615/Puella? I just met her!

Puella? I just met her!
Date of Scene:	19 October 2023
Location:	Dorms #1
Synopsis:	Sayaka comes to Chrono for information about who he truly is... and has a lot more of her questions answered by the TSAB agent. Just what IS a soul gem, anyway?
Cast of Characters:	Chrono Harlaown, Sayaka Miki

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Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown had, well, invited Sayaka to his room. Why? Because they had to have a discussion. She'd said she wanted to speak with him and, frankly, he had no qualms about such things.

Also, his room had the coffee machine. Thank you Adrien. So he was sitting in his work outfit, TSAB uniform, rod out, doing some work that was TSAB related.

Ready for her arrival, but doing paperwork in the meantime. Just in case she was late or anything. Of course, once she arrived he'd open the door, let her in and offer her some coffee... But until then he was just sitting in the spinny chair and doing paperwork. Also, his right arm was in a sling. So... that was... something.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Chrono had actually invited Sayaka to have a talk with him. She didn't really expect the guy to actually accept since they didn't even know each other, but here she is, walking towards the dorm room of someone that is potentially an alien.

The meeting place he ended up proposing was his dorm room, surprisingly. Sayaka is a bit wary about meeting in the private space of someone she doesn't really know, but she is a magical girl now, right? She will be fine. So she goes there, wearing the school uniform still, and knocks on the door.

When Chrono lets her in, she notices he had apparently been doing paperwork. 'Does he never relax? I get being in the military, but still...' she thinks. "Thanks for having me, Harlaown-senpai", Sayaka says out loud next, looking towards him. "What happened to your arm?" She had only just noticed the sling he is wearing.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown relaxed once. He hated it. Terrible thing, relaxing. No chill, this boy.

"No problem," he said. "A lot of people want to talk to me for some reason, so I figure it's good to make time for them. Would you like some coffee? Adrien's espresso machine is amazing." He then walked to the chair and sat back down. "A belkan with some issues," he said. As if that explained everything. To be fair, it did. Kind of. But not if she didn't know what a belkan was.

He motioned to the chair. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. What did you want to discuss? I assume it has to do with this?" he asked, before waving his rod a bit. Then paused. "Wait, you're magic, right? Because if you're not this entire meeting might... seem very, very odd very quickly."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka had, in fact, met a Belkan, the Belkan responsible even, but she didn't know that about Hannah, so Chrono's comment flies over her head. "What is a Belkan, another outer civilisation?" she tries to guess. Detective Sayaka Miki has entered the scene, and she wants all details clear.

"Thank you, I would like a cup, please", she politely accepts the coffee. "I am indeed a magical girl", she mentions, raising her right hand so as to show Chrono the ring on her hand denoting a Puella Magi. "And I want to know about that too now you brought it up, but that's not what I came here for."

She lowers her hand back down once he has had a look, and keeps talking decisively. "Alright, Harlaown-senpai, during the pajama party you made a reference about not coming from this planet, and when I asked further, you denied it. I am going to repeat that question, since it's now just you and me listening. Do you really come from another planet, and what is your reason for being here? If you were able to come here in the first place, your civilisation must be advanced enough you don't need our technology."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded. "Yeah. Allies to the TSAB," Chrono said. He walked over to the espresso machine and started making it, humming lightly as he worked. "Ohhhh. You're one of the Puella Magi, okay then. I don't know a lot about you, but I know a little bit."

He then brought the cup over and... then held out his right hand. A holographic image formed in his hand. An ID. "Chrono Harlaown, Time Space Administration Bureau Enforcer. To put it in perspective, I'm... hmmm. Special forces. I travel across dimensions, stopping them from being wiped out by things known as Lost Logia. I was part of a crew that was pursuing a dangerous Lost Logia in this dimension. Unfortunately, this entire region is, more or less, a black hole of magic. Things like sailor senshi, puella magi, even dark energy just don't EXIST in other regions of space, or other dimensions. And once one gets here, as far as I can tell, there's no way out. Like being trapped in a black hole." He then walked to his chair, sat down and took a sip of his coffee.

