Nanami Touko

"Hmhm... 'Private time at the range'... So many mixed signals, Sia. You play along sometimes, even get physical over a gift, but then you set these boundaries. What does it mean? If you're not interested, just be honest with me. Don't leave me hanging..." Louise idly twirled a stand of her hair, not losing all of her motivation, but definitely feeling something of a hamper on it as her assumptions spiralled down to-- does someone like you even deserve such happiness? A killer like you? Louise felt herself flinch, narrowing her gaze. No, I'm not a killer. I'm doing my job. They were terrorists! Posing as security for the company on this moon, they got what they deserved-- They DESERVED it? They deserved to die? You wanted to kill them. You wanted them to feel as scared as you did. You're just running from the past, Louise, you're not getting any better you're just burying-- "Shut up!" Louise yelped and sank in her seat, holding her face. "Shut up. Shut up... I'm not like that. I'm not happy about killing people. I'm happy about my piloting. My aiming. My actions, not what those actions caused, shut up..." She shivered, sat up, took a deep breath and shook her head. "I, am doing wonderfully. The best I have in years. These anxieties are nothing but a stain from my earlier years... And I intend to clean that up. This is just the first step..." In her momentary panic, she hadn't even noticed that Iskra had sent her more thanks, smiling wider as she checked them. "See? I'm doing, just fine." [Of course, Iskra. You did well, yourself. I look forward to our unit achieving more together.] "Just fine..." "Oh! Iskra... I should, reply to her too. Yeah. Movie... A movie sounds great." Miz took a deep breath and started to tip-type away. [I'd love to watch another movie! Maybe I can bring someone along if that's okay? He's on your squad, so it shouldn't be too rough on you, right? It's Markus. If that's okay. Just let me know! Yeah.] "Bguhh..." She wasn't happy with her words, but she hit send anyway, sighing. "Emotions are hard..." "This city is about as charming as I'd expected..." Louise wasn't that shocked that Callisto, especially Remansburg, was all industry and business, even on the part of the moon where people lived. She did a quick glance around their group as they travelled... The native, Daeran. Their best on their feet, Kazue. Their three volunteers, Leon, Bonner, and herself. She'd expected Leon to volunteer as soon as she had, trying not to let it get to her. Bonner was a bit of a surprise, but he was a veteran of many combats, he likely had some wiles about him that only experience could provide. I'll just have to keep my wits about me... And my mind. If we were attacked by AHI forces, there's no telling how deep this runs... At least this eye will be good for paying attention to anything out of the ordinary. At least the interior designers of AHI's industries had some sense. It was like walking out from a capitalist dystopia into a properly modern business sensed building... Louise's eyes darted around the place, her mechanical eye scanning everything that it could. If they hadn't been attacked while inside their transport here, they weren't about to be, now. It would be much easier for them to scatter and mount something of a defence. "If we need to take the stairs and you need someone to carry you--" "[I would be happy to help with any of your needs, Captain.]" Louise was cut off by the android, the machine smiling and nodding towards her words. "[It would not be efficient to leave the Captain's carrying in any of your hands during a worst case scenario.]" "... Of course. Ahem. If you need someone to carry you, the android will happily do so... Though, I'd be stunned if a building like this lacked an elevator of all things." Kazue had kept quiet the entire time, having done nothing but grab water after she's disembarked her HEX on the ship. Her body was still feeling the fatigue of her piloting exhaustion and her moment of panic, but her mind was sharp. She had been brought along not for talks, or her opinions, but to keep the rest of them safe if they were assaulted. She was ready to do that at a moment's notice, but... She couldn't help but be somewhat distracted by Daeran. This was his home. This was his issue... His father was a politician, so however deep this ran, it affected him at some point. I will keep you safe, Daeran. If it is the last thing that I do.

[you'll see me out there when i'm sure i can come back without looking like that HAH] [god you're so salty] [bet you'd be an easy down in the sims right now] [wanna skip your debrief and put yourself to the test???] Viv realized what she was threatening, but... If it meant putting this gamer down some more, she was up for leaving her room. "Come on. Come on, take the bait. Do it~" And there was Markus. Good, he'd made it. At least if she braved the hangar, there was someone she could trust, there... [u'll never beat me gamer] [gotta play like ur life's on the LINE] [Okay... Take care of yourself. I'm so glad. That's good. Ok-- She was going in circles in her text, so much so that she stopped typing and put her phone down for a second. "Ugh!" She wasn't upset or disgusted or bothered or anything, she was just... Overwhelmed. "I didn't know getting close to people that put their lives on the line like this would be so stressful... And I'm not even doing any of the fighting. Just sitting here waiting for them to come back... I... Hwahhnh..." She picked her phone back up and almost instantly dropped it, seeing the emojis that he'd sent. "H-Huh...?" A heart? What does... I, h, huh... Does he, really, but, I mean, he's cute, I, I like spending time with him, I, bu, f-fast? It's fast, isn't it...? Is it? You're already twenty eight, Sam... Sam? Oh, wow, he's really got my brain spinning... [Okay. I'll... I'll see you when you get back, Markus.] [💖💗💖] "And send... Ahhhhhhh! Is that too many!? You're almost thirty! You can't be texting like a highschooler, ahhhhhh!" She flopped over on the bed and whined, slowly peeking up to stare at the wall. "You're just a mess... He's just being nice... Geez, first guy you get this close to once you're free from it all and you start falling head over heels. Stop it... He's just... Being nice."

"Oh, goodness, already...?" Louise nearly jumped in her seat, message coming back so quickly... That same feeling again. It was starting to become something uncomfortable, only because she didn't really understand it. She'd never been praised or hailed as anything more than a problem in school. The teachers were happy with your progress before the incident, but... They never cared to congratulate me after. What, were they that scared? Because I was willing to go as far as they wanted me to? They were training us to kill! And yet, they shied away when I showed such initiative? Ugh... Her memories were conflicting with the appreciation Sia and Markus were showing her, leaving her squirming in her seat some. "Rrr..." [I was only doing what was expected of me, nothing more. Thank you for the kind words... And there's no rush. I'd be a fool to put a date in front of everything we've discovered and must report. I can wait for you, Sia. You're worth it.] She felt herself blush a little on that last line, hitting send and setting her phone down and away at the other end of the dash. "So stupid, getting so worked up... Hahhhh... Focus, Louise, focus. You're doing good. Just, keep doing good."

Louise was on top of the whole world. She got herself ready to send a message, before Markus responded with... some rather genuine appreciation. "I... Er." She paused. It wasn't like she hated to hear it, or was upset that he'd caused her such pause. She just... Hadn't expected him to thank her. Or apologize. Or anything. She was just doing her job. Maybe a bit of grandstanding to impress the Captain, but... "... mm. Of course. Just make it back to the ship safely." Her elation melted away and she sank in her seat some, resting her head against her hand. Suddenly, all that success during the fight didn't seem to matter as much... Her drive had fallen, but not in a bad or annoying way. "How odd," she mumbled, slowly shaking her head. "Mm..." You're just not used to having comrades you can trust. That's all. Now... Sia~ Oh Captain my Captain... They say that relationships with higher-ups in the chain of command are quite the no-no, but this isn't exactly a regulation ship or a regulation setup, is it~? She quickly picked herself back up, fingers typing away softly, message sending towards the Captain~ [Sia. Once we've held a debrief over the combat, arrived at the capital, and done what business we need... Would you mind if I requested some private time? I've an activity in mind that I believe we'll both enjoy... And as lascivious as that sounds, I promise you'll be happy when you hear it~ Let me know when you're free enough to speak. Great work today. You handled things wonderfully, between the ship, and your orders as Captain.] "Hahh... Sia... Mmm. Here's hoping you like this as much as I think you will, miss Hubble graduate..." Miz had been wrapped up in the blanket in her room, in a sweater, with a pillow over her head during the whole course of the battle. As the dull thuds from outside died down, she slowly let the pillow down, and then her phone went off and the blanket pile nearly jumped off of the bed. "Hwahhhnn... M-Markus...?" He was typing weirdly... Did something happen? Was he okay--!? "Oh. Gloves. Hah. Ahaha... Ahhhhh... This is so difficult..." [please come back soon] [i'm so glad you're okay...] [thank you for being okay]

