Changing Hand

[Thundor]

The Search for Wind and Mystery!

​

Scarlett was still fast asleep at the moment, she'd woken up at some point when Reeve remembered they still needed to contact her sister... Eventually, after a lengthy discussion, she had finally ended the call and fallen back asleep. She wouldn't be up just yet, even if it's morning already. Rican sits up scooting to the edge of his bed then hopping off going to his daily ritual of washing himself, braiding his beard, then putting on his armor. Scarlett slept for a few more moments before she finally stirred, starting to awaken. With a soft yawn, Scarlett finally got herself up, rubbing her eyes a little before stepping onto the ground. She looked outside noticing that it was morning already... Looking back towards Reeve, she wasn't too sure if she should wake him just yet. Rican exits his room shutting the door looking up and down the hall questioning whether or not to see if Scarlett is awake.

Reeve looked quite peacefull sleeping as he was... However when she heard the footsteps of someone else down the hall, she figured it would probably be for the best to wake Reeve now. Cautiously approaching him, she put a hand on his shoulder and shook him a little attempting to wake him up. Reeve mumbles something as he moves a little. Rican sighs then walks to Scarletts door knocking quite loudly "Scarlett? You awake?"

Scarlett sighed a little "Come on Reeve... Wake up." she said, shaking him a little harder this time... She turned her head towards the door upon hearing Rican ask if she was awake. "Yeah... I'm up." She called, trying not to be too loud. Reeve opens his eyes and looks at Scarlett, getting up to his feet instinctively as he looks around, looking over towards the door as he raises a brow at her.

Rican grabs the handle "Are you decent?"

"I guess..." Scarlett said towards the door before turning to Reeve "Well... I better introduce you to the rest of my group." she added, keeping her voice down. Rican opens the door making his way in. Reeve hears the door opening and immediately moves under his bed, being too tired to tell who was coming into his room. Rican reaches for his axe hear someone drop to the floor.

Rican slowly lowers his hand. "Why is he on the floor?" Scarlett stood back up and shrugged a little, she wasn't too sure herself.

The bed moves a few times as Reeve makes his way back out. "Owie, it's hard under that bed. Good thing I don't get bumps..." He looks over at Rican, seeing him armed. ". . .Am I under arrest for something? I swear, I did NOT have anything to do with dropping precious company equipment! I am a good employee, I follow the guidelines to the T!" Rican cocks his head to the side.

Scarlett put a hand on Reeves shoulder "Don't worry... It's just a member of my group." she said with a shake of her head, she was smiling a little. Rican looked concerned "Is he...All here?"

"Yeah... He is, I just kinda woke him up though." Scarlett said feeling a little embarrassed about this whole thing.

Reeve rubs his eyes quickly and blinks repeatedly for a bit. "Not kinda. I just woke up, like, literally, I wake up and see that it's... Uh. Crud, I don't have the time. Anyway, I'm Reeve."

Rican nods brow raised "Uh huh...."

Scarlett suddenly remembers the items they were supposed to be transporting... "Oh! I guess we should be off then, you still have those things to deliver, right?" she said, turning to Reeve.

Reeve motions to where the items should be. "What are you talking about? I already took care of it."

Scarlett looked around with a surprised look on her face... So that's why Reeve seemed so tired. "Oh uh... My bad then..." She said awkwardly 'Wish I could have helped...' she thought to herself feeling a little bad about it.

"You did help, remember? Last night, we got most of them done."

Scarlett frowned, then she nodded after recalling it "I guess I was so tired I couldn't remember..." she said sheepishly looking embarrassed now rather than guilty. Rican folds his arms watching the exchange.

Reeve pats her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll give you something later for helping me out." He looks over towards Rican. "So uh, where we going today? I kinda told my boss I'd be off duty for a few days."

Rican eyes Reeve "I'm not entirely sure." he looks to scarlett "Any ideas?"

Scarlett shrugged "I guess anywhere away from here... We need to keep moving if Hamilton's sending someone after us..." she suggested, she knew it wouldn't be safe to leave for Merricrest yet, but that would be her top priority right now otherwise...

Rican nods "We do need to keep moving."

"You said there was some creepy guy following you, and a bounty hunter who uses some kinda weird wind magic?"

Scarlett shuddered a little "Yeah... Some crazy things have happened since we got here." she said trying to sound casual about it.

"Did you mention the tiger creature that took Cadoc?"

"That... I'd rather not talk about." Scarlett said, a look of disappointment was on her face, but only for a moment.

Rican walks across the room looking up at her "There was nothing we could do."

Scarlett just nodded slowly, giving Rican a little smile before shaking her head and turning back to Reeve "You know any good places we could stay at?" She inquired with a curious look.

Reeve frowns and rubs her shoulder. "I know where we can find the bounty hunter. If you two are willing to take the risk, anyway."

Rican chuckles "That is the story of my life."

Scarlett nodded feeling herself blush a little when Reeve touched her "Sure... It's not like we're gonna get anywhere otherwise." she said with an intrigued look on her face.

Reeve nods. "Careful though... I hear they've been patrolling the entire town. The bounty hunters, that is. Things aren't so good for them right now."

"Might be something to do with Cadoc's bounty being doubled..." Scarlett mused, thinking to herself a little bit.

Rican nods "Could be."

Reeve grabs Scarlett's hand and starts to head out of the room. "Come on then, we don't have much time to waste. Besides, we should probably stick close to each other from here on. Who knows what they'll try to do if they find you guys."

Scarlett just nodded, she was blushing again for a reason she was still unsure of as she was pulled along by Reeve. Despite how awkward this was, she did recognize how urgent things were right now. Rican adjusts his axe on his back.

Once outside, Reeve moves with the others as casually as he could through the town. However, after a few minutes, they are stopped by two bounty hunters. "Hey, where da ya think yer goin, eh?" One of them asked. Reeve tried thinking of a quick reply.

". . .Uh, well, you see, we are... Uh..."

"We're heading out... We travel along you know." Scarlett said with a frown, she held onto her spear which she had carried with her from their room a little tighter than she had before. Her eyes were fixated on the two bounty hunters unsure if they were a threat to them just yet.​

The bounty hunters narrow their eyes. "Right, right, you travel, we travel, everybodeh travelling aboot this d'ere citeh."

"Give us a more likely answer, and don't think we so stupid. Because we aren't, right?"

"Sure ish!"

'Christ... They sound like drunk pirates' Scarlett thought to herself.

Rican looks at them "You fine gentlemen are not stupid as you obviously realize but we are just travelling that is the plain boring truth."

"If you want us to be more specific... We're wanderers, so what do you expect we do?" Scarlett said calmly, she seemed a bit exasperated.

"Wright, we just excepted to buhlieve that. We ain't sheen either of ya all morning. So caugh up the truoof."

"Take a wild guess why... Even wanderers need sleep you know." Scarlett said with a shake of her head.

Reeve sighs and puts on a serious face. "You fine gentlemen wouldn't want to disturb our bodyguard here, would you? Me and my lady are out, having a nice stroll, looking for a good place to eat at, and SUDDENLY, out of nowhere, I meet two of the most rude men I have ever met in a long time. If you don't want some of my bodyguard's brute force coming down at you, I'd suggest moving, otherwise, prepare for the chopping of your life!" The two bodyguards suddenly get wide eyes and stare nervously at the three of them. Scarlett felt herself blushing a little at what Reeve said about her, but she tried not to let that show too much... Her attempts to try and divert her thoughts elsewhere weren't exactly successful so she just looked away from the two bounty hunters her gaze shifting to the horizon, thankfully the sun wasn't rising from that direction.

Rican sighs and shoos them away "Bugger off."

The two bounty hunters quickly run away, not wanting to piss off the dwarf. Reeve sighs and shakes his head. "I thought I would mess up there... Guess not. Anyway, let's keep moving, we must be close if they want to stop random people." He goes on the move again! Rican moves with him. Scarlett just nodded, her face resuming the neutral expression she usually had on. She kept walking moving along at the same pace Reeve was, trying not to think too much about what had just happened. Rican moves with him.

Scarlett just nodded, her face resuming the neutral expression she usually had on. She kept walking moving along at the same pace Reeve was, trying not to think too much about what had just happened.

Reeve eventually leads them to what looks like a small shop, where upon entering, an employee looks up from her desk at them. "Welcome to our shop, how may we help you?" She asked them. Reeve walks over and pulls a card out of his pocket, handing it over to her. She breaths out through her nostrils and nods in defeat, pressing a button on her desk that opens up a door in the wall near them. Reeve nods in response and heads off through the door inside. Rican follows him through the door

Scarlett was unsure what that card said, but she just quietly followed Reeve inside, figuring she'd ask questions later... He seemed like a convincing person to say the least if the moment was right as proven by their little encounter with the two bounty hunters. Reeve walks down some sets of steps into a private room, where some of the bounty hunters could be seen. He sits down at a table, waiting for the other two to sit down in chairs as well. Rican pulls out a chair and sits into it. Scarlett looks around before sitting down at the table herself... This place gave her an ominous feeling, but she wasn't about to let that get to her.

Rican looks around the room "What is this?"

Reeve motions for them to be quiet as a figure in a cloak at the end of the room. "Welcome, everyone." The figure said, raising it's head to reveal a mask over it's face. "Now let's go over the recent reports. First of all, the one who betrayed you and went to the merchants alone? I got him." The bounty hunters all cheer out.

'Already?' Scarlett thought to herself, if this person they were talking about was Cadoc which she heavily suspected so... It didn't surprise her too much, but how could he have been caught so fast? Especially now that he was a vampire or something...

The wind man laughs as he was sitting near the hooded figure. "Serves my partner right for betraying us! Now we can get more money without him getting in the way! AIN'T THAT RIGHT BOYS?!" The bounty hunters cheer again.

'Oh... That guy...' Scarlett thought with a frown, she was almost certain he was dead but... This sure proved her wrong. If Cadoc wasn't arrested, then he must be out there somewhere, causing chaos like always.

Rican remains silent thinking to himself <What idiots...>

The figure continues. "Now then, onto the second matter. We have been informed by Mr. Wiltsworth that he will pay us once the necromancer returns back to the town." The bounty hunters cheer again. "Until then, we will continue to patrol the town for the red haired men and their associates. No one will get in Mr. Wiltsworth's way."

'Little do they know..." Scarlett thought, she kept her expression neutral though as not to make anyone suspicious... This small amount of information she received was enough to start on, but she might have to... Question "wind man" over here a little more later on.

The wind man stands up to his feet. "I will return. Continue entertaining yourselves, gentlemen!" The wind man walks off, as Reeve looks over to Scarlett. Rican looks to Reeve and contemplates following the wind man. Scarlett gets up slowly and begins to follow "wind man"... She makes sure to keep quiet so she wouldn't alert him yet.

The wind man laughs in the back as he looked to be going over stones. "Yes, yes, oh yes, so many stones. We'll be filthy rich at this rate!" Rican follows Scarlett shortly after she leaves trying to draw the least amount of attention as possible. Scarlett frowns a little realizing that this particular man was more concerned about currency than anything... This might work to her advantage, she snuck closer and closer attempting to catch him without making too much noise. The wind man didn't notice a thing. Scarlett promptly delivered a blow to the back of his head... She hoped that would keep him unconscious for the time being. The wind man gets hit and falls down to the ground, growling as he glares up at her. "What the heck?!"

Scarlett was disappointed he wasn't knocked unconscious, but now that they got his attention, she figured it wouldn't hurt to ask a few questions. "I've got some questions for you." She said carefully watching him incase he were to make any suspicious moves.

"And if I don't answer?"

Rican approaches "Then I start removing body parts."

"In other words... Things will escalate real quickly." Scarlett said, she kept her gloved hand concealed for the time being, it would come in handy later... But only if he wasn't aware of it.

The wind man smirks. "You do anything, and they'll hear it. And then, your both history."

"Oh that's just fine... And what if we happened to find that you were keeping the bounty they were all expecting to receive for yourself?" Scarlett asked, cocking her head a little, it wouldn't be too hard to believe considering his greed he'd displayed...

The wind man narrows his eyes darkly at them. "Ask away, soft cheeks."

"What do you know of the whereabouts of Maxim Heliot?" Scarlett asked, tensing up her body to keep the chills she received from uttering the name from becoming visible.

The wind man smirks as he embraced the chill the name gave off. "He's here in this very city. Just arrived before the sky brightened up, actually. Apparently, it took a lot of convincing, but now, he is here, and he is waiting. Waiting for when he can do his thing. There's nothing you can do now about him now~"

"I hear he's being employed by Hamilton... What exactly did he do to convince an individual like him?" Scarlett inquired looking curious, a man as powerful as that and insane too wouldn't just settle for a bunch of ordinary stones... So that leads to two possibilities; 1) Hamilton has offered an irrefutable reward for completing the task he employed him for or 2) Hamilton has some form of control over him...

"Mr. Heliot is only interested in one thing. Experimentation. Hamilton promised him an entire town, and that's what he's going to get. You fools have no idea what Hamilton is planning, nor could you comprehend it!"

"Hmph, so what makes you want to act like you know any better than us." Scarlett said, she cocked her head again half in interest half in a menacing manner.

"Because the man who told you about the tournament... Is in this place~"

"What do you know about him?" Scarlett asked, she sounded even more intrigued than she was before now.

"Why don't you go ask him yourself?"

"That comes after our last question... What's your name." Scarlett said, she realized it would have been easier to start with that question, but it didn't matter too much, except for maybe make her sound a bit melodramatic.

He chuckles darkly at her question. "I don't got one anymore." He laughs as he sinks down into the darkness around them.

The darkness around them felt almost familiar to her now as Scarlett turned around, searching for that shadowy figure she had encountered last time "What are you here for this time?" she asked. No answer, there was no one in the room except them. Scarlett looked around a little before starting to walk out of the room quietly. "What the hell was that about?" She said, talking to herself quietly. Rican just follows her remaining silent

In the next room, they see the wind man, along with all the other bounty hunters, all gathered around, sealing off the exit. At the center of it was the cloaked man, smirking as he sees them come in. "Welcome!" He announces with pride, as Reeve was surrounded. "Now that the stage is set, we can begin our game. And don't worry, I've already let Hamilton know that we've found you. He said he's sending some boys to pick you up. In the meanwhile, I'll have my fun. Screw waiting for that false tournament anyway! It's time for some action, and a party!"

 

[York]

Vertice group - The unofficial battle royale​

Theran stands outside the shop looking at it with increasing interest removing his patch examining the building.

'Shit!' Scarlett thought to herself, realizing the urgency of the situation... It seemed she'd have to improvise in this little scenario. However she herself couldn't take on all the bounty hunters at once, so... She'd have to think of something else.

Rican looks around he'd been in some bad situations but none quite like this.

Theran could see lots of weak, red aura's inside the building. However, only several seemed to catch his eye. One of them being a strong blue aura around an individual, another could be seen with a brighter red aura than that of the other aura's in there. The cloaked man throws off his cloak, as he chuckles at them. "My name is Zane Scarletlock, son of the Scarletlock herself. I am of the Crimson Blade, and these bounty hunters have been promised to be employed into it if everything goes well." He chuckles, he wasn't what they were probably expecting. He had black fur on his body, he stood a few feet higher than a normal human, he had a black tail, and he appeared to be wolf-like in body shape, despite being humanoid."The wind man over there is named Axel."

Theran sees these auras then walks into the shop looking to the clerk with a death glare lowering the patch over his orange eye "Hello, I noticed you have some guests I'd like to see them." he says in a tone filled with ice

The woman frowns and presses the button, opening the way for Theran.

'Hmm... Axel, so that's his name... What a liar.' Scarlett thought to herself as she listened to their conversation... She needed to get Reeve out of here and somehow find a way to bust out of this place without getting killed or incapacitated.

Rican was doing the same keeping his hand near his axe just incase

Theran nodded to her and walks through the door moving with a slow stride silently approaching from the enterance.

Zane smirks at them as he licks his mouth. "Your friend went to Fairwolf, right? Mother must be mad at him then, oh blood is going to shed indeed. It was so easy to manipulate her from inside her own assassin's group." Zane laughs maliciously. "I've been waiting to fight you, and now, I get my chance. It was not my mother who was hired by Hamilton, she would never take a request without blackmailing. He hired ME!" Zane reveals the Merchant insignia on his hand. "See? Mother doesn't even know the full details herself! I'm such a little devil~"

Scarlett quickly grabbed Rican and pulled him into the other room again. "We're in some deep shit now... Any ideas?" She asked him quietly, they both needed to think of something... And fast before it was too late for Reeve.

Rican looks at Scarlett "I don't kno-..."

Theran approaches from the rear of the group stopping and standing straight looking at all of them then lets out a loud terrifying roar "What is going on here?"

The bounty hunters panic, moving out of the way as Zane looks over to Theran with a smirk. "Good timing. But leave them to me first, I want to have my fun. I didn't expect you to get here so quickly."

"We need to grab Reeve somehow... Can you tell how many are guarding him?" She asked quietly, peeking back out into the room to check herself.

Theran glares at Zane "Hamilton will have more use of them alive you welp."

Rican peeks as well "This is getting worse by the second Scarlett we may not all get out, but we might be able to smash our way through while they are distracted."

"I know that, you idiot!" Zane growls. "But I'm going to fight them first! I will not be denied my fight!"

"We can't risk that yet... Let's wait till their little "tournament" begins and we'll grab Reeve and get out of here..." Scarlett said quietly "We can't risk leaving him behind like that." she added.

Theran lip begins to curl upwards "Do not dare insult your betters, now hand them over to me and my brothers and I will see you get paid."

Rican shakes his head "I wasn't talking about him... I'm old and you two have a long life ahead. If it comes to it you need to get him out of here."

"WHAT?!" Zane practically roars out. "I do not take orders from YOU. Now stay back, while I enjoy myself!"

Theran takes a step forward making a roar of his own "YOU WILL DO AS YOU ARE TOLD WELP!!"

"I'm not gonna leave you behind too... I'll go see if anything's changed." Scarlett said peering out the door again trying to see if there was at least a way to get to Reeve from where she was...

"HA! You think you are something. Let me tell you the reality of the situation. You just happened to come across him and he noticed your skills. I, however, was handpicked personally to be part of his special team! You are inferior compared to me in this regard, so I would suggest letting me handle my job MY WAY!"

The assassins seemed to have their attention on the two arguing people... She recognized the newer arrival as the anthro who took Cadoc. Slowly but surely, she creeped her way towards Reeves position trying her best not to alert anyone else to her presense.

Theran laughs " 'Handpicked' you are just another welp Hamilton is using, I am just a mercenary and an assassin now you WILL hand them over before I force you to."

Zane glares darkly at him. "Come make me then, unless your too scared after what that man did to your pack~"

Scarlett noticed that the Anthro was blocking the door unfortunately which meant escape would be... Complicated to say the least, once she brought Reeve to a safeer place, she'd need to act fast once they got an opening.

Theran laughs "I admire his skill but if you or any of your welps stop me from taking them I will do much worse than just kill you."

Zane chuckles. "Oh I see how it is. So your just going to use that, huh? I understand, and I also understand how you feel. You wouldn't dare act so violently against Hamilton, not after all he's done for you. It's sad, isn't it? You can't touch me, and even if you did try, I have already scanned your fighting capabilities when your fight went down at the merchant base." Zane laughs. "And the moment you stepped in here, you are as vunerable to my traps as the rest of them are! I AM THE HIGHEST BEING HERE, SO EITHER PISS OFF OR TRY MY LUCK, ONE EYE!"

Reeve, distracted by the arguing, gets pulled by Scarlett into a safer area with her. He then looks at Scarlett and Rican. "Oops, sorry. I was just waiting for an opportunity to knock out those bounty hunters. So, how we going to escape from this then, or are we taking them on?"

Theran sighs "Will the traps go off when you are near them?"

Zane laughs. "Look at what I am! Of course they won't harm me! Do you even know what magic I use?!"

"Scarlett shrugged "I don't think we can take them all on but... The Anthro seems to be blocking our only exit." she said, gesturing over to the currenly obstructed door.

Theran gives him a deathly glare "Then that's my way out, as I'm not going to kill you"

Rican looks "I...Could distract them..."

Reeve sighs. "No chance. I'm going to try to get us through underground. Hopefully, this room is connected to some paths we could use." Reeve makes his way over to a wall.

Zane growls. "That's too bad... Because I'd -love- to kill you."

"Then come and try." Theran growls

Scarlett nodded "That Anthro's not dumb enough to move from his spot." she added... She wasn't about to put Rican's life at risk either. "Those underground tunnels though... They seem promising." Scarlett added looking intrigued.

Reeve nods. "I'm going to try something..." Reeve smiles and kneels down onto the ground, raising one finger on his hand. Striking it down into the ground, he effortlessly creates a hole into the solid ground beneath them. Pulling it out, he bites his finger softly to let a drop of blood escape from it, hitting down into the hole as he stands back up to his feet. "We won't have much time, they'll just bash their way in here once they realize the doorway's just one way to get in." Reeve tightens his grip on his left hand, they could start to see his arm tensing up as he does this. "Once I break it open, I want you guys to get a head start. I'll be right behind you if anything happens, you'll just have to trust me here."

Theran looks past him "I thought you might have figured it out by now but you may want to check on your 'prisoners'."

Zane chuckles. "They aren't getting out. This room here is made from some very rough material! There's no way any of them have the physical strength to bust through it!"

Scarlett nodded, a serious expression on her face, she was worried for Reeve's safety here, but she trusted him enough to listen to him... She just hoped he'd keep his word when it comes to being right begind them if something happens.

Theran sighs shaking his head "You sorely underestamate them you welp."

Rican draws his axe looking around the corner noticing Theran looking right in their direction "We may have a slight problem."

As Zane turns around to look at them, Reeve punches the wall with his left fist. Quickly, cracks appear on it, then a crater, then the part of the wall he punched seems to break open, creating a hole large enough for them to run into. "NOW!" Reeve yells, as when the bounty hunters charge in towards them, something rises up in the doorway to the room, making them stop. The material spread itself until it completely covers over the doorway.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Zane yells, as the bounty hunters try to break it open, but everything they try seems useless against it. "WHY CAN'T YOU BREAK IT?! HE'S JUST USING SOME CHEAP MAGIC!" Zane claws several times against the material, only to find it not even scratched. That's when Zane noticed how it looked: It looked like crystalized blood! "N-no way... That boy... Does he have -that- organ? That means.... SCREW BRINGING THAT BOY BACK TO HAMILTON, HE'S FINDERS KEEPERS! AND WHEN I GET HIM, I'M GOING TO HARVEST HIM AND BECOME FILTHY RICH!"

Theran turns around and makes his way out removing his eye patch

Scarlett just nodded, dashing as fast as she could into the hole... 'Shit shit shit shit!' She thought, she took note of what Zane was screaming as she ran. She really did hope Reeve was alright, even through all that chaos.

Rican jumps into the hole running as fast as his little legs could carry

Reeve runs after the two, and just in time, the bounty hunters had busted their own hole into the room. "AFTER THEM!" Zane shouts out, as the bounty hunters give chase. Reeve sighs.
"With any luck, none of them know what that is. I just hope it stays that way."

Theran exits to the streets above and follows them from there using their aruas to follow

Scarlett nodded "Even I don't know what that is..." She commented as she kept running, she had alot of stamina for doing this since she had to traverse tough terrain all the time... It should be a while before she tires out since this was relatively smooth terrain.

Rican is panting heavally as he run axe in hand he had impecable stamina for one his age "What....is that stuff lad?"

"Now isn't the time, and I can't tell either of you yet. I'm sorry, but someday, if we're lucky, I will be able to tell you. Or someone will, who knows, maybe you'll get lucky one of these days."

Scarlett nodded, she didn't want to pry too much if he didn't want to... She continued running, her breathing falling into a more rhythmic pattern as she tried to regulate the oxygen supply she was recieving to avoid hyperventilation.

Theran thought while he followed <How did they escape that way? a tunnel? This town has to have a tunnel system in it maybe I can intercept them.>

Rican tripped did a short roll got up and kept going without breaking stride "That...was close."

"I can't use it too much right now, it's too stressing on me to use it. I haven't fully gotten it down, it'll be some years before I'll be able to show it normally, but enough of that. What are we going to do now?"

Rican pants "Running I suggest running."

"We need to get the hell out of here... This town isn't going to be very safe anymore..." Scarlett said remembering Axel's words... That crazed illusion sorceror was going to do something horrible to this town, but in her current state, she couldn't do much to stop him. Once they were a safe distance away, she'd need to think of something.

Theran continued to follow <They will have to stop some time.>

"I'm not leaving this town to be destroyed." Reeve suddenly stops.

Rican stops as well

Scarlett stops too "That's not what I"m saying... We need to get a safe distance from here and figure out how the hell we're supposed to defeat the one who's going to demolish it... Or whatever he's planning." Scarlett said, she wasn't exactly keen on having Vertice fall victim to that deranged illusion Sorceror's plans either... It just wasn't right.

Theran lifts a sewer lid and drops it to the side looking in.

Reeve sighs. "I don't know then. We're going to need a lot more --" He stops as he hears the sewer lid being opened. He narrows his eyes and looks over towards where he heard it come from.

Rican readies his axe creeping in the noises direction

Scarlett's head snapped towrads the sudden clanking noise of a sewer lid being dropped to the ground. Her ears were able to identify the direction it had come from relatively quickly. "You think one caught up?" She asked Reeve quietly.

He nods and kneels down again, making a hole into the ground as he bites his finger and sends a drop of blood down into it. "I'm ready."

Theran drops in looking in the direction of their auras

Scarlett raises her spear, keeping her left hand concealed for the time being... She would have to catch whoever was coming their way offguard in order to use her chains correctly at the moment. However she hoped things wouldn't have to come to that just yet.

Theran speaks calmly "Listen I am reasonable and I will not hurt you just come with me and my employer won't hurt you we just need to ask you some questions."

Reeve stands up. "We know you work for this Hamilton Wiltsworth guy. We ain't going nowhere!"

Theran sighs audably "Why do they always have to resist...there is so much less pain that way..."

Rican was still creeping up axe ready

Reeve sighs. "You don't have to work for him, you know."

Theran shrugs "I work for who pays more."

"How much is he paying you?"

Meanwhile all this was going on, Scarlett was attempting to catch the Anthro offguard herself... She kept her distance from him for the time being but she was ready to make a move as soon as the situation called for it.

Theran was aware where she was, "Enough."

"Scarlett. Let me handle this."

Scarlett nodded, she still had her spear raised and remained in the same position as before, but she seemed to relax just a little.

"I can give you something Hamilton can never pay you with."

Theran folds his arms "That being?"

At this time, a sword made ouf of the crystalized blood rises up from the ground in front of Reeve. He grabs it and pulls it up, throwing it for Theran to catch. "This. Is literally. Priceless."

Theran catches it by the hilt examining the blade "How so?"

"The material it is made from, of course."

"How strong is it?" Theran says with growing interest.

"Guess and I'll answer."

Theran questions "Steel?"

"Steel? You must be joking."

Theran shrugs "I will not break my contract with Hamilton." he says grimly "But I won't take you, I will merely tell Hamilton that you escaped me."

Rican lets out a small sigh of relief

"Wow, really?"

'Hamilton's gonna be preeety pissed about that' Scarlett thought to herself when Theran spoke, she wasn't sure how well he would fare against Hamilton, but there was something off about their little arrangement.

Theran chucks the blade back behind him waiting to hear it land

Unfortunatly, it is caught by Zane. "There will be no need for that. Oh, by the way, thanks for the sword. Now I have a weapon that no one knows how to break. As for you, one-eye, I'm going to report all of your crimes to Hamilton and see you get effectively punished."

Theran looks back to Zane "And here you come along to ruin the plan to coax them out of this fucking hole...."

'Shit...' Scarlett thought, she remained in the same position she was in before wondering if Zane had spottedher himself.

Theran looks to them "Bring me his head and I will -actually- consider your offer."

Scarlett turned around slowly, scrutinizing Zane... He was definitely stronger than her alone, but all 3 of them together just might be able to take him on. Her main concern would be that sword he was now holding though...

Theran looks to Zane "You know that if you attack me with that blade...I'll kill you with it."

Zane growls. "It doesn't matter anymore. All of you will be punished in some form or another. Harvesting, death, so on and so forth. I can keep going on like this all day."

"So could I." An eerie voice called out to them all.

Scarlett turned towards the voice, half expecting to see that dreaded illusion sorceror being the source of that voice...

Theran looks to Zane "Had you not come along and disappeared I could have coaxed them out of this hole!" then looks to the voice "Hello."

Cody Kirshman: A shadow creature soon reveals itself, Zane and Reeve both freezing up at the sight of it. "So, I see you were having fun Zane. Did you enjoy it, because Hamilton sure did."

"H-how does he know anything about this right now?"

"Oh-hohoho, trust me. He'll find out shortly. As for you, though, I've come here on my own interests~"

"W-what?"

"Oh yes, you are just perfect... Perfect enough to eat~"

"N-NO! I -- I CAN'T BE EATEN!"

"Oh, just accept it. It'll be over in a flash." And in the snap of a finger, the shadow creature pounces on Zane, engulfing him in darkness.

Theran crosses his arms.

Rican steps back.

'Holy crap...' Scarlett thought, she was backing away a little, very cautious of what might come next. She's seen that creature before, or at least creatures like it, he was like the ones in that carriage Ameria had demolished.

"Don't be afraid of what I am. I am something not of this world, and something you have never seen before." The creature said, now having a physical body as a chuckle came out, a dark mist appearing around it. "What I am is a monster, created by a devil. You three, along with the rest of your friends, have the decision of backing off and running away... Or, you could die. Theran, leave them be. Hamilton has no need of them, for now." The creature then vanishes from sight.


Theran glares at them shaking his head "Should have come with me when I asked, and that welp would still be alive."

Rican chuckles "You make it sound like a bad thing"

Scarlett stood there for a moment, a little uncertain what she should do before she turned around and started walking away. She headed towards Reeve first noticing he was still more or less frozen in place and shook him a little. "Come on... We need to go." she warned him a little.

Theran shakes his head and leaves the way he came.

Reeve came back to reality, gasping a bit as he lets out a sigh. "That... Was... By her grace, I can't even explain it." He looks to Scarlett. ". . .Oh. That's right. I... I guess I started to think about some things."

Rican sheaths his axe "We need to go...now"

"We'll talk later... Let's just get out of here before we get killed or something." Scarlett said, switching her spear to her left and and pulling Reeve along with her right hand.

Theran sits at a distance watching their auras.

Reeve blushes a little as they get out of the sewers.

Rican waits for them to go first them goes behind them

Scarlett felt her face flush a little red when she saw Reeve blushing "S-Something on your mind?" she asked, looking a little concerned.

Reeve blushes a bit more, looking away. "I -- I don't know what your on about."

Theran continues to watch from a distance.

Scarlett looked a little flustered when she heard that... He was starting to sound like her whenever she had that feeling so maybe... She shook her head a little before she could complete that train of thought, she was blushing quite profusely now. Then she noticed she was still holding onto his hand and let go gerntly "S-So... Where... To?" she asked attempting to change the subject quickly.

Reeve rubs the back of his head. ". . .Um. I -- I just remembered, I forgot what I was, uh, thinking about earlier. Yeah, silly o-old mind, right? Right?"

Rican can't help chuckling to himself.

"Y-Yeah..." Scarlett said, nodding a little, she decided to distract herself for the moment, looking around a bit "We should... Find another place to live at..." she added knowing they probably wouldn't fare well around this area anymore.

Reeve shakes his head. "No... What we need to do is prepare. We found out Maxim is in town, not only that, but Hamilton is moving his plans into action faster than we thought. We've got to find the Digger base here."

Scarlett nodded "I guess so... It seems Hamilton has more eyes than we thought around here..." she commented. She really hoped this digger base wouldn't be in the same condition at the last one. It probably wouldn't though, unless they had some incredibly bad luck.

Reeve blushes. ". . .Uh. You should probably stick close to me, you know?"

Scarlett was blushing again, but she nodded "It's probably safer that way..." she said, her voice had gotten a little softer than it usually was.

Reeve slowly takes her hand into his own. "If worst comes to shove... We'll at least have each other's b-backs..."

Scarlett smiled a little at what Reeve said and nodded again "I-I'm making it a promise..." she said, giving his hand a little squeeze... It was odd she'd be comfortable doing this with someone she'd recently met, but she didn't think much about it for the moment.

Rican clears his throat "Anyone have ANY clue where we are going? Let's answer that before you two get to inclined to each other."

The color of Scarlett's face resembled a ripe tomato by now due to the profuse amount of blushing she was doing. "I-I guess the local digger base?" She said recalling what Reeve had just said a few moments ago.

Reeve nodded, blushing with her as he gave her hand a firm grip in response. "C-come on..." He mumbled a little, before heading off for the Digger Vertice base.

Scarlett followed, not saying anything at the moment; she was a little lost in thought right now...

 

[York]

Blair - Morwynne Merchant Base - A New Destination​

Blair groaned a little as he woke up in the morning... He slept fine, but unfortunately that small bag of stones had given him a bit of trouble when he rolled over in his sleep. Looking outside, he noticed the sun was up already so he figured he'd better get going to that Merchant base. Picking up the bag of stones he had been carrying before and making sure he still had the key to his room, he walked out. Placing the key on the bartenders counter and stepped outside, walking towards the roller he had driven the night before. Sighing in relief when he saw that it was still there, he climbed in and popped his stone into it once more, beginning to drive the rest of the way to the Merchant base. The closest Merchant Base appeared to be heavily busy, thanks to reports of what had been happening in Vertice. Hamilton had been doing so well suddenly, that it had pushed the other bases into working even harder, to try and get someone even more talented to appear. However, this base was having no such luck.

Blair looked confused at the sight of the sudden heavy activity happening at this base... It seemed there was something he had missed while he was gone. He parked the roller he was driving as close to the base entrance as he could before popping out his stone, picking up the bad he had placed on the seat next to him, then hopping out, and shutting the door. He placed his somewhat depleted stone back into his weapon and proceeded to haul the stone he had collected towards the Merchant base. If he needed to, he'd come back with the other stones later on... "You seem to be busy." A strange young man spoke to Blair, sitting near the base as he was currently reading a book.
"Well actually... Just dropping off a few things." Blair said, attempting to be casual about it. He just needed to get to the front desk and all should be well, though he didn't mind a little conversation.
"Is that so? So you must be a Merchant. What's your name?" "Blair." Blair said stopping for the moment, it didn't surprise him too much that the young man didn't recognize him as a Merchant. Lower ranking ones were never really rememebered too much. "Blair, huh? What would you say to a little... Magic?" He asked, as he pulls out a deck of cards. Blair looked interested, holding his bag to the side he shrugged a little. "I guess it wouldn't hurt." He said, a little uncertain what the man was going to do with those cards. The man has the cards glow, and they seem to shuffle themselves at blinding speeds, shuffling and moving around in multiple different ways, before the man puts his hand on the deck to stop it. Then he places it down as he smiles at Blair. "Before we begin, I am permitted to allow you one guess at the first card that will be drawn. You have no idea of what kind of deck this is, what kind of cards I am using, nor do you have any idea what I am doing to you." Blair nodded "I'm guessing... An Ace." he said, he wasn't really sure if he had guess right or had even guessed the type of cards right, but it was worth a shot. What's the worst that could happen after all?

