Days passed, turning to weeks, with no sign of Dynasty activity. The Ronin Warriors remained on vigil, not so willing to let their guard down as before, but still, nothing.
"Bored!" Kento whined. "Bored, bored, bored, bored, I AM BOOOOOORRRRRRED! I think Arcane's just waiting for us to get OLD!"
He was sprawled across the couch, staring at the ceiling, leaving just enough room for Cye and Reia at the end of the couch.
"I, for one, am happy to have peace and quiet," Reia said, rubbing her shoulder.
"Well, uh..." Kento quieted down. "I'd still like to nail those chicks who got you guys," He added, sheepishly. ~ Can't stop thinking about it, actually... don't like that. ~
"I would, too, but there's really not much we can do... hm?" Cye cocked his head at a sound behind them.
Reia turned around, seeing Lys and Kasukio almost to the door. "Where are you two going?" She asked.
"Oh, uh," Kasukio turned around. "To the city."
"To... make sure Arcane hasn't had any adverse effects on the people... y'know, just check things out," Lys added, fingering the end of the braid she'd tied her hair into.
"Can we go?" Xanthe appeared at the stairs, followed by Junichi. "We're rotting here, and..." he paused at the "Look" Kasukio shot them. "Oh... I get it."
"Patrol, my foot," Reia shook her head, turning around and reaching for a magazine on the coffee table.
"What?" Kento asked, sitting up.
"They made that up about checking out for Arcane, they're just going on a date," Junichi waved his hand dismissively as he turned and walked up the steps.
"...Well..." Lys blushed furiously, gripping her braid harder in both hands.
"So what if we are?" Kasukio demanded of the air in front of him. "It's not as if we're under house arrest..."
"What if Arcane decides to ambush you, like Reia and me?" Cye asked, turning around on the couch to face the couple at the door.
"We'll be careful," Lys cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "Don't worry, we won't let them get us off guard. Besides, I doubt they'd try anything in the city... They're more of the type to ambush when we're alone, right?"
"Still..." Ryo spoke up from the kitchen doorway, where he'd been for a few moments. "I don't like the idea..."
"Man, does EVERYONE have an opinion about this?" Kasukio shouted.
"I know!" Lys exclaimed. "If you're so worried about us, then..." She snapped her fingers. "We'll take Cye and Reia with us! It can be like a double-date!"
"N...NANI?!" Reia exclaimed, her magazine flying up in the air as she whirled around.
"Why drag us into this?" Cye cried.
"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" Lys bounced over to the couch, grabbing Reia's hands. "Kasu-chan and I never get time alone anymore, and I'm sure you and Cye haven't..."
"Lys, please..." Reia and Kasukio moaned in unison. Cye remained silent, but all three were turning an interesting shade of pink.
"Pleeeease, Reia? Nothing's happened in weeks, we're dying here! AND, with you, me, Kasu-chan, and Cye all out there, we're practically a full team of Ronin Warriors, no way they'd attack all of us, right?"
"Well, I..." Reia sighed. Lys' eyes were practically shining, she could tell her friend was really eager to get the heck out of Mia's house, at least for a day. ~ She must feel suffocated here, even with the forest around her. Poor Lys, part of her is sprite that craves the out of doors, the other half is city-bred human. ~
She glanced at Cye, hesitant to make a decision. Their eyes met, and he shrugged.
"Oh, all right," She murmured, resisting the urge to sigh or roll her eyes.
"All right!" Lys grinned. "Well, we have to do something about your clothing, Reia. Torn jeans and shirts that are ten sizes too big are all right for the house, but we're going out. Come on!" She grabbed Reia's hand, and before anyone knew it, whisked her away.
"So... now what?" Cye asked after a lengthy pause, looking back and forth between Ryo, Kento, and Kasukio for help.
"Make yourself comfortable," Kasukio said, settling down in a chair across from the couch. "It will probably take Lys awhile to get Reia into something she deems presentable."
"What was wrong with what she had on?" Kento asked, sitting up. "I mean, Reia looks hot in every-" he paused at the sharp look from Cye. "That is, her outfit was fine."
"I know that, and you know that," Kasukio said, pointing at himself, then Kento and Cye. "But Lys has this scary preoccupation with trying to make Reia more feminine." The red haired boy grinned at Cye. "My friend, you have gone and fallen in love with one of the biggest tom boys to grace God's green earth."
