[center] [color=ff6347]"Call me, maybe?"[/color] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzJSoS12NJA][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/67db9e12-fbd7-4070-850c-e665c310a967.png[/img][/url] [color=firebrick][b]“Sure, sure. Just don’t expect a straight answer.”[/b][/color][/center] Perhaps the outcome of that meeting was predictable. Maybe she should have seen it coming, but Suki found that after confronting Tsubomi, she felt even more agitated and unsure of how to move forward. Or was ‘Zassou’ the right name to use? She didn’t consider herself a religious person, but god this was frustrating. Metaphorically, Suki felt like she was on a fracturing iceberg. Tsubomi was on one chunk that was drifting away, and all she could do was watch her apathetic face shrink as she drifted off. In actuality, Suki was walking, aimlessly, around a neighborhood. It was too early to do magical girl stuff, and too late to do mischief. All the stores were open and there wasn’t anything she needed or wanted. Now might be a good time to drop by the arcade, but she was already there earlier and felt like what had happened there would just continue to repeat in her head. Suki took a step and her head bounced off a walking light. It was as if it had teleported in the way, but it must have always been there. She looked around and noticed that a few people were looking at her, but they dodged her gaze and resumed their business. With a groan, the delinquent ducked into a noodle shop and pulled out her phone. While her eyes scanned the area, her fingers dialed a number from pure muscle memory. Once she was done, she held the phone to the side of her head. [color=ff6347]"Come on sister, pick up…"[/color] … … … Kiyo stared at the string of characters on her screen. A part of her knew that this was never going to work. The two of them were simply not compatible, and yet she kept coming back. With a finger, she gently swiped, closed the app and sighed. [color=firebrick][b]"I really need to get over this, and try a new programming language..."[/b][/color] Then, her phone vibrated, which caused Kiyo to start. Her phone was silent unless it was something important, like a ping from the group chat or a direct message. It was neither of those, though—her phone was [i]ringing.[/i] That almost never happened. Everybody used text these days. Calls were always telemarketers and scammers. [color=firebrick][b]"Suki?"[/b][/color] There was no reply, of course, because she hadn't actually answered the phone yet. She'd been subtly avoiding Suki ever since she'd nearly lost Tsubomi. Each time she'd looked at Suki, she remembered the look of animal rage she'd made as she was coming to, and it made approaching her difficult, even for Kiyo. [color=firebrick][b]"Setting that aside..."[/b][/color] she said, as if saying the words would make it easier. Another reason one would call instead of text is if it was a complicated situation, or an emergency. [color=firebrick][b]"Suki?"[/b][/color] she finally answered, her voice even but slightly urgent. [color=firebrick][b]"Where are you? Is everything okay?"[/b][/color] She tried not to sound like a 119 operator, but even Evil Eye was on edge these days after the encounter with the GEMs. [color=ff6347]"Noooooooo…"[/color] Suki practically whined in her response. [color=ff6347]"I uh, I need to talk to you, but like, you haven’t been hanging around any of the usual spots. Where are you?"[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"At home. Been working on a project,"[/b][/color] she replied vaguely. Already, she was checking her mogall to see if she could find Suki. It didn't sound like an emergency, but she was clearly in distress of some kind. Of all the people she could have called instead, she still chose to call Kiyo, and that offered her some relief. [color=firebrick][b]"Where do you need me to be?"[/b][/color] she asked softly. [color=ff6347]"I don’t knowwwwwwwww."[/color] Her voice cracked. [color=ff6347]"I’m downtown right now. Where was the burger place you took me? I think I saw it nearby, but I’m not sure."[/color] [color=firebrick][b][i]Downtown.[/i][/b][/color] She began searching there while flying blind through her apartment. [color=firebrick][b]"Okay. I'm on my way, so just stay where you are and tell me what you see."[/b][/color] She was outside now, transformed and flying in the direction of the downtown area that included their usual haunts. Suki almost sounded drunk, but it didn't really matter. She wasn't in a state to be told to go anywhere, so Kiyo would go find her. … … … Sometimes, while cruising around as a magical girl, it was hard to remember that people lived in Hibusa town. Hibusa High had a fair number of students, and downtown was always filled with them after school. But by the time the sun set and the shops closed, the town felt eerily quiet. One would be forgiven for thinking that Hibusa town was only occupied by high school girls, but that was not the case. In the middle of the day the streets were filled with locals moving to and fro, trying to get their mid day chores done before the lunch rush ended. Suki did not blend in on the best of days, but she was easily the youngest, most disheveled person on the street. She was sitting on a bench in front of a convenience store with a statue of a beckoning cat on the other side. Her heel bounced on the concrete as she waited for Kiyo to arrive. It was easier to spot something with a mogall's-eye view, so once Suki had stepped outside, it wasn't terribly difficult for Evil Eye to find her. She untransformed in a nearby alley and made her way over to her. Kiyo walked with a barely-noticeable limp, but she was free of her cane at last. Like Suki, she was also a bit disheveled in her apparent haste. She was even wearing slippers instead of shoes—the fuzzy black kind with cat ears. [color=firebrick][b]"I'm here,"[/b][/color] she said, sitting down on the bench next to her. [color=firebrick][b]"What's wrong?"[/b][/color] It took Suki a good while to turn her head in Kiyo’s direction. First her face, and then slowly her eyes were dragged onto Kiyo. She blinked once, then again, and then her eyes traveled down Kiyo’s form and settled on her slippers. [color=ff6347]"Did you get all dressed up for me?"[/color] This wasn’t a joke, the delivery was too deadpan. [color=ff6347]"You didn’t have to. I um…"[/color] She hugged one of her knees. [color=ff6347]"I just wanted to talk to you. About Tsubomi."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Mm."[/b][/color] Kiyo vocalized her acknowledgement with a simple nod. In her experience, Suki tended to bottle things up, so if she was like this, it was usually pretty serious. [color=firebrick][b]"I asked about Tsubomi during the last meeting, but Miss Supervisor wouldn't tell me anything—said she'd look into it. Do we know what's wrong with her?"[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Um, yea."