Soundtrack: Slender The Arrival OST – No Friends
Mami breathed heavily as she looked around. She could vaguely discern the trees and the sky, but the world was black for the most part. The stars and moon overhead did cast light, but as before, it was dim and barely seemed to filter down through the trees at all.
She shook her head and tried peering around again. After realizing that she'd gotten separated from the others, she'd tried looking for them, but the night was overwhelming. Key had apparently fallen or jumped off her shoulder in the mad dash to get away from that tall Slender Man.
Once again she failed to see anything but near pitch black darkness. It almost seemed to hang in the air like a fog, broken only by the trees spiking up through it. She felt blinded and tried to think if she could do anything for light.
After a moment, she had an idea. She held her hand to her head and found the head piece that held her Soul Gem and pulled it off. It was a soft light, but at her will, the Gem lit up and acted akin to a small lamp. Mami sighed in relief. The light wasn't strong enough to dispel the darkness. As it was, she could only see a few feet around her. But it did make her feel better to have some light to see with at all.
She glanced around, trying to discern which way to go. Then a rustle in the trees caused her to tense and in an instant a gun was in her hand. It was unneeded however, as, out of the bushes came first Nagisa, and then Key. Both were looking around apprehensively, obviously trying to keep on guard, but both also sighed with relief as they saw Mami.
"Mami!""Mami!" They both said at the same time.
Nagisa rushed towards Mami, who knelt down and put her arms around the young girl. She could feel the young girl quivering against her body (not that Mami felt much better.) A sweep of her arm brought Key in as well (he'd been hanging back, almost as though he wasn't sure Mami would want to hug him) and she held the two close, as much for her own comfort as theirs.
"Can you . . . contact the others?" she asked Key in a muffled voice.
Key shook his head "it's . . . I've tried. It's almost like . . . I don't know, like radio static is everywhere." It was true, even this close, Mami swore his voice in her head was a bit fuzzy sounding. "I only found Nagisa when she put her costume on and gave a little flash of light. That's how I found you too. I'll . . . I'll keep trying and maybe I'll get through but . . . that thing is still out there. I think it's what's causing it."
Mami nodded, thinking hard. They needed to get moving, needed to find the others and regroup. She put Key down and pushed Nagisa back, hands still on the girl's shoulders.
"Nagisa" Mami said, trying to keep her voice level as she held Nagisa's gaze , "I know it's s-scary but we need to find the others. I n-need you to be brave. D-Do you think you can do that?"
Nagisa sniffed, but Mami saw her nod. She let go and the three of them looked around. For a moment, she couldn't see much, even with the light her Soul Gem cast, but then, Key held up one of his tentacles and small point of light, one of the energy attacks he had utilized before, appeared. It definitely cast more light than her Soul Gem and Mami gratefully stowed it away. Still, she couldn't suppress a small spike of fear as she thought about how the monster might see the light and come for them.
"I think I can see something over there? Some sort of building. Maybe that's where we should start?" Key suggested, pointing off through the woods.
Neither Mami, nor Nagisa could see anything and said so to Key.
"Sure, I can barely see it myself, but I'm pretty sure it's there."
"Maybe it's the house we were in before?" Nagisa suggested.
"Maybe," Mami said speculatively. It was possible she supposed. All their senses of direction had been lost completely as they'd blundered around in the forest. Even so, she felt like they hadn't wandered far enough to re-find that place.
"Didn't Lauren mention something about other American servicemen and their families living around here?" she said pensively.
"She did, but this property is pretty big too. Plus, she mentioned that something bad happened to one of the families. Whatever it is, we should probably check it out."
Lacking any better options, Mami and Nagisa agreed. Key walked just slightly in front of them, the light he was holding up illuminating the way. Mami and Nagisa both had their weapons at the ready and both kept glancing around them. The Slender Man's presence was still a bit remote. It didn't feel like it was close at hand, but there was no doubt that they felt some sort of malevolent presence stooped over the land. Whether it could see them wherever they went, or if it still had to physically move to hunt them, they couldn't say. Still, nothing obstructed their way, nor did the feeling of distant menace escalate to active threat as they moved through the trees.
