It was difficult to see what was going on inside the dining room, but Nyxia’s superb hearing could pick up on a few things. She could hear her mother conversing with a servant, followed by some prepared laughter and her stabbing some salad onto her fork. It was not long before she could pick up on her father’s footsteps, and the much heavier footsteps of the stranger.

”Hisui! Our guest would like some curry bread. Heat it up for him please, as well as the saki.” He chuckled, obviously amused at the basic palette of the stranger. ”I appreciate you being so discreet about this matter. I don’t want anyone to know we’ve been robbed.”

”I can see that.”

”Even with those shades on?” The stranger did not dignify Mister Tsukishima’s bad joke with a laugh. And if her father’s groan was anything to go by, he didn’t dignify it with any sort of reaction. ”Let’s sit here.” They were close to the windows, far away from Misus Tsukishima’s chattering or anyone else in the room. ”So you finally found something out?”

”Finally?” The irritation was evident in the stranger’s voice. ”Mister Tsukishima, you must understand that I am not one of your servants. I’m a freelancer, and when you initially requested my help I was working for other people. You are very out of the way for me, and I thought we understood it would be some time before I could arrive.”

”I also paid you a lot of money.”

”All of my clients pay me a lot of money. And I think you’re about to get your money’s worth.”

Nyxia could feel the smile spreading across Mister Tsukishima’s lips. ”Yes. You implied that the serial numbers for the yen banknotes were useful.”

”It was.” The stranger’s seat creaked when he leaned back in it. ”The stolen money was gradually deposited in a bank account belonging to ‘Strong Arms,’ which is a construction supply company. At first I thought this was an attempt to ‘wash’ the yen, but the quantities were too small and inconsistent. Building materials are very expensive in Japan, and it would not be hard to wash significantly more money using Strong Arms. I considered the possibility that funds were simply used to buy building supplies.”

”Well that’s not very helpful.” Tsukishima groaned. ”There must be lots of construction going on. Strong Arms is in the city, isn’t it?”

”True, but that’s not where the money was stolen from. While there is lots of construction in the city, Hibusa town only has its flower shop. Apparently the flower shop burned down months ago when the funds were initially stolen. Shortly afterwards, they began a gradual reconstruction effort.”

”The Takahashi…” He practically growled the name. ”The gods dealt them a bad hand, as they did with my family. They don’t have a ton of money, but their daughter, Misoka, is a real gem. If my daughter was even a quarter as focused as she was…”

”It explained everything, from the timing of the robbery to when funds started to get transferred to Strong Arms. While preserving your confidentiality, I informed the owners that I was investigating a robbery and that I thought they were going to show up here. They agreed to let me check the bank notes once a customer had paid. I didn’t even have to wait a day before Mister Takahashi showed up. He paid for the goods and left, I requested to look at the yen notes, and the serial numbers matched.”

”Ho ho! And then you came here?”

”Not quite. You were adamant that you wanted your money back as soon as possible, so I stopped by their home in Hibusa town. I told them that I believed that they had money that didn’t belong to them. They were disappointed, but very forthcoming about it. I didn’t even have to prove to them that I had the serial numbers on the notes they were spending. They claimed that they found the money and had no idea where it came from and offered to give it to me. I’m a little surprised how easily they offered it up. But I figured it would be better if you or someone you deeply trust recovered the funds. We hadn’t discussed it, and I didn’t feel it was my place to recover them without consulting you.”

”Well that’s very good news. I’ll get in contact with them shortly. It’s unfortunate that I’m going to have to also tell them I’m pressing charges against them.”

”It’s too early to do that. We have no proof that they stole anything. They were up front about finding the stolen money and couldn’t have committed the crime themselves. Misoka was preparing for a charity bake off with several friends the night of the crime. Mister Takahashi would have been at work and with the family car, and Missus Takahashi would have still been recovering. Even if she had a bike, this is a very long distance to travel with a lame leg. Then there’s getting past your security… More than likely this was an inside job.”

”Couldn’t they have hired someone, or forbid, bribed one of my servants?”

”It could also be someone working out of spite, or a genuine interest in the Takahashi’s well being. They are something of local celebrities, as you’ve already alluded to with Misoka.”

”Either way, I’m pleased we’ll have our money back. How much will it cost to find out who caused the crime?”

”Let’s discuss that later. I don’t talk price on an empty stomach.”

Nyxia’s focus broke when she heard something knock against the side of the column she was hiding behind.

A familiar face…



Rei allowed Nyxia to acknowledge her presence before speaking. “It’s a good day to be outside, Nyxia. But I think I saw your dinner maid heading towards your room.” She pushed herself away from the wall. “See you tonight.”

As Nyxia continued to listen to the conversation between her father and the mysterious visitor, she found herself growing more concerned with each new word spoken. They knew who she’d given the money to and were planning to get it back. Not only that, but it was very likely her father would be taking legal action against the flower shop owner and their family. Everything she had worked for was falling apart, and the worst part was, in hindsight, it almost inevitably would end this way. After all, her father was stubborn, unrelenting, and had incredibly vast resources. Of course he would seek answers and ultimately find them, especially when Nyxia, blinded by rage and righteous indignation like she so often was, had simply brute forced her way into the safe and stolen the money without giving the possible repercussions a second thought. She was thinking now, though, her mind racing with possible solutions to this mounting problem. While the Neon Tempest still doubted anything would actually lead them back to her (even if the mystery man was claiming the robbery to be an inside job), she was still incredibly concerned for the flower shop owner and the fate of their reconstruction efforts. Everything she had done was intended to help them, and now they seemed to be in an even worse situation than before…

Damn it! Of fucking course that greedy piece of shit had to go and trace the money! Fuck… Couldn’t he just let them keep it? I mean, he certainly likes their daughter well enough, shitty bastard…

A moment later, Nyxia’s embittered ruminations came to a crashing halt when she heard, and then saw, that Rei, of all people, was suddenly standing next to her, having appeared seemingly from out of nowhere, as was often the case with the enigmatic girl. “Y-You?!” the Neon Tempest gasped in shocked annoyance, before the greenette’s words finally registered. “Shit…” she hissed, her body tensing in preparation of rushing back to her room. “Yeah…” Nyxia muttered as she passed the club president, before leaping back onto the roof. “See ya tonight.”

