[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Renais wasn't too far behind Gean and Cin. Though she was not in her usual attire, she wore a familiar pink kimono with a purple flower pattern across it. The pinkette had tied her hair in a high tail and made sure it and the foreign outfit were as secure as possible, despite the chest area fighting back slightly. For the most part, she and Mikoto were about the same size so it was a decent enough fit. She held a staff in her other hand, she wasn't as visibly angry as Gean, but it really just showed how good Renais was at keeping her emotions in check when she's motivated enough. When Cin had moved to stop Gean, she rushed up to the two and gently put her hands on Gean's axe hand. "We'll find her, Gean. I'll never stop until we do, but please be calm. For me..."

[Imminent Dawn: Callisto]

Leon just gave Iskra a nod, he knew she was withdrawn so he just left the conversation to it's end right there and turned back to Sia. I am a bit of an intimidating guy, she's probably not interested in getting to know me. That's fine. Sia looked about as good as Leon had expected, but this wasn't the place to start flirting with her. Then came Kazue, with a hell of a kick that almost broke the doors down. The red haired man couldn't help but snicker quietly to himself. She was another withdrawn case, but with a raging fire inside that came out in bursts. With almost everyone here, Leon assumed the meeting would move forward, and Louise was the first to voice out. The former merc was on the same wavelength, he knew something was up, but for the moment all he could do was mentally prepare himself for the worst.

[The World's Requiem: Act 1 Truth in Lies]

While the royals and their entourage had taken the time to decide who would check, if at all even, the situation took a turn for the worst. A wagon was at the front of the line, and it was under inspection by the guards. It seemed to take a little while, as the guard had been in an argument with the driver for some time. Though eventually, things had come to a head.

"Be that as it may, sir. You'll find my documents are quite-"

"I care not! You will allow us to scan through your goods, or be turned away!"

"...feh." The driver fixed his cap over his eyes and took a heavy sigh. "Dearie me, I knew deep down this was unavoidable..."

"!" The guards took that as a sign of hostility, but they were too late to take action. Smoke had rushed from the back and sides of the wagon, a lot of smoke. It flooded the area and enveloped the knights of Isolde. The air filled with confused shouts and cries, as figures moved through the black smoke and took their chance. A battle had broken out, sounds of steel against steel reached the guests who were still in line, but by this point quite a few of them started to flee the area. The sound of combat had even reached both of the royal carriages. Lorelei's head instantly jerked to the window, as she tensed up. "What...is this an ambush?" She turned to the trio in the card. "Alli, Luce, Ichika, we must evacuate." That being said, there weren't a lot of options for them other than the fields...but she realized there might be danger out there too.

Meanwhile, the alliance carriage had decided on a different approach. "Hear that?" Alex spoke out, and opened the door. "An ambush. Miles, with me." The woman wasted no time getting herself out there, she was ready for something to happen and this was most certainly it. She looked ahead to see a large cloud of smoke slowly creep its way around the gate and waiting area. "Dammit, this is bad. Miles check the carts and make sure everyone is safe!" She pointed at Lorelei's carriage in particular before she ran off toward the smoke.

Alister on the other hand hand narrowed his eyes at the situation. "Mikhail, go with Miles. I have a bad feeling this isn't it." He stepped out of the carriage himself and grabbed a short sword nearby. "I saw quite a few guests flee toward the hills, if this really is a planned ambush it's likely they have reinforcements outside. I'll secure as much ground as I can. I'm counting on you to help out here. Can I trust you to do that for me?" He eyed Mikhail, determined to keep the peace as best as he could.

[Imminent Dawn: Callisto]

The talk with Sia the other day was quite enlightening, Leon had prepared himself for the day as best as he could. It was a peacekeeping tour, but knowing how these things operate the situation can and will take a turn. The red haired man walked into the briefing room and scanned it quickly, hoping he would find Markus or Kazue. Guess they're both late. He meant to have a talk with them about what had to be done, but he found the topic pretty awkward and a good itme never came up. He wondered if it will during the meeting. Either way, the merc took a seat. At the moment, only Louise and Iskra caught his eye. He waved to Iskra and smiled. "Welcome, welcome. Good luck on the mission, eh?" He knew she happened to be one of the quiet ones, he found it hard to approach but now seemed good.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Renais had left Gean and Tasha alone, and went with Tanya as she offered to keep her safe while they help the others up. The pinkette didn't say a word to the cat, she just stayed in her thoughts. This is the second time I lost track of someone I love...then again, it's probably not just two times. She cursed whatever five years was behind her, Luthier seemed to know a lot more than she thought he did. Renais did her best not to cry, she did her best not to break down like she did when Liza left. That sadness was replaced by her frustration, she couldn't do anything to stop him from taking Mikoto. I am nowhere near the strength of everyone I care for, the Evokers, Mikoto, Liza, even Gean. One day, that dream will be reality, but until then I will do everything I can right now. Mikoto, wait for me...