The man chuckles and draws the first card... Only to reveal it was the same on either end. "An ace, huh? Well, unfortunatly, you'll have to wait." The man places the card down, as it has a strange purple aura form around it. "Because the first card... Shall be read last." After this, the man quickly draws five more cards and places them each down on top of the first card. Blair crossed his arms... Well, partially, as he waited since he was still holding that bag of stones. The man draws the first card and smiles. "Ah, this one is a particular one." The man reveals the card to Blair, showing him that on the card was a man hard work at physical labor. "The first card shows me that you have been a hard working man your entire life. You have always put work first, in order to get what you want. Is this correct?" Blair nodded slowly looking quite surprised at this... A fortune teller? Here? However he had that feeling that man wasn't quite just that. The man chuckles, placing the card face up. Then, he draws the second card and reveals it to him, showing a man holding out two hands - One with angel wings floating above it, the other with devil horns. "The second shows me that you are a conflicted man. While you have always valued your work, you have always questioned your superiors. You believe that you cannot follow them at heart, yet you submit to their will anyway, believing there is nothing more for you to do. Am I correct?" Blair's eyes widened, but only for a moment before he looked like he normall did, except still quite baffled. Again, he nodded, this time slower than before... Who was this strange man exactly? The man chuckles. "I see you are shocked at what the cards reveal." The man places this card down too, drawing the third. "It is alright, it is normal for one to react this way." The man then smiles and shows him the card, revealing to him a man standing with his back to a wall, the wall having a demonic shadow on it. "This time, the card has shown me that something sinister hangs over you. From the previous cards I have seen so far, I can assume it is a person. However, you yourself may not have met this person yet in order to feel like they threaten your very life." Blair scrutinized the card a little, it gave of an feeling of oppression, but he didn't think too much of it. "I'd gather there's eyes watching..." He practically mumbled, attempting to make sense of all this, if this man was right, then perhaps someone might be watching him, even though he wasn't aware of it.

The man puts the card down and draws the fourth. ". . .Oh." He said, looking at Blair. "Do you really wish to see this next one?" Blair thought for a moment then nodded, he wasn't entirely sure why the man asked the question... But he was willing to take the risk, perhaps it's true what they say; about curiousity killing the cat. The man reveals to him the card, showing him the picture of a man surrounded by light. "I can only show you this." Blair understood, he nodded one last time, he wasn't sure what it meant, but at the same time, he had a feeling he'd find out sooner or later. He then moves on to the last card, picking it up. "Tell me... What did you mean by an ace?" Blair shrugged "Ace of spades... It's supposed to be my lucky card." he said, he wasn't sure if it was going to be that card this time though. He smirks and reveals that one side is now white. "Then this will be your ace in the hole from now on." He hands the card to him. Still a little uncertain of what this meant, Blair just nodded, again taking the card. Surprisingly he seemed to be less talkative than he usually was, resorting to nods for answers.

The man starts to reshuffle his cards. "That is all. You may go back to your business now." "Have a good day." Blair said, waving a little after pocketing the card... He'd have to keep a good hold of it incase it were to come in handy. As he finally entered the merchant base, he looked for the receptionist whom should usually be behind the counter. He could find one working not far away from his position. "Well... I've done my job... But... I'm not sure where to put these." Blair said gesturing to his bag of stones, if one were to look closely, the purple stones contained within gave it a slightly different shape than it usually had. The receptionist takes a look inside the bag and raises her brows. ". . .Excuse me." She said, before putting it down and rushing off from her seat. Blair looked confused... Perhaps this was the default reaction from the receptionist when new stone types were discovered?

A man walks over, Blair would recongize him as the man who was in charge of the town. "Blair! Is what I have been told true?!" Blair nodded slowly "If you're talking about these purple stones... Yeah..." He said, from what he had seen those stones do, he wondered what his employers had in mind. "Do you know what this means, man?!" Blair cocked his head for a moment "We're getting closer to discovering the stones full potential?" he asked, not entirely sure if that was the case. "It means we can expand our horizons now! My boy, you deserve a promotion!" Blair smiled a little and nodded "Thank you, sir... Oh! And I've been meaning to ask; is it just me, or is this place busier than it usually is?" he asked, seeming a little curious about the sudden activity cropping up around here. "Yes it is. It's because of Hamilton's shining performance lately! We need more hard workers around here like him!" Blair nodded, what the man said did make sense, however deep down, he wasn't entirely sure Hamilton was all that everyone claimed to be. "I guess that explains alot... Well, I'll be off then, gotta haul in a few regular stones I managed to recover too." He said with a light smile, waving a little bit before starting to walk out of the Merchant base, heading towards the roller he had driven here.

"Remember, head off toward Vertice when you get the chance! I am giving you that promotion, boy-o! No doubt about that!" "Got it... I'll meet you there I guess." Blair called back, he seemed a bit happier now... His first small leap in the Merchant ranks was just the beginning of his endeavors. However he knew ranking up after this wouldn't be so easy. All he had to do was drop off the rest of the stones and head to Vertice. Blair made it back to the roller he drove and popped open the back noting the large box of stones it contained. It didn't seem too heavy to the point where he couldn't carry it though so with a little effort, he managed to pick it up. Carrying it back to the Merchant base was relatively challenging but it didn't give him too much trouble. Soon enough, he was walking up to the receptionist again "Other than those purple stones, I managed to snag a box of these, hope you don't mind holding onto them." Blair said casually... He would much rather not lug around a large box of stones like that; it was inefficient for traveling like he did.

The receptionist nods and takes them. "So, having fun yet?" The man from before asked. Blair shrugged a little "I guess you could say that." he said, a little uncertainty. "You have to head to Vertice now, and big things are always happening there I hear." Blair nodded "I guess I'll take your advice... I could use a change of scenery." he said, considering the possibilities for a moment. He waved again as he walked out towards his roller again, stepping inside and starting it up, he wasn't sure how long he could travel, but he hoped he could get some decent distance covered with it. "I hope you realize what your getting into." The man said before walking out of sight. Blair looked at the man again, wondering what he meant by that. Keeping what he said in mind as he continued on to the roller, he really did wonder what was going on in Vertice.

 

[York]

The City of Merricrest Chapter 4 - Departure​

[BCOLOR=transparent]After taking a nap of about 45 minutes, Akane wakes up almost as soon as the song leaves her head. Alert, Akane turns to see Ansley still sleeping. Rather than wake her to get on the road, Akane takes the opportunity to start stitching in a secret pocket in her dress to hold her dagger. Holding it in the open is too dangerous, and keeping it in her undergarments limited the ways that she could safely move and fall; so Akane was very satisfied that she would finally have a proper place for it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It took about 10 more minutes for Ansley to wake up, she slowly opened her eyes starting to become aware of her surroundings again. She yawned quietly, covering her mouth as she did so before she got up and stretched a bit. Then, she looked around for Akane noticing she had woken up before her this time since she couldn't find her on her bed.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noticing Ansley immediately, Akane is nearly finished with the stitching. "G'morning Ansley. Akane was just fixing her dress so that it was like the old one."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"G-Goodmorning… " Ansley said, she sounded a little quiet as she always did when she woke up. She looked over curiously at what Akane was doing noticing that she was modifying her dress a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane finishes the stitching, and slides her dagger into it. With the way the stitching has been done, coupled with the light-weight of the dagger, you'd never know it was there had you not seen it for yourself. Admiring her work for a brief moment, Akane then turns to Ansley. "Akane was pretty sleepy, so Akane didn't hear, but a man came to see you right?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked quite impressed at what Akane had done and smiled a little, but she didn't say anything. When Akane mentioned a man coming to see her Ansley nodded remembering that encounter quite clearly. "I-I spoke with m-my sister… I-I know where she i-is but… She sais th-there's some dangerous th-things about to h-happen there… S-someone named Hamilton w-was involved... " She explained quietly recalling what her sister had said, even if she couldn't go to her sister right now, the least she could do was find out who this Hamilton was.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane heard about Hamilton before. Apparently the public thinks pretty highly of him, but Akane never really cared to learn more about him. Akane has heard a lot about people mistrusting him, but Akane just assumed they were jealous. Akane is getting curious about him now though."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"M-my sister doesn't l-lie about these things... " Ansley looked to be in thought for a moment trying to come to a conclusion on this entire matter. "I-If she's telling m-me to keep a-away from Vertice… Th-Then that means s-something terrible might h-happen to that t-town soon…" She said quietly, Ansley could think of no other reason why her sister would tell her to stay away from there.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane waves her hands defensively, "Akane didn't mean that she didn't believe Ansley. Akane just meant that she had heard about him. Akane wants to know more about Hamilton now."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley felt herself blush realizing she might have worded what she said wrong "I-It's ok… I w-was just wondering a-about him myself…" she said with a quiet nervous laugh. "I-I've never heard o-of him before…." Ansley admitted, she too wanted to know more about Hamilton.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane thinks going people watching might be fun. Akane hasn't gone to the forum in such a long time. Can Ansley take Akane?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded, smiling a little "I-I play there s-sometimes…" she said, the last time she could remember was about a week before she ended up in that forest. It felt nice visiting again despite how many people were around… Perhaps if she played her harp there though, they might be able to help search through the crowd faster.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane's eyes light up when Ansley talks about playing in front of everyone at the forum. "Akane thinks that must be lots of fun. Ansley's music is the best, so everyone should hear her music!" Akane looks curiously at Ansley, "But, were you planning to play today, or did you have to talk to someone to get permission first?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley felt herself smile but blush again a little when Akane complimented her music… When she asked if she was planning to play today Ansley nodded "I-I don't mind p-playing today… No-one m-minds when I p-play there… So, I-I don't think I-I need permission." she said, thinking about it for a moment. The way she got payed was by tips people gave her, she always carried around a small bag for that sort of thing. Ansley looked a little excited, but nervous at the same time at the thought of playing her harm in the public like that; she's always felt this way about it these days.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane puts on her dress, practices drawing her dagger several times to make sure she can do so in a timely fashion with the way she sewed the pocket, and after about 10 or so draws seems content with her handiwork. Then, Akane waits impatiently at the door for Ansley to be ready to leave.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face before she picked up her harp for now along with the bag of stones. She was worried she might forget about them and have to lead them behind if they needed to leave in a hurry. Walking over to Akane, nodded at her, letting her know she was ready to leave now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As Akane walks besides Ansley, she decides to hold onto Ansley's arm the entire way.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley felt comforted walking with Akane like that, usually she was the one holding onto her sister's arm for that sort of thing… Despite the fact that she was blushing a little yet again, she didn't mind it too much. Now that they were at the Forum though, she decided to look around for the spot she usually played her harp at.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane does a small twirl when they arrive at the Forum, followed by a triumphant fist to the sky. "Akane is so happy to be at the Forum. Akane loves it early in the morning when the crowds aren't so bad." Somehow looking more excited than before, "Ansley, Ansley. Where do you usually play the harp?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled a little herself seeing Akane as ecstatic as this. When she asked where she usually played her harp, Ansley looked around a little more and pointed to a sizeable fountain right about in the middle of the area. "Th-There… No-one else u-usually takes that spot." She said, though she hoped that wouldn't change anytime soon.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane sits down by the area Ansley pointed. She hums happily, waiting for Ansley to play her music. However, a thought occurs to Akane. "Ansley, you play your music in order to get people to pay you money right?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley sat down herself at the spot she had pointed out earlier, smiling a bit when she heard Akane hum happily. It wasn't every day that she had company while she was doing this, as she was getting ready to play, she heard Akane ask her a question, she nodded in response… It was no secret that that was how she got paid, she could always fall back to carving wood if her job wasn't earning enough for her to life off of.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane thinks that maybe there aren't enough people here early in the morning though. Akane likes it since there aren't any crowds, but that makes it harder for you. Akane doesn't want to be here when there are crowds, but Ansley makes her money when there are, so Akane isn't sure what to do."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled a little "I-I don't need m-money right now… S-sometimes I play j-just for fun." she said, right now they didn't need too much money yet either, so she figured it should be fine for the most part. Ansley really hoped that they wouldn't encounter any mean people today, usually it wasn't a problem, but there have been cases every now and then.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane thought that Ansley was scared of playing in front of lots of people. If you are scared of something, it seems weird that you would do it just for fun. Akane did scary things before because she needed money or because it was the right thing to do, but Akane never does scary things for fun."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Th-there's not too m-many here… I g-guess I'm getting u-used to it… E-even if I s-still feel scared…" Ansley said, she wasn't sure when exactly she started to feel more comfortable playing around smaller sized crowds, even just for fun… That trance like state she was in often made her forget where she was for the time being, perhaps that had something to do with it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane doesn't understand at all. Why would you want to get used to scary things? Scary things are scary because they are bad."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled a little awkwardly "I-I guess you h-have to get u-used to scary th-things sometimes…" she said quietly.. What Akane said was correct, but at the same time she wasn't sure what to think of it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane thinks that it is best to avoid scary things unless they stand between the things you want. Does Ansley actually want people to hear her play?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley thought about Akane's question for a moment and shrugged a little… She really wasn't sure since she usually zoned out by the time people came by to watch. Usually she was a little quiet around others when she became aware of their presence again but that was mostly because she felt a little scared at that point.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane scurries about the plaza after that, going up to shopkeepers and making light conversation with them. From what Ansley can tell, she is childish as ever in the way she converses, though it might be hard to tell what she is talking about.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled a little, watching Akane wander around for a while before she started playing her harp… Since she wanted to keep an eye on Akane, she decided not to slip into that trance like state as she began playing a gentle song. It sounded almost like it was in harmony with the flowing water of the fountain. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As Ansley starts playing her harp, Akane points towards you, seemingly quite animated. She is probably bragging about Ansley. Akane, really does look like a little girl. Given her age and profession, it is hard to view her that way, but the kind of joy that fills her eyes, her simpleminded arguments, idealistic view, her dress; everything seemed to suggest that she was still a child at heart. Combined with her less than average size, she is able to play it off like she is ten years old and tall for her age. It seems to be making her popular with the shop keeps.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As more people started to gather around Ansley, she tried to keep her mind off them despite the growing sense of nervousness mixed with fear inside her. Looking towards Akane as she was continuing to play, partly out of curiosity, partly to distract her, she noticed how good she was with starting conversations with others… It made her a little envious, but she didn't mind too much; they both had their strengths in places.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After a long while, Akane comes back over towards Ansley, laying down next to her. She doesn't seem tired, but she does seem pretty quiet. Although she doesn't say anything, it definitely seems like she wanted Ansley's attention.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley noticed Akane had come back, laying down next to her, finishing up the song she had been playing, she noticed that Akane was strangely quiet. "Wh-what's wrong?" She asked, wondering if there was something bothering Akane, Ansley looked a little worried.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks up at Ansley, "A lot of the merchants here are going to be moving soon. It seems like there are a good deal that are traveling merchants, but none of them look like they could fight off thieves or monsters. A few even said they were traveling to Vertice. Akane is worried about them."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded, she looked serious now "I-If my sister i-is right about s-something terrible happening th-there… Then…." she stopped talking for a moment trying to make sense of this. "W-why are so m-many merchants going th-there…." The question brought up another question; Did the merchants even know what her sister did?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane heard something about a tournament taking place there. The business is going to be very good is what they told Akane."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]
[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley frowned a little "I-I never heard a-about that…" she said, feeling a bit confused. She had heard about tournaments taking place in the different cities before sure, but this one seemed to come a little sooner than it was usually held. Part of her wanted to visit Vertice, but at the same time, the other part of her didn't want to worry her sister by doing that…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane is worried about Vertice even more than before. Akane really wants to go, but doesn't want to if it mean leaving Ansley behind."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley stopped for a moment, she looked conflicted, very conflicted, but soon enough she had made a decision. "I-I'm going with you… E-even if that means I-I'll worry my sister…" She said quietly, it seemed she didn't really have much else to do other than that, plus, she herself was curious about what was going on over there. All she could do now was hope that her sister wouldn't be too upset with her about this.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane grabs ahold of Ansley's hand, "Akane doesn't want to make you go this way. If Akane is going to take you, she needs to talk to Ansley's sister. She knows more about what is happening than Akane, and Akane wants as much information as she can get. Plus, Akane doesn't want Ansley to be blamed for not following her sister's instructions, so Akane wants to take responsibility."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded slowly… She knew Akane was right, but at the same time, she couldn't let her take all the blame for it. It was her own choice to come here, so if her sister were to get mad, she wouldn't try to pretend she was innocent. Her sister hadn't really gotten mad at her for a while though, she hoped that would last though.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You said you talked to her before. Akane didn't hear anyone else come in, so does that mean you used a linker?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"A-A man came in w-with one…" Ansley explained, she looked a bit sad saying that, if she had one, she would have been talking with her sister more often.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane thinks we should get two linkers. Akane would feel safer if she could get in touch with Ansley, even if she was separated. Also, Hunter thinks that it would be easier to coordinate missions if she could contact you over a linker."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded, smiling a bit "I-I guess it w-wouldn't hurt... But… I-I don't know h-how to use o-one…" she said quietly, her face had a look of embarrassment on it as she spoke.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane knows how to use one, but Akane doesn't know which frequency your sister used to contact you. Akane won't be able to call Ansley's sister unless she knows the frequency."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I-I don't know wh-what it is… A-all I did w-was talk on i-it." Ansley said, her face retained that embarrassed look as she spoke.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Without warning, The Hunter comes out, "Do you know anything about the person who gave you the linker?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley shook her head "A-all I know i-is that it w-was his job t-to help me c-contact my sister…" she said, it seemed she was a little less fearful than she was before, but it didn't mean The Hunter still didn't frighten her.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The Hunter glares angrily at Ansley, "I'm trying to track this guy down. I need more than just his job description if you want me to produce any results. You were right next to him, tell me some distinguishing characteristics, details about his clothes, identifying marks, things I can use to identify him."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley stopped for a moment, thinking about it for a moment "H-he has blue hair… H-he looks a l-little pale and s-skinny… His eyes a-are blue too." she said after a while. She really hoped that she had remembered all of this right.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The hunter pulls an advertisement off of a post, and grabs a writing device from one of the stalls. Hastily, she makes a rough sketch with the defining characteristics Ansley described. Commanding, "Did he look like this?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Looking at the picture for a moment, Ansley's eyes widened a little and nodded "Y-Yeah… J-just about…" She said quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The Hunter switches back to Akane, "Akane thinks she knows where to look. Lets go before he is able to go too far." Akane grabs hold of Ansley's hand and starts dragging her through the streets.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley just barely managed to nod in agreement before Akane had taken hold of her hand and dragged her through the streets. Thankfully she kept a good hold on her harp and hadn't left out a bag this time to collect stones. By now, most of the crowd that had been around her had dispersed thankfully so no-one took too much notice of them.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eventually, Akane and Ansley arrive at the checkpoint to outside the city. Akane, seemingly very worried, calls over to one of the town guards. "Ummm, excuse me mister, but we were looking for this man. Akane was worried he left without her, and wanted to see if he came this way."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The guards look over at them and raise an eyebrow, then they looked to each other upon hearing the description. "Oh, -him-. Yeah, we know him, he works at the Merricrest Communications outpost. He's kinda… Out of there though at times. We recommend you be careful around him."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane thinks that he seemed pretty nice, but Akane will be careful just because you said so. Ansley, lets go find him!" Akane drags Ansley all the way across town, this time to the Communications outpost.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked around at the Communications outpost thinking about what the guards said about the man they were looking for… What exactly did they mean by out there? In either case, she hoped they wouldn't have too much trouble with asking him a simple question.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The man from before could be seen working with the same Linker as before, though he seemed to be very busy with something else than the Linker. "Ack, not again! I thought I could connect this part to this part, but then this part didn't connect, so this part… Jeepers!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane jumps playfully on the man's back. Chiming, "Akane found you! Akane wonders what you are up to."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was caught off guard when Akane suddenly lets go of her hand and jumped playfully on the man's back. She smiled a little though, but at the same time hoped that it wouldn't frustrate the man, he seemed to be concentrating on something.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The man screams out as he is tackled by Akane, his eyes rolling a little at this. "O-oh lordy lu, by her grace! What are you two doing here? I -- I'm currently on a break… Well, not exactly a break, more like, I screwed up another order and now things are going to be slow… Typical." he sighs.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Curiously, "Did Akane scare you? Akane was just excited that she found you. Akane wanted to talk to Ansley's sister, but Akane didn't know what frequency to use, so Akane thought she could track you down. Can you help Akane call Ansley's sister?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The man sighs and nods to them, pulling out a paper and a quill as he pulls over a funny looking machine. "One minute, frequency identification is not that easy to do." The man begins to type at insane speeds with just one hand, while writing down with the quill just as fast, if not faster than how much he was going with the other hand. After just a minute, he stops and puts the quill down. "Okay, so… I got the first part down. I got at least twenty-five frequencies down from the area her sister called from. Now all I need to do is pinpoint the exact one and you'll be ready to go."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley watched with amazement as the man starts to type; even with one hand the speed of his typing was quite astounding to say the least. His other hand was writing down things just as fast which only further amazed Ansley as she watched with interest, waiting for the source of the frequency to be found. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks intently over the man's shoulder as he works, just barely able to keep up with the motions of his hands. She can only imagine how much practice was involved to get the speed up that high. "Akane wants to know how you move your hands so quickly. Akane thinks it is cool."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Uh, lots of time working. I don't have anyone really to go home to, got no relatives to turn to, so… Got a lot of free time." He sighs before pushing away the strange machine and bringing over another one, inserting the paper into it as he begins typing with both hands on the machine. "Alright, this will take me a few minutes, so you two can discuss in the meantime."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane hops off of the man's back, and moves back over to Ansley. Holding her arm, not even a little bit concerned with the fact that he can hear her, "Akane doesn't think it was nice of those guards to say he was weird just because he works too much. Akane thinks he seems nice."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked towards the man for a moment, she had an understanding and sad look on her face at the same time. Then, she turned back to Akane and nodded a little "H-He just works h-hard I guess… I-I think he's n-nice too." she said smiling a little. She could relate to him sometimes; when she had first started playing, the stones earned from that alone wasn't near enough to live off of. That was when she had started selling wood carvings that she made, though it's been a while since she's done that. It wasn't like she had a tool to do that with right now at any rate.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After a few minutes had passed, the man was gone and handed them a paper with the frequency number on it. "T-there you go. If you need the linker, just use mine. I need to head off for a bit anyway, I haven't gotten up from this chair in hours." Once up, he quickly rushes off, moving a bit funny to the both of them as he rushed away.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane laughs audibly, "Well, I think I understand those feelings a bit. When you get really into your job, you won't break away from it no matter what." Akane starts readying the linker to call Ansley's sister, "Are you ready Ansley? Akane knows this is a big moment for you."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded eagerly, excited about being able to talk with her sister again but still a little worried about what her reaction may be. She wasn't sure what Scarlett was doing right now, but she hoped the linker she seemed to be sharing with someone named Reeve still had power…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane begins the call.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve raises a brow as he feels something shaking from his end. Pulling it up, he raises a brow and tunes in to what was happening. "Hello?" He asked, wondering who would call him up after a near death encounter…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hi hi, Akane here. Akane was hoping to talk to Ansley's sister."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve blinks and nods slowly, handing the Linker over to Scarlett. "Uh, it's for you. Someone named Akane is on the other end it seems."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett took the linker with a curious look on her face, speaking into it "Hello?" she talked into it, wondering what the call could be for… The near death incident and all that had happened had temporarily left her feeling a little dazed.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane starts walking outside with the linker, seemingly heading for an isolated area. "Hi. Are you Ansley's sister? Akane heard a lot about you, but Akane never got to actually talk to you. Akane is Ansley's friend."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh! Well, yeah, I'm Ansley's sister…" Scarlett said, seeming to suddenly remember Ansley saying she had made a few friends. "I guess I'm glad she's making friends… Was there anything you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked, sound a little curious.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane wanted to go to Vertice against your warning. Akane knows that it is dangerous, but Akane thinks a lot of people are going to get hurt, and Akane doesn't want to pretend that she can't do anything about it. Akane wants to know more about what is happening in Vertice so that she can keep people safe."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]There was a bit of a pause as Scarlett stopped talking for a moment "I guess I can't really stop you... Is my sister coming with you?" she asked, her voice taking on a worried tone again.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley meanwhile looked quite guilty and stepped forwards a little after heading what Akane said… She didn't want Akane to take all the blame for it, so, she'd try and clear things up with her sister a bit. So far, it seemed she wasn't mad yet, maybe because the full truth wasn't revealed at the moment[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane thinks Ansley is safer with Akane. Ansley doesn't know how to fight, and things in Merricrest are still weird. Akane and Ansley angered some people who tried to rob us on the way here, so Akane wouldn't want Ansley to stay here by herself. Akane isn't the strongest, but Akane has The Hunter with her, and The Hunter is super strong and reliable with a dagger. Akane just didn't want you to worry, and Ansley feels the same way."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Another pause, longer this time occurred before Scarlett spoke again "If that's what she wants… I guess there's not much else I can do to change her mind... Just promise me that you'll take good care of each other." she said, her voice wavered a little from being worried.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With blinding optimism, "Akane is going to do her best, and everything will turn out alright."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Thank you… I hope we'll meet up soon, it's been a while since I've seen my sister." Scarlett said, she seemed to have calmed down somewhat not, but one couldn't tell just by listening to her voice.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Somewhat concerned, "Did you want to talk to her again? She is right next to Akane."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'd love that!" Scarlett exclaimed, it wasn't as loud as it would have been since she was keeping her voice down.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane hands the Linker over to Ansley, then resumes her usual position, hugging Ansley's arm as she listens in on the conversation.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley took the linker gratefully, feeling herself blush a little when she felt Akane hug her arm. "H-Hello?" She asked nervously[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ansley! How are you?" Scarlett asked, she sounded a little happier now, but at the same time, she still sounded just a little worried.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I-I'm alright sister… S-sorry I couldn't k-keep that promise…" Ansley said sheepishly, she looked embarrassed as she talked.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I-... It's fine… Are you sure you want to risk your life like this?" Scarlett asked, there was curiosity in her voice but mostly worry.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Y-Yeah… I heard a-a lot of M-Merchants were heading t-to Vertice… I g-guess me and A-Akane were worried wh-what might happen t-to them… S-since you said s-something terrible might h-happen there… Th-they were said t-to be heading f-for a tournament… B-but… I feel i-it's a little e-early for one..." Ansley explained, she felt at least she needed to tell her sister why she had made her decision. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Merchants? I've heard of tournaments going on and one was supposed to happen here but… I don't think that many merchants are going there just to join a tournament like that." Scarlett said, she sounded as if she was in thought for a moment.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As it sounds like Ansley is wrapping up her call, Akane tugs at Ansley's arm. "The Hunter wants to talk to Ansley's sister too."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked over at Akane for a moment and nodded "A-akane says The H-hunter wants to t-talk to you t-too." she said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I guess it wouldn't hurt…" Scarlett said, sounding a little curious, as if uncertain who The Hunter was.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley took off the after she got the word of confirmation "H-here." she said quietly, handing the Linker over to Akane.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane switches over to the personality of the Hunter, the way she speaks is so different, from the other side Scarlett might not realize it was the same person. "If I'm going to keep your sister safe from the threats in Vertice, I need information. I intend to do some reconnaissance of my own, but anything you have could prove useful. Please ensure that your position is secure and you are not being watched before you attempt to relay this information."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]
[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]There was a few shuffling noises on Scarlett's end as she looked around quickly before she spoke "There's many dangerous people hanging around… But the main person we're concerned about is… Well… An illusion sorcerer, Hamilton seems to have sent him here for something… Just keep your eyes open for any suspicious individuals. I'll tell you more when you get here." She said, her voice sounded a little cautious though as if she was unsure if she should trust the voice she was hearing, but she did trust her sister so she gave it the benefit of doubt.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Very well, when I arrive in the city, I'll see to it that I make contact with you. It sounds like you are in a pinch, so I will make all haste. Good bye." The hunter turns off the linker then turns to Ansley, "You know, I didn't think you had it in you to keep quiet about leaving the building with someone else's linker."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded slowly "I-I guess we sh-should return it n-now…" she said quietly, looking towards the building guiltily. In all that had happened, she had almost completely forgotten they were using that man's linker.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The Hunter switches back to Akane. "Akane felt bad walking out with it, but Akane might have had to talk about things that would get us in trouble, so Akane didn't want to stay in a building with people she didn't know well. Akane feels guilty though."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley understood, and she smiled a little "I-I think it'll b-be ok… Just a-as long as w-we return it." she said quietly, she started to walk towards the building, waiting for Akane to follow her first.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane hides behind Ansley. "Akane wants Ansley to go first. Akane is scared to face that man, since he might end up being weird like the guards said."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley blushed a little realizing Akane most likely resembled her when she hid behind her sister at first… Odd that she would make that connection though, but she nodded, indicating that she agreed to go first. She too was nervous, but she just tried to ignore the nervousness and continued on back into the building where the man was.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The man had returned back to his seat, looking like he was tuning up some odd machines as he frowned a little. "Oh my goodness, why do I keep breaking these? I fix them, they break, I fix them, they break! It's like I am cursed or something!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane scurries up to the man, leaves the linker at his side, then retreats to back behind Ansley.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley absent mindedly pats the man on his shoulder lightly "G-Good luck…" she said quietly before starting to walk away again. She figured they'd need to head off for Vertice as soon as possible.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane tugs on Ansley's arm as they start heading out the door. "If we hurry, we can get a ride with those merchants. They aren't going by foot, so it will be a lot faster. Plus, they said they'd love taking me with them."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley quickens her pace and nodded a little, she was nervous about riding with strangers, but she didn't mind it so much with the company of Akane for some reason… She just hoped there weren't too many of them.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After rushing to the city gates, Akane and Ansley make it to the merchants before they take off in their rollers. Calling out for them, Akane manages to draw their attention. They seem delighted to see Akane's cheerful presence. Akane hops in, prompting Ansley to join her with an extended hand helping her up to her seat.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After a brief moment of hesitation, Ansley grasps Akane's hand, joining Akane inside the Roller "Th-Thank you…" she said quietly, holding onto her harp. with one hand and the stones with another. She sat down, feeling a little awkward around the Merchants but glad that there weren't too many in the Roller with her.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noticing Ansley's awkwardness, Akane lays her head on Ansley's lap. "Akane can't wait to meet Ansley's sister in person. Plus, it has been a while since Akane got to travel around so much. Ansley makes everything fun."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley felt herself calm down a little bit, but now she was blushing… "Th-Thank you…" She said again repeating herself. She didn't want to say it in front of the others in the Roller but, Akane had a way of calming her somehow, even when she was nervous… So far only her sister had succeeded in doing that.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]One of the merchants smiles looking at the sight, "You two are just adorable together. I'd believe it if you told me you were sisters. What is your relationship to Akane?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was blushing even more now "W-we're f-friends…" she said quietly. Deep down, she wasn't entirely sure that was how she felt, but… What else could it be?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant seems astonished, "My my. It isn't often that someone so young befriends someone your age. Akane looks to be about ten or eleven, but you seem to be nearly 20. Is it possible that you are family friends, or did you meet by other means?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Looking at Akane a little, Ansley did notice she looked rather young, but at the same time she wasn't too sure if her appearance matched her age. "W-well… I-It's a l-long story…" Ansley said realizing just how much time has passed since she had first met with Akane… And in one of the least expected places too.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well, you will certainly have plenty of time to tell it. It will be several hours before we get to Vertice."[/BCOLOR]

 

[Thundor]

Summary

​

Isaac's training continued on as he traveled with the other two. They found some form of transportation and went about going on towards the mountains faster. As they made their way through, Hamilton had returned to the pubic, but had just been told that someone was coming to meet him. Hamilton wondered who it was that was coming to visit him, but kept his guard up. Volusia and her team got out of Kinjun and made it back to Centora, now making their way for Vertice. They knew that it was going to be a tough fight ahead for them, but they were well prepared for the challenge.

Augnagar kept his thoughts mainly to himself for now, though he was enjoying these two. One of them was a being with powers over the dead, the other was a complete mysterious, who knows what she could do to their enemies. He smirked silently to himself as they went on their way, he wondered what they were going to do now. Zaqir Craft, meanwhile, was enjoying watching the new person he had found. He wondered, would this person prove to be worth his expectations, or would he fall flat and just be a disappointment? Only one way to find out, he thought to himself.​

 

[Thundor]

The Calm Before the Storm

​

Scarlett looked towards Reeve, seeming a little worried about her sister coming to Vertice... Though by now she knew better than to try and talk her out of it, at least she's got a few friends to help her. Reeve sighs. "I'm sure they'll be just fine."​

Scarlett nodded "I hope so... What really concerns me is that tournament... Do you think it's always started this early?" she asked, frowning a little.

Reeve looks at her. "I wonder if there ever was a tournament."

Scarlett shrugged a bit "I can't say... I haven't hung around here too long." in hindsight, it may have been for the best if she had asked her sister about that sort of thing.

Reeve sighs. "So where are we again?"

Scarlett looked around, then shrugged again "Not sure... I don't see an Inn around or anything." she said with a frown, then, she spotted what looked like a workshop. The sign could barely be read from here, but she figured it was worth taking a closer look, she turned to Reeve and Rican "I'm checking out that workshop... We might get some directions to an Inn from there." she stated, but before she started walking, she spoke again "You coming?" she asked them, unsure what their decisions were. Reeve followed her without hesitation. For some reason, he liked staying close to her. Rican follows them into the workshop.

Scarlett entered the workshop, looking around a bit... There seemed to be a few strange carvings laying around. Upon further investigation, various parts, and machinery, some partially assembled, some fully functional, and some in need of repair along with a few miscellaneous, sometimes even broken items. It really was a strange place, from the glance she had caught from the sign, it said something like "Ceciles repair-shop/emporium". Soon enough, she spotted a red haired, and rather short girl clad in what seemed like an Mechanics outfit. It seemed she wasn't very much taller than Rican, only by a few inches or so. As soon as the girl looked up, she smiled "Hi! I'm Cecily! What can I do for you?" she asked, she seemed rather cheerful.

Rican raised a brow "Hello I'm Rican." he says giving a slight bow

Reeve tilts his head at Scarlett before looking back at her. "We were looking for a place to crash for a bit. We apologize for the inconvenience."

Cecily smiled a little, but she looked disappointed that they weren't exactly here for her services. "Oh! There's an Inn a few buildings down from here. Don't sweat about coming here for directions... I'm always happy to help!" She said, her cheery tone was still quiet prominent in her voice as she spoke, she looked at Rican curiously for a moment, not seeming to be familiar with someone about her size.

Scarlett in the meantime nodded a little, distractedly, looking around at the place a little more before she turned to Reeve. "I guess we're in luck." She said, smiling a little.

Reeve looks to Scarlett and makes eye contact briefly, blushing a little as he looks at Cecily. "Um... Is there anywhere we can just, rest for a bit before we head off? I mean, well, it's just... Um..." He looks to Scarlett nervously. ". . .The inn might be dangerous right now for us." Scarlett found herself blushing a bit too when Reeve looked over at her, but she didn't say anything for the time being.

Cecily seemed to think for a bit when Reeve asked her about a place to rest... Then her face seemed to light up a little "I guess I have a few spare rooms here... That is if you'd want to stay." she said, she had that cheery look on her face again.

Reeve nods. "I'd like to take one with uh... H-her, if that's alright." Reeve motions to Scarlett. Scarlett was still blushing when she heard Reeve speak, motioning to her, but just nodded a little in agreement.

Rican looks at the two "I guess I'm on my own."

Cecily smiled again, nodding understandable when she noticed that both of them seemed to be happy. Then, she turned to Rican, she seemed a bit nervous about this "Well... There's one room left I guess, it's mine but... I usually sleep out here so it's open too." she said, she smiled a little again, attempting to get rid of that slight nervous look on her face.

Reeve grabs Scarlett's hand. "E-excuse us for a bit..." Reeve said, before heading off quickly for their room.

Rican watches them leave "Alright..." Scarlett didn't object as she usually would, following Reeve towards the room they had been given for now.

Cecily in the meantime looked towards Rican "My room's down the other hall, fell free to go any time!" she added, pointing towards the hall opposite to the one Reeve and Scarlett had gone off into.

Reeve stops once they are in the room, looking at her as he blushed again, looking at her hand as he tightened his grip slightly. "U-um... D-do you.... Feel... I dunno... How do you explain it?"

