Y.Z. Act III [PG-16]

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Armon lightly wrapped Sanako's hand that was gripping his collar gently in his, "I won't leave you," He reassured her, roughly drying his eyes with his shoulder before pressing his lips lightly against her forehead, "I won't leave you." He chose not to say anything about her reaction to Christian, holding her closer and shooting an almost apologetic look at him. He would talk her out of it later, if she ever calmed down enough to hear it. "It's over now." Armon murmured, pulling away just enough so that he could see her face. He offered her a smile, lifting a hand to brush her hair away from her face and blot her tears with his thumb, "…I love you too."

Still inside the blazing cabin, Dieter spat out a mouthful of blood as he pulled his eyepatch back on, the steady flow of blood that had been draining from the left side of his face stopping as soon as it was securely in place. Damn he was covered in blood now. He looked down at his once bright-red shirt that was now a dark crimson, the pinstripes on his vest revealing the large splotches of blood soaked into the black fabric. He tried to wipe off some of the liquid on his face, only succeeding in getting meager amounts off while smearing the rest. Oh well. It just meant that he wouldn't be able to stand around Auricia for awhile. He didn't bother to step over the headless corpse that lay in the middle of the room, stepping right on it without a care. Picking up the sunglasses he'd dropped on the floor, their red lenses dripping with mostly blood and other bodily fluids from when Dieter ripped off the first human's head, he whipped it through the air, back and forth as he rid it of anything that he didn't want in his good eye. He ignored the fire all around him, even pulled out a cigarette and lit the end as he walked out, the flames moving aside as he passed through.

"Damn it Rod you burned the sink." Dieter sighed, inhaling a mouthful of smoke from his cigarette before turning his head to blow it out of his lungs, the organ immediately repairing itself of all cell damage the second the smoke left its confines. He stood a considerable distance away from Auricia and Rasch, wringing out his shirt. It was too bad there were only two humans. He had so many ideas on how to kill them, but only two had been executed, a real waste. "Guess I can't get anywhere near Auricia or Rasch until I get some new threads, huh? Ah, that sucks." He didn't really seem to regret it.

Rasch stood as the Lionus finished mending Sanako's stomach. A frown was etched into his old features as he turned to look at Auricia and Tappen. He looked back down at Sanako before his finger flicked back and forth at racing speeds, explaining the roadblock that had caused him to finish healing so early.

'It seems that her cells are rejected my Lionus. It is most likely due to the toxins that are preventing her from defending herself- She is out of immediate danger, however, I am currently unable to heal the wound completely. I would suggest bringing her someplace clean where bandages can be administered to prevent infection.' Rasch stepped away, pulling off his gloves that had the smallest smear of blood. The amount could hardly compare to the amount on Dieter, but Rasch didn't want it. He wasn't about to wear a pair of gloves that had been stained by an undignified existence. Tossing them into the flames, he brushed himself off and the giant black wings on his back shrunk and folded into a pair of old, withering black-feathered wings.

Armon picked Sanako up, his arms behind her back and under her knees, standing just as Dieter called over to Tappen and Ashton with a twinge of irritation in his voice, "We're leaving!"

A skyboard flung itself at Dieter, transforming into his hand in midair and landing on his stump of an arm with a sickening squelch. Dieter turned around, smirking as he headed for Stahn's, rolling his hand around on his wrist to get the feel of having it on again, "Meet'ya there."
 
Armon lightly wrapped Sanako's hand that was gripping his collar gently in his, "I won't leave you," He reassured her, roughly drying his eyes with his shoulder before pressing his lips lightly against her forehead, "I won't leave you." He chose not to say anything about her reaction to Christian, holding her closer and shooting an almost apologetic look at him. He would talk her out of it later, if she ever calmed down enough to hear it. "It's over now." Armon murmured, pulling away just enough so that he could see her face. He offered her a smile, lifting a hand to brush her hair away from her face and blot her tears with his thumb, "…I love you too."

Still inside the blazing cabin, Dieter spat out a mouthful of blood as he pulled his eyepatch back on, the steady flow of blood that had been draining from the left side of his face stopping as soon as it was securely in place. Damn he was covered in blood now. He looked down at his once bright-red shirt that was now a dark crimson, the pinstripes on his vest revealing the large splotches of blood soaked into the black fabric. He tried to wipe off some of the liquid on his face, only succeeding in getting meager amounts off while smearing the rest. Oh well. It just meant that he wouldn't be able to stand around Auricia for awhile. He didn't bother to step over the headless corpse that lay in the middle of the room, stepping right on it without a care. Picking up the sunglasses he'd dropped on the floor, their red lenses dripping with mostly blood and other bodily fluids from when Dieter ripped off the first human's head, he whipped it through the air, back and forth as he rid it of anything that he didn't want in his good eye. He ignored the fire all around him, even pulled out a cigarette and lit the end as he walked out, the flames moving aside as he passed through.

"Damn it Rod you burned the sink." Dieter sighed, inhaling a mouthful of smoke from his cigarette before turning his head to blow it out of his lungs, the organ immediately repairing itself of all cell damage the second the smoke left its confines. He stood a considerable distance away from Auricia and Rasch, wringing out his shirt. It was too bad there were only two humans. He had so many ideas on how to kill them, but only two had been executed, a real waste. "Guess I can't get anywhere near Auricia or Rasch until I get some new threads, huh? Ah, that sucks." He didn't really seem to regret it.

Rasch stood as the Lionus finished mending Sanako's stomach. A frown was etched into his old features as he turned to look at Auricia and Tappen. He looked back down at Sanako before his finger flicked back and forth at racing speeds, explaining the roadblock that had caused him to finish healing so early.

'It seems that her cells have rejected my Lionus. It is most likely due to the toxins that are preventing her from defending herself- She is out of immediate danger, however, I am currently unable to heal the wound completely. I would suggest bringing her someplace clean where bandages can be administered to prevent infection.' Rasch stepped away, pulling off his gloves that had the smallest smear of blood. The amount could hardly compare to the amount on Dieter, but Rasch didn't want it. He wasn't about to wear a pair of gloves that had been stained by an undignified existence. Tossing them into the flames, he brushed himself off and the giant black wings on his back shrunk and folded into a pair of old, withering black-feathered wings.

Armon picked Sanako up, his arms behind her back and under her knees, standing just as Dieter called over to Tappen and Ashton with a twinge of irritation in his voice, "We're leaving!"

A skyboard flung itself at Dieter, transforming into his hand in midair and landing on his stump of an arm with a sickening squelch. Dieter turned around, smirking as he headed for Stahn's, rolling his hand around on his wrist to get the feel of having it on again, "Meet'ya there."
 
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OOC: Yay for confusing, jumpy posts.

Sanako flinched every time she heard a guy speak, as if she was afraid that at any minute, he would attack her and take her away again. No, no, she didn't want that! She would never trust a guy again! Part of her knew that she was a guy, though, which was causing internal strife and an increased amount of stress. In Armon's arms, she eventually buried her face in her hands until she passed out, having hit the limit of pain from the earlier experience. She drifted into the endless abyss of darkness. Nowhere to run, no place to hide. When one was trapped in the darkness, there was no choice but to face it, or be devoured by it. Chances were, being devoured seemed more likely at the moment.

After a while, the group finally arrived at Ella's house once more. The entire group had reverted to their other selves at this point, and Sanako was delivered for whatever medical treatment she needed, while Auricia made haste to work on her own wounds with her lionus. "It seems like we've both fallen in love with troublesome people." Ashton said casually to Armon as Violette was off tending to the wounds of the unconscious girl. Ashton didn't even know the half of it. "Sanako didn't look too well. I doubt she'll wake up anytime soon. If you want, I can have Auricia carry her. She's a girl, so it should be fine, right?" Really, this was the first Ashton had exchanged any real words with Armon / Adela. He was choosing the wrong ones, too. Of course Armon would want to carry her after what had just happened. "I'm sorry. This wouldn't have happened if you guys hadn't gotten caught up in NEAR in the first place..." He left without waiting for a response. There was too much to do.

---

"Hm?... Did... Something happen?"

Sanako cringed as she heard a male speak. Stahn. Had she slept the entire time? She must have. She stared blankly upwards at the ceiling of the main hall of Stahn's estate, her entire vision blurry. As it finally cleared, she realized she was still in Armon's arms, and struggled to break free. Christian noticed that she was stirring, and turned to Violette, who was still wearing Lazarus' clothes.

"Takes her upstairs and fit her for an outfit, preferrably something nice, and clean her up. Bathe her if you need to, and you should do they same. We need to have a little talk with Stahn." Christian was dead seriously, and he looked into Violette's eyes with a burning passion. What was that? He was determined, determined to set things straight. Reid didn't deserve all that was happening to him, and the root of the problem was Stahn. "Armon, I think you can lead things off."