"Reia, a tom boy?" Kento exclaimed. "She didn't seem much like one to me."
"Well, she's not as much now as when she was little," Kasukio pulled out his wallet, and rifled through it. "Ah, here..." He handed a faded picture to Cye. "This is some of us when we were in elementary school."
"Woah."
"Dude!" Kento snatched the picture from Cye, scanning it quickly with his eyes. "If it weren't for the school uniform, I'd swear that kid was Rowen!"
Kasukio chuckled. "Up until that magical age of thirteen, everyone else would have said the same thing. The only time you saw her in a skirt EVER was when she was in school, and even then she lobbied to get a boy's uniform, but of course her mom wouldn't let her. About the only thing that changed when she got a little older was she let her hair grow out, really."
"What's going on in here? Oh, Kasukio, you don't still have that awful picture, do you?" Kawai exclaimed leaning over Kento's shoulder to look at the picture, before taking another bite of the cherry popsicle she was eating.
"Man, not only am I dying of boredom, she got the last popsicle!" Kento wailed as Kawai snatched the photo from him.
"I hate this picture, I was such a little chunk when I was a kid," Kawai complained, holding the old picture up to the light. "Gosh, how we've all changed... this was before Junichi and Xanthe moved to our town, ne?"
"Yeah, that's third grade, I think," Kasukio replied.
She giggled. "Look how short Rei-chan's hair was! She looks exactly like..." She paused. "Just like Rowen." She handed the picture back to Cye.
"Somebody call?" Rowen strolled through the room, holding a paperback. "What about me?"
"Just a, um... picture of me and the girls when we were kids," Kasukio explained as Rowen took the picture from Cye.
"Sure, go right ahead Rowen, I've seen it already," Cye mumbled sarcastically.
Rowen eyed it for a moment, but said nothing as he handed it back to Kento, before walking off.
"Man..." Kento shook his head as he returned the picture to its owner. "Rowen's been like a zombie..."
"Well, how shall we spend yet another day of waiting?" Xanthe asked, pacing around the room. When he got no answer, he turned to Junichi, who was laying on his stomach on a bed, reading sheet music. "Jun?"
"Study?" Junichi asked in a flat tone. "I haven't seen you crack a single one of those chemistry books you borrowed off of Rowen."
Xanthe frowned, looking at the high stack of the mentioned text books. "There has to be something else... I could practice my mono-..."
"DON'T," Junichi interrupted. "I'VE memorized that stupid monologue by now. Romeo was one obnoxious fellow, and you bring it out well, so no need to practice."
"It's "Hamlet", not "Romeo and Juliet", I played Romeo LAST year, remember? If you can't keep the works of Mr. William Shakespeare straight, you could at least keep the roles I've played straight, thank you very much," Xanthe replied.
"It's all the same to me. I repeat, anything but the monologue... please?..."
Xanthe picked up a Magic Eight Ball that was sitting on the desk, and held it out, ignoring his foster brother as he drifted into his infamous 'acting trance'. "Alas, Horatio..."
A pencil flew through the air, hitting Xanthe square in the back of the head.
"I'm tired of Shakespeare," Junichi stated at the irritated look Xanthe shot him. "You do know this dead playwright you idolize so wrote those sonnets for another man? How can you stand all that "thee" and "thou" stuff, anyway?"
"What's your point?" Xanthe asked, turning around and crossing his arms. "You're just trying to bait me."
Another pencil.
"Yup. Sue me, I'm bored."
"OK... you asked for it!" Xanthe exclaimed, tackling his friend, knocking him onto the floor.
"So it's gonna be like that, huh?" Junichi squirmed out from under Xanthe and got him into a headlock. "Give it up!"
"No way!"
And the impromptu wrestling match ensued.
"There!" Lys ran a brush through Reia's hair. "See, you look good!"
Reia looked herself over in the mirror, and flinched. "Lys, I dunno..."
"I really don't understand why you don't care to be a little more feminine," Lys said, putting her hands on her hips.
"I just don't," Reia shrugged, turning around. "This skirt is SO short, though..."
"I hardly think halfway down to your knees is too short," Lys replied.
"Where do you GET all these outfits anyway?" Reia asked. "It's not as if you were able to pack before we time traveled." She eyed the snug fitting midnight blue skirt, and the dark yellow, blue, and black patterned blouse.
