Operation Bosco: New Arrivals, III

It was a cloudless day, the setting sun still beating heavily down on those amassed on the decks of the ship. At the first sign of land, they all had gathered on the ship's deck, even dragging up the injured from down below, to take it all in.

For some people, who'd been under for a long time, this felt too good to be true.

And for one or two, who'd only known the marking on their arm and the silence, it was unconscionable.

But for Haven, it was a different sort of paranoia that set in her belly. The others were worried about where their lives went from here and what freedom meant now; but Haven had only recently lost hers. Even then, in someways, it felt like not fully. There would be no harsh adjustment period and, hopefully, only fleeting residuals from this moment. She didn't have to worry about how she would support herself or where to go after the ship docked; she knew exactly where she'd go.

To bash someone's attractive little skull in.

But first, as she felt a tightness in her chest, it wasn't from nerves. No. It was from butterflies of a different nature and she hadn't been certain that he'd be there, awaiting her arrival, but somehow, she felt foolish for that reason.

Astra had awoken the house to news from Luka on the lacrima about a successful mission abroad (which Xay and Shae then relayed to Locke out in the barn). She had marching orders for them all, but Locke didn't rightly care for any of that; at all. Haven was supposed to be on that ship and fuck everything else.

She was all that mattered.

And she looked fucking awful, she knew, as she stepped off the plank of wood running from the boat to the dock, her pack, which she'd found on the ship still, once more placed upon her shoulders, the only thing that didn't look absolutely filthy, but it didn't seem to matter as he was right there. She'd seen him, felt him, even, before that, and the second she stepped onto the dock, he seemed to be right there.

"Locke," she complained softly into his chest. She didn't feel great, before, but as she allowed herself be pulled into his arms, she at least felt calm. More so than she had in what felt like weeks. "Stop."

But he couldn't.

The others were stepping off the boat as well, a lot of them, filing off, as Luka oversaw this from her ship. Richard was there, at the end of the dock, motioning them over, as Xavier and Shae stood at his side, passing out a small bag, which included a few jewels, a map of the local area, and a list of guilds looking for immediate members. In particular, Richard was mentioning his guild to each person that passed through.

Also though, he was sure to inform each person that, if they waited around the dock for a bit, he would be taking a group back to their super, secret base.

"For anyone," he insisted, "that don't got anywhere else to go."

Haven could hear his loud, obnoxious voice and, though she still wasn't certain what level of anger to direct at the man, she found she' couldn't rightly do much of all as Locke still insisted on keeping her there, in the way of the others walking down the dock, as he checked her out.

"There's other people-"

"I don't care."

"Hurt people. Who actually need you-"

"Don't care."

"I'm alright. I just need-"

"Haven." Locke, who was running his hands along her sides and arms, magic circles over his palms, as he gave he applied basic healing to any of her obvious ailments, looked her in the eyes then as his hands came up instead to cup her cheeks. "I don't care."

"Fine." Raising her wounded hand, she winced some as he immediately started to unwrap the gauze and said, "Can you take care of this for me then?"

And Locke wasn't pleased.

At all.

But as he ran his magic circles over her palm, Haven was forced to stomach the gut-wrenching pain healing this wound caused, trying to seem brave before those she'd wowed only hours before.

There were far worse injured though, with gunshot and stab wounds, that he actually had to climb on board the ship to deal with, before they could be helped off it, but Haven wasn't much up for climbing back aboard. Not with the way Luka seemed to be watching her from afar.

Xavier was pleased at Haven's return, unable to hide the grin that spread across his face when she made eye contact with her. But the blonde didn't go to address the trio, rather, all healed up (at least from the major things) by her boyfriend, Haven went to stand among the silent as they considered their next move. Some looked to her, for guidance, but Haven wasn't even sure of her current position in her new group.

"I'm going back to the safe house," she admitted truthfully to some of them. "But… If you can make it, all the way across the Kingdom, my real guild, my real home, in Magnolia, in Fairy Tail… Just tell them I sent you and they'll treat you right. Let you join up. No matter what."

Though some people departed immediately, most of the silent seemed to stick around. At least for that evening. It was getting late and the idea of trekking around even somewhere relatively safe, like Fiore, especially with that slave branding on their arm, didn't appeal to most.

Astra seemed to have thought of that though, as she'd bought out rooms at the local inn and Richard assured them they'd put them up for the night, before they made the journey out to the safe house the next morning.

Haven wasn't sticking around though. No way. The second Locke climbed back off the boat, having done all he could for the injured, it was to return to her side.

"We're going back," she told him simply as the man only, once more, hugged her slightly. He did nod his head though, not needing an exact explanation.

She didn't seem ready to offer one to him. It was all wearing on her, catching up to her, and Locke held her hand, on their hike back to the safe house. Night fell during this journey and Locke told her a few times, even when they were close, that they could stop off and camp out for the night, but Haven only shook her head, silent most of the way.

