[center][h2][color=PeachPuff]S[/color]u & [color=red]S[/color]amantha[/h2]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/xc213eR.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/TAbex0N.png[/img]

[color=PeachPuff]“Spit out that pacifier, Karen!”[/color]

[color=888888]— Su Fang [/color]

[color=Red]“You're not my REAL mom.”[/color]

[color=888888]— Samantha Howard [/color]
[/center]

It was nice to have so many people willing to work at the Golden Trove. Among the corrupt girls looking for a place to stay, some of them wanted work. Extra hands were always a good thing. But a lot of the corrupt girls lacked the mental facilities and charisma to cater to a guest’s every need. Though perhaps that was less a reflection of their ability to service guests, and more a problem with guests themselves. 

Being a hotel manager was more than just managing employees. Sometimes it meant managing the guests directly. If the trash was taken out late, if the trash was taken out early, if a breakfast item wasn’t being served, if a guest was making too much noise, if staff needed assistance with anything, if a guest was arguing with someone, or if a maid forgot to leave a complementary chocolate on your pillow, a manager was likely going to be summoned to deal with it.

[b]”She was so mean!”[/b] Standing before Su was one of the newer maids. An alien girl with white hair, white skin, and four red eyes. She also had a tail as thick as a tree, and it wagged a lot when she was excited. [b]”She wouldn’t come out of her room to let me clean! She said it was because she hadn’t had breakfast yet. ‘So she just needs breakfast?’ I thought. So I went and got her a little bit of everything.”[/b] 

Su was leaning against the front counter. [color=PeachPuff]“You ate half of it on your way up the stairs.”[/color]

[b]”Yea, but there was a lot of food!”[/b] She stammered. [b]”Anyway, I get her [i]feast[/i] to the door, and she complains that I ate everything that she wanted and slammed the door in my face! Like maybe get it yourself next time?”[/b]

[color=PeachPuff]“You could have handled it better, but I agree that her behavior is unreasonable.”[/color] Su walked around the counter and sat at her desk. [color=PeachPuff]“She’s renting a luxury room though, Boteg wouldn’t forgive me if I just threw her out.”[/color] She brought up the room and it’s occupant on her computer screen. [color=PeachPuff]“I’m sorry, room 1408?”[/color]

[b]”Yea!”[/b]

[color=PeachPuff][i]“Samantha’s room?”[/i][/color] Su stood up. [color=PeachPuff]“Alright, I’ll see what I can do. Focus on the other rooms.”[/color]

Usually Su had Mika attend her room. She wasn’t a horrible maid by any stretch of the imagination, but Samantha was probably used to things like her meals appearing with a bite or two taken out of them. Maybe it was because she was one of Samantha’s objectives? But she had never seen her angry. Regardless, there must be some misunderstanding.

Su knocked on her door. [color=PeachPuff]“Samantha? Are you alright?”[/color]

Su could hear shuffling on the other side of the door before it was unlocked and cracked open. Through the slim opening stood a disheveled Samantha. She rarely paid much attention to how she presented herself to others in the hotel but this was even worse than that. [color=red]"What?"[/color] came her terse reply. 

[color=PeachPuff]“Are you alright?”[/color] The hotel manager found herself repeating the question, if with more feeling. 

Samantha hesitated before answering. [color=red]“I’m fine,”[/color] but everything in her tone indicated that this was not the case. 

She wasn’t especially familiar with Samantha, but it didn’t feel right to leave her like this. She wanted to apologize for using her as a projectile against Justine, and thank her for taking out Janet. But that was an odd thing to talk about in the hallway.  [color=PeachPuff]“You don’t seem like yourself.”[/color] She placed a hand on her hip. [color=PeachPuff]“Did something happen?”[/color]

[color=red]“No, nothing has happened,”[/color] she snapped, her mood souring when Su brought this up. [color=red]“Just that I normally get to eat my food instead of someone else doing it for me,”[/color] she complained, although as stated earlier, given Mika’s tendencies, this was not entirely factual. Sam seemed to be aware of this as she found herself glaring a hole in the floor instead of the person she was talking to. She then continued. [color=red]“Shouldn’t there be some sort of code in place here? Ever since Mika abando--er, left, things have…”[/color] she sighed. [color=red]“Things have been worse.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“Things had been getting worse since we all returned from the beach dimension.”[/color] Su leaned against the door frame and folded her arms. Her eyes were pointed down the hall instead of at Samantha. [color=PeachPuff]“But yes, Mika’s departure does make Penrose feel a bit more gloomy.”[/color] It was hard not to smile. Su wondered how Mika would feel if she knew how Samantha felt right now.  [color=PeachPuff]“If she knew you were like this, I’m sure she would give you a hug, even knowing you’d pinch her cheek afterwards. She hated it, but I think part of her enjoyed the attention.”[/color] She shrugged. [color=PeachPuff]“I can’t bring her back, but I can try to serve you as well as she could.”[/color] Su turned to her guest. [color=PeachPuff]“Would you like some coffee?”[/color]

