Evening, June 15th, 1999--Outside the Police Station

[happyhalloween]

[Finally, after all those phone calls, they're all gathered outside the police station. There are some conspicuously missing members of the club, but Souji's been gone for days and Minako isn't really Minako anymore--she's Venus--and Alice wasn't able to get the message from Tomosuke, Maria supposes, and of course Maya is the one they're all trying to save from rotting in jail due to false accusations. But Maria is here and Hiroshi is here and Nui and the President and Osaka. That's enough people for a rescue mission.]

So does everyone have the things we need for the plan?

[Maria's plan being that they'd lure Mr Policeman out and steal his keys. It's a bit simplistic for a jailbreak plan, but she is only nine.]

Comments

[flatview]

[ Nui arrived right on time for once, but most unusually, she's not saying a word. Rather, she's hovering near Chiyoko and twirling her pair of sewing scissors around her fingers.

Sans parasol. ]

[happyhalloween]

[Maria blinks.] Nui's not gonna hit Mr Policeman with her parasol?

[flatview]

I didn't have it, I didn't have it~ ♥ Or, did you want me to walk all the way back home?

[ she was already at her house but shhhhhh maria doesn't need to know that ]

[happyhalloween]

No, we have to break Maya-oneesan out soon. We'll just have to jump Mr Policeman without it.

[kaicho]

[ covering her face like maybe if she doesn't look, it'll be less illegal ]

This is gonna be on my permanent record foreeeveerrrr...

[happyhalloween]

It's okay. You can just pardon yourself.

[That's what presidents do, right?]

[ohmygah]

Er, hold on. We're gonna attack folk? Cause Ah didn't bring anythang fer that...

[Also its bad and stuff.]

[all_onis_are_true]

I would hope ideally it won't come to that, but we are conducting a rather illegal action right now. If nothing else, hopefully we will have something approximating an explanation later.

[Which will probably mostly just reduce their sentence, but yeah.]

[unit31]

[ still covering her face......... ]

I'm gonna be a criminal... I'll never get into the university I want...

[ PREZ IS HAVING A CRISIS SORRY GUYS ]

[happyhalloween]

We don't have to hurt Mr Policeman very bad! We just need to get him tied up! Nui said she'd conk him out which would make everything easier, but we can still do this without conking Mr Policeman out! We just have to tie him up nice and tight!

[...]

You can make them accept you. You're the President.

[She's not the president of everything, Maria. Just the student body.]

[ohmygah]

Ah brought rope! Non-conking rope! [That's good news!]

Sometimes people fire Presidents fer silly reasons. [That's the best way to explain impeachment, right?]

[happyhalloween]

Oh!

... well, if they try to fire the President over this, Maria will take the fall for her! Maria can take the fall for everyone!

[She helped Venus. She owes it to everyone now.]

[unit31]

... Nah.

Nah, if we're gonna go down for this, we're gonna go down together. We all agreed to this an' we're takin' the fall together. No scapegoats.

[ ... goodness prez is serious all of a sudden ]

[all_onis_are_true]

Either way, I believe we all have more to worry about after this than simply the cops. If my calculations -- and suspicions -- are correct, there are still at least four more people Minako feels she needs to kill before she is convinced that she has fulfilled the requirements to, ah... "save the world," so to speak. Quite honestly, it could be any of us.

[happyhalloween]

[Maria nods.]

There's seven demons hiding in people that have to be defeated before the Moon Princess can be revived. That girl who came to ask questions was the first and Mama was the second. And Mama really was possessed! But... I don't know if that girl was. I don't know if the Black Witch is even one of the seven demons

We have to do it now. And maybe afterwards Maria's relatives can give the police a lot of money so they will forget about it. So it'll be fine.

[She turns to Osaka.]

You have the distraction, right?

[ohmygah]

Erm... Do ya mean the boombox?

[happyhalloween]

[Maria nods.] And the loud music!

[unit31]

...

[ in the flattest voice imaginable; ]

This plan involves a boombox.

[flatview]

[ Oh sweet christ in heaven y'all

You better turn those sweet jams on before Nui's hysterical laughter does the job in summoning a Dojima ]

[ohmygah]

[There's nothing funny about serious plans, gosh Nui.]

