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It was around getting thwacked in the forehead by an errant stick of [color=f49ac2]Watermelon Burst[sup]TM[/sup][/color] that Selma found herself needing to sit upright again, the brewing conversation having caught enough interest to discourage her artfully sloppy lounge. Chie's answer was much like her own, in a way. A mother's cooking and a father's smile weren't terribly far removed branches from the same root of "family", after all.

[color=00a99d]"Worrying's pretty normal, I gotta agree. Just means you've got a bead on the important stuff, if you ask me."[/color] she concurred after the others had made reassurances of their own, favoring the Calcarian lass with a toothy smile that disappeared with Crystal's now-rising voice. The twintailed girl...

Well, to put it in familiar terms, her hackles were raised like a spooked dog, right before they started growling or barking at something. Her eyes darting about didn't look [i]angry[/i], but her pupils going huge and her breath going short and shallow reminded Selma of more than a few of her brothers, imminently before an [i]explosion[/i].

Some kinda stress that had suddenly swamped her—

[color=00a99d]"Hey, you alright?"[/color]

[b][color=00aeef]"Shit!"[/color][/b]

[color=00a99d]"Woah! Hey, what's wrong?"[/color]

And [i]there[/i] it was. The raven-haired Ars Magi to be rose to her feet quicker than her balance could keep up with, causing a momentary stumble that revealed five bright red lines upon her arm. She'd clawed through her skin that quickly? How hard of a grip did that even take? Whatever the hell had gotten into her, it was driving her towards the door without even a passing thought spared for those wounds... If Rivka hadn't stepped in and gotten (sort of) in her way, she might have already been out and into the hall by now.

First things first, if she was gonna hurt herself once, Selma didn't want her to hurt herself again. She too rose, in the wake of the pair, and covered the majority of distance between them with one, two, only three steps. Not enough to crowd her while she was in this state, between her cold sweat and listening to Rivka's pointedly [i]calming[/i] tone Selma got the distinct sense that being a physical obstruction might do more harm than good. Cornering a scared animal was one of the Five Great Mistakes she'd learned as a young'un, and while Crystal was a clearly [i]un[/i]animalistic sweetheart as far as Miss Rosmarie could tell, some principles extended beyond their diction.

So instead, a hand fell upon the Norban's shoulder, giving what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze. Close enough to reach, in case things escalated. Not that she knew how any of this was about to go...

Truthfully, a panic attack wasn't exactly in her Amazing and Varied Situational Toolbox. It wasn't lost on her that this came about right after she'd tried to make the situation [i]less[/i] tense, [i]less[/i] strained either. It honestly felt like her efforts had backfired completely. Maybe she wasn't too good at heart to hearts. 

[color=00a99d]"She's right, they've gotta have something here that can help."[/color]

But if she didn't [i]try[/i], she'd feel like a much worse friend regardless.

[color=00a99d]"We got through this much together already, didn't we? I'm sure you'll be okay. You can trust us."[/color]

The lightest of pressures backwards, a coaxing suggestion more than a command back into the room. Or a hug. Whichever was better.