Samantha did not deny anything Su had said even though she normally would have. The scowl she had been wearing faded and turned into a frown, before she composed herself and gave a silent nod in affirmation.

[hr]

It didn’t take Su long to return with a catering cart. It had an electric coffee brewer on it, a few pastries, as well as anything one would want to put in their coffee. It was probably on the excessive side, but Samantha was renting a luxury suite, so words like “excessive” didn’t apply.

[color=PeachPuff]“Do you like the coffee? It wasn’t something I focused on before your arrival, but I’ve been trying to improve it ever since.”[/color]

[color=red]“Yeah, something like that…”[/color]

Drinking coffee with a guest, on the other hand, was not standard protocol at all. But Su was doing this less as a manager and more as a concerned friend. She knew Samantha and Mika were close, but not [i]this[/i] close. There had to be more to it. 

[color=PeachPuff]“How’s Trixy? Are you two still dating?”[/color]

Samantha ignored the question as she took her time slowly pouring a cup of joe. She took in the aroma and then blew on the hot liquid before taking a small sip which burned her tongue a little bit, but she didn’t seem to mind so much. [color=red]“It’s… not that good,”[/color] she mentioned quietly, having not expected greatness to begin with. She, however, enjoyed it nonetheless and repeated herself before finally turning up to Su. [color=red]“We haven’t talked much recently… but yeah, as far as I’m aware.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“I’m glad. She seems fun.”[/color] 

[color=red]“She’s… interesting, yeah,”[/color] Samantha said between sips. 

Su hadn’t taken a sip from her cup yet. It was still quite warm, and she didn’t have the love of coffee or tolerance for hot drinks that Samantha had. Moreover, she was mulling over how to best proceed. Part of her wanted to just ask Samantha what was bothering her, but she knew that wouldn’t end well. It was probably best not to pry into Samantha’s affairs, but it was hard to help fix someone when you didn’t know what was broken. [color=PeachPuff]“So the maid that brought you your breakfast this morning. Well, half of your breakfast. Aside from eating part of it, how did she do? She’s new, so I’m just trying to get a feel for where she needs work.”[/color]

[color=red]"Aside from the plate? I guess she brought what remained of the food. And it was not as though her attitude was poor,"[/color] she pondered for another second yet she found nothing unsatisfactory about the employee. [color=red]"...she's just a chubbier Mika in that sense,"[/color] Samantha shook her head. [color=red]"Erm. Uh. How about you? Are you well, considering..."[/color] 

[color=PeachPuff]“Firing her? No.”[/color] Su almost laughed. [color=PeachPuff]“Liara’s done well so far. I’ve had little opportunity to work with her, but everyone enjoys her company and she’s really good with directions. Her appetite is just, well, monstrous. She also gets flustered easily, but I think that’s just because she’s new.”[/color] Su lifted her cup to her lips, still too hot. [color=PeachPuff]“We don’t have many people who use the luxury rooms. Not anymore anyway. The fact that she’s being allowed anywhere near your room is a sign of how well regarded she is. But if she’s less than adequate, she may not be ready yet.”[/color]

Samantha shook her head. [color=red]"Firing? No, I was talking about how you're doing,"[/color] she elucidated. [color=red]"I admit my reaction to her blunder could, in some cases, be considered excessive, but I wouldn't go that far."[/color] Samantha looked down at her coffee and, though she certainly looked like she had something to say, she hesitated and instead brought the mug to her lips.

