638/Chara-Bearers

Chara-Bearers
Date of Scene:	24 October 2023
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	After a bit of a delay, Tadase and Madoka run into each other and information - as well as the possibility of a brewing dire situation - is discussed.
Cast of Characters:	Tadase Hotori, Madoka Kaname

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Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase Hotori puts down a stack of paperwork on the desk in one of the several classrooms allocated to Radiant Heart Academy's uncommonly large and often unwieldy Student Council, and turns around to head back out the door. Kiseki is floating over his shoulder, crossing his arms. "You really do too much work for a King. You should delegate that so you can watch TV and eat chips." he says. Tadase looks up to whisper "No, you mean so -you- can do those things." he replies. "Well, I'm part of you so same difference, right?"

    Tadase sighs and then stops. And shockingly, he doesn't stop because he caught a flare of pink hair and thought of Amu (he's nearly accepted her absence now) but because that pink hair is in twintails with ribbons, and that means it's the other girl he's been meaning to talk to.

    "Kaname-san?" Tadase calls down the hall, and kind of slightly jogs to keep up with her. "Do you have a moment? I think we're overdue for a talk. Not really student council business, more of a... other things talk." he says, pointing to Kiseki and to Brai.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka has been spotted! It probably goes without saying that she's wearing her school uniform right now, but we're saying it anyways. Brai and Madoka both turn around as Tadase calls out to her. Brai glances between Tadase and Kiseki lowering to be about shoulder level with her Bearer.

    "Oh! Hotori-san." This is someone she's meant to talk to for a while, too. Ever since that day when her eggs turned black. She nods and affirms, "We are. Actually, Inai-sensei recommended that I talk to you."

    Her pink eyes glance around the hallway, looking for a quiet corner or a room they could duck into. "I guess we've both been busy. I have time now if you do. There are some things I want to ask you, actually."

    A lot has happened. Between her and Gretchen, the X-Chara that got away. Between her and Homura. She's been trying her best to learn her new powerset, but she's never really taken the time to talk to a more experienced Chara Bearer.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase looks down and away. "Not really busy but preoccupied, yes." he says, without further elaboration. Tadase looks for a quiet room until he realizes where they are, and comes up with the most stereotypically mahou shoujo place for a talk about powers. "C'mon, then." he offers, heading down the hallway and opening the big metal door that leads out to one of RHA's many (many) (many) rooftop seating areas.

    Nobody's at this one, so they can sit on the benches or wander around in relative peace - the door's too heavy for anyone else to come up without making a lot of noise, one of the reasons why so many prefer to have such talks on rooftops.

    "I really should have talked to you sooner, so please accept my apologies. I noticed your little one a while back. But I try not to shock people immediately." he begins.

    Kiseki floats over near Brai. "Hello. I'm Kiseki. I'm a king! What's your name?" he asks her.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka follows Tadase up to the rooftop, which really is the best place for this kind of conversation. Especially if they can find an empty one. As she walks through the big metal doors, she clasps her hands behind her back and tilts her head to one side. At the apology, she shakes her head. "I'm not worried about that. I'm just glad we've found time to talk. It's actually been fun, getting to know my Chara."

    Brai studies Kiseki for a moment, looking at his crown and general royal attire. She also clasps her hand behind her back, much like her Bearer is doing. "My name is Brai. I'm a magical girl. Sort of. Mostly I help Madoka get through her magic-related fights." The tiny Chara glances between Kiseki and Tadase for a moment. "So, your Bearer's dream is to become a king?"

    Back to Madoka, she scuffs her feet slightly before commenting. "I've learned a lot over the past month or so, but I feel like I have a lot of unanswered questions. I haven't actually run across a lot of other Chara Bearers."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase smiles. "They're a lot of fun, even if they might lack the raw... firepower's not the right word, but it's close... of some of the other magical people in Tokyo. I'm sure now that you have a Guardian Chara, you've started to meet and encounter them." He says, smiling as he looks out over the edge, at the school below where kids are playing and running.

    "Yeah, I haven't seen many of us. I only know of two others that I've talked to recently at the Academy right now." Tadase admits. "And one of those just left..." He says, and looks out to the yard so that he doesn't think, in that moment, about the surprising amount he misses her for someone he'd known so briefly "...and one of those, until recently, I was more likely to fight than anything else. I'm still not even sure if he's on our side or not."

    He turns around and shakes his head. "But that's not important. What is important is that I'd like to answer those questions as best as I can. I'm lucky in that I had a book with some information passed down to me. And I've been doing this for a while."

