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Who: Madoka, her new kitty (Maru/Sleepy Ash) and you!
When: Day 2 of Fiddlesticks
Where: Everywhere on the train
What: Madoka is very excited about her new cat. And also likely making very bad life decisions for herself here by making a contract with a vampire.
Warnings: Likely mentions of vampirism.

(note: threads will mostly be between madoka and your character, maru might randomly jump in to pipe up on some threads, you'll know if/when it happens!)

( a: dining carriage )

If you've seen Madoka going anywhere on the train since yesterday, you may have noticed something new about her. Namely the fact that she's dragging a tiny black cat with her everywhere she goes.

Right now she can be found with it in the dining carriage, where she's seated at the table not to eat, but to instead draw in her notebook. She keeps sneaking glances over at the cat as it's sleeping on the table next to her notebook though, and after a while Madoka can't take it and giggles as she gently boops his face with the not-sharp end of her pencil.

"So cute.. Who's the most adorable kitty around? It really is you..!" She's staring at the cat with so much endearment in her eyes, but that's the exact moment where she looks up and only then seems to notice you being there too. Madoka's face immediately grows pink with a blush.

"A--Ah, I'm sorry!" Because apparently she feels the need to apologize for gushing over her cat publically..

( b: near the on board shop )

Or you may spot Madoka near the on board train shop. Apparently she's been using it, since the girl's arms are loaded with way too many chips for one tiny teenage girl to eat. There's six different bags in her arms, and the tiny black cat is precariously balanced on top of her head. It seems to be going well.. until one of the bags of chips slips out of her hands, falling onto the ground.

"Ah..!"

The girl is trying to pick it up, but it's a difficult process with her arms this full and her not wanting to disturb the sleeping cat on top of her head.. Someone please help the poor girl instead of watching her attempt to bend down and pick it up only to fail.

( c: anywhere in the train! open to madoka's close cr! )
(if you're wondering if you're close cr, then the answer is probably yes.. but feel free to check with me on plurk or discord!)

After a while she figures though that she should probably at least tell some people about the true nature of her kitty. It's going to be really awkward if someone sees him transform and freaks out about it in the middle of battle.. So while carrying the cat in her arms, Madoka makes her way through the train to try and look for people she's close to.

When she finds one of them, she'll offer a small smile and say: "Um.. Sorry, but do you maybe have a moment for me..?"

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Tony chuckled as Mady abruptly noticed him sitting there near her in the dining room. He'd been watching as his little girl came in and made such an obvious fuss over her new kitty with amusement. This was the first time she hadn't excitedly greeted him whenever their paths crossed and, of course, he forgave her for it immediately. So he'd waited and continued to sip on his coffee and munch on the muffin he'd made earlier.

He laughed when she finally spotted him and shook his head. He scooted down the bench closer to her. "It's fine, sweetheart. Who is this?" He reached across the table and held his hand near the black cat's face, letting it decide if he was permitted to pet it or not.

It was the boop that had woken him. But the hand that was thrust under his nose that made him lift his head.

One day he would bite the fingers that did that. Why would people just put their hands near strange animals faces? Human's would always confuse him.

He looked at Madoka to make sure this person was actually alright or some random stranger on the train.

At least her embarrassment quickly fades - maybe not entirely, but mostly! - at Tony's reaction. It's sweet enough to not make her fuss over it much, and to make up for the lack of greeting earlier, she moves to lean against him for a moment.

It's then that she notices Maru's reaction, and that makes her laugh in turn. The way he looks over at her is just so adorable.

"It's fine! This is my dad." Please let her dad pet you, okay... She uprights herself again to be able to give Tony a smile. "Dad, this is Maru. I found him on the platform yesterday.. he was all weak, so I took care of him. He can talk though."

Look, she knows it's not really a casual enough fact to slip in like that, but she figures it's important enough information to provide right off the bat.

When Mady scooted next to him, he put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. His eyebrows rose at the cat's reaction. That was odd.

"Hello Maru," he said at the introduction. He was just about to pet him when Mady tells him the cat can talk. He frowned and looked from her to the cat. "You can talk?" This wasn't another creature like that hawk-guy was it? Talking kitty, fine. DNA seeking kitty so he can impersonate people, not okay.