[/color] She pointed her face ahead, but kept looking at Kiyo. [color=ff6347]"I’m just gunna start at the beginning."[/color] With a sigh, her eyes focused on something in the distance. [color=ff6347]"So you know that Tsubomi has been acting kind of weird after the beach? And how she’s like, you know, progressively becoming more like herself as time goes on? So I was trying to figure out how to make her better and Pinocchio approached me out of the blue. Apparently she can hear what people want, aaaaaaaaand Tsubomi wants to kill herself."[/color] Suki curled her lips into her mouth, then she turned her entire body to face Kiyo. The leg she had been hugging slid out of her hands and filled most of the space between Kiyo and herself. [color=ff6347]"So this was really confusing, because Tsubomi can’t feel anything as I understood it, but I also kind of had my doubts? You know, because she’s gotta want things. But this is Pinocchio so I couldn’t just blindly trust her. But we encountered the supervisor and the three of us wanted to talk with Tsubomi. And that was when things got, well, kinda wild."[/color] Suki paused to catch her breath. [color=firebrick][b][i]Pinocchio?[/i][/b][/color] By process of elimination, that must have been Hizuki, but questions about the case of the might-be-lying magical girl of light would have to wait on account of the bombshell. Kiyo sat so still that she might have been mistaken for a trained shinobi. They'd taken it for granted that Tsubomi didn't feel anything because of her nature as a dark magical girl—in fact, Evil Eye admired that ability to suppress her emotions and desires as something to aspire to—but now, it seemed that everything she thought she knew about Tsubomi was in doubt. Depression—she ought to have recognized it immediately, she thought. There was another bombshell, too, to which she had a delayed but visible reaction, her eyes widening to a degree they usually only did when she was Evil Eye. [color=firebrick][b][i]Impossible,[/i][/b][/color] she thought. A light girl, aware of her ambitions, wanted to help her? [color=firebrick][b][i]That's impossible. But it—[/i][/b][/color] She thought back to her first meeting with the girl. [color=yellow][i]I can help you,[/i][/color] had been practically the first words out of her mouth. [color=firebrick][b][i]I let my emotions run wild that night! My guard was down... Then, she knew all along about Ashbringer. She knew that I planned to stir up shit with the GEMs to show Rei that these girls really need her. Yet, she played along as if she knew nothing. Well done, Hizuki. We really are...[/i] quite [i]similar.[/i][/b][/color] Kiyo suppressed the beginnings of a snicker, disguising it as a sneeze. [color=firebrick][b]"Kusu. ...Pinocchio is a good name. So then, was Tsubomi depressed?"[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"So apparently, Tsubomi as we know her is some sort of manifestation, or something, that is inhabiting the real Tsubomi’s body. And the real Tsubomi is waking up, and they want to kill our Tsubomi, because they don’t want to share control. And then Pinocchio just casually suggests we find our Tsubomi a new body and magic her inside of it. And then our supervisor starts acting like this is a totally normal thing to do and mentions she has a supplier and everything, but there’s still doubts as to if they can move Tsubomi over because we don’t know what she is. And even if it worked without a hitch Tsubomi would either be a mannequin or a zombie, which would be all kinds of weird. And given the timing, it happened around the time I struck Tsubomi’s head with a soccer ball. Pinocchio said she doesn’t think it’s my fault but this is Pinocchio and I fully expect her to lie to me."[/color] Suki placed her arm on the backrest of the bench and rested her head on it. [color=ff6347]"It would be a little bit easier to deal with if our Tsubomi had like, a care in the world."[/color] [color=firebrick][b][i]A supplier who can transfer someone into a new body with magic? Now that, I have to see,[/i][/b][/color] thought the mad scientist, but she suppressed that excitement for now. [color=firebrick][b]"A manifestation..."[/b][/color] Kiyo repeated the word. [color=firebrick][b]"Well, it seems like there are two possibilities. Either the 'light girl Tsubomi' is still in there, fighting to regain control of herself like this is some kind of anime—unprecedented, as far as I'm aware, but not impossible to imagine—or something more like a split personality. Though, one getting a hold of magic is pretty unusual, maybe."[/b][/color] She didn't exactly have many data points on magical girls with split personalities, but she had [i]none[/i] on dark girls returning to the light. [color=firebrick][b]"The latter seems more likely to me. In the case of split personalities, they usually appear to serve some kind of role, like a coping mechanism. That would mean that 'our' Tsubomi exists because the original Tsubomi couldn't allow herself to want or feel things. It's not too hard to imagine why a dark magical girl would want that. I do too, sometimes."[/b][/color] She tapped her cheek with a finger, apparently in deep thought. [color=firebrick][b]"Perhaps, at some point in time, she had some need to deny herself, and was cultivating this personality on purpose—but now, she's having second thoughts, and that means Do-Not-Want Tsubomi is an obstacle now, and not a helper, because... original Tsubomi has decided that she wants something, or wants to want something, and feel things about whatever that something is,"[/b][/color] she decided. Setting aside the question of why on earth Kiyo would know so much about split personalities, of all things, she seemed pretty confident in her conclusions. But theories on why this was happening wouldn't help Suki cope with the idea that it was [i]her fault[/i] this was happening. [color=firebrick][b]"It's true that there's probably a lot going on under the hood in Tsubomi's head, and getting hit with a soccer ball hard enough might shake things up. If original Tsubomi lost control of her body, and then one day woke up and decided she wanted it back, she might've been waiting for an opening like that. Thing is... it might be too soon to use a word like 'fault' to describe what happened."[/b][/color] Her eyes ceased their thoughtful wanderings and found Suki. [color=firebrick][b]"Because if my theory has any merit at all, that would mean Tsubomi is healing. She's in a situation now where she doesn't need to suppress her feelings, wants and needs."[/b][/color] She said it with such absolute confidence, it was as if she'd seen a similar sequence of events play out firsthand. [color=firebrick][b]"This was going to happen eventually, in that case. If it wasn't a soccer ball to the head, it would have been something else. Us dark girls regularly take bigger knocks to the head than that, after all."