[The World's Requiem: Act 1 Truth in Lies]

Alexandra turned her eyes back to her retainer. Even though she didn't see him tinker with his arm, she still heard enough to assume that was the case. Though she didn't seem to mind in this case. "Heh, a little warm up is never a bad thing I say. That being said I wasn't bored at all, you all kept me pretty entertained." She eyed Mikhail with a grin. "I like your man, Alister. He's a little to himself, but I respect that."

"There's few people in Gottfried I trust more, even if he daydreams a little too often." The prince couldn't help but tease his companion a little for his distracted state. "Mm, not that I blame him. Isolde continues to be quite a beautiful land." He looked out his own window and eyed the assembled carriages and gate. "The inspections seem to be a little slower than usual, I've come here often enough to know that. Even if there is an important festival." He looked over at Alexandra. "Do you think we should simply approach ourselves and see what's going on?"

The battle hungry princess took in his words for a moment. "Lohengrin always encourages initiative, I don't see why not." She turned to Miles. "Fancy a walk to the gate, Miles? Or do you wanna stay here and chat with the boys?"

Alister couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "...it was my idea to check you know. I'm a little insulted you think I'm staying."

Lorelei's group didn't seem much better off with their own concerns.

Alli's princess couldn't shake her expression, even with the support of everyone onboard. "I'm sorry, I really don't mean to worry you all." She shook her head. "My senses are a little sharper than your own, Alli. I thought I picked up a spike of something magical closer to the gate, perhaps it's the guards, or maybe some of the guests." She looked out the window again. "That's the issue with festivals, it can attract all kinds of people." A small part of the princess really wanted to approach the gate as well. It really didn't help that the line barely moved, but before the princess knew it they were about two carts behind for inspection. "Oh, it's not much longer now. Good."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

When gave confirmation she was stable enough, Renais nodded in respect to her wishes. "You're right, this attack isn't a coincidence. I was supposed to be one of the targets, I believe the man in charge is responsible for...a traumatic event in my life. In fact they took Mikoto in my place." She let off a small frustrated huff. Renais did her best to keep composed and focused on her job, but she really wished she could go after them now. "As you wish, commander. I'll take care of the others. Speaking of which..." She turned to Cin to look at his injuries. "...don't push yourself, Cin. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but promise me you'll keep yourself alive and safe too, please?" She knew Cin was just as angry, and she hoped that last word might help keep his fury from a grim result. After she put her own feelings out on the matter, she raised her staff and began to heal the dragon's wounds.

[The World's Requiem: Act 1 Truth in Lies]

"The meeting won't begin until every member is present, I'm not worried about missing it." Spoke the princess as she eyed the inspection ahead with a worried expression. "...though if I may be honest." She turned back to the group. "Between what I sensed in our trip and this, I have a feeling something may have happened. This certainly is an important day, and we've expected some difficulty. Even so, I can't help shake this feeling that there's something amiss even under these circumstances." The woman turned her head back to the window, and noticed another carriage pull up from behind. "All I ask is that everyone stay on their guard." Lorelei took a moment to herself to scan the area of anything magical, she had realized the cart that had just arrived had some traces of magic onboard. I can only hope they are also late arrivals.

Similar to Lorelei's, the new carriage carried some important figures. Four individuals were onboard, two royals and their chosen bodyguards. While they were both members of the Alliance, they came from different nations. "...a line, hm? It seems like we'll be among the last ones inside. A little disappointing I must say." Spoke a dark haired man in a suit. "Mikhail, how did you enjoy the ride? I'm sorry it took a while, I wanted to enjoy the scenery." 

"Pfft, nice lie, Alister." Spoke a female voice who sat across the two men, it belonged to a purple haired woman in a white military uniform. She carried the emblem of Lohengrin on her shoulder cape. "You wanted to take the scenic route to make sure there weren't any uninvited guests right?" She folded her arms and gave him a sharp glance. "Honestly, if you're that worried I could take Miles and make another lap around the hills. Hell, by the time we're done the line will have died down!" 