A house suddenly loomed up out of the darkness, so suddenly they almost walked into it. Of course, calling it a house was about as generous as calling some coals and ashes a fire. The building was burned out and mostly destroyed. The basic structure was still standing, but anything aside from that was either burned or ransacked. Still, it was a rather curious thing, such a building sitting there. Its current state, combined with the general situation the three were in, only seemed to heighten an air of mystery about it.
They were about to turn away and move on when they caught, out of the corner of their eyes, some hint of movement between the wooden slats. They all froze as something moved inside the house.
The three of them glanced back and forth at each other nervously. It might be anything, but then again, what if it was one of their friends?
"Perhaps we should investigate?" Key said as he let his presence wash over the mental link again. Somewhat bolstered, Mami looked back at the house.
"H-hello . . ." She said nervously.
Soundtrack: Slender The Arrival OST – Distance
(Set to repeat a few times)
No voice answered, but they swore they could almost hear a faint sound of footsteps. The three of them glanced at each other again. None of them were keen on going in. But now, with them being certain that there, in fact, was something in the ruined house, they didn't want to leave it behind and have whatever it was come out after them.
Steeling themselves, they walked to what had once been a door and moved in. Key held his light aloft with one tentacle while the other was held at the ready. Nagisa held her trumpet close to her lips and Mami held her guns up, prepped to shoot any new threat.
As they moved through the ruin, they began to hear the faint sound of snuffling and footsteps, seeming to come from further in. Oddly enough, it didn't seem like whatever was making the sound was at all concerned about being found out, for it didn't go quiet as they got closer. Finally, they turned to what they were sure had once been a bedroom and walked in. There, they saw the thing that had caused the noises.
The creature did not react to them much, barely glancing at them. But it was weird and deranged looking. Its basic shape was that of a human, but it was as though someone had taken that and twisted it to something evil. Its skin was grey and mottled, looking almost dead. The hair sprouting from its head was dark and lanky, akin to weeds in a stagnant pool. Flesh was pulled tight over an emaciated frame, with only a small loincloth to protect its dignity. In the darkness, it was hard to tell if it's eyes were lost in shadow, or if it simply didn't have eyes at all. Last of all was its mouth, with its lips seeming to have wasted away, revealing rows of piranha like teeth.
All in all, a rather fearsome image, and yet it didn't do anything as they entered the room, though they kept some distance from it. It seemed to be panting heavily and alternately glancing around at the room in general. Occasionally it would go over to a section of the room and paw at the ground, or at times got to what seemed to be an old burned toy chest and root around inside of it.
Key, Mami and Nagisa all looked at it in confusion. There was nervousness, of course, but also a strange sadness. The creature, at the moment at least, seemed less like a monster and more like someone who had lost something very important to them. After a minute or so of this, Key spoke up.
"Um . . . hello?"
The creature, which had been pawing at the ground again where a bed might've been, froze. It slowly turned to look at them and they felt the tension of the room ratchet up several degrees. A soft growling started to issue from its throat as its posture began to turn aggressive, like a dog that didn't appreciate an intruder that has walked onto its lawn.
The three of them tensed as the creature glanced between them. But as its eyes fell on Nagisa, something changed for a moment. It didn't suddenly turn docile, but the creature's aggressive behavior did decrease slightly as it beheld the small girl. It snuffled a bit and then went over and pulled open a drawer from a burned out dresser. After rooting around for a little bit, it turned back towards them and walked forward a few paces. It then dropped the thing that it had picked up and backed off.
After a moment of silence and some looks at each other, Nagisa edged forward cautiously and picked up the object. It appeared to be a "Missing Persons" poster. The missing person in question appeared to be a small boy named Charles 'Charlie' Matheson Jr.
The three stared at the poster in confusion for a few seconds before more movement by the creature brought them back to the moment. It had suddenly clapped its grey hands over its ears and was making a grunting sound. For a few moments, that was it, but then the growling returned and it turned to look at them with an unmistakably aggressive tone.
Suddenly, it bounded forward, surprising them with its speed. It threw its shoulder forward and slammed into Mami's stomach, forcing her against a wooden wall and stunning her. One of the creature's hands reached up and fastened around Mami's throat in a second. The other one drew back, whether to punch or claw, they couldn't tell.
