155/Setting Out Bait

Setting Out Bait
Date of Scene:	25 July 2023
Location:	Four Clover Mall
Synopsis:	Madoka sets out with Kyubey to try and meet others who can see magic. She finds Teresia and Chiyo and they talk about magic things. But... she is not the only one here with an agenda!
Cast of Characters:	Madoka Kaname, Chiyo Sakai, Teresia Kuefer

---

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    The Four Clover Mall is the mall in Mitakihara, and one of the places that Madoka stops by on the way home from school. She often comes this way with Sayaka, but for right now she's on her own. Well. Not completely on her own. Madoka's shoulder has one passenger on it, a small white cat-rabbit creature who several magicals around Tokyo may have seen before.

    Madoka has her own reasons for letting Kyubey tag along. She notices that he has a tendency to turn heads. Heads that, by all rights, should not be able to see him. Maybe she can use him to connect with more magical folk, or at least that's the intent.

    Madoka is walking through the mall in her Radiant Heart school uniform. She holds her bag out in front of her while strolling along. To anyone looking at her without magical senses, it might seem like she's window shopping. To someone who has them, it still might look that way, but also she has a mascot on her shoulder.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
There were many stores in the mall including a dry cleaner that was known to be fairly decent and with good prices. That's what brought Chiyo here today to drop off a dress for cleaning before returning it to it's (supposed) rightful owner. It was only right to clean something properly before returning it! With that little errand taken care of she's left with some free time to explore the other shops.

The path to the toy stores is taken out of curiosity to see what might be out. It was rare she indulged in toys when most of her allowance went to manga, but... You never knew if something might jump out at you. That's her thought at least as she makes her way along peering through store windows until a reflection of someone walking by behind her catches her attention.

Madoka. With that *thing* on her shoulder again.

Chiyo whips her head around to stare at the other Radiant Heart Academy girl chewing the inside of her cheek a moment in debate. It's a short one as she decides to stride over calling out quietly, "Kaname-chan!" Hopefully she could be heard, her voice didn't really raise too much.

Teresia Kuefer has posed:
    Things one doesn't generally see in Japan: 6 foot tall blonde foreigners, standing in the electronics section of a mall, with her eyes closed, and a set of test headphones on, listening to some sort of anime themesong. The Japanese tend to stare at such giants and wonder what they're doing here. That they might live here now isn't the first thing that crosses their mind.

    Teresia's outfit might also be a factor. She's wearing a black leather halter, with a black and red longcoat over it, black leather boots, and some black pants clasped at the waist with a single golden button. Another factor, beyond the rest, might be that she is Very Pretty. Like, anyone can be pretty, but this is a sort of charm or awe that is almost... Magical in nature. The feelings need not be romantic in nature. Instead, it is more like a professional one admires, or a childhood hero, or a beloved older sibling is standing there.

    Whatever this aura is, it's swirling around and around her, and she pulls the headphones off of one hear to listen as though she just heard someone calling out to her. The song she's listening to spills out as a result.

    'Mezameta kokoro ha hashiridashita mirai wo egaku tame
    muzukashii michi de tachidomatte mo'

    Catchy song. Very upbeat and cheerful. Probably goes to a cute anime whatever it's from.

    But it's of lesser importance to whatever caught the foreigner's attention, because she sets the headphones down carefully on their cradle and turns about to start leaving the shop.

https://tinyurl.com/teresiapants1
https://tinyurl.com/teresiaboots1
https://tinyurl.com/teresiacoat1
https://tinyurl.com/teresiatop1

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADIP3Um32Gc

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    One familiar voice catches Madoka's attention. She stops in her tracks, turns around to find Chiyo, and offers her a small smile. Her eyes are a little too open, giving her a nervous look. "Sakai-san! Just... the kind of person I wanted to see." Madoka's hands fidget with her bag, and she looks to either side, before stepping closer to Chiyo. "So... I wanted to ask you about something the other day, but I didn't want to do it in front of everyone. I was--"

    Madoka glances in Teresia's direction, briefly, if only because she's surprised to see someone so tall here, and with such a striking coat. She starts admiring it a moment, the way it comes together. All black with a trim of red is an strong sell if done right. Madoka notices, but doesn't seem to realize that it's magical.