"... I can talk." He admitted as he slowly sits himself up and rubs at his eyes with his little paws.

This was Madoka's dad? Maru looked up at him, he didn't much look like Madoka but he supposed she took after her mother.

"Hi..." He gave a little wave with his paw.

Madoka giggles at the kiss, clearly appreciating the affection. Though her attention is easily drawn away from Tony the moment she notices Maru giving a little paw wave.. It's just cute. So cute. How could Madoka have eyes for anything but that right now?

"Maru, you're really the cutest..!"

But once she's gotten off her cloud for a moment here, Madoka does slowly notice that Tony doesn't seem quite as excited as her. Does something really seem that worrying about Maru? He's just cute, right?

"It's not that strange that he can talk, right?" Weirder things have happened on this train!

This was tough. Maru really was cute. He was much cuter than that bird was and it was difficult to question this with Mady so excited. Still, he wouldn't be 'dad' if he didn't feel the need to be cautious when it came to his kid.

"No kitten, it's not that strange. We've had a couple of other talking animals on board. Some of them have been better than others." He eyes the cat. Unfortunately, he also catches Madoka's expression as well and ugh, it was hard to resist that charm of hers. He couldn't bring himself to be gruff with the kitty with her watching him like this. "Tell me about yourself, Maru. What kind of world are you from?"

Questions... Why did people always have to ask him questions? He couldn't stand it. It was so bothersome... But this was Madoka's relative and so he knew he would have to answer. She'd look at him the way she was looking at her dad and that wouldn't make him happy.

The problem was he wasn't sure what he could say and how much Madoka wanted him to say.

"... I'm from Earth." Which was a really damn weird thing to have to admit to. "Born in Japan..." Okay, easier. "... I like potato chips." Maybe this wasn't so bad after all? Just keep the answers short and sweet and make it look like you're saying more than you are. Maru thought he had the answer! He didn't realise he was probably opening himself up to more questions.

This is turning into such a tough situation. Because even though Madoka has absolutely no idea of the power she has over Tony here, she can still notice that he seems a little.. worried, maybe? In that case telling him the full truth might only make him worry more.. But Madoka definitely doesn't want to keep secrets from her dad either. So she just stares, quietly listening as Maru sums up those facts.

"He.. really likes snacks," she adds, pausing again for a moment. What else can she even say? That he's a vampire? That's probably going to sound so worrying out of context!

But just leaving it at what Maru is saying doesn't feel right, so Madoka thoughtfully bites her lower lip slightly before continuing.

"And, um.. you know, dad.. He's going to help keep me safe during missions." There. That's probably less worrying, right?

Tony chuckled, mildly warming up to this cat-boy who described himself as someone who liked potato chips. If that wasn't a kid thing to do..

He answered in Japanese (not that it mattered with the SCA's but, whatever), "How about I make some so you and Mady don't waste all your points on junk food? Do you have a favorite kind of chip?"

He had just been starting to relax. There was still some wariness since he didn't know the cat, but he was less concerned- that was, right up until Madoka says that.

"What? How?" Tony snapped. His expression shifted instantly into a glare at the cat. He put a hand protectively on Madoka's back.

Maru heaved a sigh. He would have answered the potato chip question if the guy hadn't immediately gotten annoyed that he would protect his kid. What a weird reaction? Who would get angry with someone who wanted to keep their child safe? It baffled Maru. But he didn't say as much because he had a feeling if he pointed out the weirdness of the reaction it might make the guy even more annoyed. So what was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do?

He sighed again, stood up and trotted to the edge of the table and hopped off. "Guess I have no choice..." As he landed there was that same puff of smoke, blue-gray in colour, and the cat soon became a boy, sat on the ground with his legs crossed. A tired looking teen with bags under his eyes, light-blue hair falling into his face and an unhappy expression.

"I can't die." He started, since it was clear this one wouldn't be satisfied with half answers. Anything hidden would be cause for anger, and that was just bothersome for Maru.

