TheRoon

Renais was ready for action, though she didn't expect Mikoto to give a hug. Then again, at this point people seem to do that regardless of her protests, so at this point she just didn't bother pushing her away. The pinkette was enjoying it truth be told. So with a small blush she simply nodded at the fox as she savored the last hug she might have for a while. "...I really do appreciate it, Mikoto." She spoke and turned. "Let's get this done then." With that said, she made her way along with the rest of the group. Renais approaches 2, 23 When Miria brought up a tugging sensation, the cleric gave her a quick glance. "Odd? No...I don't feel anything." Other than the smoke things didn't seem to catch her eyes, she couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary either. 'Something my senses can't pick up? How strange...'

Renais had kept with the rest of the tigers as they marched on, she had no time to really get to know most of the new people given recent events, but thankfully she was mostly out of her funk from said events. It was all thanks to a certain kitsune woman, who Renais spared a glance at every now and then. 'It really is a nice name, Kise Hikari...' One she promised not to say in public, she had to keep her promise after all. Dark Past, Unknown Future As they continued onward however, Renais' glance turned to a certain mermaid ahead of her. She didn't find a chance to talk with her, and she found it hard to bring certain things up now. She wanted to make things up to Gean, though now wasn't the time. "...hm." That being said, she did want to try. So she took out her notebook and wrote something in a page. She tore it out, folded it up and rushed behind Gean. She slowly reached for her hand and gently grabbed it, and as she did she slipped the note to her and just glanced at her before she let go. "...when you have time." She stepped back and gave a small smile. Before she could elaborate though, Ullr made his report. and pointed out smoke. Not many in the Tigers could see it, but Renais just could thanks to her sharp eye sight. "...it's true, Tio. I see the smoke." She looked over. "We have to keep on our guard."

Cin's shoulder rub did help put Renais at ease, and the hug from Elisa was very welcome too. Of course she always enjoyed her hugs, but this time Renais' wild imagination was toned down from the intense situation and all she could manage was a small blush. "...I really do appreciate it, Cin, Elisa." She looked back at the two and nodded. "But I'll be fine, I just...want to get back to the others now." She put her hand on Akai's side and just walked off with him. She didn't want to ride him at the moment, she still wanted to make sure she had the strength to keep on her feet. Thankfully, her nerves slowly calmed down as they walked back to the inn and her friend's words stayed fresh in her mind.

The door stood no chance. Once it went down, Ayane went in without realizing Bladen was with her now, but almost immediately ran face first into the second obstacle in their path: A Barrier! "Tch!" She could see Marina and the others on the other side, completely under that damn witch's control. "OUKA!" She shouted as she tried to cut her way in, even if it was a useless endeavor as her blade bounced off. Her oni blood started to take hold again as she continued her assault, anger nearly drowned her out again. The white haired oni stopped her next swing as the barrier faded. Their eyes met, for the first time in so long. "DIE WITCH!" She rushed in after Ouka, but only ran straight through the butterflies which scattered about the air. She stood there and took deep breaths, she gripped her blade handle so tight it was almost painful. Ayane could only stew in frustration as her target had finally left her. "Ngh...dammit..." She turned to leave and find her, consumed by her anger, but stopped as soon as she saw Marina crying. "...mm..." The oni bit her lip hard enough to make it bleed, she did her best to wrestle herself back from her own emotions. She was needed here, and she knew it. 'I have to...take control...I can't go chasing after in a blind rage her while Marina is...'

The pinkette just kept against her friend, and sniffed a little more. She was so distressed by the situation she didn't quite hear Elisa's and Jesse's conversation. After a few more moments in Cin's chest she decided to give her dragon friend a break and pull away. She took a breath. "I'm sorry, Cin I-" She heard a whine close by and turned to see a familiar large wolf. It was Akai, Mikoto's...familiar? Friend? Renais couldn't remember. She heard Jesse and looked over. "...it's alright. I know him." She pulled away from Cin and approached Akai, she slowly rubbed her hand against his neck. "Mikoto must have sent you after me...mm..." She wiped her eyes with her free hand. "I have so many eyes on me, don't I?" She shook her head a little as she kept rubbing the wolf. "...we should head back, we don't have much time until the mission..." She turned her head slightly to Elisa and Cin. "Don't...worry about me, I can heal fine. I have to do my job after all." Renais was scared, but what scared her more was losing the Tigers. So she swallowed back that pain and tried to harden her resolve.