"So basically, I crashed here, am trying to prevent things from getting worse, find and rescue the remainder of the crew and get us back out of here. Does that answer your questions?" he asked, giving her a rather... gentle smile. "It can be a lot to take in."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka takes the cup in her hand, its warmth immediately assaulting her hand. 'This coffee is quite hot, I will let it rest a bit'. She still holds the cup in her hand while she looks over at the holographic ID in Chrono's hand. "Oohh, that's cool", she comments with deep interesting, at first paying more attention to the technological wonder than the information actually listed on said ID.

The Puella of course gets to read said information. "I guess that's all clear enough, Enforcer Harlaown, but what is exactly a Lost Logia, and why do they wander across... dimensions, was it? Across dimensions", she repeats herself. First aliens, and now alternate dimensions are real too.

"Oh, they are called Sailor Senshi then. I had met Sailor Mars, but I didn't know there were more like her, nor what they were called as a group. What other types of magical warriors have you met? I am actually new to this whole matter." Sayaka decides to start blowing on her coffee, not to wait until this interview is over to drink it.

"Is the 'black hole' parallel exactly as it sounds, and you too can't get out now, or does it just extends to having things not present anywhere else? Also, why did this Belkan with issues attack you exactly, if you are allies?" She starts taking a sip out of her coffee, scalding her tongue a bit. Almost there, maybe let's just wait a bit more.

"I honestly only became a Puella Magi because I needed the wish. If I could have, I would have given Kyubey a punch for his sly and dishonest behaviour and tell him to go waste his time somewhere else. At least I discovered him attaching these bombs to Puellae before I made the wish, so I knew what I was getting into. What do you know about us exactly?", she comments, passing a finger onto her ring.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
"Oh, that's a tough thing to explain," Chrono said. "A lost logia is the classification for an object, usually technology or magic, that is left behind after the extinction event of a civilization. Although, it can also be used as a classification for technology and magical systems that are so far beyond the reaches of how magic functionally works in most dimensional space that they are either breaking the laws of reality or are so beyond our current understanding that their operations are infathimable," Chrono said. And this is why he needed to drink stronger stuff than coffee. Alas.

"Sailor Senshi, precures, puella magi, uhhh. Princesses? It doesn't help that not all magical groups have a 'type' to them. Some apparently just break the rules individually. This is a weird dimension."

"As for the black hole... yep. Hence being trapped here. There is a lot that is only here, but it is trapped here as well. So... not entirely sure what else to say in that regard. It's not something we've ever studied and I'm hardly a researcher."

"As for the belkan, it was a sparring incident. She... got over excited and caused an accident. It's only a sprain, I wouldn't worry too much about it."

However... the vitrol towards Kyubey made him stare. "I... what? Bombs? I... what? I... feel I may be misunderstanding you." He said gently. "I've only spoken with Kyubey once, but he was quite forthcoming with information. As for what I know..." He motioned to her ring. "The 'soul gem' you carry is an external linker core. A linker core is a vital organ in most creatures, however many people cannot actually hold magic in their linker core. This dimension seems to block it for many people as well, after a certain age. By extracting the linker core and making it like that, it allows them to use magic. Think of it akin to a... magical medical external organ. The wish you make seems to be attached to that. I... believe it is a new system, however. It's far from perfect, obviously. As you're effectively carrying around a vital organ outside your body. As an aside, I'd make sure to keep it protected, if it was damaged there's no telling what would happen to you."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
"Hold on, say what?" Sayaka responds to the information about Lost Logia. "So these items you are chasing are extremely powerful relics of long gone civilisations? That's absurd! How did they get erased if they had access to such powerful technology, magic, or technological magic?" she wonders, a bit fearful. What horror is hiding out there, waiting to snack on them like a pair of tasty pretzels?

She nods along to the explanation on magical girl types. "Yes, I have met some who seem to have rather random classifications. I have this guy who forms a pair of heroes with his girlfriend and they are generally called "Galactic Pretty Boy" and "Galactic Maiden", and the former is actually rather funny on the part of whatever gave him that name. Like, he is just not a galactic hero, he is also mr. handsome as part of his job title. Which to be fair, he is, but what if the title had gone to someone else?", she chuckles.