"Let's go..." Ashton sighed as he grabbed Auricia by the wrist and began dragging her to the kitchen. Tsukasa followed. "All of you. This isn't our opportunity to argue, Dieter. We'll get a chance later." He predicted Dieter's next move before it had even begun.
 
Armon let go of Sanako when she tried to squirm out of his grasp. He was deathly afraid that she'd react the same way she had earlier with Christian, though he wasn't expecting it to happen at all. Just a petty fear. Waiting for the rest of the room to clear out, Armon clenched and unclenched his fists, barely even hearing Dieter, who was still covered in blood and lingering a good distance away from everyone and everything. "Yeah yeah, I hear you. I kind of need a shower anyway, it's getting hard to move with all this dry blood on me. Man, this was a new shirt, too. Maybe I'll bleach it white."

As soon as the door swung shut behind Rasch, who had placed a hand on Armon's shoulder lightly before leaving as though to transfer some of his calm and placid attitude to the furious boy, Armon reached over and grabbed Stahn's collar.

"You bastard!" He snarled, opening off in a confusing manner, "You and your stupid games. Is this amusing to you? Is it? You wanna try getting raped? Isn't that hilarious?!" Armon shook Stahn's collar, "If it weren't for you… If you weren't such a delirious ass, then this never would've happened. You call yourself a trainer?" Armon scoffed, roughly letting go of Stahn, "You'd be in deep **** if they actually finished their job. Sanako's not even an actual girl. It would've been better if you'd just kept your entertainment to yourself and let me stay in my real form; at least if it were the real me, it would make sense, and at least I wouldn't..." Armon bit his tongue. He wasn't going to criticize Sanako. Her personality was different from Adela's. It was better, just in the wrong place this time. "What the heck is a guy who's been transformed into a girl and almost gets raped in that form supposed to think? Do you know how wrong that entire thought is? You better have something to fix the crap you've gotten us neck-deep in. As far as I'm concerned, you've cause us nothing but trouble since you first showed up. What good have you done?"

"What have we gained from this, other than more crap on our shoulders?" He demanded.

---------------------

Violette nodded silently, before taking Sanako's hand gently, tugging her along, "Well," She said, trying to keep a bit of positive attitude for Sanako's sake, "Since we've just put on your bandages, let's pick out an outfit! Hyacinth had a lot of clothes put in my bedroom, let's go look through those!" Violette swerved into the room she shared with Christian, closing the door behind her and opening the closet to reveal a ridiculous amount of clothes that had obviously been fabricated by Hyacinth. "Oh, but if you wanted to take a bath, I can get the water running right now! Here," She handed Sanako the scoop-neck shirt she'd been looking at, "Hold this, I'll put some water in the tub. A bath is always good to help relax yourself! Especially a bath that's less stressful than the ones we took last time!" She let out a sort of dead laugh at the memory before walking into the bathroom to turn on the water.

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A young man with dark ashen gray hair stepped into the warm building, brushing snow off of his hair, which barely tickled the base of his neck at the back, while his shorter bangs were neatly held in place away from his eyes by a small drop of gel. The general neatness of his layered cut was deceived by the fact that the tips of his carefully straightened gray locks were beginning to flip out ever so slightly from the humidity. The handsome teen was wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses that shielded his crimson eyes from view, soft skin and lithe body complimenting his spotless black pinstriped suit. Instead of a tie, a red scarf hung loosely about his neck, which he neglected to remove. His black coat that protected him from the cold outside hung on the coat rack, dripping melting snow on the hardwood floor of the casual café.

"Rasch!" The girl behind the counter tossed her elbows onto the counter and peered up at him with as cute a grin as she could make, bouncing her pigtails up and down intentionally as he stepped up to the counter. He was one of the few bachelors in town, one of the few with a charming half-smile that constantly softened his gaze that was normally severe when inside business meetings. She was promptly shoved aside as the manager took her place.

"Mr. Von Foma~!" The manager said respectfully, "It's been such a long time."

"Yes," 'Rasch' smiled his calming and kind smile, fixing the ends of the sleeves on his blazer and pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, "It has been quite some time. I've had some business to take care of, but I'll be sure to stop by more often. The usual, please, on the same tab as always."

The manager nodded to one of their wealthiest patrons, "Right away." He almost stepped away from the counter but paused, "Oh, Mr. Von Foma. If it's no trouble for you, there is someone here investigating the murder of Princess Rosaline Dian, from Carn. She's sitting over in that corner. You could get some help with that errand you're always running."

Rasch blinked, his expression curious as he peered over at a girl with butterfly wings. He smiled and turned back to the manager, "I will have a word with her then, if you don't mind."

The manager nodded as Rasch moved to sit down opposite of the girl, sitting only on the edge to show that should she desired to chase him away, he was fully prepared to leave, "Excuse me," He said politely, folding his hands in his lap, "I heard that you're looking for a murderer? Oh- I apologize for interrupting you and suddenly jumping into such a morbid subject so quickly," Rasch tilted his head forward very slightly to show that he meant no harm, "Please let me introduce myself. My name is Rasch Von Foma. Formalities aside, I cannot tell you whether or not the man I am thinking of is related to the murder of Princess Rosaline Dian, but I do know that he is completely capable of pulling off the feat, even in the highest security. If you find this person worth looking into, I hope I might join you in investigating him, as I am searching for him as well." Rasch smiled, "I do hope I'm not being too forward."

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"Hmm... So that's what happened, is it?" Stahn answered, his voice and expression not showing any particular concern for the fact that Armon had him by the collar and was shouting in his face. "I guess it's natural to have doubts about my intentions at this point. After all, we've suffered from interruption after interruption, so the actual training has yet to commence. Though, it seems some progress has come out of this..." He was thinking aloud, that much was clear. "I think it's safe to conclude that you've figured out who it is you want to protect? Sanako? Reid? Both?" He carelessly looked up at the roof for a moment, as he gathered his thoughts. "As for whatever mental scars the girl has accumulated, it's up to her to choose to get over them or not. I could tell that she seems to be afraid of men right now. If that really is the case, I won't be permitting her use of her male body until she's recovered. I have no intention of making a bad situation worse, especially a bad situation that was unplanned. I'd like to try and have a talk with her tonight, if you don't mind. You can come along as well, if you'd like, since you two seem to be an item of sorts... Of course, I'll need to make some adjustments to my body so that she won't be upset..." And there he was, rambling on to himself again, completely ignoring the anger Armon was exerting.

---

"..." Sanako wouldn't utter a word, no matter what Violette said or did. Her eyes stared intently at nothing. Lifeless, as if she was teetering on her death bed. That really wasn't far from the truth, though. After everything that she had been through the past few days, death seemed like a nice break. It was going to happen soon anyways, so who would care if she sped up the process. She held the scoop-neck shirt for Violette as she went in to run the bath. she eventually set the shirt onto a nearby desk, and began removing the little clothes she wore. In reality, her outfit had burned down with the hut, and she had been taken to Stahn's in her underwear and wrapped in a white blanket. She dropped her undergarments, which were still stained with her blood that had shot from her stomach, and began to unravel the bandages that went horizantally around her stomach. There were a few layers, but she wasn't surprised. Nothing would surprise her now. She ran her right hand over the skin on her stomach. It had deformed as a result of the lionus not completely healing, and the wound had begun to take on a scar-like appearance.

"..." The water stopped running, and so she made her way into the bathroom, and then into the tub, which was relaxingly warm. The thought crossed her mind that she could just drown herself now if she wanted to, but something kept nagging at her not to. What was it? A promise long forgotten? Love? She stared down at her naked self in the bathwater. She needed to figure out what it was. Just what was nagging to keep her alive?

---

Ailia Davies was staring off into space again. It wasn't uncommon now, after Rosaline's death. She had no real purpose anymore. It wasn't really herself that she was concerned about, either. Her brother, Reid, must have been torn by the news, and she wasn't even there for him! What kind of sister was she!? And then she got sent on this stupid, yet obviously bogus murderer hunt by Carn's higher ups. That new "Prince" ordered it personally. He wanted justice against the one who killed his "dear sister". Seemed like they sent her away to keep her out of something. And Sven, where had Sven gone off to?

"Excuse me."

Ailia looked up at the speaker in a bored manner. She had seen at least a hundred people in the past two days, none of which had any good leads. "Go away, I don't c-" She stopped herself. Was she becoming like Adela? NOOOO. "...Okay, tell me what you know then. I'll be taking my leave soon, and I'm not particularly interested in the fat of the story. I just want the facts. Heaven forbid anyone use those anymore."
 
He didn't even care.