"... Heh. Yeah. Sorry." Cass stood up and stretched, trying her best to smile. "It doesn't feel real, sometimes. People look up to Owen more, but they still look up to me. Look to me to be a leader... I'm barely an adult. It's, difficult. Sometimes I come out here to vent my feelings, because I can't let anyone else see them... So thank you both for giving me shoulders to lean on with no judgment. We'll make sure we win. Can't smear Captain Aegean's first voyage... And you're right, Alriana. Nothing to worry about because we're going to win." She crouched down again and then dove off into the water, popping up with a laugh, "last one back's paying for lunch! Haha!" "Bazaar!?" Amera's ears perked up, almost spinning in place and using Seila's shoulder to make herself a littler taller, staring over at Ember. "I missed the sign! Where's the bazaar!? Food can wait, that sounds way more fun! Sheesh, I thought this place was some rundown sad town due to Kazran, but if they've got enough spirit for a market, we gotta go see what it has! Right?" Her tail was wagging like crazy, eyes darting between Ember and Seila, demanding permission. Walking through town with her hand tightly in Laniva's made everything feel more... Official. People were seeing that they were. No one really cared, of course. Most of the looks they got were towards the group as a whole, such a carefree and happy group probably an oddity in Eslcas at the moment. It made her happy, even if they had been getting stares, slowly wrapping an arm around Laniva's and leaning into her as they walked. "Ahah... I guess we're going to the bazaar. I really don't know what had you so worried, Lani. This Amera is... A lot more of a 'cat' than you are, it seems. Maybe she's more monster than clouded...? I'm not exactly sure how it all works, but..." It would explain why Amera was so... Mrow. Like a cat turned into a person, whereas the most feline thing about Laniva was her enjoyment of pets. "I'm in for the bazaar!" she called at the three, happy to see what Eslcas had to offer beyond a bevy of coastal foods. Renais really was doing a good job. The motions were important. If he'd been swinging at full strength, she'd have been on her ass, but that would be pointless-- and he'd leave the tough love training to others, he was never good at it when it came to personal help. "Yep. Choked at the finish line... But I don't think the takeaway was to succeed with everything. Am I right, Lucretia?" "Yes sir~" She bounced over and nodded, hands on her hips. "The fact that you can follow someone like Versaris is impressive enough. The takeaway from this sort of training is to make sure you can perform the motions... The next steps will be training your body to handle the impact. If he'd been swinging at full strength, he'd have blown you over like a tumbleweed! So, the next parts of your training will be things that I can't personally oversee... Since they're very basic. You need to work on your legs and your core. That means squats, situps, lots of running... Maybe find a set of stairs and go up and down it as much as you can, see how long it takes you to get exhausted~" Lucretia giggled a little, the idea of Renais passing out from a little exercise too funny. "Hahh... Yes, that's about it. You've got great hand-eye coordination. That'll get you decently far, but unless you're going to hone that into parrying every blow that comes your way, those are the next steps. People tend to mistake blocking as arm strength, but the most important part is your center of balance. Even if your arms gets shaky from taking a strong blow, if it doesn't tip you over or knock you off your feet, you can keep blocking. So... It's a lot of basic exercise, if you want to be like her. Makes me wonder exactly how toned your stomach and legs are under those robes-- and that's not an invitation! Before you crack any jokes!" Lucretia pouted. "Dang... He's fast with his words, too. I hope it was a little insightful at least, Renais." "Me? Well, I gotta see first. Gotta see what they have... And then see how you feel about it~" Iris hopped off of Ullr as they entered the store, immediately scanning around and ignoring the shopkeep for the moment-- "Ohhhh..." Her eyes fell on a mannequin that was wearing something rather revealing, but... With how much she hated the heat, revealing was perfect. It looked like a ribbon, but it was wrapped around in a fashion that it would cross over the chest to cover what she'd been told was important to cover, then around the arms to fasten it. "I want that... And a buncha shorts! Aly has so many shorts and I keep borrowing them, but I should get my own. Lots of 'em. Or the tighter ones she wears sometimes... Yeah." "Oh, er, uh, r-really? Uhm. Okay... Don't be upset if something goes wrong...?" Ren hadn't expected The tour and showing to turn into a sudden test of their magic, shakily hopping up onto the platform after Chris. The core was... Impressive. Definitely a catalyst of its own tier... "So, you made all of this..." Chris was starting to seem like quite the serious mage, not just a funny little cat. "Mmm... I'll give it a go, then. Here goes... Nothing...?" They really hoped this went fine, holding a hand towards the core... Chris had been right, it felt almost eerily similar to their staff. Their mana flowed into it without issue, Ren releasing a sigh of relief. "Phew... Well, I'm sorry that it's not fireworks or anything impressive, but it's nice to know that I work with more than just a staff."

Rivane made the last call on freeing Rina from her situation. Jilyn sighed quietly... "Of course. Thank you, Willow. For the food... My apologies, Rina, but please bear with this for now." She raised the fruit to the woman's mouth for her to eat, blushing slightly. It was an embarrassing situation, no matter how either of them felt about it. "I do hope Rivane will at least allow that. I cannot say that I am a fan of babying Rina like this..." It would have to do for the moment. It was her duty to the girl after uprooting her life. "You may all refer to me as Jilyn. Or Jil, if you prefer. I don't believe I can quite stem the tone with which I speak, or how I carry myself, but... That is years of engraving teachings. I do not want to lord myself above any of you, nor do I believe I deserve to, so... Just, call me Jilyn. Please."

"Pft... Hahaha... Ahahahah~" Louise couldn't help but laugh. "A game plan ready... and not already in action? Let me guess, did you even realize you'd missed her birthday? You know it passed while we were traveling... Ah, well, I'm sure your 'game plan' is plenty well thought out. But that's all it is right now, isn't it? Thoughts. Not actions. We are not the same~" The elation that Louise was receiving was making her grin from ear to ear. "Weeeeellllll, don't worry, Mister Silvavolke. The ship is full of beauties. I'm sure someone else will find you handsome..." She wasn't concerned with him anymore, already going over her plan of attack in her mind. Ahh, Sia... You've been so kind, already. More than most. Going through all that trouble to learn to sew was worth it... But now, we've got to take things a bit further. Time to get some hands on experience... "Looks like the coast is clear." Louise pulled Markus into their comms. "Lieutanent Stewart, it looks like we won't be receiving anymore enemies. Long range scans are picking up nothing, and the ones we have encountered seem to have been the entirety of the squad... We won't be picking up until the ship moves to leave, of course, but do stay close to it. You're the most damaged of us. I've got you covered, but still..."

