2645/Pride and Consequences

Pride and Consequences
Date of Scene:	25 June 2025
Location:	Dorms #1
Synopsis:	Late at night, almost a week after the battle to stop Seriss from taking Hotaru, Rashmi gets a call on Molly's burner phone; but this time, it isn't Molly who's calling. This time, it's Seriss.
Cast of Characters:	Molly Skyline, Rashmi Terios

---

Molly Skyline has posed:
Tokyo, the middle of the night (or perhaps a bit closer to 3am), when anyone who isn't at a super late movie showing or at a bar or being a total die-hard at some 24 hour arcade, is asleep. Which generally includes everyone at Radiant Heart Academy who isn't a Mahou and probably at least half the students who are.

It has been nearly a week since the latest encounter with Seriss. Nearly a week since the destruction of Atropos, and the ensuing rage from the dark sorceress. Since she briefly let Rashmi know that Molly was paying the price for it.

Since then, there has been nothing, no word from either of them. Tonight, it seems, is no different.

Until Nicomachea receives an incoming call; once again, from Molly's burner phone.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
It has, at least, been an entire week, full of only low-key tension... And of course the spike of terror Saturday, at the Wedding on the Moon. Which was then followed by an entire *Wedding on the Moon,* so the day was really a net positive in the end.

Which means when Rashmi is hurled from sleep by her Device's alarm, she's at least decently well-rested, though of course not present enough to keep from blurting "Molly-chan?!" the moment Nicomachea announces a live connection.

She will be beating herself up for that for a long, long time to come.

Molly Skyline has posed:
What follows on the line after Rashmi's outburst is... nothing, at first. Just a silence that stretches from un comfortable to worrying, interupted only by the nighttime sounds of nocturnal birds and insects outside the window, and the creaking of a building in teh dark.

But then there's this quiet, little chuckle.

"No, not tonight." And this time, it's Molly's voice; but the British accent is almost violently absent.

"No, she won't be joining us again, I'm afraid. But I was hoping that perhaps, you and I... could have a little chat, darling Rashmi."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
'No, not tonight.'

Rashmi's entire spine feels dipped in ice water the moment those words are uttered, and in her sleepy state she cannot stem the single, quiet sob that lurches from her throat.

She just outed Molly's actions to Seriss.

Molly is going to *suffer so much for this.*

If Molly dies again, it's *going to be Rashmi's fault.*

All this bounces around inside the Devicer's skull, as Seriss keeps talking, only half-paying attention to the words.

"................Oh yeah?"

Molly Skyline has posed:
"Oh yes."

Seriss' voice is just as it was before; airy and unconcerned, with the full assumption of power, purpose, and a certain amount of tactical superiority. Both the conversation and the person she's having it with are games and toys to be played with, entirely at her discretion.

But behind it is something different than before. Something harder and colder.

"But do finish waking up. I know it's early in the morning and you were asleep. Why don't you get up, get yourself something to drink, throw some water on your face... whatever it is you need to do. I want to make sure..."

There's a brief pause; the sound of a yawn, and boots on a cold floor.

"I want to make sure I have your complete, undivided attention."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...No, that's okay," Rashmi says faintly, digging the heel of her hand into one eye to scrape out the sleepies. "You... *definitely* have my attention. I just hope it'll be worth it for you, later."

Given how she *already feels* about Seriss, and what she suspects will happen to Molly...

There is *no chance* Rashmi comes away from this wanting her any less dead.

Molly Skyline has posed:
"Oh really? You're sure, then? Very well, let's get to it."

Seriss can be heard pacing slowly around the room she's in; a slow, methodical movement, entirely for the sake of moving rather than sitting still.

"I thought perhaps we could have a little talk about... consequences." She inhales and sighs audibly. "You see... five days ago, I know -- I know -- that Molly slipped you a message. Didn't realize it until later, of course; but she scribbled something on that receipt she gave you. Of course she did, the sneaky little rebel that she fancies herself to be, and then you were just barely able to thwart me in my efforts, to bring dear Hotaru back home to her father and Mistress 9, who both miss her terribly. But that's not the worst part."