"It seems like a missed opportunity for your researchers to have never questioned it", Sayaka says, taking a sip out of her coffee. Alright, now it is ready.

"You tell me about it: he keeps me away from my best friend for months on end using her safety as an excuse, and when we reunite despite his efforts, she tells me that if I ever use up all the magic in a Soul Gem, I will die. Isn't that something he should have revealed on his own, but no, he deliberately concealed it like the dishonest little thing he is, and who knows how many girls he has tricked with his sly means. And he probably spies on us too, because he knew my name right when we first met, as well as that of a guy called Mallory who happened to be there to save me from a machine gone out of control, along with Sailor Mars. Not to mention, how insistent he is. Even after his true colours came to light, he still chased me around, with occasional reminders that I had no other choice but to take his contract. And even after we finally got separated, he showed like nothing, despite being in a magically secluded place. He is so persistent!" A growl comes out of Sayaka mouth at the end of her rant.

The comment about Linker Cores and vital organs catches her off guard. "We have a vital organ that produces magic? And Kyubey not only extracted it without my permission, but fashioned it into a bomb?" The gears start ticking into her mind. "Wait a minute... The whole 'you will die if you exhaust your magic' isn't because of a bomb, but because magic is keeping this vital organ working, is it?" The Puella grits her teeth. "What kind of vital organ it is? If it produces magic, I doubt it's something we know like my heart or my brain, right?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. "Usually the lost logia we're pursuing. It's kind of like... nuclear weapons on this planet. Now imagine they're bigger. More powerful. More destructive. They get easier and easier to build. Then someone comes along, decides THEY can control them, or have nothing to lose, so on, so forth. Some can wipe out entire planets, others systems. Some have destroyed multiple dimensions. Now, they aren't all that powerful. In fact, there are plenty of lost logia that turn out to BE harmless. But, in general? My job is to ensure they are stopped and NOT used. For good or ill. You'd be surprised how many lost logia end up destroying the lives of millions because one person decided 'But... if I used it, surely my reasons are just...'"

"But I wouldn't worry too much. Those events are rare for a reason. The TSAB works tirelessly to ensure those events don't happen. And in this area, well... the TSAB can't get here and get out. So our researchers CAN'T study it, as they'd be trapped here as well. Not to mention the veil makes people lose all memories of magic when they get too old, so any researchers would have to be incredibly young."

However, her vitrol made him even more confused. "I... can't say anything about your experiences with him, sadly. He seems to have magic of some kind, that allows him to make the contracts. He also seems to believe that the magic of contracts IS performing a valuable service to prevent extinction of the universe. To fend off entrophy. How true that is I can't say, but he seems to believe it. But... as for the magic thing... yes. That appears to be true."

"But no. The linker core doesn't create magic. It STORES magic. Think of it like... I suppose your lungs. They don't make air, but you require them to pull in air and use it. The linker core is the same way. It gathers magic from the surrounding environment... somewhat. Some linker cores are weak, or barely functional. If not functional, they won't gather magic, but they'll still be a part of you. It seems to be related to the recent 'heart crystal' extraction system. It releases the linker core in a strange, crystalized form. But removing it for an extended period will kill the victim."

"The process that makes puella magi seems to be able to take... linker cores that are incapable of using magic naturally, and place them outside of the body, allowing you to harness magic. However, it also makes you dependent on said magic to survive. I, sadly, am not knowledgable enough about linker cores and their medical status to explain it more than that."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
The Puella Magi takes a sip out of her coffee while she absorbs the news about Lost Logia. That is somewhat reassuring. If all the people at the TSAB seem to be like Chrono at least. "What measures do you have in place to stop one of these self-righteous people from being part of your organisation and taking one of the Lost Logia under your custody?"

He may say they work tirelessly for it, but if that's the case, the self-proclaimed detective wants to know exactly why she doesn't have to worry. The fact the TSAB holds minimal power here actually makes her worry more, since that doesn't prevent the Lost Logia from getting here and causing disasters. She will have to be extra vigilant. Why does her home have to be afflicted by such a perplexing condition?

