stolen goods (amaranth)

[MERINA]

Sandra was a lovely place, though Merina didn't really want to live her, mostly because there were a good amount of people here who remembered her from when she was younger and started her ways of thievery. She looked different, now, not as shaken or scared, her hair was longer and her clothes have changed, due to still being a child, she was still growing and was different since she was here, two years ago. She was probably a bit more tan, as well and hopefully she lost her baby fat. Well, that was a given. What was she now? Fourteen? Maybe fifteen? She lost track; age didn't really matter to her all that much nowadays.

She had her bag swung over her shoulder as she walked along the sides of the streets, where the long, evening shadows covered her. The sun was still in the sky, though you could see the moon starting to poke up behind the horizon. You could hear some commotion in the direction she was walking away from. She had made her more recent robbery, her first one in a while since she joined that faction. She felt cooped up in that place, never doing anything but talking. She had enough talking in prison, so she set out on a quest of sorts.

Due to the fact many +anima run away after gaining their +anima, they don't have as much time to pick up their stuff, so she agreed to steal their stuff back. Stuff like clothes, favorite nick-naks (such as stuffed animals, favorite blanket or journals) and then Merina would take her pay by maybe taking a valuable heirloom or a handful of gillah. Today, she picked up a young deer +anima's dresses, a rabbit +anima's bow and arrows and other things. But that didn't make her happy. What made her happy was her pay: forty-eight gillah, an opal necklace and an engagement ring. She could get a very good price on the jewelry, but where to sell it...

She took out a handful of gillah and bought herself some bread before finding a bench to sit on. A few people passed, looking at her chains with an odd look. "It's an expression of speech!" she said, hoping she sounded very...rebellious teen-like. She was unable to get the chains off, though she's tried (and so have other) to pick the lock, and she tried to take them to a blacksmith, but they all told her that it was too risky to cut them, since her wrists filled the chains so if they even tried to break it, it might shatter her wrists. She kept telling people that it was a 'fashion' thing, if a regular person asked. But if a +anima or someone like her asked she would just tell them.

She sighed, taking a bite of her bread. Today was going to be long. She didn't think it would be safe to stay over night, so she'd be walking back to base.

[AMARANTH & SHAKAYA]

Amaranth took a deep breath, savoring the Astarian evening air. It'd been so long since he'd last come to the country of his childhood. Even after all this time, he could swear the breeze had a different flavor to it than the musty heat and damp cold of Astaria. It was crisp and clear, filled with vitality and an energetic, innocent wildness. Yet it also carried so many memories with it...

The breath shook slightly as it came out with the exhale. No. Now was not a time to ponder such things. After all, he was here for a purpose.

He absently glanced towards the supply shop Shakaya had vanished into. She'd gone inside roughly a half and hour ago to materials she needed for who knew what. New weapons? New poisons? Despite his position as a scientist such ugly symbols of violence were not his expertise, just as his visions and dreams weren't hers. As such, he'd decided to stay outside and enjoy the evening. After all, the sky promised a beautiful sunset - missing it would be crime! No two were ever the same, you know. If you missed one, it was gone forever.

Like so many other things that could slip right through your fingers...

He let out a quiet sigh, leaning against a nearby wall.

He and Shakaya had been sent out here by Supernus to meet with some Dignitas higher-ups. Politics and the equally political exchange of information and resources - with the tenseness between their relations, sometimes it was a wonder that the two factions were considered to be on the same side at all. It wasn't something that he was particularly looking forward to, especially not with all the research he should be focusing on back home, but at least it was an excuse to enjoy what Astaria had to offer. The meeting wasn't for another few days.

"It's an expression of speech!"

Amaranth blinked, stirred from his thoughts by the sound of a voice he hadn't heard before. ..An expression of speech? What was? His curiosity getting the better of him, the man could help but peer around to the next street.

He quickly saw who he assumed to be the owner of the voice - a girl with conspicuous chains wrapped around her wrists, taking a bite of bread. He stared at her for a bit, quickly taking in a mental base analysis and notes as he tended to do with anything he researched. It was practically habit now.

Had she been referring to the chains? It was hard to tell for sure from where he was standing, but those looked far too tight for a simple fashion statement. For a second, his heart skipped a beat - could she be an escaped +anima?

No...he thought about it more carefully. There was no reason to think that. While she could easily be hiding them, he didn't see any visible features or markings, and she somehow lacked the nervous appearance that most +anima carried with them these days. She seemed...unique. Still, he was quite sure that there was a story there somewhere. Perhaps it would be interesting.

Sliding his hands into his the pockets of his long coat, he took a few steps forward. "...An expression of speech? Are you referring to those chains?" He passed her a smooth smile, one he'd practiced many times over. "I can't say I've heard of such a thing before. I find it quite fascinating - what are you meaning to express? I must say that they don't look very comfortable, however."

Why not? After all, he still had a few minutes to kill before sunset.

[MERINA]

Merina found herself content with her surroundings, for the moment. The bread was nice (compared to prison), the city seemed alive and well. Not to mention rich. If it wasn't already nearing her time to leave, so she could get back without having to camp out, she could have stuck around and plotted out a few more houses she could steal. Only steal from the rich, she had decided in prison, hearing different stories from different inmates. She had actually stolen from one guy who was in the same prison. For what he was in for, she had no clue, all she knew was to avoid him.

She took another bite of her bread when a man approached her. Her first instict was to punch him. Or kick him in the chest. Strangulation would do, too, but she restrained herself easily and decided to take in her surroundings. You never know who's out for you, or knows you. He was tall, if not a bit too thin, though he doesn't seem to have been starving from food. His general appearance said middle-class, with his raven black hair and bags under his eyes. She didn't notice any dirt under the nails or calluses on his hands, but he stood strong.