Renais watched the two leave, and did her best to keep composed. Cin and Elisa's presence helped tremendously, and so did the new newcomer in green armor. Still, she couldn't find the words to respond to them, simply because half of her wanted the two gone. Once they left, Renais felt a large weight leave her shoulders, but there was a new one in her stomach now. She knew deep down this won't be the last she will see of those two, especially if she wanted to see her sister. "...ngh..." She bit her lip as she felt her body tremble, for the first time she felt truly threatened. She wanted nothing more than to go home, but for now...she turned to Cin and buried herself in his chest. "Mm..." She sniffed a bit and pulled her arms around him. Renais didn't cry, but she was a small step away from it. She wouldn't allow herself to cry completely, at least not here, but she had to let a little bit of herself out.

Renais felt incredibly frustrated, her anger slowly built up inside, and tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "I don't appreciate being toyed with..." She was about to step up and do something she might have regretted, but Cin put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Just the reminder that someone was by her side was enough to get her to snap back to reality. "...Cin." She looked over her shoulder a little, and at that same moment she heard Elisa come up. Her head turned to the beautiful Evoker, and suddenly the weight on her dropped. "Elisa..." Slowly but surely, she composed herself. She wiped her eyes a little and took a breath. "...I'd like to know what happened with my sister, and you two are playing coy. Please, tell me what you know."

Renais did her best to keep her composure, though she couldn't help but feel anxious. Sariel, a name with some danger behind it, at least that's how Renais felt in the moment. She wanted to tell them off so badly, but before she could a certain necklace was brought up. "!" Her eyes widened a little as her hand reached up to a fairly pricy looking necklace with a gemstone embedded in it. It was part of a unique pair, custom made by a well versed jeweler, but more importantly it was a gift from Liza... "A going away present? Liza I don't deserve this..." "None of that now. You do deserve this after the work you put in to get into school." "Mm, thank you. I'm glad it's a matching pair. I can't wait to have dinner with you again, sis." "Heh heh, it'll be a victory feast after you graduate. I promise it'll be fantastic." Liza had the other one of course, so the news didn't come across very well to the pinkette. "..." Her brow twitched, her eyes narrowed, she turned her head slightly and her hand at her side balled up into a fist. It was obvious she was losing it. "...you...who the hell do you think you are? This is part of a unique pair..so you know where my sister is, don't you?" Her red eyes slowly shifted to a glare.

Ayane moved as fast as she could right behind her girlfriend, she didn't want to let her gaze leave Ariana's back. As soon as they got to their destination, Ayane couldn't help but tsk. Of course, that fit Ouka alright. She briefly glanced at Ari trying to ram her way in with little success. "Ari, step back." She grabbed at her katana and took a breath. "HAH!" And in one swift motion she drew the blade and sliced across the door as hard and fast as she could.

The pinkette kept running, until she heard Cin. She wasn't quite in the mood for company, but she turned to him as soon as she passed a cafe and was about to respond...until two gentlemen stepped out. "!" Her eyes widened at Cyro, she immediately recognized him. The other man was brand new, but as soon as he introduced himself as his associate she was immediately wary. "...I simply said I was a travelling healer, I never mentioned the Tigers." She narrowed her eyes. The cleric was scared, but she didn't show it despite her beating heart. "And I'm afraid you've caught me at the worst possible time. Whatever questions you have I'm afraid I am in no state of mind to answer them." She eyed Cin a little, as long as he was close by she would be fine...she hoped.

