Elucidation - Awakening [Adventure] [O/A]

[Nekomimik]

LOCATION :: [ Beacon; City Square > Residential Area ]
PARTY :: [Clif]
OOC :: [ ]

• 
  
  
  Of course preforming something like an uplifting song in the middle of the city square at the one of the busiest hours of the day would catch a lot of attention. Not to mention how everybody had been tensed due to the current slowly eroding situation of Beacon. Izayoi didn't mind the attention she was gathering. Rather, ignored it all together. While it had been four months since the time they've met Jed and few weeks afterwards, she'll start public performances, the long-haired young lass was a very cold anti-social. She wasn't really the one to bask in the limelight but liked it better to be somewhere at the far corner of the room, making sure that nobody paid attention to her.
  
  In a way, this can be seen as Izayoi being timid or embarrassed in showing her skill in music despite she had been staging these public performances twice or trice a week. She only did play whenever she felt like it and the only times she performed in front of others was rare and often those who listen to her music was handful that she can count them with her two hands.
  
  As she was few notes away from finishing the song, "That girl.... the rumored one playing the violin for the past few weeks?" she cannot help but perk her ears at hearing that one line amongst the myriads of voice chattering coming from the crowd.
  
  "Well.... they did say she had a very long hair so I guess its this one." another replied to the first voice, hesitant but providing a facet to defend his remark.
  
  "Nevertheless, she plays rather well! I accidentally stumbled upon her one time and her songs is very soothing. Not to mention she's quite a doll." a third voice joined the conversation, higher in tone, Izayoi can easily discern the owner was female; somehow, the comment made her heart flutter but only by a minuscule.
  
  As her song came to an end, Izayoi curtsied to the crowd whom offered a round of applause for her performance. I guess... this is somehow.... satisfying... with a faint smile, Izayoi noticed Clif's face amongst the crowd, approaching her. While she placed her violin and its bow back to her rectangular case, her eyes assessed the blade hung on his waist.
  
  It had a longer grip than the sword she had lend to him all this time. He did needed a sword with a longer hilt.... she recalled in their training sessions how his hands often looked isolated as if needed more space. It did offer Clif more room for his swordsmanship to growth and from a vastly different way than her own.
  
  Nodding her head, "Right.... we need to learn more about the current medical advances before anything else." she gestured for Clif to walk alongside her, heading to residential area; to the Doan household. "Also.... we need to learn how much they've discovered about Lyla's body." there was a hint of anxiety in her calm voice.
  
  It cannot be helped since Lyla was an existence that was beyond even the superhuman Empaths and had solely provided the energy from the pillars by herself for all these years. As there had been changes in Clif, both inside and out, Izayoi as well had some changes at her side aside from the choice of clothing. She was less bitter, cold and easier to interact than before; she was more often smiling than not and her emotions were easier to tell in spite their subtlety. Though, she was still cynical and sardonic as ever.
  
  Her pace quicken, leaving Clif behind before stopping completely. Izayoi looked at Clif, "Ummm...." with a small frown and a rare hesitant expression, "Can I leave it to you writing a letter to get Kara's cooperation?" Troubled her look was, she twirled her right index finger on her braid, "I might just end up getting her angry if it was me." she confessed plainly what troubled her; Izayoi did have a brash nature that often earned people's ire. Sighing, "You can leave how to deliver the letter to me." Izayoi turned her back on Clif and continued walking.
  
  With what happened two months ago, in a way, Izayoi and Clif were being viewed as bad influence to Kara by her family. Well, she was already rebellious and a troublemaker but it looked like they gave her ideas about going out of Beacon and to the Pillars. Kara was after all with them when they got back from Yanol. So it was better to communicate with letters or at least try to held a secret meeting; preferably at Izayoi's home since it was nearby the outskirts.
  
  "By the way, for our next destination this time..." Izayoi walked closer to Clif that their shoulders touched, "... currently, Limad is a good choice." like Izayoi feared, some of the populace of Beacon had started to succumb to the ailments related to the freezing cold of winter. "Unless you have a better choice and explanation to back-up your choice as well." her voice wasn't biting cold or challenging. It was just a remark wanting to know her companion's, Clif's opinions. While they had a pseudo-mentor-and-apprentice relationship, Izayoi did see him as an equal when it comes to being Empaths.

Takarashi

[Takarashi]

Clif Ardal
Location: Beacon, residential area | Company: Izayoi

Clif contemplated as he fell into step beside Izayoi. "I don't know how much difference the medical advances will make. Without proper energy, I've heard that doctors are having a hard time being able to treat patients. They're looking into home remedies to get by, but still..." He glanced around at the rather sparse amount of people. Everyone was looking worse for wear, some probably shouldn't even be on their feet. Anything that could be used for burning for fires was quickly becoming a valuable commodity. While trees were certainly plentiful, the ones inside of the city walls were mostly for looks and not particularly good as firewood. The surrounding area outside was mostly deforested for convenience, making it a long journey to the nearest lumber patches. And then transporting it was another issue still. At the end of the day, people simply couldn't get their hands on -anything- important in a timely manner. With the wave of depression, vices in the form of gambling and narcotics were creeping up on a significant portion of Beacon's population. If they could make it to spring then things would even out... but that was still a while away. At Izayoi's worries of Lyla, Clif could do little more than nod in agreement. The research division was as tight-lipped as ever, and would probably deny anything about her existence. Heck, he and a number of other people were fearful that pursuing it would result in imprisonment for espionage or something. How had everything gone so bad, so fast?

"If I could get a letter to her, I would." He said with a quiet, defeated sigh. "I guess she wasn't kidding that her parents would freak when she finally came back. It's almost like they've made her a prisoner in her own house. Post won't accept letters to her home, there's bodyguards posted everywhere around her place. It's nuts. You'd think someone was out to kill her." Though he didn't say anything more aloud, it was in his thoughts and perhaps evident in his expression - with how bad everything had become, maybe there would actually be people out to get her. With Kara as a bargaining chip, they'd have both the city council and the research division by the throat. During the energy crisis, that was basically control of the city. "This is... so ******** up."

There was plenty to discuss, and yet, there was somehow so little to say. Aside from working on the pillars, everything seemed to arrive at a dead end. They couldn't help the city, the people, Kara, nothing. How could the 'leaders of humanity', as Lyla had seemed to affectionately call them, be so powerless to do anything? It was pathetic. But they had to focus on the possible, not the impossible, if they wanted any chance of making a real difference. He felt Lyla bump into him, which prompted his attention. He didn't notice anything in their surroundings - maybe she just wanted to keep close in case someone decided to pop out of an alley in a less-than-friendly manner. "Limad... the health one, right?" He said in a lowered voice. It seemed like a sound choice, given the current state of things. He admittedly wondered how helpful it would be, though. The doctors around Beacon, more or less, already knew how to treat people, or at least keep them from getting much worse. They lacked resources more than anything. He pondered on the list that Jed had provided, wondering if any other transcendent would be a better choice. Juliar apparently held the keeper of engineering-related knowledge - could that one tell them a way to create an efficient, replacement energy system to start producing goods and services again? But then, with how sick and low-spirited everyone was, would it even matter? Hoten could tell them about artificial beings, but the problem remained that they had no way to get close to Lyla to make any use of that information. Delten had contingency plans, but Clif felt this didn't quite fall under that level of severity, so it wouldn't be much help. So much useful knowledge, and yet none of it seemed useful for this particular problem. "I guess the thing about being a leader is that the answers aren't laid out for you. You have to come up with them." Sensible reasoning, albeit very much a pain in the a**. "I guess Limad's as good of a starting point as any, but I think we need to take a more active role in helping the city first if we're going to make use of the transcendents. At the rate we're going, there's not going to be anyone left to save." The lad slipped his hands into his coat pockets. As he did, he felt something poking at one of his fingers. He pulled it out to see that it was the pin. "Hey, do you recognize this? Apparently it's the calling card of sorts for a guy called Arvo, an explorer. The blacksmith gave it to me when I mentioned I was a, uh, new explorer."