Su chuckled. [color=PeachPuff]“Oh! Me? Haha!”[/color] She looked at her cup. [color=PeachPuff]“…It doesn’t seem real yet.”[/color] the corner of her mouth twitched. [color=PeachPuff]“In my mind, she’s still in that special employee room on the top floor. Like if I call her, she’ll come like she always does.”[/color] Su pursed her lips and set her cup aside. She waited before speaking again. [color=PeachPuff]“It’s so strange. She came into my life at an odd time. It felt like she was trying to replace Amber, so I ignored her at first. Boteg and Helga wanted to keep her around for some reason. I guess it was like taking care of a small animal to them. They both warmed right up to her, but I was sceptical. I just wanted to be alone with the pain. She wouldn’t let me though.”[/color] Su bit her lower lip. [color=PeachPuff]“It’s been a few months since then. Maybe half a year. I know her favorite color, her favorite toy, all of her friends, her favorite video on youtube, her favorite food, and I still want to know more about her.”[/color] She folded her arms. [color=PeachPuff]“Any time she woke up, I wanted to know what she was dreaming about. After she had breakfast, I wanted to know where she was going. I didn’t always ask because I know she enjoys her privacy, but I’m still curious.”[/color] Su’s tone became somber. [color=PeachPuff]“Of course it’s now when she decides to leave. Once we feel like a family, once I actually want her to stay. And her reason for leaving? She’d rather spend her time with some girl she encountered at the Pit Stop. ”[/color] She picked up her cup again. She produced a small bottle of vodka from her hammer space handbag and poured some into her cup before drinking. [color=PeachPuff]“Helga looks tired all the time. Bringing up Mika’s name is enough to make her cry. It’s impossible to talk about it with her, and throwing spells into the sky only blows off so much steam.”[/color] She set down her cup. [color=PeachPuff]“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble. ‘Not well’ is what I was going for.”[/color]

[color=red]"Ah, I see...well, it's okay."[/color]

Samantha took a long and awkward sip from her mug as she attempted to process the information given. Mika's departure was unwanted by Samantha, but she was not constantly on her mind day in and day out. The person who introduced her to Mika, however, was. 

When Sam could finally respond to the stressed Su she was already done with her coffee. [color=red]"You really do sound like what I imagine a mother to be like,"[/color] she commented with a wistful look.

Su’s entire body froze when she heard those words. It caused a small pain in her chest. Nothing she couldn’t shrug off, but it took her breath away, and made her eyes wet. With a sniff, she rubbed her eyes and set aside the coffee. She probably wasn’t going to finish it. 

[color=PeachPuff]“I haven’t done anything fun in a while, Samantha. How about you?”[/color] She turned to look at her. [color=PeachPuff]“I’ve recently renovated the indoor tennis court. Would you like to see it?”[/color]

[color=red]“I was always more of a golf person,”[/color] she said. [color=red]“But I suppose it could be interesting. Yeah, lets see how it looks,”[/color] she agreed with a nod. 

[hr]

The tennis court had the same flair as the rest of the establishment. The red and yellow colors on the wall were likely chosen to match the rest of the golden trove, but they made the space feel like it was under a perceptually setting sun. There were depictions of dragons and clouds flying along the ceiling, but the tennis court itself had little frills. There were a few rackets neatly stored on a caddy, but that was it. The play area was a slate gray, with white lines denoting all the special areas.

[color=PeachPuff]“I tend to get carried away with the hotel’s theme, but it’s important that there’s nothing to distract the players.”[/color] Su had changed into something fitting for a tennis match. She was wearing shorts and a tank with an open vest. [color=PeachPuff]“You mentioned you liked golf, I do have a miniature golf course I’m working on. That won’t be ready for a while though.”[/color] She spun the racket in her hand. [color=PeachPuff]“I think badminton is as close as I’ve gotten to playing tennis.”[/color]

Samantha admired the ability of Su’s to keep a theme going. She thought it must have taken a fair bit of dedication and time for something a lot of people might not appreciate enough. But hard work in general was something to be commended. Sam knew that more than anyone. [color=red]“It looks pleasing,”[/color] she complimented, walking over and picking up her own racket. Su mentioning a mini golf course being the works was something to look forward to. [color=red]“I’m only vaguely familiar with Tennis myself,”[/color] she gave the racket a few mock swings in order to get a feel for it. [color=red]“It’s not something you can do by yourself,”[/color] she added. 

[color=PeachPuff]“Not a proper game, at least. But people do practice by playing against a concrete wall.”[/color] Su walked over to the other side of the net. [color=PeachPuff]”So from my understanding, you score by having the ball bounce in your opponent’s zone twice? And you can’t touch the net.”[/color] She pulled a tennis ball out of her pocket. [color=PeachPuff]”We can also just hit the ball back and forth if that’s what you’re in the mood for.”[/color] Regardless of what they ended up doing, Su would be keeping score anyway. Even if it was just in her head.

