View source for 2158/The Cybody, the Witch, and the Cat Cafe

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2024/12/11
|Location=Cafe BAKE Neko
|Synopsis=Takuto and Amy and Sugata and Tauburn and Samekh talk about Cybodies and Witches in the cat cafe.
|Cast of Characters=37,107,197
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>Takuto definitely contacted Amy, texting something like:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Takuto TXT: hey do you want to talk about<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Takuto TXT: robots and witches??<br><br>And then scheduling led to this time and this place, and in this time and this place Takuto is alone without the other two members of the Trio. Alone with cats.<br><br>He's waiting for Amy with two cats on him, one on his lap and one on his shoulders, and he's petting the one on his lap and ignoring his cooling matcha latte. His floof of spiky red hair is every which way, and he's wearing a Star Driver varsity jacket over a long-sleeved striped shirt and jeans, and his feet are in big kicky white sneakers.<br><br>"Cat, I am a kitty cat," he's murmuring in English, "and I dance dance dance and I dance dance dance..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amanda TXT: That sounds like an anime I would have watched years ago.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amanda TXT: That sounds like an anime I would watch *now*.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Takuto can tell when Amy has arrived by the ''GASP'' and high-pitched squeeeee and Amy asking any employees if she can really just pet the kitties, and her approaching the nearest cat, doing the slow eye-blink, then reaching down to pet them and saying, in wonder, "Soooo soooooffffft..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It might be a moment before she remembers what she's here for.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eventually she approaches Takuto, smiling with the happiness of being surrounded by so many pettable and hopefuly maybe even cuddleable kitties, she's wearing an oversized winter coat over a red T-shirt and her uniform skirt, with a worn pair of white sneakers with red treads and accents.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"How have I never been to one of these? This is amazing! How did you get them to sit in your lap?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>"I've seen them before," says Takuto, looking up from lapcat to grin at Amy, "but never went inside one. I know Wako-chan would love it, but I'm not sure if Sugata-kun is a cat person. It's funny the things you don't know when you think you know so much about someone..."<br><br>He shakes his head and smiles, then carefully moves-- slowly-- to gesture at the cats. "Sit down and one will inevitably decide that you're a likely lap. Or I can put mine in your lap and just scritch the one on my shoulders. She's heavy! Oh, do you want to get something to eat or drink first?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy gasps a little at the suggestion of just putting the cat right in her lap, looking at the cat in question with puppy dog eyes.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Uhhh... just water is fine. Or iced tea and sweetener, if they have it." She makes a mental note to suggest adding sweet tea to the menu later. "I don't think it's a good idea to eat food and play with cats at the same time, won't they just keep trying to eat it?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>There's still too much motion for the cat on Takuto's shoulders to be entirely pleased with him, plus he said she was heavy, so she drops down with an elephantlike thud and Takuto straightens up a little. "I was getting a crick in my neck," he confesses, and then leans over and places his lapcat on Amy's lap.<br><br>The cat is so droopy and comfortable she is indeed like pudding on Amy's lap. And Amy is ''warm''. The cat, a mostly black one with white and grey pattern spots along her back and on one side of her head, starts to purr.<br><br>Takuto gets up, intending to get Amy's tea, then grins. "I don't know what kind of magic they do. Probably it's fosters deliberately picked for the cafe that are only interested in meat or cat food. They're almost all adoptable, there are mugshots up front of the cats that aren't."<br><br>It's not long before he comes back with Amy's iced tea and a spoon and some packets of sugar. He puts them in front of Amy then swings himself back into his chair, and sips his latte before talking.<br><br>"So do you want to tell me whaaaat the helllll we were dealing with the other day first, or do you want me to talk about cybodies first?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy already took off her gloves and pocketed them, and now she takes off her bag and pulls her arms out of the jacket as the cat is relocated to her lap.