898/Coffee and Sweets and Virtuous Treats

Coffee and Sweets and Virtuous Treats
Date of Scene:	21 January 2016
Location:	Uminari City - Midori-Ya Cafe
Synopsis:	Miku wants to talk to Mami.
Cast of Characters:	Miku Kohinata, Mami Tomoe

---

Miku Kohinata has posed:
It's mid-afternoon, a few hours after school has let out, and Mami received a text on her virtue line asking to meet. Oddly, the text did not come from a popular, well-known member of Virtue, but rather from a girl barely known to even be a member. A quick check would show that Miku Kohinata is not known to have any powers. In fact, she is registered under her real name. Stranger still is that there's no note from any of the typical Virtue attendants: just a stamp from a man named Genjuuro who is, it seems, the leader of 'Section 2'.

Questions upon questions likely arise about the girl. Yet here she is, offering Mami to a cafe for an afternoon snack and meeting at Midori-ya.

In the cafe, Miku is seated at a table, still dressed in her amaranth blazer and skirt from Verone. Her green hair has a big cream-coloured bow in it, and the girl is busy humming to herself (prettily, if one has an ear for music) as she reads over some homework assignment or another.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami Tomoe walks into the Midori-Ya Cafe, still in her school uniform, heels clacking on the floor as she walks, golden eyes looking around at the room, looking for this Miku who sought to meet with her.

Mami doesn't often turn down meetings - even more rarely when they are in places where cakes are served. After a while she picks up on Miku in her Verone uniform, and she walks over, a bit of a questioning look on her face.

Miku Kohinata has posed:
Miku looks up from the page when Mami draws near, then smiles up at the blonde. "Ah," she says. "I'd recognize those drills anywhere," she says, then rises and bows courteously. "You must be Mami Tomoe. It's a pleasure to meet you, Tomoe-san. I'm Miku Kohinata, from Section 2." Motioning to the table, Miku asks, "Will you please join me? I'll go order us something to eat and drink. Do you prefer tea or coffee? And what type of cakes do you like?"

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami shrugs and sits down with Miku. She can't help but enjoy the recognition - and she smiles politely. "Tea, and strawberry cake please." she says, nodding."

"Section 2? You all are relatively new, aren't you." she muses. She's still not sure what all this about, but abnormally for a Puella Magi, she tends to trust people until they show otherwise. This is probably why she's the only one to join up with Virtue.

Miku Kohinata has posed:
"Mmm," Miku replies with a smile for Mami, not commiting to an answer, just yet. "Be right back," she promises, then heads to the counter. She orders and pays for strawberry cakes for two, delicious green tea to go with the cake, and coffee for herself. A moment later, Miku serves cake and tea to Mami before taking her own sea. "Itadakimasu," she declares with a little bow over her food before she picks up chopsticks.

"We're not that new, actually," Miku explains honestly. "Genjuuro-sama has been in coordination with Virtue for a long time. However, he has avoided becoming directly connected for fear that the Noise would not receive enough attention. They are ... deadly," Miku understates gently. "A simple touch can turn a man to ash. Dealing with them must be Section Two's highest priority, even above other youma or problems."

Miku takes a sip of her coffee, then explains, "I told Genjuuro-sama that I disagreed with his assessment, and would be taking this initiative to deeper integrate us with Virtue. Technically, Tachibana-san and Kazanari-san are also members of virtue. But for the near future I will probably be your primary contact."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami nods, and gives the same "Itadkaimasu!" that Miku does when she bows alongside her.

"I've never met Genjuuro, but I've been a little out of the loop myself. Busy dealing with Witches and some... personal issues... that have cropped up recently. But what you're talking about sounds very grave indeed." Mami says, taking a sup of tea.

"I think anything that poses such a threat to innocents would get a high level of attention within Virtue, as well. That isn't to say it could be everyone's primary focus - we all have our personal focuses, our enemies, our strengths."

"The most primary contact is Hotori-san, but he's also often very busy. I am... a specialist, perhaps like you might want to see yourself. Where you deal with this noise, I deal with Witches."

Miku Kohinata has posed:
Miku inclines her head. "So I learned, when I looked into Virtue's contact network," she agrees quietly. "And that's why I wanted to seek you out. I am still new to Virtue, and this whole world of ... evil creatures. I only barely understand what a Witch is beyond a threat to humans. But," she explains, "I don't want it to stay that way. I want to understand all of the problems Virtue faces, because these are the problems Tokyo faces. And as a powerless muggle, if you'll excuse the Harry Potter analogy, I am very deeply concerned for the problems Tokyo faces."

