1066/Mamelon Meeting

Mamelon Meeting
Date of Scene:	31 January 2024
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Mami meets Misery Melon and they bond(?) over Kyubey, Macarons, and Tea.
Cast of Characters:	Melona Mizu, Mami Tomoe

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Melona Mizu has posed:
     Late in the evening, after most people had gone home and all that was left were the teenagers heading home from karaoke or adults going to their favorite bars or social clubs. It was the perfect time for a hunt, as the Puella Magi Misery Melon was moving from rooftop to rooftop, scanning for signs of a possible witch. At the very least she needed to get enough to keep the cat-rat happy.

It wasn't long before she spotted the sort of ... Oddity ... that was the telltale sign of some witches. The sounds of panic somewhat helped as well. "There's one." She mutters under her breath, pulling out the small 'charm' version of her morningstar as she leapt to the top of the alleyway she'd heard the panic. The center of the alleyway holding a trembling, jerking creature that looked like a child's drawing possessed by some evil spirit rather than an actual being. "...Or not. Tch." Still. It was approaching a pair of girls who seemed to be in distress. Misery Melon shifted her flail over her shoulder, before swinging it down, letting its weight carry her as she stepped atop the giant morningstar-style spiked sphere to ride it down with a resounding CRASH atop the familiar that was threatening the two girls.

"If you care to live, I recommend running." She states simply towards the two girls. Even as she did, the familiar was starting to ... sort of... slide out from underneath the spiked sphere, cartoonishly rebuilding itself. "...Persistent." She mutters. Luckily the two girls were listening to her and starting to run. By tomorrow morning it would be a mere nightmare for them.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
One of the things that is most true about Mami Tomoe is that she's a workaholic. In her mind, killing witches is the entire reason she's alive, so she has a rather singular devotion. That's lightened up a little since she joined Obsidian and has a team, and other responsibilities that aren't hunting witches. But she also does still need grief seeds, and she has to make sure she knows what's going on around the city.

So, she too, is out hopping from rooftop, feeling out where there might be witches. She doesn't see Misery Melon, but she hears the crash of the oversized morning-star crashing into the familiar and pinning it to the ground. That is not the kind of sound that can mean anything good, so she goes to investigate.

She swings down from a ribbon attached to the roofline of a building across the way from the roof she's on, and lands right near Misery Melon, on the side the familiar is trying to escape toward. "You don't belong here," she says to the creature, and a rifle drops out of her sleeve and into her hand. She points the musket at the familiar's head-shaped part as it strains to get out from under the giant morningstar and then pulls the trigger.

Only then does she look up to the other puella and smile in greeting. "I don't think we've met," she says. "I'm Mami."

Melona Mizu has posed:
     It certainly wasn't subtle, that's for certain. A giant morningstar that was larger than its wielder. Mind you, the arrival of Mami and the subsequent crack-boom of a rifle ... well. It was enough for a familiar, especially after getting smashed, the familiar simply disappearing. Likely a young one, which means there's probably a witch nearby SOMEWHERE.

Mami's arrival is met with a bit of a Look from Misery Melon, though not outright hostile, it's obvious that something had gotten into her head for a moment. It takes Melon a while before she seems to come to, the flail transforming back to a more normal size for a flail and rested over Melon's shoulder. "Nein, I don't believe we have either. I am relatively new here, is likely why." She paused, looking at Mami, not approaching immediately. Likely unsurprising, a vague defensiveness to her stance. "...The one who resulted in my creation called me Misery Melon. I haven't figured out better yet." Not that she's cared to. "...I take it you are Hunting too. Unfortunately, I have spotted no prey tonight."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
The rifle disappears in a swirl of ribbons that vanish into nothingness. It leaves Mami just standing there looking pretty and elegant, like she always does. "Misery Melon," she echoes back and then smiles. "Well, welcome to Tokyo, then, Melon-san!"

She glances around them to see if there are any more familiars to be concerned with, and then turns her attention back to the much more interesting girl right in front of her. Mami's not an expert on accents, but this girl sounds an awful lot like the girls from Germany she already met. They had a fifth member, but she had a different name.

Well, it can't hurt to make friends, and besides, Mami's always happy to show a new girl the ropes around these parts. "So, what brings you to Tokyo?"

