3rd Recipe - Stone Soup [Video; forward-dated to the 23rd]

[starofpleiades]

Um, has anyone else been having trouble getting food from the cafeteria? They aren't letting me in the kitchen to cook anything, or even giving me anything to eat...

[Kazumi looks more than a little worried. She's glad to be back in her own body but... this is a really pressing concern! How can people eat if they don't have food?]

...do you think they're mad at me for always cooking so much? Maybe I should have only made two pies yesterday...

Comments

[starofpleiades]

Ah, there isn't - at least, I don't know of one - but it's just how my magic works. If I use too much, I have to go see someone in the tower who can clean my Soul Gem, and I don't want to be bothering them a lot about it, or risk running out of magic when I really need it!

He's not. Oh, Witches are the beings made of curses that prey on humans... it's the job of Puella Magi, magical girls, to stop them! Our Soul Gems are what give us power. [She rings her earring and it transforms into the usual egg-shaped Soul Gem form, bright and sparkly] It's the source of our magic.

Ooh, great! [Walking over, Kazumi goes ahead and pops one in her mouth first] Delicious!

[cutestprogrammer]

I see... How often do you have to clean it then if you use it normally?

Oh... [and he looks over at it, amazed] It's so beautiful!

[he laughs a bit] We'd better pick as many as she can before someone else finds it!

[starofpleiades]

Hmmm... I guess every week or two? [She's not sure how much witch-fighting counts as normal]

Heheh, thanks. [She replaces it, turning it back into an earring]

Alright, let's! [She starts picking them and putting them in the basket... at least 90% actually make it there and not in her mouth.]

[cutestprogrammer]

I see... and you need someone with special powers to clean it for you...

Why is it called a Soul Gem though? Is it... is it really part of your soul?

[well, he eats a bit of them as well so they end up with around 85%]

[starofpleiades]

Yeah, so I don't want to over use it and have to bother him a lot. Or like I said, run out when I really need it. So I try to do everything as if I didn't have magic, if I can do it!

[Picking berries, coming up with ingredients... it'd be a snap if she just used her magic, but that seems like a pretty petty waste!

The question's pretty troubling though... she doesn't want to outright lie to Chihiro...]

Well... yeah, it is. Um, it basically is my soul.

[Maybe if she smiles that won't sound so bad?]

[cutestprogrammer]

Is he from your world? I see. Is it very difficult to do though... To limit your magic use...

[his eyes widen] Your-your s-soul...? Then-then wouldn't you die if it doesn't get cleansed?

[starofpleiades]

No, but apparently he has powers that work similarly that can clean Soul Gems. [She has to think about the second question for a moment] Umm, maybe a little! But I mostly only used it to fight Witches and there aren't any here, so it doesn't come up as my first response often.

[Welp, there it is...] Ah, well... yeah.

[cutestprogrammer]

I see. Well, that's good then!

... eh? Then-then you shouldn't use your magic at all, Kazumi-san! It's much to dangerous!!

[starofpleiades]

I'm trying not to, but if someone's in trouble or in need of help, or if there's a dangerous monster around, I'm not going to stand by! And like I said, Enoch is able to clean gems, so I just have to be careful with it.

[cutestprogrammer]

I-I see... [but still he's worried about you!] Mn. Please be very careful then, Kazumi-san!

[starofpleiades]

Eheh, thanks for worrying about me. I will! [Smiling, she gets back to picking berries; it shouldn't take them long to empty the bush, and there'll still be a bit of room to look for other things to put in the basket] What about you though? I mean, I can't use it much, but at least my magic can help me fight monsters here! Do you have anything like that to defend yourself with?

[cutestprogrammer]

I... well, I can't really fight and I don't have any special powers so... I just try not to leave my room when night falls.

[starofpleiades]

Ohh, I guess that's a good idea. Well, I try not to go out at night either... still, even during the day things can happen! Is there anyone strong you hang out with?

[cutestprogrammer]

Well... Oowada-kun is usually with me and he's really strong.

[starofpleiades]

Hehe, that's good then. A close friend?

[cutestprogrammer]

Well, he-he's actually my... boyfriend... [blushing so much!!]

[starofpleiades]

W, wow! Heheh... it's good he's here with you then!

[cutestprogrammer]

Mn. Though well, actually we only started dating a little while ago and after coming here. He's a classmate of mine back home.

[starofpleiades]

Aww, well that's nice having a classmate and becoming a couple like that. I guess good things can happen here.

[cutestprogrammer]

[he nods shyly] What-what about you Kazumi-san? Do you have anyone special?

[starofpleiades]

Eheh, not like that... I have a lot of friends who are very dear to me though. Only one of them is here that I knew from home though.

[cutestprogrammer]

I see. Have you known each other for long?

[starofpleiades]

Yes! Well, sort of... is a couple years long? [At least, she estimates it's around there? Or something like that]

[cutestprogrammer]

Mn! That's kind of long!

[starofpleiades]

Hehe, well, then we've known each other pretty long!

How long have you and Oowada-kun known each other?