Armon grit his teeth. Damn that Stahn didn't give a crap at what had happened while he was so wrung up about it. It should've been the other way around.

"I think it's safe to conclude that you've figured out who it is you want to protect? Sanako? Reid? Both?"

He flushed, quickly responding, "I-It doesn't matter-"

But Stahn kept on trucking. He wanted to talk to her? Bull, like Armon would let that happen. He frowned when Stahn said that he could come supervise, and that he'd change himself into a girl too to keep the already tentative stability Sanako was in as balanced as possible. Fine. Those terms were okay with him, but only if Sanako wanted to go. He was still considerably frustrated by the end of Stahn's musing, grumbling something about him being a complete loser before shoving his hands in his pockets with an aggravated glare. "Don't call us an item. I'm not packaged goods, and neither is Sanako. Actually, don't even say anything about us, it makes me sick to hear you say it. Let's go Christian, this dork isn't bringing his head back to Alta anytime soon. I'm not wasting my breath on an old geezer." He spun on the heel of his foot, leaving the room. Where he was going, he didn't know. He didn't care. Just anywhere far away from Stahn.

"Ohhh…" Gil sat on the banister of the second floor, leaning her elbows on her knees as she spoke lightly to Stahn, "They had a much more eventful break than I did." She sat back, balancing herself with her hands as she kicked her legs back and forth, teetering dangerously off the edge, "Well for the record, I think this has been lot's of fun, so there's at least some good there~!" Gil grinned, before whipping her legs over the railing and away from the edge, landing on the carpet of the second floor with a light thump as she wandered off to find Sanako and Violette.

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"Y'know what," Dieter snapped to whoever was listening as he slammed the bathroom door open, the blood trickling down the left side of his face being collected by the once-white towel around his neck, "This is why I hate crappy plumbing systems. It's like, hell, I'm tryin' to take a shower and in the middle of it, the boiler craps out and turns me into a skill-cicle!! You want me to heat my own water while grabbin' the soap and shampoo and crap? Man! It's not like I'm about to grow another arm or somethin'. Jesus." He hitched up his dark jeans that had been sloppily thrown on, not even fastened as he searched around for the color shirt he wanted. Pulling a T-shirt from the bottom of the bag sitting on the floor in the corner of the room he shared with Tsukasa, he stood without putting it on, pulling the bloody towel around his neck away and searching for a spot that wasn't covered in blood, "I have the consideration to get rid of the blood on me and God decides that I'm too good for hot water. Should've just changed instead of takin' a shower."

Dieter faced the wall, wiping off his left cheek with the small patch of towel that was still white, being sure to keep his hair in the way while doing so. He didn't really have any problems with people seeing the left side of his face, but people seemed to be the ones with a problem when it came to seeing it. He wasn't about to spend all day concentrating on keeping his face human when he could just hide it. Fastening a fresh eyepatch over his eye and again, blotting away whatever excess had slipped down his face, Dieter continued to grumble about how boiling hot water had suddenly turned into icy needles in the middle of his shower.

"Oi," Dieter looked over his shoulder at Tsukasa for a moment before pulling a plain white form-fitting T-shirt covered in yellow paint splatters over his head, and buttoning his pants while heading back to the bathroom to look for his sunglasses, "How's Auricia's holdin' up against the fort? The other girl looked just about ready to kick the bucket, so y'know."

---------------------------------

Rasch smiled dryly. The girl didn't seem keen on listening to him, though he found that mildly interesting. He'd never been told 'Go away' by anyone except Mihael, but that had been a different story, and a different kind of 'go away'. Well, Rasch reconsidered suggesting a suspect to her. It wouldn't really be worth sharing the story to someone who wasn't really planning on looking into it, or someone who didn't really seem like she wanted to even know.

"Facts...?" Rasch nodded absentmindedly at the waitress who placed a thin glass of peach smoothie in front of him, certainly not the drink of gentlemen, but one of the young businessman's favorite sweets that he left untouched at the moment, "Well let's see…" How was he going to explain the person he had in mind? Such an enigma was his twin brother, though at one point he'd practically been able to read the other's mind.

"I'll first put out why I believe he might've had a motive towards harming the Princess. He hails from a wealthy family that once kept Phoenix as pets, and like the rest of his remaining family, certainly did not advocate Flazure's creation. Knowing his current personality, I would not be surprised at all if he chose to openly reject the forming of Flazure as a retaliation. Another would be that he was extremely attached to his brother, who grew away from him as time passed." Rasch shook his head with a sigh at the memory, "I suspect he envied the Princess for suddenly growing closer to her family, in contrast to him. And after all, she was like a living, breathing celebrity that represented change- the very thing he hated the most. I believe he was able to pull it off…" He took a miniscule sip of his drink, before tapping his chin lightly in thought.

"Because he is a master of disguise. Not just your average master of disguise, but if you'll believe me, which I of course do not expect you to, he seemed to be able to rearrange and re-mold his features. I admit I never bore witness to this ability, but I certainly do not think that one can triple one's age and height with make-up. He was able to take down the entire security system of one of the wealthiest families here in Beta on his own, at the main mansion no less." Of course, Rasch admitted to himself, Erik had found very little need to dress up in his own home after the death of their father though, Rasch contemplated, the security of course had moved in on him...

"I'm sure a castle would be present no problem to him, quite honestly. He also seems to have a habit of publicizing his murders before doing as he pleases with the bodies, though I admit it has been quite some time since I last heard of any of his movements. Ah, yes, I'm quite aware of the disappearance of the Princess' body, it was a rather poorly hushed up subject if you'll excuse me saying." Rasch added before continuing with his usual smile, "I'm not sure if this is quite what you're looking for, but I hope I can help in any way possible with your investigation."
 
"Please stop wasting my time..." Ailia said coldly as she stood from her seat, glaring at the stranger with distrust. "Those views are shared amongst every noble on the planet right now, and stop talking about the removal of Rose's body in public." She hadn't realized it, as referring to the Princess as Rose had become second nature to her, but using that nickname revealed her familiarity with Rosaline. "And don't talk like you know what's going on. YOU DON'T. Now if you don't mind, I'll be taking my leave now. I have better things to do than waste my time listening to the same crap twenty times a day about a possible murderer who just turns out to be someone different each time!" She needed to go back... to go check on Reid, and on everyone else. She HAD to go, even if they meant going against the direct orders of the Prince.

---

"Don't forget how fragile humans are, Dieter, and don't forget that Auricia isn't human." Tsukasa murmured from the bottom bunk of the bed, his eyes focused upwards at the bunk above him as he supported the back of his head with her arms. "Sanako also suffered much greater damage than Auricia, and I don't think she's regained the ability to use her mahstion. She's emotionally frail right now, so you probably shouldn't do anything to her. On the other hand, I can safely say Auricia Raito is completely fine." The line between Skill and humans needed to be understood. That was something Tsukasa had acknowledged ages ago, and it was something Aston would have to acknowledge someday too. He and Auricia could not be a couple.

---

Stahn kicked himself mentally. Yeah, he'd screwed up big time, there was no way to dodge that truth. Was there really a way to make things up to them? Maybe... if he laid all his cards on the table. "Everen."

"You sure, boss? You haven't taken that form for a while, not since inventing that pill, really."

"Yeah, I think now is the time."

---

A sudden noise from the window in the bathroom startled Sanako as a gust of wind blew in. It was only about two o'clock in the afternoon at this point, so the sun had passed overtop of the estate and now was on the opposite side, leaving the air flying in cooler. A shiver flew down Sanako's body as the air brushed up against her skin, and she ended up sinking farther in the water that had begun to take on a soapy translucent white colour from the non-stop lathering the emotional zombie of a girl had been doing. She wanted to clean it all off. Everything. It needed to be clean!

Sanako finally looked over at the window as the sound came again, and she looked just in time to see a hand grab the ledge of the window to hoist the body of a girl not much older than herself up. The bubblegum haired girl just stared unphased at the new arrival. The strange girl was quite obviously female, but she exuded a tomboyish aura of sorts, just based on how she moved and the overall manner in which she carried herself. As she rose, her straight, short green hair bobbed beneath a black baseball cap, her amber eyes, which were covered by the odd green hair, gazed curiously at Sanako. "Umm... sorry to disturb you!" She exclaimed awkwardly as she brushed off her black, long sleeved shirt, and pants of the same colour. She certainly looked like a tomboy. While because her clothes were baggy, she didn't seem to appear very athletic, but who knew what was really under them. "My name is Melody, but I guess you know me better as my male form crafted by my faels, Stahn. Melody Insinia, teenaged genius, star athlete, and fighter extraordinaire, AT YOUR SERVICE." She made sure Violette could hear it all as she gave a big thumbs up. Sanako still stared blankly. She didn't care. Why bother caring?
 