Melona Mizu has posed:
     Pretty and elegant Mami standing nearby the rough and tumble little spitfire blacksmith. That was sure a sight for anyone walking by. Luckily the amount of people doing that was 'very few'. Melona slowly seems to relax as that rifle disappears, her own weapon staying on her shoulder, but with a relaxed and nonthreatening manner to it.

"...Danke." She responds to the welcome to tokyo. "Nice to meet you." A couple of steps closer, and finally she's offering her hand to Mami, offering vague politeness at the very least. A very german girl, but definitely not part of that group. "The Academy sent my parents a letter of invitation. They sent me here. There were ... troubles ... at home. ...So I suppose I am a ... new resident. I have been here a few months. Mostly kept to myself. ...Beyond the atrocity of an ice cream ... monster? Not a witch, but... something... enchanted, I suppose? And something to do with ... yokai?" That last word is spoken extremely unsurely.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami takes her hand delicately and gives it a polite shake, then withdraws hers. "Ah, yes, Tokyo is a very interesting place, that's for sure," she says, immediately thinking about how that ice cream monster was probably the result of something one of her coworkers did. From everything Riventon had told her, that kind of youma doesn't just wander out of the Dusk Zone.

"Sometimes it's pretty slim pickings when it comes to witches," she says. "Moreso lately, I feel, but I've seen so many more puella around than I used to. You're the sixth one here from Germany that I'm aware of." She really does sound a lot like the other girls. Enough that Mami's willing to make the assumption. It makes her look smart, and that's a good reason in her book.

Then she smiles. "You go to Radiant Heart, then, too?" Mami somehow doubts the girl's actual name is Misery Melon. Sometimes Mami wonders if she should have picked some other name to be. But it never occurred to her, and by the time she realized it was an option, the cat was long out of the bag on her not-at-all-secret identity. "I'm in Grade 9."

Melona Mizu has posed:
     "Interesting is an understatement. Wild, and yet somehow... extremely strict at the same time." Melon comments, frowning a bit as she thinks on that. Hmm. The talk of it being slim pickings get a small nod. "Ja, I have noticed that at times. Though still a large amount considering the volume of Puella you have mentioned." Pause. The sixth one here from Germany. "..." Melona's face drops. The polite smile, completely gone.

     "Six... from germany, you say?" Her knuckles begin to turn white from the grip on her flail, a slight tremble to her. Rage and fear mixing on her face as a small amount of dark energy seemed to creep around her. "Six... did... you hear of what they fight like? Or see them fight? Did any of them use a revolver?" She asks. Mami looking smart or not had been completely lost on Melon at that mention.

"..." Radiant heart. Radiant heart. She shakes her head. "Ah. Yes. Yes. Radiant Heart. I go there. Grade 7." She says, pushing down that rage and fear, the tinge of dark energy fading. Ahem. Hem. Mm. "Sorry. You do not have to answer the question about the other Puella. I know that we are... private. ...Like I said. ...Trouble." She almost revealed too much. It was enough that those memories haunted her at night. It would be worse if others knew about them.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
She was new in town and she was Mami's kohai. There was absolutely no way that Mami was not going to try and befriend this girl. Especially since it seems she's not friends with the others. Everybody needs friends. Nobody knows that better than Mami.

Mami will be her friend. She's a great influence.

She shakes her head. "The five of them are a team, though I only saw four of them fight. None of them use revolvers though. One of them even has healing magic," she says. "But I don't think any of them are the person you're worried about."

There's a little bit of panic on the girl's face and Mami's eyebrows arch. Clearly there's something going on, but she has no idea what it is. Her kohai needs her help, and she's going to have to help her ask for it. Well, she knows how to do that.

"Well, since it seems pretty quiet tonight. You want to come to my place for tea? I have a mountain of macarons I made the other day, and I could use help eating them."

Melona Mizu has posed:
     Of course Mami's a great influence! Definitely! there's no way this will go poorly. The confirmation that none of them use a revolver does cause that last bit of tension to fade from Melona. "Oh. Good." SHE wasn't here. Good. Melona puts away her flail finally, returning it to its little charm size and slipping it into one of her pouches on her apron.

