848/Inner Conflict: Glass Eye

Inner Conflict: Glass Eye
Date of Scene:	05 December 2023
Location:	Juuban Ward
Synopsis:	CW: Doll Horror, Doll Body Horror, Dark Themes, Doll Death Galatea and Mr. White go on an adventure to see where dolls come from!
Cast of Characters:	Pyrite, Sayaka Miki, Amanda Faust, Mamoru Chiba
Tinyplot:	Inner Conflict

---

Pyrite has posed:
    There was an incident with a doll shop before.
    This isn't the same doll shop.
    But there's still what looks like an arts and crafts nightmare smashing its way through the glass display window, while a giant wicker beast of some kind reaches its long, branch-like arms inside to scoop up the dolls there.
    It's the sort of thing one notices. Or pretends not to notice, while heading in the opposite direction.
    Just another day in Juuban.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka is going around on patrol, as usual. The Puella Magi Sharpsong is accompanied by Ula, the tiny mermaid acting as a doll herself by staying put in Sayaka's embrace, with a little contribution from the Veil. The bluenette is holding onto her with her left hand,while her right hand is the place on which her Soul Gem rests, the azure stone only giving small signs of magical activity.

The duo's attention is attracted by the sound of broken glass, the doll shop victim of two magical creatures that make Sayaka's Soul Gem shine much brighter. "Found some", the bluenette whispers just as Ula rises off of her hand. "Go beat it up, and be careful!" comes her admonishment. With a nod, the Sharpsong Puella is ready to fight, sword in hand.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    This is life now. You're just out for a walk, and oh look, a wicker beast is smashing up a doll shop. What the hell. Amy ducks into an alley to change, and approaches. "Hey, I don't suppose you can talk? Or like, is your master here? What even is the point of this," She makes a sweeping gesture with her hand, "Nobody's energy is even being drained!"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Well it's not mine," says Hematite from more or less behind Amy. He's maybe five feet away. "Maybe I'll drain its energy. Hear that, Himeko? Who's around to stop me from doing really stupid things now?"

He sounds somewhat cranky for someone who apparently wasn't here a moment ago, and what he says isn't fair at all to the other people who usually stop him from doing really stupid things, but as mentioned, he sounds cranky.

Pyrite has posed:
    The arts and crafts nightmare turns when called out to, and it looks... Disturbingly familiar. Like an anatomical dummy, with parts missing to show the muscle and organs and such underneath, but it's a doll, and with bones of alabaster, and organs made of fabric all stitched together in different colors and patterns... You can imagine how bizarre it looks. But the familiar part is this: The long black wig it is wearing, and the fact that, even only partially complete, it looks a lot like Himeko Soryuu.
    The wicker beast pays no mind, simply keeping its haul of dolls in its arms, and waiting for further instructions. Very belatedly, it looks around with some kind of wooden deer-skull-like head or something, as if confused by the sudden realization it's robbing a doll store.
    The Himeko Doll doesn't speak. Whether she can't, or is choosing not to, she just smashes down the front door with surprising strength, and goes inside. Oh, and she didn't have any eyes yet. Just empty sockets, more like a mask than a proper face.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy *jumps when someone's behind her-- oh, it's Hematite. And he's offering to help! ...For all that this guy is allegedly a villain, he sure does seem to be helping a lot. "You can do that? You can drain its energy?" She glances over him. "You look pretty good for someone who got hit by a pile of cars a few days ago. We all heal faster than civilians, huh?

    She looks back to the monster, and now gets a good look at the thing with it.

    The thing that looks kinda like Himeko.

    "Uhhhhhhhhh..." Amy glances back at Hematite. "Is this why you asked me not to help make her a body? Because I did |not| help with this. What do we... do with it? What's controlling it, for that matter, if not her?"

    Sure, it's smashing up a doll store, but are any people being hurt? Well, besides te destruction of the doll-store owner's livelihood. Hopefully it's insured. "Hey, if there's any people in there, run out the back or whatever!" She calls out. "Or call out if you need help."