Rasch took a sip of his smoothie, moderately amused. Foreigners were so much more fun, because they treated you like trash. It was… an adventure of sorts.

"I see, you do have a point." He said calmly, stirring his drink with his straw, "Then please, do not let me take up your time any further. My sincerest apologies for mentioning something that I should've kept to myself. I hope you find your murderer soon, Miss Detective." His amused smile was the last thing he offered before picking up his drink, and heading off to his usual spot in the corner of the café. Well, it's not like he said anything important.

'Good luck finding anything with that attitude.' He thought, his smile that was kind taking on the air of arrogance when he turned away from Ailia. The girl was obviously not from a well-to-do family. She couldn't even nail the basics down of keeping your mind open to all opportunities. Of course one could tell that she was not keen on finding herself a murderer. How unprofessional. He sat down, again, continuing his thought process which was reeling away from his prior conversation. It wasn't exactly true that all wealthy men thought the way he'd described. After all, the living foil to that statement had been sitting right in front of her. He took a sip of his drink. So ungraceful, to keep those people as pets. It held absolutely no amount of class at all. And it's not like they were anything particularly special, since there were billions more where they came from.

Flazure was an excellent establishment, in Rasch's opinion. Gather up the lower class in one place and isolate them from the rest of the world. Let them create their faux-bourgeois and wealthy families that would never be able to rise above the originals. He smirked, pulling his straw out of the pinkish icy liquid and putting the end in his mouth.

Their antics were too much fun to let anyone ruin.

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Flicking his sunglasses up onto the top of his head, Dieter raised an eyebrow at Tsukasa, before turning around to scoff. "Each and everyone of you, saying this and that. First we're human, we have feelings, but then we're not human, we're different. Man, even I'm starting to get confused." Dieter laughed, showing that he wasn't confused at all in reality. He knew that skills were different from humans. No, not just different. Better.

"Alright, alright, I won't do crap to the human, but that kills my plan of dressing up as her sappy lover and seeing what this love business is all about." Dieter joked, fumbling through his bag of clothes and tossing out T-shirt after T-shirt while he tried to find a clean vest. "Man, I don't get how Auri-chi can even say she loves somebody." He stood from the bag, giving up. T-shirts were easy to find, vests were not. "Pretty sure we all got done over by people we liked, y'know? Pretty sure they were all human, like Tappen, too." Dieter said, without really noticing that this might be a subject he might not want to bring up, and without really noticing that he himself had been killed by complete strangers.

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Violette stared blankly at Melody, having just opened the door with a change of clothes on top of a neatly folded towel. Stahn? The Violette side of her gaped, but quickly recovered, knowing that staring with one's jaw hanging open like a stupid mule was rude and degrading to oneself. Had it been Lazarus, he would've probably closed the door quietly and broke out into hilarity once safely by himself, but seeing as it was not, Violette smiled.

"Well this actually makes me feel a lot better!" She said placing the towel and change of clothes on the counter, picking up a brush, "We haven't been suffering through this alone after all. But did you have any business here? Perhaps you should wait until Sanako's finished taking a bath?"

Violette left it at that, her somewhat airheaded personality mixed with Lazarus' indifference towards big surprises extracting a poor response at such a startling revelation.

"Well since you'll be in this form for some time," Violette jabbered to Sanako, when she sat down on a stool she'd pulled over, "You should learn how to take care of your hair!" She set the brush she'd been holding on the edge of the tub, balancing it with the precision of a girl as detailed as herself. Gracefully, she gathered Sanako's pink hair that was floating freely in the water, running her shampoo covered fingers through the middle. She didn't seem to notice that Sanako probably wouldn't care about this at all, "Since your hair is so long, you should keep the shampoo at a minimum at the tips. Otherwise, they'll dry out and split really fast, and nobody likes split ends." Violette lectured pointlessly trying to keep up a conversation of some sorts, even if it was one-sided. She didn't like awkward silences, and one seemed to be hanging around Sanako like a dark cloud.

"And when you add conditioner, try not to add too much around your roots, the tips are most important. Brush your hair when you have conditioner in too, before you wash it out. That way there aren't any tangles or knots that don't get coated. Oh, and be sure to keep the conditioner in for at least two minutes before rinsing! The effect is amazing!"

She jabbered on about the proper hair ethics, wandering away from Sanako's side for a moment to retrieve a cup that was supposed to hold toothbrushes but was currently empty. Setting it beside the clothes and towel, she closed the drain in the sink and filled it halfway with water, dropping a white seed in it before returning to finish washing Sanako's hair, waving a hand absentmindedly halfway through as a familiar white flower blossomed and bent it's head over the edge of the cup. The sap that dripped out took a distinct bluish color.

"And rubber bands are an absolute no." Violette continued, brushing knots out of Sanako's hair gently, taking her time so as not to pull, "They destroy your hair, it's terrible. Maybe we should try a different hairstyle than you usually have after this..."
 
Melody sweatdropped as she was pushed aside for a lecture about taking care of one's hair. It was obvious Sanako didn't particular care, or at least she didn't appear to. She was listening though, as her eyes glanced at whoever was speaking. Maybe she just needed someone or something to snap her out of her unsociable phase? Melody had never dealt with rape before, but naturally being a girl, she understood how one thought. "Nah, I can talk about it now. I really need a bath too!" She exclaimed as she lifted her shirt up over her head, leavind her hat secure. Was there a reason for keeping the hat on? One could only wonder. In terms of bust, Melody possessed more than Sanako, but not a lot more. She was thin, and her arms were lightly toned with muscles that indicated she didn indeed excersize. Her fram actually was quite athletic. She wasn't even wearing a bra underneath her shirt, emphasizing her disregard for her female body. Not to mention her outfit in general showed this disregard. The pants came off next, revealing that she was in deed wearing boxers that hung loosely off her waist, as opposed to the usual underwear choices for a girl. It looked like after changing back, Melody had just raided her Stahn wardrobe and taken whatever didn't fall off completely. Chanced were that was the truth, and she had spent so long as Stahn that she didn't own girl's clothing anymore. "Sorry... I don't really have any clothes. It's been four years since I assumed a female form last, and I never thought I'd have to again." Yuuup.

When she was fully undressed, she jumped into the tub with a splash, moving in a way that conceled the back of her left leg - which seemed to be bandaged for some reason. She positioned herself in the small tub so that she was behind Sanako, her legs spread out around the girl's balled up body. Melody leaned in again Sanako's back, and wrapped her arms around her as she brought her mouth to Sanako's ear. "I'm sorry I put you through that..."

Sanako's eyes shot wide, and she reacted in a way totally unlike what she should have, pushing Melody away and getting out of the tub in an anrgy fit. "You think you can just apologize and it'll be okay!? I can't believe you! I was nearly RAPED. I HAD MY STOMACH CUT OPEN!" Well, at least she was talking. "Can you even comprehend what kind of pain I'm feeling-"

"SHUT UP!" Sanako looked shocked as Melody told her to be quiet. What right did she have to tell her to shut up after all that had been done to her!? The green haired girl rose out of the bath, the water running off her skin. "...I told you I'm sorry... I didn't mean for that to happen, but... Don't talk like I don't understand when you don't know anything about me!" She tore off her hat with one hand, and reached down to rip the bandages off her leg with the other. Sanako stepped back at the sight of the girl before her. She had been using the hat to hide three short, black, cone like horns spread horizontally across her head. The bandage had been used to hide a severe leg wound that was cut into the shape of a swastika - the symbol was one of those of hell in this time - and it bled like it was still fresh. The bandages had also been used to tie a long forked tail to her leg, and it whipped around rapidly behind her like a snake. She brought her fingers up to her eyes, and removed the contacts, revealing cat-like eyes that were golden in colour. "You two can't tell anyone what you've seen or what I tell you, I won't even tell you the whole story. Basically, my father sold me to science to fuel his own agenda. I was a pawn in early apostle experiments, and then in skill experiments as well, which is why I ended up looking like this. I was reduced to the status of a demon, and a Carn priestess was forced to engrave this symbol into my leg. It never stops bleeding, and it never heals. You know that priestess, Sanako."

"You don't mean..."

"Ellianne. She resisted at first, but in the end she didn't have a choice. I escaped from my prison, and began working in the field of science with the intention of reversing the physical changes done to me. I don't age, so I have all the time in the world. In the end, I created the pill I'm using for your training, and created the identity of Stahn to aid in the creation of NEAR. I'm probably the only person who knows everything about what's going on." She proceeded to hide the features she had unhidden once again, signaling while that she had a lot more she could tell, she was refraining from doing so.

