EMERGENCY DAY CARE is a go | OPEN TO ALL

[uncalled_for]

Date & Time: Jan. 19th – Feb. 1st!
Location: Training Room (Leave your weapons and sharp objects at the door please.)
Characters: EVERYONE // OPEN TO ALL
Summary: DAY CARE! Glitter and glue and arts and crafts and snacks and naps and story time. This is basically a chance for kids to run amok and stay safe and for the unexpected parent to be relieved of such tykes while characters wishing to have some bonding time with little ones run the place. Or attempt to.

Warnings: UM. I certainly hope not.

[Welcome to make-shift Day Care. All equipment one would usually see lying around the training room floor has been scooted off to the side and blocked to prevent children from attempting to climb (although lets be honest nothing is stopping them).

There are tables for crafts and for snacks and some rugs laid out for rolling on. Toy boxes... who knows who set all of this up.

For the older crowd there are at least books to read and maybe some FUTURISTIC nerf guns, bikes, something. Go crazy. Just don’t tread on any toddlers please.

To those willing to give supervising a go, good luck.]

Comments

and open this time!!

[fortissimos]

[ At some point during the day, things start to come together. There's (junk) food, toys, and a pile of books, and standing in the middle of it all is one very proud magical girl. ]

Okay! We're all set. [ She grins, putting her hands on her hips. ] Who wants to see a magic show?

[phantasmata]

[A magic show, huh. Kyouko thinks it's a little frivolous, and they should be careful with their magic, but if it's for kids, then some fun with things won't hurt. Besides, she's been checking her Soul Gem every day, and it's bright and clear. Perfect, really.

Kyouko isn't particularly the mischievous type, but she gets an idea when Sayaka says that. If she uses her illusion magic, then...

A moment later, Sayaka might feel a tap on her shoulder.]

[fortissimos]

[ Sayaka's in the middle of figuring out what to do when the tap comes. Sure, she can summon swords, but most of her magic is a little more subtle. Mami-san had her flashy ribbons, but fast healing isn't exactly something that lends itself to showing off outside of a fight, and getting hurt in front of kids is definitely out of the question.

Still lost in thought, she glances back over her shoulder, only half paying attention. ]

What is it?

[phantasmata]

[Kyouko is not there when Sayaka turns around. Well, nothing is, actually. That sure is odd, what with the shoulder tapping and all.

Maybe she might want to look over her other shoulder. It's one of those practical jokes, it seems like.]

[fortissimos]

[ Yeah, that's super weird. She blinks, then turns around completely; suddenly coming to a realization. ]

What th— Kyouko! [ She has no idea how, but she knows the other girl is behind this somehow. None of the kids are cheeky (or tall...) enough to try and prank her like that. ]

[phantasmata]

[Sayaka's so grumpy about this prank that Kyouko's already giggling. Just a little.

The giggling is coming from behind Sayaka though. This time Kyouko's decided to stay put, but there's a part two to this joke. How is she moving so fast (???) Her new friend will find out in a second.]

[fortissimos]

[ Sayaka knows this will be hilarious in about five seconds, but right now she is so frustrated because what is even happening. She whirls around immediately when she hears the giggling, ready to leap forward and tackle Kyouko to the ground. ]

You're not gonna get away this time!

[phantasmata]

H-hey, calm down!

[She's right here man, chill. She's trying not to giggle though, covering her hand with her mouth.

Then, she points over Sayaka's shoulder.] Look behind you.

[There's another poke forthcoming, and another Kyouko waving at Sayaka.]

[fortissimos]

[ Okay, she's calm. Calm enough to almost start laughing about the whole thing, until Kyouko points over her shoulder, and then she's too busy turning around to roll her eyes at the—

Wait, what? She alternates her staring between the two, and after about ten seconds, manages to actually say something. ]

What the heck? [ Look, she never claimed to take after Mami in the eloquence department. ]

[phantasmata]

[Kyouko is BEAMING. Mami thought her illusion magic was useful, but it's a lot of fun surprising someone new with it.]