Samantha shook her head, denying such an outrageous thing. [color=red]“Wouldn’t we be doing this court a disservice by not utilizing it for its purpose? If we are both at least vaguely aware of the rules, then I see no reason not to play.”[/color] Su would likely come to understand that Samantha was a competitive person by heart despite her lone wolf lifestyle. Although she might have learned this earlier had she spoken to Trixy. 

Thankfully for Su, they were playing Tennis and not sparring. 

[color=red]“Correct me if I’m wrong, but...On serve or return, the ball must bounce once within the boundary of the court or be counted against the offender, a second bounce in the opponent’s side scores a point, I would say the losing party should serve on game point or take turns if tied. I… believe there was something akin to a shot clock added at some point but that seems excessive even if I could keep track rather easily.”[/color] It took a few moments, but then Sam shook her head again. [color=red]“Sorry, I get carried away when it comes to competitions. We should probably keep it simple…I guess just serve,”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”Yes, that sounds about right.”[/color] Su couldn’t hold back her smile. She knew there was something special about Samantha. Even if neither of them were experts at tennis, wanting to be competitive in all things regardless of skill level was an admirable trait. [color=PeachPuff]”I think usually a coin flip is involved, but since I’m already holding a ball, I’ll serve.”[/color] She tossed the ball into the air and hit it with her racket.

If there was one thing Samantha really hated, it was losing. Though this may be surprising given her affable demeanor when it came towards Justine and a certain inquisitor, she absolutely couldn’t stand it. She had to be perfect and the best at the things she did if the possibility was there. So, naturally, she was going to play for keeps. No screwing around. No going easy. This game may as well been a duel to the death, and Sam was leaving here alive. 

[color=red]“Hyah!”[/color] Samantha saw the approaching tennis ball that was her target and predicted its course after the first bounce. Catching a ball going slower than a bullet would be child’s play compared to evading fire from magical girls or even bullets. It would be too easy, in fact. With a mighty swing, Samantha’s racket collided with the ball and sent it flying...  straight backwards, gifting Su a point. 

...maybe this is where she would die. 

[color=red]“O-oh, that’s…”[/color] she felt a bit embarrassed. [color=red]“I suppose that might’ve been instinct…”[/color] The problem here was that she had used the racket horizontally, instead of utilizing the net like she was supposed to. As though she were trying to slice the ball in half.

[color=PeachPuff][i]”What’s with that stance?”[/i][/color]

Su understood that Silhouette was one of Veronica’s most capable agents. But it seemed she was lost on the tennis court. Someone else might have felt compelled to play it easy on their opponent after such a display. But that would be doing Samantha a disservice. It wasn’t like Su was an expert player herself. The only way you could get better was by playing against opponents that were better than you, and only if they did their best.

[color=PeachPuff]”It does take a bit to adjust to.”[/color] Su extended her hand, and the ball was blown towards Samantha’s heel. She hadn’t transformed yet. Su was just using what little magical power she had out of costume to get the ball to roll back to her.  [color=PeachPuff]”So that’s 15-0, and it’s your turn to serve.”[/color] Su slid one of her feet behind herself. Perhaps this was a ruse to make her drop her guard.

Samantha picked up the ball. Taking a deep breath, she turned her racket in her hand and held it properly. Slicing at a tennis ball was obviously not the way to go about things. [color=red]“I shouldn’t be in love over something so stupid…”[/color] Sam muttered under her breath, but Su might’ve picked this up. Either way, she managed to throw the ball into the air and serve it properly. 

Su did, in fact, hear that. [color=PeachPuff]”Samantha?”[/color] Su hesitated, and the ball bounced past her without a single swing. [color=PeachPuff]”Is something bothering you?”[/color] She ran the discussion she had with Samantha in her room through her head and tried to find ways to link it up to what Samantha was saying now. [color=PeachPuff]”You weren’t in love with Mika, were you?”[/color]

That statement caused Samantha’s features to redden but she held an expression that seemed to suggest she didn’t even realize this. [color=red]“W-where’d this come from?”[/color] she asked. She looked away and tried to think about it, but honestly she was not sure. [color=red]“...I don’t… really have the experience to say,”[/color] she admitted. [color=red]“We talked about this a while back, didn’t we?”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“I recall you saying you felt that way about your boss.”[/color] Su blinked. Her initial hunch was correct, Mika had nothing to do with this. [color=PeachPuff]“I’m sorry, it’s hard to get Mika off my mind. What I wanted to ask was how Veronica was doing.”[/color]

The assassin’s expression soured when Veronica was brought up, confirming that this was indeed what irked her. [color=red]“Fine,”[/color] she replied. [color=red]“She’s gone now, though.”[/color] There was a bitterness to her tone. 