Yeah, Ah brought one o' my mom's CDs. She really wants it back in one piece.

[happyhalloween]

Uu! We're gonna summon Mr Policeman outside with the power of loud music!

Hit it, Osaka!

[ohmygah]

R-right now?! Alrighty...

[She quickly pulls the boombox out of the pack, kind of relieved to shed the heaviest object first. What with it being a boombox and all.

It was a tough call on what to bring, but eventually the correct song won out.]

[flatview]

[ Nui's laughter only triples with the addition of this soundtrack. There are literal tears in her eyes and she's hanging onto Chiyoko to even maintain her balance. ]

[all_onis_are_true]

[...Well, maybe if they're all in jail Minako can't kill them.]

[punches_fog]

((Ryotaro Dojima icon by twilitfall))

What in the HELL?!

[Ryotaro Dojima's had a tough week. While trained for it, he never expected to have to play the role of a homicide detective in Inaba, with multiple kids dead and his own lunatic nephew missing and yet another kid in jail. Right now all he's looking forward to is his sister putting him out of his misery, and the last thing he needs is...whatever that is.]

[The detective comes stomping out the door and is simply dumbstruck at what's going on.]

What the...what are you kids doing?

[happyhalloween]

Knock him down! GET THE KEYS!

[Hi, Doijima! How would you like a tiny Maria barreling toward your pants?]

[punches_fog]

Uh...

[Dojima may not be as much of an expert on elementary schoolers as he ought to be, but he's still not getting knocked down by one by herself. He does his best to hold Maria at arms length while looking at the older kids with an expression of confusion currently only lightly tinged with anger.]

Does one of you want to explain what's going on here?

[Or rabbit-punch him while he's distracted. Just as an option.]

[ohmygah]

[Osaka isn't entirely sure what she was expecting. But not this.

She lifts her arms up defensively while casually strolling closer to the officer. Hopefully looking harmless.

For now.]

Mr. Souji's Uncle? Hiya, we're Maya's friends. We wanna know how she's doing?

[punches_fog]

[Still with a hand on Maria's head, he briefly glances up at Osaka before looking back down. Small children...]

Well, she's still waiting to be arraigned. I can't comment on the investigation or let you see her yet, but I'm sure her family'll pass on the news when we inform them...

[He does a second glance up, though, once his brain is done processing, and his eyes widen and fixate on that other white-haired kid who's not his nephew.]

Wait a second...Yamane? Where have you been?

[all_onis_are_true]

[Shit. He really wants to tell, but he told Maria he wouldn't, and anyway how is he supposed to explain?]

I, uh... ah...

[ohmygah]

[Osaka doesn't know what arraigned means. But she nods at the info.]

Ah getcha, thanks.

[She glances in the direction of Dojima's eyes.] Huh? Oh, he's here ta help us break out Maya.

[And then she runs full-force into the officer.

And falls to the ground like the loser she is.]

[unit31]

[ LETTING OUT A SHRIEK ]

WAS THAT PART OF THE PLAN?!

[punches_fog]

[Dojima grunts from the impact, but this being Osaka, is more confused than fazed. Also starting to get downright irritated.]

What's gotten into you guys? Listen, I need to talk to Yamane, and at this rate, the rest of you too!

[happyhalloween]

Hah! [Maria is still valiantly struggling against the Hand of Dojima.] Mr Policeman already talked to Maria!

[all_onis_are_true]

[Hiroshi didn't like being violent, or breaking the law, or any of those sorts of things. Under normal circumstances, he was the most straight-shooting of the bunch, thinking that doing dangerous or risky things was putting his future far too much on the line.

But these were extraordinary circumstances. He needed to keep Maria on his side, he needed to make sure his remaining friends were accounted for, and on top of it all, figuring out how to deal with Minako was their responsibility. As improbable as it seemed, it appeared they were somehow at fault for her condition. And he certainly couldn't help take care of them stuck in questioning.

So while the detective was preoccupied with Maria and Osaka, he snuck up behind Dojima...]

I apologize in advance, sir. Hopefully things will be sorted out soon.

[And then, as forcefully as he could, he coldclocked the detective.]

[happyhalloween]

[Maria's eyes get wide.] Hiroshi! You're a hero!

[THE MOST IMPRESSED LITTLE GIRL.