"I'm a Servamp... Servant vampire. Madoka... is my master. I'll fight for her. Protect her... die for her. It's what I was created for." He knew he was a strange kind of monster, but he was well aware he was a monster. If he could redeem himself by protecting someone as pure as Madoka, maybe one day he would stop being a monster?

He wasn't looking at Tony, he wasn't even looking at Madoka. His voice was a low mumble. "I'm hundreds of years old... I don't drink blood. I have had two masters. Eves. Madoka is one... I suppose I'm more cat than vampire." He rubbed the back of his neck now, not sure what else to actually say. "... Madoka saved my life."

Tony stood up when the cat jumped from the table. He kept Madoka behind him as he took one step over the bench seat, ready for whatever was about to happen. His eyebrows rose when in a strange cloud the cat becomes... a boy? He was too stunned to react before the boy starts talking.

"A what?" He looked from the boy to Madoka with an angry glance. He doesn't give the girl time to speak before he answers. "Why her? Are you from her world? She's fourteen. Fourteen. If you're that old then you know how easy it is to manipulate someone so young and innocent. What do you mean she saved your life?"

Maru still hadn't looked up. His head was lowered, hair covering his eyes. He hated this. He wanted to be anywhere else but where he was right now. He just wanted to curl in on himself and hide away.

This was why he couldn't stand people. He was a monster and he knew it. They knew it. Of course they knew it.

He pulled his arms in closer toward his chest as he slowly leaned forward, very much like he was trying to tuck in closer to himself. How was he supposed to answer? What could he say to make this angry man not be angry at Madoka? Was he angry with her? No... No it was just him.

"... I'm nothing... without an Eve." He spoke in a near whisper, forcing the words out. "... I was torn... from my last... to be here. When I came here I was dying." He was weak. Yes, but Maru was sure now that he would not have recovered had Madoka not found him. If she had not seen something in him. "Madoka saved me... As for why her? ... She wanted to be strong. To protect the people she loves. I was created to do that. To serve... to strengthen..." He has curled a bit more into himself by now, eyes closing. "... As a monster, I would want to serve someone pure and innocent... To protect them... Maybe then I can redeem myself. Madoka... doesn't treat me like a monster."

He was furious. He was furious with Madoka, which was a very new and awful feeling. He was furious at whoever made Madoka not feel strong enough. He was furious with the train for picking someone like this boy up. He was furious with the boy himself. However, even as angry as he was, he couldn't completely dismiss what the cat-boy was saying to him.

Was this boy a leech of some kind? Perhaps. Had these two entered into some weirdo relationship without his knowledge? Yes. Did Maru seem to be telling the truth? Yes. What was Tony going to do about it? He had no idea.

For a few moments Madoka is just baffled at the situation that unfolds in front of her. She can't even get a word in between how shocked she is and how quickly Tony reacts to all of the things Maru is saying. Her dad is so obviously angry that it makes her wince, especially when she sees what effect it has on Maru. If he'd try to curl in on himself any further, he might just fold up and disappear.

Instinctively she quickly gets up, moving so she's between the two of them, with her back towards Maru as she's looking at Tony. Looking at him while he's furious is terrifying, but she knows she has to do this. Staying quiet and doing nothing would be unfair to Maru, who's being suspected despite having done nothing but be nice to her, but it would also be unfair to her dad, who - no matter how scary it is - is probably just angry since he's worried about her.

"Dad, Maru hasn't manipulated me.. He would've had plenty of opportunities to hurt me, but he hasn't done it." Sure, he could be playing the long game here, but it isn't possible for Madoka of all people to believe that. Especially while he's looking so sad now. "I--If you want to get mad at someone, then.. please be mad at me instead."

Does she like that idea? No, of course not. She wants to make her dad happy and proud, not angry. But Madoka hates the idea of letting someone else take the blame for her own actions even more.

"I'm the one responsible for it. Maru was really reluctant about it. I asked him for this. Because.. like he said, I didn't want to be weak anymore.."

It was all too much. Much too much. He couldn't take it any more. Madoka was there and she was talking and he didn't think it would help. He didn't want her to be hurt. He wanted to jump up and push her out of the way, make her get behind him. Maybe the man wouldn't harm her, but he could sense how scared she was. He should have protected her...

