"Yeah.  You?"

"Great. Tobi apparently ran into a network of magical girls down in Jackson, near-ish Memphis, so we've been chatting about that sort of thing a bit. Exciting, huh?"

She nods.  "Sounds like it.  Are they - they don't farm, do they?"

"Nah, they're on the up-and-up.  Nice folks.  Couple of 'em helped me take down another big witch I was tracking."

"Huh. Cool that they're willing to share kills like that."

"You guys should get in touch if you're ever in the area.  I guess you don't travel much?  But still."

"Yeah, we like staying where we are. We'll think about it, though."

"I didn't think big teams usually worked out?"

"That's what I said."  Tobi grins and shrugs.

She has her own suspicions about that, given that humans are hella social and teenage girls are usually able to form cliques bigger than two even in the crucible that is high school. But, hey, Kyubey's welcome to manage most girls anyway he feels, and if that means playing the ones too stupid to notice off each other, then who is she to try and stop him?

"Might be local pressures are different. Last time I swung through Jackson - years ago, back when I was still a nomad - there weren't any active girls there, but it was a deathtrap lousy with overgrown witches. One of those outlier cities. It's possible that any girls not willing to team up just plain didn't make it."

Tobi has no such suspicions.  Why would the adorable cat creature who gave her awesome superpowers and awakened her to her magical destiny have any reason to lie to her???  Nonsense.

"That could be.  I guess selecting out all the most solitary girls is one way to get a group who can work together.  At least a couple of them were late arrivals, though, after the area had already stabilized, and they seemed to get along okay too."

Shrug. "I think most girls, if the established culture was cooperation, would probably be a bit less antisocial, too. We're probably just in a feedback loop - girls start out all bright-eyed and bushy tailed, find a hostile world, and let the culture change them."

"Makes sense.  Kyubey, my Kyubey, seems to think it's got something to do with the way we're wired, like magical girls are just supposed to be solitary predators in a way that humans aren't.  But that could be part of it too."

"Unless something about wishing changes us, I find that unlikely."

Tobi shrugs.  "Who knows.  Kyubey never mentioned anything like that to me, I don't think."

"I didn't feel different when I wished, but that might not be the type of thing you notice."

"Yeah, me neither," Tobi says, sounding unconcerned.  "What about you, Bryce?"

She shakes her head, looking a little distant.

Comforting lean and a concerned glance. "Anyways, are you heading anywhere particular, or just wandering?"

"This was the end of the line, actually," Tobi says.  "I caught up to the witch I was tracking here, I don't have any plans from here on out yet."

"Well, if we all get along you could hang out here a bit, or there's some nice places more westwards. Have you been to California? San Diego and San Francisco are fun, though at least a few years ago they didn't have the friendliest girls."

"Never been that far west, but I'll keep it in mind.  You guys seem cool, though, I wouldn't mind sticking around."

"The house isn't getting any bigger anytime soon, but if you don't mind the couch, you're welcome to stay."

"I've slept in worse places, don't worry.  Thanks for putting me up."

"Yeah, I remember my nomad days. Anyways, it's no problem whatsoever, it's nice to meet new girls every now and then."