Creepy bitch…

---

”I wouldn’t say you look terrible. Honestly, you look more like you’ve been pulling all nighters for a test. It’s normal. ‘Don’t think people are used to seeing you not at 100%” Roche shrugged apologetically for poking at what seemed a tetchy subject, especially when she knew full well the circumstances around it.

Confusing though they still remained to her, what with Ashbringer knowing Misoka so well….

Her lips quirked upwards, a soft smirk on an oft harsh face. The blonde wasn’t one to roll over and replied with a light jab of her own, verbal though it was. ”If I didn’t eat, I wouldn’t make it far past the starting line. Need some fuel to burn, you know. Just swing by after classes and I will show you how to warm up and cool down properly. It feels a bit tedious at first but long term it’ll cut down on a lot of muscle aches.”

Roche’s gaze turned to Shuuko and her brow wrinkled quizzically, confused why the girl was acting so….stiff. At least outside of her transformed state that always spoke in flowery and ostentatious fashion. ”You doing alright? You seem a little tense, or is this just you being h’angry?”

”Ah… I apologise, Takahashi-san,” Ember made Shuuko’s body bow a little bit further than necessary, then lingered there for a moment to show her genuine effort. ”I suppose I could have worded that better.. I meant to say that you looked frazzled yourself and with myself being a prominent member of the Detention Club, I figured I should inquire if something troubles you.”

Looking to Roche, Ember flashed a smile, however,, it would look a little off to the Rulekeeper. Something that Sylvia’s smile held was absent in the schemer’s, a feeling that would probably intensify when Ember spoke up again.

”Hananami-san. I also think a meal would be a good idea. How about I invite the two of you? To return a favour owed, and of course, in the spirit of an apology.” Ember made the offer freely, wondering if her hyperbole had indeed been a mistake or if she had unknowingly channeled her frustration at how Sylvia handled herself the last time she took part in the Detention Club and unleashed it on Misoka.

”You don’t need to apologize!” She reassured Shuuko. The dark spots under her eyelids got bigger when she forced a smile. Though when Roche addressed Shuuko, Misoka also turned to look at her. ”I thought the same thing. I didn’t want to pry though. I don’t really know you as well as your friends, but it seems like even Roche notices that something is amiss.” She folded her arms. ”Do you not wish to discuss it in public? Or with me? I can leave if you’d rather confide in Roche.”

The Track Captain found herself blinking as the other girls were….stiff. Something was uncanny about the both of them, though it struck her strongest from Shuuko. She certainly hadn’t been that….rehearsed, in their time cooking together. True, Roche had been a hot mess too at times as well, so perhaps Shuuko was good at putting on a public persona?

That didn’t explain much why she was doing it now with her and Misoka. Misoka was also picking up on the girl’s strangeness and seemed open to excusing herself. Thinking this might be some Detention Club business she nodded along and gently set her hand against Shuuko’s upper arm.

”If you don’t mind, I think some privacy might be best. I’ll catch up with you later, Misoka. Don’t forget to come by, okay?” Roche’s expression had dimmed, concern clear as she tried to guide Shuuko out of the cafeteria, naturally leading her to the familiar school exterior where they could have some peace and quiet from the students.

Misoka groaned. ”Take care.” Was all she said before walking off.

”For one who is supposed to adhere to the rules, you sure worry much, Hananami-san.” Ember’s words got the usually composed honor student to look over her shoulder, but she thought better of saying anything and continued on her way. Ember followed Roche without any resistance, seeing no reason to take the offered out. It did seem like Misoka harbored a little resentment as well, so it would serve her well to be more careful in the future. She could have chosen her words better. Speaking of which, she wondered if Sylvia wished to talk with Roche?

”I’m all right, Ember. Please don’t shorten your time for my sake.” The protector sounded like she wanted to say anything but that, almost vibrating in their shared mental space and the schemer sighed before she stepped down from the driver’s seat and almost shoved Sylvia into it. As she did, Shuuko stumbled from the way her gait changed and she almost ended up face-first on the floor in an almost picture-by-picture recreation of the first time Roche met with Sylvia.

”Ah!” The protector almost squeaked as she found her balance again. ”Please slow down a little, Roche?” she asked, tone and cadence now much more familiar to the rulekeeper’s ears.

They’d come some distance from the general hum of students congregating for their meals, eager to join together with their friends without the teacher’s lessons getting in between them.

Roche might have been doing the same if something hadn’t set her off. Shuuko’s engagement with Misoka was already stilted and uncanny, but her suspicions took firm root hearing her use Roche’s family name.

Grammatically correct, but so very, very distant. Not once had she spoken to her like that as they cooked, or even as they fought like Magical Girls. That she even did so when absent of prying ears or well-intentioned Misoka had Roche’s brow furrow with worry.

”What is going on?” It was impossible to keep the words from sounding like an accusation, especially when Shuuko was acting completely normal the moment she stumbled upon herself. ”What is going on? This isn’t normal for you…”

”Eh?” Sylvia’s eyes widened as she raised her hands, palms facing Roche. ”But everything’s… all right?” Blatantly false, but she could not just tell her friend that she was having trouble with one of the club members now, could she? Especially when the reasoning was as silly as hers, despite Ember’s and Hotaru’s relentless insistence that she could talk about it with her fellow detention club members.

”What the- Of course everything isn’t alright. You just pulled a 180 so hard you left tire marks on the cafeteria floor.” Roche was genuinely gobsmacked by Shuuko’s reaction and found herself staring in bewilderment at her friend. That was acting like herself now didn’t excuse how bizarre she was just a minute ago, and judging by the haste of her denial she knew it as well.

”Look, just talk to me here. You’ve seen my DVD collection, so you have more than enough dirt on me if it’s a trust issue here.” The Track Captain said, offering an olive branch and trying to relieve some of the stress. Having found that openness and vulnerability- Paradoxical thought it was given their Dark natures- Was the best method when getting her comrades to open up, she opted for a softer approach now that Shuuko’s guard was up.

Of course it did not work. There were few things Sylvia considered herself worse at than lying. What is more, she attempted to lie to her very first friend, the one whom she shared so much time with. How could she even have contemplated that? But on the other hand, how else could she protect her comrades? She pursed her lips, clenching her teeth. The impossible choice ground away at her moment by moment.

”You don’t have much choice I’m afraid, Sylvi. I’m sorry that I made us stand out. Do you want me to take over again?”

”That wouldn’t help shit! Sylvia knows what she’s doing, Ember.”