    No time to get distracted by pretty clothes, Madoka! She focuses her attention back on Chiyo. "Sorry, like I was saying, I was wondering if you notice anything... weird about me?" Madoka studies Chiyo's face intently, while holding onto her schoolbag a little too tightly.

    Kyubey, naturally, is right there. He says out loud, "Madoka Kaname, are you using me to figure out if people can see magic?"

    She doesn't answer.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai steps closer so that she doesn't have to risk raising her voice. Really she'd been a bit soft spoken every time she'd run into Madoka to begin with. It's quite possible she just didn't have it in her to BE louder, so being closer was easier. Even if moving closer meant being closer to that odd *thing* on Madoka's shoulder, too. There's a little tense smile offered over in greeting.

O-oh? Was it about manga club?" It seemed reasonable given the conversation the other day, but when Madoka's gaze wanders off she turns her head to regard the tall foreigner as well with a soft, "Oh wow. She's so pretty." And tall. VERY tall. Even if Chiyo was tall for her age she was no where near what a foreigner could pull off.

The question has her pause a moment, moreso when Kyubey speaks. She just opens her mouth... takes a deep breath...

And fidgets her fingers against the bottom edge of her shirt.

Her gaze flips from Madoka, to Kyubey, and back to Madoka looking a bit stressed and uncertain how to answer. Especially since it spoke now. Now she knew it wasn't just something she was randomly seeing... It must be something like Bonito was to her. Silently she takes out her cellphone, the little Bao decoration dangling from it, and clears her throat to remark, uncertainly... "You're not going crazy. I see it too."

Teresia Kuefer has posed:
    "It's risky to just walk around with him out in the open though. Rivals don't have to reveal themselves to know what you look like." the stranger says as she approaches the two younger girls. Her Japanese is accented in German, but otherwise perfectly fluent. She pauses and smiles. "On the other hand, it's always good to see Kyubey again." She's keeping her voice down as she speaks, because... Her point about rivals is a valid one. "Sorry to interrupt, but could the four of us perhaps sit down for some icecream? I'd like to talk."

    Yep. A foreigner for sure. She barges into conversations, doesn't wait her turn to speak, doesn't even introduce herself... Rude as hell. She hits all the checkmarks for her Gaijin card.

    She doesn't directly look at Kyubey during this, because... Again. Potential observers. But she did acknowledge him, by name even, so it's unlikely she's just some weirdo. Right?

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka lets out a breath and closes her eyes. "Okay. I thought so. Kyubey, you've met Sakai-san. Sakai-san, this is Kyubey."

    Kyubey's big white fluffy tail swooshes back and forth, occasionally hitting Madoka's pink pigtails. He looks at the cellphone and the little Bao charm, but there's no telling what he thinks about it, if anything. Not with that never-changing expression of his. "It's nice to meet you again, Chiyo Sakai." Kyubey, of course, notices Teresia. "Teresia Kuefer. I was wondering if you'd speak up."

    Madoka doesn't greet her right away. The comment about rivals makes her a bit pale. Obviously, villains could see it too, but this isn't the only risk that Madoka has taken recently.

    No, what makes her pale is the fact that the person they were both commenting on is here and talking to them. She's quietly grateful that she didn't say anything embarrassing. Not that she would. The fact that Teresia is a Rude Gaijin doesn't seem to phase her much. Visitors don't know the local customs. Just how it is.

    "Ice cream sounds good," she says with a squeak.