But at that moment, a white tentacle wrapped around the outstretched arm like a snake and tugged. The creature lost its grip as it stumbled back and was next doused by a wave of bubbles coming from Nagisa's trumpet. These bubbles however, blown in a constant stream by the small girl, all apparently were solid and they forced the creature back against another wall and pinned it. It growled and roared, trying to swipe the bubbles away, but Nagisa kept the flow up, though her face was starting to get a bit red.
Finally though, Nagisa began to run out of breath and the stream of bubbles grew less dense. The creature, sure this meant that it could resume its sudden attack, crouched for another spring. But before it could do so, golden ribbons sprang from Mami's sleeves and snaked forward. Despite being surprised, the creature almost dodged them, failing by only a split-second. The ribbons wrapped it up and then anchored themselves to the wood of the building. The creature snapped and snarled, straining against the ribbons with all its might. It was fruitless on its part, the ribbons were all but unbreakable, but some groaning from the wood they were wrapped around did make the three a bit nervous. Still, for the moment at least, the creature was captured and held in place.
It did not like the situation and thrashed frantically, making biting gestures in their direction as well as jittering all over the place as it threw its body from side to side. Finally, after about a minute of this, it seemed to either tire, or grow aware of the futility of the moment. It promptly stopped struggling and hung loosely. Even its aggressive snarls gave way to more snuffling and downcast sounds like before.
"What do you think that was all about?" Mami asked, rubbing her neck, which felt like it might have bruised where the thing had grabbed her.
" I don't know" Key said blankly, "this thing is weird and I'd swear that it's half-insane . . . or full-insane, but it's not acting like a mindless killing machine. Or at least, not most of the time."
"Maybe it has something to do with the boy from the poster?" Nagisa suggested, once more picking up the piece of paper and peering at it.
"There . . . isn't much resemblance" Mami said blandly as she peered back and forth between the poster and the creature.
"It's not like there's much resemblance between Witches and Magical Girls either" Key countered.
"Why is it here?" Nagisa asked quietly. "Why is it just sitting in this house?"
The creature keened quietly and they were once again moved to pity. It seemed almost like a dog that had been beaten all its life, so it didn't know how to react except in defensive aggression to the world around it. It struggled again, and the three glanced at each other once more.
"Can you understand us?" Mami asked, speaking slowly and clearly. The creature blinked at her, then resumed its attempts to break out of its bonds.
"Maybe Key could talk to it telepicathily . . . tellapithly . . . uh."
"Telepathically Nagisa," Key corrected gently. Then he glanced at the thing.
"I mean, I could try. It's not as though I can't try and establish a mental connection. But I'm not sure this thing . . . I . . ." he looked a bit nervous. "I'm not sure what this thing's mind is going to be like."
The two girls glanced at the creature, then back to Key. Mami didn't want to ask Key to do something he was so clearly uncomfortable with. But with the situation they were in at the moment . . . any information they could get was desperately needed.
But if Key didn't want to do it . . . what if he got angry at her for forcing him into it? What if he . . .
Key had been watching her, and it seemed as though some of her doubts had shown on her face. Key sighed heavily.
"Fine . . . I'll do it."
"Key . . . I mean, are you sure?" Mami asked tentatively.
"No" Key said blandly, "but it's not like I have much choice, do I. I'm the only one who can do this."
Mami did not like his tone very much at all, as though he had some sort of idea that he was just expected to take on potentially horrible things as a matter of course. It was far too casual. But she couldn't think of what to say, her worries of upsetting Key were still on her mind. After staring at her with an unreadable expression for a few seconds, Key sighed and walked towards the monster. Nagisa gave him a soft pet, Mami as well, and he smiled faintly up at them. Then he faced the creature, which was struggling yet again.
Another long moment followed, then Key took a deep breath, and reached out.
He reached out and felt for the creature's mind. For a moment, he almost didn't think he had succeeded, because he felt like he couldn't find a mind at all. It was akin to stumbling around in a dark room. But then, he felt a small spark and made for it. Minds were interesting and confusing things at the best of times. Of course, telepathy was more akin to flinging messages at each other, but more active connections, like those he was maintaining with Mami and Nagisa were more like feeling ambient heat or light from a fire. What he was doing now was like trying to move close to a hidden flame.