    Over with Brai, Kiseki smiles, puts his hands on his hips. "Well of course! But not just any King. A good, just, fair King. Someone who makes the lives of his subjects better. And to do that... well, I'll help him TAKE OVER THE WORLD." he says before laughing in large 'ah ha ha ha's right in front of Brai. Tadase looks over at him and rolls his eyes. "Sorry. As you may have experienced with yours, Kaname-san, sometimes they take an aspect of yourself and... really lean into it, excessively." he says, gesturing towards them. Kiseki stops laughing, eventually. "So you help Madoka fight? was her dream to fight, then? You're kind of... pink... for that?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Lack of raw firepower? Madoka thinks she knows what Tadase means. "I mean... I've noticed I don't really have the same level of armor as, say, a Puella Magi or a Device user. I actually became aware of magic a while before getting my first Chara, but I was being... courted, for lack of a better term, by a different kind of mascot."

    Madoka remembers Amu, but doesn't have any idea about her relationship to Tadase. She remembers that they were there when she woke up after her Chara went out of control, but has no context beyond that.

    The pinkette looks up to the sky with a thoughtful gaze. What questions did she have, and how should she best ask them?

    While Madoka considers that, Brai continues chatting with Kiseki. "Madoka-chan got to meet a lot of magical girls before Gretchen and I hatched. Her dream was to be like them, fighting monsters to protect the helpless. As she searched for a way to wield magic, we were born. You could say that we represent her wish to be a magical girl, but in truth we represent different aspects of that wish. I would say I'm the part of her that admires the more veteran magicals she's met. That's why I spend so much time studying, I think."

    Overhearing Brai mention Gretchen, Madoka frowns. "I guess that's one thing. One of my Chara is an X-Chara, and she's still running around. I don't think she's causing trouble or hurting anyone, but... I don't think it's good for her to remain as she is." She looks down to the roof and scuffs her foot a little more. "At the same time, she seems to think that if she hadn't become an X-Chara she would've remained an unhatched egg. I'm not sure how to feel about that, or what to do if I'm honest."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
"Courted?" Tadase says. There's a few sources of magic that do that, but he's no Naru to know all of the information; he's just been aware a little bit longer than others, and he's lost a lot of that head start lately.

    "You had two charas hatch?" Tadase asked, surprised. He knew Amu had one and two eggs. "Did you recieve both eggs at the same time?" he asks. This is equally as relevant. "And you had an X-Chara hatch but ran away, and it's just out there?" He pauses, and leans against the railing. "That's... hmmm. Normally when someone gets an X-Chara they go on a whole rampage thing and then get calmed down at some point. But while they're off tearing up stuff you're pretty much in a daze?" He says. "So having one that's out and about... Is it different than the angry little black ones? You said you don't think she's causing trouble, right? Do you have her egg?"

    Kiseki smiles and makes a nod of affirmation. "That's a pretty good person to want to be, though. A protector. A guardian of others. But... most people don't have more than one chara. Not unless they have a really complicated emotional state and want a lot of things." he says. "So you probably don't mean the same thing as any other charas she had." Kiseki suggests. "It's not something as simple as wanting the same thing in a different way." he continues. But it's not like anyone there could have known that Madoka's magical potential was overcharged from multiple timeloops and some rules were different for her.

    "But yeah, on the armor thing - we don't have it so play it safe. And also, we don't get the secret identity thing either. Or if we do it's pretty soft." he pauses. "Kiseki is so loud I don't even bother. I don't want to duct tape him inside his egg and that's the only way I'd keep him quiet.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka tries to find words to express... what it is that Kyubey does. "There was one creature, a white fairy that looked like both a cat and a rabbit, named Kyubey. He offered me a Wish in exchange for a Contract, and if I had accepted it I would have to fight a certain kind of monster in order to keep my magic working. I... didn't like some of the terms of his contract, and I hoped to find something more fitting."

    Madoka considers Tadase's description of an X-Chara's typical behavior. It lines up with what Brai said happened to her, but no one could ever accuse Gretchen of rampaging. "Well, it's complicated. I don't have her X-Egg with me, but I've seen it before. She usually takes it with her. It looks... Well, here, I have a picture."

    Madoka produces a smartphone from her school bag, and shows Tadase a picture of Gretchen. She looks almost like a normal Chara, if a bit gothic, but a careful observer might notice that her hair ribbons have been replaced with red Xs. The X-Chara seems annoyed, but tolerant, of the picture being taken. There's another picture of the X-Egg, and it's also a bit different. The original pattern can be seen underneath the black coat with the white X over it.

    "Is that unusual? I haven't really seen other X-Chara that much. Brai got turned into one, but I passed out during that, and I don't think I woke up until after she was purified. I didn't get to see what happened to her.

