Tsubaki watched her friend worriedly. The blonde had been strangely quiet all day and not for any usual reason.

From the looks Soul had been throwing Maka, the shadow arm could tell it hadn't been a fight between them, and Maka hadn't told her she was going on a 'daddy-daughter' date with Deathscythe anytime soon, so it wasn't because of a fight with her father either.

"Maka-chan?" Tsubaki asked softly as they sat in the library after school to work on a class project (that was meant to be partner based but both girls knew their partner's wouldn't help or be interested).

"Hmm?" Maka looked up from her book, the deep frown she had been wearing smoothing into an open expression. Tsubaki had seen it enough times on the young meister's face to know it was mask. "What is it Tsubaki?"

The weapon shuffled her chair closer. "Is something bothering you? You've been very quiet today."

Maka's eyes widened a little and then she looked away, expression becoming a little sad.

When she didn't say anything Tsubaki pressed. "Maka?"

"{You're going to think it's stupid}," Maka mumbled, in Japanese.

That got her attention, Maka only spoke in Japanese when she was either talking excitedly about her mother or she was harbouring a very deep secret.

Effortlessly switching to her native tongue, Tsubaki said, "{If it's bothering you, it's not stupid.}"

Maka's eyes met hers briefly and she seemed to struggle for words for a moment. Tsubaki was going to press her again when she blurted, "{I've fallen in love with my weapon.}" Then she hid her bright red face in her hands and groaned.

Tsubaki blinked. "{Oh}," she said. "{Is that it?}"

The meister squawked and gaped at her. "{What do you mean, 'is that it'?}" she hissed. "{This could seriously screw things up. He only likes me as a meister, not as a girl.}"

She couldn't help it, the shadow weapon snorted. "{Then you clearly hasn't seen the way Soul-kun looks you, it's like he's seen the sun for the first time whenever you walk into the room.}"

Maka's face turned even redder. "{You're exaggerating.}"

"{I'm really not.}"

The blonde fidgeted for a moment. Then she whispered, "{What do I do?}"

Tsubaki smiled. "{You get his attention. And then you make him sweep you off your feet.}"

"{How?}" Maka asked, looking at the older girl hopefully.

Tsubaki's smile morphed into a smug grin. "{First we go shopping. Then I'll tell you what to do.}"

Maka eyed her suspiciously. "{...Fine, but don't get the Thompsons involved.}"

"{I swear they will not get involved}," she said solemnly, silently adding yet. Switching back to English she continued, "Now, let's pack up and go, Reaper's Secret closes at five and I wanna go to Burial Boutique before we go there."

As Maka blushed and did as she was asked, Tsubaki began to think of all the fanfiction she had written about the meister and her albino deathscythe. If she were persuasive, maybe she would be able to make some of less innocent ones canon.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Maka asked as she swung her satchel over her shoulder. "It's kinda creeping me out."

"Don't worry about it," Tsubaki said, waving her hand with a smile. "Come on, let's go. {We'll make Soul-kun fall at your feet in submission once we're done.}"

The shadow arm smiled as the meister turned bright red again and spluttered.