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Right, but-"[/color] Kiyo reached across the space between them and lightly tapped Suki on the head with a knuckle, offering her best reassuring smile, before turning serious once more. [color=firebrick][b]"So, this operation of hers... If our Tsubomi is in fact a full person, turning her into a compliant doll doesn't seem like a good solution—but that seems unlikely to be the case, if you ask me. Two entire people sharing one body—I'm not sure how that would happen. It's more likely that the Tsubomi we know was just a protective shell, of sorts."[/b][/color] She frowned. [color=firebrick][b]"This Wants-Things-Tsubomi—does she still have the memories of the Tsubomi we know? In the worst case, if she is actually the [i]only[/i] Tsubomi—do you think you can be her friend, too?"[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Could I be her friend?"[/color] Suki seemed to think back on earlier events. [color=ff6347]"Uh, there was this point where our Tsubomi was- Actually, I guess she calls herself Zassou now, like the happy weed."[/color] She hung her head for a moment before continuing. [color=ff6347]"Zassou was communicating with the true Tsubomi, and relaying messages to us. And I, uh, I kinda, maybe, said I’d kill her if she killed Zassou?"[/color] Kiyo giggled, and Suki rubbed the side of her face. [color=ff6347]"But to clarify, the idea was that we’d put Zassou in some other body and let Tsubomi keep her own. I’m sorry I wasn’t more clear, it’s really hard to wrap my mind around what’s going on."[/color] She pulled her other knee up on the bench so that she was kneeling towards Kiyo. She steadied herself with the backrest. [color=ff6347]"But I’ve kind of been thinking something along the same lines. If Zassou is fated to go away, and she can’t feel things, then maybe the humane thing to do is to let her uh, ‘die’ for lack of a better word."[/color] She looked away. [color=ff6347]"But Tsubomi, the real one, she uh, well, seems kiiiiiind of like a bitch? Like, she seems very irritable, and I couldn’t see her liking anybody. Especially if she’s a light girl, I couldn’t picture her sticking around with us."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"I see..."[/b][/color] Kiyo frowned. These, then, were the real stakes. Suki would lose her friend, and the Club would lose a member—perhaps some of the others might say that Acid Drop was already basically gone, but Kiyo didn't want to just give in that easily. Still, any hopes that the original Tsubomi might have bonded to one of the other girls seemed to be dashed, now. [color=firebrick][b]"Nyxia seemed like kind of a bitch, too, but she seems to be doing fine. Though there may be... another way."[/b][/color] She bit her thumbnail, in that way she did when she was uncomfortably considering the merits and demerits of her own ideas. [color=firebrick][b]"We could try... hypnotism,"[/b][/color] she suggested. [color=firebrick][b]"Putting the original Tsubomi to sleep again would only be a temporary solution to a permanent problem—but if I could put her under hypnosis, we could delve deeper into Tsubomi's psyche and find out more about what's really going on without having to hear it from a biased source. Then we would have a little more certainty about whether or not this body-swapping magic would actually do what we intend for it to do."[/b][/color] Her eyes wandered as she thought. [color=firebrick][b]"But she might resist—[i]violently[/i]—and she's... very good at getting away from me."[/b][/color] Her voice trailed off into a mumble. [color=ff6347]"Riiiiight."[/color] Suki sighed. [color=ff6347]"I guess this is something else that needs to be run past everyone. Though, maybe it would be best to just see what you can do before they go through with the body swap stuff."[/color] She scratched the side of her head [color=ff6347]"You could see what you could learn, and then we could tell the others your findings."[/color] Suki hadn’t made eye contact with Kiyo for a bit now. She was distracted by something. [color=ff6347]"So you think the name Pinocchio fits too?"[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Sure. Not malicious, but not completely honest either. Desperately wants to be a good girl, but ends up dancing on another's strings."[/b][/color] There was a pause. [color=firebrick][b]"If it wasn't us, it would be someone else taking advantage of her. I get that impression."[/b][/color] Another pause. [color=firebrick][b]"Still wanna do the pizza pockets thing?"[/b][/color] she offered. Suki didn’t answer right away. She had clearly been listening to Kiyo, her eyes flicked to her occasionally, but there was something in her mind she was pulling apart. [color=ff6347]"I think she might be gay."[/color] Kiyo blinked. [color=firebrick][b]"Based on the available information, it's probable."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"T–that came out wrong, hehe!"[/color] Suki waved her hand at Kiyo. [color=ff6347]"W-what I mean to say is, she got really defensive because she thought I said she was into girls. But was that a cover up? I mean, if she was a deceitful person, then Pinocchio would try to throw me off her trail. I think she said she never remembered wanting to kiss a guy but like."[/color] Suki looked directly at Kiyo. [color=ff6347]"What if she did? And she didn’t like it? I wish I could remember more of what she said."[/color] Suki folded her legs and looked straight ahead. [color=ff6347]"But she didn’t seem that bothered when I initially suggested she should date Tsubomi. But she was bothered that I assumed she was into girls."[/color] She placed her fingers on her forehead. [color=ff6347]"What could it mean?"[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Are you and Willow having a bet on who she has a crush on?"[/b][/color] Kiyo tilted her head and smiled accusingly. [color=ff6347]"Wah?"[/color] Suki’s head poked up. Somehow she looked even more distraught than she had when Kiyo first came over. [color=ff6347]"N-no! I would’t- Why is Willow even in this discussion?"[/color] She pinched the bridge of her nose. [color=ff6347]"I haven’t spoken to her for a bit. She was eavesdropping on Pinocchio and I-"[/color] Suki clenched her hand in a fist. Her eyes looked like they were trying to escape her head, and her entire body was quivering. Then with a sigh, she fell backwards against the bench and rolled her head towards Kiyo. [color=ff6347]"You sound like you know who she’s interested in."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Nope. Doesn't really concern me,"[/b][/color] Kiyo replied, ruffling Suki's hair a little. Suki winced, but didn’t do anything to stop her. [color=firebrick][b]"Though Willow did say Haruna had a crush on someone, none of us know who it is."[/b][/color] Suki snorted and pulled her hair straight. [color=ff6347]"I guess it’s a stupid thing to think about."