1590/Peace of Mind

Peace of Mind
Date of Scene:	26 May 2024
Location:	Plot Room 2
Synopsis:	Bow comes to Madoka to ask about magic, and Madoka uses her Labyrinth to provide an extra layer of security against potential remote control from Crystal Hope. He manages to transform all on his own, but now he's left with questions about what to do next.
Cast of Characters:	Madoka Kaname, Bow

---

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Tokyo is a busy and bustling place, especially amongst the Four Wards, but there are always forgotten corners of the city or places where people rarely go. Abandoned warehouses, forgotten alleyways, and construction projects that lose funding halfway through. Even this secret landscape is constantly changing, as the old and failed is torn apart to make room for the new, meaning that Madoka has to keep finding new places if she wants to practice her magic.

    Such hidden corners are also where Hope often finds various magical monsters, but she's lucky enough to not run across any today.

    The site that Madoka invites Bow to is an empty frame of a building that never fully was and, at this point, never actually will be. Someone's dream or get-rich-quick scheme fell through, leaving a mess of scaffolding and I-beams that would be a safety nightmare to actually climb if one weren't the kind of person who can jump several stories on a whim. No one is around other than the pink girl and a couple of her fairies: Gretchen and Brai.

    The super-serious Chara of competence, Brai, has a tiny clip board in her hands and she's marking things off. Gretchen, on the other hand, is loudly munching a candy bar about as long as she is tall. Madoka has her hands clasped behind her and is rocking back and forth on her feet.

Bow has posed:
When Bow arrives, he's still in his civilian clothes. A pair of plain sweatpants, a crop top, now that the weather is warmer, no jacket. Sneakers on his feet. Madoka's choice of where to start to learn is a good one, he can tell that there are plenty of targets to use and all. He looks around for the teen, and finding her, raises a hand greeting as he jogs over to her. "Hey, Madoka!" he greets warmly. "Thanks for... well, thanks for anything you can offer."

With that, he takes out the phone that Koji and Ula helped make, "There's a runestone from my world in here." he explains to her. "And Crystal Hope said that my gear, my weapons... everything that was on Etheria, was in here. And then she started to show me different arrows and stuff she could make with the magic that was in it. So... I'm trying to figure out how to tap back into it so I can... be useful and help Sayaka and the others."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka smiles widely as Bow arrives, though there's a bit of guilt behind her eyes. The last time they really interacted, things got... messy. Everything turned out alright in the end, but she still can't help but feel like maybe things could have gone a little better.

    "No problem! I'm glad to see you back on your feet."

    Madoka's two fairies join her in looking at the phone. Brai gets close and zips around the device, then starts making notes. "I see. So Crystal Hope said your stuff was in the Runestone? I'm guessing you haven't been able to access it."

    Gretchen swallows a big chunk of candy before speaking. "Have you tried using it like a henshin device? You know, like... holding it up in the air and shouting the magic phrase or whatever?"

    Madoka crosses her arms and cants her head to the side, leaning over the phone. "I have to admit I don't know anything about this brand of magic, but it might be the case that it has to follow different rules now that it's in our world. The magic that people used before the Veil was a bit different in how it worked, after all."

Bow has posed:
"You know... I want to." Bow admits to Madoka guiltily. "But the phrase was the same one that activated her into a universe ending machine back on my world, and I'm not sure if I want to go through all that." There's a sigh that comes with it. "I could try. But I also worry that if I do? She'll somehow reactivate and come through a back door after me."

"Everyone is convinced that it's really just inside me, waiting to come out, and I'm just having a hard time with that, thinking that back on Etheria? While there was magic everywhere, I was always the one that did without. But I mean..." He gestures to the two fairies. "There has to be something, or I wouldn't be able to see either of them, right? Hi Gretchen, Brai." he greets the pair as he would a normal person.

"I know it's totally different with you and Sayaka and the soul gems and all that, but you seem to be the closest example to what I'm using, since the runestones were literally pieces of Etheria filled with magic of different types."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Brai and Gretchen both wave and say, "Hii~" in synchronous. Then Brai nods and says, "Yeah, that's right. If you can see us, then you must at least have something going on magically."

    Gretchen scratches her tiny chin with one hand, while the other holds her candy bar. How she manages to hold something as big as her without any notable strain or effort is a question for the ages. "I mean... your fears aren't entirely unfounded, and it'd be a lot harder to safely contain you in this setting if she took over again. All the same, Meioh-sensei seemed really confident that she had gotten the whole thing. Something about how it hadn't really gone that deep."