"Oh, little of this, little of that, little bit of magic," Lys shrugged. "A good magician and a good beautician have one thing in common... she never reveals her secrets. Sure you don't want some makeup?"
"You have me in a skirt and..." Reia paused, as if the next words were evil. "...High... heels... What more do you want from me??"
"Aiya, I give, I give! And they're not high heels, good grief, just 'cause they're not sneakers or combat boots..." Lys jumped backwards, her skirt swishing with her movement. "Oh well. Show time! Wish I had a camera to document the guys' faces when they see your makeover."
"It's NOT a makeover, that would imply I plan to stay this way," Reia hissed as Lys grabbed her hands to whisk her away again.
They passed by the open door of the room Xanthe and Junichi were staying in. The two boys were on the floor, apparently wrestling.
"Male nonsense," Lys muttered as she skidded to a stop, with Reia nearly running into her from behind. "Hey, guys! We're leaving now!"
"Bye," They both grunted in unison. The girls shrugged and continued on down the hall.
"Woah, hold up!" Xanthe pinned the younger boy suddenly. "Did you just see what I thought I just saw?"
"I think... Reia was wearing a skirt," Junichi said slowly, out of breath.
The two stared at each other for a moment before jumping up from the floor, and chasing after the girls.
They skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs to keep from falling, and watched Lys lead Reia into the living room.
"I knew Lys and Kasukio were going on a date, but why's Reia dressed up?" Xanthe mumbled.
"I guess... she and Cye are going with them," Junichi replied, an almost apologetic tone.
"No way," Xanthe exclaimed. "Reia doesn't GO on dates..."
"Reia doesn't usually have... boyfriends... either, Xanthe," The younger boy said quietly, putting a hand on Xanthe's shoulder. "You're gonna have to let her go, man."
"...I..." Xanthe closed his eyes, and clenched his jaw. "...Let go of what?" He pulled away from Junichi, and ran down the stairs.
"...Xanthe!" Junichi hissed, following after him. ~ Please, don't make a scene! ~
Xanthe wasn't prepared to make a scene, however. As he neared the bottom of the stairs, he pulled his somewhat turbulent emotions together and slammed them behind a mental shield, and composed himself. After all, he was a good enough actor he could have fooled even Junichi when he walked into the living room (had Junichi not already known).
"I had to see for myself... are you REALLY wearing a skirt, Reia?" He exclaimed, wide eyed.
"I don't see what is so difficult to believe about it," She shook her head. "Yeah, a skirt! Stockings too, how about that? And look, high heels!" She kicked one of her feet high in the air and stood there, on one foot. "Yes, despite popular belief, I am female, Xanthe."
"...Reia... don't do that," Lys mumbled. "Come on."
Reia relaxed her stance. "Sorry, Xanthe. I just don't see why this is such a big deal."
"We're bored out of our minds, that's why," Junichi groaned.
"Anything new is a welcome distraction from just waiting for Arcane to attack us again, after all," Xanthe added.
"Will you guys just get out of here before it gets too late?" Kento waved at the door. "Or before Rowen and Ryo come up with a real reason to make you stay here? I just know they're sitting in the kitchen right now like a couple of disapproving old ladies." He laughed.
"Right, we really should go," Lys looked at her watch. She took hold of Kasukio's hand, and all but pulled him from his chair. "Come on, Kasu-chan."
Reia glanced at Cye, and smiled, a little shyly. She began to feel a little nervous.
"Just remember our little talk, son," Kento added, in a teasing manner. Cye whirled around and tossed a pillow at his head. Kento returned to his previous sprawled position on the couch, laughing.
"Yeah, well, you just lay on the couch like a bump on a log, for all I care," Cye teased back. "Maybe one of those Dark Warriors will trip over you."
"...Be the last thing they ever trip over," Kento mumbled sleepily, waving as the four finally made their way out the door.
Xanthe looked at Junichi, and sighed. "Well... now what?"
"Shh..." Junichi raised his finger to his lips. "I think Kento fell asleep."
"Well, then, no more of his griping for awhile," Xanthe shrugged.
"Yeah, we'll have to listen to yours instead," Junichi jibed, as he ducked a fake punch from Xanthe at the same time.
Kawai, who'd been so quiet neither of the boys had noticed her, spoke up. "Think they'll be OK?" She asked.
"They'll be fine," Junichi replied. "And if anything goes wrong..."
