Emeth

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

While Willow pretended to panic, Evil Eye gazed down at Boleite, tapping the foot of her cane impatiently against her shoe as she pretended not to recognize her—deciding that Boleite, a fellow scientist, would probably do the same, for much the same reasons, should she be confronted. The meeting between them had been an aberration, something Evil Eye was, in all her self-proclaimed wisdom, ill-equipped to explain to her fellows, and the light girl would probably be no more able to explain her own intentions if she were asked. Perhaps she had lied, and an old partner of hers had, in fact, fallen to darkness, or worse—and allowing Evil Eye to escape the City of Light had been her way of letting go of the past. It had been the only theory she was able to conjure up that made any sense of it. Aside from you and Shuuko, I'm the only one taking this seriously, Hizuki... her mind objected, though her lips would not speak the words.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sensation of a head on her shoulders—usually, a welcome sensation, but this was Willow. Her uncovered eye snapped to Willow's face, briefly ceasing its coordinated wandering along with the movements of the Mogall. While she could lecture the girl for hours on sunk cost fallacy and how it wasn't accidental that gacha game corporations sold their in-game currency in multiples of prime numbers, something else happened that caused her to breathe in sharply. The hand covering her eye dipped into her pocket and retrieved her cell phone. "Acid's been taken hostage, I'm tracking her. The GEMs are regrouping; we should too." There was no time to waste, so Evil Eye spoke the message and let voice recognition do the work of putting it in the Detention Club's group chat while she flew toward the distant sound of exploding tires.

Only after the urgency of the moment would she realize that this meant Black Gate would also get the message. More importantly, if she were to switch priority and change course, she needed to get Willow off her back. "Cafe Red. That's where your phone thief is hiding," Evil Eye added as if it were an afterthought.

---

Like an old adage about boiling a frog, the heat continued to rise at a rate that was gradual but still threatening. Thankfully, unlike the proverbial frog, the locals did eventually flee the scene before they would suffer much more than a painful sunburn. Diamond's distraction would succeed for only a short time before the popcorn machine and its generously packed product would be incinerated in the ensuing laser beam. The 13(but now 12)-Eyed-Titan did not give up the pursuit. If it wasn't quite the fastest thing Hibusa's roads had ever seen, it was accelerating to highway speeds faster than its size would suggest it were capable, and it rounded corners effortlessly. The "drone" eyes were also capable of firing mini-lasers, which they rained upon Diamond without mercy. Fortunately, they seemed to be about as accurate as cover fire, and did a better job of making the prospect of turning into a side alley a risky proposition than they did actually hitting her.

Mogall were filling the skies like birds fleeing the ground in anticipation of an earthquake. This included the bulk of them that had been hounding Black Gate, leaving only a few that remained. They gazed at each other as if questioning something, reflecting what remained of their master's indecision. Then, they turned in one direction, as if anticipating the arrival of someone, or something. The number of eyes in the sky was a rare but unsettling sight. Anyone who'd lived in Hibusa a long time knew that this meant Evil Eye was sounding the alarm, even if they didn't know what it was for. For the Club, it was a cue to check their phones. For the odd light girl who'd decided not to leave the dark girls' territory, it was usually a sign to stay away—but with the GEMs in town? Kaeru would have a decision to make. Evil Eye had made hers; Mogall flocked about her in formation, shielding her with their bodies.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

"I'm here to catch monkeys" was Evil Eye's plain reply to Willow's insistence. It was the closest thing to a stern tone she would take with the other club girls outside of a one-on-one conversation, and there would be no self-reflection on her part for the accuracy of her accusation. Evil Eye would target whom she would target, and the true reasons for her obsessions had no need to be understood by anyone, Willow least of all—or least of all herself, perhaps.

As if she had no sense of irony, she continued to observe Hizuki as she attempted to navigate this impossible situation, while her minions did the allegedly more important work of searching for the monkeys. She was too far up to hear Oros' question, but it was evident in her body language. Evil Eye offered a highly visible shrug and a shake of her head that meant many things. She did not know why Kaeru was retreating, and she wasn't particularly interested in the reasons why, or in following her. Her disdain for arbitrary things like amphibians while she treated floating eyes as something natural was one of her many mysteries.

Hizuki returned, and drew her attention to Boleite. So, as she thought, she was one of the GEMs. "She does look like the type who could kill if she wanted to," Evil Eye replied truthfully, saying nothing about their meeting in the subway. Whether or not she would was hard to gauge at a glance, even for her. "I'm already in a fight, so you'll get no complaints from me," the girl added as a cryptic smile began to form on her lips.

---

The eye (which Tsubomi had decided belonged to a wyrm after all) observed the bat-wielding magical girl's approach with nothing resembling alarm. It did, however, water quite a bit as it braced for the impact. When her swing cracked it like an egg, it splattered just about everywhere. Some of it lingered in the air, however, clinging to something that wasn't quite visible yet.

It opened like a great Cheshire cat grin the size of a car bumper. A giant eye appeared, hovering off the tarmac and dragging its tendrils lightly across the ground like a balloon that had just enough helium left to float in place, but not quite fly away and up into the sky. It hovered with unsettling evenness, like an alien saucer, a dozen smaller eyes attached to the underside of its lid like barnacles on a whale. If Evil Eye had promised to keep 'an eye' on Tsubomi, she had overdelivered in more ways than one. The eye the delinquent-looking light girl splattered—indeed, it was no illusion—had been hanging by a tether that now dragged loosely on the ground. Instead of quickly flitting away like an angler fish's lure, however, it had been sacrificed like a pawn.