For once, Locke allowed it.

He seemed to be struggling with his own internal thoughts. While not as deep as hers, they were rather intrusive. He was glad to find her well and apparently accomplishing what she'd set out to do, but so far, she hadn't really offered up to him what that was and was leaving him to fill in the blanks.

From his end, they didn't seem too promising or aligned with the new Haven.

But she also looked unwell. And though he was known to harp on her a bit as, honestly, one of the only people she'd allow it from, he also knew when to back off.

Returning from Bosco felt like the exact time to do so.

The closer they got though, the more Locke felt like he should at least say something over his current state of affairs as far as the group went, but when he opened his mouth to do so, it was to only quickly be silenced.

"Haven," he began, "while you were gone… Astra came back without you and I just-"

"Yeah," she agreed oddly. "I'll take care of her."

He should have stopped her before they got back to the property. Made her explain what she meant. But he was just so relieved to feel her hand in his once more that he didn't really care what she did. She could do anything she wanted, honestly, so long as it was done in his eyesight.

A light was still on in the house, when they arrived on the property. Haven's exhaustion was only growing worse, but she pressed on at the sight, rushing a bit faster now as Locke allowed himself to be drug along.

Tossing open the back door, they found Astra in the kitchen, some jewels spread out in front of her, as well as a map. Sound pods hung from her ears and she glanced up in surprise when the door was tossed open, not nearly as vigilant as she should have been.

She smiled though, oddly, when she noted them, and Locke felt uneasy, when Haven dropped his hand, because he could read the blonde's energy well and it was not grateful (ever, really) towards the other woman. Rather, it was shaded something far darker.

Still, in the dimly lit kitchen, Haven seemed to hold her tongue as the other woman got to her feet.

"Haven," she remarked warmly, but did keep her distance. "I'm glad to see you're back already. How was-"

"Get," Haven ordered simply, taking a step forwards (to which Astra took one back) and shoving her arm out, showing off the black branding that laid there, "this off me. Now."

Locke had noted it back at the dock, but kept it to himself. Everyone that stepped off the boat bore that marking and, from what Shae told him, he could more than guess what it indicated.

"Of course." Astra even nodded. "I wouldn't have put it on you without a way to get it off. It's a spell. Hold on."

She shut her eyes, Astra did, as she held out a hand. A purple magic circle appeared between her outstretched palm and Haven, holding her arm up to it, watched as, slowly, the magical marking faded away.

It all happened rather fast from there. Locke, not knowing the branding was a magic supresser, assumed Haven wanted it off for more standard reasons and wasn't much on guard. Astra though had to have known, at least a little bit what was coming next.

Or at least Haven convinced herself the woman did.

Her eyes hadn't even opened yet, fully, Astra's hadn't, before Haven, surging the electricity through herself again, finally, fucking finally, immediately tossed up a right hook.

"Haven!" Locke yelled, more out of instinct, as her fist connected with the other woman's jaw.

Astra, for her part, stumbled backwards onto her ass while Haven, fist still electrified, stood over her with a dark gaze.

"You fucking bitch," the older woman growled as her hands flew up to cover her split, bleeding lip.

"Heal her, Locke." Haven only continued to glare at the woman. "Now."

"Why did you do that?" he complained though, reluctantly, he did move to get closer to the other woman. Astra turned away from him, but this hardly mattered, as Locke only bent down, a magic circle of his own appearing before the woman.

"She sold me," Haven answered once it was clear he was following her directive. "Didn't you? You're the fucking bitch. You sold me to Ewing when you knew that he-"

"She what?" And Locke wasn't so generous with his magic then. Shoving back up, he took a step away. "Haven, I didn't-"

"It's fine." She ran one hand over where the marking laid, previously, along her arm, before turning to walk out of the house. "Heal her, Locke. I meant it."

But he didn't want to. At all. He didn't even have the full story yet, but he didn't need it. Instead of helping the woman out, he reached into his pack, which he'd brought along to heal those on the ship, and pulled out a vial of some kind. Tossing it to her, he didn't quite care if she caught it or not. In pain or not.

He just wanted to get back to his girlfriend.

As he opened the backdoor though, there was a blinding light that made both him and Astra squint as it filled the windows and burned their eyes.

"Haven." Locke pushed passed his pain, continuing out the door. "What are you doing?"

It was gone. The light was. The air felt far heavier than she was typically able to make it though and the previously clear night sky now looked clouded and dark. As Locke bounded down the stairs to where she stood in the grass, the woman looked to the clouds with a grim look.

"I wanted to feel it again," she said simply as Locke, noting how unwell she seemed, finally decided she'd had enough. Haven didn't resist though, when he grabbed her arm. Only fell into the man with a sigh. "It takes your magic from you. That branding. Like a seal. I had to feel it all again."

