178/Opening One's Heart

Opening One's Heart
Date of Scene:	15 July 2015
Location:	Mitakihara - Downtown Neon District
Synopsis:	Hannah calls Homura to meet a friend, and shares precious secrets. An understanding is forged.
Cast of Characters:	Homura Akemi, Hannah Sharpe

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Hannah Sharpe has posed:
In the neon distract, it's not too uncommon to see your occasional late-night teenager haunting one of the many clubs in the area. Most of the time it's lounges or karaoke. But Hannah Sharpe has peculiar tastes for someone her age, and is very good at roping people into things. Thus it is that Ao Karina, Boris, and Hannah Sharpe are in the mostly empty jazz club known as the Blue Note. The atmosphere is cosey, intimate, and most of the lighting is done by candles. Hannah is wearing a blue blouse and jeans, with a newspaper boy's hat upon her head. There's barely anyone there, the bartender plying the two girls with sodas, and Boris has been given a doggie bowl of beer.

There's a pool hall attached, through which jazz music filters. Ca-crack! A ball breaks the set, and Hannah listens.

"To the right! That's solids, Hannah-chan! Lightly!"

Ca-crack! Thunk!

The pattern between the pair continues, until the pool game is half done. She pauses, and hands the cue over to Ao.

"Lemme make a phonecall, Ao-chan. Might can get Homura-san down here."

Then, walking to the back, she calls up Homura.

Should she pick up, amidst jazz, comes Hannah distinctly warm and fierce voice.

"Hey there Akemi-san! Saaaay, you free by chance? A friend, Boris, and me are down at a club. Want to catch a break from school and stuff?" She offers. Then her voice lowers.

"And, uhhh, I need to talk to you. It is important." Comes the girl, sounding more serious than perhaps Homura has ever heard her.

Homura Akemi has posed:
The voice that answers Hannah is unusually dour. It's less like how Homura has been recently, and probably a bit more like how Homura was when she first met Hannah. She's trying to hide whatever's bothering her, but the result is a very sharp, almost angry mood.

"Yeah, I'm free. Actually I could use a break." There's the sound of something soft being tossed and hitting something plastic. (Homura throws a Kyubey corpse into a garbage can.) While Homura listens to the rest of what Sharpe has to say.

She needs to talk. It's important? "... Alright. I'll be right there. Just give me a bit."

Homura wonders just how much more seriousness she can take, what with Nagisa and Kyouko and Mamoru and Madoka and... no, no, her real mission has only just started. It's too early to get depressed. As long as Madoka's alive, there's hope. As long as there's hope, giving up is just cowardace.

A few minutes after the call, Homura Akemi comes through the doorway of the pool hall, searching for Hannah Sharpe. She sees Sharpe with Boris and an unknown person. Well this is interesting.

Sure, Homura Akemi knew the /name/ of Ao Karina, and new some amount of her story, but she hadn't met her personally. What's more, she only heard that name from White-san.

"Sharpe-san, Boris-kun," she greets the two she knows. She tries to smile, but her heart isn't in it. She turns to Ao and bows slightly, introducing herself, "My name is Homura Akemi. Are you a friend of Sharpe-san?"

The Jazz is calming, but a little sad. She listens to it while she takes a moment to study the pool table.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Hannah's voice softens a bit here. She's well aware just how much stress the Puella is under...or at least imagines so.

"You sound like it. Heh, you can meet my friend. Anyway, I will text you the directions."

And then she's here! Hard to miss the two, as the girl sinks the last ball into a pocket! Boris woofs in greetings to the middle schooler, and the brunette hugs Hannah!

"Heh, Takeshi is going to owe me one hundred yen! Saying 'a blind girl cannot play pool'!"

Ao notices Homura first, and soon, the dark haired girl is confronted by a bowing japanese girl, and Hannah grinning.

"You made it, great! Ahem! Introductions then." She's pouring it on a little thick tonight towards Homura, probably for the girl's sake. Homura might notice that the girl seems to somewhat hide herself behind Hannah. Not hard to do, Ao is a much shorter girl.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Akemi-san!" Bow! Bow! Ao is a stick at that, pale, and definitely sickly looking.