After a moment, he realized that he was in contact, there just didn't seem to be much there. The creature's mind appeared to be almost gone. He could sense some instincts left, but things seemed strangely vacant. Key mentally shuddered as he felt around and realized that he was getting a very strong feeling akin to how that Slender Man thing in the forest had felt. It almost seemed like a good chunk of this creature's mind was hollowed out, and the impression was left that the Slender thing used those hollowed out portions to control it, or at least force instructions on it.
But even so, he could sense that there was still something left. Some pockets somewhere that hadn't been overwritten.
The creature shuddered mentally and Key winced sympathetically. As uncomfortable as this was for him, he didn't think the creature was having a good time of things either. From what he could see, it was little more than a damaged tool that Slender thing used, but the fact that it had something approaching independent thought, as well as fleeting sensations it had, made Key heavily suspect that it had once been a normal human. Yes, the framework of its mind, as best as Key could approximate it, reminded him heavily of how Witches were merely corrupted forms of Magical Girls. Whether he was sensing something that was human-specific or common to sapient life, he wasn't sure, but given that Kyubey hadn't created him with any different tools or instructions compared other drones he was sure were sent to different planets, he felt it probable that this was a more Sapient specific thing.
Anyway, the creature mentally twitched again and Key tried to get across that he wasn't trying to hurt it, that he wanted to help. The creature didn't relax, but Key could feel some wisps of what he was sure was curiosity. It seemed that the fact that Key wasn't brutally enforcing his will was a novelty to the creature.
As Key cast around again, he felt a wisp of something and followed it. He did so because the wisp seemed to carry the faint feeling of one of those pockets that hadn't been overwritten. He felt the creature's consciousness follow him as he honed in on the source of the wisps.
Then Key hit some sort of barrier and was stopped short. Some sort of force was blocking this pocket from access by the creature's mind. The barrier was black as night and felt almost oily (if that made any sense for something mental). Even so, Key could sense something beyond it and tried to pull it away. It resisted his efforts stubbornly, but Key felt it give slightly.
For a moment, he wavered, should he really be doing this? But the creature suddenly made its own attempt to pull the barrier back. It stopped after a few moments, but Key got the impression that this creature was trying to remember something. Something that lay hidden here. He set to it again.
As he tried to pull the barrier back, suddenly something seemed to escape. A single image came to him. It was from the point of view of someone, a small child from the looks of it, playing on a beach with some toys.
The creature was suddenly trying to pull the barrier apart again as well. It had obviously seen the same thing Key had and was desperate to see more. Its own attempts did not seem to be doing much, but then Key joined in. Nothing seemed to be happening for a few seconds. Then Key, struck by a sudden thought, attempted to use the power of viewing memories he'd used with the girls on occasion.
At first, as before, nothing seemed to be happening, but then he felt something shift. The barrier was giving way to him. Why, he couldn't tell, but it was happening and finally, he felt the barrier fall away.
There was no great burst of light, nor did some hidden mind suddenly speak out, but the pocket was open to him and the creature. Cautiously, Key "touched" it.
And all of a sudden, something enveloped him.
It was a nice summer day and Charlie was playing at the lake. His little toys in front of him as he dug in the sand. He heard his mom and dad calling for him not to wander too far as he made some noises like an airplane. Key smiled at the child's innocence and at the scene. It was peaceful and he could feel the boy's love for his parents. But then something else flared inside him. He didn't know why but seeing the boy and the happy life he must had made him feel bad. He was struck by how he never had opportunity for such a life, never would. He came from a monster and . . . well, Key couldn't help his feeling, even as he chided himself for it.
The boy was moving, wandering as children did. His parents were discussing making lunch, but their voices faded into the background as Charlie moved down the beach. Then something caught his eye. A shiny toy train, half-buried in the sand, seemed to call him over. He picked it up and Key felt Charlie grin at his prize. He liked the train, it looked cool.
Then a flash of something caught Charlie's eye again and he looked to see another toy further down the beach. Thinking nothing of it, Charlie moved to get the new toy. After he had done so, the process repeated. As Charlie looked around, Key realized with a start that they were out of sight of his parents. Charlie got a bit nervous, but then he saw another toy and moved off to get it.
