La Storia della Arcana Famiglia [T]

[Khawill]

I almost got away with my sleep, "Oh look, the tramp." I said still laying in bed, I figured an insult for an insult would easily put us on even ground, "Just so you know, I would go back home until the ball, but they have some swords trying to get me in again." I sat up and yawned, "I guess that attention isn't much different than yours though. Anyways you have no control over me whatsoever, considering our diffence in branches." I had no intention of fighting with a nightgown on, though I could feel the anger she had even when she came in. Since there was no way I'd get back to sleep, I might as well go down to the kitchens. I walked toward the window, "I always like some fresh air, you know how stuffy it can get with all your hot air filling up the room." My arms still hurt, though I wasn't going to try for the doorway and the rope I had there when escaping from Steven still hung out the window. "As a matter of fact, I think a nice snack before the ball would do nicely." I slid down the rope, wincing as the vibrations shook up my cut.

"Bye Mrs. Ari! See you at the ball!"

[Lilizuki]

Oda Baldotter
~

Just as Oda had expected from the young man, Oda's conversation was mercifully brief, which would have left her some more time to ponder, were it not for the silhouette she spotted dockside. As Aerous walked away with all the social grace of a lemur, Oda narrowed her eyes upon the figure and gave a tilt of her head in the direction, as she realized that Xoxaa had yet to board the ship. Or perhaps she already had, and was waiting for Oda while the latter foolishly decided to stand aboard the ship.

It was a situation easily rectified, Oda reasoned, as she hopped off of the edge of the ship and, with a thump, landed on the wooden pier. The Apprentice was shy, she had no doubt of that at this stage, yet curiously so in the woman's presence. She wondered whether there was something about her that was causing the girl distress; there were always some who were intimidated by her military uniform, but Xoxaa was in the Swords, too, so it couldn't have been paranoia over the position as a defender of Sword.

Now that Oda thought about it, Shield would have been a more fitting name for the sector she stood in. A shield was to be used for defense, for parrying, to allow the other hand to strike. While a sword, at most, could clash in defense, an image that brought to mind war more than defending an island. Perhaps there should have been multiple names for parts of the sector, where the regular guards were bucklers, the private military were the swashbucklers to denote both statuses, and the Adepts were daggers in the dark. Because that was their purpose, at least in Sword; to serve as wild cards.

In her pondering, Oda had appeared before Xoxaa and looked over the amber sunset, instead of directly at the girl, to allow her some form of comfort from the older woman's apparently steely gaze. It was a curious thing, for she never truly tried to intimidate, and the fact her aging had ceased all those years ago gave Oda the physical appearance of a woman far older. Perhaps it was her eyes. The one part of the body that seemed to reflect one's soul, and the wisdom therein.

"Are you feeling ill, Xoxaa?" Oda asked softly, as she looked away, in an attempt to drop the tone she used while working. It was what she would use with the maids of the mansion and little else.

[Xlugon Pyro]

Xoxaa Illiphia

The High Priestess

Just as the flamboyant boy arrived, he left. He's quite awkward in Xoxaa's mind, so much so that he acts as a source of humor, unbeknownst to him. Of course, this left a void in the other woman's attention, so naturally her focus shifted to Xoxaa. She then approaches, disembarking with a graceful leap onto the pier, and continues to approach the girl. Naturally, Xoxaa's gaze stays glued downward, fixated on the older woman's legs once she stopped. Out of the corner of her eyes, Xoxaa spotted the woman's eyes aiming elsewhere, towards the sun.

"Are you feeling ill, Xoxaa?", the woman spoke calmly, her mind, once again focusing not on duty but rather the overall well-being of her allies and subordinates.

Xoxaa's eyes shift upward with the rest of her head, still lower, but she was this time seeing the woman's upper body, such as her shoulders. The situation softened the previous mood Xoxaa had, after evidence of the woman's intentions were revealed.

"No..." she responded softly, visibly more at ease, but her eyes still defiant, unwilling to meet the woman face-to-face.

"The others!" dawning on Xoxaa, her eyes widening along with her head tilting back to its original position, she recalls the details she heard uttered by the guards earlier. "There were 12 according to the guards, but at this location there's only one. I can assume that the others heard about the criminals and went out to pursue them, but where the other members decided to deploy in correspondence with the last spotted location of the thieves is intelligence that I don't have."

She then shifts her focus back to town, aware of the existence of other thieves. Taking a few steps towards town, she then abruptly stops, not bothering to turn around to speak with the woman despite her presence a few yards behind her. Her composure, now much more at ease and with an air of confidence in her voice, prompts her to speak, bringing her acknowledgement of the circumstances to light.

"There are other thieves on the loose. We should look for them."

[machomuu]

Adam Randi - Justice Arcana

A little direction would have been nice, Adam thought to himself , hands in his pockets. Then again, that'd be too much to ask for. He sighed to himself and continued walking. His exploit rested entirely on the idea that there would only be one criminal to go after at a time, but he wasn't so sure if he'd be so lucky. The letter, at least as Mina explained it, implied that he would only have to go after one, which he found to be odd. Granted, there were definitely more than enough arcana users to take care of the thieves, it wouldn't have been surprising if he were met with more than one, especially since he only brought his dagger with him. He did wonder if he should have brought Mina along in the case that the criminal was more than he could handle alone. Though...he'd been walking around for quite a while. He was getting pretty pissed off.

"Oh, Adam, is that you?" Yet another familiar voice; it seemed to belong to a middle-aged woman, probably slightly large in size. Adam turned to see who it was. It was Georgia, a woman who sold fish behind a nearby kiosk. "Oh, it is you!" He thought it slightly funny that she wasn't sure if it was him, reason being that not many people he knew dressed like he did and had white hair, not even his father, as he inherited his white hair from his mother. "I've been seeing many of La Famiglia members running here and there, it's probably because of those strange people that were running about last night."

Ah, a witness, what luck! "You heard the commotion last night, ma'am?" Adam said, drawing closer to the counter.

"I did," she confirmed. "They were a ways away, but their footsteps were rather loud when they were in a group. I just happened to be here doing inventory when they were doing...whatever it was that they were doing."

Adam rubbed his chin with his pointer finger and thought for a few moments. "Did you happen to see any of them? Did you see where they went?"

The woman nodded and said, "Just one. Actually, that's why needed to talk to you." Adam shook his head and asked what it was that she needed. "Well...this one didn't seem to notice me and took shelter in the Cold Storage Facility." She pointed to something of a small structure next to her. It wasn't exactly what one would consider a "Facility" by its size or even its external appearance, but it did the job of one. "Which is a problem, because I don't have a place to store my fish. All the members of sword seem to be occupied with something...but you seem to be free."

"It's my duty to serve." Adam said with a smile and bowed. He then walked towards the facility and looked at the door. Knowing that the guard was probably waiting for him, he unbuttoned a button near the bottom of his polo and slid his dagger inside and placed it between his stomach and his pants, for easy access. He opened the door slowly, yet casually. He entered, closing the door behind him so as not to involve any civilians. He looked left and right, scanning his surroundings. Surprisingly, there were a lot of hiding spots for such a pathetically small building. Of course, these “hiding spots” were, for the most part, frozen fish. It was really less safe for him here than it would have been in jail, as he could die of hypothermia or some bacterial disease. Fear can make man do strange things.

“Don’t move! Put your hands in the air and stand still!” A voice shouted from Adam’s side. Adam was surprised at the amount of energy this man had and how much power was in his voice, despite him having been in a freezer for several hours. However, that’s all that surprised him. He was expecting the criminal to be close by, and it only made sense that he’d get a jump on just one other person, especially one with Adam’s build. Adam complied and raised his hands, boring a grin on his mug. “Tell me who you are!” The man demanded.

“I plead the fifth,” Adam replied with a chuckle.

The man was clearly pissed off, probably taking out frustration and fear that had pent up in the time until now. “Don’t screw with me! I’ll cut your-“

“You wouldn’t dare.” Adam interrupted. He kept his hands up and turned to face the man, who had a dagger close to Adam’s neck. “You might nick me, and you might cut me, but you won’t kill me. You can’t.”

“Don’t think I’m afraid to kill you, I’ve killed before!” The criminal yelled, bringing the knife closer to Adam’s neck, his frustrations mounting. He seemed as if he was completely willing to kill Adam, and he probably was. He showed no signs of being nervous, and he was pretty convicted to the idea of killing this arrogant punk that was standing in front of them. Still, this didn’t seem to faze Adam at all.

Adam put his hands in his pockets and laughed. “Oh, I’m sure you have, but you can’t kill me: I’m better than you.” Even angrier now, the thief shoved the knife into Adam’s neck; he didn’t pierce it, but he was putting pressure on it. Still, even to Adam’s surprise, the arcana user wasn’t at all scared of being killed on the spot. Adam felt in control, his advantage became apparent not long after uttering his statement. The criminal’s hand started to shake and the pressure applied to Adam’s neck started to lessen. Slowly, the criminal withdrew his weapon. This was really the first time Adam had used his arcana’s ability in a life-threatening situation of this nature…but wasn’t over. Adam didn’t have control over the man’s actions or even his thoughts, so his next move was still unpredictable. Unfortunately, Adam was too caught up in his moment of triumph to think logically, and was promptly punched in the stomach by the criminal. The thief made his way out of the facility while Adam was writhing in pain. Adam made quick to follow him, but once he was outside the facility he found that the man had taken hold of a hostage. Georgia had been captured by the thief and was being held at knifepoint.

“Don’t move or the woman gets it.” The man said, pressing the knife against the Georgia’s neck with his knife. Georgia was filled with terror, but he had his other hand over her mouth so she wasn’t able to scream. Adam again assessed the situation. It was a by-the-book scenario that Adam’d scene time and again. He’d actually trained for scenario’s like this…but Adam didn’t feel that he should go the diplomatic route; he was done talking to such a generic character. He scanned the man’s makeup and his position, calculating the right way to execute his plan. He then took a stance that confused the criminal and quickly took out his dagger from his pants and threw it at the man. The assailant didn’t see it coming, and he didn’t feel it immediately, but after a few moments he noticed a piercing pain coming from his ear, followed by the copious amounts of blood leaking from his head to his shoulder. He started to freak out and accidentally released Georgia. Adam took advantage of this situation and ran up to the man, jumping on the counter of the kiosk and smashing the man’s head into the back of the fish stand, knocking him unconscious.