    Another deep breath. She seems to relax a little bit. "Sorry. This is... I'm new to this, but I did want to talk with others who could see him. Sakai-san, did you want to come, too?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai startles a little when the Gaijin comes over to directly greet them and the creature that she now know has a name as Kyubey. She fidgets again but that did seem to be part of her personality, being a bit nervous and quiet. "Hello," she greets as Kyubey responds back giving a nod, and then flashing a smile to the other woman as well.

"Yes, it's not good to talk about such things in the open. I'm... I'm curious too," she admits quietly with a quick nod. She would come along. "Just no Dippin Dots," she reasons with a faint smile at Madoka to see *her* reaction to that reference.

Teresia Kuefer has posed:
    Teresia smiles sweetly as Kyubey handles introducing her, and then she leads the way to the ice cream shop she saw at some point, despite this being her first time in this mall. "I admit, I had a similar idea. Given the age range of girls who Kyubey approaches, the likelihood of finding candidates here was fairly high." Once they enter the shop, Teresia gestures at a booth in a corner for increased privacy. "Does this work? Oh, and the icecream is my treat. Order whatever you want." Is this like American icecream parlors where you go up to the counter to order or do they sit down and use menus? Culture shock has definitely been something Teresia has been going through.

    Fortunately, she has a way around that. When one's magic makes gives one the experience one needs in almost any situation, the hiccups get smoothed over rather easily. So easily that Teresia herself doesn't even get to decide what to do about them anymore. She also points and index finger down at the table when she gestures at it, and a faint purple circle appears in the air and floats down, passing through the table and seats, before disappearing.

    "Anyone listening in will hear us talking about something harmless." Her hand then comes up, and she makes a 'shh' gesture with her finger in front of her lips, and a sly grin.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka tilts her head at Chiyo's reference to Dippin Dots. What's wrong with those? Does she remember something about Dippin Dots? No, not really, except she has one vague memory...

    Kyubey, helpfully, clarifies. "Madoka Kaname doesn't remember that incident. I was trying to approach her that day, but the monster took her energy before I got there." He doesn't really have a reason to withhold that. If anything, it might make the potential Puella take magic that much more seriously.

    Madoka looks mortified, but honestly it's not even the weirdest thing that's happened in this conversation so far, let alone the whole day. So that time she blacked out... that was a youma? How many other things have happened without her knowledge?! To Chiyo, she laughs nervously and says, "Okay then, no Dippin Dots."

    Madoka follows along as Teresia leads. When they get there, Madoka orders a sundae complete with hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream and a cherry on top. However the ordering process works, Madoka doesn't have any trouble navigating it. It's obvious to her and really, it doesn't matter. The table is more important, and Madoka nods and takes a seat. Kyubey hops down from Madoka's shoulder and sits on the table itself. He seems content to observe what happens for now.

    This whole setup was a bit more flashy than simply dragging someone to a Karaoke booth, but Madoka can't deny the convenience. Once people are seated or are otherwise close enough to the table, Madoka asks, "So... Kuefer-san, was it? You wanted to talk to us?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
At Kyubey's explanation of Madoka being unable to recall the incident at the Dippin Dots, Chiyo lets out a soft 'Oh' of understanding. A sympathetic smile is flashed to Madoka hoping to be reassuring over the whole incident. "It's okay. Everything was taken care of and no one got hurt much." That other magical girl that had shown up at the end had at least ensured that anyone still passed out got to the school nurse, or at least was comfortable until they woke up. The blonde one. She'd have to recall that one later--She hadn't seen her since.

"They didn't taste good anyway. The Dippin Dots," Chiyo adds after as if it were the most important factor in deciding not to go with that option. Thankfully there wasn't such a place in the mall. Actual icecream? That she coudl deal with.

While Madoka orders a hefty dish, Chiyo just orders a quick scoop of vanilla with some mixed berries ontop. It was simpl, easy, quick, and wouldn't completely ruin her appetite for dinner.

