Balcerzak

After she'd finished readying up, and while Lavinia was rousing the others, Jade had gone to the stables and hitched up her 'mares to her wagon. If something truly unfortunate happened and they needed to make a premature exit from town, the merchant wanted to be as ready as possible. When it became apparent that the night raid seemed to be involving champions from the arena, that threw a real curveball into her understanding of the situation. What purpose? Why now? Jade had half a mind to go straight to the leader, still holding position outside the place where they'd fought earlier in the evening, but the general was leading a push to break through to the larger knots of conflict to the east. Realizing that even if she asked, it was unlikely she'd get an answer, and that stemming the harm was more important that satisfying curiosity, the zombie followed suit, driving over eastward, and firing a swift shot and one of the elves making up the muscle on the south side. Jade 9,6 , Revolver on Merc 2

Jade was glad it was dark out, and that Agni was human, with worse night-vision than most inhabitants of Vaia. Being called a lady, and having him act all chivalrous was unexpected, and she was pretty sure she blushed a little, even if the man had no deeper meaning than simply following customs. They were just customs that she hadn't been receiving for a long time now, so... "Right, we'll just take our time then," the merchant agreed, and they began slowly following in the footsteps of the two that had hurried off ahead. It looked like Marina had stopped moving, but she might start up again, it was hard to tell. If not, and she rejoined, and the party was three again like when Lavinia asked her to see them home, then that would be that. If she followed the vampire again, well, that was also a path, and should still get everyone back to the inn all right.

At Irvine pointing his finger, Linus turned to get a look. That was interesting, and fortunately for Linus, unlike the Motherloader, he hadn't ordered anything. "You know what," he said, pushing himself up from his seat. "Dunno about you, Helena, but I'm gonna go check that out. And Irvine, I'm sure there'll still be some room to see what's going on if you wanna finish up your food first. Worst case, Aska and I can fill you in on the good stuff you missed out on." He had a bit of a smile on his face as he waved goodbye to the team members and the robot maid, then made his way to the field. It wasn't difficult to spot where the costumed member of the team had pitched his tent, so to speak, and Linus had had every intention of heading over and watching the show while making a little small talk, but another unexpected happened. Euphrosyne came barreling out from the mansion, full throttle, and tried to put a stop to the impromptu demonstration. Her efforts were unsuccessful, and she landed rather close by, so just a small reroute and he was standing beside the sulking serf. "That's not going to cause any permanent problems, is it," Linus asked, mostly from politeness. Then he followed up with another interest that was on his mind. "And how are the girls doing. Almost done changing?"

Jade didn't have her portable fire pot with her, a small earthenware thing she kept a few coals going in for easy access when driving her wagon, but that didn't leave her without the necessary means. A couple of them, in fact, but the zombie wasn't in the mood for striking flint against steel and catching the sparks on charpaper. So instead she withdrew a thin wooden spill from a leather holder, and coaxed Deep Vermilion--whom she had collected in preparation for the trek back to the inn--to snort a little fire, allowing her to light it and transfer the flame in a controlled manner. Only once had she attempted lighting a pipe directly from Nightmare fire. Never again. The merchant had then been puffing away, lost in thought. Bladen and Asami were out on a walk, leisurely coming this way. Perhaps some time in the arena was in their future? Or maybe just out for a night stroll, a casual date. Thinking if anyone was keeping closer watch on her, Lavinia, and the humans, it might be best to not transfer any suspicion to the other pair, Jade opted not to call out to them. When the three Jade had left behind had wrapped up their congratulations, and the vampire had finished her business with the bookkeeper then stepped out to talk with her, well, any traces of the fox and the bird were pretty well banished from her mind. A light tug on a lock of her hair, and the sound of in-drawn breath. The zombie froze, a curious tingle seemed to have run up the length of her hair and into her scalp. Surely it was pure fantasy, but there it was. The idle comment afterward too... Jade's brain was screaming, That's the point, but too embarrassed to actually say it, she merely mumbled, "If so, that would be nice." She paused then, not sure whether to elaborate on what exactly was burning, but just as she'd decided to go ahead, Lavinia did seem interested, it wasn't going to be just her prattling on to an unlucky victim... Asami had closed all distance, and started in on teasings of her own. The merchant's eyes quickly pivoted to the kitsune, trying to gauge how serious her jests. If Lavinia was in the habit of accidental flirts, then that probably explained everything, solved all the mysteries. It was maybe disappointing--wait it was? Had she really been hoping...? The thought surprised her a little--but it made more sense than the alternative. But then the fox struck a nerve. One that was clearly raw and exposed, as the response was immediate and violent. Jade could merely watch in stunned silence at the exchange: kitsune lifted like a ragdoll, lectured, then thrown at unsuspecting Bladen. Lavinia then strode off, clearly upset, in the direction of the inn, her longer legs, better build, and manner of undeath buying her a speed Jade had no hope of matching. Not without riding her down on horseback... which would definitely be out of place. Removing the pipe from her mouth, and rubbing out the embers with her thumb, the zombie pressed her lips into a thin line. "Well, Agni," she began to speak, still processing ongoing developments. Marina hadn't waited, and instead had taken the path not available to the zombie, had begun chasing the vampire down on foot. "I guess that just happened. Are you going to rush off after M... after Cianna too? It's fine if you want to. Understandable, even." Truthfully, Jade expected her 'mission' to fail before it even began, and was preparing for a slow walk back all alone. She was used to being alone though.