Everything happened so fast! At a simple mention of her name the mischievous fox had reappeared to address Saiga, but she still kept a minor gaze on Renais. "Agh... Mikoto?" She stated back with a frazzled expression. "I uh...Gean?" She recovered in time to see her new partner walk off towards Nyx, a little surprised she did...but at the same time she wasn't. The pinkette lowered her head in shame as she let some negative thoughts take over her mind. 'I...I hurt Gean, I know it. I'm not fit to be in a relationship.' The fox may not have meant much harm, but her prodding didn't make her feel any better. The cleric had decided to down the nearest glass of water and stand from her seat. "I'm sorry, I just remembered I need to take care of something important before we fight... and it's something only I can do so I'll be... taking my leave." She nodded her head at Saiga and Miria, and then she turned that nod to Mikoto. "Enjoy the meal everyone." With that done the pinkette rushed from the table toward the nearest hall, she really didn't have a destination in mind despite that little lie. She just wanted to be left alone.

"Hm, so even the mighty Miria can get intimidated by crowds." She joked a little. Though considering a certain cat mercenary they met at the clothes shop not too long ago she probably should have guessed. "It really is astounding how fast this all snowballed, it almost feels like we're part of an army unit. Not that I've ever been a part of one..." A certain croc had approached the group next and Renais turned to him. "Oh, you're...I'm sorry I can't seem to recall your name, was it Saga?" She didn't know the man very well, he seemed to mean well though. "I'm fine, thank you. It was...quite an experience, but she kept her word and didn't harm me. Thanks for your concern. I'm Renais, the group healer." She gave him a small smile, and did her best to follow the example Tio wanted to set for her. Speaking of Tio, she was approached by yet another new person Renais didn't know. She assumed it was more work and took another bite from her meal, but wasn't prepared for "Ms. Titty" to come from the conversation. "!!!" The pinkette groaned out and had a coughing fit after hearing such a bold line, she almost choked on her food at that point.

Renais couldn't help but notice Gean wasn't very responsive, other than her hand holding anyway. "Gean...listen I-" She spoke up, and then up came a certain energetic girl. "Ah? Oh, Miria." She turned to her, but made sure to squeeze Gean's hand tight as she did. "No, you're more than welcome to eat with us. You know that." She nodded. "Truth be told, I'm glad you're here. There's a lot of new faces, so seeing a familiar one puts me at ease..." She glanced around the room. "Kind of makes me nervous as the group healer, you know?" She laughed a little.

Renais was a bit staggered at the comment. "Beautiful? Ah..." She looked aside, quite embarrassed. "Mm...well uh, talk later then Mikoto. Thank you." She took the plate and rushed to Gean's side. "Sorry, Gean. I brought...oh, you already got me a plate..." She looked down at the two plates already set up. "Aaah, well we can share the third dish then!" She took her seat. "Thank you, Gean. Truly..." She felt terrible. She just told Gean she would be there for her, yet here she was getting swept up in the fox's hunt. 'I'll have to tell Mikoto the truth during our meeting, that I have a girlfriend...this habit is awful.' She only wished she wasn't so easy to start up.

The news was...startling, so much so that Renais couldn't hide her nerves much longer. Her expression dropped from a forced smile to some slight shock. "Y-you are?" She once again blushed at the minor meeting between digits, and at Mikoto's declaration that she will be with the Tigers for some time. On top of the fact that she absolutely noticed the hungry gaze and lip lick, like a hunter who stared at her prey. The graduate did remember a quick read that foxes hunted down mice, though Renais always saw herself as a bird...despite the fact foxes also liked hunt birds. Regardless she did her best to compose herself as she turned her eyes to the side. "T-that's wonderful news, Mikoto. Truly. I'm sure everyone is at ease to have such a skilled spellcaster by our sides." She cleared her voice and looked at the plate she held on her tail. "That being said, it seems like it won't be long until we reach our next mission. I'll need to eat and prepare for the day, I have so many members to care for now so I'll need all the strength I can get." She held her hand out, and hoped the fox would pass on her food without much trouble.