"Yeah, well, you felt it." Locke glanced behind them, at the house, but Astra didn't seem willing to emerge. "C'mon. I've been, uh, sleeping in the barn since you left. You need to rest. And I want to examine you. Fully."

She was the one led along now, reaching the full apex of exhaustion, but still felt somewhat relaxed. Relieved. Now that she'd been given her full powers back. Was able to access them once more. It helped too that she was back with Locke.

It actually helped a lot.

The barn was still under construction, but was free of all the junk inside of it and, as Locke stepped inside, he went immediately to toy with some lanterns he had hung around three of the beams that supported a loft.

"While you were gone," he said as he did so, Haven only taking to slipping her bag off her sore shoulders, "Richard and I have been trying to clean this place up a bit. They want to turn it into, like, a medical bay sorta thing. For members and people that are brought back over from Bosco. It'll also give me a place to go over spells and things. Or it would have. Before."

That last part was said bitterly and, once the lanterns were shining, Locke had returned to Haven with a sour look on his face. But he didn't have a chance to delve into any of the day's recent misgivings as, instead, when he turned back to look at the woman, he found her stripping down.

"You wanna examine me, right?" she questioned as, after dropping the shirt, she took to unbuttoning the pants.

Locke nodded as he came closer. "Whose clothes are those anyways? They're not yours."

"No shit." Stepping out of the pants, she smiled some, finding more relief even, in escaping all holdovers from her terrible few weeks. To her boyfriend, she said, "I found them at the manor. I was in a dress before that."

"So they tortured you?" Locke tried to make light and it worked, sort of, because Haven didn't really laugh at things, especially not with how she was feeling currently, but she did smile warmly.

"Yeah." Standing in only her bra and panties, she took in a breath as Locke, close enough now to touch her, ghosted his fingers over her rib cage, searching more carefully for any ailments. "They did."

Nudity was hardly a concern between the two of them. In certain ways, it hardly ever was. The pair had grown up together in the unconventional world of lengthy training sessions and long excursions out in the woods, traveling to jobs. Atop that, even when the concept took on a new meaning when they aged, their relationship altered around that same time. Locke was the first guy Haven did most things with and he felt far more like an extension of herself than anything else.

There was no awkwardness between them.

There couldn't be.

"Are you going to tell me about it?" he asked softly as he made her hold out both arms, so he could examine them as well. "Hav?"

"Eventually." She had to suppress a yawn. "But I'm tired, Locke."

"Yeah?" As he allowed her to drop her arms, his hand came back to ghost over the scarring across her taut stomach, residuals from the gauntlet. It was at that moment though that her stomach rumbled, loudly, and Haven might have blushed, maybe, if she were able to admit to such a thing. Locke grinned though, at her, as he asked, "Or are you hungry?"

"Both," Haven admitted and he only smiled.

After the woman tugged on some of her own clothes and grabbed her sleeping bag from where it was attached to the bottom of her pack, Locke led her up to the loft where his own was unfurled alongside a half-filled jug of water and a metal container of some sort.

"Gotta keep out the rats," Locke explained, hoping to get a rise out of the woman over this, but, of course, Haven seemed unimpressed.

He was only allowed to be found humorous once a day. Otherwise he might start thinking he was special or something. Haven couldn't have that.

Inside the metal box were some snack foods, taken from the main house, and Haven dug into them as she sat on the man's sleeping back, watching him set her own up. It was while she was sitting there though, eating and drinking his water, that it really started to set in. All that had gone on.

What had almost gone on.

What could have gone on.

And Haven didn't cry over things. Even traumatic ones. Something had to touch her really deep to bring out that emotion. While this was close, it didn't quite reach that level. But when Locke looked over at her and saw how dark her gaze had become, he was quick to shove her sleeping bag right next to his own, sitting beside her on top of it.

"You," he told her softer then, "need to sleep, Haven."

She nodded in agreement at this, but still finished eating and chugged down the rest of his water. During this, Locke rushed back down the stairs, to extinguish the lanterns. When he got back to her, Locke only dropped his jeans and shrugged out of his shirt, planning on sleeping as well.

"Locke," Haven sighed softly as he stretched out with her.

"What?"

"Give me my necklace back."

He smiled softly then, the man moved to kick his jeans back up to himself, retrieving it from the pocket of them. "It was too tight, this one is, to wrap around my wrist."

"That's because it doesn't belong to you," Haven retorted as she laid on her side beside the man.

He dangled it then, between them, the blue gem catching the light of the moon as it drifted through some f the still exposed rafters above them. Head propped up in his other hand, Locke questioned, "Why did you give this to Astra? To give to me? It made me think that you were alright. If I knew that she… What did she do? Haven?"

But she only moved to snatch it back from him, saying simply, "I'll tell you everything. But not right now."

