I've been doing security work for more than a decade. An authoritative tone can sometimes get results, but I can tell you from experience that it does not work on people who are irrational or upset. They just get more angrier and more confrontational.
As someone who has also done security work, standing by while someone beats on someone else isn't fucking acceptable. If you've detained someone and just stood by as they were assaulted, then you're fucked up.
 
As someone who has also done security work, standing by while someone beats on someone else isn't fucking acceptable. If you've detained someone and just stood by as they were assaulted, then you're fucked up.
Maybe we can trust them to not continuously assault them? It was just one slap sounds lame but it was a heat of the moment kinda thing right?
Edit:
typo
 
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I've been doing security work for more than a decade. An authoritative tone can sometimes get results, but I can tell you from experience that it does not work on people who are irrational or upset. They just get more angrier and more confrontational.
If you're using it to try to continue an existing disagreement, absolutely! In that case you're just going to associate your authority with your side of the argument and they're going to double down on their position by rejecting your authority, which means you now have two problems. The key here is that we're not using it to engage on an existing issue. The proper comparison isn't "Do what I say because I'm the security guard", it's "Clear the way!" or "You and you, call 911." or "Get down!". And for those things it sure as hell works. That's why I'm using the tone of authority for exactly that action and explicitly dropping it afterward.
 
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It was a slap hard enough to send Hijiri to the floor, which means it's hard enough to break bones in a normal human. Hijiri might be a magical girl, but she hasn't been one very long, which means she probably doesn't know how to turn off her sensation of pain.

Niko's slap hurt way more than could possibly be justified. Anyone trying to excuse it is disgusting.
 
I think Niko is getting caught up on how Hijiri has 'ruined' her wish. So the emphasising that Hijiri is her own person is important, as is establishing boundaries. All the votes seem to do that, its details if execution where diffrences occur.

And I am on a phone and unable to be verbose.
 
As someone who has also done security work, standing by while someone beats on someone else isn't fucking acceptable. If you've detained someone and just stood by as they were assaulted, then you're fucked up.
Look, responding to "that won't work" with by questioning the person's morals is unacceptable, as is insisting that we do "something".

Don't do that. Seriously, this is worse then being dumb, worse then calling names. This sort of shit is what leads to the worst kind of decisions people make.

Note, even if you are correct in all particulars, please don't do this. Argue in faith.
 
All of these votes are bloated messes. Keep It Simple, Stupid.

[x] Stay Calm. Be Empathetic.

[x] Let Saki know that Niko isn't the only one that you're worried about. You're concerned by both Niko's behaviour and how the conversation is going.
[x] Handle everyone's reactions. (Saki, Sayaka, Mami, etc.) In particular, consult with Mami on her thoughts and accept her advice, suggestions, and help.
[x] Interject into the conversation, breaking up the argument. Address the issues each of them has - Hijiri is her own person with her own agency despite her origins, but Niko really did wish the best for her. Try to get things going on a more even keel, while being empathetic to both of them. Step back if your presence isn't needed any more.
 
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Jesus Christ its been days and the thread is still salty enough to pay off three roman legions with interest.

Maybe Y'all should take a few days off. This is just a game, dudes.
Adhoc vote count started by Kaizuki on Nov 6, 2017 at 4:30 PM, finished with 128394 posts and 33 votes.