"We'll know," Xanthe interrupted. "We'll know."
"Hm... I guess you're right." Kawai turned to walk into the kitchen, and the two boys followed after her. "I wonder how things have been going for the Warlords, we haven't seen them in awhile. And where is the ever elusive Lady Kayura, anyway?"
"Wish we knew," Ryo answered Kawai's rhetorical question when she walked in. He and Rowen were seated at the table, the latter immersed in the paperback he'd been carrying earlier, apparently ignoring the world.
"Well," She said, after a pause. "I guess, I'll leave you boys to... discuss whatever it is boys discuss," She shrugged and giggled, flipping her hair over her shoulders.
She wandered aimlessly, taking it upon herself to head back upstairs. As she passed by an open door, she heard the faint sound of keys clacking, and poked her head in to see Mia working at the computer.
"Hi, Mia," She called. "Whatcha doing?"
"Oh, Kawai," Mia smiled at her, as she walked over to look at the computer screen. "I thought I would go through my grandfather's old data, to see if there's anything about Arcane in there. From what you tell me, he sounds like a very old power..."
Kawai nodded. "He seems very strong to me. And, from what we know, he is a sorcerer. Magic... power like that is built over time, or with..." She shivered. "Blood. Somehow I get the feeling he's had plenty of both."
"There isn't a whole lot about magic in here at all," Mia noted, with a little frown. "Almost all of my grandfather's work pertained to Talpa's Dynasty, and the mystical Armors."
Kawai laughed lightly. "Maybe you should continued his work... add to his data?"
"I have," Mia said, ejecting the disk already in the computer, and putting a new one in. "Here."
Images flashed across the screen, diagrams of the armors, and the weapons. A new picture, one of Kawai's armor, was included in the lot.
"Where'd ya get that?" Kawai exclaimed.
"Lady Kayura was helping me, before she went off to... wherever..." Mia hid the worry in her voice, but Kawai could sense it anyway. "Your armor, Kawai, is very interesting."
"Eros?" She asked, a little surprised. "What's so interesting about that?"
"Well, aside from the fact that it's a totally new armor..." Mia clicked some more keys. "The Armor of Eros is taken from pieces of the other armors, but, it has a quality all it's own. It symbolizes the Power of Love, the way Wildfire symbolizes Virtue, or Halo, Wisdom. I think, perhaps, you could grow to have power over other emotions..."
Kawai nodded slightly. "My armor, it... well, it makes my mind more powerful..." She blushed lightly, a little embarrassed. "I can... tell what other people are feeling, even when I'm not in armor."
"Empathy?... Very interesting..." Mia entered in the new data. "Perhaps, this could lead to telepathy... or other psychic abilities. And, one of the most interesting things yet..." She swiveled around, to look at Kawai. "Because of the nature of it's origin, it could very well have the potential to be as powerful as Inferno."
"No way," Kawai exclaimed. "No way, my armor... offensively, it's not much really. I do have some attacks, but..."
"I would not underestimate one of the Ronin Armors, even if it IS new," Mia put in. "Maybe it could be for the best, if the enemy thinks you're weak, though... underestimation can be a powerful tool, can't it?"
Kawai nodded, unconsciously playing with her hair in thought. "When did you become a great tactician, Mia?" She asked, with a little grin. Now it was Mia's turn to blush.
"I'm not, really..." The older girl turned back to her computer screen. "Some of it just seems to rub off, being around the Ronin Warriors so much..."
"Well, you sure gave ME a lot to think about," Kawai replied, with a little sigh. "I wonder, if I should tell the others about this... I mean... they know that Lys taught me some magic, but they don't know about my, uh..." She tapped her head.
"Your armor, your powers," Mia replied. "I would understand if you didn't want to tell them anything, but..." She paused. "It could be useful information for them."
"Well, like I said, I have a lot to think about now," Kawai shrugged. "Anyhow, back on the subject of Arcane..." She scratched the top of her head. "Something about those two witches who attacked Reia and Cye makes me think, but I don't know what it is..."
"Let's see..." Mia turned back to her computer. "What do we know about them?"
"Not much, just what they called themselves, really.... Ohmigosh, that's it!" Kawai jumped. "They called themselves the warriors of Death and Suspicion!"
"And Reia and Cye are the Warriors of Life and Trust!" Mia exclaimed. "That's it! So, Arcane must be creating warriors to counter your own powers!"
