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Soon after that smile darkens, Autor finds himself leaning on the bar. Not because she'd frightened him--certainly not--but because he's never seen that look before on anyone but himself*. To find it on a flat-chested school girl is most curious.

He immediately orders her a cup of tea. "Now that," he says, offering her whatever drink the bar chose, "is something I want to hear all about. Is yours a matriarchal society? I've only heard about a few of those and they are fascinating. When will you rule? How big is the kingdom? Why are you trying to make friends in a strange place rather than making alliances in your own land?"

He sips his tea and grins at her.

*while practicing Future Dictator of the World speeches, of course.

Edited 2013-02-04 22:48 (UTC)

She smiles delightedly at the tea, but doesn't drink from it immediately.

(Surely he can't think she's quite so trusting as that. Especially not for someone who asks far too many detailed questions of a magical princess he's only just met.)

"A princess should know about more places than her own kingdom -- and if she can make friends there, then she should be able to do the same thing at home, right?" Her voice hasn't lost any of its cheerful charm, for all that the look in her eyes is not quite that of the innocent young girl she seemed upon her arrival. "I've made many friends at my new school on Earth. Some of them didn't like me very much at first, but then again some people in Magical Land don't like my Mama very much, either. I just have to keep trying to win them over, that's all."

Or crush them under her heel like the vermin they are, whichever is more expedient.

And with that, Autor opens up the "Scabs" part of the file in his head labeled Punie Tanaka, Magical Princess. It's where he compartmentalizes unanswered questions, as those tend to be sore spots. Keep picking at them and people generally react--giving away information--until they stop playing.

Time to start poking around.

"Well, clearly you know more than I do about the Magical Land you come from," he says, cupping his chin in his hand. "But I was under the impression that a kingdom is run on treaties and embargoes, not friendships. Are you sure your Queen Mother didn't send you down to Earth to get you out of the way?" His face is a cross between poor dear and I might just be teasing you.

Kingdoms, in Punie's experience, are run on frequent public executions of suspected traitors and gathering intelligence on those whose sworn loyalties might one day be equally suspect. But she's old enough to know that's not how most places operate.

"Oh, I'm sure she did!" Punie chirrups -- and her facial expression completely shifts into an icy, ruthless calm, save for the merciless glitter in her eyes. "But it is only delaying the inevitable," she adds, in a much deeper and more adult voice that is heavy with malice. "And I intend to take full advantage of the brief yet futile respite she has bought for herself."

And then, as if flipping a switch, her bright and perky smile is back in place. "Though I know that she and Papa both miss me very, very much. And I miss them, too."

Autor nearly gags on his heart. It seems it was indeed a good idea for him to lean on the bar today. He was planning on teasing her a bit further ("Oh, so you're inheriting? Some of us plan to conquer the world on our own merits"), but she really does look like she'd gut him--and cheerfully so.

Part of him objects, saying that she's just a schoolgirl. The other part is concerned with living long enough to conquer his own piece of the planet, and if he has to deal with her then, well, so be it.

So he does what any sane man would do when faced with such an indomitable woman with magic powers: inclines his head. "He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not will be victorious," he says neutrally, hiding his warming cheeks behind his tea, "your Highness."

Wait, Sun Tzu? he thinks, suppressing an involuntary shiver at the thought of her voice again. I couldn't come up with anything better?

There. That's the sort of look she likes to see.

He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.

"I know I still have a lot to learn," she admits, pulling her own teacup closer, "but really, I'm just happy to meet all sorts of new people!" A thought seems to strike her, and her cheeks flush with mild embarrassment. "And oh, I've been so rude, talking so much about myself all this time! Where do you come from? Have you been coming to Milliways for very long?"

Oh, really, he thinks, and smiles over the rim of his teacup. Well, shall we play the question game, then?

"I've only been here for a bit longer than you, really," he says, and tilts his head towards his non-existent door. "Trying to find my footing. Those books your mother wrote must be a great boon to you."

Then he adds another sugar to his tea. "What do you find is the best benefit to meeting other people?"

He's going to steadfastly ignore that flush of hers.

Punie puts a finger to her chin and tilts her head up slightly, thinking carefully. "Well...I didn't have many people to spend time with when I was younger," she says. "Mama and Papa always had important things to do, and I have two little sisters but they were much too little to really play with until just a few years ago."

Though they've made several well-coordinated attempts on her life since she came to Earth. Children do grow up so fast.

"I would have been very lonely if I didn't have Paya-tan around." Her expression turns fond. "He's the best mascot ever, and I'm so glad to have him. But I know what it's like to feel like you don't have anyone to talk to, and how sad that can be." She clasps her hands in front of her, as if she can barely contain her excitement. "So making other people happy makes me feel happy, too!"

