[Friday, March 25, 2004] [Lunchtime at the Agency] [mini start] So. * Kyouko has a burger and fries in her corner. * Haruko is eating curry namba. * Taki has her typical rice and vegetables, although she's barely touching them. The lessons have been easier the last few days - you're not sure what Inouye-sensei knows, but she's been nicer than usual. * Rin has a burger from the same place Kyouko got hers, and a soda. She's hanging out here today, despite the lessons. * Minami is leaning back, legs resting on a table, staring off into space and absently sipping a cup of coffee. * Taki looks up at Rin and nods towards Haruko. Rin is glowing brighter than her burger. Well, brighter than most things, other than light bulbs and video screens. Haruko-san? * Haruko looks up. "Hmmm? What do you know of pixies? * Taki looks down at her food uncomfortably. Hey look, it's still there. * Minami doesn't move anything but her eyes, which start watching cautiously. Um... A little I guess? You want me to tell you about them? I think she'd like to stop glowing... I don't know anything about that. I've never heard of them merging with people. Mm. So you believe the pixie is 'merged' with me? I was hoping to ask him why I was glowing. Maybe we could find some obscure spell to summon him or whatever? * Minami takes a sip of coffee. I dunno. I guess it could just be a prank they are playing on you. He seemed... really sincere. Leaving out bowls of food and milk at night is supposed to placate them. That is not the impression I got from his actions, and the reactions of the others. They seemed to be friends with your Dragon Lord. How is he doing? That’s why I thought of merging first * Kyouko remembers the pixie being rather set on wanting a pretty girl. I haven't seen him since we both did, so you know as well as I do. You can still not call upon him? Well, no, he's not around. He used to tail me, in case I got in trouble. Is that what your other companion, the Kirin, does? No... He's with the agency. Er, the Celestial Agency that is. Not this one. Celestial Agency? I see. Would they be able to locate Young, or explain why I am glowing? * Taki takes a mouthful of rice and chews it slowly. Um, I guess they might be able to. They don't have anything to do with pixies though, so I don't know. Oh. What is it they do, then? * Rin sips her soda, regarding Haruko with her best inscrutable look. They fight evil, of course. The Sailors were chosen by the agency. Where do the pixies come into the picture? They're just nature spirits, as far as I know. Hm. Just after Young finished swearing himself to my service - immediately upon when I began glowing - I knew where to find your Dragon Lord, and the one we defeated. Well.. The pixies are sort of like the Dragon Lords were, before they were corrupted by the Dragon King. Creatures of natural power. But that knowledge faded after the Dragon Lord was defeated. I see. So they're not likely to listen to you or any of your friends? Might they bear relation to our own Earth Magics? Not really. *to Taki* Well that's not helpful. Um... I've never been quite sure how the Earth Magic thing works. Norcliff can sense both sorts though, but I've never asked him if the other Celestial Agents can also. Do you think he'd know how we could fix this? I don't think so. The Agency only releases information on a need-to- know basis, and this doesn't involve me or the Sailors. Rin is still one of your friends. I'd think they'd want to help her. They might help if asked, like I said. Will you? But he wouldn't already know. I would appreciate it if he would ask them for further information. *smiles kindly* Sure, I can take a memo. Great. * Norcliff pops out of Haruko's pocket How long do you think it'll be before you hear back? Well... I can't justify a priority call, so probably not for a few days. That will be fine. ... I guess you get to meet my parents like that then... I can't promise anything though. They like to toss lines about "preserving the balance of knowledge" around. I still say we could probably find some kind of summoning. Though it might go horribly wrong and we'd summon one of the other Dragons and get killed. * Minami twitches. The books I was reading about Dragon Lines did say that it was easier to summon creatures along one. Something about being able to travel along them. They ought to be able to point us in the right direction... Of the pixies. * Taki shakes her head. I would like information on pixies, in particular their capabilities, tendencies, means of contacting them, and *she blushes, but ignores it* mating behaviors. Also, how much they are likely to keep an oath, once sworn, and how to summon them. *dictates formally* I hope your parents will not be offended by my condition, Taki-san. * Norcliff lets out a breath. * Taki coughs and almost chokes at "mating". Woo, that’s a long list. I'll see what I can get. You might want to start looking on your own also though. So noted. They didn't freak out when I told them what I was. I doubt they'll hardly bat an eye at this. I can show you the books I was using, if you want me to. Do you have any other powers aside from being shiny now? Other than Lord Darkmoon's normal set? None I have noticed, no. That would be most appreciated, Haruko-san. After