He removed his dagger from the wall and wiped off the blood that was on it with the criminal’s shirt. “If you would, Ms.Georgia, I’d be delighted if you could get a member of sword to take this criminal to jail.” Georgia was still shaken by the whole incident, but she shook her head and thanked him for all the help. Adam received her gratitude and headed back to the main house.

[Lilizuki]

Oda Baldotter
~

The Apprentice's response was brief, but it was enough to calm Oda's worries for the moment. The Adept would have been far more anxious than normal, were there to be some sort of outbreak brought to the island by the thieves, and even more so if any of the Famiglia had caught it. The girl's meek nature was a curiosity, though, but the confidence with which she spoke next told the woman that not putting pressure on her was working, if only in a minor way.

"There are." Oda confirmed, or at least by her count, and the line of guards leaving the yacht seemed to indicate that no more thieves were within its corridors. She turned away from watching the turn of day into night, and took a few more steps towards the young woman, only to stop a few paces behind her. Though she wanted to ask questions of Xoxaa, this was not the time for it, but she hoped that there would be time at the ball. "There will probably be one in the caves, or looking for a plane."

She offered the choices to not burden Xoxaa with the pressure of thinking up where to find them herself, but allowing her the confidence to choose or come up with her own decision regardless.

[Xlugon Pyro]

Xoxaa Illiphia

The High Priestess

The woman approaches her from behind, but stops short of meeting her by her side. Focused on duty, Xoxaa finds herself in her natural conduct.

"There are," the older woman promptly responded, her focus returned to the pursuit and detainment of the thieves. "There will probably be one in the caves, or looking for a plane."

"Caves?" questioned Xoxaa, not entirely sure of what the woman meant, but perhaps she knew more of the geography and history of the island than Xoxaa would know, having lived there for far longer than she has.

Xoxaa paused in thought, knowing that searching blindly for a place that thieves might hide would only buy time for the villains to make a clean escape. It won't be an effective course of action, so an alternative method would be necessary if they intend to apprehend the criminals before it's too late. It then dawns on her, obviously, to consult with those who'll have the best intelligence, knowledge they'll need.

"The guards!" concluded Xoxaa, an evident source of intelligence on the thieves.

Naturally, to extract this kind of information warrants confrontation with the guards themselves. Quickly deducing the consequences of obtaining such elusive data, she reacted quickly before speaking without thinking. There's no way Xoxaa will find herself doing the dirty work of pulling those teeth.

"We might be better off if we ask the guards for information on the thieves. Why don't you ask them and see what they know?" cleverly weaving her words to attain a desired outcome, speaking inquisitively as if her statement was a spontaneous thought rather than carefully plotted out so she could avoid socializing with strangers.

[Skymin]

Beck de Telarius: The Hermit

At first, Marcus' fist coming to the rescue was a huge relief and when Beck felt his body slump back onto the deck, he let out a big sigh. It was when he made eye contact with his eldest brother that he felt the guilt and pressure set back in, his brother's scolding and disappointing eyes piercing Beck's heart, like it usually did. Beck despised these eyes on so many levels; it was like his father telling him he wasn't good enough, except it was coming from one who should be empathetic with him. It sucked.

Marcus quickly dealt with the criminal, knocking him unconscious. Beck didn't stick around to know how he finished him off. Instead, he slipped into invisibility and skulked off the ship, taking notice that both Flint and Camellia seemed to be doing alright on their own (well, Camellia had taken a dip into the water but not without Flint quickly coming to her aid. He didn't give Camellia those horrible looks that Marcus did.

Because there was not much else to do (the boat was now unusable which meant the criminals had no way out, unless they got a smaller boat. But a smaller boat meant smaller loot), Beck hurried back to the Famiglia mansion, passing other members as a ghost but not saying a word. When he had reached the front gates, Beck let himself become visible again and wandered around to find something to do. A bit of shouts led his eyes to a small argument or something between Ari and Annabell, who were also members of the Famiglia. He also found Aerous, who had stopped for a second to say something before moving on. Beck didn't add any words to any conversation at risk he may be pulled into it. He kept his head down and hurried past the girls to his own room.

He closed the door behind him and sighed, his knees giving way and sliding slowly so he was not kneeling at his door. What could he do before the ball tonight? A bit of reading? Perhaps he could get dressed and be early for a change? Or maybe he could head to the guard infirmary and see if any guards had been victims of today's kerfuffle.

A knock at his door made the decision for him and it didn't take long for Beck to open it back up, revealing the Head of Alchemy standing there looked a little flustered. Aislinn Brennan was a sweet-faced 30 year old woman who had beautiful long dark hair and bottle green eyes. She was amazing at what she did and any praise from her felt like Beck had been told he was the best in the universe. Of course, she wasn't here to give praise.

"Beck!" she said, pushing his door further open and waving a hand at him, gesturing at him to follow. "Good, you're back. A few of the guards were injured today. I need any available Alchemists to help out. You're free now, right?"

"Yes, yes, of course, ma'am," Beck nodded furiously, closing the door behind him and following Mrs. Brennan down the hallway. "Is it anything serious?"

"Nothing extreme, mainly just cuts and half a dozen gunshot wounds. I just need the extra hand. Haans is out setting up for the ball tonight," she kept her speed, leading Beck to the infirmary, waving her hands about as she spoke. Beck immediately noticed that her arms had splatters of red dotted up them, her hands clean from the gloves the must have been wearing.

She took a quick left and opened the door to the infirmary, Beck immediately realising that Mrs. Brennan had been quite right. It was easy to see they were mild wounds, and each of the guards looked up in excitement like puppies as the Alchemists found their way in. Beck hastily hung his coat on the rack and grabbed a pair of gloves and got to work, thoughts of the ball quickly leaving him as he began to concentrate.

[Raikiri]

Flint de Telarius: The Chariot

Fighting was always a drag. Flint never particularly developed a love for it. Do not confuse such sentiments with pacifism. It is more than Flint sees little fun in the escapade of combat, and much rather weasel himself out of such tight situations with a careful choice of words or a nimble escape. Others may consider Flint a fleeting coward. He considers himself a clever strategist. However, despite this, Flint had gotten involved in a number of scraps (especially in his travels) and was experienced to say the least.

On Marcus' order, the siblings each engaged a single thief. Flint's opponent was comparable in build to Flint, though he was a few inches taller and a few pounds heavier. No matter. Nothing he couldn't handle. Hell, even Marcus would say Flint could handle this guy easily and he never admired Flint's fighting style (though he might commend its efficiency). The thief was probably in his late 20s, maybe early 30s, but it was hard to tell given his unkempt beard, missing teeth and patchy hair. For once, Flint felt gorgeous. He sighed as he approached his opponent: "Alright, let's get this over with." Flint brushed off his opponent, taking a neutral stance, drawing his hands out of his pockets, and placing them on his sides.

"What did ya say say, punk?" The thief said, drawing out his knife and brandishing it. The knife was a bit bigger than Flint expected, but at least he didn't get the guy with the sword or machete. That would of been annoying to dodge. Then again, the knife is a weapon of agility and precision. Smart fighters know how to use it. This thief was far from intelligent. Flint could tell.

"I said, come on! Stop dancing around like this is West Side Story. I got things to do. People to see," Flint said taunting his opponent with vulgar gestures.

"Ya think you're funny. Imma cut that tongue out of your mouth!"

"Try me. Oh, here I'll make it easier for you," Flint said, leaning forward, sticking his tongue out. The thief's face contorted in anger at Flint's arrogance. He lunged forward, going for a quick stab, but Flint read the move, hoping his taunting would pay off. Flint sidestepped the attack, grabbing his opponents wrist. He twisted it sharply and quickly, disarming the thief with ease before hammering his forearm against the thief's elbow to the orchestra of ear wrenching crack. The thief stumbled to the ground in pain, holding his arm gingerly, taking shallow breaths as he tried to reconcile with the pain. "Oops, seems I broke your arm," Flint said with a chuckle. "My bad."

"You son of a b-" Flint did not let him finish and he drove his knee into the face of the thief. As the thief squirmed in pain, suffering from breaks in his arm and nose, Flint grabbed the thief by the collar and approached the side of the boat.

"Take my advice and cool yourself off," Flint said as he chucked the broken man into the cold waters below. "Have a nice swim!" Flint called out as the man tumbled into the sea below. Flint took a cigarette from his back pocket and put into his mouth, his patted himself down to find his lighter before catching a sight in the corner of his eye. It was someone struggling in the waters, probably drowning. Flint wondered if it was the thief he just threw overboard. It wasn't likely. Did Marcus or Beck throw someone off the ship? Wait…Flint squinted and caught a better look. "Oh you gotta be kidding me…"

Flint did not hesitate at the sight and immediately jumped off the ship, quickly using his Arcana card's abilities to allow him to walk on the surface of the water. He ran over to Camellia, almost tripping over his own feet as he treaded across the water and lifted Camellia out of the water and over his shoulder. He ran over to shore and threw her on the ground. Not versed in CPR, Flint firmly pressed against her chest until he heard coughing and saw some water spew out. It was good enough for him.

"You know…now you owe me a new cigarette."

[Retro Bug]

Ari - The Empress - Mission 1

“Oh, look the tramp!” Annabelle’s voice was surprisingly confident. Ari had a special distaste for newbies like her who thought they possessed the ability to outwit her. The rage within her swelled with every moment that passed between her and Annabelle. "Just so you know, I would go back home until the ball, but they have some swords trying to get me in again."

“I wonder why? Maybe because you can’t enter through a door like a normal child,” Ari emphasized on the word normal to further critic her verbal opponent one who got her far too upset. Ari released her anger that threatened to overwhelm her through her tightly clenched hands, which opened and closed every few seconds.

