26/Experimenting With Grief (Seeds)

Experimenting With Grief (Seeds)
Date of Scene:	28 May 2015
Location:	Uminari City - Central Harbor
Synopsis:	An off-worlder attempts to learn more about the strange 'ornament' they found after fighting their way free of a witch's barrier. Will someone more familiar with them take notice?
Cast of Characters:	Homura Akemi, Runealy Waldia

---

Runealy Waldia has posed:
A few days ago, an alien princess wandered into a witch's barrier. It was bizarre, nearly impossible to understand, and almost fatal; only timely help from a new friend kept it from being the end of her. Yet she had been fascinated by the twisted black ornament left behind by the monster.

Attempts to experiment with it by candle-light in the team's new home proved useless. Wondering if having a little more light and visibility might help, Runealy has taken it to where the festival concert was held. She has chosen evening hours on purpose, to ensure that she can still see yet the area should be empty enough that her efforts won't blatantly disturb people. And so she paces around, turning the Grief Seed around in several ways. She leans in to stare closely at its details. One of her hands even glows as she tries to infuse very small amounts of magic into it, to see if that will accomplish anything.

So far, nothing seems to be happening.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura Akemi has had a lot on her mind lately. Learning that Puella Magi weren't the only kinds of magical girl around was a surprise. Learning that other magical girls wanted Grief Seeds was /also/ a shock. She has gotten so used to dealing with the same circumstances over and over that this new timeline has knocked her for a loop.

She needs time to adjust. Time that she doesn't have.

Homura is currently on the hunt, searching for new Witches, and new Grief Seeds. She's in her henshin, reaching out with her magical senses, when she stumbles upon a slightly familiar magical girl holding a Grief Seed.

Homura watches as Runealy tries to infuse it with magic. Her eyes narrow. She comes up behind Runealy. It isn't until she's right behind the princess that she speaks up.

"... I wouldn't try that. It's a waste of energy."

Homura glances from the Grief Seed to Runealy, walking around beside her before adding, "What are you trying to do, anyways? Normally people who know what that is... don't want to mess around with it."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Runealy jolts in surprise when Homura speaks! "Wha!?" She was so absorbed in the experiment that she outright failed to notice Homura approaching. Frantically looking around, then spotting Homura upon the Puella Magi walking around into view, Runealy takes a second to calm down.

What to say? There are tons of ways to handle this. "Wait, you're... one of the guards from the concert? I thought you were attacking me at the time, but I guess if you wanted to... you had your chance before you even said a word to me, right?"

This leads to an important decision. "Since you didn't, I'll tell you. I /don't/ know what this is. I just know it might be important, so I want to figure it out. Why wouldn't I want to do that?" This is said as honest inquiry, her tone lacking any sort of defense or 'stand-off' to it.

Homura Akemi has posed:
"Attack you? That would be pointless," says Homura, matter of factly, without explaining her reasoning. Homura glances away for a moment to think about the concert. Yes, she met a lot of interesting people that day. She does recall Runealy there, but she doesn't recall attacking her.

"I get complaints about my fighting style a lot. Bullets and explosions appearing out of nowhere, especially in a fight, puts people on edge..."

Homura shrugs. "It's not that I was attacking you. You just happened to be around whatever I was attacking at the time."

Homura's eyes glance to the Grief seed before looking back at Runealy. She asks, "Are you even a Puella Magi? Do you have one of these?"

Homura extends her hands, palm upwards, and an egg-shaped, purple gem appears in her hand, adorned by various gold decorations.

"Without a Soul Gem, you can't really use that."

Well, not as far as Homura knows. She has been surprised lately.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Hurting her would be pointless. That's... well, Runealy could take it a lot of ways, but she decides that's reassuring in the end. "Alright. I'm not your enemy either. Though, were /you/ the one using those..." How do you describe them? "...At some points, I felt something invisible pass by me. I don't think any of them hit me, but I felt it and heard it go right by. Were those 'bullets'? Well, so long as you didn't hit me, if you were being careful about it, I'm not going to complain!"

Then matters turn to the Seed and the gem. Runealy is impressed, making a soft "beautiful..." to it. Then her eyes return to Homura's. "No, I don't have that and I've never heard of a 'Puella Magi.' You're saying this is useless to me, though? What is it?"