The great eye rolled back into a head that wasn't there. What happened next began like the feeling of being under a stage light, the whole area becoming enveloped in an uncomfortable heat, along with the dreadful feeling of being watched by many. Explosions rang down the street as the car tires closest to her popped, and a few alarms started to go off. The girl's shoes began to stick to the street as she moved—they were starting to melt. Worst of all, perhaps, was the fact that attention was being drawn to the area. While innocent onlookers could see little of what was happening, they still tended to gather and gawk.

It was a dirty trick, and there could be no doubt that it was planned.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Quick. Evil Eye clapped her hands over her ears as Hizuki rushed by, as if expecting some kind of jet engine noise as she soared off. She watched with wide eyes as the rest of the club followed her out the window—all except for Oros. When the request came, she blinked and looked around. Even Tsubomi seemed to have excused herself and wandered off somewhere. "Mm. Of course." She nodded, floating out the window after the others. They could not really afford to wait for Tsubomi, even if they were worried about her. Evil Eye wasn't exactly known for her speed and punctuality, either—already, the new team arrangements were showing problems, but what could she do if Rei was just going to ask for her concerns only to then disregard them immediately?

---

One peculiar-looking Mogall found its way onto Tsubomi's trail. Usually, the Mogall ranged in size from that of a softball to a basketball, and this one was on the bigger side of that range. It also had vertical pupils—very cat-like. Or perhaps it was more reptilian. It could have been a dragon's eye. It was hard to say. It was, however, obviously different from the other ones, but not in any other way that was obvious. So then, it was more like a subtle kind of different. Subtle like a cat, or a chameleon perhaps. It was hard to say. A dragon wasn't very subtle, though, so maybe it was more like a snake's eye? A very 'Kiyo-like' animal, in any case.

It floated along next to Tsubomi as she kept up her unusual pace, giving her a curious side-eye—as much as a disembodied eye could give, anyway. It was a curious thing for it to do, since it could neither ask questions nor hear any answers Tsubomi might give it. In the right circumstances, if one were to look on the bright side, perhaps that made it the perfect listener. Was this one of those times? Probably not, but if Tsubomi needed help, at least she could give Kiyo some kind of signal.

---

Evil Eye was high in the sky, as she often was, though perhaps not entirely out of range of an ambitious triple jump attack from Kaeru and her two big summoned frogs. "There she i~s. My least favorite plague of Egypt," Evil Eye remarked as Willow rose up to meet her. She had one eye covered with a hand as she kept it on Tsubomi, the other closely watching the confrontation between Kaeru and Hizuki below. "Like I said, you're mistaken. She's a—project. A particularly hands-off project at that—but it's not a bad deal."

In just a moment, a single black tear formed in the corner of her eye, and with a finger, she took it and flicked it away into the air, and it expanded and formed into a Mogall. The Mogall wept, too, and very quickly, there were a half-dozen of them, with more on the way, and they flew in all directions, searching for the monkey she'd seen earlier. It was inefficient, but if doing it the slow and fun way meant that Willow would owe her, then it was a good way to spend an afternoon.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

At Ember's expression of concern towards Tsubomi, Kiyo looked in the lethargic girl's direction, but didn't comment further. If Tsubomi herself couldn't articulate the problem, it was unlikely that she could offer much help. Well, I could try hypnotizing her, she thought idly, allowing a sigh to escape upwards out of the corner of her mouth, removing a bang from in front of her eye. "Well, yeah. If they can hide from me, it goes without saying that they're pretty good. All the more reason I wanna talk to them." Memories of chasing Oros through the school crossed her mind, and an ephemeral smile may have existed for just a fraction of a second before Nyxia and Roche proceeded to make it exceedingly awkward for Kiyo to insist she tag along with the new girl to talk to the GEMs. After she'd stuck up for Roche by going through the motions of the announcement despite Suki trying to cut her off, too! Though neither of them seemed to have noticed—perhaps given the atmosphere between them, that was for the better. Rather than comment on it, she transformed alongside Oros. "If you think they will believe you without one of us there, then sure. I'll warn you, they're not gonna like Willow. She'd fuck the whole thing up."

Evil Eye's assessment was merciless as always. She looked up toward the ceiling, so the others wouldn't have to watch her eyes eerily unfocus into a thousand-yard stare and dart around the room looking at nothing while she searched through what her Mogall could see. "It'd be bold of her to claim self-defense when all they can do is look around and make more of themselves... though I suppose in an enclosed space they could multiply enough to smother someone," she mused, hand on her chin as if she were actually considering the merits of such a macabre strategy. Coming from her, it was equally likely to be a joke or a serious consideration.

Suddenly, she blinked. "Ugh. The frog girl is back... gross... Oh. Pfffhuahahaheh!" She laughed giddily. "A monkey stole Willow's phone. That's great. Well, looks like we're all going to the same place." She shrugged and began floating out the window Nyxia had entered from.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Kiyo nodded along with Tsubomi's explanation, if it could be called that. "I see what you're saying. I worry about that too." She reached up the bridge of her nose again nervously and flicked a lock of hair away from her tired eyes. "This person Haruna knows may or may not be the one behind the monkeys, and they may or may not agree to join us, so the numbers are uncertain—but if we don't deal with the GEMs, the numbers are against us either way. If they learn about Ashbringer's plans and decide to use her to take on Rei, we're all screwed. Rei's the bigger threat to the light girls, but Ashbringer's the bigger threat to Hibusa Town. We need the GEMs to realize that the right thing to do is to either help us beat Ashbringer or stay out of our turf war altogether. Otherwise, we'll have to take proactive measures to drive the GEMs out of town before Ashbringer decides we've had enough prep time. We can't just wait around to get mobbed by all of them, or, like Tsubomi said, the odds are close to unwinnable for us."