"I guess that attention isn't much different than yours though. Anyways you have no control over me whatsoever, considering our difference in branches."

“Listen here, brat. I gather attention in a very respectable way, do you want your dead body to gather attention?” Her voice came to a point were her words had trouble getting passed her seething clenched teeth. “I’ve been looking for a new pelt for a coat I’d like to have. How about that mangy mutt of yours?”

"I always like some fresh air, you know how stuffy it can get with all your hot air filling up the room." Annabelle nonchalantly countered her statement while she walked towards the open window. Her obvious exit route through the door was blocked and it seemed she was eager for an leave of absence. "As a matter of fact, I think a nice snack before the ball would do nicely." The girl disappeared out the window, Ari stepped forward to try and stop her but there was movement in the hallway that halted her pursuit. She heard footsteps that clearly belonged to a man one who overheard their conversation.

“Miss Ari, don't pick or try and intimidate new members of our family please.” The words were pushed forward with confidence that the man himself lacked. His that head was deliberately lowered and his fast paced walk were strategies in order to avoid Ari’s vengeful eyes as if those actions protected him from her illusion spells. She began thoughts of ways to trap him in an illusion that was so terrifying he’d only have the strength to blink his eyes after she had finished. Aerous Oxus, Adept of Swords, cardholder of number seventeen The Star, age twenty-five, which meant he was 2+ years her senior. One might not have known he outranked her in years by the way she treated him. He was known for his pure gracefulness with a sword and marvelous physical combat skills, that and for his stupidity. It intrigued her how number seventeen defended cardholder number eighteen as if bounded by duty and card order. Unlike the rest of the Famiglia Ari hesitated to be a fan of his.

“Hey, Aerous, why don’t you go back to school? I still think they have classes for idiocy! Oh, by the way, can you weaklings of Sword learn how to stop measly bank robbers without getting the rest of the Famiglia involved?” Her words were thrown out like daggers but somehow he managed to parry them and then carried on with his business. Aerous had made one crucial mistake that he would now regret.

Anger fumed within Ari, her breath became erratic as she took off down the hallway. As if they warned anyone in the hallways of her presence Ari’s heels stomped into the wooden floors. A look down the hallway revealed a meek Beck who slipped almost unnoticed into his room. Everyone knew, for the most part, if one sibling was in the mansion then they all were. This meant she had little time before an expected interruption would occur. She removed her shoes in order to sneak into Aerous' room but the shower was on so he wouldn't have heard her anyway. As a caution Ari tipped-toed her way in and slowly got in reach of his filthy clothes. She plucked them up as if they held the plague on them and turned to backtrack before she had an idea. The door to the bathroom, which held the shower, was slightly cracked giving her a blurry view of Aerous. Her Arcana Mark flared to life as she casted an illusion of bug larvae squeezing themselves from the cracks in the wall down into the shower. They swarmed to life and multiplied themselves by each second that passed. With his clothes in tow she carefully backtracked her way into the center of his room where she noticed a small lighter. "You sure are flamboyant now!" Ari snickered at her own joke as she dropped Aerous' clothes onto a small fire she had created in his trashcan with the small lighter she found. With that she left the room and leaned on his door in order to hear his reaction before she took off down the hallway unnoticed. Ari headed toward her section of the household where she overheard a nearby conversation that involved a pair of loose-lipped guards. Her smirk returned but her foul mood still overpowered any information that she had gathered.

[Khawill]

The Mansion
I made the jump and ran to the garden, I figured now would be a good time to use the front door. I walked through the hallways of the house fairly bored. My arms felt sore from the wounds, my legs felt sore from the fall and running, and I was pretty tired considering my rude awakening. I can't say that right now, I was in the best of moods, though I couldn't wait to go to the ball, I'd show up that attention hound one way or another! I hadn't eaten at all though, so I decided to go to the kitchen and have some lunch. I hoped that a maid would be there to cook.

When I got to the kitchen, I was pleasantly surprised to see all of the chefs and maids working on food for the ball, though that delight turned into annoyance when I couldn't get one to make me food. My stomach rumbled, and I had no idea how to cook, there was no way I'd get food here, so I decided to head into town, maybe that cafe would give me some coffee now that I saved their money.

Cafe
"We are still not going to give you coffee. We appreciate the help you gave us, but we are positive that giving you coffee will cause us to lose more money than you saved. Do you understand?"

"Aw, but it is so goood." I whined, I really wanted more, "Can't you just give me a little bit?" It was typical that I'd get the same waitress as last time, with her iron will.

"Would you prefer hot chocolate?" She said with a smile, she was much more cheery than this morning, but still, I wasn't getting my coffee. "I'm sure the boss would more than happy to reward your heroics with a free meal and cocoa!"

I liked free food! "Really! Like really really! That would be so great, I'll take some cocoa and..." The menu had very few lunch meals, but there was one that I always ordered, "And chicken alfredo! With fettuccine pasta!" My mouth watered simply at the thought, it was my favorite food.

"Okay, I'll bring that out very quickly!" She leaned in, and whispered, "By the way, did you know you are in a night gown?" and walked away.

My stomach dropped as I looked down, I had walked all the way over here in nothing but a night dress. I looked around to make sure nobody was looking,and it didn't seem like anyone cared, I was in the clear. I waited patiently with my head down, waiting for the meal.

"Okay, the manager said you can have the free meal, but we have to ask you to leave. He doesn't want indecently dressed children here, it looks bad to the customers." She said it as if it was the most awkward thing she had ever said.

"I am not a little girl! I'll have you know I'm 18." I lowered my voice because people began to stare, "I'm just very small."

"I'm sure you are! But still, you look like a child and for that reason you should leave. I'm sorry!" She probably wasn't sorry but I agreed kindly and rushed out, taking the long ulow populated route back to the mansion to lay in bed.

I still had my food and I was fine with eating in my room, though I couldn't help but feel I shouldn't go to my room, so I walked to the garden and chowed down on my delicious meal. After I finished, and I felt full, I decided that there was no way I could sleep now, but I did want to try on my dress, so I walked through the front door again. I noticed the tramp walking away from the Aerous's bathroom, which struck me as odd. I contemplated whether I should care or not, considering Aerous was a sword. Though eventually I figured the mere act of retrieving information wouldn't neccisarily qualify my interaction with him, so I casually walked in the direction Ari came from.

I can't say that I was surprised to see that his trash can was on fire with clothing fuel, nor could I say I didn't suspect that she had probably taken his clothes while he was in the shower. But as much as I wanted to help, he was in the shower. There was no way I would risk seeing him out of the shower, so I just kind put the fire out and quickly left.

[Lilizuki]

Oda Baldotter
~

"Of course." Oda's agreement was swift, despite the reservations flashing clearly across her face at the apparent lack of sociability in the Apprentice that stood before her. She turned into the streets with a fluttering of her coat and returned within a few short minutes, with a sufficiently dour look hanging across her eyes as they met Xoxaa's azure orbs. "Come, quickly. The guards have received word of a truck headed towards the airfield; we'll need a vehicle, in short." Without waiting for response from Xoxaa, the Adept returned to the shadowy dockside street.

A gaze cast down each side of the street told Oda that only one viable vehicle remained, if they were to make use of the shortcuts that littered Regalo Island's surface like scars across a veteran's face; she'd seen enough of both to dread the bumpy ride. There happened to be a finely crafted motorcycle sitting on the street corner, unattended, whose silver sheen seemed to call out with an enticing glamor. It was a fine machine, not dissimilar to Oda's own, but that was stored by the mansion itself.

There were certain liberties allowed to Adepts of the Sword more than any other rank within the sector, such as the one Oda was about to take advantage of. It would cost money out of her own pocket if she were to damage the vehicle, but she trusted enough in her own confidence to not end up in a fiery wreck with an Apprentice on the backseat. The thing that worried her the most was the potential damage this thief could do, depending on the weapon they carried, or if another traveled with them.

Regardless, the time for worries had passed, and Oda knelt beside the motorcycle with a Swiss army knife retrieved from one of her many deep pockets. Hot-wiring the vehicle didn't take long, and was luckily a skill Oda's father had taught her back in Sweden that proved to be more useful than she'd ever expected. It was certainly quicker than knocking on the owner's door, and could possibly save one twelfth of the Famiglia's bank, if they caught up in time.

With no helmets hanging from the handlebars, Oda would need to be especially careful in her driving, and push back the instincts that would cause her to speed recklessly across the tracks of dirt worn through by many years of enthusiastic teenagers; ones like Annabelle, in fact. The Adept climbed aboard the motorcycle and revved the engine a few times, making sure she hadn't broken anything lethal, like the brakes, and whistled over to Xoxaa with the knowledge that the young woman's mind oft wandered.

"Get on."

[Xlugon Pyro]

Xoxaa Illiphia

The High Priestess

"Of course," replies the woman, agreeing to Xoxaa's suggestion.

The older woman's response and reaction is quick and decisive, seemingly not having even a second thought about what Xoxaa asked. Granted, it was a very logical course of action so it isn't surprising how the woman chose to act. Xoxaa wastes no time, following not too far behind the woman as she recovered intelligence from the guards before turning around to fill her younger ally in on the details of the thieves.

"Come, quickly. The guards have received word of a truck headed towards the airfield; we'll need a vehicle, in short."

"Alright, but where will we find a vehicle appropriate for our use, much less one we can take, or do you-," reciprocates Xoxaa, only for her question to be cut short as the woman found her answer.

"Ignored again," concludes Xoxaa, used to but still frustrated when others seem to either not hear what she said even when she's clearly audible, or, well, she never really figured out why she seems to be invisible, maybe even more invisible than the invisible man she heard of.

Perhaps the woman's response to things is more direct, Xoxaa following her older companion to the site of the woman's focus. She keeps her distance, watching as the woman pulls out a knife and begins to release the vehicle that Xoxaa inquired about. However, Xoxaa's certain the motorcycle isn't hers, and the woman certainly doesn't seem to be the kind of person to justify criminal activity, and yet she's deliberately confiscating someone's property. Xoxaa would never do something such as this, regardless of the situation. Naturally, she feels uncomfortable about what she can predict is about to happen. Her face naturally slumps, a slight frown on her face as she stares at the vehicle the woman released, revving the engine, sure to draw out the vehicle's owner if they're home. A sharp whistle then breaks the string of thoughts Xoxaa mulled over regarding the "borrowing", as she suspects how the woman would justify her actions.