"It... does seem fairly quiet tonight, yes. Beyond, well." She glances at the crater left behind. "Well." She pauses. "Actually hm. I can probably fix this." She says, turning to dip her hand INTO the crater, carefully adjusting it. Molding the crater slowly. It was a bunch of swords and maces made of cement and rebar, but after a few moments they returned to their original form -- more or less properly in place. It wasn't perfect. But it's fine. "...Anyway." That definitely wasn't just an excuse to think about Mami's offer at all.

"...Sure, I could go for some sweets." This girl was a bit weird, but also very pretty and seemed nice enough. And it wasn't like she couldn't just fight her off if things went poorly, right? There's always weapons at hand when everything's a weapon. "Mmm... ... I may not release my magic, I hope you are not offended. I do not dislike you, but I do not know you."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
"Well there's only one way to change that," Mami says with a bright smile. Then she shoots a ribbon up to a nearby roofline. She waves her hand in a gesture for Melon to follow. "I'm not too far from here," she says. They're in Mitakihara, after all, and her apartment is somewhat centrally located within the ward.

Then she zooms up the ribbon to the roof top and pauses for a moment just to make sure Melon is going to be able to follow before starting to bound off toward their destination.

When they arrive, Mami doesn't shed her her henshin, but the name plaque next to the door does say "Tomoe" on it. She holds the door open for Melon. "Welcome, welcome. Please go ahead and make yourself at home. I'll bring things over to the table," she says, gesturing toward the triangle table in the main living area.

Melona Mizu has posed:
     Honestly the sheer friendliness and brightness of this woman had Melona on edge to a degree. Not because it felt fake but more just it was something she was unused to. Still, when motioned to follow and that ribbon is shot, Melona gives a small nod. "Understood." She pulls out that flail again, swinging it in a few circles before throwing the flail's head up, which doubles in size right at the end, dragging her up with it and returning to the tiny 'charm' size right at the top when she lands.

Once up on the roof, she shifts to just normal jumping. Much less graceful, but still effective. ... If perhaps a bit unsafe for anyone immediately above her. And possibly birds too. She follows after Mami afterwards, more or less keeping up with her.

She has short legs though, so Mami likely has to slow down occasionally. Still. Soon they were there, and she was being welcomed in. "Okay." She says, moving over to the table. Soon she's settled down at it, legs to the side with her feet tucked under her. ... No, she hasn't mastered japanese sitting, why do you ask? "...My name is Melona Mizu. Since I am fairly certain I now know yours. Fair trade."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami shuts the door behind them once they're both inside, and she goes off toward the kitchen area. It's all one big open floorplan for the public space in the apartment. First she puts water in the electric kettle and gets it going and then she gets out a plate and puts a selection of macarons on it. She has several flavors, all of them delicious.

"I don't really hide who I am," Mami explains. Even though right about now it would be a lot simpler if she could. She's not looking forward to when she starts having to field questions from some of the girls about her career trajectory. "But, thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you, Melona-chan."

She brings a tray with a teapot, teacups, and the assortment of macarons over to the table and sets it down in the middle. Then she sits down and starts to pour the tea.

"So, this is me. I fight witches and bake stuff. What about you?"

Melona Mizu has posed:
     "...It seems to be the norm for some people. ...But I do not know why people would be open about it. It's unhelpful if someone decides they don't like you." Melona says, less criticizing Mami so much as explaining her stance. "...Technically Melona is not my original name too, but it is my legal name here, and I do not believe I will be returning to Germany." Pause. Teapot, teacups, and macarons. Hm. She reaches to take one of the macaron to take a small bite from one and listen to one.

     "Fight witches and bake stuff. Those are useful skills. ...I ... am a handiwoman, I suppose. I fix things for various clubs. And make things." She quietly looks around the public room, just quietly taking in the space and its decorations while slowly taking small bites from the macaron, taking her time with eating it. Just savoring it. "Oh. And I fight witches." She adds, there was an ever so slightly joking tone to her voice.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
They really couldn't be more different, but here they are having tea because they're both puella. It's certainly a significant thing to have in common, even if they're quite different otherwise.

"Fixing and making things are useful skills too," Mami says as she reaches for a macaron--chocolate with raspberry creme--then takes a bite of it. Her eyes lid and she smiles as she chews. She's had several of this flavor already, and it remains her favorite of the batch.

Her eyes open and she picks up her tea, taking a sip. "So, we both have a mutual acquaintance. I'm curious what do you think of Kyubey?"