Locke didn't release the chain, even as his girlfriend tugged. Looking into her now annoyed, yet still sleepy blue eyes, he insisted, "You're not going to Bosco-"

"Without you," Haven agreed, the words getting him to release her prized necklace. Clutching it now, she insisted to him, "I won't. I made a mistake. Trusting them. Astra. She tricked me. From now on wherever I go, you go. I promise."

"We'll fuck outta here," he offered then, watching as she looked over her necklace. "You did all that shit in Bosco on your own, practically. We'll make our own connections. Away from her. And-"

"No."

"Haven-"

"I have to talk to Astra," she told him simply. "In the morning. To understand everything. And then…depending on what she tells me-"

"But she tried to- Hey, Haven-"

"Shuddup." She didn't want to delve much further that night and, in order to insure this didn't happen, she'd reached out for him, wrapping an arm tightly around him and pulling him closer. Her necklace was still in her hand and she needed to set it somewhere safe, but for the moment, she just wanted to not think about much of anything for awhile. Burying her face in his skin felt like the best kind of escape. "I don't wanna talk anymore."

"I smell," he remarked as she nuzzled into his chest though, slowly, Locke was relaxing into this.

"I smell worse," she retorted.

"Tomorrow," he said, "we'll go down to the river and bathe. Before everyone arrives back. Okay?"

"'kay."

"Fuck, I was so worried about you." Bowing his head, Locke reveled in the feeling of her hair tickling his nose, reverent of how rare it was, for her to grant this allowance. Haven didn't like it as much, when he held her. It felt like a loss of control. It seemed to be a comfort then though, as her breathing began to even out, matching his, and Locke didn't know he'd been so tired, these past few days, but fuck. Fuck. "I should have come for you. I'm Haven."

"I know you would have," she muttered. "If I really needed you. But I didn't. So you didn't. It's okay."

"Did you at least get him? That Ewing guy or whatever?"

"Tomorrow, Locke." And she was shifting away then, him releasing her immediately. They were on the wrong sleeping bags and Locke felt like this was on purpose because Haven's wasn't nearly as comfortable, but as she kicked down his and snuggled into it, he found he wasn't too upset. Opening her palm, she stared down at her necklace for a moment before glancing over her shoulder at the man. "Okay?"

"Yeah," Locke agreed, falling to his back to stare up at the stars through the rafter. "Tomorrow."

But if Haven was finally able to relax and get a full night's rest, then Locke was in the same boat. He'd been tense, the entire time she was gone, but the feeling of her beside him, the warmth, was enough to finally bring him back down to his usual level. He was still conscious though, it seemed like, as every time she shifted in the night, he awoke, but it was only to stare down at her for a moment, be certain she really was still there, and then drift off once more.

Which was probably why, once he truly fell asleep, right before sunrise, Haven was able to slip away without him.

She stared down at him too, at first, of course, somewhat jealous of the man, as she always was. Locke always seemed so goofy and easygoing. Even after these past few weeks, which, fine, weren't as much of a hell for him, but still were significantly stressful. His form then, one arm stretched above his head, the other curled towards his chest, showed no signs of this. He was breathing easy, peaceful, and if she just laid there, beside him, would lull her right back to sleep.

But she couldn't do that now. She needed to speak to Astra. Without Locke. Yes, he was easygoing and goofy, but he didn't take well to people he abused that. Even without knowing all Astra had caused, she knew that he'd be ready to write the woman off. Never speak to her again. But Bosco meant too much to Haven. The people trapped within it.

It had been drowned out before, by her own aches and pans, but now, in the light of a new day, Haven was feeling back to herself some more. She'd saved those people. Her. And she could save more. She would save more.

No matter what.

So she resisted the urge to settle back against the man and instead made her way quietly down from the loft and over to her bag, where she dressed for the day. It felt so fucking good, to change into her own clothes. Clean clothes. Even though she still felt rather sticky and planned on taking Locke down to the creek the second he awoke, it still felt better than anything she'd been forced into back on the Ewing property.

Much.

Astra was up when Haven approached the house. Again, she was going over some kind of map, this time on the porch steps. She hadn't wanted to miss Locke and Haven, if they happened passed the house.

But Haven was coming for her, face void, and Astra was sure to jump up, defensive, at the blonde's approach.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Astra questioned and she didn't look so smug, like usual, that day. There was a trace of fear, maybe, in her voice, and she clearly didn't want to tussle again. "Haven? Because-"

"Believe me," the blonde retorted. "You don't want him here. To hear all of this. Because if he did, he'd do far fucking worse to you."

Astra was above her, as she still stood on the porch, and Haven subconciously could never allow such a thing. She hated, even, just the fact that the other woman was taller than her. As Haven bounded up the steps, the older woman took a step back, still cautious, but Haven made no motions towards attacking her. Just glared.