”I know you’re worried, ‘Ru, but-”

”Worried my ass! You’re the one who screwed up this time, Ember, and you can’t fix it. Just shu-”

Sylvia stepped away from the argument that was starting to become all-too-familiar. She wobbled as she tried to find her footing against the surfacing emotions it stirred, but her actions helped about as much as trying to resist a tidal wave. It merely washed over her before sweeping her away, then drowned her in the cold depths filled with ice.

”What… what do you do, Roche,” the words were hesitant. Fragile. The protector spoke barely above a whisper. ”No, never mind. I’m… I’m really excited about the next movie night!” As if. As if! But how in the world could she burden Roche with her troubles?

There was a glimmer from behind the curtain of deceit. A tentative finger uncurling towards Roche, but quick as a viper it withdrew and Shuuko deflected the matter. Poorly.

Roche could see that the subject was more fraught then even she’d first assumed as her friend was shaking like a leaf, swaying enough she was liable to fall over. That and the girl’s shaken words had Roche step forward and reciprocate Shuuko’s own attempts at comforting her as her arms wound around the swaying figure.

”You don’t need to lie to me. It’s really not your strong suit.” Roche’s hand rose, cradling the back of Shuuko’s head to her shoulder as she tried to still the girl’s nerves. Granted, the closeness of them was liable to set her own alight and see her be reduced to a bundle of misfiring nerves given time, but her focus was sharp enough upon Shuuko she could look past the compromising position.

”Please…Just be honest with me. Tell me what’s the matter.”

Shuuko’s body went stiff as Roche hugged her, spine shooting ramrod straight instead of embracing the comfort it should have brought. Stiff as a skeleton and still as a corpse, the protector could take little solace in the embrace at first. She did not know if she deserved to take solace in it, because what did she do to earn the privilege? No, she was a troublemaker. A devil child. Someone who cleft a family apart with her mere existence. Even her mother died because of her.

Sylvia opened her mouth. Roche could probably feel it as close as she was. But no sound came out.

Try as she might, Roche felt her stomach tighten with discomfort as Shuuko remained stiff and unbending in her grasp. There was no comfort or solace taken in the embrace, and when she released Shuuko’s head and looked her in the eye, Roche flinched at the expression of pained terror writ across Shuuko.

”I’m not going to judge you. You already know I’m a mess……” The Track Captain sighed, her arms loosening their hold but not ready to fall away. Her own confidence was shaken but had yet to shatter. ”The other day I was with Nyxia, and I told her I plotted to kill a man. I would have done it too, if he hadn’t died before I could do it myself.”

”I’m the last person who deserves happiness here. Even less than Rei, but you still cooked for me. With me.” There was moisture beading up in the corner of her eyes as she clung to Shuuko, so close their noses brushed against one another.

”Say something. Anything.”

”I’m the daughter of a filthy whore.” She spoke barely above a whisper, yet the words struck like a gavel. While not the issue itself… that is where it started, had it not? Grandfather. Grandmother. They could not have done what they did if it was not for her mother. Then she would not have to protect everyone. Then she would not have to keep all of this in. Yes. It was all her fault.

”Sylvi?”

”Don’t say that! Mom deserves better!"

”But it’s true!”

”Sylvi, those are not your words and you know it.”

She just said them, so how could they not be hers? Ember was wrong this time.

That Shuuko did finally answer her was just a candle’s flicker of relief before the weight of what she said struck Roche full force. Few words were said and barely a whisper at that, yet it was plain to see Shuuko had met her confession with one of her own, and it explained a great deal while rousing even more questions.

Roche’s issues stemmed from the shattering of her family unit. Shuuko was shattered by her family. And it was plain to hear all that anger and disgust was directed just as much inwards as towards her mother, for the voices were correct.

Those were words no child would say of their mother.

Her arms redoubled their efforts and gripped Shuuko, nearly pulling her off her feet as Roche enveloped her tightly. ”Shuuko, tell me honestly. Is someone hurting you? At home, I mean. I can help you. I WILL help you, because no matter what happened with your mom, none of that should reflect on you. Your mom could be Prime Minister and it wouldn’t change a thing about the girl who held me as I cried. The girl who watched a cheesy movie beside me, and didn’t run when I….When I….”

Roche knew it wasn’t the time to get worked up about that in particular, huffing out a breath as she let Shuuko’s feet touch the ground but didn’t loosen her grip at all. ”You are fantastic, and kind, and I am so glad you are in my life, regardless of what any idiot says.”

There was still no response. If it were not for Shuuko’s breathing, her words or the tears budding in the corner of her eyes, it would have been impossible to tell if she were still alive. Like a statue, she stood awkwardly within Roche’s hug as one memory surfaced after another, chasing across her mindscape as though they were butterflies with blades for wings. That would have been bad enough on its own, but the wings of these insects had a message engraved in them: It was all her fault.

”I’ll make you filthy, too.” Sylvia continued to speak in a whisper. ”You’ll also be a bad girl. You don’t want to be a bad girl, do you?”

”Sylvi! Please!” Ember’s desperate call for the protector to stop her barrage of words and reflect on herself merely echoed in their shared space, for Sylvia was no longer close to them. Hotaru could not reach her either, no matter how much she tried to embrace the protector’s mental self. They could no do anything despite their best efforts, helpless against the past that surfaced ugly word by ugly word.

”She wanted to die. She couldn’t bear her shame. That’s why she died.” From the outside, it had to be surreal. A stiff Shuuko standing within an embrace, saying words that sounded like they were not meant for her lips, but had nevertheless been burned into her. ”I’m… sorry, Roche. I don’t want you to become a filthy, bad girl. Please let me go.” Sylvia smiled, but it did not look like one.

”And please don’t be a bad girl. Good girls don’t talk about family matters.”

Were Roche’s words not reaching Shuuko? No, they had, but they’d hit upon something terrible. Enough that the girl could completely wall herself off, acting as stilted as a computer offering rote responses drilled into her by monsters worse than any Miseria. It tapped upon a fury Roche had long buried, an obsessive hatred that brought her to the brink of being yet another girl Rei made vanish.

Someone did this to her. Put these ideas in her head. They violated her for nothing more then being born. A volcano had erupted inside her and as close as they were Shuuko would hear the grinding of her teeth as it was Roche’s time to be stricken into rigor mortis. It was truly everything she could do not to transform and demand to know where her tormentors lived. Her mind screamed to enact the justice the world would never provide them on its own, and her body was a bow drawn painfully taut as adrenaline surged.