The gesture got a laugh out of the black haired prince. "Ahaha, perhaps. Really I just needed some peace of mind, lady Alexandra. Today is an important day for us all. You know as well as I do that means difficult times are ahead of us."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

When they had reached the commander's room, Renais had hoped both of them were inside and not at death's door. Unfortunately she was half right, and Tasha was there with Cin by her side. "...alright." When Gean gently let her back on her feet, Renais grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I can heal her physical wounds, but when you're ready I think she needs her mental wounds mended as well. I'm not as close as I'd like to be for that." She looked back at Gean. "When you're ready of course." With one more squeeze she let go and rushed into the room. She lifted her staff up and got to work healing the commander and Cin of any wounds they may have had.

[Imminent Dawn: Callisto]

"Well, as an old hand of the battlefield..." Spoke the man with a sly grin as he leaned forward in his chair. "I, for one, think the group did pretty well overall. So I agree with miss Park's assessment." He scanned the room for a moment, and gave Kazue a glance himself. "I admire everyone's willingness to learn from their mistakes, just as much as I admire their passion in the heat of battle. I can relate on both accounts." He looked back to Sia. "The important part at the end of the day is coming back alive, I just hope that's everyone's first priority."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Renais at this point wasn't surprised Gean went to carry her bridal style with no warning, she didn't even protest due to their current situation. Though she did noticed her arms were shaky, Gean hadn't been through an event like this either. "...mm." So she wrapped her arms around the mermaid's neck and pulled herself closer. "Gean, it's ok. I'm scared too. But we have to do what we can for everyone." She gently kissed her on the cheek. "It's dark right now, but we can bring the dawn back together."

[The World's Requiem: Act 1 Truth in Lies]

Fortunately for the group in the carriage, they didn't run into the trouble the princess had warned them about thanks to the coachmen and horses. It had been a somewhat bumpy ride, but they managed to reach their destination, which happened to be just over the hill. It was a fairly small castle town, but it was surrounded by fields of flowers that spread as far as the eye can see. It was a colorful sea, almost rainbow like in it's appearance. The castle town itself had been guarded by a giant white wall, and a large gate stood before anyone who would seek entry to the capital. "Crecia, the City of Flowers...it's quite a sight." Lorelei looked out in awe as the carriage continued across the hills. "It would seem our destination is ahead..." The princess gripped at her own dress, both eager and anxious to get this over with.

The carriage had reached it's destination, and finally stopped before the gates in view. There seemed to be other carriages nearby with passengers who were all too eager to get inside. Some knights approached each group to do a check up. Lorelei tilted her head a little. "Hm..." She looked at Alouette. "I suppose the hold up makes sense given the importance of the festival, the security here is quite strong."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Renais had been out of it for some time now, the Light spell Luthier hit her with was quite a blow. Thankfully, Gean managed to heal the pinkette's wounds, and with a light groan she sat up in the bed. "...what happened?" She looked over to Gean, and gasped. "Ah...we're still under attack, I...how long was I out?" Her ears still picked up on activities outside. She felt terrible, both emotionally and physically, but she still wanted to save Mikoto. "...Luthier spared me it seems, but...I wonder what I can actually do to him right now."

[Imminent Dawn: Callisto]

Leon took a good look at Markus as he became a little critical of his own movements, and smiled when he complimented his piloting skills. "Aha, you really think so? Thanks. I feel like I made some mistakes though. That being said, we could make all the mistakes in the world, but as long as you come back alive then you're a good soldier at the end of the day. In my book anyway." He pat the younger pilot's shoulder and walked off. "Looking forward to seeing how you improve too, man. C'mon, I'm sure the captain's got a few words for us." Though considering a certain Japanese pilot's stunts, she probably had more words for her than him. He was fully expecting to bring trouble, but it seemed like he got out troubled. Wonder what her deal was...kinda makes a guy curious.

