Chapter Text
Your name is Mami Tomoe, and it's been a day since the hostile magi was brought upstairs. Ever since Minako scanned her emotional scape, she's been quiet, refusing service even though it's been readily available.
You know that it's too far for her to contact the Kasamino group; there are rarely Incubators on the bridge, and there is no reason for a magi to cross without cause. But Rin can't summon a new copy of her. She'll connect the dots and realize that she's stuck. Worse, Rin might send a strike team to retrieve her.
You don't know the inner workings of the Glow; of course you don't. You had only been there for but a week. But you know Rin.
You know Rin.
You press your hand into the door frame over your head. You take a step out, towards the hallway, when suddenly you slam into someone. Your face smacks into hers, sending you tumbling back and falling flat on your tailbone. You squeal, more on instinct than from any real pain, then pull yourself right back onto your feet.
You quickly regain your balance, brush your hair out of your face, and look for the person on the ground. "A-apologies! I did not mean to-"
"No, it's...it's fine." You're interrupted by the other girl, and you recognize that it's Kirika, the girl that lives just a few doors down from yours. You look her over in shock as she brushes her hair out of her face again. "I wasn't looking. It's fine."
Her face looks red. Her nose is bright, and her eyes even look a little bit puffy. Before you can ask anything else, she just runs past you to her room and slams her door.
Across the hallway, at the end, you see Tatsuya climbing the stairs, dressed in something that's shockingly conservative for him: just a t-shirt and a pair of short-shorts as he rolls his hand. "Kirika!"
"She has...she has already gone back to her room."
"Damn it!" He runs towards you, panting slightly as he keeps his hands on his knees. "I...ugh."
"What was the matter?" you ask.
"She...Rin sent a message." He sighs. "Old mail. It was a letter from Kirika's girlfriend."
"A letter...?" You take a second to process it. Then another. Then another.
You fail to realize that you've been grinding your teeth against one another. Of all the things that woman could do...
Tatsuya takes a breath. "She's not in danger of witching right now." He looks to the side. "Least, I hope not. But we have a building full of safeties."
"That...makes a certain amount of sense, yes. Though, I was about to leave. Perhaps get some..." you say as a blush begins to creep up on your face, "...tea."
"I thought you had tea at the apartment?"
"I do, but I wanted..." Another pause. You start to turn your face to the corner. Your tastes should be refined. You are an upstanding young woman, and you were a mentor to two younger magi. And yet..." ...a different kind of tea at the moment. My supplies are hardly adequate for that."
He pauses for a moment, tapping his cheek. Then realization crosses his face. "You wanted boba-"
"I wanted boba, yes!"
[=]
Three blocks from the apartment, and you have a jasmine milk tea in your hands. It's sweet, very sweet, far sweeter than the Irish tea you typically drink. It feels gross in your hands, as though you mock the gods of tea for your transgressions on this day. But it's impossible to ignore the fact that...
You really enjoy messing with those tapioca bubbles. You knock them around, playing with them like a child, before you take a sip.
Tatsuya finally gets his own drink and sits across from you, broad smile on his face as he puts down a warm, steaming hot cocoa. You wonder why he got that, and then a faint autumn chill brushes across you.
That's right, it's almost fall. You rarely get that cold anymore; with few exceptions, you're comfortable in nearly any kind of weather as a magi.
Tatsuya sips his drink and lets out a loud, satisfied sigh. "I should've brought Toji here," he mutters as he rests against his wrist.
You take your lips off of your drink to say "Thank you for paying," then dip right back down to sip some boba through the straw.
He grins. "Oh, it's hardly a problem. I'm just glad you can enjoy yourself for a little while."
You take a look over him. This...this deliberately effeminate young man (you say that, but he's significantly older than you are) has his hands clasped over his drink. "So, first order of business-"
He sips loudly. Very loudly. "Business?" he asks.
You sigh. "Okay, maybe...I kind of just wanted to ask some more questions. I never got a chance to ask about Madoka."