But it was her pitted, scarred heart that kept her leashed to the moment. It kept her from turning away from Shuuko to indulge the allure of rampant violence. Because the instant she let Shuuko go, she’d be feeding into every warped delusion that bound her.

All that energy burned her something fiercely, sloshing like the contents of a washing machine till Roche did what she always did; Charge forward and take the pressure upon herself.

It wasn’t the first time their lips had met, and it was rougher than she would have liked. As much a need to silence Shuuko’s words as it was an exorcism of the feelings inside her, a denial of every wretched label Shuuko had put upon herself now conveyed by the mashing of lips and arms pulled painfully tight.

It should have been intrusive. It should have been foul, a violation of everything that was right and yet, it refused to be so. Something had intruded upon Shuuko’s body, of course, but it felt like a soft, clumsy pillow instead of a wooden spoon or the foul things Sylvia remembered all too well. Her own lips tingled from the feeling, the shock jolting her out of her state and-

”Kiss her back, you idiot!” Hotaru’s voice cut into the protector’s thoughts, but it only made Sylvia feel like a deer in headlights. She did not know what happened, her thoughts running a mile a minute, her heart speeding up, blood slowly flowing back into her face and… and why? Unable to hold her tears back any longer, the image of the protector crumbled as she buried her face into Roche’s chest when the rulekeeper released her lips. Silent sobs wracked Sylvia as she cried, something deep within coming undone. Something painful beyond words.

”It’s all right, Sylvia. We’re here for you.”

”Damn straight!”

She could barely hear them due to the din of her tears, falling and falling without end. Why did she even cry? She did not know. All she knew is that she needed to cry and so she did, almost suffocating herself against Roche’s skin. Any attempt she made to speak ended up in a hitching gasp, but that too, was almost silent, especially compared to the mess she was making.

It would have been generous to call what they shared a kiss. Roche was wild energy, pressing against a girl who couldn’t respond. So much harder to do when it wasn’t an accident borne from a moment when both had let down their guard.

Roche pulled away, her expression wrought with conflict as she witnessed Shuuko break down into tears. She’d made a choice, and it might still prove to be the wrong one, but as the girl broke down into tears and buried her face into Roche’s chest, she couldn’t deny it had silenced the poisonous words of another.

Her back struck a wall as the balance shifted, and she found she was now holding Shuuko up rather then holding her close to her person. A change that saw her chin resting over her head while she hesitantly rubbed circles into the weeping girl’s back. Inside herself a knot had come undone, though the gravity of its unravelling was undercut by the weight of Shuuko’s revelations, and Suki ousting her from the closet upon their vacation.

Yet admitting her affection towards Shuuko was a relief all the same.

”You aren’t alone. I’m here for you, no matter what you say or do. Because I want to be here with you, Shuuko.” Roche said, startling herself by how dry her own throat was as she forced out that words she felt the girl needed to hear.

No thoughts existed in Sylvia’s head as she cried her heart out while also trying to stay as silent as humanly possible. The only real noise she made was when she took a breath, the image of a crying dark girl becoming a surreal painting: tears falling, shoulders shaking, but nothing for the ears. It almost felt as though she wanted to keep it hidden, no matter how absurd the thought of that would be to anyone who watched her break down.

Time seemed to have lost all of its meaning, the molasses of grief only broken by the occasional voice, though the protector could not tell if they came from the inside of her head or the outside. Her burden lightened an iota for every minute she spent like this, but how long she did it for when the world started to return to her senses, she had no idea. Her throat felt raw. Her eyes felt puffed up. If Roche looked down, she could only see a mess of clothes and a face that looked worse than if Sylvia had gone through a warzone.

The protector opened her mouth to speak. She made a mess of sounds that were mostly unrecognisable, save for one word.

”... dirty…” Had she any strength left in her limbs, she would have stepped away from her fellow dark magical girl. But as it was, maybe fortune smiled upon her as she felt she could not stand on her two feet, strength having left her as though it had not been there in the first place.

”You aren’t dirty. Not in the least.” The Track Captain couldn’t relish in her own relief when she looked upon Shuuko’s face and saw the cost of exercising even a fraction of her grief upon Roche’s windbreaker.

Two things were clear; Shuuko needed more time to recover, and they couldn’t linger outside the building forever.

Concentrating on her crest, Roche transformed into Earthshaker, unintentionally leaving Shuuko nestled up against a great deal more of her bare skin than before as she scooped the girl up into a bridal carry. Stepping sidewards to ensure there were no windows directly above her, the Rule Keeper bounded upwards to the roof of the school. Naturally such a place was forbidden to students, with a high fence ringing the roof to make it even harder for jumpers to take a leap off the building.

Getting onto the roof, however, was child’s play for a Magical Girl. Up there, no one would stumble upon them or eavesdrop, and Earthshaker settled down with her back to the fence as cradled Shuuko in her arms.

“You take all the time you need, but I’m not letting you go home to those….those animals. You can stay with me, or we can find you a place, but no one is going to call you dirty again.” This was Roche in her element, decisive and commanding as she curled protectively around the weeping girl.

Sylvia let out a yelp as she got lifted, clinging onto Roche for dear life. She may have done stunts which were death-defying or deadly as a magical girl, but she was not in control of what happened to her this time, so it felt more dangerous. Not to mention it risked one of Shuuko’s bodies. The tiny amount of magic inside the Khir would not be able to save it if it fell from this height.

Already reeling from her experiences, she stared at her companion like a deer in headlights before she shook her head. It came across more of a slow look from one side to another because of how little strength she felt she had left, legs feeling like they had been made out of jelly. Or putty.

”No… already left… dirty girl…” She could only whisper that, sniffing in an attempt to clear her nose. Her head felt so clouded she could not even reach for a tissue.

Roche could take some succor in knowing she wasn’t going to be run out of town by Rei after doing some unspeakable things to Shuuko’s family. That she was on her own was a blessing and a curse, for while the poison wasn’t dripping into her ear, it pooled enough to fester on its own inside.

”You aren’t dirty, and even if you were, I’m filthier, so it would all balance out. Now, just use this and get it out of your system.” Earthshaker gripped the hem of her cloak and held it up for Shuuko to take hold of.

Gross it may be, it was hard to deny magically formed clothes weren’t incredibly sterile, and it wasn’t like they’d stain for long either.