The next toy had taken them to the lip of a small dell and another toy was seen inside it. Key felt apprehensive. The sides of the dell were too steep, especially at the entrance to get out, but something seemed to draw Charlie forward. Another toy was found and they were out of sight of the beach altogether. Even Charlie was looking around in fear. But then he saw another toy and, after a moment's consideration, decided to go get it.
No toy presented itself after this last one, but this was hardly a comfort. Things had gotten misty all too quickly after they had entered the dell and Charlie spun around in a panic. His parents voice, which had been calling for him in a semi-playful manner, had grown worried. They were clearly frightened that their son had not responded or been seen by them for some time.
Then, black tentacles appeared. Snaking through the air, they wove lazily around and Charlie cried out in fear. His voice was painfully young and hoarse and sent a spasm of fear through Key. He tried to do something, give some assistance, but he could do nothing. He was merely a passive observer.
The tentacles, which looked black as the void of space, came closer. Charlie's parents were still calling, unable to locate their son.
"HELP!" Charlie screamed out as he fell over in his fear.
It did no good. Key felt like his heart was breaking as he heard the boy's heavy breathing, heard his parents calling for him frantically, heard the boy begin to cry from the fear as the black tentacles surrounded him. Then they were wrapping around him, climbing up his body. Their feel was bone chilling, they stank of rot and decay. The last sight the boy had before they covered his eyes was nothing more than that of a forest, and the last sound was of his parents screaming his name.
And then, nothing but pain, insanity, and a deep hopeless longing, utterly subdued by the thing that had made itself his master. Nothing left to himself but glimmers, more faint instincts than anything else. This house, this room, it had been important for some reason. He couldn't quite remember why.
Soundtrack: Slender the Arrival OST – Sealed Fate
When he was needed, he was called and then there was nothing but the will and instincts that the faceless one had put into him. So long in the dark. So long that the light pained him now. The property he haunted had fallen into disrepair, its inhabitants gone. But then one day, a newcomer came.
He might not have bothered with him at all, but then the faceless one revealed its purpose. The newcomer was searching and those who searched would get answers. He was unleashed, to chase, to bite, to kill if he could.
So he did.
He stalked, he frightened, he ran, but his prey was elusive. He had watched him as he walked around, picked up the pieces of paper her sometimes felt compelled to draw on (it reminded him of . . . something). He'd stared at him from a distance and run past him, it almost reminded him of a . . . game? At least once, The Faceless One had shown himself, but not much more. Was this simply a game to him?
The intruder had touched his prizes. They were the only things the Faceless One allowed him to keep for himself. The things that had lured him to the Faceless One in the first place. He had laid them in the place with the many seats and the dais, it felt right somehow. But the intruder had touched them and rage blazed within him. He had chased far more vigorously then.
The intruder had run hard and fast, holding some sort of box in its hand. He had chased him until he had had to drop the box. Then he had run to the thing on circles that it had arrived in and had sped away. Perhaps he would've hunted him down further, but The Faceless One had called him off. The intruder would return eventually.
So he returned to his wanderings. At times seeing things that were familiar and yet, not. A few images passed in quick succession, each carrying a feeling. A girl being stalked in the woods, a building with a tower that the first newcomer had gone to, and a series of tunnels beneath the tower that many newcomers had once moved in and out of. Eventually, as he sat in the room that seemed to mean something to him, three new intruders came in. The Faceless One was out again now, but it had not given him orders as of yet. He did not like the new intruders on principle but the small one intrigued him. Had he ever been that small? He felt like he had once. Perhaps if he showed them the picture that made him feel strangely they could show him what was missing. Perhaps-
Key felt, more than saw as a presence unearthly and immense, even filtered through a memory as it was, slammed into the creature and commanded it to scatter them into the forest and kill those that straggled.
For a moment, Key stared, but then, he realized that he'd caught up to the present, and with a thrill of horror, he saw that the presence that the Faceless monster had conjured in the creature's mind had not let up. In fact, it was increasing and feeling ever more present. Like an eye ponderously turning, its attention shifted and Key felt himself arrested by it.