    Brai looks over at Gretchen and asks, "Is there a way you could use your Witch Stickers to check? They also have an anti-mind control effect, right?"

    Gretchen shakes her head. "I wouldn't even know how to begin checking that, and they aren't strong enough to work on magic-aware targets."

    Madoka glances at her two Chara, and then at Bow. "Well, I mean... when it comes to having multiple magic sources, I guess with me it's... kind of 'yes and no'. I don't really have a Soul Gem the way that Sayaka-chan does, but... I guess the easiest way to explain it is that I've been a Puella Magi in other timelines before, and the form of my power based itself on those memories. Gretchen isn't a real Witch in the most literal sense, just an X-Chara imitating one. Otherwise she wouldn't be using dark energy."

    Brai speaks up again, asking, "Short of using a henshin phrase that may or may not end disastrously, have you been able to access the magic at all? Any special senses aside from being able to see us, or things like that?"

    "More importantly," adds Gretchen, "What about others who have come from your world? How do they access their magic?" Then she takes another bite of her candy with one big chomp.

Bow has posed:
"So on Etheria... there's runestones." Bow explains as he offers the phone with it's purplish screen for Brai and Gretchen to observe. "There were seven of them. Only six now. And each runestone was tied to a princess. Three of them are currently here. Which I really need to update."

"So Adora was here first. She brought with her the runestone in the Sword of Protection, which was also the key to the Heart of Etheria. Next, when Scorpia arrived at Prom? She brought a runestone with her. I don't know how she transforms yet - I need to get in contact with her and ask. Glimmer is actually here now. And she has a third runestone. And I know it's with her, because she needs it to live. All of her is tied up into it."

"Adora holds her sword aloft and says a special phrase and she changes. Glimmer... all on, all the time. I'm somewhere between those two, I guess?" he asks himself more than the others.

"I've been trying to will it into being. Like... concentrating real hard. But I don't know if I'm just missing a step, or if I'm doing something wrong. And yes, I tried using Adora's phrase. No go on that." he offers with a sheepish grin. "I'm just feeling a little useless, that I can't really help out." Though he gives a nod as Madoka explains the X-Charas. "So kinda like... Ikuto?" he asks. "Except you can do more than just a cat?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Brai nods along as she writes onto her tiny clipboard. Gretchen chews as she listens, giving her time to think. Madoka frowns thoughtfully, feeling a bit lost but hopeful that there has to be some way of accessing the magic in the runestone.

    "That's right," confirms Madoka. "The magic of Ikuto and I both comes from the same place: our dreams of who we want to be. For most people, that means dreams of the future. For others, it means something else you want to emulate. For me personally... I guess I have quite the spread. Most Chara Bearers only have one or two at most. At the same time, with the exception of Gretchen, most of my Chara do the same thing magically. Others have more varied powersets."

    Gretchen eventually points out, "If you ask me, trying to access your magic by concentrating hard isn't something you can do easily, assuming you can do it at all. Madoka-chan can enter a half-henshin state by just wanting to, and Puella Magi like Saya-chan don't really need a phrase at all, but it's not something I'd suggest you start with by any means."

    Brai taps her pencil against her chin. "Even in all of those cases, a henshin is necessary. It's very rare for someone to use magic if they don't transform first. So I guess it really comes down to being able to activate the runestone."

    Madoka winces for a moment. "I mean... we can, but..." After a moment's hesitation, she reaches out to cup Gretchen in her hands and pul her closer. She utters, "My Heart: Unlock!" as Gretchen turns into an egg (taking her candy bar with her), and returns to Madoka's heart. There's a flash of corrupted light as Hope Witch appears before them. Then she raises a hand up to the sky and declares, "Wake Labyrinth!" as the world shifts around them. At first everything seems mostly normal, but if one looks at the sky they can see that the sun has been replaced with a very large stuffed pillow.

    Crossing her arms, Hope says, "Like this, it should be pretty hard for Crystal Hope to reach you. Assuming she's still being contained elsewhere. If we need to, we can take other safety measures. Unless you don't feel comfortable trying to henshin this way..."

Bow has posed:
"Huh." Bow comments as Madoka confirms what he thought and well. Ikuto wants to be a cat? Well, that's a cool choice. He guesses. He's more of a dog person, honestly. Stupidly loyal, not all that bright... wait wait, sidetracked. Back on task.

