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Raksha didn't challenge Sylvite on what she said. She wanted to- she was almost positive that she could find instances of the Negaverse doing worse to Order, and also, what had happened to Sylvite- at least she and her fellows were involved in this war in the first place. Random murdered people never were. There were a million places to poke holes in what Sylvite had said. But Raksha also wasn't stupid; she could see the implicit threat to stop poking at it, and she did.

"Sorry. I know these questions suck. It's just- I know myself. I know what I'd be willing to do, which is- anything, to do the right thing. Anything at all. I need to ask the sucky, bad questions now. Before I do something that can't be fixed." Raksha let a line of raw, sharp, bleeding terror pull through her voice. That, in and of itself, was its own apology; a display of the burning, live-wire pain at the heart of this mission, the actual reason she was trying this hard- I know I am capable of being a monster, and I would really, really, really like to be anything else.

It was an honest admission of vulnerability, and one that she hoped would get Sylvite to keep talking to her.

Raksha listened to Sylvite's explanation, and shook her head. It kinda answered her question- why Fulgurite couldn't go up there, but it didn't really answer the whole of it, which was why aren't you building space infrastructure and also ok if that interrupts senshi magic why don't you just… not do that, then.

"No, I mean, why don't you put anything up there? Not if there are any already there. I was talking about this with Fulgurite, actually? We- humanity- already put a lot of things up in space and stuff, and we've gained a lot? We could gain even more if we used all the abundant space on senshi worlds to do things like- move our mining offworld so we don't have to have huge awful strip mines that destroy the environment anymore. It wouldn't be easy, but… it should be possible? Especially if some of your senshi can get up there already."

Lack of resources made sense enough as a reason. It was the reason Order couldn't do that either, and the Negaverse seemed to have a lot more established resources. Even if it was significantly easier with a senshi, it wouldn't be easy to do.

Raksha tilted her head at the suggestion. "Your magic interferes with the getting up there, right? Hypothetically- wouldn't the best way to do that be join up with you, but not acquire the magic? I understand why it wouldn't be a widespread thing right now, but like… as an experiment, maybe? Test project. If it doesn't amount to anything; no harm no foul, I can just pick up the magic after the project is deemed a failure."

"...I know I've only been up there one time, but it's pretty nice up there. Plus, I told Fulgurite I would get Indian food and then take him up there and show him around. It's got domes. And technology I told him he's allowed to bring back if its maybe useful."

After suggesting this, Raksha carefully watched Sylvite's reaction- it wasn't a terrible idea, she thought, and Sylvite's reaction to it might be illuminating.

The way Sylvite had said maybe- it wasn't quite right. None of this was quite right. More importantly, Sylvite really, really did not seem okay.

"He wanted samosas, I think, but I can get curry too. I'm not sure where from, there are a lot of good Indian places around. I can figure it out. Oh, hey- you said Fulgurite works under you, right? Do you have anyone else you work with?"

Sylvite seemed largely happy to talk about the people in the Negaverse she cared about- maybe steering her there would help make her less sad?

"Or like- other friends or partners you work with, or something?"

It was The way Sylvite had said maybe- it wasn't quite right. None of this was quite right. More importantly, Sylvite really, really did not seem okay.

"He wanted samosas, I think, but I can get curry too. I'm not sure where from, there are a lot of good Indian places around. I can figure it out. Oh, hey- you said Fulgurite works under you, right? Do you have anyone else you work with?"

Sylvite seemed largely happy to talk about the people in the Negaverse she cared about- maybe steering her there would help make her less sad?

"Or like- other friends or partners you work with, or something?"

It was very transparently an attempt to cheer Sylvite up at least a little bit.

"Fulgurite mentioned something like that? He said you guys take care of your people. It's good to hear that corroborated? Though I'll probably have to find other people to talk to- you're cool, and I trust you, but it's easy to get tunnel vision on something when you're inside it. Maybe there are some really terrible bosses who don't take care of their people."

Raksha hummed, and went to take another sip of her hot chocolate, but found it was pretty much empty, which meant now was probably a pretty good time to collate what she had learned into something actionable, for the moment.

"While I'm investigating- I'll probably keep an eye out for any of your escaped youma, and stop them from hurting people. And if I see anyone taking starseeds outside of dire emergency or find someone being bad to their people, I'll stop them if I can, or go find and tell you? Does that sound like a reasonable arrangement?"

Raksha didn't want to burn any bridges while she was investigating, so- focusing on just talking to people and stopping things that Sylvite had agreed were bad was probably the move.

There was something Sylvite was hiding, but that could wait for another time.

"I'll do that, then. Though, if I run into anyone else who works for you its going to start getting a little ridiculous. Maybe if the next Negaverse person I run into is your work boyfriend, I'll take it as a sign the universe is telling me something. Do you take applications?"

Raksha paused- The last statement was light, joking, but this one absolutely wasn't, and she wanted to make sure Sylvite knew it.

"It was nice meeting you. And- even if I stay on this side, a lot of atrocities in war- they're caused by not thinking of the people you're hurting as people, not giving their lives equal weight to your own. Sometimes you do need to hurt people. But I promise I'll try and make sure that Order remembers you're people, even if we have to fight. So that nothing like what happened to you happens ever again."

"...I should probably go now. See you later?"

"It's nothing. It's the right thing to do to make sure you haven't been lied to and are about to commit atrocities."

Raksha then waved as Sylvite left; as tense as this had been on occasion, it was genuinely good to meet her, and Raksha had definitely liked her.

...And forgotten to eat her own cake pop. Well, she could do that elsewhere. Plus, she should probably get home- her parents had been worried about her, lately (getting caught in a "terrorist attack" would do that) and- the way she had been acting lately probably wouldn't have helped. Plus, she did have the time to do it, so- she'd cook something nice for dinner that took a while. Tell them she had met a nice person while out today- they'd like that.

She couldn't share Sylvite's real name, but she'd figure out something else. Maybe just "Sylvia". She'd have to think about it.

That settled in her mind, Raksha turned to go in the exact opposite direction. After all, she had to get back to where she parked her car to go home, and it would probably be impolite to follow Sylvite.