She smiled when he said he found the "expression of speech" thing with the chains intriguing. Expression of speech; what a silly thing. She didn't actually think it was interesting, or needed, but it was a good...um, 'cover' for her. The rebillious teen, the virgin in white and the child of a figure in athority were people she pretended to be. You didn't actually run around screaming that you were an escaped convict and a fair theif. These were things she knew and planned well. Prison gave you a lot of thinking time, that was for sure.

"Are you seriously interested?" she said with a chuckle, as if she didn't believe he was, like other people didn't care for it. "I tried to start it last year, when this whole +anima fight thing-y began" she said, air quoting "+anima_. "That we were the one's being controlled, to think what the King thinks," she said, her voice high and defiant. This was so easy. "Unfortunatly...I lost the key," she admitted, blushing. "And I took it to my grandpa, but he said my wrists were too close to the edges and that if he tried to pry it open, or anything of the sort, that it would end up permantly damaging my hands.," she blubbered, rubbing her right wrist with her left hand. Sure they were tight, but she had a small frame and she was reaching the end of her growing stages, so she didn't have to worry about any damage to her wrists. She just needed to find a good lock picker.

"I just don't like the looks people give me when they see me," she said, only pretending to act slightly embaressed. Then she closed her eyes and crossed her arms, straightening her posture. "But the point of it still stands!" He looked smart. Hopefully, she played it off well enough. She hated running, and if he called any guards this guy was going to be the first one on her hit list.

[AMARANTH & SHAKAYA]

Amaranth blinked for a moment at her answer, admittedly a bit surprised. A symbol of being brain-washed to think what the king thinks? Now that was a bold statement; definitely not the kind of thing one heard often in these war-torn times. His smile slowly returned, along with a slight chuckle. "My, it is refreshing to know that there are people out there who can still think for themselves." As opposed to all the sheep that looked to the government as a shepherd. Nothing more than prey herded by wolves. "But, if I were to believe your words, that would mean that you are sympathetic with the +anima, correct?" He arched a disbelieving eyebrow. "Surely, you are not serious."

For once, there was no pretension or inquisitiveness in the man's voice - he stated it as a fact; that's how he saw it. In his mind, it was a simple impossibility for a human to side with or sympathize with the +anima. At least, not a human that was mentally well enough to easily blend into society. +Anima were beasts. Animals that were no longer human themselves. The only use they had were as tools in research. Even the average street beggar could understand that.

"Are you certain that you didn't obtain those chains through...other means? Perhaps quite unwillingly?" He passed the girl another smooth, confident smile, despite the fact that he was now purely shooting in the dark. Sometimes the best way to dig out secrets was to hit with a few careful bluffs of your own and see if anything hit a nerve. While not particularly glamorous, if one shot enough arrows, one would eventually hit the target. Perhaps she was a +anima herself. Perhaps she was some sort of escapee. He was unsure at this point, but whatever it was, this girl was hiding something. After all...

A sharp, salty tang snaking it's way into his noise. Shrieks cut-off before they finished. Heavy, labored breathing. Bristling fur. Slimy, bared fangs. Claws coated in blood.

A cold, unexpected shiver all at once shot up Amaranth's spine, momentarily making him look away as he recalled a certain memory for the first time in a while. He hoped the shiver hadn't shown on his face. Cedrik... He quickly tried to wipe the emotion away.

He looked back towards the girl. "After all..." He continued, this time aloud. "It is impossible for any sane human to sympathize with the +anima. They are nothing but tools. Nothing but wild, dangerous animals wearing human corpses." Once someone became a +anima, they were gone forever... They were already dead.

[MERINA]

Merina wasstarting to develop and odd feeling to this guy. He didn't seem quite...normal, to say. Maybe he was visiting from Sailand? Not that she had ever been there, but this guy was hard to pinpoint what area he seemed to be from. You could usually tell by their attire, or their speech. "Yeah. Like, my parents. My mom can't think even one thought of her own. Everything she preaches at the dinner table are her friend's ideas," she complained. She couldn't help but feel like she based this persona's mother off her own. Though caring, Merina's mother wasn't one to voice her thoughts, and would just reflect any ideas her father had.

Oh. There we go. That was what she needed. Did she sympathize +anima? Of course she did. Hell, she loved them, but this guy gave off the feeling that he did not like them. Well, it wasn't as much of a feeling as a fact. The man 's facial features changed into a disaproving one as he talked about them. She scowled back at him, hoping to convince him that she did not like +anima. "Of course not. Even though I don't think the goverment is doing a good job doesn't mean I would remotely care for those...those things," she told him. It pained her to talk about +anima in such a fashion, but she managed. Though she was undoubtly a faster runner than this man, she didn't want him calling up the guards or giving them her discription.

This guy was smart, and she didn't like that, though at the same time she found it entertaining. She enjoyed hoodwinking those of the faint hearted or weak minded, because it was just so easy to do so. But when things got serious, that when the fun began. "Oh, totally. Just ask anyone! I'm a murderer; a crook; an imposter! If you want, I bet there are a few guards somewhere, you could turn me in," she joked, giggling at the end. Avoding subjects like that where not adviced when lying.

Then the man changed dramatically. He looked sullen and disturbed, in not a bit shaken. Was it something she said? Not that she cared, but this man was interesting. She listened to his words reluctantly, but tried to look as if she actually thought the same as he did. She nodded softly and came up with an idea. "I...I agree," she said. "I used to have a baby sister; she would have been six years old now, but she was..." she trailed off, waiting a moment, her eyes fixed on her lap. "Oh...nevermind. You probably don't want to hear about that," she said, pretending to be sad, but smiling anyways. Tricky stuff, but it's a talent that you need in this kind of business.

[AMARANTH & SHAKAYA]

Amaranth gave a light nod at her words. "Indeed." People like that - people who merely mirrored ideas someone told them to believe - were far too common. "It's such a shame, isn't it? Think of all the good ideas that are buried beneath the worthless drivel and lies the public is fed." Ultimately, it was bold, unique ideas that shaped and advanced the world, something that many persons in power felt too risky to embrace. You had to color outside the lines, or those lines would never expand. He knew what it felt like to have his own ideas shot down by someone too afraid to risk thinking outside the box. It truly was a shame how many people were trapped inside that same crate without even realizing it.