As Madoka goes through first her transformation, and then the summoning of the labyrinth, he's in awe, but at the same time, he feels a bit of sadness and sympathy for Madoka - after all, Sayaka has told him what it means to have a labyrinth and while he may not understand Gretchen's perdicament or how she got here, but he's assuming that Brai is the henshin to the labyrinth from Gretchen.

"I assume from what Sayaka told me, labyrinths are pocket dimensions. Not really attached to a point in space or time, but a shadow of what was there, reflected in your magic?" he asks. "At least, that's what I gathered from the ones that Sayaka has pulled me into."

"Okay, so. Want me to try to use the phrase in here?" he asks her curiously. "And if that is the case... has there ever been a case where someone has been able to change their henshin activation?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Bow's suspicions aren't that far off. Brai is an alternate form, and one of the ways to reach Hope Blossom. However, the form of Hope Blossom is exactly what Madoka would look like as a Puella Magi, except with differing hairstyles.

    "Mine works a little differently than most Labyrinths, but it's basically the same idea. It's a fold in space where Gretchen's magic manifests the most strongly. It's attached to a portal in the real world, and that portal can open or close, move on its own, and things like that. Most importantly, I can affect reality here in profound ways. We're fairly confident that Crystal Hope isn't on you at the moment, so if she wanted to back door you she'd have to do so remotely. Like this, I can block most signals, or generate enough 'noise' that she can't get through."

    She holds up a finger and says, "I want to emphasize that, while I'm confident that I can keep you safe here, I'm only guessing that I can try to stop Crystal Hope. She's using what is to me a completely alien technology that I can't actually predict or understand. I can do what I can to minimize the risks, but I can't change the fact that using the henshin phrase like that is a gamble."

    She spreads her hands in front of her, gesturing to the world around her. "Yes, if you feel safe doing so, then I'm ready when you are. However, I don't want to pressure you into it. If you'd rather, we can always try finding some alternate means of using magic, but if you're already tied to runestones then there may be no changing it."

    As an addition, Brai says, "We've heard of people changing their henshin activations before, but not often. Generally that happens as a result of an upgrade, and you might not be able to consciously choose what the new phrase should be."

Bow has posed:
With the explanation set in place, Bow seems at least a little excited, mainly because he understands a bit more behind the scenes and the theories of it all. Things like Charas are still way beyond his reach though, so he just has to have faith in how they work. But this isn't about them. As she makes it relatively clear that they have some safety here, Bow nods his head. "If she's still present in any way, she's being really quiet."

But now that they are settled, he takes a deep breath. "Alright, here we go." comes his comment as he clutches the device in both of his hands. He closes his eyes, and with one more breath, he announces, "For the Heart of Etheria..."

The runestone in his hands glows for a moment, and then it starts to wrap around him as the henshin takes effect. The armor forms across his shoulders, leggings completing. And then the quiver arrives, followed with the bow and arrows pop into it.

Once it's done, Bow frowns to himself, feeling a little disgusted by it all. "I rememeber when I arrived here... I was sure that... well, everything. I trusted her and let her handle it all. And now, I'm here. And I'm trying not to feel more alone, despite the friends that I made... and a girl I love. But it's like... my friends, those from home. I don't know them as well as I should and they're all so distant."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods as Bow mentions that Crystal Hope has, at the very least, not let her presence be known. She is, however, holding her breath someone as she encourages Bow to make a leap of faith that she herself can't really guarantee will end well. As the henshin phrase is uttered and the transformation occurs, Hope Witch feels... honestly a bit angry. Not at Bow, but... moreso at Crystal Hope.

    "Is this the same henshin? Was she even doing anything useful? Because it's looking to me right now that you don't need her at all."

    Madoka, after the fact, realizes just how sharp her tongue is and suddenly grows self-conscious. "A-ah, sorry... I'm not usually that mean. Still, this is actually good news. We should be happy. I'm sorry to hear about your friends, though... That sounds pretty rough."

    Brai has backed off from Bow and is still scribbling on her paper. "Remember, we should do a weapons check. Can you set up the targets, Doka-chan?"