Melona Mizu has posed:
     Hey. Melona could be dainty and pretty too! ... Okay not really. "Yes. Especially handy when something breaks down or snaps in half. ...Though I have not taken much in the way of classes to be able to reliably repair electronics yet. I am still working on learning that." It was kind of more of a hobby, but when you're alone in another country, hobbies were pretty useful to have.

Melona's own macaron was some sort of green tea one, she'd largely grabbed it because it was green and the green had drawn her eye. That was really it. She DID seem to be enjoying it with the way she was taking her time to slowly savor it. There was a slight tilt of her head at the question.

"Kyubey? Ah, you mean the cat-rabbit thing. Mmm. I do not know what to think of it. It offered Wishes in trade for fighting, and showed up at a time of most dire need, so I suppose that in a way I am indebted to it." A fairly neutral response, which is probably better than certain OTHER Puella view Kyubey though. "There is likely some catch beyond the combat, but I am not in a position to care at this point in time. It has not given me reason to change my stance on it, either. Also it is somewhat cute in a creepy way."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
"He's a weird one, that's for sure," Mami says of their mutual benefactor. "But he's basically been my best friend for the last several years since he granted my wish." And really that says more about Mami than it does about Kyubey.

She takes a sip of tea and her expression gets a little darker. "Not everybody around here has a particularly high opinion of him, though. One girl actually decided to fight me just to 'teach me a lesson' because I'm friends with him." She shakes her head. "So, I'm glad you're not like that." She smiles.

"How do you like it here in Tokyo so far?"

Melona Mizu has posed:
     Melona opens her mouth a moment at that statement, about to ask a question before she realized if she asked the question that way, she'd be putting her foot in her mouth. In someone else's house. "I see. ... He is... uhm. ...Emotional? He seems muted when interacting with me." Then again, cats also don't necessarily have much in the way of obvious emotions? Hm. Maybe Mami is a cat lady? Or in this case a cat-rat-rabbit lady.

She reaches to take a sip of her own tea, listening to the explanation. "Really? ... That seems excessive over liking someone who happens to have, well, granted you power. Would most people not like such a person?" Then again. Japan /is/ a bit strange compared to germany for her. Hm. "But no. It would be a waste of energy to fight over someone liking a cat. That's just silly." She shrugs helplessly. "But I have not delved that deeply into what reasons someone might have to be like that?" Hm.

"Tokyo is... very bright. ...But with... strangely strict social rules at the same time? But it is ... fine. I can get a lot of things easy, and for surprisingly cheap."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami thinks on that one for a moment, eating the rest of her first macaron. There's a whole plate of them. She's definitely having more than one. Who else eats all her stress-baked goods?

"I wouldn't say he's emotional. He's just all I had for a long time," she answers, finally. "Though, I haven't seen him as much lately. I imagine he must be busy with all the puella around," she adds.

She takes a sip of her tea, and then says, "Well if you ask me, I think she regrets making her wish, but she denies it. She just complained that we have limits that other magical girls don't seem to. She doesn't like how it all works." She shakes her head and snorts a puff of air. "But she'd been doing this for like two weeks at that point. Honestly, it felt like she was just...not good and wanted to make that my problem."

Then she shrugs. "But she hasn't come after me again, so that's a plus." She did throw a giant sword at her boyfriend's head, though.

Regarding Tokyo, though, she giggles. "It is very bright here. Did you grow up outside the city?"

Melona Mizu has posed:
     "I am sure he is around. He seems to be there when you need him, at least. With his queer teleportation where he steps in and out of sight as if it were as easy as breathing." Honestly it's a useful skill to have, so Melona might be the /tiniest/ big jealous. She finishes off the first macaron, reaching for another one. She seems to be drawn to the brightly colored ones, choosing a reddish-pink one this time to nibble on. "Though, if it is true that there are a large volume, perhaps he is taking some sort of vacation to rest between deliveries? It is surely a lot for one person to handle the grief seeds."

Pause. Hm. "I see. So she was taking out her frustration and anger on you. I can somewhat empathize. I occasionally struggle with my own temper, but I try not to do it in the form of bullying others. That would make me the worst kind of person." She wrinkles her nose. "...Regardless. ...Limits? I do not believe I've heard of this before. Is it something I need to worry about?" She asks, her head tilted ever so slightly.