    She looks at the Himeko doll, and winces at its creepiness. Still, in this case, something in her brain is able to twist and hold the uncanny valley back, for now. "Who are you? What are you? Do you think you're going to make a good body for Himeko out of |doll parts|? She's gonna look freaky, and it turns out that's *not* good for the human psyche. You'd need to make her an actual human body-- wait, shit" Amy realizes this is probably not someone or something she should be giving advice to...

Sayaka Miki has posed:
The doll feels somewhat familiar to Sayaka, like she saw it once in the distance or something, but she can't quite put her finger on the circumstances. The inherent creepiness of having empty eye sockets don't exactly lend themselves to recalling the situation. Well, it will come to her to her eventually.

Swords materialise in the air and they land against the ground with force, forming a ring around the Himeko doll. That will stop her from proceeding forward, no? Ehhh.

"Red-san", is Ula's response at seeing Amy come up, while Sayaka waves and says "Hi, Red-senpai." The former adds "Is the tall man your friend?" before talking to Hematite directly "Doing things you know are stupid is lame. I would know, sadly." That response gets an annoyed glare from Sayaka. "They weren't stupid, and they always worked as I intended."

"Making a body? What's this about making a body?" the bluenette asks Amy.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Yeah don't give her any ideas. Himeko's mom, who turned into a youkai, is trying to build her a body so she can become goddess of the dead but not in a good way. Yes I can drain energy. I am a Dark General. I'm only helping with witches and stuff involving my sister," he lies irritably, and then he steps around Amy -- and then around Sayaka. He eyes Ula. "I'm Sailor Moon's friend. Everyone else is on notice."

Then he moves until he's got a good eye on where the doll currently is, and he starts trying to directly drain it of energy. Any and all energy, death, dark, stolen life, anything it's got he tries to take. "Sometimes stupid things are all that's left. Sometimes they're fun."

Pyrite has posed:
    The doll seems strong, for all its incompleteness. It folds the door in half as it pushes ahead, but pauses when swords slam into the pavement and doorway, halting its progress. The Doll turns all the way around, as people continue to speak to it, though it's unclear if the mouth can even move. It's... Whatever dolls are made out of. Plaster? Ceramic?
    The face, that is. The rest if a mish-mash.
    Well, even if she can't speak, it appears she can scream. When Hematite tries to drain energy from the Doll, it *SCREAMS BLOODY MURDER* in Himeko's voice, like she's actually being torn apart by wild dogs or something. It's at least as awful as a dying Witch, and perhaps more so for knowing it's the voice of a real little girl.
    The wicker beast drops the armloads of dolls and charges Hematite, swinging its big wooden arms wildly, without finesse or articulation, just trying to stop him.
    Hematite got something from the Doll, but what it is exactly is unclear. A sort of... Proto-life? A magic that could one day become life? It's...
    A story.
    A story and a name.
    Galatea In Hell. A seinen manga series, that a mangaka created under the influence of Mariko Soryuu. Using Himeko's earnest wishes and attempts to visit people's dreams to speak with them about helping her, her innocent travels become a way to spread Dark Energy and nightmares to people. Like the butcher. And the architect. And the doctor.
    The Doll's name is Galatea, and she is the thing that Himeko's mother was creating a living story for, to allow it to live as a puppet girl in the real world, seeking a way to become truly alive... A close enough parallel to Himeko's own tale that perhaps the two would wind up merging.
    That knowledge is obtained, as well as the twisted dream of a artificially-made daughter thrust into a world she doesn't belong in without any context, who is on the run from those who would see her destroyed after murdering her creator for his own monstrous behavior towards her -- the true reason he made her was...
    Well, it doesn't bear further inspection. The knowledge is there.
    And this... Almost-Himeko, Galatea, is the walking, screaming, psuedo-living proof that the yuki-onna behind all this can actually succeed. Her plans works. It isn't just the insanity of a ghost-turned-youkai.
    But whether the thing she creates would in any way truly be Himeko Soryuu...
    It's doubtful.
    She might not care anymore though.
    Hematite drains a summary of a living story out of the doll, and it looks weakened by it. But now there's that skinwalker-looking monster coming at him and Sharpsong. And that's a problem.
    The people inside the store call out in response to Amy. They are evacuating out the back, as suggested. No one is injured, thankfully.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods towards Hematite as he answers Sayaka's question about making a body in much more detail than Amy knew. "Himeko's mom?"

