[As they all talk, Kate is carefully measuring the situation. What's apparent is this: Kitty's rebellion is against Mandrake alone, not this world, and Kate had it wrong. Her suspicions had already been there, what with the lying and the unusual forcefulness when it came to extracting a "promise" from her, but they were off the mark. It's hard to tell who will and won't apply their own world's experiences here. Kate does it herself, but does it within reason.
It's also clear that Kitty hasn't had the moment where she's been banged up and bruised to the degree where she has to learn to reel herself back in. Both her and Mandrake are fighting for some cause, some reason that doesn't matter here, but Kitty's lies and pushiness have driven her off the edge. It's also clear that she just isn't very good at those lies, at least not in a place where they no longer make much sense.
Kate takes a step forward, and anyone who's seen her play leader will recognize the body language. She's taking over now. No more running, and no more taunts.
She puts up a hand, making it clear that this is how things are going. No one speak or taunt unless it's to add something useful, it seems to say, and there's an iciness to her gaze that helps that.]
It's clear that Billy and I got dragged into the middle of something that we're not even ... prepared for. [She gives Mandrake and Kitty both pointed looks there.] Whatever you have going on at home doesn't matter here. Billy, for one thing, is a good guy. He's so good that the only bad he does is when he's manipulated or tricked. Which—[she doesn't look at Loki, instead looking squarely at Kitty]—is what we feared you were preparing to do. You lied a fair amount, and it led to all of this. That we had to lie and trick you to counter you and force out the truth is ridiculous.
[There's a pause, long enough to let her words linger, but short enough so that no one can feel like it's their turn.
It is not their turn.]
We want to talk. There is an actual car waiting outside, and I'll tell it to bring us to Loki's place. If you don't feel comfortable in the company of this many magic users, it can just be you and me. But I want the truth. If you're angry that we let Mandrake here know the truth about you, then I can at least suggest that he's clever enough not to attack you in any way. He's far too restrained for that. [In a way, that leaves the opening that he might do something, which Kate hopes says two things: she's not ignoring Kitty's concerns, and she's also accepting that Mandrake may not be as he seems.
That may not be the case at all, but it's one way to defuse this utterly explosive situation.]
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It's also clear that Kitty hasn't had the moment where she's been banged up and bruised to the degree where she has to learn to reel herself back in. Both her and Mandrake are fighting for some cause, some reason that doesn't matter here, but Kitty's lies and pushiness have driven her off the edge. It's also clear that she just isn't very good at those lies, at least not in a place where they no longer make much sense.
Kate takes a step forward, and anyone who's seen her play leader will recognize the body language. She's taking over now. No more running, and no more taunts.
She puts up a hand, making it clear that this is how things are going. No one speak or taunt unless it's to add something useful, it seems to say, and there's an iciness to her gaze that helps that.]
It's clear that Billy and I got dragged into the middle of something that we're not even ... prepared for. [She gives Mandrake and Kitty both pointed looks there.] Whatever you have going on at home doesn't matter here. Billy, for one thing, is a good guy. He's so good that the only bad he does is when he's manipulated or tricked. Which—[she doesn't look at Loki, instead looking squarely at Kitty]—is what we feared you were preparing to do. You lied a fair amount, and it led to all of this. That we had to lie and trick you to counter you and force out the truth is ridiculous.
[There's a pause, long enough to let her words linger, but short enough so that no one can feel like it's their turn.
It is not their turn.]
We want to talk. There is an actual car waiting outside, and I'll tell it to bring us to Loki's place. If you don't feel comfortable in the company of this many magic users, it can just be you and me. But I want the truth. If you're angry that we let Mandrake here know the truth about you, then I can at least suggest that he's clever enough not to attack you in any way. He's far too restrained for that. [In a way, that leaves the opening that he might do something, which Kate hopes says two things: she's not ignoring Kitty's concerns, and she's also accepting that Mandrake may not be as he seems.
That may not be the case at all, but it's one way to defuse this utterly explosive situation.]