Itchy. Uncomfortable. Somehow watching Marina run, hug, shed tears for Lavinia was hitting Jade in a way that it hadn't when the Hero had done the same for Agni. Maybe it was because it was hot off the heels of her attempts to reassure her having fallen short of the mark? The human had seemed confused, finding the zombie's efforts awkward, yet Jade wasn't sure how she could have done it any better. Or maybe it was because Jade could see herself in Lavinia's place more easily than she could imagine herself as Agni, and doing so hurt. Was she... jealous? She shouldn't be. While the merchant didn't know the full depth of Marina and Lavinia's bond, it was obviously not something she could compete with, to have hoped to achieved. She was just a random traveller, met a little over a day ago. ...And even if Marina had been inclined to giving her such a show of affection, Lavinia had already beaten the hero to the punch, having swooped Jade up in her arms almost immediately when she'd returned from her foray in the arena. It's not like she hadn't been exuberant in her own way, cheering and clapping. So why couldn't she just be happy for the vampire? There was also the lingering worry that an excess of concern being shown like this would just further underscore the abnormalities of the group, further betray the act. So Jade's smile may have seemed more wooden than she meant it to, and her congratulations may have fallen slightly flatter than they should have, perhaps. "Snake was a tough opponent, you did well to get there, to give him a fight," she nodded as she caught the archer's gaze. Agni would surely have his own words to give, and the zombie could feel things stretching out longer than they realistically should. It wasn't fair to the vampire, to cut her celebration shorter than everyone else's, but having realized they may not be safe, the zombie was feeling anxious. She needed to calm down. Maybe a smoke would help? "I'm going to step outside and light up, I think," she excused herself, and bringing the bit of her pipe to her mouth, began to make for the exit. Just pressing it past her lips, feeling it between her teeth was already having an effect. Comforting. Tasty.

Agni's obvious fluster was the perfect reward to her jest, though maybe she had pushed a little too far. The man's halting reply belied his discomfort, and Jade moved to smooth it over a little, hoping her chuckles weren't counterproductive. "I apologize. Too much, too fast? But you certainly are an earnest one..." There was no more time for idle chatter however, as the round had begun. More than Lavinia losing her head--Jade remembered how bloodthirsty Snake had been, how he probably would have disemboweled her if she hadn't got a lucky shot off in time and managed to put a stop to him--what really took the zombie aback was Marina's scream. It was, honestly speaking, a pleasant surprise. A human--a living human--was so emotionally invested and worried over an undead that she would lose her mind like this, thinking something dreadful had happened. If that wasn't a stark contrast to the reception the merchant had gotten when she'd snuck across the border to try to visit her family... So, how could she repay this genuine display of emotion? What way was there for her to comfort and calm the distraught hero? Marina had been so excited she hadn't been able to keep to her seat, had been practically hanging over the rail, to get as close to the action. So pure, devoted, worried... and now, nervous laugh broadcasting it clearly, so shaken. When the Hero turned to face her and Agni, almost without thinking it Jade rose, took a step forward, wrapped the girl in her arm and pulled her close in a hug. Not sure how much adding words would help, the zombie offered some anyway. "I'd be surprised if this was the first time for her, she'll be fine." Pulling back far enough to unfasten the ribbon around her neck, revealing the scar that hid beneath it, she continued. "I almost lost my head my first year," a bit of an exaggeration to be sure, but for a good cause, "If there were anywhere for it to happen, here in an arena is probably the safest. Clean sharp weapons, nothing dull or rusted, healers on-hand." No, this probably didn't do anything to assuage. Still holding the ribbon she'd removed in her hand, she pulled Marina close again, offering her her shoulder to rest her head on, hoping that the smell of her latest tobacco, mixed with some cedar shavings and lemongrass, would overpower any fouler odors, of wet clay or worse--Jade was always self-conscious. But in the back of her mind, as she was trying to reassure the woman, she couldn't help tugging at strands and unraveling her efforts. Marina and Agni had been entered disguised as vampires. Same as Lavinia. Then... wasn't Agni lucky Snake hadn't taken his head? Wasn't Marina lucky she'd backed out early? ...Neither Agni nor Marina fought like Lavinia. Like an undead. Was it obvious? How many people realized they were a sham? When Agni suggested they reunite with all possible speed, Jade couldn't help but agree that was the right call. "Of course. Let's on our way then." The merchant kept quiet about her concerns, saving those for a talk with Lavinia, in private. Was it still safe to stay in town, if their cover may have been compromised, and for this, a little light fun?

