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[Chevaleresse]

Kirari

Another silence fell as she thought about the question. What had changed? Beyond the obvious, of course. She hadn't thought much about why she wanted anything; all she had to go off was the emotion she felt. The part of her that was inarguably Kira, the dreaming girl, who feared and loathed the one that had inflicted such grievous harm upon her, and the continued struggle to integrate that with the rest of her self. "I spent three years in constant terror, wondering if I would ever meet who did that to me, and what she would do to me if I ever found her, or if she found me." Kirari frowned slightly.  "And. . ."

It wasn't the whole story. She knew that, but she was having trouble sorting through it herself. Fear was a powerful teacher, Kirari was no stranger to that, but there was something else. "I think about people like you and Monika." Her voice firmed, sounding more certain as she continued. "There was nobody worth caring about before. Not after Zoey. That's what changed."

[Takosher]

She mulled over the map in front of her. The pieces were finally falling into place, it would soon be time. She carried the weight of a hundred lifetimes on her shoulders, if she were to fail here it would be a hundred more before another chance arose. This was, of course, why she felt so miserable. Without even a glimpse of memory, it was impossible to achieve her goal. Her family had spent years passing down stories in the hopes that one day they might inherit that memory, but without success. But it was impossible for the memory to be forgotten. Even if it didn't belong to her yet, she could still find it and take control. That had been her plan, but now even that was beginning to seem impossible. She had even begun to doubt. What if her family was wrong? What if the memory could end?

No, she couldn't accept that. Her family's stories might not have carried the true memory, but she refused to believe that her entire life and the lives of those who came before were wasted. A true memory had to exist, and she had to find it.

As she contemplated her life's work, a prickling at the back of her neck beckoned her attention back to the map. What she saw drove her another step towards despair. One of the figures was moving. Vague though her power was, it had been easy to solve the identity of the erratic ball of yarn. Each piece represented either a key piece of the puzzle or a major threat. This one represented both. Currently it was looking to focus on its role as the latter. It was on a direct course to interfere with the piece shaped like the sun. It was an important piece, but she didn't yet know its identity. Protecting it would be difficult, but she had to try.

Kirari

Doc might have asked who Zoey was, if not for the fact that Kirari had managed to push exactly the right buttons on her heart to convince her that she had actually done the right thing. "You really mean that?" she said. She was genuinely touched to have made such a difference in Kirari's life. "Right well..." she tried to pretend she was still being tough on Kirari, "I can't exactly ignore the past, but I suppose I can trust you then."

Verna came back into the room. "She says she'll be here in a couple of minutes." she said, "But she's not sure she can get Trissy in here. This is a military facility, after all."

"I already got permission from the front desk, it'll be fine." Doc told her, "Did Renee sound alright?"

"I think so?" Verna said, "How should I know? I've never met her. Who is she anyways?"

" " Doc didn't say anything. Her expression was as impenetrable as always, but she seemed more surprised than annoyed. "Huh. I guess I haven't brought her up before, have I? I'll let her introduce herself then, since she's already on her way."

"Okay sure." Verna shrugged the odd interaction off and turned her attention to Kirari. "So where do you want to go for our date?" she asked.

Silvia and L

Cay listened intently to L's report. She noted Terra's absence, but chose not to mention it. If L didn't want to share, then there must have been a good reason.

In response to Silvia's question she said, "My apologies, Lieutenant, I should have led with that. Emmery's weapon is fused into her brain. She can perfectly analyze everything in her surroundings and manipulate it at its most fundamental level. No one is really sure exactly how it works, I'm told our best scientists can't make heads or tails of some of her explanations, even when she's lucid. But what it does is make her almost impossible to harm. Her major weakness, however, is the fact that her weapon is too powerful for her. There's too much information and if she isn't extremely careful with her focus then it overwhelms her and most of her brain's higher functions shut down."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