lunch then? Or do you have something else then? After lunch would be fine. *smiles again* ...I... hm. And I'll throw your request up with my nightly report. Fantastic. Thank you. Hey, Haruko? * Haruko almost got back to her lunch, and sets down the bite she was holding. "Yes, Taki?" Are you doing okay? Er, Yes? Are you going to be able to keep working with us? You've seen what we do. * Minami narrows her eyes. Do I really have a choice? * Minami is still the way she was, so she's narrow-eyeing the wall. Not really. No, unfortunately you do not. But you can choose how to approach it. There you go. But are we going to have to continue to drag you around or are you going to help next time there's going to be a fight and we need you? This is not really what any of us would *want* to do, but we've reconciled ourselves to doing and not dragging down our missions by being uncooperative. I'll come along with you, I'll try to help protect you, and all of the Ladies we're supposed to protect. I won't stop you if you try to kill people, but I won't help you either. Haruko. You understand we're fighting a war, right? Half of us have been shot... Like I said, I won't stop you if you try to kill people. I'll even try to keep you safe while you're doing it. * Rin eats her hamburger quietly, observing for the moment. * Minami puffs out a breath. But I *can't* take the life of another person, and the Sailors can't either. The Dragon Lord, if he recovers, has sworn not to also. You do realize these people will still try and kill you even if you have no intention of hurting them, right? Yes. So what are you going to do if you're faced with such a choice? * Haruko sighs. If it comes down to killing someone or dying? Yes. I hope I'll have the good grace to die. We've all had to make that choice at some point. * Minami frowns. ... So that your attacker can continue killing people? How is that helping anyone? It sets a good example. And, selfishly, it helps me. So then it's all about selfishness? No, the main point is setting a good example. So if a murderer broke into your home and headed for your parents, and you could stop him or die, you would die...and let your parents be killed. Who would you be setting an example for? If we all wanted to be selfish, we wouldn't go out and help anyone. We'd just let them fight their own fights. That way we don't ever have to make any hard choices. That's not a very good example... It's still a very real possibility. We're not trying to convince you to kill any bad people on sight. But when it comes down to the wire... If it came down to the wire I probably *couldn't* kill anyone. I mean physically, I lack the means. So its sort of a moot point. It's part of protecting us. What if it wasn't you he was threatening? What if he was going to kill one of us? You'd just let us die? That'd be no different than if you pulled the trigger yourself. And the Sailors won't, and if they did, the Agency would take back their powers. * Minami raises an eyebrow. "Your powers are not limited to nonfatal materials. Mostly because anything, properly used, can kill." Just like that comic book villain! * Haruko blinks. "You mean like summoning liquid nitrogen to douse someone with?" ...among other things, I suppose. * Haruko shakes her head. ...that is most creative, Haruko-san. Or stabbing someone in the eye with a pencil. I'm not that accurate Well, you'd have to be really close to do it. Or anything along those lines, really. We don't need to go into every way you can kill someone. Like I said, I'll try to protect you all. Even when all of you are trying to kill people. I realize that makes me guilty to, but its a kind of guilt I have no choice in. You understand why we have to, don't you? Because the Queen is stupid, and won't listen to me. And she ordered us all to. ... That's not it at all. Yes it is. I've told her dozens of times how we can purify all of the people that are trying to hurt us, and she just won't listen. ...purify? But she keeps attacking the symptoms instead of the disease. Haruko, that's not how the real world works. Do you not understand that we are ALL in danger? Not just from the Ningyo. Not just from your...from the enemies the Sailors face. From people who are not necessarily magical in nature. Who want us to die. * Kyouko doesn't see the people who almost killed Leena and all those girls on the train being purified. and then there's Hardhat. It's not just some bad dream that a spell is going to make all better. We've been over this before. The people trying to kill all the magical girls are just pawns of the Dragon King, and quite possibly also the Sea Queen. Unless you intend to put the entire population of Japan under mind control. If we get rid of them, the spell will be broken, and then we won't have to worry about it anymore. Goddamn it, stop hiding behind your fantasy! * Minami grits her teeth. "Haruko. There are people in this world who are capable of being evil WITHOUT being under magical control." But you all don't want to listen to the truth either. * Taki rubs her head. And you all keep telling yourself that because it makes it easy for you to kill. *kill It's not easy. I'm living with that. But I won't lie to myself like you do. No, look. Put that group