Meguca 3.5: Despair and Resolve

[21:04] <Genshuku> THE YEAR IS 20XX
[21:05] <Genshuku> And that...that was one hell of an Up-B
[21:07] <Genshuku> The city around them burns with magical flame, and the fate of Miyu still remains unknown. Will they advance, to the location of the burst they had seen in the distance, maybe try to do something about the fire, or wait for something that they feel might be coming?
[21:07] <Genshuku> Of course, they haven't actually felt anything. Except maybe the fire. It's kinda hot.
[21:09] * ApatheticForestFairy ([email protected]) has joined #Meguca
[21:09] * ChanServ sets mode: +ao ApatheticForestFairy ApatheticForestFairy
[21:14] * Mystia_Lorelei is now known as Matsubara_Hotaru
[21:16] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "Hah... Right, um, city on fire. Uh, I don't think we have enough time to deal with this. We have to save Miyu!" she shouted.
[21:16] * ApatheticForestFairy is now known as Hayasaka_Kumiko
[21:17] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> "At the very least we don't have to deal with pests!" Kumiko nodded to herself as she tried to justify her actions with unreasonably weak logic. Life was fun like that!
[21:20] * Satori_Komeiji5 is now known as Kasuga_Makoto
[21:22] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...I s-suppose so." Makoto found her justifications increasingly flimsy. The first enemy was destroyed so far...but what if there were more? And what of Miyu? As all this kept her head in utter disarray, she chose to press on...
[21:30] <Genshuku> Makoto advances, and Hotaru is bound to follow, which is bound to make Kumiko follow as well! ...But what they see is bound to crush their morale.
[21:31] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Is it a bird? No is it a plane? NO IS IT THE SEA OF FIRE?
[21:32] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> But sure, Kumiko... hesitantly follows the team into wherever they deem fit to go!
[21:33] <Genshuku> Well, the sea of fire certainly adds to the sight, for what they see is that damnable rainbow blob, reeking of magic, and a Miyu that seems to be having a panic attack next to it...exactly like the magical girl previous, the one that had become a youma.
[21:33] <Genshuku> "You're all fantastic at both your job and my job. Hard workers."
[21:34] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "...N...No way. M-Miyu! What have you done to her, you monster?!"
[21:35] <Genshuku> "Second verse, same as the first." A prompt response, and one lacking of any remorse.
[21:35] * Kasuga_Makoto looked on, towards the scene. Miyu. That was Miyu...! "...Damnit, we're too late..."
[21:35] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...Don't you think we're going to let you get away with this!"
[21:36] <Genshuku> "You were FAR too late. And in your hurry, you've made quite the mess of this place." The once spherical core of the beast shifts into a humanoid shape once more, motioning at the flames.
[21:37] <Genshuku> "Split second bad decision? A scary focus on your mission? Outright disregard? You can probably blame it on a youma either way."
[21:37] * Kasuga_Makoto shakes her head a little. She feels a little ill. Perhaps a little empty. She feels absolutely nothing. Nothing, except spite at this beast and anger at herself... "And what do you intend to do with our friend? Turn her into a monster, just like the last one..."
[21:38] <Kasuga_Makoto> "What do you want from us! Do you have any idea what you're doing, at all? These people...they don't deserve this!"
[21:39] <Genshuku> "Yes, that's what's happening as we speak. I have high hopes for this one. She expended so much effort alone that she sapped all the magic she had on hand, which is honestly an admirable feat. And with her spirit weakened by a previous outburst...it leaves a lot of room to work with."
[21:39] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...Regardless of what brought us to this point, all you youma do is twist and pervert things to your own ends..."
[21:40] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...Matsubara, Hayasaka. You know what we have to do."
[21:41] <Genshuku> "Planning on interrupting me? You remember, she was the one that stopped you from doing that last time."
[21:41] * Genericfan_ ([email protected]) Quit (Quit: Connection didn't die this time)
[21:42] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Kumiko seems to be in a state of shock once more!
[21:42] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> She can't even fathom what her negligence had done to her newest friend!
[21:42] <Genshuku> "That said, you're funny, er...one with the brown hair. A constant barrel of laughs! What do I want? You don't have to worry your pretty heads about that."
[21:43] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "I... You... We will make sure you'll regret what you've done to Miyu."
[21:43] <Genshuku> "You're all doing it yourself perfectly fine. And when you're not doing it entirely yourselves, you're providing me with the means to make it easier. As a conscious decision!"