There was a holdover, perhaps, from her time on the silent side of things, because Haven didn't immediately launch into the tirade that she felt was appropriate, in that moment. Didn't lash out at the other woman. Just stood there, gaze smoldering, as her arms fell over her chest, crossed tightly.

Taking a breath, Astra recognized it was her who had to broach this subject.

"Firstly," she began, still tense, "I think that I should thank you for your excellent work freeing the-"

"Firstly," Haven corrected, "you should drop to your knees and beg me not to end you."

"Haven-"

"You sold me to fucking slavers."

"I did not," Astra defended with a frown. "I sold you to a man whose exact type you are. He wouldn't have sold you to someone else. You were never going to be in any real danger. If you'd have been gone more than a month, I would have gone to retrieve you. It's that simple."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Haven thought that she was going to be able to control her anger, that it was over and done with and she was going to be able to hear the other woman out, but no. She could feel it all bubbling up inside of her and maybe Locke should have come, to keep her in check. "What type? And you didn't run any of that shit by me. You just threw me to the wolves and-"

"Because I felt like you wouldn't agree to it," Astra said simply. "You seemed to regret it, the second I placed the branding on your arm. But I couldn't stay at the Ewings forever and needed you left there indefinitely. If I didn't sell you to him, he would have just taken you and kicked me off his property. The exchange rate was favorable and now I was able to afford to prepare for the slaves you freed. I got to test you out, as well. And you did what I wanted. More, honestly. I did slightly fear for your safety, but like I said, Ewing paid a decent amount for you. He wasn't going to do anything to damage his investment."

Haven eyed her then, heavily, before asking, "So you wanted me to be raped?"

This question felt heavy and inappropriate, somehow. Like the word being spoke in the otherwise picturesque setting. There were birds singing in the early morning and it wasn't too hot, that day, with a slight breeze rolling over the morning dew, and it just felt so jarring. For someone that slung around the thickest of curses, Haven found she disliked that word more than any other.

Astra seemed taken aback, perhaps just by the blasé way Haven had, and even took a step backward.

"N-No. Haven did he… I didn't-"

"You sold me," she retorted simply. "You sold me to a man because...why? I'm his...type? Is that what you said? Fuck you."

"Haven, I didn't… When I was a kid," Astra tried to explain then, "it was kind of a well-known thing. Among the families. If you get in a cute, blonde, blue eyed teenager… Ewing would pay for her. Yes, I could assume what… But you said that you had been there before, which him, and that you knew the risks and… I knew that you wouldn't want to stay, without me, so I thought to not tell you and that you would recover and do what you needed to. And you have. But I should have said something, before I left. It was...difficult for me to-"

"Don't."

"It was. Haven. It was difficult to-"

"Ewing's a piece of shit. His whole family is." Haven took a step towards the woman and, again, Astra found herself tensing, defensive. "But you're supposed to be reformed. Separated from all that. But you still think exactly like them, don't you? You knew that Ewing would buy me, but you weren't sure if I would go along with it. If I knew that. So you didn't tell me. Because to you, I'm just expendable. Disposable."

"That's not true."

"Just like every other one of them. Us." She looked to her forearm, but the marking was gone. Shaking her head slightly, she said, "In my guild? You'd be excommunicated. For pulling something like this. You risked my life, Locke's life because you knew he'd come after me, because it made your job easier. You gave no value to your teammates lives and recklessly abandoned them when you saw fit. My father… The current master… They'd bar you from the guild for this."

Astra swallowed then, looking stricken for a moment, before resolve found her and she retorted simply, "This ain't your guild. Haven. This isn't Fairy Tail. This is a group of people who will do anything to save aid in the operation of freeing Bosco from it's current regime. There are no allies within it, no bonds. We all are working towards a singular common goal and we'll do anything ot achieve it. We're not a guild; and we never will be."

It was with a sneer, fully upon the other woman now, who'd back up against the porch railing while the blonde only glared up into her face, that Haven retorted, "Yeah, I know. But it goes both ways, Astra. Don't forget it."

She turned then, to walk away, but after she'd started down the steps, Astra called out a weary, "Haven..."

When the blonde stopped and turned back to look at her, the older woman swallowed some before speaking.

"I just… You're okay, aren't you?" Astra questioned then and her voice sounded different. Separate from the void, aloof tone she usually took. She actually sounded concerned. "I...should have put more thought and precautions into-"

"He didn't touch me." Haven started walking once more. "So don't worry about it."

The conversation felt dead and, on the off chance Astra tried to restart it once more, Haven insured it stayed that way by, without warning, using her Lightning Body magic to zap right across the field, and up through the cracks in the barn ceiling before landing, on her feet, atop the loft before her sleeping boyfriend. The momentary static buzz did make him stir a bit, but Haven kicking at his side was what truly forced him to awaken.

He started to gripe at her, out of custom, but she was leaning down some, to make a face at him, and he couldn't keep the anger up for long. He just laughed and she smiled, offering him her hand.