"Well, we got Death and Suspicion," Kawai said. "So, that leaves..."
"Bored!" Kento whined. "Bored, bored, bored, bored, I AM BOOOOOORRRRRRED! I think Arcane's just waiting for us to get OLD!"
He was sprawled across the couch, staring at the ceiling, leaving just enough room for Cye and Reia at the end of the couch.
"I, for one, am happy to have peace and quiet," Reia said, rubbing her shoulder.
"Well, uh..." Kento quieted down. "I'd still like to nail those chicks who got you guys," He added, sheepishly. ~ Can't stop thinking about it, actually... don't like that. ~
"I would, too, but there's really not much we can do... hm?" Cye cocked his head at a sound behind them.
Reia turned around, seeing Lys and Kasukio almost to the door. "Where are you two going?" She asked.
"Oh, uh," Kasukio turned around. "To the city."
"To... make sure Arcane hasn't had any adverse effects on the people... y'know, just check things out," Lys added, fingering the end of the braid she'd tied her hair into.
"Can we go?" Xanthe appeared at the stairs, followed by Junichi. "We're rotting here, and..." he paused at the "Look" Kasukio shot them. "Oh... I get it."
"Patrol, my foot," Reia shook her head, turning around and reaching for a magazine on the coffee table.
"What?" Kento asked, sitting up.
"They made that up about checking out for Arcane, they're just going on a date," Junichi waved his hand dismissively as he turned and walked up the steps.
"...Well..." Lys blushed furiously, gripping her braid harder in both hands.
"So what if we are?" Kasukio demanded of the air in front of him. "It's not as if we're under house arrest..."
"What if Arcane decides to ambush you, like Reia and me?" Cye asked, turning around on the couch to face the couple at the door.
"We'll be careful," Lys cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "Don't worry, we won't let them get us off guard. Besides, I doubt they'd try anything in the city... They're more of the type to ambush when we're alone, right?"
"Still..." Ryo spoke up from the kitchen doorway, where he'd been for a few moments. "I don't like the idea..."
"Man, does EVERYONE have an opinion about this?" Kasukio shouted.
"I know!" Lys exclaimed. "If you're so worried about us, then..." She snapped her fingers. "We'll take Cye and Reia with us! It can be like a double-date!"
"N...NANI?!" Reia exclaimed, her magazine flying up in the air as she whirled around.
"Why drag us into this?" Cye cried.
"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" Lys bounced over to the couch, grabbing Reia's hands. "Kasu-chan and I never get time alone anymore, and I'm sure you and Cye haven't..."
"Lys, please..." Reia and Kasukio moaned in unison. Cye remained silent, but all three were turning an interesting shade of pink.
"Pleeeease, Reia? Nothing's happened in weeks, we're dying here! AND, with you, me, Kasu-chan, and Cye all out there, we're practically a full team of Ronin Warriors, no way they'd attack all of us, right?"
"Well, I..." Reia sighed. Lys' eyes were practically shining, she could tell her friend was really eager to get the heck out of Mia's house, at least for a day. ~ She must feel suffocated here, even with the forest around her. Poor Lys, part of her is sprite that craves the out of doors, the other half is city-bred human. ~
She glanced at Cye, hesitant to make a decision. Their eyes met, and he shrugged.
"Oh, all right," She murmured, resisting the urge to sigh or roll her eyes.
"All right!" Lys grinned. "Well, we have to do something about your clothing, Reia. Torn jeans and shirts that are ten sizes too big are all right for the house, but we're going out. Come on!" She grabbed Reia's hand, and before anyone knew it, whisked her away.
"So... now what?" Cye asked after a lengthy pause, looking back and forth between Ryo, Kento, and Kasukio for help.
"Make yourself comfortable," Kasukio said, settling down in a chair across from the couch. "It will probably take Lys awhile to get Reia into something she deems presentable."
"What was wrong with what she had on?" Kento asked, sitting up. "I mean, Reia looks hot in every-" he paused at the sharp look from Cye. "That is, her outfit was fine."
"I know that, and you know that," Kasukio said, pointing at himself, then Kento and Cye. "But Lys has this scary preoccupation with trying to make Reia more feminine." The red haired boy grinned at Cye. "My friend, you have gone and fallen in love with one of the biggest tom boys to grace God's green earth."
"Reia, a tom boy?" Kento exclaimed. "She didn't seem much like one to me."