[21:44] <Genshuku> "Even the one that lays here had called me with their magics! It's a shame that the brown hair is going to have to leave the picture at some point, really. And, well, the rest of you, but that's another matter."
[21:45] <Genshuku> "...Or if you're really daft, it'll be the same matter, which brings me to my question. What now, 'heroes'?"
[21:46] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "Shut it! I had enough of this! We will end you, right here, right now!" she shouted. Perhaps she's going a bit too ahead of herself, blinded by rage? Who knows.
[21:46] <Genshuku> "If you stare and gawk too long, you'll soak in my brilliance. Maybe you'll explode from it? I'd like to see that."
[21:47] <Genshuku> "Why, if you stay here even longer, you might get a first-hand glance at your friend's transformation! It's OK, I'm patient. Decide. I'll wait here, answer questions, whatnot."
[21:49] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Kumiko is still kind of huddled up somewhere in the sea of flames. Literally. She can't seem to stomach meeting the blob once more
[21:53] <Genshuku> ...It does seem content with waiting, strangely enough, and does so with what seems to be an absolute relaxation. It waits, and it watches. This thing is confident, and as someone else can easily attest to, incredibly dangerous.
[21:53] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Don't look at me, don't find me, don't even remember me. That was running through Kumiko's mind as the flames around her became... whimsical and flagrant... as if to say "STAY THE FUCK AWAY"
[22:01] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "Kumiko! Makoto! We have to hurry and stop this youma! We know we have lost our friends to this thing, but I am sure us avenging them is what they would want..."
[22:01] <Kasuga_Makoto> "No. You just took advantage of our mistake. Our lapse in judgement. And you're content to sit there and stick a knife into our wounds...and if we'd been a minute sooner, you wouldn't have been so eager to mock us." Her words are bitter. Bitter and direct. She knows she can't even think of harming that monster, but...-
[22:02] * Kasuga_Makoto opens her tome and prepares herself. This time, without anyone to stop her, she looks to her teammates. In her eyes, there's the tiniest flickering of fear.
[22:03] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> No need for hesitation! There's a girl fully displaying fear right over here! You better figure something out or find a new knight in shining armor, cause this girl is out for the count.
[22:05] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "Kumiko, I know you're traumaized by this... but don't let it stop you! Youma feast on fear, we can't let it happen to us. We may be able to bring back our friends if we wish with the 13 Oblivion Seeds!"
[22:06] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...Fighting you is a battle we have no chance of winning." She stares down the blob, a light building up in her tome, tendrils of light building around her for a moment or two. She looks to Kumiko and calls out to her... "Even if we can't save everyone, the least we can do is stop this from happening again!"
[22:06] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> "And how long is that going to take? How many lives are we going to need before we take down that thing?" Kumiko chattered
[22:06] <Genshuku> "Fear isn't our diet. I'd liken that more to the tsukaima." A fully palpable wave of dread can be felt.
[22:08] <Kasuga_Makoto> "We'll do whatever it takes, Hayasaka..." She turns back to the enemy... "None of us wanted this fear or despair. Or anything like this. The future can be changed!"
[22:09] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...I know you're scared. But this thing doesn't care. It'll kill us and turn us without any mercy. And it'll do it so many others if we don't stand and fight!"
[22:16] * Marisa (Snowflames@gensoukyoueasternstory.net-9888A6D7.hsd1.wa.comcast.net) Quit (Ping timeout: 240 seconds)
[22:22] <Genshuku> "But you know what? This is getting boring. You all threaten me while wounded from combat and exhausted, while quaking in your boots, blaming me for things that are your fault. And you know what? That gets old after a while."
[22:23] <Genshuku> "Scatter, behave yourselves, or die." It's not kidding, and you can tell it's gotten annoyed. It's a bit much!
[22:23] <Kasuga_Makoto> And yet, even her strong words couldn't quite hold fast against that. The monster, however morally and ethically vacant it was, by human terms, was right. What else could they do...?
[22:30] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...What am I talking about. There...isn't anything we can do." Those words hit hard on the magical girl, right to her core. "...We've made a terible mistake..."
[22:33] <Genshuku> It declines to comment this time. It waits patiently.
[22:33] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Suddenly, the other two girls would notice something. An avid lack of one team member. Yes. She ran without any of the other two noticing.