    Hope Witch giggles and says, "The last time we did this, it was you, me and Medo, right? Back then, you two had to set up the targets..." She waves her hand and a bunch of archery targets fade into existence. Some of them are out in the open at ground level, a couple of them near and most of them at various ranges. Other targets are up in the steel girders. All of them look, upon close inspection, to actually just be circular pillows with a target pattern on them.

    "We can start with stationary targets first. Feel free to fire away. This space is not unlike a Barrier. Property damage doesn't matter here."

Bow has posed:
"No... no, I don't feel her." Bow reiterates. He may just be talking to himself to verify there's nothing there, but he needs to remind himself that he's him, he's okay, and that's the best Bow he can be. Once he's sure of it, he gives a nod. "Just, arrived here, learned that Adora was under the influence of dark energy. And now Glimmer is with Obsidian, and Scorpia is a good person. And it all just feels so wrong. Like... I'm missing something. Something was taken and repalced with..."

He stops talking though as she brings up the targets. "This is the other thing. We're both archers, right? But you seem to be... all the bows. My arrows were always based on concepts I understand, so like..." He reaches behind him into the quiver and pulls out an arrow. "Like. Normal arrow. But if I said... 'Goop Arrow'." The arrow changes, becoming the more familiar green one that stuck Arf in the face. "...but she showed me arrows I hadn't imagined. Like that flame arrow..." The one he used on the branches that Madoka made on him. "Or an ice arrow. And I guess that's something I can do. Ugh. I'm probably complaining too much."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "If I were to compare our approaches to archery," starts Madoka, reaching out and letting her black branch bow appear in her hand, "I'd say that you have more variety in type, while I tend to be focused more on target saturation and always being to home in on my target. I have to wonder what a team attack between us would look like? A rain of homing goop arrows, maybe?"

    She summons an assortment of bows, each of which stick one end into the ground. "Most Puella Magi can summon a lot of weapons at once. Guns, rocket launchers, swords... whatever their weapon type is. Since I'm imitating that power in some ways then I can do the same, but there generally isn't much of a point to summoning a bunch of sticks all at once. Until suddenly there is, I guess."

    Madoka shrugs and says, "I think it's normal to be upset, but it's important to focus and move forward. You'll want to explore the limits of your power before you really start relying upon it. Someone like you, a skilled tactician, would especially benefit from knowing their toolset."

    Rubbing the back of her head, she adds, "Though... if it's just the same as it always has been, with less mind control, then you might already kinda know what you're dealing with. Could you come up with something like a gravity arrow, or a lightning arrow? If you learned new concepts, would it expand your ammo selection?"

Bow has posed:
"I was only limited by the technology of Etheria, to be honest." Bow says as he listens to the differences between them. "I noticed that with Sayaka. So many swords." There's a small chuckle at that, but he keeps his thoughts on topic, because honestly, if he gets off on talking about Sayaka, they could be here all day the way he's smitten with her.

"Anyway. Etherian technology. As you probably gathered by now, most of what Etheria works off of is magic. The runestones. The way they're tied to the Princesses. I can see the ley lines here - they are strong here, but there is so many varied magicks... I've spent my life focusing on the technology that was left behind by the First Ones. They were a group of explorers that came to Etheria and did a lot of experiments before ... something happened, that caused them to flee the planet. We always assumed it was the arrival of the Horde. But it may have been something else."

"Anyway. You're right... if I can understand the concept, I could make something. I mean, I tried those arrows before. But there's no technological way to make a fire or ice where I come from. That was all magic or natural means."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hope Witch smiles lightly as Bow starts talking about Sayaka. At least this time around, she's with someone who cares about and appreciates her. Which is good, because Madoka would be very much annoyed if Sayaka was dating someone who mistreated her.

    "Huh. So it's like... technology based upon magic? Almost like a device user..." She taps her chin and ponders the rest of what Bow has to say, and then suddenly looks confused. "I mean... you didn't have technology to create fire? Ice I could almost understand as that's a bit more modern, but on our world fire was one of the earliest things we've ever developed. Any kitchen with a stove and a refrigerator would have tech to create fire and ice. Lightning is also a bit more recent. It sounds to me like what you want is a physics textbook."

    She holds up one finger and starts 'drawing' in the air. A trail of strange dark-yet-colorful fog follows her fingertips and forms into shapes. "The way that I learned it: in order to cause a fire, you need three things: a fuel source, heat, and air." A piece of wood, a symbol of flame, and an air molecule appear as Madoka draws them. "The arrow itself can be fuel, though that's not normally how one makes a 'fire' arrow. Instead..." Madoka traces an outline with her finger, and it forms into an arrow with a piece of coal at the end. She forms another with the tip soaked in gasoline. "... what one normally does is put a fuel source on the arrow and light that on fire."