She straightens, rubs her hands together. Ao smiles, a little nervous and awkward, but warm.

Boris, helpfully, bumps Homura's leg! A tail thump-thump-thumps ankles!

Ao takes a little breath, steps out from behind Hannah, and then nods.

"I'm glad Hannah's making more friends. My name's Ao Karina. Hannah and I have been friends since she came to the country. Do you go to Infinity too?" Comes the brunette curiously.

Hannah's already turning to the bartender.

"Heyyyy, Joe! Get my friend here something! What do you want, Akemi-san?" Offers Hannah. But she mostly just watches, waiting to see if the name gives the other girl any inklings of just what's so important.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura glances down at Boris and reaches down to scratch him behind the ears. Homura likes Boris. He's friendly and sweet. She squats down to pet him more thoroughly for a little bit before standing up, patting the top of his head before turning her attention back to Ao.

"Karina-san?" Homura thinks back. She's heard that name before.

'Give me a name. And I swear upon my life, I will protect them and absolve them from my own ambitions.'

There is a small stirring in her expression, but it might be hard to read. She remembers. Apromise like that, she certainly remembers.

Wait. She heard about Ao from White-san, not Sharpe-san. Could she really say that she has heard of Ao before? Still, the description fits.

"Ah, Karina-san. I'm happy to meet you." She isn't sure what to think of this situation. This is a strange coincidence. She promised White-san that she'd never drag Ao into the crazy world of magic and danger, and she'll keep that promise regardless of Riventon's actions, so mentioning her connection to White-san is out of the quesion. Better to act like this is the first she has heard of her.

"Yes that's right. We both go to Infinity, though she's a couple of grades higher than me. We've been good friends for the past couple of months now."

"I'll have some coffee, if that's alright." she says to Hannah, almost absentmindedly. This is a lot to process. The thought that Hannah might be Miss White still doesn't cross her mind, but the fact remains that they seem to know the same person.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
That hand of HOmura's gets licked! Boris is one happy familiar right now, but there's something piercing in those eyes. Concern. Honest to god concern. Dog are good at that kind of thing, and Boris is no normal dog.

Ao, for all her nervousness, pushes past it visibly and gives two nods.

"Hannah's told me a bit about you. Shorter than I thought, though." Comes Ao, in a bit of Hannah-esque teasing. Seems the other girl's definitely rubbed off on her.

One coffee is quickly offered to Homura.

Hannah helps elucidate her compatriot.

"Yup! Met her with Chiba-san. I /swear/ that man knows everybody worth knowing in this town! ...I wonder if his love life is complicated. Eh heh." She blushes here. Ao frowns, and then smacks her on the back of the head.

"Owwww, what was that for Ao-chan?"

"Rurako-san would hang you out to dry like a beanpole."

"Ehheh heh yeeeah, yeah she would." Comes Hannah, grinning.

Ahem! Hannah brings in Ao for a tight hug. Poor Ao's eyes bulge a bit, but she otherwise seems ok. She's used to it.

"Anyway, set up the next set. I have a few things to talk about with Akemi-san, okay?" Comes Hannah, picking up...is that a gym bag?

Ao gives an understanding nod.

"Yup! Just come back or I'm ordering a dozen drinks to the next ten people who come into the bar. On your wallet." Threatens Ao.

Then Hannah's holding the bag with one hand, and Boris' lead with the other. She motions for Homura to follow her.

Soon enough, with a uncharacteristic silence about her, they're at the rather secluded area leading to the rooftop. It's a door, with a padlock.

She stops, and turns around.

"Sorry to drag you out here, Akemi-san. I am going to be blunt here. You have never exactly been a spring butterfly, but tonight you sound utterly depressed. I need a serious favor. I am talking 'find where you sleep and kick you in the face if you betray me on this' kind of favor. But it can wait, if you really need it." Hannah, too, sounds worried.