  • [x] Simultaneously: Telepathy Kazumi, keep her from coming in angry and worsening the situation. Enlist Mami's assistance if necessary.
    [x] Simultaneously: Telepathy Sayaka, tell her to start keeping an eye on the Pleiades, too - they're losing control.
    [x] Simultaneously: Use utility fog to slip out of Saki's grasp and walk away. Take care not to let the situation escalate physically. Move to present body language separating the parties and protecting Hijiri.
    [x] Simultaneously: Command Niko out of the memory field so you can cleanse her. Keep her from moving back in. Enlist Mami's voice if necessary.
    [x] Tone: Coldly furious disapproval. This is not okay.
    [x] Excoriate Niko for attacking Hijiri.
    -[x] Look at how terrified Hijiri is. Does Niko want to be the kind of person that brings all her friends to beat up a helpless victim?
    -[x] The biggest thing denying Hijiri a peaceful life right now is Niko assaulting her.
    [x] Tell Niko and Hijiri that you promise you will find a way for everyone to live peacefully. That is what your wish was for. That is what everything you do is for. That is why you exist.
    [x] But - Hijiri can't live peacefully if she feels like Niko is trying to dictate her life for her. Emphasize to Niko that Hijiri is her own person.
    [x] Tell Hijiri that, as shit as Niko may be at explaining it, she did wish for Hijiri to be able to be happy. Seeing Hijiri apparently reject that hurt her badly and she's not handling it very well.
    [x] Reiterate your promise of a peaceful life - if all else fails, Hijiri wouldn't be the first refugee seeking peace in Mitakihara. Better solutions exist, but even in the worst case you can and will deliver.
    [x] If you get a chance, get rid of the memory device. Hijiri needs a different kind of protection right now.
    [X] Keep your anger as contained as you can manage.
    [X] "It's not Niko I'm worried about right now. Hijiri's afraid she's being treated as an extension of Niko, as an object, and Niko is playing into that fear."
    [X] Intervene. Get Sayaka's help if necessary.
    [X] Mami's new role is to try to deescalate Kazusa when she lands. She knows Kazusa better than any of us.
    [X] Separate the two of them. Deescalate.
    - [X] If Niko objects, give her your reasons for intervening. Both personally, as pertains to what exactly she's doing and practically.
    - [X] Try to calm Hijiri down. She's our detainee, and she has rights. She deserves to be treated humanely. She's not a thing; she's Niko's sister, for better or for worse.
    - [X] Offer the two of them a choice, you can have someone mediate this discussion civilly, or skip straight to the questioning.
    [X] The Memory field has to go. We can't cleanse either of them while they're in there, and the last thing we need is for the two of them to get hyped up on grief and start flaying each other alive. We'd like it if Hijiri could just drop the thing, since it's useless to her now anyway.
    [X] Cleanse.
    [X] If Kazumi or Saki tries to interfere, point out that Niko was abusing Hijiri when Hijiri had no chance to fight back. We aren't her friend, but we'll be her defense lawyer if need be.
    [X] Stand your ground, observe.
    -[X] Calmly, out loud but quiet: Saki is not aware of the full context here. Certainly Niko can "handle herself," but Niko and Hijiri misunderstand each other in a way that makes this volatile and toxic. You're not leaving until you're certain that Hijiri isn't going to end up in a grief spiral.
    [X] Short update; break at any point where Niko says or does something really not okay to Hijiri (or potentially vice versa) -- crying, threats, Niko ordering Hijiri to do something, Niko getting physical again, etc are all really not okay.
    -[X] Break by immediately stepping in; forcibly separate the two if you have to.
    [x] Null
    [X] Calm down Sabrina. Alright, let's do this.
    [X] "It's not Niko I'm worried about right now. Hijiri's afraid she's being treated as an extension of Niko, as an object, and Niko is playing into that fear."
    [X] Hypervene Intervene. Get Sayaka's help if necessary.
    [X] Mami's new role is to try to deescalate Kazusa when she lands. She knows Kazusa better than any of us.
    [X] Separate the two of them. Deescalate.
    - [X] If Niko objects, give her your reasons for intervening. Both personally, as pertains to what exactly she's doing and practically.
    - [X] Try to calm Hijiri down. She deserves to be treated humanely. She's not a thing; she's Niko's sister.
    - [X] The memory field has to go. We can't cleanse either of them while they're in there, and the last thing we need is for the two of them to get hyped up on grief and start flaying each other alive. It's not doing Hijiri any good right now anyway. If she gives it up as a show of good faith, then we can help her find a solution to this mess.
    [X] Cleanse.
    [X] Mediate. Rephrase their sentences to each other so nothing is lost in shouted translation.
    - [X] No hitting. Hitting is bad, so make sure they don't hit each other.
    - [X] Let them explain themselves. Gotta understand each other to agree or compromise, y'know?
    [X] If Kazumi or Saki tries to interfere, point out that Niko was abusing Hijiri when Hijiri had no chance to fight back. That's mean. Hijiri is terrified. And look, we look like we're ganging up on her.
    [x] Don't even dignify Saki with a response. If she doesn't see how wrong she is, it's not worth it.
    [x] Brainmail Kazumi: "Hopefully be with you in a few but things are way toxic down here and we've let it go too far already."
    [x] Enlist Mami and Sayaka's help to separate them and deescalate. Again. Jerry Springer is not a model to emulate!
    -[x] Fuck it, Sayaka, antimagic. This paranoia over memory bullshit and what precisely the device does has gone far too long. It can be rebuilt.
    -[x] Quiet down, don't make me get the spray bottle.
    -[x] Saki will probably interfere more insistently. "I'm sure you mean well, Saki, but I will NOT allow this to become a lynching."
    [X] Telepathy Mami to be ready to restrain Saki if necessary; brush her off with the utility fog.
    [X] "It's not Niko I'm worried about right now, it's the person she's treating like a thing."
    [X] Intervene.
    [X] Physically separate. Cleanse.
    -[X] Warn Hijiri that this exact brand of horseshit is dangerous for her; if she won't step away from the device so that we can cleanse her, we'll have to take it from her.
    [X] Talk down Kazumi first, then the Kannas; this is absolutely unacceptable.
    [X] Keep your anger as contained as you can manage.
    [X] "It's not Niko I'm worried about right now. Hijiri's afraid she's being treated as an extension of Niko, as an object, and Niko is playing into that fear."
    [X] Intervene.
    [X] Separate the two of them. Deescalate.
    - [X] If Niko objects, give her your reasons for intervening. Both personally, as pertains to what exactly she's doing and practically.
    - [X] Try to calm Hijiri down. Regardless of what she's done she has feelings just like anyone else. She deserves to be treated humanely.
    - [X] Offer the two of them a choice, you can have someone mediate this discussion civilly, or put it off and interrogate Hijiri a to give her a chance to prove her bonafides.
    [X] Convince Hijiri to give up the memory field. Even as a bargaining chip, it's worse than useless to her at the moment. Offer her collateral if you must.
    [X] Cleanse.
    [X] Disable the Memory Field safely.
    -[X] Ask Sayaka if she can focus the antimagic to a beam.
    [X] Send in the chibis - All the chibis! Even Chibis of Meguca we have yet to meet.
    -[X] Have them hug every Kanna they see.
    [x] Stay Calm. Be Empathetic.
    [x] Let Saki know that Niko isn't the only one that you're worried about. You aren't comfortable with how their conversation is going, and from what you've heard, it isn't going to be productive either.
    [x] Address the issues each of them has - Hijiri is her own person with her own agency despite her origins, Niko really did wish the best for her.
    [x] Try to get things going on a more even keel, while being empathetic to both of them. Step back if your presence isn't needed any more. Let Mami help.
 
