You growl softly under your breath.
Someone's playing silly buggers here and it's starting to piss you off.
Well.
Not exactly '
starting'.
Alright. Alright then.
If she wants to mess around with negotiations, so can you.
You look back at the table, shaded orange with the sun dipping below the horizon - it's about six, now. The University girls are still discussing telepathically amongst themselves. You cough lightly to get their attention, and lean forward, one hand pressing flat against the table - Mami's still holding your other hand.
"OK, so," you begin when you're sure you have their attention. "I'm going to lay some of my cards on the table here, because a
certain someone is being stupid."
Yuko nods triedly. "Yes," she says slowly. "What's...
your end of the bargain?"
"
My end of the bargain is
peace," you say. "Because all this...
thisness-" you wave your hand in a sweeping motion, "-
sucks. Magical girl fighting magical girl over Grief Seeds. You've seen what I can do, and
I see no reason I can't
break this system. Or at least, I damned well mean to try."
"Here and now? I want this fighting to stop," you say, steamrolling onwards. You jab a finger at them. "I want
you to be able to not have to
fight and
die because of
her." The finger turns into a thumb pointing over your shoulder.
The bustle of the city in rush hour continues behind you on the streets, but here around the table in the wake of your pronouncement, a hush falls, the University girls dumbstruck.
"And that," Mami says softly, "is why
I'm here." Her hand, soft warmth against yours, squeezes tightly, and you turn to see a radiant, proud smile on her face, one you can't help but answer.
"You don't even know us," Rei says, looking at you through her curtain of pale green hair. "You're willing to throw your lot in for us?"
"Each and every magical girl is a victim," you say quietly. "I don't see why I can't
help."
"Then... we thank you," Chouko says, matching your sombre tone and bowing her head.
You look around, trying to gauge reactions - the Suzuki sisters seem overwhelmed and relieved. Chouko straightens from her half-bow, looking expectantly at you, while Yuko looks... skeptical, if that frown is anything to judge by, but a flicker of hope fights for control, if the easing of tension in her folded arms and shoulders is anything to judge by. Rin looks conflicted, dismay and relief in mixing in equal parts.
"That said," you add. "I'm still working on... convincing Miss Hamasaki. So... give me a little more time, please?"
"Yes," Chouko says. The rest of the University girls, even Yuko, nod in agreement.
Speech aside, though, you're not
completely wide-eyed idealist. You shift the sling bag full of marbles sitting next to your chair, and let the marbles drift silently out. They're small enough to go without notice as you carefully spread them out over the area, keeping them to the shadows.
"
Mami, Kirika," you say telepathically. "
Akiko moved from that rooftop. I don't know what she's doing - keep an eye out?"
"
Yep," Kirika drawls.
"
Of course, Sabrina." Mami leans back slightly in her chair, golden eyes roaming slowly, unobtrusively around as she inspects the rooftops.
Then back to business. "
Sakura, when someone ups and runs off in the middle of cease-fire negotiations, that's a bad fucking sign.
Where did Akiko go?" you ask, picking up where you'd left off with Rin and Sakura.
"
Jeeze, you can still talk to her by magic," Sakura says sourly.
"
Sakura..." Rin says. "
Miss Sabrina... isn't wrong."
Silence for a moment.
"
Hello?" you say, cautiously, glancing back - Sakura's still alone on that roof, but she
is still there.
"
Fuck. Fine. She went to talk to the Fukushima girls," Sakura growls. "
Happy?"
"
Gah. OK, look, just concern here: Was Akiko accumulating a lot of Grief earlier? When I asked her about Kato?" you ask.
"
Does it fucking matter to you?" Sakura snaps back. "
Cool your fucking head, anyway. No."
"
Well, that's good, at any rate," you reply. "
Thank you for the answers, Sakura. I mean that, seriously. Thank you. And thank you
too, Rin."
In response, you just get some thankfully incomprehensible grumbling from Sakura.
"
I... hope you know what you're doing, Miss Sabrina," Rin says privately to you.
[] Go investigate Akiko
[] Ask about the last two Sendai girls
[] Adjourn elsewhere
[] Write-in
=====
Same policy as before. Points and tone, not dictation. Also, it's somewhere around six, now.