L

The tiny major listened along to Cay's report on Emmery' weaponry. Despite knowing about Emmery, she never knew what her weapon was... or what it was capable of. Integrated huh? Those had always squicked her out... if the hammer was capable of what it was on her own body L could imagine how much worse they'd be if they were literally a part of you. The few L had seen only confirmed her thoughts, Emmery's now included. L was torn, her thoughts were conflicted in her early morning that was actually early afternoon haze. Everything jer training and instincts told her was the Emmery was unable to be counted upon. Her power was... well incomprehensibly powerful even to the woman herself. They'd never know when she'd be lucid or if she would be potientally dangerous to those around her when she wasn't. If they were in danger... who knew if Emmery could bail them out? But... Cay reccomended her abilities. L couldn't fully grasp her movations... whether it was the lack of proper sleep or that she simply wasn't privy to the information to do so was anyone's guess. Cay often didn't speak of herself, or much at all frankly if she could help it, so it was likely the former. L had always trusted Cay's judgement, but her own was convinced this was a mistake. L cupped her face in her hands, looking as if she was resting for a moment. She had to make a call, it was her role in all this. Such was leadership. It was a burden carrying all these lives on her shoulders... she cursed the gods. Why'd they give her such small shoulders?

L brushed the mane of blonde hair away from her face, opening her eyes fully for the first time in the conversation. She placed them on Cay, two emerald green eyes now stared directly into Cay's. There was a weight to her gaze, it cut through the weary and lathergic demeanor. "I trust that this recommendation is in good faith Cay, but I do have concerns about a squad member who at times is incapable of watching after themselves, let alone others." The Captain paused, she let the moment hang. L didn't give her answer immediately, she wanted those words to etch into Cay's mind to be there when they continued. It was important that her girls understood where she stood. "Your judgement hasn't led me astray yet, and I, as your superior officer, am willing to allow Miss Emmery to work with our squad however... under certain conditions. Emmery possesses and utterly unthinkable power with jer holy weapon and would undoubtly be an asset as you claimed. However, she would need to be protected under times when jer lucidity has left her. If we are to consider Emmery seriously for a spot on this Strike team then we must also consider a defensive expert who is capable of safeguarding her in her in jer downtime. Miss Faith would be an answer to this problem. Her Holy Weapon would be capable of safegaurding Emmery in sich times. If Emmery is to be brought along, then Miss Faith shall accompany us as well. I will not budge on this matter."

[Chevaleresse]

Kirari

At Doc's question, she simply nodded. The physician had been one of the few people to show unfettered, unprompted kindness to Kira, and the same held true for Kirari. I hope Monika is okay. That was another question that Kirari was certain would continue to nettle her until it happened; how was she supposed to face her? What would she say?

Fortunately, Verna's inquiry offered a distraction, drawing a laugh out of the woman. It sounded somewhat off, like an instrument left to go out of tune for too long, but genuine nonetheless. "I'm not sure. I think that depends on where I'm even allowed to go." The moment of relative cheer faded slightly after a moment. "I'm surprised you still want to go."

[Takosher]

Eilyth

It was in the last seconds that Eilyth faltered. It didn't matter how attentive she was, lowering the beast to the floor was simply too difficult. It began to tip back, and she alone couldn't stop it. But she wasn't alone. Sensing the danger, Leah and Laurie jumped forward, bracing the cake with their bodies and preventing its collapse in the final moments. All breathed a sigh of relief, the worst was over.

Gingerly, Leah opened the box. Miraculously, the cake was largely intact. The icing had melted, certainly, but it had only drooped slightly, not formed a pool at the base of the box. It wasn't perfect, but it could have been much worse.

Yava

Solamon raised an eyebrow. "I appreciate you informing me of this." she said, sounding impressed, "In thanks for your kindness I'd like to extend another offer. After you've earned your freedom, how would you feel about a job? Surely you can't be living on the street by choice. I am more than equipped to provide you with whatever you need. In return, I would make use of your talents and weapon. But more importantly..." She seemed embarrassed to continue, but Yava had already seen that this wasn't a woman who backed down.