[color=PeachPuff]”She’s gone?”[/color] Su turned her head. [color=PeachPuff]”Like, dead or, did she leave?”[/color]

[color=red]“Left,”[/color] she clarified. [color=red]“Veronica can’t die,”[/color] Samantha said this with absolute confidence. It was almost as though she thought the notion was laughable. [color=red]“In her place is some… woman nobody recognizes, too,”[/color] Su could probably tell this particular part was what irked Sam the most given the sheer reluctance of hers to even give her the decency of calling her a woman. [color=red]“I don’t think it’s going to go well for us as an organization, but since she was chosen…”[/color] 

[color=PeachPuff]“Do you wish she picked you instead?”[/color]

Sam shook her head. [color=red]“No. I’m not the sort of person who can lead others. I was a soldier, so I am better at following orders,”[/color] she told Su.. 

Su nodded once and lowered her racket. [color=PeachPuff]”Is it something you feel like talking about?”[/color] She jogged over to the net. [color=PeachPuff]”Talking about Mika made me feel better. It might do the same for you.”[/color]

[color=red]"Mmm..."[/color] Samantha seemed to stew on the thought for a while before hesitantly nodding. [color=red]"I'm not good at explaining how I feel, but..."[/color] she placed a hand on her chest. [color=red]"...it's like I'm mad, irritated, and sad simultaneously. I don't like it at all. Not Veronica leaving, not that woman taking her place, and not me being left here.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”I feel similarly about Mika.”[/color] Su stepped around the net. [color=PeachPuff]”I don’t think there’s anything anyone could say to us to make you or I feel better though. It’s just not a pleasant situation.”[/color] She tapped her foot. 

[color=red]“Yeah, I think that you are probably right…”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”The woman who’s taking Veronica’s place, have you spoken with her much?”[/color]

[color=red]"I didn't want to,"[/color] she said. [color=red]"Aside from when she introduced herself, we have not spoken."[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”If she’s acting as your boss, you should probably get to know her a little better.”[/color] Su wasn’t Silhouette’s mother. Still, there was no harm in trying to give Samantha advice. Maybe? [color=PeachPuff]”I’ve never spoken to her, so I don’t know how she is. By all means avoid her if she’s mean or doesn’t act in Veronica’s best interests, but you’re probably going to have to talk to her sooner or later. It’s what she’d want, right?”[/color]

Samantha rubbed the back of her neck. [color=red]“I know that, it’s just…”[/color] she seemed almost unable to complete the thought. [color=red]“...I don’t know. Or I do... I know that it would be ideal for us to cooperate and that Veronica would want that, but…”[/color] Sam sighed as her mind ran in many different directions. [color=red]“I just must be sick or something, I can’t make sense of my own thoughts and it’s frustrating me.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”If you were in love with her, then that’s normal.”[/color] Su hugged herself and looked away from Samantha. [color=PeachPuff]”Some people might say no one could love someone like that but, well, I was in love with Veronica once.”[/color]

That roused Sam from her confusion. [color=red]“Huh?”[/color] she asked. [color=red]“What do you mean?”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”Um.”[/color] Su blinked. [color=PeachPuff]”I mean, we dated?”[/color] She needed a moment to think. [color=PeachPuff]”She snuck me into a movie theater once. That was back when I could only be a human for a half an hour at a time. I remember poking my head out of her coat so that I could eat her popcorn.”[/color] The corners of her lips twitched. [color=PeachPuff]”We were an item.”[/color]

[i][color=red]I was never told of this![/color][/i]

Samantha understood Veronica had her flings with other magical girls, but she wasn’t exactly briefed on them, so she hadn’t known that Su was involved. It… well, much like the rest of her thoughts, Sam couldn’t think of a proper word about how to describe them. She wasn’t mad but she wasn’t happy about this, either. 

[color=red]“What happened?”[/color] Sam let her curiosity lead her. 