Amidst all the explanation about Linker Cores, hearing them getting compared to Heart Crystals drains all colour from the bluenette's face. "But Heart Crystals are your literal... your actual soul. Are you saying that Kyubey takes the soul out of his contractees and fashions it into the Soul... Gem... It was there since the start." She comments, a darkened expression. "That stupid cat was being clever with his naming to taunt us when we discover the truth", she comments, with all her vitriol towards Kyubey manifesting in her voice.

"What does this mean about me, now?" she asks to nobody in particular. With a shine, the ring turns back to its Soul Gem form. "This is my soul, what Madoka did her best to stop from happening when that vampire girl shot me, I let Kyubey do to me." She looks towards Chrono. "This is just stupid, I am just stupid. I thought I had discovered Kyubey's big secret, and in the end he still manages to have the last laugh."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown sighed. "Well, that would take days to go over. Realistically? A lot of oversight. There have been issues in the past, but as much as it sucks, that happens in any organization. We endeavor to ensure it doesn't. And when things get out of hand..."

"... Enforcers get involved." Ahhhhh. So that was what he was. The TSAB protected dimensions. The enforcers enforced the rules. "Alas, there is no such thing as a 'eternal solution'. For reasons of greed, anger, hatred, love, selfishness, people can and will try and do what they mustn't. We do all we can to prevent such events, even an admiral isn't beyond reproach in the event they attempt to use a lost logia."

Chrono stared at her and cocked an eye. "... Why would you think a heart crystal is a soul?" he asked. "I mean, I've seen a few people say that, but I see no actual justification for it."

"Across many religions, even in TSAB space, the idea of a 'soul' has been something unquantified. At certain points the soul was believed to reside in the 'heart', at othes 'the brain'. But the fact is, nobody truly knows. All I can tell you is the soul gem? It's a linker core. But I doubt it is anything approaching a 'soul'. Yes, if removed from your presence you'd likely die if it was gone for too long... but you would likely die if *any* vital organ was removed for too long. There are medical machines, even on this world, that can temporarily replace your heart, lungs, kidneys, all manner of the body. In fact, the only part of the body that your planet seems to have the most difficulty with is the brain, for obvious reasons."

"As for the name, apparently it was chosen long ago, in a different language. It translates into 'soul gem', but that doesn't mean it is that. Just that it is the term used. As for what that means about you... I think that's pretty obvious."

"It means you are a young girl with an external linker core. Your condition allows you to use magic in a way that, frankly, most people in this world can't fathom. It is slightly different from some methods, but similiar to others. At the very worst, it means you have a medical condition with both flaws and strengths. That doesn't make you any less a person, or even any less human, than anyone else on this planet." Pause. "Well, okay. Not counting me. I'm midchildian. But of humans. Though technically midchildian's are incredibly similiar to humans. We just have two hearts." ... That last part was a joke. But he said it with such a dry, matter of fact tone.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
"Isn't it obvious?" Sayaka comments with stubborness. "Those things are the center of our feelings, essence and emotions. What else would you call that if not a soul?"

"I am sure you know everything about Soul Gems, since you never sent researchers here, and you are not a researcher yourself", she comments sarcastically."Do you have any actual proof to what you have said, or do I have to ignore the fact that this system is just as new to you? How long have you been here on Earth?"

Unfortunately Sayaka doesn't really seem very receptive to Chrono's words. She shakes her head. "I would like to know who told you that fact about that different language it was supposedly translated from. You said it yourself your researchers have never investigated this "magical black hole of ours."

She looks at the Soul Gem resting on her hand. "So without Kyubey's trickery, I would have actually been unable to use magic. Madoka is naturally capable of it, and I would have had to rely on her to be safe from the dangers around it. I see how it is", she sighs.

"I don't want something to harm Madoka, we have been best friends since an early age, and the thought of putting her in arm's way is icky to me. And yet, you are telling me that Kyubey was my only means to fill that gap. Great to know I had to give up my soul for it." She looks at Chrono with a calm face overall, just a bit downcast.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave another sigh, laying his staff down and crossing his good arm over his chest. "First of all, I'd like to know why you think that is the center of your feelings, essence and emotions?" he asked. "Because if that truly is what it is, then I'd say there's validity in what you say. In my experience and knowledge of how emotions and such work, they tend to operate from the brain, a mix of hormones and other parts of the body. Not the physical soul."