Instead he changed back into a cat. Maru couldn't help it. It happened without him meaning to. One second he was there and the next he was just a cat, curled up into a tight ball, it's head hidden by it's paws and it's tail wrapped around it. There was the softest, most sorrowful meow (a sound that was very much that of a cat) before he went quiet.

"I am mad at you! How could you make a decision like that without talking to me? How would you know if you were being manipulated or not?" He challenged. It was by far the most heated he'd spoken to her, but this was also Madoka. There was a level of restraint he just didn't have with other people that he was using now. He hadn't called her an idiot, he hadn't sworn (yet). He hadn't even blocked her from getting between him and the furry suspect.

He shook his head unsure what to do here. The change in the boy's posture and then his whole shape going back to cat had him sighing. "Are you being careful? You aren't.." God, he was too mad to think straight. He worried she was changing in front of the cat or being used. He knew he was scaring his daughter and that's not what he wanted to do even if he was scared.

He held up a hand. "Don't move." He went over to the ICP in the room and switched it on. "Ignis, dining room. Now... please."

Madoka does stay quiet as Tony moves over to the ICP. She knows he's right about some things, after all - she should probably have asked Tony and Ignis about it first instead of just deciding it for herself - and that she doesn't have a good answer to other parts - because 'I trust him' probably isn't a good enough answer. Arguing back wouldn't do any good. So she guiltily and obediently stays quiet as she can hear him call Ignis over.

The only thing she does do is bend over to pick Maru up since he's lying there so sadly on the floor. Madoka would really like to hold and comfort him right now, but she's pretty sure that is only going to make Tony even more worried and angry. So she moves to put the cat down on the table instead, despite feeling bad for not being able to do more. It's all she does though before quietly waiting.

He came back to the table and watched his kind-hearted daughter carefully move the cat-boy. That was hard to watch since he wanted her to be happy like she'd been when she gotten in the room, not sad and distraught. However, he also wanted her safe and not making it obvious Mami's fears had been valid.

So he reached out and took her hand. "We'll figure this out, Kitten."

Ignis had no idea why Tony was calling him, but he set down what he was doing. Grabbing two mugs of coffee he headed over to find out what was going on. The tone was interesting and it didn't sound all too pleased. Still, he went to the dining room as requested.

Handing Tony his mug of coffee, the advisor's green eyes immediately noticed Madoka looking unhappy. This didn't look good and he placed his mug of coffee down on the table. There's a cat on the table and he's really not sure what is going on. But their daughter is upset and Tony seems unhappy so he's lost.

The blondish head shakes and he gets down on one knee, holding out a hand to their daughter, speaking in a gentle tone. "Please come here darling."

See, Tony's reaction now only makes it all the more obvious to her that he was mostly just angry because he was worried. So Madoka easily lets him take her hand, even actually looking at him to meet his gaze. She tries to smile a little and nod, though it looks more than just a little forced - still lined with guilt for having caused her dad such worries in the first place.

But then there's Ignis too, and Madoka - uncharacteristically, compared to how happy she usually is to just throw herself at him the moment he says anything like that - seems to hesitate for a moment when he speaks up. It doesn't feel right to seek comfort when she's the one causing trouble, so instead of actually hugging him, Madoka just grabs the hand he's holding out with the free hand she's got left.

"Papa.. I'm sorry. I did something without asking first."

She does believe she did the right thing in the end by forming that bond with Maru. That's something she doesn't want to apologize for by itself - if not just for poor Maru's sake. He's not a mistake. But Madoka will at the very least admit her fault when it comes to the part she's apologizing for now.

Tony can't bring himself to smile when Madoka looks at him. He was so torn over what to do in this situation. Part of him wanted to punt the cat off the train and the other wanted to protect the broken soul he'd witnessed a few minutes ago. It should be fairly obvious which of those desires was the stronger one given had hard his expression was.

He started to let go when Ignis asked for her to go to him, but then Madoka didn't release his hand. The apology was a bit of a compromise and while he appreciated it, it wasn't enough. It wasn't the real issue here, though it was a bit of broken trust.