Whoa, that was quite a bit more information than he expected to get. Autor blinks a few times at the welcome change.

But the level of threat is too sinuous for him to get a bead on. Who are you, really? he wants to ask. The warrior Athena or the joyful Euphrosyne?

"You didn't have any governesses to speak to?" he asks, and then kicks himself. Of course she has had tutors. She's obviously well-mannered and educated. "Er, forget that, please. Instead, tell me, what is a mascot in the context of your life?"

"Curiouser and curiouser," cried Alice.

"Every magical princess needs a mascot!" Punie declares, eyes sparkling. "They're the cutest, cuddliest best friends ever -- like a big stuffed animal that you can hug and snuggle with all the time -- and they always bring you good luck! I went all the way to Magical Land's extra-special Waku Waku Mascot Village to find one. That was where I met Paya-tan, and he agreed to become my mascot."

A sworn contract, signed in her new servant's own blood, was more than worth the broken ribs and internal hemorrhaging.

"So there aren't any mascots where you come from, then?"

A stuffed animal, huh? he thinks. I... really don't get you.

"We don't," he says. "In stories and myths"--which can be very real, depending on who wrote them--"witches have something similar, called familiars. They're demons or faeries which assist in the practice of magic."

He adjusts his glasses. "I've never heard of one chosen for its cuteness. Does everyone in Magical Land seek friendship or is it just you being forced into a role?"

"No one has ever forced me to do anything."

Just a hint of the razor-smile as she stresses the word, a touch of cruel amusement at the thought of something so ludicrous.

"The future Queen of Magical Land should have the best and cutest mascot of all, and that's why I wanted Paya-tan." She touches the heart-shaped pendant on her chest, her fingers brushing the candy-cane-like stick that projects from the bottom. "He helps me with my magic sometimes, but usually all I need is my Princess Rod to make any of my wishes come true."

You can't make cuteness a requirement for Queenly things, he thinks. That's absurd.

"Oh?" he says lightly. "And would you be cut off from your magic if your 'Princess Rod' were taken from you?"

"But who would want to take it from me?"

Her eyes narrow, and the tilt of her head suddenly becomes far less innocent and far more predatory.

"Who, indeed, would dare?"

Oh, good, she's back, Autor thinks, and sips his tea. He's starting to think of her as a puffer fish--much cuter when provoked.

"You would know better than I," he says dryly. "You know what it's capable of and you know who else would, too."

Edited 2013-02-05 21:28 (UTC)

"And you very much want to know. How far will that wanting take you, I wonder?"

She studies him with calm detachment. If he wants to see her in this way, she will of course oblige him for as long as it pleases her to do so.

"What kingdom lies within your grasp, to have such an interest in mine?"

"Clearly not very far, since the foremost expert in such magic stands before me, tight-lipped," he says with a sniff. I doubt the library has much on Magical Land. I shall have to check.

Then he leans back and folds his arms. "And it is certainly not in my best interest to tell you," he says with a sharp grin, "as I'm in no position to receive an ambassador from yours."

Have to conquer mine, first.

"To be perfectly frank, my knowledge of Magical Land was woefully undeveloped until I met you today, Punie Tanaka."

Punie chuckles -- a low, blood-chilling sound -- and shakes her head.

"How unworthy of you to submit so easily," she muses. "I had hoped that you were capable of more than that. But every mind has its limitations, and every body has its breaking points. And all the magic in the world will be of no avail to one who has not learned precisely where those are."

Submit? Wha-- It takes him a minute to parse what he thinks she might be saying.

"Are you suggesting that I fight you for the Rod when I don't know what it does--and when you're holding it, besides?" he says, frowning. "You can't tell me that underestimating an opponent's strength is a viable strategy."

Where did this come from? I didn't intend to fight you at all, you strange creature.

He pushes the sugar bowl towards her. "Your tea is cold. I'd say it isn't poisoned, but I doubt you'll believe me at this point."

"I am suggesting," she says smoothly, close to a sneer, "that for someone who asks so many indelicate questions about magic and power, you seem to be remarkably unimaginative in drawing your conclusions. Think a little more carefully about what it might mean to be strong enough to take the throne in a magical kingdom...and perhaps you may be clever enough to see why it will be mine soon enough."

In a land full of magic users, there is nothing special about magic itself. There will always be someone with more powerful magic than yours. But if you can crush their joints before they can cast a spell --

-- and just like that, Punie's expression changes, all wide-eyed youthful innocence again.