"I do not know about soul gems. I have, however, scanned one and it came up as a very strange linker core. I, admittedly, have no other evidence than that. And a lot of my knowledge on linker cores is related to what I was taught in the academy, knowledge which was gained by researchers far smarter than me."

"... As to the difference language thing, that actually was Kyubey. I asked him. Now, before you say that means it can't be trusted, keep in mind as far as I'm aware he's the one who shared the name OF soul gem with others. While other puella magi apparently use it now, unless we find someone who didn't learn it from a puella magi or from him, I have no reason to believe he's lying about this."

"... As for the magic thing... I'm sorry. Not everyone can use magic. Even on my home planet, some people are born unable to use it. On this planet, it seems only a small minority of people can use it."

"... It's not idea that you did it via this method. Especially as you seem to have a lot of... hatred for the creature who gave you your wish. But please do not allow your views of Kyubey to color what you, yourself, are. You're a human with an external linker core. Not a soulless husk, not a fake human, nothing else that may come to mind as mocking term for such a thing."

"You're human. Just one of the select few with an awareness of magic. More than that, you *did* choose this, it seems. Making your wish. And desiring to keep your friend safe is a noble goal. So don't undermine your own choices and desires over the nature of your magic."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
"Because my emotions vary in accordance to the amount of magic I have used: the more polluted it is, the more negative my thoughts tend to be. I am not sure why it would do that if there were no relations", she replies, taking a sip out of her coffee.

"Yes, I am not really convinced. I trust you have expertise in these Linker Cores, but if the Soul Gem is very strange with relations to them, then you should spend time checking those differences, because they can either make or break your analogy."

"And yeah, I do not trust Kyubey. I know the way he lied to me with, while I only have your word for his honesty, and you cannot tell if he is sincere or not until you get another person to chime in on the matter."

She spends a good time pondering the last part of Chrono's speech. "Thank you, Enforcer Harlaown, or Harlaown-senpai", she finally decides to say, switching between the two title, unsure which is the most appropriate for the situation. "It trust you mean well, and I appreciate your words. Frankly, I am not really sure I regret this yet", she mentions, taking one more sip out of the coffee. "What my regret is really focused on for now I feel gross at myself for the impurity I have introduced in myself. I was talking about this with Madoka, how these things interact with Mizogi rites, but I am not sure I would have a way to reveal any of this to a monk to get a professional opinion."

"For what is worth, I will continue fighting for what is right, even if that will turn out to be the sole purpose in my life."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown shrugged. "The same reason people get negative thoughts whenever any of their organs ache. Pain sucks. Damage sucks. Exhaustion sucks. I don't know if you've noticed, but people who are hurting physically tend to find it easier to end up in negative thought spaces. In fact, in some cases being in a sudden negative thought space mgiht be a precursor to getting sick. That's the joy of being alive, sometimes things suck and we don't entirely know why."

Chrono then gave another sigh. "I... understand. I'm sorry you feel this way, but even if it WASN'T a linker core, which as far as I can tell it gives every sign of being, there's really not any reason to suppose it's the soul. The fact is the very concept of a soul has been an ever shifting thing throughout history. It's entirely possible that the soul does reside in your linker core. Or it could be in your brain. Or it could be in your heart. Or your liver. But, in the end? If you remove ANY of those organs, you die. You may be able to survive for a short while without them, especially depending on the nature of their removal, or with an artificial replacement. But they are still vital parts of the human body."

"... I'm, unfortunately, not a medical professional. Nor do I have access to a medical professional who has expertise in linker cores to have them scan and perform the necessary research. So I can only tell you what my own beliefs are. However..."

He then got to his feet and walked over to her. With his good arm, he reached out and patted her, very gently, on the head.