Miku smiles a little, then explains, "So I want to get to know you. To know any of the ... Puella Magi, you call yourselves? All of you who would fight witches. I also want to know the Chara Bearers, and the Sailor Scouts, and the Device Users, and the Pretty Cures. Virtue is an amazing organization, and I want to get involved in whatever way I can, even if that's just making phonecalls to get backup to the right place at the right time."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami smiles as she cuts into her cake, listening to Miku talk. Then, she grins a bit. "I remember what that's like. I was just really coming to terms with the way everything is for me, with my magic, my fight against the witches, and then my eyes got opened to even more of this secret world, to the other things going on, the other fights."

She daintly consumes the bite of cake, giving her time to listen to more of Miku's explanation. "Well, Kohinata-san, to my knowledge I am the only Puella Magi currently active in Virtue. Most Puella Magi, sadly, end up out for themselves rather than protecting others. When it comes to the others I'm probably not the person you should speak to - they can all tell you their own stories of magic - but I can do a pretty good job with Puellas and Contracts."

Miku Kohinata has posed:
"It's okay," Miku says with a smile for Mami. "I didn't come to you for all of virtue, although I certainly would love to hear your insights, if you have them, there. I came to you for your expertise on Pu.. Puella Magi. Sorry, I am not very good with latin."

She clears her throat, then explains, "I wonder why your kind wind up on their own. Is that by choice, or merely lack of any better options? Is there some driving force which separates you? Perhaps we can work together to overcome whatever the problem is."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami sighs. "Well, we end up on our own because we fight over resources we need to survive. Because... well, when we use magic, we lose some of our strength. This isn't true of most magical girls like it is for us. When we use up all of our magic, we die." she says, looking down intensly at the cake slice.

"But when witches are defeated, they usually drop something called a Grief Seed, and we can use it to cleanse ourselves, to get our magic back. And thus, in essence, fight on longer. The scarcity of these seeds drives conflict." she adds, calmly.

Miku Kohinata has posed:
Miku listens to Mami's explanation as she rolls her coffee mug in her hand, slowly turning it to and fro. She frowns, just a little, but says nothing until Mami seems done. Then, she admits, "That sounds very sad."

But it doesn't sound surprising to her, all things considered. "The monsters Hibiki fights--the Noise," she names them, "they're ... similarly terrifying, but in a different way. A simple touch can kill you, if you aren't careful. They turn a normal human like me into pure dust. Hibiki's Gungnir armor seems to protect her some, but every time she goes into battle I worry she's going to lose her voice, or miss a note, and the armor's going to fail on her. If she doesn't keep singing, it won't protect her."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami nods a bit, but stops when Miku says she's a normal human. Mami had just assumed she was a magical girl, too. But she doesn't actually say anything - there's really no polite way to address that, not when she's still offering to help. So all there is a visible reaction, but then she drinks a little more tea.

"It can be. But we all got a wish when we made the contract to become Puella Magi, and this life is our payment for that wish." Mami, at least currently, believes it was a fair deal, all things told. But it's probably easier for her than some others. "I'd still be here if I had it to do all over, even with what I know now. I've been able to save a lot of people from really horrible things, too." There's a pause, and Mami pushes a memory out of her mind, before it sours the whole conversation. It'll come up later, when she's alone.

"She has to sing to fight?" Mami asks. All things told, with what Mami has seen, it's not that unbelievable. And now, Mami remembers a small little dream she had, long ago, another life ago, of being an idol. "I'm sure she has a beautiful voice though, if she uses it every fight."

Miku Kohinata has posed:
Miku smiles a little at Mami. "Hibiki wouldn't give it up for the world, no matter how dangerous it is," she explains quietly. "Not even if I asked." Because apparently Miku thinks high enough of her relationship that she could ask that.

"It's okay, though," explains Miku quietly, "because I know that she's helping to save lives. I just don't want her to have to do it alone. Which is why when Genjuuro-sama told me about Virtue, I decided I needed to make certain I became involved."

Miku shrugs a little, sips her coffee, then explains, "But yeah, singing activates the relics in the symphogears. Hibiki ... is an okay singer. She's not the best, but she's good enough for Gungnir, and I like to listen to her voice. There's another Candidate who wields a device called Ame no Habakiri. She's also an idol, and really popular. She sings much better than Hibiki. Better than me, too."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami nods a bit. She's taking this in - for her own curiosity as much as for information in case Virtue needs it. She's going to write it down later, but she considers it rude to be writing everything down directly in front of someone over a meal!

"Well, I can tell you that being a part of Virtue means you have pretty reliable access to people who can help. I... honestly wouldn't need to clear out witches alone if I was worried that I couldn't handle it. But I also don't like putting other people in harm's way." She looks out the window. There's that strange, ominous feeling like a major storm is about to arrive, but it's been like that for a few days. And she knows what it is. "Sometimes, though, you don't get to do that. And it's times like that I'm glad to have so many people covering my back."