Seriss drumbs her fingers against something, audible once more over the phone.

"You cost me one of my own. A creation I cared for dearly, like my own child. ...Are you familiar, dear Rashmi, with the biblical concept of an eye for an eye?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
And, just as expected, Seriss is being condescending, superior, smug, and overall a *classic* villain, and it's *such a trial* to keep her eyerolling from making it into her voice. "...Seriss you didn't lose Hotaru-chan because Molly-chan passed a message. I was there, I *know* it didn't reach her until you'd already started attacking. You didn't fail because of Molly-chan, you *failed* because *what we brought* was enough to *stop you.* What do you even *know* about Hotaru, besides your boss and her toady who *is not Hotaru's father by the way* just want her?"

Pausing, Rashmi closes her eyes, and takes a deep, steadying breath. "...If you're going to threaten my family, or someone else's, or whatever... You can stop that now. Maybe *you* don't care about escalating conflicts, but you should ask around at Obsidian. What happened when Beryl got too impatient to stay quiet? Or Otto? What happened when Walpurgisnacht came in and threatened the whole city? *Tell me what your bosses think about the Black Moon Clan,*" she says, her voice growing heated.

"You think you're the top dog on the totem pole, and sure the idea of fighting you one on one is terrifying and stupid. But *you do not* start talking about 'eye for an eye' to *me* when *I* don't have kids I can throw into the fight like grenades, and expect it to end *in any way* well."

Molly Skyline has posed:
"And none of that will matter to the dead," Seriss counters. "So assume you are right, and you win. Who's tombstone would you like to stand in frotn of and tell them, 'It's okay, dear loved one of mine, revenge was had; the scales are balanced, everything is alright now', Hmmm?"

The dark sorceress clacks her fingernails against whatever surface she's drumming them on once more. "Those who don't learn history are doomed to repeat it; that's how the saying goes, isn't it? Not to worry; I've studied well enough. But you are making the mistake of expecting that it will repeat. But let me assure you, I will not be killing your dear mother or father today, Rashmi. Not this time."

"No... I've made the choice for you already. You can consider sweet little Molly to be dealt with; we won't be hearing from her again. She can spend her remaining time enjoying her dreams until she slips away."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Dark, furious silence meets Seriss' response; the question of 'whose tombstone?' a rhetorical one, obviously, because both know well the answer is 'nobody's.'

But when Seriss speaks of Molly 'enjoying her dreams,' her mind begins to whirl. If *this* is how Molly will be punished... Seriss may have just made an *incredible* mistake.

"...You're a *monster,* Seriss Nyx," she whispers aloud; partly because a response *is* required, and maybe her breathy denunciation will be taken as helpless rage. Partly because hey, if it keeps her talking, maybe she'll slip another detail or two.

Molly Skyline has posed:
And now Seriss laughs, and is a cold and joyless sound.

"Well each of us have incurred costs against the other, haven't we? Do not fear, Rashmi. I would never kill you. Let you host a subservient Daimon, perhaps, but that is a different matter entirely."

She drums her fingers a few more times, finishing with a rapid stacatto that so often signals an abrupt loss of patience, or perhaps interest.

"Well. We all have things to do. You've forced me to put more attention into my backup plan -- so I really have no more time for you tonight. But a piece of advice for you, dear Rashmi; be careful, going forward.

"Do not find yourself learning, as Molly is right now, that you should be careful what you wish for."

*click*

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"No wait--"

*click*

And for a long, long while, Rashmi stares at her phone, at the number of Molly's burner that was a lifeline for them *both.* Compromised, now, fit only for Seriss to taunt her.

"...Nicomachea," she says softly, a tear rolling down her cheek, "block this number, please. Don't delete it... but until I say otherwise, I'm not accepting calls from that number."

    << COMMAND INPUT EXECUTE >>

And as the little padlock icon superimposes itself over a greyed-out number, Rashmi closes her eyes. Once again, Seriss has revealed an ignorance that she can exploit. A gap in her armor, through which hope may shine through.

*If* she can convince *one person* to help.

Well... That's work for tomorrow.