[/color] She folded her hands and placed them in her lap. [color=ff6347]"Pizza pocket things sound good right about now."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"I just mean that it's not my business, as long as it's not going to cause infighting,"[/b][/color] Kiyo clarified with a shrug. Her hand relented on the hair-ruffling and found her shoulder instead. This seemed to make her face glow red, or was it just from her being in a post drunken stupor? [color=firebrick][b]"Let's see... I believe it was..."[/b][/color] Kiyo checked her phone. [color=firebrick][b]"Oh. Pizza [i]bites,[/i] hot pockets and smores, to be precise. And 'soda for days.'"[/b][/color] She rattled off every detail she'd stored in her note. She stood up, offering a smile. [color=firebrick][b]"Sounds good to me. I've been craving carbs and red dye number three."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"A-and yellow five, heh!"[/color] Suki stumbled to her feet and kept pace with Kiyo. She took exactly three steps before looking at her. [color=ff6347]"Um, so does Willow have any idea who it might be?"[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Nope,"[/b][/color] Kiyo replied, but then her lips curled with mischief. [color=firebrick][b]"She seemed to cheer up a bit when I said it probably wasn't you, though?"[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"She uh, she did?"[/color] Suki lowered her head, but kept her eyes pointed up at Kiyo. [color=ff6347]"That’s uh, kinda weird."[/color] They got about five steps away from a traffic crossing that was devoid of any automobiles, which was when Suki spoke up again. [color=ff6347]"I mean it ‘probably isn’t me’ is a little generous, isn’t it? You should have said it definitely wasn’t me!"[/color] She chuckled a few times, then stopped as soon as she started to sound like a pig snorting. [color=ff6347]"Hey uh, you mind playing a game with me?"[/color] Suki rubbed her arm. [color=ff6347]"When Tsubomi was, uh, less confusing, we’d discuss possible matches in the detention club. There have been a lot of developments, but I don’t think she’d be up for it anymore. I know it’s none of your business, but, you know?"[/color] Kiyo almost considered saying something about Suki's 'confidence issue,' but that was a discussion for another day. Suki had enough to worry about right now. [color=firebrick][b]"Hmm."[/b][/color] She tilted her head in thought as she made her way to the supermarket. [color=firebrick][b]"Roche and Haruna,"[/b][/color] she suggested. [color=ff6347]"Wha?"[/color] Suki took a step away from Kiyo. [color=ff6347]"You have got to be kidding with me right now!"[/color] Her hand flew up and she weakly slapped Kiyo’s shoulder. [color=ff6347]"Roach has like, Nyxia fawning over her, and Shuuko cuddles with her in public. There’s no way it could be Roach! Haruna is not that kind of girl!"[/color] She swatted Kiyo’s shoulder again. [color=ff6347]"Take me seriously, please!"[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Ahaha! I thought you’d like the crack pairings."[/b][/color] Kiyo smiled as Suki made a fuss. [color=firebrick][b]"Yeah, I couldn't see Nyxia with anyone else. Think Roche could teach her some chill?"[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"She’s practically got her eating out of her hand."[/color] Suki grumbled. [color=ff6347]"But if we pair them together, then Shuuko gets… Hmmm…"[/color] Suki meditated on it, but not long enough to give Kiyo another chance to tease her. [color=ff6347]"Kind of weird to think of her as your old partner, given you guys have been apart for a bit now. She’s kinda nice, kinda clingy, That doesn’t really feel like your style."[/color] She thought a bit more. [color=ff6347]"Eh, aside from Haruna, I think she’d get along with almost anyone. Maybe we save her as a wild card option when we narrow them down a bit more? Or we pair her with you. What do you think?"[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Me and Shuuko, huh,"[/b][/color] Kiyo pondered. She supposed she'd have to be paired up eventually, Suki would insist on it. [color=firebrick][b]"Feels like another 'default pairing,' yeah. I wouldn't call her clingy. Her loyalty is fierce. I like that."[/b][/color] She walked inside the store and pulled out a shopping cart, earning herself a fair few fake smiles from some employees who were probably ready for closing right about now. [color=firebrick][b]"Who would you pair Willow with, then? Don't say Rei, that's boring. Humor me."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"I’m pretty sure Tsubomi and myself are the only people who can tolerate her. She seems to annoy everyone else."[/color] Suki didn’t even need to think about this one. [color=ff6347]"I’d normally say Rainbow, but uh, not sure about this new Rainbow. If Baast has her eyes on Pinochio that’s kind of a no brainer. But yea, Pinocchio or Rainbow."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Mm. I think Willow will be mad at Haruna for a while. If new Tsubomi is a mean girl, maybe they'll get along?"[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Maybe…"[/color] Kiyo grabbed a little bit of everything vaguely pizza-related from the frozen appetizers section without thinking about it much. [color=firebrick][b]"Then it's... oh. Right, there's nine of us now. Then I guess that leaves you and Haruna after all. Rei can just sit this out now. Though maybe—her and the Supervisor?"[/b][/color] She considered it. [color=firebrick][b]"I almost forgot about her."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Back up."[/color] Suki held her hands up, but she wasn’t standing in front of the the cart. She quickly counted her fingers and mumbled some names. [color=ff6347]"Roach and Nyxia, Sister and Fingers, Willow and Rainbow, Boss baby and Mom…"[/color] Suki pursed her lips. [color=ff6347]"Nah, I uh, I don’t think Boss Baby would be interested in mom. I don’t think she would make a club and not be interested in anyone, either. She was okay with Pinocchio joining us, so maybe she likes her. Or hey! Maybe Rei and Fingers could be a thing and… I mean you said earlier but you know… You were… kinda… interested in…"[/color] Suki threw down her fingers. [color=ff6347]"You just said it probably wasn’t me a minute ago! You can’t just change your mind now!"[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Pfft."[/b][/color] Kiyo covered a mischievous smirk with her hand. [color=firebrick][b]"Shuuko is pretty interesting after all, so maybe? Her and Rei, then. Well, what if Haruna's crush turns out to be Tsubomi? Then it's you and Willow."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Maybe."[/color] Suki scratched her head. [color=ff6347]"If she doesn’t want me to be with Haruna, it could be that… Hmm, that doesn’t feel quite…"[/color] Suki was half talking to herself, half thinking to herself. [color=firebrick][b]"Putting the two Supervisors together is no good, huh? Pairing her up with anyone else almost feels like a crime though, you know?"