He arched an eyebrow, though, at her next words. Thinking back on it, he realized that she never had voiced displeasure with the way +anima were treated. Just the war itself, as she was saying now...though that hadn't been the impression he'd gotten. Perhaps he'd been mistaken...although... "Oh, is that it?" He paused for a moment "While we're talking about ideas, then, how would you handle the situation if you were in the government's place? What don't you like about how they're handling it, and what would you do differently? You seem like a bright, passionate girl - I'm quite curious." Providing that she didn't refuse to answer, he'd likely get a better perspective on what she really thought out of that. Even with skilled lairs, the further you dug the harder it got for someone to make up something convincing on the spot...of course, that didn't mean it was impossible. Either way, and regardless of how she really felt, he figured that this girl still had a lot of interesting things to say.

He gave another slight chuckle. "I see. I must say, the guards aren't doing their jobs very well then if they haven't noticed on their own. I don't feel particularly inclined to assist them." He replied back to the joke, keeping up the pretense himself despite still being rather unconvinced either way. Unless you were absolutely, undeniably sure about something, it was generally best to never let yourself be completely convinced. It left your mind open much more widely.

The girl stuttered as she spoke next, briefly making the man tense a bit, himself. Had she read his face? He cursed himself inwardly for not keeping better control, but luckily it didn't seem to have done any harm. He passed her a small, sympathetic smile, one that was actually somewhat genuine. "I understand... I used to have an older brother, myself."

...Why had he just told her that? he regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, especially when there was still a good chance that she could be lying. Nevertheless, he just gave a quiet sigh before turning back and looking at her more directly. "...Tell me; what's you name, if you don't mind my asking?"

[MERINA]

Merina gave him a soft smile. "Yeah. We're all just...chained down," she said, giving him a goofy smile and lifting up her arms so that he could see the chains, as if he hadn't seen them already. "Surprisingly, you're one of the first few people that get my point of view," she confided to him. Lies. All lies, but he was eating them up, so as long as he didn't find anything too suspicious, she was fine. She could be on her way in thirty minutes, at the most. A man like him probably had a lot to do, and even though he for some reason found this character of her's interesting, it didn't mean he was going to sit here all day.

She gave the man a proud grin when he asked her what she would do in the government's place, seeing as she was a "bright and passionate girl". Haven't heard that one yet. Well, seeing as in prison you aren't referred to as "girl" or "bright". "Scum" and "hey, you" were used more often. And when she wasn't in prison, she was "thief" and "ignorant child". Oh, how the times have changed. "Well, first of all, I would be supplying Asteria's people, not the army. When worst comes to worst, it's a fatal flaw to rely on the military. No matter how fast they move, if something is happening, the people should at least try to fight and protect themselves." She paused, trying to think of something else she could say, something this character would say. "Second, I would set up some kind of trap for +anima. They prey on the weak, right? So set up something - I don't know what, yet, I haven't thought that far - and somehow manage to isolate the +anima from everyone else. True, I wouldn't get every single +anima, but something big enough might catch the majority of them."

She let herself have a little peace of mind when he said he wasn't. Not that she expected him to call, but she was glad she didn't have to worry too much about him suspecting her of being an escaped concict, though her worries would never be relieved. If you let down your guard, you were suseptable to trouble. She giggled, he did respond to her joke in a jokingly way, after all. No need to act serious.

Another victory for Merina! So someone in his life was effected by the +anima. Oh, wasn't she a clever, clever girl. Now to play it up a bit, though not too much. She had a feeling that he still slightly suspected her. Who wouldn't, in this day and age? She looked at him with sympathetic eyes. The kind that said "You actually understand." "I'm sorry to hear..." she told him, not wanting to push it any further. Information is knowlage, but asking too much is a clue. "Family is important...once it's taken from you, what's left?" she asked, though assuming he knew it was a retorhical question. She wiped a tear away, but this one was not fake. It was real. Family. The closest thing she had to family was...no one. She didn't have anyone. At least she had the +anima?

"M-my name?" she asked, faking a stutter. "Katrina Bellmont," she said, without a moment of hesitation. "And your's?" she said. A name is valuable information. She rarely gave out her real name seeing as she was wanted to go back and serve time in prison, something she was not looking forward to.

[AMARANTH & SHAKAYA]

"Only if you let yourself be." Amaranth didn't say anything else at first as she answered, just thinking. Chained down...indeed. He suppressed a light chuckle; despite how true it was, her representation was perhaps a bit too literal. Well, if that's what she was representing at all. He still wasn't entirely convinced, but in truth it didn't particularly matter to him how those chains had found their way to her wrists. Even if they had been placed their less willingly than she was making them out to be, what did it matter to him? He was from Sailand, not Astaria, so this county's business meant little to him, and nor did he pay much attention to government or criminal matters at all when it didn't seem they'd be of use to him. He gave a slight nod at her next words. "A body can be chained down, but a soul can never be contained. It's refreshing to talk with someone who understands that. It truly is a shame that more people don't."

He thought for a minute about her answer, as well. He gave another nod at her first statements. "Indeed, it's the people that make the country, after all. Relying only on a military to protect what they hold dear can be a mistake, especially when the military is closer to the government than to the citizens. The common people are also much greater in number." A trap? It was an interesting idea, but perhaps a bit naive. It likely would catch some, but he doubted it would be enough to catch the majority of them. After all, +anima were a widespread plague that spread the entire continent...and perhaps more. And one should never underestimate the speed at which information travels.

