(three.) | voice.

[invocation]

[The sound clicks on, a low and unobtrusive hum before a voice is finally heard, hoarse and raw. Whoever it is, it sounds like she's screamed herself out, or cried herself out, either one, and is far more diminished than she would be normally.

It's rare for her to do this, so it must be important.]

There's a girl...someone is missing. Her name is Sayaka. She—

[—Ah, that's new. That's definitely Kyouko's voice, but she doesn't seem to be in a good state. Silence for a while. She's covered her hand with her mouth and just breathes in for a few seconds.]

She was in the outskirts, and I was looking for her, but I couldn't find her in time. I can't sense her either. If anybody's seen her, I gotta know.

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Re: voice

[invocation]

Can't you — [Do anything is the question. But even Madoka was limited here, she knows better. She tries to relax long enough to respond properly. It's hard.]

We can make them let us go down there. We could fight, or... [It sounds more and more absurd the longer she talks. Finally, there's the angry sound of her slamming her fist against the wall.]

That idiot! What the hell was she thinking?

[revelation]

I'm sorry. [ she should be able to do something, shouldn't she? even if it wasn't obvious there must be something that she was missing, some part of the big pictures that just didn't make sense yet... some way for them to bring Sayaka back to them. ] I'm really sorry, Kyouko-chan. I'll go talk to them again, okay? May... maybe they'll change their minds and maybe we can —

[ she pauses, smothering down more urges to cry. ]

She's always been like this, always wanting to protect everyone no matter what the odds... [ but bombs and bullies are completely different things and Madoka can't make another miracle happen here. ] And I just watched her walk away.

[invocation]

[The awareness that Madoka is probably as much, if not more upset than she is, finally occurs to her. It's not hard to tell the other girl is trying to hold back tears.

Eventually, a private video feed pops up, and Kyouko's tired, harried expression fills the screen.] She's an idiot. Don't blame yourself for her screw-ups.

[They are angry, harsh words, but there's a tightness to her features that speaks of something deeper than just simple anger.] If she's gone, and she comes back after all that stuff happens...

[She doesn't have to finish. She imagines Madoka gets her meaning.]

[revelation]

[ it takes a moment before Madoka's own feed comes on, she's clutching a small cat plush in her hands and squeezing her eyes shut. she knows she has to be brave, especially now but— ]

She'll be mad, won't she? [ quite the understatement, really. ] And it would be too wishful to think she would come back after I made my wish, huh?

[ she pauses, clutching the toy cat closer. ] She'll... she'll probably hate me but I guess I deserve it. I've lied to her this whole time about it, acting like nothing was wrong and everything would be fine for us. It was fine though, wasn't it? She was getting back to her old self... she was really happy...

I really like to think we did what was best, but...

[invocation]

Yeah. [And she repeats herself, at Madoka's second question:] Yeah. [Both of them knew better than that.

She listens after that, and is silent for a good long while before seeming to come to a sudden decision. She shakes her head.]

I'll tell her I did it.

[Kyouko glances off to the side.] I didn't tell the truth either, heh...and it's even worse with me. She kept talking about going home. She wanted us to go home together, and go on a real date.

[She had withheld this information from Madoka before. But there was no reason to now.] That's just like her, right? Acting like we could be together like normal people. What a stupid thing to say. Even if things hadn't happened like they did, we wouldn't have time for it, and if she really knew what happened, she wouldn't say something like that at all.

[She swallows hard. Her face almost crumples, and then her jaw tightens.] That's why I'll take the blame. Some too-nice runt like you doesn't have to.

[revelation]

I can't— [ she speaks up immediately once Kyouko voices her idea, eyes widening and heart racing. her thoughts might be a mess but Madoka knows she doesn't want this and opens her mouth to speak her thoughts, but Kyouko's voice once again silences her.

needless to say, she is surprised and for a moment it shows on her face. although she had been none the wiser about the entire relationship, her heart aches more for her friend in this moment and she the fight to control her tears is one she is slowly losing. ]

I still can't let you take the blame! It was as much my decision too, even before you knew... I had... [ she had decided on this a long time ago, didn't she? ] I won't let you face everything alone again.

[invocation]

[She looks away at that. Hadn't she always handled stuff on her own? It was the best way to do things. But...

Sayaka was Madoka's friend too. Her best friend. They'd tried to appeal to that before, with the Witch. Wasn't she both of their responsibility?]

Are you sure? [...] She's gonna be pissed off. Worse than before.

[revelation]

Part of being a friend means you take the good with the bad, right?

[ she smiles, small but offers that much at least. ]

No matter what, I want to be someone capable of standing at her side. Even if she's mad and even if she hates me... I want to help.