[/b][/color] Chocolate bars and marshmallows, acquired. [color=ff6347]"Well, what about you and me?"[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"You mean as more than just sisters?"[/b][/color] Kiyo added after a pause. [color=firebrick][b]"I'm not the kind of girl who can make a partner happy, Suki. You'd rather be with anyone else. Even being alone might be better..."[/b][/color] Her voice trailed off. [color=firebrick][b]"Well, that's why I picked Shuuko. She has the patience of a saint, after all."[/b][/color] And then, silence. Suki’s fidgeting, mumbling, and fuming no longer filled the air. The confection isle was rather quiet, with no sign of shoppers save for the far off sound of carts rolling through checkout. The loudest sound was the hum of the freezers the next isle over. Of all the isles, this was also one of the few that did not have any sort of surveillance in it. A pair of porcelain hands slid over Kiyo’s shoulders. Their marble fingers reached for her collarbones before sliding along the contour of her shoulders. [color=ff6347]"Mmmm, you’re kind of cute when you blush though."[/color] Oros said with a giggle. [color=ff6347]"Red really is your color."[/color] Kiyo's shoulders tensed. This was how it always started. This gentle coaxing—sweet talking, hands coming from behind, inevitably while she was doing something else—but this wasn't [i]him.[/i] This was Suki, she told herself, and told herself again. [color=firebrick][b]"I told you to forget about... that night,"[/b][/color] she replied after checking the aisle for eavesdropping employees. She couldn't remember any other time she would have blushed in front of any of the Club girls. She also couldn't [i]forget[/i] that time, either, and remembering it now [i]did[/i] cause her to lightly blush. Suki had left her feeling... complex emotions. She had almost allowed herself to feel a desire that she should not. What Suki needed was guidance from someone who cared, not... whatever she would have been, if she hadn't taught herself to suppress that nasty impulse humans called "love." [color=ff6347]"Some things are hard to forget."[/color] Oros’s fingers turned red with her blood. [color=ff6347]"Others are impossible."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Why do you do this to yourself, Suki?"[/b][/color] The strange question came out of her suddenly, and she looked a bit sad. It was a look she never showed in front of the Club, even when she had to cry to use her magic. She was always giggling like a maniac during those times. [color=ff6347]"Hah!"[/color] Oros retracted her hands and stepped in front of Kiyo. As she did, her essence bubbled and distorted and rushed back into the tip of Suki’s finger. [color=ff6347]"Maybe lighten up on the teasing if ya can’t take it, eh?"[/color] She grabbed a package of assorted Dig-Dawgs and tossed them into the cart. [color=ff6347]"So what do you need to make sure the hypnotizing goes as smoothly as possible?"[/color] Kiyo's lips parted to say something, but she seemed to think better of it, turning around and pushing the cart to the next aisle over instead. [color=firebrick][b]"The more of Tsubomi's friends we can gather, the better. Club only, of course. Just to keep her calm and back me up if something goes wrong."[/b][/color] Graham crackers, acquired. Last was the soda. Suki was eyeing the sodas at the end of the aisle, but she occasionally peaked at the alcoholic beverages in the corner of the store. Then her eyes flicked up to a security and she sighed. [color=ff6347]"I dunno about that. I mean, Tsubomi doesn’t have any emotions. The shell I mean. I forgot what we were calling her."[/color] She looked back to Kiyo. [color=ff6347]"And I doubt the other one really cares for us all that much. I couldn’t even tell you if she enjoyed being my partner or not."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Then, let me put it this way. If what we're doing seems to be out of concern for our Tsubomi, other Tsubomi might be less suspicious of my intentions. Better she thinks we look stupid rather than looking prepared. Speaking of which."[/b][/color] On the soda aisle, too, she got a little bit of everything again. [color=firebrick][b]"My place or yours?"[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Uh…"[/color] Suki’s eyes wandered over to the cart, which was starting to look pretty full. [color=ff6347]"I haven’t been to your place in a while, heh!"[/color] she rubbed the back of her head and smiled. [color=ff6347]"Done shopping?"[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Yeah,"[/b][/color] she replied simply. There was a pause at checkout where she seemed to consider something, credit card in hand, but she shrugged it off and paid. When they left, the employees locked the door behind them, the last customers of the evening. [color=firebrick][b]"It's getting late, so Shuuko might be out,"[/b][/color] she remarked absently. [color=ff6347]"That’s not too surprising."[/color] Suki looked at the cart again. [color=ff6347]"Actually, that’s a lot of food for two people, isn’t it? I’m surprised you got that much."[/color] She pulled out a box of cigarettes that still had a cellophane wrapping on them. They also looked like the brand that was near the counter where they checked out. [color=ff6347]"If you took less, we could have skipped checkout. But uh, guess you were really hungry for red three huh?"[/color] It was only now that Suki said something that Kiyo seemed to realize that she'd done grocery shopping for a family of four. The shock of that epiphany seemed to sweep away the question that came soon after entirely. [color=firebrick][b]"Ah. Well, it's... When you treat someone, there should be leftovers."[/b][/color] She stated it factually, like that was just how this was done. It had all been so automatic, until the moment she realized that there was no car to load any of this into, and the employee from before had followed the pair of weirdos to the end of the parking lot because they couldn't close the store with a cart outside. [b]"E-Excuse me, miss..."[/b] She sighed. [color=firebrick][b]"Fuck."[/b][/color] She unloaded as many of the bags as she could loop around her arm, leaving Suki to take the cue to carry the soda, which she picked up and balanced on her head. Or rather, she used her head to help hold the soda up along with her scrawny arms. [color=firebrick][b]"Family emergency,"[/b][/color] Kiyo mumbled as she rolled the cart over to the girl, whose demeanor melted into sympathy as she bowed and took it. She must have looked the part, doing grocery shopping in slippers. When Kiyo rounded the corner and was sure no one was watching, she transformed. [color=firebrick][b]"Fuck,"[/b][/color] she repeated with a groan, taking flight, but staying low to the ground so Suki could follow. [color=firebrick][b]"...It's not far, but it could've been closer."