"Hmm...quite an interesting idea. Although, I wonder how many a trap would really be able to subdue?" He wondered aloud. "+Anima are extremely widespread, so it'd be unlikely to catch too many at once. And after having +anima fall into a trap or two, there's a chance that the rest might wise up to it - information travels fast, and even if they're beasts, +anima still are not entirely stupid." That was an undeniable fact he'd discovered during his research, unfortunately. Even if they had animalistic instincts, they still had the physical human brains from the bodies they'd stolen, leaving them with a capacity for rational thought and language. "Still, perhaps if traps were to be focused on a faction... That's were the highest concentrations of them can be found..."

He turned back towards the girl, reeling back in his slightly wandering mind. "But still, supposing that the traps did work and you managed to catch a large majority of them, what would you do with them?" He asked. "Would you eliminate them? Or would you put them to other uses?" He decided he'd save his opinion for after he heard hers.

He once again fell quiet at her next words. ...Family. He didn't often like to stop and think about what he'd lost. What was left? He thought about if for a moment. Family was one of the most important things in life, no question about that, but at the same time, as long as you were alive, there was always something left. At least he still had his research. And... He absently looked towards the building that Shakaya had headed into. He still had her, as well. "Family is a huge loss, but as long as you still have breath, you have something left. You still have your own dreams and desires. To find true success in this unpredictable world, one must not depend on others for their own happiness." He answered with his eyes on the slowly darkening sky, partially to himself. Sunset would be coming soon, now. He didn't want to miss it.

Katrina Bellmont, huh? Quite a lovely name. "Amaranth." He replied simply. It wasn't his 'real' name, but it was the only one he had, now. The other had been lost along with the rest of his family.

[MERINA]

Merina pretended to light up. "Exactly!" Though this wasn't exactly her speaking, it was a nice idea that this place could barely stand up for itself, letting the country's government make all the decisions. If she had her way, the amount of people in jail could be heavily reduced. Especially the one she was at. It was always crowded and under managed. Sure, there was a war going on, but how was a ton of criminals crowded together, possibly plotting, going to help? The +anima needed to be saved! Criminals on the loose would hurt the +anima's chances of survival. "Some people are just too...sheltered from life itself." Though it was true, sometimes she was glad the majority were, seeing as it was so much easier to steal from that way.

She ignored his words on the fact he was agreeing with her to arm town folk themselves. It was an idiotic idea. Some of the humans in the country were extremely stupid and would shoot anything that moved. Including her. "I remember a while ago, there was some type of +anima race. Even though the +anima would be more...how do you put it...reserved, I think if you managed to lure them in, you could trap them. Possibly...a scam of removing one's +anima? It would draw in a lot, especially those that don't want to be a part of conflict in a war," she told him, slipping a bit and a bit of resentment towards this conversation coming out. She didn't regret it though. It killed her to talk about plotting against +anima.

"Oh, right," she said, pretending to realize something new. "That's right...factions. I didn't actually believe that +anima could even form factions. I always imagined that they would rip each other's throats out," she commented. "Guess that's just my thinking," she said with a shrug, heading that fake enthusiasm show again. When would this guy leave her alone? She needed to end the conversation soon, but she wasn't going to use the "I need to get home" excuse. That one's failed her too often in the past with people offering to walk her home when she didn't actually have a place to go.

"I didn't really think much of that...Personally, I'd kill the majority. The more dangerous ones, at least, the one's with the really big and powerful ones. As for the others, I might -if I was in charge, of course- send them to work on farms or in work shops to supply things to the military. Even though I don't approve of such a big military, I don't want anything +anima made going towards the masses," she said, after some thought. It was hard being so different from herself, saying things she hated and pretending to believe in things she despised.

She nodded when he said his name. "It's been really nice talking to you, Amaranth. However, I must ask, what are you doing here, and why have you bothered to spend so much time talking to me?"

[AMARANTH & SHAKAYA]

Amaranth simply nodded, feeling as though that part of the conversation had reached a proper conclusion with her words.

He thought for a moment about her next suggestion, though, slightly surprised. "Oh?" A +anima removal scam, huh? While he still wondered how many it would actually manage to reel in before the +anima wised up to it, that was certainly an approached that hadn't been tried before. "That surely would catch a few, particularly those of the Caminus faction, and, as you say, a few rogues. But...by and large, +anima are beasts, after all. And beasts love power. What about those who have no desire to give up their animal features? I have a hard time believing that many would want such a thing." He looked back in her direction. "Don't you?" He gave a small, wry smile in an attempt to get a reaction. There seemed to have been a slight change of tone here...maybe if he could hit a weak spot he could dig up something.

The girl quickly shifted back to her earlier tone, though. There was quite a difference between the notion that many +anima would be interested in something like a removal surgery as opposed to the one that they lacked the ability to even cooperate. But...then again, +anima were perplexing, unpredictable creatures.

"I'm a +anima researcher, myself." He finally commented. "I would kill the majority as well, yes, though I would definitely save a good handful for specimens. For all the misery they cause society, they have so much to offer inside the lab." He gave a cold chuckle. "Of course, unless we find a way to stop them from spawning, any effort to eliminate them would eventually be for naught." Especially nowadays, when it seemed like children were becoming +anima increasingly commonly.

The man spared a brief glance over towards the supply shop. "I'm with a...partner, of sorts. She went into the shop to pick up some weapon supplies that she wanted, but...as I certainly have no interest in such things, I chose to stay outside and wait for the sunset. She should return soon...though to her a such a shop is like a candy shop to a child." He smiled slightly, before glancing back towards the girl. "As for talking to you..." His grin widened. "You'll have to forgive a scientist's natural curiosity."

[MERINA]

Merina bit her lip. "True, I guess," she replied. Still not one for "getting rid of" +anima, she was starting to find this conversation interesting. He was a very clever man, and was providing her with some very useful information. This is great! She could help the +anima avoid any traps or types of set ups to "get rid" of them. She could be their hero...what a thought. To be thanked by the people she thought were better than herself. "Guess I don't have everything figured out." Yeah, this character she was playing right now wasn't as smart as this guy, but it didn't really matter at the moment. It wasn't as if this conversation was going to predetirmine the rest of her life, unless, that is, this guy figured out who she really was, and she couldn't let that happen. Maybe she should just think a little more before saying anything.