Scarlett felt herself blushing more than she had been before "W-Well... Like... Th-this?" she asked, she sounded a bit more quiet than she was before.

Reeve slowly nods. "Y-yeah... I... I don't know what to even say now. I just... I just..." Reeve stops himself. "It seems so foolsih, doesn't it? I -- I must be embarrassing you..."

Rican nods "Don't worry about me using your bed I have a bed roll of my own." he looks around "This is a wonderful shop you have, do you keep it yourself?"

Scarlett just stood there for a moment, blushing a little, but she nodded. After a brief moment of silence, she leans over and hugs Reeve a little "I-I guess that makes t-two of us..." she said quietly. Reeve's mind suddenly turned off, his blushing worsening as he lets go of her hand and full on hugs her against him, keeping his head against hers. He felt like suddenly, the entire world was tilting, his heart pumping like crazy against his chest as he didn't know what to do from here. Looking for an answer, he moves his face to look at Scarlett's own.

Cecily looked a little excited when Rican asked about her store, forgetting about his previous statement for the moment. "Yes I do... Thank you!" She said, smiling a little.

Scarlett stayed there for a moment, a little unsure of what to say, but she smiled a bit. "D-Do you think we should get some rest?" She asked, attempting to break the silence.

Reeve blushes heavily, looking away. "U-um... I... Kind can't move right now." Reeve chuckles nervously.

Rican nods with a small smile "I appreciate you letting us stay in your rooms Cecily."

Scarlett blushed a little, but she stayed there a little longer before she spoke again. "I-I guess we're gonna be stuck like this for a while." She said, laughing a little.

Cecily smiled brightly "It's no problem! I rarely get company I guess so, I'm always happy to share." she had that curious look on her face again, looking at Rican for a moment. "You're a dwarf... Right?" She asked, sounding interested.

Rican nods "I am." Reeve nods to her, looking into her eyes and suddenly losing himself to them. He starts to shiver a little as he puts slowly puts his forehead on hers.

Cecily smiled a little, she looked even more excited now "I've never seen one before... Do you come around here often?" she asked, deciding to inquire a bit further. Scarlett felt herself blush even more oddly enough, her face growing warmer as Reeve puts his forehead on hers. Strange thing was that she'd done this with her sister before, but the same feelings hadn't come up... Perhaps Reeve was starting to grow on her to say the least.

Rican nods "On occasion I come to town."

Reeve smiles slightly. "I-is it awkward to say that I find your eyes oddly u-um.... Attracting?"

"I can't believe I haven't seen you before... I guess I should be around more often." Cecily said, laughing a little. "What do you do here?" She asked, wondering if he had anything he did on his spare time.

Scarlett blushed a little "W-well... I-Is it awkward that I think so too?" she asked quietly.

Reeve smiles a little more. "No."

Scarlett sighed a little, she seemed to be calming down a little bit "I guess it doesn't make it awkward for me then... Sorry about that." She said, despite having calmed down though, she was still blushing.

Reeve blinks. "So... What do we do?"

Rican shrugs "I often travel acting as a bodyguard to those who need it or who decide to pay me."

Cecily smiled a little "Hey... I know this is a strange thing to ask but... Have you ever made something yourself?" she asked, intrigued if what was rumored about dwarves was true...

Scarlett smiled a little and kissed Reeve on the cheek out of instinct, she was blushing quite profusely now when she let go of him. "I-I guess we should get some rest..." She whispered softly.

Rican chuckled "Yes plenty of things."

Cecily cocked her head a little "Would you mind if I took a look at one?" she asked, she seemed very interested right now. It was that peculiar interest she had in new items, especially from different races than her own...

Reeve blushes more and looks away, not sure how to react to this. "U-uh... W-what was that for?" He asked, rubbing his cheek.

"I... uh..." Scarlett stopped for a moment before speaking "F-For saving us back there." she said quickly, she didn't want to admit that she wasn't entirely sure either. Rican sets his bag on the table removing a small metal statue of a dwarf warrior.

Cecily's eyes suddenly widened "I guess the rumors are true... It's amazing!" she explained, looking genuinely impressed... It certainly was something only a dwarf could be capable of...

Reeve rubs the back of his head, inside, he didn't really believe her, but he didn't admit it. "A-alright then..."

Rican turns it over showing that is was smooth around, "It's of my father."

Scarlett sighed a little, but she smiled a bit "I-I guess we should get some rest while we can... We have alot to do tomorrow." she said, remembering that she was supposed to meet her sister when she got here.

Cecily looked over the small metal statue; it was alot smoother than any metal she'd seen yet.... It must be made of an alloy she hadn't yet see around here. "It really is a work of art... How did you make it so smooth like that?" She asked, very curious if this was just how the alloy was, or if there was some special technique to it.

Reeve thought about saying something, but didn't know how to put it. He had brought them here to tell her something, but his tongue got tied up. His body got nervous, he sighed a little and sat down on the bed. ". . .I was taught that emotions can get in the way of a battle, and I... Well, I need to be honest with you about something."

Rican places it on the table "Small grinding tools and polishing, would you like one?"

Scarlett looked up, at Reeve, despite her face not showing it, she felt nervous but yet... This strange feeling of anticipation. She was giving him her full attention by now, nodding a little to let him know it was alright for him to continue.

Cecile looked excited at the prospect of that "I'd love one! Are you sure you're willing to part with something as magnificent as that?" she said, seeming to be a little guilty about it.

Rican pulls out a few more one was a female dwarf, the two others were dwarf Warriors. "My mother, Brother, and me. Take your pick."

Reeve sighs again. "I... Feel a certain way about you, Scarlett. More than I should. I want to do things with you, be with you, I want to hold you, I just... I can't describe it fully. I just know that for whatever reason, I really, really, -really- like you, and I..." Reeve sighs nervously. "... I don't know how else to put it without lying."

Cecily thought for a moment before she decided on the figure that she thought would be the best to receive. "I guess I'll take yours but... I'll make one for you... To replace it." She said, she still seemed a little guilty about it, but she couldn't resist the offer.

Scarlett smiled a little, her smile growing wider, it made her happy to hear that... Though now that he spoke, she felt obligated to talk as well "I-I've had feelings for you too... Feelings stronger than I've felt for anyone... You don't have to be embarrassed of yours you know." she said quietly. Then, she hugged him again, closing her eyes this time and letting herself relax as she enjoyed the embrace.

Rican shakes his head, "Take it as a gift...to repay you, I have another." he places the one of himself forward "But I'm afraid I will never part with the other."

Reeve hugs her back, closing his eyes as he lets out a sigh in relief. "So... What does this mean?"

Cecily nodded "In return... You wouldn't mind taking something I've made, would you?" she asked, almost as if she was begging.

"I-It means that I-..." Scarlett stopped herself from speaking, not entirely sure if she was ready to say it yet. However, she knew this was going to continue until she said it. "I care about you..." She said, it wasn't quite right, but it was close enough for now.

Reeve blushes. ". . .I -- I... Um... I get that."

Rican raises a brow, "What might it be?"

Scarlett smiled a little, patting him on the head absent mindlessly "You know... Sometimes... Emotions aren't a liability." she said quietly.

Cecily looked around her rather cluttered table for a moment "Here... Let me find it for you." she said, starting to dig around her drawers.

Reeve bit his lip lightly. ". . .So. . .Uh. . .Can we, like, you know, um, well..." He tried to ask, but couldn't get it out. Rican places the others in his bag pulling out rag holding something.

Scarlett leaned a little closer towards Reeve, she wasn't entirely what he was trying to say, not what she was doing, but it felt right...

Cecily finally found what she had been looking for, it was a carving of some sort of strange tree. It definitely looked alot more intricate than the others she had laying around, she held it out to Rican. "Here." She said, seeming a little nervous.

Rican takes it and nods gratefully "Would you like to see something?" Reeve blushes, watching as she leaned in, keeping his arms around her as he waited to see what she would do...

Cecily nodded eagerly, looking at Rican with great curiosity, this was how she'd always behaved when presented with something she didn't know about.

Scarlett hesitated a bit, but then she planted a firm yet soft kiss on Reeves lips. It lasted for a few moments before she pulled away again feeling her cheeks practically burning from how badly she was blushing now.

Reeve suddenly was blushing heavily, staring at her as he remained motionless for a while. Then, he spins them and pins down Scarlett on her back on the bed, moving down to kiss her as he holds her in his arms.

Rican unwraps the rags revealing a magnificent little golden colored statue far better looking than the ones rican had made. The small statue had little gems for eyes and small blue gems ordaining the shoulders of the little warrior the beard looked as if it were actual hair and the axe was held by the dwarf blade and handle across his chest towards his head. "This is my most valued possession...my father made it." Scarlett was surprised by the sudden move Reeve made on her, but she relaxed a little and leaned towards him. It was a strange thing to have happen to her, but she didn't mind it at all despite it being new territory for her... That was definitely not something she was usually thinking about, was a hunter supposed to think about these things?

Cecily's eyes widened as she saw it, but not because of it's probably high value, but because of how absolutely beautiful it looked. "How many people have seen this?" She asked, knowing full well how big of a target he might be if the right individuals knew.

Rican looked her in the eye "You, my family, and I."

And time passed, Reeve's mind just went blank, all he could do was just lay there with her. And after minutes had passed, he finally came back to his senses, pulling away to look at her eyes before kissing her briefly again and putting his forehead on hers, blushing like all heck, but he didn't care. He had her, in his arms, he had just kissed her for pete's sakes! "So... D-do you wanna d-date a chump?" He asked with a teasing smile.

Cecily nodded a little "Why me?" she asked, seeming a bit confused, she was a little uncertain why Rican would show something like that to him.

Scarlett smiled a little as she felt Reeve kiss her again, it made her feel... Complete somehow despite how bad she was blushing still. When he asked her out, it seemed that was all she needed to here, she was smiling even more now "I won't mind... Chump." she said, smiling a little teasing him back. She wasn't nervous anymore now that all this had happened, she just felt... Happy.

Rican looks her up and down "I'm a good judge of character." Reeve gives a huge grin before kissing her again, holding her tightly against him as he did this.

Cesily smiled a little, she seemed to be blushing a bit "Thanks for trusting me." she said quietly. Scarlett returned the tight hug Reeve was giving her, kissing him back, this time letting it linger for a while.

Reeve let it linger with her, one of his hands moving to embrace her cheek as he kept his other arm with her. He enjoyed it, he felt like suddenly, she could make him the happiest man in the world. And he was perfectly fine with that.

Rican shrugs beginning to wrap the figure up in the rag shortly after picking up the tree examining it, "Good craftsmanship."

Scarlett closed her eyes as she felt Reeve put a hand on her cheek, it felt even more calming than if her sister did that... It seemed she had relaxed quite alot now instead of usually being all tense and on guard all the time. Perhaps this was what she had needed after all;, someone to spend time with, someone she could finally be calm around...

Cecily smiled a little more at Rican's comment "Thanks... I try, but, I'm a better inventor than a wood carver." She said with a laugh. Then, something occured to her, she had yet to ask the dwarf his name. "Oh! Uh... In all my haste, I forgot to ask you... What's your name?" She asked, she seemed a little embarrassed, but didn't show it much.

After sometime, Reeve finally found strength in his legs and rose up, helping Scarlett up to her feet as he smiles at her. "Uh... We should check on the others..." He didn't want to admit it, but his mind was basically in scrambles right now.

Rican smiles "I'm Rican, I could teach you how to carve."

Cecily smiled a little "It's a nice name..." she said quietly nodded a little at his offer to teach her how to carve"I guess it wouldn't hurt to work out the kinks." she said, seeming quick to accept the offer.

Scarlett nodded a little giving Reeve a smile, patting him on the shoulder noticing he seemed a bit out of it. Then, she started walking down the hall back towards were Cecily was first, she noticed Rican was standing there too.

Rican draws his knife, "Do you have a block of wood?" Reeve follows after her, staying close to her as he seemed to be loopy in terms of walking.

Cecily quickly dug around the pile of items on her table, eventually pulling out what was roughly a cube shaped piece of wood and held it out to Rican. "I use these things to carve all the time." She said cheerfully.

Scarlett turned around to check on Reeve, noticing he seemed a bit off when it came to walking. She looked quite concerned "Hey... Are you doing okay?" she asked him. Reeve nods silently, although he quickly stops once next to Scarlett.

Rican rounded the table standing next to her and begins to peel pieces away with the knife "How my father taught me was..." he slows down to demonstrate technique "Is not to carve what you want into the wood, because it's in there you just need to find it." while he was talking he was looking from the block to her then back to the block. As he continued explaining how he was taught a figure began to reveal itself.

Scarlett looked concerned still, but she turned her attention to Rican and Cecily for now; they seemed to be occupied with something. So for now she turned back to Reeve "You sure you're alright?" she asked, really starting to worry about him since he wasn't talking much.

Cecily just stood there, watching Rican as he carved, listening to his words and taking note of them. She knew the instructions would prove to be valuable in the long run.

Reeve sighs. "Yeah, just... My body isn't listening to me right now."

Rican continues to carve then stopping blowing on it showing a female shape, "Then when you have it's shape, you start taking away less and less..."the figure looking more like Cecily, he then takes the blade in his hand carving with the very tip of the blade "And getting the wood to show you the finer details." he then holds it out "And what is left is a beautiful work of art." it was a carving of Cecily he give her a small smile.

Scarlett reached out her free hand to Reeve "Well, you have my support, if you're feeling unsteady on your feet again." she said, smiling a bit.

Cecily smiled a bit herself, now that she knew what to do, she dug through the pile of items some more, finding another similar shaped block of wood. She picked up the sharpened knife that was on the table next to her, beginning to carve it. At first, it looked like a small blob, but then, slowly but surely, it too shape revealing a statue almost identical to the one Rican had given her. As she worked out the finer details, the wood stayed smooth in places where it could while in others, such as his beard, she carved out more rough areas... It took her longer than Rican, but she finished, and looking it over a bit before Rican "So, how did I do?" she asked curiously.

Reeve smiles and puts an arm around her to lean on her. "O-okay... Thanks." Reeve looks over at the other two and blinks. "What are they even doing?" He asked her.

Rican removes his gauntlets placing them down gently grabbing it out of her hand turning it over "Very nice."

Scarlett looked over at the two who seemed to have been busy carving things "I guess they have alot in common." she said, smiling a little. Rican appeared to have a small genuine smile one Scarlett hadn't seen.

Reeve sighs. "Let's try and find some food and leave them alone for a while." Scarlett nodded a little, quietly making her way outside for the time being, she knew she'd have to come back for Rican in a bit. It shouldn't take too long though since a food stand or something shouldn't be too far away...

 

[York]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The Journey To Vertice Pt.1 - A realization[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley sighed a little and nodded, starting to talk, she felt a little more comfortable with speaking with Akane laying in her lap strangely enough. She began with their first encounter in that forest, deciding to leave out that incident with that strange girl, she continued to talk, telling of their travels towards Merricrest too. Ansley skimmed and even left out details that she were still not ready to share including that little encounter with the bandits and that bear. Soon enough, all there was left that she was willing to speak of was of checking into the Inn here and then wanting to head to Vertice. "Th-That's all I g-guess…" She said quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"My my. So you helped this girl travel all the way to Merricrest, even with the recent bandit activity? You two are very fortunate that nothing happened. If there was a fight with even one of them, you both would be goners. They are armed with swords you know."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked towards Akane for a moment, remembering their encounter with those bandits… It wasn't something she wanted to share for the moment "Y-Yeah… I-I guess s-so…" she said, falling silent again. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"What is wrong dear? You seem down?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane interjects, "Akane wants to be pet."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked towards Akane for a moment, then nodded, beginning to pet Akane's head gently, blushing a little. She was thankful for the sudden interjection from her; otherwise things may have gotten a little awkward.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The female merchant laughs, "Oh dear you spoil her. If you aren't careful, she is going to depend on you for the rest of her life."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked up, continuing to pet Akane absent mindedly blushing a little more "I-I d-do?" she asked, looking a little worried.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well of course, I can tell by the way she talks to you, and by the content look on her face. I bet you've never made her do something she didn't want to do."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley felt herself blush more, shaking her head without a word knowing full well that was pretty much the truth.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane pouts, "Akane doesn't always get what Akane wants. Akane just usually wants things that Ansley agrees with. Plus, Ansley is Akane's, so Akane can depend on her as much as Akane wants too."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant pretends to be shocked, "My my, I didn't realize that you had ownership of this girl, does that make her your slave?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane responds with childish indignace, "Akane didn't mean it like that. Akane doesn't think Ansley is her slave. Ansley is Akane's weapon!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked towards Akane seeming a bit surprised by what she had said… She was kind of glad she had spoken up, but at the same time, she wasn't sure how it had sounded to the merchants.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"A weapon you say? That is quite a violent thing for a child your age to possess. Why would you call someone so good to you a weapon?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane sits up from Ansley's lap, looking extremely confident. "Well, Akane thinks there is no closer relationship between someone than between a warrior and her weapon. A weapon is a warrior's only means of protecting themselves. The weapon watches over them, and keeps bad things away. A weapon must always be taken proper care of, and it is more valuable than any other kind of tool. Akane feels safe, when she knows that she has a weapon like Ansley, because she is good for fighting off everything that is after Akane. Fear, frustration, discomfort, bad people; it doesn't matter what it is, Ansley defeats it all!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was blushing really badly now, but she was smiling at what Akane had said, for a moment, she stayed silent before she spoke up herself… "I-I guess y-you know w-why we're friends…" She said quietly, though she couldn't help but feel it was more than just that, she looked towards Akane for a few moments as if to silently say thank you, smiling a bit before she turned back to the merchants.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant seems dumbfounded to hear such intelligent reasoning from someone so young. "My my, that is actually completely different from anything I expected to hear. I can't imagine how someone your age came up with something so sincere, but it warms my heart to hear someone so young with such a poetic heart. I'm certainly glad that you took up our offer to come travel with us. You are such a good girl Akane." The merchant girl pets Akane. Akane fakes enjoying it, and it is convincing enough for the merchant to buy it, but Akane is clearly trying to relay back how violated she feels to you.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley noticed that Akane had tensed up a bit despite appearing to enjoy the petting that merchant gave her… She looked a bit worried, but shifted over a bit, petting Akane again, she wasn't sure if she should tell the merchant not to pet Akane like that without her consent. There was a slightly conflicted look on her face which she attempted to hide.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant eventually stops petting Akane, who then immediately retreats onto your lap. "Akane is going to take a nap. Wake Akane up if we make it to Vertice, ok Ansley?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded, she smiled a little "I-I will…" she said quietly, letting herself relax a bit so it would be easier for Akane to sleep. She too was starting to feel a little tired, but she didn't mind if she stayed awake for a bit.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After a few minutes, when she thinks Akane is completely asleep, the merchant grows a more serious look on her face. "Ansley, are you at all concerned about Akane?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked towards the merchant, she seemed a little confused "W-what do y-you mean?" she asked, feeling a bit nervous now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant whispers as not to excite the others traveling, "Akane refers to herself as though she were talking about a completely different person. Also, while she is a kind soul, I don't know what to think about what kind of influences people have had on her. For her to make a comparison about the bond between people and their gem tools like that, she probably traveled around with someone dangerous who abandoned her, which is why you found her alone. I'm truly worried that the girl might be experiencing some sort of abandonment issues. I wouldn't know any of this for a fact, but I know that young girls don't just talk about themselves in 3rd person."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley had a more concerned look on her face as she listened, but she nodded a little. She stayed quiet for a moment before she spoke "I-I don't k-know for s-sure but…. I-I don't th-think she's j-just a y-young girl..." she said quietly. What the Merchant had mentioned about abandonment issues really did bother her, but at the same time, it was starting to bother her that she was still under the assumption that Akane was only who she appeared to be. It was strange that she'd think about it this way, but she couldn't really deny that she was.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant looks even more concerned, "Do you have reason to believe that Akane is not a young girl? Because if that were the case, I'd be even more worried. Akane is the size of a 10 year old neko, and since she acts that way I didn't question that age. If it were to turn out she was older, and felt the need to continue acting like a child, I'd probably send her to recieve professional help."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley shook her head quickly "I-It's nothing l-like that... " she said, realizing just now, the mistake she had made. "I-I just th-think she's s-seen more th-than most y-young girls h-have… She's a-a good f-friend… Just l-like I t-try to b-be to her... " Ansley said, attempting to divert the conversation from the direction it had been going earlier.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Listen Ansley, I know you feel like there is a bond between you and Akane. But she is just a young girl. You are definitely right that she has seen a lot, but that is exactly why she needs someone to raise her properly. Akane would be a great hand around the shop. She attracted a good number of customers just in the short while she was enjoying herself, and I can tell she is more than smart enough to learn the trade. I'd like to take Akane off your hands."[/BCOLOR]

Ansley shook her head "I-I can't…" she said, she breathed out a little, attempting to get rid of that feeling of nervousness welling up inside her. "I-I can't l-leave her behind….I-" She stopped for a moment, gathering up as much courage as she could. "I'm not b-breaking my promise." She said stubbornly, she put a hand on Akane's head again petting her a little. Akane was like a sister to her, and she'd never leave behind a sister to make herself feel better… Akane had to at least have a say in this after all.

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I understand that you are concerned. Any decent person would be. But think about this. Do you have any experience raising kids? You are very young, much too young to be raising a child. I've seen your occupation too. You are a street performer. Definitely one of the better ones, but there is no way you could make enough to support Akane and yourself at the same time. In addition, Akane is most certainly a troubled child who needs both a mother and a father's guidance. You can't give her these things, and the longer she stays with you, the harder it will be to let go of her. Akane would never choose to come with us, but I can promise you it is the better choice. Please at least think it over. I promise if you entrust her to us, she will grow up happy, healthy, and wealthy."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Y-you don't k-know that…" Ansley said, she didn't seem very happy about this to say the least, despite seeming stubborn on the outside. On the inside, she was full of a turmoil of emotions, unsure of what to do, the question was; what would her sister do? If someone had offered something like this to her sister, what would she do? Ansley closed her eyes for a moment, thinking for a long while before speaking. "I-I told you b-before… I'm not b-breaking my promise." She said quietly, she wasn't about to leave someone behind yet again, just because of what she had heard anymore… Her gut told her this wasn't right, and she really did wish that she could say Akane wasn't a little girl, but she knew it would just make things even worse.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well, if you care for her that strongly, do you think you can give her a better fortune than I can? If you are really thinking about what is best for Akane, then you should stop and consider the value of that promise. Is that promise worth denying Akane a bright future? I'm a mother of 5, and 3 of those have grown up to run shops of their own. All of them, even the one that isn't so bright, knows the trade like birds know the coming winter. With Akane's gifts, she could become a great merchant. Is your promise enough to deny her that?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley had that stubborn look on her face, it almost resembled the one Akane had since she hadn't really had a look like that in such a long time. "I-If it means that sh-she's happy… Th-then… Yes." Ansley said, she didn't doubt that Merchant could keep part of her promise, but, the one thing even she knew she couldn't guarantee was that Akane would be happy.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane, who was never really asleep, suddenly starts crying. The merchant looks horrified seeing Akane's tears. Akane is trembling, completely wordless, unable to move from Ansley.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked very surprised when she saw Akane cry, but, more or less instinctively, she started petting her in an effort to comfort her. Putting down her harp temporarily, she used the sleeve of her now free hand to wipe away Akane's tears.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Sobbing, "Akane… Akane… Ansley is… Akane's. Why… Don't leave..."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley Continued petting Akane, gently, trying to reassure her "I-It's ok… I-I Won't…" She said softly, for a moment there, she almost sounded like her sister.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant remains quiet, obviously not happy about the events that have transpired. Even still, she accepts that there probably wasn't a way to keep Akane with her now that she knows what had been plotted.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Why did you say that you'd give Akane to her? Akane wants to be with Ansley forever. Ansley doesn't belong to anyone else, so Akane would be sad if someone stole her away."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was starting to cry as she continued to pet Akane "I-I didn't… I-I c-couldn't…" she said quietly, wrapping her arms around Akane eventually in an effort to comfort her...[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks straight up into Ansley's eyes. "But you just told that person that you would. Were you lying?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley shook her head "I-I said y-yes because I-I thought m-my promise w-was enough t-to refuse th-the offer…" she said quietly… She was blushing really badly now realizing that she had been misheard.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks down towards the ground now, feeling extremely guilty. "So you mean, Akane mistrusted Ansley, even when Ansley was doing her best to protect Akane?" Akane cries more softly, coming down pretty hard on herself.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was crying quite alot too by now "I-I'm sorry… I-I should h-have explained…" she said quietly, hugging Akane tightly now. It seemed as if time had slowed to a crawl by now as she continued holding Akane like that.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant interjects, "Well, I see you've made your choice. Its a shame that you've decided this, but I'm not so heartless as to rip a young girl from her guardian. We'll see you to the city, and then we'll part ways."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane doesn't say another word, and lays against Ansley. Her tears have dried, and she is finding herself truly ready for a rest. "Ansley, I'm sorry I didn't trust you. Akane will be a good girl for the rest of the trip."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley blushes a little but nods, petting Akane a little more before she turned to the Merchant and smiled a little. "Th-thanks for th-the offer th-though…" She said quietly, before looking back to Akane who seemed more relaxed now as she lay against her.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant actually seems to be calmed by the incident, "My my, Akane referred to herself properly, even if it was just briefly. Maybe there is hope for her yet. Ansley, I understand that you are determined to raise that girl, but please pay closer attention to her. She needs guidance, so you can't just passively raise her. In particular, I'd like for you to teach Akane to talk about herself properly. I know that it seems like an endearing trait, but it isn't healthy for her."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded a little, smiling a bit… She figured it might be worth a shot, but, she still wasn't sure exactly how to give her the guidance that she needed. Well, that might have been a lie, she actually just wasn't sure how to word the guidance she wanted to give her, she'd figure all of that out later. "I-I'll try m-my best…" Ansley said, looking a bit more serious now, perhaps a good place to start would be to ask Akane to refer to herself properly, but she didn't want to force it too much… She's always found it kind of cute.[/BCOLOR]

 

[Thundor]

Victory

​

It had begun to rain and Hamilton had said everything he needed to please the people. All across Centora, people would be hearing of a prodigy, a name that would cast fear into the hearts of the weak, and inspiration into the souls of the strong. At long last, Hamilton could feel it in his hands, the power was tremendous! It felt incredible to him, how could he not have wanted this sooner?! He finally, FINALLY, had it! Vertice was now perfectly in his hands, and now, he would crush it! No citizen or crowd could stand before him, without feeling the tiniest bit of doubt spring up in their throats and make them hesitate to pull the trigger. People would be asking, years from now, who perfected Centora into the ultimate country that it is now?! And the answer would be obvious, it would be because of King Hamilton, who's legacy knows no bounds! Even in death, his ambition lives on in the hearts of every citizen, no, every CREATURE that was in Centora.

No one would ever oppose him, no one would ever dare defy him, for if they did, he would CRUSH them as examples! The Gardener's who hated him would fall as heretic's before him! Victory. Was. ASSURED!!! But his thoughts stopped when he noticed something in the distance, something bright, something fast, something... Hamilton suddenly realized the shape of the object, and quickly jumped, only barely having enough time to look down and see the Roller move over where he had just stood seconds ago. The Roller crashes into a nearby building, and as Hamilton lands on his feet, he sees one of the doors to the Roller get kicked off. A familiar tension suddenly rose within Hamilton, as he saw a humanly figure emerge from out of the Roller and look in his direction. Gasping, Hamilton felt something grab hold of his heart, with a tightening grip that left him feeling like it might burst into pieces. His surprise turning into anger, he sneers at the man who began to approach him, drill on one hand, suit over his body, and the eyes of a man ready to kill.

"Daquan." Hamilton confirmed the identity of the man, the Hero of Fairwolf, Centora's Drill, among many other titles the man had grown over time. Commander Daquan had come all the way here from Fairwolf for him? Hamilton's emotions only grow as the man smiles at him and stops his motion.

"I've been waiting to meet you for a long time, Mr. Wiltsworth." Daquan adjusts a few things on his drill. "I do apologize, but I can no longer watch as you bring this country to ruin."

"This country was already ruining itself by the time I got here." Hamilton breaths out through his nostrils. "You only delayed the inevitable, you and those 'others' that try to get as much fame and glory as the Founders."

"I know what you have done all these years, Hamilton. The lives you took, the families and friends you ruined, pitted against each other, the homes you stained with fire and blood. It all ends today, and everyone will see you as you lay here in the rain, confirming the death of the false hope." Daquan's words made Hamilton chuckle, he didn't know why when he felt so cornered, but the man was delighting Hamilton's mood.

"Now that's class A humor you got going there, Digger." Hamilton shrugs his shoulders. "I do hope I don't sadden your hopes by cutting them short. But I do have some errands to finish, so if you don't mind, the jokes are over."

"Yes, they certainly are." Daquan aims his drill in Hamilton's direction and fires it off, Hamilton just barely getting out of the way, as he watches it tear and rip through the ground. The drill is quickly pulled back into place, leaving a trail in front of Daquan. If it weren't raining, Hamilton might be feeling some sweat right about now. No matter how old Daquan was, one hit by that drill would only spell death for him. "You have promise, that's for sure. But luck can only get you so far, Mr. Wiltsworth, allow me to show you why." Adjusting his drill's angle, he fires it again, and just as before, Hamilton moves out of it's way just in time. But this time, Hamilton moved forward before the drill could retract, his claws coming out quickly as he moves to cut the line that connected the drill top, but is forced to move his arm back as he sees the drill move back into place. "Getting it now? You can't make a move without risking your own life on the line."

"Don't lecture me!" Hamilton fires out his claws at the Digger, as Daquan blocks them with his drill. Hamilton moves in close as his claws regrow, Daquan slamming his drill down as it begins to spin again, Hamilton's quick timing saving him from a crushing demise as he sees the ground break up when the drill crushes into the ground and dig through it for a bit. Daquan swings the drill at Hamilton, the young man ducking down away from it as he felt his legs shaking from such a close encounter. This was no time to start acting reckless, so he decided to move back and fire his claws again, only to watch them be blocked again by the deadly moving drill.

"Don't tell me you've already tired out, young lad!" Daquan mocked him, aiming his drill and firing it, Hamilton leaped out of the way as he saw the drill turn and head for where he was going to land. "The party's just begun! There's still more to show you!" Hamilton growls in annoyance, his claws growing back again as he fires them for a nearby building. This time, the claws were attached by some solid purple looking material as he uses this to pull himself away from the drill and slide down the wall, breaking off the attached claws on his way down to jump and land safely. Daquan's drill returned to it's spot again, Hamilton finding himself already out of breath as the only thing keeping him focused was the adrenaline pumping itself through him. "Giving up already?"

"Shut up!" Hamilton yelled out, using the time to calm down his emotions and get a clear head for a moment. He analyzed the battle so far in his mind and Daquan's drill, it's movements and how far it's range went. Once he had these confirmed, he dashed towards Daquan's position, rapidly firing off his claws as he watches Daquan block them again. He chuckles to himself, the pinky claw suddenly shooting itself out into Daquan's upper leg, penetrating through his suit. Daquan is caught off guard by this and aims the drill for Hamilton, firing it off. Hamilton's chuckle turned into a laugh, moving out of it's way as he fires more claws into the part where the drill used to be before taking hold of the line in his free hand. He only needed it for a brief moment of time, regrowing his claws and slicing through the line as he grew a sadistic smirk.

"My drill!" Daquan shouted out, quickly throwing off the end, but was too slow to react as Hamilton's elbow smashed itself into Daquan's face. Hearing a crack to confirm his nose was broken, Hamilton chuckled as he brings up his foot and kicks Daquan back, watching his body roll across the ground before coming to a halt. Hamilton tilted his head with that sick grin on his face, waiting for the so called 'hero' to try something against him again. Daquan was struggling to get back up to his feet, Hamilton taking his time to walk over as he enjoyed seeing the old man clinging to his life like it was so important. Hamilton would enjoy crushing every last hope this foolish Digger had.

"What was that before you were saying? You, kill me? You don't even know the meaning of the word survive, you miserable bag of bones." Hamilton stops before him, staring him straight in the eyes. "I am a survivor, I do what it takes to get that far, you, however, only got your titles because you had help from others. Compared to me, you have nothing, you ARE nothing. I am the superior life form here, I am the superior man in general." Hamilton aims his claws in Daquan's direction. "Your drill may have been your strongest weapon, but here's a secret, I don't rely on strength alone. And now, you will die for your ignorance of standing up against the future king of the world!"

"You know, I am so sick of brats like you." Daquan commented, slipping something on his right hand. Having noticed this, Hamilton moves in to slice through his arm, but is stopped as a strange light had wrapped itself around his arm. "Thinking they know everything, when they are just too stubborn to admit they are weak." More light emerges from Daquan's strange device, the lights wrapping themselves around most of Hamilton's body and holding him in place. Hamilton could feel the lights burning on his body as he struggled to move out of them, but found they were too strong. "Are you about to tell me that you, of all people, are the best in the world?"

"What have you done to me?! I am the only candidate suitable for the role, only I have the intellect, the capability, the blood!" Hamilton angrily called out to Daquan, struggling against his bindings as he collapses to his knees, growling as he glared up at the Digger.

"You must of researched on the Lost Weapons from Kinjun." Daquan's words pierce Hamilton so suddenly, he only had little time to comprehend that he had foolishly underestimated the Digger. "These lights that bind you now, they are part of the Lost Weapon that I wield. They hold and restrict evil, and so long as you cling to your foolish ideals, you will only make them tighter on yourself and make them burn more until you are bones. You will die here, Hamilton, and you will never plague this world again." Hamilton's mind was starting to blank out, his vision wavering as the lights only were harming him more as time passed. Hamilton felt incomplete here, dying here would be the worst, he had everything to lose should he die here. Had this Digger been waiting for Hamilton to get too cocky and make his move to burn Hamilton away? It didn't feel real, and yet, he felt as if his life was starting to fade away.

That is, until something entered into Hamilton's body and took control of him. The lights were gone in a flash, darkness enveloped Hamilton's form, and with one strike, Daquan's right arm lands down on the ground. Regaining consciousness, Hamilton gasps and sees the Digger on his knees, holding the spot where his arm used to be tightly. Hamilton sneered, now back in control of the fight, and brought out his claws once more. Making his way over to the digger, he watches as Daquan attempted to make a move, but Hamilton was faster. He struck all five claws into the Digger's chest, Daquan had little time to react or even notice them, as he fell down onto his back. Hamilton felt happy, he felt joy at the ending to this foolish Digger. He had come here for nothing, he had died for nothing. Or, so he thought.

"I may have failed." The weak words of the Digger rang out like an annoying alarm, as Hamilton glared down at the dying Digger. "But, you are not the future of Centora, Hamilton. The path you take, is one full of only sorrow and regret."

"I have nothing to regret." Hamilton told him, but for some reason, this didn't seem to convince him, as lightning and thunder played in the background.

"Have you ever heard of sins coming back to haunt you? Well, in this case, your sins are very heavy, and your punishment will only get worse the more you make them." Hamilton was getting annoyed now, what was the old Digger trying to prove?

"I will be only rewarded for my actions. I am a legend in the making, and nothing is going to prevent that from being written. Your death will not be regarded as a heroic one, but a foolish one that was so empty and meaningless. But you will be a good example to all who follow you, or, try to."

"I can see there is no going back. Then, you must know the secrets that lie beneath the sands, yes?" Suddenly, Hamilton's eyes widened with surprise. How had this one old Digger, who was practically on death's door, be so confident? Hamilton suddenly realized a possibility, this old man, this old fool, could he have come here knowing full well he would die?! Hamilton stomps his foot down on the ground.

"WHERE IS IT?! TELL ME, AND I WILL GRANT YOU A QUICK DEATH!" Hamilton suddenly demanded with authority. But his tone did not scare the dying Digger, if anything, it only made him smile with joy.

