[video] Backdated to 11/13

[timenoob]

[ The feed clicks on to reveal an extremely nervous-looking girl fiddling agitatedly with the ends of her pigtails. With a hesitant gulp, she addresses the contraption in a small voice. ]

Um... hello? C-Can anyone hear me?

[ She pauses, darting a quick glance behind her with a motion reminiscent of prey waiting to be attacked. After several seconds of no response, neither from the device nor her surroundings, she breathes a visible sigh of relief/disappointment and continues. ]

My... my name is Homura Akemi...

... a-and I'm sorry to bother you, but I --

[ An expression akin to scared determination flickers across her features. Her right hand stops tugging her pigtails, fingers reaching upward to clasp the violet collar round her neck. ]

-- I think this is a very cruel joke.

Please stop.

Comments

[ Text ]

[rewindingly]

[ Homura is speechless. She had heard of alternate universe versions of oneself being here-- the Tomoe Mami that was in the tower months before was from an entirely different world, as is that strange Kyuubey-- but she had never expected to meet herself

Especially not this version of herself.

If the video was on, Moemura would see Garmura's conflicted expressions. Dislike for this version of herself, pity, fear, and then finally... nothing. Nothing but a firm look as she types a text message to Moemura's terminal computer. ]

It is not a joke.

[ A minute or so almost passes before another line of text appears: ]

The collar will not come off. Do not bother.

It will not hurt you at the moment.

[video]

[timenoob]

[ Having expected at least a verbal response, she starts as the first line of text appears on the screen. ]

Then... but... I'm alive... if the world had been destroyed, wouldn't I be--

[ "I saved you." Those words grow more ominous by the second. She shudders. Same cold, minimalistic tone. It has to be that person. ]

You're... the letter person, aren't you?

[ No response. The irregular rhythm of her own heartbeat is her only company.

Until-- ]

Wh-What do you mean, "at the moment"?

[ She had planned to stay calm, be brave, and all those other admirable things magical girls were supposed to do when in danger.

Plans sucked. ]

If this isn't a joke, then why... why did you save me?

[text] -> [voice]

[rewindingly]

[ Oh great. Garmura can recognize the panic, just as she recognizes herself on the video screen. Now she is even more reluctant to how herself. How would Moemura react if she knew what kind of girl she'd become?]

Calm down. I am not the one who brought you here.

Hold on.

[ She's reluctant to, but Garmura switches to audio. Still too nervous to show her former herself a video representation of herself. ]

I am in the same situation as you are.

Your name is Homura Akemi-san, correct? [ What would calm herself down? The old her... Garmura takes a deep breath. She must play nice. ] It's... a nice name. [ ... Stealing lines from Madoka. ]

[video]

[timenoob]

[ The voice she's hearing sounds very, very different to the one she's been imagining. Not that she has any idea what her, uh, "kidnapper" is supposed to sound like, but... it definitely wouldn't be anything like this.

She relaxes ever so slightly. The hand on her collar drops back down to her pigtails. ]

Yes... that's correct.

[ Maybe the panic has already driven her crazy, but she has the strangest feeling that she knows this person from somewhere. Or should. That voice, it's like a... memory. No, that's not right. A dream? Something intangible but there. Like... an echo.

She's overthinking. Or too hopeful.

Or both. ]

...

[ See, that is definitely something she recognizes, strange not-prank underworld or otherwise. ]

Thank you...

[ She's lucky that she's naturally polite, because right now she has this awful sour taste in her mouth accompanied by an uncomfortable knotting of her stomach. It's only the second time she has ever heard that compliment, and she really is grateful, but...

Kaname-san is gone.

This person is definitely not Kaname-san. ]

I'm sorry...

[ For a lot of things. ]

Do I know you?

[ Her question comes out slightly choked; she hopes the other doesn't notice. ]

anontext

[silentsacrifice]

[The reply comes very slowly as Itachi figures out how to operate the terminal. He's been messing with the terminals for the past few weeks, but this is his first time communicating with one.]

Unfortunately, as far as anyone is aware, this is not a joke. Be on your guard.

[video] Itachi with technology :'D

[timenoob]

[ She can tell that this is a different person to the last. At least, she hopes so. ]

W-Who's "anyone"? [ She asks tentatively. ]

And... on my guard against what?

...

[ A choked whisper. ]

Please don't go.

anontext; he tries, okay :'D

[silentsacrifice]

[It's still slow-going, figuring out how to type swiftly, but he doesn't want to risk figuring out the video or voice functions. Because he's verbose even through text, his reply takes a while, but he grows more acclimated to the strange new technology with each passing moment.]

I was referring to the other residents of this tower. There are a good many of us in here, so I'm unable to give an exact number. If anyone has found a way out, I haven't heard about it.

There are monsters here. Most of them come out at night. More than that, though, the ones running this place are forces to be reckoned with. As far as I'm aware, a man named Jason is the most dangerous one. However, most of my information on the tower's administrators is... I suppose you could call it "secondhand."

[He hesitates, casting a sympathetic glance toward the girl on the screen. He can't do much, so he supposes the least he can do is try to calm her down.]

I'll answer any questions you might have to the best of my ability.

I won't go anywhere.

[video] Gotta love Ita-bby. Oh and I stalked your Plurk if that's okay

[timenoob]

[ The text takes a while to appear on the screen, so for a few dreadful moments she thinks that the stranger really has abandoned her in spite of her pleas. She is about to call out again when an answer finally appears.

Not that the response is particularly reassuring. ]

So I... you... everyone's stuck here?