of people aside. Tell me. Is that your explanation for all the evil people in this world? Huh? All the warmongers, all the dictators, and lesser criminals--common murderers, people who kill for pleasure. Is that how you explain people like the perverts who kidnapped and raped Junko? ... At some level, you have to admit that there is evil in the world. * Taki gets up and steps into the kitchen to get something to drink. And punch. Evil that does not come out of a magic spell. Haruko, Leena and Taki and I were almost killed on that train. They were ready to kill us and everyone on it. Well yeah, there are people who aren't nice... but we don't go killing people just because they mug someone. That's what courts and jails are for. And the courts that sentence people to the death penalty? We're not talking about muggers. We're talking about people. with machine guns. shooting at us with intent to kill and not caring what happens to anyone who might get shot in the process. They make sure that there's no way to rehabilitate them at all, there's all sorts of appeals, and mental evaluations and stuff. You all *can't* tell me you've tried to reform the people you've killed. That's because they were trying to kill us at the time. There are ways to stop someone from killing you without killing them. You think we don't know that? We have tried that. We've even brought a couple of goons back alive. Not when Leena's got a gaping hole in her chest and is bleeding to death on the floor of the train. Look, we've had this argument before. If we go killing them, what makes us any different from them? The person who throws the second punch is just as guilty for there being a fight as the person who throws the first. The fact that we're not seeking them out to destroy them. That's true. But you know what? It's gotta be done. We're doing it in self defense. We are doing what we do because it is necessary. Not because we *like* it. Killers have no selves to defend. * Taki steps back out of the kitchen, with a glass of water in her hand. She makes a mental note to tell the secretary to order a new toaster. Oh, I see. So you don't care if Leena had died on that train, because she's a killer. The world isn't black and white... ... Do you even care about any of us? If I didn't care about any of you, I wouldn't be willing to help you all murder. But I *cannot* bring myself to be the one with my hand on the trigger, or hilt, or ... whatever you call the end of a mallet. handle? So you take the moral high ground while we do the dirty work for you? Because you think you're better than us? Morally? Yes. * Minami sighs and rubs her temple with her other hand. "Leave it. She's not going to change her mind. If she doesn't want to believe in what we're doing, that's her problem." You're so full of yourself. No wonder why you live in a fantasy world. Taki! At least I don't lie to myself. Goddamn it! She's making it hard! * Kyouko doesn't comment. I know that! But it's obvious that no-one's mind is going to be changed here. Fuck you! I know goddamn well what I'm doing! *glares at Haruko* Yes, you know deep inside. Where you can't lie, you know what you're doing is wrong. And I make you think about that, and you don't like it. Admit who you're mad at Taki, and it isn't me. * Minami makes a rude noise. "You think that's what this is about? You think we don't know we're killers?" Sometimes we have to do bad things. * Taki lunges at Haruko. Fuck, I--- * Haruko flinches, but doesn't move aside. * Minami grabs Taki. Now who's the one striking first? * Minami digs her heels into the floor. * Taki still gets in a good hit before she's grabbed. Taki! * Haruko holds where she was hit Stop. You're only going to make her feel better about herself. Are you going to tell me that was in Self-Defense too? I tried really fucking hard to be nice to you. I really did. These are two completely different situations! Ah, so do you always punch the people you're nice to? I think I'm glad you've stopped trying. I don't give a shit how she feels about herself! Fuck. I'm leaving. * Taki heads for the door. If everyone else is done with me, I'm going to go put some ice on this. * Minami lets Taki go and starts cleaning up the coffee that spilled when she went to grab coffee. There's a big difference between Taki having a bad temper and people shooting at us with guns. Haruko. Guns. Shooting. At us. Because we're magical girls. You can't stand by with a clear conscience while we dirty ourselves and spit on us for it. As opposed to Taki having a problem a personal problem and a bad temper. GUNS. If you can't bring yourself to defend yourself, and other magical girls, fine. Kyouko, I've never said that stopping them isn't necessary. I've just pointed out that there, as here, she uses too much force. Minami: I've told you all I'll defend you. I don't pretend my conscience is clear for helping you murder. But you've chosen to be selfish and stand back. We care too much about people other than ourselves to do that. What's the right amount of force? How are we supposed to regulate when we're being SHOT AT. You're still putting yourself on the moral high ground from us. I'm not *putting* myself anywhere. I just want to advise you that continuing to show that might not