    Brai considers Kiseki's words. She supposes that makes sense. Still, it doesn't line up with what she was thinking, or with what she knows about Gretchen. "Hm. I see. Still, it's hard to imagine Gretchen being much different than me. Well, she's supposed to be more powerful, but I don't think she can really use that without Madoka-chan." Brai pulls out a notepad and starts writing down what Kiseki says. "If she ever has any more eggs, I suppose I could look for a pattern. Does your Bearer have other Charas? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

    Madoka fidgets a little bit. "I admit I haven't really tried to maintain a secret identity. On the other hand, I get a pretty good idea of who is or isn't magical depending on whether or not they react to Brai. Most don't see her at all, so it's not a real issue.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Kiseki looks at Brai. "Come on, how could anyone need any other charas than me? I'm the most amazing Chara there is!" Everyone can hear Tadase's sigh before he shouts for Brai's benefit, "he means no, I don't have any other charas." Kiseki blinks. "Yeah, that's what I said." he replies, before looking at Brai. "You get it, right?"

    "That's pretty strange. It's SUPER unusual" Tadase says, looking at the photo. "I'll may see if I can get some information from the Headmistress." he says. "Oh yeah. She's one of the few adults that's kind of in the know. Well, without being evil. She used to be a magical girl herself, when she was our age." he explains. "But her attendant said she had to give up a lot in some ways, to be able to remember things. So I don't bother her that often, even if it never seems like she minds." he notes.

    "And yeah, I think it's hard for us. A lot of people just get to have theirs pretend like they're plushies or something. But Kiseki here... he couldn't stay quiet if our lives depended on it. I know, because that situation has already come up once. Obviously we ended up squeezing out of it but you get the idea." he says, laughing, but there's a little bit of remembered dread in the memory. "They do work as pretty good magic sensors. They also tend to get bad feelings when bad things happen."He pauses. "So I can run towards them, I guess, which makes it really more of a hindrance, but that's on me. Given what I heard Brai say it sounds like you might be the same type - to run into danger rather than away from it?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Brai doesn't seem to respond one way or another as Kiseki gloats. She simply watches and studies him, silently. He seems pretty exuberant in his own way. When asked, Brai nods. "I get it. I was just curious."

    This is the first time that Madoka has actually heard of the Headmistress being a magical girl. The pink girl tilts her head. "Aside from some... suspicious people, I actually haven't seen a lot of magical adults. I mean, I've met Inai-sensei, but she seems like an exception instead of the rule. I noticed the Veil pretty early on, because people weren't remembering what they should, but I wasn't aware that you could lose magical awareness."

    That's something to consider. It's a sad thought, thinking that she might forget her Chara at some point. Is her time with them doomed to be temporary?

    "I think that Brai would hide if I asked her to, but it'd be impossible to hide her forever, and I'd feel bad for her being cooped up in her egg all day."

    Madoka sheepishly laughs at the last question, and then nods. "I can't help it. If I see someone in trouble, I want to help. I couldn't feel any other way. Some of the things around here are too terrifying for me to simply leave them alone."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Kiskei nods and crosses his arms. To say he is exuberant is an understatement. The studious Brai and him couldn't be any more different. But he does seem dramatically different than Tadase. And Tadase seems partly embarassed by him.

    "There's really not a lot of magical adults, no. Just the Headmistress and some others, who keep things quiet as far as I know. And Inai-sensei, yeah. But she's hardly an adult, you know?" he winks. "I don't know. As far as I've been told it's always been like this. The Veil makes some people forget, most people. Because we see some pretty crazy stuff. But also, for us, one day we achieve our dreams, or we at least achieve being who we want to be. And in that way, we're always our charas. But they fade away when we no longer need them." he says. "Or so I've been told."

    "I think that's a very noble and brave way to feel." He says. "I have to feel that way, though, because I do the same thing. So it'd be odd if I didn't. Still... do realize your limitations. I know a girl who can elbow drop a youma from the top of a skyscraper and get up afterwards. And that's not us." he admits, shrugging. "But we can still help! Don't ever think you can't. You just have to be smart about it." he pauses. "...you may have gotten the better Chara for that, out of the two of us."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka reflects upon the idea that she might become like her Chara, and in that way they might always be with her. There might be some comfort in that, and it's not as if she'd know they were gone if she forgot, but it's still strange to think that these days are fated to end one way or another.

    "That seems... bittersweet in a way. Almost poetic. They were born from our hearts, so maybe one day they'll return there. I guess it'd be difficult to know for sure, since it's not like you could just ask a former magical who's forgotten everything." After a pause, she adds, "I wonder if any of the people I know were like that. Maybe some of them used to be magical heroes, and after they hit a certain age they forgot about this life and went on to become doctors or something instead."