This is ridiculous. "Excoriating" Niko is not helpful.

"Sabrina, why is she a magical girl?" Niko asks, almost pleading. "Why?"

Niko is having a breakdown and moving through stages of disbelief, anger, despair, etc. Hijiri is having a breakdown and moving through stages of terror, anger, etc. Going after either side is not productive or useful and should be thrown into the same category as all the posts that were talking about putting Sayaka in her place back when table-chan got broken. Godwinson, that vote you've written is exactly as blind to some of the problems here as much of the stuff you traditionally condemn, and I implore you to consider that for all Niko has done wrong, attacking her while she's in a breakdown is a terrible idea.

The following is the basic procedure we need to be following. Details are in the air.

[X] Drop grief on the roof (harmlessly, but in a flood). Nothing serves to grab attention like crepuscular blackness, and it will get you past Saki.
-[X] Calmly step in and assert that as you understand things, both sides are telling the truth and expressing valid statements, but neither is understanding anything the other is saying in the way it's meant to be understood.
--[X] Simultaneously, telepathy Saki, Umika, Kazumi, Mami, and Sayaka. Address Kazumi and convey your viewpoint -- these two are both in breakdowns and they're exploding at each other. You're going to deescalate this and get them started actually hearing what they're saying.
-[X] Your job is to get these two to actually explain their perspectives and knowledge to each other in a way that the other side can actually understand. Do your job.
--[X] Hijiri needs to know explicitly what Niko's wish was. Hijiri needs to provide Niko with a serious explanation of why she contracted, and you need to take that explanation and use it to give Niko a different target depending on what's in it. Both of them need to calm down and listen to each other.
-[X] If you get things to calm down enough see if you can get Niko to apologize for slapping Hijiri, because that was not okay.
 