At least there were no more attacks on Mami! That's good. Probably? Wait does she actually care or is she just being taken in by this weirdly fluffy atmosphere? ... Eh whatever just enjoy it while it lasts, Melona. "Ah, no, but it was a smaller city. And a lot less brightly color. Very brown and grey, for the most part. Much less 'towering TV screens with bright colorful ads' and such, more people's homes and business fronts."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
"You know, normally, I would try to help her. It's what I do around here. Kyubey sends most of the new girls my way. At least he did," Mami says with a pause. "But she was just so mean about it that I really can't stand her now." She doesn't understand why Hinoiri would want to date her. She doesn't understand it at all.

Mami looks fascinated when Melona describes where she's from. "Oh, I see! I've lived here in Mitakihara my whole life, so the bright lights and TV screens are all I've ever known," she says. She looks thoughtful as she sips the last of her cup of tea. Then she wonders, "Which do you prefer?"

Melona Mizu has posed:
     "Ah I see. I wasn't sent your way likely because I was an export from Germany." Melona muses. Still, she'd found her way to Mami anyway. Was that just the Puella Fate? To be Mami'd? ... Honestly, probably it's fine. She seems harmless. ...Probably. "I don't know if I've met her before, so I cannot particularly judge myself, though it sounds as if she's an unstable person if she would attack you purely over liking something that you likely have not had a reason not to like thus far." She muses out loud.

And then the question of if she likes the TV screens or her home. She gives a soft exhale as she closes her eyes, just. Quietly thinking. "Mmm..." She opens her eyes. "Things aren't... bad... here, and I would not say I dislike Tokyo, but the streets are... somewhat... too busy compared to where I grew up, I suppose. Much less pleasant for walks, and less trees and such around... but it's not /un/pleasant I suppose? A nice enough place to live."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
She wasn't sent Mami's way because she was already under contract. Kyubey didn't need Mami to help seal the deal. But she doesn't know that. In fact, up until this point, she'd never really thought much about who she did and didn't see. Until very recently, there weren't so many puella around Tokyo so as to notice there were any she hadn't.

"Most of the girls I've helped out usually haven't even made their contracts when they meet me," Mami says. "I show them what they're maybe getting into, and then once they sign on, I show them the ropes and help them figure out how to fight."

But she hasn't really done that recently. It's been months since she took Madoka to that witch fight, and she never even signed a contract. Now all her kohai weren't even puella. That was part of the appeal of Riventon's team. None of them needed grief seeds.

But now here there was Melona, and she was Mami's kohai, and she was a puella. If she made the right impression, maybe Melona would want to team up with her. Takashi wouldn't like that she'd have competition for grief seeds, but a second puella on staff would not be a bad idea at all.

Mami smiled as a plan came together in her mind. "Well, if you'd like, I'd be happy to show you around to all the best places. Make the most of your time here, and all. It must be lonely being so far away from home."

Melona Mizu has posed:
     Yeah, no, being shot through the chest kind of sealed that deal without any help. Not that Mami knew THAT either. Well. Probably. She might learn it later if she asks Kyubey about Melona. "Oh. I see. ... I suppose someone else ... helped ... me... with that." Melona stared quietly off to the side for the moment, as if thinking. She takes a deep breath, before shaking her head. "Well. That is pretty useful, though. I have some experience but it is different from proper training. A good resource to have." Maybe Kyubey isn't looking for new contracts right now?

And Melona wasn't /completely/ against working with people, provided that it didn't trip some of her few morals. She leaned forward a little as she looked directly towards Mami now, something Mami might note as the first time she's put in the effort to make proper eye contact.

"I don't mind being shown around." She says, tilting her head ever so slightly to the side. "But. ...I..." She pauses. The eye contact breaking again. "...Do not take this to mean friendship. ...I still do not really know you. ...But I will accept your kindness regardless." Were her cheeks puffed slightly? ...No that must have just been a trick of the light.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami makes some assumptions amidst all those pauses. She says, "I didn't have anyone either. I say Kyubey was my best friend because he saved my life with my wish, and then he helped me find the ropes. He's frustrating to learn from, because he never volunteers any information, and how could I know what questions to ask? But I can do better than he did. I'd be happy to work with you some, if you'd like."

Then Melona makes the comments about friendship and kindness and Mami just smiles. "Give it time, Melona-chan," Mami says sweetly. "I think you'll find I'm a very good friend to have."