    She giggles as she's complimented on her nobility and bravery. There was once a time when she would have denied such words, but she's had to push that habit aside. You can't really be a fighter without such things as bravery. The other idea that gets presented, the idea that Chara Bearers aren't really as strong as other magical girls, does get her thinking. She wonders, for a moment, if Sayaka would feel better about her Contract if she realized that she was stronger than most.

    "I mean, I try to be smart. I spent a lot of time practicing with my enhanced mobility because, well... I actually took a magic attack once, before I gained magic powers. I'm lucky to be alive. I wouldn't be if no one was there to heal me." Madoka looks at Brai for a moment before adding, "Well, maybe. With her I get a magical bow and a lot of mobility. It's not as if I can't fight Witches with that, but those are dangerous enough already."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
"There's no telling. But probably." He says, sitting on the edge of the balcony. "From what I've been told there weren't as -many- of us as there are now though. Which is funny because if you're talking about people like you and me, I've seen less than 5. But... if you count all of the other magical boys and girls - all of the other heroes - it really does feel like there's a lot of them." he admits. "Sometimes it feels like everybody can see Kiseki."

     "But who knows, maybe it runs in somebody's family." He doesn't know Madoka's mother, but if he did, she might be a great example of this. "Or our teachers. But yeah. Born from our hearts and will return to it." he nods. "That's a great way to put it. And in a way it's not always convinent. I'd hate to be an adult when... Well, have they ever decided that for a few seconds they know better than you how you should act?" He asks, laughing a bit. "They can be a bit troublesome from time to time."

    "So, it's really rare for anyone to have more than one egg. There's supposed to be some sort of a prophecy about a girl with 3 eggs, but... she's already left Tokyo." Tadase says, his hand going to his pocket unconsciously. Squeezeing the lock tightly. "So in some ways that's already gone out the door, haha. But I think we're gonna be fine. The prophecy doesn't talk about a bunch more magical people, either. And since she's left - well, we'll just have to write our own prophecy."

    "Did you know it's not like this everywhere else? I don't know if you grew up around here, but the monsters -and- the magic, neither of them are common outside of this part of Tokyo. And the Headmistress says that by fighting them here, we're also keeping everything in one spot - which is good for the whole world. So every time we fight, we're protecting more people than we can really think of, not just Tokyo, but little towns and villages and big cities all over the world. So that's a cool thing to know."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka thinks back to the various Chara Changes she's gone through. It wasn't always... her choice when that happened, even if it felt like a reflection of her desires in some way. With one exception, she considers, when Gretchen told her to 'get a clue', though not in those exact words. "I think if that happened to me while I was an adult, having forgotten all of this, I'd think I was having some kind of manic episode. I might go to the doctor after something like that, depending on how bad it was."

    It's rare to have more than one egg? Madoka never expected to hear that, especially considering that she already has two. "A prophecy? Someone with three eggs?" Crossing her arms, she tilts her head again. "So what does the prophecy say? Maybe if she isn't around right now, we could at least do something until she comes back?" She's somewhat volunteering, though she'd want to at least know the deal first. Madoka's not going to blindly accept any deals or obligations when it comes to magic.

    "I've been in Mitakihara my whole life, so I wasn't aware it was different elsewhere. I know some foreign Puella Magi, but in light of what you're telling me it's strange that they showed up around this time."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase blinks twice, and then laughs. "No no, I just meant, if you had to watch out for all of that as an adult. Even if you knew what was going on - other people wouldn't. Plus knowing there's this whole... shadow war going on... might make it hard to focus at work. All I'm saying is, there might be a reason for us forgetting. I think it's hard to go back to a normal life if you know what's going on. If you're constantly thinking you gotta be ready to go fight a giant crocodile clown or whatever, how are you gonna sit at your office job? Tell your boss you need to go save the world?" He laughs. "That's how I've always thought of it. You know you hear about soldiers and they can't forget things they saw at war... maybe it's a blessing to forget, in a way. That's all."

    Tadase shrugs. "I don't get into all of the heavy thought stuff often, but I thought a lot aboutt what the Fade might mean. Anyways. Prophecy. I didn't read it myself. But I was told it was just that... you know I wonder what the words said. I think I always assumed they said the lock was waiting for the person with three eggs. But what if it was waiting UNTIL the girl with three eggs? What if we're not off on the prophecy at all..." he muses. "I gotta see if I can see the book for myself, now." he notes.