"Well, she's not as much now as when she was little," Kasukio pulled out his wallet, and rifled through it. "Ah, here..." He handed a faded picture to Cye. "This is some of us when we were in elementary school."
"Woah."
"Dude!" Kento snatched the picture from Cye, scanning it quickly with his eyes. "If it weren't for the school uniform, I'd swear that kid was Rowen!"
Kasukio chuckled. "Up until that magical age of thirteen, everyone else would have said the same thing. The only time you saw her in a skirt EVER was when she was in school, and even then she lobbied to get a boy's uniform, but of course her mom wouldn't let her. About the only thing that changed when she got a little older was she let her hair grow out, really."
"What's going on in here? Oh, Kasukio, you don't still have that awful picture, do you?" Kawai exclaimed leaning over Kento's shoulder to look at the picture, before taking another bite of the cherry popsicle she was eating.
"Man, not only am I dying of boredom, she got the last popsicle!" Kento wailed as Kawai snatched the photo from him.
"I hate this picture, I was such a little chunk when I was a kid," Kawai complained, holding the old picture up to the light. "Gosh, how we've all changed... this was before Junichi and Xanthe moved to our town, ne?"
"Yeah, that's third grade, I think," Kasukio replied.
She giggled. "Look how short Rei-chan's hair was! She looks exactly like..." She paused. "Just like Rowen." She handed the picture back to Cye.
"Somebody call?" Rowen strolled through the room, holding a paperback. "What about me?"
"Just a, um... picture of me and the girls when we were kids," Kasukio explained as Rowen took the picture from Cye.
"Sure, go right ahead Rowen, I've seen it already," Cye mumbled sarcastically.
Rowen eyed it for a moment, but said nothing as he handed it back to Kento, before walking off.
"Man..." Kento shook his head as he returned the picture to its owner. "Rowen's been like a zombie..."
"Well, how shall we spend yet another day of waiting?" Xanthe asked, pacing around the room. When he got no answer, he turned to Junichi, who was laying on his stomach on a bed, reading sheet music. "Jun?"
"Study?" Junichi asked in a flat tone. "I haven't seen you crack a single one of those chemistry books you borrowed off of Rowen."
Xanthe frowned, looking at the high stack of the mentioned text books. "There has to be something else... I could practice my mono-..."
"DON'T," Junichi interrupted. "I'VE memorized that stupid monologue by now. Romeo was one obnoxious fellow, and you bring it out well, so no need to practice."
"It's "Hamlet", not "Romeo and Juliet", I played Romeo LAST year, remember? If you can't keep the works of Mr. William Shakespeare straight, you could at least keep the roles I've played straight, thank you very much," Xanthe replied.
"It's all the same to me. I repeat, anything but the monologue... please?..."
Xanthe picked up a Magic Eight Ball that was sitting on the desk, and held it out, ignoring his foster brother as he drifted into his infamous 'acting trance'. "Alas, Horatio..."
A pencil flew through the air, hitting Xanthe square in the back of the head.
"I'm tired of Shakespeare," Junichi stated at the irritated look Xanthe shot him. "You do know this dead playwright you idolize so wrote those sonnets for another man? How can you stand all that "thee" and "thou" stuff, anyway?"
"What's your point?" Xanthe asked, turning around and crossing his arms. "You're just trying to bait me."
Another pencil.
"Yup. Sue me, I'm bored."
"OK... you asked for it!" Xanthe exclaimed, tackling his friend, knocking him onto the floor.
"So it's gonna be like that, huh?" Junichi squirmed out from under Xanthe and got him into a headlock. "Give it up!"
"No way!"
And the impromptu wrestling match ensued.
"There!" Lys ran a brush through Reia's hair. "See, you look good!"
Reia looked herself over in the mirror, and flinched. "Lys, I dunno..."
"I really don't understand why you don't care to be a little more feminine," Lys said, putting her hands on her hips.
"I just don't," Reia shrugged, turning around. "This skirt is SO short, though..."
"I hardly think halfway down to your knees is too short," Lys replied.
"Where do you GET all these outfits anyway?" Reia asked. "It's not as if you were able to pack before we time traveled." She eyed the snug fitting midnight blue skirt, and the dark yellow, blue, and black patterned blouse.
"Oh, little of this, little of that, little bit of magic," Lys shrugged. "A good magician and a good beautician have one thing in common... she never reveals her secrets. Sure you don't want some makeup?"