    The doll folds a door in half. "How is it that strong?! Magic?" And then it

                                 S C R E A M S                                  

    Amy stumbles back and covers her ears, but then sees the wicker beast going for Hematite. "Nope!" The rocket launcher is on her shoulder and fired as soon as it appears, Amy holding up her cloak with her left hand as if that will somehow protect her from the blast. Magically, it does!

    If that doesn't stop it, she jukes to the side to let Hematite block it and circles around with a gyrojet rifle to try and pelt it from the side without hitting Hematite.

    Oh, there ARE people in the store. Great. "Good! Just keep going, we'll keep them busy!" she shouts back.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
"Sailor Moon's friend? What happened to being her boyfriend?" Sayaka pointedly talks to Hematite. The comment about helping with Witches doesn't make her any more favourable to him.

"I have seen how your kind "helps" with Witches, by fighting us over Grief Seeds despite not actually having any need for them", the bluenette comments, staring up at him right in his eyes.

Ula comes up to Hematite and asks "Can we calm Himeko's mum down and help her realise these things don't work. And maybe help her find another way?"

When the skinwalker approaches, Sayaka materialises a greatsword and tries to strike it with the flat of the blade, putting enough force in it to send it flying if it actually connects.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The stolen story is kept between Hematite's teeth -- in his grimace at the horror of the story, at the sound of Himeko screaming... but he knows where she is. He knows where she is. And that's not here. This may be something else, something with sapient yarn for a brain, but it's an incomplete construct, it's not whole--

--and the wicker beast is coming at him and Sayaka now. Amy very helpfully shoots it, and Hematite yanks his cape up to shield him from the rocket hitting the wicker beast basically in front of him (and his cape is also armor!) (cape-tanking, sport of the future)--

--and if it's still coming at him he throws a dark energy blast in its face.

And then grimly, he lifts both hands to drain Galatea-- but doesn't, yet. That scream unnerved him despite knowing where Himeko really is, and partly because he knows that this thing is almost an innocent. It's almost alive. "Her mother. Her mother is a yuki-onna. She died centuries ago. This creature is-- is--"

He stares at Sayaka in disbelief. "'My kind'? How much fucking fighting over a grief seed did I do with the last one? Literally zero. 'My kind'. Sounds like a you problem, Blue Oni. And if you're not friends with whoever you're dating, that's an even bigger problem, isn't it?"

He shakes his head firmly, scowling, and redoubles his efforts in taking energy from Galatea. Two-handed now! And he tells Ula, "There's no calming down a monster who shoved her daughter into hell to try and make her a goddess and is still trying."