Thorvald had expected return fire from the Poesis. What he had not expected was a roar. The damage to the Odin was entirely inconsequential. But, for Thorvald, the world begin to spin, his ears began to ring, and a sudden inexplicable wave of nausea threatened to make a mess of the cockpit. He heard Tarquin's voice coming in over the comms, but picking out actual words said and making sense of them was borderline impossible. It wasn't that he couldn't hear what was being said--the boy's voice cut cleanly through the drone in the background, the continued echoes--but it was closer to just... everything that was being said was nonsense. He didn't reply: less a conscious choice made to avoid risk of speaking gibberish himself; more just, too busy struggling with wrestling reality back into place. Thankfully, the domino effect his initial assault on the enemy commander had set into motion kept the battlefield occupied long enough that by the time foes were seeking him out once again the worst had passed. The vertigo had been replaced with a massive throbbing pain spreading from the base of his skull up the back, creeping along the top. Not pleasant, but nothing that would keep him from piloting. Similarly the nausea had resided, and the low ringing echo of the roar could only be heard in silence, of which there was little to be found on the field of battle. Concentrating was still hard, coordinating the troops and commanding even harder. He simply had to hope the troops would forgive him this lapse. "Hmm... If you refuse to stop guarding that puny machine, I shall have to blow you both up! Cannon, all range mode!" More words, coming after he'd traded blows with a couple of the alien footsoldiers. He could pick out the meaning of the words, now, slowly. The puny machine he was guarding? That, well that had to be Makoto's Phalanx, right? It didn't quite make sense why that was a target for this officer, why it cared at all. Most of the focus on the boy had come from Avery... from Marianne. 'All range mode' took a bit longer to process, but the devastation the sapphire sphere that was unleashed, centered on the speaker, quickly filled in the gaps. There was no defending or evading against this. Just enduring. Hopefully Makoto was enduring too. If I let him get hurt here, how could I face his father, once we free him from Apotheosis? A dark thought. And thankfully one swiftly dispatched. The Phalanx still stood. Too disoriented to take the reins and direct the flow of the fighting, Thorvald was content to hold onto that, to find refuge in that relief. The rest of the team were doing fine. They'd gelled together, uniquely united in the face of the betrayal of those they'd thought had been friends, and were acting in concert without a conductor. Everyone was on the same wavelen-- "Thorvald! Isn't there something you can say? Don't you know what to say in these situations?" Elaine cried out, desperate for answers. "Where's the silver lining to this! Where's that everything will be OK!" Elaine's frantic plea shook him out of stupor. Avery was... Marianne was already dead? When had that happened. He hadn't even... Thorvald squeezed his eyes shut, curled his fist tightly around one of the Odin's sticks, and tried to focus. They could still maybe save Astin. Where were the words? That lion had taken them from him. And with it... also taken Astin. Impotent to change the outcome, Thorvald was only able to watch from afar, like some disembodied observer. There wasn't anything he could say. What could he even do? Mouth dry, parched almost, he surveyed the field. There, those oncoming Saturns were heavy bruisers, with more than enough punch to take out some of their frailer members. Even though he'd failed somewhat already, even though former comrades had met with a terrible fate, he could still work to keep safe the rest, to protect his current comrades. Not trusting his tongue with words yet, the old man--feeling older now than ever--moved to stop up a gap, and to remove a clear and present threat. Thorvald moves to 11,18 uses Burner Overcharge on Saturn 3

Lavinia's light blush seemed to indicate she was getting a taste of her own compliment medicine, and that felt like a small victory to Jade. As for Agni, he didn't admit to feeling fatigue, though that didn't necessarily mean it wasn't there. Still, no reason to push the subject if he wasn't having any problems, and as they'd made their way back to the seats, the merchant didn't notice any. Watching the vampire fight in the ring was something of a familiar sight to the zombie, though Marina's audible gasps and flinching made Jade realize that if it weren't for her use of the newly purchased shield, the Hero would likely have had some very different words for her. But, the logic behind the fighting style was sound. If the enemy's target wasn't vital, a tendon needed to move the muscles you'd be returning fire with, there was no point in dodging. Sometimes moving to interpose would throw the enemy off their guard too, and be well worth the effort to repair things later. A small look at her right hand, and the circular scars around her fingers brought a faint wisp of smile to the zombie's face. That time it had been a mistake, she needed fingers to pull a trigger after all, but it had paid off in the end with the enemy's confusion. The axe wounds looked bad, but Jade knew the more troubling ones would be the bullets and the arrows. Those get stuck inside, after all. The merchant began silently thinking about another surgery session, this time with the shoe on the other foot, with Lavinia needing her help, and she couldn't help but look forward to that a little. Was it wrong of her? Maybe Marina would see it that way? Jade certainly didn't. She had a broad smile on her face, and barely stopped herself from humming when she realized she was starting in on a quiet little thing. As Lavinia infused blue lightning, or something that looked close to it, into her arrow in this most recent fight, that was finally enough to shock and surprise her into a small gasp. Nothing quite like Marina's excited cheering, but surely a similar feeling. Of course the vampire was magical, Jade had known this. But she hadn't known the full extent of the tricks in her arsenal, and seeing a particularly showy one for the first time was a healthy source of wonderment. "What a finish," the merchant cooed softly, the 'did you see that,' dying on her lips after, when it was obvious that, yes, everybody had, and everybody was loving it. She couldn't but shrug and smile, when Agni was wondering how much of an appetite the vampire was working up during the course of these silly little, fun-filled arena games. "Well, sure, I mean. I'm sure she'll be fine, she did have a bite just a little earlier. But, I bet she wouldn't turn you down if you offered? Is that what you're thinking? Are you planning on offering her your neck, Agni?" A joke of course, but perfectly in the spirit of the enjoyment they were all having right now.