"Get on," advises the older woman, slight urgency in her words as they need to go after the other criminals before they get away with the stolen property, now an ironic circumstance given what the woman had just done.

"Uhm..." hesitates Xoxaa, looking down slightly, approaching the motorbike a midst its loud, roaring engine so that the woman might hear her. "Are you sure we should be doing this? The bike's not ours."

Xoxaa contemplated what the woman's answer might be, but she needed to ask anyway, especially since it seems a bit odd that thieves would be trying to bring other thieves to justice. The woman probably intends to return the vehicle, but it still seems wrong to take something that's not theirs without asking, even if it's to apprehend thieving villains. Given the woman's likely response, Xoxaa prepares herself to hop on the vehicle anyway, delaying in action still as the moral ambiguity of the situation makes her too uneasy to act effortlessly.

[Lilizuki]

Oda Baldotter
~

The Apprentice's response had been the last thing Oda was expecting, when she hotwired the motorcycle to apprehend the thief. The way she stood with the effort of hours of training marked across both skin and cloth, yet whose vision of the world had the naivety of uncommon to the Adept herself; this was a state of mind she'd gotten used to long before now, as she straddled a rumbling engine and gripped the handles firmly between her slender fingers. There was perhaps complacency in her actions, of getting numb to the true morality of her actions through repetition.

This particular right, Oda hadn't used excessively before, for it was rare for there to be such a large emergency that would require stealing from the island's citizens. Yet it was as easy to steal from the owner as it had been to assault the thief on another citizen's boat, or the times when she'd been required to run a man through with her blade, or even the first time she actually hurt somebody in her youth. All of those times, it could be justified with the notion of self-defense, that there were times when morality could be applied to actions and justify even the most horrible of crimes.

Yet, as many great people throughout history realized, the passing of events could only be described by those present, with whatever moral norm society was used to at that stage. Some were abhorrent to most, thanks to the teachings of religion, such as many scandals in the Americas all the way back through to the times of Ancient Rome. Yet, these potentially great people committed crimes most would call foul of. From slavery, to the slaughter of innocents in the name of a supposed sovereign or deity.

And all of it was unnecessary, because Oda had learned that morality was a concept that was impossible to truly gasp. It shifted with the clouds, and the only person to trust is oneself. To make the decisions that one deems necessary in any situation, based on one's own knowledge and calculations of collateral damage, instead of blindly following an ideal put forth by supposedly wiser beings. They were useful for many things but personal meaning was not one of them.

To gain personal meaning, Oda had been taught, was to explore oneself more thoroughly than any psychiatrist or witch could try. She was still on this path to self-discovery, but maintaining one's own actions was something she learned to deal with long ago. Nothing was worse in the world than insanity that could be supported by others, like those who suffered under the boot of Roman armies. By taking responsibility for herself, she was allowed to make the decisions that would haunt her, if they were necessary, because actions were objective. A man who murdered in the name of his God or country was still a murderer, and the harmful part of it was boasting it as heroism.

"No, Xoxaa, this bike isn't ours." Oda explained, her voice still smooth and her gaze averted to avoid putting pressure on the Apprentice. "I'm a thief, and, no matter how necessary this is, it's still a crime. I will prostrate myself before the owner and admit it, then allow them to decide whether to judge me for it. Meanwhile, I'm under the employment of the Famiglia, and it's my job to get the money back; so that is what I'll do. Are you coming along for the ride?"

[Xlugon Pyro]

Xoxaa Illiphia

The High Priestess

"No, Xoxaa, this bike isn't ours," is the woman's sharp response, clearly giving her attempt to explain the circumstance. "I'm a thief, and, no matter how necessary this is, it's still a crime. I will prostrate myself before the owner and admit it, then allow them to decide whether to judge me for it. Meanwhile, I'm under the employment of the Famiglia, and it's my job to get the money back; so that is what I'll do. Are you coming along for the ride?"

It felt more like a lecture to Xoxaa, her suspicion proven correct by the response the woman gave her. Theft in general is a wrong act, regardless of how one might want to justify their actions, at least as Xoxaa saw it, but reality hardly holds to absolutes since so many variables would be at play in any given situation. She certainly wouldn't suspect the woman of outright stealing something without making amends later if there's the potential of harming others. Then again, Xoxaa doesn't know her that well, and looks certainly can be deceiving. In truth, the bigger issue for Xoxaa would be returning the bike, not taking it, as it would warrant confronting the person she stole from, but this problem is easily alleviated as she can't say that she stole the motorcycle. To each his, or in this case, her own, as Xoxaa concludes, knowing that in the end, she's responsible only for what she does, even if those in power would like to think otherwise. Honesty is a virtue Xoxaa would never shy away from, no matter how shy she might be otherwise. Their objective was simple now: locate, apprehend, and turn in the criminal.

Xoxaa's expression hardened, appearing more sure of herself as she looked towards the older woman sternly. Nodding her head, she approaches the vehicle, boarding the rear while holding onto the woman's shoulders. Suddenly, it then dawns on her that she has no idea how to ride a motorcycle, much less how to ride as a passenger.

"Uhm..." she utters softly, barely audible to the roar of the bike's engine, her expression quickly returning to an uneasy frown as she looked down, glancing at the woman's lower back.

Pulling up data from her memory, Xoxaa attempts to address her problem before the woman begins accelerating, thus causing Xoxaa to fly off the vehicle and possibly suffer some serious physical damage. She recalls how passengers typically remain seated on motorcycles, placing their hands somewhere bellow the driver's armpits, but what position exactly would be appropriate? Some people, as she remembers, wrap their arms around the driver's midsection, although this was typically among opposite-sex partners, and might be awkward to do so with another woman, but would holding onto the woman's hips also be inappropriate as well? It's all so confusing to her, and worse yet, she's no time to deduce the proper etiquette of motorcycle passenger riding. To make matters worse, she hears the sound of footsteps, hastily approaching them likely as a result of hearing the sound of their motorbike roaring throughout the streets. They would have to take off quick if they didn't want to get in trouble.

"I... I-I think I hear footsteps! We should hurry!" urges Xoxaa loudly, her hands still pressing against the seat, unprepared for a sudden take-off.

[Lilizuki]

Oda Baldotter
~

From the corner of her eyes, Oda watched Xoxaa's reaction to her words with an uneasy breath; there were those in Sword who would attempt to chastise her for supposedly playing loose with the rules, but her methods had worked over the years regardless of somebody attempting to moralize her. Although she had her doubts that this Apprentice would dare to confront her over something so fundamental, which made her unsure of just how firm she should be in future interactions. Perhaps a conversation at the Ball, like she's originally planned, would shed some light.

And, despite herself, Oda smiles when she sees Xoxaa's face take a sudden turn to determination that had been lacking over the last few minutes of being in each others' presence; though she couldn't put her finger on it, she felt like she'd gotten through to the Apprentice in some small way. Thanks to the mistakes, or rather unfortunate events, that happened to the forebears of her family, she wouldn't have easily been afforded a position in command, even had she wanted one, but there was some satisfaction to be had in working with another person on these matters.

The bike shifted slightly upon Xoxaa's mounting, while Oda occupied herself with making sure everything about the bike's balance was as in-check as it could be. The previous embarking through the wild paths of Regalo Island had been solely herself, so she'd need to keep a careful eye out for any dangers that could harm her passenger who still hadn't found herself a handheld, after Oda was certain that each gear was in check and ready to speed off along the road in pursuit of the foul thieves.

Then, the Apprentice yelled about somebody approaching, and Oda was reminded that being yelled at by a civilian was not in her immediate plans. Yet, Xoxaa's hands supposedly remained floating somewhere in the air around them. "Grab on to my hips, and don't let go." She instructed swiftly, waiting for the young woman to do so before she let the engine roar in triumph at its freedom, as rubber ground against asphalt and they sped down the street, just as somebody's comments slipped from the Adept's earshot.

It was fairly good planning on her part, Oda complimented herself, to have all of the civilians retreat into their homes until the crisis was over, for their escape from the motorcycle's owner would have been far more dangerous, or perhaps even impossible, otherwise. The fact that Xoxaa hadn't known where to place her hands made doubt grow in her mind about the passenger's safety, but societal implications of where one's hands must be placed weren't something particularly on her mind. Those thoughts had been locked in the dark corners of her mind long ago.

As the wind brushed against her cheeks and they came up to the first corner of their pursuit, Oda following the guard's information about the thief's direction to plan the best route for interception, she began to instruct her passenger on how to remain safe on the vehicle. "I need to lean the bike to go around a corner; please don't be afraid of grinding against the road." She informed Xoxaa as quietly as she could without yelling over the growl of the engines.

Though she uttered the occasional apology about her braid potentially hitting Xoxaa across their ride, and further instructions, Oda's mind was focused on the ride. It was one of the most peaceful sensations there was, for her, to be able to move across the beautiful landscape on a vehicle she could feel connected to, where each turn was under the direction of her will, like the keys of a steadfast piano that sung its beautiful tune only for her unblemished fingers.

The thought of a piano motorcycle made the grown woman laugh shortly, before she corrected herself for fear of making Xoxaa think she was thinking mocking thoughts and instead turned it to a comment on the thin path they were just about to cross onto, as a mountain road loomed overheard. "Bumpy ride; make sure not to let go." She told Xoxaa firmly, but there was no time to brake and check if she understood, as the wheels of the motorcycle bounced across the dead shrubbery and worn ground, skidding slightly before their control was regained.

With each rock of the vehicle against the slightest hill in the ground, and the thousands of greens that rocketed past the Adept as she sped through the tropical forest, Oda was reminded that this bike was definitely not for traveling across any terrain but roads. The hydraulics leaped and slammed her form back onto the motorcycle every few meters, making it quite an unpleasant ride for her as an experienced rider, and no doubt more so for the passenger.

