"OK," you say. A twist of will brings your Grief platform around to deposit Akiko's body in front of you, the platform melting away into deep purple smoke that wisps away to coalesce into spheres. Akiko's body lies bonelessly on the floor in front of you. "If there's no questions, then we'll proceed to waking up Hamasaki. Mami?"
Mami smiles, and a quick gesture of her hand has ribbons winding up to wrap around Akiko's wrists and ankles, as she had done for the others you've woken up so far. You withdraw the last Soul Gem in your pocket, a clear blue, multifaceted Gem that you hold up. It catches the scant light, throwing it back in your face.
None of the Sendai girls seems to want to take it. Yumi's frowning slightly, an expression mirrored on Tamiko's face. Rin looks indifferent, eyeing the Gem with an expression that's very nearly dislike. Sakura, of course, hasn't returned yet.
"I'm... not the person to wake Hamasaki up, I think," you say. "So... who's closer to her?"
Hesitantly, Yumi steps forward, holding out her hand for the Soul Gem. You hand it over to her.
Chouko speaks up. "Miss Sabrina, may we leave now?"
"Go ahead," you say. Chouko nods, walking to the edge of the rooftop, and her friends follow her as she leaps off. You track them in your Grief sense, but they keep going in a straight line until they're out of range.
Yumi's kneeling beside Akiko, now, already pressing them Gem into the bluenette's hand. Rin seems to have pulled Tamiko into a private conversation, Rin standing with folded arms and a determined expression on her face as she faces Tamiko steadily. You stand back, letting Yumi handle it.
Akiko's awakening is undramatic. Her eyes flicker open, muzzily blinking back the haze of confusion for a moment, before they start darting around wildly. She begins struggling in her bonds, a quiet litany flowing from her lips. "No, no,
no, I
can't fail, no, no..."
Yumi blinks, looking deeply unsettled. She, swallows and reaches out, touching Akiko on her shoulder. "Akiko, it's OK. You're safe now. No one's going to hurt you," she says, voice unsteady.
Akiko doesn't seem to respond, doesn't even seem to
notice, still straining mindlessly against Mami's ribbons. She
bucks like a wild animal, throwing off Yumi's hand.
Vwwp.
Sakura reappears on the roof, scowling fiercely. Her Soul Gem's dark with Grief, and she fumbles in her pocket for her used Grief Seeds, thrusting them out at you.
You keep your eye on Yumi, still trying fruitlessly to calm Akiko down, and wave your hand carelessly in Sakura's general direction. Grief, unsettling and
present in your puella magi senses, floods into the air before coalescing to join the constellation of spheres already orbiting the roof.
Akiko jerks, twisting against her restraints, throwing off Yumi's tentative touch again.
"Jesus
fuck," Sakura mutters. You fight the completely inappropriate impulse to criticize her swearing for a lack of creativity, barely winning. The teleporter strides forward, radiating anger, and reaches out to bodily manhandle Akiko to her feet. "Up, get
up."
The bluenette stands, swaying drunkenly, head dipped and feverbright eyes darting madly about. You're not sure if she even
recognizes there are other people there on the roof with her, let alone
who those people might be.
Sakura leans back, one arm drawing back with palm unfurled. She hesitates for a moment, bringing that arm back forward again.
Then she slaps Akiko. Not full force, not putting her entire body behind the blow, not even
hard by any reasonable measure.
Akiko crumples to the floor, blinking vacantly upwards.
"Sakura!" Rin says, stepping forward.
Sakura grunts. "Fuck. Thought that would work," she mutters.
Rin kneels, bringing up a hand glowing with magic. "She's fine. Physically, at least," she reports after a moment of hushed silence.
Tamiko exhales heavily, moving to kneel beside Akiko. Eventually, her voice sounds in your head. "
She always turned failure to advantage," the orange haired girl says. "
And she hardly
failed."
The girl glances at Yumi, the two of them communicating on a more private channel.
[] Write-in
=====
Oh. Well then. I guess Akiko stahped.