Pretty cool, right? I got you good, ahaha!

[The other Kyouko rubs the back of her head sheepishly, and speaks up.] This is my special ability. Mami-senpai calls it Rosso Phantasma.

[Both Kyoukos look pretty unenthused about that, but they brighten up a second later.]

[petitfairy]

[After conversing with honest-to-goodness magical girls (it's unbelievable, like they come straight from children's fairy tales!), Sheryl is looking forward to meeting them in person, not to mention still happy at their kindness towards her. While kids her age would go to school and hang out with friends, she's been busy scourging for morsels of bread and looking for a roof over her head.

It turns out that the Hold may be that roof she's been looking for, even if she's not in Galaxy anymore, and what's this? She can smell food! This place looks warm with kiddy drawings decorating the walls, plus she can see other kids around her age so she won't be alone.

Luckily, she also spots Sayaka among the pile of books and toys; there's now a tiny smile on her face. Being the shy girl that she really is, however, she just stands behind one of the counters like she's hiding, poking her head out as she fidgets. Her eyes shift over to one side, and eventually she slowly raises an arm out, waving it a little.]

Um... I-I do.

[fortissimos]

[ The voice strikes a note of recognition, and she leans over, catching sight of Sheryl behind the counter. It'd be easy enough to just move on with things, but Sayaka has never been one for not getting people involved — she walks over to the other girl, holding out a gloved hand. ]

Hey, c'mon. [ She smiles, enjoying the chance to bring happiness to people. Even if being a magical girl wasn't always easy, things like this made it all worthwhile. ] You don't have to hide, you know. We'll show you our magic right up close!

[petitfairy]

[Had it been anyone else, Sheryl would've taken several steps back until she hit the corner and ran away. Granted she's still shy, but with Sayaka reaching out to her like this, she can't help but calm down her nerves. There's a nod of assurance from the little girl behind the counter.]

Mmm, okay.

[Slowly, she extends her tiny hand to reach for Sayaka and grasps the gloved hand. Time to carefully emerge from the counter and reveal herself, taking her steps one at a time. Her eyes widen owlishly at all the toys and other things in her view.]

Wooow, everything here looks so big!

[fortissimos]

Maybe we did go a little overboard... but that just means there's more to choose from, right?

[ She rubs her head a little sheepishly, looking around at all the things they'd lugged in. It's an impressive haul, only made possible by burning through all the money she'd found on herself — but this is the best possible use for it all. ]

If you need anything else, let me know. I'm gonna make sure everyone's happy. [ With a grin, she does her best ~dramatic hero pose~, and pumps a fist into the air. ] But for now, it's time for magical girl Sayaka to put on a show!

[petitfairy]

I've never seen so many toys before...

[Not where she used to live, but she practically beams at the selection, and after releasing Sayaka's hand, she slowly approaches a giant black cat plush that's plopped against the stack of books. This little girl is definitely impressed.

Arms outstretched, she grabs on to the plush and hugs it close to her chest before toddling off to meet Sayaka with a smile. Yes, she's dragging the toy with her as company.]

A show, a show! [The closest thing that gets Sheryl excited.] Will you pull a bunny out of a hat?

[fortissimos]

[ Oh, that's super cute. She's no stranger to collecting stuffed toys herself, so no judging here. ]

Ahahaha, not quite. But I am gonna make stuff appear. [ Being able to make cute animals appear would be awesome though WHY CAN'T YOU DO THAT, SAYAKA. She reaches under her cape, and pulls out a cutlass — and then another, and another, until there's half a dozen sticking out of the ground around her. ] Most of our abilities are designed for combat, so it's probably not the kind of magic you'd expect. We can do a lot with it, though.

[bloomcycle]

[A tiny, dark-skinned girl in a red slip hovers closer when she hears about the magic show. She takes a few careful steps towards Sayaka with her head bowed and her face contorting as she tries to ignore the throbbing ache of her new curse. Everything about this body is pain and every waking moment is a reminder of that, but -- but she loved Dios and he's safe now.