[Imminent Dawn: Callisto]

Leon was a little pissed that he took so much damage near the end, but it did fire him up. "Alright fine, time to get-" Before he could enact his revenge however, the final robot was destroyed and the sim ended with a total shutdown. "H-HUUUUH?!" The red haired man gawked at the screen as his chance for redemption was taken away from him. "No way! I was just getting warmed up! Arrrrrgh!!!" He threw his head back in frustration, which bumped into the ceiling of the mech. "Agh!" He recoiled from the potential brain damage and held his aching skull with both hands. He took a brief moment to cool off after, and he hopped out of the mech with a huff. "...well all things considered I didn't do that bad, even if I couldn't stick the landing." He noticed Markus approach, he gave his new partner a wide grin. "Nice work out there, partner. Might be just a sim, but you sure did good."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Even as the man stood above her, Renais stood her ground for as long as she could. Sadly, it wasn't for as long as she had hoped. He was right, they couldn't stop him. Renais knew how far out of her league she was, half of her wanted to run. But deep down inside she had a fire in her heart, a fire that kept her from breaking down in tears. The man put his hand on her shoulder, and she heard the name Luthier. A name she will never forget. Before she was able to speak out however, a bright light impacted the pinkette. "!!!" She was blown away from Mikoto in an instant, she rolled across the floor and groaned in pain. He certainly was strong, terrifyingly so. Renais laid there for a moment, and looked Mikoto in the eye one last time. ...this...is not over... She reached back weakly, but her hand couldn't take what she desired yet. "I'll find...you...Mikoto. I swear it..." She slumped down on the floor, she was safe with Gean for the moment. Renais had never felt so much pain in her life, but at the same time she had never felt more determined to get what she wanted.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

"!" Renais felt herself be grabbed by Luthier, she had hoped Gean would buy her an opening but the man was faster than she realized. "NO!" She cried out as she struggled in his grasp, her nerves started to take her again. N-no...not again...not AGAIN! Fear had taken her again, memories of fire and death filled her mind. In an instant however, she was taken out of that mentality with a swift sword swing, just a hair's breath away from her neck as well. Mikoto withdrew her blade and instead offered herself as a hostage in Renais' place. The cleric's eyes widened in shock, Mikoto was going to sacrifice herself for her. Renais had trusted Mikoto, everything she said and did for her had been genuine, but she didn't know the fox would go this far for her. "Mikoto...please don't!" In an instant, Renais was forced into the fox's arms. Mikoto's embrace had a familiar strength behind it, but once the new collar had taken effect she fell to the floor with her girlfriend. "Mikoto!" She hovered over her and stared at the collar and realized he tails had all vanished. She knew it was some sort of suppressor, but she had no idea if she could remove it. Even with her staves. "....."

Memories of that night still haunted her, she was lost in her mind for a moment as the worst case scenario happened in reality. ...Mikoto...Kise... She took a small huff. ...if I do nothing...it will happen again. I can't let that happen. I can't...lose anything else! She gave Mikoto a long look in the eye, her expression hardened, just as her resolve did. So in that moment, she dismissed the nightmare and returned to reality. She got up on her knees, turned to the most dangerous man in the room, and extended her arms out. She did her best to keep her stance firmly between him and Mikoto, and despite some tiny shakes, she looked him dead in the eye with anger and frustration. "...it really does sound like you're here for me, or at least you were...and you're seriously going to change your mind because a beautiful fox caught your eye?" She took another huff. "You said it yourself, I'm your passion project. So what are you waiting for?" She extended her arms as far as they could go. "I'm right here! The Rhapsodia you sought out so desperately! Come and get me, you son of a bitch!" Even in her fear, she remembered what Elisa told her. She was more afraid of what would happen if she didn't take action.
 

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Everything had happened so fast. Before Renais knew it, Mikoto had rushed through the door to attack a man familiar to Renais. "!" Her eyes widened at the sight before her, more so when Miria joined in the fight. Even from the very brief interaction she had with him and his companion Cyro, Renais knew he was dangerous, but she never imagined they would reappear so soon. The man stepped inside and spoke her other name, it sent a chill down her spine. She simply froze in her bed as she stared at the threatening man, her eyes went blank as her mind shifted to dangerous memories. "...a-ahh..." She felt like a mouse cornered by a tiger, it was too much to handle. Thankfully, she was brought out her terrified trance when Gean brought down the axe. "!" Almost on a fight or flight instinct, Renais rolled out of her bed and grabbed her staves. She had hoped Gean's attack had taken Luthier's attention away, long enough for her to make a run toward the door and roll past the man to get to the hallway.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

It was a long day for Renais, the tiredness hung over her like a cloud and she fell into a deep slumber. The kind that would take a charming prince or princess to wake her up...or a shattered window. "!" As deep a sleeper as Renais was she still picked up on that with her strong hearing. The pinkette sat up quick, dressed in a simple white shirt and dark shorts. "Gean? Mikoto?" She whispered out as she took a nearby staff in her hand. "...are you both al-" She stopped herself as she heard some loud footsteps before the door. Her red eyes traced over, and her grip tensed up over her staff handle. "..." Renais looked worried, but not nearly as much as she could have been if Mikoto and Gean weren't here.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