"Hahh... Hahhh..." Right... That is right. Daeran must be suffering right now... And I am tasking him with further. You KNEW there would be killing. Would be death. You just did not know you would be so close to it... So what? The middle of the battlefield is no place to lose your composure. Not any further. Scream and cry in your room if you must... But not here. Not putting it on anyone else. Kazue wasn't fine, still far from it, but she focused and steeled herself, taking one final deep breath. "I... Will be okay. Thank you, Daeran. Lieutenant Commander, I am sorry to have worried you. I will, be returning to the ship. I... Will need someone to provide me with a mop. There is a mess inside my machine, that I must clean. Hahh..." She slowly put her hands back on the controls and began to move her HEX again, swallowing hard. "I am sorry, once again. I will... I will be better. I will. Thank you again, Daeran, for the help. And you, commander, for worrying." She knew she'd be thanking them again. It was in her nature.

"Kihahahahahah!" Viv rolled around on her bed and cackled, laughing and squirming so hard that she-- "Kyah!" fell off of her bed, collapsing onto the floor, continuing to laugh. "Damn! She's so fuckin' salty! This is great~! Ahhh... Gotta choose wisely~" [the only POV i see is the POS you rode in on LOLOLOL holy FUCK did you have to beg your squad for those four kills or did you just finish off folks after getting clapped KAHAHAHA] Viv finally got her laughs out of her system, settling against the floor. "Man... So funny~" [That's fine. Take your time. You let me know when you're finished and I'll wait for you. If you're going to be extra long, then I'll bring something down to you instead. Consider it my helping with the repairs, in whatever way I can. I'd be delixcited to.] Maybe a tad too formal, but he wanted to be polite and honest about this-- You're polite and honest about everything, Tristan, this isn't something new. Hahh... You've gotta learn to be more casual with people. Especially beautiful people that seem to have taken something of an interest in you... Something to think about later. For the moment, the ship was back on track for its destination, as per the captain's orders. They would be ready to move as soon as the patrol returned. At least you played along with her mix up. I wonder if that was on purpose...? "Awww... Alright. Guess it's the waiting game for me and Junkyard." Azame's shoulders fell a little, sighing quietly. "Not quite, miss." Avery nodded towards Azame, having already waved over some of the pit crew to refuel her machine. "Got orders to work on Silvavolke's machine and he ain't back yet, so yer first on my docket-- Amy, hun, you mind checkin' in on Drachenheim's model? Saw you talkin' to 'er the other day, figure you got some kinda rapport more'n me. I'll make sure the hot shot in the chobham's m'first priority once he shows... And then we can both tackle the Ensign's. No doubt that damn karate girl's got her stuff torn up harder'n a cowboy playin' tag with bulls." "Wait, really? Hurray~ I'll stick around and watch, then; it's always interesting to see how the different crews go about fueling up Junkyard... I bet the Captain's really busy post combat, anyway, so I shouldn't go wandering. Even if I find her, I probably can't see her right away, right?" Azame shrugged slightly, but was all smiles again, slowly wandering after Avery to watch them do their magic on her clunker. "Ah! And make sure to restock the repair spray!" "I do mind. Ms. Park, preferably Lieutenant. We are not-- and hopefully will never be-- so close that you can call me Louise so casually." She huffed and rolled her eyes. Men were always like this. Blew past the boundaries without waiting for a response... "Wouldn't you like to know?" Perhaps had her mood been foul, she'd have fired off plenty of complaints and whines, but right now... "Combat like this was always to be expected, so anyone that can't handle it shouldn't have signed up in the first place... I've stared death in the face and survived. Judging by how calm you are, I surmise you've done the same. Shooting down these lowlives... Maybe they had their reasons. Maybe they had their motives. Maybe the pay was just good. No matter the case, they chose to get into these steel killing machines and attempt to take my life. I paid back the favor in kind... Do you really want to know what's going through my mind right now?" She grinned wide, not that he could see it. "How I'm going to ask the Captain out. She's a lovely woman, smart, capable, well developed in all the right places... And something tells me I know exactly how to get some alone time with her. So if you don't mind, Mr. Silvavolke... I'll be hedging these bets first~"

"Of course I did. It's what we were trained for... As soon as you step onto the field of battle with intent to kill, you'd best be ready to be killed in return." She didn't bat an eye; the subject didn't worry her in the slightest. If anything, these people masquerading as AHI and causing unrest were less than human. It made it even easier to kill them, not only was she accomplishing her job as a pilot, she was aiding in quelling unrest on the moon. Two birds with one precise laser rifle. "As for your assumption... The mechanics are paid yearly and for the deployment, not by the degree of damage they repair. And gen three HEX models are rare. The more you keep yours in shape, the less we'll have to worry about... I imagine the ensign is going to have the repair team tearing their hair out if she continues as she has been. Don't add to that, Leon."

Ichika mentally took down the note about chocolate and made sure to consider it for later. She'd pocketed the hairpin and wasn't going to bring it up for the rest of the day, not with how Alouette had reacted to the idea of being gifted on her birthday. The trauma must run quite deep if even the mere idea of a gift sends her that far, but... Hopefully tomorrow, she will be more amenable. Perhaps in a less public space. If there is less spectacle put on it, maybe it will make her happy rather than worried? I will have to see. At least it wasn't difficult to spot the pair, quickly catching up to them without any effort. "Shall we continue, then? My apologies for the delay and the distraction. Please feel free to direct me towards the rest of the festival, Alouette, Lorelei." She bowed slightly, arms folded into her coat sleeves.

"Tell you? How this works~? Hahaha~! No, never! This is my livelihood, I'm afraid. I couldn't possibly share trade secrets... Seeing it should be more than enough for you~" Kise was all smiles again, all genuine smiles, always enjoying the rush of fresh Voima in her system. That her tail had returned so readily meant that either, Luthier hadn't done as much damage as she'd thought, or her body was acclimating to it all better after so many long years. Either way... I'll gut you like a fish next time we meet, Luthier. With my bare hands~ "That's fine, sweetie. The gauntlets will be here, and so will I... So feel free to come back later, hmhmhm~" Having made a single transaction, she was quite satisfied, leaning back against Akai. "You all have a lovely time in town... I'll be here, nice and comfortable, until you get back~ And, miss hellhound... Years and years and years of practice. That's all~ I'm quite adept with magic." Iris happily squeezed his paw in her claw, slowly climbing onto his back after she head, legs around his stomach, tail around his waist; she had to make sure she didn't fall off. "Let's go Ullr! I don't really know them well either, but when we see clothes in a window, we'll know that's the right store~!" She was all smiles now, her baggage gone for the moment, everything looking up... There was just Ullr to deal with. She'd been feeling weird around him for a while now. A good weird. She wanted to feel more of it. "You know... You look really good when you smile. Makes me feel all sortsa ways, Ullr... I hope I can make you feel special today~" "Me? Fans? No way~" Maybe she did, maybe some of the girls around here had budding feelings, but it sure was a taco parade with the Tigers... No nice and tough guys. Hahh... How long will my search last~ There was no time to muse on that longer, watching Renais manage to parry against Sari's swings. "Woohoo~! Keep it up, girl! Brace with your legs, make sure you don't lose your footing!" "Hm." She had the precision to do this, but her arms were already starting to shake. If anyone put any real power behind their swings... "I'm going to swing harder now, Renais. Try to keep up. Going for six... If you can stay standing, we'll call that a success." He was plenty stronger than most of the people they'd fought, so if she could handle him even at half his strength... Maybe she had some promise in this method of self defence. "Hahh... Yeah... You, sure did... Hh..." Cass had swam her heart out, but still, Alriana was already atop the rocks by the time Cass was climbing them, huffing and panting. She'd barely beaten Gean, only because of her little cheat of a headstart. "Hahhh, whew! What a thrill~! I missed this... Mmm." Cass sat down, soaked, shaking her hair off some. "Hahh... Sorry for cheating. Guess I wanted to see how far you could push yourself... Really... Wanted to make sure you had the stamina to take out Kazran. Mmm... I..." Her head fell some, hair hiding her eyes, staring down at the rock. "I really want you all to succeed. And I'll be there. I'll be there next to the both of you... I'll swing my axe as hard as I can, bite that fucker's neck if I have to... But I'm still scared. Scared that we'll fail. That everything we've built up will crash down around us... I mean, look at me. Look at us. Owen and I are eighteen... We're barely adults, and we have to help all these people?" She sighed and hugged her legs close to herself. "Owen's so strong. He's so much better at handling it than I am... I really hope we succeed. I really do..." "Yes... Typically these would take... Oh. Oh my!" The platform had suddenly come to life, moving its way towards Chris. They leaned forward and inspected the intricate rune work in the stone that made up the platform's centre, nodding slowly. "I see... That's pretty ingenious. And all you need are some mages to help it along? Mmm..." Ren pulled their staff forward and aimed it at the platform. "Do you mind if I try mine? My mana is... a little unique, so I don't know if it'll work, but better to try than not, right?"