[22:34] <Kasuga_Makoto> "As much as I hate to do this...I can't do it. I can't even do a thing right..." Holding back bitter tears, she looked towards the others... "We have to get out of here...and we can't do this ourselves..." She's already trying to move away when she notices Kumiko's left. She grabs Hotaru's wrist and practically drags her once she notices... "H-Hayasaka?!"
[22:34] <Genshuku> "So she's taking the position as the smart one, huh?"
[22:35] <Genshuku> "Well, someone's gotta do it. You might flaunt your heart of gold, but if you run straight into death with it, it won't do you much good. You'd do well to remember that."
[22:36] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...C...Come on, Matsubara...this is hopeless. We failed from the very start." She turns back to the blob, disdainfully. "Maybe someone else might be able...to put up a better expectation for you, youma. I've had enough of all of this..."
[22:37] * Matsubara_Hotaru has a lot going in her mind, one of them being revenge, but she knows it's not the right time to fight it now. She realizes that they're far too weak to face off the youma as is. "Right... We'll leave."
[22:38] * Kasuga_Makoto keeps on going. Partly to search for her fleeing teammate. Partly because she couldn't look anyone in the face, again.
[22:39] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Kumiko is proving a lot harder to locate than you'd expect! It's as if her magical presence had been completely concealed!
[22:39] <Genshuku> It lets them leave without comment, and the group quickly (and quite bitterly) evacuates! ...Kumiko, especially so. Guess seeing that thing again was a bit much.
[22:41] <Genshuku> ...Thankfully, there's no magical aftertaste. ...Stilllll burning, though. You can hear the sirens, and if you look carefully, you might see the firemen at work! They're not having the easiest time, but the fire might be contained even without your intervention, eventually.
[22:43] <Genshuku> ...Still, though, you are wounded and worn from combat, and you remember the other youma's dogged pursuit. Troubling, to be sure.
[22:45] <Genshuku> On the bright side, things aren't being destroyed. That's nice?
[22:45] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> They're still on fire though!
[22:45] <Genshuku> ...You know, from the youma.
[22:45] <Genshuku> Things are definitely on fire
[22:45] <Genshuku> .
[22:46] <Genshuku> That's because the youma might not be yet. Or it means they're more subtle in their pursuit?
[22:46] <Genshuku> You just don't know! And that makes it worse.
[22:46] * Kasuga_Makoto flies along silently. She doesn't quite watch much of the carnage. Mostly, she's regretting what's happened. And they're still in danger, having left Miyu in the care of that impossibly powerful monster. Her first thought, however, despite this, is taking Kumiko back...
[22:47] <Genshuku> ...If she wants to go over how well she hid herself, that's her deal!
[22:48] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "How are we going to find Kumiko? She could've fled anywhere probably..."
[22:48] * Kasuga_Makoto keeps moving at a brisk pace, however! She doesn't want to be around when the inevitable happens. She's too weak, after all. "...I might be able to see where she's gone, or if we'll run into her, again...but what's the point?"
[22:49] <Kasuga_Makoto> "I can't change anything. I can't /do/ anything...!"
[22:49] <Kasuga_Makoto> But something about that thought seems to trigger that power into being. Where is she? Where WILL she be? Will they survive this encounter...?
[22:52] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> MEANWHILE, IN A FIREY LAND FAR AWAY. Kumiko seems to be... reflecting upon her life choices. While sitting in the middle of a blazing bonfire. You know, like those enlightened priests. She really regretting being a magical girl, and she really regretted well... everything! Maybe she should just go find a nice club at school and just live out the rest of her life normally.
[22:55] <Genshuku> ...You use your divination ability to actually see this sight! Just the sight, of course. ...It's kind of hard to know exactly where it is, since EVERYTHING IS ON FIRE, but...will she remain? How far into the future even is that? At least you get to see it before your vision conks.
[22:57] <Genshuku> If there's side effects, you are not immediately aware of them!
[22:59] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> ... After a while... the flames around Kumiko begin to slowly draw in towards her... warming her body up and refilling her strength!
[22:59] <Genshuku> That part isn't caught in the vision. It was short!
[23:00] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...She's...somewhere in these ruins, I'm guessing." She isn't aware of them, indeed! But she's resolved on trying to recognize where her vision might've taken place... "We need to find her. If we leave her alone, she'll just end up like Miyu..."