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"I hear ya."[/color] Carrying so much soda was always going to be awkward, but she couldn’t really look up at Evil eye since she was supporting the load with her head. The carton of cigarettes in her one hand were half crushed, likely a casualty from the girl’s speedy retreat. [color=ff6347]"It could definitely be closer."[/color] She stumbled as her foot found its way into a shallow pot hole. [color=ff6347]"Oh whew! It’s usually rained when I do that."[/color] She giggled. [color=ff6347]"So um, what are we doing at your place? Are we gunna watch a movie, maybe play a board game. Make, uh, a video?"[/color] Evil Eye giggled, quickly recovering from her embarrassment and other complicated emotions. [color=firebrick][b]"A video? Like, what, of us eating? [i]Hard[/i] pass."[/b][/color] Kiyo didn't really do social media. Or rather, she did, but mostly by proxy, being tagged in other girls' posts. She was the type to cultivate a following at school with that kind of 'the less you know' mystique that the foreign beauty types always had. [color=firebrick][b]"It's a little out of season to watch a scary movie, but what about, like, one of those 'so bad it's good' movies that people watch to make fun of?"[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"What do you mean it’s out of season?"[/color] It was nearly halloween after all. It certainly wasn’t like halloween had happened nearly a month ago and they were closing in on December. Then again, perhaps every day was halloween when you were a dark magical girl. You always got into a costume, and went to a party every day. Said party just happened to involve eating big, black, amorphous blobs of negative emotions. Some of them looked like they were made of mochi. [color=ff6347]"B-but I’m fine uh, watching a bad movie. I like those."[/color] Kiyo blinked. [color=firebrick][b]"Time is slipping away from me, I suppose."[/b][/color] The candy being on sale should have tipped her off, in hindsight. [color=firebrick][b]"How about a bad monster movie, then? Have you seen Sharktopus?"[/b][/color] . .. ... Kiyo and Shuuko's apartment was in a pretty nice part of town. It had a traditional Japanese aesthetic that suited the priestess-like Shuuko and princess-like Kiyo. A simple living room, kitchen, two bed, one bath. They'd even splurged on one with a laundry room. Kiyo began by stuffing most of their pizza-like goods in the freezer that was otherwise full of meats. Taking one box out, she was just able to make it all fit. [color=firebrick][b]"I have to say, I've never used the microwave to make smores before."[/b][/color] She started with putting in some pizza bites, though. [color=ff6347]"The marshmallows are the only bit that’s different."[/color] Suki puffed out her chest and folded her hands behind her back. [color=ff6347]"When you use a fire, the outside gets all crispy, and you can tell when they are done because they get dark. But uh, when you microwave them, they just sort of get bigger? Then they shrink down when you stop cooking them. If you nuke them long enough they just kind of turn into a liquidy, sticky mass"[/color] She nodded, waited, then nodded again. [color=ff6347]"I kinda like microwaving them though. You get to eat a lot faster."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Marshmallows aren't the same without the char,"[/b][/color] Kiyo replied with a shrug. [color=firebrick][b]"You do you, but I'm air frying mine."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"You have an air fryer?"[/color] Suki looked at the counter top. [color=ff6347]"Oh hey, you do!"[/color] It was one of those weird basket style ones that you needed a pair of tongs to remove what you were eating, but it would do. Suki pulled it open, chucked a few marshmallows inside, and started pushing buttons. [color=ff6347]"I don’t like holding the stick for so long."[/color] She further elaborated, but she could have been talking to the air fryer or Kiyo. Kiyo vaulted over the arm of the couch, turned on the TV and popped her laptop open. She had too many tabs up to count, let alone read their contents. Pretty much anyone who'd ever used the internet would recognize the site of choice for video content, though. [color=firebrick][b]"Free with ads. My ass,"[/b][/color] she mumbled. There were supposed to be ads, but there wouldn't be any. [color=firebrick][b]"Oh, fuck. Suki, have you seen The Room?"[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Room?"[/color] Suki tipped her head. [color=ff6347]"Like Panic Room? It’s a bad movie, but not so bad it’s good."[/color] Kiyo smirked with glee. She wasn't sure if the horrible line delivery would hit the same in Japanese, but not knowing was part of the fun of bad movie night. [color=firebrick][b]"Getting to see your reaction to this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so here we go."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Sounds good!"[/color] She nodded. [color=ff6347]"In the meantime, I’ll just finish making these smores!"[/color] [center][h1]COOKING WITH MAGICAL GIRLS![/h1][/center] [color=ff6347]"Hello all! Suki here to show you that Rachel Ray isn’t the only one who can be done in thirty minutes! C-cooling that is!"[/color] She gestured towards a pile of goodies, which was really just everything Kiyo had bought earlier. [color=ff6347]"At the very least, for this recipe you will need… -An air fryer! -At least two large marshmallows! -Gramcrackers, preferably not stale! -Some chocolate! -(Optional) assorted candy toppings!"[/color] The delinquent picked up a roll of tinfoil. [color=ff6347]"It would be a good idea to put something in the air fryer in case things get messy, but since I already tossed some marshmallows in there, it’s too late to worry about cleanup!"[/color] She tossed the roll aside and looked at the air fryer. [color=ff6347]"Actually, it’s going to be kind of hard to get soft marshmallows out of the air fryer without a graham cracker under them. So we’ll cheat and add them in now."[/color] She quickly pulled open the air fryer, cracked a gram cracker in half, tossed it in, and shut the airfryer. [color=ff6347]"And don’t forget the chocolate!"[/color] She repeated the same thing with a hershey bar, and was careful to pull the wrapper off and cast it aside. [color=ff6347]"And that’s really all there is to it. But since we have all these other wonderful ingredients, why not add in some gummy worms, last year’s halloween candy, gay bacon…"[/color] She stopped listing off ingredients and hummed as she tossed item after item into the air fryer. She eventually finished with a cup of Kookie-Koola. [color=ff6347]"And after a short cooking time of three minutes, you should have some tasty smores!"