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kitty... and then it purrs! "Awwwww!" She immediately starts petting the cat. "So sofft. You're so soft. How are you all so soft?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Takuto returns with food and questions.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She lifts her gaze back to him. "Witches are... well, ''that''. Horrible monsters that make nonmagical humans suicidal, and feed off their deaths. They surround themselves with Labyrinths, a world reflective of themselves, I suppose, inhabited by Familiars, like those teeth monsters. ...I don't know if the hands were Familiars, or just part of the background."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks down at the cat sadly as she continues petting it, stroking its fur gently. "They are what Puella Magi promise to fight... and the grief seeds they drop are the only way to replenish our magic."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She pauses her infodump to give a chance for questions. And to just take in the pleasant sensation of petting the cat to offset the dire subject matter. She mutters, "I swear they're softer than I remember... Bonito, too... So soft..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>Takuto smiles into his latte at Amy's reaction to the cats, tilting his head a little when he looks up and puts the cup down. "They are ''really'' soft," he agrees, still smiling.<br><br>Amy will probably catch the tail end of that smile when she looks up to answer, and he gets serious for business-- that smile gives him the radiance of a sunset instead of the stars, for just a moment.<br><br>"Those guys didn't seem like they wanted to suicide," he finally says with a little frown, "but... it was probably an outlier, then. And we entered its labyrinth when we went in that building? And the grief seed's that diamond-looking thing you and the other red girl were doing RPS for as I was leaving?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They didn't seem like they wanted to kill themselves... Amy nods at the comment about an outlier. "Witches are all different, like Puella Magi." She shakes her head. "We never made it into the building. We entered the closed space of her Labyrinth when we went through the door... usually the entrance is just sort of floating in space, a wavy distortion if you look ''really'' close; this time it happened to coincide with the doorway. ...Perhaps part of the Witch's feeding tactic."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beat.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy looks thoughtful. "...I guess, since it wanted to eat people... that's why it encouraged people to enter its Labyrinth, instead of simply killing themselves."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She pulls a grief seed from her bag and holds it out for him to look at. "Yeah. These things. We didn't janken for it -- I already had this one, so I recovered what magic I spent in the fight from the other one and let her take the rest of it. That seemed like a reasonable offer -- I would rather have shared things more equitably, and she needed it more, but... whatever unconscious heuristics I use to judge social situations game me the feeling that she would not want to feel pitied."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>"You're way better at those heuristics than you were last year," Takuto says thoughtfully. A beat. "I mean that as a compliment but I think maybe it came out shitty, sorry."<br><br>There's him leaning to see the grief seed a little better, and then nodding and sitting back. "If I wander in to one by accident, as long as I can henshin and kill it I should be okay, right?"<br><br>He sounds like he's trying to convince himself.<br><br>"Do you have to watch people die all the time?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy blinks, surprised. "I took it as intended. I'm surprised there was some noticeable change, though."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He can kill a Witch, right? She nods. "Probably, but you never know. The first Witch I fought filled its arena with water and if we hadn't had people with water to counter that..." Amy shakes her head. "And you saw how Walpurgisnacht had that forcefield. They're usually not ''that'' tough, but..." She shrugs and shakes her head. "I can't promise they won't have some weird gimmick. ...Once I saw one that just sat in her cage and barely resisted us killing her, though."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She blinks at Takuto. "Usually not." More softly, she mutters, "I guess the Witches are already dead..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>There's a little untensing of the varsity-jacketed boy's shoulders and he smiles lopsidedly. "Good. And there was! Specifically, you're better at reading the room and not getting distracted at the wrong times," he says.