this world, these people? They're... filled with miracles. So many of them. Tell your friend... I doubt it'll work. But tell her, even when all hope seems lost... don't give up hope. These people have changed so many destinies... fixed so many... they can probably fix yours, too. If you let them."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka hears Hinoiri recount their previous interactions from many, many timelines that the pink girl doesn't remember, but... feels very in character. For herself, and also for a lot of her friends. She feels heartened to hear that, even though she isn't that surprised. Madoka feels lucky to be connected to so many kind people. People who sincerely want to help one another, and everyone else.

    "I think... you've always been a good person, on some level. Even if Sora never saw it in you, or you never saw it in yourself. You've always tried to reduce or minimize the amount of damage you did, and you didn't take for the sake of taking, or hurt for the sake of hurting."

    Well, aside from the Sunset of Sora incident, but... Madoka's intentionally ignoring that. That wasn't Hinoiri, and she's not in the mood to keep jabbing her over something that's better off left in the past.

    Madoka shrugs and says, "Don't worry about being a terrible girlfriend. Things don't always work out, and I'm glad you're still friends with her."

    Kamiko hovers nearby, with her arms crossed as she watches this. She smiles at Hinoiri and nods, saying, "We're friends, Hino-chan. I'm just glad to see you doing better now. Even if we don't remember it, we'll know who you are on the other side of it."

    Madoka smiles, and glances away for a moment. "As for the reasons for my looping... I do tell her that, as often as I can. And I'm grateful, that she's never given up on me." She giggles a little bit before saying, "It's funny... you'd think with all my potential I wouldn't need help, but... I guess that's never really true is it? None of us are really meant to stand alone."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara nodded. "Yeah. I... I think I'm starting to finally, really, get that. Nobody can handle all of it. And... thanks. For believing in me. That I can be good. That I am good. I didn't... I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just thought I had to. But... I tihnk I'm better, now."

She started towards someone, then stopped, pause, and let them run into the other person. Nobody was really hurt, she told herself. Not... her job to fix everything.

She glanced back to Madoka. "So... I understand if you don't want to tell me, but what *is* that thing about 'potential', anyway? Kyubey is always so set on it. Apparently he says mine is about worth a 'cake', but half the time he's mumbling about you, I swear. How I could do good wishing that you could still be a puella or whatever. He's like a really bad ex, but for soul stealing."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka Kaname gives Hinoiri a wide-eyed stare at the question regarding Kyubey. Then she taps her chin for a moment and says, "Um... maybe..."

    Would a real answer to such a question really help Hinoiri escape this timeloop? Maybe, or maybe not. Probably not, but...

    "If you're gonna know that... I'd prefer to remember telling you, so try asking me again once you get out of this, okay? It's..." She hesitates for a moment, then says, "It's something I don't want to talk about too much, but..."

    After a pause she says, "Then again, if I tell you now, Kyubey wont remember it."

    Madoka looks around, at the world and timeline that she'll soon forget, and considers what to say that could actually potentially be useful, but... "I've always wondered what happened to the timelines that I died in, the ones that got reset. Were they erased and replaced by this one? Or do they still... exist somewhere? Is there a world out there where my Witch choked out the world, only to be destroyed by some other unknowable apocalypse? Are there places where Walpurgisnacht turned Mitakihara into a ruin and moved on, undefeated? Is there a place where Beryl won, or some other villain? Is there a world where some other me is trapped inside a Precure Graveyard?"

    After a pause, she says, "I hope not, but I don't know for sure. All I do know... is... Hinoiri-chan? Even if you think time is being completely reset... at least in my case..." She glances back towards her friend, who has changed so much in, from Madoka's perspective, such little time. "... there are always consequences. After effects. A price to pay. Equal and opposite reactions."

    She glances towards Kamiko, and cups the small Chara in her hands. "My potential... is the direct result of my timeloop situation. All of those timelines, those resets, are tied to me. That's why. If I had become a Puella Magi, I would have become a very powerful Witch, strong enough to destroy the world. I would have produced a lot of energy, and Kyubey would've harvested that... and likely have found no further use for our world."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod, expecting to hear nothing... but then... well... Madoka went into it. She let out a low, soft whistle. Crossing her arms, she leaned against the wall. "That... that's heavy," she said softly. "And... yeah. I... wouldn't want to let that little rat weasel know either. You never know when he's listening. I half expect him to be hiding in these lockers somedays."

"... That's... very heavy." Slow, deep breath. "You shouldn't have to bear that alone. When this is over? I'll... let you know you told me. Okay? So... you won't be alone. Kind of funny, though. I guess... this is a timeloop, within a timeloop. That's gotta be unique," she said, before smiling up at her.

"You've helped, though. Madoka. You've helped a lot. So... thank you. And uhhh... one last thing..."

"You're going to keep trying to help, but you have. Is... there something I can like... text you? In the morning? So you don't spend all day trying to figure me out? I mean, unless you're having fun with it?"

"... Apparently you all had a big murderboard at some point? You and your little minidokas really, really get into it."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "If there's anything I've learned," says Madoka, "it's that you're never the only time traveller. What gets really confusing is showing up in a new timeloop only to find out that things have changed that really shouldn't have. That's when you know that someone else is looping, too. Or maybe someone else made a Wish that changed the past, but you don't remember because it wasn't your power that reset things."

    Madoka Kaname shrugs, and says, "It doesn't hurt when the school nurse is being a troll about it."

    Kamiko speaks up and says, "Wait a minute! I haven't even told anyone about the board yet. I was gonna set it up in my Paradise! -- oh. Oh right. Guess that means everyone went along with it."

    Madoka taps her chin thoughtfully for a moment, then says. "Just tell me... You're the one looping, you don't have time to talk, and if you need help you'll tell me. I think that will be enough to get me off your case. Even if I wont remember how much you've changed."

    She clasps her hands behind her back and leans forward for a moment, tilting her head and smiling. "Even if you haven't found your answer yet, I'm glad you're doing better. I'm sure it will be okay! No matter what, don't give up hope Hinoiri-chan. We're rooting for you. Even if we don't remember."