[/color] She threw open the air fryer and dumped the amalgamation on her plate. Though what came out looked like a sea of inky darkness. Only the faint glow of dying stars and cold planets could be seen in its mass. Something had been called from the coldest corner of the cosmos, breached the veil of reality, and now sat on a plate like a lump of tar. [color=ff6347]"Oh, uh… It looks like I accidentally made Endless Eclipse again."[/color] Suki sighed. … [center][h1]COOKING WITH MAGICAL GIRLS![/h1] [sup]I Can’t Cook to Save my Life Edition[/sup][/center] [color=ff6347]"Hello all! Suki here to show you that Rachel Ray isn’t the only one who can be done in thirty minutes! C-cooling that is!"[/color] She gestured towards a pile of goodies, which was really just everything Kiyo had bought earlier. [color=ff6347]"At the very least, for this recipe you will need… -A microwave! -A box of hot pockets! -Crisping sleeves! (Included in hot pocket box) "Now, what you are gunna wanna do is slide the hot pocket inside the crisping sleeve and cook for whatever the box says!"[/color] She followed her advice and punched in some numbers on the microwave. [color=ff6347]"Once you’re done, you can dispose of the crisping sleeve or hold onto it. I always hold onto them, but it’s sort of unnecessary because they always come with more. What can’t be skipped is waiting about five to ten minutes for your hot pocket to cool. Unless you really, really hate yourself. Because you could burn your tongue and then you won’t be tasting anything."[/color] … Suki stuck a spoon in the amalgamation she had made. [color=ff6347]"So uh, ready to watch a movie?"[/color] Kiyo had made the mistake of leaving Suki alone with an air fryer when it was her turn to do the dishes. She looked over her shoulder and watched in horror—not shock, as none of this was surprising—as Suki added one ingredient after another like she always did, none of which belonged in an air fryer. How and why Suki had ready access to year-old Halloween candy, and whatever the hell gay bacon was, Kiyo didn't ask. She just massaged her temple in frustration and clicked the button to stream the movie to the TV. [color=firebrick][b]"...Does it still taste like sugar, at least?"[/b][/color] she asked, more out of a morbid curiosity than anything. [color=ff6347]"That’s kind of the interesting part."[/color] She attempted to pry the spoon out of the mass. The handle of the spoon bent and flexed, but eventually it popped free. A purple miasma and the distant cries of anguishing spirits were released along with the utensil. [color=ff6347]"Like it tastes different than it usually does, but it’s like comparing french fries to sweet potato fries, you know?"[/color] Putting the spoon in her mouth was easy, but the tar-like mass must have had the consistency of cold toffee. She pulled and pulled and pulled, and eventually the spoon drew a bridge of shadow between Suki’s lips and the spoon’s tips. It took Suki a moment of working the mass around in her mouth before she could finally swallow it. [color=ff6347]"Yea, I get some of the marshmallow fluffyness in there. It might be easier to eat with chopsticks."[/color] To Kiyo, a shovel seemed like a more appropriate tool, but perhaps that was because it seemed to be begging to be mercy killed and buried in the park rather than eaten by a human being. [color=firebrick][b]"How can you eat something like that often enough to have a 'usual?' As long as you like it, I guess..."[/b][/color] The microwave dinged, and she got up to get her own food. [color=ff6347]"I mean, everything Midas touched turned to gold. If he didn’t have servants, he’d probably eat gold every day, right?"[/color] With a nervous chuckle, Suki hopped over the back of the couch and landed beside the laptop. Kiyo blinked. [color=firebrick][b]"Yeah? I mean, I'm not a servant, and that's not gold, but the rest of that is true, I guess."[/b][/color] What 'rest?' What point was she trying to make, again? Even Kiyo wasn't sure anymore. She sat down with her hot pockets and poked a few holes into them with a fork, letting steam out. [color=ff6347]"Huh, this doesn’t look familiar to me."[/color] She positioned the laptop between herself and Kiyo. [color=ff6347]"So ya wanna watch this? Looks kinda low budget, but I’d be willing to try it."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Mm."[/b][/color] She nodded. [color=firebrick][b]"If you like bad movies, The Room is essential viewing."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Okay-cool!"[/color] Suki clicked the start button and glued her eyes to the screen. [color=ff6347]"Hmmm."[/color] One of the delinquent’s pigtails was draped in front of Kiyo’s face, but she brushed it over her shoulder shortly afterwards. It was a little hard for the two of them to watch the movie on such a small screen. The laptop was parched on both of their laps, with their hands so close. Then Kiyo changed the signal to the TV she had turned on earlier. [color=ff6347]"Oh! Hah! I was wondering why you turned that on earlier."[/color] Suki sat up and swung her legs in front of herself. [color=ff6347]"Do you watch a lot of movies with Shuuko?"[/color] Kiyo nodded. [color=firebrick][b]"It's my pastime. I liked to laugh at how stupid some of them were—the backwards plot, bad dialogue, unbelievable effects. I'd put one on while I made dinner, watch from the kitchen, and I'd usually finish the dishes in time to see the ending."[/b][/color] She cut off a piece of her hot pocket, blew, and ate it. How like Kiyo it was to eat finger food with a fork. Some time passed, and the infamous line came up. [b]"I did not hit her, it's not true. It's bullshit, I did not hit her. I did noot... oh hi Mark"[/b] [color=firebrick][b]"Puhyahahaha! Oh, fuck, it's somehow even [i]worse[/i] than in English!"[/b][/color] She laughed so hard she was losing her breath, while Tommy and Mark had a mundane yet somehow unbelievable discussion about whether or not girls liked to cheat, too. The delivery was surreal, like the actors were trying to imitate what AI-generated video content would look like 20 years later. [color=ff6347]"Heh… Hah… So that’s what the meme was from…"[/color] The acting was awfully hammy. The script didn’t give them much to work with either. Their discussion felt more like two adolescent boys pretending to be adults discussing relationship woes. [color=ff6347]"Uh, so, do you see stuff like this with your mogalls? Private conversations up on the rooftops?"[/color] It was a staple of anime, one that was interesting to see depicted in foreign media. [color=firebrick][b]"Sometimes. It's a big cliche to have the characters stare off into the distance, but not really necessary in a real conversation. It's a typical love confession sort of scenario, not that I can hear what they're saying. So sometimes I make up my own dialogue for them based on how it seems to be going."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Mmmmm, that sounds kinda fun."