While the empaths put their heads together in trying to work out how best to go about helping the city, Kara lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression. Her room was in a pretty sorry state. Clothes were strewn about carelessly, her large mirror was smashed, and most of her furniture was upturned in some fashion. Her window was barred off, and a heavy bolt on the outside of the door kept her from being able to leave. She still had her cloaking device, "Thank heavens I was able to hide it" she thought, but it wouldn't do her much good. If anyone came into her room and saw it empty, the whole place would be locked down and swarming with guards, as well as a city-wide alert would be put out. For her parents, the word 'overprotective' didn't do them justice. The young lady kneaded her forehead for the hundredth time out of frustration. The city was dying, and she was stuck here in a prison made of silk. It sickened her.

A knock came at the door, and then a maidservant entered. "Breakfast, miss Doan." The lady announced, and wheeled it in on a small trolley. The maid was around Kara's age, but looked quite meek. She had lengthy black hair with long bangs that stopped just above her mismatched eyes, the right being pale blue and the other a lush brown. Her skin was pale, and with her white work dress, she could almost pass for a ghost.
"Give it to someone else. Someone that actually needs it." Kara growled. She rolled over to face the wall.
"Please, miss Doan, I know it's hard-"
"No. No you don't." She spoke louder. The maid flinched. "You don't know what it's like to be little more than a trophy to keep on display for your stupid parents, locked in a ******** cabinet, not able to do anything that you want to do."
"Miss Doan..."
"And stop calling me that, Hilda. You know I hate it."
"But-"
Kara spun off of her onto her feet and stomped toward the maid. Hilda let out a squeak as she started backpedaling, until she bumped into a wall. "Miss Doan is what people call my mother. Do you really think I want to be associated with someone that's keeping me trapped in here?" Hilda was practically shaking and unable to find her voice. Kara glared at her for a moment, then sighed and turned away. "I'm sorry. I know it's not your fault. You're just doing what you're told to do. Thanks for this..." She lifted the lid of the platter and wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, on second thought, I'm not thankful. I'll eat it later. Just go." The young lady of the house went and flopped down on her bed again.
"... I don't know how hard it is... Kara. You're right." Hilda said after a moment of silence. She clutched and gently twisted her apron as she spoke. "But if you wanna help, you need to keep your strength up. Er, that's what I think, at least."
"I can't help anyone. No matter what I want to do." She murmured. "Izayoi and Clif are the only ones that can help anyone now. I just wish there was something I could do for them."
"... Well, I'm going to get some ingredients for dinner, so I'll be back in a while. Take care." Hilda approached the door, and went to pull it closed.
"... Wait, Hilda, wait!" The lass suddenly called out. Hilda poked her head back in through the door. Kara had rushed to her desk and was writing something down on a slip of paper, which she then handed to the maid. "I need you to deliver this message. Don't tell anyone where you're going, absolutely no one, got it? This is extremely important."
"W-what? Why me? What is this?"
"Everyone here is on my mother and father's payroll. You are too, but you're not like the others. They'll hardly even say anything to me for fear of losing their cushy jobs. If you seriously want to help me, Hilda, then I need you to do this for me." Kara squeezed the maid's hands. "Please."
"... Okay... Where am I going? Who am I giving it to?"
"A house near the edge of the city, with a small forest nearby. Look for a woman named Izayoi. Don't answer to anyone else."

Nekomimik

[Nekomimik]

LOCATION :: [ Beacon; Union. ]
PARTY :: [Clif]
OOC :: [ I think we should start figuring out the layout of the city. ]

• 
  
  
  "Arvo, huh?" Izayoi stopped with a deep look on her face, twirling her braid. She was acquainted with the explorer and knew him somewhat. One way or another, Izayoi had at least exchanged bits of words with many explorers in spite her personality. "For now, we should meet Arvo. Having acquainted with another explorer than me or Calliaz and his group might be good for you." While they had a whole future that involved humanity on their hands, Izayoi didn't Clif to miss out a bit on how the Union works and to meet other explorers.
  
  Then... "Oh." A thin smile lifted her lips, her eyes half-closed and it only meant one thing. "I have an idea." Taking Clif's free hand, she pulled him to where they can meet Arvo, the veteran explorer was likely at the Union around these times.
  
  While they were on the road than Izayoi explained her idea. "If we want to improve the circumstances in Beacon. We need to make a name for ourselves with a good rep. Being explorer is one and another is getting people's attention with something flashy." she raised her violin case to make it clear what kind of "flashiness" she was talking about. "While you know how much my personality is a giant turn-off for a lot of people, I did earned a good reputation for doing the job done as well as names." Izayoi shrugged her shoulder. Her eyes wandered a bit, the streets they were passing by was familiar to her: the place where she met Ciel, her foster mother, as well as Calliaz.
  
  Pulling the breaks for a bit, they stopped in front of a dark alleyway. A perfect place to mug people or just kill them; considering they were at the poorer and more dangerous parts of the residential area. The only reason people would pass through the alleyway was because it was a shortcut. And the slums was also a shortcut to getting to the street were the Union was. Shaking her head, Izayoi dismissed the nostalgia she was experiencing and pressed on.
  
  "You want a good reputation if you want for people to listen to you and unconditionally accept your help. Being an explorer is the quickest way. The best explorer's name is pretty well-known and people will trust him unconditionally." The gaze of the children was like knives that bore into her flesh, awfully reminding Izayoi about her past. Endure it. Endure it. We'll safe everybody.
  
  Soon enough, out of the slums, the pair ended up in a more well-maintained location. "The Union is straight ahead but it will take a bit more walking and," Looking at Clif's eyes, her grip over his hand tighten up, "don't take the route at the slums even if its a shortcut." Izayoi warned him bitterly mixed with self-deprecation, tugging him away to the Union building.

Takarashi

[Takarashi]

Clif Ardal
Location: Slums > Explorer's Union | Company: Izayoi > Izayoi, Arvo

Clif was admittedly a bit taken aback by Izayoi's sudden decision to go and meet this strange explorer. Either she knew and had good reason for introducing him, or she was as curious as he was about this. He pocked the pin and decided to go along with it. It couldn't hurt to at least say hello to the guy, right? He was ready to start down one of the main roads toward the union building at an easy pace, but his mentor seemed to want to drag him along like a stuffed animal. He stumbled slightly as he caught up with her pace. "Why is she dragging me along like this? I know the way..." He somehow felt like he was being treated like a kid, as though they would somehow lose one another if they weren't attached. While he put his focus on where they were going and what Izayoi was talking about, he found that a curious thought formed in the back of his mind. Her hand felt strange, and yet familiar, to the touch. There were lots of callouses much like like his own, though hers likely from swordplay as opposed to Clif's working with wagons, plows, and other manner of farm equipment. Izayoi's fingers were far more slender, though, likely owing to her piano practice. Where the lad's hands felt clumsy and rough, her's seemed crafted with so much purpose. Though he had come far in these last few months, these little things always served to remind Clif of just how much distance still existed between them in skill. Though he would never say it, it annoyed him. Just how long was it going to take before he really felt capable, and for this sense of inferiority to finally start fading away? "At least it feels kinda nice." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and immediately regretted the action. That felt... awkward. He put his mind elsewhere.