"Yes, ma'am." Louise gave a small salute to her voice comms, leaning back in her seat and slowly removing her helmet. She let her hair fall down upon her suit, slowly flicking on her HEX's long rang scanners. If all she had to do was stick around and babysit the boys for a moment, she didn't exactly need to move. "Leon," she changed channels to him, leaning her head to the side some as she took on a more casual tone, "just make sure if something does show up, you call for myself, the Lieutenant Commander, and Markus. The last thing any of us need is someone getting cocky and getting in trouble... Even if you're skilled enough to handle it, the more damage you take, the longer repairs will take. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you any of this, but just in case... You took quite the beating today." She smirked, checking the damage on his machine. Nothing that couldn't be fixed, but for someone that seemed so confident... Meanwhile, I didn't get hit at all~ Hahhh... It's difficult being so perfect, sometimes. "This is, live... C-Combat..." That was the reality of it all, Kazue gasping for breath as she sat back in her pilot's seat, wiping at her mouth. I had thought I was ready for this. That I could handle being around it, even if I did not do any of it myself... How naive. How ridiculously naive... "Yes... I... i knew all of that, I... I thought... Ugh..." She still felt sick. She couldn't stop herself imagining the interior of the machine as it fell. What was left of-- "Mghn...!" She managed to hold back this time, taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. "T-Tell me! Anything! About yourself! Your past. Your interests. Please. Anything... I cannot continue to dwell on this, I, I feel like I will pass out. Anything, Daeran..." She needed an escape, anything would do, her mind was spinning and she was doing everything she could to keep it away from her immediate thoughts. "Touching down~!" Azame announced herself as her clunker landed gently in the Dawn's hanger, settling it against one of the repair and refuel stations and popping off her helmet. "Whew! Hahhh... Even when I don't face combat, all that live repairing is so very stressful. Gonna need a shower after this... Oh! I hope they have extra rooms! Sheesh, I hadn't even considered... Ahhh, I hope I don't have to wait until I'm back at base to change..." She began her miniature panic as she opened up Junkyard's cockpit and rode the lift down, running a hand into her hair. "Hahhh... Hey there~!" It seemed like some of the engineers were already up and about, Azame making her way towards the one more similar to her in some respects. "Greetings! Ensign Nishimiya, reporting!" She saluted and smiled. "Joining the Dawn temporarily on assignment from the capital's embassy. My machine's in tip top shape, but I could use a refill, if you don't mind! And, I do mean that he's in tip top shape. Ol' Junkie's been clunkin' on for several years now, but he always stays together." "Looks like a right piece o' work. Didn't think anyone'd be usin' a gen one HEX model anymore... Y'sure y'ain't underfunded up here?" Avery walked herself into the conversation, tipping her hat at Amy and then sighing in Cia's direction. "I'll deal with 'er... You jus' focus on keepin' the incomin' pilots alright." "Oh! No, trust me, we're all doing very fine here. The majority of pilots are using gen two models, I'm... Just really attached to Junkyard. I know exactly how outdated he is, and that I could probably be doing better for combat in a gen two, but... Mmm. He keeps me safe, and I'm just here to fix folks. I don't need the speed, just the safety." "That right... Suit yourself; you got aboard in one piece, so maybe there's somethin' to that hunk of metal. Cia!" Avery turned her attention to the lead engineer, waving at Amy and Azame as she moved on. "They just got done in battle, girl. Engines off. We'll get 'er fixed like we always do, okay? I get how ya feel, but this ain't the time fer barkin'." She adjusted her hat tightly onto her hair and sighed. "You let me take 'er off yer hands iffin y'can't keep yerself calm, yeah? I can deal with the radical folk better." "Heyyyy, there she is... Looks like she's already getting chewed out by the engineers. Dumbass, ahah~ Mmm, time to rub it in..." Vivian rolled onto her back and started texting Esther, licking her lips some as she did. [Heyyyyyyyyy you look like shit... you get spanked too hard out there? i thought u were some kinda ace, yeah? handle anything? sheeeeeesh one fight and you're almost toast... what's goin on esther? were your wins in the simulator... all luck?] "Khhhhhahahaha~ Ahhhh, she's gonna be so mad! Based." Tristan saw the hearts and he felt his face getting a bit red, shaking his head and focusing. "Returning the ship's trajectory towards the capital. Ready to move in ten minutes... Captain, orders to remain in this sector, or shall we continue forward?" There was also the rebel group to consider. The Dawn could easily catch up to them, even with the time they'd been gone... Would it be worth it? That was for the Captain to decide. While he waited for orders... He couldn't quite help himself, gently tapping his communicator and sending back, [dinner later?] to Amelia. Galatea turned the screen towards the captain, taking in Alrenne's words and not pushing for any answer to her suggestions and analysis at the moment. "[It appears that we are under observation, Captain. That is all. You should discuss with the XO on further decisions. I can only provide information; I am incapable of giving a proper opinion on a course of action.]" Alriana was leaving... And from the signals on her monitor, their little group had been a bit too little. "Hahhhh... Can't expect the weeds to get the job done. Guess I'll have to scout them out in person... Oi, Tanvir. Our cover's setup, right? We've got the credentials and everything... So we'll pose as workers for AHI and meet this Dawn crew in person. I wanna see who we're dealing with... Especially that sniper, damn~ Ruthless. A soldier after my own heart..." Tanvir was quiet for a moment. Eyes focused on the hex with the sword, "Huh?" He clicked his tongue as he returned to the real world, "Yeah, I got everything done not too long ago. Credentials, tags, and everything--they won't know a thing. I've... seen movements like that... The hell is a martial artist doing out here... and one so hesitant? The movements were flawless, but the HEX itself... heh. Maybe this could be more interesting after all. Something more than just sowing chaos... "I guess they're a little better than was expected... the info said that this was a mostly green unit? I can see it, but it didn't exactly feel like it. The dead certainly won't agree..." "The dead don't get a say in anything~" Toki was gleeful as usual, opening up her machine and jumping out in a flash, landing down on their hanger floor with a loud metal on metal thud. "Phew... Hahh, gonna have to get some nice clothes if I'm gonna look like head of security... I mean, I am, heh, but I gotta play the part, not just be assigned it~ Hope you're ready for some acting, Tanvir." She smirked over at him and her tail wagged fiercely, slowing stepping in his direction. "You wanna... Work off some steam, first~?" "Yeah, yeah... At least it'll be more involved than just sitting here and watching this." Tanvir hopped out of his machine, landing with a heavy thud, standing to his full height and towering over Toki. Tanvir just stared at her, "I'm bored, not suicidal. I'll go and find something to do that isn't also putting my life at risk. Not exactly enjoyable to fight with someone who's trying to kill. Wait until Aly come back if you want to satisfy that bloodlust--I'm sure she'll oblige as she always does." "Tch." She pouted, but started to walk away. "Fine, fine... I'll put the lizard in her place for getting so antsy and almost breaking the plan. That'll get my urges out... Can't wait to meet you, Dawn crew~"