The jittery mechanics of the borrowed motorcycle did nothing to dampen her spirits, however, as there was a certain thrill to rocketing through unclaimed grounds with the possibility of a fall or crash soon to come, but prevented by skill alone. Even as she spotted the outcropping of stone that would take them up to the overhead road, with a jump of about ten feet diagonally to make it safely, her fingers tightened around the handle and pulled back sharply in anticipation of freefall.

Moments passed slowly, as the front wheel slid up the base of the slick rock and dug its claws into nature's bones and tore up the ground beneath it with each ounce of power within its engine, followed by the rest of the bike and its two passengers as they hurtled through the air and landed with a particularly troublesome thud against the asphalt that was nonetheless softened by the spinning of the wheels, making sure that neither of the occupants fell off.

It had been a risky maneuver, but Oda's expectations had proven correct, as the airfield was just beside them. With another roar of the engines, Oda spotted a stolen RV coming towards them suddenly turn towards the chainlink fence that surrounded Regalo's airfield, sending the clattering fence to the side with sheer bulk and speed. The bike shot forward with unwarranted speed, with fear evident in the Adept's eyes for what the thief could do if that vehicle collided with one of the stored airplanes.

"Can you do anything to halt it?" Oda asked her passenger, with the memory that Xoxaa was also a member of the Famiglia, and that she possessed an arcana card too. The ride would be smooth across the wide-open strip of asphalt, and the motorcycle would almost certainly catch up with the RV before either were forced to come to a sudden stop.

[CourageHound]

Tobi Lomborte
The Sun

Tobi contemplated whether or not he should assist the others in subduing the remaining thieves since he was a sword. However, he decided against is figuring the others would probably be done by now considering the time it took him to beat just one thief and turn him in. Thus he headed home with Anna's dog in a sour mood because of it. Once at the doors of the mansion he was offered samples and different tidbits of what was to come at the ball from the maids and chefs and accepted them heartily. It was enough to cheer him up a little.

He brought Anna's dog inside the mansion much to the maid's surprise but they didn't see anything as they saw no ruddy paw prints plastering the hall floors. Nonetheless, Tobi took his time to wash the dog up in his bathroom thoroughly before venturing around the manor to find Annabelle. She resided within her rarely used room. Her door was slightly cracked so there was nothing stopping her dog from jumping into the room for an excited greeting. Annabelle was delighted to see Tobi as well with a hearty" thank you" for bringing back her dog.

"Yea it was no problem. But hey I noticed he doesn't have his name on the collar. Whats up with that?", before Anna could answer Simon scampers by the room door. Tobi clenched his teeth at the thought of Anna's dog excitedly jumping down to greet Simon only to get a swat to the snout from the startled cat. However, Simon just flicked his tailed and continued to prowl about the mansion. "I'm gunna go and see what members of the sword have returned so I can have an update on the mission."

Tobi sighed and closed Annabelle's door with a wave. After meandering through the halls he saw Areous' door closed however he was taking a shower as it seemed, so he continued the the corridors without taking a second glance. Venturing into the intelligence sector of the house he spots Ari just turning a corner to another hall. Although she wasn't a member of the sword, he wanted to as her 'How did the mission go?' or "Do you know if any of the swords got back?'. Not necessarily for the answers of those questions as he already knew the answer, but rather to hopefully strike up a conversation.

[雷影 イチロ]

Camellia de Telarius - #20 Judgement

”And you owe me a dance at the ball,” Camellia smirked at the figure hovering over her. She was thankful that he had come to help her, but couldn’t help feeling a little dejected that it wasn’t Marcus. She always enjoyed the feeling of Marcus saving her; something akin to a handsome knight rescuing his damsel in distress. Except Marcus was her brother. If only she had her own shining knight akin to Marcus yet not family…

“Also, smoking is bad for you,” she turned her head to the side, coughing up a bit more water before returning to Flint, “You should probably help Marcus wrestle these thieves to the Swords’ jail, I’m going to follow Beck up to the Mansion.” She pushed herself up off the ground, feeling the loose sand slide down the inside of her shirt, and even some lodge in her underwear. She turned to leave, “Thanks, Flint,” she said before making her way up the beach to the track that would take her around to the side of the mansion.

Camellia’s clothes had all but dried by the time she snuck into the Mansion grounds. It was now well into dusk yet the atmosphere remained fairly temperate making the walk that much bearable. It didn’t take her long to get from the eastern garden to the set of rooms the de Telarius siblings had been given. The main room still had the remnants of the days’ lunches spread out on the table; Becks book lying on the table. She quickly moved the dishes into the Kitchen, making a note to clean up the house once she had cleaned up herself. Her room rested opposite Beck’s at the back off the hallway. Each room had an en suite attached so the siblings did not have to fight over bathroom time.

Once inside, she quickly dropped all her clothes to the floor before making her way into the shower. The warm water washed over her body, wiping away the sand and grit that had ingrained itself into her clothes and hair. It felt good to be able to wash it all away; all except the dull, throbbing pain in her ankle from the tumble earlier. A commotion outside caught her attention as she caught a glimpse of a skinny, naked man running across the lawn. His Arcana Mark shone brightly in the waning sun.

“He isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed,” She commented, stepping out of the shower and towelling herself down, “but he isn’t half bad looking.”

Wrapping the towel around her midsection, she made her way back into her room, screaming a little as she saw Ari standing in the doorway. “Geez, you scared me, Ari, thought you wanted to kill me…” She scratched her head and smiled wide, hoping the kindness would have an effect on Ari. Considering Camellia had decided to not go to work this morning, she wondered if Ari had come to enact some sort of sadistic punishment on her.

“You don’t mind if I get dressed while we talk, do you? I would assume you have the same body as myself.” She pulled the towel off and began ruffling through the mess of clothes on her floor, looking for something to put on.

[Xlugon Pyro]

Xoxaa Illiphia

The High Priestess

The woman responds promptly to Xoxaa's warning, the engine revving to maximum power right as the door of the bike's owner begins to open.

"Grab on to my hips, and don't let go," instructs the older woman, informing Xoxaa on how to ride safely as she begins accelerating the vehicle, rapidly picking up speed.

In no time, the motorcycle takes off, nearly sending Xoxaa flying off the vehicle, leaning back as her legs begin falling off and she begins to become airborne. With a loud yelp, the girl extends her arms, clinching her ankles against the frame of the motorbike in a desperate effort to remain seated. Digging her ankles in, she concentrates energy to her ankles, mustering enough strength to dent the sides of the vehicle, nearly stopping all motion of her body taking off into the air. Halting the backwards momentum, Xoxaa lunges forward as best she can while facing off against the resistance of rushing wind and the initial momentum from the take off, thrusting her hips back to push her body forward, heels still clinching the bike's sides as her right arm leans as far forward as possible, her hand finding clothing on the driver's right side, scrambling to secure a tight grip, potentially clinching the woman's flesh and squeezing her skin as she recovers from nearly being tossed off by sheer momentum. Securing her grip, the young woman thrusts her hips again, forward this time, before throwing her feet forward again, swinging her left up and around the driver's midsection, clinching it tightly before her right hand releases its grip slightly, flying over her left arm to tightly hug her driver's chest, possibly squeezing too tightly and awkwardly, inching up to the woman's backside as her rear returns to the bike's surface, her bosom planted firmly into the older woman's backside as her passenger clings to her body, a reactionary movement made in the heat of the moment.

The bike owner's door burst open, his bike speeding along the roads as the pair race off to stop the thief the guards reported to them. He yelled at them, Xoxaa looking back, her body still tightly wrapped around the woman as her head tilted to their rear, catching view of the man's fuming expression, his voice barely audible but she could tell the man is yelling given his wide open mouth movements. Her stare is blank, looking at him for a few seconds before turning back around, watching the man bolt towards the direction of the guards before returning her glance to the woman's backside. Xoxaa decides not to alert her driver to the vehicle's owner later, as the woman most likely suspects the owner will go after them somehow, and she wouldn't hear what the girl would have to say anyway. Their motorcycle voyage would come up to a few sharp turns before making its way to a mountain path. The woman driver makes what appears to be a laughing sound, following shortly after with what seems to be a few words, perhaps pertaining to their route, but such noise is shut out by the overpowering clamor of the motorbike. By then, Xoxaa's grip has lessened so that her arms are mostly vertical while her hands still cling firmly to the woman's clothing on both sides. Her breasts still hugged the woman due to her bust size, but she has more breathing room now, or at least she did until their course became a lot wilder, making a sharp turn that forces Xoxaa's grip to loosen and nearly sending her flying once again, maintaining a firm grip on the woman's side opposite of the turn until she can reaffirm her hold on the driver with both hands.

Riding through bumpy, mountainous terrain, their course veers away from urban terrain, mystifying Xoxaa regarding the route her driver has chosen. "Why are we going this way? I'm fairly certain the criminals weren't heading into the hills. Unless... did she say they were heading towards the airfield? In that case..."

Her thoughts abruptly cut out as they ride through the rough surface of the island jungle, whipping by the flora of the island while riding over a serious of bumps, some greater than others. Xoxaa, having accustomed herself to the wild voyage upon this two wheeled ride, manages her grip onto her driver far better than at first, now predicting the twists and turns, leaning appropriately for each alteration in their route. The surprises didn't end though, as Xoxaa spots ahead the summit of some sort of hill, her eyes widening exponentially as she comes to realize what her crazy driver is about to do.

"She's about to drive us off a cliff!" realizes Xoxaa, at the last few moments before their driver launches their ride into the open air, now overlooking the airfield. "I'm not sure if I can heal from the extensive damage of a fall like this if we don't land well..."