"So you have not found it yet. That is good, then that means, your plans can be stopped. I can die in peace."

"NO! NO, NO, NO!" Hamilton demanded, grabbing hold of Daquan's collar and raising him up, as his eyes closed and the smile faded. "TELL ME! TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW! WHERE IS IT?! WHERE CAN I FIND IT?!?!? I MUST KNOW! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?! ANSWER ME, YOU WILL TELL ME NOW!!!!!" But it was too late, the body felt limp and lifeless in his hands. Hamilton put the body back down, practically shaking with rage at this point. Hamilton had struggled in the fight, and although he had prevailed in both outcomes, Daquan had proven to be the superior, better fighter. He had won the fight in the end, not Hamilton. And Hamilton knew this, for Daquan had known about his plans and died knowing Hamilton was so far behind him.

Hamilton fell down to his knees, looking down at his hands as his breath intensified, his emotions spiking out of control, his mind being clouded. The beast within suddenly was unleashed for a brief time, and raising his head up, arms stretched out to his sides, Hamilton let out an angry howl to which only few would hear. For those who did catch it, they could tell it sounded like that of loss. For the first real time in his ascent to power, Hamilton felt inferior to someone, Hamilton had lost to a Digger of all people! The news would soon spread, of the great Commander's body being found near his signature weapons. People across the country would soon hear that a great man, a legend to many, a hero to the people, was gone. His assailant unknown, but he had put up a great fight by the looks of it. Commander Daquan of the Digger's... Is dead.​

 

[York]

Cecily's Workshop - Strange Inventions​

Cecily smiled herself, she seemed to be blushing a little, she was starting to wonder if Rican would show any interest in the various items she's been working on here.

Rican nods and places a hand on her shoulder "You are a fine craftswoman."

Cecily smiled a little and nodded, she seemed to be blushing a little. "You're still better than me... I try though." She said, laughing a little "I guess I'm more used to working with machines." she added.

Rican chuckles "You're good at making me smile...that's good right?"

Cecily laughed a little herself "Yeah... It's supposed to be anyways." she teased a little. She glanced over at the various contraptions laying around her place, eventually settling upon what looked like a bicycle with broken wheels made of wood, bent metal ones lay nearby. She pointed towards it "I guess my inventions need a little work though... I tried to make a roller that didn't need a stone to run." she said with an sheepish laugh "You can guess how that one turned out." she said jokingly.

Rican looks around at all of the inventions "Interesting."

Cecily shrugged "It's what I do when I don't have anything to fix." she said, with an embarassed laugh.

Rican scratches his beard then lets his arm drop to his side accidently grabbing her hand he pulls his hand away "My...my apologies."

Cecily blushed a little, but she nodded "I guess I should go look for the inventions that actually work." she said, laughing a bit nervously again before she started walking around, searching for something.

Rican watches as she looks around.

Eventually, Cecily dug up a few blueprints of what looked like a sort of primitive air glider-like contraption. It had a triangular frame with a corresponding loose looking piece of clotch bound do it with string. Digging around the area, she found a small almost kite-sized version of the contraption her blueprints had been made for. However it looked more like a modified kite frame than anything. "Well... It works but, it's not big enough to carry a person." Cecily said, seeming a little embarassed as she showed the contraption to Rican.

Rican looks at it folding his arms nodding "What would it be used for, or do you not care?"

"Flying... Well... Sort of." Cecily said, thinking for a moment "Wanna see?" she asked curiously.

Rican nods "Sure."

Cecily walked forwards briskly a few steps holding the small contraption in her hand before letting it go. Instead of falling to the ground it slowly descended towards the ground looking almost like it was flying. "I haven't built a big one yet though... There's not enough space around here." She admitted, looking a bit sad about it.

Rican looks around "Do you need help moving it, or just nowhere to keep it?"

"Well... I just don't have space to keep it... Let alone even try to launch it." Cecily said with a laugh, she could probably try and build something to launch a bigger sized contraption, but there wasn't any space where she was which upset her a little.

Rican shrugs "I look forward to hearing about this one day." he puts a hand on her shoulder "Because I'm sure you will build it."

Cecily seemed to turn a little red but she nodded, smiling brightly "Thanks! I'll look into building one if I get more space around here." she said, perking up again. Then, she looked off towards the doors which she had heard footsteps going away to "You think your companions have left?" she asked curiously, wondering if she should check their room just incase.

Rican chuckles "In my own opinion I'd leave them alone. They seemed like they needed it."

Cecily giggled a little and nodded, they should be back before nightfall. She didn't think they'd travel far considering what they'd said about it not being safe to be out and about in Inns and the likes of those places.

Rican walked towards his pack grabbing a bedroll out of his pack "I'm going to set up my bed roll on the floor in the room you offered me, I'll be back in a moment." he turns heading towards the room leaving his pack on the table.

Cecily nodded again, she yawned a little, realizing she was feeling a bit tired; she'd stayed up rather late last night fixing a few things. She figured it wouldn't hurt to wait out here for Rican, though she did have to fight to keep her eyelids from drooping shut just like that.

Rican opened up up the bedroll laying it on the ground looking around the room then leaving closing the door behind him returning to the room Cecily was in.

Cecily looked just a little tired when Rican came back into the room, but she didn't yawn or anything. Instead she looked up, smiling a little when she saw Rican return. "You wouldn't mind if I lay down for a bit... Would you?" She asked, she seemed a little embarrassed and quite awkward, but somehow still herself, just quieter.

Rican shakes his head "Of course I don't...I suggest you sleep in your bed. I can move my bedroll if that makes you uncomfortable, for when I head off to sleep."

Cecily shrugged "I-I don't mind... It's no big deal." she said, smiling a little. It didn't seem to obvious, but she was blushing again, but just slightly as she walked off towards her room. She lay down on her bed, or more accurately, collapsed, and soon enough had drifted off to sleep for the time being.

Rican continued to carve the wooden statue of Cecily he had made earlier, slowly but surely making it look better than it had been before. Eventually he finished, and placing the statue on the nightstand, removing his armor and putting his axe net to it laying down on his bed roll laying awake staring at the ceiling for several hours before drifting off into his dreams of nights long past

 

[Thundor]

Two Hearts Connect

​

Scarlett felt a little strange walking in the public together with Reeve like this, but quite frankly... She didn't mind it too much really, and plus, a food stand or something should be nearby, she was counting on the fact that they won't run into any trouble out here. Reeve looks over to her. "Hey. Where are we going again?"

"O-oh! Uh, you said we were supposed to get some food, right?" Scarlett said, looking around a little again, they may have more luck at the town square than here, but would it be worth the risk?

Reeve shrugs. "We can do whatever we want."

"Food it is... Should we pay that Inn a visit?" Scarlett asked, suddenly remembering that Inn down the road. Truth to be told, she was kind of hungry, but at the same time, if it was still not clear to go there, she didn't mind eating elsewhere.

Reeve blinks. ". . .I forgot which inn it was."

Scarlett grabbed his hand lightly and decided to head towards where Cecily had pointed out the Inn was. "Here... Just follow me, I think I know the way." She said, starting to walk with Reeve in tow, her grip on his hand was gentle despite how firm it was to some extent. Reeve returns her grip, following her lead to wherever they were heading to. Soon enough, they arrived at the Inn, though Scarlett was uncertain if the coast was clear for them yet. Cautiously peering inside the Inn, she looked around, wondering if there were potential threats lurking around in there.

Reeve puts his free hand on her shoulder. "No one's here." Scarlett nods, letting herself relax a little bit, though she felt herself blushing just a little. She glanced around one more time before heading inside, the Bartender should be there at least.

Reeve sighs. "He isn't going to be here. No one but us is here."

"So much for that then... Where else are we supposed to get food?" Scarlett asked, looking a little disappointed, thankfully her stomach wasn't making any noise yet despite the hunger she was feeling right now.

Reeve pulls her with him to the back, opening the door as he indicates to the food inside. "Help yourself."

Scarlett looked a little confused "A-are you sure no-one's going to mind?" she asked. Reeve nods. Eyeing the food for a moment, Scarlett gave in to her urge and started to eat. She made sure she didn't take that much food despite her large appetite at times, it didn't take long for that hungry feeling to go away though. After all, she was used to lighter meals from the way she'd lived in the Kinjun forests.

Reeve watches, smiling lightly. "Feeling better?"

Scarlett felt a little embarrassed about this but nodded "So... Where to now?" she asked, not sure if they should head back to Cacily's place yet.

Reeve shrugs. "We could hang out alone."

Scarlett shrugged a little, it didn't seem like such a bad idea really "Sure I guess... You wouldn't mind taking a quick walk, right?" she asked. It seemed almost logical to get to know the area a little more while they were at it here.

Reeve raises a brow, holding out his hand to her. "As long as you know where your going..."

Taking a quick note of their surroundings, Scarlett nods, giving him a reassuring look. "It's not like we're going far... We'll head back in a bit." She said, smiling at him a little.

Reeve sighs and smiles. "Oh boy, oh boy..." He takes her hand, locking their fingers as he waits for her to rise up to her feet. Scarlett stood up after a moment beginning to walk out the door but keeping at the same speed as Reeve as they walked. She decided to walk along the seemingly empty roads, taking note of specific landmarks in case they needed to retrace their steps anytime soon. Reeve walked next to her, watching her be so curious as he smiles happily before looking back forward.

Soon enough, Scarlett felt the urge to start up a conversation, so after thinking for a bit, she turned to Reeve. "So... Uh, how long have you been here?" She asked, a little out of curiosity.

Reeve looks to her, blushing a little as he looked into her eyes. "Not long."

Scarlett only managed to maintain eye contact with Reeve for a few minutes or so before she blushed, and directed her gaze elsewhere. "I guess you travel alot then, huh..." She said quietly, it was a life she herself was used to after all so she couldn't help but ask if he had a similar one.

Reeve lets go of her hand and puts an arm around her waist, pulling her slowly so their sides touched. He blushes more as he does this to her. "Not really."

Scarlett felt herself blush too, not just from the sudden closeness to him, but from the conclusion she had more or less jumped to. "Then... You have a home, right?" She asked, a little hesitantly, not sure if she had worded her question correctly.

Reeve smiles. "Yes, I do."

Scarlett smiled a little too "Maybe I could visit sometime... After all of this is over." she said, looking a bit hopeful about the prospect.

Reeve blushes, holding her a little tighter. "I -- I don't know... I -- I... I mean, uh... Well, it's just, I don't know... How they'll feel with me bringing an outsider home."

Scarlett felt herself blush once again realizing her mistake, but she refused to let something like that deter her. "I guess we'll work something out when it comes to it... I won't intrude." She said, her voice growing a bit quiet again.

Reeve sighs. "I'll figure out a way... I promise."

"I-It's no big deal... But... Thanks." Scarlett said, her face was a bit redder than before, but she still attempted to be modest even withthat in mind. Reeve kisses her forehead and nods in silence as he walks with her. As they continued to walk, Scarlett noticed the sun was starting to set. It wouldn't be long before the sky started to change colors, a rare sight for her since trees usually obscured her view. Walking around a little further, turning towards the direction Cecily's place was, she figured they'd find a good place to sit down and watch the sunset before heading back to the others. Reeve follows her, allowing her to lead despite how close they were.

"W-would you mind if we watched the sun set together?" Scarlett asked, she sounded a bit nervous, but her face seemed to say otherwise. At this time of the year, the sun set earlier than usual, or at least what she considered usual back in the Kinjun continent anyways.

Reeve nods. "Sure." Scarlett smiled, her face showing a hint of excitement as she pulled him over to a wooden bench nearby. Sitting down and squinting towards the distance, she saw that the sun was almost beginning to disappear behind the lands in the distance. Reeve sits down next to her, smiling as he watches it with her. As the sun slowly started to set, almost seeming to pain the sky with a pretty shade of pink, red and orange, Scarlett felt herself smiled too. Slowly, hesitantly, yet delicately, she eventually leans a little onto Reeve being careful not to be too sudden about it as they observed the sunset. All she knew was that this moment would be fleeting, but she'd enjoy it while it lasted. Reeve blushes, looking over at Scarlett as he puts his arm around her and holds her close against him. Time seemed to slow down, but unfortunately, the moment was over sooner or later. As the sky began to darken, Scarlett sat up again, slowly but surely, blushing as she realized how close she had been to Reeve. "I-It's getting late... We should probably head back now." She said quietly, nudging Reeve a little.

Reeve looks to her. ". . .You aren't, um, scared of me, right?" He asked her, looking a bit worried.

Scarlett thought about it for a moment before planting a kiss on Reeve's cheek, feeling herself blush a little. "No... Nothing like that." She said, even giggling a little, partially out of embarrassment. Reeve blushes, grabbing a hold of her shoulders as he pulls her in for a kiss. This time, Scarlett was a bit more prepared for the kiss, and returned it passionately. It lasted longer than their first one, and truth to be told, it was the first kiss she'd actually attempted. Reeve's arms slowly wrap around Scarlett as he loses himself into the kiss, holding her against him again as he made it as passionate as he could. Time passed slowly and surely, but eventually, the kiss finished. Scarlett pulled away, smiling a bit, strangely enough she didn't feel as nervous about it anymore.

Reeve smiles back, taking her hand and locking their fingers again. "I... I'm glad."

Scarlett's smiled seemed to widen a little "Hope I don't seem too menacing to you." she said, in a slightly joking tone as she started to walk back towards Cecily's workshop.

Reeve walks with her, removing his hand from hers and put his arm around her waist again, holding her side against his as they walked. "Me, scared? You'll have to do better."

Scarlett laughed a little "I guess you're right... You don't seem all that scary to me either really." she said, with a little smirk.

Reeve smirks back. "Really? What do I have to do to make you afraid?"

Scarlett shrugged "Well... That's up to you to find out!" she said a little teasingly, giving him a light, playful punch on the shoulder.

Reeve laughs. "And here I expected someone shy!"

Scarlett giggled a little "That's my sister for you... You'll know what I mean when you meet her." she said, grinning a bit.

Reeve smirks. "I apologize. I mistook her personality for yours~"

"I get that alot sometimes." Scarlett said, with a smile still on her face. What she didn't want to admit was that she only felt a bit shy around Reeve.

Reeve shrugs. "So, there's one thing I gotta ask." He smirked again. "How do you expect to appear intimidating in battle?"

"I have my ways." Scarlett said, with a more embarrassed smile, she put on a mock menacing face in an attempt to poke a little more fun at the situation and ease the embarrassment a little. Reeve stops for a moment, pulling her to face him and kiss her again. This time, she felt there was a spark she had ignited in him. Now that they had enough practice, Scarlett managed to return the kiss better than she did before. A more calm, relaxed, but yet at the same time strong feeling came over her. Reeve puts his arms around her, holding her tightly against him as he kept it up, one hand moving to the back of her head, as if he didn't want to let go of her. Scarlett closed her eyes as she was pulled tightly against Reeve, she felt her cheeks flush a bit red, but it wasn't exactly from embarrassment this time. A much longer time frame passed this time before the kiss slowly ended, leaving her feeling more light-hearted than before.

Reeve looks into her eyes with a soft smile. "You... I don't know what it is, but you just make me so happy."

Scarlett smiled herself, a more tender look on her face. "I could say the same to you..." She said quietly, she didn't mention it, but she always felt quite calm, and relaxed around him herself.

Reeve pulls her back into a kiss for a moment before breaking it again. "We could stand here all day and just hold each other, couldn't we?"

Scarlett just nodded, she had a dreamy look in her eyes for a moment as she stood there with him. It seemed that she was lost in thought before she snapped out of it, shaking her head a little to clear her mind "We'd better head back inside... It's getting dark out." she said, smiling a little.

Reeve blinks. "Um... Really?" He asked, looking around for a moment before sighing. "Fine."

"I-If you want... We could stay out here a little longer." Scarlett said, feeling a little awkward about this. The stars were starting to shine in the sky after all, and she'd always thought they were rather pretty, at least she was able to see those, even through thick foliage. Reeve smiles and pulls her back in, holding her tightly against him once again. Scarlett looked up at the stars for a moment before smiling and looking back at Reeve. The embrace felt warm, bringing her comfort, and right now... She didn't really want to move from her position. Reeve looks back at her and pulls her slowly into another kiss, tightening his grip slightly on her as he does this. Now being familiarized with this, Scarlett returned the kiss once more, this time with more vigor than before, still managing to keep it passionate. Reeve runs his hand on the back of her head as he keeps it up with her, forgetting about the world around them and focusing only on her. This kiss felt different for Scarlett, but not in a bad way, quite the opposite actually. It felt like she'd been transported to another place entirely, a much more delightful place without any of the troubles they were going through right now. Reeve, after some time, removes himself and makes a quick pace back for home, as if realizing something.

Scarlett looked a little surprised, but followed him, matching his pace "Hey... What's wrong?" she asked, sounding a little confused. Reeve checks into the place silently, making sure no one was around, and closing the door silently, he heads off for their room.

Scarlett follows behind quietly until they got to their room before she decided to talk again. "What's the matter?" She asked, her voice changing to a more worried tone now.

Reeve smiles as he holds her again. "In here, no one can stop us." He said before kissing her again.

All Scarlett could do was nod before she was kissed again, this time she was the one who pulled him into an embrace as she returned the kiss. Deep down, she felt happy, and her cheeks were a rosy red color now like before, but instead of feeling embarrassed, she felt rather warm. Reeve finds himself holding onto Scarlett this time, keeping it up. He would kiss her all night if he wanted to, and he just might. He didn't know, right now all that mattered was her, and he kept his arms tightly around her. It wasn't certain how long this would go on for, nor did Scarlett really care for the time being. All she wanted was this very moment to last as long as possible, her eyes were closed and she shifted, moving herself just a little closer to Reeve. He seemed to be the only thing she registering in this strange state she was in.​

 

[Thundor]

Isaac's Training II: Strange Travels

​

The roller moved very effectively against the desert sands, Isaac felt tense as they were being driven to the destination. Wherever it was in the mountains, he had kinda lost track of the time by now. Seeing a change in scenery up ahead, Isaac looks out to see they were beginning to approach snow and fast. Isaac looks over to the others. "Let's just hope a blizzard doesn't start up while we're looking for this girl. Otherwise..." Isaac stopped himself, shaking his head as he quickly refocused back on the task ahead.​

Delt noted "It is an overwhelming ninety seven percent chance....it is why the girl is dying in the snow."

"Blizzards are blizzards. I grew up in the cold. It's a matter of willpower and keeping moving." While the others had lost track of their time and forgotten things, the Hound Knight had kept watch, peering out over the trackless distances they had traveled in an attempt to stave off danger. Who knows if this was successful or not?

"This girl...something happened. I cannot precisely see what...the glimpses of a Marker's awakening are always foggy. I presume it has something to do with her awakening process."

Isaac, keeping a look for details now, suddenly sees something up ahead land on the ground. Recognizing the shape, he notices a spark of lightning briefly appear at the tip, and the tip of the object looked to be dark red... Isaac's instincts kicked in suddenly, forcing him to smash open the roller door. "Get out, NOW!" Isaac shouts, moving himself out of the Roller and rolling along the sand.

"Right behind you!" Delt shouts, leaping out of the Roller with a grace they had come to expect. "Searching the streams of fate for this path..."

The Knight charged out of the side of the Roller, unsheathing his sword and strapping the buckler close to his right arm. The buckler at his side, emblazoned with a fanciful image of a hound, looked frail and weak, but it also served a good purpose in fights, that most people didn't expect. "Behind me."

Isaac moved quickly, as the roller closed in on the arrow. The arrow suddenly explodes, forming a dark black looking lightning barrier that expanded out in the snow. The Roller, as it is caught halfway into it, is torn apart quickly by this as it keeps going into it, sending out it's parts covered in black lightning all over the snow and sand, parts crashing around the three until the attack stopped, leaving nothing but a small pile of rubble where the Roller used to be. "Oh, great. Scarletlock's pissed off at us, she probably thinks we've been attacking her men for no reason..."

"....Oh. This path. Yes, I think I will stay behind you, Hound Knight. I will support your rear with hand to hand combat." Delt comments. The Knight flicked his blade with an expert bit of precision, striding towards the assassins with a sense of grim purpose. No matter what happened, there would be blood here, and it would more than likely be both of theirs.

Isaac looked around, as the assassins were nowhere to be seen, yet he saw the Hound Knight heading on already. "Hang on, we need to find the girl, we can't worry about Scarletlock yet. We have to keep moving." With that said, Isaac heads off into the snow, and just as he feared, he found a blizzard was going on. His mind realized that Scarletlock would be able to trap them inside of it, but his determination to save the life of this woman wouldn't be brought down by false accusations.

"Mister Hound Knight, your charge is heading off into the snow. We should probably follow...the blizzard is too intense for them to follow if we can lose them in it." Delt said.

"Tch. I think our foes should die first before we deal with others. But very well." He begins backing away, meaning to cover Isaac's escape. He didn't really believe in leaving flanks uncovered and unprotected, after all. Isaac's journey into the blizzard was not pretty. The blizzard had not only blocked out the other two from his vision, but he also started to lose feeling due to the intense cold. Deciding it was life or death, Isaac presses two fingers together on his right hand and sends out sounds around himself and the other two, trying to prolong the effects, but he didn't know how well this would work. He forced himself forward though, as minutes started to pass by. The Hound Knight, on the other hand, was well-insulated by the heavy armor and the padding he wore underneath. He trudged through the blizzard, following the pinging noise as it was caught by his helmet. If Isaac sent out a soundwave that metal conducted well, then that'd make it even easier.

A good twenty minutes passed before they saw a skinny girl about Isaac's age face-down in the snow, her position showing she had passed out. Delt went wide eyed. "Her cabin should be nearby...but why did she leave?"

Isaac, being able to barely hear his words, rushes over to the young girl and pulls her up out of the snow, trying to hold her to him in order to keep her body warm. "It doesn't matter right now. We need a way out of --" He is interrupted as several figures rise up out of the snow around them and aim weapons at them. Then, a figure in armor rises up out of the snow, Isaac holding the girl a bit closer to shield her as the figure approaches the three, drawing out it's sword quickly.

"Attacking my men is the same as calling me in to kill you myself. We are assassins, yes, but if you strike something personal against me, you will regret it quickly." Scarletlock points her sword in Isaac's direction. "I never thought I'd see the day."

The Hound Knight stepped forwards, as if to stand in front of Isaac and protect him. "I'm not sure it's a good idea to try killing this man." The sword swiped down, cutting a line through the snow, as he stepped back, raising the blade up, and glancing back towards Isaac and the woman. "Get inside the cabin." After he had done this, he turned back to the assassins. "You see this line in the snow? If you cross it, you die."

The girl's mark flickers with light, signs that it was still fresh. Delt frowned. "She's volatile...she could harm us all if we don't get her to a safe place."

Isaac picks her up, lowering his voice. "You guys, I'm counting on you two. Hound Knight, if something goes wrong, you can do as you wish. Delt, try to be the leading sense here." Isaac then starts a quick run for where the cabin supposedly was. Scarletlock did not like this.

"I will NOT tolerate one of you leaving when you have slain so many of my men already!" Scarletlock and her men were very ready to go after them without hesitation.

Delt's eyes flash bright blue. "Deal with your -true- threats here." He noted, beginning to tap into the stream of fate to access his magic. At the mention of his threat, the sword turns to him and they all stop, Scarletlock's men all aiming their weapons towards the both of them. Scarletlock waited for a response from either of them to see what would happen from here. The Hound Knight merely held his ground, standing in the snow as if a statue of black, twisted iron, blade raised and held steady. Not even a shiver rocked his form. He stood near that line, prepared to straight up shank a bitch if they tried anything. He casted a Massive Bungle spell, making sure to change the strands of fate slightly to make all of their next attacks miss horribly.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't strike both of you down and go after the boy. We have you surrounded, and now, as they say... Blood will be paid for with blood." Scarletlock demanded.

"Because I'm not going to die today. I've fought in battles where a thousand men have died. I have clawed my way to the tops of mountains of corpses, and breathed for air. If I am going to die, it's not going to be to some assassins in a blizzard-ed wasteland. So, if you dare, come at me. I fear not death. I embrace it." The voice rang hollow and dreadful within the hound-shaped helmet.

"Fate has ordained that sixty percent of you will die here, and the rest will retreat. Wanna test those odds?" Delt stated.

"You both do not sound like men who would just kill assassins for the fun of it." Suddenly, a shift in tone could be noted from Scarletlock. "Tell me, where have you two been for the past few days?"

"The desert. Some scum claiming to be yours decided to ambush us. We don't appreciate ambushes, so we slew them all. They lacked skill." Once again, the Hound Knight was quick to the point.

"With Isaac. Protecting him, and teaching him as we searched for this girl." Delt says this with complete sincerity and evenness in his tone. "As my companion noted, we were attacked by men posing as yours. Now, if you don't mind, that girl needs medical attention immediately, or she will die of hypothermia."

Scarletlock stood there for a bit, as if pondering what they were saying. Raising her sword, she puts it back in the sheath before motioning for her men to head back. "... You are going to need help then. I shall assist you, if only to find out more about these... Posers."

"I'm glad that we didn't need to resort to me killing all of you. It'd be annoying." He sheathed his sword, his voice not arrogant, but with the tone of someone merely stating fact. The Hound Knight turned around, heading towards the cabin slowly through the snow.

The glow in Delt's eyes lowered until his eyes were once again hidden by his hood. "Then let us go...quickly."

Scarletlock followed them at a quick pace, meanwhile, Isaac had found the girl's bed, or whatever she slept in, and had put her down into it, looking back towards the three as they entered the cabin. "Any of you know how to treat her?"

"Body warmth. Get her under blankets, and get under it with her. The key is to get her temperature up, more than anything else." The Hound Knight stated this matter-of-factly, as if he had experience with doing this before.
"In addition, starting a fire."

Delt nodded. "It is the only way. Unless a pyromancer suddenly shows up. Which astonishingly is a two percent chance."

Isaac looks at them both questioningly. "Oh yeah, force -me- of all people to do it. Deltorve, why can't you?!"

Delt sighed. "Because if anyone else in here does it, she will be...'freaked out' to the point where she will run right out into the cold again and die. We are capable of convincing her of the situation if the minimum amount of awkwardness is applied." Isaac gives him a glare dark enough to look like he's looking into the man's soul. Isaac knew that Deltorve knew about his conflicted emotions right now, let alone the fact that said person he had conflict-ion about was away from him, which made him feel a sort of longing for that person suddenly, among-est other things. However, he couldn't argue, he knew it, Deltorve knew it, EVERYONE knew it... And Isaac, reluctantly, gets into the bed and holds her to his body. Despite the fact that Isaac thought about kicking Deltorve's ass into the snow with enough force to break the man's back. Even though she was freezing, he got a glimpse of the girl: she had orange-red hair and pale skin, with actually rather light clothing for such a cold environment.

Mysterious Girl

The Hound Knight merely stood by passively. Hopefully his own being under the blankets wouldn't be required. That'd be awkward. Isaac sighed at the girl's light choice in the weather. He felt like he should give her a foot right smack in the back for this. Meanwhile, Scarletlock looked over at Deltorve. "So from your description, someone is out to set me up. Do you have any leads as to who would do this to us?"

"None at all. I have not been around you long enough to see the strands of your fate, miss." Delt states.

Scarletlock just stares at him before looking back to the Hound Knight, before looking back to Deltorve. "You both are possibly the most blunt and out of place human males I have yet to encounter here."

"I see no reason in sugarcoating the truth when all it does is impede the progress of fate."

Scarletlock turns to the fire place and sends out a black lightning with the snap of her fingers, a small ignition causing a black fire to form, but it didn't spread. "It should last and help her until she wakes up. For one, she doesn't need more than one with her, two, you two will have to look out for any assailants, and three... I don't trust men around an unconscious woman."

Delt sighed. "My powers and a certain undesirable woman I know has drained any sort of want of compassion out of me. I exist to push fate forward, and I am content with this."

"War drains compassion as thoroughly as anything in the world." The Hound Knight states.

Scarletlock huffs at his words. "Compassion, you say. You should stop lying to yourself. I see the way you look at the boy. I see the way your eyes lighten as you watch him. You can't fool me, I know you have faith in that boy more than you can admit. Is he your student or something like that?"

"Yes...you could say that."

"Then you have more compassion than you realize." Scarletlock turns and walks towards the door. "And by the way... Do you know of, say, two fire creatures just wandering the sands?"

Delt raises a brow. "Description, please."

Scarletlock gives him a troubled look. "Err, how to explain this... One very red looking woman with flaming hair, but sometimes puts something over it to keep it concealed. The other is something of dragonic origins."

"Well Isaac, seems your fire giant friend made a friend of her own."

Isaac glares at him again, not wanting to be rude and wake up the girl. Scarletlock sighs. "I thought one of them had been travelling with you. My scouts reported to me about them, they don't seem to be much trouble. Well, no more than any fire creature in my desert. But since I can confirm she is a friend of yours, shall I send my scouts to tell them where you are? I imagine this snow is -nothing- to them."

Delt sighed. "If her friend is Dragonkin, she may not exactly like this environment. And...if I can recall from my experiences with Isaac, Amaria is rather....defensive, around your assassins."

Scarletlock couldn't show it, but she was smirking right now, due to her face being concealed except for her eyes. "Oh, Amaria you say? I clashed with that beast once. You have no idea how much we ended up drinking after our clash. Once she realizes I am no longer after the boy, she'll happily hear them out. As long as she doesn't kill any of them. Then she gets a knocking to the bloody head. But anyway, my debt to you all is done, so I will leave you now." With that, Scarletlock heads out of the cabin, closing the door.

Delt nodded. "Then send scouts to follow Amaria until her task is done...then they can lead her and her friend back here."

 

[York]

Cecily's Workshop - Distant Worlds​

Rican jerks awake still staring at the ceiling taking a low breath looking over to the bed sitting up seeing that Cecliy was still sleeping he stands up causiously trying not wake her up grabbing his pack and walks back to his bed roll sitting down and begins to rebraid his beard.

Cecily was fast asleep for a few minutes longer before she stirred a little. Soon enough, she yawned quietly, sitting up, her hair was a bit messy it seemed like it always was after sleeping. Looking around, she spotted Rican who was already up "How long has it been?" she asked him, a little sleepily.

Rican looked at her placing a metal ring on his first braid and shrugs "I don't know exactly, I've been awake for a few minutes." his voice sounding gruff he then clears his throat.

Stretching a little, Cecily stood up, looking around "I guess the other two still haven't returned... Have they?" she asked, her voice was rather soft at first when she wakes up, or at least that's how it's been for her so far.

Rican starts on another braid looking at his beard now "I'd assume they have."

Cecily yawned another time before she began walking around, she looked out her window noticing how dark it was. "Yeah... Probably, it's pretty dark out now." She said, rubbing her eyes; it seemed they'd only slept for a few hours, but it was probably later than she had anticipated when she had first suggested laying down at.

Rican continued with the braid "Did you sleep well?" he wasn't wearing his chainmail or any armour for that matter this showed that his shoulders were particularly muscular but the rest that was able to see wasn't as defined but seemed solid, his beard seemed very groomed as if groomed daily, metal rings laying about him.

Cecily nodded, noticing that Rican seemed to have removed his armor for the time being. "Yeah... I guess so." She said, giggling a little, partially out of that nervous feeling that had returned to her by now. She seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, looking at him before blushing a little and turning the other direction.

Rican looks up at her "Something wrong?" he had halted his braiding momentarily

"O-oh! I was just lost in thought... Sorry about that." Cecily said, seeming a little embarraseed. Thinking quickly, she decided to change the subject "Have you... Hear of Pixies before?" she asked, a little unsure how dwarves thought about them, or if they even knew they existed.

Rican raises a brow "On my travels I have heard about them but never have seen one." his braiding still halted obviously interested in her previous behavior and statement

There was a slight moment of hesitation on Cecily's part before she spoke. "Well, would you believe me if I said my mother was one?" She asked, a little uncertain how crazy that would sound to him.

Rican shrugs "I would have no reason to not believe you."

Cecily sighed a little in relief "I guess I just wanted to say that... After all, most people think it's strange for someone like me to be so short." she said, with a wry smile.

Rican gives her a warm smile "It's alright to be short." he slowly returns to braiding "I mean look at me."

Cecily laughed a little "Yeah... I guess you're right, at least we're not as short as a true pixie though." she added. Glancing outside, she was looking up at the stars with a more curious expression on her face. "Um... Hey... I have another question." she said, her voice sounding a bit quiet again.

Rican slows his braiding a tad "Yes?"

"Do you think there's more than just this world?" Cecily asked, her gaze drifted towards what looked like a primitive telescope nearby her window for a moment before she turned back to Rican, looking a bit curious about how he'd answer.

Rican stops and ponders "I do, why?'

Cecily looked a little nervous, but continued "I like to watch the stars sometimes... But I can't help noticing that there are other glowing objects in the sky, they don't twinkle like stars do, and have different colors. Thinking about that, I can't help but wonder if there are worlds like ours out there somewhere... In the sky." She said quietly, silently, she wondered to herself how much she should really tell him, he was the first person to have stayed by her like this for so long.

Rican then finishes the braid and puts a metal ring around the end of it, "I won't rule out the possibility of other worlds like ours."

Cecily smiled a little "Would you like to see one of the ones I've been looking at?" she asked him, she seemed a bit ecstatic about this.

Rican stands up and looks around "How?"

Cecily giggled a little before taking the telescope made out of what looked like a few metal rings, intricate pieces of glass, and some sturdy looking wood including a proper stand to sit upon. She looked through it, angling a little before turning to Rican, "Look through the glass piece, you should see it soon enough." She said, it seemed she was grinning a little as she spoke.

Rican slowly walks forward looking into the glass unsure what he'll see.

What looked like a rather enlargened blue star shone through it, and if he were to look carefully, a few green splotches could be seen on it. Cecily in the meantime waited, wondering if the telescope's lenses had been adjusted right for him.

Rican tries to focus on the green splotches "I'm not sure what I'm seeing."

"Another... World I guess, I'm not sure what to call them yet." Cecily said, she seemed a little embarrassed, yet enthusiastic about this.

Rican pulls his head away from the telescope looking to her "Rather interesting." he said.

Cecily nodded eagerly "I've always wanted to look at the stars up-close... But I didn't realize that some were different colors..." she admitted, rememberng her intentions when she had first build that device. Come to think of it, sure some of her inventions worked, but she could never really figure out what to name them...

Rican nods "I see."

Cecily had a thoughtfull look on her face for a moment before she spoke again... "Are you good with naming things?" She asked, looking at him again with that pleading look in her eyes.

Rican shrugs, "As good as anyone."

"Well, I need a little help with naming some inventions..." Cecily said, looking a bit embarassed again "Like the one we just used right now." she said, pointing to the primitive looking telescope that was still sitting next to them.

Rican looks back to the telescope "Maybe a looking glass." he looks back smiling "Never said I was creative."

Cecily laughed a little "Looking glass it is, I guess that's one thing out of the way." she said, looking around for a moment before finding a piece of parchment. It had instructions on them and a few blueprints of the looking glass which she had built, taking the quill and dipping it in some ink nearby, she wrote "looking glass" on the top of it, smiling a little, feeling a sense of accomplishment now.

Rican chuckles lightly smiling slightly.

After a moment, Cecily felt her eyelids begin to get heavy again, she turned to Rican looking a little embarrassed. "I guess we best head off to bed today... I can't fall asleep on the job tomorrow you know." She said, laughing sheepishly, she sounded a little tired again.

Rican nods "Alright."

Cecily smiled a little and nodded "Goodnight then... Rican." she said quietly, giving him a smile. Then, she sort of stumbled over to her bed and flopped down on it, falling asleep within a few short minutes.