There'd been surprise, maybe slight concern, in Cally's voice when Abby had, admittedly, played a little faster and looser with her footwork than she should have. She really was gonna have to bank some time in the sims and get her aerial game up to snuff. ...At least the Vergloria wasn't some tiny-ass plane. Fuck no, on the tin coffins. But this? This wouldn't be so bad, would it? Just... pretend it's zero-g, right, that would work? Maybe. Still, any misgivings her copilot had had had quickly melted into elation, as they beat the odds and pulled it off. Nothing more than a goddamn stain, was right. Abigail was practically beaming when she spared a moment to turn around and give her a nod, confirmation. Then, as Calina turned on the speakers, she couldn't help but laugh. "That's right, blast it out," she shook her head and wiped a tear from her eye, before returning her attention to the panels and the incoming. Because they certainly seemed to have made quite the target of themselves for the grunt cats. Eying their energy reserves, after the onslaught was said and done, Abby almost regretted going big on the weapons she'd chosen for her counter-strikes. Almost. But, hmm. If they conserved, they still might be able to duplicate that one-two they'd worked out with Kim against another one of the furry assholes. Magnum rounds it was, then, going forward. And maybe... maybe she could help draw the swarm away from the Riese? Give Megumi as much unmolested time to figure out what was wrong with Jess. Worth a shot. Avery... Marianne had just gone down, and that left Astin as practically the only Apotheosis left. Talk about your complicated feeling. Honestly, she'd rather be fighting one of the other big-shot furballs, but... less than two minutes, huh? She wasn't sure she could trust the situation to get mopped up in time unless she readjusted, so for now the Theoria was off the table. Slamming on the accelerator, Abby gunned the engines as hard as she could, squeezing every last inch from the machine, darting around an enemy trying to block her path, and weaving deftly between unsuspecting allies. "Follow me, little flea-bags, if you dare, I don't care. I've got more important targets, but if you really want a piece, take a number and wait in line," she taunted in the general direction of the Gammas as she circled around and bore down on Astin, the Luna looming large before her as she sighted it up over the barrel of her magnum. Then it was showdown. "I don't know what to say, Astin. I couldn't understand you then, and I can't understand you now. But if you're standing in my way, there's no other way around it. When you wake up in hell, don't blame me for this." Abby Valor, Cally Sense, Move 11,17, Beam Magnum Astin Toast? That was new. Though... Smile turning up the corner of her lips, Jess nodded. "Oooh, you might be right. Toast, and jam, would be quicker energy than a protein bar. Carbohydrates and sugars digest faster, don't they? I'm changing my mind, I'll have that too." Then popping out of the cockpit, she called down to the grounds crew, to see if they couldn't rustles up two slices of buttered toast, some packets of jelly, and some bottled water.