What Izayoi said certainly made sense. It was hard to start making a difference when nobody would so much as look at you a second time. If someone in the street was content to ignore him, then he certainly wouldn't be getting the notice of more influential people. His mentor was able to draw a crowd with relative ease using her music, talented as she was. What could Clif do though? He doubted anyone would want to watch him herd pigs or plant seeds. Yet another thing to put on the ever-growing 'to-do' list it seemed. He didn't really have anything to add to Izayoi's statements, so he simply nodded every now and then to show he was listening. He cast a glance down the alleys that they passed by, partially because he had been training himself to constantly stay aware of his surroundings, and partially out of curiosity. For the relatively little time he had spent coming to Beacon throughout his life, he had almost always stuck to the main roads. He had never really gotten the change to experience the 'darker' side of Irage's capital. How could this happen in a place like Beacon anyway? There were more than enough resources and work to go around. "Greed, corruption, and control. It didn't just start recently." The lad reminded himself bitterly. Anger surged through him, but he quickly dismissed it. He had to focus on fixing it, not growing irritated by it.
Clif blinked when he realized that Izayoi was looking at him. He backpedaled through what he heard quickly. "Well, I wasn't planning on it." He said with a shrug. With that all said and done, the pair made their way to the explorer's building.

Unlike the flashier buildings in Beacon, the Explorer's Union spoke of practicality through and through. Both inside and out, the stone building was mostly a dull grey color with virtually nothing to make it stand out. It were as though someone had simple dropped a giant block on the ground and people just started inhabiting it. Beyond the front doors, the reception area contained some signage to help guide visitors, as well as a few banners in recognition of the work that the explorers did. A slew of people milled about, together or alone, but all of them seemingly absorbed in their own thoughts and work. Somehow, this place felt even more lifeless than the city in its current state, but in a very different away. This building existed solely for focusing on missions, training, and organization. It was rather intimidating. Seeing how there was no point in dawdling, Clif approached the front desk, presumably with Izayoi close by. "Er. Excuse me, I'm looking for someone." He said to one of the people working at the front desk.
"A name would help." The man replied with a slight hint of irritation. He didn't look up from the book he was leafing through.
"A guy named Arvo. Is he around here?"
"Oh, you're one of his kooks. Check the lounge area." The man waved to his left. With a slight grimace and not bothering to offer any thanks for his attitude, Clif motioned to Izayoi and headed toward the door.
The lounge was a tad more cozy than the rest of the building. There were a few wooden tables and seats scattered through the room, as well as a slew of more comfy chairs and couches. There were only three people in the room at present - a woman checking over some weaponry, a rather serious looking man pouring over some documents, and a rather aloof looking man that was spread out on one of the couches. Figuring that the last one was the most likely candidate, Clif approached him. "Arvo?"
"That's m'name, don't wear it out." The man replied lazily. He didn't seemed to be in as good of a shape as most explorers, more like someone that simply laid around all day. He had a tuft of bed-head black hair, and an unshaven jaw, but a rather nice shade of sun-kissed skin. One of his arms was draped across his eyes, implying he was trying to nap.
"Right. I'm a, uh, new explorer. The blacksmith near the pawn shop gave me one of your pins, said I should come see you about something."
"If she knew I had a hangover, she would have told you to bugger off for a day at least." He rolled over to face the couch with a grunt. "Real pleasure t'meet you n' all, but I can't do this today."
"Would you mind telling me what it is you even do, at least?" Clif's voice was laced with annoyance.
"Ugh, if you really must know, I-" Arvo's explanation was cut short by a faint scream that rang through the room from a nearby open window.

[******** ********, I said keep quiet!" A gruff man snarled as he had Hilda in a partial headlock, with one hand covering her mouth. "Cut 'er bag off and let's go! Damn it, stop squirming!" The maid, though weak as could be, struggled and flailed with all her might. As the man's accomplice neared her with a gleaming knife in hand, her eyes bulged and she let out another muffled screaming. When the man neared her and tried to reach for her purse, her furious kicking nailed him right in the groin, prompting a long, anguished groan while he fell to his knees. "Hurry up already! Someone's gonna be here soon!"
"It was your ********' brilliant plan to get someone this close to the center, you bleedin' clod!" The other man shot back with a strained voice.
Hilda's mismatched eyes welled with tears and she let out stifled sobs. She needed help. Fast.

Nekomimik

[Nekomimik]

LOCATION :: [ Back alley]
PARTY :: [Brown Beard and Mr. Thin Eyes.]
OOC :: [ I think we should start figuring out the layout of the city. ]

• 
  
  
  By the time they arrived at the Union' building, Izayoi had already let go of Clif's hand. She stayed slightly behind him as they walked in. She wasn't looking in front of her but on her hand that just recently holding onto Clif's. Closing and opening it, the fleeting feeling of someone's hand was somewhat interesting.
  
  Izayoi nodded her head once Clif got the information where they can find Arvo and followed his lead; the Union building was same as always and making a sweep around, she didn't noticed Calliaz or any members of the Avalanche. They're doing their own stuff right now.... I guess? Ever since what happened few months ago, the trio had a contemplating feel coming from them and busy with their own set of agendas but never did they forgot to pay Izayoi a visit once or twice a week.
  
  At the lounge, from where she stood, Izayoi was pretty much hard to identify from where the three people present were. As Clif talked to Arvo, the veteran explorer hasn't changed his drinking habits and like what she faintly remembered about him, something unexpected happened: a scream reverberated in the room and that meant somebody was in trouble.
  
  The first to react was Izayoi.
  
  She dropped her violin as she raced to the window where the sound came from. With the situation rather dire, Izayoi didn't have the time to be gentle with the window as opened it and letting the cold air enter the room while jumping off. Her hat fell off but she can retrieve it later. There were some idiots mugging some woman, a maid, not only in the middle of the day but... Near the center as well? Are people that desperate? If so, that made Izayoi much worried about the status of Beacon as she ran towards the thieves at dark alleyway.
  
  I might need to check things out or ask Cal to investigate the underside. Izayoi didn't brought her cane but she did have something to compensate for it; reaching into her sleeves and pulling out two knives, holding them both in reverse grip.
  
  "s**t!" One of the men swore but Izayoi was faster than them before they could react. One of her knives flew towards the beard-man with sandy hair holding the maid, hitting him on his arm that restrained the mismatched eyed young woman. While the other was busy screaming in pain, releasing the maid, Izayoi dealt with the other by sweeping her leg underneath him and knocking him down.
  
  Pulling the maid, "Run! Don't worry about me. I can handle myself." Izayoi shouted, not taking her eyes off from the muggers, slowly taking few steps back.
  
  "You got guts brat!" The beard guy groaned as he took out the knife from his arm, holding it tightly. The other one had a clean shave face, thin eyes and black hair. He was lanky in comparison to his companion but Izayoi can tell he's a decent fighter from how he held his knife and his stance. She was clearly outnumbered but, "Yea, I can say the same." she didn't show any form of anxiety at all.
  
  Not because reinforcements were coming but because they were fighting in her home turf! With the main out of the way, she can fight without holding back. And so... Izayoi leaped towards the wall once the lanky one charged in with a roar and running sideways on it before leaping behind the beard one. The maneuver she did took them surprise but only for a small moment, just two seconds, but that was enough for her to take her other knife and inflicting a shallow cut on Brown Beard's ankle.
  