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura pauses for a noticable moment after Runealy asks. It's a hesitation. Should Homura trust her? If so, how much should she trust her with?

Her mind flashes back to a time when other Puella Magi found out where Witches came from, and their extreme reaction to it. That's not a tragedy that Homura wants to repeat.

Even if Runealy is someone she can trust, Homura will still have to choose her words carefully.

"That thing is called a Grief Seed. It's important to Puella Magi, because it helps to purify our Soul Gems.."

Homura holds up her Soul Gem closer, turning it slightly so that an amount of darkness can be seen around the edges of the Gem.

"See that darkness? As we fight, the darkness grows." Homura produces a Grief Seed of her own, holding it next to her Soul Gem. The dark energy seeps out of the Soul Gem and into her Grief Seed.

"Once the Grief Seed takes on too much darkness, the only thing left to do is dispose of it."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Even if they contain omissions of fact, these answers fascinate Runealy. Homura immediately has her full attention, taking this seriously. "So it's important to certain people... I thought it might be important to me too." She leans in to check out the gem, but only with her eyes; Runealy does not presume to even slightly reach out to it with a hand. "And if that spreads... ...can I ask what happens if the... 'Soul Gem'? Is that what this is?" She nods at the gem Homura is displaying, not certain if she matched up the right terms with the right items in view. "If it gets a lot of darkness?"

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura doesn't quite want to give a full answer to that. She gives a very guarded answer. "It would be very bad news, especially for the Puella Magi."

Homura's Soul Gem vanishes, and her Grief Seed vanishes behind her shield.

Telling the wrong person about how a Puella Magi dies could be a mistake, but something about Runealy makes Homura want to trust her.

"Make no mistake. If a Puella Magi allows her Soul Gem to become too corrupted, she will die. There will be no saving her beyond that point."

Homura points towards the Grief Seed and adds, "Furthermore, there is one other thing that makes the Grief Seed important, but in a bad way. Once it becomes to filled with darkness, a small white animal named Kyubey may come along to claim it. If he does, give it to him."

"If you don't, the Grief Seed will become a Witch again."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"Wh... what!?" Runealy is shocked, even by this explanation. It might not be the full truth, but it contains the truly important points. Her eyes are wide, grip on the Grief Seed now very shaky. It remains in-hand, but the alien princess is rattled by these revelations. "Kyubey... okay. I will. But I'm not sure I want to wait. Tell me. This?"

Runealy holds the seed up to indicate it. "You're certain I can't use this at all? Are you telling me that for someone like me, it's completely useless?"

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura's mouth twists slightly as she looks at the Grief Seed. Is she sure that it's useless to other magical girls?

"I know of no other use for it. Maybe you could find some other use for it, but keep in mind: When you play with that thing, you are playing with fire."

"It's ability to absorb darkness might be used in other ways, but even if you find such a way, the inherient danger remains."

Homura flips her hair, before adding, "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to just get rid of it. On the other hand, if you defeated a Witch, then you've earned the right to keep it."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"So, it's dangerous." Runealy says this in flat acknowledgement. "Dangerous in general, useless to me unless I /somehow/ find a way you don't know about. And if I don't, it will turn into a Demon... no, you called that thing a 'Witch', again."

After one more pointed glance at the Seed, the princess' eyes fix firmly on Homura. "I need to know one last thing. How can I identify a Puella Magi?"

Homura Akemi has posed:
Identifying features of a Puella Magi? Homura has to think about that for a moment.

What makes a Puella Magi different from the other types of magical girls that Homura has run across?

"Probably the most sure sign is the presence of a Soul Gem."

Homura shows Runealy the back of her hand, where a large purple diamond-shaped gem rests. "The Soul Gem can take many forms. The egg-shaped form you saw earlier is the truest form of it, but for a transformation it takes a shape unique to its owner. They will remain as still gems, and many of them will have a hint of the darkness you saw earlier, especially during combat."

She decides not to mention the part with the ring. Homura doesn't care about keeping her magical girl status a secret, but she respects that other Puella Magi might feel differently.