<br><br>Then Takuto puts his elbows on the table and rests his pointy chin on one hand. He listens and takes in the further information: "So they're just potentially deadly but the potential is high, huh."<br><br>He pauses and also lowers his voice a little. "What do you mean by already dead? And-- you're talking about them like they're people, a tiny bit. Not like youmas."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>BGM: Signum Malum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkUEy1jctZc<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy gives him a slightly haunted look, thinks for a moment, and sighs softly. "Are you sure you want to know? It might make you feel bad for them, even if they're monsters now."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks down at the cat. "Remembering them is our burden, and Madoka's. It doesn't have to be yours."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>"They ''were'' people, huh," Takuto puts together, falling quiet. "I think-- don't tell me any more. Because they're killing people, and can't be reasoned with, and we ''have'' to kill them if we run into them."<br><br>He sinks in his chair a little, and lets one hand hang towards the floor until another cat comes slinking over to investigate his hand. Scritch scritch scritch.<br><br>"I might ask someday, though. I think I'm still-- I mean I'm still having nightmares about that guy it ate," he says sheepishly, his other hand coming up to scratch at the back of his neck. "In some ways I guess the three of us are pretty sheltered, since before coming to Tokyo, we ''only'' dealt with Cybodies."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy is slightly surprised he actually ''does'' choose not to know. "''Were'' is important." She agrees. "Consider it bringing them peace."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She'll leave it at that, then.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...I've never been the sort for nightmares about monsters. I don't know why. It was always that I'd done something horrible, like accidentally killed someone, and I was too scared to take responsibility. Or I'm lost in some endless maze version of a normal building and can't find where I'm going. Or I'm back in high school--"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She gives a short laugh at that, and then holds her hand to her face as she ''cackles'', startling the cat from her lap.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I guess dreams do come true! But... it's not a nightmare, in real life. Radiant Heart has been ''wonderful.''" She smiles, earnestly.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I mean, I guess I ''still'' have high school nightmares, but it's the 'oh no I somehow didn't have a chance to get dressed before class' kind, or the 'I have a final exam in a subject I don't even remember taking' one. Fighting monsters... is mostly like how it is in real life. Maybe a little less scary, usually. Sometimes it's scary, but I'm not plagued by nightmares, I'd say..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She suddenly has a more serious look on her face. "...I have ''no idea'' what's normal. What other magical folk dream about. Is nightmares about monsters... a common thing?" She starts thinking about this.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>Takuto nods to 'bringing them peace', and he looks unhappy but accepting as he scritches the cat that had come up to him, and he sits up and drinks some more of his latte as Amy talks about nightmares, listening, gradually looking less unhappy.<br><br>Then he just looks confused. "''Back'' in high school--?" he asks, sort of trailing off, and then Amy's still talking, so Takuto just keeps trying to follow what she's saying. Finally, "I've fought some pretty gross youma, and some scary ones -- I ''don't'' like skeletons outside of bodies or the ground eating you -- but I've never had nightmares like after the Witch."<br><br>He pauses, then tilts his head. "But -- didn't you want to know more about Cybodies? Tauburn wants to show off."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''Back'' in high school--? And there is a flicker of... not quite 'oops', more that she didn't think about how it sounds and the additional explanation required, across Amy's face--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy shivers. "Okay, skeletons and the ground eating you sound ''awful.'' And skeletons ''are'' awful. Paris ''sucked''."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...I guess I'd survive being buried alive, now, but... getting out might be a problem." She makes a face. "...Damn, that's ''worse''. Being trapped until my magic runs out..." She shivers.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Um, uh... yeah, what are Cybodies? Tauburn? What?" Amy looks around at the cats nearby, in case Tauburn is a cat that's about to start talking.