"Oh, right." He smiles. "She's doing okay. She's...kind of on-off with an ex of hers-"
"No no, I mean what her power is. If she's been hunting."
He stares at you. He stares for a looong time at you. "She never...is she a magi in your world?"
"She was one of my-" Friends? Crushes, now? Does being gay make you crush on every woman? Who else were you crushing on?! "-Friends. Students, really. I helped her get a hold of her ability to heal others."
"Aha." He crosses his arms. "Yeah she's not a magi. Like, I dunno the exact details; I was kind of a toddler. But her then-girlfriend said it was 'literally apocalyptic.' Her making a wish was a world-endingly bad idea."
You blink. "H...how? How does that happen?"
"Time travel," he says with a shrug. "Her ex did time-looping shenanigans. And because she kept on doing it with a hyper focus on my sister...well..."
"Karma locked itself on Madoka?"
"I think that's the gist of it, yeah."
You nod a few times, then turn to your drink. You sip at the straw a little bit, take a few bubbles into your mouth and chew; you always did like jasmine milk tea. Most of your tea is bitter, yes, and you prefer it that way. But every so often...
You want to drink liquid candy.
"So uh...also, ex?"
"Do you know Homura in that universe?"
"Homu...yes!" You nod. "They're inseparable...wait, they got together? Then broke up?"
"Yeaaaaaaaah..." He scratches the back of his head, awkward grimace on his face as he tries to bring the hot chocolate to his mouth. "They were really, really bad for each other."
You look away. "Ah."
"It's a whole thing," he continues with a wave of his hand, "and after that, Madoka wasn't really the same. Not really. She...she kind of lost a lot of her old spark. Started taking after mom's worse traits. As in mom before she went to therapy."
You wince. "Oh." You know Madoka enough to have met Junko. And Mrs. Kaname was...a character. "Was that because of the break...?"
"No. It was because of the relationship. She got noticeably better after they split. But she's...not really been the same? At least, not as I remember her when I was in primary. I mean, I'm not so naive as to think that's the only reason she's changed, but...she's...different."
You sigh. "Would she swear?"
"Wait, she doesn't swear in your timeline?"
You stare at him for a good few seconds. "E...no. Lord, no. She doesn't. What on earth-is this really Madoka?!"
"I mean, she's my sister, soooo...ya." He pokes his cheek with his finger. "I mean she just, you know, changed. People change n' stuff."
"I...I guess?" You shrug and drink a little more tea. Mid-sip, you glance up. You remember the other thing you had wanted to ask. "So...uh...how does being gay work?"
"Excuse me?" The joy drops out of his tone immediately.
You already feel like you messed up. "You...have a boyfriend?"
"I'm a rocking twink with a twunk boyfriend, yes. What about?"
"I'm just wondering if...how...if you were...how did you fiiiiiiiiind ouuuuuuuuuut?"
"I just did, honey." He waves his hand. "Now, why are you asking?"
Being coy is not working in your favor. So you decide to be more direct. "I-I wanted to know because I think I am one!"
"Oh. Oh!" He visibly relaxes. "Apologies! Thought we were going to have an entirely different conversation!" He laughs and rubs his hands together. "I mean I had pegged you as queer, but I didn't think you were looking for help!"
"I-I think I might need some?" You rub the back of your head. "I didn't really know before coming here and...and is it still gay if I think nonbinaries are cute? I-I'm so confused by all of it."
He chuckles, and it's nothing like his loud laughs or his morning shouts. "The answer to the latter is 'yes,' but it also doesn't really matter that much, hon. Who you are is you. That's all that really matters. It just takes a little while to find out 'you' means."
"I-I mean..." You scratch your cheek. "I didn't even think of it as a thing I could be. I simply thought I wasn't...wasn't interested at all?"
"In romance or just boys?"
"Both!" Mami shrugs. "It...how did you know?"
