Easy to Find - Sayakaquest 2

[X] Ask Questions

"So, first question." You lean towards them as they stuff another chip in their mouth. "Do you remember why you're here?"

"Transferred, I guess?" They shrug.

"Did you feel any strong emotions during that?"

They stop midway through. Their eyes flicker between the chip, you, and the cheese dripping off the edge. They scratch their ear. "I guess I was mad? Very mad."

"Betrayed?"

"Yeah." They stuff the chip in. "Shsush lighsh I washsh betryyed."

"You felt like you were betrayed?"

They swallow. "Yeah, that's what I said."

You nod. "Well...okay, how do you feel about Rin?"

"Uh, okay? I mean-" They scratch their chin again. "I..."

"Lady Rin." You say instead.

That makes them pause. Their eyes light up before their expression drops down to normal. "T-that was weird. That was weird. I..." They shake their head. "I don't know her I don't even..." They pinch the bridge of their nose and shake their head. "I think I have a headache."

Yeah, that's not good, actually.

"Alright, so we have a number of hotspots and safehouses for magi in the city. There are currently fifty-seven total magi, fifty-eight if we include you, including sixteen adult magi, and a number of places to stay either temporarily or permanently."

They shrug. "Okay." They don't seem all that surprised that you have places to stay; you wonder if Rin offered the same thing in Kasamino...

Now, of course, one of the least pleasant questions you'll need to ask. "Now, this is obviously incomplete; I don't know her exact skillset..." You glance outside to Kyouko, and she gives you a nod and a thumbs-up. "...but I believe that Rin was attempting to manipulate you."

"But why? I'm kind of a nobody." They shrug. "I mean, I don't live anywhere. I don't got nobody."

"That's actually a perfect candidate. It means she could use you to, say...kill someone."

They stare at you. They stare at you for a while. "Wait, are you saying I killed-"

"I'm saying that when I encountered you two days ago, you were attempting to kill another magi. You and I engaged in combat-"

They grab their chest. "W-wait, so that's why my chest is-" They look down at their chest, then at you. "What was I doing?"

"You were being forced to kill another magi. Do you remember anything about that, any feelings?"

"I-I thought-I wouldn't-" They look down at their nachos, then at you. They whip their head to the side, out the window, then right back at you. "I-I'm not a killer!"

"I never said you were." You unfold your arms (you didn't even realize you had folded them).

"Y-you're trying to set me up again!"

Again? What? "What are you talking about?"

"I-I'm being framed again I can't go back again I'm just-!"

You quickly whip a grief seed out of your pocket and press it against the ring on their finger, hard enough to slam their hand back on the table and shake the basket. Their eyes are shaking as they stare at your hand, at the grief seed between your fingers, then back at you. Their breathing slows, just a little.

"I didn't think you were at fault," you say. "I never thought that. But I did think that you were being manipulated. You were being toyed with."

They look away, eyes narrowed, biting their lip as they just stare off to the side. "I-I dunno anything."

"You knew enough to help," you say. "Thank you."

They just bite down on another corn chip in response. Ten minutes later, you've paid their check. This time, the magi was going to go towards the south end of town, just a block away from Akane's apartment. They're escorted by a few of your younger students off towards the southern beaches. Kyouko, meanwhile, has finally finished her bland, boring salad that she didn't even like.

You pull the chair back and sit down right next to her before she shoves the empty metal salad bowl your way.

"You could have put vinaigrette in it," you say.

"Yeah, I probably could've." Kyouko turns to you. "So, theories? I wanna hear yours first."

"Emotional manipulation, maybe memory control?" You shrug. "But emotional manipulation messes with free will. I don't think that alone leads to this much control."

"Well, memories are a part of the brain right?" Kyouko sips a little bit of soda out of her cup. "I mean, if a head's fucking destroyed, so're that person's memories. The personality can be brought back, but memories don't come back. Or if they do, they're spotty."

"Yeah, I remember what happened with Chou." You sigh. She witched not long after Walpurgisnacht. You yourself have had your brain rattled a few times, but there's a difference between that and having it outright destroyed. Magi skulls are hardy; it takes a lot to actually break one. But the feeling is deeply unpleasant, and fishing bullets out of head meat is a right pain.

"Wait, actually." Kyouko snaps her fingers. "What if her power requires convincing?"

"What do you mean?" You turn your head.

"Well, think about it." She points at you. "A soul gem's connection is basically the link between your filthy meat body and your free will. The connection can't be interrupted, at least not by force..."

"But if you willfully let it connect, she can control you." You turn to her. "So she actually straight up is a cult leader. Just more literal than normal."

"Takes desperate kids that don't know better, tells them sweet little nothings, and rallies them up." Kyouko snaps her fingers. "Shit, I think we're at least kinda figuring it out. But that still leaves the rest of her group. And whether or not the memory thing is even her ability."

"It also doesn't add up with the 'timeline' stuff we heard about." You scratch your jaw. "Is that another magi? Is that hers? Does that involve seeing other timelines? Bringing people in from other timelines?"

Kyouko shudders. "Oh, fuck, imagine if they brought another me or another you."

You lean over. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't make a threesome joke."

Kyouko's eyes go half-lidded as she leans on her arm, brings up two fingers, and then splits. A clone of her two fingers pops into existence before a clone emerges from behind her and sticks out its tongue.

"Jokes are for cowards, hon."

You snicker. "Not in public. At least not this time."

Kyouko's clone vanishes in a cloud of red dust as she drags her fingers across the table. "Well, there's still a lot we don't know. And I dunno 'bout you, but I don't really feel comfortable about just letting this fester."

"So what're you suggesting?" you ask.

Kyouko leans back. "Do we have a spy? Preferably someone that could resist whatever mind-whammy stuff is going on in Kasamino."

"That's the thing. We don't even know if they're spying on us. And after telling them to fuck off of our territory, sending a spy over sounds like a good way to look hypocritical."

"I don't think they fucking care. And I'm not sure I do either. They already sent hostile shit our way, and we both know they're not gonna keep to themselves."

She's right. Now that The Glow is an obvious threat, you're pretty sure they're going to forego any covert operations and plans.

[] Spy on Kasamino
-[] By yourself. (DIFFICULTY 2: You are NOT a stealth magi, but you get a clear idea of what's happening)
-[] Form a team. (ACCURACY 1: More people means more of a chance that they'll be spotted, but it also means less of a chance of losing magi).
-[] Send in a single magi. (ACCURACY 2: You don't lose magi, but if this one's spotted, there is a good chance they'll either be killed or turned. At least, that's the assumption.)

[] Leave them to their own devices.