"If you regret your choice, I understand. But don't you *dare* ever call what you've done 'impure' or some kind of 'taint'. You have taken on a solemn task. To protect others. To help others in a world that most cannot. There is *nothing* about that that is anything less than noble. Most may never be able to understand it. But nobody *Ever* has *any* right to call it 'impure'. You have taken on a heavy burden. Something most would never wish. And if anyone ever dares to mock you or try and make you feel like less for this, send them to me. Or hell. Send them to Hannah Steiner. Her girlfriend is a puella magi and if a belkan can't punch some sense into them they're already beyond injecting anything approaching thought." He then walked to the coffee machine, filling his cup up and...

"Take it from someone who probably takes 'fighting for what is right' a little too seriously. There is more to life than always fighting. Even the strongest sword shatters if it's not oiled and allowed a moment to breathe. Even the strongest of us need help, relief and things for us to keep fighting for. So don't be afraid to find those for yourself. If all you do is fight for justice, it'll only be a matter of time before you forget what justice is and then you'll just fight for the sake of fighting."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka gets startled at Chrono's sudden approach, but relaxes a bit when he turns out to just be giving her a pat to her head. She isn't quite sure how to take that. Did she look that miserable from an outside perspective? No, everything is fine, he must just be more involved than most in others' problems, so he want to give her a show of caring, she tries to justify it to herself.

"Uhm, thank you, Harlaown-senpai", she mentions, a bit of hesitation seeping through her tone. "You really defy the image of military people being quite stern, thank you a lot for that." She isn't sure about where to stand on the "impure" matter still, but it's true she has taken up a worthy cause, and she should do her best to uphold it, even taking care she doesn't shatter along the way. Shattered, she can help nobody.

Then she blinks at the mention of Hannah, once, twice. "Steiner-san was the Belkan you were talking about? I can see what you meant and mean, she is really headstrong and passionate, I am glad to have met her. She was able to raise Kyousuke's mood with just a few words despite never really having met him."

Sayaka now looks at Chrono with a direct expression. "You are right, I won't let myself fall in disrepair, I will take care of myself to the best of my ability so I will always be able to remember the spirit of justice."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a light chuckle and nodded. "Yeah. Uhhh. I'm... actually quite stern in the military. Amongst the crew of the Arthra, I'm known as probably one of the most serious and stern members. Definitely amongst the upper staff," he said that with... a flat... unamused tone. Mayyyybe just a hint of annoyance.

... Dang it mother.

"However, that's in the military. Like it or not, this isn't a TSAB operation anymore. I tried treating it as such and... I almost broke myself," he muttered.

"I had to finally pull back and just... calm myself. In the end, I knew if I didn't, I'd eventually crack. I'd accepted too much at once and if I didn't get some relief, I'd be crushed beneath it. Since then, I think I've softened... just a little. And become a tiny bit better at being not so stern..."

"... In the end, I'm the only true 'soldier' in this battle for this planet. If I try treating all of you like soldiers, like I'm your commanding officer, I'll do more harm than good. So I have to adapt. I'm happy to know it seems to be working so far."

"As for... Steiner-san... oh... she... is... certainly headstrong and passionate. Amongst other... things... a true belkan. With all that entails," he said, getting a bit of an anime sweatdrop when he said it. "But that's good to hear, Sayaka-chan. And never be afraid to reach out for help if you need it. No one person is an island and even as an Enforcer of the TSAB, I was only able to be trusted with the duties I was, because I knew I could trust the support of the rest of the staff when I needed it. No one person can handle everything, no matter what they want to believe."

He then headed back to his chair, grabbing his rod again and starting to go through his paperwork again. "Is there anything else you need? And once you're finished with that cup, feel free to leave it in the sink, I'll get to it when I wash out my own."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Chrono has taken the freedom to call her 'Sayaka-chan'. Is this a sign she should address him by first name? Maybe she should try and see how he reacts.

"That would be all, Chrono-senpai", the Puella smiles at him. "When I first came in, I just had the desire to know the truth about what you revealed at the party, but I am glad we ended up discussing more that that."

At Chrono's words, she quickly finishes her cup and leaves it in the sink. "That you for having me, Chrono-senpai, I will take my leave now." After bowing towards him, she gets out of the dorm room, heading back to her own.