"More importantly," she continued firmly, "I am a total nonce when it comes to the ways of common folk and lowlives. My childhood was far too sheltered, I cannot fulfill my duty as a guardian of the people. I would like you to become my teacher in this regard."

Kirari

"What?" Verna cocked her head curiously, "Why wouldn't I want to go?"

Kirari didn't have the time to answer as the door burst open and a grey blur attacked Doc. An unfathomable sound like nothing either Kirari or Verna had ever heard erupted from Doc.

"Trissy, no, stop it!" Doc laughed as she halfheartedly attempted to prevent the dog from licking her face.

A dark brown skinned woman with long white curls was standing in the doorway. Her arms were crossed and she was doing her best to keep from joining in the laughter, but it was clearly a struggle for her. "Hon, did you actually instate an emergency code just to let your dog into a hospital? That has got to be an abuse of power." she scolded.

"Of course not!" Doc protested between giggles, "I made Camilla do it."

The woman who could be assumed to be Renee rolled her eyes. "Because that's so much better." Despite her sarcastic tone, she was smiling.

Doc finally managed to get Trissy down from her face and sitting on the floor, although the dog's tongue could not be sated and she continued attacking Doc's hand. "Thanks for bringing her, I really needed the support."

"You know I can give you support too." Renee feigned a pout, "Who're they?" she nodded in the direction of Verna and Kirari.

"The one in the bed is Kirari Arceneaux, she's the patient I mentioned. The standing girl is Verna Hembright."

"The Verna? The one you always talk about?" She smiled at Verna, "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Renee Alabaster, thank you for taking such good care of my wife."

[Chevaleresse]

Kirari

She only briefly considered trying to explain herself to Verna in the presence of a stranger. Knowledge that said stranger was Doc's wife made it a less alarming prospect, but she still elected to leave it for later. Kirari didn't want to ruin the mood, though she couldn't conceal a surprised expression when Doc casually used her real name. They must have had this discussion already.

Despite herself, she found the corners of her lips twitching upwards at the whole scene. Renee was speaking to Verna, not her, but Kirari took the opportunity to respond. "It's good to meet you as well." Seeing Doc in a good mood was nice, even if she'd done little to cause such a thing. The only thing spoiling the moment (other than the complex feelings that she likely wouldn't fully process for weeks) was concern for Monika, but she could ask about that later. Probably. "Doc has been very kind to me."

[Takosher]

Kirari

"You have a wife?" Verna asked Doc, "But don't you get really mad when people try to ask you out?"

"There's a reason for that." Doc said flatly.

Meanwhile, Trissy had made her way over to the bed and was gingerly sniffing in Kirari's direction. Eventually she settled on setting her head on the edge of the bed and giving Kirari a pleading look.

Renee smiled at Kirari. "You're the Katrian girl, right? The one Eudokia has been in a tizzy over the past few days? I don't know what's wrong, but I wish you the best."

[Chevaleresse]

Ah. She doesn't know. That was probably for the best, all things considered. "I believe so, yes. Thank you," she said politely. That was another odd feeling. Was it a lie to say she was Katrian? Kirari supposed she did hold a rank in Katria, while she'd almost certainly been replaced in Tyran. And then there was the thought of the protection program Doc had mentioned. She had no real attachment to Katria the country; there was a good chance she could fade away once again and become Neridan. That would almost certainly require forgetting about her few friends in Katria, however, and Kirari Arceneaux did not forget.

A distraction from her continued internal musings came in the form of a furry head a bit to her side. She glanced down at the dog, memories from her childhood rising quietly in the back of her mind. And thus the new begins just as the old did. The corner of her mouth twitched upward, and she reached out to rub Trissy's ears.

