Quoted By:
Ӝ๑:
>Let's go anyway.
It was to be expected. Dolores would of course know that Dumbbell would get involved, right from the start: she'd start whatever's going on with that in mind already. The rows of bottles stacked against the kitchen's wall bear witness to Miharu's dismay; her wish could have just meant /something/.
๑ Marie: ...Well, damn.
It can't be denied; her sisters will grow up to be three. Maybe even two. Marie's dad is lazy, and loves to laze around, but what little effort he could squeeze out of himself for his daughter will net him only an empty room. His sloth will have made sense.
๑ Marie: (About what you said before: you are right, at least in my case specifically.)
Dumbbell: Drink, Miharu.
The Coordinator pours steaming water in the sensitive girl's cup, taking the liberty of dipping a new teabag in it herself. And Miharu drinks, if to replace those tears.
๑ Marie: (I sacrificed my lifespan and place in my loved ones' future in exchange for a selfish wish and nigh-infinte potential. I'm not looking to deny that. Not at this point.)
Dumbbell: (I am glad. Dolores and I go to lengths to ensure that part of the contract is clear.)
If anything, Marie has to admit the effort. It does wash away some of her worries regarding Shaniqua, but not all of them. After all, she made her wish. Rin made her wish. Even Miharu made her wish...
๑ Marie: (What I do wonder is why we have to see the average lifespan of a Puella Magi as a rule rather than happenstance. I likely will die in four years, but why should we just accept that?)
Dumbbell: (Because hope can turn against you.)
Dumbbell takes her napkin from Miharu's other hand and holds it under her lip, since the tea is spilling from the corner of the cup as the rookie drinks.
Dumbbell: (Grounded hopes will keep you in peace, and being in peace will keep your Soul Gem clean. It could be more than four years, Marie. I've been at this for seven. That's why I know that careless hope is the only way to despair.)
๑ Marie: (I don't want to see you die in two years. That's for sure.)
Dumbbell manages a little, sleepy grin. Behind the bar, there's a knee-high glass table on the floor, surrounded by couches, that they often sit around of to watch football with their mom and dad. There's always a basket filled with nuts and apples in it. One day, there will be too many nuts, and too many apples. The ones at the bottom will rot
but not yet.
๑ Marie: (I will try to live as long as I can, while living the best life possible. I will not avoid my responsibility or consequences of being a Magical Girl.)
Marie stands, not abruptly, not with a little jump, but with careful and measured movements.
๑ Marie: (I will protect you if you ask me. I will protect Shaniqua if she signs that contract. I will protect Miharu until she sees that Second Moon. All of you deserve that much from me.)
Dumbbell: (I will protect you too.)
The little girl's intense stare is almost intimidating.