  Izayoi run low and fast, before doing a cartwheel and sending her boot's heel on the chest of the Mr. Thin Eyes; using the momentum to jump as well but only reaching the the edge of the nearby emergency staircase. She didn't run from there but continue keeping the two men busy. If anyone saw what was happening, Izayoi was simply playing with them at that point.

Takarashi

[Takarashi]

Clif Ardal
Location: Alley | Company: Izayoi, Arvo > Izayoi, Hilda

Everyone in the union lounge clearly heard the cry for help, and as to be expected, Izayoi had been the first to act. The other man and woman exchanged a few quick words, then ran off to get reinforcements, just in case. Clif was ready to take off after his mentor, but glanced over his shoulder at Arvo, who hadn't moved. "Hey! Aren't you coming?! Someone needs help!" The lad barked.
"You'll have it under control." The man mumbled back, along with a lazy wave.
If looks could kill... Clif realized he didn't have time for this. Izayoi was well on her way to the scene. Cursing under his breath, he tore out of the room in pursuit. What kind of explorer was this guy?!

"Th-thank you!" Hilda squeaked to Izayoi. While the maid was already scared out of her wits, she seemed mortified at the sight of fighting, even if it was for her sake. Every bit of sensibility she had told her that she should simply run away and not look back, and yet by the time she reached the entrance of the narrow alley, she couldn't help but watch from around the corner. A morbid sort of curiosity, one could say.
Clif arrived at the scene mere moments later following the wails of pain that his fellow empath had been content to cause. His hand was on the hilt of his new blade, but admittedly it seemed unnecessary at this point. They were both already wounded, as well as looked a tad disoriented and pissed."You're both going to be outnumbered any minute now. Give it up and no one else has to get hurt." Clif said with all of the authority he could muster. Were this any other situation, Clif's comparatively smaller stature would do nothing to intimidate these thugs.
Squinty and Beardy exchanged glances. They knew they were licked. Even if they managed to at least subdue both of the younger folks, their backup would be here in no time. Seeing no other options, they turned tail and ran, or in Beardy's case, limped quickly. Clif immediately wanted to give chase but decided against it. It wasn't safe in the alleys even in broad daylight anymore, and those two surely had friends waiting in various nooks throughout the city. Starting a war in the streets would only make things worse. With a huff, the lad glanced at Izayoi. "Nice work." He called out with a slightly amused grin.
"Thank you... thank you so much." Hilda stepped gingerly into the alley, quivering slightly. She had donned a long, quilted coat of midnight blue to keep her warm, so odds were that she was still just shaken up.
"Are you all right?" She must have been the one that called for help, Clif pieced together.
She nodded quickly. It looked like there was more she wanted to say but she couldn't find her voice. The lad looked at Izayoi again and gave a shrug. He was about to wish her well and tell her to stick to main roads, but the lady then let out some sort of gasp.
"You! You're Izayoi, aren't you?!" The lady exclaimed while staring at the empath. She pulled out a slip of paper from her pocket. "I have a message for you! Gosh, I'm glad I ran into you here, I don't wanna go any further down these roads..."

Whenever Izayoi made her way back to ground level, she would find the message to be brief. "Can't say much in case someone sees this. Can't leave. Have important information. We can trust Hilda. Send message back so I know you got this. Will talk soon. -K"
"Miss D- er, my lad- erk... She said it was really important you get this." Hilda glanced between Izayoi and Clif nervously, clearly more wary of Clif for some reason. "Are you her... friend?"

Nekomimik

[Nekomimik]

LOCATION :: [ Back alley]
PARTY :: [Hilda, Henrikson, the other lady, Clif and three more explorers.]
OOC :: [ It's a little rushed but I hope this is enough > . <]

• 
  
  
  By the time Clif came, Izayoi was back again at the metallic staircase, sitting onto the railing with her legs crossed and looking down at the two men. The way she looked at them made Beardy and Squinty realized what a small animal felt when it knew there was hawk gazing as the bird of prey's next meal. They can tell from the her azure eyes that she already took the life of another person. The only thing that was stopping her was because of the youth that came as well as the reinforcements the young man was talking about.
  
  In pain in many ways that one, "Tch. Time to go." Beardy said, glaring one last time at the maid, the girl and the boy, before turning around and limbing his way to the other side of the alleyway. Squinty didn't looked at Hilda or Clif but lingering on Izayoi before following his partner. It gave the femme a bad feeling but if anything, I'll just burn the bridge when I get there. Izayoi gave Clif a thumbs uup before she swung her body back and forth and splendidly landing; sheathing her daggers in the same time.
  
  Curious about what the maid just said, Izayoi swiftly paced towards Hilda and took the letter entrusted to her. She opened it before amusingly lifting the end of her lips. Looking at Clif then at Hilda, "You can say that. Friends do share secrets after all." Shrugging her shoulders, "Clif, you know about the letter thing? Go write it. We got a way to contacting her." and she made a meaningful glance to Clif before looking at the origins of the incoming loud steps.
  
  "It seems we're late to the party." One casually remarked; a man in his mid twenties and the one of the three people at the lounge. He surveyed the maid, the boy and... "And it's not surprising since it's Ciel's apprentice who came to help. Been awhile lil' miss." His lips tugged into a smile as he waved lightly at Izayoi's way.
  
  "Yes, Henrikson, long time no see, I guess...." The said "apprentice" replied to the man who wore a cowboy hat that didn't matched his winter coating except the duster coat. He was about 5'10" in height with a muscular body that preferred using twin blades.
  
  "Can you two described the appearances of criminals?" It was the lady who was with Henrikson and Arvo who spoke next. Pixie-styled dark-brown hair, green eyes and somebody who preferred comfortability and utilize than style, the woman held a short-spear and a buckler shield looked at Izayoi then to Hilda.
  
  "It's better we talk back to the Union Building. The alleyways, even near the center of the city, are becoming dangerous."

Takarashi

[Takarashi]

Clif Ardal
Location: Alley > Explorer's Union lounge | Company: Izayoi, Hilda, explorers > Izayoi, Arvo

((If you find Arvo's 'accent' to be difficult to read, just say so and I'll ease up on it.))

Clif had to repeat what Izayoi had just said in his head. Just like that, they had a means to contact Kara again? This was far too fortunate to simply have come from chance. What other explanation was there, though? Outside of Calliaz's group there was no one who had any idea of what Izayoi and Clif were working toward. In the end, the lad decided it was simply best not to look the gift horse in the mouth. "If you don't mind coming with us to the union building, I'll try to make it quick. And we can see you back safely. Er, well, most of the way, anyway." He said to Hilda. The maid gave him a blank, somewhat reluctant stare. "What's wrong?"
"My... sender told me only to answer to miss Izayoi." Hilda said quietly.
Clif had to suppress a grin. While he appreciated Kara's secrecy and caution, it seemed she really kept her messenger in the dark. Making sure that everyone else was out of earshot, the lad approached the maid (who started to shrink away a bit at his approach) then whispered, "I'm a friend of Kara's too. We're here to help." He wasn't sure how much Hilda was meant to know, so he decided not to say too much either. The lady gave him a look of mild surprise, which then melted into one of relief. With a nod to one another, they followed Izayoi and the other explorers. "So you're a... servant?"
"I'm a personal attendant." She replied. There was a certain hint of irritation to her voice, but it seemed quite temporary.
"Ah. So you're close?"
"W-what?"
"Your sender must really trust you, right? Otherwise they would have probably sent someone sooner."
"Oh... I suppose so."
"Not exactly brimming with confidence, are you?" He glanced at the lady and saw the reproach in her features. "Heh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Er, and well, I guess you did just nearly get mugged. Sorry, I should probably be a little more sensitive."
"It's fine." She said in a less-than-convincing manner.
"Right..." This whole 'appealing to the people' thing was going to be a lot harder than it seemed.