    Brai taps on her clipboard and says, "Also, some of the earliest fire arms weren't that different from modern fireworks. Literally just a gunpowder-propelled arrow. That's also an idea."

Bow has posed:
"So, that's the redumentary..." Bow responds, and then elaborates, "Once, there was a runestone. It was called the Spirit Ember. And it had a Princess. Like the other runestones. But this runestone, the one that controlled fire? Was not made by Etherian magic. It was an attempt by the First Ones to harness the magic of Etheria, much like Adora's runestone was the one that they made for the Heart of Etheria."

"However, it was not in harmony with the world, and the Princess that held it was driven mad by the magic. When she died, it was said that all fire was taken with her. Sure, you can use a flint and steel to make fire... but fire technology was a Horde thing." But now that she's mentioning it, he looks thoughtful. "Then it's not much different than..."

He holds the arrow out. "Flare arrow, blue." he announces. And the arrow changes. Striking the tip against the ground, he aims it straight up and fires, where it erupts into a brilliant shower of blue light that illuminates the area. "Like that."

"And to circle back to an earlier thought, how would a combonation attack work? Is it like.... a synergy thing or something like that?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Fire technology... a Horde thing? All fire taken away by the Spirit Ember? "Is that the seventh one that's missing? You mentioned something like that before." Madoka can't help but feel sorry for the Princess who went mad. That all sounds very tragic. "I guess ours isn't the only world that gets into trouble by messing with powers beyond their understanding."

    When the Flare arrow is produced, Madoka's face brightens up. "A Flare arrow? So you can launch that and send a flare somewhere? That's pretty cool. I wish I could explain how to make ice and electricity, but the exact physics of how refrigerators work isn't something I know that well. Mizuno-san might have better luck explaining those things to you."

    As for combination attacks, how would Madoka describe them? "I mean... it really depends. Sometimes you can just merge magic together, so like you could add fire magic to Sailor Moon's tiara and make it a flaming projectile. Other times it can be about attaching one projectile to another, like maybe wrapping one of Mami's ribbons around one of my arrows, or using my arrow's magic to launch one of Sayaka's swords. Other times it can be a matter of lending someone your energy, which is what I often see Tuxedo Kamen do."

    She taps the side of her chin and looks at where the Flare Arrow landed. "For our case, probably the best thing I could do is fuse my magic with your arrows to give it homing abilities, or add a magical charge to it to give it more output."

Bow has posed:
"Yeah. And I do have something of an electrical arrow - that's Scorpia, by the way, she's the Princess of that runestone. She gives great hugs. But..." Another thought, and it becomes why he didn't straight up come out with an electrical arrow as Bow says, "Stun arrow." A new arrow appears, this one is prong shaped, and electricity dances between then. Madoka may recognize the great equalizer of helpless schoolgirls everywhere, the taser.

He fires it into one of the plushie pillows and electricity dances all over it. "I heard someone else mention a device user." Bow admits. "Is that what Kohi and Rashmi are? Maybe they could help with the change of the whole ... activation code?"

Then as they get into the joint attacks. Bow nods his head, grasping some of the concepts, having seen them in action in the past and then as she starts talking about the ability between the pair of them. "So... if like, I did a flare on your arrows, it would be a whole lot of fireworks?" he suggests to her thoughtfully. "Or even... maybe I could work with Sayaka and make her attacks more powerful!" His eyes show a sparkle for the first time since Crystal Hope was removed from him.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    As Madoka observes the stun arrow and how it's made, she starts to get a better grasp of what Bow's power is. She nods and listens and taps her chin while watching the arrow sail into one of the targets. It reacts about how one would expect a pillow to react to receiving an electrical charge.

    "Koji, Rashmi, Chrono, Nanoha, Riventon, Firefly and that twin tailed girl who hangs out with them sometimes... though maybe don't try asking those last three." Madoka doesn't yet know about Sailor Charon, or her true identity, so she thinks that the little girl is still with Obsidian. "There are quite a few around, really. If I were to make a suggestion, I'd ask Rashmi first."