"Ah, Raz, and Willow, yes? I'm fine. My father, for all of his faults, did teach me how to fight properly, and that included plenty of training for my stamina. My grandfather taught me before him, so you won't have to worry about me slowing us down come the morning march. I'm sure Rina is enjoying the relaxation of getting to ride horseback while we travel, even if... The circumstances could be better." She sighed, looking down at the bindings on her wrists, a wry smile forming on her face. "Are you sure we can't take these off of her? Not yet? I understand if you're still concerned, but... Mm." There was likely some fear of Rina attacking them in the night while they were sleeping, perhaps trying to go for some necks before being caught and stopped, but she definitely wasn't the person to do that sort of thing. "Nonsense, Rina. If you're hungry, you have to eat... Even if the day's events have been dire, we must keep up our strength. Maybe you find it embarrassing to be fed, but unless they see fit to free you, there is no other solution..." She eyed the bag of fruits, then looking back at Rina. "Fancy an apple?"

"Oh my gosh... Lani~" Syta couldn't help her smile at the cat's awkward nature towards things, squeezing that hand tightly. "You're so silly... You know I wouldn't do that. Not unless you asked for some. I just like your ears a lot... They're soft. You could be any other Clouded with lovely fluffy ears and I'd still want to pet them. I'm not about to start treating you like a pet, don't worry." She leaned a little into the arm holding her hand, blushing some. "Not after the kisses we've shared..." The talks of purchasing from Kise did seem to be going nowhere, so they'd be heading into town shortly. Syta did feel a little bad for the fox, but giving away life was a hard sell... Or... Not hard enough. It seemed their newcomer was completely fine doing so. "Well. You don't see that every day." It wasn't Syta's business what they did with their life force, nor was Kise gaining power a bad thing, so it seemed... So she shrugged and then latched onto Laniva's arm, hugging it tight. "Keep me safe today, my knight in shining armor~" Kise gently set the Thoron down as Seila was a no-sell, but the sheep, she seemed interesting in offering one on good faith. Kise's eyes narrowed, but her lips curled into a smile. "Really? Well, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so goes the saying, but it does seem quite generous for someone you've just met... Maybe I'm nefarious~ How could you tell? Hmhmhm-- but." Before things could be rethought, Kise grasped the sheep's hand, and in one swift and perhaps dangerous moment, opened up the woman's mana and stole that precious drop. Mikoto had been careful about it, just in case things went wrong, but Kise was plenty confident, dropping that spec of energy into her mouth as Roxanne's mana closed again. Her tails bristled and she shivered, smiling wider. "Hahh, delicious~ Every time... Brace yourself for the exhaustion. It'll come, and pass, and you'll be the same as you were~" The swaying fluff behind her... Suddenly, without any tell, it seemed as though she was once again at six tails. Another had formed from seemingly nowhere... She placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest some, nodding. "Anyone else~? I'm not above charity, and it is lifetime... I never forget a customer. Ever." Once I have your mana inside me, knowing I've met you before becomes quite simple... Hmhmhmhm~ Amera shivered at the swift sight, just a little confused and scared, leaning closer to Seila. "I, uh, I'm good! I'm no good at these sorta fancy things, anyway... I'm just good at throwing my fists, and not in any really, technical way... Mrow..." Ren did their best to follow along with Chris' explanation on giving non-living things mana. It made enough sense, but it was still very complicated at the level of creating new things. Staffs made enough sense. A stick that could handle the channeling of magic and a conduit gem at the end of it to let that magic flow from the staff towards the target individual... Making something that big and complicated out of wood rock and metal, enough to heft itself and fire projectiles. Ren assumed that Chris was still making use of physics and leverage to make something like a trebuchet function; it would be impossibly taxing to make something throw a stone without gravity aiding in its launch, especially all on its own, but... Maybe. They didn't know. Were they about to see something amazing? "I'd love to see one move... And, er, yes, that group is also associated with the Tigers... You must study this a lot to get it all to function properly. And source your materials carefully... Which, must be extra difficult with Kazran breathing down your necks. Hahh..." Just another painful reminder for Ren that the coming clash couldn't be avoided, by any means. They weren't afraid of the Tigers getting harmed, it was more... The chance of their truth being seen again. At least the ones that did see haven't come prying about it.

Your promises of purchase later are worthless to me! Borrow some gold! Make a purchase now! Haggle! Ugh... These idiots are too straitlaced~! Even to try and get me to lower the prices of things, even me, how come? Because the discount's already so severe? If you're willing to give up that delicious energy then you should be willing to drive a harder bargain for it. It'd take a complete moron to see that I don't CARE about the gold, but I need to keep up pretenses for those complete morons... Hahhhhh... So difficult, my life. Woe is me... Then there was the damn sheep... She'd shown an interest in things-- those wandering eyes wouldn't be missed, but as soon as Kazran was brought up, purchases were off the table. Kise couldn't help herself, biting her lip and huffing, turning her head away from the newcomer and beaming smiles at Jesse, even if she was pissed off at the woman. She'd have three centuries of acting, this wouldn't be new. "Of course~! It's not like the weapons are going to grow legs and walk off on their own, hmhmhmhm~ They'll be here when you're willing to afford it... Maybe. No telling when this task gets too taxing for me to handle... You'd best think it over very, very thoroughly. Maybe you can borrow gold from someone, hmm?" Iris slowly pushed herself away, only to speak with Ullr; she wasn't uncomfortable with things in the slightest. "He... Yeah. Hic... Del was... H-He raised me, but he was a bad person. He was a part of horrible things... So what... What Jeremiah had to do was, necessary. Even if it hurt. And... Mmm." Iris didn't want to get into the details of the argument, not right now. If Ullr asked again when they were alone, she'd tell him. Everything. "Thank you," she said sheepishly to Jeremiah, bounding off at Ullr again and jumping him in a hug! "Hey! We should go into town! I wanna get some clothes and see what's here! We can punch at each other later, right?" She'd wrapped her legs and her tail around Ullr, holding onto his waist and beaming a smile at him. She was back to normal. "You wanna go too, right? I bet I can put on something real nice. Something that'll even make you bark, mreheheh~" The Sacred Texts had plenty on clothing. She had to put it to use... Ren let themselves get dragged along by Chris, quite amused by their excitement over things. "You should tell me why you like them so much while we walk. I'm sure you could talk my ear off all day with how much you seem to put into them..." The comment on the size of the local army wasn't lost on them, really sinking in just how long Eslcas had been suffering for. I can't fathom the weight on Owen's shoulders... Being one of the only people in a country to try and keep these people safe, despite the rest banging on his doors and smashing at his walls. He's brave... And he has good people under him. "Heehee! Hahah~! Ahhh, you're so dang cute! I can see why everyone's a fan, dang~" Lucretia giggled as Renais got in place, leaning against her staff to keep herself up. "Make sure to work those legs, and those hips! Center of gravity~" Versaris took a deep breath. He wasn't used to holding back like this, so he wasn't sure why they were putting him up to this... "Alright... I'm going to do right left and repeat, but feel free to jump back or fall over as safely as you can to get me to stop. Or, just... Say stop. I've never done this before, especially not with healers..." He spun his sword and started towards Renais, not being very gung ho about it. He didn't want to work himself up. "I'll admit, Lucretia did surprise me. Let's see if you can too, Renais... Hup!" A quick swing aimed for her right side, then a spin towards the left. He was using the flat of the blade to make sure nothing went wrong... If she could handle this, he'd repeat, and then throw in a curve ball. "Heh, you'll find a reason, huh? Dumbass. There's been an easy reason staring you in the face for years now... You just never looked because I didn't have cannons like Bella." She stuck her tongue out at him and snickered, flopping with a yawn. "Think I'll take a nap here. Pretty comfortable... Don't do anything strange to me while I'm out, yeah? Not that I think you have it in you, anyway..." Mm... Hope. Guess meeting the Tigers and seeing what they could do against the Underground's, made me... More hopeful than I ever have been. Like being around has a purpose. A reason. Something... Mm. Gahh, fuck you, Kieran! You've got me acting sappy, this sucks... But I guess... I don't hate it...