When the group arrived safely back at the union building's lounge, Clif wasted no time writing the note. "Got your message. Tell us what to do and where to go. Hang in there. - I & C" He scribbled, then handed it over to the maid. Likely worried that someone might try to take her bag again, she opted for hiding the note in the shaft of her boot. "We'll see you back soon. I guess you can take a load off for the time being." He motioned to a chair, and Hilda seated herself quietly. She kept her eyes pointed down to avoid attracting any extra attention. Boy, was she timid.
With that task taken care of, the empath made his way over to Izayoi once she had finished talking with the other explorers. He idly put his hands in his coat pockets. "If it's bad enough that muggings are happening in broad daylight, this close to the city center at that, then we've really got our work cut out for us. I don't know how we're gonna start changing things at this rate, admittedly." While he was all gung-ho about helping people and putting everyone back on the right track, they were starting this race several steps behind.
"Sounds like y'folks need a little help, then." A man nearby said. A glance revealed that it was Arvo, still looking a little out of it, but at least on his feet. He had a glass in hand that Clif could only hope would actually be some water. "Lucky for yo'two, I'm even feelin' generous enough to be th'one givin' it. Miss Himegami." He said with a somewhat respectful nod and a stupid grin. "And uh... it was... Clay?"
"Clif."
"Right, right." He said with a dismissive wave. "Well, I'm always happy to lend a hand to new folk n' old friends, ain't that right Izayoi?" He offered a toothy grin. Alcohol was still very evident on his breath. "So lemme get'ye caught up on 'verythin small fry. Explorers are the ones that git things done 'round here. Gettin' energy, patrollin' the streets, rescuing cats n' trees and helpin' little ol' ladies cross the street. Thing is, every 'division', s'what I call em, already has lots o' folks to take care of all those jobs, so newbies don't really get no recognition. So here I was thinkin' to myself one day, 'what's left that no one is already doin?' And it hit me like a... like a... well, I got this here idea: inf'rmation management! Sounds right official, if'n I do say so myself. So whaddya do, ye ask? Simple! You go around and listen t'stuff! Whatever people're talkin' about, it's all important, even if it's just th'friggin' weather. Then y'report back to me, an' we compile everything we all hear, then we figure out what really needs fixin' and get to it!" Arvo seemed quite proud of himself for his explanation and system, but Clif looked less-than-impressed.
"That's... good and all, but we already know what's wrong. People are sick, hungry, and scared. There just aren't enough resources to help. That's the real problem." Clif replied with crossed arms and ample confidence.
"Hmpf! Tha's one of the problems wit' you newbies, got yer heads stuck where'in the sun don't shine 'cause y'think you know it all. 'Course we know what's going on, that's plain as day! Y'think I'm an idiot? Bah, dun answer that. Point is, supplies're gettin' scarce, sure, but they're not gettin' in the hands of the people, y'get me? Someone's hoardin' it all so they can let it trickle out. Then they get to be in control. An' thanks to the efforts of my mice, s'what I like to call 'em, we're gettin' some goods leads on who's hoardin', where they're keepin' it, and we're workin' on what t'do about it! So how d'ya like that, mister big-smart... uh... well, pretty good, dun'ja think?"

Nekomimik

[Nekomimik]

LOCATION :: [Union Building; Lounge]
PARTY :: [Hilda, Clif and Arvo.]
OOC :: [ Don't worry, no problem reading it = w=]

• 
  
  
  They positioned themselves at the lounge at the Union building once they arrived. The three explorers were a little unsociable but that was a given since it was Izayoi. As she spoke to Henrikson and the lady whom introduced herself as Enola, she gave an imposing, cold impression but the two explorers were more or less unfazed. To them, it was nice to talk to somebody dedicated to their work as an explorer.
  
  "Thanks for your hard work." Henrikson said as she handed her wool hat and violin, "If we were even a second late," his chocolate-brown eyes went to Hilda for a second as he made a bitter expression before looking back at Izayoi, "I don't know what fate lies before her..." and he made sure to spoke with a low voice.
  
  Sighing, "It's the four time this week." annoyingly, Enola cut in, "You must heard about it, right Ms. Himegami?"
  
  "Crime activities."
  
  Enola nodded to her reply with a stern look, "Keep you're guard up because those activities aren't limited anymore to civilians. Some actually involve explorers being the target. If you hear anything new, do contact us." Easing off since the official matters were taken care off, Enola flashed a cheery grin, "It's our job after all and I want to keep hear you playing in a safe place."
  
  There was a slight change in Izayoi's expression and it was possible Enola and Henrikson noticed with the way they smiled; surprise with a mix of joy. It was subtle enough that nobody would noticed but the two were used to interrogating people and how to catch even the most subtle signs of emotions. After exchanging their goodbyes, the pair of explorers with the trio they took with them, perhaps part of the policing department just like them, head off to patrol the area and Izayoi waved them off.
  
  Ahh... so that's why her voice was familiar. She was one of people listening to my performance.
  
  Looking at Clif as she listened to him, Izayoi nodded her head. They were starting late and even if they knew about being Empaths, Lyla and the Transcendants earlier won't change anything as well. Basically, they were late by decades ago as crimes wasn't new at all. Her attention then went to Arvo whom overheard their conversation.
  
  She returned the nod with her own and listened quietly to the veteran explorer; it was good to know he hasn't really changed. Hiding her amusement on how Clif gave his two cents and Arvo gave a better explanation to what actual troubles was happening behind the scenes. And...
  
  "Tch... this is much worse but within my expectations...." Izayoi commented with annoyed expression; with her fears were realized and the next question was who were behind the hoarding.
  
  "Give me a sec Arvo, I need to talk to him before we agree on anything." Izayoi didn't wait for either men to reply as she pulled Clif a little farther way from Arvo and close to her. "Well, it's a nice proposal and it's a division that hasn't been around yet. Like my mentor said, information is the most powerful thing. Also.... we need learn every single thing to know what problems to fix and how to face any criminal organization." And it was pretty likely the other divisions will also share their information to them since that's their work. "And if we need more hands.... I have some people I can pull in."

Takarashi

[Takarashi]

Clif Ardal
Location: Explorer's Union lounge | Company: Izayoi

Clif had no problem being pulled away from Arvo's half-drunk explanation. He didn't seem to particular mind either, because he staggered over to a table and kept working on his drink. Of all the people in Beacon, this was meant to be the 'finest' example of the people working to fix these terrible circumstances? Maybe they really were doomed. "There's nothing wrong with his intentions, it's him that I have a problem with." The lad scowled to Izayoi, just quietly enough to remain unheard. "I used to think highly of explorers because I thought they really wanted to make a difference. I guess those types are few and far between." He gently ran a hand down his face as he tried to stave off his irritation. He knew that they had to take all the help they could get, and this looked to be as good as it was going to get. He gave his head a light shake. "I can't be so negative about this. With Arvo and Kara, we're finally going to make a difference. Maybe once we make some headway things will get easier... I hope."

"Okay. I'll work with Arvo and whatever it is he needs me to do. I just hope he makes good on what he's talking about." The lad eventually said. "Maybe I should stay here and you should see Hilda back, then. Besides, if anyone's trying to spy on our communications route, it's better if they don't see the both of us so we have a backup plan. Should we regroup at your place later?"