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Eilyth
A multitude of curses slipped silently beneath Eilyth's tongue as the confectionery behemoth used the last of it's might to defy her in that fateful moment. Of course. Of bloody course, it was tipping in the one direction she was not able to brace it. She ground her teeth, time seeming to stand still as her anger slowly begin to smolder, knowing she was unable to stop it without running the very real risk of accidentally destroying the entire cake with her might. Luckily however, Leah and Laurie were on point with their reactions, and the beast's plans to foil her thus far successful efforts were themselves foiled. The cake would live to see out it's intended purpose this day, despite it's many efforts to leave this plane of existence and return to whatever eldritch realm it called home. Knowing she had denied the beast it's sweet release from this world almost granted her enough satisfaction to equal out the immense annoyance it had brought. Almost.

"Goddesses, what a pain in the ass you were," Eilyth muttered, glaring at the box. With the thing secure, the scales cladding her body started crumbling to dust before completely vanishing in the same flicker of bronze light they'd been borne from. "Well, we did it. Held up better than I thought it would too."

Yava
It was a more favorable response than she anticipated. And the second offer... it was somewhat intriguing. There was a lot being put on the table here; a chance at smoothing over this little arrest, plus the opportunity to actually get some legitimate work and stop skulking around alleyways in constant hunger? She'd have to be a fool not to accept. She couldn't even have claimed a moral objection if she had wanted to; learning more about the struggles of the people you were duty bound to protect was a plenty good cause to support.
    "Hmmmmm... I see," Yava said pensively, as if she really had to ponder this any further. "Yis, I am quite well versed in plight of commoner and lowlife alike, and socio-economic disparities which leads to vicious cycle of their poverty and desperation. And you interest me besides; I have not met many in power with outlook such as yours. Most I have seen would scoff at very idea, convinced wholeheartedly their will is right no matter what consequences befall commons.  So... yis, I will accept second offer as well. I am getting tired of aimlessly running around continent anyway..."

[Takosher]

Kirari

Trissy took the smallest sign of affection as license to do as she pleased. The briefest of scratching was all it took for her to jump up on the bed. She wasn't quite as aggressive as she had been with Doc, sparing Kirari the slobbery face bath. She just laid down with her front half pinning Kirari's legs. She wasn't super heavy, but she also wasn't a small dog, so Kirari's chance of escape was minimal. She was left with no choice but to pet the dog.

Doc and Renee had settled into their own conversation. It was just small talk, so Kirari could safely tune it out. It was a bit curious to listen to though, showing a very different side of Doc than what Kirari had come to know.

Verna, for her part, seemed to be glowering at the dog. For whatever reason, she clearly had something against the animal. Perhaps she was just a cat person. It was impossible to tell.

[Chevaleresse]

Kirari

The movement actually caught her slightly off guard, but Kirari's surprise quickly turned into another small, awkward-sounding laugh. This entire moment was a strange one for her, but it was far from unpleasant. Seeing Doc interact with her wife was also refreshing in a way she couldn't quite express. Kirari reached up her other hand and petted the dog with both hands; oddly enough, she found that of all the alternatives, this was the action she was the most content with.

The only question was a certain other person's lack of contentment. Verna seemed decidedly unhappy about the course of events, and with Trissy in particular. After a moment or two more of petting the doc, Kirari simply looked at the girl with her best approximation of a questioning look. What could you be upset about right now. . . ? There were many things she had thought would upset Verna that hadn't. Kirari supposed, in the end, it was only a bizarre kind of fitting that something so innocuous would rub Verna the wrong way.

[Takosher]

Kirari

Verna's glower aside, the rest of the evening passed peacefully for Kirari. For the first time in quite a while she had an actual sense of peace. There was an uncomfortable foreboding hanging just above it, but it was far enough away to ignore. Eventually Verna got over whatever was bothering her and she struck up a conversation with Kirari, which inevitably turned towards finally planning their date...