"You have me in a skirt and..." Reia paused, as if the next words were evil. "...High... heels... What more do you want from me??"
"Aiya, I give, I give! And they're not high heels, good grief, just 'cause they're not sneakers or combat boots..." Lys jumped backwards, her skirt swishing with her movement. "Oh well. Show time! Wish I had a camera to document the guys' faces when they see your makeover."
"It's NOT a makeover, that would imply I plan to stay this way," Reia hissed as Lys grabbed her hands to whisk her away again.
They passed by the open door of the room Xanthe and Junichi were staying in. The two boys were on the floor, apparently wrestling.
"Male nonsense," Lys muttered as she skidded to a stop, with Reia nearly running into her from behind. "Hey, guys! We're leaving now!"
"Bye," They both grunted in unison. The girls shrugged and continued on down the hall.
"Woah, hold up!" Xanthe pinned the younger boy suddenly. "Did you just see what I thought I just saw?"
"I think... Reia was wearing a skirt," Junichi said slowly, out of breath.
The two stared at each other for a moment before jumping up from the floor, and chasing after the girls.
They skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs to keep from falling, and watched Lys lead Reia into the living room.
"I knew Lys and Kasukio were going on a date, but why's Reia dressed up?" Xanthe mumbled.
"I guess... she and Cye are going with them," Junichi replied, an almost apologetic tone.
"No way," Xanthe exclaimed. "Reia doesn't GO on dates..."
"Reia doesn't usually have... boyfriends... either, Xanthe," The younger boy said quietly, putting a hand on Xanthe's shoulder. "You're gonna have to let her go, man."
"...I..." Xanthe closed his eyes, and clenched his jaw. "...Let go of what?" He pulled away from Junichi, and ran down the stairs.
"...Xanthe!" Junichi hissed, following after him. ~ Please, don't make a scene! ~
Xanthe wasn't prepared to make a scene, however. As he neared the bottom of the stairs, he pulled his somewhat turbulent emotions together and slammed them behind a mental shield, and composed himself. After all, he was a good enough actor he could have fooled even Junichi when he walked into the living room (had Junichi not already known).
"I had to see for myself... are you REALLY wearing a skirt, Reia?" He exclaimed, wide eyed.
"I don't see what is so difficult to believe about it," She shook her head. "Yeah, a skirt! Stockings too, how about that? And look, high heels!" She kicked one of her feet high in the air and stood there, on one foot. "Yes, despite popular belief, I am female, Xanthe."
"...Reia... don't do that," Lys mumbled. "Come on."
Reia relaxed her stance. "Sorry, Xanthe. I just don't see why this is such a big deal."
"We're bored out of our minds, that's why," Junichi groaned.
"Anything new is a welcome distraction from just waiting for Arcane to attack us again, after all," Xanthe added.
"Will you guys just get out of here before it gets too late?" Kento waved at the door. "Or before Rowen and Ryo come up with a real reason to make you stay here? I just know they're sitting in the kitchen right now like a couple of disapproving old ladies." He laughed.
"Right, we really should go," Lys looked at her watch. She took hold of Kasukio's hand, and all but pulled him from his chair. "Come on, Kasu-chan."
Reia glanced at Cye, and smiled, a little shyly. She began to feel a little nervous.
"Just remember our little talk, son," Kento added, in a teasing manner. Cye whirled around and tossed a pillow at his head. Kento returned to his previous sprawled position on the couch, laughing.
"Yeah, well, you just lay on the couch like a bump on a log, for all I care," Cye teased back. "Maybe one of those Dark Warriors will trip over you."
"...Be the last thing they ever trip over," Kento mumbled sleepily, waving as the four finally made their way out the door.
Xanthe looked at Junichi, and sighed. "Well... now what?"
"Shh..." Junichi raised his finger to his lips. "I think Kento fell asleep."
"Well, then, no more of his griping for awhile," Xanthe shrugged.
"Yeah, we'll have to listen to yours instead," Junichi jibed, as he ducked a fake punch from Xanthe at the same time.
Kawai, who'd been so quiet neither of the boys had noticed her, spoke up. "Think they'll be OK?" She asked.
"They'll be fine," Junichi replied. "And if anything goes wrong..."
"We'll know," Xanthe interrupted. "We'll know."