Spotting a suspicious looking vehicle midair, the driver of said vehicle appears to have noticed them, veering away in reaction into the roadside fence and breaching the airfield grounds. The ever evolving situation trapped Xoxaa in another daydream-like trance, watching events unfold until mere moments later where the two of them blast open the ground beneath them, wheels spinning at untraceable speeds as they complete their landing, rough enough to cause Xoxaa to be lifted off her seat, if but for a brief moment while she clings tighter to her driver. It certainly shocks the young woman, if only briefly, before returning her composure to normal as their ride picks up speed once again and zooms off and over the downed fence and into the airfield, in hot pursuit of the thief.

"This woman certainly picked the right vehicle. She must have one of her own. I wonder how much experience she has with these machines," admires Xoxaa to herself, acknowledging her driver's exceptional skill with the motorcycle, or perhaps it was dumb luck, as odd fortunes do occur.

"Can you do anything to halt it?" spoke her daring driver, severing Xoxaa from her internal realm once again, causing her to reflect on the impending circumstances, their ride in furious pursuit of the escaping criminal, closing the gap between the two vehicles before taking up the larger vehicle's left side, running parallel with the thief.

"Uhm..." ponders Xoxaa aloud, clueless as to how she might put a stop to the villain's stolen vessel. "We need to find a way to get the driver to pull over."

Fortune has it that Xoxaa happens to have her bag with her, and in it, the object of the girl's eureka moment. "The pistol!"

Reaching into her bag after unzipping it, she pulls out an unloaded, for safety, semi-automatic pistol, quickly preparing it for firing, then trying to keep it steady as she aims for the object of her assault.

"Give us some room from the RV and trail it slightly. I have an idea," alerts Xoxaa to her driver, about ready to fire.

It might be a reckless endeavor, and she deliberately kept the details of her operation out of processing range of her driver, who might otherwise object to her wild efforts, hence giving the woman instructions only on what she wanted her to do, rather than what she will be doing as well. After given the safe distance, Xoxaa eyes her target, aiming her pistol while keeping it as steady as can be while riding, granted the ride now is far more stable, racing across flat ground versus wild terrain like earlier. Smooth enough, at least for Xoxaa, since her target's big enough and close enough and a slightly uneven surface shouldn't be much of an obstacle. Aiming for the tires of the large vehicle ahead and to the right of them, Xoxaa fires her pistol, a loud bang sending projectiles right into the wheel's rubber membrane, firing at the closest tire and popping open the wheel to release the pressurized air held within the tires, then shifting her aim to the other tire on the left side, ripping open a few holes in that tire as well. The burglar's vehicle begins skidding, losing the tires on its left side, forcing the RV's driver to decelerate to a stop, turning to the left slightly, blocking the path of the motorbike, it too coming to a stop pending the events that're unfolding.

"I hope I don't get scolded for this later," contemplates Xoxaa, recognizing that her actions might be too risky for the older woman's taste, but something needed to be done before the thief got too close to the airplanes and caused further damage.

With the bike ceasing motion, Xoxaa got off first, since she's the passenger, before looking ahead at the downed vehicle. Her pistol remains armed and in her right hand as she approaches in a hasty run towards the thief's vehicle, taking initiative seeing as her driver is preoccupied with watching over their "borrowed" motorcycle. Keeping her eyes on the driver's door like a hawk, the look of a cold-blooded hungry predator on her face, almost terrifying to any onlookers if her otherwise small, feminine appearance didn't water down her otherwise fierce appearance, as if she was on the hunt and ready to kill. Shocked by the incident that had occurred, the burglar was ready for opposition, bursting open the door on his side with a semi-automatic rifle mounted on his left shoulder. By that time, Xoxaa's close enough for a clear shot at the villain, slowing to a power walk to prepare a properly aimed shot, but is nonetheless taken back by the man's superior firepower. Still, Xoxaa anticipated the actions of the thief, ready to fire as the vehicle's door swung open. Already discharging her weapon, she catches sight of the man and pierces his left leg before adjusting her aim upwards towards the man's hands and arms. He manages to pull the trigger, focused dead on its target, launching a few bullets that pierce Xoxaa in her arms and legs, and one in her chest, her speed accelerating towards the door upon recognition of the man's weapon.

The penetration dealt to her causes her to collapse to her knees, just before reaching the driver's door. However, the damage she dealt was enough, getting off a few clean shots in the man's arms, causing him too to collapse, falling to the hard airfield bellow and landing on top of his weapon, struggling to hold back the pain so he could finalize his kill. Unfortunately for him, the power of his opponent, to say the least, is nothing natural. Flustered from the penetration of several bullets, she pushed herself upward, portions of her body already expelling the bullets from inside her body as her arcana powers jumped into action to heal her otherwise potentially fatal injuries. Kicking away the barrel of the man's rifle, she stands over him, appearing fatigued, a look of both slight exhaustion and also a guise of coldness, an almost terror-inducing stare plastered upon her face. The man, disarmed, vulnerable, and bleeding profusely, looked up upon the object of his absolute terror, his face contorting to a shaken state, his lower lip trembling as his face flooded with the presence of anxious sweat. Horror was the only presence he could feel within himself, glancing upon a small but terrifying predator, one who not only appeared barely phased by several gunshot wounds, but had appeared to almost completely stop any bleeding, rendering any damage he might have done to nothingness.

Panicking, he scrambles on the ground like a flailing fish, desperate to recover its breath. Xoxaa reacts, promptly stomping a charged foot onto the man's grappling hand toward his rifle. The cracking of bones can almost be heard as Xoxaa's hyper-powered presses down on the man's defenseless hand, breaking it. Screaming in pain, the man flinches and struggles in pain, flexing his spine in pure agony. The girl continues, grabbing his now gnarled hand, inciting another pain-induced reaction from the man, before she pulls him up and slugs him square in the chest, causing him to slam his head into the bottom of his downed vehicle. She then approaches him, charging a stomp before landing it on the man's left foot, breaking it too. In desperation, he swings his right arm over in an attempt to harm the ferocious young woman, only for her to catch his fist, sliding her hand over to his wrist and squeezing it, charging energy into her hand to crush the bones in the man's wrist. Overwhelmed by pain all over his body, the man collapses onto the ground, unconscious. With the ordeal over, Xoxaa also collapses onto her knees, breathing heavily due to having to expend a tremendous amount of energy to rebuild her pierced organs and to stop the bleeding.

Mustering up whatever energy she can, she crawls over to her knocked out victim, covering his gun wounds with her hands, preparing her medical treatment on his body, or to be precise, the parts that are bleeding, as the bone fractures were more to keep the man from moving. Sweat pours from her brow, having severely exhausted herself due to earlier ordeals. She sighs, following up with a few coughs before pulling her up onto her feet once more, looking over to her superior, slightly curious as to what the older woman might think of her apprehension of the burglar. Giving the woman her face, Xoxaa did her best to smile in the state she's in, only to recoil in residual pain coursing through her chest, placing her right palm over the still open gunshot wound lodged in her midsection. Clenching her right hand as if she was pulling something out, she draws out the final bullet implanted in her body, throwing it off to the side. Coughing a few more times, she returns her gaze to the woman, working up a small but confident smile.

"I got him," affirms Xoxaa, her voice more raspy than before, but still soft and high pitched as it usually is, coughing a few times after speaking.

A sound off in the distance then reaches earshot, hearing the approach of guards who were also pursuing the criminal in order to prevent his getaway. Surely this situation will appear awkward to the rapid responding guards, with a woman sitting atop a stolen motorcycle, an RV with two left tires torn away, and a large man planted on the ground unconscious with a rifle a few feet away and a small, seemingly feeble young woman with a bit of sweat on her brow overlooking the ordeal, as if she had just ran a marathon.

"I bet they know about the stolen bike too," assumes Xoxaa, looking back at her superior, the same smile on her face but notably slanted, reflecting on an awkward situation.

"Oh," she realizes, clenching her teeth awkwardly as she recognizes the dent she made on both sides of the motorbike. "They'll probably be curious about that too..."

[Khawill]

After Tobi showed up, I had no further interruptions with my sleep. I actually had dreams during the nap, which isn't exactly odd, though my dreams are never truly my own I suppose. When I sleep near people, sometimes I experience their memories through my dreams. Oftentimes I just watch the dream, spectating a past experience, though sometimes bad memories get through and I have nightmares. To be honest, people always seem to have more bad memories than good ones, as if they want to hold on to terrible events.

On this particular day though, one of my dreams were delightful. I watched the memory of one of the maids who was married, specificly the wedding day. I don't know exactly who this maid was, but the feeling of joy she had that day spread to me as I slept. This joy, this feeling I got whenever a good memory came along, made up for all of the nightmares I had, it gave me a sense of hope that everyone would feel happiness. Unfortunately the dream was short because my powers were not developed enough to allow me to focus the dream, I only caught the priest saying his stuff and the big kiss. After that, I was bombarded with bad memories. A child's parents abandoning him, a deceased pet that a kid had to bury, and a life of extreme poverty as a kid were all typical bad memories I'd be tortured with. It always seemed like the worst memories people had, the most dreadful to them, happened during their childhood. But every dream I would cry next to the person, mourn the dead pet, or attempt in vain to get food for this starving child, I felt useless, with only that wedding to look back at.

When I awoke, I immediately forced these sad feelings away, I needed to be happy after all! It wasn't hard because it was something I had to do every morning, though I always needed a few minutes to dry my tears and wipe my face. After all that was done, I slipped on the red dress, which covered my cuts from earlier nicely. I figured maybe seeing the healer or an alchemist would be best, but I wasn't dying so I didn't bother. I looked at the clock, by the time I had awoken it was close to the start of the ball!

A knocking on the door and Steven's voice yelling, "Hello?" confirmed by worries, I had overslept!

"One second, I need to get dressed and stuff!" I slipped on my shoes, then decided to but on some heels instead. I walked quickly to the door. "Okay I'm ready to go!" He was dressed pretty nicely, definitely not a guard's pay of an attire. I can't say I wasn't appalled to see him look so stunning.

"I thought you would bail." He laughed, "Well lets get down to the ball area." He held out his arm, "May I escort you?"

Couldn't help but have my mind leap to the wedding memory, and it made me feel a bit embarrassed. Even if he couldn't read my thoughts. I took his arm though and said, "Try anything and I am in a perfect position to break you arm!"