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:197|Sugata Shindo (197)}} has posed:'''<br>Just as Amy is asking about Cybodies - and conveniently after that conversation about Witches and nightmares and so forth - the door to Cafe BAKE Neko opens, causing the greeting bell to jingle. In walks Sugata Shindo, dressed casually in a navy blue vest over a long-sleeved white shirt and black jeans, looking over the place with the sort of cautious expression of someone who doesn't quite know what to expect, and isn't sure they'll like it. <br><br>Naturally, this means that by the time he sees Takuto and Amy, he's been swarmed by cats, with no less than four mewing and circling his ankles. <br><br>He heartlessly ignores them all as he takes a seat at their table. <br><br>"Tauburn is Takuto's Cybody - or, Tauburn might say that Takuto is Tauburn's Driver," Sugata answers unhelpfully. "I didn't think I'd run into you here, but I'm somehow unsurprised."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>"Sugata-kun! Behave, Amy-chan and I are friends now," Takuto says severely to Sugata before capturing one of the cats swarming Sugata and picking that cat up in his arms to cuddle it to his chest, and the cat purrrrrs. Then he captures one of Sugata's feet between his own and just stays that way.<br><br>"Don't mind him. He has an evil wastebasket talking to him in his mind all the time. I, on the other hand, have a very fancy lad~" he says, and right in front of the whole cat cafe, a glittering sort-of-gridded iridescent bubble fades swiftly into existence, carrying an extremely dandy dapper little robot cavalier with a steam-vent feather plume and everything. He flourishes a sweeping bow at Amy and then spins and poses.<br><br>https://i.imgur.com/H4Ymi9r.png<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy looks back to Sugata, startling as he speaks suddenly there, "Oh, hey! How's your arm?" After the fight the other day, she offered and if allowed helped put it in a sling from her first-aid kit to keep the arm from getting jostled until they could get him to a healer. And...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''"Now?"'' Amy echoes, not really offended though and, thinking about it, not sure precisely when they really talked enough to become friends more than allies before this, if ever.^R<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"An evil wastebasket?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her eyes widen as she beholds... robot-fairy in a bubble! In response to his bow, she mimes a curtsey with her upper body. "Nice to meet you, Tauburn!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Come to think of it, you said something about mecha, back at the slumber party... is this what you meant?" She looks over Tauburn again, curiously.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:197|Sugata Shindo (197)}} has posed:'''<br>"It's fine now," Sugata says simply, lifting it as if to demonstrate. When his foot is trapped, he rolls his eyes a little, but smiles at Takuto, even as the cats promptly use his entrapment to entomb their feet with their bodies. They are warm puddles of cat and they are not moving any time soon! <br><br>"I am behaving. I could be nicer, but then you'd accuse me of being fake," this is said with such a casual tone, a warm (fake) smile, a batting of lashes and a coy dip of the head - so demure! so mindful! - as Sugata flagrantly abuses his drama background. <br><br>"The evil wastebasket is Samekh, my Cybody," he clarifies, Takuto's right about him." <br><br>Samekh is sir momentarily not appearing, because he's sulking about being so flagrantly disrespected. <br><br>"This is what they look like here, in Tokyo," he confirms, "Tauburn here, and Wawna, who is Wako's partner, are much better conversationalists than Samekh." <br><br>Considering Tauburn is essentially mute by choice, this is definitely a burn.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>And Tauburn ''won't explain why''. Takuto's feeling is that he lost a bet with like Reshbal or something. What Tauburn ''does'' is bow a little less theatrically deeply, and extend one arm to gesture... something courtly, when Amy says it's nice to meet him.<br><br>"He says it's nice to speak with you, and ''I'' say, sorry that was presumptuous of me. Allies?" he asks, ruefully. "But yes-- at full size, Tauburn is-- hmm. Okay," Takuto leans in as Tauburn lands on the table, and he points to the glowing sphere on Tiny Tauburn's chest. "I fit in there with a lot of spare room. The space in that bubble is about, uhh-- from here to that table. The other side of that table." A beat. "Oh! I mean, and he's exceptionally cute like this but he's exceptionally handsome normally, he said to say."<br><br>Two of the nearby cats are looking at Tiny Tauburn with interest.