Rican looks towards her gives a small chuckle then sits up himself for a while then lays down staring at the ceiling as he slowly drifts to sleep

 

[York]

[BCOLOR=transparent]City of Vertice Pt. 1 - A Sudden Pairing[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]Without knowing it herself, Ansley had dozed off herself after a few moments… Though since she had a relatively good sleep last night, it took her a little over half an hour to wake up, looking around, she noticed they were starting to drive past various buildings. A wall could be seen some distance behind them, the realization dawned on her that they were almost at their destination. Instead of shaking Akane awake though, a little afraid of what might happen, she instead just let her sleep a bit longer, looking at her for a moment before returning to looking out of the window curiously.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant calls out happily to the people traveling with them, "We have arrived in Vertice everyone. We are going to want to set up with haste so that we won't miss the 4:00 rush." Turning to talk to just Ansley, "I'm sorry if this is a bother dear, but would you mind helping us set up shop? I promise it won't take terribly long, especially with everyone helping. I wouldn't want Akane to lift anything heavy, but she could also help us set up our merchandise."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked towards her and nodded, smiling just a little before looking towards Akane. She wasn't sure when she'd wake up, but with some luck, the merchant talking should have done it. Though on the off-chance she wasn't going to wake up, she might have to shake her awake after all, but only as a last resort.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane suddenly starts to sweat more than usual, and starts turning over in your lap. It seems likely that she is having a bad dream.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant looks concerned, "Dear, is Akane all right?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked a little worried seeing Akane like that, and looking towards the merchant, she shrugged a little, unsure of what she was supposed to say to her… Instead, she hesitantly put a hand on Akane's shoulder and gently attempted to shake her awake, however she tensed herself up incase Akane were to jump up again like last time. She wasn't sure what would happen, but she knew leaving her like this wasn't a good idea either.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane wakes up looking terrified. She almost jumps right out of Ansley's lap and draws her knife, but fortunately she seems to recognize that she is dreaming before she completes the draw. This is extremely lucky, as Akane's draw time is about one fourth of a second. Sitting back down in Ansley's lap, it is obvious to Ansley that Akane was frightened, as her muscles were still very tense.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant looks on with concern, "Did you have a bad dream dear? Would you like to talk about it?"[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Almost reflexively Akane declares, "No! Akane doesn't want to talk here." Akane lays her head against Ansley's opposite shoulder, hiding her face from the merchant, very slightly trembling.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley still had a worried look on her face, but instead of saying anything for the moment, she just hugged Akane gently, patting her shoulder for a bit. "D-Do you want t-to help the o-other merchants set u-up?" She asked her quietly, a bit uncertain if Akane would answer right now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane wants to be alone with Ansley… Akane doesn't want to be with all these people anymore."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded, understanding that it may be for the best to part with the merchants anyways… She looked towards the merchant again and waved goodbye quietly with her free hand "S-Sorry we couldn't s-stay…" she said, apologizing quietly, looking towards her briefly before turning her attention back to Akane. "W-where do you w-want to go?" She asked her, lowering her voice a little more.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane just wants to be away from everyone… It doesn't matter where."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant suddenly looks upset and even slightly offended. "Ansley, Akane. We did a great favor to you by taking you all the way free of charge. I understand you had a scary dream, but that is no reason to hide from us. Haven't we shown that we are good people? Anything you saw, we can help you with."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]
[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane turns back with a cross look on her face, "No. Akane doesn't like you. You keep trying to control Akane, and tell Ansley what is best for Akane. Akane only rode with you because Akane needed to get to Vertice quickly. Akane is scared of you, Akane doesn't trust you, and Akane wants to be away from you."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked quite surprised at what Akane said, and blushed a little "A-Akane…" she said quietly… Truth to be told, she was more or less at a loss for words, she was almost certain that the merchant had good intentions. However, she felt conflicted about whether she should stay or leave, it was a decision that Akane and the merchant seemed to have their differences on.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant looks a bit betrayed, but mostly offended. "You ungrateful little girl! I thought you were sweet, but you were just manipulating us the whole time? I can't believe I had thoughts about adopting you and raising you as one of my own. I don't want to see your faces even a second longer. Both of you get out!" The roller is still moving along at 15 mph, and doesn't show signs of stopping.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]At first, Ansley wasn't sure how to react, she was shocked for the time being, more at the merchant's reaction that Akane's… It really seemed that what Akane had said had offended the merchant "S-sorry f-for t-troubling you… B-but… C-Can w-we a-at l-least s-stop f-first?" she said quietly, the merchant's words directed at Akane were only starting to register with her right now… She'd never experienced something quite like this before.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane suddenly seems extremely on guard, even going as far to reach for the secret pocket, resting her hand on her dagger. You've seen this look before, Akane is considering switching to the hunter. If there is a hint of violence, things are going to get complicated fast.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant seems furious, "What are you, daft? We can't just stop in the middle of the road, and you've been taking advantage of us this entire time. I'm not about to miss setting up on prime real estate simply because two vagabonds wanted us to stop and deposit them safely on the side of the road. Now let me make myself extremely clear, as you seem to be mentally challenged. Get out of our fucking roller right this second, or I will eject you myself." The road has vehicles all over, and being pushed out would mean sure death, not that a normal exit would be tremendously safer.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]At about this time, the merchant's words really seemed to sink in, at first she felt scared… But as she thought about it more and more, that fear progressively started to become frustration as she looked outside. What she was feeling on the inside didn't quite seem clear from her still neutral expression, but slowly that changed to a more angry expression. It almost looked like the one her sister had on when she was angry. "No…." She said, her voice was quiet, but unwavering for the first time since well… Ever. "Not…. Here…" She added, it seemed she was fuming, but just on the verge of completely losing her cool.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant, now angry beyond words, attempts to grab Akane. At this point, Akane changes into the hunter. Suddenly, the entire atmosphere changes. Akane smiles a dark smile, and laughs in a cold and callious way, sending shivers down the backs of everyone in the car. Akane is being held by the arm by the merchant, but the merchant hesitates, staring into Akane's eyes as though she discovered a dead body in them. "So, this is how the remainder of this trip is going to work. You are going to pull over, let us out, and never mention anything that happened today to anyone. Anybody thinking to do otherwise will be killed, mercilessly, and in the most gruesome fashion designable. Are we in an understanding?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The merchant cows down, looking extremely pale. The driver pulls over, and Akane grabs you by the hand, leading you down to the ground. For some reason, Ansley feels strange for a moment, and has trouble detecting Akane, but after a brief moment the feeling passes, and she notices Akane has been holding her hand.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was starting to simmer down by now, the anger at the merchant was still there, but it was slowly fading. It seemed that Akane had things under control after all, but still, she couldn't help but shiver just a little bit when she laughed like that, however the next thing she knew, she was holding her hand though she could have sworn she had lost her grip on Akane's hand for a moment. Blushing a little, Ansley smiles a little, following her lead "Th-thank you…" she told her quietly, trying to shake off that strange feeling she had about what had just happened.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent] Akane seems to be back to herself, though she still seems a bit shaken up by what happened. "Akane didn't do anything. The Hunter just saved Akane from being killed by that person. Akane had a bad dream. Akane wants to go somewhere… Akane also doesn't want to be out in the streets."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded, patting Akane on the head gently; it was more of an instinctive action than something she had thought about it. It seemed she was a bit embarrassed realizing what she did, but she smiled a little despite that. "I-I guess w-we'll look f-for my s-sister." She said quietly, looking around for any place that seemed relatively isolated. There should be at least an Inn or something around that they could go to for now… Maybe they could ask around for her sister there.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane tugs Ansley's hand, moving her in the direction of the inn, but suddenly there is a nearby explosion, it seemed to have occurred down the road. Akane seems terrified of it, but oddly, she seemed to react to it before it even occurred.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley jumped as soon as she heard the explosion, confused what might have caused it… Was this what her sister had warned about? In either case, she was worrying quite considerably but she had seen Akane jump, though her early reaction seemed to not have been noticed by Ansley just yet.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane tears up a bit, but after recovering from the initial shock, continues tugging Ansley along. Akane seems visibly upset however.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As Ansley was tugged along, she glanced towards Akane noticing she seemed upset… Was it what had happened with that merchant earlier? Though she was curious, and quite worried about what may have went on, she decided not to talk about it just yet. It wasn't that she didn't want to or anything, but they were out in the public right now, and it wouldn't be the ideal place to talk about these things, especially with some unknown threat lurking around.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Once inside the inn, Akane herself goes up to the counter, and pays for the room with a gem, and then heads for the room. Although she hasn't picked up her pace, she doesn't seem happy at all. The look of relief that crosses her face at the threshold of the door is evident. On entry, she immediately lays on the bed, face against the blankets. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley approached Akane slowly, it was obvious that she was worried as one could tell by the expression on her face. "A-Akane?" She asked, hesitantly, she could tell there was something bothering her, but she didn't know what "A-are you ok?..." she asked, her voice was really quiet now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane had a dream that the merchants grabbed Akane by her ankle, held Akane upside down, and took Akane's knife before Akane could switch to The Hunter. Then, they threw Akane into the ground. Akane tried to get away, but then the merchants dragged Akane across the floor, and everything went dark. Akane was very scared, so she didn't want to be with those people, but she didn't want them to die…"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Hearing what Akane said made Ansley tear up a little, she wasn't entirely sure what to say at first, but eventually spoke after a moment. "I-It's alright now… W-we're safe…" She said quietly, putting a gentle hand on Akane's shoulder. What confused her was why Akane said she didn't want them to die… Did it mean what it appeared to mean? Or was it just an expression of hers, she shook her head just a little, not wanting to dwell on that for the time being.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"But if those people didn't meet Akane, they'd be alive right now… Akane doesn't like that. Akane didn't like that. Akane just wants to stay away… from everything." Akane looks up towards Ansley. "If Akane had just been less afraid… then everyone could have walked away."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley's expression returned to a worried one realizing what had happened… Oddly enough though, she didn't seem too surprised that the Merchants had come to pass, that must have been what that explosion was about. It made her feel more bad for Akane than anything rather than scared since she was well aware of the personality shift she undergoes in times she feels threatened. "N-Next time… I-I'll help you s-stay calm…" She said quietly, it was uncertain how she'd manage something like that as she herself had gotten mad in that situation, but she'd find a way… Just like her sister did, perhaps they needed to discuss that sort of thing when they meet again later on.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks down, "If I didn't switch, wouldn't we have died?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley shrugged a little "I-I… Don't know... " she said quietly… All she did know was that it was the first time she felt truly angry at someone, but she still wasn't entirely sure what exactly had made her feel that way.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane speaks in a manner much more vulnerable than before, "Are you mad at The Hunter for killing them?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley didn't answer for a moment, but soon enough, she just shook her head "I-I just think w-we should be l-less rude next time…" she said quietly. Though she did admit the Merchant wasn't exactly polite either after that little escapade.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane didn't mean to. She just woke up from a bad dream… Akane messed up."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I-It's ok… I-I guess I-I shouldn't h-have gotten s-so mad e-either…" she said, her voice just barely audible now. She couldn't help but think back on the Merchants words though, well, the ones she had uttered before she got mad and all.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane shakes her head, "Ansley was just trying to protect Akane."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley felt herself blush a little "W-we both w-were…." she said, petting Akane a little. She thought for a moment before she spoke again "W-we'll do better n-next time…" she added, trying to sound confident, like her sister often did.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane seems to respond when Ansley pets her, contently laying down against the bed again. "Akane thinks there is going to be an investigation about the car crashing the way it did. The Hunter frayed their brake line and overloaded the gem, so the investigators are going to know it was sabotage. The Hunter told Akane that we will be safe if we don't return to the crime scene though. There wasn't any records of us joining the merchants, and our tracks have gone up in flame. As long as we don't act strangely, it won't be traced to us. But, that is why Akane doesn't know if we should go looking for your sister just yet. Instead, Akane wants to get linkers for both of us."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded "W-We should see i-if there's any b-being sold nearby…" she said quietly. It worried her a little that the crash was going to be investigated, but considering what Scarlett had warned them about. Perhaps this wouldn't seem so out of the ordinary to the townspeople, however until proven otherwise, it would be for the best not to be caught or anything.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane, wants to stay here… just a bit longer."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nods again, sitting down carefully next to Akane, petting her some more. She didn't object to staying here for a while, especially since she still needed a little time to recover from what had happened earlier herself.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"The merchant said that Akane wasn't raised right. Is that true?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley frowned a little, but then she shrugged "I-I don't know… I-I've n-never raised a-a child before... " she said, seeming a little conflicted about what she wanted to say. "I-I think y-you're a good f-friend though… E-Even if that's t-true…" she added. Thinking back on how the Merchant thought she was a child made her realize she didn't exactly know Akane's age… Sure she acts like a child alot of the time, but, she's never seen a child with another personality either, so it left her a little uncertain of how old she might be.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane doesn't really understand what it means to be well raised. What does that mean Ansley?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley thought about this for a moment, truth to be told, she wasn't fully sure what that meant either… However the idea the Merchant was getting at was understood better than the term itself "I-I guess i-it means t-to be t-taught the right th-things…" she said after a moment, she looked like she wasn't sure about her answer.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Right things? Akane is even more confused now. Are there wrong things to be taught?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]This made Ansley pause a little bit as she was pondering this question "W-well… I-It depends on w-what you th-think is wrong… O-or what others d-do sometimes." she admitted quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane scratches her head, clearly completely confused by the concept. "Akane doesn't think she understands."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley seemed a little embarrassed "I-It's hard to e-explain... " she said sheepishly. Right about now, she really wished her sister was around to give her some advice or something on the situation… There must be some way to explain it in a way that Akane could understand.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane thinks for a moment, then seems to have an idea, "Is it kind of like how The Hunter uses my knife one way, and some people move a completely different way, but it is only wrong if it doesn't work?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded slowly "S-Something like that…" she said, at least Akane seemed to partially get the idea. She sat there quietly for a moment before she looked outside, she noticed that it was starting to get a little late out. However the sun wasn't quite to the point where it was setting yet, she looked back towards Akane, wondering if they should head out soon.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane doesn't seem to react at all, even as the sun starts setting. It doesn't even seem that she remembered about her previous suggestion. "Akane wonders what Ansley's sister is like."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Sh-she's a nice p-person… Even i-if she hunts f-for a living, sh-she's strong, stronger th-than me but… Sh-She knows there's a-alot of people s-stronger than her too…" Ansley said quietly, she felt a faint sense of deja vu as she spoke. Looking outside again she looked towards Akane once more time "D-Do you think w-we should buy s-some linkers now?" she asked curiously. Perhaps after they do that, it would be easier to get to her sister using those, she could only hope they weren't too far from each other.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane would have trouble buying one. The last time Akane tried to buy a linker, the shopkeep told her to get her Mom."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Thinking about this for a brief moment, the solution seemed rather simply to Ansley "I-I could try b-buying two... " she said. With any luck, that wouldn't seem all too strange to be buying two Linkers which in reality, it probably wasn't.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane doesn't mind, but that means that if Akane loses her linker somewhere, it would be returned to you instead of Akane."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I-I'll tell them o-otherwise… Maybe m-make up an e-excuse or something…" Ansley said, a little nervous hearing that, she was counting on being able to clear that issue up without too much trouble.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ansley is going to lie?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded slowly "O-Only i-if I-I h-have t-to…" she said quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane's eyes widen, "Akane didn't think that Ansley was willing to lie to get what she wants. I learned something new about Ansley!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley's face turned a deep shade of red "W-well… T-to tell the t-truth… I-I've never d-done it before…" she said nervously.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks extremely surprised, "Really? Not even once? Akane lies a lot."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"W-well… I-I don't think so…" Ansley said, seeming a little awkward about this, it wasn't that she'd never gotten herself in a bad situation before, but she wasn't one to talk very much… Not to mention it hadn't been a possible necessity yet until right now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks up with concern, "If you've never lied before, then you might not be any good at it though. It would be a lot of trouble if they caught you on a lie like this. Are you sure its ok?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded "I-I'll just talk l-like I normally d-do if I h-have to lie…" she said her voice was soft by now, but she still managed to be loud enough to be heard. All in all, she was crossing her fingers, hoping things would go according to plan.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane nods and then gives Ansley a hug. "Akane isn't ready to go out though. Can Akane play around the inn?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Considering that they had some time before it really got dark out, Ansley nods once more. "Y-Yeah… I'll come w-with you though." she said, smiling a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane smiles then goes for the door, but as she makes a motion to open the door, she stops before even opening the door. Then, she puts her ear against the door. It seems like she is trying to listen to something.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley freezes in her tracks as she noticed the sudden alertness Akane had developed. She was pressing one of her ears against the door as if listening for something, and Ansley knew better than to talk or anything at the moment.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane, after listening for a while, walks back to the bed. "Someone started a fight in the bar. It sounds like they are fighting bare-handed. Also, it seems like they are wrestling, for some reason." Akane seems to think that she misheard judging by the confused expression on her face.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I-I heard of b-bar fights before… B-but I've never h-heard of wrestling i-in a place l-like this... " Ansley said, she seemed a little perplexed that such a thing would even occur around here "D-do you think th-they'll be at i-it for much l-longer?" she asked quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane isn't sure. Let Akane check." Akane opens the door, but then jumps back as a figure slams into the door, causing it to forcefully close. Akane then reopens and looks out the door. Looking out the door, she suddenly understands what she had heard. "It looks like the noise from the bar was unrelated. There are just some people roughhousing. Its safe to come out, it looks like they are done."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley jumped a little as a figure slams into the door, forcing it closed, but thankfully it was safe to come out by the time Akane had opened the door again. She nodded at what she said and decided to head outside first, cautiously peering around beforehand, she turned back to Akane though for a moment before she started walking "Th-Thanks… I-If it weren't for y-you… I'd have b-been caught in th-the middle of th-that…" She said, beaming her a shy smile before she started walking towards the more public part of the Inn, walking slow enough for Akane to catch up with ease.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane runs up behind Ansley and grabs her hand, walking along dutifully behind her. The two people behind the wrestling run past her. It seems like they aren't very old, only about 13. Also, out in front, the bar is visible. It seems they are placing rats in a boxlike maze and betting on which one reaches the cheese on the other side first. Akane looks on with interest, but from behind your back.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noticing the two younger people running past her, clearly the people who have been wrestling. Ansley frowned a little, she looked a bit interested though, especially at what was going on out in front; it was one of those rat races she had heard about. Though she'd never seen one herself, so largely out of curiosity, she decided to move closer to have a better look at it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane moves over to the box with all sorts of grown men around it. Seeing both Ansley and Akane approach, one of them steps out of the crowd. "Hey little miss. I know this looks like fun, but you'd best be elsewhere. People are gambling here, and a few of them have a drunken temper. I don't mind if you want to join in, but I'd hate to see a little kid get hurt."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked towards Akane for a moment before looking back to the crowd… She felt a little nervous in there, but she knew she'd have to follow Akane if she decided to go even after the warning one of them gave. All she knew was that if they went in there, she'd have to try her best to keep Akane from turning, even if things were to go awry. The most she could do was play music in an attempt to subdue any trouble. Whatever happened, she just hoped it didn't have to end the way it did with those merchants.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Although Ansley seemed ready to go in, Akane didn't seem to want to risk it. With the way she reacted to the threshold to the bar, you'd think there was an invisible barrier. "Akane doesn't think it is a good idea for her to go in there. Akane is curious, but she doesn't like crowds, especially drunken ones."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A young girl comes up to Akane, she seems to be about 8. Assertively towards Akane, "Why do you talk like that?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked towards the young girl, she seemed a little surprised, but was a little unsure of what to say. She wanted to interject, but it felt kind of wrong to speak up for Akane without her giving her own answer on the question first.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane doesn't understand. Akane talks the way Akane talks because that is how she learned to talk."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]
[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"I don't mean like the sound. I mean why do you keep saying your name? Its weird, and you will make people think you are weird."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley stays quiet, however it did dawn on her that she should discuss that sort of thing with Akane. However, it sort of embarrassed her that an 8 year old could be more blunt about it than her, but then again… She was a little surprised to find someone her age hanging around a place like this, but she wasn't sure if it was too out of the ordinary here.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane doesn't get it. Why should Akane worry about how Akane talks if people understand her? Akane likes talking like this."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The girl puffs up, "I just told you stupid. People will think that you are weird. Like, boys won't notice you, and girls will avoid being your friend."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As this conversation was going on… Ansley started to look visibly annoyed again, she wasn't quite to the point where she was going to act out yet, but she stepped a bit closer to Akane. With any luck, the girl should simmer down, but something told her that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane stares blankly, "Isn't it stupider to avoid someone on the basis of how they talk? Akane thinks friends are too rare to be so picky. Plus, Akane doesn't really care to be noticed by guys, since Akane likes girls better."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The girl seems dumbfounded with the extremely casual nature of that statement, but it seems that she factors into the fact Akane seems socially clueless, so she explores slightly further. "You don't mean, like like right? You just mean that you want them to notice you are pretty, like to be popular, right?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked towards Akane, a little surprised, but strangely not appalled or anything. It wasn't just that she didn't have a problem with it, but was leaning towards siding with her on that part. However, despite the girl's seemingly standard reaction to what she had just heard, Akane remained as calm as she could be, the look of irritation was starting to fade from her face, but it was doing so gradually.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane shakes her head, "No, Akane means like I want a pretty reliable girl to live with, and to want me. Akane doesn't feel attracted to guys that way. Akane wants to be friends with girls and boys, but she doesn't want to live with a guy or kiss them."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The girl turns around, "You are a creep. No wonder you act so weird, you're different." Scampering back to her Mom, she immediately starts gossiping, but Akane doesn't seem to be even phased by the entire encounter.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley felt her face go bright red, partially from what she had just witnessed, partially from anger. However after a few moments she simmered down a little and turned to Akane with a more apologetic expression. "I-I guess it c-could have gone b-better…" she said quietly. "A-at least it d-didn't go too b-badly…" She said, forcing a bit of a wry smile.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks curious, "Did it really go all that bad? Akane thinks that girl has some really strange thoughts, but nothing bad happened."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley shook her head "I-It didn't go t-too bad… I-It's just that m-most people think l-liking the same g-gender is… W-wierd." she said, there was a distinct look of embarrassment on her face as she said this.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks a bit puzzled, "Akane doesn't understand why people keep bringing that up. Weird things are basically the same thing as novel things, but people avoid weird things. Akane prefers that most people avoid her, so it works out well. Akane doesn't like being with people who just passively enjoy her company. Akane only has time for people willing to fight with her. Everyone else just makes Akane nervous."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nods "I-I'm not good w-with hanging around m-most people like th-that either…" she said quietly. It was indeed true, sure she enjoyed the company of others, but it stressed her out alot since she was often judged based on things she did, or at least that's how it was when she had just recently left home with her sister. This little detail was something she left out when she had talked to Akane about her past.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane shakes her head, making an unusually serious expression, "It isn't the same for Akane. Akane doesn't avoid people because she wants to. Akane loves people, all people, even the ones I…" Akane suddenly falls silent. "Akane is ready to buy a linker, lets go." Akane walks ahead, not staying by Ansley's side like usual.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley understood that just fine as well, it was strange that she was being a little more open with Akane than she usually would have been with someone else but she didn't pay that too much mind. Instead of pressing on the matter of why Akane suddenly changed the subject, she just followed her instincts and quietly caught up to Akane, feeling like something was bothering her. "W-wait up… P-please?" She begged her quietly, it was uncertain if her voice would even travel far enough at this rate.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane slows down immediately, letting Ansley reach up to her, then leans her head against Ansley as they are walking, her hand traveling down the length of Ansley's arm down to her hand finally interlocking.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was thankful that Akane had slowed done for her, smiling a little as she leaned her head against her. There was a sort of tingling feeling traveling from her arm as Akane moved her hand down it, eventually full on holding hands. It felt calming to her and out of instinct and perhaps habit, she inched a little closer to Akane as they continued to walk towards their destination.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ansley."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Y-yes?" Ansley asked, she had unknowingly zoned out a little in the heat of the moment. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane was just thinking. Akane decided that you are Akane's weapon, but she just decided that for you. Akane exposed you to a totally different side of the world, and you followed Akane even when she kept dragging you along. Akane wants to know, why did you stay?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I-... I s-stayed because… I-I like b-being in your company…" Ansley said, she was blushing again "Y-you're like a s-sister to me… I-I couldn't leave y-you… Even if I-I could… I w-wouldn't, I like y-your company." she said quietly, she was blushing a little more now. There was clearly something she wasn't quite saying, partially because she wasn't sure how to.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane returns to a normal standing position, though continuing to hold Ansley's hand, "Akane wonders what it is like, to have a sister you don't know."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled a little as she thought about it "I-It's like having s-someone to fight f-for… To keep y-you company, s-someone you trust… E-even if you d-don't fully know them. S-somebody that makes y-your fears go a-way... " she said quietly, her face had a distinct red tone by now, all she hoped was that other people didn't take too much notice of this.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"So, a weapon?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I-If that's what y-you prefer to c-call someone like th-that…" Ansley said quietly, she looked towards Akane for a moment before speaking again. "I-I consider someone l-like that… S-someone like you, a-a sister." She admitted quietly, what she didn't admit was that Scarlett was the only other person she'd ever fully trusted like this, it was quite remarkable for her to have gained so much trust and friendship with Akane in just a few days. Perhaps it was more than just a friendship, but, she couldn't quite remember what that was called… Her sister had mentioned it once before when she had asked.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane's sisters, aren't anything like that…"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"S-sometimes… It d-depends on h-how you d-define a s-sister…" Ansley said quietly, she hadn't had any other technical sisters before. Though even if she did, her definition of a sister, was more than just another daughter of her mother.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane thinks words are confusing." Akane walks up to the salesman with Ansley, looking at the linkers.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley just nodded, smiling a little again, she definitely agreed with that one. Looking around at the linkers herself for a moment, she made note of a few decent looking ones before turning to the salesman. "U-Um… I'd like t-to buy t-two linkers please…" She said quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The salesman rubs his hand together with just the biggest smile they had ever seen. "Sure thing, sure thing! That's two linkers! Not just any linkers, but polished, modified, brandly newly made Linkers, just for people like you!" The man picks one of them up. "Look at the fine work people did on this, the way they made it just look like -that-!" The salesman puts down two Linker's down in front of them. "Now, then… For you two, I'm willing to say the price is, about, oh… Sixty stones?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane laughs, out loud, to the point at which it looks like her sides hurt. "60 stones, for a Linker? Do you sell individual sticks of gum for 10 stones?" Akane can barely get away with this because she appears to be just a child, but likely arises some ire.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley frowned a little herself at the salesman's offer… She didn't know much about linkers, but it seemed they were a common item. 60 stones seemed a bit… Much, even for her standards, she stayed quiet though but her suspicions were aroused now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The salesman looks only slightly nervous, but it quickly fades away as he rubs his hands together a bit more faster. "Ladies, ladies, please. Let me tell you why these Linker's are so valuable. They are not only new, but improved. That's right, upgraded! To the point where you can practically see and hear the other person so clearly! Like that!" The man snaps his fingers. "Now, normally the price for these would be double what I am offering you now, but just for you two, I am halving the prices! So, are you convinced of the pricing now?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane is convinced you'd make an excellent roller dealer."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was starting to frown a little more, but that quickly faded from her face as she attempted to maintain a neutral expression. This way, with some luck, she wouldn't run the risk of giving too much of what she was thinking away. She still didn't speak, but it felt quite… Uncanny that the salesman would claim something like that but not demonstrate it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Beads of sweat started to form on the Man's forehead, but he quickly wipes it off as he lets out a quick sigh. "My, my, my, the prices are just hot, aren't they!? No response from one, another… Well, just makes the cutest little suggestions!" His grin spreads out a little more, as he puts a hand on the Linker. "I'll tell you what! Just for you two, I'm going to drop it to… Fifty stones! There, now the price is fair, and we can do business, no?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane, taking advantage of being a childlike figure, simply grabs a linker in a completely casual fashion. She calls a different linker store using the linker. "Excuse me. What are linkers going for right now? Yes? Oh, that much, even after shipping costs? But you are all the way in Aldness aren't you..?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley still frowned, scrutinizing the linkers laid on the table, she was fairly certain the one that Elf had on him was more advanced than these. However to give him some credit, they did seem well polished, though a few scratches could be seen after some closer inspection. Despite their abundance of stones, she wasn't sure if they were really worth even 50 stones at all. Again, she remained silent as Akane seemed to have everything under control despite her childish nature. For some unknown reason to her, she had a feeling everything would resolve itself so she didn't feel the necessity to butt in just yet.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The man's jaw just drops as he stares at Akane. Suddenly, everything about him changed in an instant. "I -- I WILL GIVE YOU THEM FOR -- Ahem… Both of them together will be worth twenty stones. That… That should be fair, should it not?" The man's hands were clasped firmly against each other, as he stared at them nervously with his teeth showing now to make the grin more effective.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane cheers, "Akane gets a linker!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded, she dug through the bag of stones she was carrying and set down a large stone which would roughly be equivalent to about 20 small sized stones, maybe a little more or less, but not by much. "H-here…" She said quietly, deciding to speak again before taking two linkers from the Merchant, handing one to Akane. Then, pocketing the linker she had, she decided to play a song on her harp, partially for her enjoyment, partially because she felt a little bad for the salesman despite the fact that he had tried to cheat them out of a bit of money. As she looked towards Akane, the tranquil melody she was playing seemed to linger in the air a bit.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane seems a bit happier to hear Ansley play, but also seems to have something on her mind. In particular, she seems to be looking over the linker.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley finished playing soon enough and turned to Akane curiously who seemed to be looking at the linker. "I-Is there… S-something wrong?" She asked her, a little uncertain if Akane was doing alright.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane wonders if we could change the colors of our linkers."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked at her own linker, turning it over a little "I-I don't know… W-We could ask a-around or something…" she said quietly. Perhaps her sister or her friend had a better idea than they did.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane, wants to think about that later. Could you take Akane home?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nods, she looked up at the sky a little, it was starting to get pretty late. "I-I guess we'll l-look for m-my sister tomorrow…" She said quietly, sounding just a little disappointed as she turned around, holding out a hand for Akane.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane holds Ansley's hand, still seemingly thinking about something. Moving the linker around in her free hand, she just gazes at it as if it were a mechanism for higher thought.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As they walked, Ansley glanced towards Akane again, noticing that thoughtful expression on her face… She wasn't sure if she should say anything right now though, but she couldn't help wondering about their conversation they had as they were walking the opposite directions not too long ago…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Soon the pair finds themselves at the inn again, with Akane never seemingly breaking from her thoughts.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley walked in silence for a bit longer until they arrived at their room from before. Then, she turned to Akane, deciding to get her attention "A-Akane?" she asked her quietly, a little uncertain if this was the right course of action.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"What is it Ansley?" Akane looks up quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"A-are you… O-ok?" Ansley asked, she seemed to be a little worried again.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane is ok, but Akane is having a hard time." Akane continues walking down the hall, and into the room.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley couldn't help but feel a little confused by this statement, however deep down, she had a feeling it was something to do with what had happened earlier. "I-Is there anything I-I can do t-to help?" She asked hesitantly, on the inside, she was trying to figure out exactly what was going on, but with no luck so far.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane, isn't sure if she made good choices. Akane isn't sure, if she is even better alive than dead. Akane, left a group to die again because she met them. Akane didn't think they were bad people, but Akane had to kill them anyway. Akane stalled all day, because Akane is afraid to meet with your sister."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Hearing Akane's words, Ansley suddenly understood the things that have happened earlier… She said nothing at first, but after a moment, she moved closer to Akane again, this time wrapping an arm around her. Partially out of habit "I-I trust that y-you won't hurt h-her... " she said quietly, despite all that had happened, she knew she'd make sure nothing happened to sister, even if it was a direct result from Akane's hunter side. With any luck, the two would get along just fine without any mishaps, she did trust that they would after all.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane trusts Ansley, but thinks that Ansley trusts Akane too much. Akane, is an assassin. Akane is an assassin even before she is Akane. Akane doesn't want to hurt people, but Akane must remain an assassin. As soon as an assassin is known, they lose their edge, and can no longer be useful for anything. Akane, has to kill anyone who knows her, but would reveal her for any reason. Being friends with Akane, is dangerous. Working with Akane is dangerous. Knowing Akane is dangerous. Akane, doesn't want that for people Ansley cares about. Akane is selfish, so she wants Ansley, but Akane doesn't want to bring anyone else. Akane is tired, of nice people dying, because Akane fears them."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I-If it comes t-to it... " Ansley stopped a little, trying to find the best way to word this "I-I'll try to s-stop you…" She said quietly. "I-I care a-about both y-you and my s-sister… I w-wouldn't know w-what to do i-if I lost e-either one of you…" Ansley said, she looked like she was about to cry, but no tears had managed to flow yet since she was blinking rapidly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ansley, Akane isn't the type of person who can be stopped once started. Akane lies to everyone, and puts on a facade to protect everyone from Akane. People who never meet Akane, who think that she is something that she isn't, are safe. Akane can fool most people, but Akane couldn't fool you. Akane is worried, that she won't be able to fool your sister, and then she'll be trapped with Akane just like you."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was quiet again, thinking, the seriousness of this situation dawned upon her… But at the same time, she had a solution in mind. "I-I'll try and k-keep her from s-seeing the true y-you… But… I-If I can't, I-I promise… She'll k-keep your secret, I-I trust her e-enough to do th-that… Can you t-trust her too? E-even if i-it's only just th-that you're t-trusting her with…" She said quietly, she had that pleading look on her face, one she often used when she was really hoping for something.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane lays against Ansley, "Ansley, Akane wants to do whatever makes you happy and safe. Akane wants to stay with you, no matter what. So if Ansley thinks the best way, is to meet up with Ansley's sister, Akane will try her best. But, Akane still doesn't know, how you want to stay with Akane, even understanding what she is."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A calm feeling washed over Ansley as Akane lay against her, she smiled a little at what Akane said before she spoke. "I-I guess i-it's because I-I like being a-around you... " She said quietly, she stopped for a moment as she thought about something before continuing. "D-Doing things that y-you regret later d-doesn't make someone a-a bad person i-in my eyes…" She continued, her voice had grown quite soft by now "I-I just want p-people to learn n-not to do s-something they'll regret l-later… O-Or at least t-try their best to…" Ansley said, her voice was barely above a whisper now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane doesn't regret the people she's killed. She just thinks it is a waste when she has to kill good people. Akane doesn't kill them herself, but Akane still feels responsible, since she let those people become close to her. Because Ansley knows about Akane, Akane has to stay with Ansley for the rest of her life, even if Ansley comes to dislike Akane or invites new things into her life. Most people, aren't so inviting, to accept things into their life so permanently. Akane, especially when she thought Ansley tried to give her away, thought she'd have to kill you. Akane never understood, why you want Akane with you like this. Does Ansley always want Akane in her life?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded when Akane asked that question, blushing as she did so. "E-Even if I'm s-stuck with you f-forever… I don't m-mind… Especially i-if it's with y-you…" She said quietly, the shade of red her face was right now was comparable to a ripe tomato.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane, blushes as well, "Does Ansley want to date Akane?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The question seemed to come out of the blue, but Ansley nodded again, she was smiling now. "I-If you'd l-like that… Yes…" She said, her voice was quiet again, but her shy, happy expression told a different story. After all this time, everything sort of clicked with her, this was what it was like to be more than just close friends… [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane leans over, and gives Ansley a short kiss, "Akane would like that."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It felt strange, but not bad at all to be kissed like this by Akane, Ansley still had that smile on her face as she spoke. "Th-thank you…" She whispered, it seemed she was a little breathless after that.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane speaks up, "Its getting late, so since we are going to meet up with your sister, Akane wants to call them before it gets too late, and Akane is getting hungry."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nods "W-We'll go eat a-after this…" she said, suddenly realizing that they had almost forgotten about it. She patted her pocket, making sure her own linker was still in there before relaxing a little, waiting for Akane to call her sister.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane starts calling Ansley's sister, then sits on Ansley's lap, leaning against her so that they could both hear.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett answers after a few moments, she sounded just a little out of breath "Hello?" she said. Her voice sounded normal other than that though.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane is here! Akane and Ansley made it to Vertice!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You did?! That's wonderful! Where are you now?" Scarlett asked, she seemed a little more excited than she usually was, but still managed to retain that calm, neutral tone in her voice to some extent.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane and Ansley are staying at an inn, but we are going on a date in a little bit since Akane is hungry."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]There was a bit of silence on the other end, but soon enough Scarlett spoke "I guess that's fine… Since it's late out, we could try and meet up tomorrow, we're at a place called "Cecily's repair shop" or something like that." she said, by now she seemed to have caught her breath as she didn't sound so out of it now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was noticeably blushing at this point, wondering what her sister would think of what Akane just said. Perhaps her sister still thought it was just a non-romantic date or something, but, eventually she's bound to catch on…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane will see you then, but Akane doesn't know that place. Can you tell Akane more about it?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"It's a workshop with an Inn a few blocks down from it… There's a bench nearby and a forest near the road a good distance from it. You can always ask around since people go here sometimes to get things fixed." Scarlett said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane understands, but did you want to talk to Ansley? She is listening to the call right now."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yeah! I would..." Scarlett said, she seemed a little ecstatic again.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane hands her linker over to Ansley.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley takes the linker and puts it on, starting to speak "S-Sister?" she said quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yes?" Scarlett said, her voice wavered a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"P-please stay s-safe... " Ansley said quietly, there was so much she wanted to talk about right now… But she figured it was better to save it for when they actually met.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I will... You better stay safe yourself, practice what you preach you know." Scarlett said, teasing a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled "I-I will… S-see you tomorrow…" she said quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]There was a barely audible sigh coming from Scarlett's end "See you." she said, seeming a little happier before there was a click as the call was ended.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley held out Akane's linker for her to take after she took it off. There was an more calm expression on her face as if she's at peace with herself for the time being or something.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks surprised, "Akane thought for sure that you would want to say more."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked a little embarrassed "I-I'd rather s-save it for w-when we meet t-tomorrow.." she said quietly. What's more was it was kind of getting late and she was a little uncertain if she wanted to talk so much right now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane nods, "Akane is hungry. Akane thinks we should eat somewhere nice."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Looking out the window for a moment, Ansley looked back at Akane and nodded "Y-yeah… I-I hope it's n-not too far f-from here." she said softly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane would like to eat somewhere Ansley would like though. Its Akane's first date, so she wants to have a good time."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled "Th-then we'll find a-a place we b-both like…" she concluded, starting to get up. Usually, she wouldn't be in such a hurry to go somewhere with more people than she was accustomed to, but since she was going with Akane, she didn't mind all too much…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane doesn't usually eat somewhere in a city. Usually she just buys food or hunts, so anything sounds good to Akane."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded again, she didn't have a preference herself, but she could pick out a good looking place hopefully. She'd have to be careful about it since she knew some places were rather expensive. "J-Just tell me i-if anything interests y-you…" Ansley said quietly, heading towards the door, she waited for Akane.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane starts thinking while she heads towards the door, holding Ansley's hand, "Well, Akane would like somewhere that she could talk with you. Somewhere with privacy would be nice."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley agreed with that idea so she nodded, smiling a bit, she didn't exactly want to be in a place that's too out in the open. It calmed her that Akane was holding her hand as they headed out of the Inn and were walking down the streets. Now all that was left to do was find the right place, after all, they should have some options around here since Vertice was a big city.[/BCOLOR]

 

[York]

Blair Alvarez - A Helpfull Promotion​

Blair had just about made it to Vertice, and finding the nearest parking spot, he stopped his roller and popped out the stone. Then, he got out and stretched his legs a bit, they were seriously cramping up after a ride like that, even if he did have to stop for a little break at some point earlier since his stone ran out. Looking around the area, he wondered if anyone around would know about this merchant event or whatever he had come for. That man he had talked with earlier, a higher ranking merchant than him hadn't been to specific unfortunately.