Louise heard the order to return, but one look at Markus' machine made that sound like a terrible idea. "Captain, permission to join Lieutenants Silvavolke, Stewart, and the Lieutenant Commander. If I'm spotting for them, they'll be able to scout out further, and I can keep a better eye on Stewart to make sure nothing blindsides him. That damage won't go away without repairs, but if he's adamant... I'd have offered to replace him, but I doubt we're going to run into further danger. I do believe that was everything they had." There was a certain lilt at the end of Louise's request and explanation, but no one could see the smile accompanying it. "Oh, sorry if I'm getting in the way, I'll be quick!" Azame chuckled quietly as orders were flung about on the open channels of their comms. "I'd be willing to share the specifics once I'm on board, yes! No issues there. And since you've given the order... I think I'll go ahead and do just that~! See you in a bit, Captain!" Azame started up the slow burn on her gen one HEX's engines, pushing it towards the ship. "Let's go, Junkyard... We'll get you tuned up by some state of the art repair technology on board the Dawn~" Tristan was about to check in on the Captain's state, but she'd pulled out an inhaler and was managing to give orders from her seat-- she'd be fine enough. If things escalated, the XO would call for assistance. Instead, he peeked at the message he'd received, smiling a bit. "I can take care of that much... All hands, we have concluded combat with the enemy forces in the area. Remain cautious, but we will be returning to regular activities aboard the Imminent Dawn." He addressed the ship's hands and its guests, quickly tapping on his keypad to send Amy a quick 😉 emote in response to her questions, hoping that answered things. "Mmm? Combat's over? Did that twerp croak?" Viv yawned and flipped over to the hangar cameras, poking around from different angles... No one had landed just yet. Looked like one of them was coming in at that moment, so they'd been ordered to, at least. "Time to keep a vigil out for Esther and then give her some shit~"

Iris wanted so desperately to hold onto her scowl. It would be easier. It would be easier to hold onto that anger, that frustration, that feeling from the evening in question. She'd made the decision never to cast again that night. It was a small first step, but she was now taking it, asking Ullr to teach her about proper fist fighting. It was all steps forward, brought about by her frustration towards Jeremiah Noire. But she couldn't. Not when he mentioned Del again. Her frown was the first thing to break, and everything shortly came after it as he talked on and on. It almost sounded like an excuse at first, but it strayed far and away from self pity and into a genuine apology. An apology calling out his actions, and not just that, but his beliefs. She felt her lips curling down further, arms falling, gaze straying away from him, but when he leaned down in front of her all she could do was stare at him. Her big, violet eyes could barely believe what she was seeing; ears couldn't believe what they were hearing, even addressing the things that had hurt the most. The things he'd seemed to not consider when they'd argued previously. "Y... You really... You, r-really... You, big j-jerk..." She was trying to talk, but her lips were failing, her words breaking into sobbing. This was all she'd ever wanted. She knew that she couldn't rewind the past. Couldn't bring back the people that were slain. Some of them didn't deserve to be brought back, either... But this. The acknowledgement of the pain. Of her suffering in solitude for so many years. An apology for what he'd caused her, even if it had been necessary... "You're supposed... Hic, su-supposed... To stay, mean! So I can hate you...! How can... H, How am, I supposed, t-to... To hate... Hhnhh...!" Jeremiah had stood to leave, but Iris wasn't letting him get away that easily, rushing him with a half hug, half ineffective slamming of her claws against his stomach, as the sobbing and sniffling started, a decade's worth of pain and suffering releasing from her swiftly and suddenly... Holy shit she's fast! Cass had caught a glimpse of the aquatic missile behind her, speeding up her swimming as much as she could. Even with her cheating, that Alriana should catch up to her that quickly in the water! She's so damn quick...! I guess that tail wasn't all for land power, geez! I'm gonna lose at this rate... That's fine and all, but I won't make it easy for you! "Rahhh!" Cass dove under the waves and started swimming like her life depended on it, arms pulling her ahead as much as possible... She hadn't even considered Aegean in her surprised at Alriana's speed. "Kon kon, it's mythril, it's mythril~ Feel free to pick it up and give it a swing. Just be careful. They're all in perfect condition-- they're as sharp as you'd expect~" Kise smiled in Jesse's direction, still holding the Thoron tome for Seila to see... The sheep wanted answers, though, and the dog was curious too. "First thing's first... Yes~ I can. Your mana's easy enough to read, all of you. Miss puppy, fire, miss big hat, thunder... The cat over there is thunder as well, and you! Syta! Are a Lufirian! I can even tell that~!" Kise smiled confidently, while Syta flinched, doing her best to focus on Laniva's situation. "As for this discount I offer... All of my wares are legitimate! You can ask any of the Tigers that have purchased from me-- even the Evokers would vouch for the quality of my products... The problem is that they're all very, very rare. I can't offer them for cheap, and I'm not a charity... But I am someone that believes in fair exchange. Here's the deal, everyone~! Make sure you're listening!" Kise hopped up onto the highest shelf of her little stall, balancing precisely and precariously above them all, arms folded, bending down to meet them with a grin. "For the low, low price of one year of your life span... I shall permanently reduce the cost of every item in my shop for you, by sixty six percent~ Now, that sounds truly terrifying, doesn't it? Giving away a whole YEAR of your life... But let's put this into proper view, yes? You're all mercenaries, soldiers, knights. You live your lives fighting, dying, becoming wounded... Who's to say you'll even survive this fight with Kazran?" She hopped down, landing in front of everyone, her tails flourishing gently. "Now, I hope you win! I like a lot of you, and love two of you, hmhm, but even if you do, what's after that? Further fights? More difficulty? Let's say you live to the ripe old age of... Eighty. If you accept my deal, instead, you'd perish at seventy nine. Say you make it to ninety three, then you'd go at ninety two instead... But the best part is, ahah, I have no idea when you'll die, and neither do you! So you're shaving a year off of an unknown. A quantity that can't be defined... All for the biggest savings on rare and unique equipment that I promise you won't find elsewhere~! Mikon~!" She glanced at the sheep and winked, flashing her a toothy grin. "I'm sure you've one more concern. 'What are you going to use it for, Kise? What do you do with that year?' I eat it. I absorb it... I get a little stronger. Some people prefer to fight for their abilities, and I... Prefer being a merchant. That's all there is to it. Any questions? Ah, besides, 'does it hurt'. No! No pain at all. There will be about... Thirty seconds of exhaustion following, but that will fade, and there will be no side effects."