It was good to see Lavinia with some healthy color to her, that meant the moon was working its magic, and the vampire would be fighting in top form. Maybe the extra bit of red was also due to her recent meal, too? Which, certainly shouldn't hurt matters as far as fighting prowess was concerned. It was a bit of an embarrassing though, and honestly such a minor matter that Jade didn't feel it worthy of any sort of mention or question, simply smiling a bit, not exactly intended an apology for breaking the knight's concentration--her reply had seemed slightly off-balance, probably nerves--but if it served that purpose as well it was simply a bonus. Honestly, the expression on the zombie's face was really just because there were nothing but positive feelings in her right now. Marina had acquired a sizable lead by the time they made it down to where Agni was waiting. To be fair, even with Jade's headstart, Lavinia had nearly passed her, so it wasn't as if the Hero had been sprinting or anything. Though, observing the flying tacklehug, and slight ensuing twirl about to catch their balance and prevent a disaster, was certainly mounting evidence that perhaps she had indeed, at least near the end. The zombie raised a hand to her mouth and stifled a giggle. Approaching the human after the pair had separated, and he had bowed to his Hero, Jade held out a congratulatory hand for him to shake, if he chose. "Excellently done," the zombie praised, "Some of those moves looked risky as hell, but I supposed when you're a seasoned fighter, and have had the chance to observe your enemy, it's just the same kind of 'luck' as reading the markets, huh?" A quick wink and small pause were enough to accentuate the word, making it clear she was of the opinion that very little was actually left to chance, despite appearances to the contrary. Marina's direct question did sound the death knell to Jade's attempts to keep Agni'a celebration and Lavinia's send-off from mixing, but the merchant did a pretty good job of keeping that from letting much wind out of her sails, and stayed mainly on course too. She couldn't ignore it, so simply answering, "You're right, of course. I was just reassuring her of such on our way here," she refrained from too much elaboration, before turning her attention back to Agni and awaiting his reply hungrily. "I suppose you're also feeling rather sore, like Ma... like Cianna was, but otherwise all right?" Jade added, thoughtfully.

Aside from an almost surprised chuckle from Lavinia, amusing in itself to the zombie since she'd felt the remark that triggered it had followed very clearly from the vampire's earlier teasing, the three of them had more or less put the conversation on hold, in favor of giving Agni's final matches the attention they deserved. The man's performance brooked no room for complaint... save maybe that he held off from displaying his skills with dark magic, sticking strictly to the knife. Jade hadn't expected him to clear the arena--but then again, she'd certainly not thought it possible to do so herself, and the revisions she was making to her originally held ideas about how far any of her new friends and acquaintances might manage was still slow to propagate. This bit of an upset was of course a welcome one, though, and the Hero's human protector was definitely owed praise for the accomplishment. Rising to her feet and quickly (...well, all things being relative) moving towards the reception area, Jade stopped a moment as she was passing Lavinia, and reached out to give her shoulder a small squeeze. "You'll do great too, I'm sure."

Such blind and unearned trust. Jade had to marvel at it. And marvel further at just how Coteon had gone about picking such a soft, pure individual for their weapon of war. Of course, when Lavinia turned her own teasing back upon her, any of the mellow or melancholic feelings the merchant had been having went up in steam. "Y-Yes, you're r-right. As a merchant, I should be striving to traffic in renewable resources," she stuttered and turned away, finding refuge in redirecting her attention to arena, pretending to be engaged in internal speculation about Agni's next matchup.

Chapter 32N, 6 turns This is such a good time I'm not going to bother trying Archangel Route. I watched a youtube, and cannot feasibly imagine beating this benchmark. Total Turns: 146

Chapter 30, 5 turns Chapter 31, 2 turns. Total Turns: 140

After they'd made their way back to their sets, the Hero stuttered a bit, trying to catch Jade's attention. Setting down the shield in an empty seat next to her, the merchant turned to face her, the neutral expression on her face slightly betrayed by an eyebrow inching up curiously. Then slowly, as the chosen one managed to find her words, and began expressing her awkward thanks, Jade's expression softened into an almost sleepy smile. "I understand. And it's fine. Whether you simply forgot, or," then leaning closer, conspiratorially, the zombie very softly added, in a voice that wouldn't carry past Lavinia on the other side of her, "Whether as a delicious human, rightly afraid of a man-eating monster, you simply preferred to wait till you had company present whom you've known for longer, people you trusted a little more than being alone with that strange merchant you met on the road..." Jade seemed to be poking as much fun at herself, if not more, than she was at Marina here. Then returning upright and gently closing her eyes, the slight sneer that had stolen across her lips disappearing as she continued, her voice returning to normal volume, "That is fine too. I'm just pleased they worked out for you. I honestly didn't expect you to be as prompt about this--I know what I wrote," she interrupted herself, "...but I wasn't quite sure you'd take it to heart. Anyway, it gladdens me that you've been so earnest, and I don't begrudge you any delay you take while freshening them back up for the return. Do not worry." It was actually cute, Marina's concern. The Hero had passed her little test with flying colors. Jade almost wanted to reach out, and give the girl a reassuring squeeze on the thigh, but... That would be a bit too much, wouldn't it? Instead she leaned back in her seat, and gave a glance back to the field, to see how Agni was faring. Ooh, that was certainly vital strike. Another of the regular roster down and out.

Just sore...? Oh. That was just what fatigue looked like. It had been a long time since Jade had felt it herself, and she'd been traveling alone for most of the time since her change too. "Oh." It was a short simple sound, not much to it aside from conveying the quick dispelling of misconceptions. Well, and maybe the tiniest hint of disappointment? The zombie's gazed lingered at Marina's shoulder a little longer, then travelled down the arm, noticing the shield being held up, being returned to her. "Well, it's good the equipment I lent you didn't cause any problems, aside from your muscles not being used to working with it then. I know, it worked for me, but I suddenly couldn't help worrying over nothing..." Jade took the offered item back, carrying it almost effortlessly in comparison to Marina as they made their way back to their seats. This was a fact that bothered her--upon realizing it as she went to set it down beside her, as she settled into place to watch Agni's matches. She would have to do a better job making sure to dampen her strength. Especially now. If she didn't... somebody might end up getting hurt.