It didn't take very long for Renais path to get cut, by the very fox she had on her mind. "Oh!" With her hands now occupied with the fox's own hands her plate dropped, but thankfully was swiftly caught by Mikoto's tails. It seemed like she had a plan for their meeting, this was perfectly executed. "E-eh?" She answered back with yet another blush. Mikoto had a way with Renais heart, and her appearance wasn't helping matters. She took a glance at her outfit, regretted such an action, and did her best to keep eye contact. "Well it's...a little surprising, actually. Did I really make that much of an impression on you? Aha..." She couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh before the incredibly attractive fellow pinkette. "But you do wear this look quite well if I'm being honest, shorts are quite attractive. Though as long as I'm being honest, what brings you back into our company so soon? I'd have thought you would have moved onto other business given the events that happened the other day." She didn't quite understand Alvira's situation, but it seemed like a big enough risk to keep around. She wondered what Mikoto's angle was. Such a dangerous woman...

Renais gave Gean a glance before they let go. She liked her strong firm hands, it was a bit of a shame to let her go. Though she knew it wouldn't be long until she had to hold it again. The pinkette let her gaze travel the room, she noticed Mikoto had changed her hair color. It hit a bit close to home all things considered. 'Makes me wonder if she's sending a message...' She couldn't help but blush at the sight of the fox, she was just too... "...hm." She let those thoughts pass as she took a moment to let her eyes wander the rest of the room. She couldn't help but notice a lot of new faces now, the commander had been quite busy during Renais' crisis. She felt a little nervous that everyone here was under her healing care now. 'Can I even keep everyone safe by myself...no no, I can't let those kinds of thoughts get to me. An Evoker wouldn't back down from this.' She clenched her fist by her side and raised her head with confidence as she walked to grab some food. She noticed Gean greet and pass Commander Tasha and wondered if the tiger leader knew about their relationship. At some point she'll probably get to know her, quite an attractive woman she had to admit, but Renais began to learn not to be smitten with women in relationships. Speaking of, she noticed Tio approach her and Syndra. She was curious about what the topic was, though she thought it more than likely was about their upcoming mission. Regardless, after more passing glances she took a plate and slowly walked toward Gean and the open chair near her.

Gean didn't talk about her history with Renais yet, other than what was said in public, but she at least had enough information to deduce who she meant. "Mm..." Renais only met the man once, but she could tell Jeremiah could have been serious if he wanted to. It was scary to think on it now. Still, she wasn't alone, and neither was Gean. So she nodded at the man's wink and stepped up to Gean. "I'm here too, Gean. As your group healer I can't see bad health befall you...and as your girlfriend I can't let you face this alone." She took her hand and squeezed it. "Come what may I'm at your side."

"I've seen some of our friends get hit by one...it doesn't look like something I'd like to experience." Getting cut by a regular weapon was nerve wracking enough, Renais couldn't imagine the pain of taking a pure weapon now. It was certainly something she had to look out for now. "I trust Mikoto, but I'd like to speak with Elisa at least later. Still, it seems like it's more or less confirmed now..." She lifted her head before they left. "If it's alright with you both, could we keep this to ourselves for now? Eventually I'd like to tell the rest of the Tigers, but I need to think on some things before then." Renais didn't like keeping secrets, but she had too much on her mind to handle before the truth came out. Before they could conclude for breakfast Gean had one more question. She turned to Gean with some concern in her eyes. "Gean?"

As soon as the drinks came out Ayane wasted no time in gulping a few mouthfuls down. "Mm..." It was a shame she couldn't enjoy drinking like before, even if she barely did much of it compared to her family. It was still refreshing though, and she welcomed the heightened tolerance at the very least. "...to see someone in our group? I'm not surprised it isn't me, but...who...?" She let the fox continue, and slowly raised her eyebrows as she began to elaborate on who the "lucky" person was. Then Ari raised up to confront her about it and all was made clear. "...it most certainly is Marina then." She put her drink down and stood up. "Mae and Taiyou, can I count on you both to stay and keep an eye on the fox please? I can't exactly let Marina take my problems either." She looked at Chihaya. "That was quite enlightening, thank you. Enjoy your drink, and behave yourself..." The oni princess gave quite a glare before she turned back to her feline mate. "Let's move then." She turned to leave the pub.