"Well okay! Then I won't try anything until you let go." We both began walking toward the ballroom. When we arrived, nobody else seemed to be there except some servants and maids. So we waited around for people to show up.

[Lilizuki]

Oda Baldotter
~

Rolling wheels against smooth ground was far less deafening than the tropical flora Oda had been forced to drive through before, though had perhaps been more traumatizing for her passenger. Just another apology to add to her list that day, including apologizing to the bike's owner and the family of that guardsman who had taken a bullet designated for her. It was strange, to feel a day shift from regular serenity to such chaos with only a few yells and greed of thieves for a frankly ridiculous plan. But, the jump both of them had just taken would have been considered reckless by anybody without the ability to resist injury; instinctual fear was one thing that was slipping away from The Hanged Woman's human grasp.

The clarity of sound allowed her to hear Xoxaa's suggestion clearly, and despite most of her work time being spent alone, she remembered following the commands of a drill instructor. In a fluid segue, the Adept and her vehicle strafed across the open airfield to allow the Apprentice her line of sight, that was necessary for whichever plan she came up with. There was brief surprise in Oda's eyes, as she spotted a pistol being withdrawn from Xoxaa's bag and its sights lined up with the thick rubbery wheels of their target, whose concentration swayed upon sight of the metal stallion that followed.

Although she preferred the steady weight of a sword hefted in her hands, for reasons of parrying and to avoid the spraying death that ranged combat could inflict upon her allies, Oda had plenty of experience handling firearms. The action that inspired incredulity was the confidence that Xoxaa gained, enough to release her clutch around Oda's body and take aim with only her legs to stay attached to the machine. It seemed that, like herself, the Apprentice found comfort in having a focus; a way to express herself through solid actions, when all that mattered was the target.

They'd have to spar, sometime. Nevertheless, with an ear-shattering bang the pistol crippled their criminal's vehicle, though it simply passed through Oda's ears like the bullet themselves would have. But the swerve of the hulking RV was enough provocation to twist the handlebars in a tight turn and spin back the brakes. As the grinding of rubber lit up the air with stenches of smoke, there was a sudden shift in weight as the passenger leaped off to deal with the thief that necessitated such actions in the first place.

When the motorcycle finally stopped with a lurch forward, Oda heard the sounds of rapid gunfire followed by the squeals of a man who believed himself dying. She hopped off of the motorcycle with a frown, though she had heard only a few feminine cries of exhaustion; there was also the fact of damage caused to the motorcycle's chassis, for she trusted Xoxaa to handle a single thief by herself. That would be dealt with sooner than the Adept had hoped for, but for now the concern was on the Apprentice's health, as she strode towards the unconscious thief and smiling Sword.

Most concerning was the splatter of crimson across Xoxaa's clothes, along with the blood-soaked bullets that littered the ground around her feet. Oda watched the girl with a tilted head, as she attempted to remember just what Arcana card could afford such feats; the intense nights of studying paid off, as she recalled the High Priestess being one such card, whose energies could weave together any wound. That certainly explained the apparent exhaustion from just a few moments of combat, but the apparent fear throughout their ride was evidence that Xoxaa's mind was still young. She had yet to be numbed, perhaps because of the pain she must still feel from whatever injuries.

"Indeed, you did, and quite cleanly too. My compliments." Oda congratulated the girl with nothing short of a proud smile, as she approached the downed man with a set of steel manacles withdrawn from one of her longcoat's many pockets. It truly was a well done job, despite the brutality of the submission, but there were a few members of the Famiglia whose methods were far more lethal; very few people could afford to subdue dangerous criminals like Oda had learned to. "It seems the guards have come with judgement for my actions, but..." She briefly checked her watch. "Time until the Ball is passing all too quickly. I shall have to make this brief."

Though the criminal was not going anywhere quickly and it was within both of their rights to take down him as they saw fit, Oda felt the need to take responsibility for the entire thing, as a trio of black vehicles pulled up alongside the site of the crash and out came the hatted guards of Regalo Island, the leader marked clearly with a silver badge upon his chest and the stern look of a man more concerned with the people, and, from Oda's experience, didn't trust the military nature of the Sword Sector.

"Captain Jonah," Oda greeted the Captain with a hearty handshake, as they met on the line between his cars and the crash. Her gaze did not leave his for a single moment, while a couple of the guards walked to the handcuffed thief to lead his unconscious, heavy form to one of their cars. "I'm afraid this meeting must be short, and there is much to be explained. The damage to the gates and reckless driving through the docks, as well as the death of one of your men included. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you've heard, myself and this Apprentice have to attend a formal Famiglia event. I will gladly meet you in the morning for tea, to discuss these events and meet with the owner of this unfortunate vehicle."

Oda was by no means a woman of silver tongue, but there was something to be said for formality in the face of old souls such as Captain Jonah; it was something they could appreciate, and which she'd been learned in for many years. The mustached man appraised her words for a few moments before giving a brief nod. "Alright; I'll keep you to your words, Mistress Baldotter." He said firmly, before issuing orders to some of his gathered subordinates. "Get your gawking over with quickly; we don't need everyone on this site!"

"I would never dream of doing anything less." Oda bowed respectfully to the Captain, and left a brief moment of silence for Xoxaa to speak to Captain Jonah, before gesturing for the Apprentice to follow her on the long walk back to the mansion that necessitated their early departure from the scene of just one evening's crimes. "Unless you're willing to steal another vehicle," She jested in an attempt to keep that smile on Xoxxaa's face. "I doubt we'll be able to make it back in time. You can go ahead, if you want to." She said, with an honest smile, for she could not know the full extent of Xoxaa's abilities. "If not, I can lend you my longcoat for some form of reasonable dress."

[Xlugon Pyro]

Xoxaa Illiphia

The High Priestess

"Indeed, you did, and quite cleanly too. My compliments," the woman spoke, a proud smile on her face as she approaches the scene of the engagement to chain up the defeated thief.

Xoxaa isn't used to such strong positive regard, given her life of abusive or neglecting family figures. Naturally, the girl was forced to tilt her head slightly in the other direction, dropping her smile somewhat, but instead donning a red hue to her cheeks. She blushes easily with any compliment, but the young woman began to warm up to this older woman, almost as if she was a mother to her or an older sister, only exacerbating her inner appreciation of the woman's kind words. Looking away from the current scene, the woman arrests and turns over the burglar to the arriving authorities, discussing matters with the captain of their unit. Xoxaa listens in on the conversation, gleaning the excuses her superior gives to the guard captain. Apparently, the woman takes the responsibility of the events that occurred here, but the woman doesn't seem to be one to boast of her exploits or lie about events to further her position, however short lived in might be. She seems to be covering for Xoxaa, as the girl presumes, since the woman had seemed interested in her well-being throughout the whole ordeal. Hearing the conclusion of their discussion, Xoxaa alters her gaze, looking up at the darkening sky, spotting a few stars coming into view. Her eyes widen in interest, marveling the colors of the twilight sky, her favorite time of day. After gazing upward for a few moments, she hears the sounds from the conversation cease, lowering her head tilt and turns her attention back to the pair, the two separating ways at the exact moment she lays eyes on them.

"Unless you're willing to steal another vehicle," states the older woman, a touch of humor in her tone and a warm smile on her face, grabbing Xoxaa's attention by pulling her glance towards her superior. "I doubt we'll be able to make it back in time. You can go ahead, if you want to. If not, I can lend you my longcoat for some form of reasonable dress."

She's fairly sure the woman was merely cracking a joke, but nonetheless it made little sense since it was the woman, not Xoxaa who was the vehicle stealer. The smile returns to her face, but this one is somewhat slanted, almost sarcastic in expression.

"You were the one who stole a vehicle, ma'am," responds the younger woman, returning the favor of a comical remark while highlighting the details of the referenced event.

Hastily, another aspect of the woman's words dawns on her. "What did she mean by- Oh ****! I forgot about the ball, and I forgot to obtain the necessary attire for the event! I'm so screwed!"

"Oh, I-uh, uhm... I won't need the longcoat, but thanks! I'd only trip over it and probably rip it or something like that, uh...," stammers Xoxaa, suddenly made uncomfortable by the realization of her circumstances pertaining to the ball, her voice only making her anxiety more evident. "Uhm, but would you by, uh, chance be able to do me a huge favor? Like, uhm... I-I don't think I have attire that will be acceptable at the ball. I uh... I don't really own formal wear. It's not my thing, you know? I don't think I have time to pick up anything, so... uh..."

The girls words trail off, shifting her gaze down again, embarrassed by her admitted lack of responsibility and her request to ask for assistance, and from someone she just met no less. A frown hangs over her face, truly ashamed by what she had to ask the woman, probably proving to have been mostly a burden to the woman, having to manage Xoxaa's awkward or complete lack thereof of social skills and slowing them down during a situation of crisis. Her gaze remains permanently fixating towards the ground, frowning, too perturbed to make an effort at proper social interaction.

[Lilizuki]

Oda Baldotter
~

Oda smiled at Xoxaa's response to her joking misplace of blame, having realized that the young woman was nervous enough without being teased by somebody of a higher rank. As she speaks of the Ball, she pushes aside some blocking plants that would reveal a shortcut to the mansion; while she couldn't care less for any damage sustained by her longcoat, given its inability to sustain such regardless, she preferred that the Apprentice would not suffer a rash on top of the supposed shame of not possessing formal-wear, but it was merely another thing she didn't know of the stuttering young woman. The extent of her powers could easily reach past disease or poison, as the contents of those bullets didn't seem to be adverely affecting her yet. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry, as she used her sheathed sword to push aside any offending plants.

The fact of Regalo's tropical region was that many strange species of wildlife lurked in its depths, and Oda had never took it upon herself to learn about them specifically. It was a duty for alchemists, and another way of affecting the world that she'd be unable to master quickly enough for it to help. There simply wasn't enough time for peace of mind and studying together, so she simply kept an eye out for any colorful creature that looked like it could possess a nasty bite and shooed them away with a tap of her sword. The forests offered a reprieve from the man-made structure she was used to perusing all day, at least, and the beams of moonlight than shone down through emerald leaves were quite beautiful. The world seemed to possess far too many splendors to see in a single day.

