1510/Dimension Past: A Lurking Wait

Dimension Past: A Lurking Wait
Date of Scene:	24 April 2024
Location:	Silver Millennium
Synopsis:	Sayaka had sent Attesa to watch over Bow from afar so that he could feel more secure. Of course, it's borderline impossible for a Witch's Familiar to stay undetected from Hope Witch.
Cast of Characters:	Sayaka Miki, Madoka Kaname
Tinyplot:	Operation: Past

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Sayaka Miki has posed:
It all started after Bow had contacted Sayaka, telling her she was heading into the portal with the hope to find some information and get into contact with those within. Having promised Mamoru that she would watch over the information posted at the Shed for him, Sayaka couldn't go herself, so to make him feel more secure she had elected to send Attesa to watch over him.

That was how the eldritch and somewhat cartoonish figure that resembled Sayaka had turned up following the group of "time" travellers from the back, keeping a watchful eye on Bow so she could assist if things went south. Of course Sayaka couldn't have know that Madoka had chosen to be Hope Witch for the duration, making Attesa's stealth much less effective that it would otherwise be.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka ended up being Hope Witch for most of the journey through the past echo bubble, with only a few breaks here and there. Having a Labyrinth at the ready was just too convenient for hiding, and the anti-Despair effect that her henshin provided made it a lot easier to bear the tragedies of the ancient world. Madoka has been in survival mode from the moment she entered, only dropping henshin to give Gretchen a break every once in a while.

    It's been rough.

    One thing that surprised her, however, was sensing the presence of a Familiar that wasn't one of her own. That would be odd here, all things considered, because she hadn't seen hide nor hair of Kyubey at all. Surely a Familiar cannot exist without a Witch, and a Witch cannot exist without a contract with the Incubators... right?

    Sensing its master's concern and curiosity, the Clock Knight dutifully left her side to go investigate. Madoka's newest Familiar, created after the failures of previous models, looked much like an empty suit of armor with a large clock face for a shield. In its other hand was a spear. As it approached Attesa, it telepathically reported the image back to Madoka.

    The Clock Knight jumps and lands near Attesa, but when it introduces itself it uses the word 'Chamuel'. Speaking in the tongue of Witches, it says, "You are from Oktavia. I am from Gretchen. May I ask why you have come? Are you alone?"

Sayaka Miki has posed:
This wasn't a particularly intense moment in the group's travel through the simulated past, so Attesa was half playing around with musical notes, half watching what was happening around, keeping the distance from the shades of the past and peeking at the mahous every once in a while. She didn't particularly like looking at Hope Witch, out of a feeling of sorrow and longing at once. But her mistress wanted her to be here and so here she is.

Her head snaps upwards when the Clock Knight jumps towards her, recognition keeping her at ease. After all, she sincerely doubts Hope Witch would be interested in doing something to her. "Attesa", Sayaka's familiar likewise replies in the tongue of Witches when Chamuel introduces itself. A clock... All too fitting for this place.

"That's my name. Oktavia has sent me. She wanted to make sure her boyfriend was feeling as safe as he could. Just me, not Brillio or Tramonto. Too flashy. And Sunbreaker here, that makes it the right choice", she observes. That was quite the stroke of luck all in all.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Chamuel listens to Atessa and nods firmly, before sending information back to Hope Witch. It seems like Sayaka isn't here herself, which is a relief for Madoka. If Sayaka were actually here, she'd rush to her friend's side in an instant. As it is, Atessa is keeping her distance then Hope doesn't want to blow her cover. Not if she can avoid it.

    Chamuel, the Clock Knight, explains itself a bit further. "Time and space is strange here. We have seen Bow come in, but it's hard for us to keep track of each other. The portals can split the party. Five of us can enter the same portal and end up in five different places. Gretchen and Hope Witch use their Labyrinth to keep us and the small one together, but even the Labyrinth is a little unreliable here. You have my sympathies. Your mission is a difficult one."

    Chamuel looks over to the distance, where Hope Witch is busy doing something else. Occasionally Madoka glances back in their direction, but only briefly. The knight familiar asks, "Hope Witch noticed that you were not approaching the group. Is this because you want to keep Oktavia a secret? She would be willing to assist you from afar if needed, or allow you to hide in her Labyrinth." It spreads its shielded arm to the side. "Your choice, of course."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
One of Attesa's notes warps and becomes scrap Chamuel explains the difficulty of following things there. This place really is a handful. Like owner, like magic. It's a good thing that place is closed. "Are we the only trespassers, or have unaware civilians found their way in too?" She is mostly asking to remove all doubts. She doubts the group would be so at ease, relatively speaking, if they were in such a situation.

And that too would lead to have to Attesa blowing up her cover since she knows what Oktavia's instinct would be in that situation, and her priority would extend to include such a person as a result.

Well, so much for staying hidden. Guess there really is no hiding certain things from Hope Witch. Oktavia's friend is quite perceptive, she knew that much. It's her fault for thinking she was doing enough. "I want to keep Oktavia a secret, yes. My appearance really is telling about something being weird", she gestures towards herself.