Monika

The atmosphere was altogether far too peaceful. It had been around two weeks since Monika had been captured and she was finally being given a chance to see Kira. It should have been a peaceful event, but apparently she first had to meet with the grouchy doctor. That didn't bode well. Cilcinat had done her best to keep Monika informed, but that didn't mean much. Kira had apparently been rushed to the ER a few days ago, but Cilcinat hadn't been able to find out why. And with something as important as Kira's health on the line, it was more than a little awkward to be meeting the doctor at a quaint outdoor cafe.

Doc was sitting at a table underneath the cafe's awning. She had ditched her standard getup for a green sundress and a lightweight white half-jacket, as well as outfitting herself with a super cute pair of sunglasses which concealed what Monika was sure was a devastating glare of annoyance. She wasn't paying attention to the approach of Monika or the accompanying escort, but rather had her eye on a pair of young women sitting at a table further out in the sun. Monika followed her gaze and immediately recognized Kira's back. Sitting across from Kira was Verna, and for some reason the two seemed to be having a friendly conversation. It was easy to assume Verna was there for security, but Kira looked too relaxed around her for that to be the case. Something else was going on.

Kira was in casual clothes, which Monika assumed was to prevent drawing unwanted attention by dressing as a Katrian soldier. Monika had been asked to change into the t-shirt and skirt she was currently wearing for the same reason.

Doc glanced over, finally noticing Monika's arrival. Before speaking she waved off Monika's guard. They all looked at her like she was insane, which prompted Doc to lower her sunglasses and shoot them a glare. "I can handle myself, thank you. You're dismissed." she said.

Still uncertain, the men eventually relented and left, leaving Monika without any form of real guard for the first time since she was captured. It might have been tempting to try to make a break for it, were it not for the single bird suspiciously circling directly over Doc's location and the psychopath having a casual chat with Monika's friend a few meters away.

"Coffee?" Doc offered, waving Monika to the other seat at the table, "We've got a lot to talk about, so make yourself comfortable."

Kirari

Sightseeing with Verna had been an event. She was too hyperactive to actually see any of the sights, so Kirari still felt like she had no idea where she was. At the very least she got some general appreciation of the city. Serintain to a Katrian was a fortress of a city and major garrison for Neridan offenses, but seeing it from within revealed that it was also an exceptionally beautiful city. The Ashia River that served as such an overwhelming barrier against attack also split off into smaller waterways that crisscrossed throughout the city. A mix of Neridan technology and very cleanly culture managed to keep the water surprisingly clean as well. To compliment the natural wonder of the water were a multitude of beautifully architectured bridges, each unique but all sharing a familiar style. According to Doc, the bridges had largely been designed by two competing architects who constantly sought to one up each other. After competing for years, they eventually came to see one another as equals and fell in love. It was a corny story, but that added layer of saccharine romance seemed to suit Serintain. It was a strangely peaceful city and Kirari almost found it difficult to remember that it was a major military stronghold.

Once Verna had worn herself ragged dashing all over the city on foot, Doc had suggested the cafe they were currently sitting in. Verna had regained her energy at the mere whiff of coffee, and was currently regaling Kirari with the harrowing tale of One Time I Sold My Hand to a Con Artist. Evidently, the titular con artist nearly didn't get away with their own hand intact, although Verna had nothing to do with that, since she was trying to rescue Doc from a rabid squirrel at the time. Kirari suspected the story was heavily embellished, but knowing Verna it wouldn't have been a huge surprise to discover it was all true.

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Monika

In a somewhat odd turn of events, Monika was dealing with a complex mix of emotions until she stepped into the cafe. Ranging from worry over Kira's situation, due to only being told that she was rushed to the ER and nothing else, relief from being able to truly leave her 'cell' for the first time in weeks, and annoyance over being forced to wear a skirt. Yes, walking around in her Katrian uniform would draw too much attention, but the least they could do was give her pants instead.