<br><br>Meanwhile, Tauburn's exuding the aura of hilarious smug over what Sugata's just said...<br><br>"Either way, Faust-san was answering some questions I had about Witches, I'll tell you later."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy blinks at Sugata. "Your mascot is actually ''evil''? Damn. Even Kyubey at least helped me, even if most other Puella Magi would regret being tricked into Contracting."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks with interest at Tauburn as the scale is explained. Imagines it. "Woooow. So you get to be a for-realsies mecha pilot?! Damn, I've wanted to pilot a mecha since I was--" she fumbles over the Japanese language for a moment, trying to dodge gendered language, not happy with [gaki], and settling for [chiisai]; the player isn't sure if [kodomo] works here, "--just a little thing!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So..." She peers at Tauburn, and then up at Takuto, smiling, "When is he full size?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:197|Sugata Shindo (197)}} has posed:'''<br>"Mascot," Sugata repeats, and snickers, as Samekh ''rages'' enough to actually manifest himself, another bubble appearing in the air, the same size as Tauburn's bubble, but with a far less charismatic inhabitant. Where Tauburn is dapper and handsome, Samekh is imposing - even as his miniscule height, the fact that he's jet-black, with miniscule red highlights and an expressionless gold face lends him an aura of menace. <br><br>&gt;: https://radiantheartmush.com/File:Samekh.png <br><br><span style="color:#444444">&lt;I am as much a ''mascot'' as ''you'' are -&gt;</span> <br><br>The rest of his rant is stifled by Sugata lifting the bubble and tossing it across the counter. ''Five'' cats, from all around the cafe, go chasing him as he curses in languages only Sugata and Takuto, through their ancient memories, have a hope of understanding. <br><br>"Yes, my mascot is evil," Sugata continues, as though none of that interruption had occurred. "Samekh wishes to devour the planet as fuel for his endless journey across the stars. Takuto destroyed his physical body though, so all he can do is complain. He's an ass, and should be ignored at all times. They're capable of manifesting their full-size in proper Zero Time."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>Takuto's about to answer Amy when Samekh appears and meets his fate as the latest catball, and he just-- he just cracks up, lowering his head to the table, practically ''hooting''-- and then catching himself getting too loud and resorting to giggling ''so much''.<br><br>Tauburn crosses his arms and glares with his unchanging masked face at the redhaired boy, tapping his fancy high-heeled foot.<br><br>Without looking up at Tauburn, Takuto starts doing breath exercises to stop laughing and lower his heart rate, and he says into the under-the-table as he lets Sugata's foot go, "Fine, Tauburn, fine," he finally sighs, sitting up.<br><br>"It was Tauburn and I both who kicked Samekh's ass. But -- yeah, they're only fullsize in Zero Time, which is basically a prison. Right now they're all either physically destroyed or in, like, hibernation? Making sure that guy--" he points at the evil wastebasket "--doesn't get out."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy blinks as Samekh materializes. He sure does have the black evil thing going, it's true, but so does Chrono.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sugata explains, though. "Damn. Hey!" She calls after Samekh. "You know if there's no more humans to keep the universe going it'll cut your journey short, right? You and Kyubey should go work that out!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She refocuses on Sugata. "I didn't know we had multiple evil aliens with conflicting goals. I wonder if they're ''all'' full of it?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She is vaguely, tangentially aware that she's talking to two very pretty boys and this surfaces in her mind as something other girls would perhaps be envious of, but<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She feels nothing. Except that they're sparkle comrades and they seem nice.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, that's not news.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She listens and nods to the explanation. "So that Zero Time barrier thing... Tauburn ''could'' come out, but... it'd probably be hard to fight smaller youma in a giant mecha, huh? More of a Giant Beryl thing, but I guess you guys weren't there... although Terribads are pretty big."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy looks curiously over Tauburn. "Is there some kinda cost, like how I only have so much magic so I can't just, y'know, go mecha musume and fire tons of missiles at everything all the time?