Though looking down and seeing the girl was hardly in a state to help herself. the Rule Keeper instead began to gently blot of her cheeks and brush along her nose, trying to clean some of her excess.

”You are very pretty, and if I have to tell you that till you believe it, I will.”

With a slight shake of her head, Sylvia batted away both the metaphorical hand that reached out for her as well as the scarf. She had already soiled her friend with her tears, soaking clothes to the bone, ruining whatever outfit she had worn. She did not need to ruin the situation even more. She did not even realise that Roche had transformed and as such, the cloak would clean itself by the time she transformed again, so lost she was within her own head.

”Thank you. But please don’t lie to me.” Having found a tissue at last, she dabbed at her face. It did little to help, irritating the now-sensitive corners of her eye instead. ”I know what I am. I… I think I’m happy you don’t think so, but it doesn’t make it true.” A small smile appeared on her face as she spoke, truly looking as though someone had saved her. But there was also sorrow, no, a piece of knowledge in that smile that presumed her views to be true.

”Why do you think that, Sylvi? Ember’s voice projected warmth in their mental space.

”Do you really care, Ember? Sylvia’s rebuke felt colder than ice. ”I’m just a bad girl. Nobody really cares about what a bad girl thinks. Especially not you two.”

The hope had been that seclusion and privacy would give Shuuko an opportunity to open in peace. That Roche could break through the shell of self loathing.

Instead it had calcified, and the once flowing dam had turned into a perverse resolve as Shuuko dug in her feet. It was a perverse display of Shatterscape’s own unwavering resolve, yet another reminder Magical Girls were more than just their powers. A shame that it was working against them.

”Calling me a liar? You know I’m usually more defensive of my reputation but I’ll let it slide given the circumstances..”” Roche exhaled gustily, letting her offered cloak settle over them as she rested her hands upon Shuuko’s back.

”How about this. You be open with me, and you’ll have your chance to prove me wrong. I’ll be open with you, and I’ll have a chance to prove you wrong. You up for it, Shuuko?”

Sylvia looked up at Roche. She did not respond, but the other dark girl could see a practical war unfolding behind the red eyes, its true nature hidden from mundane sight.

”Please take the offer, Sylvi. I know you’re very angry at us, but will you please listen to me?” Ember tried to approach the protector as she spoke. The latter backed up, putting the ever-present distance between the two of them back to where it belonged.

”Yeah, what do you have to lose? She’s just plain wrong! It’ll be a piece of cake to win.” Hotaru grinned, placing her hand on her hips.

”She’s just wasting her time and effort.” Sylvia crossed her arms. ”If I want to be a good friend, I have to stop her.”

”I think that sometimes, the best choice you can make is to let your friends do what might seem unwise in the moment. Maybe they will learn an important lesson from it, as experience is the best teacher.” Ember’s tone remained gentle as she tried to find a crack in Sylvia’s argument.

”Exactly. You know, just like when you learned how to cook for Roche.” Hotaru withdrew her hands from her hips, then pointed at Sylvia. ”Just bet something important to her on it and-”

”No.”

She echoed the word in real life too. ”No.” A simple denial that cut to the bone, leaving no chance for an in. ”Please don’t take bets you can’t win.”

Shuuko would easily be able to feel how hard Roche winced hearing the flat, biting rejection of her offer. It was turning out to be a bitter irony that the stolid Shatterscape was far more hostile than the acerbic Nyxia could be at matters of the heart.

Though their wounds were entirely different.

Her arms stiffened and she’d skipped a breath, her tongue working against the back of her teeth as she struggled to form a response that wasn’t glib or combative. A swallow, her throat dry and gulping air into a leaden chest.

”I won’t lose. No matter what you say, or what you do, I won’t turn away from you.” Roche mustered herself for those, ultimately setting her hands upon Shuuko’s shoulders and sitting up so they were face to face. ”I swear it to you as Rule Keeper, and as a Club Captain, and as your friend.”

”I won’t blink.”

”Do you really know what you’re talking about?” Sylvia sounded… worried? She still spoke quietly, so it was difficult to place. ”You’re… you’re just getting yourself dirty for a girl who’s got mud for blood. I… I don’t think I can let you do that. You’re… You treat me well. That’s enough for me.”

[color=red][i]”She does. She’s doing this because she cares about you, Sylvi-”[i][/color]

”Please let her speak for herself, Ember.” The protector’s interruption rung in their shared space as though it were a gallow. ”She’s important to me. I can’t let her work her fingers to the bone for nothing.”

”So please don’t suffer for my sake.”

”Of course I know what I’m talking about. The only person who gets to decide I’m suffering is me, and spending time with you is the furthest thing from that.”

Ever so slowly her lip curled upward, a grin of confidence upon Roche as she met a gaze that had gone from resolute in its self flagellation to conflicted. Shuuko’s grim resolve wasn’t unshakable, and Roche would take that opportunity and do what she did best; Run with it.

”So I’m going to look forward to more time spent cooking, watching movies, and doing anything else you’d like till you realize that someone else can see how good of a person you are. That I actually feel better just holding you like this right now.”

”Why?” She never really questioned Roche’s presence until now. The protector had just assumed the other girl took some sort of pity on her to keep hanging out, or maybe she tolerated her presence, but now it seemed like the Rulekeeper wanted more than that. Something that sounded as though it were beyond friendship. Or maybe she misread the situation completely and Roche was playing a cruel prank on her.

”No, you didn’t.” Ember smiled. ”I’ve been trying to tell you for a long time. That girl thinks the world of you, Sylvi.” But that was impossible. Sylvia only existed to curse others and to be the shield that took on everything that would harm them. Her reason for being born was so that Chiaki would no longer suffer anymore, so that the protector’s skin would be the one flayed instead of the golden child’s.

”I’m just a filthy girl,” she repeated as though it were a counterpoint, but she did not sound as sure as the first time.

”And I’m an orphan who lied, cheated, and stole to keep living in an empty home. I stalked a man for days before having the chance to kill him snatched from me.”

Roche exhaled, the words no less stressful than they’d been to confess to Norika, but repetition did rob some of the sting to her own heart. ”Rei can kill me with a touch. Kiyo and Tsubomi have no interest in touching anyone. Suki actively avoids me out of disgust and revulsion. Nyxia doesn’t like girls. Shuuko, you are the only person who wanted to come home with me since I became Dark Magical Girl.”

”You could be dripping from having crawled out of the sewers, and I’d still want to have you over again.”