    "I know I'm not waiting on somebody to come back to be helpful. I refuse. Too many peoplee are being hurt. Easter - they're one of those groups of old guys with nothing better to do than harass us for some outrageous wish - they're starting to do more than just poke around for the Embryo and look for kids with weak hearts. Ikuto... another long story, I'll bring him to meet you soon if I think he's being legitimately helpful now... but he said Easter was starting to mess with something they called Abominations that live in Mazes. I don't know what that is, but I know if Easter is poking it, they can't be doing anything good with it." Easter, outside of all of this, is just known as a talent company that contracts with pop bands and vtubers. It's possible this is the first time she's heard anyone connect them to all of the bad goings on.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka laughs a little awkwardly. She suspects that her experiences might be different than Tadase's. Then again, she highly doubts that most people have the same experience that she's had with Kyubey, either. "I mean, I guess in a way we'd be better off. It's kinda weird to think that retiring from this job means getting another, different, more mundane job; but maybe it really is for the best." A blessing to forget? Such a phrase brings something to mind that she was talking about with Homura the other day. There had to be a reason why Gretchen wasn't telling her everything.

    So Tadase isn't sure about the prophecy. That seems fitting in a way. Since when were prophecies ever clear? Easy to misinterpret and misremember. Maybe she'll have to see that book some day.

    "Easter? You mean that corp that works with idols and vtubers and things like that?" Madoka gives Tadase a sideways glance. "I mean, I guess it can't be too surprising. They're associated with Obsidian, aren't they?" When the conversation turns to Abominations and Mazes, Madoka suddenly gasps and covers her mouth. "They aren't messing with Witches and Labyrinths, are they? That's... that's horrible."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
"Yeah. They're part of Obsidian now. Handle all the entertainment, but they also do other stuff. They like to experiment with X-eggs, and dreams and hopes are things they try to manipulate... and they're looking for a special egg called The Embyro - it's supposed to have the power to grant wishes."

    "If I get it, I'm going to wish for Tadase to rule the world." Kiseki notes. "That's why I wouldn't let you touch it, Kiseki." Tadase replies. "awww. Lame, Tadase-kun." Kiseki pouts.

    "Witches, Abominations... Labrynths, Mazes... yeah this all... might be other names for the same thing, it does sound familiar. I haven't gone into a Labrynth yet but I hear they're pretty messed up places. Do you know anything about them?" He asks. Of course, he has no idea WHO he's asking. "If so maybe you and Ikuto should meet sooner rather than later so we can see if they're playing with the same fire. But you mind giving me a quick heads up as to what you're talking about with them?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Who would ever think that a corporation that focused on entertainment would secretly be out to crush the dreams of children or use them as fuel for some dark ends? Madoka feels like this a bit too literal, but here it is. Then, another part of what Tadase says catches her ear. "The Embryo? It grants wishes?" So, Kyubey isn't the only one who can work miracles. Or at least that's what she thinks it means. She'd probably feel different about this if she knew the truth.

    The comment from Kiseki gets a giggle from Brai. "You don't want to rule the world. Think of the paper work!"

    Madoka has never heard of alternate names for Witches, but maybe if she describes them it will clear things up.

    She taps her chin. How to best describe this. "So... Witches are one of the most violent forms of monster. They are mostly mindless and don't really work well with normal humans as far as I know. They have these pocket dimensions that we call Labyrinths that the Witch hide in. These Labyrinths are usually hostile environments filled with the Witch's minions, called Familiars. Not only will they subject you to sudden violence if you enter their little worlds, they also attempt to lure normal non-magical humans to their deaths. When Witches die, their Labyrinths vanish."
        With crossed arms, she tilts her head to the opposite side and says, "Does any of that sound familiar to you?"

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase sighs. "I mean, that's what the legends say. That the Embrryo is some sort of super-pure Heart Egg that can grant people wishes. The rules, if there even are any, if it exists? I couldn't tell you. It's a legend. But it's one Easter wants badly enough to go about doing all of this, and maybe worse."

    Tadase sighs. "I ran Ikuto off before I got enough information from him to tie what he's talking about to what you're talking about, but I'll try and find him soon. Maybe even have us all talk. He goes to this school. Well, allegedly. He's... also been a pain in my butt for the last few months, because he's been working for Easter." he says. "But apparently he's done with all of that, and he was trying to protect me or something? I don't know what that dumb cat is thinking. And I'm... not sure I trust him, but we go way back and I'd like to. I tell you all of that because... maybe don't tell him everything, when we all talk." he says. "Not until a couple other people talk to him - especially Inai-sempai - maybe the Headmistress too. I can't tell if I'm blinded by my own hopes on this."