"Oh? Is the other... sympho...gear... user..." she says slowly, making sure she gets it right "also a part of Virtue - or I suppose, Section 2 at least?"

Miku Kohinata has posed:
"Mm, they're both a part of Section 2," Miku cheerfully agrees with a nod. "Which makes them part of Virtue by association, I suppose. I'm officially an external agent of Section 2. Honestly I think Genjuuro-sama is so worried about the noise that he's forgotten there are other threats," she explains. "But he means well, so when I told him I was going to do this he gave me a big smile and his blessing. He really just wants to see Tokyo safe."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami nods a bit. "I know how that is. Sometimes it's easy to forget Witches aren't the only things threatening everyone. I've been hunting them for so long..." she says, quietly. "...a lot of these other things are new. So it's just more piling on more. I'm really thankful for people like you and your friends. Otherwise we'd be in real trouble."

Miku Kohinata has posed:
"Mmm," Miku agrees quietly, then smiles at Mami. "But sometimes, it's more than that," she says. "Like this Walpurgisnacht," she says quietly. "I mean, if it's going to be so big ... well, I know you Puella know what you're doing, but I am really glad that all of Virtue is coming together on it. I'd really like to encourage that kind of cooperation." Pause. "So to that end ... if you ever need help, I'll do my best to find it for you, so you can focus on the battle."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami leans forward a bit, a small smile curling at the edges of her mouth. "It's really nice to see someone who wants to help, Kohinata-san. Even without powers. It's... sometimes hard to get people to work together, but we're all so much stronger when we do." she says. "And the fact that you see that, without powers of your own, might make you more able to communicate it. And if you need anything, you can call on me specifically, not just Virtue." Mami has quickly decided that someone with Miku's outlook is important enough to take care of, in her world of Puella infighting.

Miku Kohinata has posed:
Miku's eyes widen a little at the offer from Mami, but she retains her poise nonetheless. Hiding her excitement behind a sip of coffee, Miku makes sure to compose herself before saying, "That's really nice of you. I'm really glad we're on the same page."

With a smile, Miku leans forward to ask, "So what's it like? Being a Puella, I mean. I've only really seen Hibiki, and the things she can do are truly amazing. She has these rockets and she punches super hard, and I can't even imagine what it must feel like to wield that kind of power."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami smiles a bit. "It's not easy. I think..." she sighs a bit. "I don't mean to complain, but I do think a lot of the other magical girls have it easier than we do. Less... risk, from using thier own powers. Though I haven't seen any of your friends fight. And I'm sure everyone goes through their own troubles."

"But... I know it's not entirely an uncommon thought that we Puella got the short end of the magical stick. Me... without my wish, I'd be dead. So I don't regret it. But there are really some girls that I'm sure do."

Miku Kohinata has posed:
"Mmm," Miku says, not committing to an agreement or a disagreement. "I don't know enough to say, but I believe you if you say it's not as great as it could be. I'm sorry it's so dangerous for Puella," she says thoughtfully. "But I more was wondering what it's like to wield a power like that. But I suppose that's naive of me. I apologize for idealizing it."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
"Ohhh..." she says, realizing she went off on a personal tangent, instead of answering Miku's question. "To be honest... while it's cool sometimes, it'd be nice if I didn't have to." she admits. "I would rather I didn't need to make my wish, and I would rather that nobody needed protecting. There's a lot of responsibility with it." she says.

But then she brightens a little bit. "But... being a mgical girl is still really cool. I wonder if the fact that you can understand and interact with it means there's something special for you in your future, too?"

Miku Kohinata has posed:
Miku's eyes widen at the idea, and she grimaces. "I hope not," she admits quietly. "I'm really happy to help Hibiki, but ... what you guys do is scary, and I'm not very brave." Says the girl who makes sure everyone else gets out first, when there's trouble.

"But no matter what," Miku says, "I'll do anything I can to help Hibiki. And if that means I have to become a magical girl, too, well ..." she trails off, then shrugs. "But even without that, there's a lot I can do. Muggles aren't weak, we're just ignorant. But I'm not, so I can do a lot to help, you know?"

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami smiles at Miku's reaction. "I bet you're stronger than you think. The way you talk... I bet you'd make a great magical girl, Kohinata-san. Because you're always thinking about others. The way you've talked this whole meeting - you've been worrying about your friends, about innocents the whole time." she says, her smile rapidly widening into a grin.

"It must be really nice to have a friend you care so deeply about" Mami says, and her eyes drift down to her lap. "To want to do anything to help them."

Miku Kohinata has posed:
Miku does have the good grace to blush, just a little, at the compliments and the commentary on her relationship. "Hibiki is .. special," she explains quietly. "We've been friends since we were very little, and we've gone through a lot together. I can't imagine life without her, but I almost had to."

