You hold both your hands up, being careful not to make any sudden movements, what with the oversized spear head only centimeters away from your face. "Hey, I just saw your... sister? running to the Barrier and didn't think a little kid should go in there alone. I didn't even have time to ask for her
name!"
"Yuma is not a little kid!" the younger girl complains, but Kyouko just draws her closer with her arm.
"Yeah? Why's she contracted, then?" Kyouko snaps, spear still unwavering.
"I don-" you begin, but are interrupted by Yuma again.
"Kyuubey told Yuma that I could be a magical girl like big sis! Sorry for keeping it a secret," Yuma says. "And she was just trying to help!" she adds, pointing at you.
Hm? Not Oriko?
"That little rat," Kyouko snarls. "Why? I told you not to- Later." She visibly fights back her rage, before sighing, and retracting the spear. She plants it on the ground next to her and leans against it casually, though there's a distinct air that that could change in a hurry. "Don't point, Yuma. It's rude." Looking at you, she continues, "OK. Guess I gotta thank you for the assist, then. Still, you're not from around here, and you're not new either. So yeah. This is
my stretch."
She glances to the side and mutters something to herself that you can't quite make out.
"Yeah, I'm just passing through, actually. I'm Sabrina, no last name, new-ish from Mitakihara," you say, lowering your hands.
"'kay. I'm Kyouko, nice to meet you, yadda yadda," Kyouko says. "Mitakihara, eh? Whatcha here for, then?"
"I'm looking for a magical girl called Oriko," you explain. "Grey hair, green eyes, ojou-sama levels at maximum. Her magical uniform's white and floaty, and she has this ridiculous looking bucket-hat-thing." You mime with your hands the approximate shape of her hat.
"Nah. Haven't seen anyone like that," Kyouko says. "Yuma?"
The younger girl's still cringing from Kyouko's aborted scolding, though Kyouko's arm, still draped around her, seems to comfort her somewhat, with the way she's clutching it like a life preserver in a storm. She shakes her head timidly. "Don't think so..."
"Well, there ya go, then," Kyouko says. "If there's nothing else..." She's clearly hinting that you should be going away right now.
But hey, since when were you known for taking hints?
"One more thing, actually," you hold up a finger, before theatrically pushing up your sleeves, and displaying both hands in the classic 'see, nothing up my sleeves' pose, before detaching your Soul Gem and holding it out so that Kyouko can see the minor layer of corruption darkening it. You then draw the corruption from it, letting it hang loosely as a cloud.
Kyouko gapes at you, mouth opening and shutting like a beached fish.
"My powers let me clean Soul Gems," you explain. "Want a cleanse?"
"What the
fuck," she manages, weakly, before her face hardens slightly. "What's the catch?"
You shrug. "None. Just a warning to be careful with Oriko, if she comes around. She said she's hiring, see."
"Uh... Yeah, sure, what the hell, warning noted," she says. "Not like I can turn down a free cleansing. Y' need to see my Gem or something?"
"No need," you say, already drawing the corruption away from Kyouko and Yuma's Gems. You add it to the cloud you already have, noting that both Kyouko and Yuma have quite a bit more than you did.
Kyouko grimaces, and detached her Gem to look at it and verify that it's really clean, before looking up at you. "So uh... thanks, I think. Now, if you don't mind, I've got things to talk about to Yuma here."
She's pointedly avoiding looking at the Grief Seed on the ground, you notice.
[] Continue talking
- [] Yuma
- [] Grief Seed
- [] Write-in
[] Leave
[] Offer to treat them to lunch [1]
[] Write-in
=====
Japanese children
do tend to refer to themselves by name.
[1] Yes, you do have enough money on you to feed two bottomless pits. For a bit, anyway.
