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Neither the schemer, nor the warrior had expected Kiyo’s reaction, both of their eyes going wide at her quip. A brief moment of stunned silence followed before a small smile took over Ember’s visage, then she slid right up against Hotaru, into her personal space and well past her comrade-in-arms’ defenses, imitating the hug she had seen between the warrior and Kiyo.

[color=red]”That’s right. There are two Shuukos in existence right now. Or maybe our numbers are three, four five, six… Kiyo, would you mind telling me exactly how many members are in the Detention Club? I am afraid that in order to not upset anyone’s feelings, I just have to make so many clones of myself. ”[/color] While her expression seemed to be one of mischief at the surface, someone who knew ‘Bad Shuuko’ well would realise that Ember’s lips did not quite match what she tried to project. A little bent in them showed her nervousness.

[color=#D8CD9F]”What are you talking about? There aren’t si-”[/color] Hotaru’s jaws clacked shut before she finished her sentence, realising just what sort of trap the schemer had set up for her. [color=#D8CD9F]”Very funny. I was about to have a real conversation with Kiyo here.”[/color]

[color=red]”As much as I loathe to say this, it might not be a good time.”[/color] Ember dropped her smile as she watched Kiyo look in the mirror to try and hypnotise herself. [color=red]”I am also of the opinion that something is not right here and while I hate to interrupt your conversation,”[/color] she inclined her head towards Michi in an attempt to include her in the exchange, [color=red]”It might be worth discussing why everyone suddenly has a blue ribbon and a silver fork.”[/color]

[color=#D8CD9F]”Why is that any of your business?”[/color] The warrior frowned, looking around to see what was…

She saw them. She groaned as she threw her head back, lifting the back of her hand onto her forehead, understanding why Ember had emphasized the ribbons. While she was not nearly as observant as the schemer, she felt sure she would notice the entire student population having blue ribbons.

[color=#D8CD9F]”Great. What the hell is going on?”[/color]

[hr]

Jaws clacked shut with a loud noise of teeth against teeth. A flash of wanting to pull Tsubomi’s leg, then shove her face into the resulting mess blitzed through Sylvia’s consciousness, but once again, the desire - or perhaps principle - to [i]not hurt[/i] overwrote it. Instead, she let go of it and attempted to look the other magical girl in the eye. She succeeded for all but a second or two before she found the floor much more interesting.

[color=teal]”I-I’m not telling you. A-and if you kick me again, I’m kicking you back.”[/color] Her voice carried very little certainty. In fact, it was almost as though she were asking herself question after question with every word she spoke. Because, Tsubomi looked at her as though she were… Them. That contempt. The roll of her eyes. Tsubomi had to be a bad apple that Sylvia could not trust.

Or was she? Did she even really speak to Tsubomi before this? She could not recall. She did not seem bad, just… stoic. So she looked back at the emotionless girl’s eyes for a second, only to be burned by her own attempt at reading the other. What would Grandfather think? What would Grandmother think? And did it even matter?

… What did Tsubomi think? What did she want to do to Sylvia?

That mattered.