"Ignis, our daughter has formed some kind of supernatural bond with this cat here who is actually a boy. He's something called a Servamp- servant vampire. I don't know how it works exactly but he says he doesn't drink blood, but he must be leeching something from her to have this bond formed. He's using her." He finally met Ignis' gaze. His anger was still billowing in his eyes and voice, but it was no longer the kind that was a raging forest fire. It had burned down to smoldering, very hot embers. "Madoka.. has Mami talked to you about what she knows about your fate back home?"

Edited 2020-05-19 22:03 (UTC)

Maru's ears twitched, and then lay flat against his head.

He wanted to yell. He wanted to scream that no, he wasn't leeching anything from her. If anything it was the other way around. He was the Servant. It was for him to be a source of power for his Eve. In return his Eve gave him their resolve, their will to fight. In trusting him, believing in him, he was stronger. And in being stronger he would help make them strong. Sadly that did involve drinking his Eve's blood. A drop, enough to 'eat' their resolve. Maru refused to take more. He hated it. Before he had met Mahiru he had gone hundreds of years without drinking blood and could happily go a hundred more.

But he wasn't using Madoka.

He thought about the collar around his neck. The shell tied to it. He could give it to the man... He could hold it out and tell him to destroy it. It would sever his bond with Madoka. And break him. That would make things better, wouldn't it? Would it make him better to hold Maru's life in his hands? He had no idea... He didn't understand humans...

Only the man was saying something about Madoka's fate. About her home. Slowly Maru's focus moved outwards to listen to this. She hadn't spoken about any of this, though little hits had suggested that she wanted to be strong for a reason... Was this the reason?

For his part Ignis didn't know what to say. He was actually waiting for his daughter to come to him and cry or whatever it was she was feeling and it felt very strange to have her just hold his hand as if he were a stranger. Not that holding his hand was a problem per say but his green eyes looked almost sorrowfully at her. Keeping it all in, he turned his attention to Tony when he began speaking.

Slowly he stood as he held onto Madoka's hand as he got up and listened closely to what was being said. So his expression changed from sad to something more puzzled and confused. The knight's anger was palpable of course and the advisor then looked over at the cat on the table. Magic was easily enough recognized from the animal but as to exactly what kind of magic it could be was another story altogether.

Something Madoka said to him once rang through his mind right then and Ignis turned back to their daughter. "Is this..your bond with this...cat..is that something like one of the covenants or pacts you spoke of to become stronger?" Forming a covenant is what the Oracle did with the Gods and something of what Noct had to do in Altissia to gain Leviathan's blessing. So it wasn't entirely unheard of.

But then Tony spoke of Madoka's fate and Ignis got even more pale. Was her fate to be something like Lady LunaFreya or Noct himself?

It hurts to hear Tony say so plainly that the cat is using her when Maru has done nothing but gone out of his way to be nice to her.. but at least what he says right after puts his anger a bit more into perspective. Mami apparently spoke to Tony, and although Madoka can't be sure of what she told him, she has a pretty good idea, considering what part of their world is very similar to this situation.

She glances between her two dads, especially when Ignis adds that question, and then slightly shakes her head.

"I.. It's not like back home. Sure, Kyubey was also a cat and making contracts, but.. he was turning girls who made a contract with him into magical girls. H-He'd take their souls out, and then wait for them to run out of magic so they'd turn into monsters so he could harvest the energy that came from that.." It's been such a long time since she's had to talk about that, but even the memory is bad enough to make her speak slightly slowly. "I--I haven't made a contract with him though! I was thinking about it at first, since I really wanted to get stronger and help everyone out, but when we found out about all that, I stopped thinking about it."

.. except for the part where she'll have to make a contract all the same once she's back in her own world in order to be able to save the whole world at probably the cost of her own life but please, she's pretty sure both of their heads will explode if she brings that up. This situation is bad enough without that. She doesn't want to go there.

"But this with Maru is different. He hasn't changed anything about me. I still feel the same. I even asked him if he needed anything in return for fighting for me, but he said all he needed for it was my resolve.."

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