The empaths were not the only ones planning out their next moves, however. Some distance away, in a nondescript hideout in the poor district, Beardy and Squinty had made it back to relative safety. They were in a relatively dark room, lit only by a weak fire pit positioned in the center of the room. The reddish orange light cast its glow barely half a meter out. The shapes of a few other people could be seen huddled nearby, talking in low voices and sifting through papers. One in particular, draped in darkness, sat alone, silent, and motionless. "Some woman showed up doing all these kicks n' flips n' s**t. She had to be an explorer. Highly trained." Beardy said. He sat seated beside his partner, both nursing their wounds.
"We got the rest of our haul, though, so we're square, right?" Squinty said afterward. Though his visage was stony, there was uncertainty in his voice. His eyes flicked between the person they were speaking to, and anywhere to avoid staring directly at them.
The one they spoke to remained still for a moment, likely contemplating something. A few 'taps' emanated from the silent one's direction, sounding as though they were drumming their fingers on the arm of a wooden chair. "Yes, I suppose so." Their voice drifted out. It had a feminine tone. Beardy and Squinty let out sighs of relief. "But," The woman said sharply, "one mistake begets another if not properly reprimanded. You both will be on half rations until I see improvement. You may go now."
"Half? Are ye a ********' loon? A full's barely enough to go on as is!" Squinty snapped. The room went silent. The man immediately regretted his outburst.
"... Oh? Are you unsatisfied with my care?"
"I... I didn't mean nothin', it's just, y'know, I just kinda got knocked around, weren't thinkin' straight. M-my apologies."
"Well, then, since you were 'knocked around' so badly, allow me to re-educate you." There was a sudden crack in the air, followed by a cry of pain from Squinty. He fell over clutching the right side of his face, where a thin gash extended from his temple to his jaw. He tried to stifle a groan. "In fact, allow me to make this a reminder to all present, and to anyone else that does not appreciate what I have offered to them. I alone took possession of the food, medicine, and energy that you all so desperately needed when people began to scramble for them. In return for my generous aid to you, all that I have asked is that you ensure our operations run smoothly, and that we maintain a constant income of other resources to make up for the ones I invest in you on a daily basis. It's a simple exchange of services, an eye for an eye. And rest assured, that which I have given can just as easily been taken away. With interest." Another crack and another cry of pain, along with a fresh cut on Squinty's forearm. "And don't-" crack, "any of you-" crack, "forget it!!" CRACK. Squinty was a sobbing, bloody mess, but no one dared to move to do anything about it. The torturer sighed with relief. "I'm going to check on our other dens and see how they've fared. And what are you monsters waiting for? Help this poor man, don't you see what kind of condition he's in?"

Nekomimik

[Nekomimik]

LOCATION :: [Union Building; Lounge > Streets]
PARTY :: [Hilda]
OOC :: [ Sorry for the long wait. I kinda had some ideas but I was busy so I kept pushing back making this post until now. I hope this is fine.]

• 
  
  
  Ahh...
  
  Izayoi understood where Clif was coming from. Not all explorers were the shining examples like Toma or some other well-known ones; like Ada, Vector, Wolfram then there was her mentor/mother Ciel.
  
  Well, her mother was an exception of those "shining examples" for better or worse. She was half a good citizen and half the malicious witch that can put some pressure to people with a bit blackmail material here and there.
  
  That and she makes the insane training regime....
  
  "I can't be so negative about this. With Arvo and Kara, we're finally going to make a difference. Maybe once we make some headway things will get easier... I hope."
  
  Smiling wryly, "That's the spirit. We're making some progress than none and that's all it matter right now." At least knowing he was looking at this optimistically, she can leave him be with Arvo. The problem was the hopefully sobered up explorer. She knew what Arvo can do. He was one of the great thinkers of his generation despite appearances, habits and smell.
  
  "Maybe I should stay here and you should see Hilda back, then. Besides, if anyone's trying to spy on our communications route, it's better if they don't see the both of us so we have a backup plan. Should we regroup at your place later?"
  
  "Sounds good to me. I'll make sure she gets back to Kara without any problems so make sure you use your time with Arvo to the fullest." She smiled at Clif and raised her closed left fist for a bump before bidding farewell to him and Arvo; making a beeline to Hilda.
  
  "Time to go." That was all she said before turning her heels and walked out of the building, hearing the footsteps the followed her gait. Slowing her pace until she was walking beside the taller young woman, "Heterochromia iridum." she spoke like she was thinking out loud and enough to get Hilda's attention. Izayoi pointed at her eyes, "The condition where someone is born with two different eye colors." her eyes wandered to the timid maid as she gave a simple definition of the term she just mentioned.
  
  Usually, Izayoi won't even bothered talking with someone she's escorting unless necessary. But now, she needed to expand her horizons more and more. She can't keep pushing people away anymore. And.... Getting Hilda's trust is something important right now. Because this woman only trusts Kara and not them. Friends, that was the word Kara used to define their relationship but in Izayoi's eyes, it won't be enough.
  
  She needed to be friends with Hilda as well.
  
  The trust of the maid will help them in the long run.
  
  But also because.... Get more people in my modest life and now I'm looking to make more friends. She doesn't know if this growth was for the best. She doesn't know what kind of effects it will have on her.
  
  Mom might be laughing to now her daughter is being more sociable... I guess.
  
  ______________
  
  "Yo~!" Out of nowhere, Calliaz quickly snaked his arm around Clifton and pulled the poor young man towards him, "You've grown quite well my friend and long time no see even though it only had been a week since we last saw each other at Izzy's~"
  
  Carefree as he said what he wanted to say, acted as he wished and jolly as usual; Calliaz might be another example of a "not-so-good but not-so-bad explorer". At least with him, you know he'll do the job while making sure to keep everybody alive.
  
  'And hello as well Arvo." Calliz curtly nodded his head to the senior explorer, "Snakes are moving around from what I heard and I just happened to overheard your idea." Quickly releasing Clif and standing next to him with a confident grin, "Avalanche is on vacation right now and I have enough free time to do some snooping so I'll help out as well."
  
  ____________
  
  She can see people flinching as that woman "re-educated" Feng or so she said. Even though with a poker face, even she a shiver. It wasn't anything new in this place anyway. They were all doing they could keep themselves alive. Even if that meant being dogs to the worse kind of people. Shaking her head, "On it." she lazily spoke as she moved to the bloody mess, puffing a bit of smoke from her lips.
  
  The dim lighting from the fire pit showed a beautiful face of a woman. Dark blue eyes, a messy light brown hair and a cigarette between her lips. She wore a black and white top with a funnel-shaped collar that was loose enough to show a bit of her cleavage. She wore pants and boots meant for the winter but she had her sleeves rolled up till her elbows.
  
  "Sheesh.... so much work." she kept her complains in a low whisper as she did some simple first-aid. "Feng, go to my clinic later." And while she may give the vibes of a whore, she was actually a back-alley doctor with a certificate; it just to happen she ended up on a spot between the slums and the Commerce area.
  
  "Can you tell me who was the girl though?" she asked in a nonchalant tone after she was done patching the Chinese.
  
  "Long hair, blue eyes. Jumps and leaps like a cat and used two knives. Familiar to you?"
  
  The doctor merely shook her head but.... So it's lil blue, huh?"

