View source for 317/The Devil She Sold Her Soul To

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/08/19
|Location=Plot Room #1
|Synopsis=Homura Akemi and Kyubey get together for a friendly chat and talk about all the things they have in common.
|Cast of Characters=23, 37
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Homura Akemi is sitting in her office in the WPS building. It's a wide, spacious office. Huge windows make up the entirety of one wall, showing the Tokyo skyline outside. Her desk is made of oak but topped with glass, and there's a picture framed turned face-down on top of it. Against one wall, near the door, is a small stand with a coffee maker on it.<br /><br />There are many comfortable chairs strewn around, about 10 at least, but of course Homura Akemi is the only person sitting down at the time. She's behind her desk, going over a list titled 'Puella Magi of Interest'.<br /><br />Kyubey would recognize these faces, obviously. Specifically, they're Puella Magi that haven't gotten a Grief Seed in a while, as far as WPS can tell. How WPS gathers that information isn't detailed, but Kyubey's own stalking of Homura would probably let him know that she tracks this herself.<br /><br />On another piece of paper, there's a Puella Magi Threat Assessment. Kyouko's, Mami's, and Nagisa's faces all appear on this report, as well as a few other particularly strong ones. Each one is rated according to the categories of: Hostility towards WPS, Magical Damage Potential, and Tactical Awareness.<br /><br />She isn't expecting a visit from Kyubey today, but she's also used to him dropping in whenever he feels like it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>In this case, 'drop in' is the operative word, as there's a shuffling above, and then Kyubey drops - literally - along with a celing tile, onto the floor of Homura's office. He stands up, stretches, and scratches his ear. "I hope I'm not interrupting you, Homura Akemi." he says, shaking his head, and causing his ears to fluff back and forth.<br /><br />"Maybe we can have a little talk now? Since Madoka Kaname isn't here, I hope you will at least wait before filling me with high velocity projectiles." he adds.<br /><br />"But I have to admit..." he begins pacing around Homura's office "...you're doing pretty well for yourself here, aren't you?" he asks.<br /><br />"But I guess you know I didn't come here to compliment you. Rather, I came to talk to you because of some rather interesting information that you shared with one Mamoru Chiba - It answers a lot of my questions - primarily, about who you are and where you recieved your soul gem."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Homura frowns as Kyubey drops in. She's going to have to put that ceiling tile back. She sighs, wondering to herself if Kyubey really cares whether or not she's interrupting her.<br /><br />"Well, I could shoot you for not making an appointment," she offers, "but we both know that's a waste of time, don't we?"<br /><br />She sets down the reports she was looking at, and focuses on Kyubey with angry, purple eyes. "It's not bad. I'm just getting paid for what I'd have to do anyways." She almost sounds like she's shrugging. It's actually a pretty nice deal she's 'meh'ing at.<br /><br />She doesn't ''really'' start to react until Kyubey mentions the information that she shared with Mamoru. Her eyes open wide, and her eyebrows constrict. Her face is one of anger and fear, or perhaps fear that one might respond violently to. After that brief flash of emotion, her eyes go back to a cold glare.<br /><br />"So, you overheard that. Well, you were going to figure out eventually."<br /><br />She leans forward, propping her arms up on her elbows and clasping her hands together, keeping gaze locked on the white creature.<br /><br />"I doubt you came here just to give away the fact that you're eavesdropping on me." Not that Homura didn't suspect that at least somewhat. "So what's your reason for being here?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well, I won't lie to you and say it's out of caring for you. But I think there's a rather important point you've missed in all of your sharing with others." Kyubey says, sitting up and just staring at her with those beady, red eyes.<br /><br />"I can't help but question the end result of letting people know all of our shared secrets. If there is a few things I know for sure about humans, it's that they fear what they don't understand, and they are curious."<br /><br />"I think you already know what the end result for all Puella Magi is, don't you, Homura Akemi?" he asks, those eyes staring at her, watching for those telltale emotions that give away the hearts and minds of his human prey.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Oh, so we're ''sharing'' these secrets now?" asks Homura. It's obviously a sarcastic comment, yet the sarcasm doesn't seem to be emphasized by her cold tone of voice. She's not hiding it, it's just not what she feels right now.<br /><br />"Well, we die, of course! That's the honest truth, or at least that's a truth that should be good enough for ''you''," she says to Kyubey, perhaps a bit passive aggressive, "I've only ever told people the truth, just like you."<br /><br />At this point, Homura's bitterness ''does'' begin to show itself. It has a very sharp edge to it. There's a heavy emphasis on the words 'just like you'.<br /><br />"Still, I can't help but wonder why you'd be worried about me telling ''that'' particular detail. It's not like it would benefit me at all. If the unknown scares them, the known should scare them even more."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I worry what might happen to all of you - to all of the Puella Magi - if that detail got out." he says, though his voice is as calm as ever. "I suppose they are called Witch Hunts for a reason." he adds. Then, there's another pause. He's looking into her eyes again. "I think you know what happens when people who aren't capable of hearing the truth recieve it, don't you, Homura Akemi."