Just how strong was Rei, anyway? Terrifyingly so, but surely she was not invincible. Something she'd said stuck with her: a good leader knows when to ask for help. How could someone as strong as Rei asserted she was ever need help, that she'd impart that lesson to her? Did Rei really think so highly of Evil Eye that she would need lessons in leadership, or was that her way of saying that she might really need it this time? Either way, it seemed inadvisable to Kiyo to assume that Rei could both take on Ashbringer and protect the club from the rest of those numbers. The odds needed to work, and if the odds didn't work, she would find a way to cheat, as she always did whenever the club girls were concerned.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

"I don't do hidden cameras, Nyxia! Too Korean for my tastes."

---

Usually, this softball level of heckling from Nyxia would warrant, at worst, a caustic quip from the self-appointed Supervisor, but today she seemed especially moody. Fortunately, Kiyo's idea of escalation in this situation seemed to be a derisive snort, a sneer at nobody in particular, and giving Nyxia the silent treatment. It wasn't enough to disturb the flow of their meeting, but anyone who looked into Kiyo's eyes at that moment could have convinced themselves that the room had dropped a couple of degrees in temperature. Roche's comment and Suki's rebuttal seemed to snap her out of whatever thoughts had her in their grip. Another buzzing fly of an involuntary desire was swatted away.

The only person at the club meeting who might not already know about the new groups was Nyxia, but Kiyo wouldn't imagine Roche had hidden it from her, so she proceeded with the announcement knowing it would be redundant—ignoring the inevitable, intentionally obnoxious yawn from Nyxia. "I did, but it's fine. It wasn't the official announcement or anything. So, I guess this is that. For anyone who missed it, we'll be in groups of three for the time being, for additional safety. I'll be joining Suki and Tsubomi, and Shuuko will be joining Roche and Nyxia. Haruna, you'll be with Willow and the girlboss herself, Rei. Yup, do your best~" she added in that monotone voice again, doing a lazy, singular fist-pump. "Come talk to your senpai if Willow's teasing is too much, okay~?" She yawned again, like she had no interest in actually fulfilling that role, but Haruna would be able to tell that she actually wished she would. Suki and Ember probably knew it, too, but she had bought their silence with food. Hopefully.

That just left the matter of the monkeys. "The monkeys show up anywhere my minions do. It's like I said, as if they're being hunted. I'd say they show up anywhere you'd expect a magical girl to be, buuuuut they kept their distance from the big boss during our last outing. So, they're intelligent enough to know their limits, and they targeted the eyes I had on Shuuko, as if they didn't want me to know she was about to be attacked." Her eyes flicked down to look at Haruna. "In light of that, I wouldn't be so quick to trust a strange magical girl in town," she stated, hypocritical in the extreme given who she was talking to—but if she had the humility to notice, she probably wouldn't have said that. "I mean, it's pretty common for newbie dark girls to come to Hibusa Town for some space away from the light girls, but still be too scared of Rei to actually approach us. I always try to reach out—it'd be nice if us dark girls could have one big Sisterhood—but if they don't wanna, they don't wanna, y'know?" Her eyes widened and flicked about, as if she were thinking. "Think you could find her again? Tell her I just wanna talk. I'm not exactly the most dangerous member of the club, y'know?" She batted her eyelashes as if she were innocent. "As long as you aren't an interesting light girl" could probably be inferred without being said.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Kiyo listened to Suki theorycraft with what was, by her standards, some semblance of interest, nodding along—sideways, into her hand, elbow on the table, trying not to look bored. Or perhaps she was trying to look bored. It was hard to say. Her head tilted, locks of her hair trickled between her fingers and onto the table like an oil slick. "Mm-hm. Little monkey minions. Probably a dark girl interloper, but who knows..." They did have a frog-themed light girl once upon a time, after all. Kiyo usually got excited whenever she learned about a new light girl in town, but she never did like that one, for whatever reason. "Well... Usually me and Shatterscape scout, since she has all those bodies around town. We're like, the rapid response crew," she replied to Haruna. "But given the circumstances..."

Whether the timing of Ember's arrival was good or bad could be debated, but the timing could not be denied. "Ah, yeah. This is her," Kiyo replied, holding her free arm up toward their newest member in a gesture that was somehow both grandiose and nonchalant. "Welcome again, Haruna. Let's all get along, okaaaay~?" Kiyo remarked with a yawn, monotone. Saying it as if it weren't meant to be taken seriously, even though it was—well, it seemed like she'd been told to say something, even though she didn't want to.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Hypotenuse

Ember smiled as she spotted Kiyo sitting in one of the latter’s favourite spots: the old Mahjong parlor located in the south of Hibusa Town. Though the building no longer enjoyed the popularity of its heyday, people still showed up on occasion, but never too many of them. Hence why they had never questioned the black-haired girl’s presence; any player was welcomed here and the people would not rat them out to officials either.