Takarashi

[Takarashi]

Clif Ardal
Location: Explorer's Union lounge | Company: Cal, Arvo

With as much enthusiasm as he could muster, Clif knocked fists with Izayoi and gave her a wave. Though she was always one to stay focused on the mission, he couldn't help but notice the subtle changes in his mentor. While still a grim realist, the lad found that she was willing to give this whole 'hope' thing a chance. Somehow he felt that if Izayoi of all people could change like this, then anything would be possible. He gave an appreciative grin as his fellow empath. He was really glad that she was the one that had stuck with him through all this.

And, of course, he had people like Calliaz as well. The man could make the bleakest situations sound like a skip in the park with his wordsmithing ways. Or the reverse if he wanted to, really. "Yeah, well, someone has to for this city." He replied with another grin.
"Ha hah! Now'in this the kinda man this city is need'n more of!" Arvo clapped his hands together and gave a wide smile. "Well'n, having the two iv ye on board'll make this all go smooth as... very smooth!" He pulled out a tiny notebook and sifted through it. The pages looked more like chicken scratch than actual notes, but it seemed to make sense to him. There was a surprising amount of content as well. "Ye, this here's somethin' that caught m'eyes n' ears. Ther'v bin a few break'ns in the poor area, all reported bu' didn' get much attention 'cause, well, poor area n' all. Would prob'ly chalk it up to more of the usual goings, but get a load of dis: all of the spots were tech'nilly property of the Marigold corp'ration! Now, dis is just a hunch, but I'm thinkin' the company were hidin' some things off site, prob'ly extra supplies n' such, and someone inside decided to pass that 'long to some unsav'ry types. Can't imagine why, but I digrease. Digrass? Eh, you git it. What you two can do is question some o' the folks in the area, someone probably saw somethin'. But, eh, word of advice for you greenhorn," Arvo looked sharply at Clif. "Dunno how well you know things 'round those parts, but there's a lot've family ties n' mutual respect n' such. Sayin' the wrong things or makin' accusations will shut people up real fast. Keep the questionin' simple, don't talk about bein' explorers, just be kinda curious. Sound good?" Clif nodded at the reasonably sound advice. "Right din, off ye go. Cal! When ye got a free evenin', let's get a drink! First round's on me! Or you, I dun remember who bought last time. Was probably me." Arvo downed the last of whatever was in his cup and sort-of waddled away. Whether to sleep or do some more work, none could say.
"Well, uh, after you, I guess." Clif motioned toward the exit.

Hilda looked up, a bit surprised, then hurried to catch up with Izayoi. She evidently wasn't used to moving quickly or doing most things physical in nature. She seemed a bit clumsy and easily overwhelmed. Why and how she became a maid is anyone's guess. "Huh?" She blurted out when the other lady mentioned her condition. "Oh... er, yes. Most people don't know what it's called." Hilda tucked her hands inside of her coat and seemed to walk in a stiff manner. Despite being dressed warmly, it seemed that she didn't handle the cold so well. "Most people just try to avoid looking at them because they think it's... strange..." She was quiet for a moment following that, likely recalling some less-than-pleasant moments. "... I think that Miss Do- er, Kara was the first person who looked at me and didn't care." A weak smile crossed the maid's pale features. "She hugged me and said that she was glad to have someone around that didn't look old enough to be one of her parents." A very brief laugh escaped the young lady. She seemed rather conscious of it, because she then cleared her throat and glanced away. Another moment of silence followed, and then the maid slowed to a halt. She seemed to fidget, and then she stepped in front of Izayoi. She looked to have all the confidence of an animal at the wrong end of a weapon. "Please don't say that I told you anything, but... she's been absolutely miserable. She's angry, and sad, and... it's just awful. When she realized she found a way to contact you, that was the closest she's been to being happy in... months." The maid dared to step a little bit closer. "Please, please help her. I'll do whatever it takes. Her parents are... they're..." She squeezed her eyes shut, and looked to be on the verge of trembling. "They're trying to be good but... they're being absolute monsters toward her, and it's so wrong and I hate it! Oh, no, you can't tell anyone I said that! I'm sorry!"

Nekomimik

[Nekomimik]

LOCATION :: [Union Building; Lounge > Streets]
PARTY :: [Hilda]
OOC :: [ Sorry for the long wait. I kinda had some ideas but I was busy so I kept pushing back making this post until now. I hope this is fine.]

• 
  
  
  A smile graced her features as she observed the maid's reactions. It was faint but it was easy to distinguish if one looked closely enough. The maid, Izayoi doesn't know how someone like Hilda even managed to be qualified for the job, was a loyal friend of Kara. She can tell that much with how the ravenette spoke about Kara, especially the first time they met. But as well when Hilda stopped in front of her and told her what's happening within the walls of the Doan household.
  
  Izayoi was silent as she listened to the words of the maid. She held a poker face that made it hard to decipher what's going in her mind. Her eyes of blue directed their gaze the mismatched eyes of Hilda. She saw a hint of willpower in eyes of the maid. She saw the honesty in her words. Izayoi didn't need to use her ring to read Hilda when the signs were clear as day.
  
  "Hilda." Izayoi called her name softly, "Don't worry, we'll try out best to help Kara out." Her mellowed expression didn't last however, "We need to make a change first. No matter how small our actions do. The ripples they cause will become waves that will affect everybody. We can only help Kara out once we do that much." It was stern yet there was hope in her voice as spoke.
  
  Ushering Hilda to continue their walk to the Doan household, Izayoi's facial expression reverted to the usual poker face. Making a turn, they arrived at the one of the maid roads of Beacon. They kept walking by the roadside as bustling automobile came back and forth the road but lesser than usual. There's even the mix of horses in the road but nobody seems to mind considering the situation.
  
  While they walked, keeping a slow pace for a reason, Izayoi was giving Hilda more instructions when passing the messages to Kara. It will appear too suspicious if Hilda kept coming and going and they didn't need her to be found out. What Izayoi was telling Hilda was very simple: "Give the letters to cats, dogs and birds with either a red collar, ribbon or string on them. They'll also bring the replies so make sure to take note of them."
  
  To show and example, Izayoi motioned Hilda into near a safe alleyway. With a simple whistle from her, cats, dogs and birds with something red on them came to her. She gave each animal some form of affection. Unnoticed by Izayoi, she was making a delighted smile as she did so. Animals were the ones she grew up with more than human children at her age. They were her companions at thick and thin; they were the ones she can just lower her guard and be a normal girl at her age.
  
  Of course, this method was only if Hilda can't take the message to them herself or when she's been going out too much. Sending the animals away, "Oh yea." looking at Hilda, "You're eyes are beautiful. They're not strange. They remind me of my pet cat's eyes. Only his right eye is lush brown with the left eye blue."
  
  ___________________
  
  "Arvo, the first drink is mine tonight if I'm free~!" Calliaz yelled to one of the many drinking partners he had before turning towards Clif.
  "If you say so." He shrugged his shoulders and took the lead.
  
  What Arvo said was true. There had been something going on at the slums and Marigold was in the mix. That wasn't good at all especially with that Corporation involved. Whoever had the guts to break in anything related to Marigold was an idiot or someone was prepared for this. Whatever was happening won't be good.
  
  "So how much has Izzy taught you? It might a good time to give you a bit of help and she won't really mind." Cal suddenly asked as he noticed some city animals going to some place. What he noted about them were the "red" they all wore.
  
  Izzy's friends? I wonder what's up...
  
  Anyway, depending on what Clif knew would determine how much help he'll be if a fight between humans breaks out. The sentinels and the pillars were something to be feared by explorers but if there was anything more dangerous than those. Izayoi will agree with me that humans are the most dangerous ones to deal with.