"Aside from that, there is a lot of variety to how a Puella Magi looks, so I can't really say."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"So look for a gem and some darkness..." Runealy repeats this advice, then nods. "Okay. You said I 'earned the right' to this . I... I don't agree. I don't have a right to something dangerous and useless that will turn into a monster again. It might hurt someone. It might kill them!" She has no illusion about how vicious these things can be, if the one she faced was any indication.

"If it can't help me, then it needs to go to someone it can. Do you know someone who needs this Grief Seed? I want to give it to them. Whether it's you or someone else."

Homura Akemi has posed:
"Generally, the more successful Puella Magi have stockpiles of those things," says Homura. "If someone actually needs a Grief Seed, she'd be really desperate."

Homura pauses for a moment and then thinks. "I think Mami Tomoe may want one. Puella Magi like her tend to do without for the sake of protecting others, so if anyone would know of another Puella Magi in need, it would be her. If you run across her, she might appreciate it."

"If you truly want to get rid of it now, I could take it to her. I'd say it was from you."

"I hope you understand. I can't just tell you where to find her."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Desperate? Runealy's eyes flicker with fright. She can imagine what that sort of desperation would be like. ...Not just imagine, she knows it. In a different context, but the emotions are the same. "I've never heard of Mami Tomoe. And no, it's fine... don't tell me that if you can't. But..."

Rune stops to think this through. "I say all that, but I still hope this could do what I need it to. ...I can't be that arrogant if someone is going to die from it, though. If you wanted it, you could have tried to take it from me. So I'm going to trust you. If this Mami is putting her life on the line to protect others, then she needs it. Please."

Runealy holds the Grief Seed out for Homura to take from an open palm. "Please bring it to Mami Tomoe. Tell her it's from 'The Princess', who thinks she's wonderful for bringing safety to others. You can tell her what I look like, if she wonders." A nod. "And thank you for telling me about all this... I can't help but think you took some risk in doing that?"

Homura Akemi has posed:
"It is a risk to share that kind of information, yes," says Homura. "On the other hand, there are things you need to know if you want to survive in this kind of life. I wouldn't want someone to die just because they didn't know what they were getting themselves into."

Homura looks down at the Grief Seed, and then takes it.

"I appreciate you handling this with the proper amount of weight. Those who don't take this kind of thing seriously tend to make a lot of trouble."

The Grief Seed vanishes into the inside of her shield, as the other one did.

"My name's Homura, by the way. Should I just call you Princess-san?"

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"Of course I'm taking it seriously!" Runealy protests, not from anger but out of empathy and some sadness. "You're talking about people's lives being on the line over something, even something that tiny! I can't imagine anyone being so casual about that!"

She calms down after that outburst, returning the introduction. "Yes... for now, that's a good name. Thank you again, Homura, and... I don't know if I'll get any more, but if I do... can I have some way to bring them to you? I don't want Witches to emerge again, or for someone to go without this and get scared that they're going to die because of it..." Her head lowers on that last note, imagining all too clearly what that could be like for this 'Mami Tomoe', or some other unknown Puella Magi.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura is almost taken aback by Runealy's reaction. She's used to being disbelieved, or even accused. Yet, Runealy just accepted what she was told. Well, at least that's one person who will listen.

"Don't mention it. I'll see to it that it gets taken care of. As for bringing them to me..."

Homura considers. What exactly would work? Giving out her cell phone number might be problematic.

"We'll probably run across each other again. I think this is the second time we've met in the past two weeks, right?"

Well, that probably isn't a very good answer.

"Tell you what. There's a place I use for Puella Magi business. I could give you the address, and you can drop them off there."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"We have, but I don't want to leave it to chance. You said it yourself, these things need to be treated with 'proper weight.'" Runealy recalls those specific words. So when a better offer is made, she agrees with it by asking: "Please? I'll do that, and if it needs to be kept in confidence I'll do that too. I just want to make sure this is done the right way. And if bringing them to you, someone I've seen protect people from monsters and invaders, will make that happen..."

A nod. "Then thank you." With the Seed having been taken, Runealy finally pulls her hand back and lowers it to her side.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura produces a small notepad and pen. She starts writing down a street address.

"We can also talk about other things there, if they come up. I'm generally there in the evening, if I'm not out hunting. There's a slot on the door for mail, in case I'm not there for some reason."