"Lost, are we?" A familiar voice spoke out to him, with the card man appearing for a third time.

Blair jumped a little upon hearing his voice, but then turned around slowly and nodded, letting himself relax a little. He did find it strange that this man kept popping out of seemingly nowhere, but so far he hasn't been proven to be any threat.

"My name is Zaqir Craft. And I believe you are looking for that." Zaqir points to the large tower in the distance, the Merchant Base of Vertice.

"Yeah... I guess I am." Blair said, nodding a little, he turned towards it, starting to walk off. "Thank you." He added, turning around for a brief moment.

Zaqir nods silently.

It took him a while, but eventually Blair arrived at his destination, thankfully without a hitch. Despite how normal Vertice appeared, he couldn't help but have a bad feeling about staying here, he shook it off though since he had more important matters to attend to.

"Oh right, I forgot to mention." Zaqir mentioned, now leaning on a nearby wall.

Blair seemed to have gotten a little used to Zaqir's random appearance, but it didn't stop him from jumping a little anyways. Looking towards him with an inquisitive look, he stopped walking for a moment.

"Watch your step. That was it."

Blair nodded slowly, he wasn't quite sure what to make of this, but on instinct, he looked down and around his feet for a moment.

Zaqir just watches Blair silently.

Not noticing anything suspicious, Blair turned and waves a silent goodbye to Zaqir before sidestepping a bit and walking onwards. Perhaps it was the way he said it or something, but Zaqir's words seemed to have a sense of truth to them.

That's when Blair bumps into a merchant exiting out of the building, nearly causing both of them to fall. The merchant glares over at Blaire and growls. "HEY, YOU! Watch where your going! Do you WANT to pay for this twelve hundred stone jacket I just got?!?! HUH?!?!?"

"Sorry about your Jacket..." Blair practically mumbled as he groaned, getting himself up and dusting himself off. Could it just have been a coincidence? Or perhaps was this just a result of his paranoisa. At any rate, he didn't have time for this sort of thing as he had some sort of event to attend to, so, this time, sidestepping a little in the opposite direction, he continued through the entrance hoping the receptionist would be of some help.

The receptionist looks over at Blair half-boredly. "Alright, what's your name, kiddo?"

"Blair." Blair said simply, he wasn't sure if he should say anything more just yet just incase he'd be interrupting.

The receptionist's eyes narrow at him. "Blair -what-?"

"Blair Alverez, from the Belbridge base." Blair said, realizing he had probably been a little too broad with his information.

The receptionist looks over some information. "Oh, one of -those- people. Just like Hamilton." He sighs. "Well, I guess you'll be meeting with someone then for --"

"I'll be taking over for that, actually." A powerful voice called out, as everyone suddenly froze and bowed their heads, even the receptionist bowed his head in the direction of the man as he stopped in front of Blair.

Noticing how quickly the other's have reacted, Blair, in response did the same... He figured he wouldn't be caught being the odd one out like that so easily. Though he couldn't help but wonder, who was that man?

"No need for that, my boy. You are above these common folk now."

Blair raised his head hesitantly, but nodded "I... Heard there was some sort of event happening here?" he said, deciding to take the risk to ask the man about what he had come here for.

The man looked to be in the most gentlemanly clothing he had ever seen in his life, decorating the room with it's style and several shines from the stones on several places of it. The man also brought about a certain aura with him; one of power, one of confidence, one of leadership, one of pride, one of... Well, the list went on. The point is, this man, this lone human, was enough to scare even a giant away. "You can call me what everyone else here calls me... Boss, or Sir."

"Yes... Sir." Blair said as politely he could, he felt a little awkward in a situation like this. It seemed he was quite the high ranking merchant, and he would probably go out on a limb and think maybe he's royalty. In any case, it was a rank that far outranked his own. Despite this however, it interested him, since it was a high rank, he wondered what it would take to achieve it...

The man turns and begins to walk, everyone keeping their heads bowed to him. "Come along, we have paperwork to do. Also, you!" The man points to one of the merchants who was foolish enough to keep his head up. "Tell my daughter, the Mistress, that she has some reports to file out for me!"

Blair nodded, following quietly along, when the man revealed his daughter was the Mistress, his eyes widened just a little. So it seems he had been right for the most part, he was indeed a higher ranking merchant, he wasn't sure about the royalty part though...

The man heads off to his room and opens the door, gesturing for Blair to sit down in his seat.


Blair just nodded again and decided to sit down. Now that he was fairly aware of how high ranking this man was, he wasn't about to let himself make a mistake here.

The man closes the door and sits down at his desk, looking over some files. "So, Mr. Blair... You have a pretty good record so far. Tell me, what are your goals?"

Blair looked to be in thought for a moment, his true goals were definitely not ones he'd just blurt out here. So he'd have to figure out alternative ones that fall close to it. "To serve the merchants to the best of my abilities... " He said after a moment, he wasn't sure if he should mention his goals of ascending the ranks here... Would he then be seen as competition?

The man smiles in response. "I see. And what do you hope to change for this country?"

"It's trust in the merchants, I want this country to have complete trust in us." Blair said, the right words were starting to come together now, however he couldn't get cocky, not now, not ever in a position like this.

"Trust in us, eh? Are you saying they don't already?"

"They do but of course there's... Complications." Blair stated simple, he was fairly certain he was aware of the digger influences on portions of the country's population.

"And what would those be?"

"The diggers." Blair stated simply, he made sure to sound as sincere as he could. However deep down, his opinions would definitely say differently about this situation.

"So you believe they are responsible for our appearance now?"

"Perhaps..." Blair said, thinking about it for a moment, it was after all a plausible theory.

The man grins at him. "You have a bright future here indeed." He writes down some things before putting the quill back in it's spot. "One last question. Do you believe the Merchant's are in the right?"

"Yes... That's why the diggers are a public threat after all." Blair said, he kept his tone serious as much as he could. On the inside, he knew perfectly well this entire stone war just seemed a bit pointless to some extent.

The man writes down some more things before nodding. "Well, welcome aboard Blair. So, where do you see yourself going here?"

"Wherever I would best serve the merchants." Blair said, thankfully he hadn't revealed too much about his intentions of rising up in the ranks.

"You were just a normal Merchant before. You can be honest, how high do you think you should be?"

Blair looked to be in thought "I... Guess a Directing merchant." he answered, he sounded sincere like always. Though he didn't let it show that he wasn't fully certain.

The man smiles, as if knowing he would say that. "Very well. Then from here on, you have been promoted to Directing Merchant. Congratulations."

Blair smiled, bowing a little "Thank you sir!" he said, feeling a ltitle relieved. Fortunately this went by without a hitch, now, all he needed to do was figure out what sort of achievement could get him better promotions in the long run...

The man nods. "Now you may head off to rest for the day. We will see how you start tomorrow."

Blair nodded, waving the man goodbye politely "Goobye, sir." he said, keeping his polite tone as he walked out the door. It shouldn't be too hard to find an Inn or something to stay at for now.

 

[Thundor]

Blossoming Relationship

​

Reeve watches Scarlett as she gets off the Linker. "How'd it go?"

"It went fine I guess... They'll be heading over here tomorrow... So I guess we're stuck here until then." Scarlett said, smiling a little, she seemed awfully cheerful which was a rare sight indeed for most people.

Reeve smiles and hugs her. "That's great."

Scarlett looked out the window, she seemed to be thinking again before she turned back to Reeve and spoke. "You think my sister will make it here safely?" She asked him, seemingly out of the blue.

Reeve kisses her forehead. "Of course she will."

Scarlett smiled, giggling a little "I guess you're right... She does keep telling me I worry too much sometimes." she said, it looked like she was blushing a bit.

Reeve smirks a little. "You, worry? I hadn't noticed."

Scarlett laughed a little "It always comes with having family around." she said, shaking her head, she was still smiling.

Reeve smiles and puts his forehead on hers. "Your family must have some nice traits then."

"I've lost track of most of them... But yeah, or at least the majority anyways." Scarlett said, frowning a little.

Reeve blinks. "What's wrong?"

"Oh! It's nothing... I just kind of got distracted for a moment." Scarlett said, laughing a little out of nervousness, what she had said kind of made her think back on the few relatives who'd gone down more... Shady paths.

Reeve stares into her eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked again.

Scarlett sighed she had a feeling Reeve wouldn't let up until she told him, so she spoke. "I guess I was thinking about certain routes a few of my relatives have taken." She said, there seemed to be a sad look in her eyes.

Reeve holds her closer to him, putting her head against his shoulder. "You can tell me."

"There's not much to talk about... It's just that I hear about family members here and there who have run off one day without a word... There's many rumors about where they've gone, but, so far, I really haven't heard anything before I left for Kinjun." Scarlett explained, she had a brooding look on her face.

Reeve blinks. "What have you heard?"

"I don't know... Some are rumored to have joined more covert organizations or something, but there's never any specifics." Scarlett said, shaking her head a little as she tried to remember what she'd heard.

Reeve sighs. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright... I really didn't know what else I was supposed to expect from a large family like that." Scarlett said, she had that embarrassed look on her face again.

Reeve rubs her back soothingly. "I know the feeling." Scarlett smiled a little, leaning against Reeve a bit which was strange to do for someone like her, she didn't speak though, or at least not yet.

Reeve rests against her. "I will be here for you, always."

Scarlett blushed a little "You promise?" she asked him, there was a sort of intense look in her eyes as if she was deciding on something.

Reeve looks into her eyes. "I promise."

Scarlett smiled, she seemed a bit happier "Then I promise you the same..." she said, putting an arm around him gently. Reeve tightens his arms around her, returning the smile.

"Can I... Ask you something?" Scarlett said quietly after a moment, there seemed to be something on her mind again.

"Sure."

"Do you think this stone conflict will ever end?" Scarlett asked, there was a distant look in her eyes.

Reeve sighs. "It will. All conflicts resolve, for better or worse..."

"To tell you the truth, I hoped to escape it by going hunting in Kinjun... That was part of the reason why I wanted to go there." Scarlett admitted, she was a little quieter than usual.

"And yet, in your heart, you still worried about your family."

"Yeah... I guess that's one thing I can't escape, isn't it?" Scarlett said, smiling wryly.

"I know the feeling all too well, Scar." He teased the nickname with a smile.

Scarlett had a grumpy expression on her face, more of a childish one before she laughed a little. "I bet you do." She said, smiling again.

"I always have to worry about my family. It's depressing, but, what can I do?" He gave a weak smile.

Scarlett nodded "I guess it's the same for me... Hunting can only distract you so much." she said, shaking her head a little. She fell silent again for the moment.

Reeve blushes a little suddenly. ". . .You don't have to feel alone as long as I'm here."

Upon hearing Reeve's words, Scarlett began to blush a little more "I-It's not like I do... Now that I'm here that is... With you." she said, stuttering a little... It felt strange to be this close to someone other than her sister, but she didn't mind it too much; though that being said, she still sort of wished Ansley was around right about now.

Reeve puts his cheek on hers. "You'll see your sister again. And she will be fine. But... I think... I have to tell you something first." Scarlett relaxed a little feeling Reeve's cheek against her own, but looked towards him, listening to what he has to say.

"Do you... Feel like you care for your sister maybe just a little -too- much?"

Scarlett shrugged "I just worry alot... She's one of the most important people to me after all." she said, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"You need to let her live her own life though. Do you think that maybe because of that, she relies on you a bit too much?"

"I just want to keep in touch with her... It's not very often that we see each other these days." Scarlett said, she had that far away look in her eyes again.

Reeve sighs. "I understand."

Scarlett just nodded a little, not really talking. After a few moments have passed she spoke again, finally speaking again. "I guess I'm just glad she's made a few friends sincs we've last me." Scarlett said, smiling a little, it seemed even her quiet sister was able to do things like that sooner or later.

Reeve blinks. "She did? What did she say?"

"Not much really, but I spoke with one of them... She's coming with her to meet us." Scarlett said, shrugging a little "If you're worrying about her friend... I don't think she's a bad person, otherwise my sister wouldn't still be sticking with her." she added quietly.

Reeve nods. "Good to hear. I wonder what they're doing tonight."

"They said they were going out for dinner... I guess it was about that time for them anyways." Scarlett said, she was smiling just a bit again.

Reeve blinks. "Out to dinner? They could of just eaten at the inn. I guess they're out on a date."

Scarlett laughed a bit "Yeah... I think she said something like that." she said, wondering if they'd just felt the food at the Inn wasn't doing them justice.

Reeve nods. "Good to know she has a girlfriend then."

Scarlett nodded herself "Yeah... I guess so." she said, smiling a little.

Reeve smiles. "I'm glad to hear you aren't against that sort of thing."

Scarlett blushed "I-I guess I was suspecting something like that was going on..." she wasn't exactly thinking along those lines until right about now.

Reeve tilts his head. ". . .Did you seriously not assume?"

Scarlett seemed a little embarrassed now "I guess I don't do much of that..." she said quietly.

Reeve grins. "It was sort of obvious."

Scarlett giggled a little "I guess you're probably right... I guess we'll find out soon enough though." she said, a playful expression was on her face.

Reeve blinks, blushing. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"I mean... We haven't even seen them yet, so I guess it's not a certainty either." Scarlett said, laughing a little, she poked Reeve on the cheek lightly.

Reeve looked nervous. "O-oh... I thought you meant... N-nevermind." Scarlett blushed, thinking about what Reeve might have thought, but she didn't say anything. Reeve blushes when he sees her blush, looking away quickly.

"A-Anyways... Do you think the Crimson blade's going to find us anytime soon?" Scarlett asked, it was another concern that she had about the situation they were in right now. Reeve shakes his head in response, looking back at her.

Scarlett sighed a little "I guess at any rate, we'll have to keep moving after my sister arrives... I'm not sure if Cecily would like to join us, but she and Rican seemed to have been quick to make friends." she said, her smile returning.

Reeve chuckles. "Just friends?"

Scarlett shrugged "Who knows... You can never tell with Rican." she said, laughing a little.

Reeve shrugs. "Maybe, maybe not." There was another moment of silence as Scarlett has run out of things to say... However she didn't mind too much, as being with Reeve alone was enough to keep her quite content. Reeve looks at her and smiles, putting his forehead on hers.

"You know... I wouldn't mind sleeping like this..." Scarlett whispered, she had a sort of dreamy look on her face.

Reeve blushes. "Uh... Sleeping like what?"

Scarlett snuggled a little closer to Reeve, though it was a little noticeable that she was blushing as well. "This..." She said quietly.

Reeve smiles, rolling them around so he lays on top of her. "Or we could sleep like this." He teased her.

Scarlett laughed softly, but she smiled slyly, shifting them over a little so they were more or less on their sides practically cuddling each other. "I like this way better though..." She said, with a playful tone in her voice.

Reeve rolls them around so she's laying on top now. "What, you mean you don't like being the boss?"

Scarlett blushed, but smiled, relaxing on top of him "I thought you did!" she whined a little, but didn't seem to want to move from their position.

Reeve rolls them around so he's laying on top. "Oh, I do."

Scarlett was giggling again before shifting positions again, moving on top "I guess we'll be stuck doing this forever then!" she said teasingly.

Reeve rolls them again as he pins her wrists down with his hands. "Not if I do this."

"Oh you!" Scarlett complained, nudging his cheek a little with her own.

Reeve laughs. "What can you do now?"

Scarlett kissed Reeve on the cheek lightly "That." she said, with a sly smile.

Reeve kisses her cheek back. "I can do it too."

With a bit of effort, Scarlett managed to wrap her legs around him and shift their weight so she was laying on top of him again. "Being a hunter has it's perks too." She said, smiling a little, she seemed rather content being in this position.

Reeve blushes intently, smiling slowly. "Strong legs you got there..."

Scarlett felt herself blush too quite a bit "Y-you've still got stronger arms than mine..." she said quietly.

Reeve nods. "So... Your the boss right now. What do you want to do?"

Scarlett kisses Reeve a little "Sleep... Unless you have something else in mind. She said quietly, yawning a little as she did so.

Reeve kisses her back, shrugging. "Lemme think..." He wraps his arms around her and rolls them over, pinning her body down with his own. "How's this?"

Scarlett smiled a little, with her legs alone, she just barely managed to shift them over so they were both cuddling each other again on their sides. "I've like this the best..." She said, her voice seemed to have taken on a more mellow tone.

Reeve sighs. "Alright, alright.." He keeps his arms around her as she kept her legs around him, looking into her eyes to see if she was trying to tell him anything. Scarlett had a strange look there, as if she wants something but at the same time wasn't too sure about it. Though that look went away when she blinked a few times, she was blushing a little. Reeve blushed, having seen the look, but not knowing what she wanted. He leans in to kiss her, he wanted to know what she wanted, but maybe all she wanted was more of this? He was so lost and confused right now. Scarlett smiled a little and leaned towards him too, she gave him a passionate kiss that didn't seem to finish so quickly this time.... It seemed she was satisfied for the most part. Reeve returned the kiss just as passionate, tightening his arms around her slowly as he still thought about it.

Scarlett closed her eyes as they kissed this time, making it last as long as she could. Eventually though, when she pulled away, she smiled a little, yawning again "I guess I was a little more tired than I thought..." she said quietly, sounding a bit drowsy.

Reeve blinks, looking at her eyes again. "You sure?"

Scarlett nodded a little, her eyes weren't exactly sending a clear message as her eyelids were starting to droop. "Yeah... We'll finish what's been started another time." She said, smiling again and, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Reeve blushes. "... S-started?"

Scarlett looked quite flustered "G-goodnight!" she said, her face a crimson shade of red as she snuggled a little closer to Reeve, closing her eyes. She tried not to think about what she'd just said too much...

Reeve grabs her shoulders and pulls her head up to look at his own. "What do you mean started?" He asked with a more serious time.

Scarlett seemed to have gone quiet for a moment "N-nothing! I-I just... Tired..." she said, not quite finishing her sentence right. Reeve gives her a surprise kiss, one full of a fiery passion as he tried to wake her up with it.

Scarlett suddenly snapped awake for the moment her face still quite a deep shade of red. "S-sorry... I-I guess I talk a little too much when I'm tired..." She said, her voice was very quiet now to the point where she was almost whispering.

Reeve stares into her eyes. "What did you mean?"

Scarlett sighed "I... Don't really know myself..." she said quietly, and she genuinely seemed a little confused. It was something she'd said without being entirely aware of it...

Reeve sighs. ". . .Are you sure?"

Scarlett nodded slowly "I-I'm sure... We'll talk more in the morning if you want... Ok?" she said, it seemed she was starting to sound sleepy again. All that had happened today really seemed to have hit her full force.

Reeve frowns. "I would like it if you would tell me now, when you can remember more..."

Scarlett shrugged "I guess I'm not too sure... It just sort of popped in my head." she said, it seemed she was rather embarrassed again despite the fact that she was quite clearly half asleep now.

Reeve sighs. "I can get you something to drink..."

Looking up at Reeve with an thankful expression, Scarlett nodded "Y-Yeah... I guess I'd like that... You sure there's a place open this late?" she asked, curiously. Reeve shakes his head and pulls her up to her feet with him, kissing her for a minute before heading off back out into the house.

Scarlett nodded smiled a little as he kissed her and shifted over a little to give Reeve more room to get up. She still felt tired, but it would be rather rude to fall asleep on Reeve like that. So instead, she sat up and decided to sharpen her spear a little. Feeling around her pockets, she eventually found the small piece of limestone she'd kept around for the occasions her spear needed sharpening. Pulling it out, she started working away at the spear's blade carefully, angling it to make the job easier.

After about a few moments, Reeve comes back in with a cup and a drink in it. "I just found something you might like and put it in. They probably don't mind..." He hands the cup over to her. "Taste it and see what it is for the both of us."

Scarlett pocketed the piece of limestone and putting down her spear before she took the cup. She tilted her head to the side as she inspected it's contents a little "You sure this stuff is safe to drink?" she asked a little tiredly.

Reeve shrugs. "I found it with the other drinks."

Scarlett nodded slowly, it didn't look like oil or anything so she figured it would be safe to drink. As soon as she took a sip though, she realized how strangely bitter it tasted, but all in all, she did feel quite awake now. "Whoa... I really need to ask Cecily what exactly this stuff is supposed to be." She breathed, offering the cup to Reeve "Here, you try some." she said quietly.

Reeve drinks some, blinking his eyes as he hands it back to her. "I don't think she got this from Centora." He chuckles a little.

Scarlett laughed a little "Yeah... I've never encountered herbs that do... Well, this before." she said, smiling a little.

Reeve nods. "So, do you remember yet?"

Scarlett nodded she was blushing profusely again "You sure you want to hear it?" she said quietly. Reeve nods again.

"Well... I guess there's always been something I've wanted to say... And only now, I realize what it was." Scarlett said quietly, despite the fact that they were dating, she'd always been pondering why she had that feeling she was supposed to say something.

Reeve puts a hand on her shoulder. "And that would be?"

Scarlett felt as if her words were getting caught in her throat, but she managed to say what she needed to. "W-Well... I always feel calm around you and... I like your comapny and...I-" She suddenly stopped, her voice petering out for a moment. "I... Love you..." she admitted quietly. Hopefully it wasn't too soon to start saying things like that, which was a big reason why she wasn't so keen on talking about it at first.

Reeve blushes. "... Can I say the same back then?" Reeve grins nervously. "I mean, uh... I mean, like, I never want to leave your side, you make me happy, you are just so fun to be around..." Scarlett nodded, she had a shy smile on her face, and it was the first time she's ever said anything like this straight up... Reeve returns the smile, moving his arm to go around her shoulders. Scarlett didn't hesitate to return this embrace, she didn't seem to want to let go anytime soon as she sort of pulled him down with her gently. Reeve blushes, looking at her as he wondered what she was doing. Scarlett gave Reeve a gentle kiss before she snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes... It wasn't that she was tired or anything, but she still kind of liked laying like this. Reeve returned it, wrapping his arms around her as he kept blushing. Scarlett was flushing red too, but she didn't seem to want to let go. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but soon enough, she felt herself starting to drift off to sleep.

Reeve watches her. "You going to go to sleep?"

Scarlett stirred a little, opening her eyes, not quite asleep just yet "Yeah... I think that drink is starting to wear off again..." she said quietly. "Goodnight... Reeve" She whispered, smiling a little before snuggling against him, closing her eyes again.

Reeve holds her to him and holds her head under his, keeping his arms firmly around her as he closes his eyes. "Night, Scar." Scarlett's smile widened a little as a calm feeling washed over her... Slowly but surely as time passed, she had more or less, drifted off to a peaceful slumber.​

 

[☆Luna☆]

Akane looks around the room as if it could have some sort of hint. "Akane doesn't really know where is where in Vertice. So maybe a walk around would be fun. There aren't as many people at night, so Akane likes nightly walks. Plus, we could use the time to walk by the place we are meeting Ansley. Akane thinks we could even surprise them after our date, and sleep with them instead. Though, Akane already paid for the inn room, so Akane doesn't mind sleeping with Ansley again."

Ansley nodded, understanding how Akane felt, she too wasn't very familiar with Vertice as it had been a while since she'd visited. Despite this, she thought walking with Akane wasn't such a bad idea either "I-I'll be okay w-with walking… Surprising m-my sister sounds g-good too…" Ansley said, she smiled a little again, it seemed she was quite content with their plan. Plus, it had the bonus of having less people around, it made her feel a little more at ease that way, especially if it was with Akane.

Akane gathers her things, and ensures her dagger sits in its sheath just so before she is ready to head out. Akane seems to be happier than usual though. She had been having a rough day, but now she seemed a lot more like she had the other day in the courtyard. Cheerfully as she grabs ahold of your hand, "Ansley, lets go!"

Ansley nodded eagerly, trying her best to keep up with Akane, she was happy that Akane seemed to be feeling better. The strangest thing about this entire situation was that she didn't feel nervous about what others might think of them. Maybe it was partially because there weren't many people around, but nevertheless it felt strange. Her heart felt light as a feather right now really, as if she had nothing to worry about at the moment.

As Akane and Ansley walk outside the inn, a few people seem to watch. It is unlikely that they know that the two are dating, but Akane does seem to stand out. She hadn't stood out in the same way before, since she was practically hiding behind you, but now she seemed to radiate with happiness.

For once, Ansley didn't seem to notice the attention they were drawing as they ran along… In fact, she was laughing a little herself, but she was still rather quiet when she did that, so one would have to listen a little closer than they usually would to hear her. Looking towards Akane, she noticed how much more she stood out now that she was happy, and knowing this, it made her happy as well.

As they continue walking, Akane looks around the streets, and occasionally upwards towards the sky. "Ansley, you seem a little different."

Hearing Akane's words, Ansley felt herself blush a little "H-How?" she asked her quietly. Despite being embarrassed, she still didn't have a trace of nervousness on her just yet.

"Akane noticed, that you haven't been looking around as much any more. And it is just a little, but Akane thinks you've become more confident."

Ansley smiled again, she seemed to have calmed down once again. "I-I guess I'm more like m-my sister than I th-thought…" She said in a quiet tone, despite this, she seemed to be stuttering a little less frequently now.

"Akane was worried at first, that you'd be nervous about dating Akane. But it is totally different than Akane expected."

Ansley was blushing again but she smiled shyly "M-Maybe it's because there's l-less people around right n-now…" she said, her voice remained quiet.

Akane seems to nod understandingly. "Look, it is that building that we are supposed to meet Ansley's sister at!"

Almost instantly, Ansley looked towards the direction Akane pointed to, spotting a sign on it reading; Cecilys workshop/Emporium. Putting two and two together, she figured her sister had her own reasons for staying there probably. "S-Should we surprise them r-right now?" She asked, there was a slight uncertainty to her voice again as she wondered if her Sister was expecting them or not.

"Akane wanted to go on her date first, but if Ansley wants to, Akane doesn't mind switching things up. Akane just thinks that if we surprise them now, that we might get caught up in something and lose the rest of the night."

Ansley nodded, and responded without needing to think too much on it "W-we'll surprise them later… I-I don't think they're e-expecting us right now a-anyways…" she said, smiling a little at Akane as she said this.

"Oh, Akane sees a place she would like." Akane points to a sushi place. It doesn't seem to be crowded at all.

Ansley smiled a little upon seeing it, there didn't seem to be any people around, and she did always want to try Sushi… Unfortunately she never visited restaurants enough to do this, but now would be a good opportunity. "I-It looks good… I'm o-okay with it." She said with a cheery, yet still quiet tone to her voice.

Akane drags Ansley inside and takes a seat in the corner-most area. Akane sits next to Ansley, waiting for someone to appear to serve them.

Ansley seemed quite relieved to see that they were in an area with little to no people around them. Since she wasn't so nervous now, she smiled again seeing as they'd be able to enjoy their first date as much as possible now.

"May I take your orders?" Someone spoke to them, as quick as the voice had come, someone was now standing next to their table, holding what looked like a quill and a piece of paper.

Akane looks towards Ansley for guidance as to what to get. "Akane wants to share something with Ansley."

Ansley just nodded quietly, smiling a little, it wasn't as much of a new thing to her since she occasionally did this with her sister. Though despite that, she did admittedly feel a bit nervous about it.

The waiter continues to stand and wait for them to respond, his expression never changing and making it hard to read what he was feeling or thinking right now.

Thinking about this for a moment, Ansley realized she had no idea what types of Sushi there were nor their names. So after a moment of pondering, she turned to Akane looking embarrassed "U-Um… Do you know w-what they have on th-the menu?" she whispered to her.

"Akane likes eel." Akane points to it on the menu. "Akane doesn't know if Ansley wants to try it though. Akane had friends tell her they thought it tasted rubbery."

"E-Eel?" Ansley asked, it seemed she hadn't heard of such a thing, but she looked curious more than afraid. Perhaps it wouldn't taste as rubbery as Akane's friends had said, but she'd never know until she tried it.

Akane nod, "Eel. It is like a water snake, but probably doesn't taste much like a snake. Akane never tasted snake before though. Would Ansley like to try it?"

Ansley nodded, she seemed to be a little braver than she usually was at the moment. "I-I wouldn't mind t-trying a little…" She said quietly, the way Akane explained it made her wonder how a snake living underwater would work…

After the order had been placed and the chief began preparing the food, Akane lays her head against Ansley's chest, looking fairly affectionately towards Ansley.

Ansley blushed a little, usually at this very moment, she'd look around to see if others were watching… Though for some reason, she didn't, instead, she smiled and wrapped her arms around Akane gently, not really sure what to say.

"Akane is happy that she gets to spend some time with Ansley. Akane is also super happy that she gets to eat such good food with Ansley."

"I-I'm happy too…" Ansley said, despite how quiet she still was, there was a certain tone of joy, even contentedness as she spoke. "W-we should be d-doing this more often…" she said shyly.

Akane doesn't seem even a little bit shy, though, it isn't like she hasn't treated Ansley like this all along, it just has different meaning now. "Akane thinks that since she has been so secretive, Ansley deserves to know about Akane, so Akane thinks that maybe dating would be a good way to let Ansley know more about Akane and Akane to learn more about Ansley."

Ansley nodded, she smiled a little "Y-you don't have to t-tell me anything you're n-not comfortable with you know… J-just do that when you f-feel you're ready… I'm okay w-with that." She said, she was however glad that Akane was starting to open up a little more than she had been before. It felt like they had grown alot closer just by that, maybe even closer than her sister was to her.

Akane shakes her head, "Akane isn't going to share everything all at once, but Akane wants to let Ansley know even more about her. Akane wants to know if there is anything Ansley was curious about."

This was something Ansley took a moment to think about "I-I guess I'm c-curious about a few th-things…" she said, her voice trailing off as she started to figure out what she was supposed to ask first. "U-Um… What did you th-think of me the f-first day we met…" She said quietly, it was something she had been wondering every now and then, she hadn't been sure how their first impressions went down really.

Akane thinks for a moment, "At first, Akane was watching you because she was worried about you traveling alone. Akane didn't really think much about you, but she didn't want you to get hurt. Akane had meant to help without being found out… But then she thought about how lonely she was, so she wanted to travel with you without revealing that she was an assassin. But then my cover was blown, and I had to stay with you..."

Ansley smiled a little "I-I know it's a s-strange thing to say b-but I'm sort of glad i-it turned out that way…" she said. It seemed she was a little relieved about the answer she had gotten, despite how calm she had appeared to be. "M-my sister said it b-best… That sometimes the b-best things happen by a-accident…" She said quietly, there seemed to be a far away sort of look in her eyes.

Akane moves her arms up to Ansley's side, pushing down on the chair to get enough height to give her a kiss on the cheek.

In response, Ansley leaned towards Akane a little and hugged her gently, rubbing her cheek up against hers. Despite never having done something like that to someone other than her sister, she seemed perfectly comfortable with this for a change.

Akane smiles, "Akane feels small compared to Ansley. Akane likes it, but what does Ansley think?"

Ansley thought about this just for a moment and smiles "I-I like it too…" she said quietly. Though the mention of it suddenly brought up another question "I-Is it normal for you t-to be that short?" she asked, she seemed just a little nervous about this, silently hoping it wouldn't give the wrong impression.

Akane looks a bit confused, "Akane doesn't understand what Ansley means."

Ansley thought for a moment, she wasn't entirely sure how to explain this "W-Well… I don't know m-much about N-nekos so, I'm not sure i-if its normal for o-one to be that s-short…" she explains, a little embarrassed about this, her curiosity sometimes was the bane of her existence.

Akane nods, looking to understand better. "Well, Nekos grow like anything else, but they are a bit taller than the average person. I think it is because our tails allow more balance, and our ears are pretty large, and on top of our heads."

This answer made Ansley look a little curious "D-Does that mean you'll g-grow taller?" she asked. Akane seemed like a child sure, but she had a feeling she wasn't exactly that, an ordinary child couldn't be an assassin, could they? Despite her behavior, Ansley was almost certain Akane was older than she seemed though, she still had to know for sure if that was the case.