Then, she awaits an answer, and she's opening that gym bag. Bolt cutters. A moment of fiddling, and they have a way up to the roof. Hannah whistles the entire time.

Then they're up into the windy night sky.

Hannah pauses, takes a deep breath, settling nerves. Last chance to back out. No. She needs Homura's trust. And this is the best way she knows how to do it.

"Right. So. Can I trust you to keep a secret Akemi-san? This is a 'could get me killed' kind of secret if you start spilling beans, my friend."

She flits from foot to foot in a rare show of discomfort.

"...Been doing a lot of thinking since my time in the hospital. Kind of thing gives you lots of room to look inside yourself. The people who visited me, left me cards..." She starts, then smiles lightly to Homura.

"Got me my homework. Those are real friends. And I think friendship like that should not involve secrets, or at least, the kinds that do not keep other friends safe or important things intact. You are that kind of friend, Homura. That is why I want to entrust a secret to you. If you will accept it." Hannah reaches her hand out, smiling.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Is Mamoru's lovelife complicated? Oh Sharpe-san, you have no idea. Except that you're actually White-san so you probably have a pretty good idea anyways.

Homura would laugh. She thought it was a funny comment! Yet nothing comes out and she just ends up wearing this :| face.

"Chiba-san does know a lot of people," is all she manages to say on the matter.

Homura watches the playful teasing between Ao and Hannah. They certainly seem close. They seem like they have a nice friendship. They can say whatever is on their mind.

Sharpe beckons Homura away, and the young Puella takes a sip of her coffee as she follows her. A gym bag, hmm? Homura wonders if what Sharpe wants to show her is in there.

They reach a secluded area, and Homura listens to what Sharpe has to say. A favor? She considers quietly, behind her cup of coffee, how to respond. "Life happens as it happens, Sharpe-san. I don't think that waiting will make anything better..."

"... what is it? You make it sound pretty important."

She follows Hannah out of the door. Hannah's words further emphasize how important this secret is.

Homura considers. Is Homura really a good friend? She cares, and she acts on that concern. Yet at the same time so many of her friends have it so bad. The one she cares about the most suffers almost as a direct result of what Homura has to do, and there's almost nothing she can do to make it better.

"I consider you a good friend too, Sharpe-san. It may surprise you to learn that I keep a number of... life of death secrets."

Homura is no stranger to severity, but she wonders how much Sharpe-san knows about such things. She reaches out her hand to take Sharpe's. "I won't tell a soul. You have my word."

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Inwardly, Hannah makes a mental note to get Homura to laugh more. And to try to shove something close to a vacation down her throat. Both might be night-impossible, but she knows how to nag exquisitely.

Then they're up on the rooftop, and she takes Homura's hand. Hannah's own two squeeze for a moment. Hannah lets out a sigh of relief.

"You never fail to impress. Seriously. Making me look bad here!" She manages a nervous laugh. Can she do this? Is this foolishness? Will it get her killed?

She has a Madoka to protect, an Ao to protect, and so many others. Maybe she can't save them, but she can at least fight for all of them.

Boris runs up beside Hannah, and sits. Hannah reaches into her pocket, and pulls out something. A gold coin. It might spark a bit of familiarity just from the brief flash in Hannah's dextrous digits. It's rolled between her knuckles out of nervous reflex, and then she commits. Flicking it into the sky, she concentrates. The coin glows, and Hannah opens her heart.

Magic kicks up wind from nowhere around the girl. Green magical energy swathes Hannah, wrapping about her body in long tendrils that obscure her. The swirling winds raise her up several feet into the air as power, ambition, love, and hatred alike become the protection of her Barrier Jacket.

"Raging Tempest! Set-up!" Comes Hannah's voice, clear and confident.

It's glow fades into pure white, forming into a long business jacket floating on her shoulders as she slowly lands. The coin splits, the twin knuckles of Raging Tempest spinning and the girl catching both. Two quick jabs and a kick in the air, and she's on her feet in that classic kickboxer's pose. She straightens, the crest of her magic beneath her feet fading away.

Miss White offers her trademark confident, warm smile to her employee, and friend. One red eye closes.