She tears off the sheet and hands it to Runealy. The address is in some quiet, out of the way part of the Mitakihara area. "Thanks for this. It's very kind of you to do this. Others in your position wouldn't necessarily be so generous."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Runealy takes the paper, looking it over and resolving to make a copy of it once she gets back to the store... just in case. "Okay. A slot... is it safe to just... drop one of those Seeds? I can cushion it with something soft before that, if I need to. And... thank you."

She shudders. "I've had that for about two days now. If I had kept poking at it, if that Witch had emerged again... whether here or anywhere else in this city..." Gaze lowered, Runealy admits: "I don't think I could live with myself after that. So thank you. For protecting people, and telling me how to do the right thing."

Homura Akemi has posed:
"There wouldn't be any way for you to know, unless you had seen it happen once before," says Homura. Her mind briefly recalls all the mistakes she made in ignorance before, and the prices of those mistakes.

"As for the slot, well, it's pretty safe. These things don't break easily. I'll put some cushioning beneath the slot, if it's a big deal."

"It's unlikely that it would become a Witch unless it's being actively used to store darkness. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to stockpile them. On the other hand, we do have Kyubey around to get rid of them."

Homura glances over to the Princess, eyes scanning her up and down as she sizes her up.

"If you're interested in fighting Witches, there's a very powerful one I'll have to face in the future. It's not one that I can handle on my own. I could use all the help I can get."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"No... I wouldn't have known, or seen it until it was too late," Runealy agrees. "Still, now I know." And in this case, that is far more than half the battle. The moral decision of what to do with that knowledge is tiny compared to knowing the dangers. She holds still, with little idle movement at all, as Homura looks her over.

"Another Witch? One so powerful, that even someone like you who can teleport and whose magic is invisible, can't deal with?" These are not accusations or mockery. These are reasons Runealy is worried. "I'll try to help, yes. I'm... not sure I'm on your level, though. You can think of me as a fraction of greatness. A tiny shard of what could have really helped you. Still, if you want me, if something that dangerous is going to threaten Earth..." A slow nod follows. Runealy still isn't making eye contact, ashamed. "Then I'll do what I can."

Homura Akemi has posed:
"Don't underestimate yourself," says Homura, seeing Runealy look ashamed. Homura leans forward and looks up at Runealy's eyes. "Hey, look. You did defeat a Witch. That isn't an easy task. I've seen you fight before, you aren't bad. Also, you're doing the right thing here. You've got nothing to be embarassed of."

Standing up straight, Homura explains, "Walpurgisnacht... is on a completely different level than the Witches you've seen before. I think it may be a combination of several Witches brought together, but even I can't be sure of that."

"Just... think about it. I'll tell you more about it when I have more information."

With everything else having changed, can Homura even be sure that Walpurgisnacht is even the same as she remembers it?

"It's a dangerous task, but if Walpurgisnacht is defeated, we'll be saving a lot of lives."

Madoka's especially, Homura hopes.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Runealy gasps as Homura forces eye contact, taking a step back in surprise. It works; the alien princess stops staring at the ground. "You say that, but... I know my limits. Still... beyond any other Witch before? I've only seen one!"

Her thoughts flash back to it. "I saw one in an impossible world, a melting castle with armor that moved on its own and crabs playing the worst sound I've ever heard on trumpets and... something that looked like it... wanted to be royalty but was just so twisted and /wrong!/" It's still frightening to recall, even two days later.

"If you're telling me it's beyond that, that it's threatening that many people... then there's nothing to think about! I'll help!" Runealy pleads her case with wide eyes, as if somehow expecting Homura would decline the aid despite having just asked for it.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura listens to Runealy's description of her experience with the Witch. It sounds very typical for a Witch, which is to say that it is very strange in predictable ways.

"The twisted world you were in is called a Labyrinth. Well, that's what we Puella Magi call it anyways. From the sounds of it, the crabs were her Familiars."

"A lot of Witches are like that. They have a distorted space that they hide in, in order to not be hunted down. They surround themselves with smaller, less powerful creatures called Familiars that help protect the Witch. The other day I saw a Witch's Labyrinth filled with a sound that was almost like music, with an endless crowd of people listening to the Witch who was singing terribly."

Homura lets out a sigh, thinking back to that day.