Renais listened intently to Sari's explanation, and her eyes narrowed when he brought up a certain event. "Bloody...Requiem." She repeated the term. The title felt strange when it left her lips, like she knew what happened that day through shards of her lost memories, but she couldn't put together the whole picture. "...that seems to match up with what I recall. Not that I remember the event itself, or any years prior to it clearly. That being said, my earliest memories do start fifteen years back, when my sister Liza helped me out of my near unresponsive state." She looked aside. "So that may have been a result of me witnessing the death of loved ones...how frightening..." She did her best not to sound staggered at the news, though Gean may notice she shuffled closer to her. "Mikoto said they call died out, but you're more in touch with recent events I would imagine. So they're alive after all..." She raised her hand to brush some hair out of her face a little when Gean brought up news and the spy brought up testing from a pure weapon. "...I think confirming it with Elisa might be a better idea, but between the news lining up as neatly as it has and Mikoto's sharp eyes it seems very cut and dry." She looked back at Sari. "Thank you, Sari. I owe you for this."

"Alright, Sari." She answered back as they went in. "Very funny that we both went on dates yesterday I have to admit." She stepped in and stood before the bed he sat on. "Well, this may seem rather...odd, but follow me for a little while please." She folded her hands together below her waist, like she was about to give a speech before a class. "I've had issues with my magic for some time, mostly in terms of tome casting. Whenever I go to cast wind it forms music notes that used to give me headaches, it hasn't recently and I'm not sure why." She looked aside. "Turns out normal music can do it too, I played a piano not too long ago and fainted right after. I began to recall odd things after that..." She looked back. "The merchant we met is Mikoto, a kitsune woman. She and I had a discussion and she believes I'm a...Lufirian, and not just any Lufirian, I was part of a musical family called the Rhapsodias. It was very strange, but I feel like she wasn't lying despite the way she presents herself." She stopped for a moment. "Anyway...do you know the name Rhapsodia? I'm afraid I know nearly nothing about Lufiria beyond what little there was in texts at school."

There he was, as handsome as ever. Renais did ask Versaris to help with her sister, but considering his priority was on the Evokers she just let it sit and hasn't really talked with him since. "Yes, we were quite busy ourselves yesterday. Unexpectedly so I might add..." She looked aside for a moment, a little hesitant to bring up those events. "Mm...Mr Versaris. We have some things we have to discuss with you." She looked back at Gean and wondered if she should take the stage first.

Staring Things Out Another new day came, and Renais was...still pretty staggered from yesterday. In just an instant so much had changed. She had an angle on what she was, but it wasn't something she expected. She made a fox friend, discovered Alvira had something dreadful happen to her, and even made a relationship with Gean. It was certainly a lot to take in, and while Renais had a lot to do as soon as they got back exhaustion hit. The pinkette was too tired so she went to bed, she didn't share it with Gean though. Not yet! In the morning, Renais had only heard a little of their next mission, and she didn't get a chance to meet whoever joined them now. It seemed like at this point the Iron Tigers was only going to get bigger, she wondered if she could keep everyone healthy throughout the whole ordeal. Regardless, Renais had a lot to do during the day, so she joined Gean to go meet with a certain handsome man. "No, I'm fine. If we stop now I might never go see him." She stood by her side and followed along. "So let's get this over with."

'Nothing to betray Ouka's trust, hm? That limits my questions...but I can still work with this.' "Very well." She turned to the bartender. "Two of your strongest, please. I haven't had my needed drinks recently, so this is a good opportunity anyway." The oni then turned to the fox with curiosity in her eyes. "Clearly you can't tell me where she is, but can I at least ask what you're doing here besides getting drunk under the table?" Ayane hoped the booze would loosen her lips too so it would be easier to get needed info out, but she still had to be careful on top of that.