Miku explains, "The Noise attacked a concert she was at two years ago. They killed one of the performers, and nearly killed Hibiki. It turns out ... the performer who died was a Candidate. And she died protecting Hibiki. I was supposed to go to that concert." She sighs a little, then says, "If I hadn't invited her, Miku wouldn't have gone. But I had a family emergency so I didn't make it. She was in the hospital for a few months after. I was so worried. I felt like I'd betrayed her. I felt like ..." she trails off. "I felt helpless," Miku explains, then reaches up to wipe away the little traces of emotions starting to well in her eyes. She hardens her resolve, then explains to Mami, "When she got out, I decided I wouldn't ever be helpless again. Especially I wouldn't ever let anything else hurt Hibiki. So ... I don't have any powers, but I'll do anything for her. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me." Even if she is a complete flake.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami listens intently as Miku recounts her story. When she finishes, she nods again. "I understand how you could feel that way, now. And just talking to me, working with them - that's going to be very helpful, I'm sure of it." Mami says earnestly.

"Not everyone can communicate - not everybody can help. The ability to come out, to explain, to get people on your side - that's valuable to people. It might not be magic, but based on interactions I've had with other people - well, lets just say that communicating without stabbing doesn't come naturally to Puella Magi, at least." she finishes with a wink.

Miku Kohinata has posed:
The greenette smiles at Mami. "That's okay," she says honestly. "I'm not afraid of personalities. And I'm not competition. And I just really want to help." She considers Mami for a moment, then asks, "Are there any other Puella you think I should contact? You're the only one in Virtue, but that doesn't mean you're the only one that should be."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami shakes her head, which sends her curls bouncing a bit. "I don't think the others are ready. Kaname-san would make a great help, but she hasn't Contracted yet. Akemi-san has... a very one-track mind. She could be a huge help, but her priorities are more... focused. Sakura-san is still dangerous. Hayakawa-san, maybe - but she needs more practice. I'm working with her, anyways. And Miki-san is... unfortunantly she's tied her fortunes to Sakura-san right now. Her mindset is right for it though. She's just under..." she sighs and almost feels bad about saying it. "...a bad influence in Sakura-san."

Miku Kohinata has posed:
Miku considers that answer for a few moments, then inclines her head. "Alright," she says quietly. "Well, I don't know any of those names, but I'd like to get to know them anyways, if the opportunity arises. Can I ask a small favor?" she asks.

Then she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small notepad and a pen. She scribbles something on the notepad, tears the sheet, then slides it towards Mami. "That's my personal cell phone. If the opportunity comes up ... I mean if there's ever a convenient moment, would you give them my number? And just let them know I'd like to get to know them. That I care."

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami takes the paper, looking at it, and pocketing it carefully . "I'd be happy to, Kohinata-san. I think you might have better luck, especially with Akemi-san and Miki-san, because you're not a Puella Magi." And perhaps, because she's not Mami Tomoe. "And I appreciate you offering to help. It's hard for others to understand what we go through, and yet by nature we usually end up competitve with each other - it can be a lonely life. So the fact that you care does matter."

Miku Kohinata has posed:
The green-haired girl gives a faint nod, then reaches up and grasps Mami's hand, gently, in her own. "The offer goes for you, too, Tomoe-san. If you need anything, you can call me. Not just virtue things; anything. I won't abandon Hibiki, but if she doesn't need me, I'll do what I can." She smiles, then, and releases Mami's hands.

"Sorry, that was forward of me," Miku says, but she doesn't look embarassed. "Anyways, I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today. I have a lot of homework to do tonighht, and I still need to finish looking into the Virtue database. Is there anything I can do for you right now, before I go?"

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami's quick to grab Miku's hand before she releases it, clasping her other hand. It's a little less gentle, almost a moment of desperation before Mami relaxes. "That means a great deal to me." she says as she lets Miku's hand slip from hers. "I'll keep that in mind, and if I do think you can help I won't hesitate to call." she says, trying to regain her composure.

"No, I think... I think this was very nice, and I think we've made progress for both of us. Go do your homework - even if you're involved with magic, you can't let your grades suffer!" Mami says in a very older sister sort of tone. "I will see you around, Kohinata-san."

Miku Kohinata has posed:
Miku squeezes Mami's fingers before letting her hands go. She senses that desperation for affection, and some part of her wants to fix it. The rest of her just has a sudden yearning to be closer to Hibiki. Poor Mami.

"You will," Miku agrees with Mami, a soft smile on her face. "Take care of yourself, Tomoe-san," Miku says, before sliding out of the seat with her bookbag. "Don't lose hope," she murmurs softly. And then she's heading for the door.