Teresia's magic is what draws her attention next with avid interest. She was performing magic outside of being transformed... Was that something she could do? It hadn't even crossed her mind to try something like that. She sinks back into her seat letting the icecream sit on the table in front of her to watch Kyubey move to sit. Something about him unnerved her. Maybe it was that he didn't really resemble anything specific.

Her purse is kept in her lap, along with her phone, and she starts to fiddle with the little Bao charm while listening.

"Yes. What is... What's up?" Pausing she looks to Madoka to ask, "Westerners say that, right?"

Teresia Kuefer has posed:
    Once everyone is situated with icecream, Teresia makes a shooing gesture at Kyubey to encourage him off the table. "Your feet are probably filthy. Have you no concern for hygiene? This is an eating surface." Teasing Kyubey almost makes it feel like she's home again. At least she's with other Puella... Or candidates. She tilts her head at Madoka a bit. She stares a little bit too long, before then saying, "Yes. You can call me Teresia, if you want to. I would like to be considered an ally, if not a friend, sometime in the future. But I understand if you need to see something worth an alliance first?" Or maybe not, Madoka and Chiyo both seem rather... ...New. Not nearly as suspicious as Teresia herself has had to become. Or else just very good actors.

    "Yes, some say that. It's a common phrase. I try to adapt to whomever I'm speaking to, and their comfort level. If you'd rather I speak less formally, I can do so. But, more importantly... Madoka-san and Chiyo-san..." She got their names just from listening to them and Kyubey talking. There was so much more someone with malicious intent could have gotten and used already.

     "I and some friends have recently come to this country, and live here now. I've been exploring to get a feel for the city, and what other Magical Girls are in the area... But it might go faster if I made friends with people who already are familiar. We've met one other candidate so far, at the hospital... It's not surprising that Kyubey was already here ahead of us. He gets around a lot. But I do want to ask a question."

    Teresia steeples her fingers as she leans forwards on her elbows. "When you say 'monster', you don't mean 'Witches' do you?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
"Um... Maybe? If you speak English?" Madoka answers Chiyo. "I mean... there are a lot of languages in the West. Especially in Europe."

    The fluffy pink-haired girl has a sudden flashback at the mention of 'Europe'. She wonders if Runealy is okay.

    Kyubey tilts his head at Teresia. "How odd. You know this body is magical. Is this more of your teasing?" Still, he responds to the shooing, moving back to Madoka's shoulder. Because that's better.

    Madoka doesn't seem to care where Kyubey is. The way she side eyes the creature makes it clear she doesn't trust it, but she doesn't have it in her to tell a cute cuddly little talking animal to get lost. She can't help but notice that Teresia and Kyubey seem to know each other pretty well, which makes her suspect a few things. The mention of meeting a potential at the hospital makes her think of Sayaka.

    When the Witch question is asked, Madoka's face goes pale. "A... a Witch? Did I have a Witch's Kiss?"

    Kyubey, again being helpful, offers, "It was not. However, Madoka Kaname has seen at least two Witches before. She's managed to down a couple of Familiars using borrowed magic, but she could do a lot more than that if she'd make a Contract with me."

    Madoka looks down and away. She changes the subject to Teresia's previous comment. "I only started seeing magic recently. I know about Puella Magi, but I also know there's a wide variety of different types of magical person, and there are a lot of non-Witch threats here too. Some of them just take your energy. Others... I don't know. I want to learn, but I have a feeling I've only just started."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai grows rather still at the mention of witches for this was certainly not something she had heard of before. This was worth commiting to memory, and perhaps learning more about. There was a benefit to learning of more magical girls it seemed, though she was still wary of letting the cat out of the bag.

The cat however didn't feel the same at this point.

Though Chiyo's hands are in her lap hovering over her cellphone, and that little Bao charm, she suddenly lifts her hands away with a soft squeak of surprise. Just after Kyubey starts talking of contracts and Madoka seems very hesitant. That charm has vanished, and in it's place is a slightly tubby white and orange tabbycat.