... and then she quickly swipes Dojima's keys, which she then hands up to Hiroshi.]

Maria thinks under the circumstances, Hiroshi should let Maya-oneesan out. Maria will close her eyes if Hiroshi wants to kiss Maya.

[ohmygah]

[Osaka offered a thumbs up from the ground.]

Good work, Hiroshi! Ah'm sure Maya'll be flattered.

[Maria is generally a trustworthy source on stuff like this, Osaka thinks.]

[punches_fog]

[Dojima lies on the ground, suddenly glad he's unconscious for this conversation.]

[With the keys, and Dojima's tendency to attract lazy partners who knock off early even during murder investigations, it should be possible to reach the cells and extract Maya easily. This is just the local lockup, after all.]

[all_onis_are_true]

[Hiroshi isn't even going to entertain Maria's suggestion with an eyebrow raise, instead moving as quickly as he can to find where Maya is kept. He wants to be out of here long before Dojima wakes up, after all.]

Maya? Maya, are you here?

[itwasfeyt]

[It's a small cell that Maya was put into, more for holding people then any sort of comfort. She cried, at first. Which was followed by loud complaining, and then routinely asking for food or to see her sister. Usually not in that order.

The commotion going on caught her ears, and she looks up just in time to see Hiroshi on the other side of the bars - the last person she expected.]

Hiroshi! Boy am I happy to see you!

[all_onis_are_true]

[The situation aside, he feels relief. Maya should not be here in the first place.]

Maya! They have not treated you poorly, have they? You should not be here at all. This is ludicrous! Have they never heard of evidence?

[He moves to unlock her cell.]

1/2

[itwasfeyt]

[She'll stand back and let him handle that.]

Mr. Dojima? Not really! Everything around here's been pretty nice, if just really really boring. In fact...

[itwasfeyt]

...They were saying they were going to let me out tomorrow! Mia reasoned with them, and I think they said something about not having enough evidence to convict me! [She smiles. What a great sister.] It's just like I was telling 'em!

1/2

[all_onis_are_true]

...

Is that... so...

[This is what he gets for listening to the plans of little girls with overactive imaginations.]

2/2

[all_onis_are_true]

[Wait, this is not the time to be regretting actions. Not when everybody is in danger like this.]

Maya, listen to me. The reason I was missing was because I had the misfortune to bear witness to Suzumiya's death. Minako has gone insane; she killed her, then killed Maria's mother under some delusion that she is "slaying demons." I fear the worst for Alice, and if I am right, there are still four more people she will kill before her conditions are satisfied. We must find a way to resolve this before anybody else dies.

[happyhalloween]

Does this mean they're not gonna kiss?

[Guess who's been watching avidly from the door?]

Minako's being possessed and tricked by Shigetsuna-sama's bear! We profaned the ritual by telling Souji about it, so now she's mad!

[Maria squints, trying to see past Hiroshi, in order to figure out if Maya's wearing a magatama.]

[itwasfeyt]

W-WHAAAAT?!

[Well, this has to be the fastest that anyone has ruined Maya's good mood. She visibly pales.]

Minako?! Really?! I... I can't believe...

[If Maria looks hard enough, she should be able to pick out the magatama hanging around Maya's neck as usual.]

This is really bad. We have to stop her! Minako must be acting crazy for some reason!

[all_onis_are_true]

[Hiroshi looks pained.]

Maria feels she knows the reason already.

[Which dodges around whether he believes it himself, but regardless.]

I wish it were not true myself. But that day... I can still see it in my mind's eye...

[Hiroshi suddenly feels ill. The sight of charred skin, the smell of burning flesh... it's all he can do to force himself to keep his composure. But he's obviously shaken.]

The fact remains that unless we do something, she will continue to pose a threat. And I believe we are the only ones who hold this responsibility.

[itwasfeyt]

The reason...?

[She glances around, until finally spotting the person in question peeking around the corner.]

Minako.... I can't believe she would... really frame me like this.

[But... that crime scene, Haruhi's body... it was all burned painfully into her mind. Maya let out a shudder, looking almost as bad as Hiroshi did.]

....I... I don't want to believe it, but you're right, Hiroshi. We need to find her and-and stop her before she hurts someone else!