Akane shakes her head, "Akane can't grow any more. Akane is going to be this size for the rest of Akane's life."

Ansley nodded, this partially answered her question, but this also made her curious about why her answer was the way it was too. "W-Why is that?" She asked, her voice returning to that curious tone.

Akane seems slightly nervous to answer at first. "Well, Akane was actually tall for her age, but since Akane was being raised to be an assassin, they stunted my growth basically. Akane doesn't want to talk about it more than that. Akane thinks, that they need to make a better way to do that."

Understanding, Ansley decided to change the topic a bit "O-Oh uh… I never h-had the chance to a-ask until now but… H-how old are you?" she asked, the last thing she was curious about was just that surprisingly enough.

Akane starts counting on her fingers, "Akane is a lot of different ages. 5, 12, and 20. It depends on which part of Akane you are talking about."

This answer bewildered Ansley a little, and she tilted her head to the side. The look on her face resembled a confused puppy or kitten before she spoke again. "I mean… How many years have you lived so far." She explained, not sure if she was wording her question right.

"Akane is 5, The Hunter is 12, and this body is 20 years old. Akane doesn't understand what Ansley wants Akane to say."

Ansley nodded "I-I guess I understand… I-I was asking for th-the age of your b-body I guess…" she said quietly. She felt quite a bit embarrassed since she wasn't able to explain her question well enough, or at least it seemed that way to her.

Akane nods, "Akane wants to know if Ansley would still date her if Akane's body was still 10 years old, like it was when it stopped growing."

Ansley blushed, but she nodded "Y-Yeah… I would, as l-long as you're o-okay with it…" she said quietly. It was evident that she was really embarrassed about admitting this though.

Akane blushes, "Akane, actually finds it really really cute."

This made Ansley smile, though she still continued to blush "T-thank you…" she said, not really knowing what else to say at the moment.

Suddenly, plates and drinks come down onto the table in a flash, and the waiter is standing there again, just as quick as before. "Everything is ready for you, ladies." He said in his usual tone, moving one hand to quickly take both lids off to reveal their food. "Enjoy the rest of your dinner here."

Ansley practically hopped up a few feet in her chair, her eyes widening for a moment and her blush becoming more noticeable. Quickly grabbing one of the menus that were on the table and covering her face, pretending to read it, she looked towards the waiter. "T-Thanks…" She said, her voice being muffled a little.

Akane seems to be extremely happy for the food to have arrived. Preparing her utensils, she gets ready to enjoy, but watches over Ansley curious as to how she'll enjoy the food. Akane directs her voice towards the waiter, "Do Akane and Ansley make a cute couple?" Akane lays against the side of Ansley's arm, still armed with a fork and knife.

"You two make a fine couple." The waiter replied, though he didn't seem ready to move from his spot. "Is there anything else you require of my services, then?"

Ansley shook her head, she was thankful she had covered her face now as she was really noticeably blushing now. Though she did feel a little calmed since Akane was laying on her arm.

"Akane doesn't need anything." Akane stabs a piece of eel on her fork, then turns towards Ansley, "Akane wants Ansley to have the first bite so that Akane knows if she likes it or not." Akane presents the fork to Ansley.

And while they were distracted, poof, the waiter was gone in the blink of an eye. Of course, they'd have to notice or care for this to get to them. But I'm sure the food and the lovely time will make that happen.

Putting down the menu again after the waiter seemed to have disappeared, Ansleys attention was on the piece of eel that Akane had offered out to her. She did however notice the mysterious way the waiter disappeared but didn't comment on it for now since she was distracted. Instead, she smiled, seeming a little eager to try the piece of eel "I-I guess a bite wouldn't h-hurt…" she said quietly, leaning forwards to take a bite. The moment she did, she did notice that distinct rubbery texture, but she didn't mind it too much; she actually liked the flavor… Though she hadn't ever tasted something like this before, swallowing it, she smiled again, seeming to be quite happy. "I-I like it!" She said, her voice wasn't as quiet as it usually was, but only for a moment though.

Akane seems relieved to see that Ansley likes the food, and knowing that was the case, she began helping herself to the eel herself. Akane eats at a moderate, but unrelenting speed. It seems to be a favorite dish of her's.

Ansley smiled a little, seeing Akane eat before she herself started eating… Since she was actually enjoying the meal, she was eating a bit faster than she usually was. It didn't take her very long to finish it as she had forgotten how hungry she'd gotten since they hadn't eaten much during that ride here, plus, she actually enjoyed eating this new dish Akane had ordered.

Eventually, the meal disappears before Akane and Ansley, and they are left with an empty plate. The bill hasn't come yet however. Akane rubs her belly, although she didn't eat enough for her to be bloated. "Akane ate a lot of good food, and got to learn more about Ansley."

Ansley looked quite full, but she still might have the chance of being able to eat more. She smiled at Akane "Y-Yeah… I think the d-date's going really w-well so far." she said, there was a content tone to her voice as she said this, as if she was satisfied with how things are going so far.

Akane moves out of her seat, and sits facing sideways on Ansley's lap. Akane, true to her word, still weighs about as much as a 10 year old. "Akane likes how the date is going too."

Ansley didn't mind when Akane sat on her lap, in fact, she kind of liked this. Cradling Akane gently with her arms, she put her head against Akane's gently, giggling faintly as she closed her eyes.

While Ansley's eyes are closed, Akane goes in for a kiss.

Ansley didn't move as Akane did so, it seems she was a little lost in the heat of the moment, in fact, her head may have shifted a little closer to Akane's.

Akane lays her head back against Ansley, seemingly satisfied. "Akane got her first kiss with Ansley."

Ansley was blushing again, but it wasn't quite out of embarrassment this time "Y-Yeah… It felt… N-nice…" she said quietly. There was definitely more than just a nice feeling, but she wasn't exactly sure what else.

"Akane wants to have a lot more kisses and more with Ansley. But, Akane wants to go to bed soon. After Akane pays for the food, Akane wants to go to Ansley's sister's place."

Ansley nodded eagerly, yawning a little as she said this, the first part of what Akane said flew over her head a little.

Akane leaves the payment for the food, as well as a tip, then takes hold of Ansley's hand. "Come on Ansley, lets get going. I'm looking forward to going to your sister's. She is waiting patiently for us." Akane starts dragging Ansley along at a considerable pace. Her words don't seem to match reality, as Akane walks opposite the direction she said she was heading.

A very confused Ansley follows, trying to keep up with Akane, she wasn't sure what exactly was happening, but she figured she'd ask later. Whenever Akane acted like this, she had found it was best not to talk about such things out in the relative public. So far things have ended up becoming more clear that way strangely enough.

Eventually, Akane changes her pace to an outright run. Ansley is starting to have trouble keeping up. However, before it became too much, Akane practically throws Ansley into an alley, and the pair are covered in shadow aura. Akane seems to tremble as she lays on top of Ansley, silently urging her to be as quiet and motionless as possible. Akane hasn't switched to the Hunter yet, and she has had to use her abilities far too much recently. Ansley might be seeing Akane at her limits.

Ansley wasn't entirely sure what had just happened here since everything went by quite fast. However, she soon found herself underneath Akane, blushing quite profusely "W-what's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Akane covers Ansley's mouth and whispers faintly in her ear, "Someone is tailing Akane. Please stay silent and wait for them to pass." After saying this, Akane removes her hand, and simply holds Ansley. Akane continues to tremble, trying to keep the shadow aura going despite having little gem power left. Her repeated use of shadow strike and shadow aura over the past days has taken its toll.

Ansley just nodded quietly, not being able to speak at all, even if she wanted to. She blushed, but held Akane in return, trying to listen to see if they were indeed being followed. Unfortunately, she wasn't certain about that just yet, but so far, she didn't hear or see any signs that they were as of yet.

After about 5 minutes, a catlike figure bounds across the rooftops, cursing up a storm. After the figure is far enough away, Akane basically collapses in Ansley's arms, having squeezed every bit of gem power out of her dagger. She is breathing heavily, and looks generally unwell. "Akane can't defend herself… Akane wants to get somewhere safe. Ansley's place, too dangerous."

Hearing the commotion from above, Ansley realized it had been a good idea to keep silent after all. Though on the downside, Akane really had tired herself out and had collapsed into her arms. "W-we can wait until t-tomorrow I guess… I-I don't mind…" She said quietly, starting to head off towards the Inn they stayed at before. They should be able to stay there another night, however, they'd have to head off in the morning.

As Ansley carries Akane into the inn. "Akane doesn't like running out of power, because now someone could kill Akane without Akane even being able to fight back. Even knowing they couldn't track us back to the inn, Akane is scared."

Ansley hugged Akane tightly, but not tight enough to hurt her "I-It's ok… I-I'll try my best to p-protect you…" she said quietly. Was it just her, or was she starting to sound like her sister sometimes without realizing it? Shaking those thoughts off for now, she walked the rest of the way to their room, nudging it open with her shoulder and setting Akane on the bed.

"Ansley. Akane doesn't want her dress to get all wrinkled by sleeping in it, and Akane wants to sleep in the same bed as Ansley." Akane still looks very pale, but she isn't trembling anymore.

Since it was the second time something like this had happened Ansley was a little more comfortable with this. Though she still blushed a little "I-If you'd like… I-I'm okay with it." she said quietly.

Akane blushes deeply and sincerely. "Akane, can't undress herself right now… Akane's arms feel like lead, Akane's back is stiff, and Akane feels off balance."

Ansley was really blushing now, this had come by surprise, but… She couldn't refuse, could she? After a moment, Ansley nodded. "I-I'll help you…" She said quietly, her voice could barely be heard as she spoke.

Speaking softly, "Please…"

Trying not to think about what she was doing too much, Ansley began to take off Akane's dress. She felt her face turning a rather crimson shade of red by now, but she managed to do it, placing her dress carefully on the table nearby as not to wrinkle it or anything.

Akane feels a sense of both dis-empowerment and endearment as Ansley slides her dress out from under her, but then, Akane comes to a realization, and bursts into tears.

Ansley looked towards Akane, and upon seeing her crying, she had a concerned look on her face and moved closer. At the moment, the concern she was feeling made her forget the exact situation she was in right now.

"Akane… ruined her first date with Ansley. Akane wanted it to go right, but Akane ruined it."

Ansley shook her head a little, her eyes brimming with tears "D-Don't say that… I-I still enjoyed it..." she said quietly. "S-Sometimes the best things h-happen by accident…" She whispered, repeating her sisters words for the 2nd time tonight, then, she hugged Akane gently, the situation still not quite clicking with her as she was lost in the moment again.

Akane feels her body come into contact with Ansley's, and she seems to calm down. "Akane wants Ansley to keep holding her." Still not underneath the covers, Akane's body is completely visible to Ansley. Akane's head tucks itself into Ansley's shoulder, and Akane starts drifting towards sleep, but she wants to stay just a little awake, just to let this feeling continue.

Finally registering what was happening, Ansley flushed a deep shade of red, but didn't seem to want to let go. Instead, she let her eyes close, and started to relax, she felt strangely calm and relaxed, it felt like she could be here in this position forever.

No longer able to keep up with the fatigue, Akane falls asleep against Ansley.

Soon enough, Ansley opened her eyes a little reluctantly, realizing they'd be cold in the morning. Carefully shifting herself along with Akane as not to wake her, she pulled the blankets to cover them both. Now that Akane was laying on her side, she sort of snuggled next to her, not really thinking about it too much, she too was getting quite drowsy. Letting her eyes close again, she was fast asleep before she knew it.

 

[Thundor]

The Final Preparation

​

Despite having slept rather heavily, Scarlett had woken up rather early in the morning. Remembering that she was supposed to be meeting her sister today, her eyes suddenly shot open, but thankfully she didn't make any sudden moves. She had also remembered Reeve was still asleep near her. Since she didn't want to be so rude as to wake him up, she sort of lay there for now, wondering how long it would take for him to wake up. It took a bit for Reeve to wake up and sit up in the bed, rubbing his eyes as he let out a small yawn. He looked around, seeing that it wasn't light yet. "Huh... Well, why am I not surprised?" he mumbles to himself.

Scarlett yawned a little, stretching a bit before she too got up and sat up next to Reeve. "I guess I was a little restless... Must be the anticipation of seeing my sister again." She said, smiling a little, despite being awake, she looked a bit tired still.

Reeve smiles lightly. "Possibly."

Glancing out the window briefly, Scarlett noted the sun wasn't even up yet... Though she had a feeling that would be happening in a few minutes or so. "You think anyone's up this early?" She asked, absent mindedly, more to herself than anything.

Reeve shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know... Probably not."

Scarlett looked to be in thought for a moment, but soon enough, she spoke. "You know... I've never quite experienced anything like what happened last night before." She said, seeming to trail off a little, though the tone of her voice sort of gave away that she was impressed by it.

Reeve blinks. "Like... What?"

Scarlett blushed "Well... I can't quite explain it." she said quietly. Truth to be told, it had been her first time to well, as some others have put it, frolic with someone like that. Reeve puts an arm around her. Scarlett didn't flinch like she normally would if someone else had done that. Instead, she sort of smiled and leaned her head against his harm lightly, not saying anything just yet. Reeve smiles back and keeps her there, watching her.

Eventually, Scarlett looked up at Reeve again with a curious expression. She remembered the strange ability he had with creating things from his own blood, something to do with an organ of his from what she had gathered from that day. "Um... If you're alright with it, can you tell me what organ lets you do what you did yesterday with your blood?" she asked, her tone remaining a curious one.

Reeve sighs. "It's not a normal organ."

Scarlett frowns "Well... That much I know, but... Is it just a rare occurence?" she asked, deciding to inquire further.

Reeve shakes his head. "Everyone in our blood has it."

"I guess... You're not entirely human, are you?" Scarlett said, it seemed she was more curious than afraid at the moment.

Reeve raises his brows. "What was your first clue?"

Scarlet shrugged, seeming to think about it for a moment "You said it's not a normal orga... And everyone with your blood has it so... I just thought maybe that was the case." she said, it seemed she had a knack for more than just hunting.

Reeve leans in to kiss her briefly before pulling himself away. "It's a long story that I can't say right now."

Scarlett nodded understandably, she was still quite curious, but glad to at least have had some what of an answer. "I guess we'll talk later... Whenever you feel up to it." She said, giving him a light smile to let him know she was alright with this.

Reeve nods. "I promise... I will tell you." He then leans in to kiss her again. Scarlett leaned towards Reeve slowly herself, gradual enough so that when their lips touched, it didn't feel too sudden. Reeve wraps his arms around her as he keeps it up, holding her gently against him slowly. Scarlett closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy this moment for the time being... To her, things like this were rather rare, so she wasn't quite keen on letting it end too quickly. Reeve moves one of his hands to the back of her head, pulling his own head away and opening his eyes to look into hers, as he kept their noses touching. Scarlett had instinctively opened her eyes again just about at the same time Reeve had. For a reason she wasn't so sure of, she was blushing, but, she didn't stop despite that. Reeve moves in quickly to kiss her again, his eyes closing. The only thing keeping Scarlett from being thrown against her back down on the bed is Reeve's arm held around her.

Scarlett seemed to relax a little upon realizing she wasn't going to fall backwards just like that. She was prepared for the second kiss this time and wrapped her arms around Reeve, returning the embrace. Reeve keeps it up, holding her against him as his hand moves from her head to her cheek, caressing it as his arm presses itself against her. Scarlett tightened her own embrace in turn, it almost felt like a strange game to her. Deciding to take it just a little further, she raised one hand and grasped Reeve's other hand, giving it a gentle but firm squeeze. Reeve's hand returns this before locking their fingers together. Scarlett couldn't quite explain it, but she felt more at ease right now. Even more than she did before, maybe it was because of her confession or something, but she wasn't quite sure herself. Reeve's other hands goes and takes her own, giving it a firm squeeze, but made it gentle to not hurt her.

Scarlett decided to test their limits a little more by pushing against him in a sort of playful manner. Her aim was to get them both to fall onto the bed. Reeve goes down, playing with her, as he lays down on his back on the bed. Scarlett giggled a little, leaning forwards and nuzzling his cheek a little in a playful manner. Reeve lets her, holding her in his arms as she does. Quickly realizing what she was doing Scarlett sort of blushed and stopped what she was doing, but instead of just pulling away, she planted a light kiss on his cheek, deciding to stay here for a while rather than getting up or something. Reeve rolls them over and pins down her hands softly before moving in to kiss her. Scarlett leaned upwards again to meet his lips this time, and in a way, was able to properly kiss him first.

Reeve pins down her head on the bed with his own as he keeps it up, interlocking their fingers as he does this. There was more enthusiasm in it when Scarlett continued kissing him as well. Reeve moves his head away after a bit as he looks down at her and releases her hands from his. Scarlett had a sort of blissful smile on her face as she looked up at Reeve. Soon enough though, she turned towards the window, noticing that the sun was rising. "I guess we should check on the others soon... They're probably going to wake up in a few moments." She said, sounding a little dazed.

Reeve looks over, rolling off and standing up to his feet. "Alright, fine." Scarlett got up soon enough, she seemed just a little breathless, but it didn't really impede her progress too much. More or less on cue, she could have sworn she heard someone stirring in the room across from them. Reeve blinks, having heard that. "Did.... They do anything?"

Scarlett frowned "Who knows... We'll check on them in a moment." she said, hiding the concern in her voice.

"In a moment?" Reeve asked curiously.

"Yeah... I'm grabbing my spear." Scarlett said, casually walking over to it and picking it up. "What did you think I meant by that?" She asked, teasing Reeve a little.

"I have no idea." Reeve said bluntly. Scarlett just smiled and shook her head a little before opening the door to their room with her free hand and standing there, waiting for Reeve to join her.

Reeve walks over and takes one of her hands into his hand. "I'll let you lead the way." Scarlett nodded, giving him a warm smile before pulling him along towards the room Cecily and Rican had been staying in. Rican rolls from side to side seemingly restless. Cecily seemed to have fallen off the bed and was unaware she was laying more or less right next to Rican. She was far enough away from him that he didn't roll into her when she had fallen.​

Scarlett in the meantime had taken it upon herself to knock on the door. "Are you two alright in there?" She asked, a slightly concerned tone could be just faintly detected in her voice as she spoke. Rican shoot ups stiff as a board reaching for his axe then he realized where he was, relaxing himself letting go of his axe.

Cecily decided to reply, forgetting for the moment where she was "We're alright! I just sorta... Fell. Heh." she said, laughing a little awkwardly before standing up. It seemed she was a little embarrassed despite trying to brush off the entire moment. Rican goes to stand up not realizing how close she was, as he stood he was looking her in the face their noses almost touching stopping for a brief moment looking her in the eye then stepping back clearing his throat

Cecily blushed a little, realizing how close she was to Rican now, but she looked towards the door. "I-I'll get the door." She said with an embarrassed laugh before walking quickly towards the door and opening it. Scarlett was standing at the door and blinked a little noticing that Cecily was blushing a little, Rican on the other seemed a little more calm. Rican would be out of his armor which would be a new sight for Scarlett he looks to the door nodding to her. Reeve waves nervously at them, holding Scarlett's hand in his own.

Scarlett looked at the two, raising her eyebrow a little before she spoke, she did however silently take note that Rican seemed to have his armor off for once. "So... Cecily, you wouldn't mind having two or three more joining us, would you?" She asked curiously.

Cecily shook her head "I'll make some room around here or something... I think there's another guest room behind one of the shelves." she said, smiling a little. It seemed she was back to her old cheery yet awkward self again. Rican walks over to his bag shifting through it. Reeve shrugs. "It'll be soon, I bet."

Scarlett glanced out the window, she seemed a little impatient "I hope so... We need to get moving sooner or later, you know?" she said, she still hadn't forgotten about the fact that they were still hunted after by the Crimson blade.

Cecily on the other hand just seemed confused "Why's that?" she asked, her expression changing to a more curious one. Rican pulls out a small rags from his pack that seems to be wrapped around a box

Scarlett looked towards Cecily with a conflicted expression on her face "Well... We just travel alot you know." she said, seeming to dodge the question. Thankfully Cecily was a little distracted by the bundle rags Rican had pulled from his pack, turning to look at them curiously, there was a box in the middle of it.

Rican looks at Cecily raising a brow "Yes?"

Cecily looked a little nervous "Oh... I was just curious what you've got there." she said, realizing she seemed a little strange staring like that. Scarlett on the other hand just sort of stood there, listening to the conversation quietly, curious about it herself. Reeve watched them with Scarlett, knowing something was going on. Rican opens the box revealing a small ornate knife decorated with small gems with a small symbol on the hilt with two axes crossing with a helmet as a background.

Cecily studied the knife carefully, despite it's ornate nature, it actually looked surprisingly sharp. However, it had never seen any real use in combat, or at least not that she noticed anyways considering how smooth it's blade was. "It's really well made but... I've never seen something like that in suck a good condition!" Cecily said, it seemed she was a little excited again, but she managed to contain herself enough as not to do something foolish.

Rican pulls the knife from the box "it's my family knife, it's been in my family for a few generations."

Cecily smiled "It's really well made... I've never seen anything like that." she said, it was quite obvious that she was impressed right about now.

Rican looks at here "It is one of the few that exist due to most of them being stolen."

Cecily frowned, she had a sort of wannabe menacing look on her face as she tapped the large looking baton she had on her back. "Well, if anyone tries to steal it, you can count on me to protect it!" she said, trying to sound confident, but ending up sounding a little awkward instead.

Rican chuckles "I have faith in you."

Cecily laughed a little "At least I convinced someone." she said, smiling a little. Rican looks at her for a few moments then flips the hilt over the blade catching the blade holding it out to her slowly.

Cecily looked surprised at Rican's offer, but her hand sort of reached out as she spoke nervously. "A-Are you... Posotively serious?" She asked, it seemed she was excited about this though despite the fact that this could all be some cruel joke.

Rican holds it out still "Before I change my mind about letting you look at it closer."

Cecily nodded, taking the knife carefully, inspecting it closer... It was certain now that the blade was more or less unscathed which confirmed her statement earlier. This knife had been taken care of quite well over the years, and she hoped it would remain so, she quickly held the knife out to Rican again worrying that she'd drop it from the excitement. "I really need to learn how to make things like this..." She said, seeming quite thoughtful, despite having made blades and the like before, she's never in her life produced anything so... Smooth, maybe it was a talent only dwarves had?

Rican takes the knife "It takes year upon years to craft such beauty."

Cecily nodded understandably "To tell you the truth... I've never had the time to do something like that... But, maybe you'll teach me someday?" she asked, hopefully looking at Rican.

Rican stops just after placing the knife in the box and was half way shutting it "....maybe I will."

Cecily smiled again "Until then... If you 3 don't mind... I'm traveling with you. I could use a vacation after all." she said, turning to the other two wondering what they though.

Scarlett shrugged and nodded a little "I think we can trust you... But, you sure you're up for something this dangerous?" she asked. Reeve continues observing, remaining quiet as he does.

Cecily nodded, she patted her baton again "I think so... Whatever you're facing, I'm ready as I can be!" she seemed awfully cheery given the situation.

Rican wraps the box up in the rag then places it in his pack "Don't worry..." he looks to her "I'll protect you." he smiles lightly at the end

Cecily had a more sincere smile on her face for a moment as Rican said that before her expression returned to normal again. "I'm sure you will... I think we'll make a great team!" She said, jumping up in the air a little and raising her fist in the air as if to declare something. Rican continues to look at her for several moments then returns his attention to his pack searching through it then closing it. Scarlett smiled a little as she watched, it seemed she and Reeve weren't the only ones to have some chemistry going on.

Cecily in the meantime, looked out the window for a moment before grabbing a nearby pack she had carried with her. Placing a few blueprints, some strange leaves and a canteen in it, she closed it up and slung it over her shoulder. "I'm ready to go... Whenever we leave that is." She said, perhaps she had prepared a little too early. Rican walks over to his armor putting it on finishing with the shoulders.

Reeve shakes his head. "We are waiting on others to arrive."

Cecily set her pack down again, leaning against the wall. "I guess we'll wait then." She said, sounding a little disappointed as she leaned against the wall. It wasn't certain when the rest of the company would arrive, but she hoped it wouldn't take too long from now.

Rican tightens the straps on his gauntlets rubbing his beard with his right hand looking over at Cecily "How often do you travel?"

Cecily looked a little awkward at the question "Not often... I guess I don't get many job requests from other towns anymore these days." she said, it seemed her life had been a little dull as a result.

Rican leans on the wall infront of her, "Then this will be a good experience."

Cecily smiled a little, excited again and nodded "Yeah... It's a good thing I still practice my swings!" she added, reaching for her baton, but stopping as it was fairly obvious deploying her baton in a room like this wouldn't be the best of ideas.

Rican nods "Blunt weaponry has it's uses."

Cecily nodded, she sort of sat down on her bed for the time being seeming rather bored. "I guess we'll be waiting for a while... Won't we." She said, seeming to have stated the obvious.

Rican sat next to her on the bed "We are...sadly." Reeve looks over to Scarlett, giving her a look suggesting she somehow get them to do something together related. Scarlett shrugged a little, it seemed she too was out of ideas but she did look like she was in thought.

 