"I knew as soon as I entered school and had a crush on a teacher. Obviously it didn't go anywhere because-" He clenches his teeth. "Lord NO, but it was kind of a watershed for me." He sighs. "I'm a bit lucky. I had my sister and my parents to help me. Dad's bi, so is mom, and so is my sis. I'm weird 'cause I like men only. Well, men and nonbinary folks, but I have certain preferences."
You nod at him and sip at your tea. It's halfway down now. "How did they help?"
"Well, among other things, they treated it as normal. Because it is." He smiles. "It's completely normal to like the people you like. That's the first thing I was taught. And it's the first lesson every little baby gay ought to learn."
"O-oh." You look away. "Oh..."
He sits back in his chair and drinks his hot cocoa. After a couple of warm sips, he mutters. "Well, that, and there's also just figuring out the culture and the discourse."
"Discourse?" You start to wonder if there's a 'gay club' or something. Like an after-school club run on how to be a good gay.
"Oh, I'm talking to myself. It's just a lot of conversation surrounding it. Things are better now, way better now. But it's still a lot to take in."
"Oh. I thought it was..."
"Don't worry about the later stuff. Focus on you. Focus on what you want." He smiles. "That's what matters right now. Who is Mami? What does Mami want? This isn't about what is expected from society, or what other people want out of you. This is about you."
You pause. You take a look at your drink. "I...I want...hm...I want..." You feel like a child.
"You don't need to think about it now. I just want it to be a starting point. if you need anyone to talk to, anyone at all, remember, I'm upstairs. If it's specifically about other stuff, you can talk to K..."
But you already knew what he was talking about. "I might be able to talk to her later. When I'm able to." You take a breath. "I'm just...going to ruminate. Think about it."
"That's a good step, Mami." He stands up with his hot cocoa. "I'm gonna get another cup for my boyfriend. He loves hot cocoa on a cool autumn night."
You pause as you drink the last of your boba tea. You take a look at him. "How long have you been together with...uh...with him?"
He smiles. "Three years."
[=]
Your name is Sayaka, and you are currently sitting across from your wife. Your child is out on a date with their girlfriend. You're both waiting for a delicious candlelit dinner at a restaurant. Your wife straightens out her suit and you pull the straps on your dress.
Your wife is looking a little bit antsy. Her fang is sliding across her lip, her fingers tapping against the table. She takes a breath as she looks out to the side, then up at the ceiling.
You sigh. "Thinking about the magi?"
"Yeah. Just...what Mina said about her kinda stuck with me."
"About believing Rin's bullshit?"
"Yeah, 'xactly. It's fucked up..." Kyouko runs a finger across the cloth. "Okay, maybe that's not the only thing.
"Is it Mami?"
"It's Mami," Kyouko mutters. "It's Mami, and also just, how the fuck did Rin know? There's no possible way for her to have known about Mami."
"Think she has a chronoreader?"
"Probably. Or she can read minds. Which I fucking hope she can't." Kyouko grimaces. "We've sent several groups out and we're no closer to finding anything about her. I don't like not knowing how that bitch ticks."
"Do you think we should go in ourselves?" You raise a hand. "I mean, we're not going to be any better at finding it than our teams. We're not specialized for that. At least, I'm not."
"Yeah, maybe not." Kyouko leans back in her chair. "But I still want to see for myself. I don't know if I'll pick up what they haven't, but I can at least fit in decently. I still have illusory powers."
You grimace. "But not omniscience. Or perfect-"
"I know, I know." She bares a fang and you can tell she's getting annoyed. "But I just...I want to see for myself. I don't feel good about not seeing."
You keep yourself calm and level. "We have a kid at home, Kyou-"
She rolls her eyes. "Oh, for fuck's sake, don't pull that shit on me."
"I'm sorry, I thought it was fair game because you-"
"Pulled it on you? When I was pregnant? Because you're right. I did. Because what you were gonna do was suicide! It's not the same in the slightest, Sayaka."
"What, and this isn't? Running into enemy territory, face-first, spear up, ready to get skewered?"