"Tch." Louise walked as Scylla went to punch one of the remaining offenders... Her fist connected with the machine's head and then continued through, too far. With a crumpled torso like that, there was no way the pilot had survived. "No survivors for us to interrogate... But, I can't exactly blame anyone. I wasn't trying to keep them alive, either~" Louise quietly hummed to herself as she revved up her HEX's engine and pushed the machine towards the ship. "Time to return... And prepare myself for later. Hahh... Today went... Scarily well. I'm feeling the best I've felt in years... I'm piloting the best I have in years... Is it due to the environment? The people? Or am I just trying to push myself harder...? Mmm... Whatever the case... Sia. Once we've debriefed and been ordered at ease... I'll be coming to see you." Kazue was still breathing heavily... And as the fighting came to a halt, she leaned over in her seat, head in her hands. "We could not... Could not keep any of them alive. They are all dead... How... How could..." The reality of it all was hitting her like a brick, her damaged HEX standing still as the sounds of combat died down to nothing, not returning yet. A shaky hand made its way towards the comms, hailing Daeran. "H... Hey. Hey. What was that?" She slowly sat up, swallowing hard-- her mouth felt dry. "Protecting those people. That was right, was it not? And those were automated models... But this group. That was... They were all people. And we all... We all, just... The Lieutenant. Her rifle. She killed... She killed those people without a moment of hesitation... I..." Kazue had seen the final shot from Louise's machine. The beam pierced the cockpit and the machine crumpled like a puppets whose strings had been suddenly cut. Unable to keep performing... For the reason staring her in the face. "Mmgph...!" Kazue desperately yanked her helmet off, throwing up on the floor of her cockpit, the duty hoisted upon military soldiers too much for her in the moment. "Whew... All's well that ends well." Azame quickly hailed the ship as the fighting ended, turning her cameras on as she approached to board. "Greetings, Captain Silverwind! My name is Azame Fushimiya, ensign reporting from the CEN embassy here on Callisto... I was in the area on a search and rescue, and when I saw the combat break out, I couldn't sit still! I hope I was of service, ma'am. Permission to come aboard~?" Azame was bright, all smiles, but the tole of battle was clear on her face, chest heaving despite not having participated in combat. The stress of trying to keep folks together mid firefight always wore on her just enough. "[XO, if you wouldn't mind.]" Galatea appeared on the combat map in front of Alrenne, saluting him. "[Here is what I was able to discern from the shimmer. I did my best to recreate an outline of what it could have possibly looked like, but in all shots, there is something moving within the shimmer, obscuring vision. I believe it to be some sort of extra appendage on what I can only assume is a machine.]" The image popped up next to her, half of the outline of a machine that seemed to have been watching them. "[It doesn't match any machine outline from the CEN's database available on board the Imminent Dawn. If you recognize it, please inform me so that I may add it. If not, we are working with an enemy that we lack critical information on. Discretion is heavily advised as we move across Callisto.]"

It seemed as though Chris had everything sorted out... in a manner of speaking, but that was all that could be done just speaking with Natalya. Ren hadn't seen more than their carriages, and it was true, they were gaining more and more people as time went on... They were almost a proper militia at this size rather than a mercenary company, but maybe that was what they needed going forward. A true force, not just swords for hire... Between the Underground, the stuff with the Escaflowne, Mercuria, all of it. They needed all the help they could get. "I'll make sure to relay the route to you, Chris." Ren rejoined the conversation and nodded, leaning into his field of view. "Will that do? How about you show me these siege engines, anyway? I've nothing else to do, and you've piqued my interest with all your going on about them... Maybe seeing how big they really are will help me get a sense for how much they'll need to move, too. Relay it to Natalya later." Syta glanced back at Laniva, something seemed to be getting to her... If everyone else was going to focus their attention on Kise for the moment, it was the perfect chance. "Lani?" Syta headed her way and held her hands behind her back, studying her face. "Something's wrong, but... I'm not gonna force you to tell me with all the others around. Still, if you don't wanna go out, or, food wasn't on your mind, we can do something else. Just a few guesses... Sorry if I'm prying." Syta felt it something of her duty to perk Lani up, now that they were... More than friends. Girlfriends, maybe...? Probably... That's how this works, right? "Me? Oh, I'm nothing special. Anyone can do this with enough practice... Speaking of~" She quickly patted Versaris on the shoulder, heading Renais's way. "Your turn! Be gentle with her, Sari... What's most important is that you focus on what you've just said. It might damage the staff, but that's fine. Better than you, and besides, except for the really fancy ones, the most important part of a staff," she let her own slide down until she was grabbing the head of it, pointing at the crystal fastened to the top, "is right here. The conduit gem is what matters the most, so if the wood splinters or the shaft breaks, so long as you can salvage the tip, it's all good. Though, you don't strike me as a girl with lots of experience with shafts and tips, so maybe get some help with that." She winked, gently pushing her ahead. "Go on, then! Show me whacha got~" Versaris sighed. "If you don't want to do this, Renais, we don't have to... I'll be gentle if you wish, and only use the flat of the blade for impact. Keep your hands spread far apart on your staff. That'll avoid me hitting your fingers-- as well as with future assailants. They'll swing for body blows, so they won't notice your hands on the staff immediately. Just be careful..." Hopefully she was fine with all this... And your remarks. Don't think I missed those. Geez... Between her and Jeremiah it almost feels like I'm back in Lufiria. "Ara? A new guest? Of course, mikon~ Come on over, don't be shy! My shop and my deals are open to all~" This one wasn't one of the Tigers... Perhaps someone from Eslcas' town? She'd heard the sales pitch and couldn't help herself, it seemed... "Come in closer, feel free to inspect anything-- you in the big hat! Don't hide under that~ If you're a mage, surely you can't resist... This~!" She'd picked up and held out a Thoron tome, wiggling her bushy brows. "I can smell the thunder magic radiating off of you... This must be a dream for you! Even if the spell is out of your power at the moment, imagine it, reaching for one of the strongest spells as soon as you were ready for it, unbridled thunder magic at your heart's demand! For the low, low price of thirteen thousand gold... Unless you wish to discuss a perrrrrrmanent discount on ALL of my wares. Sixty six percent off any purchase. Knock this hefty tome down to only four thousand three hundred and three gold, how can that be!? So cheap!? So affordable! Just ask, just ask~" Her tails bristled behind her. The prospect of a proper sale was so close...

Marigold watched Owen and the Belrose walk off, eyes locked on them the whole time until they disappeared down the hall from her view in the cell... Then she turned back to Kieran and got comfortable again. "I'm not letting go. Who knows where you'll disappear to if I do... And hope is not a good sound. I felt like some fucking self help pamphlet. Disgusting." She stuck her tongue out, huffed, and flopped again. "Gimme a reason to hold onto it and maybe we'll be able to compromise." Iris listened intently to Ullr's instructions. It was her turn, then... She nodded, getting ready to attack, but-- "... If you know that, then why are you bothering to come over here?" She let go of her stance and folded her arms, scowling, eyes finding their way to Jeremiah and locking onto his face. She was managing to not give into her instincts, her pupils remaining wide and at attention, even if parts of her were screaming to put on an aggressive stance, something in her screaming to run. She glanced at the sword at his side for a moment... That was it. Whatever that sword was, it was a danger to her very existence, more than a skilled swordsman alone could ever be. "... ... ... ... Hhh. You're lucky. You're so lucky that I'm a good person. That I'm nice... Say whatever you have to, to make yourself feel better." Surely he wasn't about to come up with an apology now... ... No... If he is, then... That means he took the time to think and thought he was wrong, doesn't it? Not just, pressure in the moment... Her eyes fell from his face and her expression softened some, shoulders sinking a bit too. "Mmm..."