[23:01] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "Ruins? What kind of ruins are we speaking of?" she asked, but then something came to her mind. "Are we talking about the fire? Because I'm certain that is a ruin... considering we were just there before we faced that youma!"
[23:02] * Kasuga_Makoto tries to scan the area, in case there's anything that sticks out. Like a larger amount of FIRE than usual. Or maybe a landmark that matches her vision at all... "...We might not have much time, so you'd better be right."
[23:04] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "Let's hurry then!" she shouted as she flies towards the direction of where they were from a while ago.
[23:08] * Lily_White ([email protected]) Quit (Quit: Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow)
[23:08] * Lily_White ([email protected]) has joined #Meguca
[23:10] <Genshuku> The two search for Kumiko...And while Makoto has a GENERAL idea of where to go, certainly a large amount of help, it's Hotaru that spots the anomaly on the ground, a patch of area decidedly less fiery!
[23:14] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "H-hey! I think I am seeing something around that spot! She might be right there, Makoto! Hey! Kumiko! Are you there!?"
[23:16] <Genshuku> She totally is, FYI!
[23:17] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Kumiko can be found in a fetal position, rolling across the unusually flat bearskin carpet which somehow survived the fire. It looks kind of fun. ... also kind of like Kumiko lost her mind.
[23:18] <Genshuku> Thankfully, it's not quite as spirited as the ones actually losing their minds. Which is a comfort!
[23:19] * Tactical ([email protected]) Quit (Quit: http://www.kiwiirc.com/ - A hand crafted IRC client)
[23:22] <Genshuku> ...At the least, they've all managed to find themselves. They're together, and currently away from threats!
[23:22] <Genshuku> Yay?
[23:25] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "Kumiko! Please get up! We don't know what may happen if we stay here."
[23:26] * Kasuga_Makoto moves over and seems to be off to the side. She doesnt' feel quite right, and can't put her finger on it... "...We have to keep moving. We may have to keep running, but we have to stay...together..."
[23:28] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Kumiko seems to continue rolling. If you paid extra attention, you'd notice her eyes had become kind of like a cat's... and that her hair was kind of sprining up like ears.... and she was being generically cuddly. Must be the magical exposure!
[23:30] <Genshuku> ...You don't think that coming into contact with her would burn you. Nice to be magical?
[23:30] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...Something's gone wrong with her. We need to get her out of here..."
[23:32] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "Y-yeah, but how can we do that...? Maybe words of encouragement?"
[23:33] <Kasuga_Makoto> "We'll have to drag her along with her, if need be. Just talking at a problem won't work...
[23:35] <Matsubara_Hotaru> "Alright..." she replied. She went closer to Kumiko and grab her arm. "Come on, we've gotta get out of here." Is this the right way to do it? Or is this a really dumb method? Let's see...!
[23:36] <Matsubara_Hotaru> grab her arm and tries to tug her out of there.*
[23:38] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> The catgirl seem to... struggle! Frantically! She really likes the bearskin rug! You're probably going to need to take that with you somehow, cause Kumiko isn't leaving it any time soon!
[23:40] * Matsubara_Hotaru sighs. "Makoto, maybe we should lift her with that rug from both ends... What do you say?"
[23:45] <Kasuga_Makoto> "We aren't getting anywhere like this...Worth a try!" She quickly moves to one end of the rug, trying to roll up the enthusiastic cat-fire-girl with it!
[23:46] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> The catgirl is rolled up! She... doesn't seem to be complaining. Yet!
[23:47] <Genshuku> Will she complain later? You just don't know!
[23:47] <Genshuku> That said, the desire to quit this place ever grows. Where to head from here?
[23:47] <Genshuku> ...Why decide that when you're dead tired, though?
[23:48] <Genshuku> NEXT TIME ON MEGUCA: THE GREAT ESCAPE FROM DODGE
[23:48] <Genshuku> MAYBE YOU'LL HAVE A FUTURE? MAYBE?
[23:49] <Matsubara_Hotaru> YES
[23:49] <Matsubara_Hotaru> WE WILL
[23:49] <Matsubara_Hotaru> :D!!!
[23:49] <MidorikawaMisao> The future does not belong to the youma!
[23:50] <Genshuku> You're pretty gutsy.
[23:51] * Genshuku puts up their dukes
[23:57] <Matsubara_Hotaru> IM A GUTSY GARDEN GALAXY