"Say, is there a way I can contact you? In case something comes up?"

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"A Labryinth..." Runealy can be heard whisper-repeating other words Homura just offered, committing them to memory. She's jarred out of this by Homura requesting a way to get in touch, and thinks about it. Rune's first impulse is to tell her. To tell one of this world's protectors, who trusted her with such dangerous information, how to find her.

...Then Runealy's mind flashes through what that would look like. What would happen once Tokyo's magic-wielders, gripped in righteous fury, find out where she and her friends live. She doesn't voice any of this, but Homura may very well see that this innocent question has Runealy's eyes wavering with fear. Not shyness, but genuine terror.

So the princess comes up with something else. Instead of directions to the abandoned store, Runealy points at a tree, one that had seen some action during the battle with Ail at the concert. "That tree. Right there. If you leave notes in one of the higher branches, tied with..." With what? Something unique. Think! "A red cloth! I'll see that and get your message. Will... will that do? I'll check it every day."

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura sees the fear in Runealy's eyes, and she says, "Look, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. We've all got our secrets. I understand."

When Homura hears a workable answer, she nods. "Alright. That sounds good. A red cloth with a note, around that tree." Homura repeats the information, to make sure she has it.

It's not a bad idea. It might be a good way to leave messages for each other. It's a bit more secure than a tracable, recordable phone call, and only those who know what to look for will find it.

"That'll work for us. I'll check it, too. If you need to, you can leave messages the same way. We'll have to keep it a secret between us, though."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"That's right," Runealy confirms, nodding over at the tree in question. She's starting to settle down. "And I'll do that. If it's really important though, I'll make the trip to this address," she taps the paper from earlier, "instead of making you run around all over Tokyo. If I leave something up there for you, it's always going to mean 'important but it can wait if it needs to.' So... thank you."

She hesitates, looking aside, then wonders aloud: "That... that covers everything, right? How to reach you? How to do the right thing about Grief Seeds and Puella Magi and Kyubey and Witches?" Her wording is starting to ramble into run-on sentences.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura nods, and says, "Yes, that'll work out. That seems like a solid plan."

Homura hesitates for a moment before answering. She glances around, noticing that they've been talking for a while. Still, it's not like anyone's around, and people tend to ignore or forget about Magical Girl stuff anyways.

"I'd say that covers just about everything, except..."

"Don't ever make a contract with Kyubey, and don't trust what he says. He's helpful as much as he is, but he doesn't always give you the full story."

"Aside from that, I can't think of anything else."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"Then, it's settled." Runealy is glad to accept this arrangement... then raises an eye at Homura's advice. "Why would I be making any sort of legal agreements with him? I'll keep that in mind anyway, but... I don't understand."

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura says, "Well, you probably wont need to, since you already have powers."

She then hesitates before adding adding, "It's just... he seeks out girls who have the potential to become Puella Magi. He offers them a wish, and these wishes can be powerful. The cost of that wish is a lifetime of fighting Witches."

"What he doesn't tell you is that Puella Magi have a short life expectancy. I've seen some who didn't even last a couple of weeks after becoming a Puella Magi."

"Don't let your friends wish for anything that isn't worth more than their life."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"...Oh... ...oh..." Runealy staggers back a step, shaken by this news. "To think Witches are that dangerous... I..." Any pretense of elegance is gone. If things are even half as bad as Homura is telling her, this is frightening to consider. "I'll make sure they don't. Th... thank you."

Homura Akemi has posed:
"It's just what I should do," says Homura. "Someone has to say it. Someone has to warn people. Especially if they're getting involved"

Homura pauses, then adds, "Just be careful, is all I'm saying."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"I will!" Runealy regains some measure of firmness and conviction, but nonetheless takes another step away. "I'll be careful. We're talking about lives, here. Whether it's Grief Seeds, or directly someone's life, I'll give it the... 'proper weight' you talked about. I... should be going." She begins to pace away, but waits a moment to see if Homura has anything more to say.

Homura Akemi has posed:
"Yeah, I should go, too," says Homura. "I've got a few more things to clean up. See you around."

As Runealy walks away, Homura doesn't stop her. Instead, she starts walking in a different direction.

She'll have to remember to hand the Grief Seed over to Mami later. Probably even sometime tonight.