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[url=https://youtu.be/pypzdgOyl4s][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019b2f36-b799-72d6-8778-17c1f9c80bdf.webp[/img][/url]

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[color=0072bc]"Look, just because I can't read your mind doesn't mean you're some impenetrable vault. You're putting out so much pain that it's actually kind of hard to think straight around you. Besides, if you kick me back, that makes it a fight. And at least according to a bunch of manga, that's a great way to get to know each other and work through someone's issues."[/color] Tsubomi gave a grin, one not quite as lighthearted as she wanted it to appear.

[color=0072bc]"Buuuuuut, that'll be our last resort, I figure. So let's go with plan A and just... start with this. You're getting mad, which is promising since it means you're not so far off the deep-end that you're not feeling [i]anything[/i], but you're keeping it in pretty well. Which could be a good thing or a bad thing. You were able to make eye contact, but barely. And it's pretty obvious that it's not because you're being shy."[/color] 

Tsubomi put her hand to her chin and looked away at the ceiling. [color=0072bc]"Which means, if you're afraid to face an aggressor head on, and you're quashing your angry feelings as quickly as you can, then it's probably not a missing pet. It seems more like..."[/color] Tsubomi tilted her head across her shoulder to look back at Sylvia. [color=0072bc]"... an abusive relationship? Does your boyfriend hit you?"[/color]

Truth be told, Tsubomi didn't know if Sylvia was aware of her magic, but that didn't matter at the moment, with how overwhelming Sylvia's pain was. Besides, with how weird the day was, she wouldn't expect anyone to [i]not[/i] be magical at this point.

---

Acid Drop had just noticed Tsubomi out of the corner of her eye and was about to walk over to intervene when it happened. Something akin to a jolt of static in the cold passed between Tsubomi and Zassou as Black Gate's words carried through the air. 

To Tsubomi, the spark came with a thought. [color=0072bc][i]The point of this isn't to make anyone happy.[/i][/color] Maybe it was, but if so, whoever was behind it was worse than she was at getting it across. But she couldn't help everyone, at least not at once, and the girl in front of her needed help [i]soon,[/i] or it might become too late. Even if it was only through the flames of anger, she needed to keep this girl's heart from becoming too cold to feel again.

But to Zassou, it came with something else. She wasn't sure why it was, or how, but the knowledge was there; Tsubomi felt something just then, something that wasn't suited for her with her lack of connections to the Club members. Despite her dulled magical senses, something she didn't understand either given that she was transformed, she could tell that Tsubomi felt an emotion in the back of her consciousness that she had no reason to feel. 

[color=00aeef][i]Something's changing.[/i][/color] If she had the time, she'd wonder if this was a result of the magic that had somehow separated them. If she had the time, she'd wonder if she and Tsubomi were crossing a boundary of their Venn diagram. If she had the time, she'd wonder if the two of them were even separated at all at the depths of their selves, or only at the surface. 

But she didn't process any of these musings. Even with her high-speed (relative to her usual) thinking, she didn't have the time or inclination to think any of those thoughts. Suki was slowly making her way away, and Haruna had gone to try to help. Even Kiyo, grabbing two other girls, ran to and past her. 

Tsubomi proper wasn't ready to leave the girl in front of her alone. If she did, would she ever get a chance to try again? When this dream ended, would she still be able to do things on her own? When Kiyo made her realization, Tsubomi had a similar epiphany. 

[color=0072bc][i]This girl [b]is[/b] magic after all. She must be part of the Club...[/i][/color]

Furthermore, Haruna and Suki, even Kiyo... [color=0072bc]"God damn, can you people stop being pits of despair for five seconds, please!?"[/color]

Tsubomi tried to collect herself, before turning back to Sylvia.

[color=0072bc]"Hey, looks like someone noticed that we're surrounded."[/color] Tsubomi reached a hand out to Sylvia, doing her best to not scare her off. [color=0072bc]"Can't heal if you're dead, so let's get out of here. We can fight or talk later."[/color]

While Tsubomi tried to lead Sylvia away, Zassou went to Suki's side. [color=00aeef]"The antagonist has revealed herself. That means they're ready to fight."[/color]