"...Heh. Sorry it took so long, Akemi-san, to tell you. But I like my friends, /and/ my employees to trust me when I can manage it."

Homura Akemi has posed:
If Homura took a vacation, she would spend most of it hunting down Kyubey and stopping Madoka from contracting. It's hard for her to imagine doing anything other than that.

Homura has agreed to keep the secret, whatever it is. Whatever it is, it couldn't be that bad, right? At least, Sharpe-san must have some faith that Akemi would take it well, or else why share it?

Then the coin is taken out. It seems important, from the way she holds it. Then Hannah uses it... It's a transformation item?

So Hannah is a part of the world of magic, too. Homura sits and watches, wondering if she should henshin herself. Yet, when the henshin finishes, Homura sees that it's unnecessary. Hannah Sharpe is Miss White.

If Sharpe wanted to get Homura's mind off of her troubles, she certainly succeeded. For the immediate moment, she's not thinking about anything but the revelation right before her eyes.

There's a long moment before Homura responds. She stares at Sharpe-san, who is now Miss White, with blank eyes. After a while, she flips her hair and says, "Well, I'd share my own secret, White-san, but you already know it."

A moment later, she reconsiders. "On the other hand, it might be trouble if someone sees Miss White talking to an ordinary middle school student."

Homura holds out her hand. A small silver ring has always been on it, but the ring turns into an egg-shaped, gilded purple jewel: Her Soul Gem. Power expands outwards, hints of circles surround her, looking like the minute and hour ticks on a clock, spinning around her like gears. With a series of *ping* *ping* *ping* her school uniform is replaced by the Puella Magi's henshin, her shield appearing on her arm.

A faint hint of a smile returns to her face, as she adds, "I suppose it only makes sense. Not too many people have your drive or ambition. I suppose that was the same Ao Karina you were telling me about? The one who doesn't need to be dragged into our business?"

Homura frowns slightly, saying, "Well, you can be sure I'll be keeping /this/ particular secret, White-san. I can promise you that."

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Miss White just laughs. She leans back against the wall of the stairwell, taking in Homura with her Device. A trademark hairflip, and then a Henshin. Her eyes do narrow as information on the actual transformation is fed into her brain and recorded. The light of curiousity flits into her features, that love of knowledge that's led her so far.

Then she just sighs, and sticks her tongue out at Homura.

"...One of these days, I am going to teach you an appreciation for the dramatic. I mean, seriously. We have these crazy, impossible powers, and you act like this is normal. You do the 'mystery girl' act a little too well sometimes." Walk walk walk.

A single finger pokes the shorter girl on the nose! Shove!

"Yup! Actually, it was thanks to Chiba-san that I figured it out, calling your name out like that. You religious, Akemi-san? Grandma would say 'God fated that day!'." Cue dramatic hand waving. Raging Tempest's readout displays an ascii facepalm.

"Anyway. You are a pretty sharp kid, so, I think this should be self explanatory for a lot of things. But if you have questions, well, not much I can hold back at this point, right? I trust you, Akemi-san. And I know what it is like to want to keep somebody safe more than anything. So..."

She rubs the back of her head.

"Jeez, I am bad at this. No matter what happens, you are my friend, my comrade in arms, my employee, and someone, on some tiny level, I /get/. We both are mixed up in some pretty crazy, often...well, /wrong/ stuff. You got it right. That is Ao Karina. As long as you do what you can to keep her safe, then even if you end up having to do something like hurting me, or killing me, then no hard feelings in the end. Okay?" A thumbs up, and an imploring look.

Her arms cross.

"Besides. Everybody ends up in a coffin eventually, right? Better to go out in a blaze of glory, medieval style I say rather than die in some bed!" Classic Hannah fire, there.

She'll keep it.

"You are bloody peaches, Homura." Simple words, but a little choked up. That kind of promise /means/ something to her.

Really, Hannah feels like crying. She'd never admit it, but having someone to talk about this, who knows her secret and also has powers? It feels good.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Thankfully Boris saves her dignity.