There was no reasoning with Roche. No matter what Sylvia said, or how she spoke, the other girl seemed determined to stick by the protector’s side, to more than just tolerate a filthy existence beside her. It almost felt like she wanted to embrace it completely, professing dark secrets of her own. They were insignificant in comparison to Sylvia’s though, who was merely a useless, good-for-nothing sink of pain. So maybe she could not understand. Maybe she would never get it.

And so, she would have no choice but to protect Roche from the consequences from her own actions.

”Sylvi, please don’t tell me you’re about to stop spending time with this girl. If she wasn’t already on our side, she’d cross over thrice! Please take her feelings into account!”

But she was doing exactly that in her own way.

”You… You’re too kind.” Sylvia wiped her face. Colour had been returning to her for some time now, but it seemed that only now did she regain full control of Shuuko’s body. ”Please think of me when your kindness turns into pain.” She meant it, too. It was the least she could do. It would hurt her beyond belief. And yet there was no other choice.

It was dawning on Roche that neither of them would be budging on their stances, but neither was Shuuko trying so hard to force her away. Almost smugly certain of rightness, yes, but at least she was willing to assume Roche would come to agree with her rather then force the issue.

”We’ve got time for minds to change. Let’s just agree to disagree for today. Want to get something to eat?”Earthshaker said, helping Shuuko rise to her feet before offering her arm to the barely recovered girl. “Want me to carry you down, or should I go snag something from the cafeteria and bring it back?”

”Please wait.” Sylva closed the eyes of Shuuko’s body… or rather, one of the bodies as she focused on the web that was her and her comrades. She reached out to the next nearest Khir, then the body she currently possessed fell to the floor as though its strings had been cut. A couple of minutes later, a transformed Shuuko descended from the skies and untransformed, leaving a body behind along with a little magic. This way, nobody would see it, not to mention she could retrieve it with her Oss later.

”Sorry… if that was too much.” The protector smiled, weak and still a little shaken. ”I’d like to drink something first.” And a way to discourage Roche from following this path, a sentiment she kept to herself as she tried to put on a brave face and lead the two of them towards the cafeteria.

Not being a mind-reader, Kiyo wouldn’t know that Tsubomi was questioning her appearance. Similarly, Haruna wouldn’t know that Tsubomi intended to respond to her, with how long it took her to finish her mouthful of sandwich. Just as she was nearly ready to reply, Suki showed her dexterity by juggling her lunchbox like a cat with a freshly caught salmon. Tsubomi had just set down her food when her partner managed to land the proverbial fish, and the emotionless girl clapped twice at the show.

"Now nobody can read our thoughts.”

Tsubomi parsed these words just in time to see Suki lean on her hand, and she turned back to Haruna. Can you read my thoughts? If someone could, they’d have trouble understanding them with how slow they were. Can anyone read my thoughts?

Another thirty or so seconds passed with no answer. Satisfied, Tsubomi went back to eating while her eyes stayed looking in Haruna’s general direction. The transfer student waited for another few seconds, watching Tsubomi expectantly. Her consternation rose by the second, responding to both the conversation about mind reading and Tsubomi’s lack of doing much of anything.

”Um. . .” she began eloquently, pausing for another moment in the vain that Tsubomi was about to interrupt her - something that Tsubomi, of course, was essentially incapable of doing. ”Did you actually. . . hear me?” Her head tilted with confusion as she hesitated for yet another few seconds. Despite her helpful approach, an undercurrent of frustration had begun to move beneath the surface of Haruna’s feelings, though it was being squashed down almost as soon as it arose.

”I said I wanted to help you,” she said, speaking slower this time. Tsubomi could feel her anxiety jump up a bit as she worried about being offensive once again, not that the transfer student’s anxiety jumping was at all an unusual occurrence. ”Since you seemed like you weren’t doing very well. It’s probably weird for me to worry as a stranger, but, well, I like helping people.” Haruna gave a small sort of shrug. ”. . . If you want me to just leave you alone, though, you can just say so.” Tsubomi didn’t need magic to pick up on the note of dejection in her voice at that prospect.

This girl wanted to help her? Tsubomi nodded once. ”Okay.” There was a pause as she took a drink from her juice box at the same speed she ate at. The girl in front of her was being honest, at least as far as Tsubomi could tell, but… what did Tsubomi want help at? And…

Finished with her fifteen-second long sip, she asked what she believed to be the important question. ”How?”

Haruna paused for a moment, having evidently not expected this question going by the cues in her emotions and face. ”Um. . .” How did one politely say that another looked like the sort of person that needed help in general? The transfer student certainly didn’t know. ”Well, like I said, you seemed like you might be depressed, or. . . something, or feeling bad about yourself.” An idea struck her after a moment. ”Maybe I could start by just. . . being your friend? I don’t really know anyone around here yet, except for the landlady and a couple girls I met running errands.”

Another single nod. ”Okay.” Another few moments passed as Tsubomi stared at the transfer student. Then another thought occurred. She glanced, which is to say that her eyes drifted like a buoy on a river, towards Suki and Kiyo. Tsubomi considered Suki her friend. Did she consider… anyone else? The other Club members were the closest to it she could think of.

Blinking like a content cat, her eyes drifted back to Haruna. If she wanted to be friends, and everyone Tsubomi considered even close to one was in the Detention Club… ”Mm. You should join our club.” Another slow blink. ”Mmm…” The girl’s head tilted to the side. ”I don’t know if that’s okay with the leader, but the club is supposed to help people. It’d be a way to be friends and help people like you want to.” Satisfied that she had done the right thing, Tsubomi began to eat once more, starting to finish the second third of her sandwich as Haruna’s expression brightened, a surge of happiness accompanying it.

Kiyo also occupied herself with her food, acting as if the new girl wasn't even there. While in some circles it might be seen as rude, it was an improvement over the last time a stranger had approached her and Suki at a table. It also wasn't exactly one of those circles, either, so when her phone vibrated, she checked it out immediately. Her eyes flicked back in Haruna's direction to finally get a good look at her.

A babe?

You think so?

I guess I was half right, then.

Her lips curled in a playfully smug grin, the kind she usually had on when she said something that shouldn't be taken too seriously. In the meantime, though, she was pondering Suki's thoughts. She pondered and shrugged. Tsubomi was an interesting specimen, and Kiyo had her theories on the girl's unique strangeness, but even she had enough social awareness to know that Suki was probably not interested in all that techno-babble. She was just worried about her friend, or some approximation thereof, and nothing Kiyo could think to say was going to help much.