"Ah, I thought you were some sort of scientist. Makes sense," she replied with a slight nod. "Spawning? You think you could actually stop it? That'd be amazing," she said with awestruck eyes, though she hated it. She hated it with a passion. To stop something so amazing, a God given gift to help the children of the world was a crime! She resisted her urge to bludgeon him over the head, knock some sense into the mad man. Though she found him smart, very thought provoking and interesting, anyone that wanted to kill, experiment or stop +anima was someone she wanted to get rid of. If +anima ruled, this place would be in such a better place. Just look at the world today, slavery and war. Being run by humans was a horrible thing.

She laughed. "You're forgiven, I guess," she said, a smile on her lips. "And your partner sounds...lovely," she said reluctantly. Weapons. She wasn't very fond of other people with weapons, and she had a history to back her up with that fear. "Are you two...like, together?" she bothered to ask Amaranth, air quoting "together" with her fingers. This character, a girl teen, more girly than Merina herself, would be bound to ask him if he was in a relationship with this weapon-interested girl.

[AMARANTH & SHAKAYA]

Amaranth gave small shrug, gazing at the reddening sky. "It doesn't seem anyone does. Otherwise there would likely be no war right now." Or perhaps that was a naive statement. While most citizens hated war, there were still those in power that craved it. If it wasn't +anima, perhaps it would be something else. While relations between Astaria and Sailand were still tense, at least the existence of +anima gave them a common enemy instead of each other.

He fell quiet for a moment at her next words, just thinking. "That would be the ultimate goal, but as of the current time, it is unknown if such a thing is possible." The easiest way to manage +anima in the long run would be to make sure that no more come into existence, otherwise the problem would never truly be fixed. But it was such a strange phenomena that scientists, at least as far as he knew, had yet to figure out exactly how the initial transformation worked and how to stop it. Yet, if it could be stopped, people like his family and this girl's sister would still be alive. "But we'll keep trying of course. No family should have to suffer like ours have. Natural laws run the world, and its science that decodes that language. One day, I'm sure we'll uncover a method to end the problem once and for all." He added as confidently as he could, thinking back on what the girl mentioned earlier.

He chuckled slightly. 'Lovely' wasn't quite the word he'd typically associate with Shakaya, but..."She is, I suppose, in her own unique way." His eyes briefly widened at her next question, though, finally bringing his gaze away from the sky. His expression moved to a small smile. "We're...partners." He repeated. "Different people seem to interpret that in different ways. If you asked her, though, she'd probably give you a different answer." He looked back up at the sky. "Still...one way or another, it doesn't particularly matter to me." He finished, oblivious to how odd that might've sounded. Such things weren't a topic that occupied much space in his thoughts.

[MERINA]

Merina shrugged. "I guess so. Though, you can't blame me for wondering how one could stop a war," she said with a goofy grin. She actually did feel that way. No war meant a less challenging life for the +anima. Though...a less challenging life for the +anima meant that there would be less she could do to help the people she looked up to, but that was good, right? She would still have tried to help them any way she could.

And even though it might seem a bit cheesy, Merina decided to go a bit over the top with her acting. She teared up a bit, sniffling as well. "I..I just can't wait for the day when that comes. I don't want anyone else to go through...well, hell, to put it plain and simple." This man was fun to mess with. It was so easy to get him to believe her, from what she could tell. Apparently, this man's connection to his...brother -right?- who turned into a +anima was a very deep wound, and if you could play it right, it could be to your advantage, like it was for her. She should do stuff like this more often, like with shop owners or something. It'd be nice to get something free without having to steal it.

She couldn't help but giggle. From what Amaranth was telling her, this whole thing was something straight forward. Girls tended to be more emotional, and if she was guessing right, Amaranth was just really oblivious. An oblivious researcher. That's an interesting conversation, but she decided to humor him for now. If she ever ran into the partner, she could play it up to get on her side. "Interesting," she said. "And you said she went off to buy something? Weapons? She sounds like a very out there kind of person. I guess that'd be a bit more common in Sailand?" she asked. Though it wasn't entirely sexist here, the colder climate made it that way just a bit. Women made the clothes that the men wore so they could work, the women made the food so that the men had something warm to come home to. Or at least, that's how life was in her house hold. And when she did try to make an honest living, no one would give her any good, well paying jobs because she was a girl.

She waited for his answer, but something random happened. Loud noises, what Merina guessed could be large falling objects, screams from a few women and the sound of a mass of people running. What was going on? She stood up, hoping to get a better look of what could be happening. People passed her by, but she stood her ground in a rather assertive way, one she hoped Amaranth didn't notice too much. Katrina wasn't so assertive like Merina really was, despite her 'past'. Outgoing, yes, but not assertive.

A guard stopped by and looked down at her. Merina held her hands to her sides, hoping he wouldn't see the cuffs. There was a slight distinction between the cuffs that the military put on prisoners and the kind people had easy access to, for whatever reasons. You could tell the distinction in the keyhole, and the thickness of the cuff. The chains, however, were standard issue. "You two need to go! There's a break out of +anima in the market. They're on the rampage!" The Katrina in herself could help but think "Then why are you running? You're a guard!", but before 'Katrina' could say anything, the man ran off with the rest of the crowd.

Oh, what to do, what to do, she thought to herself. So bad, she wanted to run to the +anima and help them, even if they were in a different faction. She wanted to go and help them, to put a bit of fear and respect into everyone's heart, that +anima were better and deserved better! But this man's partner was into weapons. It would be wise to take a step back, or tell the +anima that someone with knowledge of weapons. Well, that all depended on if his partner was only interested in weapons as a hobby, or actually knew how to use them. Until she was sure, she decided she would stay right there.