"Were I like you things would be much easier. Not that Oktavia chose to make me like this. It's something that stuck from when her previous half had started loathing her twin. Now she can't really change us, but she likes that I play the piano like her too. Sometimes she teaches me music, when her time allows."

But she is getting off the rails. "Bow wouldn't be in Gretchen's large Labyrinth, right? Hope Witch is nice, but this unstable place would risk separating her - and me - from him, so I will have to try my luck and hope I stay behind you."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "Unfortunately... there are some unawares who have made it through," admits Chamuel. "Three construction workers. Adults, so they cannot see creatures like us or Gretchen's kin. It is my understanding that the Teacher, Inai-sensei, has set up a Barrier so that the magically blind can no longer enter the portal. You may have seen it on the way in, but such things are easily bypassed by beings such as us. Hope Witch and others have already taken responsibility for them, to keep them safe. Even Sunbreaker seems disinclined to trouble them. Wherever they are, I'm sure they are being watched over."

    Whether it's saying that out of certainty or blind optimism is, perhaps, up for debate. Hope Witch has to tell herself certain things, believe in certain things, in order to make it through here. This experience is exhausting enough as it is.

    The strange empty helmet serving as Chamuel's head shakes 'no'. "Bow is not in our Labyrinth, no. He has been given a communicator, created by Sailor Mercury and passed to him via Hope Witch, so I'm sure that he is safe. I'm sure if you tail us, you will find him again. We will cooperate in keeping Oktavia's nature a secret."

    Looking down at itself, it says, "I too am based upon a particular someone. Homura, who is very secretive and keeps to herself. She has protected Madoka before, so when Hope Witch wanted to manifest a bodyguard it resulted in me." Letting the tip of its spear drop to the ground, the Familiar seems to shrug. "Well, actually... it's not as precise as all of that. Otherwise I'd have a different weapon."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
The barrier Attesa had encountered did make its purpose clear in the few seconds she had taken to look at it. The intent to set it up so magical beings could still pass through was quite clear. She is quite sure Sayaka would express her approval for the foresight.

"Quite unfortunate that unawares slipped through before that, but they are in good hands. Not that I am surprised that Sunbreaker is ignoring them. She finds no pleasure in harm for the sake of harm. Her preference steers towards minimizing the damage she does."

She doesn't know how long it will be until this experience id over, but since she is being invited along and even offered help, Attesa will do her best to cooperate with Madoka. "Sailor Mercury has been quite prevident with that communicator. I will take you up on your offer then, even if I won't be able to do much in exchange if I have to stay concealed. If Hope Witch wishes to hear some of her friend's music, I can do as much."

Attesa looks over the entirety of Chamuel when it mentions being based after Homura. "I can see that approach in your form now. My first guess was it being tied to the temporality of this place." Notes swirl around, putting emphasis on the surrounding environment. "Is that spear a reminder of some other magical girl?", she asks in curiosity once Chamuel points it out.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Chamuel nods, or at least it seems to. Atessa would be able to recognize it as such, anyways. "Sunbreaker likes to make her presence and power known, but there is no glory in harming those three. Nothing to prove. She seems rather fixated upon our enemy, Director Beryl, and discovering her motivations and weaknesses. A respectable goal in these circumstances."

    At the offer of music, Chamuel turns its helmet-head towards the direction of Hope Witch. It's hard to tell if it's looking at her because, unlike most of Madoka's Familiars, this one doesn't seem to have any eyes at all, but the body language makes clear that it's paying attention to its creator.

    "Hope Witch says that music... would be nice. Rest and relaxation is hard to come by here. Generally we are safe if we stay quiet and don't draw attention to ourselves, but sometimes we are spotted regardless. Be wary of the Earth Prince known as Endymion if you wish to keep hidden. He is friendly if you present yourself as a friend, but he possesses a level of perception that others within this echo lack."

    Looking down at the spear, Chamuel studies it for a moment. "I am not sure. I think there is one prominent mahou with a spear, Kyouko Sakura, but I don't think it is as simple as that. Perhaps I am this way because Homura and Kyouko often fight side by side, or maybe it is simply because the spear and shield are a common combination in historical warfare. I was made to compliment Hope Witch, so I was given a weapon that compliments my shield. Again, these things are based upon feelings, so they can be vague."

    Chamuel looks off to the distance again, and then back at Atessa. "Hope Witch might be able to sneak away for a moment, if you wish to speak with her directly."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
The notes make back and forth movements the unicorn when Sunbreaker's desire to fight against Beryl (or enact some sort of payback, maybe?) is brought up, stuck between doing nothing or expressing congratulations towards her. This bizarre dance ends eventually, when Attesa pushes them in a single group and drags them to the side. "Distracting", she mutters, mostly to herself.