    Kiseki pipes up. "One. We get someone else to do the paperwork. Delegate! That's a King's role! Two: At least you're aware enough to know you might be making a bad choice on this. That's a start."

    "Witches do sound horrible, though. Do you deal with them often? Maybe I should try and figure out what it is they're screwing with by encountering one before I find out the hard way."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Huh. So the Embryo is a legend then. It's not really confirmed the same way that Kyubey is. Still, if one party could grant Wishes, it'd only make sense that other things could perform miracles as well.

    "A super pure Heart Egg. So, over something that they can't even confirm the existence of, they'll crush the dreams of children. Especially the ones with pure hearts." Madoka's frown is as apparent in the tone of her voice as it is on her voice. She's not impressed with Easter. Boycotts might not mean much in the long run, but maybe she'll avoid buying from that label.

    "It sounds like he's in a pretty rough spot. Considering what else Easter is involved in, forced labor probably isn't off the table." Madoka pauses for a moment. Maybe don't tell him everything? Well if that isn't a particularly harsh lesson she's had to learn recently.

    "If Inai-sensei believes in him, then I'd be willing to, too. Of course, that's an if."

    Kiseki announcing his willingness to make someone do all the paperwork gets a moment of surprise from Brai, as if she found that scandalous somehow. Dumping all that paperwork on an innocent...

    Madoka actually has to take a seat on a nearby bench before she really goes on. "I've seen at least 5 so far. I only actually fought one of them, because that was the first time I had powers. Sometimes their Familiars run away from the Labyrinth and try to claim victims on their own, and I hunt those down, too." After a pause, she adds, "If you want, I can try taking you along the next time I patrol for them. I should warn you, though. Fights with Witches can be... unforgiving."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase sure avoids any of their bands or merch. And especially Utau's. He's still mad at her. Maybe Ikuto can cause that fire to die down if he turns actually back to the side of not smashing dreams. "Adults will kill each other over all sorts of things. It's not surprising to me they'd see crushing dreams as a possibility. Maybe even a better one." he says, with a sigh, shaking his head.

    "Yeah I feel like Inai-sensei is a better judge of his character than I am right now. Maybe ever." he nods. "So I'm withholding anything that'd require me to trust him. Maybe he's got the right of it, or maybe he's just back to crush my dreams. He did some pretty awful things to me. And I'm not sure I totally buy his explanations yet." he admits. "So that's why I wanted to warn you up front."

    "I think I'd like to see what's going on. If that's something they're going to get their fingers into I want to know as much as I can. I'll probably end up in one of those places eventually, it's better if the first time is on my terms. Maybe if we vet Ikuto with a couple folks with their heads on their shoulders better than me, he can come too. If he's being truthful he's going to want to kick Easter's butt more than any of us."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka's frown deepens as she looks down to the ground. Tadase's words don't exactly ring false with her, considering what she's seen so far. She doesn't want to judge people too quickly, but that's different from realizing that someone out there is likely willing to harm others. "It's true. There are those who would do a lot worse over a lot less. It's not unbelievable."

    Leaning back against the bench, she kicks her legs out for a moment before letting her feet drop back down to the ground. "It sounds like you have a lot of bad blood between you. Even if he's done something bad to you in the past, he might still have limits. If they're doing what I think they're doing, then I wouldn't blame him for wanting out regardless of whether or not he had a choice in the matter."

    On the subject of vetting Ikuto, Madoka shrugs. "I suppose I don't mind him coming along. Even members of Obsidian will set aside their villainy to go kill a Witch. That's how bad these creatures are. He'd have to be uniquely crazy to behave differently."

    Brai speaks up, adding, "There are lots of people around who will help if they get a chance, and it's usually better to gang up on monsters like that. Once you know what you're getting into, you'll know what's at stake."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase sighs. "Sorry for being blunt like that. I know that hope is a huge component of our strength. So yeah, there's people like that, people cold and ruthless and selfish. But there's also people who are willing to put themselves at risk for others. People who are willing to get up from their own enjoyable life and do hard work to save others. And I think there's a lot more of the second. And even if there isn't, the second type is a lot more powerful cause they can work together." he says with a smile (and a bit of sparkle).

    "Yeah, I'd like to believe he's turned a new leaf - or back to his old leaf - but honestly even if he just wants out because they've gone too far that's a win for me, for us. So I'm on board with any choice he makes that involves 'stop being a jerk'."

    "Yeah I can't say I would turn down helping someone put a monster back where it goes, whether it's helping them beat up a 3 story tall humanoid or a freaky monster lizard. Even if I can't fight directly cause it's out of my league, I can support and help keep civilians safe. Sometimes it's more important that you help the best you can, than what the best you can help is. Even the right words at the right time can turn someone's day around - whether they're having a bad day normally or they're fighting some sort of three headed fire breathing dog monster."