"Oh, my tea!" she says, looking down at the cup. "But even if it's cold, I can warm it up right now!" A sidelong glance, half-shy and half-excited. "Would you like to see me use magic to warm it up?"

She can give him that much. He's provided some greatly needed amusement in what she had expected would be a dull, ordinary day at school.

Autor bristles a bit. "Well, you're certainly capable of threatening people," he says. "I assume your confidence is due to your faith in your follow-through. You'd need connections with people who aren't your mother's, and some way to sway public opinion, be it fear or as a messiah." He frowns. "Then you'd need a defendable stronghold, and a reliable way of taking down your enemies."

He looks her over, and his gaze rests briefly on the rod. This skinny little schoolgirl probably has some of those already. How infuriating!

Right as he's working himself into a snit, she changes again. He's so surprised, he can't help but laugh. She's too good at that, he thinks. "Okay," he says, a little shy himself, due to laughing.

(OOC: Apologies for the questions that are ham-fisted/metaplayed, especially at the beginning. My excitement about Punie got the better of me.)

Edited 2013-02-06 20:46 (UTC)

Punie claps her hands together, looking ever-so thrilled. Her expression of sparkling glee is a striking counterpoint to the words that come out of her mouth as she draws the candy-cane-like stick from her pendant, and says brightly:

"~Lyrical Tokarev, KILL THEM ALL!~"

As far as transformation sequences go, hers is nothing particularly special. Her clothing doesn't change in the slightest, and her Princess Rod still looks remarkably like a candy cane once the magic settles into place around it. If it wasn't for the staring eye on the front of it, just above the green ribbon bow, it might almost seem like a toy designed by a rather fanciful child.

"Hm," she says, looking down at the cup of cold tea. "How should I make it all nice and warm, I wonder?"

[OOC: No problem, really! The two of them are...almost frighteningly meta together, and this thread has filled me with delight.]

Autor nearly chokes on his drink. He's never seen a magical girl before, so that she has to shout something and twirl around to access her power is completely new. But her war cry! He has to bite his fingers not to sob-laugh, because appearances aside, she might actually kill him.

No, he corrects himself, hating that he admires her follow-through, I know she would. The candy cane makes him smile, but the staring eye doesn't catch his interest. He saw the one on her headband already.

He leans a bit closer to peer at her teacup as well. The way she talks about heating her drink galvanizes his brain. Will she draw her magic from Magical Land itself? If so, she'll completely break thermo-dynamic processes. He leans back to get a better look at the separated rod and pendant. Small-scale conquering.

"You could levitate the liquid near the fireplace," he says dryly.

[OOC: Bless you and this thread.]

Edited 2013-02-08 06:25 (UTC)

"I co-ould," Punie says, contemplating in a sing-song tone, "but what if someone came by while it was heating up by the fire? If they weren't paying attention, they might get tea on their nice clothes! And I don't want to heat it in the cup, because it might hurt the pretty china." She tilts her head, thinking for a moment -- and then her eyes light up as an idea comes to her. "Oh, I know! Something small and simple, that won't be in anyone's way!"

She taps her magic wand against the palm of her hand, with a brisk rat-tat like that of a teacher calling a class to order. A moment later, there is a soft pop-pop-pop, and three small vegetables -- a carrot, an onion, and a potato -- materialize in mid-air and land on the bar next to the teacup. And as if that was not peculiar enough, the vegetables suddenly shiver, and get to their feet (feet?), and turn to face Punie.

"Princess," the potato says, in a deep and somber voice, as all three vegetables bow to her. "What is your will?"

"The tea is cold." Punie's face and voice have suddenly returned to the icy, heartless expression of before, looking down at the vegetables with absolute authority. "Reheat it."

"By your command," the potato replies, and the vegetables bow again. From out of nowhere, the carrot produces a small brazier and the onion produces a metal cauldron, both no bigger than the teacup. With painstaking care, the vegetables pour the tea from the cup into the cauldron, and set to work to light the brazier and reheat the tea.

"Wait, what?" Autor says. "What?"

He has no words. No words.

Well, he does have words, but they're along the lines of, "Uhh... Er. Hm. I can't... But you... Well, then," and he's not about to say any of that. He'd look foolish.

But then there's her voice again--he shivers--and those have feet! and voices of their own! and they're bowing! and now they're bringing out a cauldron and--oh, no, he just can't resist it anymore. Autor collapses into a giggle-heap.

"These vegetables are your loyal minions?" he says, wiping away mirthful tears. "How delightfully absurd."

Edited 2013-02-09 22:57 (UTC)