Regardless, as soon as Monika took in the cafe's sights, most of her worries were put to rest. Though she still didn't know why Kira was rushed to an emergency room or what the purpose of meeting with her doctor was for, but those hardly mattered when Kira seemed to be perfectly fine. More than fine, actually, thanks to her being a bit more relaxed than normal. The girl was enjoying herself it seemed, even with her guard.

Turning her attention back towards Doc, just as she dismissed both of her guards with a glare, leaving Monika without any security for the first time in quite a while. For a few moments, Monika merely stood there, watching the two guards leave with an intrigued expression, before ultimately shrugging and heading over to Doc's table, "Sure, coffee sounds great. It's been some time since I've had anything besides water" the Major commented as she pulled her chair out, sitting down and immediately leaning back and folding one leg over the other, sparing a quick look at the couple a few tables away, "It looks like those two managed to strike up a friendship."

[Chevaleresse]

Kirari

A place like this felt strange to be in after so long. Not unpleasant, far from it just as many other novel experiences had been recently, but still strange. Verna remained entertaining, though, and Kirari thought she might actually be coming to return the girl's inexplicable affection for her. They were polar opposites in a number of respects, but similar in ways that she was sure neither of them fully understood yet - perhaps that was what attracted Verna to her. "Interesting," she commented politely as Verna continued to spin her tall tale.

Something still prickled at the back of her neck, though, ever since yesterday. Now was a moment of peace, but peace was something made to be shattered. Kirari didn't know what would do it or when - other than that she was determined for it to be someone or something other than herself if at all possible - but that feeling in the back of her mind refused to go away. She looked around the cafe, as if she would be able to spot something off in such an unfamiliar environment, and something she recognized caught her eye. Doc was chaperoning them from another table, of course, but she recognized the face at the table with her. She very nearly hadn't - Monika looked thoroughly out of place in her outfit - but yet there she was.

A rush of mixed emotions surged up in her as she looked back to Verna. She was glad to see that the woman was, in fact, okay, and from her brief look being treated well. Her presence, however, demanded the thought of how to explain herself. Monika had been quite tolerant of Kira's tendencies, but she was also a good person. Unlike the other good person she spoke with, she wasn't sworn to help whoever she could; quite the opposite, in fact. How would she react to learning of Kirari? What would she say? Even with her off-kilter expressions, her sudden discomfort was visible on her face, and she suddenly found it harder to follow Verna's story as her cognitive resources were suddenly in demand elsewhere.

[Takosher]

Monika

"Yes, that's one of the things we need to talk about." Doc said. Monika found Doc's expression impossible to read, even with the sunglasses removed, but something had definitely changed in it.

Doc waved the waiter over and ordered Monika a coffee, leaving Monika a few more moments with her thoughts. The wait might have been agonizing, were it not for a noticeable change in the tingling pull of her weapon. Normally such a change would be too gradual to really notice, but it was changing very rapidly. It was impossible to say for certain, but it felt like it was coming directly to her.

"But before we get to that, I want to check some background information. Are you familiar with the Tyranian Dame Kirari Arceneaux?" Doc interrupted Monika's thoughts.

Monika had, of course. The name Kirari Arceneaux engendered similar feelings in Katrians to the ones that Kellen the Hush did in Neridans. But unlike Monika's mother, Kirari was not a decorated hero. Her own people feared her just as much. She was an enigma, the details of her existence well-concealed by the Tyranian government out of fear or shame. A monster too terrifyingly real to use to scare children into good behavior, yet too unknown to truly acknowledge as part of reality. Monika knew she had dropped off the map a few years prior, much to everyone's relief. It was generally assumed that Tyran finally got fed up with her and quietly put her down, although there was no way to know for sure.

Kirari

Verna picked up on the shift in mood and cut herself off. "Are you okay?" she asked Kirari. Her brow was furrowed in worry, her unstable emotions for once working in Kirari's favor. "You want some of my cake? It's super yummy. I'm sure it will cheer you up right away." Without a second thought, she stabbed a chunk of chocolate cake off of her dessert and held it out for Kirari to eat.