"You stink," she told him simply as he found his footing. Not giving him a chance to return the assessment, she merely insisted, "Let's go wash off."

Astra had disappeared from the porch when they walked passed it, but Haven only held Locke's hand tightly, dragging him along with little concern for the other woman. She'd asked, as they left the barn, for him to tell her all about what he'd done while she was gone, and though he did make a bit of a face at the request, he agreed on the condition she shared more of her trials with him afterwards.

Even when they were young kids, Haven had always found Locke's voice either extremely soothing or extremely grating. There was no in between. There was also no noticeable different between the two. Rather, it was all dependent on Haven's own mood. Considering she was still reeling from telling Astra off as well as remnants of her magic lingering, his voice was welcome and she wasn't really listening, she hardly ever could when he rambled, but she enjoyed the resonance.

He walked with confidence now, Locke did, through the forest and when he began to be the one to lead, Haven let it go. She had to give into him sometimes.

"You want first?" Locke asked as, after they both dropped their bags by the creek's edge, he took to digging through his before producing a used bar of soap. But as Haven only stood over him, tugging her shirt over her head, she had a better suggestion.

"Why," she asked, "can't we both?"

Locke laughed, sounding uncomfortable, but more in a nervous way. "I thought you'd tell me about Bosco. While we bathed."

"I can later." When he stood, she was quick to pull him closer, reaching down to tug his shirt up and over his head. "Can't I?"

"But you will, won't you?"

"Locke-"

"I want to know," he defended as he allowed his shirt to be stripped away, but ducked away from her when she tried to unbuckle his jeans. "Haven, I'm serious."

"I'm serious," she insisted then with a frown. "I want to not think about it, okay? For a bit. When everyone gets here, that's all we're going to talk about and I just...wanna forget, okay? About it. Please? Just help me forget, Locke."

She always chopped his name incorrectly, adding an extra emphasis on the end, when she was trying to entice him, but if felt different this time. Strange. Still, he found himself nodding and even laughed, softly, when she reached for him again.

It had been awhile.

There was clearly more to Bosco though. There always had been. And Locke seemed tired of being equally the most important person in her life while also somehow staying completely in the dark about one of the most important events.

So they talked about it.

Haven felt even better, once she was cleaned up, and after shrugging some clothes on again, she and Locke sat together by the creek bank, him skipping water across it as she tried to find the words to explain.

"The slave trade is as bad as they say, Locke." She was actually supposed to be combing out her hair, but stalled some, as she just bounced the brush around in one of her hands, internally counting the skips each of his pebbles made in the water. "It's...different though. Than I thought. Or at least where I was. Have been. At the Ewing's. It's...what they say it is. You don't mean anything, to them. To anyone. You're, like, branded and then you just work. And I did. Work."

"At what?" he asked softly, hesitating before he threw his next pebble. Glancing down at her, he asked, "Haven?"

"Kitchen shit. Cleaning and shit. The first time was...different, because I wasn't there long, but this time was just kitchen duty. Mostly."

"This guy...bought you for that? He needed someone and...Astra just decided to-"

"It's different. Than just a regular household." Then she frowned. "I mean, I've never been to one in Bosco, but I think they just buy a single person or two, maybe. Probably. But on a property his size and with the amount of people in his household, Ewing...needs a lot of people. The men worked his fields. And the rest of us worked in the house, caring for his wife and daughters."

"What happened to them?"

"I ran them off." Gripping the brush tightly in her left hand then, she said, "I could...still tranform. With the branding. I channeled my demon shit and scared them up into the mountain that surrounded the manor. His wife and daughters."

"What about Ewing? Did you fuck him up?"

"No." Her grip relaxed. "He was out."

Locke tossed a pebble then, but it only sunk. To the woman, he said, "Did he hurt you?" When Haven didn't immediately answer, he said, "Like...beat you? Or something? Since you didn't have your powers? Did anyone? Because… I know that you can look out for yourself. Haven. Of course you can. But when we lose our magic...and I know yours means so much to you. Astra's a fucking bitch. I dunno what we're gonna do, but… Fucking bitch."

He hadn't let her answer, before, but Haven felt better without telling him everything. Just mostly.

"We're not going anywhere, Locke," she told him. When this got an incredulous look, she said, "Astra sucks. What she did sucked. And I haven't forgiven her for it. And I won't forget about it. So you don't either. But… I think that I can do this. Here. I didn't know what it was before, that I needed to do. How to do it. I kind of got a feel for it though, while I was there. And it was thanks to Astra and her shitty plan."