That very same group of notes place themselves on the same order that would resemble a music sheet when Chamuel explains that Madoka has agreed to her offer. Not looking at the empathic notes, Attesa explains their meaning. "That means I am ready to start at anytime. Thank you for the warning. I will be on guard against Endymion."

The spear's explanation makes sense in both ways to Attesa, since she knows Oktavia had met a Kyouko once, before she had gained that name, and there was some explanation tied to alternate possibilities coming from Gretchen. "Thank you, and yes, I would be ready to meet Hope Witch, if she wants to come this way."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    At Attesa's agreement, Chamuel looks over in Hope Witch's direction. Hope glances back, then carefully looks around to see if she's being watched, and then quietly slips away. She enters a Labyrinth portal, which closes completely so that she cannot easily be tracked except by those who have the means to hunt Witches. A few moments later, that same portal opens up next to Chamuel and Hope steps out.

    The pinkette smiles at Sayaka's Familiar, a little cautiously or unsure at first, but ultimately deciding that Sharpsong's minion is a friend. When she addresses Attesa, it's again in the Witch's language, as she's had a lot more time to get used to it.

    "My Familiar told me what you two have been talking about. We've been linked telepathically..." Hope points to the temple of her head, then after a moment she laughs a little awkwardly. "Maybe that's a little obvious to you. I'm not actually sure if all Witches and Familiars see things the way that I do."

    Tilting her head to the side, Madoka asks, "So... how has Sayaka-chan been? I'm sure she's worried about us. We've been in here for quite a while."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
There is an instinctive bumping of the notes against each other when Hope Witch reappears, something in Oktavia's familiars making them unsure. Is it the notion that Hope Witch is bringing herself closer to them? Whatever the case, Attesa knows that Oktavia has long since accepted the circumstances behind Hope Witch, so she has to do the same.

The frequent glances towards Madoka made Attesa think that something like that was going one. Oktavia has taken to doing the same thing with them more, except... "I am used to that, but that connection has been cut off ever since I entered the portal. Oktavia is no longer receiving my thoughts, and this goes the other way around too. She has probably tried." The notes get a bit more floppy at that sentence.

"She has been a bit apprehensive about knowing that you got inside Beryl's trap, but she has trust in you. A day of absence isn't yet the point to start raising a fuss over", Attesa explains.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    The unsureness is something that Madoka picks up on, but not the why. Hope wouldn't blame anyone for being on edge around here, especially considering how dire the entry point was for her. At the mention of the connection, Madoka nods. "I haven't been able to speak to my Charas aside from Gretchen and Sio ever since I entered here. I know Sio sent out a message before we got sucked in, but we weren't sure if it got through. I'm glad that our friends outside at least know what happened to us. Though..."

    Hope looks at Chamuel, and then at Attesa. She's a little bit sheepish as she explains, "It's... actually been a lot longer than a day for us. A week, maybe. Give or take. We haven't suffered any losses that I'm aware of, but it hasn't been easy. I'm guessing this is like... time dilation or something."

    The emotive notes are noticed by Madoka, and she giggles at them. "The notes are a cute touch."

    After a pause, she places a finger on the side of her chin and cants her head. "By the way... are you going to be okay being cut off from Oktavia? I know that Familiars tend to wander off on their own pretty often, but I don't know how much that applies to you. There's no telling how long we'll be stuck in here."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
"Oktavia got warned by Lydian. Could be the message Sio had sent. Far as know", the blue Familiar says. Something happening to one of Madoka's Charas would have been significant enough that Oktavia would have certainly told them everything. "They are safe, I believe. Probably off playing games, moving around the school or being given snacks by Oktavia", she conjectures.

"One week", Attesa repeats flatly. "Where have you been living for this long? Hotels, of they exist?" Probably they have been jumping through many hoops. "Time dilation sounds likely. Though being off-balance is odd. And unsettling, the prospect of having to join normal time again."

The still floppy notes say a lot about Attesa's feelings on the current situation. "They do that on their own. A distraction, but you like them, so could be worse." That sentence is even reflected in the notes, who get a bit more normal. "But even if I am cut off, a Labyrinth like yours will be nice to have. Thanks."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hope Witch nods as Oktavia's Familiar relates what her Chara are probably doing. "I'm sure they're alright. Brai, Medo and Lydian may all be childish in demeanor, but they're all very responsible in their own ways." Hope giggles. "Well, as responsible as any magical girl's helper is, I guess."

    When asked where she's been living, Hope Witch looks a bit embarrassed. "Honestly... I've been sleeping in my Labyrinth most of the time. It's... weird, spending so much time in henshin, but I've been able to meet most of my basic needs that way. All except food, which I've been able to get locally for the most part." Scratching the back of her head, she adds, "I've even had fruits from other planets. I guess you can say this place's cuisine is out of this world!"

    With a smile, she adds, "... but okay. I can let you in and out at any time, and you'll be able to watch out for Bow from in there if you need to. I'm more than happy to help out Oktavia's Familiar in that way, so don't worry about the details. We'll figure things out somehow."