19th Magic Bullet

[drank_the_milk]

[Phone; backdated to the 17th]

[So, Yuna's teacher was on the list of erased people.  She knows he's not here anymore, but she's got some feelings she needs to get out, so have her yelling over the phones.]

All right, what the heck were you thinking, Negi-sensei?  Erasing yourself just because the town told you to?  That's not the sensei I know!  What happened to the Negi-sensei that never gives up on his friends and always fights to make the world a better place?  You've been through worse than this before!  And what's the Magic World gonna do without you to help save it?  What's Asuna gonna do without you?  I can't believe this.

[Action; outside 2237 Stevens; backdated to the 20th]

[It's been a few days now, and Yuna's recollection of Negi is sort of fading in and out.  Without ever having met him, she would never have found out that her parents were mages or that she had the talent for it herself.  This makes for some rather awkward magic practice out on the front lawn of her house.]

Practe bigi nar!  Ardes...

[She stops for a moment, right in the middle of the beginner's incantation, and just stares at the wand she was waving around.]

Haha, what am I doing with this stick?  Playing wizard or something?

-----

[Later on, folks will be able to catch her screaming at this flaming stick she's suddenly holding as her memories of Negi wink out right after successfully completing the spell.]

Aaaaaaaaaahhhh!  What the heck!

[Action; outside 2237 Stevens; December 22nd]

[Anyone passing by Yuna's house today will find her hanging around outside the house, all bundled up and trying to beat the cold.  She seems to be spending a lot of her time staring at a stylized playing card in her hand with a puzzled look on her face.]

I don't remember having this taken... was this from one of those new photo booths in the shopping district back home?

Comments

[gonnamarrydaddy.livejournal.com]

Sure, I remember it. But why do you think someone on that list made the contract with me? Or that I made one at all? I mean, what's so special about that card, anyway?

[answerer-sword.livejournal.com]

I have had experiences with magical contracts before, and I can tell by its arrangement that this card is a form of magical contract. I cannot tell what type of magical contract it is, but you are certainly one of the participants, as seen in your picture on the card. As to why or which one of the people made the contract with you, I do not know. If you still had your memories, you would have been able to tell me.

[gonnamarrydaddy.livejournal.com]

I dunno, it still sounds pretty far-fetched to me. It's not like I can't remember years of my life or something. I mean, sure, most of it is pretty boring stuff, but there's nothing missing.

[answerer-sword.livejournal.com]

Your memory loss is pretty complete.

[She is not sure if she appears to be particularly trustworthy right now, since she looks disheveled and perhaps insane.]

Right before that announcement, we all had a dream, right? Something about being erased to save all of Mayfield. Both of us chose to remain, but there are others who chose to be erased. The town put out the announcement to trick us into believing they have actually been erased and replaced with constructs, but all evidence I have found points to the contrary.

[She pauses a bit to let the girl absorb the information.]

It is not their physical existence that has been tampered with, but the memories of those that chose to remain. In a way, we can regard this as our punishment for being so selfish. We are gradually losing our memories of those people whose name were put on the list. Meanwhile, they have been surrounded with a cloaking effect that makes them appear to be the town's constructs.

Obviously, you knew someone who was on the list. Someone important enough for you to make a magical contract with. However, because of the town's current "game," you have already forgotten that person.

[gonnamarrydaddy.livejournal.com]

[Yuna takes a minute to absorb all of that, thinking it over before shrugging and shaking her head.]

Well, if that's what happened, I probably shouldn't worry about it too much. After all, it's not like I can force myself to remember someone if the town's really messing with us that hard.

[She reaches out to take the card back, looking down at it for a moment.]

And if I really did forget someone important, I'll probably remember again in a few days anyway.

[answerer-sword.livejournal.com]

[Bazett sighs.]

I really hope you are right. Have there been precedents for the town taking things away permanently?

[gonnamarrydaddy.livejournal.com]

I don't really know. It's never happened to me, at least.

[...]

Unless it has and I don't remember.

[answerer-sword.livejournal.com]

I see...so it stands to reason that we might get these memories back sometime...

[But would it be soon enough?]

Until then, be careful with that card. Magic is not something to be tampered with.

[gonnamarrydaddy.livejournal.com]

Okay, if you say so.