The schemer did not particularly dislike this place either, though she preferred her gambles less thrilling. That was why she actually stepped into it, then swept her gaze across the dimly-lit place before making her way near to Kiyo’s table and waited until the game concluded. Only then did she speak up to break up the quiet grumbling of the losers along with the cheers of the winners.

”Lady and gentlemen,” she spoke as she reached for Kiyo’s shoulder with deliberate slowness, ”Please do excuse my rudeness while I liberate my most esteemed companion from your game, for it is of utmost importance that we talk.” She smiled. Her voice held a healthy amount of sarcasm as she put deliberate emphasis on each of the polite words she used, almost making it sound as though she were making fun of Kiyo along with herself.

Making good money in these sorts of dubiously legal "gaming" establishments was a dangerous game of risk and reputation management. You could only win so much in one game or in one place before your opponents collectively decided that you were a cheater—and in a world outside the law, cheaters were dealt with outside the protection of the law. The risk of being outed was all the greater given her age; while many gamblers simply accepted the luck of the draw, adults had their pride, and the ones who played to win wouldn't accept a loss to a high school girl easily—or frequently. For Kiyo, however, this was the social aspect of the game that made it interesting. If it weren't for the threat of being found out, it would be boring. To make her act convincing, she had to study the game, know the lingo, and speak and act like an experienced woman in her mid 20s. The movements of the pieces on the board and the words on her lips alike had to be chosen with both a careful intent and natural ease. The game and the conversation—people who still chose not to play online could be quite chatty—moved in tandem, like a dance that she could be leading or following in at any given time. Whether she would win or lose, she had to do so with grace. At times, perhaps, she wondered if this was what others found so appealing about romance—the thrill of pretending to be something you're not.

If Ember hadn't been there from the beginning, it would have been impossible to tell if today had been a winning or a losing day for Kiyo. Habitual gamblers played until they were broke, but Kiyo rarely walked away from the table with nothing. To know how she was feeling through that poker face, Ember would have to have known what she stood to lose when she walked into the building. "My. It seems I've played for too long again today. Excuse me." With a practiced smile, she gathered up what was hers—ostensibly worthless tokens that could be exchanged for prizes at the counter, which could then conveniently be exchanged for real money at the totally unrelated establishment right across the street. Ember probably had her own ideas for where she wanted to have this conversation, but this was Kiyo's destination.

Shuuko had tried to kill that light girl, and she didn't know why. That was the thought that had been on Kiyo's mind all day. It was not so very unusual for a dark girl to dislike light girls, but to do what she did in that situation showed a level of hatred Evil Eye hadn't imagined her capable. After all, all dark girls, as far as anyone knew, had been light girls at some point, and it was somewhat unnatural to look back at one's past with such a deep loathing. Unless one hated who they were presently, how could they harbor such hatred toward what they had to have been in order to arrive at where they were now? Certainly, this was how Evil Eye saw it. All light girls were, in the end, were dark girls in the making. Only a child, lacking such simple logic, could love butterflies and hate caterpillars with equal passion. Therefore, she had to be overlooking something. Shuuko was not a simple girl.

To know how Shuuko was feeling beneath the mask of anger, she would have had to have been there from the beginning. "What do you stand to lose if that girl joins the club, Shuuko?" Kiyo asked as they both waited for the crosswalk's light to turn. There were no vehicles anywhere in sight.

Straight to the point. Ember frowned as she thought they would have some normal conversation before the conversation arrived here, but it seemed that this time, Kiyo chose to be direct. How awfully convenient to her.

”It isn’t a matter of loss, but rather, a matter of the past, Kuroki-san,” she spoke as she turned Shuuko’s body towards Kiyo to face her comrade-in-arms head on. ”I merely misjudged my… hm. Perhaps surprise is not an adequate word to use in this context. Reaction might make a better case for itself, yet not even that is suitable. I apologise, Kuroki-san, however, I do not think I can express myself properly.” She paused to let her message sink in, portraying the reaction as though it were something she did not expect.

”Unfortunately… I seem to have underestimated how allergic I am to cats,” she added with a theatrical shrug, spreading her arms. ”I don’t even know if they’ll act up the next time she is near my person.” Which, as much as it hurt to admit, was not a lie. Hotaru could not be reasoned with and the warrior had proven she could act with enough speed to bypass both her and Sylvia’s guard regarding Shuuko’s body. She could not know if they would be able to react quickly enough the next time something like this happened.

Kiyo met Ember's gaze lazily. The light changed, and after quickly flicking her eyes both ways, she began to cross the street.

There was a reason Kiyo didn't probe into Shuuko’s past. Each Kurai girl's dark power was a reflection of their very soul. Evil Eye was a reflection of her greed: an insatiable need to see things not meant for her eyes—an unwillingness to trust others with their own secrets. Shatterscape was a reflection of the girl's brokenness. Someone—perhaps a parent, perhaps a lover, perhaps just a bad friend—had forced her into a box of timid obedience. That, at least, seemed obvious. In front of some, she was shy and meek, but in front of others, she expressed herself boldly. Knowing that much seemed more than enough. Prying for the gritty details to satisfy her dark curiosity would only cause Shuuko unnecessary pain—and for what gain?

Evil Eye wouldn't try to 'fix' Shatterscape—she just tried to be one of the 'others' that Shuuko could trust with her real self. It had seemed like the right thing to do, but maybe Rei was right. If Shuuko couldn't act rationally whenever it came to light girls and Evil Eye being 'in danger,' perhaps it was better if they separated. She'd tried to defy the newbies' expectations of the Detention Club's 'Supervisor' being a snitch—or a voyeur, as Nyxia called her—and be the reliable watchful eye that kept them out of danger. Had she been too lenient? Leaving Shuuko, a girl who desperately needed some space to be independent, with the Rule Keeper... would it be alright?