The dog laughs. Not barks. Not whines. Laughs. The voice, no doubt, is familiar. And big. And russian.

"Da! White kitten and Black kitten are finally true friends! Touches Boris' heart it does! Now stop being sappy little cubs." Boris doggie-frowns at Homura.

"Also Black kitten still owes TPS Report. Will be on Viktor's desk come morning, da?" Woof for emphasis!

Hannah nods. Right. Business.

"...To be honest Homura, I was not entirely forthcoming about Ao. She knows. About me. I mean, not all of it. The experiments and the lab...ugh, how to put it? She saw things, she knows my identities, that things exist...but nothing more. I guess I should have said 'Do not drag her further in'. Here, let me give you the cliff notes version: Ao and I got attacked by a youma. She was not always that sickly. You saw it, right? Well, she was pretty healthy, then she and I were at a mall, and this youma came in." She pauses, trembles. Even now, it's hard to recount.

"I did not have Raging Tempest at the time, so no magic. I tried to protect her. You can probably guess how well that went. One youma gassing later, next thing I know, we are both in the hospital. I look like I got hit by a mack truck, Ao is suddenly a weak, pale, scrawny shadow of her former self. Medicine can keep her going, but..."

Her hands clench.

"Point being, she has already had enough pain from demons and magic. So she supports me from the side, I deal with the rest. She keeps me sane, I make sure she keeps getting the medicine she needs to live." Hannah's not really looking for sympathy. Her tone is one making a point.

"So...that is why I do what I do. All the terrible, all the good things. It is why who or whatever makes you Puella Magi makes me so bloody angry! Why I hate witches so much! And that is why I want strength and weapons and power. So maybe, just maybe, if I cannot save you guys, then I can at least change the world enough to where raw deals and jerk youma do not end up ruining the lives of other people and turning nice girls into terrible, terrible monsters."

Homura Akemi has posed:
"I've been doing this for a long time. Maybe I've been taking it for granted."

Homura is distracted from the comment by a touch on her nose, and her nose scrunches up a bit as it's touched, taking a few steps back from the shove.

Is Homura religious? She isn't sure if she is or not. She believes that there are higher powers, it would be impossible /not/ to after what she's seen, but does she hold them in high regard?

She'd have to decide after she met them. Maybe they're jerks like Kyubey. Or maybe one of them is storming around the Heavens complaining that no one ever listens to them even when it's really important. Either is equally likely from her point of view. She doesn't have an answer.

Homura listens to Hannah's story, quietly listening. She raises an eyebrow as Boris speaks up, and takes a few good moments just staring at him. She recognizes the voice, sure. "Y-you're... her familiar?" That part does manage to catch her off guard. She had no idea that Boris was anything more than a friendly dog.

Homura smiles again. Her good mood is returning, but she frowns again as Hannah mentions killing her. Her eyes are absolutely dark as she returns the sentiment. "I can understand that. I wouldn't care if I died so long as Madoka was alright. If she can be kept safe, then I have no problem with you."

"Sadly, I can't say the same for your partner. He attacked Madoka. I don't know what he planned to do, but I doubt it was going to be good for her. I don't hold you responsible for that, but as your friend I want you to know that I wont hesitate to kill him."

A sharp glare turns to Hannah. "Don't think for a second that I'm not capable of something like that." She seems a little unhinged. Something isn't quite right about this girl. Sure, she acts upon love, but love has a dark side.

She pauses for a moment, having worked herself into anger from recalling and recounting the incident. She turns away for a moment, calming down. "... but I want you to know that I don't hold that against you, or Ao, or anyone else. It's his own fault. I'd rather my fight with him not become a fight with you, especially since I don't think I can really avoid it."

"I can understand your reasons. People like Mami want to run around like we're all epic heroes, like if you just stand up and fight evil then justice and love will win out in the end and everything will just magically fall into place. Yet for every single time I had to rewind the timeline and start all over, there was a critical failure along those lines. Justice didn't win. Doing things the 'right' way led to death and tragedy. The only way I was able to make headway was by treating it less like a heroic tale and more like a war, and war means doing terrible things no matter what side you're on."