At Xoxaa's response, Oda flashes the younger woman a kind smile. She could understand the absence of solely formal clothes, for which she had no fondness. Dresses and heeled shoes were well enough for whoever could afford the time to fiddle around with proper necklines and having to balance with every step, but her duties were almost never at an end. Thus, her wardrobe was filled only with variations of her current outfit that drove the mads mad with attempting to organize her wardrobe, despite protests to their presence in the first place. But, no, they had their job to do, and apparently it involved sorting through her knicknacks to gossip with each other about. The most scandalous thing they'd found was her nightwear, which was apparently not close enough to translucent silk for their tastes. The cliques the house-servants formed were quite amusing at times, even, despite their apparent fascination with her piano-playing and paperwork. If the woman didn't know better, she'd think they were spying on her.

"Don't worry," Oda told the nervous Apprentice with another smile across her lips. She was quite enjoying escorting the younger member of Sword around. She even reminded Oda of herself when she was much younger, depending on how somebody would choose to define her age. There was certainly trouble getting alcoholic drinks, considering her youthful looks, but she'd lost the ability to enjoy such beverages in the last few years as well. "I have dress shirts, pants, and shoes you'll be able to borrow." She was perhaps being too generous, but there were plenty of outfits to spare and she'd loathe to see the night take any more turns for the dramatic. "But I'll have to get you a properly tailored longcoat at some point; perhaps made with material that's easy to clean..." She added, with a small gesture to the splatter of blood over Xoxaa's torso.

[Xlugon Pyro]

Xoxaa Illiphia

The High Priestess

The two begin their journey back to the mansion in preparation for the ball, with the older woman clearing the way for a shorter route back home. They had left everything at the airfield up to the guards' discretion, including the stolen motorcycle. Hopefully the dents Xoxaa made in the motorbike wont come back to bite her later, but she decides to shelve those concerns, having no purpose other than to generate needless worry, as right now, it's of no concern to her. The ball, however, reveals a crisis in the making, and Xoxaa knows this, being completely unprepared for what will likely be her greatest event upon admittance to the Famiglia. She needs a complete set of formal attire and a bath or shower, although while the later could be done quickly enough, it's the attire that will be troublesome to procure. Worst case, Xoxaa might have a dress somewhere, but it will at best be only casual wear such as a summer dress. MAYBE it'll be passable, after all, it's more about looking presentable, although various societies and social classes do hold to irrationally strict dress codes and mannerisms, a structure that the girl finds no sense in.

Her biggest concern will certainly be the men, since a ball naturally would draw young men to want to dance with her, something she's awful at, not to mention she seems to draw the attention of men in general, likely due to her curvaceous figure, which due to her modesty, often made interactions with the opposite sex very uncomfortable, and the only method she has to get men away from her is to be socially dismissive, an often accidental skill due to her poor social skills, but reliable nonetheless, or for the persistent bunch, a few broken bones and a foot to the crotch usually did the trick. Then there's the matter of the "invisible man" Xoxaa heard about who'll likely also attend the ball. A male with that kind of power is sure to have perverted intentions, and to make things worse, she hasn't met that particular card holder, and for all she knows, he may be a peeping tom and has perhaps spied on her several times, granted she rarely stays barely or completely undressed in a place where others can see unless they were to sneak in to wherever she was undressed. The matter of the invisible man doesn't bother her too much though, as if she ever learns his face and uncovers any evidence he may have engaged in perverted behavior towards anyone, especially her, she would make sure to clobber him and force him to find someone else to heal his injuries rather than assist him with her recuperative powers, even if her sector head or higher-ups went after her.

"Don't worry," replies the young woman's superior, smiling in support and likely to comfort her younger companion. "I have dress shirts, pants, and shoes you'll be able to borrow, but I'll have to get you a properly tailored longcoat at some point; perhaps made with material that's easy to clean..."

Her considerate gesture causes the girl to briefly reflect on the woman's kind offering, turning her head towards the woman with an appreciative smile on her face.

"Oh thanks! Uhm..." she pauses briefly in thought before continuing, "Are you sure you don't have anything other than just pants or shirts? I, uh... I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything, but... uhm..." tilting her head around and dipping her gaze downward as they walked. "I like that sort of formal wear the least... Uhm..."

She continues to struggle with her words, wrestling with her discomfort over the woman's potential negative reaction to what might seem as rejecting the older woman's generous response to her concerns. However, the moment is short lived, as Xoxaa experiences an epiphany of sorts.

"Oh, hey! Do you think I can get by with a simple dress or a nice shirt and maybe a skirt to go with it, or might that be too casual?" sharing her plot with the older woman, her tone notably more enthusiastic. "By the way, I'm not too in to those longcoat things, if that's ok, but thanks for making the offer."

Their discussion continues as they traverse the wilder landscape of the island, but the untamed terrain soon ends, the two reunited with the cityscape, not too far from the mansion. Still anxious about the time they have left, Xoxaa hopes there might be time to properly prepare for an event she's dreading anyway.

[Lilizuki]

Oda Baldotter
~

"I will be able to ask one of the maids to lend you something more in your tastes." Oda offered the young woman, at her refusal of those clothes. In her experience, most women in Sword Sector preferred to wear outfits that were practical instead of the more feminine attire that would have been considered normal, but it seemed that Xoxaa was a fair bit more girly than she'd seemed before. Perhaps it was because of her focus on social norms and a desire to fall in line with them, or just a preference for such things, but Oda was no psychologist, and just offered the next best thing.

As they walked through the cityscape and further towards the mansion, she took note of the citizens who were returning to their daily lives, albeit slowly. A panic was never good for the elderly, young or sick, but the island had great Doctors that would be able to calm them down once the situation was handled. Perhaps there should have been some form of announcement for the populace, to assure them that all of the thieves had been apprehended, but this was not Oda's role either, so she continued to the courtyard in front of the mansion.

The doors of the Famiglia mansion opened by the hand of the maids to allow its two members entry. Sure enough, their eyes widened ever so slightly at the sight of Oda, before looking over her for any potential changes. There never were any, and they should have known it by now, and the two frilly-dressed teens shared a look. While one approached Oda with a smile and bouncing pgitails, the other swiftly fetched a wet rag and presented it to Xoxaa.

"Hello, Mistress Baldotter." The pigtailed maid greeted with a curtsey before Oda, leaning around slightly to check for any markings across the sides of her coat before once again smiling. "Would you care for an ear to listen to, today? It must have been stressful with the thieves and...and..." She stammered off at the sight of Xoxaa's bloodstained torso, before regaining her composure wit another smile. "A massage? You must have been in a lot of fights; perhaps a back massage?"

"No." Oda stated firmly, meeting the maid's eyes although she knew it would do no good, even if she had the heart to intimidate the young woman. The fact that her Arcana Mark was sprawled across her back was, unfortunately, common knowledge amongst the tricky little servants. "Though thank you for the offer, Gem." She gave a brief glance to Xoxaa and arched in eyebrow, waiting for denial or acceptance of her offer of acquiring clothing from the maid.

[CarefulWetPaint]

Aerous Oxus

The warm water rolled down Aerous face, meeting the foamy soap bubbles that were forming along his chest and arms as he scrubbed himself trying to get clean for the nights upcoming activities. I must be clean for the ball! He thought to himself as he he grabbed the shampoo and squeezed an unneeded amount onto the top of his head. Closing his eyes he began vigorously rubbing and massaging the shampoo into his scalp. It quickly expanded as he rubbed, covering his entire face with in seconds. Did I just hear something? Nah, no one would be in my room. He thought sticking his head under the water to wash away the shampoo. Without opening his eyes he fumbled around, finding the conditioner and poured it into his hair, finishing off his hair care for the week. After washing off all the foam and soap from his efforts to make himself presentable Aerous just hung his head under the shower head, enjoying the warm water for a few moments. Ahhh, I really should get out now. After a few more seconds of procrastination he made the decision to step out of the shower. After drying himself with his towel he threw it over his shoulders looked at the spot he left his clothes.

Where are my clothes? He thought looking at the table where his clothes had been slightly confused.”Didn't I leave my clothes there?” He said to himself walking up to the table and patting down the spot where he had last seen his clothes. After scanning his room for any sign of them he left his room to look for them, still naked with only his towel over his shoulders, forgetting completely about his wardrobe which had 5 clean suits, these were also the reason he had a shower as they weren't dirty like the set he was now looking for. Without running into anyone he managed to make his way outside into the garden in his search, to no avail. He stopped near a tree and surveyed his surroundings, wondering what happened to his clothes, still oblivious to the fact that he should be wearing a clean suit from the wardrobe.

As he made his way back inside he walked past a few confused looking guards and a maid whom seemed to stare at him for a little bit. Turning a corner he realised where he was, to his shock. I entered the wrong building while looking around, this is where the siblings live... Look Cammy is back. He though as he saw Camellia step out of her room, followed by Ari. They had their backs to him as he approached, both turning as they heard his footsteps. “Hello Cammy! How are you? Hi to you as well Ari.” He greeted happily as he grew closer to the pair. They both turned around and looked at him, Cammy began blushing and Ari began snickering, though also turning slightly red.
“Ah, Did you forget that you had a wardrobe of clean clothes Aerous?” Camellia asked, looking at Ari after she finished.
“Oh yeah! I forgot about that, thanks! I couldn't find my clothes when I got out of the shower so I went looking for them. I best go get dressed for the ball now!” He answered, walking past the two to the exit to get back to his room.

After a few more minutes he ended back up in his room to, throwing open his wardrobe to see 5 sets of clean suits, much to his pleasure. Fantastic! Now I can get dressed and finish getting ready for the ball. Dressing himself carefully he took a seat on the edge of his bed and stretched his arms, waiting for the guards to come get him for his bodyguard duty. Still unaware that he had just roamed around a large portion of the estate naked, with only a towel wrapped around his shoulders.