Kiyo was only giving Haruna and Tsubomi's conversation about a quarter of her attention, until the topic of her joining the Detention Club came up. This, she couldn't ignore. "Hey." She looked at Haruna with narrowed red eyes. A swell of emotion came forward, a confused blend of annoyance, distrust, and protectiveness. "I don't know if you're trying to do a high school debut or whatever, and I'm not really interested, but let me save you some time. You won't become popular at this school by hanging out at this table. Whatever you're really after, I'm sure you can find it elsewhere." Haruna’s expression fell as quickly as it had risen.

Kiyo's posture was defensive, arms crossed and cradling a cane propped against her shoulder. Though it appeared so on the outside, her strongest desire in the moment was not for Haruna to leave, but to protect the other girls from some other heartache she'd experienced before and was trying not to think about. It was making any details difficult to pick out for the erstwhile light girl.

”S-sorry,” she stammered in response to the unexpected hostility. Tsubomi’s passive acceptance had lulled her into a sense of complacency about her approach, one that Kiyo had quickly dismantled. ”I’m not really worried about popularity or anything, though. Honestly I’d rather people mostly left me alone.” A seemingly out of place pang of guilt came from Haruna in response to that, as if the girl were scolding herself. ”I just honestly wanted to be nice, since. . . well, especially going off what you said, you don’t really seem like a group of people that others bother being nice to.”

Kiyo scoffed. "That's true. Nobody does. That's..." Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened as a feeling of déjà vu came over her. "why I..." she continued, the wind well and truly gone from her sails. "I help oversee this club. Because some of the 'nice people' in this town aren't so nice," she explained in lieu of an apology. She tapped on the table with her finger impatiently, thinking. "Especially the schoolgirls. The popular ones are the worst," she said with a smile, finding her footing as she usually did, with a joke. "If you're really the type that likes to be left alone, then this is a good table to be at. Just don't be boring." She locked eyes with Haruna and tilted her head. "Are you a fun person?"

Something seemed to click into place on Haruna’s expression, her face lifting for an almost imperceptible moment as Kiyo explained herself. ”I don’t know if I’d call myself ‘fun,’ honestly. I’m kinda boring.” She gave a sort of self-depreciating shrug. ”I’ll also try whatever, though, if that’s what you mean.” Haruna paused for just a moment. ”Does that mean you’re going to let me in the club?” Her hopes soared again for the moment as she glanced at Tsubomi again. ”I don’t have a club yet this year, and if it’s supposed to be about helping people and stuff, that sounds perfect.”

Haruna's response left Kiyo with a feeling somewhere between wistful and nostalgic, but she broke eye contact with Haruna before it could show on her face. Did she want Haruna to join the club? The desire came and went, and came and went again. She seemed to have complicated feelings about it. "I don't know if I'd call our club a club about 'helping people,' but it's at least not boring. ...The meetings are boring though," she added regretfully. She tapped her finger a bit more. "It's like Tsubomi said. Gotta talk to the boss lady." Abruptly, she stood up and started packing away her leftovers. "I'll talk to Roche about it. See you around, girls."

Suki had been pretty quiet, only “occasionally” looking up from her phone while the others talked. She eyed Kiyo as she left the table, then back to Haruna once Kiyo departed.

"Well… Maybe some people aren’t ‘nice’ to us, but they aren’t all that bad either. The Detention club’s members are given a lot of slack by faculty and students alike.“ She slipped her phone into her pocket, still not bothering to remove the metal lunch box from her head. "That said, uh, isn’t offering to help random people kind of weird? I get that it makes you feel warm and fuzzy, but aren’t you opening yourself up to be taken advantage of?“

Haruna elected not to point out the girl contradicting what Kiyo had implied. ”I guess it's kinda weird, yeah.” She shrugged as she spoke, looking to the side a bit at nothing in particular. ”I'm just happy if other people are happy because of me.” Her eyes shifted upward as she thought about her next words. ”I don't really care if people take advantage sometimes, I suppose. I'd rather someone be crappy to me than miss helping someone who really needs it. I'll be okay, but that other person might not be.” Her gaze fell back to Tsubomi as she said this last.

Suki lifted an eyebrow. "You don’t say?“ There must have been something going on in Suki’s head, as all she afforded those around her was a long, steady, stare. "Whatever works for you I guess.“ She inhaled deeply before going back on her phone.

The apathetic girl’s eyes drifted back up from the last third of her sandwich and towards Haruna. After finishing chewing her current bite for a few moments, she spoke. ”What if you get permanently hurt though? If you…” Tsubomi paused for around seven seconds as her mind turned, trying to figure out what she meant to say. ”Pull someone out of danger but lose an arm. Is that okay? You can only do it twice. Is it okay for the future people you can’t pull out? Because you did twice?”

Haruna frowned. ”That question doesn’t really make sense, though.” She tilted her head a bit as she thought about it, one finger lazily drifting up to her chin. ”If they’re in so much danger that it’s better for me to lose an arm than to leave them where they are, isn’t it unfair to them if I don’t save them? I don’t know if anyone in the future will need me to give up an arm for them, but I can see the person right in front of me that does.” Something about the question bothered Haruna. It didn’t show much on her face, but it was easy for Tsubomi to pick up on the gust of consternation in her mind. ”Besides, even if I lost both arms, I’d find a way to keep saving people if I had to. I could get a cool prosthetic, or something.”

”What about your head, or your heart? Something you only have one of.”

”I don’t know.” The lanky girl shrugged in a way that made her look smaller, somehow. ”I guess I wouldn’t be able to do much helping if I died, but I don’t want to abandon someone else either if I can help them. So. . . I guess I just have to be good enough at it to not lose my head.”

Though nothing went through her mind, Tsubomi seemed to be lost in thought. A strange feeling, thinking hard about nothing. A full minute of this passed before she nodded twice. ”Good luck. If the boss is okay with you joining, everyone is weird enough to fit you in.”