Pyrite has posed:
    The wickerbeast is blasted by the rocket(s). Fire rushes through it following the explosions, toppling it to hits twig-like hands and knot-wood knees. It looks even more intimidating on fire, with its 'ribcage' (made with parts from a rocking chair or something? because of the curved wood?) blown open and its hat-rack spine twisting in the flames. But it is also unable to really move in that moment except to be smashed away by Sayaka's greatsword. It lands in a heap down the street, still burning, but not moving anymore.
    Hopefully, that's the end of that.
    Hematite tears more of a living story out of Galatea, and it's her turn to fall to her knees, arms wrapped around herself. She SCREAMS again, and bleeds tears of some sort of tar-like substance out of her empty eye sockets, sizzling and popping caustically in reaction to the air.
    Galatea met a friend in the woods she tried to hide in. Another monster, like her, made by someone who thought themself qualified to create life from unlife. He was called Mr. White, even though his wooden bones were black, because he really wanted to become white one day, like bones. A step closer to being truly 'alive' in his mind, even if it all it would do was make him look like a skeleton.
    Then they traveled together, searching for a place called OZ, where they heard there were people trying to grow flesh with very small machines... But OZ turned out to be very far away.
    Then, a Wizard appeared before them. A man in a suit, and cape, and a cane with a golden skull on top, and he said his name was The Devil, and he would make a deal.
    If Galatea did what he said, she'd get the body she wanted. But other souls who wanted bodies had escaped from a place called Hell, and there was only one body available between all of them.
    So Galatea would have to send these other souls back, knowing it meant they would suffer for eternity, and never know what it was like to live again, but if she succeeded then she would have what she wanted and Mr. White too!
    And--
    The story is far more detailed than this fast-paced progression of events. Like this, it just sounds like a fable. A twisted one, but didn't they all start that way? There's no mistaking the red-skinned man in the suit and cape as anyone other than Hematite himself, even if artistic liberties were taken, clearly. A stereotypical devil face, with horns, and fangs, and yellow eyes, for example. And the red skin, that too.
    Who else was being integrated into this story to make it whole?
    The Witch of the Moon, the Doll Hoarder, the Priestess With Many Mouths, a builder of a tower called Babylon, and the son who would bring it to ruin with his meddling, and on and on. Everyone who was in the Doll House that Wako purified, even if their dolls weren't finished yet.
    But Galatea is starting to wobble, and falls over onto the sidewalk. There's more. More story. A weaving of a future desired by a dead mother for her dead daughter. Parallels but twisted ones of actual reality.
    An alternative ending to becoming a real girl, like the real Himeko wants.
    Galatea's reward is to gain Mr. Devil's body, and become ruler of Hell herself, so she can pardon those who suffer and punish those who wronged her. And Mr. White was supposed to be with her until the end, but Shiro didn't stay with Himeko. The cat left her behind, and the story is diverging too much, even as it tries to stitch itself into Hematite's mind, into his OWN story.
    Galatea was created as an abomination, without any choice in the matter.
    She may need to die the same way.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
"Blue oni?" Sayaka repeats. "Is that your attempt at an insult because we are dealing with a Youkai? It's just about as effective as trying to play a violin despite having never tuned it before."

"Sorry, it's not a good look on her, I know," Ula intervenes, "but this is not a great period for her and she is still mad at you for the Hinoiri deal."

A deep irritated sigh comes out of Sayaka's mouth. "I don't need an interpreter, Ula", she looks at her friend, "and of course I am still mad at him for assaulting someone I care about. And for your information", Sayaka irritably turns to Hematite, "it's already implicit that a boyfriend would have a good relationship with his girlfriend. Unless you are implying we need to check how Moon is faring."

"Should I mention she got also deeply charred by one of La Crima's attacks?" Ula says nervously trying to grab anything that could avoid this turn for the worst. She also gives a pleading look to Amy for what's worth.

Meanwhile, Sayaka looks at the Himeko doll and approaches it, sword in hand, to decapitate it.

Of course, Sayaka's mood was also be better with more than minimal sleep and more importantly if her Soul Gem weren't currently half-dark, but who knows if anybody is paying attention to that.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Sa--Sharpsong, please. We don't know that he had anything to do with what happened at the TV store. Don't fight with people you don't have to!"

    The Wickerbeast goes down, and Himeko-doll is left. "If it's not Himeko's body yet... then what's inside it now? Or... controlling it?"

    Story spills out.

    Galatea just wanted to be a real girl and live as a human. She could barely even imagine what that life is, so unattainable was even the base requirement.

    Mood.

    And she might not even get that. As ruler of hell, she can help those who suffer, but will never get to have that normal life.

    Mood too, kinda.

    "Guh... a golem-lord making dolls serve me? I've seen better doll stories on Tweeter. I just wanted to help him find his sister!" Amy points, then lowers her arm. "Although, I guess I once woulda thought that was a better idea."

    Amy levels her weapon at the doll, then lowers it and shakes her head. "...Is that the only end, for her? Even if she was created by Himeko's mom... so was Himeko, kinda. Is it... can it really be right to just kill her? Is there no hope for a better existence?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
That's what living is like, isn't it? You're born without asking for it, and most people eventually die that way too. Some people accept it. Some people hurry it along. Most don't.

"I don't even know what she's talking about," Hematite snaps at Ula. "This is a bad time!"