[AMARANTH & SHAKAYA]

"No, I suppose not." Amaranth nodded absently, the man again watching the sky...at least, until he heard a small sniffle. He managed to keep a slightly better grip over his expression this time, but he still flinched as images of that night replayed once again through his memory.
"Yes...Hell is a fitting term for it. It may still be awhile, but I'm sure that day will come, someday." He forced another confident smile. He wished he could be so sure...but he'd spent hours upon hours of research and he'd still yet to crack the code of exactly how a person became a +anima. Their genetics once they were one were one thing, but the first transformation itself was an entirely different beast. It was...quite frustrating. Still...he wasn't one to want to snatch away hope from a young girl. Even if it turned out to be false, any hope at all was still better than giving up.

The girl's giggle shifted the mood, though. He nodded, giving a small chuckle, himself. "Sailand or not...I'm not sure people like her are too common anywhere."

Before he could say anything else, though, his attention was stolen away by a loud, unexpected noise. It was followed by more bangs and thuds, then finally the sound of screaming. But it didn't pass, instead the volume only got louder. ...What was going on?

He instantly stood up straight again. People started passing by with wide eyes, rushing to get away from...something. Some form of conflict was clearly brewing at a swift pace. It was only when a guard stopped by that they finally learned the full situation. A +anima breakout in a crowded market? Delightful. And it didn't look like the guards would be helping much...worthless fools, they were. They wanted the money, but as soon as something actually happened, they were out of there just as quickly as everybody else. He opened his mouth to make a comment, but an unmistakable streak of blue distracted him.

Sure enough, it was Shakaya, rushing off in the opposite direction of the fleeing crowd with her familiar circular blade in hand. He didn't doubt that she'd probably had a few other new tricks up her sleeve from shop, as well. ...Not that any of this should've been their business. He stiffled a groan. They had nothing to do with Astaria's security, and he himself hated being in the middle of a conflict.

He gritted his teeth, turning back to the girl a last time. It was a shame; he'd actually been rather enjoying their conversation. "I'm going after my partner. We'll take care of things, so there's nothing to worry about." He gave her another canned confident smile. How apropos, that something like this had happened just after they'd been talking about +anima. "Just make sure to get somewhere safe and head home when it's over.

[MERINA]

She didn't know what to do and felt extremely conflicted. This was the escape she had been waiting for, so she could leave without being followed or suspected, but at the cost of +anima? No, she couldn't leave them, even if they started the attack. From the sound of this woman, Amaranth's partner, Merina needed to give some form of help to them. She contemplated what she would do for a few seconds, staring blankly at the older man. "No, I'm coming. I'm going to help any way I can," she told him, scowling. She didn't like the thought of helping him, but she could mess something up, or get at his partner. She would rather have their attention on her than on the +anima, no matter what they did.

She ran against the wave of the crowd as fast as she could, which was rather fast, but the people trying to get away from the action made it hard to push forward. Several times, someone would try to grab her arm, telling her she was going the wrong way. She managed to shake them off easily, but just because it was easy didn't mean it didn't cut into her time. Some people's faces she recognized, but they didn't seem familiar; she guessed she had seen their pictures in houses she robbed, or saw in the streets. Who ever they were, she hoped they didn't recognize her.

She reached the site of the action, seeing several bird +anima throwing around crates of food, what she thought was a waste of food, but maybe that was their point. Still, she couldn't help but hold her hand to her stomach, hungry, and watching perfectly good food being smashed. Besides those in the air, out of reach for short range weapons, were the land based +anima, the ones with claws. All in all, she could see about eleven +anima. Even if this girl was really good, Merina had yet to see one human take on eleven +anima at once. Amaranth, he didn't look like he could do much, fighting wise. In prison, the small men were always the ones who ate last, were on the top bunk and picked on. Though he certainly was tall, his stature was lacking.

What could she do to help? She looked around the area, wondering if she could cause collateral damage or get word to one of them that they needed to get out of here. She thought about her chains, she could use them to fight them (something she usually did with humans, but she didn't mind using here for their safety) and warn them, seeing as it would be close combat. However, for her sake, she couldn't show off that she knew how to use her bandages as a weapon. So, for now, she hid behind an abandoned bread stand, waiting for an opportunity.

Though, it didn't bother her to swipe some bread as a snack. Who said she had to be hungry while she fought?

[AMARANTH & SHAKAYA]

Amaranth blinked in surprise and looked back at the sound of her voice. "What, but -" He was about to argue that she was just a young girl and a civilian, and that the most important thing was for civilians to get to safety right now and leave it to the guards (as worthless as they were in actuality). She seemed to be the type of girl who was strong in her convictions, but at the same time, she hadn't struck him as someone who would thrust herself into the middle of a violent conflict. He was dazed for a moment as she rushed by, not showing any fear as she ran off against the crowd before he could finish. "Katrina, it's dangerous - wait!" He attempted to follow her, but she was quickly swallowed from view in the mess of dust and panicked bodies.

Grimacing, the man started trying to navigate the crowd himself, keeping his eyes open for either of the two women he was looking for. It was the familiar streak of white and blue that he saw first; Shakaya stood directly in the middle of the market square, hovering over a winged and motionless body. Her weapon was gripped firmly in her hands, its sharp blades already tinted crimson. It hadn't taken her long to get busy.

"Shakaya!" He called out to her as soon as he was sure it was safe to catch her attention and approach.

"Ama!" She spared just a brief glance back with bright, relieved eyes that belied the stains slowly darkening her white coat. "Stay close to me, they're a lot of them this time! Where are the guards?" She complained. It was utter foolishness to have so many +anima in one place and not have it well guarded. She raced a few feet forward without warning, throwing her blade at another few +anima. It connected with a couple, but a couple more fled from the market as fast as they could, and a couple more still dodged and charged them in panic. She managed to get them off with a few close range slashes, but they were entirely outnumbered. And the more that escaped, the greater risk would be posed to the city and area in the long run. No more +anima could be allowed to run free!