Bonito turns to walk off of Chiyo's lap to take up the empty space in the booth beside her. There he turns back to the others, and lifts his front paws up onto the table to stare with coppery orange eyes at the Puella, the candidate, and Kyubey. In a deep voice that seems entirely inappropriate for a cat he speaks: "What are 'witches'?"

Chiyo just looks a bit perplexed as she glances among the trio. "Uh, this is Bonito," she finally offers a bit lamely with one hand gesturing to the magically appearing, speaking cat. "He's *my* spirit guardian."

Bonito lashes his tail in response, one paw lifting to paw-paw aside at Chiyo as if waving her off of such introductions. "Yes, yes, it's a bit late to be hiding at this point. The 'Youma' they speak of are creatures of dark energy that seek to steal the energy of others. Sometimes they're humans or animals that have been corrupted by this energy themselves. Once they're defeated, and purified, they usually return to their original forms."

Teresia Kuefer has posed:
    Teresia nods in acknowledgement to Kyubey. "Yes, a magical body that eats Grief--" She pauses. Finishing the joke that he might be polluting the table with undigested Grief Seeds seems perhaps not as wise as regulating information. She doesn't want either of these girls to get hurt, no matter how involved they already seem to be. Just like she is learning from listening and observing, they can do the same. She noticed Chiyo tensing up in her peripheral vision. "Well," she says with a Cool Big Sister smile. "Maybe that's talk best not had over icecream. I'm sorry for bringing it up, Madoka-san, Chiyo-san... No encounter with one of those things is a pleasant memory. And I'd like, at least, for our first meeting to be a bit nicer a memory than fighting a Witch. Still..." She stirs her spoon through a simple banana split that... She wasn't actually seen ordering. Huh. She must have done so. Otherwise where did it come from?

    "...I want to make sure you are both informed and safe as well. I have been around a bit longer than most like me." Her body has. The girl inside is no older than those before her. Emotionally, even younger. "And likewise, it's important that I be informed. A friend of mine was certain that there were more than Witches here, but couldn't say what. This explains some things." She gestures with her free hand towards Kyubey when a talking cat appears, apparently rather unfazed. A very 'Do you want to tell them or should I?' invitation. Kyubey might not want to spread the information around. Indeed, Teresia Kuefer may not know the whole... 'Deal' with him, to use a turn of phrase, but she is much more likely to work with him towards his goals than most other Puella Magi.

    Almost like she doesn't have a choice.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka watches with wide pink eyes as Bonita suddenly appears. "Aww~" she says, her face brightening up. They couldn't all be as suspicious as Kyubey, right?

    Madoka didn't know about Grief Seed disposal yet, but that's not something Kyubey particularly tries to hide. She catches enough of what Teresia means to give Kyubey an odd look, but that actually doesn't significantly change her opinion of him. Everyone eats something, and it's probably better than just leaving them laying around to hatch again.

    It's not as if she knows what Grief Seeds really are after all.

    Kyubey's response is very measured. Long enough to seem wordy, but only telling what Kyubey wants to share. All of this is something that Chiyo or Bonita could learn anyways if she asked the right people.

    His big round red eyes look directly at Bonita as it answers. Funny, he's speaking, but his mouth never seems to move. "Witches are beings born from curses. A Witch's Kiss is a curse that takes the shape of a magical tattoo on a victim's person. Those afflicted are sent to their deaths, one way or another, and those deaths feed the Witch. However, if you defeat one, you should still be careful. The Grief Seed left behind when a Witch dies is still dangerous. I wouldn't recommend holding onto one longer than you had to. Better to give it to someone who has contracted with me."

    Kyubey never once blinks at Bonita. Madoka winces, and gives her own opinion. "Witches are actually pretty scary. They have their own little world called a Labyrinth, and whenever you go into one everything just feels wrong."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Bonito listens. It was something new. Chiyo also listens... and while she pays avid attention with only a nod here or there to indicate she's paying attention, Bonito doesn't seem to have to really be bothered with such things as making it SEEM like he's paying attention.