<br /><br />"So if you know all this, I have to ask why you're working for a woman who seems to have made it her life's goal to unravel the unspoken secret that you and I share? She's playing with forces no human can truly understand."<br /><br />"After all, the only way to truly stop witches, would be to stop them before they become witches. Do you want Hannah Sharpe to find out that truth, Homura Akemi? Because I worry that you might be indirectly leading her closer to it, every time you help her. Is that what you intend to do, Homura Akemi?"<br /><br />"You know, there was a great Puella Magi many years ago who tried to do many good things with her powers. She became a great leader, she changed the course of an entire country. And do you know what her reward was?" he pauses.<br /><br />"Her name was Jeanne de Arc. They burnt her at the stake. And they didn't even know the whole truth. How much more horrible would they have been if they had?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Homura actually has to pause here. She frowns. As usual, the creepy little white rat brings up a good point. Yet...<br /><br />"Well, the only way to truly stop Witches from being born would be to stop you, wouldn't it? It's not like I haven't tried to kill you before." She had to find out about Kyubey's multiple bodies somehow, after all.<br /><br />"Someone always finds out, Kyubey. It's not something that can be avoided. It just happens. One minute their friend is panicking over their darkened Soul Gem, or falling into despair, and the next..."<br /><br />Homura trails off. Kyubey already knows how that sentence ends.<br /><br />"Even in this timeline, I've already seen it once, and I was actively trying to avoid it. I'm just glad that I was the only one there."<br /><br />"Sure, you can fool some people some of the time, but you can't fool all people all of the time."<br /><br />"Sharpe-san is a curious person. She experiments, and I don't know if you remember, but me trying to stop her experiments didn't really get anywhere. She wouldn't even tell me what she was doing. I would have no idea what was going on if she didn't recruit me."<br /><br />Homura shrugs, saying, "This way, I at least have some influence. Besides, there are things about Puella Magi that I'd never be able to find out on my own, even in a hundred timelines."<br /><br />"But you're worried about that truth coming out. Well, I don't think that Sharpe would kill a Puella Magi just to verify what I've already told her. If she did, me helping her or standing in her way wouldn't make much of a difference."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"You might not think she would kill, but I have been around humans for for longer than you have." he says. "I think it would only take one bad moment for her to become a threat to both you and me." he says, with that unblinking face. "And if you care about neither yourself nor the universe - maybe you should consider that girl you care so much about, Madoka Kaname. She would become the mightist of magical girls - and I think you know what that means she could become."<br /><br />"So what kind of pyre would they build for her, if they knew what that means? Even with assurances, would they take that kind of chance. Would the word get out? would their emotions overwhelm them and would they come like a mob for her? Would you fight all of them?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I would," said Homura Akemi, nearly shouting. "And I'd KILL all of them."<br /><br />The thought of Madoka Kaname tied to a post and burning alive enrages her. No, no, that's just how Kyubey is. He's always trying to make you come to whatever conclusions he wants you to come to. This is part of his trick.<br /><br />Not everyone responded the same way, she has to remind herself. Mami responded badly, but Kyouko didn't. Madoka didn't. No, it's not as bad as Kyubey is making it out to be.<br /><br />... is it?<br /><br />Still, Homura can't help but wonder where this is going. Kyubey is saying this for a reason. He saw her reaction. Homura did a bad job of hiding it.<br /><br />"I suppose Sharpe-san is a threat to you, isn't she? After all, that's why you're here now. I suppose you think by turning me against her you'll... what exactly? It's not as if she'll stop her experiments just because I quit my job. You're looking for something else."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well, I admit to asking you these questions soley for my own purposes. But that doesn't mean I'm not attuned to the idea that two parties with different goals can have a small degree of overlap." he adds. "I think this is one of those areas of overlap, but it is almost as if you don't trust me, Homura Akemi."<br /><br />"I want you to just consider the path you're lading yourself - no, this world - on. And of course, think of entropy. You do know the gift you magical girls give to the universe, don't you? Or do you? I really don't know if the me - the me of another when - told you."<br /><br />"I understand you want to protect Madoka Kaname - I do too, just for less time than you do. She won't become a witch if someone kills her early, so fighting your protection wouldn't do me any good, except in some specific circumstances."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well..." Homura admits, "You've mentioned it before."<br /><br />Homura leaves out the details on the hows and whys. It wasn't something she learned all at once, but she learned bits and pieces of it as she goes along. "As for trusting you, well, is there any reason why I should? While it's true that I've never heard a direct lie from you, you have no reservations against letting people think what they want. There's a big difference between what people hear and what you actually say. You claim to not understand trickery, but you certainly seem to be good at it."<br /><br />Homura leans back in her seat. "As for Madoka Kaname, well, I think she deserves better than what the universe would give her. I wont settle for a timeline where she doesn't get the happiness she should have."