Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-5999656-20160207063839/@comment-5999656-20160313065046

Ah, an ideological argument, Fen thought. Platinum was perfectly suited to win these kinds of duels. But when she looked at her friend, all the silver-haired teenager did was cock an eyebrow and give a clear nod. Was she not going to take over from here? The signal was obvious.

Go on.

''You're asking me to answer her? ''Fen was surprised that the girl wasn't stepping forward to suystematically put down Cyzarine's argument point by point. That was Platinum's forte, that was. So then why wasn't she going forward? And then it dawned on her:

''She wants me to argue in the name of justice. It'll verify my commitment to the role of a heroine.''

That wasn't something Fen wanted to do, but she didn't have a choice. She certainly couldn't refute Cyzarine in the same ideological eloquence that their team leader could.

Clever clever Platinum, making me the hero of the day, Fen thought. Who knew her bestie was so good at being a manipulative bastard?

Fen sighed and pulled her beanie off, running her fingers through her hair before pulling the fabric cap back onto her head. It was a gesture to reassure herself before she started. With her eyes closed, she began.

"Cyzarine, no matter what you try to argue with me the fact is that the police are going to be up here soon to arrest you for breaking the law. If you give in now it'll be easier for us to convince them that it was an act of self-defense and not voluntary manslaughter". There, she was stating the facts, simple as that. What else was there to say? Might as well reinforce her point.

"The longer you run the more guilty you will look in the eyes of the jury. If your parents can come vouch for you and maybe reassure the court about monitoring you from now on, that'd help a lot too".

Fen opened one eye, gazing at the blood-spattered child in her field of vision. It was silly how she was lecturing the kid about facing the consequences of breaking the law when her own sister was doing just that every single day. Fen knew that Zanipher was endangering her business and herself by reaching out to her younger sister, yet she did so anyway. For what? If the Dragons were to fall it would be because of a misstep from within, not because of a challenge from an outside force. Fen didn't want to be that one misstep, but at the same time she couldn't distance herself from that life now that it had begun. So perhaps she should just play along, even though every minute she spent close to Cyzarine put her connection at risk.

As all this occurred, the SWAT were ascending the hotel from within. They'd already barricaded the perimeter of the block and ushered all civilians out of the vicinity, while a police chopper was quickly making its way to the scene.

''If she still doesn't get it after seeing what's happening all around us, then she really is hopeless, and this team shit is hopeless too. ''

Platinum still held her rifle at the ready, but she approved of Fen's refutation. Although she could have easily stepped in and answered Cyzarine herself, she'd concluded that it was better this way: it would emphasize the importance of Fen as a member of the team, as another person trying to reach a compromise that didn't send their situation spiraling into a chaotic mess of bullets and blood. Since Fen looked like she was done talking, might as well play her role.

"It's already over."

"This is just the start."

Fen gave Platinum a quizzical look. Great, now they were disagreeing. Fen thought they were done messing with psychological games, but Platinum seemed to feel that this was the beginning of something else. At least she'd be able to play the trickster once again.

Fen mock bowed to her team leader. What was Platinum gonna say?

"Go ahead, milady. Take the psychic reins." There was no way Platinum had been able to predict her moves that well, so it couldn't be another manipulative mind trick, could it?

"Cyzarine, you're missing the point. Like Fen said, it's not about personal beliefs. As Huntresses we have a duty to uphold justice in a civilized society, and what you've done is not justice. After this whole thing is over, I want you to ask yourself this: What is your goal in attending Beacon? If you're just here to learn to fight for the sake of fighting, then you could easily do so somewhere else, not at an elite academy for training the heroes of past and future. You get to choose. Are you going to walk on the path of bettering society or the one of serving your own selfish desires?"

"Just tell us now if what we're doing is pointless or not. If we're wasting our time, then all you have to do is say it and we'll never bother you again, and we'll never question your choice. But if you choose that path and we meet again one day as adversaries, then I will not give you the leisure of a decision before I shoot."

"Say the word and we'll let the police arrest you. No matter what you think, the fact remains that you have broken the law."

Fen was mildly impressed. So Platinum was putting a girl at the fork in the road, so to speak? This or that, one way or another. But of course: What you think is the end of one thing might really be the beginning of another.