"I don't know how I feel about leaving you with Roche, either. You don't see me throwing a tantrum," Kiyo sighed under her breath as she limped across the street. "Well, the boss decided to give you what you want. The kitty is her problem now." She looked back at Ember as she turned onto the sidewalk. "Thing is, she'll 'fit in' with us before you can blink. I'm all-in on that bet. Why do you think I let her in?" She let her smug grin show.

”She will fit in as much as a clay brick in a concrete wall,” came the reply straight away, for while Ember did not agree with how Hotaru viewed light girls, she did have a point. She remembered what she referred to all too well, the only difference between the two of them being that she chose to be cautious instead of fueling the flames of her hatred. ”I am aware of your pet theory, Kiyo, however, I am also aware that not all are kin to us. I do not know if you are mistaken, however, I do believe that you are not completely correct.”

"Pet theory..." Kiyo spat with rank bitterness. She turned and did her best to strut away, lips closed tightly lest she say anything she might regret. It was a petty petulance that reminded Ember that for all of Kiyo's big words and high-headed philosophy about the nature of magical girls, she was still a child inside, just like the others.

Shuuko’s body followed Kiyo at a sedate pace, the length of her strides shortened considerably for the sake of her partner. Indeed, the body’s gaze lingered on the leg before Ember spoke up again.

”I…” A sigh. Heavy. Filled with something ethereal and misty. ”I also understand the decision. Whatever the cause, I failed to act as your partner that night. And as I professed, I do not know when, or if my allergies will end.” Ember closed her eyes as they walked, thinking over the issue once more as though it would help. ”I will only ask you to consider my name when I manage to overcome my issue.” That was the best she could hope for, after all.

The conversation had reached a turn where it was either going to end, change subjects, or wait until they could transform. Naturally, Kiyo wouldn't just let Ember have the last word. "Wait here," she said as they stood outside the exchange. After quickly swapping her bag of goodies for a fat stack of cash, she emerged, turned down an alley, and transformed. She regarded Ember with an uncertain, measured coldness. "I'm sorry, but, 'consider your name?' I'd like to think I respect you more than to pick you apart and play with the pieces like you're some puzzle to be solved," she said flatly. "We were all light girls once, were we not? We all went through the same thing. We lived under an illusion of what the world was, and when it broke, so did we. I know that girl will fall to darkness because I look at her and see myself—the same girl I was three years ago, bearing others' burdens selflessly until they broke my back with them—or do you think her so special, that she won't crack under all that pressure?"

Evil Eye's grip on her cane tightened. Hizuki would fall to darkness, just like every other light girl before her. "Of course not all light girls are our kin. The ones who are too weak to survive the process never make it to where we are. The weak perish, the strong evolve—just like in any other domain. I don't see any reason to believe ours is different—and why wouldn't we be the natural evolution? I've certainly never heard of a light girl evolving into anything else before. Now, if a dark girl could evolve again, into something else—that would be interesting..."

Indeed, they had been light girls a long time ago. She could not refute that point, that they had been much the same once, trying to bear the burdens of the world and yet that view was not correct either. Kiyo framed her thoughts in terms of evolution, but for Ember and the rest of Shuuko… She faced the transformed Evil Eye head on, her gaze unwavering as she allowed a part of her true feelings to leak into her voice.

”The species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself,” quoted Ember. ”That is all I will say on such matters, lest we get bogged down in debate, argument or discord.” A pause. A heartbeat. ”I intended to arrive as an envoy of peace, not to ignite a war or to fan the flames.” Shuuko’s thumb ran across the inside of her right hand, tracing it in a nervous gesture.

"Yes. Adapting to the darkness of the world is a much better fate than dying a martyr or throwing oneself off a bridge in despair of its unfairness, wouldn't you agree?" Evil Eye pressed on with finality. If Ember had disagreed with her assessment, Evil Eye didn't appear to have the humility necessary to notice. "Even more than the holier-than-thou posturing from light girls, the one thing I hate to see most is newly-fallen dark girls wallowing in their despair, thinking of themselves as failures. Imagine them thinking back on all that time that could have been spent enjoying life or bettering themselves, if someone they could admire was just there, looking out for them, to soften their landing just a bit. The light girls at least had their token approachable senpai. We didn't have anyone like that, though, did we?" she asked as she floated past Ember, back onto the sidewalk.

”Do you really have it within your heart to lay the blame on them, Kuroki-san?” asked Ember as she took her place beside the floating being, no doubt contributing to the rumors of Hibusa Town by seemingly speaking to herself. ”I do understand your sentiment, though I am uncertain as to how many of dark girls share such a vision with you. The very town we are living in is but a beacon of darkness against the backdrop of light all over the place. It is partially the reason why I look upon light girls with more than the appropriate modicum of hatred, for they have come to take away the sanctuary that we have created for ourselves.” That was not even a lie. Most light girls that Shuuko had encountered could not stand their kind, including the ones that ambushed Kana-san and Ember.

"No. I do not blame them for their lack of guidance or vision. It's natural to look at the stars and see them as being in groups, and to forget about the vastness of the nothingness in between. I'm well aware that my perspective is an aberration. If it weren't, it would neither be specially useful nor necessary." An easy smile graced her lips as Ember continued.