be the best idea. Oh no? You just told us you were morally better. Did I wake up this morning, and as I said "Hello" to you all, add "Oh, and I'm morally better than you?" You all asked me if I would kill. I said I wouldn't. You all felt it necessary to push the issue. So, again, it's anyone's fault but yours. * Minami puffs out a breath. "Fine, whatever." I was asked a question, should I have lied about the answer? Should I have said, "No Taki, of course I'm not morally superior to you. Killing anyone who gets in your way is the just and correct thing to do." ? This has nothing to do with them being in our way. There is a way to say "I believe killing is wrong" without saying "I'm morally superior to you, because I choose not to kill." This has to do with them shooting at us, and our allies, and anyone around us because of we are. Kyou. She doesn't care. No, I do care. I want very much to free them from the spell. WE're in THEIR way. If you all want to help me, I'd be delighted. They WANT TO KILL US. Kyou! I told you, she doesn't care what *we* have to say. We're lying to ourselves, remember? * Kyouko goes back to her cold, soggy fries. * Haruko just looks sad. Can I go get some ice now? Just one more question. Sure. What perfect magical spell do you think we need to cleanse the world of evil? * Kyouko flails slightly, not understanding how the whole "they want to kill us and she had to hold Leena's SUCKING CHEST WOUND CLOSED SO SHE WOULDN'T DIE" doesn't get through to Haruko. What, all evil? Any. Well, you can get rid of a lot of evil by defeating the monsters that spread it. Its not a magical spell though. The rest of it... hard work. Leading by example, and stopping people who try to do evil. Defeating monsters, eh? How exactly do you figure that? Isn't that what all of us did before hand? The Ningyo, remember them? We kill them too. So there aren't any such things as monsters in human form. Except, of course, us. Some of them can take human form, yeah. The Dragon Lord we all fought the other day appeared human at first. Wait, we aren't monsters. * Minami snorts. "Well, that's a step, at least." But they all revert upon death. Or beforehand, for some of them. So I should have let Leena die so we could see if she turned into a monster or not? Norcliff's been around her enough, he can tell that she's not. * Kyouko mumbles to herself. "Well... in her own way she IS a monster. an adorable one." Girl's got anger issues though. * Haruko thwips Norcliff on the nose. And your method of getting rid of the people who come to kill us is...? We take away their guns and tie them up, or knock them out or something? And give them to the police. ...you do realize that guns are long-range weapons. Yes. I never said it was *easy* Doing the right thing usually isn't. We'd need to carry around enough rope. I can make all the rope you need. Doesn't your rope disappear? Killing isn't easy either. I wish you wouldn't equate the need to kill with some sort of want to kill. In an hour or so. The police should be there before that long though. * Minami sighs. "If only it were that easy." If killing them isn't easier than taking their guns away, then why do you do it? I didn't say one was easier than the other. If they're the same difficulty, why do the wrong thing instead of the right thing then? Taking their guns away requires us to get close to them so they can shoot us better. Like I said, its the harder thing to do. That's fine. Next time we get into a fight, Haruko can go and grab their guns all she likes. I can't do it without the Dragon to protect me. * Minami visibly chokes down another response. "Well. That's little picture stuff. But what was it you were talking about before?" When? About purifying them. * Kyouko stops trying to talk. Huh? Oh. They've got a spell put on them by one or both of the Dragon King and the Queen of the Sea If we defeat them, that spell should break. And if they have--eergh. And they are monsters, therefore we should kill them to defeat them, right? Just like the all the people the Dragon Lord of the North turned into things. The Dragon King and the Queen of the Sea? Of course they're monsters. Mm. That's all I wanted to know. * Haruko blinks I've said that plenty of times before And well, we can't really *kill* the Dragon King, we can just banish him again. I dunno about the Queen of the Sea though. But its the same idea. So that’s it then? * Minami gets up with the stuff she used to clean the floor and rubs the bridge of her nose with one hand. "Yeah. Sure." Good, I want that ice. * Haruko walks into the kitchen... then calls out "What happened to the toaster?" * Minami grits her teeth, takes the coffee mug, and *throws* it against the wall, breaking it. * Minami doesn't clean that one up. * Haruko runs out from the kitchen. "What happened out here?" * Minami puts a hand on Kyouko's shoulder and walks out, ignoring Haruko. Minami dropped her cup. Oh... is she going to clean it up? I don't think so... * Haruko sighs. I'll do it. * Kyouko sits there uncomfortably and goes to get a dustpan Thanks Kyouko. I think... we should look for something to help Rin stop glowing. * Haruko takes the dustpan from Kyouko, and sweeps up the cup shards. [end mini] Session Close: Sat Oct 29 22:38:19 2005