"It's not the same, because I'm not going up against an impossible super-witch because I think it's a good idea."
"It was my father! That thing killed my father! It was dumb, yes, but this isn't any-!"
"Yeah, well this is for us. This is for our child. And fuck you for trying to make me look selfish for it."
You reel like you've been slapped, and you can tell that Kyouko already feels bad for it. But she's committed. She's committed to her stance and you fucking know when she's committed.
But you aren't about to let her have the last word. "I am not trying to make you feel selfish, Kyouko. That wasn't what-"
"Then what was, Sayaka? What was the intent?!"
"The intent is that I love you, and I don't want to lose you."
She stands up in her seat, and immediately everyone around you is staring. She leans over the table, and you know her. You know her and you love her and she's on the verge of tears. "GREAT! That's fucking..." she takes a breath "...that's fucking great...fuck. Goddammit." She slumps back in her chair. "God damn it."
The food's not here yet, but you've both absolutely lost your appetite. You paw at the table, before you take in a deep, long, painful breath. "Hey...wanna leave?"
She presses her hands against her face. "Yeah. Yeah I do."
[=]
You wind up not even staying for appetizers. You're thankful that you and Kyouko don't fight that much anymore, not after you got married. The last screaming match you had with her was months ago. But that doesn't stop you from feeling like shit, and it sure as hell doesn't make it any better that you just talked to your wife like she's dumb.
And before you can apologize, just outside the restaurant, she reaches around and pulls you into a close hug. "Sorry."
Without hesitation, you wrap your arms right around her. "Yeah, same." You take a breath. "It...it's not my place. It's not my decision. You can go if you want."
"I know, I get that. It's just...fuck I turned it into something awful again." She squeezes you. "I'm terrible. Why'd you marry me?"
"Because we're pretty similar. And you're right. It was fucked of me to throw that back at you."
"Well you're right. I'm making your mistake. It's just..."
"Just do it." You hold her tighter. "Just do it, Kyouko. But make sure you come home safe, okay?"
She leans back against you, before she turns in her beautiful suit and gives you a kiss on your lips. When you break apart, she presses her forehead against yours.
"Yeah. I will."
[=]
Your name is Minako, and it's tomorrow. Your mom was pretty forthright with where your mama is; there's no training, and she wanted to go to Kasamino. Your mom hasn't looked happy about that at all. Your parents don't usually fight but it's like...not exactly pleasant.
So it's now that you find yourself walking through your school, hands in your pockets, your uniform tight around your body. You reach the top of the school, expecting to feel something about a magi, or a witch or something else. Something else to disrupt your lunch that you'd much rather spend cuddling Takane.
Except you don't expect to see a blonde-haired girl in an old Mitakihara uniform. You especially didn't expect to see her with a teacup in her hands, taking a light sip as she finally turns towards you. To her left is fine China and a steaming kettle, and to her right is a plate with some spongecake.
You blink twice. "Wha...thefuck?"
"Minako!" She smiles. "How nice of you to join me for-"
"That's weird, please don't act like you've been here the entire time."
Mami takes an awkward look around. "I...actually have been here for the past ten minutes. Your lunch starts slightly later than mine did."
"No, I just took a little longer to get upstairs." You pull a bento box out. Rice, steamed vegetables and miso-glazed chicken today; your mom isn't as theatrical as your mama but she's hardly a bad cook. "Also I...I mean if you wanna ask how gay you are-"
"I think I've figured that part out." She takes a breath in through her nose. She perks herself up, looks you in the eye with sparkling fervor. "I...like girls."
You stare at Mami for a good fifteen seconds. Then you snort. Then you cackle. "Well, that's step one!" You keep on laughing, as she looks utterly, completely embarrassed.
"I don't see what's so humorous. I-I just found out something-"
"No, no! It's a good step!" You wipe the tear from your eye because good fucking god, she is a disaster. She's technically older than you (fifteen, you believe) but she's just...lord she is the babiest of gays. The youngest amongus. The littlest gay who could. "I get that like...okay it really is a good step and honestly I am super happy for you."