”Regardless of my brief voyage into topics afar… I do believe that while it is lacking in certain aspects,” such as their apathetic leader, who refused to as much as look their way and reminded her all too much of people that Sylvia and Chiaki were better off not coming across, ”what we are building is capable of providing the very guidance you speak of.” Again, Ember spoke the truth. While the warrior cared little and the protector did not have the acumen to see it, the schemer did. She was just not sure of how much weight it carried.

After all, as far as she knew, they were the only ones to organise as such.

"What Rei has built is a safe space for dark girls—but it needs more than that, or it'll be no better than an orphanage. Safety alone cannot make a space into a home, nor can it offer new meaning to a life turned upside-down. Breaking the fall of a magical girl, I daresay, is not a role that suits her, nor does it particularly fit the Rule Keeper, either. Do you see now why it falls to me? That's why I said I'd take responsibility for the new blood." Evil Eye turned to face Ember, such that she was now floating backwards. "If the girl managed to deceive me—if my eyes have judged falsely—then what happens next is only what I deserve." At the last second, Evil Eye changed course to dodge a stop sign that nearly met the back of her head. "Right?"

”And yet again, it falls to the high priestess to envelop the observer of the heavens in the protection she deserves.” Ember closed her eyes for a moment and let a hint of frustration leak into Shuuko’s features. Then she faced Kiyo again. ”You have not changed since the day our fates entangled, as the danger you speak of is also one I am worried about. I understand you wish to take that role for yourself, and yet…” She shook her head, Shuuko’s expression giving way to a smile.

”The pain we take on is ours. It is a tight rope you walk, Kuroki-san.” Two sets of red eyes met head on as Shuuko walked up to Evil Eye, letting the other girl get a glimpse of something blue glittering within her gaze. ”I… I wish I could help.”

Ember froze up at the admission, her eyes widening ever-so-slightly as she realised she had not meant to say that, especially with not that much longing. Even if rung true, even if she did wish to reach out to those who had been hurt by others… No, she could not. She had her hands full with Hotaru and Sylvia.

”You don’t need to think about me, Ember,” Sylvia said to her with that painful smile of hers. ”I’m just a dirty little girl.”

No. She was not. But healing that misconception took time.

Evil Eye believed that she had enough eyes to look out for herself, but she never did have the heart to discourage Shuuko from doing whatever it was she wanted to do—as long as it didn't go against Rei's most important rule. That feeling only grew stronger now, her eyes widening a bit as she caught the glimpse of blue. So, 'good girl Shuuko' can be straightforward about what she wants, too? She felt like she'd just seen something important, but whether it was something that had changed or something she'd just never met the right conditions to notice before, she didn't know.

"Well then we'd better kick out Assbringer, so this temporary arrangement can go back to normal," Evil Eye concluded, using her unfair height advantage to ruffle Shuuko's hair. "I am worried about our team comp just a little," she admitted. "though I think Acid is in more danger than me," she hastily added.

Shuuko’s expression looked torn, her body frozen on the spot as Ember tried to find a way out. She did not even notice as Kiyo ruffled the hair as she got lost in the myriad ways to extricate herself, failing to realise that her words could not be taken back or amended. It looked as though she had been turned into a statue in the middle of the road before Ember jumped on the topic offered by Kiyo with the strength and dexterity of a drowning man at sea spotting a piece of flotsam.

”That is right. According to Oyama-san, Kana-san also had some problems of her own in the last fight.” Shuuko’s brows frowned. ”It would be foolish to say that I am not worried, even with the supposed reassurances that Rei gave us. I had heard that this Ashbringer you speak of made a complete fool of us and is still residing in Hibusa Town despite our best efforts.”

"By that you mean, my efforts to track her down," Evil Eye teased. "I'm working on it." She pursed her lips somewhat innocently.

"Maybe I'm meant to find out what's wrong with her. Rei didn't say so, but she doesn't say anything that would be a pain, so... yeah. I'll hang out with her and Oros for a bit." Her evasive eyes flicked back to Ember. "Not today, though."

”Even if you were to find her, what sort of a big sister would send her little sisters against the big bad monster under the bed?” Ember teased her back, the familiar lilt in her voice making it as clear as it could be. It also served to distance them from her moment of weakness. She would reflect on it when she was alone.

Evil Eye wasn't sure who was the "big sister" in this analogy, but she decided neither to read too much into Ember's comment, nor give any indication of what she might do if she did find Ashbringer before Rei did. Today seemed like one of those days that Shuuko could use some assurance that she and Kiyo were, in fact, cool. It was also about that time that the conversation dried up and, not knowing what else to do, she'd playfully let Shuuko sweep her off her feet in those huge hands and bring her back to her place so they could hang out and play games. Was it that kind of mood for Shuuko, though? She seemed a bit different today. She was always a little different, and Kiyo's old school was so stiflingly "normal" that she didn't have much to work with. "Mm. Been a while since I had this much cash. Does that mean it's pizza night?" she tried.

”Considering you have a debt you must repay, I suppose it is only fair if you footed the bill.” Ember agreed with the assessment. ”However… pizza? Do you think that this high priestess would be satisfied with such meagre offerings?” An all too wide smile bloomed on Shuuko’s face as Ember spoke. ”It is fortunate that the goddess this humble high priestess serves is forgiving and merciful, for other deities would have struck you down already.” She made a dramatic pause to let the joke sink in before she rearranged her expression.