Actually yeah, handling the general scenario instead of specific problems will probably work better

[x] Stay Calm. Be Empathetic.

[x] Let Saki know that Niko isn't the only one that you're worried about. You're concerned by both Niko's behaviour and how the conversation is going.
[x] Handle everyone's reactions. (Saki, Sayaka, Mami, etc.) In particular, consult with Mami on her thoughts and accept her advice, suggestions, and help.
[x] Interject into the conversation, breaking up the argument. Address the issues each of them has - Hijiri is her own person with her own agency despite her origins, but Niko really did wish the best for her. Try to get things going on a more even keel, while being empathetic to both of them. Step back if your presence isn't needed any more.
 
Alert: Everyone take a deep breath
everyone take a deep breath Alright, I understand that people are getting very invested here, and that's fine. You're allowed to be passionate about your position and argue it in that manner.

That said, as has been said recently, we expect a certain level of basic human dignity to be attributed to everyone in a discussion. You can be as passionate about your position as you like, but please remember that everyone here is a person, deserving of that basic level of respect.

Above all, be kind to each other. Thank you.
 
Niko is having a breakdown and moving through stages of disbelief, anger, despair, etc. Hijiri is having a breakdown and moving through stages of terror, anger, etc. Going after either side is not productive or useful and should be thrown into the same category as all the posts that were talking about putting Sayaka in her place back when table-chan got broken. Godwinson, that vote you've written is exactly as blind to some of the problems here as much of the stuff you traditionally condemn, and I implore you to consider that for all Niko has done wrong, attacking her while she's in a breakdown is a terrible idea.
Hijiri is having the same breakdown. The difference is that only one of them is beating the other one up while their friends look on and say "everything is under control". I understand that Niko is having her own problems, but Hijiri's right now are bigger.

Niko's problems are entirely unrelated to her self-image - Niko's stressed out and angry at Hijiri and cares only about Hijiri's apparent decision to throw away what Niko built for her. Telling Niko that she's making things worse will not serve to destabilize her or injure her.

Additionally, Niko's problems go away if Hijiri's do and that Niko's issues can't go away as long as Hijiri's are still around. Niko has trouble as long as Hijiri is not living a peaceful life. The first and only thing we need to do to address Niko's problem is to establish a peaceful life for Hijiri. We may have to convince Niko that she doesn't get to define "peaceful" down to the last pencil in Hijiri's bookbag, but that's trivial compared to getting it through her head that she's currently causing her own problem.

Talking to Saki is wasting time. She's going to argue and that's going to turn into its own fight that'll distract us from the real problem while it continues to get worse. Don't even bother engaging with her, just walk away.

With how high tensions are, huge visible effects will only set off a fight. I guarantee you that Hijiri's in full fight-or-flight mode right now, and you're proposing to drop a huge pilot of witchiness down behind her where she can't see it. And then Saki's on a hair-trigger too, and you haven't done anything about Kazumi, who could well interpret that as Hijiri trying to attack Niko.

You will further note that I am not going after either side. Once we get done condemning physical violence my vote is entirely dedicated to explaining each party's grievances to the other in a way that they can understand.
"Calm" won't work, not with the thread bleeding over with totally justified anger.
-[X] Calmly step in and assert that as you understand things, both sides are telling the truth and expressing valid statements, but neither is understanding anything the other is saying in the way it's meant to be understood.
Not going to work, they're way too worked up to listen to a calm, polite request. They're screaming at each other so loudly that Sabrina, fifteen feet away, is not trying to talk over them.
 
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Jesus Christ its been days and the thread is still salty enough to pay off three roman legions with interest.

Maybe Y'all should take a few days off. This is just a game, dudes.

Yo I'm not sure why you thought those 'quotes' were at all helpful.

Anyway full speed ahead with the general Godwinson/Vebayst/Redshirt Army train, imo. I don't feel like Karnewarrior's vote is very helpful because it instigates side-arguments with Saki, raises hostilities of everyone involved, and implicitly tramples on Hijiri's issues by taking away her only sense of control over her own situation. It definitely at the very least needs a phrasing edit.

I'd write my own vote but honestly I don't want to split the base any further.
 
I'd write my own vote but honestly I don't want to split the base any further.
[‌X] Split the base further.