[color=PeachPuff]”I don’t fully understand it myself.”[/color] Su hadn’t meant for her relationship with Veronica to become but it [s]had been about a year since it was hinted at[/s] was probably something Samantha had ought to hear. [color=PeachPuff]”We had been dating for-”[/color] Su closed her mouth. She took Samantha aside and spoke to her in a hushed tone, confident that no one could hear them. [color=PeachPuff]”We had been dating for a while. That was when the former ‘Vermillion Veronica’ found her. To keep things from getting confusing, I’m going to call the Veronica you know ‘Fritzi.’”[/color] It was like uncorking champagne. As soon as Su mentioned her name, the rest came out easy. [color=PeachPuff]”Fritzi needed help, so she was given a black coin, a debt, and sent on her way. I wasn’t allowed to listen to their conversations together, but Fritzi always told me what Veronica had told her. Or at least I assume she did. Fritzi was always to type to withhold information rather than flat out lie.”[/color] Su found herself standing up straight. [color=PeachPuff]”It was normal Mint fanfare with her. I’m sure you know the types of things Fritzi was asked to do better than anyone. First it was just odd jobs, then it was assassinations. All while feeding the Mint information on Boteg. I didn’t like it. I couldn’t believe she would sell out Boteg, but I also loved her. Her missions kept getting tougher. At one point they told her to slay Veronica. They were trying to get her to use the coin, or ask for more help. We knew it.”[/color] Su rubbed the back of her neck. [color=PeachPuff]”One night she said she was going to save Boteg and myself, but that I had to remain behind. We had our last kiss and then I went back to sleep. Well, I tried. The following day Boteg’s entire hoard was gone.”[/color] Su closed her eyes and folded her hands together. [color=PeachPuff]”She must have been successful. You can tell her power isn’t normal, and she was respected enough to be a coin broker. We encountered each other on and off over the past few years, then she called me out to bring Amber to Boteg.”[/color] Su looked away. [color=PeachPuff]”We haven’t spoken much since then.”[/color]

[color=red]“...I see,”[/color] Samantha ruminated on the odd history Su shared with Veronica. It wasn’t something she was privy to, as Veronica rarely spoke about her past in detail, though this was par for the course with a Mint broker and any smart agent. [color=red]“The Mint, from my experience, works with profit in mind exclusively. To this end, anything might be demanded of an agent and they will use whatever means necessary to achieve their goals, be it menial labor or contracted killing,”[/color] Samantha explained, her chin resting on her hand. [color=red]“That they would ask ‘Fritzy’ to take out her own superior… it doesn’t surprise me in the least,”[/color] Sam realized something, then shook her head. [color=red]“Oh, yeah, I’m sure you already know this. But the reason I was bringing it up was because I had a stray thought about something, but since it involves… ‘Fritzy’, I can’t see it being a problem.”[/color] Samantha sighed. [color=red]“I imagine she used Boteg’s hoard as a bribe to protect the two of you, but that would normally just give the Mint leverage considering it would make obvious the significance of the two of you to ‘Fritzy’.”[/color]

Samantha was thankful that her lone-wolf approach to life had made it impossible for them to have such a hold over her. Since she joined the Cradle with Veronica, they had nothing to use against her. No family. No friends. 

[color=red]“But… she’s smart,”[/color] Samantha declared. [color=red]“And you aren’t dead or worse. So it’s nothing, I guess.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”I would like to think that she did it to protect us.”[/color] Su couldn’t, of course, think that was the only reason. There was too much secrecy. [color=PeachPuff]”She doesn’t have many reasons to keep me alive, I don’t imagine. I’m just a liability at this point.”[/color] 

[color=red]“Yes, that’s exactly why it would be leverage. They would know that you were someone of importance to her. And do you think they have standards? Only when it benefits them,”[/color] Samantha told her. She was no different when she joined, so the spite seeping into her words was not entirely directed at them. 

She examined Samantha’s features. [color=PeachPuff]”How do you feel now?”[/color]

[color=red]“Frus…”[/color] Samantha then realized that such feelings had become less pronounced. [color=red]“...well, maybe not as much anymore,”[/color] she changed her answer. Sam scratched her head. [color=red]“I do not feel as strongly as I did earlier, at the very least.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”That’s good.”[/color] Su walked back over to her side of the net. [color=PeachPuff]”That was your point, so we’re 15-15.”[/color] She spun the ball in her hand before preparing to serve. [color=PeachPuff]”Oh.”[/color] She looked Samantha in the eyes. [color=PeachPuff]”I’m glad we talked. I feel a little better too.”[/color] She fired the ball over the net and Samantha returned to focusing on the game. 

In the end, neither of the girls could pull off a win and thus the match was eventually concluded with the only reward being the promise of a rematch with a more satisfying conclusion. But Samantha might be looking forward to more than just the game.