queenofheartsrp | second bullet

second bullet :: video/action

[After the events of this thread, Mami can be found in the Gardens. She's become very....popular with the local wildlife; there's a fox snuggling in her lap, rabbits nestling contentedly by her feet, a quail perching on her knee and a cat nuzzling her arm.

For awhile, Mami silently preoccupies herself with petting all her animal admirers. For awhile, she focuses on them and not what occurred inside the Labyrinth, not the lurking idea that everything she saw was a horrible illusion. (She deserves for it all to have been real, so that cannot be. Never mind the sudden vanishing of all those bloodstains....) Then she reaches out to a nearby Vine, speaking to it, and the plant obliges her with a mirror shrouded in leafy boughs.

She's very tired, but still smiling- although the expression itself seems...a little less there, a little more whittled down. To those who might notice that sort of thing, anyway.]

I don't suppose this kind of behavior is normal for these creatures? Not that I mean to fuss- this is rather nice. I never had a pet before, or anything similar.

[a pause to scritch the cat, who has by now become quite persistent, behind the ears]

.....However, that's not important right now. I don't know if I was able to save the Queen. Please, has anyone heard from Miss Harlaown or her daughter, Vivio? They went into the Labyrinth with me and I've yet to hear from them.

I can only hope they're safe.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Fate saw the video, but doesn't respond to it. She's been worried about the younger blond ever since she and Vivio were deposited back outside of the Labyrinth, and speaking over the Vine isn't enough for her right now.

So she takes to the air, trying to track the other girl down. The good thing about the fighting earlier is that she now has an idea of what Mami's magical signature is like, so it makes finding her pretty easy, even if their magic doesn't seem similar at all.

After a few moments of searching, Fate finally spots her, and lands several feet away. The worry is very clear on her face as she approaches.]

Mami...

[She doesn't seem perturbed at all by the older woman's arrival. After a nod and a smile in Fate's direction, Mami resumes stroking the various animals curled against her.

As if nothing at all was wrong.]

It's good to see you, Miss Harlaown- I had been worried! Is your daughter also all right?

[... It's heartbreaking. Fate knows this is all an act, and to see this poor girl pretending she was okay when she very clearly was not the last time Fate saw her...

She couldn't stop herself. She walked straight to Mami's side, kneels down, and - ignoring the animals clustered on and around her - pulled her into a tight hug.]

I'm sorry...

[She tenses. The smile remains.]

...Ah, no, I'm the one who should be apologizing. That was a very disgraceful thing you had to see.

[Yeah, Fate's not listening. Right now, she's more focused on trying to comfort the other girl, rather than paying attention to needless apologies.] You don't have to keep pretending, you know. I know what you must be feeling... and I understand.

Locking everything up inside like this isn't good for you. You're only going to hurt yourself if you keep this up.

[Mami isn't giving an inch.....yet. It's hard, so very hard.]

I'm afraid that I'm the one who doesn't understand, Miss Harlaown.

[She sighs.] I know you want to be strong. I know you want to pretend like nothing bad happened. But if you do that, you're never going to heal.

Letting it all out helps a lot.

[Mami puts a hand up against the crook of Fate's shoulder, intending to gently push her away- but for some painful reason, there's no strength in her arm anymore.

Quietly:]

The dead don't heal.

[Sorry, Mami, Fate's not budging.]

But you're not dead. Not here, at least.

[She doesn't- can't answer that. By all rights she should be grateful for this second chance at life, but Mami only feels cheated. This is still a painful existence.]

Did you meet the Queen?

I did. We weren't able to chat for long, though.

[YEAH SHE'S NOT LETTING THE SUBJECT DROP.]

What happened to you? Were you transported outside of the Labyrinth, or...?

Yes, but that happened afterwards. I also met....her.

And... what happened?

[But that's easy to guess. Mami obviously didn't accept the Queen's offer to return home, so...]

I made a selfish wish.

[she closes her eyes, the smile now very small.]

That's all.

... If you don't mind me asking, what did you wish for?

[Well, there's no point in stalling now. Fate will know, and be disgusted, and it's all a self-centered girl like Mami deserves.

The Labyrinth reminded her of at least that much.]

To not be alone.

[But Fate isn't disgusted. In fact, her heart is breaking; out of anything she could have wished for, this is what Mami chose. She can't imagine what the poor girl had to go through back in her own world, but... it hurts, just thinking about it.

So Fate's hug is tight once again, and her voice is a little softer as she speaks.] But you're not alone. I know we haven't known each other for long, but... I want to do whatever I can to help you. And I'm sure my friends will help too.

I promise, Mami, you won't have to be alone anymore.

[Mami shudders a little in the embrace. Fate's words sting- not because she doubts Fate's sincerity, although some bitter part of her aches to do just that -due to how hauntingly familiar the promise is. Madoka said just about the same thing, and it came to a violent, broken nothing. Once burned, twice shy- isn't that how the saying goes?]

...please don't make those kinds of promises before you truly know me, miss Harlaown. As you've already heard, I'm not somebody to admire.

... I can tell you're a very good person, Mami, so I don't understand why you'd say that.

[She finally lets go of the other blond, but she stays next to her.] Why would you say something like that?

[Goddammit. Mami meets Fate's gaze, but her eyes are still struggling to stay blank and cold. Her teeth clench; what comes out next is a little clipped, just a bit harsh.]

And I can tell that you're far from an fool, miss Harlaown. You know what you saw in the Labyrinth.

[Mami's failures, her sins, the true lying nature of her smile.]

[Fate closes her eyes, letting the events in the Labyrinth replay in her mind.]

What I saw was a poor, scared girl who was hurt by someone she cared about a lot. A girl that, deep down, was begging someone to help her... [Fate flinches a little at that. She was too busy wrapped up in her own issues to help one of the girls she was looking after...] Not someone who deserves to be alone.

[Mami stands up, then. Abruptly. Almost angrily. The animals nestling around her tumble to the ground, but straighten up immediately and don't leave her side.]

With all due respect, no. What you saw, miss Harlaown-

[She extends her hand, palm up. The ring on her finger transforms into her Soul Gem, which she tosses in the air and catches with an irritated kind of grace.]

[She transforms in a dazzling display of light, no joy in her expression. For a few fleeting moments, her smile is tight and thin and full of self-loathing.]

[And when the transition finishes, Mami stands before Fate. That same smile is trembling and small and looks out of place- the rest of her seems so strong, so in control.]

-was the fate of being a magical girl. I don't know what sort of powers you yourself possess, but you don't deserve to be involved with the likes of me.

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