[York]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The City Of Vertice - Part 3 - Reunion At Last[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]At around 5 AM, Akane wakes up with a start, not remembering where she fell asleep, her instincts kick in, and she immediately tries to get a sense of where she is. After a brief moment, Akane recognizes that she had fallen asleep with Ansley when she collapsed from exhausting her gem power. Fortunately, that kind of crash sleep means that Akane should now have her full gem power back, which coupled with a lack of evident danger made Akane relax somewhat. Not that Akane wasn't prepared for some sort of explosive to come crashing through the window, but at least she could rule out more probable threats. With those thoughts out of the way, Akane begin to think about Ansley. She was probably worried about everything that happened last night, but she seems to still be asleep. Akane smiles to herself. Well, it is too early for her to wake up, but there is no way Akane to go back to sleep like this. Akane instead moves closer to Ansley, wrapping her legs around Ansley's loose one, and letting her top hand rest across Ansley's back in a way that left Akane's hand on Ansley's upper back.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It took Ansley a little longer to awaken, she'd been sleeping peacefully, not having been bothered by Akane shifting her position. She had been having quite a pleasant dream though, as she woke up quite peacefully, slowly opening her eyes. Blinking a few times, she smiled a little when she realized that Akane had moved closer to her. The position they were in right now was something she actually kind of enjoyed strangely enough, so she decided to stay like this for a moment. However, after a few moments, she suddenly remember she was supposed to be meeting her sister today. "A-Akane?" She asked, wondering if Akane was awake as well.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane, noticing that Ansley was waking, began softly rubbing Ansley's back. "Akane has been up for a while. It is the first night that Ansley didn't play a song for Akane to sleep, so Akane woke up pretty early, and Akane is super alert."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled, moving a little closer to Akane "I-I'm glad... " she said quietly. After a moment, she spoke again "D-Do you think my s-sister's awake?" she asked curiously. She wanted to visit her right now, but she wasn't sure if she was even awake right now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane moves back slightly, if only to not be talking right into Ansley. "Akane doesn't know when Ansley wakes up, but Akane thinks it wouldn't be terrible if we came while they were asleep."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded understandably "I-I wouldn't mind w-waiting an hour…" she said, her sister was usually up around the time the sun rose up in the sky, and right now, that wasn't exactly the case yet as noticed when she looked out the window.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks at Ansley curiously, "What would you want to do with Akane for an hour?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley went quiet, she'd never actually thought about it in too much detail "I-I don't know… B-but… I don't want t-to go just yet." she said quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane laughs a cute little laugh, then snuggles her head into Ansley's chest. "Akane doesn't mind laying with Ansley for an hour. But Akane doesn't know if that is what Ansley wants."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled hearing Akane laugh like that, she found it quite adorable. She cradled Akane's head lightly with one hand, petting her head gently with another. "I-I'm ok with that…" She said softly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane enjoys Ansley's touch. Somehow, the contact felt more intimate while half naked. Akane agrees wordlessly, simply allowing Ansley to continue. Ansley might notice however, that Akane still has her dagger ready, even in a situation like this. She never puts it away, but instead deliberately puts it wherever it needs to be so that she can draw the blade at a moment's notice.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]On instinct, Ansley shifted a little closer to Akane, she didn't seem to mind the fact that Akane still had her dagger with her. It was something she barely took note of right now as she was lost in the moment for the time being. For some reason, she didn't feel very nervous being like this, instead, she felt quite calm to say the least.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane remains as she is for a time, but after about half an hour, her childish side took advantage of her, and she became increasingly restless. Although Akane enjoys her time with Ansley, it grows obvious that Akane can't just sit still for this long.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley noticed Akane's increased restlessness soon enough "I-I guess it wouldn't h-hurt to visit my s-sister right now… I-I just hope we don't surprise h-her too badly." she said with a quiet laugh as she imagined how her sister would look in a situation like that.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent] Akane, very ready to start getting ready, gets out of bed and puts on her dress. It is getting a bit dirty from being worn repeatedly, but it is still not so bad that it is unusable. Still, it certainly has a traveled appearance to it. Akane is ready in moments, waiting for Ansley to be ready to leave.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley yawned a little before she stretched, sitting up in the bed for a few moments before she got up. She grabbed her harp and the bag of gems they'd left here before joining Akane at the door, she nodded as if to say she was ready.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane, now grasping ahold of Ansley's hand, taking off in a dash towards Scarlett's place. It looks like if you make Akane sit still too long, she'll want to run it all out later.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley followed along, trying her best to keep up with Akane. She took note of how energetic she was after sitting still for so long, perhaps it wasn't the best idea to do that too often. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]In no time at all, Akane and Ansley arrive at the workshop. Akane stops running when they get to the door. "Akane will let Ansley lead now."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded, though she noticed the workshop doors were closed, but she wasn't sure if they were locked. Deciding to knock on the door to check if anyone was awake in there, she reached out a hand and gave the door two light taps, just loud enough to make a sound. Hearing no response, Ansley reaches out and cautiously pushes the door open, looking inside to see if she could see anyone...[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve hears the knocking and looks over, raising a brow as he blinks. Then he sees someone open the door and poke Scarlett's arm, gesturing to the people peeking inside. "Hey, so, does anyone know who that is?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett looked up upon hearing this, she looked towards the door and her eyes widened. "Ansley!" she exclaimed, running up to the door roughly just as Ansley had opened it all the way, more or less glomping her as this happened.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley was taken by surprise when this happened, but, she thankfully (barely) managed to keep the door open when this happened, flushing a bit red. "I-I missed you too s-sister…" She said quietly, but she did hug her back, and was smiling quite a bit herself, it looked a bit awkward the way she hugged her back though since her hands were a little full.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve blinks as he awkwardly tilts his head at them and walks over. "So this is your sister, huh? It's good to meet you. I'm Reeve."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett nodded a little, eventually, somewhat reluctantly pulling away from her sister. Ansley in the meantime was still holding the door open as not to be rude to Akane, but she looked towards Reeve and nodded a little, smiling shyly "I-I'm Ansley…" she said quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane pops up from behind Ansley now that initial greeting have concluded, "And Akane is here too! Ansley is shy right now since she is just meeting you for the first time, but Akane isn't shy like that. Akane was looking forward to meeting Ansley's sister."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve nods to them as he looks around. "Well, why don't I let Scarlett catch you both up on the situation at hand? I need to check on something real quick." Reeve quickly heads upstairs without another word, as if something had just came across his mind.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett nodded, she looked a little concerned about what was going on with Reeve, but for now, she turned to Akane and smiled, waving to her a little. "It's nice to meet you Akane… I'm glad Ansley's starting to make friends." She said, sure she wasn't aware of the relationship the two had, but she did notice they had become rather close to some extent.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane is really glad that she met Ansley. Akane isn't good at much other than running fast, and Akane wasn't traveling with anyone, so it would have been bad if Akane didn't meet Ansley. Plus, Ansley plays the best music, and Akane falls asleep to it a lot. But not because it is boring, it is just music Akane is supposed to fall asleep to."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled at this, she was still blushing, but she seemed happy "A-Akane's been a really g-good friend to me... " she said quietly, she wondered if she should mention the other person they'd met. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett smiled at Akane, patting her on the head a little, even laughing a little "I guess my sister's really good with that sort of thing." she said. There was a sort of proud look on her face as she seemed to be thinking about something.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks upward curiously at Scarlett as she starts petting me. Akane doesn't say much, though remains curious about the information that Reeve said they'd be filled in on.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett suddenly remembered something and spoke up "Well, if you're wondering about that information Reeve told you about… To make a long story short, some very dangerous people are hunting for us." she said, rubbing the back of her neck a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked curious, but worried at the same time, she didn't say anything though, or at least not yet.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks up innocently, "So, Scarlett and Reeve are trying to make bad people go away, or are you trying to make sure they don't find you?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett looked a little sheepish "Well… The latter for now, we'll be on the move soon, we'll figure out something then." she said. She glanced up towards where Reeve had gone, wondering what he was thinking about.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It seems Ansley on the other hand finally spoke up though "D-Do you know who?" she asked curiously… Even if they weren't fighting them, she at least wanted to know what they were up against.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"The Crimson Blade." Scarlett said bluntly, she wasn't sure how long it would take them to figure out they were hiding here, but she hoped it wasn't anytime soon.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley frowned "I-I've heard of them b-before… Assassins." she said quietly, there wasn't much she had heard, but enough to know they were rather dangerous.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett just nodded "We were tailing some guy… Stumbled across their hideout." she said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane's ears perk up when Scarlett mentions the hideout. "Akane wants to know if you just found the place, or took the time to scout it out."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett frowned for a moment as she pondered whether or not to tell Akane all of this, but she shrugged a little. As long as Ansley trusted her, she figured it was ok "Well… I sorta found the place with a little help from Reeve." she said, deciding to be vague about this for now.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane doesn't really understand, but if the place is dangerous, Akane is glad that you came back safe."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett smiled "I could say the same about you two… Things have gotten more dangerous these past few weeks." she said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane and Ansley weren't really in that much danger. Only like, 5 things tried to kill us."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]This seemed to cause a little concern to cross Scarlett's face, but she soon looked normal again "I guess I'm glad you two made it here ok…" she said, sighing a little. She'd ask about the details later, right now, she decided to check up on Reeve. "I'll be right back." Scarlett said after a moment, heading up the stairs towards where Reeve was, eventually stopping behind him and clearing her throat a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley in the meantime just looked towards Akane apologetically, but remained silent for the time being.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looked towards Ansley, confused by her reaction. "Does Ansley's sister not like Akane?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley shook her head "S-she usually doesn't act l-like that…" she said quietly, tilting her head a little, though it was most likely Scarlett was worried about something.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane nods, "Akane will do her best to behave then." Akane moves over to Ansley's side, and leans against her.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve looks over towards her as he tilts his head at her. "Uh, hey, is everyone like, caught up and stuff? I haven't noticed any unusual attention from the enemy so far."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett nodded in response "You were acting a little strange earlier…" she said, seeming to be studying Reeve a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled "I-I think my sister's j-just a little worried." she said, gently putting an arm around Akane affectionately.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve tilts his head. "You mention that a lot, ya know?" He stands up to his feet and brushes himself off. "I'm not exactly used to being in these kinds of situations, ya know? I mean, we only have one day until they start doing crazy things right?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett shrugged "I guess so… You think we should get going soon?" she asked.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane hears other people here. Do we need to tell them we are leaving?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett nodded, eyeing both Cecily and Rican who seemed to be sleeping over there, She quickly nudged Cecily first whom quickly woke up with a start.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Wha- Oh! Right! We're supposed to be leaving! Come on Rican!" Cecily said quickly, starting to shake Rican awake.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane speaks up again, "Akane doesn't mind if you don't say, but you told Akane and Ansley that you'd fill us in, but now we are leaving and Akane doesn't even know where."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett shrugged "We don't know but… We can't stay here either, the Crimson Blade will find us soon like this." she admitted, looking towards Cecily who was still trying to wake Rican up.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Rican groaned mildly then sitting up slowly "Yes?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Cecily tilted her head "We're supposed to be leaving, remember?" she said, gesturing towards Ansley and Akane who have arrived.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Rican had started getting ready just after she said that strapping his armor on grabbing his axe.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Cecily nodded, she seemed already ready, with everything she had needed on her before she had dozed off like that.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett looked around a little before walking over to Ansley and Akane "We'll try and find a place to stay, somewhere other than here." she said, looking over at Reeve. "Any place in mind?" she asked him.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve shakes his head at her. "Sorry, nothing on my mind this time. We're in the dark until your friends get back." Reeve looks out a window, as if still on guard duty or something like that.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett sighed "Let's go find another Inn or something to stay at, anyplace is better than near here." she said, starting on her way towards the door. Ansley followed, gently tugging Akane along as she did so, seeming to understand the urgency of this situation.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve follows along with them, looking towards Akane and Ansley as he raises a brow at them. "So uh… What's the story with you two, anyway? It seemed like things must of made you move to have come here."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane just wanted to come because she heard that Ansley's sister was having a hard time, and Akane wanted to do everything Akane could to help. Akane isn't very strong, but Akane has a strong friend, so Akane will depend on her if things get scary."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled a little, but she kept silent, still a bit shy from seeing so many new people at once. Scarlett nodded a little, she still wanted to inquire more about their travels, but she didn't feel that comfortable doing so right now out in the open.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve shrugs in response. "Alright, if that's how you want to respond. I just hope we can find somewhere to rest up and prepare at the least. Or else I might just go a little insane."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett put a hand on his shoulder "I think we can figure something out… It shouldn't be too long until we find another Inn to stay at." she said, in an encouraging manner. Ansley looked up, deciding to look around a little this time "I-I'll help look out f-for one…" she said softly, she did feel like she wanted to contribute at least in some way.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane wants to know how far we are going to travel."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett thought about this for a moment "An hour… We'll try and find a place to stay at then." she said, coming to a decision rather quickly. "It shouldn't be that hard to do here." She added, starting to think again.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks concerned, "Are you scared?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked up at Scarlett too when Akane mentioned this.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett shook her head though, feeling a bit embarrassed "Oh uh.. No! Of course not! I'm just a little worried… That's all." she said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane feels intimidated by the defensive reaction, but is becoming increasingly aware that Scarlett doesn't have a real plan. While it is true that shifting locations in a small group would throw off informants, that only works after making contact. After making contact, assassins keep track of their targets potential whereabouts based on several factors; the most important being time elapsed. This considered, the only reason Ansley's sister could be worried is if they made contact extremely recently and has no way of disguising her whereabouts to passers by. The only other scenario is that Akane is the most knowledgeable in how to avoid getting tagged, but Akane can't reveal herself to give her knowledge credibility. With all this in mind, Akane begins to speak again. "Akane thinks that we need a real plan, or we will end up in a bad position. Maybe eat at a less popular location that we can talk at? Akane is hungry since she didn't have anything to eat yet."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett nodded, deciding to look towards Reeve as he was more familiar with the area "Any places in mind?" she asked him.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked curiously towards him too, nodding a little at Akane's suggestion, she wasn't sure where they could go at the moment, but it seemed like a good idea to keep a lower profile around these parts for the time being.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve sighs, looking around with his eyes as he frowns a little. "A private place where no one would be able to find us, huh? That's a bit hard to find in a big city like this, but then, there must be something that's not known or talked about. But then, how would I have heard about it?" He groans, putting a hand on his forehead. "This is going to be tough for everyone."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett raises a brow "You think we'll have better luck on the outskirts?" she asked.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley did remember that restaurant she and Akane had visited on their first date, it did seem to be near the outskirts of town and hadn't been all that crowded. Perhaps if they could find an isolated place like that again, they could discuss things with less of a risk of attracting unfavorable attention.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Having had her share of the limelight, Akane retreats into Ansley like she did when walking through crowds. Akane still had a lot to process.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley in response wrapped a protective arm around Akane, something she did on instinct more than from conscious thought, though she didn't seem to be too embarrassed yet as she wasn't really that aware of what she was doing.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve looks to Scarlett and sighs a little. "Well… Maybe we should find somewhere seclusive to go into instead, you know, like hide out somewhere in somewhere abandoned? I don't know, really." Reeve scratches his head briefly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley actually interrupted Scarlett this time, albeit very quietly "I-Is it ok if w-we get some food f-first? Akane's hungry…" she said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve sighs lightly, unable to help but smile at this. "Alright, alright… Let's find some food."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane seems to be happy that Ansley would stand up for her like that, even when Akane was unwilling to speak for herself. Akane wasn't actually hungry, she had made that up to get them to stop somewhere, but she could eat and she loved this assertive side of Ansley, showing her happiness with a small smile.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley blushed a little, but calmed down seeing Akane smile, in fact, she smiled back a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett looked towards Ansley, she seemed quite proud of her and smiled a little, then, she looked around briefly, trying to see if she could spot some place that sold too. "I'm sure some food's never too far away." She said confidently as she did so.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"We can only hope." Reeve comments as he continues to look around.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Finally, Scarlett spotted some sort of building, she wasn't entirely sure if it was a restaurant… Though the sign hanging off it did look like something that would hang off of a place that serves food. With a shrug, she decided it wouldn't hurt to check what's inside "I think I found something." she said, pointing towards the building.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley studied the sign a little, even squinting a bit, but, she eventually gave up with a disappointed look, it was too worn to make out anything legible on it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve raises a brow, unable to read it, as he looked over towards Scarlett. "Um, you sure it's safe here?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett shrugged "It doesn't look that bad… Just… Ancient I guess." she said, after a moment of thinking, she just carefully pushed the door open, peering inside… She wasn't sure what she'd find in there.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]On the inside, the place looked a bit dusty and rather worn, but, still functional. Though not many people were gathered there, in places, it looked like the wall had been patched up with fresh wood and paint. An ancient looking bartender stood there, behind large barrels that still seemed to be in good shape, with rather sparkling clean glass cups sitting on the counter, some of which he was polishing. They stuck out a considerable lot from the rest of the scenery really, and it was obvious why they were so clean.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Looking back outside, Scarlet smiled a little "I think we're good to eat here." she said, motioning for everyone to come inside. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley peeked inside too quickly, before relaxing a little, starting to follow behind Scarlett.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve frowns as he looks over to Scarlett. "Are you sure this is safe? I mean, we know nothing about this place…" He sighs and shakes his head. ". . .I suppose we got no other choice though, do we? You might as well go ask him some questions, Scar."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett looked a little surprised at this, but nodded, heading inside, Ansley followed behind, keeping her distance a little as she looked around, it seemed everything was quite isolated though.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Cecily had been silently following them, tugging along Rican the entire time, she looked quite interested in her surroundings right about now. Though she decided to sit down at one of the empty tables while Scarlett went to speak with presumably the owner of the place. Ansley followed behind slowly, deciding to keep by her sister's and Akane's side. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Once everyone was sitting down, Akane stopped being so shy, and simply remained at Ansley's side for the affection. "Akane is happy that we get to eat. Akane didn't get to meet everyone, so Akane wants to start with that."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded, meanwhile, Cecily turned to them eagerly "I'm Cecily!" she said, seeming a bit more excited than you'd expect out of someone at times like these. Ansley smiled, giving her a quiet wave. Meanwhile, Scarlett was conversing with that man at the counter, though after a while, she had bought some food and brought it over to the table. "He didn't talk too much, but… I got the food." She said, sitting down and smiling a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hi Cecily, I'm Akane, Ansley's girlfriend."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Cecily blushed a little, but after a moment, she laughed nervously, waving at Akane "It's nice to meet you too Akane!" she said, smiling, even if she was a bit awkward about it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Seemingly not thinking much of Cecily's reaction, "Akane thinks she remembers seeing your name before, but Akane doesn't remember where."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Cecily smiled, suddenly remembering this "Oh right! It's part of the name of my workshop! You probably saw it written on the sign out there." she said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Cecily has a workshop? Akane wonders why Cecily needs a workshop."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I invent things! And repair them… It's kind of my job." Cecily said, she seemed a little excited at first, but it quickly shifted to awkwardness as she continued talking, it was clear she may not be the best with holding a conversation.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh, Akane thinks that Cecily must be really smart then. Akane doesn't know how to invent or fix anything. Akane just runs really fast."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Cecily blushed "It's not often I hear that sort of thing anymore... Thanks!" she said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley smiled a little towards Cecily, she had started to gather the courage to speak "I-I've always wanted to m-meet an inventor…" she said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Cecily looked a bit more flustered, she clearly wasn't used to receiving such attention "I-I… Thank you…" she said quietly, she almost sounded like Ansley that moment.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well, Akane met one person, but Akane still hasn't met everyone." Akane looks expectantly at Reeve.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"The name's Reeve." He said, giving her a short wave.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane wants to know more about Reeve."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Not much really to say about me." Reeve shrugs. "I'm just a guy who got grouped up in all of this by Scarlett. I used to work at some low down hotel or something like that. Details seem to slip my mind about that place…"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane never met someone who was willing to risk their life for people they didn't care for. Is there something going on between you and Scarlett?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve looks over to Scarlett. "Yeah. We just recently hooked up." Reeve looks back over to Akane. "Kind of funny how life works out sometimes."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane smiles brightly, "Akane thinks that it is really sweet how you risk your life to protect Scarlett. Akane wishes she were powerful enough to protect Ansley. Akane mostly just depends on Ansley."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve shrugs. "If you've made it this far, odds are, you're probably a lot stronger than you think."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane shakes her head, "Akane just knows how to stay out of trouble. The Hunter is the one who is strong. She is around, even now, but she prefers to work out of sight when possible."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve nods, even if it did confuse him a little. "I see. Is that all you wanted to ask then?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane puffs her cheeks, "Akane still doesn't know a lot about Reeve. Akane wanted to know a little more so Akane could be friends."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve shrugs. "Not much more I can say at the moment. Your friend The Hunter needs to stay down in order to put you all in less danger, right? I need to do the same right now, not just for me though, for my entire race. I hope you can forgive me for not being able to speak more openly."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh, Akane didn't realize, but Akane thinks knowing that much is probably enough. Akane knows that you have that kind of responsibility now."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve nods. "That's good." Reeve looks over to Scarlett. "So, what now? You led us in here, I assume you have a leading idea of what to do from here?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett shrugged "From the little I've gotten… This place isn't so popular around so, it'll take our "friends" a while to get here… But…" she looked a little embarrassed about this, but came out with it bluntly after a bit. "I don't know what to do from there." She said, throwing up her hands a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked at her sister, a little confused, but, then again, she didn't remember Scarlett telling her about any experiences with situations like this before.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane talks to Ansley somewhat sheepishly, tugging at her sleeve, "Akane needs to use the bathroom."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley seemed a little unsure what to do at first, but, before Scarlett could react, she stood up abruptly and walked over to the man at the counter. She spoke quietly to him for a moment before quickly hurrying back and pointing towards a hallway to the left of their table. "H-he says the bathroom's th-that way…" She said quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane blushes, "Akane doesn't want to go by herself here."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley blushed a little herself, but, nodded quickly, grabbing Akane's hand "I-It's ok… L-let's go!" she said softly, starting to walk towards the bathroom with Akane, she tried not to let the embarrassment show on her face too much.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After reaching the bathroom, Akane enters the stall and does the thing, but on exit, The Hunter is the one who comes out. She seems to be in a rotten mood too, even for her. And it seems that evil aura about her is simply impossible to get used to.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]This frightened Ansley a little "U-Uh… Akane? I-Is everything a-alright?" she asked nervously.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Akane is taking a bit of a break while I fix the incredible stupidity present within your group. Now, listen carefully, because now I have to cover the direction you are going to influence the plan during the short time we can reasonably remain here. From what I can gather, though they annoyingly didn't tell me, they have made direct contact with the enemy, and their faces are now known. Running isn't going to help any more. We need to infiltrate to delete any records they have. If they suggest needing time to prepare, suggest something completely outside of the city. Even places like this aren't even a semblance of safe, they will just keep us out of sight and earshot. We need to leave as soon as a proper plan is established, so hurry back, and later we can press for actual information. Being kept in the dark like this from our allies is infuriating." Akane comes back, and gives a sorry look. "Sorry… The Hunter has been fuming all day, so I had to promise I'd let her talk to you."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded slowly, starting to calm down a little "I-I think we can leave… B-but I need to see i-if everyone else agrees." she said quietly, taking Akane's hand gently and walking back towards their table, getting there soon enough. She approached Scarlett first once they had come back to the table "A-Akane suggests we leave t-the town if we w-want to prepare…" she said quietly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett frowned at this, she looked to be thinking before she turned to Reeve "You think we could do that?" Then, she suddenly remembered, something, turning to Akane "We caught word someone named Hamilton brought someone dangerous over here… Some sort of deranged Sorcerer." she said, hoping she had remembered this correctly, she kept her voice low.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Deranged sorcerer?" Reeve looks over to Scarlett. "What's his name?"[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett looked towards Reeve "Maxim… Heliot?" she said, shuddering a little when she mentioned that name… It had given everyone chills when it was mentioned before, so, it didn't surprise her too much.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley shivered a little as well upon hearing that name "W-Why's Hamilton d-doing all of this?" she asked nervously.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve looks over towards Scarlett as he raises his brow slowly. ". . .The most insane lunatic to ever use illusions ever? Yeah, I think we need to re-think our entire strategy now."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett sighed "Yeah… Do you think we should get out of town for now?" she asked.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley wanted to hear this answer as well since Akane's Hunter side did suggest that, which she relayed to Scarlett.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I don't know. It sounds like something bad is going to happen to this place tomorrow… And with Maxim Heliot here, it won't be good for anyone." Reeve sighs. "He could literally have set up an illusion by now if he's already here, just to screw with people."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett nodded, she looked very serious by now "What do you propose we do then?" she asked curiously.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve sighs. "At this point, it sounds like we're sitting ducks. Waiting on your friends is going to be a drag."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane looks towards Scarlett, "If there is a person who can make things that aren't real seem like they are, then does that mean that there is no way to know anything is actually real?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett frowned "Maybe…" she said thoughtfully, she seriously had no idea what the magnitude of Heliot's powers were.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked a bit confused, but also thoughtful, however, she didn't seem to say anything just yet.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane shakes her head. "When Akane was traveling with a thief, she got to play cards a lot. He liked to win, so sometimes he would cheat. He was an expert in slide of hand, so Akane never knew when he gave himself a winning hand. So because Akane wanted to win, Akane would try to win big whenever Akane thought Akane could win. Sometimes Akane just lost because he cheated, but Akane also won sometimes because he didn't think he needed to cheat and Akane won suddenly. So Akane thinks we should try to win big like Akane did. Akane wants to assume Heliot isn't cheating right now, and beat him before he thinks we are a threat."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley nodded, she seemed to like this idea, but she turned to Scarlett to see what she thought about this.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett seemed impressed by this, and she nodded "Then it's settled… We'll have to find him, any ideas Reeve?" she asked, turning towards Reeve, raising an eyebrow.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"That's a foolish assumption." Reeve crosses his arms. "If it's Hamilton who hired him, he's most likely being kept safely in the Merchant base. And since it was already attacked recently, our chances of getting in anytime today are zero most likely. Not unless you could phase through walls, of course."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley had a more brave look on her face for a moment as she looked up "I-I think we should a-at least check the p-place out!" she said, her voice was just a little louder than it usually was as she frowned a little.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett looked from Reeve to Ansley, and then back to Reeve again "We'll have to think of something… Before tomorrow." she said, starting to look a bit thoughtful.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane starts getting nervous. At this point, they'd need more information about how to infiltrate than Akane could secretly convey through Ansley nor childish remarks, but revealing Akane is an assassin is a final trump card. Simply joining their party was already a calculated risk, but this was too much. For now, Akane will wait and see, but this situation doesn't seem good.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley looked to be waiting too to see how things would turn out, moving closer to Akane as she did so, patting her head a little, trying to calm her down a little absent mindedly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Did anyone ask who that person is by any chance?" Reeve gestured to the strange butler who had been here.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett shrugged "I tried… Didn't get an direct answer." she said, tilting her head at the odd fellow she had been talking to, he seemed nice enough though.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve frowns, walking over to the butler. "Hey, you. What's your name?" Reeve asks, eyeing the butler suspiciously.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He looked up, having started polishing the glass again "It's none of your concern." he said, he sounded a bit distracted, maybe a little wary.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane walks up with an innocent expression, "Is your name a stupid name like Howard? Because if it is Akane won't laugh."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The Bartender just shrugged lightly, but, he did seem just a bit less wary "It's nothing of that sort." he said gruffly, continuing to polish that glass, even if it did already look clean enough as is.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane gets stumped, but turns it into a game. "I know, it must be because you owe someone money, and you are worried we are here to collect!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]This time, the Bartender just cocked his head a little and stopped polishing the glass for a moment, it seemed Akane had at least been partially correct there. After a while, he just shook his head and continued polishing the glass without another word.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane grows excited, "Akane was right wasn't Akane! But this game isn't any fun when you ignore Akane. Since Akane is one of your only customers, Akane thought you'd be more fun. Akane would get lonely cleaning already clean glass all day."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The man finally looked up again "My name's Al." he said simply, before turning back to polishing his glass, he didn't seem to be up for too much more conversation at the moment.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane turns to Reeve happily, "Akane learned his name! Did Akane do good?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve nods. "You did good Akane." Reeve looks to Al. "Yo Al, you been overhearing our conversation? Cuz if you have, I have some questions for you, Mr. Suspicious."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Al just looked up, he looked rather droll this time, he didn't speak again though, seeming to prefer keeping his silence.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve slams his fist onto the desk he was behind, if there even was one. "HEY! This is serious, multiple lives depend on this ya know!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Akane holds the hand that Reeve slammed down, "Akane doesn't like how scary and loud you are being. Akane thinks you are being mean to Al, even though he might not be doing anything wrong. Akane also thinks that we need to sit back at the table and calm down. Yelling at people won't solve anything." Akane speaks, somewhat timidly, but trying to make some amount of a stand.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Al didn't react, but he did speak "It's been a while since anyone's come to this place… Last time they were louder than you." he said bluntly. He looked down again, starting to polish his glass once more.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve sighs, looking to Akane. "I realize this, but in this dire time, I can't afford the risk. For all we know, this man could be working for the merchants and is just spying on us." Reeve looks over towards Al after he spoke. "How long ago was this, and was there anything specific you noticed about them?"[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"They were people… Much like you lot." Al said, he didn't look up this time.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve sighs, this was going to be difficult. "Please don't be a smartbutt about this."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"If you looked carefully at the repainted parts of the wall… You'll get the idea of what they did." Al added, he was polishing his glass again, but with a more defining squeaking noise to it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve was curious now. "Do you know who they were associated with?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Al shrugged "They blew a few holes in the wall, then left. One was bigger than the other." he said, he seemed to have calmed down a bit again, that's all I know..[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve sighs, he wasn't getting anywhere with this it seemed. So he shrugged and turned around. "Thanks, I guess." He then moves back over to Scarlett, frowning a little. "Nothing out of him I guess. I'm keeping my eye on him though. Anyway, let's get us some food and find a table."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett sighed but nodded "I think he was talking about Windman and his deceased comrade." she said, shrugging a little. She smiled a little when Reeve mentioned food, and sort of pointed to the sizeable plate she'd dropped down on the table. "Help yourself, I ordered some when I first talked to him." she said, sitting down with a sigh.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Reeve sits down next to her as he puts an arm around her shoulders, holding her against him as he noticed she was sighing, trying to at least cheer her up a bit. "Thanks. Let's dig in." Using his other hand, he begins to eat, letting Scarlett take some of it too.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Scarlett smiled a little, seeming to be content with this, and soon enough, she started to eat too.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ansley and Cecily followed suit, Cecily had stayed quiet for most of the conversation, but seemed quite energetic at the sight of food. Meanwhile, Ansley was even sharing some of her food with Akane, even if she was a bit shy about it, for the moment, everyone seemed rather content with all of this.[/BCOLOR]

 

[York]

The City of Vertice Part 4 - Settling Down​

After many hours of keeping her warm, Isaac would find that the girl slowly awoke...with a rather large look of realization. Then surprise. Then panic. She immediately shoves him out of the bed before covering herself up. "Wh-who the hell are you?!"

​

Isaac is shoved out of the bed and lands right down on his back. Ouch. Gratitude. Apparently it was lost to some people. "I didn't want to do it, but they said if I didn't, you'd get frostbite, and no one else wanted to do it…" He mumbles, before getting up to his feet and brushing himself off. "Anywho… My name is Isaac Gardener. And we are friends. Trust me on this one here, you'd be long gone and frozen over if we weren't." Isaac looks over towards the others for a second. ". . .What? It's true!"

​

The girl still seems to be in a rather large amount of shock, and isn't exactly thinking clearly. "What did you do to me? Did you knock me out just for some sick scenario?" It seemed like she had no recollection of wandering outside in the snow.

​

Isaac glares over at her, just slightly of course. "You went out into the cold and almost froze to death. I just explained I had to keep you warm, otherwise, you'd of frozen to death in the snow."

​

The girl looks slightly less apprehensive, but then stutters "H-how do I know you're not lying to me?"

​

Isaac just blinks at her. "Because we're in a snowy area? You don't feel cold at all?"

​

She blinks. "Oddly enough...not really." Delt then simply notes from the corner "Most likely a side effect of the mark awakening." Before she practically shouts and jumps up in her bed, still covering herself. "AND WHO THE HELL IS HE?!"

​

Isaac groans and facepalms. "That's Deltorve… He's kind of, well, blunt and to the point. He's also likes to screw with people's heads. Don't tell me you have amnesia now, miss name-I-don't-know."

​

"Raiko. My name is Raiko." Delt chuckles at the irony of the name, before Raiko continues. "So...what the hell are we talking about now? I supposedly fell over in the snow and suddenly can't remember it?"

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"Pretty much sums it all up in a grain." Isaac said. "Delt, why can't you see into the future and tell us why she can't remember. Or has your 'third eye' suddenly got something in it?"

​

Delt scowls. "You know I can't do anything like that, Isaac. And I dont appreciate that tone."

​

Isaac sighs. "Well you try having to hold someone to keep them from getting frostbite, only to get smashed and knocked down on your back." Isaac walks over to a chair. "Anyway, I might as well just sit here and wait until my body recovers before going to speak again."

​

It takes a few minutes, then seemingly almost to fuck with Isaac he notes "5...4...3...2...1." And then Raiko suddenly sees a small spark emit from her body after she asks "What are you doing-", before jumping once again. "Wh-what the hell?!"

​

Isaac glares over at Delt. ". . .Really?" He sighs and shakes his head. "Don't worry about it, Raiko. It's probably just your Marker thing coming into play."

​

Raiko glares. "M-Marker thing? What are you even talking about?!"

​

Isaac removes his gauntlet to reveal the back of his hand before putting the gauntlet back on. "That symbol you saw on the back of my hand. You have it somewhere on your body too."

Raiko literally checks everywhere on her body, not seeing it...until a shift in her body whilst looking around revealed a large mark of a lightning-spewing thunderhead on her back.

​

Isaac tilts his head a little. "Uh, it's kinda on your back and it's kinda… Big. Also, it's ironically in the form of lightning, kind of. Sort of."

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Raiko just sighs. "Good...probably looks slutty too. Just great." She then just looks to the two. "... Can you two leave for a moment so I can get clothes on?"

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Isaac stands up and walks out of the room. "Okay, okay. Also it doesn't look slutty, I can assure you of that."

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Delt walks out with him, and after a minute and a half he notes "She's clothed." He walks back inside.

Isaac sighs and walks with him. "Okay, so, can we actually be reasonable here?"

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Raiko:"I still don't know who you people are, even if you saved me."

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"We're Markers… I guess?" Isaac looks to Delt for a second before looking back at her. "Look. We came to get you in order to help you out with your Marker stuff. I know it seems sudden, I know you don't know us, but we don't have much time to just stand here and talk. Something big and bad is about to happen and we kind of have to get moving, so you can ask questions along the way."

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Raiko looks around the building, as if remembering something, but then looks up. "....Fine. Not like I have a reason to stick around here anymore…"

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Isaac shrugs. "Alright, we should be ready to head out then. Who's leading the way this time?"

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Raiko simply gets up, gathers her stuff, and waits for one of the two to lead the way.

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Isaac sighs and shakes his head. ". . .Guess I'm leading." He states, before moving over to the door and opening it. He then heads out into the snow, hopefully there was still a trail left for them to follow back out of this messy place. Back in Vertice…

​

It didn't take very long, but, Ansley was rather full, though she did decide to wait for the others to finish eating before saying something. "U-um… D-do we know w-where we're going y-yet?" She asked, not really direction the question at anyone in general.

​

"No idea." Reeve responded to Ansley, still having some of his meal left as he eats some more of it. "It depends on where they'll be able to find us rather easily. If we stay here, they'll never find us."

​

Scarlett frowned a little as she continued to eat, she was a bit uncertain this place would be safe. "You sure about that?" She asked him skeptically, she was also thinking about something else though it seemed.

​

"We don't know how to contact them, for starters." Reeve replies to Scarlett. "Even if we did, we don't know how long it would take them, considering we don't know when or how their getting back into Vertice."

​

"Akane doesn't know who we are trying to find. Are they nice?"

​

Ansley tilted her head, she didn't seem to know much herself, but, Scarlett on the other hand decided to speak. "Yeah… They are, and probably alot nicer than the others out looking for us." She said.

​

"Akane would hope so."

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"We're going to need them, honestly. If this place is burning down to the ground, we're going to need all the numbers we can get. Strength in an individual, movement of an army… As I was told once before." Reeve said as he finishes his meal.

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Scarlett nodded, she thought about it for a moment "We'd better get moving… We need to meet up with them before the Crimson Blade finds us." she said, getting up suddenly.

​

"Akane is ready to go. Akane likes running better than staying in place anyway."

​

Ansley nodded, she seemed to think the same really; it was part of the reason she'd become a traveling bard in the first place. Scarlett turned to Reeve "Where do you think we should go first?" she asked.

​

"Your guess is as good as mine. Somewhere they'll find us easily, yet at the same time, won't be a spot the enemy will come to us for." Reeve gets up to his feet after saying this. "It's likely the Merchant's are on their best guard after the last few days for them."

​

Scarlett frowned "So… Where would they look that the enemy wouldn't?" she asked, trying to think of something.

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Akane looks up curiously, "For something like that, wouldn't you go somewhere special between you and them? Like the first place you met, or a headquarters or something like that?"

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"The hotel I work at?" Reeve asked, thinking about it for a moment. "... It could work. I mean, I say could, because, I don't know what we're going to find there now."

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"Sure, I guess it wouldn't hurt checking the place out." Scarlett concluded, she seemed satisfied with this answer.

​

Reeve sighs to himself mostly as he shakes his head. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

​

Scarlett shrugged "If things go bad… We'll figure something out." she said confidently. Ansley in the meantime looked a bit concerned about this, but, she just nodded slowly.

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"Akane thinks we should stop talking about it and just go do it. Akane wants to be somewhere safe so she can spend time with Ansley."

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Ansley blushed but, she didn't really say anything as per usual, Scarlett just nodded, she seemed to agree.

​

Reeve sighs and shrugs his shoulders, moving to head out of the… Bar, I guess?

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Scarlett followed after her, though Ansley decided to wait for Akane before she too exited this place… She wasn't too sure what to expect from where they were going, but she hoped it was nothing they couldn't handle.

​

After a few minutes of walking, Reeve and co. arrive in front of the hotel, where it seemed things were quieter today more than usual. "Well, here we are…"

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Scarlett looked around "Anyone else think it's a little too quiet?" she asked, frowning a little.

​

The Hunter groans within Akane's head, "All the time." Out loud, "Akane doesn't understand."

​

Reeve shrugs. "Considering the situation we're in, it might not be that unusual. We should head inside though."

​

Scarlett nodded slowly, she started walking to the door, looking around for a moment before she did. Ansley followed behind, not wanting to lag too far in the end.

​

Inside the hotel they find all the lights to be on, but no one to be inside. Reeve frowns a little at this sight, but answered before any of them could really assume. "They've probably all been called to a meeting or something like most of the town right now, no doubt being manipulated into thinking something amazing is going to happen tomorrow to cover up the onslaught. Anyway, I can get each of us a room key." He said, and walking to the front desk, came back with three keys, handing one to the workers and another to Ansley.

​

Scarlett nodded, she looked around, feeling a bit unsettled seeing the place as empty as this, it was one thing to be out in the wilderness and seeing no others around… But here, in a place that should usually be bustling with life, the emptiness sent a few chills down her spine, though she tried her best not to show that. Ansley in the meanwhile took the key "T-thank you…" she said quietly, sticking a bit closer to Akane, she didn't feel very safe here the way things are, but, it seemed better than being out in the open.

​

Reeve nods to them. "Alright, we'll be in a room nearby if you need us." Reeve then takes Scarlett's hand and begins to head off towards a room with her.

​

Scarlett nodded, waving goodbye to Ansley "Please be careful." she said giving her an encouraging smile. Ansley waved back shyly, still not entirely sure how her older sister was taking her relationship with Akane. Though she didn't mind spending a little time alone with her really, she turned towards her, wondering if Akane had any preferences where to stay.

​

Akane's attention is focused primarily on Reeve and Scarlett. Akane couldn't pick up on exactly why they were splitting up before checking if the building was safe, but curiously wants to do the same to a degree. It would be a thrilling experience to be thinking of only Ansley, even when something terrible could happen, reducing her to only her most basic instincts to survive a perilous threat… Akane's fantasies are a bit different than normal people's. Akane looks at Ansley, "Akane wants to look around and make sure the place is ok. Could you come with Akane?"

​

Ansley nodded, she didn't mind looking around, especially if it was with Akane, though she couldn't help but get a little nervous in an unfamiliar place like this. Without thinking much, she suddenly, but lightly grabbed onto Akane's hand. The moment she did, she suddenly realized what had happened, flushing red a little, but, she didn't let go. "I-I guess I-I don't m-mind coming w-with you." She mumbled, still a bit embarrassed from this. Though she was actually enjoying hanging out with Akane like this, even if she got embarrassed easily like this.

​

Akane goes around with Ansley, methodically checking every area for signs of foul play. Unlike Ansley, Akane doesn't seem even a little flustered about the time spent holding hands. Her mind stays vigilant.
As they started to walk around, Ansley began to relax slowly but surely, eventually starting to feel relaxed enough to start talking a little. "D-Do you think we'll b-be safe here?" Ansley asked quietly after a moment.

​

"Akane thinks it'll be fine, but Akane is going to stay sharp just in case." Akane pulls a blanket and some pillows off of a bed, wearing the blanket around herself like a cape with pillows on each side of her arms.

​

Ansley giggled a little, as she followed after Akane, she was glad Akane was keeping a lookout and all. Though something about the way she was wearing that blanket and those pillows struck her funny for a moment. She looked like she was blushing again as she stuck close to Akane, keeping up with her as they walked throughout the place.

​

Eventually, Akane reaches the front desk, and sets the blankets and pillows down on the ground. She then looks towards Ansley, "Akane wants to sleep here with Ansley."

​

Looking around for a moment, Ansley nodded "I-I'll be ok w-with that." she said, smiling a little in a reassuring manner. It was clear she didn't mind sleeping here too much, it looked like a relatively safe place.

​

Akane, having received confirmation from Ansley, was relieved that she would get to stay in a location with lots of cover, places to hide, and escape routes. She slips out of her dress, moving her dagger from her secret pocket to her panties as usual. She then lays under the covers motioning for Ansley to join.

​

Ansley smiled shyly, it didn't take her too long to join Akane under the covers… By now, she's gotten used to this sort of thing, though she couldn't help but be just a little shy about it despite that. As soon as she lay next to Akane, that chilly feeling from being outside as late as it was started to fade as she warmed up.

​

Akane presses herself against Ansley, first snuggling against her shoulder, then giving her a kiss before bed. "Good night Ansley. Akane is going to make sure that everyone is safe tonight, so Akane doesn't want to listen to Ansley's music."

​

This seemed to make Ansley relax a little as she kissed Akane on the cheek for a moment, blushing a little. She nodded, understanding why Akane didn't want her to play her harp this time "O-ok…" she said softly, she worried a little how Akane might fare if she couldn't sleep this time, but… She hoped that wouldn't be a problem this time.

​

Reeve had gotten Scarlett to the room they had given him, the one they had shared before here. He opens the door, seeing that everything looked untouched, as he moves over to the bed and smooths it out before laying down on it. He waits to hear from Scarlett if she has anything to ask or comment on, he knew she was curious about a lot of things.
Scarlett yawned a little, seeming a bit tired "So… How long have you been working the job here for?" she asked Reeve. She had decided to start with a relatively simple question, it shouldn't be that difficult to answer… Right?

​

"A few years." Reeve answered honestly.

​

This made Scarlett tilt her head a little "Huh… Do you deliver alot of supplies often?" she asked curiously. Though the answer had to be obvious hadn't it? She couldn't think of anyone she knew whom delivered the amount of items she'd almost seen him literally smothered under on a regular basis like that.

​

"I did." Reeve answered again.

​

"What do you mean you did?" Scarlett asked, she looked more curious than suspicious though despite how she might have sounded.

​

"It's just that, I did." Reeve responded to her, seeming set on this answer.

​

"Does that come packaged with working here?" Scarlett asked looking bewildered, maybe a bit concerned as well.

​

"Mostly." Reeve said to her.

​

Scarlett frowned "Yeesh, I've never heard of a place that makes you do THAT all the time." she said.

​

Reeve shrugs to her. "They were an unusual bunch, to say the least."

​

"Figures." Scarlett said, sitting down next to him casually. "Was that your first time getting buried under all that?" She asked him, seeming to study him a little.

​

"No." He said, hesitant to admit this.

​

Scarlett laughed a little, but became serious really quick "You know, I never figured you had to carry all of that when I saw you under there." she said.

​

Reeve sighs. "I got clumsy after a while. They got heavier over time."

​

"Jeez… Next time that happens you better let me help you." Scarlett said in a more serious tone.

​

"There probably won't be a next time now." Reeve admits.

​

"Huh? Why's that?" Scarlett asked, she looked a little confused.
"I'm going to have to go back home after this conflict ends." Reeve looks to her.

​

Scarlett looked a little conflicted "Why's that?" she asked, she wondered how long he'd be able to stay here really.

​

"I don't have a choice after this conflict arose. They'll be worried I'll be used for war." He says.

​

Scarlett had a bit of an upset look on her face "I-If you're leaving… Just like that; I'm coming with you when that happens." she said.

​

Reeve puts a hand over hers slowly. "... I hope you do." He smiles at her.

​

Scarlett smiled back "It's a promise…" she said, sure she was a little reluctant in departing with her sister… But, even Ansley needed a little room to grow sooner or later, that much she understood now.

​

Reeve puts an arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad to h-hear that…" He said, a little nervous it sounded like.

​

Scarlett leaned her head against him "Oh you!" she said, poking him playfully "It's not like I'm gonna let you leave all by your lonesome." she said, giggling a little.

​

"I would have hoped not." He tells her, laying down with her now.

​

This made Scarlett smile a little "I guess we'll have to see what we can do about this conflict until then." she said thoughtfully.

​

"Yeah we will." He responds.

​

Snuggling next to Reeve, Scarlett put an arm around him "Till then, we better get some rest." she said with a small yawn.

​

"Yeah, we should." He said, holding her close to him.

​