As if to underline that, the drag of energy-- of living story-- turns into another tale spun, another web cast over him, and it suffocates, and there is so much more going on here than Sayaka's personal problems that it's astonishing she has the time to even think about them, with a monster doll in front of her like this.

He would resolve to ignore her, but can't help it either way -- the story is filling his head. But: "This is nonsense, this story is nonsense," he says breathlessly, pushing himself closer, taking a shaky step. "She can only steal, she can't live without stealing someone else's life... I'm sorry, but she has to be stopped!"

Pyrite has posed:
    Galatea looks up from where she lies on the ground. Made, given a life, and a purpose, and when she chose to think for herself, she was labeled a monster. A horror that only mimics another girl in the loosest of ways.
    Story, story, spilling out, like the yarn that flows like blood, spooling and covering the ground. She looks upon her executioner, and finally speaks.
    It's still Himeko's voice, but strained, broken. Like it was lifted off a record of things to say.
    "I... Want... To... Live... No... Matter... What. So... You... Will... Kill... Me... For... My... Wish." The mask is beginning to fall off as whatever that caustic substance is eats away at the Doll internally. It's... Dark Energy. Liquefied, and mixed with... Who knows what.
    "And... You... All... Think... I'M... The... Monster?" she says accusatorily as the rest of her face falls off, to reveal the corroded steel understructure.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I recognise you," Hematite says, stepping forward further, closer, until he's close enough to crouch down in front of Galatea, next to Sayaka. "You're not my sister, and your wish would have meant my losing her. The 'no matter what' is the problem. I'm sorry for you."

He stands and steps back away; he'll do her the dignity of not turning away as she dies, but he won't do anything else. Not when her story is still trying to eat him from the inside out. There's a thread he can follow, attenuated and thin and plagued by Zeno's paradox, but he won't right now -- in case this story infects her, too.

"To hell with that yuki-onna," he mutters.

Amanda Faust has posed:
> I'm sorry, but she has to be stopped!
    "...You said you're a bad guy, right? Just how sure are-- NO!"

    Amy fires an explosion backwards and leaps forward, to interpose herself between Sayaka and the doll, spreading her arms out in a protective gesture. "Maybe it sounds ridiculous. Maybe it sounds hopeless. But I'm a Magical Girl now. I got a wish, and I've seen more impossible things happen in the past few months... heck, I guess I had a *bunch* of wishes come true, for good or ill."

    She clenches a fist as she looks between Sayaka and Hematite. "What, because of an accident of birth she's doomed? What if it was you, or someone you cared about! If Himeko's mom made her, isn't she kinda Himeko's sister?"

    She glares at them. "If it was me... the thought that there'd be no one... that no one would have hope for me... is too sad. I'm a hero" ([yuusha]) "now. That doesn't just mean helping people when it's convenient!" She clenches her other fist. "That means helping the helpless!"

    She glances back, copy-Himeko's monologue parallel to her own points.

    "...Especially those others won't even give the chance to consider as 'people.'"

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka just ignores the speeches the other two make at the doll. She just stares at Amy and says "Look at it, do you think it really should stay alive?" It was in a pretty bad state.

A quick, clean slash later from a sword appearing next to the doll, and its head is no longer attached to its own body.

Pyrite has posed:
    The head detaches, yarn melting in the viscous black Dark Energy fluid, that is leaking out of some central chamber in the incomplete torso. It's all melting, dissolving, disappearing. Like she never even existed. The wig of long, straight black hair is the last thing to burn away. The flaming pile of wood down the street has, contrary to horror movie rules, not gotten back up for a last battle. Mr. White is dead too.
    Property damage, emotional damage, a story incomplete that still wants to be told... But with no vessel, it will have to remain how it is. Galatea's journey ends here, at least for now.
    Perhaps another teller might pick up the sad, painful tale.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy turns around when told 'look at it' just in time to see the sword cut through it and realize what happened. She feels unsteady on her feet, and hangs her head. "I'm sorry."

    She lifts her head just enough to glance at Sayaka and Hematite, and then walks off, slowly. "I'm all talk... some magical girl I am... if I want to help the people who need it most... what can I even do...?"