:V
Adhoc vote count started by Script Mak3r on Nov 6, 2017 at 6:06 PM, finished with 128401 posts and 33 votes.

  • [x] Simultaneously: Telepathy Kazumi, keep her from coming in angry and worsening the situation. Enlist Mami's assistance if necessary.
    [x] Simultaneously: Telepathy Sayaka, tell her to start keeping an eye on the Pleiades, too - they're losing control.
    [x] Simultaneously: Use utility fog to slip out of Saki's grasp and walk away. Take care not to let the situation escalate physically. Move to present body language separating the parties and protecting Hijiri.
    [x] Simultaneously: Command Niko out of the memory field so you can cleanse her. Keep her from moving back in. Enlist Mami's voice if necessary.
    [x] Tone: Coldly furious disapproval. This is not okay.
    [x] Excoriate Niko for attacking Hijiri.
    -[x] Look at how terrified Hijiri is. Does Niko want to be the kind of person that brings all her friends to beat up a helpless victim?
    -[x] The biggest thing denying Hijiri a peaceful life right now is Niko assaulting her.
    [x] Tell Niko and Hijiri that you promise you will find a way for everyone to live peacefully. That is what your wish was for. That is what everything you do is for. That is why you exist.
    [x] But - Hijiri can't live peacefully if she feels like Niko is trying to dictate her life for her. Emphasize to Niko that Hijiri is her own person.
    [x] Tell Hijiri that, as shit as Niko may be at explaining it, she did wish for Hijiri to be able to be happy. Seeing Hijiri apparently reject that hurt her badly and she's not handling it very well.
    [x] Reiterate your promise of a peaceful life - if all else fails, Hijiri wouldn't be the first refugee seeking peace in Mitakihara. Better solutions exist, but even in the worst case you can and will deliver.
    [x] If you get a chance, get rid of the memory device. Hijiri needs a different kind of protection right now.
    [X] Keep your anger as contained as you can manage.
    [X] "It's not Niko I'm worried about right now. Hijiri's afraid she's being treated as an extension of Niko, as an object, and Niko is playing into that fear."
    [X] Intervene. Get Sayaka's help if necessary.
    [X] Mami's new role is to try to deescalate Kazusa when she lands. She knows Kazusa better than any of us.
    [X] Separate the two of them. Deescalate.
    - [X] If Niko objects, give her your reasons for intervening. Both personally, as pertains to what exactly she's doing and practically.
    - [X] Try to calm Hijiri down. She's our detainee, and she has rights. She deserves to be treated humanely. She's not a thing; she's Niko's sister, for better or for worse.
    - [X] Offer the two of them a choice, you can have someone mediate this discussion civilly, or skip straight to the questioning.
    [X] The Memory field has to go. We can't cleanse either of them while they're in there, and the last thing we need is for the two of them to get hyped up on grief and start flaying each other alive. We'd like it if Hijiri could just drop the thing, since it's useless to her now anyway.
    [X] Cleanse.
    [X] If Kazumi or Saki tries to interfere, point out that Niko was abusing Hijiri when Hijiri had no chance to fight back. We aren't her friend, but we'll be her defense lawyer if need be.
    [x] Null
    [X] Calm down Sabrina. Alright, let's do this.
    [X] "It's not Niko I'm worried about right now. Hijiri's afraid she's being treated as an extension of Niko, as an object, and Niko is playing into that fear."
    [X] Hypervene Intervene. Get Sayaka's help if necessary.
    [X] Mami's new role is to try to deescalate Kazusa when she lands. She knows Kazusa better than any of us.
    [X] Separate the two of them. Deescalate.
    - [X] If Niko objects, give her your reasons for intervening. Both personally, as pertains to what exactly she's doing and practically.
    - [X] Try to calm Hijiri down. She deserves to be treated humanely. She's not a thing; she's Niko's sister.
    - [X] The memory field has to go. We can't cleanse either of them while they're in there, and the last thing we need is for the two of them to get hyped up on grief and start flaying each other alive. It's not doing Hijiri any good right now anyway. If she gives it up as a show of good faith, then we can help her find a solution to this mess.
    [X] Cleanse.
    [X] Mediate. Rephrase their sentences to each other so nothing is lost in shouted translation.
    - [X] No hitting. Hitting is bad, so make sure they don't hit each other.