A sound like harsh static increased and the Slender thing seemed to focus upon him. Key couldn't be sure of anything, but he almost felt like it was considering him. The other creature that had once been Charlie was cowed completely, but Key felt as though his mind was in a vice. The pressure increased as the thing stared longer and longer.
But if this thing thought that Key was going to buckle in an instant, it was sorely mistaken. Key had been made to interact with Eldritch monstrosities from the get-go, and while this felt like his mind was being squeezed to a pulp, he managed to stare at the thing with anger. This seemed to arrest it for a moment, for the hold it had loosened for a second. Only a second.
A second was all he needed.
Key felt himself wrenching away from the creature, no, from Charlie's mind. The Slender Man didn't seem to try and hold him. Likely it wanted some more sport before it fully caught its prey. Either way, Key pulled himself back and-
-he was back in the burned out house and the creature that was Charlie was writhing once more. At first it seemed useless. But then, via jerking and pulling its body in very specific ways, Charlie managed to break free. The ribbons stayed strong as ever, but the wood they were connected to suddenly broke off and came crashing to the ground. As the ribbons loosened for a second, Charlie wriggled out of them. Before they could do anything about it, the broken boy took off and was lost to the dark.
Key was gasping and panting, feeling cold.
"Key, what happened?!" Mami asked frantically, glancing at him but keeping a sharp lookout in case Charlie came back. "You were quiet for a little bit, but then tears started coming out of your eyes and then you started twitching like you were in pain. I could feel something was wrong."
Nagisa was hugging him and Key was silent for a moment. But then, he forced himself to act, they had no time for him to be weak.
"That thing was once a boy. The boy on the missing persons poster. That Slender thing that we saw in the woods caught him and corrupted him into . . . that. I saw it!" Key said in a pained voice.
Mami and Nagisa's eyes widened. But before they could talk, Key continued.
"I think he knows we're here!" Key explained, some panic bleeding into his voice. "He definitely saw me through a mental link! We need to go, right now!"
"But where are we going to go?" Mami asked tensely, "did you find anything out!?"
Key wracked his brains, then thought of something.
"I think I saw a big hill with a radio tower on top of it. It would give a good view of the surrounding area and maybe I could throw a light up as a signal there for the others."
"Did you see the way?" Nagisa asked.
Key thought. The images he had seen in Charlie's mind had given him a generalized idea of where to go. Not definite, but . . . what else could they do?"
"I think so. C'mon, let's go!" he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. He strode out of the house and was about to walk into the woods when he froze, staring off to his side. Mami and Nagisa did the same, looking back the way they'd come, but the darkness seemed especially thick there and they couldn't see anything.
"What is it Key?" Nagisa asked.
Key's eyes were narrowed, but then he seemed to shake his head.
"Thought I saw something. Probably nothing though, let's go."
Moving at a decent pace, they set out into the forest once again. After some jogging, Nagisa suddenly cried out and pointed.
There were lights ahead. Not unnatural glows or stars, but actual electric lights. Someone had turned on a bunch of lights to seemingly illuminate a path that ran through the property. The unnatural darkness had prevented them from seeing it before then, but it was obvious that someone had been this way recently.
"There are tracks on the ground" Mami pointed. There did indeed seem to be the tracks of several people.
"Maybe some of the others managed to link up and found the generator that powers these lights" Key guessed.
They continued to follow the tracks, both hopeful and afraid of what they might find.
Author's Note: Bit on the shorter side this time. This is mostly because it's a viewpoint chapter from a proportionately small number of the cast. We will be cycling through groups of different sizes as this plot point unfolds. Events will generally be happening in tandem with each other, at the same time in others words. Might end up running the chapter count up up a decent amount because of the amount of viewpoints I'll have to work through. Oh well, at least it'll probably be faster upload times. lol
I realize we didn't get much done aside from some explanation and flashbacks. Felt this was a good place to cut the chapter. Will cycle to someone else in the next one (already got a good bit of that one typed out). Hope you enjoy.
Mailbag:
loligang
you should make him human
Probably not gonna happen.
Guest
""Kyubey is a monster, amoral and insane…"
I think having Marathel refer to kyubey like this doesn't make much sense. If this was a girl or Key describing kyubey it would, but this is a god figure with supreme awareness and knowledge and thus the dismissal of kyubey in the first sentence especially feels off.