The man pulled his own weapon, a simple, sharp rapier, from his belt, though he prayed he wouldn't have to use it. It frustrated him to no end, but combat wasn't his strong point.

Speaking of which... He suddenly stole a few glances around himself, momentarily distracted. Where had that girl gone off to? For someone without combat experience, the square was quickly becoming a frantic death trap. He wasn't even sure why he cared so much; he'd only just met her, but all the same just letting a civilian most likely get herself killed didn't sit right with him "Katrina!" He called again, but it was almost impossible to find a specific figure among the chaos.

[MERINA]

His concern for Katrina made Merina all silly inside. He seriously cared about someone he just met? Someone he talked to for less than twenty minutes. Then again, she had really connected with him, though everything she said had been fake. He didn't know that, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Well, unless she wanted it to. She kept running, wondering if he'd pull her back, make her stay, but it seemed like she got the head start.

Hiding, she watched as Amaranth met up with his partner. She had long blue hair (odd, but not unusual, she thought to herself), a very authoritative stance and a rather intimidating weapon in her hand. She stood over the lifeless body of a +anima so ignorantly that it boiled Merina's blood. The nerve! Fighting +anima was one crime, but killing them was just inhuman. She scowled, but decided to wait a bit, not wanting to jump into anything too quickly. She needed a plan. She needed a distraction. She needed something the +anima would understand that she was telling them to get out of there.

She crouched and began to search the stand for some kind of weapon. Anything would do at this point, a sharp rock, a butter knife or a stray arrow. In the end, what she found was a bread knife, an easily throw-able rock and a few broken pieces of glass. Though they all seemed a bit useless, she had a plan for each one of them.

She heard her fake name called out through the noise of fighting, but ignored it. It would be better if she stayed out of sight, maybe making an appearance or two and then faking the victim role again. She crawled to another stand, hidden in her way behind a surplus of barrels. She studied the area, a much better view of everything, but at the same time, not everyone could see her that easily.

She knew she had to act quickly before the woman, Shakaya, took another life of her beloved +anima. Soon enough she spotted a poorly set up stand, holding pumpkins, squash and other assortments of season foods. With all the fighting going on, it looked as if some of the weight bearing parts were on the verge of breaking. She glanced over at the duo, waiting for a moment when they wouldn't notice her. Then, she threw the rock at one of the legs. The table wobbled, but didn't break.

"Damn," she said under her breath. But while she tried to think of a way to knock it down, a few of the pumpkins shifted, putting more weight on one side, cause the whole thing to go down. She smiled, knowing the food would go towards the two. It wouldn't hurt them, but she was hoping it would surprise them, or make it harder to run around with big food everywhere.

She used the broken glass to look like she had been fighting by gripping it tightly in her right hand (her dominant one), scratched it across the sides of her arms and cut her cheek slightly. She crawled carefully back to her previous hiding stop and emerging there into the fight. She stopped and looked over at the duo, hoping he'd see her. "Amaranth!"she she called out, as if hoping for some assistance.

What she didn't plan on was a bulky taloned +anima running her way. How would she get him to stop, to see her as an inside ally? There wasn't a way. Instead, she held out the bread knife, side stepped as he charged towards her and managed to cut his arm worse than she wanted to. She stood there, frozen with fear. The humans might see her afraid of the fight, but she stood there, disgusted with herself for really hurting him.

[AMARANTH & SHAKAYA]

Amaranth gripped his weapon tightly, trying to keep his focus on the chaos around him.

The violence kept escalating. What had originally began as a break away was slowly transforming into a full blown conflict as panic took hold of the market square. At this rate...he would have to fight. The metal handle of the blade, normally unused, felt cold against his hands, despite the anxious dampness he could feel swelling around his palms.

He could do this. He told himself. Just like everything else, if he stayed calm, aware, and reacted carefully, he could at least do enough to keep himself safe. Normally, he relied on Shakaya, but with there being so few other fighters here, her attention was already divided between many places at once. He couldn't let himself become a distraction when they were already on the ropes. He bit the bottom of his lip without noticing.

"Amaranth!"

He'd been about to give up on looking for the girl for the time being - in the frantic violence, it was almost impossible to tell one person from another, when he once again heard her voice. ...Was she calling for help?

His carefully worked up focus all at once broke away.

"Katrina?" He glanced around again, trying to scan through the crowd to find a single human girl.

Then he finally saw her - or at least, a brief glimpse of her behind a few abandoned barrels. He opened his mouth to call out again, but in his attention on her, he failed to noticed something else; a sudden burst of spilled pumpkins and other market squash heading straight towards him and Shakaya.

Before he could say anything, he felt one of the pumpkins crash against his ankle, follow by another as the flood of food passed by and slowly settled. Loosing his balance, he stumbled and fell to the dusty ground of the market in a very undignified manner.

He heard Shakaya let out an annoyed, surprised "Eek!" from somewhere behind him, followed by a startled "Ama?!", but judging from the lack of a thud, she managed to keep her footing despite a few stumbles. As an experienced fighter, she was probably much more used to reacting to those sort of unexpected hazards. Fighting in a market really was quite inconvenient.

Not having the energy or time to answer her, Amaranth pushed himself up, scanning the area for Katrina again. What he saw made his eyes widen.

A large, taloned +anima had just charged her, letting out a yelp as a knife she was holding scraped across it's arm. After that, the girl just stood here, quivering. He'd missed a lot of what happened, but he knew enough to process that she was in danger.

"Katrina! Hold on!" He yelled out again, not taking the time to think first. He held out his rapier directly ahead of him, running to try and stab the wounded +anima in the back. If he could pierce it in just the right place...

[MERINA]

Merina, though horrified for hurting such a wonderful person, was satisfied with the pumpkin fallout and Amaranth's reaction. Was he developing a soft spot for the the mentally matured but frail Katrina? How delightful! She hasn't been this excited in a while, something so fun, so challenging. Still, it was a bit weary to think up elaborate stories and keep her composure. Maybe she had built up enough trust with him she could be a bit laid back around him.

