[ Madoka barely murmurs that, but shakes her head and moves on, a little more eager to brush past it than the rest. ]
A-anyway, I think - I'd like to hope that everyone wants the best for that world. Even if your ideas for it aren't the same, you'll balance each other out. I would rather hope for that than expect that you mess it up. Even if it's messed up for a while, it'll still improve.
But something like a killing game... It's true that death is an important part of the cycle - but it's still hard for me to accept this as necessary... A lot of them aren't used to seeing death.
Try telling that to some of the others. A few of us have pretty big egos that might disagree with that. [It's a little self-deprecating but at the same time he can at least admit it. ]
I think the logic of it all was that if you had a wish that you wanted so badly, you'd do anything for it. Maybe people aren't used to it but that also doesn't mean it doesn't exist. [Though...] You tryin' to tell me you're used to it?
[ She mulls over the best - the softest - way to explain it. ]
It's my job to see magical girls off when they're at their end. It's like you said - death is a part of the cycle, and in my universe... I'm the law of cycles.
If I were like you, I would be "Hope."
[ Hm, it's actually her first time saying something like that, although she's been thinking it over since she got here. She shakes her head. ]
No, I'm sure that it's different. But I think it would be nice not to be alone.
[How the hell did Madoka actually get Cunning to stop being an asshole, this is so very confusing. He seems to think on that...]
Hope. Suits you, from what I can see. [There's a nod to himself.] Where you're from, as someone watching over the cycles of life and death, do you come from somewhere rebirth exists? Or do magical girls get one shot and at the end that's it?
[ She has to think on that, taking her time to munch on some cake. ]
I don't know, actually.
The cycle of magical girls used to be to fight witches until they give in to despair and become one themselves. My job is just to erase the witches before they're created, allowing girls to pass away in peace without having to turn on the world they once protected.
But because I'm removed from the cycle itself and exist only as a concept, or as a paradox... I don't really know if something like reincarnation exists. If it does, it's not something I can observe.
Sounds like a pretty hard job. It means knowing where witches are coming from, finding a way to erase them, and kind of managing the whole world. Not that being a magical girl sounds much safer. [Fighting witches, huh.]
In a case like that...does that mean you're really not real? [Maybe that explains why Madoka's so. Madoka.]
[ Madoka ignores that entire first part, because she doesn't want to linger on the difficulties. It's hard, but for some reason she doesn't want to admit it right now. ]
I'm real. I may not exist within time and space as a person anymore, but I'm real.
Good. [He seems weirdly serious about that, too, even while he's sitting here eating shortcake.]
...in our world, people like me are allowed an option of trying to be reborn after they die. Start the cycle all over again, maybe change their powers, live a short life and die again. You do that three times and live a good life all three times, you earn a ticket to a perfect paradise. So you can see why I asked how it works for you.
[Because if Madoka's out of the cycle then does that mean she's bound forever? The magical girls? Everything.]
Most of our lives were difficult in the first place. [...]
But. That's depressing, so maybe we should talk about something else? [He's. Trying to be nice.] I'll admit, most of you don't actually stick around long enough to have a real conversation.
[ Madoka nods agreeably, but looks thoughtful for a long quiet moment, trying to think of what else to talk about. Current events is not exactly an uplifting subject around here. ]
I think everyone is just nervous. We're all trying to balance our time with each other, on top of the gods.
Sort of puts you guys at a disadvantage to tell you the truth. It's a short game and there's a lot of you and a lot of us. But some of you have been managing pretty okay. You've been talking to a lot of people here, haven't you?
You're trying which is more than I can say for some others. [He props his head up with a hand for the moment.] Who've you really had a chance to speak to so far?
Everyone is doing their best. That just looks different for different people...
[ she looks sheepish to admit: ]
Um... Mostly just Sincerity. I've talked to Beauty and Indulgence... Merriment and I ice skated together for a little... [ that's not really?? talking??? ]
We have a couple of weeks, right? There's ten of us, and seven days a week. That's less than two of us a day. I'm not saying you have to, but it's worth a thought.
I always got that impression. I never learned a lot myself, but it always made me feel a little more useful when there was a lot that I couldn't change. We tried to make the kitchen in the temple as stocked as possible for you guys, but...[A gesture to the pavilion they're in.]
When I lied here, I never had to make my own food.
We don't need to, exactly, but most of us like to because it's a normal human thing. We can still taste everything and all that but it's not a live or die kind of thing. Otherwise we can just make whatever we want. Call it a god perk.
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[ Madoka barely murmurs that, but shakes her head and moves on, a little more eager to brush past it than the rest. ]
A-anyway, I think - I'd like to hope that everyone wants the best for that world. Even if your ideas for it aren't the same, you'll balance each other out. I would rather hope for that than expect that you mess it up. Even if it's messed up for a while, it'll still improve.
But something like a killing game... It's true that death is an important part of the cycle - but it's still hard for me to accept this as necessary... A lot of them aren't used to seeing death.
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I think the logic of it all was that if you had a wish that you wanted so badly, you'd do anything for it. Maybe people aren't used to it but that also doesn't mean it doesn't exist. [Though...] You tryin' to tell me you're used to it?
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It's my job to see magical girls off when they're at their end. It's like you said - death is a part of the cycle, and in my universe... I'm the law of cycles.
If I were like you, I would be "Hope."
[ Hm, it's actually her first time saying something like that, although she's been thinking it over since she got here. She shakes her head. ]
No, I'm sure that it's different. But I think it would be nice not to be alone.
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Hope. Suits you, from what I can see. [There's a nod to himself.] Where you're from, as someone watching over the cycles of life and death, do you come from somewhere rebirth exists? Or do magical girls get one shot and at the end that's it?
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I don't know, actually.
The cycle of magical girls used to be to fight witches until they give in to despair and become one themselves. My job is just to erase the witches before they're created, allowing girls to pass away in peace without having to turn on the world they once protected.
But because I'm removed from the cycle itself and exist only as a concept, or as a paradox... I don't really know if something like reincarnation exists. If it does, it's not something I can observe.
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In a case like that...does that mean you're really not real? [Maybe that explains why Madoka's so. Madoka.]
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I'm real. I may not exist within time and space as a person anymore, but I'm real.
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...in our world, people like me are allowed an option of trying to be reborn after they die. Start the cycle all over again, maybe change their powers, live a short life and die again. You do that three times and live a good life all three times, you earn a ticket to a perfect paradise. So you can see why I asked how it works for you.
[Because if Madoka's out of the cycle then does that mean she's bound forever? The magical girls? Everything.]
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[ She doesn't want to minimize someone else's struggle. Just one lifetime can be very difficult, let alone three. ]
But it's nice to know that in the end, people can reach that paradise.
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But. That's depressing, so maybe we should talk about something else? [He's. Trying to be nice.] I'll admit, most of you don't actually stick around long enough to have a real conversation.
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I think everyone is just nervous. We're all trying to balance our time with each other, on top of the gods.
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[ she looks sheepish to admit: ]
Um... Mostly just Sincerity. I've talked to Beauty and Indulgence... Merriment and I ice skated together for a little... [ that's not really?? talking??? ]
And you.
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I want to give you a sort of assignment for the rest of the game. Try to talk to all of us at least once or twice before making any final decisions.
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It's always worth at least trying.
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Uehehe... It's been fun learning to cook like this. It's kind of relaxing, you know?
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When I lied here, I never had to make my own food.
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[ despite the blatant insecurity behind those words, she doesn't sound particularly upset about it. ]
Can you just make whatever you want, here? Or - do you even need to eat?
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[ she's envious. ]
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