    He smiles and takes out a sheet of paper, and throws a number down on it. "So if you see one of those witch lab things, call me, I'll make some other calls, we'll see if we can get a group together for a field trip?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka shakes her head firmly. "No, you don't have to be sorry. I've had to deal with far worse truths than that over the past few months. It's just a part of magical life that I don't normally deal with. I actually don't end up in direct conflict with Obsidian that often, since I spend so much time fighting Witches, but they're still our enemies." Then, with a soft smile, she adds, "And I agree, there are also plenty who will put themselves at risk just to help others. I've always liked people like that.'

    Madoka shrugs. "Honestly, with as many different conflicting personalities there are out there," especially among Puella Magi, "I'm just glad to have people's cooperation when I can get it. We don't even strictly have to like each other in order to work together, even if I prefer it if we all got along."

    Madoka takes the paper in hand, and looks at the number. She hands it to Brai, who is probably going to be her best bet at keeping it safe. "I'll keep that in mind. It's not always up to me how those things go, but if I have the opportunity I'll call you. Sometimes my X-Chara will find these things and tell me about them, and she hasn't lied to me about that yet." After a pause, she adds, "I guess that really is strange isn't it? Most X-Chara probably wouldn't bother."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase tilts his head. "Well, I guess the fact that she's helping you must mean that she's even further than a normal X-Chara, in more than just looks." He says. "Generally, X-Chara come when people don't think their dreams can be realized. But... you're a magical girl, now. You can fight with Brai. I wonder if that means the Gretchen Chara represents another aspect of you that you can't realize - or don't think you can realize - and she wants to realize it? X-Chara always seem better when they're cured. It's... interesting, at least. I'm not a researcher but maybe some people who are can help us figure it out. I'm at least curious."

    Kiseki floats up. "Well, an X-Chara can also mean they're at odds with their owner, because of a troubled heart. But I've never known of one to not turn into the usual one and just go on a tantrum. Looks like she has control of herself. I wonder if that means she wants you to have more control? Things are often related like that." he says, actually being helpful.

    "If she can talk and help you, did she tell you what she wants?" Tadase asks. "Most Charas are... pretty vocal about that."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka glances off to the side, and crosses her legs at her ankles while using her hands to prop herself up. She makes eye contact with Brai for a moment before looking back to Tadase.

    "You're pretty close to hitting the nail on the head. She's told me what she wants, and stated it pretty clearly. It just... it sounds ridiculous to me. I hate to say it. I hate to say that about her, because I know it hurts her, but it does. It's not something I really wanted or really asked for."

    Brai floats closer to Madoka and argues. "That's not true. In a way, you did."

    Madoka shakes her head. "What I wanted was to be the best I could be. To do the most good that I could. To give it my all and make the world better... but, when Kyubey was offering me a Wish, one thing he made very clear was that I had the power to become a god if I wanted to."

    Brai clasps her hands behind her back and floats a little bit further away. "And that's the part that's ridiculous."

    Madoka shakes her head. "Something about it just feels so... egotistical. Like imagine walking up to someone and saying you're a god."

    Brai clears her throat, and looks at Kiseki. Madoka notices and feels a bit embarrassed. "I mean... okay, maybe your situation isn't that different. I just. I feel like Gretchen took the spirit of my wish to a logical conclusion that... I don't know if I can easily embrace, and I hate feeling that way because it's like I'm rejecting her."

    Madoka stops for a moment, and then sighs. "Sorry. You don't need me dumping all of that on you."

    Brai holds up a single small finger and adds, "Gretchen was different from the beginning. When I was throwing a tantrum and shooting arrows everywhere, she was fleeing. Almost immediately after hatching, she was planning for the future, and trying to figure out how to best mold Madoka into who she wants her to be. Whatever is going on with her, it's unusual."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase listens, intently, until Madoka tells him she shouldn't be dumping it on him. He shakes his head. "No, no. I asked, you answered. Remember what I said about helping? Helping isn't always blasting a youma, swinging a weapon, shielding an attack. Sometimes helping is just listening, caring, and giving some of your time to another person. I do like helping." He says. "So please. Talk all you need to. We're on the same team. We both have Charas, and we both want jerks to stop being jerks. So listening to you helps me, too." he says.