I was feeling the urge to play SRW again for no particular reason, and remembered I never finished my J playthrough. I pulled out the external harddrive I'd saved my old laptop's stuff from when it went belly up, and found two chapters already done that I haven't posted. I also started work on another one, but that's not quite ready yet. I don't remember much if at all of the two chapters worth of images I discovered, but hopefully I can reconstruct enough of what happened just by looking at them, and this half cryptic notepad file of notes. Ch 28, 7 turns Chapter 29, 6 turns. Total Turns: 133

Linus chuckled along, "Heh, milk and honey, yeah." But it wasn't full-throated mirth, as he followed up with a somewhat darker thought, ...And genetic and emotional conditioning. It was impossible to turn a blind eye entirely on the sins of the Babylonians, despite their obvious successes when it came to aesthetics and bounty; at least for Linus it was. The revealation that the horses they'd had on display were robotic was unexpected, as was the fact that the current servant who'd stopped by the table was also not flesh and blood. It wasn't that he'd been wholly unaware, necessarily, but there was a difference between knowing there were some sprinkled among the workforce, and picking out which those were when you came to them face to face. The far bigger surprise, however, was that Alexis had just butted her way into their conversation. The ward went about it entirely casually, like her presence was just a matter of fact, and if Linus hadn'y known better he may have been tricked into thinking Irvine had brought her along with him, some personal digital assistant or something. Unlike her appearance last night, there was no smug face on a monitor, just a disembodied voice... which might have been more offputting, to be honest. Well, this was certainly something they were all going to have to get used to, at least until the situation gets resolved. The mention of James nearly took him back, but then he managed to associate it to one of the missing members. Sage, of course, for better or worse Flambre's impression was certainly not one that could be described with 'forgettable'. Lockstep with Motherloader, Linus thanked the ward as well, "Thanks for the update, wasn't expecting it. And good luck with your passive surveillance, or whatever you've got planned." He was probably have to take another moment or two to put himself back together, he'd completely lost his train of thought, and any sort of plan for the conversation at hand.

Agni's puzzled, almost offended expression definitely set Jade on her back foot. Had she said something wrong? She'd just meant she wanted Marina to have her full time in the spotlight, had been hoping to avoid any 'out with the old, in with the new' by focusing on Agni's upcoming bouts instead of her completed ones. The human was so guarded, almost stiff, and his words were phrased entirely professional. The zombie had thought they'd all simply come out for a good time, but clearly this was something more to him, and she hadn't realized. "...I'm sorry," Jade apologized, without really knowing why, or what she should have done, simply letting go of his arm, and slowly following to where they would meet the Hero. Lavinia was already fully engaged in congratulations, it seemed, and the merchant would have moved to follow suit had she not seen the girl grab her arm--her shield arm--with an almost pained look. "Are you quite all right?" Jade asked a little worried. "The arena's healers didn't miss anything before letting you go, did they?"

Agni had headed to the stands first, to save their spots--not that Jade had any real expectation that someone would, but there was no real harm in it neither. She and the vampire had parted arms when they sat, Lavinia situating herself between Jade and Agni. It had been rather fun for the zombie, especially the little tugs at the start, so coupled with her win at the arena she was in an exceptionally good mood. Watching Marina struggle rather significantly with Puff Trouble, compared to her own relative ease at dispatching the elf was like a cherry on the top. Self-absorbed as she was, she'd mostly tuned out the little discussion the human and the vampire were having, but neither of them seemed to mind, or were waiting on her input, so all was well. It looked like the Hero was throwing in the towel after the dark mage though? Perhaps having watched Jade square off with the final two had biased her decision. Or maybe it was the right call regardless? Still, a part of the zombie felt... unsatisfied. Anyway, it was time to head down and congratulate for the victories Marina had earned. Lavinia had headed down first, and Agni moved to quickly follow. Before he got too far though, Jade reached out an arm, clapping a hand on his shoulder, and hopefully grabbing his attention. "Um," the zombie had found she'd acted before quite finishing her thoughts, so she need another moment or two to properly order what she was trying to say. "When we're congratulating her down there, I thought it best to keep it all about her. But, well... Good luck on your challenge too." A slightly awkward smile, but honest feelings.