"Three hundred? Here." Ichika didn't bother hesitating, handing over the requisite gold. "Thank you for your patronage, miss. I hope that you enjoy the rest of the festival...?" Ichika wasn't sure if it would be right to offer that back to them, but it was all that came to mind, gently pocketing the item. "I will do my best to be careful about miss Alouette's feelings. I do realize that I am being quite pushy in respect to my own feelings about birthdays and their meaning, but... I will figure something out. I have an idea, that I may avoid trampling upon her wishes. Thank you, again." Ichika bowed and then turned to hurry after the two, not wanting to hold their day up any longer.

"You are fussing over this more than some of the younger miko back at the shrine..." There was something up, and perhaps it was the wrong idea to push things, but Alouette had eyed the pin again, and then again, so her mind was made up. "I shall not be long. If you need to leave for the moment, we shall meet up with you at the park. Do take care, Alouette." Ichika stood there with her money bag out and her hand on the hairpin, waiting for the vendor to specify a price. There seem to be some complicated feelings here, but I cannot ignore how much she is looking at this hairpin. She must really want it... Hmm. If she is not fond of gifts on her birthday, then... Yes, that will do.

Amera leaned in towards the petting because Ember was right, she wasn't picky about her pets, as long as someone knew where to scritch at her. "Mmhnnn... Good... Bwah! Focus, no losing focus, uh, we're yeah, food." She waved Bella off, but then squinted at her wording, pointing two fingers at her as if to say 'I'm watching you', before turning back to their exit of the castle... Which seemed like it was going to be halted by a shop? "This wasn't here before..." "Oh, yeah. That's Mik-- Er, Kise. She's a kitsune that's been travelling with the Tigers for some time now... She's got a lot of really interesting wares, but, they're all pretty expensive... Not something I can afford. Plus... If you want a discount, there's a, uh, a caveat." A very suspicious caveat, honestly, but so it goes... "Reeeaaally... Well... Hold on there, Miria." Amera turned and followed after Jesse, peeking at what was available. "Can't hurt to look..." Kise turned her attention to Jesse immediately, sniffling the last of her negative feelings away and smiling brightly. "Of course you can~! Customers, customers~ How exciting...~" She hopped off of Akai, tails aflutter behind her, hands gently clasping themselves behind her back. "Welcome to my little pop up shop~! I've been all over the continent, so I've got pleeeeeenty of items for sale... They're rather expensive, but also very rare! I do believe the price is justified... Buuuuut if they're a little too rich for your wallet, we can discuss a discount~ All I'll need in exchange is a little bit of your... Time. Eheh." "We're just gonna practice our footwork, and I'm gonna show little miss Reni how to use her staff for more than wounds. If you two are fine, don't worry about us, don't worry~ You've got someone else to focus on, right?" Lucretia shot Ullr a wink and then looked at Iris-- Oh... What's got her so suddenly bothered? She followed the lizard's gaze towards... Jeremiah. Hmm... "Alright, Versaris, whenever you're ready." Whatever it was, it was between her and him. Iris had spotted Jeremiah at about the same time he'd noticed her, giving him a fierce scowl before turning her head away and grabbing Ullr's arm. "Come on, Ullr. We can keep going now-- away from them. Wouldn't want to get in the way." She said that bit loud enough for Jeremiah to hear, still bitter, knowing it was wrong to continue like this, but... I don't have to like him. It doesn't matter who he's friends with... "Come on. I'll dodge this time." She walked a bit away from them and got herself into a fighting pose, eyes focused. If you'd rely on me, you'd-- Be quiet. You're boring me. I don't need you; I never did, I never will. Maybe this is harder for Aly because her voice got deeper into her mind, but you? You missed your chance. Now fuck off. I have better things to do than deal with this parasite in my brain. A sharp hiss met Iris' thoughts, but the voice was well and truly gone... For now. Lucretia did her best to ignore Iris' petty moment, focusing on Versaris. "Don't come at me full power; if you're anything like Jer over there, you'd really knock me off my feet, but use your technique properly and all. I can take it, and it'll be good for Renais to learn~" Sari was a bit unfocused, looking at Jeremiah after Iris' moment, seriously confused. What the fuck happened? He'd be asking about that once they had a moment to themselves, but it seemed he was conscripted, for now... "Alright... Just be careful. Even if Jeremiah thinks you can handle yourself... Ah, no choice but to get into it." Versaris drew his blade and, with the same speed as always, charged into Lucretia's guard. "Hup!" The swing was weaker than normal, he'd held back, but what he didn't expect was for it to meet staff instead of armor... "Hah, hyah, hah!" Lucretia was in full motion, staff spinning to meet his sword wherever he swung from. Told you, pretty boy~! I can handle myself, but... Geez, if you were putting your all into this, wow, you'd be knocking this, clean out of my hands! After a moment of swings and blocks by the healer, he backed off. "Geez! I'm... I can't believe a staff could weather something like that, but more than the staff, that you could... I know I wasn't going at one hundred percent, but... Still. Your guard was shockingly strong." "Hwhew... Hahh, first lesson, Renais!" Lucretia was huffing quietly, clearly winded more than Versaris was. "Your staff isn't just for healing! The crystal at the end is where the magic comes from, so you've got a whole shaft of wood to block, parry, and deflect incoming attacks~ It'll take practice... but it's a great skill for a healer to have~" Gean rattled off a bunch of what she knew, Cass smiling. "Great!" She slapped Gean on the back as they walked onto the ship, chuckling some. "Ship's gonna need a captain too, so enjoy your promotion, Captain Aegean. I'll supply whoever you need to man the ship... Now for you, little lizard. Wanna have a race, then?" Cass pointed off the Maelstrom's port side towards a set of rocks jutting out of the waves. "I can swim pretty fast, but you've likely got me beat... Either way, I wouldn't mind getting wet. We did come down here for a swim, after all... You wanna join us, Gean?" If the lizard could see in the dark, that made one thing simple-- she'd be their eagle eye in the crow's nest. Give her an eye glass and she'd be able to see anything they were heading against. "So. Last one there's chum, yeah?" Cass didn't bother waiting, cheating her start and diving right off the side of the ship, arms and tail in full swimming motion! "Catch me if you can!"

With discussions of where to take the group next and allegiances being realized fully, for the moment, the Falcons had nothing more to do but to move. Their base would no longer serve any purpose, the chances of their returning to it slim. Everything was packed up and they set on their ways towards the south; towards Bravia. It was early spring, so the sun would come late. A good five to six hours they walked along the countryside, Rivane keeping their rear guarded on horseback. Either the knights had no real catch on their trail, or they had doubled back to acquire reinforcements. Either way, it was a welcome reprieve, and it made setting up camp all the safer with no one visibly on their tails. Jilyn had been tasked with taking care of Rina, given her bindings and their slight familiarity, so she sat with the woman a small ways away from the rest of the group, helping her with her hair and her armor as they all began to settle down for rest. "I am sorry for this, Rina," Jilyn offered. "Hopefully they will realize that you are not a threat and they will undo this rope... For now, please, bear with it. Shall I fetch you something to eat or drink?" They had rations, for the moment. Once Jilyn had finished with Rina's hair and armor, as she waited for the woman's reply, she began stripping herself of all her jewellery and gold. She would present it to Rivane and he could see it sold as he saw fit.