"Haven-"

"I was one of them," she insisted to him. "I am one of them. And I can be again. I just go in, I get them to revolt against the family holding them and-"

"I'm not letting you just-"

"Then you'll come with me." Dropping the brush, she reached for his hand. As he dropped the muddy pebbles, the space was only filled with Haven's palm as she said, "I don't fucking know. Alright? How it'll all work. Astra's the one that figures it all out. She's the one that knows everyone there. If we wait until you and I are able to localize everything, then… We'll just never be able to do all that, alright? This isn't a guild. This isn't a family. It was hard for me, too, the first time I left home. To realize that. That not everyone has the best interest of the group at heart. If they gotta be selfish, let them be selfish. We'll be selfish too. Because I want this. I want to help people. And we don't need any more family, Locke, to get that done. We're each others family. Right?"

She'd shifted, or her hands had, to clutching his bicep now as she stared up at him with her big, blue eyes and Locke nodded because of course they were. They always had been. She was as much family as anyone who shared his name.

"Yeah, Hav." He brought up a thumb, to brush it across her lips, the woman turning her head a bit at the motion, but this only made a smile spread across his own. "We're more than that. You're a part of me."

Haven released him, suddenly, before shoving at his arm. When his grin grew at that, she shoved him harder, with a bit of a spark.

"Shut up," she ordered as, finally, she moved to pick up the hairbrush and actually do something about her hair. "Idiot."

"I'm never going to trust her again," he said, glancing over his shoulder, as if fearful of the other woman looming. "Astra."

"You shouldn't have in the first place. We're expendable to her. She saw an opportunity to have someone on the inside and thought it would be better if I didn't know about it beforehand, regardless of what that meant for my well-being." Haven was struggling then, with a tangle in her hair and was bending over awkwardly, tugging heavily at the brush. Around a contorted growl, she added, "Nothin' I wouldn't have done."

"No."

"No?"

"No," Locke insisted as, this time, his pebble skipped straight across the stream. "You're a lotta things, Haven. And you were a lot more, back when we were kids. But you'd never double cross someone that badly."

"Maybe you just didn't know me as well as you think you did."

He made a sound then, in the back of his throat, before retorting, "Maybe you didn't either."

They had to go back eventually as Locke, who hadn't eaten most of the previous day, felt his stomach rumble and joked weakly about needing the metal tin. Haven retorted that he'd hardly had any real food in there and she was starved for some.

"I'll take you out," Locke told her then, sounding a bit more serious. "After we have the big meeting or whatever about what to do next, me and you will head back into the closest city and I'll get you whatever you want."

"With what money?"

"I haven't blown it all on groceries," he insisted to her. "My father always says that a man should have some money stored away, no matter what."

"He says that? Or Elf says that?"

"I don't think Elf has any money to store away, so-"

"Oh, no," Locke sighed some when, just as they were arriving back on the property and out of the forest, they could see someone, in the distance, rushing towards them. Xavier. He was sprint, full out, headed right for them, and Haven just wasn't up for it. That day. Not after the past few.

So she raised her hand, before he could get to her, shooting off a bolt of lightning that, while not particularly strong, was enough to jolt the teen and cause him to seize up, falling flat on his face.

"Haven," her boyfriend complained then, jogging over to the boy. "You didn't have to do that."

She came over as well, much slower, but also with a bit of a worried frown. To Xavier, she merely said, "I didn't want you to tackle me."

"Why," he groaned as he sat up, feeling singed, "would I have done that?"

Haven looked to Locke who gave her a shrug as, he too, had felt this was imminent.

"Anyways," the teen went on as, after a beat, he got no real answer and only shoved to his feet. "Richard sent me on ahead, yesterday, to hike into the nearby town and do some shopping. There's a good number of people that are displaced and uncertain about where to go from here. Astra says we're going to have a meeting, once Richard and Shae arrived, just the few of us, and talk things over."

"Yeah," Locke agreed, reaching over to gently pat the other guy on the back once he was on his feet once more. "I figured."

"I think it's so cool though, Haven," Xavier insisted to the woman then, all transgressions forgiven as he said, "that you helped free all those people. Everyone else was so surprised, but… I knew you could do it."

Haven looked away, at his praise, not finding herself able to bask in it as easily as she once was. Instead, she told him, "They all helped themselves. More than I helped them. Really."

Locke noted his girlfriend's strange tone and, quickly changing the subject, questioned the younger guy, "What kinda food did you bring back? Some good meat? Say, if you go start gathering firewood now, I bet I can get us a big bonfire going, to welcome everyone, once they get here."

"You think so?" Xavier asked, eyes wide. At Locke's nod, he was sure to add, "Will you have time? Between setting up all the tents?'

"Tents?"

"Richard had me get a buncha tents too," the boy assured him. "For all the-"

"We'll set up the tents," Haven assured the teen. "Just get started on the firewood, huh?"

"Remember," Locke called after Xavier when, at the blonde's agreement, he took off in a spring, "you need an assortment of pieces; big and small." To Haven though, Locke remarked, "We'll put together the tents, huh?"