A bit of a prideful smile came to Jade's face when Lavinia mentioned their earlier shopping visit. She raised a hand and rubbed under her nose a bit, somewhat concealing it, but it was still obvious from the corners of her eyes to anyone paying attention. A couple of moments later the zombie felt she'd regained enough control and, while still smiling, felt she was wearing a more normal, happy expression, not something that had runaway on its own sense of self-worth. "Well, it would have been rude not to haggle with him at all," the merchant hedged, "But you're right, I don't think he fully anticipated what he was getting himself into." At some point the vampire had linked arms with her, a fact Jade only noticed when a slight tug arrived with the suggestion of moving to the stands. Softly laughing, she countered. "I only mind a little," and tugging back, she explained with accompanying nod of the head toward the nightmare. "Stables first, then we'll return to the stands. Won't take long, because you're right, we do want to see every fight she's up against." Then looking at the Hero directly, she added. "We'll be cheering you on, of course." Jade was frankly astonished how easily the Hero dispatched the first foe. She'd definitely remembered the fight against Galahad being more of a struggle. Rounds two and three were a breeze as well, of course, but that just seemed to be how the roster was set up. The zombie clapped excitedly, and eagerly awaited the matches to come.

Linus had given another vague hint that if they needed him, he'd be willing to costume up and play the part of serving serf too, but he'd left it implied rather than explicit. Fact of the matter was, most everyone who he'd heard was filling the role were female, so even if he got made over and dressed up, he'd probably just be sent to try to help Nero explain things to the crowds or something instead, which wouldn't have been the end of the world. But after it seemed like Hitomi was seriously considering throwing her name into the hat, it was probably for the best nobody tried to wring his arm (though they wouldn't have to twist very hard). Having at least one of the captains not tied up in duties meant that if something came up that needed them, they wouldn't be giving Carmen and her friends a bad name needing to drop the act and put out fires for Team Odyssey. If it was just something as simple as Makala showing up late, that probably could've been handled by text, but if Kirara or Alexis or something came calling... So a bit of a wave, and he parted from the volunteers (and the voluntold). That left Linus to wander a bit, splitting his time between keeping an eye on the rest of the gang and just enjoying the exhibit. He'd answered Helena's question, explaining that the gang was mostly splitting up and enjoying themselves for now, but that they'd be reconvening in the rear courtyard after the 3pm demonstration wrapped up, then made his way over to look at the horses. Then Linus had had half a mind to go check out the rear courtyard early, just to get some eyes on, but a couple of impressive manservants blocked the way and turned him back. Somebody must've been wrapping up some business back there or something. On his way back out of the mansion, he briefly ogled an attractive grease monkey before making his way over to the field for a few moments. The Cavalier and Journeyman were being eulogized, and were definitely quite the pieces of work, but Linus didn't feel like adding on to the torrent of questions and making poor Nero's plight any worse, so he just nodded to himself and moved on. Spotting Helena again, the poor girl seemed a little out of sorts, not used to the crowds maybe, so he made a point to pick her up, inviting her along to the tables that had been set up near the front courtyard. He wasn't exactly hungry yet, but maybe she was, and he could just order a coffee or a tea or something. It was also about the time he might expect the other girls to have finished their transformations and begin their serving duties, so that wasn't a bad argument for being in the area either. As luck would have it, he spotted Irving already at a table, and the pair went and pulled up some chairs across from him. "Thoughts so far," Linus asked the man, easing himself into his seat. He turned to Helena to make sure she felt included too, and revised the question. "Either of you, I guess."

Agni had undoubtedly meant his comments purely as praise, but it was a little unfortunate about the man's choice of wording. Had she chosen the wrong career? "Ehhh," the zombie drew out an expression of uncertainty as she considered the matter. "Maybe. Perhaps I could have been a sharpshooter doing trick shots for a travelling circus. Making circuits around the Hwein countryside, hanging out with the sword-swallower and the flying trapeze late at night, after the shows closed. Maybe that would've worked out better? Or I suppose I could have fought my way up the ranks, to be a seasoned sniper in a unit of elites." Maybe I wouldn't have died on that stormy night, out on the road, trying to make a delivery. A wisftul, almost cheery thought. Maybe I still would have died, but it wouldn't have been in Vaia. ...And then Morwen certainly wouldn't have found me. A decidedly less optimistic one. A weak frown and a shrug of the shoulders. "I wouldn't really be me if I had, and I'm not sure I don't want to... be me." Marina had come up and tapped her on the shoulder, beginning to ask something, though, so Jade shook her head and closed out this line of thought, "Sorry, I took your joke a little too seriously there, Agni." Ah, the Hero was just requesting use of the shield? A much easier matter than deep food for thought. "Of course you can. You should know I'm not shy about lending things out, so long as I get them back," a twinkle of a smile at this, before the merchant continued. "I should warn you, it might be a little awkward getting used to... Or maybe that was just me. You might take to it like a fish to water. Definitely seemed more help than not though! Picked it up when Lavinia and I went shopping earlier tonight, and don't regret the investment one bit."

