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Like any student would, Stripes was enjoying the hell out of blowing apart the Pageless. She enjoyed having eyes on her. She didn't enjoy Ozma assisting. Since everyone had kept their distance, it would not have been difficult to turn into a tabby if she got surrounded. But Stripes wasn't going to complain. Ozma was still the coolest cat at the academy. But she was starting to warm up to the others too. Tutoring Lupin had paid off, Nessie was discouraged but made interesting observations, Burning heart was holding her own, and her teachers were... amusing. Olivia was annoying but at least Xolys had stayed away from her earlier. She wasn't sure if the big guy did that on his own or if under Olivia's command, but she was thankful for it. Maybe Olivia wasn't all bad. 

But the fighting didn't last long. Before things could build to a crescendo, they stopped. This was less a lesson and more an attempt to stop someone Stripes hadn't ever seen. She had been away for a few weeks, so she was unaware of who they were trying to catch. 

But it clicked when Roma revealed herself. 

She had only heard about this magical girl in hushed rumors. Of which they were too varied and numerous to really inform Stripes of anything. But the mask was a dead givaway to what they were dealing with. She couldn't tell if the chill she felt had been brought on by a magical effect or just just the dread of deing with something so alien and unknown as this woman. 

But stripes was apathy incarnate, so it was probably the former. 

She had several questions, but it seemed like Ozma had the basics covered. There wasn't any reason to add anything else at the moment. But she did have to question if talking was the right move right now. They were in a bubble and everything, but what about what Nessie hinted at earlier?

[color=tomato]"Keep your guard up."[/color] Stripes looked at her allies as she spoke. [color=tomato]"Our enemy can turn invisible. Who knows what else they can do."[/color] Stripes did, at the very least, believe that trying to get to the bottom of things was the best option here. But there was no way this evil magical girl would give away her secrets unless it was advantageous to her. How was she even controlling the pageless?

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[sub][@McFazzer][/sub]

Mika was power walking her way to the minister's office when she was suddenly hit by a cold chill.

[color=goldenrod]"Hmmm? Is the AC unit on?"[/color] She wondered out loud. But there were no vents around that would cause such a thing. It seemed to be magical in nature but that was all she could really tell. There was no way of knowing if it was an incoming ice spell or the cold grip of Aigorost reaching from behind the veil of reality. Regardless, it was a simple enough thing to figure out. She just needed to inquire about it from her sword. 

Except there was a complication. 

A student was calling for her help. As easy as it would be to resolve where the chill was coming from with her sword, drawing a weapon in the halls was not a good thing to do. Certainly not in front of a student that faculty is suppose to be setting a good example for. It seemed that resolving what was causing this chill would have to wait. The sword remained hidden as she turned to face Tesni. Mika put on a warm smile and nodded her head. She continued to walk to her destination with Tesni.

[color=goldenrod]"Tesni Edris, right? Magical girl Dynasty Queen. I suppose I've heard a bit about you."[/color] Out of everyone, Mika was probably the least bothered by the antics of the students. The faculty? probably, but never the students. They were here to learn and better themselves regardless of how eccentric they might be. What teenager didn't feel like they were some special case with larger than life problems? And speaking of, Tensi was already talking about scheduling an appointment! Mika's smile only widened at the remark, but she refrained from laughing at what was clearly a struggling student. It was a common misconception that a student counsellor was some sort of specialized shrink, but they were more the sort to listen to a student's school related problems. They offered guidance and acted as an emotional anchor. Mika might suggest a student see a therapist, but wasn't really trained for untangling deep seated emotional trauma. But that didn't mean that Mika didn't occasionally have to play therapist a little bit. Jenny was one case like that, but even then Mika just gave her some exercises to do and recommended a real therapist if she needed it. Mika did not anticipate Tesni's case would be so dire. Though the student's problems probably felt enormous to her. [color=goldenrod]"I am scheduled to see students, usually. But I can talk with you if something bothers you."[/color] As they got closer to the minister's office, several chairs came into view. The hallway leading into the office had been turned into a waiting room for busier days, but at present all the chairs were empty. It was a quiet atmosphere with few distractions. [color=goldenrod]"Let's have a seat right here."[/color]

Regardless of where Tensi sat down, Mika sat across from her. She folded her arms in her lap and leaned forward. Her eyes moved up and down Tesni's form before locking onto her eyes. [color=goldenrod]"Go on."[/color] 

And then Tesni talked. Her issue was how the school felt. This was well within Mika's realm of expertise, and a common issue she had dealt with in many students. Though the solution to this problem was a bit different for everyone. 

[color=goldenrod]"[i]Feels[/i] empty."[/color] Mika propped her head up with one of her arms. [color=goldenrod]"Are you familiar with RPGs? Like video games? You take your avatar inside a tavern and there's tons of people to talk to. But out of, say, twenty patrons, maybe the bartender and two other characters have anything to say. Everyone else just spits out a one liner that's quickly forgotten."[/color] She waved her hand in a dismissive fashion before propping up her head again. [color=goldenrod]"Marrywell Academy is certainly not empty, but it might feel devoid of, mmm, 'content' at times."[/color] Mika sat upright. [color=goldenrod]"Your entire class is out on patrol, and you're here by yourself. Your adventuring party has left you. Being surrounded by a bunch of NPCs isn't going to make you feel any less alone. Your classmates aren't here."[/color] With a chuckle, she tucked her hands behind her head. [color=goldenrod]"But this isn't a videogame. There's no reason to avoid talking to students from other classes. It can be beneficial to have connections outside of your usual group. Outsiders that you're less familiar with but still enjoy the company of. You're pretty cute, I don't think you'll have any problems making friends."[/color] The smile ran from Mika's face. [color=goldenrod]"Though it might be hard if you have a reputation as a troublemaker. Mind telling me more about that?"[/color]