Sanako was crying. She had been selfish again. Thinking about suicide and the like. Melody had gone through so much more than her. Tons of people had. DAMMIT. She needed to make things right! "Violette! I want you to make me really pretty for Armon! I'm sorry, I keep saying I'm going to change and then I end up being worse! I owe you guys so much for helping, and I owe a lot to Armon. So... so I want you to make me look pretty and help me think of a way to pay him back!"

"While you're at it..." Melody said smugly, knowing she had done her job. Though, maybe she'd stay in this form. It had been a while now. The biggest pain was tending to the wound constantly. "Would you mind finding me something to wear? Nothing girly! That's not my style! But I can't go around wearing what I have been, especially if I still want you guys to take me seriously as a trainer. Sanako sweatdropped. When had they ever taken her seriously as Stahn?
 
Violette sat where she was, blinking slowly as though trying to register everything that had just happened. This and that, that and this. Her head reeled for a moment or two before she finally came back to reality at Sanako's request. Well. Something happened that made Sanako come back to life, so that was really all that mattered to Violette!

"Sure!" She said, still trying to wrap her brain around everything as she stood up, "Here Sanako, your clothes are on the counter, and I'll go get another set of clothes. I don't think I have any clothes that aren't… girly though, I think Gil would have more of what you're looking for, if that primitiv- girl even has a second set of clothes." As Violette returned to the room and pulled the closet open to examine the selection presented, she raised her voice so that Sanako could still hear, "Well I don't know Armon that well, and the way his head works is a total maze to me, so what would make him happy… I think he'll be happy enough to see that you're better. Don't worry Sta- Melody, I won't say anything about those horns or the leg-thing, it's a secret between us girl-… Well, between us."

Violette pulled out a sleeveless mini-dress, "Hmm, you could wear this with a pair of… pants…? But I don't think Hyacinth gave me any of those…" She shook her head and tossed it onto the bed, reaching up to flick through the closet again. Why was there suddenly so much more lace than she'd thought before? Speaking of clothes… Violette pulled out a white skirt and dark green zip-up sleeveless shirt that had black lace around the collar and hem. Setting them aside as she continued to sift through her clothes, she pulled out a cami top that was amazingly, plain in color and design.

"I don't have any pants or shorts, or even short skirts, so you might want to ask Auricia or Gil." Violette said, pointing at the cami top in her hands, "I think this is about as 'un-feminine' as it gets, for the clothes Hyacinth provided. I'll leave it here, I have to get the curler heated and oh- Come here for a minute before you put on your clothes." Violette whipped out the towel from underneath the clothes and neatly wrapped it around Sanako's waist, clipping it in place with a hair clasp and picking up the glass of sap, the white flower shriveling back into its seed as soon as the cup was gone. Lightly tapping the sticky blue sap from her finger onto the gash on Sanako's stomach, she rinsed her hands before bandaging her stomach speaking, "Well Sanako, what kind of hair style do you think we should do? Maybe we should try something elegant, you were worrying about looking childish this morning, or maybe a pin-up?"

"Hey guys." Gil's voice interrupted Violette and the latter gave a sudden jerk at the sound. They still seemed to be at odds with each other. Gil's worried expression peered around the door, "I heard about what happened, is everything ok-…."

Gil blinked at Melody, a lightly surprised look over her face. She wasn't as much concerened with her full demon-glory, but more of the fact that it seemed like Sanako and her had just been in the same bathtub?

"Who're you?" She asked bluntly, forgetting her original point of showing up. Gil notably made no comment towards the multiple oddities on Melody.
 
"Let me give you a hint." Melody said, uninterested in Gil's arrival, as she snapped her fingers. Gil's form quickly snapped back to Levi's, ripping any clothes he had been wearing as Gil. She snapped her fingers again, and Levi returned back to her normal form - Gil - only... her hair was a neon pink. So, it was obvious that Stahn's strange sense of humor was not a trait given to him by his faels. In fact, it was a natural trait that had passed over. Maybe, just maybe, this trait was a little more sinister when he was Melody... She turned her back to the pink haired Gil, and accepted the cami top from Violette. "Umm... I think Sanako has some pants, and I need to borrow underwear, so I'll be heading over to her room for a moment!" The green haired girl exclaimed as she darted out the door extremely quickly with a burst of energy.

Sanako winced as Violette put the sap on her wound. It was cold, but as it was applied, it began to feel soothing. After her bandages had completely been applied, she walked over to the outfit she had been provided. "We've been changing clothes way too often lately..." She sighed as she slipped on her undergarments, before pulling up a black skirt with pink lace going along the hem, and securing it. The shirt came on next, and it was essentially a white, sleeveless, button-up blouse, pink lace lining the buttoned side of the shirt. She was chilly, not used to haveing her shoulders and arms exposed while dressed. "She looked herself over in the mirror, red in the face. She spun around once to see how the skirt moved. "Do you... really think he'll like it? I've... never felt like this before. At least, not as a girl... It feels different somehow... Love..." She grabbed a chair and brought it over to Violette, before sitting down. "I trust your judgement, so do whatever you want. You can even cut it if you want. It's for him, after all. I want to prove I'm willing to change, so maybe a new look wouldn't hurt..." She thought silently for a moment. "Oh! And what about make up?"

---

"Make it known that there will be a public execution tomorrow."

"...Your Highness? Is that wise?"

"Those two are enemies of the nation, posing as heirs to the throne. They need to be humiliated when they die. Besides, I've been asked by him to use them as bait for something."

"Yes sir."

---

"Big Brother..." Evaline groaned as she finally stirred into a conscious state. Everything was dark. She gagged herself at the overall scent of the extremely tight space she was trapped in. It smelled of decaying corpses. Had they just been thrown away like trash? Where were they? She called again. "Big... Brother..." She coughed, and then a familiar pain resparked in her left shoulder. That's right. She had been shot. The wound was still bleeding too. "Big Brother... I don't want to die here..."
 
Violette shrugged moving Sanako's hair this way and that as she watched each result in the mirror, speaking lightly, "I don't know if Armon is the make-up type, you know? I mean, Adela doesn't wear any make-up either. Except for that dinner night, and you could barely even tell. We can add a little bit of eyeshadow though, maybe a well-blended bronze… or gold." Violette picked up the brush from earlier, "We shouldn't make too drastic a change, just in case it ends up not looking the way we wanted. Besides, you can do prettier things with long hair than short." She stabbed the word 'short' at Gil, who ignored her, busy examining her new hair color in the mirror, "Let's just cut off the tips. It helps make your hair healthier if you trim it every now and then… Oh! I'm sure Armon will love it, it's you, after all!"

She sifted through the drawers and cabinets, smiling at the idea of being so loved and finding new motivation in Sanako's make-over, retrieving everything she thought they might need. The whole place was almost… designed for her. Everything that one needed for a great morning of getting ready for something was there.

As she trimmed the edges of Sanako's hair, varying the length at the end while she imagined different hairstyles. What would look best on Sanako, with the outfit she'd picked out for her? Violette had been Hyacinth's doll, and it was almost like Sanako was hers! She finally understood why Hyacinth had gone so overboard. She pulled the pink locks up into a ponytail, pulling a black ribbon out of an overly decorated shirt she would probably never wear. Snipping a notch in either end of the ribbon, she tied it around the hair tie, making a small neat bow.

"Gil," Violette said, "Go check on Armon for me, will you? You're sneaky enough, don't get caught. This is going to be a surprise. Tell me what he's doing when you get back."

Gil made a face as she stared at her new pink hair. For a second, she thought she could hear Jazz screaming in protest, but the sound quickly disappeared. "Alright, but you owe me. Hair dye or something like that, how am I supposed to match the clothes I've got with this hair color?? Man, arrogant girl. Who the heck…" She disappeared through the bathroom door, off to search for Armon.

"Let's see…" Violette turned on the curling iron, ignoring Gil's complete obliviousness as to who the other girl was, "I'm going to curl your ponytail, and then we'll leave these pieces…" She brushed the two chunks of pink hair framing Sanako's face, "To give some solid structure…" Violette carefully brushed pink bangs away from Sanako's eyes, "And we'll give your bangs a slight curl to give them some volume!"

She pulled the curling iron over and patiently made medium-sized ringlets in the younger girl's hair, asking plainly, "Ah, you're incredibly lucky to have someone you love so much. What's it like?" Violette inquired curiously, like a gushing girl that was congratulating her friend on getting a boyfriend and trying to get an insight on the ordeal. She seemed to not have any recollection of Christian's words about how he wanted her to leave because he didn't want her to be put in danger. Either that, or she was just too focused on keeping Sanako in a good mood to remember.

------

The body crushed underneath a bookshelf let out a racking cough, blood spurting up Piper Dian's throat and adding to the puddle that had already pooled around him. He couldn't muster the strength to push off the books that weighed him down, but he had to respond to his sister. That was the most important thing, making sure that she wasn't scared, that she was going to be okay.