On a literary analysis of Kyubey And morality, though when judged by human standards he seems amoral and insane, he is not human and thus naturally does not comply to such standards. When in the nature of his species, he is entirely compliant to the standards of sanity and morality. If anything Key would be considered insane and amoral within their species, as emotions are a mental condition and he is working against the common good and values of their kind.
Marathel being neither human nor incubator shouldn't have the same human bias and in theory should be able to understand that kyubey, as a different species, is entirely acting according to what their kind knows and the way they have biologically and mentally developed.
thus, Marathel stating kyube as outright a monster, amoral and insane isn't true in the True universal implications. Marathel stating so creates an odd the juxtaposition within his supernatural awareness and makes it seem much narrower than other statements imply.
The second part of the quote "but he is at least attempting to do something that would benefit others in a very broad sense. Plus, he doesn't actively try and make things hard for anyone not involved. He's not . . . 'malicious' I suppose would be the word." " " does manage to rectify his awareness to a certain point, as he clearly is trying to transfer complex knowledge down to a way the group can understand. Though the use of the word "plus" makes him have a much more casual air about him.
This review was very long and only for a small portion of text, but my English class is entirely filtered my brain and I wanted to add some additional point of view on Marathels point of view. My apologies though for the long, largely irrelevant comment.
Thank you for your comment in any case. I do appreciate you taking the time for some literary analysis. However, in my opinion, your analysis is resting on a somewhat faulty assumption. The assumption that morality, at least as taken within the story, is subjective to each species (or just subjective). Also that a figure at "godlike" levels of awareness would've moved beyond common morality. I acknowledge that this is likely the type of feeling that is usually invoked in stories that feature Eldritch Monstrosities and the like. I also do acknowledge that moral systems can differ between individuals (how much is a matter of debate, as well as whether this means that morality as a whole is subjective). As far as aliens holding different systems of morality, that's a moot question as of now and will be until aliens are proven and contacted. Kyubey is shown in the show to be very blue-and-orange with his morality. In my opinion the show never goes so far as to paint him as being in any ways justifiable. Granted, if you take him at his word, he is attempting something with a reasonably decent long-term goal, just in an absolutely horrendous way.
But anyway, just keep your mind open to the idea that morality may be simply be more objective in this story than you are assuming.
And yes, Marethil being slightly casual was intentional. A part of it is a bit of a weird juxtaposition of what you would expect to be an Eldritch creature talking like a regular human being.
None of this is meant as an insult, I really did appreciate your comment. It was a nice bit of literary criticism. I was simply trying to address it.
Ghost Man
Gee, I wonder whose witch that is...yeah that's sarcasm.
Oh, Revolution, eh? So we're assuming that timeline exists and either was reversed or a mesh of worlds.
When someone says, "You really have no idea, do you?" I'm always like, "Well you didn't tell me yet did you?"
Whose Witch was it?! I've been dying to find out!
I assume you mean "Rebellion." Who knows (hint: I do).
Hahaha, toucheSayaka, who cares how tough he has it...he has no right.
Butterfly effects. What if Mami did die instead.
More potential...more powerful witch.
No, he doesn't. I can understand his feelings, doesn't make then justifiable.
Homura might've died in the first iteration before she even became a Magical Girl. Either that or Madoka wouldn't have had a mentor to help her start out.
Yup
He almost called himself a monster. I can see why.
Homura, just say "This thing will cause severe psychological stress on anyone not protected"
Nagisa is best girl. I like how in one timeline, she's super bloody smart.
Can you now. Me too. May not mean he's right, but I can see it.
In hindsight, that would've been quicker.
Which timeline was that? I've only really seen her in the movie Rebellion (I know of her backstory in Magia Record, but I'm probably not using it).
Sasa's power is control...oh boy.
What we have here...is a complication.
Oooh. Homura. All that hard work to reach a point, and someone still made a choice...that must bloody sting.
Indeed, this will be a barrel of laughs.
Complications are my bread and butter.
Indeed it would. I think, based on the way Homura eventually acted, that someone being willing to let someone else go (even if it was at their request and was to spare them pain) would be a bit of a tough pill to swallow.