The Aria had taken a pretty nasty hit, but then Tarquin had asked her if she could take the wheel while he tried something rather daring. Jess had gone along with it, of course, her visual deficiency was much less of a hindrance just moving the mech around than it would be for aiming and firing after all. Plus, that had been the reason why she was there in the first place. To aid and support. The boy's explanation was brilliant, and with the two of them it felt like they could really pull it off. And boy did they ever. The rapid fire railgunning had seen them score two decisive hits, and even the miss against that one impressive alien craft had been enough to force it out of position, its accuracy in attacking the Artemis suffering enough that Lieutenant Kim had been able to evade a swipe from its monstrous tail. A complete win, in the sergeant's eyes. She hadn't understood the German the boy had uttered: whether he was pumping himself up for their next engage, cursing the enemy, or some third option all seemed equally plausible. Yes, it sounded harsh and angry, but then again, wasn't that pretty much characteristic of all German? There was no point dwelling on it, as he quickly switched back to English, and their communication and coordination continued as normal. Despite the success of the ingenious maneuver, it also had rapidly depleted their energy reserves, and when combined with the host of supportive fire they'd participated in over couple of minutes since the maneuver, as well as their own shots of opportunity, Jess hadn't needed Thorvald's radio message to know they were running low. But that was just like him, wasn't it? Always looking out for others. She'd discounted it at first, when Cheryl had brought it up, but it certainly was a calming influence, and definitely helped the wounded soldier cope with the experience of being back in the fight. Now that they'd docked, and the mechanics had busily begun the refueling efforts, as well as some emergency repairs, Jess had something else on her mind. Maybe she was overthinking things, but Tarquin had been sounding pretty strained at times, and they were both working pretty hard. "I was thinking about maybe seeing if they couldn't send up some bottled water and a protein bar, could use a little fuel myself. Is there anything you might want? Figure it'd be better to ask for everything in one go if there was."

Jade had been leading DV out of the Arena, intending to ask the zombie who'd been in charge of sign-ups if there was some place to stable her now that her stint was done so that she could join her friends in the stands and watch the others. However, before she got the chance, a surprise interruption caught her by storm. "Lav--What are you... Ahahaha," Jade's stuttered expressions of surprise quickly melted into joyous peals, as the taller woman caught her, lifted her, and twirled her around. The merchant dropped hold of the reins so as to not get all tangled up, and it was honestly lucky for the vampire that her 'mare recognized her, and further that she recognized Jade was laughing and enjoying herself. Even still, Deep Vermilion leaned forward, after the merry-go-round had finally stopped and she didn't have to worry about moving targets, and managed to catch a lock of Lavinia's hair in her mouth, giving a brief tug before letting it go and giving an almost playful nicker, followed by a bit of a snort. As for the merchant herself, all the sudden praises left her feeling a little bashful, but also proud. "Well, I did start missing some shots against that man from Ringtail City," she confessed, then added with a hint of jealousy. "He was remarkably fast for a zombie. But on the whole, yeah, that felt really good." Jade nodded and smiled before launching into what was a mixture of excuses and explanation, "Probably got some lucky match-ups, but the fact that everything was one-on-one was really a godsend. When you're a bit on the slower side, as far as things like that goes, well it only gets worse the more enemies there are. Makes you gotta practice till you're as precise and accurate as can be, 'cause you can't afford to be wasting shots." A shrug and a bit of a blush followed as she tried to downplay a bit of the more elaborate praise. "Well, 'just a merchant' isn't exactly wrong? I mean, sure I'm pretty unique in certain ways, but there've got to be plenty of other merchants out there with their own strengths..." Okay maybe that was a bit of a reach, better shift tactics to something much more solidly defensible. "And at any rate, I'm certainly no mercenary, I'd much rather get out of conflicts without resorting to fighting, either through talking or--" It was then that Jade suddenly noticed what the nightmare was getting up to. "Deep Vermilion, you stop that right now." The somewhat rare full name address and her stern tone made it very clear she didn't think the 'mare's antics were as funny as creature itself obviously found them to be. "Ahhhh," she heaved an apologetic sigh and continued, "You're just so starved for attention aren't you? ...and maybe literally as well," Jade mused with a thoughtful look, turning back to Lavinia. "I definitely made her work out there, especially in the last couple rounds." The interruption had brought a change of mood, and now a little more honest, the zombie pulled in for a hug of her own, stating simply, "Thanks. For... all of this. The kind words, the pleasant diversions. Everything." Then, briefly rooting about in her pouch, Jade produced a silver apple, and taking the vampire's hand deftly pressed the fruit into it. "Here, want to take a turn at feeding her?" And by now of course enough time had passed that the others were catching up. Apparently Lavinia had made a mad dash, and Marina had followed with a more normal pace, but this fresh round of congratulations almost threatened to bring on a new batch of deflections. Closing her eyes briefly, Jaded decided, No, not this time. "Y-Yeah, I did my best. Looks like it worked out? I'm sure you'll have a great go as well!"