"We’re not ‘weird,’ we’re just quirky!“ Suki said as she set the lunchbox on her head aside. "Though you don’t seem normal so that should be fine.“ Her eyes wandered between the two seats adjacent to her. The one Kiyo had been sitting in was empty, and Tsubomi was sitting to her right. "It doesn’t really matter though.“ She looked across the table at Haruna, then averted her eyes and pushed her fingers together. "We can still be friends and stuff even if you can’t join.“

”Am I really that weird?” Her tone didn't sound bothered, although the statements had still thrown her off. ”I thought I was mostly pretty normal.” The transfer student scratched at her head, laughing a little at herself in the process. ”I guess walking up to a stranger and asking if they need help with depression is pretty weird, yeah.” She was happy with what Suki had said, regardless of questions about Haruna's oddity, though the emotion was overshadowed by concern once more as she looked at Tsubomi once again. ”Um, while I'm being weird, do you guys like stuffed animals? A girl gave a bunch to me to give away so they could ‘see the town.’ She was weird too, I guess, but I kinda get it?” As she spoke, she pulled her backpack off her shoulders, unzipped it, and placed it on the table.

There inside were many soft, plush animals. They all had round edges and non-threatening facial expressions. Anything that could be dangerous looked too silly to be taken seriously. There was a jowly bulldog, a happy squid, a startled pufferfish, a tired lion, and many more. Pushing aside one plush revealed two more, and the bottom of the bag was never visible. Each one had a name stitched onto its paw, fin, or tentacle in an inconspicuous place.

Suki stood up so that she could look inside Haruna’s backpack. Without looking very far, she picked up “Lazy Larry” and looked straight into his eyes. "Hah!“ she pointed the Lion’s tired eyes at Tsubomi. "This one kind of looks like you!“

The girl only nodded once as her partner told her about the Lion’s resemblance. She didn’t have the interest to look at the others, but she reached out for Larry with her trademark slowness. ”I wonder if he’ll be friends with my other one.”

Once Tsubomi slowly, painfully removed the lion from Suki’s hands, she shoved her face into the backpack and began pushing things around. Her head was entirely inside the bag with her pigtails draping out the side. It was hard to believe she could see like that. Haruna blinked in startlement, not anticipating her backpack being invaded so.

"Oh I like this one!“ She pulled her head back and held up an octopus named Chad. It had a “serious” look on his face and was wearing sunglasses. "He looks really cool! Thank you very much!“

Haruna’s bemusement became a smile as she seemed to have genuinely brightened the dark girl’s day. ”I’m glad you like them. I’m sure the girl I got them from will be happy to hear that people like her friends.” She moved to sit down in a free seat across from Tsubomi and Suki, almost immediately falling into a slouch with her elbows on the table. Just as quickly, she stood halfway up. ”Oh, crap, I just realized. I never actually asked your names.”

"Oh! I’m Suki! And that’s Tsubomi!“ The delinquent decided to save her partner the trouble of saying her own name. "And your name?“ After thinking for a bit though, Suki realized she had heard her name. It was hard to recall the past few seconds with all the secret oogling and having Kiyo scare the shit out of her. "Wait, no! It’s Haruna! I remember it!“ And Suki was totally expected to hear her name too. Yes, there was no way that introduction was meant only for Tsubomi, and she didn’t come across as a total stalker for recalling it. She giggled nervously. "Well I’m going to go and put this guy away before-“ Suki’s eyes shot open. Her pigtails had gotten caught in the backpack zipper.

Haruna had started to sit down again, and was once more stuck in the liminal space between seated and standing. Her eyes followed the hair down to where it’d been trapped. ”Oh dear. . . um, just hold still for a second.” She made a placating, theoretically calming gesture at Suki. ”We can probably get you un-stuck if I hold the bag and you tug on your hair just right.”

”Be careful. Ripping out hair hurts.” Feeling the need to state the obvious, it seemed.

"...Thanks Tsubomi.“ Suki took a few steps back to release the tension on her hair. Then she grabbed a fist full of her stuck ponytail. "Okay, on three?“

”I was thinking something a little gentler than that, but, uh, sure?” The transfer student did her best to angle the zipper such that it would provide the least resistance to Suki’s exit, hurrying a bit as she anticipated the latter doing this faster than was advisable or necessary.

"Wait!“ Suki raised her other hand. She had the plush tucked under her arm. "There’s a gentler way? Because I feel like this is going to be painful.“

”Y-yeah, if we get your hair slack and pull toward the inside, we might be able to get it to come loose without ripping out a ton of your hair. Probably.” She glanced to the side. ”Still might have to rip a little though.”

The delinquent looked side to side. "...Does anyone have scissors?“

”Here, let me just-” Haruna released her grip on the bag to grab one of Suki’s pigtails with both hands. Before the other girl could protest, she was already holding the part close to Suki steady while she pulled at the rest of the length. She had to put a bit more force into it than she’d like, force which transmitted back to Suki despite Haruna’s best efforts, but with one last tug, she freed it from its metallic prison. Only a few torn black hairs were left behind, at least relative to cutting the whole piece free. ”See? Now hold still while I get the other one.”

Suki held her freed pigtail in her hands, eyeing the (mostly) intact strands. "Th-thank you.“ She closed her eyes and blushed. Haruna went for the second tail with a bit more finesse, though she wasn’t able to get it completely clean either.

”You should be a little more careful if you wanna wear your hair like that. I know the plushies are cute, but they probably aren’t worth me yanking hair out of your head.” She moved her hand to rub at her own hair, belatedly realized that she was still clutching a pigtail, then paused for a moment in consternation before releasing Suki. ”I hope you don’t mind me going and just touching your hair like that.”

The delinquent was hugging her octopus against her face while twisting her shoulders side to side. "N-no, I think it’s great that you can take charge like that. I’d have a lot less hair if I tried to free myself. It’s fine that you touched it. _{I hope it wasn’t too greasy.}“ She giggled. Her pitch sounded a little higher than normal. "Now that I’m free, I think I’ll put Chad away. But I do hope we get to talk again, even if it’s not as club mates.“ Suki proceeded to take tiny steps away from the table, not unlike a ballerina.

Haruna sat back down, hopefully for real this time, as she watched Suki skitter off. Her gaze lingered for a moment, watching the other girl retreat in a way that she would probably overinterpret if she saw. That girl definitely has ulterior motives. It took her a few more moments to realize she’d left her lunch behind in her hurry, which prompted a sigh. ”Do you mind if I run back and grab my food? It might be nice to finish eating over here.”

Tsubomi gave a thumbs up to Haruna as she finally finished her sandwich with her other hand. Now that it was gone, she began on the apple she’d brought. The interaction between her partner and the new girl was ripe for picking out feeling, but she chose not to touch it. She couldn’t help but think that Suki would be mad if she did.