She let herself divert her attention for a moment to see the blue haired woman. The woman seemed to have somewhat recovered from the outburst of food on the ground, but it didn't seem to effect her as much as it did for Amaranth. Hm, so she was a skilled fighter after all. Merina hoped Shakaya wasn't as smart as she was tough.

Back to the predicament at hand, the talon-ed +anima looked angry that she had injured him, but she couldn't see the bad side of him. To her, all she saw was the amazing person he actual was. He was no monster. He was no human. He was something more. She gave him a look that she hoped to convey her thoughts; to run away, to be safe and that she was his ally, not a fiend.

He responded, but the response was confusing. Did he need something to distract the fighters to get away? That, she could do, but she was only guessing on what he needed. But by the way he hesitated with his claw, she took it as what he needed was indeed a distraction of some kind. What would do? She only had a split second to make the decision as she noticed Amaranth charging.

The +anima threw a false swing and Merina took it as a chance to fall to the side, stumbling to make the fall faster, as if to take the place of the +anima in a clumsy fashion. She could feel the cool blade pierce her torso. She couldn't see how bad it was, but she could feel the sting of the metal as it cut through her and a small scratch near her temple from the +anima.

She fell to her knees and resisted tears. She had felt pain before, but nothing like this. Something so painful it was numbing. Taking a chance, she looked to see where the +anima was. He had already taken off. Thank God, she thought to herself. He can be safe, now.

But that really wasn't enough for the sadistic convict. She needed to pull his emotional strings just a little more, something to cover up her fall for the +anima, if he had begun to doubt her. She grabbed the blade of his sword and pushed it towards him, pulling it out of her. She couldn't tell what organ it had sliced through, but she knew it wasn't going to be good either way. Touching her wound, Merina looked up at the raven haired man with sorrowful eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. She clutched her wound and stared past him. From what she could tell, none of the other fighters had taken much of notice to her, but a few +anima followed the talon-ed one's lead and left.

"I should have stayed behind."

[AMARANTH & SHAKAYA]

While his movements lacked the grace, speed, and precision of a trained fighter, Amaranth knew well enough how to angle a proper stab and where to aim for a kill. Forcing his hands to keep a tight, steady grip on the weapon, he continued his frantic charge for the +anima.

What happened next took place in slow motion.

Just as his blade was about to connect with the +anima's shoulder, the girl suddenly stumbled. It was a mess of motion, the details of which eluded him in his haste, but it ended with the girl in the place where the +anima had been just moments ago. It was all in a split second - he lacked the skill to react in time.

The next thing he felt was the pressure of the rapier as it thrust itself deep into flesh. It was something he normally only felt in laboratories, using his various knives and tools, but the rapier felt much different; the recoil made the blade shiver and the muscles in his arm buckle as the pointed tip embedded itself far and deep into its target. At the speed he'd been running, the stab had carried a lot of force behind it despite his lack of particular strength. In the back of his mind, it occurred to him that this was the first time he'd truly stabbed someone on the battlefield. He'd taken up the rapier for self defense before and had done several training sessions with Shakaya, but no, this wasn't the same at all. He'd actually stabbed someone. A human being. And that person -

"Katrina?!" The man screeched with uncharacteristic fear as the shock of what he was seeing finally begin to register.

There had been a shift of motion at the last second. He'd stabbed Katrina, the person he'd been trying to protect.

The man froze, standing there with wide, horrified eyes. No matter how many times he went over what had just happened in his head, it refused to click...but a tight, uncomfortable feeling slowly began to tighten his stomach and chest. Oh lord, what had he done?!

It was the sight of the girl pulling the blade from her wound that sprung him back to action. He kneeled down, and quickly applied pressure to the stab wound as soon as the blade was out. "Careful! With stab wounds, blood tends to release as soon as the spike is removed. ...I need..." He frantically glanced around, hoping to find some kind of cloth that could function as a bandage.

His immediate response was to try and keep emotion out of it; if Katrina was going to be saved, there was no time for that. But he felt something break as he heard the girl's quivering voice. "I'm sorry, I should have stayed behind."

And when it comes to fighting, I should've known better than to think I could help. No longer able to ignore the pounding in the back of his head, the man lost focus on his search and his gaze fell downwards, but he couldn't bring himself to look back at the girl. What was she doing, being the one to apologize? "Katrina...I'm sorry, by all the gods I'm sorry!" There was nothing else he could say now. What was done was done.

It was almost funny. Whether directly or indirectly, he and Shakaya had killed hundreds of +anima, and he'd never batted an eyelash. But now that he'd injured this one human girl, his whole body was shaking and his vision refused to focus. If she didn't make it...

No! He had to push all that away for now. He wasn't a doctor, but he was a biological scientist. He hadn't dared to look too closely at the wound yet, but while his line of work lead him to be more likely to make wounds than to treat them, he did have some knowledge of how to treat a wound. In shape and basic function, the bodies of the +anima he researched and those of normal humans weren't so different. All at once, he forced himself to move again and snatched a table linen from a toppled market stand.

"You'll...you'll be alright!" He tried to reassure as he finally turned back, attempting to sound more confident than he actually was. He wasn't skilled at comforting others - it wasn't exactly something he practiced much - but that was what doctor's do, right? He spared a brief, final glance around the square. Most of the +anima were starting to flee, and Shakaya was busy trying to take care of those that weren't - it seemed she'd missed the whole thing. Perhaps that was just as well. Nonetheless, things were still far to dangerous in the market to treat an injured civilian.

"If you can move, grab on to my shoulder and carefully follow me. First, we need to get out of this mess." He still made sure to keep pressure on the wound as he carefully stood up. Were there any real doctor's nearby, by chance? He bit his lip, trying to keep his nervousness and guilt off his face. He wasn't going to let this happen. He wasn't going to let her die!