Mami beams.
"BUT...we still have some work to do. F'rex..."
You take a hand, raise it up to your head...and you run it over your hair. It goes right through the red tuft just over your forehead, across the blue top of your head before you scrape it across the purple shave of the back of your head.
Mami, however is just baffled. "...I need the whatnow?"
"You need the style." You point your finger. "I mean, you need to look gay."
She stares at you. "I...I thought that it was just a normal thing."
"That's because it is." Your girlfriend walks right next to you, pulls out her own lunch, pops it right open, and leans against your shoulder.
Without hesitation, you immediately rub your face against hers, before she pops some rice right into your mouth. You giggle, before your girlfriend continues.
"There's kind of a history. I mean...my dads know more about it, but there is a history. It's mostly an American one, and I mean, papa is from Canada..."
"It's not, like needed." You shrug. "Takane likes girls and enbies exclusively, and she's got a bun, but it's like...?"
"It's a style choice." Your girlfriend says. "If you want to do it, you can. If not, then there's no need."
Mami blinks. She plays around with her curls, a pause and a bit of fingering her hair. "I...hm...I haven't...haven't thought about that."
"You still don't need to force yourself. If it ain't comfy, it ain't comfy."
Mami cups her chin. She looks awfully contemplative as she curls her hair around her finger.
You look at the cup she's holding as she uses her free hand to mess around with her hair. She brings it back to the cup handle and gives it a light sip.
"Iiiiiiiiis that-"
"Irish," Mami says. "I like the bitter taste."
You furrow your brow. "Why would you drink something bitter? I don't wanna be judgy, but-"
"You are being judgmental, though." Mami clears her throat. " Tea is a delicacy, something to be experienced. And even if you dislike it, bitterness is a flavor. A bite. A hint of the taste of leaves."
"But...I mean, my mama drinks coffee black-"
"Of course Kyouko would drink it black," Mami mutters to herself before she continues. "Tea is a different kind of bitterness. A different kind of taste, owing to its own brewing process. Coffee is just raw bitterness. Acid and oils provide its flavor. That isn't to say that coffee doesn't have its own merits, but it is not the kind that I care for.
"That would be tea. Irish tea in particular is an eclectic mix of black teas. English tea tends to be about the same in general content, but the Irish blend is more bitter. Sharper. Most drink it with honey or milk. I believe that dilutes the flavor." She sips the drink and smiles as it goes down. "I don't expect you to understand or even enjoy the taste. What kind of drink do you prefer?"
You shrug. "I mean...I like boba tea."
Mami's expression turns dark. "I...guess that is a kind of tea."
You narrow your eyes. "Hrm. Okaaaaaay."
"It's not my thing." She sips her tea and keeps it to her tongue. You suspect she's biting her tongue to keep from saying anything condescending. "Again, that's...fine. People can enjoy different things."
"You look like you're-"
"Let's just drop the subject."
You sigh. "Fine. Then how about haircuts. Have you thought more on that?"
She leans back. "I...still like my curls. I like my hair curls. I like the way they twist. Would there be styles that preserve that?"
"Probably." You shrug. "I mean, there are undercuts that rely on curly, curly hair."
"Then perhaps I should look into that. Ask questions from more...experienced people."
"Like my ma-?" You stop yourself, but Mami already has a hand up.
"Yes, like Kyouko. I need to get better. Actually talk to her for once. Is she going to be here tonight?"
"She's doing recon in Kasamino tonight." You lean against your girlfriend. "She won't be back for a couple of days."
"Then I should wait until then." She nods. "Though what...what would you suggest?"
You shrug. "An...I mean, I have an undercut."
Mami nods, then she brushes her hair. "But would that be...feminine enough?"
You stick your tongue out. "Feminine, shmemenine. It's about what looks right for you. Gender's a scam, anyway."