Evil Eye blinked. Good pizza is decently pricey, though... Especially when compared to ramen. She'd had this thought before, but she thought that Shuuko must have been brought up in a rich family. She knew better than to ask, of course—and she also knew better than to be jealous.

”On a more somber note… Maybe some icecream first. And then we can come to an agreement.” And for the duration of eating the icecream, she would switch with Sylvia. After all, the protector had not yet experienced it first-hand.

"Yeah? Let's get some gelato then. Hopefully that's classy enough for you, milady," she teased, her eyes hooded playfully. "That's Italian for 'the good shit.' Don't ask me to explain why it's better, it just is."

”Nothing would delight me more,” responded Ember as she offered her arm for Evil Eye to grab on as though she were a gentleman escorting a noble lady. The only thing that ruined the picture had to be the wide grin on her face that refused to take anything seriously, but that was something they had in common.

Compared to Roche before her, Kiyo entered the club with little enthusiasm or fanfare. In fact, her entrance would have been downright stealthy if her distinctly cane-aided footsteps hadn't caused the others to anticipate the door silently opening. She looked like she hadn't slept a wink, but her face also wasn't particularly grouchy compared to her usual RBF. If one had to put a name to it, perhaps it was the face of someone who'd had a good time. She did, however, pause in the doorway, the sight of the conspiracy board giving her pause, as if she were considering leaving.

In the end, however, she took her seat next to Suki, opposite Haruna. Her lazy, half-lidded gaze flicked between the two of them—two greedy, analytical crimson pools that demanded more than they offered in return. Her mind was a noisy haze of many desires, reminding Haruna of the cacophony of buzzing that Evil Eye's swarms of locusts produced. As for the person experiencing the said buzzing firsthand, it rather reminded Kiyo of the too-white lights of that hospital room that could have become her prison. On the topic of the GEMs, Kiyo was reminded of Badass Boleite, and briefly thought that it might be interesting to see her again. Just as quickly as the desire surfaced, though, it vanished beneath the haze of static, like an involuntary thought that was altogether too absurd, and hastily flicked away like a housefly that'd had at least one other run-in with the swatter and was too dazed to react anymore. One recurring thought floated near the surface enough times that Haruna couldn't possibly miss it: that she'd very much like to study Tsubomi—not, notably, to fix Tsubomi, or to help Tsubomi—but to see her at her "Tsubomiest," and to understand what that means. That notion probably made about as much sense as Evil Eye's ramblings usually did to the rest of the club.

It abruptly became apparent that Kiyo's notoriously smart mouth hadn't moved a millimeter since she'd walked into the room. As if she'd realized it at the exact same time as everyone else, she decided to break the silence. "This would be a lot easier if someone wasn't culling the Mogall like a pest species that are in season," she complained dryly. Why she couldn't see everything her eyes saw everywhere at all times was a matter she'd already explained before—to exactly who, and when, she couldn't remember, but she didn't seem eager to repeat herself. Whether or not Haruna's presence at this meeting in particular had anything to do with that was unclear for the moment.

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

Rei called for a meeting, and Rei would get it.

The Detention Club room was seldom used this early in the morning, and so it should have been no surprise that Rei, Roche, and Kiyo were the only ones present. The setup was similar to a meeting between a shogun and their two most trusted daimyo. Kneeling mats were set out, as was a table that might have had a map for planning future conquests. But there was no map, only some school supplies that Suki had yet to cobble into anything, and the shogun was keeping the back wall up. Her arms were folded and her heel was planted against the back of the wall.

“This will not take long.” That was Rei speak for “I don’t feel like discussing this in depth,” which meant there might be a lot of unanswered questions. “Have the two of you put much thought into how you’re going to deal with the GEMs? With Hizuki on our side, a diplomatic approach to the problem might be possible.”

”It’s not just a possibility. We’re compelled to attempt just by having Hizuki.” Roche was relaxed in her element, brows not as she gave Rei her full, laser-like focus. She’d given it thought amidst the plethora of other problems before them and wasn’t terribly pleased with her conclusion.

”We’ve welcomed Hizuki among us, but being the aggressors may alienate her when we need unity the most. Any future engagement with the GEMS needs us to be the offended party. We can hope that having Hizuki will make them more open to a ceasefire and negotiate some boundaries. We may have more options but unless Hizuki cis up for striking first, we’ll have to keep our guard up and brace to take the first punch.”

She shook her head ruefully, a soft grin forming a upon her face.

”Fortunately we’re good at that. It’ll just be a matter of keeping us in groups till the GEMS strike so they can’t get an overwhelming opener and not even give us a chance to talk.”

"I've been hoping for something along those lines," Kiyo admitted. "Normally when a new light girl shows up in town, I'd just try turning them into one of us, but since she came to me on her own wanting to be useful and all... I intended to test her sincerity last night, but I didn't even need to fetch her." She pursed her lips. "Thing is, I don't want to make concessions with the GEMs. I want to make demands. They've made theirs—we stay off their turf. Now they need to stay off ours. Sure, have Hizuki go ahead and tell them that our leader gave us a spanking and a shorter leash or whatever, but if they don't get the fuck off our lawn, they're going to get bitten."

She folded her arms. "I just don't know what to do about Shuuko. I knew she didn't like light girls, but I didn't expect her to be so against the idea of using one that she'd try to kill her. I intended to partner with the newbie for a while—I said I'd take responsibility for her, because I'm not sure the others would be on board otherwise—but now I'm worried Shuuko might do something rash. I suggested pairing her with Roche, but it seems like she's against pairing me with Hizuki no matter what."

