Momiji Gaiden

<PMV_Momiji> I'm heading for the bookstore witch's place as fast as I can

<Peel> jump jump. You make good time

<Peel> especially since you can teleport

• PMV_Momiji bangs on the back door

<Peel> It's an apartment but you jump onto the balcony

<Peel> You see a face appear in the window and then eyes widen

<Peel> And the door is pulled open despite the storm. "What is it?"

<PMV_Momiji> "Let me in"

• PMV_Momiji is quivering

<Peel> She lets you in and closes the door quickly. She's wrapped in a bathrobe. "What is it?"

<Peel> "Sit down and deep breaths."

<PMV_Momiji> "Witches. They - they set a trap for us!"

• PMV_Momiji smashes a plant pot with a tinkle of ceramic on metal

<PMV_Momiji> "I. . ah"

<Peel> Junko gasps

• PMV_Momiji puts her face in her hands

<Momiji_M> "I'm sorry"

• Momiji_M tries to scoop the plant back into the broken pot

<Peel> Junko pulls her away and sits her down

<Peel> "I'll put it in a jar. It'll survive."

<Momiji_M> "I'm sorry. I'm sorry"

<Momiji_M> "I didn't mean to"

<Peel> "I'll make you some cocoa. But tell me what happened."

<Peel> "I'll charge you for the replacement. :)"

• Momiji_M doesn't even catch this

<Momiji_M> "We . . . Chiri felt something on the way home"

<Momiji_M> "Something bad"

• Momiji_M starts to haltingly explain

<Peel> "I see."

<Peel> She spills the milk

<Peel> "sigh."

<Peel> *wipe wipe:*

<Momiji_M> "So now they're running around and Chiri's going all crazy and Reiko cares more about Hitomi than us and and and"

<Peel> "I guess it was inevitable. I was a fool to think otherwise."

• Momiji_M is totally blabbing everyone's secret identities

<Peel> "Calm down."

<Peel> "You aren't thinking clearly."

<Momiji_M> "I I"

<Peel> She sighs. "This is why I joined the witches in the first place."

• Momiji_M stares into her hot chocolate

<Peel> "It's a crime to put you girls through this."

<Peel> "Drink."

• Momiji_M drinks some

<Peel> "Lily cares about everyone. She's a hopeless romantic. The most dangerous kind."

<Peel> "I was initiated as a Maiden. I can't love anymore. But I remember enough to recognise it. She has it."

<Momiji_M> "You . . what?"

<Peel> "Didn't you read that book?"

<Momiji_M> "I read some of it"

<Peel> "We don't get our power granted. We pay for it."

<Peel> "In the instant, blood. In the ultimate, what makes us human."

<Momiji_M> "I practiced a few of the things in it. But I didn't like it"

<Momiji_M> "It was scary"

<Peel> "It is."

<Peel> "The first sacrifice is love. The second is life. The third is reason."

<Peel> "Maiden, Mother, Crone."

<Momiji_M> "That's . . . "

<Peel> "Terrible."

<Peel> "I have friendships."

<Peel> "But nothing more."

• Momiji_M hugs her and cries

<Peel> "I was disillusioned and isolated and terrified of death that came even to the ancient masters who sacrificed their sanity."

<Peel> "But Winter repulsed what was left of my humanity."

<Peel> "And here I am."

<Peel> She hugs Momiji back slightly awkwardly

• Momiji_M unconsciously tries to push some heart into her, like she did to Nirn

<Peel> You feel something pass from you to her

<Peel> "You're making me feel better. You are a summer knight."

<Peel> "And a good person."

• Momiji_M sniffs

<Momiji_M> "But what do I do?"

<Peel> "I... I don't know."

<Peel> "Stay with your friends, at least. They're like you. If Chiri is losing control of the power she won't hold onto it without you."

<Peel> "And... do the Witches know who you are?"

<Momiji_M> "I don't know. How would I know?"

<Peel> "Let's think."

<Peel> She breaks off and starts pacing

<Peel> "They set a trap to draw you out."

<Peel> "They underestimated your power though."

<Peel> "If they knew who you were they wouldn't have had to."

<Momiji_M> "We . . . captured two of them. Bodyguards."

<Peel> "Those two? Maidens most likely, guarding the mothers. Our powers sap life, we need protection when working together."

<Momiji_M> "They had soldiers with guns too"

<Peel> "Uninitiated assistants. Consors. The witches have enough temporal power to fund paramilitary elements."

<Peel> "Don't panic. They aren't omnipotent."

<Momiji_M> "Why do they hate us!?"

<Peel> "Because they were forged in a time when humanity was at the mercy of external powers."

<Peel> "They thought they had to be thrown off, by any means necessary. And that meant removing their mortal servants too."

<Peel> "And now they have centuries of elitist corruption tempered by a panic at how the world is running out of even their control."

<Momiji_M> "But that means . . "

<Momiji_M> "I don't want to get shot at all the time!"

<Momiji_M> "what if they go after my family!"

<Peel> "Then don't let them know who you are. And maybe... maybe we can stop them. Wishful thinking, maybe."

<Peel> "I'm an astronomer. I study the heavens. I've been feeling like something is coming to a head."

<Peel> "The stars are almost right."

<Momiji_M> "Does this mean Cthulhu is going to rise?"

• Momiji_M cracks a weak joke

<Peel> "Heh. Maybe."

<Peel> you're not entirely sure she's joking