Poor Ryoko. She needs some adult things right now, including therapy...but there's other things.
Those rooms with all the color? Yeah that drove me nuts as a kid. Unfathomable. I guess that was the point, but I do love the game.
I forgot he still lived, that guy.
Why else would Fuminori be agitated except there's no Saya?
...Don't eat the meat.
Good thing Key can handle the magical despair.
Ironic, as she is a doctor herself.
Never played it myself, but I watched at least a good chunk of some playthroughs.
You have good instincts.
Wasn't human meat. Neither Saya or Fuminori had gotten to that point yet.
. . . we'll see.
Oh dear. He doesn't know Saya looked different because he didn't reach that point, and because he can't perceive her normally, Saya won't interact with Fuminori.
Instead of "delicacy" perhaps you meant "precision."
He's insistent. This will not be good for any sanity he has remaining.
Are we sure this isn't like the game? Well...probably for the best. Less DNA better.
Well Ryoko/Homura drives a hard bargain, but the logic is sound.
Gack..."Nevermind I'll tell you later" cliche.
I left it open if he never realized that, or if he did but ignored it.
Probably.
Saya, ironically, helped him hold what little sanity he had left. He cares about her.
I didn't want to get into the more . . . NSFW parts of the game and the squicky implications therein. Thus, Saya and Fuminori never got busy. They might've if left to their own devices, but they didn't in this story.
I didn't want to downplay just how disturbing Fuminori would seem. Makes sense that none of them trust him much.
Cliche's, we all got'em, but no one wants to admit it. lol
Marethil...so also eldricth but in line with humanity...but of course those two are going to be untrusting to an abberation.
I can't disagree. You might not agree with the methods, but he's not evil or malicious, Kyuubey.
Madoka is bringing the big guns...those puppy dog eyes.
"A Contract" is not the best term to use, but a useful one.
...did you make this loop?
Poor Marethil. He's a poor dude...assuming dude and assuming siding with humanity 100%
Bwahahahaha. Kyubean freakin' out.
So far, it seems so.
Nope. Its an interesting thing that he seems to honestly believe that he's the one doing everyone else a huge favor.
One of her most deadly weapons!
Kyubey's soiled that term in this universe in all likelihood.
. . . Maybe.
If he is genuine, yes, he's not in a very comfortable position.
As much as he can, given a lack of most if not all emotion.
Oooh you can pull seats out, huh? Hehehhee.
I'm with Fuminori on this. After so long without a world to enjoy, this would be amazing.
So who else would come out all this way?
So what's causing the static...the good Eldrich?
Yup.
A fact I tried to reflect.
You'll see.
Once again, you'll see (in this chapter, and no, it wasn't Marethil).
Not only can she tell you're not "normal" but lying with a portion of the truth isn't a bad idea.
So someone bought the Doctor's property...meaning the doctor was a way long enough for it to be repossessed.
Well to be fair, she's perfectly normal. Anyone calling him cute must be so.
Can't get much more not normal than magically putting costumes on and summoning guns out of midair.
They aren't returning to the Doctor's property. They're headed to a neighboring one. We've heard nothing about the Doctor's property since Ryoko left it.
Indeed.
Remember everyone, don't separate. Stay together. No splitting up the team.
Madoka has a brain on those pretty shoulders.
Something in her head...so of course she'd jump out a window.
Whelp, Lauren's a gonner.
I take it back, the role of "gonner" is still up for grabs from magical girls and non-mg alike! Place your bets!
They tried to follow your advice. They really did.
Madoka is, in general, a lot smarter than people give her credit for.
Or she was thrown through it.
Maybe.
All bets are to be collected here! A 20 Percent surcharge is in effect to pay for writing fees! Now give me my money! lol
zack24
key reminds me of Fou
Not sure who that is, so I'll just hope it's a compliment. lol
Guest
Ur story is cool
Why thank you mysterious reviewer.
Guest
:O
Was a doozy of a chapter, wasn't it.
Guest
I hope you don't write Ryoko out. I like her, and it is good that they have an ally who is all grown up, but knows and researches the events that happen around her.
I've had a few other similar comments from other reviewers. I don't have any plans to simply write her out at this point. Might have to do some thinking however.