    "Sometimes Tadase doesn't want to be a king." Kiseki says, plainly. "I know how it feels when your bearer has themself convinced they're not worthy of what they are. But I admit, even for me, being a god seems a bit lofty." And when something is a bit lofty for Kiseki... whew. "I mean, if you get to be a god, Tadase should get t-..." and then Tadase grabs Kiseki and snatches him out of the air - much like Madoka did to Gretchen earlier - but covers his mouth. "Okay, I think you've been about as helpful as you're gonn- OW" he says, letting go because Kiseki bit him. Kiseki blows a raspberry and flies off. Tadase shakes his head. "He'll be back." he says. "You get used to your Chara's ...character." he explains.

    "So, you have Brai here - who's more usual - and Gretchen who's more unusual. So at one point did you have two eggs with you?" he asks. "Just kinda wake up with them out of the blue?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka watches and listens to Tadase's response, and lightly chuckles at the antics between them. She supposes she isn't the only one to try and control a Chara that does something she doesn't like. Glancing between them for a moment, she smiles at the two of them. "I should count myself lucky that Brai is more well behaved. Or maybe I just agree with her more often."

    Madoka looks down on the ground and considers how things started. "I actually wasn't aware that I had eggs at first. The first news I had was that my potential was gone. Kyubey said he couldn't make a contract with me, and I guess in my mind I assumed it wasn't possible for me to have magic anymore. Since both of my Chara are related to me wanting to have magic, they both got affected. I don't remember what happened after that. It was one of the few times since becoming magic aware that I actually had memory loss. Well, that I know of."

    Brai adds, "Well, I do. Gretchen's egg and mine both became X-Eggs, and we turned into X-Chara. I was upset because I thought that I was a dream that could never come true, but Amulet Heart purified me. When she did, I vanished back inside of Madoka's heart. A few days later, my egg appeared in her bed. I don't think we ever saw an uncorrupted form of Gretchen's Egg. I suspect it's because the dream hadn't fully formed yet."

    Madoka nods. "Right. If things had happened differently, Gretchen would still likely be inside of her Egg, and I'd be carrying her around in my bag waiting for her to hatch."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
"The two things are absolutely intertwined." he says, regarding Brai's behavior and Madoka's agreement. "But okay. So that follows. You gave up hope on your dream, probably right as your dreams took this sort of... physical magic form... and caused all of this. That... follows. As well as anything magical does. Okay." He says.

    "But with Gretchen, we're kind of in uncharted territory, at least to me. I guess if she can talk to you and help you and has her own goals... you might be stuck waiting for her to come to things in her own time, I guess. Or you to. If something happens to you she might cease to exist as well, so she is still tied to you no matter what she wants. If she leads you to one of these labrynths, does she stay with you? It might let me at least watch her... Maybe Kiseki can pick something up from her. He can be pretty observant, when he wants to be - and only when he wants to be, sadly." he admits. "Kiseki can always pretty much always find me, so I figure Gretchen probably can too. So she goes out, does whatever she does, and comes to you when she needs to."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka quietly listens and considers as Tadase speaks. She tries to recall the various ways that Gretchen responds to things. "I mean... sometimes she sticks around. I think it's like you said, she knows that if I die, it's over for her too. I also still think that she wants to 'come true' if that makes sense, so even when she helps me it's not without her own motives. I get the feeling that if I got into real trouble, she'd try to bail me out, but..."

    Madoka hesitates, and then adds, "... it's almost like that's a last resort. Like it's something that she doesn't want to do. She Chara Changed with me the other day, and when she did so she filled my head with... strange visions and thoughts and ideas that I can't really remember. I actually got physically sick after she did that. I don't know what it was I saw then, but it had to be pretty bad."

    Brai speaks up, "I'm honestly surprised that she hasn't shown up right now. Usually she comes around if you talk about her at length. I wonder if there's a reason why she doesn't want to be here. right now."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
"I blame Kiseki." Tadase says, to the idea that there's a reason Gretchen doesn't want to be around. It is, clearly, a joke. "But all of that is... interesting. I think we're going to have to have a few more talks in the future. And of course, some adventures." he says, still smiling.

    "I'd tell you 'welcome to the wonderful world of magic' or something, but frankly sometimes it's terrifying and sometimes it's tedious. But it is also wonderful, and fabulous, and it can be fun too if you don't let it get you down." he says. "I've been out of it for too long, myself. Maybe if Kiseki stops sulking I'll go out this evening to look for some youma to send back to wherever they come from." he says, grinning.

    "It's been good to talk to you, Kaname-san. I do have to get going for now - they're gonna wonder where I've gone to soon, and you know, Student Council, rules and all. I'm surprised Konishi-san hasn't come looking yet. But... I do hope to see you soon... and keep yourself safe out there." he says, starting to walk for the door.