    At the suggestion of fireworks arrows, Madoka nods emphatically and says, "Yeah! Something like that. I notice a lot of team attacks are made up on the spot, but they're generally based upon that foundation."

    Seeing his eyes sparkle at the idea of doing a team attack with Sayaka, she giggles a little. "Sure! Maybe you could turn her swords into gadget swords."

Bow has posed:
"Okay. So I guess the next step is to try this... when I'm not in your labyrinth." Bow finally says as he nods to the suggestions that Madoka lays out. "I work for Rashmi's parents, so she's probably the easiest for me to reach and talk to." he admits thoughtfully.

Closing his eyes again, he wills the henshin away, going back to his base clothes. "Thank you so much for doing this." the teen offers as he grins at Madoka. "I'm sure Sayaka will be excited to see I can do it, after all, she's only been suggesting it from the start." He rolls his eyes playfully. "I just wanted to make sure I /could/ before I did it front of her. I didn't want to disappoint."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "In that case... do we want to try that now? Because I can drop the Labyrinth." Madoka closes her eyes for a moment, and the world wavers around them. The sky returns to normal, and most of the plushie pillows fade away. Most. There's still a few scattered about. Madoka notices them and says, "Oh, shoot! It leaked again..."

    With a sigh, she shakes her head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter. I don't think anything escaped except a couple of pillows. Anyways..." Turning towards Bow with a soft smile, she adds, "Do you want to try that now, where I might be able to cut her off if needed? Or did you want to save that for later? Either way, it's no issue. I'm always happy to help a friend."

    Then she fidgets with her hands for a moment before saying, "Especially if it means that chip can't have power over you anymore."

Bow has posed:
"Let's wait. After what happened last time, it may bolster Sayaka's spirits if she sees me do it without assistance. And I want to make sure it's right. And I still want to talk to Rashmi first and let her and Chrono have a look over the device and see if we can change the passcode." Bow admits with a small smile. "But, when we have time, I totally want to work with you on join attacks. If we have something already prepared and instead of on the fly, I can see that really catching someone off-guard!"

With that in mind, he notices Madoka's fidget and smiles back at her. "You really did help me a lot. And I can't thank you enough for it. I know I'm not as powerful as... most anyone, really, but if you ever need my help, I'll come running." His arms open a bit to offer a hug, unsure if she's into those.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    After being told he'd rather wait, Madoka nods. "I think that's fair. Just make sure you test it out before going into combat, okay? I probably don't need to tell you how that might turn out bad. The good news is we know that you can henshin on your own, so now it's just a matter of keeping away from backseat drivers."

    Madoka releases her henshin, and Gretchen pops out of her with a flash of magic. The Witch Chara resumes eating her candy bar as she watches the exchange.

    "As for team attacks, yeah we should! Maybe even have a triple team attack with Sayaka-chan. They'll never see it coming."

    With a smile, she takes the offered hug for a brief moment before pulling away. "Congratulations on becoming a magical boy, Bow! I'm happy for you, sincerely. You deserve better than... whatever Crystal Hope was putting you through."

Bow has posed:
"Thank you, Madoka. Gretchen, Brai, you too. I couldn't have done this without you." Bow returns the brief hug warmly before letting go and he laughs at the idea... oh my gosh, arrows and blades exploding oh my!" he says with a laugh of amusement as everything returns to normal around them.

"And I will talk to Rashmi as soon as I can and get her thoughts. So... what do I owe you?" he asks with a little smirk. "If Gretchen isn't full up, I can take you out for ice cream?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka blinks, then raises her hands. Owe her? "Ah, no, I couldn't think of charging you for this. If anything I owe you for breaking your ribs last time. If you really want to pay me back, then be a reliable ally for Sayaka-chan. She's a dear friend of mine, so it's reassuring to know she isn't alone out there."

    Brai looks up from her clip board and nods. "I'm the one who first trained Madoka-chan as a Chara Bearer, so stuff like this is just in my nature as a Chara. I'm only happy to help."

    Gretchen swallows the next bite of her snack before saying, "Any time you want a safe testing zone, I'll be happy to help."

Bow has posed:
"Sayaka means a lot to you. I'm glad she has you as a friend. My biggest fear is that someday, I'll have to return to Etheria and I don't want to leave her alone. And as long as you're here? I know she won't be. So I appreciate that." Bow dips his head down politely to the trio.

"Thank you all." he offers again, before he smiles one more time and turns to head back towards the school.