"Hm... I guess you're right." Kawai turned to walk into the kitchen, and the two boys followed after her. "I wonder how things have been going for the Warlords, we haven't seen them in awhile. And where is the ever elusive Lady Kayura, anyway?"
"Wish we knew," Ryo answered Kawai's rhetorical question when she walked in. He and Rowen were seated at the table, the latter immersed in the paperback he'd been carrying earlier, apparently ignoring the world.
"Well," She said, after a pause. "I guess, I'll leave you boys to... discuss whatever it is boys discuss," She shrugged and giggled, flipping her hair over her shoulders.
She wandered aimlessly, taking it upon herself to head back upstairs. As she passed by an open door, she heard the faint sound of keys clacking, and poked her head in to see Mia working at the computer.
"Hi, Mia," She called. "Whatcha doing?"
"Oh, Kawai," Mia smiled at her, as she walked over to look at the computer screen. "I thought I would go through my grandfather's old data, to see if there's anything about Arcane in there. From what you tell me, he sounds like a very old power..."
Kawai nodded. "He seems very strong to me. And, from what we know, he is a sorcerer. Magic... power like that is built over time, or with..." She shivered. "Blood. Somehow I get the feeling he's had plenty of both."
"There isn't a whole lot about magic in here at all," Mia noted, with a little frown. "Almost all of my grandfather's work pertained to Talpa's Dynasty, and the mystical Armors."
Kawai laughed lightly. "Maybe you should continued his work... add to his data?"
"I have," Mia said, ejecting the disk already in the computer, and putting a new one in. "Here."
Images flashed across the screen, diagrams of the armors, and the weapons. A new picture, one of Kawai's armor, was included in the lot.
"Where'd ya get that?" Kawai exclaimed.
"Lady Kayura was helping me, before she went off to... wherever..." Mia hid the worry in her voice, but Kawai could sense it anyway. "Your armor, Kawai, is very interesting."
"Eros?" She asked, a little surprised. "What's so interesting about that?"
"Well, aside from the fact that it's a totally new armor..." Mia clicked some more keys. "The Armor of Eros is taken from pieces of the other armors, but, it has a quality all it's own. It symbolizes the Power of Love, the way Wildfire symbolizes Virtue, or Halo, Wisdom. I think, perhaps, you could grow to have power over other emotions..."
Kawai nodded slightly. "My armor, it... well, it makes my mind more powerful..." She blushed lightly, a little embarrassed. "I can... tell what other people are feeling, even when I'm not in armor."
"Empathy?... Very interesting..." Mia entered in the new data. "Perhaps, this could lead to telepathy... or other psychic abilities. And, one of the most interesting things yet..." She swiveled around, to look at Kawai. "Because of the nature of it's origin, it could very well have the potential to be as powerful as Inferno."
"No way," Kawai exclaimed. "No way, my armor... offensively, it's not much really. I do have some attacks, but..."
"I would not underestimate one of the Ronin Armors, even if it IS new," Mia put in. "Maybe it could be for the best, if the enemy thinks you're weak, though... underestimation can be a powerful tool, can't it?"
Kawai nodded, unconsciously playing with her hair in thought. "When did you become a great tactician, Mia?" She asked, with a little grin. Now it was Mia's turn to blush.
"I'm not, really..." The older girl turned back to her computer screen. "Some of it just seems to rub off, being around the Ronin Warriors so much..."
"Well, you sure gave ME a lot to think about," Kawai replied, with a little sigh. "I wonder, if I should tell the others about this... I mean... they know that Lys taught me some magic, but they don't know about my, uh..." She tapped her head.
"Your armor, your powers," Mia replied. "I would understand if you didn't want to tell them anything, but..." She paused. "It could be useful information for them."
"Well, like I said, I have a lot to think about now," Kawai shrugged. "Anyhow, back on the subject of Arcane..." She scratched the top of her head. "Something about those two witches who attacked Reia and Cye makes me think, but I don't know what it is..."
"Let's see..." Mia turned back to her computer. "What do we know about them?"
"Not much, just what they called themselves, really.... Ohmigosh, that's it!" Kawai jumped. "They called themselves the warriors of Death and Suspicion!"
"And Reia and Cye are the Warriors of Life and Trust!" Mia exclaimed. "That's it! So, Arcane must be creating warriors to counter your own powers!"
"Well, we got Death and Suspicion," Kawai said. "So, that leaves..."