    - [X] Let them explain themselves. Gotta understand each other to agree or compromise, y'know?
    [X] If Kazumi or Saki tries to interfere, point out that Niko was abusing Hijiri when Hijiri had no chance to fight back. That's mean. Hijiri is terrified. And look, we look like we're ganging up on her.
    [x] Stay Calm. Be Empathetic.
    [x] Let Saki know that Niko isn't the only one that you're worried about. You're concerned by both Niko's behaviour and how the conversation is going.
    [x] Handle everyone's reactions. (Saki, Sayaka, Mami, etc.) In particular, consult with Mami on her thoughts and accept her advice, suggestions, and help.
    [x] Interject into the conversation, breaking up the argument. Address the issues each of them has - Hijiri is her own person with her own agency despite her origins, but Niko really did wish the best for her. Try to get things going on a more even keel, while being empathetic to both of them. Step back if your presence isn't needed any more.
    [X] Drop grief on the roof (harmlessly, but in a flood). Nothing serves to grab attention like crepuscular blackness, and it will get you past Saki.
    -[X] Calmly step in and assert that as you understand things, both sides are telling the truth and expressing valid statements, but neither is understanding anything the other is saying in the way it's meant to be understood.
    --[X] Simultaneously, telepathy Saki, Umika, Kazumi, Mami, and Sayaka. Address Kazumi and convey your viewpoint -- these two are both in breakdowns and they're exploding at each other. You're going to deescalate this and get them started actually hearing what they're saying.
    -[X] Your job is to get these two to actually explain their perspectives and knowledge to each other in a way that the other side can actually understand. Do your job.
    --[X] Hijiri needs to know explicitly what Niko's wish was. Hijiri needs to provide Niko with a serious explanation of why she contracted, and you need to take that explanation and use it to give Niko a different target depending on what's in it. Both of them need to calm down and listen to each other.
    -[X] If you get things to calm down enough see if you can get Niko to apologize for slapping Hijiri, because that was not okay.
    [x] Don't even dignify Saki with a response. If she doesn't see how wrong she is, it's not worth it.
    [x] Brainmail Kazumi: "Hopefully be with you in a few but things are way toxic down here and we've let it go too far already."
    [x] Enlist Mami and Sayaka's help to separate them and deescalate. Again. Jerry Springer is not a model to emulate!
    -[x] Fuck it, Sayaka, antimagic. This paranoia over memory bullshit and what precisely the device does has gone far too long. It can be rebuilt.
    -[x] Quiet down, don't make me get the spray bottle.
    -[x] Saki will probably interfere more insistently. "I'm sure you mean well, Saki, but I will NOT allow this to become a lynching."
    [X] Telepathy Mami to be ready to restrain Saki if necessary; brush her off with the utility fog.
    [X] "It's not Niko I'm worried about right now, it's the person she's treating like a thing."
    [X] Intervene.
    [X] Physically separate. Cleanse.
    -[X] Warn Hijiri that this exact brand of horseshit is dangerous for her; if she won't step away from the device so that we can cleanse her, we'll have to take it from her.
    [X] Talk down Kazumi first, then the Kannas; this is absolutely unacceptable.
    [X] Keep your anger as contained as you can manage.
    [X] "It's not Niko I'm worried about right now. Hijiri's afraid she's being treated as an extension of Niko, as an object, and Niko is playing into that fear."
    [X] Intervene.
    [X] Separate the two of them. Deescalate.
    - [X] If Niko objects, give her your reasons for intervening. Both personally, as pertains to what exactly she's doing and practically.
    - [X] Try to calm Hijiri down. Regardless of what she's done she has feelings just like anyone else. She deserves to be treated humanely.
    - [X] Offer the two of them a choice, you can have someone mediate this discussion civilly, or put it off and interrogate Hijiri a to give her a chance to prove her bonafides.
    [X] Convince Hijiri to give up the memory field. Even as a bargaining chip, it's worse than useless to her at the moment. Offer her collateral if you must.
    [X] Cleanse.
    [X] Disable the Memory Field safely.
    -[X] Ask Sayaka if she can focus the antimagic to a beam.
    [X] Send in the chibis - All the chibis! Even Chibis of Meguca we have yet to meet.
    -[X] Have them hug every Kanna they see.
 