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"But you know, you cannot have happiness in the way that she wants without despair." he says, calmly. "With or without my help, the universe will sort it out. At least in my way, she will benefit the whole of the universe." he adds.<br /><br />"And of course, there's your wish too, Homura Akemi. The inevitable end of your wish, the same end that comes to all magical girls." he adds, sitting up. "But maybe you've found the way around that, too - maybe you're more responsible for the strangeness in witches than I thought?" There's a pause while he watches Homura's facial expressions.<br /><br />"Maybe you're even more responsible for the strange actions of witches than even you know. Have you noticed - is it different than your other experiences? Do you realize that something is very wrong, do you even know that you might be responsible for it?"<br /><br />"Playing with time is a very tricky business, if that is truly the nature of your wish."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well you've certainly always held that opinion about Madoka," says Homura. "I just so happen to disagree with it." Homura thinks back to the time when Madoka begged her to keep her from making a wish. She still intends to keep that promise.<br /><br />Homura tilts her head at Kyubey's questions. "There's only one way to stop that. Never give up, never mess up, and be very lucky. If you're asking me if there's some secret to preventing it, well, I can tell you that I don't have it. There's nothing I know that you couldn't figure out for yourself, Incubator."<br /><br />"As for the Witches acting strangely, well, that's a fairly recent thing, isn't it? They are a lot less subtle than they used to be. They seem to be trying to grab as many lives as they can, instead of wait it out and grow. However, I've never seen that in any other timeline, so I doubt it's something I'm doing."<br /><br />"That kind of behavior in a Witch is suicidal. A Puella Magi couldn't help but notice something like that. Once several Puella Magi start noticing a Witch, that Witch is probably going to die. I wonder what would make a Witch behave in such a way?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I wonder indeed. I don't have the luxury of the previous timeline experience you can claim, so I can only make educated guesses based on my understandings. It is very strange, for all the reasons you mentioned."<br /><br />"I thought you might be at the center of it for a while, but you seem to be as unprepared as me. Especially when the Witches seem to be as interested in Madoka Kaname as I am. I wonder why that is, don't you?"<br /><br />"And you're always so hostile to me - frankly, I don't know why, More than most, Homura Akemi, you should understand the feeling of being party to despicable things in order to do a job - in order to fufil and end goal." he says. "In fact, unlike me, you do have feelings and emotions, no matter how deeply you bury them."<br /><br />"But I also think no matter how many millenia I spend around you creatures I will never truly understand how your minds work."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Homura shrugs. "Maybe they really /are/ suicidal, going after a girl that at least one person would kill for. Considering that Witches are just mindless creatures, with no communication with one another, it's very confusing to think that they'd even have a trend like that. If they were rational creatures, I would understand, but they aren't, are they?"<br /><br />"As for the hostility, well, that's just part of my goal, isn't it? All I'm really doing is stopping you from making a contract with Madoka. Violence is the easiest way to go about that. You don't get killed, and for all I know you don't seem to feel pain. It's not like I could really get at you if I wanted to."<br /><br />Kyubey admits that he doesn't truly understand how human minds work, and Homura says, "That you've made clear. To be fair, it's not as if I understand you, either."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"It's true. All you've succeed at doing is wasting my resources. And my time, I guess..." he says, though wether he's alluding to this conversation or the time spent disposing of various corpses is entirely unknowable.<br /><br />"Let me just say this one more time, Homura Akemi. Some of the secrets you keep, you should consider very carefully about letting others in on." he says. "After all, if everything you have said is true - there are few people who stand to lose as much as you do if those secrets end up in the wrong hands."<br /><br />Kyubey tilts his head, watching her for a bit. Then he stretches out, and walks behind a potted plant - he doesn't come out the other side, and it's like he just walked into a different space, leaving Homura alone in her office - with the missing tile on the floor.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:23|Homura Akemi (23)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Homura sighs. Well she had no intention of giving those secrets away. Yet, being careless about them is just as bad. Especially in this timeline, if either of those two things, the source of Witches and the method for countering entropy, got out... people would either start hunting Puella Magi... or trying to exploit them.<br /><br />The power to create incredible energy from a Puella Magi turning into a Witch, and all you'd have to do is trick some little girl and make her suffer? Homura wouldn't put that past some of the people she works with.<br /><br />"You can trust, at the very least, that I wont intentionally give those away. Like you said before, our interests align."<br /><br />Kyubey vanishes behind a potted plant. She knows better than to look for him. She looks at the tile, and then at the ceiling. She rubs her forehead. "I wonder if I can get maintenance to deal with it."<br> <br>
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