"You're not…" His breath caught as he worked down another cough, "You're not going to die here Evaline..." Piper opened the eye that wasn't caked over in blood, straining to see his younger sister, "Get out of here." He paused, tensing his arms as he tried to push the bookshelf off. It was so heavy, the wood and restricted space combined causing his attempt to fail miserably. "They'll… come back for sure." He took a raspy breath, inching his arm towards Evaline and the corpse of their father under the crushing weight, "I won't... let them find you..."
 
"Well..." Sanako said quietly as she looked down at her feet, completely embarassed. She hadn't really looked at her hair yet, and the question had fully drawn her attention from it as she twiddled her thumbs nervously. "Even though he acts like a jerk, he's really nice when he wants to be... But, he's always doing his best to help me, and when I'm with him, and I look into his eyes, my heart can't help but skip a beat. I care for him too, but I don't know how he exactly feels about me..." She finally noticed the way her hair was turning out, and let out a soft squee of delight. "It looks nothing like it did before! But.. but it looks so good, and it makes me look a bit older too! You're an artist, Violette! But... I kind of have a question for you too." An awkward silence followed like as if someone had said a bad joke. "What's going on with you and Christian? There's something, isn't there? You two seem really close!" It was her turn to feel enthused for Violette. There was definately something there, something they hadn't made open. "I mean, with a body like yours, you could probaby get any guy, but how do you feel about him? I wish I had a body like yours..."

---

"I want you to tell me right now." Christian said, a hint of hostility in his voice, as he pointed a stick at Armon. They had wandered outside out of boredom, as the girls had yet to come back. Why were they taking so long? Oh well, it left him with this opportunity. "Can you commit to Sanako, Armon? To Reid, Adela? Can you support her? Will you be there in her final moments? If you won't, I WILL. I won't let her suffer more because you can't dedicate yourself to her!" While the stick gesture was stupid, his eyes were resolute. This was something he was passionate about. "If you can commit to her right now and follow through, my heart will be put at ease and I'll never bring this up again. If you hurt her, though, I will kill you." Whether or not the last line was overdramatized was difficult to comprehend. He truly seemed resolved.

---

"...Rita? What are you doing?" Auricia sweatdropped as she watched the tiny redheaded girl jumping persistantly up at a jar of peanut butter atop a shelf. Someone had an obsession. She was such a kid... Well, she was a kid, but still. The little girl stared hopfully up at Auricia with wide eyes. Rita was expressive with her face. She didn't like to talk. Auricia sighed as she reached for the jar, before giving it to the girl who scurried away to the opposite counter to make her sandwich. Where they actually going to train anytime soon, or what? Babysitting that girl was troublesome, annoyingly so. She wasn't really aware that most people thought the same of her, however.
 
Violette paused as she pinned up a stray ringlet, a sort of curious look on her face as she peered down at Sanako. Her mind processed various thoughts but in the end she merely grinned and laughed, "I'm not even sure what's going on between me and Christian." She sat down and sifted through a drawer filled with make-up, "I like him very much. And I'm sure he likes me too." Violette smile softened as she pulled out some gold eyeshadow, pushing the drawer closed again, "But I'm not sure of anything else…" She instructed Sanako to close her eyes as she brushed a very light amount of eyeshadow across Sanako's eyelids, trailing off of her original sentence and tacking on a new one, "I'm fundamentally not interested in men, whether I have a ridiculous figure dreamed up by my overimaginative fael, which is a real hassle by the way. I mean, I'm not originally a girl, and I won't stay as one. The Lazarus part of me kind of repels any attraction." Violette hooked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, a smile crossing her contemplative expression, "But, me and Christian aren't actually official, so I'll tell you about all that if it happens. Back to the original subject, maybe you should ask Armon how he feels when you meet up with hi-"

"Target is with Christian, the two look serious and the latter is pointing a stick at the former." Gil interrupted without a second thought when she appeared in the bathroom doorway again, "They'll probably have it all dealt with by the time you get there though, the question wasn't exactly one that someone can really… elaborate on, I guess."

Violette sweatdropped. The latter was probably Christian.

"What was the question?"

"Confidential, commander." Gil stated sarcastically, saluting before she jerked her thumb over her shoulder, "Target is outside, in the courtyard."

"Well…." Violette glanced from Gil to Sanako before scooting the latter out of the bathroom and into the hall, "Let's go! I'll come with you and drag Christian away, that way you and Armon can be alone. Gil, don't interfere, okay?" She changed out of Lazarus' original clothes and into the outfit she'd picked out, calling over her shoulder at Gil who rolled her eyes at Violette. She appeared beside Sanako with a burst of wionus.

Gil winked at her before walking in the direction opposite the courtyard, "Good luck with your boyfriend! You look awesome, though you looked fine before you got dolled up by dolly." She laughed sticking her tongue out at Violette, who seemed to be getting better at controlling her reactions to Gil's taunting.

--------------

Armon glanced at the stick for a moment before sighing, "I've already committed. I'm already here, aren't I? Supporting her, that is. Do you know how irritating it is that she's not here right now?" Armon shook his head, sticking his hands in his pockets as he took a seat on a white wire bench, "I'm already so freaking paranoid. It's like, nothing is going to happen, she's with Violette, so it's fine. But I feel like something's going to happen, because something always does. Is worrying about where she is and what she's doing 24/7 commitment enough for you, Christian? Is feeling like I always have to be with her enough? I'm not going anywhere, ever, so kill it with the questions."

A disturbing thought ran across Armon's mind. What if she was the one who left? Again? He quickly shoved the thought aside. That wasn't going to happen again. Composing himself, Armon blinked at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Hey you guys!" Violette was waving at them, dragging Sana-…

Sanako?

Armon stared, dumbfounded, only barely remembering to keep his mouth from gaping in surprise. That was definitely a change in pace. No, what was more important was that she looked a little more responsive than when they'd parted from before. Violette clapped her hands together gleefully- she was wearing something different from when Armon last saw her too. "What-" Armon began, blinking in confusion before Violette interrupted him quickly, preventing him from saying something stupid, which he most certainly would've done.

"I gave her a little haircut and stuff, and then we ran into a few complications which is why it took so long, but doesn't she look great?" Violette gushed, as though presenting her masterpiece of the year.

Armon blinked. It was sudden, but he remembered Sanako obsessing over her appearance when he was Adela earlier this morning. "Yeah, you look beautiful." He said, and Violette had to resist the urge to laugh. It sounded so awkward, the word 'beautiful' coming out of Armon, who nearly always spoke in the same blunt way as Adela. Neither of them were particularly good with words, Violette had deducted, and such a simple response was somehow what she'd been expecting. She sidled up to Christian and slid her hand into his, pulling him away.

"Christian, I'm really sorry, but can you help me clean up the bathroom?" Violette said, an excuse pointed towards Armon who glanced at Violette, somewhat irritated. What an obvious woman. She just had to go and make everything so... unnatural.

Violette gave Christian no time for protest or anything of the sort, and by the time they were gone- which wasn't very long, Armon had already stood from the bench, for lack of anything else to do. It was rude to sit, while someone else was standing... right?

"S-So..." Armon tried to gather his thoughts, and shifting the weight of his body to his other foot, "Are you... feeling better, Sanako?"
 
Sanako was hesitant about presenting herself to Armon, which was the whole reason Violette had to drag her down in the first place. Would he like it? Would he hate it? What if he thought it looked stupid on her? What if he dumped her over it!? Were they even going out in the first place!? WHY COULDN'T SHE STOP HER MIND FROM RACING!? She surprisingly didn't wince when she saw Christian with Armon up ahead.

"Yeah, you look beautiful."

'Thump thump, thump thump' went the girl's heart. The pink haired girl's face grew so warm you would have thought she had a fever as she turned to look away from him, twirling the left piece of hair framing her face with her left finger, her face bright red. She didn't know how to reply to it! Hell, she could barely stop herself from fainting! Why was her heart beating so fast? "Th-thanks..." She managed to squeak, realizing she couldn't say nothing. He... liked it, right? He must have. He called her beautiful! She suddenly saw Violette grab Christian and flew the coop, leaving her no choice but to fend for herself. Some friend. When it was only the two of them, Armon decided to go ahead and ask a personal question.

"Are you... feeling better, Sanako?"

Was she feeling better? She had been too distracted to actually consider how she felt about everything else that had happened recently. She opened her mouth a few times, her back still turned to him, as she considered the appropriate reply to give. She held her right arm down as she grabbed the upper portion of it with her left hand, rubbing the shoulder area for warmth. It was a bit chilly, and she didn't like being cold. "I... I don't think I can easily forget about everything that has happened. But, I think, as long as I can stay with you, I can at least keep my mind off of it and stay strong. I've said it enough the past few days, but I'm NOT going to be a burden anymore. I may be troublesome, maybe even a little immature, but I'll change for the better, for sure this time. I won't run away anymore. if you're here, I'll have no reason too. Because I love you." She turned back to look at him, with no tears present in her eyes, and she smiled meekly. "That is... if you feel the same about me."