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:197|Sugata Shindo (197)}} has posed:'''<br>The sight of Takuto's laughter brightens Sugata's mood further, and when his feet are released, he turns slightly, dipping his head towards Tauburn. <br><br>"My apologies, Tauburn. It's true - you and Takuto both are the ones who defeated Samekh. It couldn't have been achieved without you." <br><br>Appeasement is easy to offer when he genuinely likes the person he's seeking to appease. When Amy calls after Samekh though, he shakes his head, amusement dying. <br><br>"He doesn't care about humans - energy is what he devours, and he would take it from the whole of the planet itself - humans, sure, but every other life form as well. We call it Drive, what he devours, and he has destroyed many of other worlds to carry on his journey. I don't know about this Kyubey, but Samekh's threats aren't idle. He just wasn't prepared for Takuto and Tauburn to be more stubborn than he could ever hope to be, or Wako-chan more brave." <br><br>For Wako and Takuto to decide to break the barrier - for Tauburn and Takuto to persist through the hell of Samekh's power and crush him in a world where the damage could not be easily undone - <br><br>No, Samekh had never expected that. The King never quite understood that those ''lesser'' beings could be a proper threat. <br><br>And then, another shake of the head, though Amy has made a fair assumption. <br><br>"The barrier that Wako can create isn't true Zero Time, just a reflection of it. True Zero Time exists only in the place the Cybodies are bound." Though he glances at Takuto, wordless, offering the thought - with that Seal broken, that might not be entirely true. Zero Time may now be able to extend beyond the border of Southern Cross Island.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>Takuto looks to Sugata at the same time, then shrugs and shakes his head no. He doesn't know.<br><br>Tauburn is Looking Elsewhere. Looks like someone's withholding informaton. Or something like that, anyway. The little Cybody looks apologetically at Amy with his expressive body and enigmatic face, and flourishes another sweeping courtly bow (and a jaunty salute to Sugata), then spins on a pointed heel and vanishes as the bubble pops.<br><br>"I think-- he wants us to figure that out with Wako-chan and Wawna," Takuto says, squinting a little, "but he's being very dramatic about it."<br><br>Finally the Ginga Bishounen sits back in his chair and finishes his latte, then stretches, looking thoughtful. "As far as a cost goes, yeah. The costs are different for every Driver, but there are social ones -- like not one of us had a normal childhood, and it was because of the marks. It was because of the weird dynasty of alien cybody drivers who couldn't drive..."<br><br>He shakes his head. "Otherwise, it's just exhaustion and having another voice in your head whenever your par-- your cybody feels the need to comment. Sugata-kun I am ''so'' sorry."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy blinks at the explanation from Sugata. "I mean, that's terrible and he sounds like an anime villain and... damn, you're one hundred percent serious and I might need a bit to process that holy shit that's a real thing..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"True Zero Time... I guess it's a good thing if I never see it, but... if you ever ''do'' have to fight there again, maybe I can help?" She half-smiles, "It ''would'' be really cool to see a real mecha."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She blinks at Takuto. "No normal childhood, huh? That... I don't know if mine counts as normal or not. Do you wanna talk about it?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy sips her tea, and looks back to Sugata. "...I wasn't joking either, though. I don't know for sure that everything Kyubey says is true, but... he seems more the lie-by-omission sort?" Amy quirks an eyebrow briefly. "Anyway, he clearly values the creation of as many Puella Magi as possible."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...And according to Kyubey," Since they're on the subject of evil mascots whose goals relate in some way to humans and future journeys across the universe, "This whole thing" she gestures pointing her right index finger upward and wiggling it in a little circle, "is about harvesting emotional energy from humans, by converting it to magic so his civilization can use it to reverse entropy and make the universe last longer; Otherwise there won't ''be'' anything for us to see when we finally leave this solar system... or so he says."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That the heat death of the universe will take trillions of years is only ''with'' his continued work to make it take that long, he says. He gets some of the enegy when we contract, and the rest of it when we... complete the contract. By running out of magic and dying."