When Renais and Gean had answered her, she gave them both a small smile. Gean gave her a cute little peck and she couldn't help but return it with her own. "I hope you both stayed cool." She spoke and looked over at Cass. "It went, all things considered. She's our client, Cassandra. Quite a...charismatic one." Renais gave off a small blush when she said that. She did her best to hide what happened, but she had a terrible poker face. "Either way, it was a fortuitous trip. I was on my best behavior." She turned back to the kitsune and mermaid. "I hope it wasn't too boring waiting for us."

[The World's Requiem: Act 1 Truth in Lies]

Lorelei had removed herself from the rest of the topic and turned to face toward the window of the carriage. That said, she still kept listening whenever she could. ...I wonder if she's...no, I can't prod. Lorelei could sense the odd atmosphere, not quite tense but she could tell something was amiss. She was aware that Alouette had her eyes on her and Ichika, she was very good at picking up magical presences. Ichika seemed very good at keeping a low profile, though the cursed comment made the princess ponder a little. Then there was Luce, who seemed to be quite a jokester. Lorelei wasn't sure what to make of them. "...mm." After another brief moment the princess was about to reenter the conversation, until she noticed something through the window. "...hm?" She turned to the rest of the passengers and spoke out. "I'm going to tell the coachman to pick up the pace, so hold on please. I...don't believe these roads are as safe as I thought."

[The World's Requiem: Act 1 Truth in Lies]

The princess couldn't help but smile at the back and forth Alouette and Ichika had, though she preferred to keep her gaze on the window to potentially interrupting the fun. Alouette was known for being a little prickly back at Phantasma, Lorelei was convinced that if she didn't hold the high standing she did now she may have had a lot more trouble with bonding. She found it refreshing to see her talk casually to someone she just met. On the other hand however, Ichika was a little withdrawn, rightfully so given her own position. Even so, Lorelei could tell she meant well. When her red headed companion brought up the foreigner's blades, Lorelei couldn't help but turn her head toward the two. Her eyes turned to the blades at the girl's side, she couldn't help but study them. "Mm, I haven't been to Akatsuki, but my bodyguard has a few foreign katanas in his collection." She narrowed her eyes a little as she tried to sense out the magical blades in question, her jade colored eye gave a brief flash, and Alli would have sensed another magical spike. "Ah..." The princess turned to the side and rubbed her eye gently with her hand. "...pardon me, something got in my eye." It was...almost like looking into the sun. I should be careful around this one.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Even after Renais' (extremely poor) attempt to clear the air, Cass still continued her flirtations. The pinkette took a mental sigh as her head drooped down. Uuuugh... She was beat red, from her embarrassing display and the shark's alluring words. Well, at least she doesn't hate me. The time had come to regroup with the others, so after Marigold rejoined the group Renais straightened herself up and followed right behind them, she left it up to Miria to keep Cassandra's eyes on her while she stayed behind Marigold.

-----------

It didn't take long until the group had returned to the Tigers, and once they did Renais rushed over to the others. Her blush had mostly faded away, the moment had passed and she didn't speak another word to the shark. She couldn't afford another meltdown, not when the sun had already pushed her halfway to that point. The pinkette gave a brief head nod to Tasha before she rushed off to find her partners. "Gean? Mikoto?"

[Imminent Dawn: Callisto]

Leon spotted the last opponent left, just barely out of reach. "...screw it." So he purged the armor he had on to give himself more mobility. "Here goes nothin'!" Off he went to shotgun the final Diver.

Leon purges the heavy armor and gains +1 move. Leon moves to 14, 8 and Shotguns Diver 1.

[The World's Requiem: Act 1 Truth in Lies]

"The Alliance is well aware of the potential risks that comes with gathering several figureheads from across Arkus, and from what I understand security is quite strong." Still, even the most fortified fortress had it's weak points, and Lorelei knew it. She couldn't help her own anxiety, though it was from being an outside more or less. "So much of the world to see you say..." Her eyes had grown dim once more. "Mm, I certainly hope you treasure that freedom, miss Ichika. That being said, Arkus can be cruel. If I could offer some advice, try to make connections where you can. It's better to have more friends than enemies right?" She turned her gaze to Luce, she was impressed by their charm. "Aha, I'll do my best to make time for you then, Luce. Thank you."