[ Normally he'd use his own telepathic powers to shield his mind from her, but his purpose in doing this is to amplify her powers, not block them. So he uses more conventional means to protect his thoughts: the first barrier is his very distinct memory of shoving Minamoto head-first into a toilet.
...
Okay, that's not an actual barrier; he wants her to look at it. Behind that are some extremely fiddly group theory proofs, with respect to symmetry-breaking and esp, featuring hundreds of equations; and behind that are his memories of the Empress as a ten-year-old — something he well knows, that teenagers can't stand, seeing themselves a children. ]
Don't spend it all in one place.
[ The state of his body, however, he leaves perfectly open, because he has to, if she's going to search for implants. In fact, he amplifies his bodily control. Which means that Shiho might be able to notice the shitty state of his heart, as there's been no one to bug this old man to take his medications. ]
[If that fly-Minamoto memory wasn't bad enough, he adds in complicated equations and then herself as a kid?! It's not as if she wanted to break through anyway (even if there had been a moment when she'd been tempted) but that didn't mean she wasn't going to actually shoot at him later.]
I'm not going to, you lolicon.
[And just like when she and Kaoru had tried this, her search turned out nothing. Except, unlike with Kaoru, she turned up something else that leaves her taking her hand back and looking at him with something that could be worry but look a lot more like annoyance over the state of his heart.
...as payback for his clever shields, she's totally going to tell Kaoru that he hadn't been taking his medication.]
[ The Empress looks annoyed with him. Well, what of that? She usually looks annoyed with him. Well... except that particular expression she's wearing reminds him more of the way certain PANDRA members look at him, when they're upset with him for doing things like... like trying to use up all his life energy to make Minamoto a child again, for instance.
...
No, it's his imagination. The Empress is merely annoyed that she didn't find the implant. Yes, that's the explanation. Annoyed and worried about that. ]
As we've discussed, you're not even a loli anymore.
[The point is that he apparently hasn't been taking care of himself. And Kaoru would lecture the life out of him and she would watch and laugh from a corner.
Nothing. Is it because they know what we could do?
[ Possibly. Or there were never any implants at all, and they're just trying to make us paranoid.
Oh well. It's not like he had been particularly optimistic, but it was worth a try, anyway. Besides, he really did sincerely enjoy working with the Empress, however briefly. He clicks her limiter back on, and then surreptitiously slips the release device back into his pocket. ]
The point...
The point is that you're feeling comfortable coming to me, when you need help.
[ The memory still rankles, of having to beg that quack for help in removing Nai's implant. So the idea of wheedling Sakaki into gouging out his own eye is a delightful mental image.
[ He'd been standing, but now his feet leave the roof and he floats lazily before her. It won't be long now, before The Children won't need anyone's help. ]
[She doesn't get what you have against Sakaki. Except for the fact that he was irritating and full of himself and couldn't control his bodily functions as well as he should be able to.
Of course it is.]
If you get caught in a scam, don't come crying to me about your retirement fund.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Is that enough?
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And though there's no Minamoto shouting and no full-panel spread, she can feel that the limiter's been released.]
Well, it's a good start.
[Shiho no
She reaches out to take the bills, her fingers brushing against the back of his hand as she does.]
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...
Okay, that's not an actual barrier; he wants her to look at it. Behind that are some extremely fiddly group theory proofs, with respect to symmetry-breaking and esp, featuring hundreds of equations; and behind that are his memories of the Empress as a ten-year-old — something he well knows, that teenagers can't stand, seeing themselves a children. ]
Don't spend it all in one place.
[ The state of his body, however, he leaves perfectly open, because he has to, if she's going to search for implants. In fact, he amplifies his bodily control. Which means that Shiho might be able to notice the shitty state of his heart, as there's been no one to bug this old man to take his medications. ]
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I'm not going to, you lolicon.
[And just like when she and Kaoru had tried this, her search turned out nothing. Except, unlike with Kaoru, she turned up something else that leaves her taking her hand back and looking at him with something that could be worry but look a lot more like annoyance over the state of his heart.
...as payback for his clever shields, she's totally going to tell Kaoru that he hadn't been taking his medication.]
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...
No, it's his imagination. The Empress is merely annoyed that she didn't find the implant. Yes, that's the explanation. Annoyed and worried about that. ]
As we've discussed, you're not even a loli anymore.
[ Find anything?
He knows she didn't, but he'll ask anyway. ]
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[The point is that he apparently hasn't been taking care of himself. And Kaoru would lecture the life out of him and she would watch and laugh from a corner.
Nothing. Is it because they know what we could do?
That was an annoying thought.]
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Oh well. It's not like he had been particularly optimistic, but it was worth a try, anyway. Besides, he really did sincerely enjoy working with the Empress, however briefly. He clicks her limiter back on, and then surreptitiously slips the release device back into his pocket. ]
The point...
The point is that you're feeling comfortable coming to me, when you need help.
[ He smiles. ]
I'm glad.
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If Sakaki-sensei was here, we could have gotten him to operate on himself and figured it out like that.
Never mind the fact that he probably needed to see to operate.
Also. Gross...
It's cuter when Featherbu does it.]I'm just asking you for money. Does that even count as asking you for help?
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GOOD PLAN, EMPRESS!!! ]
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[ He'd been standing, but now his feet leave the roof and he floats lazily before her. It won't be long now, before The Children won't need anyone's help. ]
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Of course it is.]
If you get caught in a scam, don't come crying to me about your retirement fund.
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[ He clicks his fingers and disappears.
...to the top of a nearby building, where shrouded in darkness, he can watch and make sure the Empress gets off the roof safely. ]