Rei lifted her head and smiled. “Interesting you should bring that up. It’s what I wanted to discuss next.” She waved her hand at Kiyo. “It’s as you said, it does not seem that having the three of you together would be a good idea. And even if it were, I feel increasing Medusa’s Mirror’s member count would be unfair to the others.” Rei looped her thumbs in her pockets. “The Royal Navy is away, which leaves nine of us. That’s enough for three teams of three, and would help keep us together. For the time being, Medusa’s Mirror will separate and join in with the other teams. Shatterscape feels like a good fit for Unstoppable Doom, as you pointed out. You will join up with Endless Ecstasy, as Oros the Joyful seems to respect you enough to not try her usual antics. That, and I feel Willow will get along much better with Hizuki then you. Don’t both of you agree?”

The Rule Keeper cocked her head consideringly, but it was entirely for show as her grin only widened. A consolidating of teams wasn’t what she expected but it was fitting for their circumstances and gave her a perfect opportunity to socialize Nyxia and Shuuko.

”Sounds good to me. I think we’ll gel well by day and night.” Roche nodded happily, feeling an airy flutter in her chest that had nothing to do with the ease they could crush Miseria as a group. Though thinking of Shuuko was enough to sober her slightly and she shook off the flight of fancy.

”I’ll keep an eye on Shuuko and make sure she doesn’t fly off the handle with Light Girls. I don’t know what her beef is, but I can keep it from getting in the Club’s way.”

Kiyo scratched at the side of her head. "I'd rather work with Oros. Willow can't keep her mouth shut," she remarked somewhat hypocritically. "If Medusa's Mirror is the only team shaken up, Shuuko could see it as a punishment. Is that your intent?" The look in her eyes questioned more than it accused. "I'm concerned about Acid, too. She seemed to be struggling last night. Putting me and her on the same team could leave it wanting for firepower."

“This is not permanent. Medusa’s Mirror is not getting disbanded.” Rei reassured Kiyo. “But I think we are in agreement that it would be less damaging to split the two of you up than any other team. It is not as if we are placing you with the light girl, so it shouldn’t be seen as a punishment for her.” She raised a hand to her chin. “Though it did appear to me last night that the two of you had the most difficulty working together. Acid Drop was a bit off point but she still had synergy with Oros.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s a hassle but it’s not that drastic. Roche suggested we stick together in larger teams. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll try something else.” Rei looked at a clock hanging above a bookshelf. “Unless you want to say something else, we should probably head to class.”

”All good here. It’ll be best if my team isn’t the one who encounters the GEMS for diplomacy’s sake but we won’t have an issue fighting them off either. I’m planning to meet up with Shuuko after school and hash things out so we’re on the same page.”

There were mixed feelings on that, as while she enjoyed having company over, discussing the heavy topic of attempted murder wasnt going to be the light, fluffy mood she wanted.

”I can’t say what’s going on there but I’ll keep a handle on it. You got anything, Kiyo??”

Kiyo shrugged. The boss's mind was made up, and while her team was more likely to corrupt a light girl than beat one in a fight, that suited her just fine. "Nah. Just don't treat Shuuko like she's on probation. She needs some elbow room to function properly," she quipped with a glance at Roche. "And I work hard to convince the others that my eyes do more than silently judge them."

She, too, glanced at the clock. "Someone—I think it's a dark girl—keeps destroying them. For the sake of time, I'm looking into it. I'll revisit that topic when I know more, but Ashbringer is probably watching us," she said for Roche's sake, figuring that Rei already knew somehow.

“There’s that name again.” Rei shrugged. “It does sound like everything is coming under control now. We’ll meet again in a week and see if there’s any improvement with Shuuko and the GEMs. If there’s a dark magical girl lingering about, I’m sure you’ll encounter her sooner rather than later.”

Kurai Majokko: Tsundere Gekido

"Don't look at me like that, Willow. I don't like cats that much."

---

"Ignore her. She spouts more nonsense than all of us combined," was all Evil Eye offered in response to Willow. Stealing a glance at Hizuki, she flashed a smug half-smile. "Welcome to the club—feels weird to say, even though I expected this outcome." Her eyes were always on Shatterscape, even if they weren't always pointed her way. The sudden apology seemed a bit out of her usual character, but Evil Eye could make sense of it if she imagined that the apology was directed at Hizuki for politeness' sake, but was really meant for her. How exactly will you make it up to me? she wondered, but didn't say.

She noticed that she didn't feel stronger now, despite the fall of the giga miseria. That didn't line up with what she experienced during her travels. Perhaps it was because she didn't do anything of worth in the battle, but she also found herself suspicious, given the stated purpose of this exercise. Could it be that their power cannot be absorbed because they are also summoned constructs, like mine? Did they ignore Rei, not because they were smart, but because they belong to her?

She gave Rei her undivided attention, now, while the others talked among themselves. Even Evil Eye found it difficult to meet Schrade's gaze, but when it was 'just' Rei, she could manage. "That you could beat Ashbringer was never in question... I think I speak for all of us on that... but can you blame us for imagining that you'd make us fight her instead?" She looked at the others as if she were second-guessing her impressions of what the club was feeling. "We don't ask for your help because it's always 'bothersome.' And it feels like giving up." She decided to simply come out with it, without her usual obscurity, perhaps because Rei had done the same.