Something tells me that Saki might be getting a little heat regardless who's vote goes through...

I mean, I think this is the first person after Ono to get everyone united in anger at them. And we all know how that turned out.
 
Hijiri is having the same breakdown. The difference is that only one of them is beating the other one up while their friends look on and say "everything is under control". I understand that Niko is having her own problems, but Hijiri's right now are bigger.

Niko's problems are entirely unrelated to her self-image - Niko's stressed out and angry at Hijiri and cares only about Hijiri's apparent decision to throw away what Niko built for her. Telling Niko that she's making things worse will not serve to destabilize her or injure her.

Additionally, Niko's problems go away if Hijiri's do and that Niko's issues can't go away as long as Hijiri's are still around. Niko has trouble as long as Hijiri is not living a peaceful life. The first and only thing we need to do to address Niko's problem is to establish a peaceful life for Hijiri. We may have to convince Niko that she doesn't get to define "peaceful" down to the last pencil in Hijiri's bookbag, but that's trivial compared to getting it through her head that she's currently causing her own problem.

Talking to Saki is wasting time. She's going to argue and that's going to turn into its own fight that'll distract us from the real problem while it continues to get worse. Don't even bother engaging with her, just walk away.

With how high tensions are, huge visible effects will only set off a fight. I guarantee you that Hijiri's in full fight-or-flight mode right now, and you're proposing to drop a huge pilot of witchiness down behind her where she can't see it. And then Saki's on a hair-trigger too, and you haven't done anything about Kazumi, who could well interpret that as Hijiri trying to attack Niko.

You will further note that I am not going after either side. Once we get done condemning physical violence my vote is entirely dedicated to explaining each party's grievances to the other in a way that they can understand.
"Calm" won't work, not with the thread bleeding over with totally justified anger.

Not going to work, they're way too worked up to listen to a calm, polite request. They're screaming at each other so loudly that Sabrina, fifteen feet away, is not trying to talk over them.

Disbelief

What the actual fuck?

Okay.

I'm actually going to address this in reverse order.

You say that "calm" won't work. That's why we're dropping the, uh... minor lake of grief we have on the roof. We can let that do the metaphorical shouting for us so that we don't need to raise our voice or stop being calm. Because if we aren't being calm, we can't deescalate this.

You say you're not going after either side. I'm not talking about you in particular, am I? No. I'm talking about the vote -- which is last I saw backed by fifteen people -- which, in the wording, votes specifically to "Excoriate" Kanna Niko. Which stops being calm in order to chew out one side of what's going on in front of us. Which has us push past Saki to chew out Niko.

Just -- just -- it's not okay. That cannot end well. Everything about that is a terrible idea except the motivation behind it.

Saki is on a hair trigger, yes. And the existing vote... uses our powers to push past her and then ignores her while we separate Niko from Hijiri and then chew out Niko in front of Saki. Do you understand why that is not acceptable?

"I haven't done anything about Kazumi." I don't even know what to say to that, because, hello,

-[X] Calmly step in and assert that as you understand things, both sides are telling the truth and expressing valid statements, but neither is understanding anything the other is saying in the way it's meant to be understood.
--[X] Simultaneously, telepathy Saki, Umika, Kazumi, Mami, and Sayaka. Address Kazumi and convey your viewpoint -- these two are both in breakdowns and they're exploding at each other. You're going to deescalate this and get them started actually hearing what they're saying.

So, let me tell you what I wrote in my vote that you apparently missed. We're going to tell Kazumi what we're seeing, and what we're going to / are doing about it, with Saki on the line. We're going to get Kazumi to tell Saki to let us do what we're trying to do, because she's going to be more reasonable about it because she's actually had contact with us. And Mami is going to smooth that over.

"Huge visible effects will set off a fight." If somebody tries to start a fight in the middle of a lake of our grief, good luck to them with that. We won't hurt anyone with it, but we don't need to let any form of casual attack through it. A piercing spell would take enough time that we could react to it.

"Talking to Saki is wasting time." See above. I'm not talking to Saki.

[Stuff about Niko and Hijiri and how their problems mesh together]. I could care less about the specifics. I'm more interested in getting them talking to one another in a constructive and, if not calm, at least less heated manner, with us filling in where it's needed.
 
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