One paw reaches behind himself to pull an item seemingly from nowhere. Or maybe it was one of the orange spots on his back? Either way he comes out with what appear to be little plastic gloves that he somehow manages to pull on over his front paws despite the lack of, you know, thumbs or fingers. Once they're on though he streeetches his paw out to take hold of Chiyo's icecream cup to scoot it in front of him.

"I see. We will take care to keep this in mind. So far we've only dealt with the negative energy youma." There's a pause as he considers, recalls even, and adds, "There was one time it was worse. I wonder if it was one of your 'witches', or cursed girls."

"That's terrible, though," Chiyo has to admit with a concerned tone at the mention of girls being marked to die. Very concerning indeed. "Is it easy to spot those... Witch Kiss curses? I'd think it would be easier to find those cursed and try to save them, wouldn't it?"

While Chiyo questions this, Bonito proceeds to eat the icecream by scooping some up on one gloved paw and licking it off. Who needs silverware when you're in cat form? He does however continue to stare at Kyubey. Lick lick lick.

Teresia Kuefer has posed:
    Teresia can answer that one at least. "The placement of the mark varies, and anyone is technically susceptible... But those already depressed or dealing with a great deal of stress are usually targeted. It's less effort to just nudge someone down a path they were already leaning towards then to take someone happy with their life and make them do something out of character. Which isn't to say the latter never happens. It's just less common." Well, it looks like information sharing is acceptable to Kyubey.

    "There are five of us Puella Magi from Germany here. As far as I know, we are the only ones. One of our members is still dealing with some issues, and another is getting settled after trouble finding a place for her family to live, but we will be attending Radiant Heart Academy. An excellent place to learn more about your country." And to scout out allies, enemies, and rivals as well. "I can introduce them to you, so you have more people to talk to about problems or get advice from. Also..." The blonde foreigner focuses on Madoka. "It was very impressive that you were able to defeat familiars, even if the magic was borrowed. Also very dangerous. Please never try that without friends to help you. Kyubey can call for one of us if you find a Witch egg about to hatch, or something like that."

    To the talking cat, Teresia gives an amused look as he puts on gloves. Hopefully this cat isn't lactose intolerant. Cow milk doesn't generally interact well with housecats.

    Also, Teresia's icecream is gone now. The banana too. She is dabbing at her lips with a napkin. When did she eat it? She had to have eaten it, and just not been noticed, right? That's the only reasonable explanation. Definitely not something to dwell on.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    A certain amount of info sharing is beneficial to Kyubey's plan, but not too much. There are secrets that Kyubey is keeping to himself, but his real goal is to make sure that Madoka Kaname makes a contract. If not for her potential, he might have moved on to other targets.

    Madoka shakes her head. "I didn't do it because I wanted to fight. I was watching someone else take on Witches and trying to stay out of the way, but the Familiars snuck up on me."

    She has been off and on eating her ice cream while others talk, including Kyubey. Madoka's about done. With what's left, she takes a scoop of a second spoon and feeds a bite of it to the white cabbit. This has probably been the first time during this whole conversation that his mouth has actually opened.

    "Radiant Heart Academy is a good place to be, especially if you're like us," offers Madoka, without explaining why. "They have dorms for students, but I don't know if that will help your friends' family situation." She considers, for a moment, telling Teresia about Kyouka, but she remembers that Inai-sensei likes to cultivate her students. Well, if they hang out at Radiant Heart, they'll come across each other soon enough.

    "I actually don't stay there myself. My family lives nearby, so I just walk."

    Madoka digs into her school bag to check her phone, and specifically the time. "Oh, I should go. Thanks for talking with me, and thanks for the ice cream. I hope we'll meet again, Teresia-san, Chiyo-san." She stands up, bows slightly to both, and starts making sure she has everything together before she leaves.