[ When the next part appears, she almost forgets what she sold her soul contracted Kyubey for. ]

M-Monsters?!

[ Almost, but not entirely. ]

I'll... be alright. I... I can fight monsters, you see...

[ She says the second part in a very low whisper, not because she's worried about keeping her powers secret (because hey, they're in some crazy secluded tower of doom or something), but more as if she expects the words to somehow provoke whatever's out there to attack her. Just because she can defend herself, doesn't mean she wants to fight.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she shakes her head. A couple of seconds later, she reopens them and, speaking in a voice much steadier than she feels, she points to the violet ring round her neck and asks: ]

Do you know what these collars do? Are they dangerous, too?

[ She hesitates, struggling to keep her strained composure from dissipating right there and then. ]

Also, if it's not too much to ask... could you tell me your... I mean, what should I call you, anon-san?

... And thank you.

[video] [1/2]

[prayed]

[Kyoko should be used to seeing magical girls from other worlds by now--Mami and Madoka both had fates completely different than she could recall, but seeing Homura like this was the most dramatic of all. She barely recognizes her, both in appearance and personality. It takes a few confused moments before she's able to compose herself well enough to offer any sort of response.]

[video] [2/2]

[prayed]

It's not a joke, a dream, or anything else, so give it up. You're stuck here with the rest of us.

[She's not entirely able to mask her apprehension about this girl and because of that her voice is perhaps a bit softer for it.]

[video]

[timenoob]

[ It's such a relief to finally be face to face with... someone... that for a moment, she has the overwhelming urge to jump foward and hug the screen.

... Even if the other's words aren't exactly encouraging. ]

The rest of you?

[ She's so relieved that she even loses the stammer she involuntarily regained on finding herself in a tower in the middle of nowhere. ]

If it's not too much, please tell me...

How long have you been... here?

[ She can't bring herself to say "trapped". ]

[video]

[prayed]

A few months, probably. Kinda hard to keep track of time here, y'know.

[Though she doesn't really try to either. she grins, though, chuckling at this girl. Could this skittish girl really be Homura Akemi? They were as different as night and day. She waves her hand in what seems like a dismissive gesture, though if Homura's paying attention she might notice the ring on her finger that marks her as a magical girl.]

There's a bunch of people here. Ya might know a couple of them.

video;

[chainsawn]

[ Urotsuki mostly just stares for a while. This girl seems.. pretty nervous, huh? It's quite a contrast with how blank her own expression is, even when she speaks up. ]

It's not a joke. Jokes usually start with 'knock knock' or people walking into a bar.

[video]

[timenoob]

[ Homura stares back for a second, then blushes and looks downward. ]

I - I'm sorry... I don't understand.

[ A pause. Her blush deepens. ]

... Um... I'm too young to go to bars.

[chainsawn]

It doesn't matter what age you are. [ Apparently Urotsuki is just so weird that she easily goes along with a change of subject like this, despite it being completely irrelevant to everything before. ]

If you want to go to a bar.. then you should just walk in. I've done the same before.

[ in your dreams it doesn't count, Urotsuki!! ]

[video]

[timenoob]

[ This is NOT WHAT SHE SIGNED UP FOR a little... weird? Isn't this person being a little too, um, relaxed? ]

A-Ah... sorry if you misunderstood, but I don't really want to drink alcohol... i-it's fine if you do, though!!

[ And, anyway-- ]

Does this place even have things like that?

[Video]

[idolizer]

I'm afraid that this is not a joke. We're all taken prisoner in this tower.

[ Sayaka looks rather gloomy while she says that. She'd usually struggle to keep an optimistic appearance, but she can't help feeling sorry for this girl. ]

[video]

[timenoob]

[ Homura expects others to counter her assumption that this is a joke; what she doesn't anticipate is being greeted with a normal-looking girl maybe only a few years older than her. It makes the other's words seem much more convincing, and harder to dispute. ]

If that's the case...

[ Her response is reluctant, not wanting to admit that she really is stuck in some tower-prison thing. ]

Why us?

[video]

[idolizer]

[ Even despite asking people around, Sayaka is... not sure how to answer this, because there's really no answer to counter. They know as much as she does, which is next to nothing. ]

I'm sorry. I really have no idea.

[Video]

[starofpleiades]

Eh? Homura...? But... I thought you were already here?

[video]

[timenoob]

[ The other's words and familiar tone confuse her enough to suppress her anxiety, albeit only by a little. ]

I - I'm sorry, but I think you're mistaking me for someone else...

I've only been here for a few hours.

[starofpleiades]

Eh? But you're Homura Akemi, right? A puella magi, like me?

[Though now that she thinks about it, that hair and glasses sure are different... well, she hasn't actually spoken with Homura much besides the one time they met in Sayaka's room, so maybe it's just a change in style?]

video

[keybearer]

Sorry, but it's no joke.

[He shakes his head.]

But, on the upside, you're not the only one cooped up in this place. Just about all of us are in the same boat.

[video]

[timenoob]

[ Deadpan: no Riku that is not reassuring try again ]

O-Oh.

[ Her stance droops, dismayed. ]

Please, mister... don't be sorry. It's not your fault.

[ He's definitely not the one who wrote the letter. Either that, or he's a very good actor. Or she's just gullible. ]

... So what are we supposed to do now?

[video]

[keybearer]

Might not be my fault, but it's still a tough situation.

[As for what to do...]

Best advice I can give you is to just stay cautious. Some of the rooms are pretty harmless, and half the time you can get by without too much trouble. I'd definitely suggest sticking with friends if you can help it, though.