While Alice was “entertaining” their new drummer as a would-be makeshift therapist, Yui saw fit to linger around The Smile. She watched several bands perform, most notably the band she had been sent to engage in espionage on, “TAKTIKS”. She was ordering just enough to not be loitering, but not enough to become completely inebriated. Assuming, of course, she even still could. Yui never wanted to find out the hard way, despite her frequently saying otherwise.

Another local band “Raindrop” just finished a set, though it was unclear if they were participating in the Battle of the Bands or not. Yui sat down at the bar to order her next round, her mind set on figuring it out. She found quickly, however, that a drink was already waiting for her. Fortunately, she already knew what this meant, and taking the drink, she didn’t even look to acknowledge the source.

Yui: Figured the last talk ended too quick for your liking.

Diana: <You have to know how dangerous it is to just drink something without inspecting it, Yui. Especially at a fucking bar.>

Yui: <Maybe. But someone like me can’t be poisoned. I’ve looked into it, before you try another bluff, Diana.>

Diana: God damn, every time you open your mouth, I regret wasting my time finding your gym. By a wide margin, you’re the most interesting Puella Magi I’ve interacted with in decades.

Yui: That information should surprise me more than it does. But… okay, where we left off. Time’s not on our side. 1963.

Diana: <Even without knowing the rules, you play my games with far too much expertise.> …Right, the story. I think they called it the <“Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum Gas Explosion”> or something. Kind of a mouthful, when you think about it.

Yui: …I’ve been thinking about it, actually. Is it really an Assassination-type Balancing if there’s collateral damage? Normal people died in Boston in your last story, right?

Diana: …<Okay. Enough is enough. You’ll tell me who your source is—>

Yui: <Or I won’t. Or I’ll wait a bit. Or we’ll fight over it.>

Diana: (Her eyes widen) <Who the fuck are you, anyway? I know you don’t know the rules as written, but you’re playing way too well…>

Yui: I know enough to get by. Beyond that, all I gotta do is not get pinned into those weird binary choices you’re obsessed with.

Diana: <…Motherfucker. Alright, then.> Fine, as a prize, the story, and a proper answer. How the Balancers qualify the differences between an Erasure and an Assassination or Cleaning or Correction aren’t black-and-white. They kinda call it by ear, based on the targets and the severity of the Puella’s deviation from the Incubators’ script. When it’s just one or two going rogue, sometimes there’s collateral, but all that means is that’s a simpler job for ‘em. The categories themselves aren’t even set-in-stone names. It’s just easier for a Balancer to know what they’re doing, more or less. The cat doesn’t give a shit about such things.>

Yui: …So then, an Erasure is for punks like me, right? The kind who run a healing clinic?

Diana: From what I could tell, Mitakihara City is kinda the Incubators’ current hotspot for “mad science” so to speak. Three of the four currently known Puella Malefica on this continent were made here, just to start. And yes, your clinic is kind of a slap in its face. Not that I care, or anything. ‘Bout time someone got the idea right. (She sips her own drink, seemingly conjured out of nowhere)

Yui: So it’s a matter of scale, and the whims of Kyubey…

Diana: More or less. So on that night in 1963,  even though 81 people died, the targets, three rogue girls, were taken out before their rogue nature caused any problems. Thus, Kyubey called it a successful Assassination Balancing. Whoever Kyubey picked for the job had an easy night, too. Just had to cause one little liquefied petroleum tank to leak, and the rest kinda happened on its own. …You oughta be careful getting stories from me, by the way. You’ll soon start wondering if every little accident like this is really an accident. Anyway, there were two explosions. First one took out two of the girls. Third caught on, tried to run, so there was another blast.

Yui: …And you speak like you saw this happen, personally. So I gotta ask…

Diana: (Her expression is unchanged, yet she clearly is steeling herself) Yes?

Yui: …Just how old are you, exactly?

Diana: (She tilts her head) …You know, it’s rude to ask a woman her age. Let me answer your question with another question. What kind of power do you have? And don’t dodge it, I have a reason for asking. …You clearly have a way of seeing through me, but on a subconscious level. You don’t quite get how yet. You’re playing my game too well, but you still don’t know the rules.

Yui: (She takes another drink, swirling the cup afterwards, clearly stalling for time. Her eyes then flash violet.) I can read souls. Consciously if I want to, and subconsciously constantly. So I know you’re doing something, up to something, but I haven’t read you yet.

Diana: (Her eyes widen as she tilts her head towards Yui) <Why in the absolute fuck not, Yui?!>

Yui: (She gives a little smirk with a dismissive wave) Because… <then, my game is over. Rules don’t say I can’t play, too. Besides, being on the other side of these for once in my life, it’s actually kind of interesting.> (She sets her drink down on the bar, looking towards the band as they gather their gear from the stage)

Diana: <Jesus fucking Christ, Yui Arashi…> 

Yui: So hit me. What’s my prize for winning this round?

Diana: (She shakes her head quickly, producing another quarter from her pocket. The year on the heads side is 1940) …Homework. You can look up the “Doodlebug Disaster” when you get home. It’s a story I hate telling, anyway. Not a good time in my life, truth be told.

Yui: What are you, some kinda disaster tourist or something?

Diana: Heh. …If you knew why those exact words amused me, you’d hit me right here, on the spot. 

Yui opened her mouth to reply, only to swiftly close it as she took a look at the seat beside her at the bar. Empty. No drinks, and no sign any drinks had been there recently. Yui sighed, and before long, Midori was at the bar, finally ready to take Yui’s next order. TAKTIKS was gearing up for their next set.

Midori: Checking out the competition, huh? Surprised Alice isn’t here.

Yui: Entertainin’ our drummer tonight. So uh… where’d Raindrop go? Weren’t they playing as an in-between for the real competition tonight?

Midori: Raindrop? Is that one of your cheesy nicknames again?

It was fortunate that Yui was wearing sunglasses to conceal herself on her espionage mission, and more so that she was facing the stage, instead of Midori. The storm brewing behind her eyes made it difficult to conceal her tone. Luckily, Yui had practice in sounding neutral when she needed to, even when her mind swirled with impossible questions.

Yui: …I swear I haven’t had that much to drink, man.

Midori: Seriously… There was no band called Raindrop here tonight. You sure you didn’t misunderstand or something?

Yui: Man, I even told Alice I wasn’t cut out for watchin’ the competition. (She chuckles) Maybe that’s the downside of drinkin’ off an’ on since sunset.

Midori: … So, berry juice next then?

Yui: …Yeah. If nothin’ else, so Alice doesn’t kill us both.