---

Christian didn't respond the entire trip back to the bathroom as Violette dragged him along. Armon hadn't given a reply he would have completely accepted. But... it didn't matter, did it? Ellianne had lost again. Even with Flaire gone, he had fallen for someone else. Was she nothing but a kid in his eyes? It didn't matter. Reid had chose someone else. Furthermore, ever since changing back into Christian, he had been regretting something. "Violette... I'm sorry for not really paying attention to you at Ella's. I've been dependent on Reid all this time, so... I don't really know what else to do. I don't have anywhere else to turn as Ellianne. Sorry, I just feel like I abandoned you." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, before backing off. "...I wish I had somewhere else to turn..." He whispered to himself.
 
Armon stared silently. Of course she wouldn't just forget. That had been such a stupid hope. He smiled and stepped forward to pull Sanako into an embrace. It hadn't been a lie when he'd told Christian that he was constantly worrying about her. If she was here, in his arms, then that meant that everything was okay. As far as he was concerned, that was the most important thing. "I told you already, didn't I?" He let his mind be put at ease for the moment. Nothing was going to happen. Everytime, everytime, something had always interrupted it, or something had always gone wrong. He pressed his lips lightly on Sanako's. It was different than before, because he wasn't sure how she would react. Before, it was always him who could choose how to react. He flushed, pulling away for a moment in embarrassment, finishing his sentence to try and take him mind off of his self-conciousness, "I told you, I love you too." He looked down at the ground, mumbling, "And… I'm sorry I wasn't there. If I'd just been there… then none of this… would've happened."

He looked up with a light smile, twisting his last sentence around to be a little more positive. He couldn't let himself slump off into regret now. "I'm going to make sure that nothing like this can happen again. So… let's change together." He remembered that that was what Reid had said to Adela yesterday. It was true for them, it was true for himself and Sanako too.


----------------------------


The mention of Reid and Ellianne left a bitter taste in her mouth. Violette tightened her hold on Christian's hand, before coming back to reality, quickly letting go. Her face was getting warm, knowing that Christian had just kissed her.

"That's okay," She smiled, moving into the bathroom to clean up the mess, "A lot happened, so I don't blame you at all. And besides, we're not really the same when we're in our original forms, so it's not like we actually have to…" Violette trailed off. She didn't want to say it. She didn't want to say that Lazarus wasn't the kind to pay attention to things like girls or attraction. It was like admitting that she'd lost to Reid before the competition even began.

"Well anyway, I wasn't offended or anything." She said, draining the now lukewarm bathwater that had been left before dropping the eyeshadow into its proper drawer, "I understand, so you don't need to apologize."
 
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Sanako accepted the kiss. In fact, she kissed back, leaning into it ever so slightly. His lips were warm, his body was warm, his presence was warm. She wanted him there, she was sure of that now. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to be with him. As their lips parted, and Armon made his promise to her, she was left with a foul aftertaste in her mind that needed to be addressed. "...But, what about when we change back? We won't be able to be like this again! It'll be Reid and Adela, and they're nothing like this! I don't want to lose this!" She shook her head in protest of the thought. They still had almost a whole month to figure that out. This was now, they had to savor it! She brought her lips up to his and kissed them again. She didn't want to hear his answer. It wasn't like he was going to say 'then why don't we just stay like this' anyways...

---

"Not the same... I suppose..." Christian repeated, before sitting down on the floor with his legs crossed like a child in public school. "I just wish I was a stronger person. All my life I've had to depend on people, but I guess when you're what I am, you have no choice but to turn for help from others." His words were full of spite. He was a bit more vocal about his hate for wyvern treatment than Ellianne would have been. "Even with the disbandment of the Archai Squad, I'm going to support the cause. But first, we need to save Flazure's citizens before the barrier protecting them breaks. I want to... I will. I'll do it. And I'll avenge Rosaline, and everyone else who's died because of this whole mess. I swear."

"Well, the first step towards that goal is to get your ass downstairs out to the courtyard so we can practice training." Stahn's familiar voice rung. Apparently he wanted to do the afternoon's training in that form. Stahn raised an eyebrow after witnessing the glare Christian had given him, before moving on to find the next group. Christian then gently grabbed Violette's hand and began to lead her downstairs. He was a little shocked, however, when he exited the estate to find Sanako and Armon with their lips locked.

"Uh... Sorry to interrupt? We're starting training momentarily, though, so it'd be nice if you could break it up." He was ticked. Very ticked.

---

Knock knock.

"Die-chi? Tsukasa? We've got to go outside now!" Auricia exclaimed at the wooden door that housed the two male Skills. Rita was on her shoulders, sleeping like a little brat, and she had retrieved Laeina as well, who hadn't said a word. Auricia was having problems figuring out what went through that girl's head.
 
Armon's thoughts were preoccupied. Sanako was right. Adela and Reid were different. Though the reason for the tense and strained relationship was obvious, it wasn't as though it was something that could be fixed in a heartbeat. They would have to start all over again, probably. He opened his eyes, irritation written all over his face when he pulled away from Sanako. He looked at Christian with a light glare. He glanced at Violette, behind him. His glare intensified. And Christian was lecturing him on commitment? Armon folded his arms and stood up straight, looking pointedly away from Christian. His mind had completely wiped itself of the dilemma that would present itself when they went back to normal. All he cared about right now was how aggravating and clingy someone he'd once not minded at all was being.

"Sure," Armon replied sarcastically through grit teeth, "Anything for you."

Christian needed to butt out. Making someone else's business his own was really annoying. Armon bit the inside of his lower lip to keep himself from saying anything else. No matter what, Christian was still Ellianne, and Ellianne was important to Reid.

"Um…" Violette began, with a sweatdrop and smile, "If we're training, then I should probably go get my things." She pulled her hand out of Christian's, stepping back inside, "I'll be right back."

Gil stepped out into the courtyard, passing by Violette as though she hadn't even seen her, "What's up with this super tense atmosphere?" She asked obliviously, hooking her thumbs in the small pockets of her shorts, "Did I miss something again?" She sighed, looking over her shoulder at Violette's retreating figure. But instead of Violette, she saw a dark chocolate brown pinstriped suit. Pulling her line of sight up, she blinked. For a second, she'd thought it was yet another person she didn't know running about the mansion, but it was just the old man skill, who was walking very slowly, reading at the same time. She blinked.

"Hey old man," Gil pointed at him, turning around, "What happened to the wrinkles on your face?"

Rasch looked up over the edge of his book, his gaze blank. Was this rude girl Laeina? No, that was Dieter's training partner. Thank goodness. Rasch walked right past Gil without a word, sitting down on the nearest bench and turning the page. He didn't need to exert any extra communication effort towards someone he had absolutely no business with. By the streaks of black in his once pure white hair, it was true that Rasch was visibly younger. Mobility would be useful, in training against a psyion user.


----------

Dieter sat up from his bed, "Eh? Outside?" He hopped off of his bunk, opening the door, "For what re-…" Dieter noticed Rita on Auricia's shoulders. His curious expression quickly changed into one of amusement, the smile he was repressing at the sight causing the corners of his mouth to twitch upwards. Love, huh? He started laughing, unable to hold it in any longer when he retreated back into the room. "C'mon Tsu-" Dieter immediately forced himself to sneeze, scratching his nose afterwards and finishing his sentence, "-Brat."

What the heck, he'd almost called that irritating brat by his name. Too close a call. Dieter snatched up his sunglasses, sliding them on and doing one last-ditch effort to find a clean vest. Aw damn.

"Man, I swear somebody's out t'get me." Dieter sighed, kicking the bag of his clothes aside as he stepped into the hallway, "Yeah let's go Auri-chi and… whoever you are."

He began the trek en route 'outside' without giving anyone the chance to say anything, showing that he may not have known who the other girl was, but by her scent, she was human, and if she was human, he wasn't interested in being introduced to her.

---------
 
"G-guys... please be nice." Sanako squeaked at the obvious tension between Armon and Christian. She was confused. What were they even arguing about? Christian wasn't in the wrong for asking them to stop or anything, so why was Armon being so confrontative? It wasn't a big deal or anything. As Gil had so nicely put it, was there a loop they had been left out of? "Let's just get along, okay?" She smiled in support of her own suggestion.