[/color] She tapped her chin. [color=ff6347]"I guess we could kinda do that with this movie if we wanted to, right? Just turn off the volume and make up words?"[/color] Kiyo considered for a moment. She didn't mute the TV, but decided to add a little spice of her own to the scene. [color=firebrick][b]"[i]I[/i] wouldn't cheat on you, Tommy,"[/b][/color] she said dejectedly on behalf of Mark in an obvious twist, then snickered. Suki had to stifle a laugh so that she could try her hand at voicing Tommy. [color=ff6347]"You’d better not, Mark! Did you see me come up here? I had to duck just to get through the door, and I’ll throw your head like that water bottle."[/color] Kiyo wasn’t trying to match what was on screen, and neither was Suki. [color=ff6347]"Maybe if Lisa and I don’t work out, we can."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Forget about Lisa, man! You know we were made for each other!"[/b][/color] Kiyo added, giggling. [color=ff6347]"She’s already a memory. I’ll take that ball as an engagement gift."[/color] She managed just as Tommy took the ball from Mark and he stormed off. [color=ff6347]"I hope Mark’s not cheating on me."[/color] Suki added, even though Tommy wasn’t speaking to anyone. Though as soon as Mark departed, Danny took his place. [color=ff6347]"Oh hi, Danny. Did Mark cheat on me?"[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"You kidding? That guy gets no bitches,"[/b][/color] Kiyo replied on behalf of Danny. [color=firebrick][b]"But uh, you do know he shoves this football up his ass, right?"[/b][/color] Danny happened to be both handling the football and giving Tommy an inquisitive look at the time, and Kiyo burst out laughing. [color=ff6347]"Then I think you should have it-I said you should have it!"[/color] Eventually the brief game of hot potato ended with Danny holding the ball. [color=ff6347]"You know we’re getting married?"[/color] But Kiyo couldn't, anymore. She was down for the count, leaning over the arm of the couch, wheezing. Aside from laughing maniacally while on a miseria hunt, this might've been the only time she'd seemed to be having this much fun. Suki wiped away her tears and reclined in her seat. Her head tipped backwards over the backrest, and she sighed into the air. [color=ff6347]"Ah, I doubt I could get Tsubomi to laugh like that."[/color] She blinked at the ceiling and groaned. [color=ff6347]"So I guess I gotta lead around Pinocchio and Rainbow now. I have no idea what gets into Boss Baby’s mind sometimes."[/color] Eventually, Kiyo recovered, glancing askance at Suki. [color=firebrick][b]"Mm. Will that be a problem? Hizuki doesn't seem like much of a troublemaker."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Ah-hah, ah, no. I think those two are probably the most agreeable people in the club. I mean, Rainbow’s got some problems right now, but I can work with her. Pinocchio seems agreeable, at least to your face. I just think it’s weird that Boss Baby went from pairing me up with Rainbow as a form of damage control to giving me access to the new light girl. If you told past me that I was going to have a light girl on my team I’d have been dancing on tables and singing. But uh, I dunno now… Maybe that’s why it happened though."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Really?"[/b][/color] Kiyo pursed her lips. [color=firebrick][b]"Why? You like light girls?"[/b][/color] Her tone wasn't judgmental, but there was some skepticism. [color=firebrick][b]"Or did, until recently?"[/b][/color] Suki’s head flew up. Her pigtails were still flying through the air when she turned to look at Kiyo. [color=ff6347]"Oh! Uh, that came out wrong!"[/color] She laughed, a little too hard. [color=ff6347]"Uh, I mean, I like playing with light girls, you know? There’s just something about how uh, pure, they are?"[/color] She scrunched her lips. [color=ff6347]"Mmmmm, anyway, I’ve never really gotten to know very many light girls, and uh, I guess Hizuki qualifies, but you know, I guess, um, uh…"[/color] She cleaned her ear. [color=ff6347]"Like she doesn’t really match my idea of a light girl, you know? I mean she’s not like us, that’s for sure, but she lies, she’s exhausted all the time, I dunno. I guess I just thought light girls were supposed to be happy and kinda stupid all the time."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"Pfft."[/b][/color] Kiyo scoffed, amused. [color=firebrick][b]"Happy and stupid, huh. The ones I knew were fake and bitchy. Definitely not pure."[/b][/color] She reclined into the couch, putting her feet on the table. [color=firebrick][b]"Well, you're right about Hizuki not being like that. If she keeps running herself ragged for the sake of others, she'll fall soon enough, just like us."[/b][/color] A moment passed and she glanced quizzically at Suki. [color=firebrick][b]"I thought for sure you liked bad girls."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"I like playing with light girls."[/color] She reiterated, this time stretching out her arms and wiggling her fingers for emphasis. [color=ff6347]"But I guess it depends, you know? Like, Boss Baby is pretty cool. Nyxia is kind of a bad girl, right?"[/color] She folded her arms. [color=ff6347]"And uh, you’re cool too. Kinda weird that we never got to be on a team together. I don’t really count the Gem invasion, heh! I can’t even remember a lot of that."[/color] [color=firebrick][b]"You fought the hardest. Enough to make a girl jealous,"[/b][/color] she teased. [color=firebrick][b]"Maybe next time. Our magics are an interesting combo, but I can't keep up with your speed."[/b][/color] [color=ff6347]"Yea, heh."[/color] Suki tapped her foot. The Room had just become some background noise now. [color=ff6347]"Now that Pinocchio is on my team, I’m gunna have to be on my toes to keep up with her. She seems sorta spontaneous."[/color] She tipped her head and stared at Kiyo. [color=ff6347]"Uh, sis, do you have a type? Other than the patient type, I mean."[/color] Kiyo might've looked like she wanted to roll her eyes, but didn't. She considered it for a moment. Then, her answer came quietly. [color=firebrick][b]"Maybe I like the pure ones, too. But it doesn't last long because I'm a bad influence. Anyway."[/b][/color] She stood up and returned to the kitchen, presumably to get a head start on cleaning out the air fryer basket. [color=ff6347]"Hah! Great minds… Think… Alike…"[/color] Kiyo had already departed. She grabbed the EndlessEclipse!S'more in both hands and bit into it like it was a wad of jerky. After some pulling, it snapped and she was able to chew it. Sort of. [color=ff6347]"I wonder if Kiyo would be okay if we did this more often."[/color] Suki thought out loud. [color=ff6347]"If Shuuko is going to keep darting off to see Roach…"[/color] But her train of thought was broken when her eyes settled on the TV screen. What a horrible movie.