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Obviously, if Earth is destroyed, there will be no more human adolescents to make into Puella Magi. No more energy holding the end of the universe back, Samekh's journey is cut short. If Kyubey's right, that goal is self-defeating. Let them argue about it, any time they spend is time ''not'' being a problem for anyone else."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sips her iced tea. "If nothing else, if he ever gets out, Puella Magi will be manipulated into helping fight him, I suppose."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ssssip.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:197|Sugata Shindo (197)}} has posed:'''<br>Sugata blinks at the reaction from Amy, if only because he's wondering, distantly, when he ever gave the impression that he ''wasn't'' always serious about business matters. Of course he's not joking - and yes, Samekh might sound like some children's cartoon goal, but, still - <br><br>"True Zero Time itself isn't a problem or a threat," Sugata says, and there's something wistful there - for all the trouble that Zero Time had brought them, for all that it had often been the place of Wako's endangering and his own helpless fury - it is beautiful. <br><br>Also it exists in part to contain and thwart Samekh, which makes it more beautiful still. <br><br>"Mmm, if there's a risk of swapping childhood stories, I'll have to steal Takuto away," is the unapologetic response to that offer, and he starts to shift the last two cats from around his feet. Tauburn's departure is accepted with a nod, and a sigh, "You're probably right; it's a good thing we're heading home for a while, then. Maybe we'll get a few more answers, or maybe Wawna and Tauburn will ''both'' gleefully stonewall us. Samekh certainly won't be any help." <br><br>Amy shares the story of her ''own'' evil mascot (yes, he is going to call Samekh that forever, now). "...interesting theory. And I suppose he's never offered any evidence or proof to back that up, or to scale the amount of energy each Puella generates, so you only have his word to go by." <br><br>The Cybodies have existed long before humanity. It's almost certain they'll continue to exist, long after human has met their end, in whatever shape that end comes. <br><br>It's been around a ''pretty'' damn long time without them, so... <br><br>"The universe has existed for billions of years without us; Samekh would probably be content with a shorter journey at the cost of ''having'' a journey - he doesn't have fuel to depart and continue on ''without'' devouring the Earth," he says dryly, "Which is why Takuto and Tauburn pummeled him in the exosphere and allowed his remains to crash down to Earth and be sealed in Zero Time. Guess his Big Drive Energy couldn't match theirs." <br><br>And then, while Takuto is undoubtedly gigglling ''again'' over that, he stands, and hauls Takuto up with him, draping one of Takuto's arms over his shoulder. <br><br>"I know Takuto invited you; have whatever you want on me." <br><br>Amy is offered a credit card - a prepaid Visa, one of several that Tiger and Jaguar have finally convinced him to hold onto for all those times he randomly orders an entire restaurants menu while out with Takuto and Wako and they inevitably brunt the complaints about his 'scam-alike spending habits. <br><br>"This will have more than enough for your to enjoy a treat, and in the inconvenience of me stealing away your friend." <br><br>The card has like 30,000 yen (about 200$) on it. It's so much more than enough to buy a meal. How much does he think food costs?! <br><br>And then the Star Driver's are out! <br><br>"Takuto-kun, there's a few ways I can think of for you to make it up to me..." he's saying, as they depart the cafe.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy nods at the bit about how Kyubey has not provided receipts.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She quirks an eyebrow at Big Drive Energy, the phrasing indeed... odd.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But when she takes the card, she double-takes at it and stares. That just increased her total savings by a not-so-insignificant fraction. Holy cow!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She might try something but will probably save most of it for the next time she wants to get someone a video game system or something. Or... buys clothes? Women's clothes that don't come in bulk packs are kind of expensive, apparently!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Seeyou around!" She waves cheerfully to the two of them, and then is left with cats.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So many cats.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All for her to pet and hold and maybe cuddle and lavish affection on?!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is a great day!<br> <br>
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