"Wow Rasch! You do look younger! I know we can change our physical age, but I've never noticed any of us actually do it!" Auricia exclaimed as she exited the estate soon after the pinstriped Skill. Rita followed behind, licking a lolipop while looking around curiously at everyone. Laeina came out last, looking at her feet in disarray. What was she distracted by? From what Sanako was aware, the black haired girl had been with Stahn the entire day they were away. Had he done something to her? Nah, Stahn was Melody deep down, and she didn't seem like that kind of person. The black haired girl walked by Sanako, and the pink haired girl could have sworn she had heard something, but she couldn't be sure.

"Your father is an interesting person." Sanako looked a bit shock, but didn't reply, as she was double guessing what she had heard. She hadn't seen her father in years. Even when her mom died, he didn't show up to offer any support.

Stahn suddenly announced his presence from atop an oak tree on the edge of the courtyard. "Is everyone here then? Good." He knew Violette wasn't there, but she would be better off working on her healing anyways. They'd certainly need her assistance by the time things were said and done. "Whether or not you have noticed it yet, I've adjusted each of your bodies, aside from the Skills who did not injest the pills, to be 3 times more sensitive to pain than usual. Most likely, even the slightest wound will be enough to knock most of you unconscious. It will truly be like a hell." He paused for a quick moment, thinking over the rest of the speech in his head. Sanako was a little worried. She had felt all kinds of pain the past couple of days. She didn't want to feel anymore. She grabbed Armon's hand for comfort. "Time is beginning to become short, and I have an important training mission for you to embark on tomorrow. Do not doubt my methods, it is necessary." Another pause. Just what was running through his mind? It was hard to tell. "If you want to leave, you might as well now. Those of you that carry Ophelian core shards - you may have to leave a piece of your humanity behind in order to excel to the next level. If you have qualms with this, you'd best back out now." He looked to Sanako and Gil in particular, the only two present who had seen Melody's state. Was a portion of that state the result of Melody unlocking this power? "Rita, show them."

"Yes, sir." The little girl spoke for the first time in a while, before she stepped before the group and dropped her shirt, her back turned to everyone. There was a section of her skin, just below where a set of wings would have been, that was black and scaly. Was that what he meant?

"And she got off easy. While the Goddess Ophelia herself granted us these powers, the end result will be determined by our hearts. If there is even a smidgeon of darkness in your heart, your body will take on some sort of deformation. So who still wishes to train?" Sanako grabbed extremely tight onto Armon's hand. She knew that there was so much darkness in her heart at the moment, and she still couldn't contact Mistral to consult with her about how to deal with it. What if this left her in an even worse condition?

...Wait a second... As if on queue, Sanako and Christian glared over at Gil.

---

"I took you in as my own. You, three children who suffered neglect from the rest of the world. You, three children who hated the world for it. You, my tools. You, my 'daughters'." Kayle Spar spoke into the abyss of darkness as a spotlight rained down upon him from above. He was dressed in nothing more than a white labcoat, which was stained quite sickeningly with blood. "Now it is time to test your hellish abilities against those of the 'heavens'. We'll call this a test operation. Basically, your task is to see that the execution in Carn tomorrow is seen through." Another spotlight turned on, revealing three girls with extremely different appearances.

One, a girl with long violet hair and orange eyes that almost seemed to glow, opened her mouth. "Acknowledged." She was leaning on a sharp looking black bow, and her clothing was certainly unique. She wore a long, cream coloured jacket over her thin frame, and around the waist it jutted out into eight coat tails, each of which had her family's insignia on it in brown at the waist. Underneath the jacket was a skin tight, black shirt that climbed halfway up her neck, and seemed to be attached to a pair of black stockings that reached down to her feet. On the side of the black stockings, small grey tildes (which is from where she recieved her name) ran up them. She also wore an arm-length, black archers glove on her right arm, which replaced the right sleeve of the jacket. Peculiarly, she had white greaves over her lower legs and feet, with a gold plate on each one with her family's insignia on them once again, with black boots present underneath the greaves. To top off her strange outfit, she had on a white hat, with a black stripe running horizontally around it. just above her right eye a black rose, followed by some black feathers, were scene on the black stripe, making her look more like she belonged in a gang.

"Well, if Tildie thinks it's fine, I guess I'm fine too." A much younger girl responded. Her short hair was white, and her eyes a colour similar to the orange in the eyes of Tilde. She wore a crimson dress, lined with white where the layers parted and the colours lightened or darkened. The sleeves were puffy, and she wore a strange head piece that seemed to be a band with a rose on the right side. "What about you?" She turned to the third girl, absent mindedly twirling a silver dagger in her right hand.

OOC:
Saral
Tilde
 
"Mmm… sounds like fun!"

The third girl's blue-purple hair matched the shade of her cat-like eyes completely, reaching just past her shoulder blades. The upper layer of her hair had been pulled up into a side ponytail on the left side of her head, the rest flipping out around her shoulders. She threw her head to the side to shift her long purple bangs, ending in the middle of her left eye while the right side was long enough to be brushed aside. Her tongue shifted the cigarette in her mouth to the other side. The middle 'daughter' was dressed considerably different from her sisters, a magenta midriff baring tank top over a black spandex sports bra that poked out from under her shirt covering most of her torso. A frilly layered maroon and black skirt was worn low on her waist, long black socks pulled up to the middle of her thighs. It was obvious that she was over accessorized, a black skinny scarf with bright magenta stripes at the ends around her neck, a yellow bandanna tied about her right bicep, black baggy wrist warmers, a huge white ring on her right index finger, a matching one on her left ring finger. He nails were painted dark purple and black, alternating in color with each finger, and she wore a pair of white frayed cowboy boots on her feet.

None of this was peculiar however. Grasped in her left hand was an enormous stuffed animal, white and fluffy with black circular felt for eyes, its flat mouth in the shape of a horizontal 3. The bunny's been out of the ordinary if it weren't for the blood that dripped from the corner of its smile, the red cotton that burst from where it's heart should've been, and the sheer fact that it was being towed about by a grown teenager. It's head lolled limply back on it's neck as the girl shifted.

"Are we going now?" Audi asked, chewing on the end of her cigarette, holding up the stuffed bunny, "Alice is bored!"

The head fell forward without Audi moving her hand, as though nodding in agreement, "See?" The girl giggled pulling the stuffed animal back and hugging it tightly

-----------

Rasch didn't mind it when Gil had commented on it. He didn't mind that Auricia had commented on it, though he was thinking to himself that the minute she'd laid eyes on him she'd seen a skill change his physical age already. But what he did mind was Dieter.

"WOAH, RASCH, YOUR HAIR! It's black? I didn't know that, I thought maybe it was like, blonde or something!" Dieter was babbling, scrutinizing Rasch's new appearance, "And you look a lot better without all those wrinkles. Why don't you stay in this form all the time? It's gotta be a pain being old and-"

"Is everyone here then? Good."

Rasch thanked the gods for Stahn's interruption, turning back to his book. Even though he was thankful for the excuse to shut Dieter up, there was really no point in listening to what he had to say.

Armon frowned. He was supposed to be nice, huh? He held Sanako's hand as tightly as she held his. No way. Not after implying that he'd be the first person to jump at an opportunity to take Sanako away. He just wanted to forbid her from seeing him again, but that wasn't possible. He was important, as annoying it was to admit. He furrowed his brow at Stahn's revelation. Three times the pain? Fine, he could handle that. He glanced at Sanako. That method might be counter-productive, at the moment… He sighed. They really had no time to take a break. Life was getting a little too exciting for Armon. And then Stahn dropped another bomb, and he had to force himself not to practically crush Sanako's hand from the reaction. He didn't think of Gil at first, thinking only of what kind of deformation Sanako would be stuck with. No, he admonished himself, she wouldn't have a deformation. Not her. That was when he finally landed on the same wavelength as Sanako and Christian.

Gil folded her arms, oblivious to why they were staring at her, "What?"

After all, she didn't really think that at the moment, she had any "Darkness" in her heart. It's not like she was targeting someone. And besides, meeting Sol was always a good cleanse for the soul, even if he wasn't really a pure person himself. "I'll be fiiiine. I don't mind deformations, cause I mean…" Gil pointed at the wings on her feet, "I already have one."

"Hey," Dieter folded his arms as he spoke up, tilting his head to the side with an irritated look on his face, "If you wanted it to hurt more, you could've just told us. Would've been easier, really, and honestly, more fun for me, right?"

"The difference between an illusion and a fatal blow is the key element in the alteration, I'd suppose." Rasch said, looking up from his book for a split second before turning the page to start the next chapter. Dieter's jaw unhinged again, the blue-clad skill forgetting about Stahn's words entirely.

Dieter quickly turned to Auricia and pointed shamelessly at Rasch, "Y'think he talks more when he's younger or something? "
 
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