She's sure of that, even if she somehow got so far away from home. Nobody can touch him ever again. Anthy tugs at the folds of her slip, her fingers clenching and unclenching into the fabric.

Can they do real magic? They seem so bright and alive, but she's a cursed girl. The magic forming inside her feels hollow and infectious, something she doesn't want to touch just yet. Open sores all over her insides.]

Um... what kind of magic?

[fortissimos]

[ Sayaka recognizes most of the other faces as kids from the network, or ones they'd picked up later, but Anthy is different. Maybe Kyouko brought her in, or maybe she found her own way here, but the unfamiliarity makes her curious, and she crouches down so they're at eye level. ]

All kinds of stuff. We're magical girls! [ Said as if that explains everything. She doesn't want to spook this girl by summoning a cutlass in her face or anything, so she settles for a question instead. ] What's your name?

[bloomcycle]

[Sayaka's answer is odd, because there's nothing haunting behind it. Maybe these girls are princesses -- but princesses can't do "all kinds of stuff", they can only be saved. There's only one other type of magical girl they can be. She lifts her head and quietly gives her name.]

Anthy. [After a few seconds of fiddling with the hem of her dress, she decides to go ahead and ask.] Are you witches?

[fortissimos]

[ She can't help the look of surprise that flickers across her face, however briefly. They'd been open about being magical girls, sure, but for someone to use that word... it's coincidence, surely. Witches were fairly synonymous with evil, so it shouldn't be all that shocking.

After a moment, she brightens again. ]

No way! We're warriors of justice, who protect the innocent and help keep the peace. [ Even in a strange place, some things never change. ] We fight against witches, and anything else that might hurt someone. It's a lot safer here with people like us around.

[bloomcycle]

[Watching carefully, she does notice Sayaka's change in demeanor. Is she being told the truth? But even so, instead of being uplifted by that uplifting-in-nature reply, Anthy slumps down and her face falls. Her disappointment is clearer than day.]

Oh... [Blinking through a thin film of water that suddenly gathers in her eyes, she lifts her knuckles to the right side of her face and rubs it away. Hate-filled chanting surrounds her thoughts when she confesses this to Sayaka.]

I'm a witch. I'll become a horrible one someday. I'm sorry.

[fortissimos]

[ In another time, with a few more weeks of memories behind her, that would have been enough to make Sayaka snap. But with no knowledge of what the future holds, all she sees is a worried kid, and she puts a gloved hand on Anthy's shoulder. ]

Seriously? That's not how witches work, you know. [ They aren't people (wrong), and they certainly aren't people sorry about what they might become (wrong). ] If you're really worried, I'll protect you. There's no way I'd let anything like that happen.

[bloomcycle]

[It's too late and she knows it, and if this girl is someone who can kill witches -- Anthy looks up into her sincere blue eyes when she feels that touch and turns over the offer of protection in her head.]

But if I was to become one, you really would destroy me, wouldn't you? [Maybe it's for the best. But there's another part of her that feels otherwise, a small voice that whispers: you're just like all the rest.]

[fortissimos]

Well... it's my job to kill witches. [ She can't say no, never, because if that did happen — if there was no other choice — some part of her would make the decision to kill one to save many. (It's easy to pretend that that part doesn't exist, though, when there's no chance of it ever coming out.) ] But that won't happen. I don't know what you've heard, but witches aren't like us. They're totally different, so it's impossible for you to become one.

[ A shrug, and she idly flicks at a strand of Anthy's dark hair. It hurts to see someone worry so much. ]

Besides, haven't you read the stories? Even if something bad happens to someone good, there's always a way to save them.

[bloomcycle]

[She stares up at Sayaka, uncomprehending. The way the words are ordered make so little sense to her; it is possible, she is living proof, and there is no way to save her. But she's quickly losing hope that the older magical girl will ever believe her without learning the lesson on her own. It might not be today, but someday she'll see hatred reflected in those eyes instead of the want to comfort.

The thought makes her impossibly sad, but she drops her gaze to hide it.] I've read them. My brother used to read them to me.