"I guess that's why I always liked you. You were never... naive. Girls like Kyouko, have you met her yet? As much as she's irritating to our plans personally, she's really got the right idea. Puella Magi are predators. Refusing to accept that only ends in tragedy."

With a sigh, she adds, "That's actually why I was hoping she'd join us, but that one has a mind of her own."

Homura frowns slightly at the last comment. Turning nice girls into horrible monsters? Homura has hinted at that before, but that combined with Miss White's studies...

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Boris doggie-grins! Then pants and shows plenty of doggie panting tongue.

"Da! How else do you think white kitten gets around so well? Has best seeing-eye dog in world! Also only service animal with degree in business administration in Tokyo!" Comes Boris-slash-Viktor. Hannah reaches down, and ruffles those ears.

"Not every kind of 'Familiar' is a person-eating jerk. Some are friends who have been around even before magic came into people's lives."

Boris leans against Miss White, and she in turn kneels down to wrap an arm around one fluffy neck. Two old partners, together.

But so too does Hannah listen. She stands. And runs a hand across her face. There's pure irritation and acceptance in her look.

"...Have I ever told you that I have the /worst/ taste in lab partners, Akemi-san? Because I do. I appreciate the understanding." Cue a long, long suffering sigh.

"Black-san is a real piece of work, but he has both research skill leagues above me, and..." She pauses. The card.

"I think, in some freakish, twisted way, he is a friend. So point being? You want to kill him? Fine! Do it off the clock and not while I am around, okay? Seriously, I have enough problems. I get it. I do. I would break his scrawny little neck if he got within five meters of Ao. Just...professionalism, okay?"

Then there's talk of death. Most people would show fear, or bluster back. Miss White just grins. It's a grin of blood, of excitement. If Homura is unhinged about Madoka, then Miss White is unhinged about conflict.

"I would be frankly dissappointed if you said anything less, Homura Akemi. As long as Ao is not in the picture, if I have to die for Madoka' sake? Hey. Fulfilling my promise like some sort of savior. Still. You better not expect me to just lay down and die. LIke I said. Blaze. Of. Freaking. Glory. Make it interesting at least. Got it? Great!"

Arms cross, and she grins. So confident. A wall of acceptance, purpose, and ambition.

Then she's listening, like someone with only ears, fingers, smell, and taste to go on can.

"Hey, I am not perfect or anything. I might have been like Mami-san, if events had not beaten the naieve and stupid out of me. People are just people. I could have been that 'justice loving person' just as easily. Yeah, war means horrible things no matter what." She sighs.

"Well, to put it simply, the utopia I would like to see is the reality that people like Mami-san live in. But you and I both know this world is too terrible to support something like that. That is why it ends in tragedy. So...try not to be too hard on naieve little idiots, at least when we all end up in whatever life comes after this?" She asks, then shrugs.

"Buuuut beat them down in this life. Because fools like that just get in the way. Oh? Kyouko-san?"

She pulls down her sleeve, and exposes a long scarr down her arm. From the looks of things, she's lucky to still have that very arm.

"You could say that. Uh. I tried head-hunting her for the company. You can probably guess the results. Still! Sometimes you just have to call in someone for a second interview." A wink. No, she hasn't given up.

Then she waves a hand, de-henshins, and starts walking towards the staircase.

"Anyway, sounds like we have a lot to do professionally. My research into the first anti-Witch weapon is nearly complete. We have a situation with your Madoka-chan. My partner is being..." She chuckles.

"My partner. Oh, and a new threat on the horizon. Homura. Gear up for war. Magic war. Maybe even literally, but we will see how plans for /that/ end go." A shrug, and then she forces her body to relax. She smiles, widely, warmly.

"But we are off the clock. Time to see how good you are at pool, Homura! One hundred yen on the blind girl and her dog can beat you!" She'll then try to grab Homura's hand, and blindly run back downstairs. No mater what tumbles might occur, she laughs all the while, voice full of life and purpose she had not known before she'd been beaten down so thoroughly.