week one - saturday post-trial - madoka

[arockstar]

[Newt absconds pretty much as soon as the trial is over, given that he doesn't have a reason to stick around. They did it, hooray, etc. Someone's still dead and there's more to follow, and he just wants to get out of there.

He spends some time idly wandering around the temple to clear his head, but on his way back to the hostel, he spots Madoka in the courtyard. Hm.]

Aren't you tired of this place? We've been stuck here all day.

Comments

[frilly]

There aren't that many other places to go, and..

It's nice. I like it.

[arockstar]

We have a whole temple to explore, but fair enough. It's nice out here.

[At least they weren't locked in a single room all day. That would've sucked.]

You doing okay?

[frilly]

[ Madoka nods. It's nice here and - she feels like the other places are a little too crowded. Not necessarily with people, but just with. Stuff? ]

I'm alright. It's... I'm glad that we voted right, but it's also sad.

[arockstar]

[He nods.]

At least Shiki and the other guys'll be alright in the end. Still sucks, I'm not saying it doesn't, but there's solace in that, you know?

[...]

We'll just have to see what happens now, I guess.

[frilly]

[ Madoka nods again - they're in agreement on that. ] Right. It's better than this really being it, for her. And we all agreed to come here and to participate, so we're all...

On even footing...?

[ but it's that Strung Red thing that's really eating at her. ]

[arockstar]

[Newt lets out a little breath through his nose.]

Even footing, yeah, though I can't say I'm a fan of the age gap.

[It's a tough pill to swallow, even if Madoka's technically right.]

Did you vote for Love? I almost didn't because of what Piety was saying.

[frilly]

[ Madoka has no thoughts on the age gap, and actually tilts her head to the side a little bit when he says it, like she hadn't even noticed it. Then: ]

... I did. I don't like it, but it felt like Love was the only answer that made sense.

[arockstar]

[Fair enough. It sticks out more when you're on the upper end of that spectrum.]

It made more sense than the others, but it still felt like a crapshoot. I wasn't sold on the decision, especially with that whole... Him being tied to that other guy thing.

[He's bad with names.]

[frilly]

[ Madoka is just used to the weight of the universe resting on teenage girls. ]

... I considered voting wrong, just to prevent it. But that would still be an innocent life taken out of the contest.

[arockstar]

[anime is a trip.]

Mm. I get the impulse, but yeah. That would've just done more harm in the long run. At least by voting correctly, we're imposing the punishment on someone who knew the risks.

[frilly]

[ hell yeah it is. ]

Yeah. That's what I settled on... It wouldn't be right to let the real culprit get away with it, either.

[arockstar]

[He considers this for a moment, but then nods.]

Hey, is your hand okay?

[He gestures to the bandage. He noticed at the trial, but stuff was kind of a whirlwind.]

[frilly]

Oh - yes, thank you. It's okay - it was just an accident...

[ Not... Her accident, but whatever. ]

[arockstar]

What happened? I'm not a medical doctor, but I know my way around a suture if you need it.

[Granted he's usually stitching up dead stuff, but it's fine.]

[frilly]

[ She brings her hands up defensively, not realizing that probably only? Draws more attention to it? ]

I already had Jude look at it for me. He said he was a doctor, and he even knew about the healing herbs that Patience had.

So I think I'm okay. But I appreciate it.

[arockstar]

[Well, that stops him. He takes a step back.]

If you're sure. Sorry, didn't mean to pry. It's, uh, a good thing we had a lot of other evidence to go on by the time they found Shiki's stuffed animal...

[That could've been super bad. Her hand didn't match the print, but still.]

[frilly]

That... Did make me a little bit nervous...

But I was innocent. I want to trust everyone to be able to tell.

[arockstar]

[His brow furrows at that.]

What do you mean?

[frilly]

I just want to have faith that we'll figure out the truth, each time. Even when there are things like that.

[arockstar]

I mean, I don't disagree with you, but I have a feeling it won't always be that easy.

[...]

Not that this time was easy, but like, we're a bunch of amateurs trying to solve murders with virtually no evidence or equipment. We're bound to mess up eventually.

[frilly]

W-well... We'll deal with that if it happens.

[arockstar]

Mm.

[He nods. They don't really have a choice otherwise, so.]

You sure you're doing okay?

[He's worried about you, kiddo.]

[frilly]

I'm alright, thank you. It's hard, but...

I've been through something like this before.

[arockstar]

Really?

[BIG FROWN.]

Like a competitive numbers game, or are you saying you've dealt with solving murders before?

[frilly]

Oh, n-no, no, nothing like that...!

But - situations where people have to get... Competitive with each other for the sake of what they want, and for the world. Situations where people had to hurt each other, even when they didn't want to.

That sort of thing...

[arockstar]

[The frown lessens slightly but it's still there. You're like twelve, Madoka???]

Why were you involved in something like that?

[frilly]

For the good of the universe...?

[ She sounds like she knows that's an underwhelming answer. ]

[arockstar]

Why do you sound so unsure about that?

[He like halfway picked up what she was putting down.]

[frilly]

I just know that it's kind of hard to understand for a lot of people, that's all.

It was a bad system put in place for... A good reason.

[arockstar]

Hm. Try me. I'm pretty smart, you know. Plus I get what you mean about bad things happening for good reasons.

[frilly]

It was a system designed to gather the emotional energy from young girls. A system designed for tragedy - because that energy can be used to reduce the entropy of the universe.

[arockstar]

[Newt the scientist is just going to chew on that for a long moment. Whaaaat the fuck?]

Emotions... Uh, aren't energy?

[IS HIS FIRST POINT there's a lot to unpack here.]

Even if they were, I don't see how you could harvest that and use it to affect the universe as a whole.

[frilly]

I think we probably come from very different worlds. Or - universes, even.

[ although... ]

Well, even in mine, I think everyone would say you're right, too.