Takarashi

[Takarashi]

Clif Ardal
Location: Poor District | Company: Calliaz, stranger

Hilda was unsure what sort of reply to expect from Izayoi, but she remained rooted to the spot, eyes still firmly closed, with her entire body as rigid as she could force it to be. At the empath's words, she let out a very audible sigh of relief, and allowed her body to relax. This was perhaps the first time since seeing her that she didn't look like she was about to fall apart. "... Thank you." Even though she knew the explorer to be a friend of Kara's, confirming it for herself seemed to be important to her. She resumed walking and seemed to fidget less. The Doan estate was only a short ways away now, located understandably close to the city center. She seemed quite content to getting back to her usual routine.

"Ah... to animals?" She was rather perplexed by the idea. Though certainly a much safer means of communication than having to venture out like this (Hilda didn't much care for the idea of wandering down more alleys), she wasn't so sure if it would be secure and reliable. Anyone could stop one of the animals and find something suspicious on them. But then again, in these times, who would? Everyone was too concerned with their own well being. Even children, the most curious of all people, were rarely on the streets now, being kept inside by their cautious parents. Any further uncertainties that the maid had were quelled by Izayoi's display. She was taken by the sight, with a look of pure joy washed over her. She squatted to pet a particularly friendly labrador, and made noises that the saddened populace most certainly lacked in reasons to emit. Though smitten with the pup, Hilda realized she was being a bit unprofessional. She rose, cleared her throat, and nodded. "I will be attentive for them. You have very well trained helpers." She glanced once more at the dog with a shy smile.

Kara's home was a short distance away so the maid would be fine from here. "Thank you for seeing me back. I'll do everything I can to assist you. Take care miss Izayoi." Hilda said with a bow. Before she turned and walked off, she listened to Izayoi's last note about her eyes. The maid offered a soft look. "That's very nice of you to say... thank you." She offered a small wave, then strode away. If one looked close enough, they could almost see a skip in her step. Though Kara had been miserable in the past few weeks, it seemed that this was one of the better days that the maid had had in a lifetime.

"We've made a fair bit of progress, I think." Clif replied. "She says my offensive tactics are going well so I need to focus more on my defense. We trade a lot of blows, but she still keeps finding ways to tap me where I'm exposed." He glanced toward a dirty window where he thought he saw a curtain shift. Even if the people in this area were innocent, he wagered they were wary of unfamiliar faces. He just had to remember to keep a low profile. "But yeah, I wouldn't mind training with you. It'd be nice to see some different techniques."

A few minutes passed of small talk while the pair wound their ways through the poor district. Although Clif had confidence that the people here were mostly honest, nice people, he couldn't deny how shifty the place was. It seemed like there was a potential for an ambush every time they turned a corner. How had the people up top let the city fall into this shape? There was no way this was going to be sustainable. It made Clif rather curious how things had come to this in roughly 100 years. When he had some free time next, he wanted to stop by the library again and do some research. He had a funny feeling that there was a lot more to the state of things than what was on the surface. "I think this is one of the buildings. It looks like it was well maintained until a while ago." The lad spoke up as they came across what he would define as a shed. It certainly wasn't big enough to fit a proper household, fitting perhaps two rooms as best. The door looked to have been forced open - after multiple attempts - and the inside was barren. Anything that had been kept here was gone without a trace. With a look toward Calliaz, it seemed like it was time to start asking questions. As luck would have it, a man was passing by. "Any idea what happened here?" Clif asked. He tried to sound as passively curious as possible.
"Someone broke in, genius." The man grunted back. He wore a brown newsboy cap over dirty blonde hair, stood evenly with Cal but was noticeably thinner, and wore whatever old clothes he had managed to get his hands on it seemed.
"Oh. Why's that? Doesn't look like a place to keep anything valuable." Figuring it might work to his advantage, Clif played up the idea of being not-so-bright.
"You kiddin'? That's what makes it the perfect place. You never wanna keep anything important in your own place. You'd wake up ransacked."
"Yeesh. Makes sense I guess." Clif shifted his stance to look less prepared. "This place looks pretty tight, though. Who could break into a place like this? You'd need a battering ram or something."
The man shifted his glance around a little bit, then stepped closer to the pair. "Got anything to eat? I was... wandering around the other night. Might've saw something." He glanced between Clif and Calliaz.

Nekomimik

[Nekomimik]

LOCATION :: [Union Building; Lounge > Streets]
PARTY :: [Hilda]
OOC :: [Soorryy!!! ]

• 
  
  
  Chuckling, "That's to be expected because it's Izzy but anyway, if that's the progress of your training." Calliaz looked he wasn't paying much attention their surroundings, "Yea... I'll pay a visit one of these days to give you a tutorial. It will also good for you to see two different fighting styles clash as well." But he already noticed the indistinct changes in their surroundings as they traversed the streets.
  
  After much twists and turns in the seemingly "safe" streets, they found one of the buildings that got ransacked. While Clif examined the building's interior, Cal was on the look out for anyone suspicious. There were times the perpetrators would look at the scene of the crime for varied of reasons. To relish on what they did, to see who was investigating and so forth. However, Calliaz wasn't turning his head around and blatantly telling people he's looking for someone.
  
  He was using anything with a reflective surface to look everything around him. An example would be the window, or what was left of it, of the ransacked shed. It was one of the things he learned from Ciel and something Izayoi knows to to as well.
  
  Hmm~ not bad. Not bad at all. Cal commented in his head as Clif went to asked a passing by man; ragged-looks and someone that could symbolize how bad the situation was in the slums.
  
  Calliaz would broke a smirk out once the man gave in to tell them what he saw for the price of food. But he didn't because that would be too obvious and that would ruin the hard work Clif done. "Then how about we go to a place I know. Good food for a cheap price~" he stepped in with the usual jovial voice, taking the lead to the place he was talking about.
  
  Thankfully, it would take a few minutes to get there and he knew the owner was.
  
  ________________
  
  Izayoi definitely didn't miss the small skip the maid was doing. She silently waved back at the maid who was happy. It was good to know she can make people feel good. It made her subconsciously smiling despite how faint it was. There was still hope in their dire situation. She looked at the house one last time before she turned her back and went on her own way.
  
  To where she'll go now? Izayoi doesn't know. She can do more performances but in the same time, she can't help but want to know what's going on right now in Beacon. "Haa... times like this.... its better become the fool then." Izayoi wryly told herself, recalling the answer at Jed's trial for them.
  
  That was why she set off to the Commerce area; one of the two places to look for information. Any owner of the stores there would want to know what's happening because depending on what's on the boom and what wasn't, their business might end up successful or bankrupt.
  
  ________________
  
  The trio arrived at a cafe that was at the Commerce area but somewhat close to the slums. Well, to be exact, it was a cafe and a bar in one and can serve as a normal restaurant. It was less populated due to the current situation but if there was one thing Cal knew, the owner can keep the place up and running.
  
  "Adelaide~" the happy-go-lucky idiot called to the owner who was tending the bar, dragging Clif and the other man to the stools.
  
  A quick glance at Clif, the person he brought with him along Clif, she already figured out what's going on.
  
  "The usual?" She asked with a smile before looking at Clif, "And good to see you're doing well Clif." Adelaide was wearing clothes that suited a female bartender; a white dress shirt underneath a black vest that goes well with her black skirt. Her dark-brown hair was tied neatly into a bun and held by something like a eastern hairpin.
  
  The woman turned her back to the metallic pipe and said the words "Calliaz. The usual. Three people." that were carried to the kitchen. Looking back at the unlikely trio, "It will take few minutes so is there anything you three want to drink? And we don't serve anything alcoholic this time of the day."

Takarashi