"Well, you will," she decided. "All you've done is sit on your lazy ass and miss me. You need to learn to contribute, Locke."

"Ha ha."

"I'm more of a supervisor," she insisted to him. "I always have been."

Xavier had been a bit of a pack mule it seemed, having utilized a large cart, not unlike Titania, to lug all of his purchases back to base. It sat neatly stacked before the house where, inside, they could see who they guessed to be Astra move around inside, but neither much wanted to deal with that.

Locke set to work on the tents while Haven scoured the nonperishable Xay hadn't already taken inside. She tossed a bag of chips at her boyfriends head before, after rifling through his pack and locating his red sunglasses, slipping them over her eyes and taking to what she'd declared.

Supervising.

And fine, helping him out some too.

Locke was rather useless without her.

They could sense the group of people as they approached before they saw or heard them. Locke stood to attention, after finishing up with the last tent he was working on. He was nervous and Haven could feel it. But whatever she was feeling over the whole thing stayed hidden, locked away behind his shades, which she used to eye the others behind, when they started to trickle into base.

Shae was leading the way it seemed, instead of Richard, and as she instructed those in the front of group to make themselves at home and claim any of the spread out tents that now speckled the front of the property, she also seemed to be making her way over to Locke and Haven.

As she returned Locke's nod, it was to Haven that she spoke, taking in a deep breath before remarking, "Good job. On getting everything taken care of at Ewing's place."

Haven had tensed, at her approach, getting ready to either defend her actions or even, really, the fact it was her who'd gotten to take the action. Even at the statement Shae provided, Haven was prepared for a tone to be attached to it. Of sarcasm or snark. The standard, from when she was younger, and returned successful from a task her father had either given her or was perceived as doing so, by the other teens in the hall. She was ready to have to turn her head, comeback with her own snotty remark.

No.

Now she had to swallow some of her own pride and offer back, "Thanks. I hope you're there next time."

But Shae only leveled her gaze before assuring the other woman, "I will be."

As more people arrived, Locke took to walking among them, checking in on any of those that he'd cared for the evening before as well as checking in on any who hadn't been poorly off enough to need his services prior, but might now. Haven, however, found herself scanning the crowd, recognizing faces here or there before, finally, landing upon the one she wasn't aware she was seeking.

Neeve looked so much better, washed and at least somewhat rested. Her hair cascaded down her back now, having escaped the tight bun, and when she smiled at the blonde, it actually seemed to almost reach her eyes.

Almost.

"I didn't think you'd stay around," Haven found herself admitted, a strange look crossing her face when the other woman came over to her. "I mean, I didn't have any reason to think that, but-"

"I won't for long," Neeve assured the woman. "I wanted to rest up. Before the journey back home. To Caelum. The island is not far. My daughter… It has been a long two years. She was so little when I left, I worry… I need my strength, for the journey home, the thought of my family awaiting me…"

Haven nodded easily, not rightly knowing that true feeling, but understanding it, maybe, from another point of view.

When Locke found himself soothing the chaffing wounds of Jed, from where he'd been bound, down in the dungeon, that Haven found herself making her way over. The two men were seated in the grass, before a tent, Locke leaning over the other man.

"This is the guy I who saved me, down in the dungeon," Haven bragged the man up with ease and Locke glanced up at her. Only for a second though, as he seemed very concern with the wounds on the man's wrists. The problem Locke was running into was that, while his magic felt limitless in the realm of healing, the caveat was that the more powerful the healing spell he used, the quicker his power was drained. He had to conserve it to ensure he adequately the twenty or so amassed. Not to mention, just in case something unexpected happened as the day drug on, he didn't want to find himself completely drained either.

Being a medic was a fine line. Though Locke understood the basic concept of triage, he personally had never been in a station that required it.

"Oh, yeah?" he did remark to the blonde though as Jed was wincing, heavily, at the searing pain of the medic's healing spell. To the other man, Locke offered, "Gotta set you up real good then, I guess. Saving my girlfriend and all."

"Didn't save her," Jed insisted through a pained gasp as Locke finished up.

"I felt saved," Haven insisted and, as Locke sat back, onto his butt, in the grass, taking his own gasps of clean air, hoping to clear his head some. As he glanced up at the blonde, she told him, "He gave me water."

"She's rarely appreciative," Locke relayed to Jed. "So she must have really needed it."

"Are you sticking around here?" Haven asked the man who was still gritting his teeth. Hoping to distract him from this, she insisted, "Or are you going somewhere else? Are you from Fiore? Or-"

"Joya," he answered easily. "But… There's nothing there for me now."

"Then stay here," Haven insisted to him. "Like right here. With us. We need new members."

"Haven," Locke cautioned then, finding her to be a bit too much in that situation, but Jed only bowed his head some.

"I thought of it last night," he admitted softly. "But I have no magic to offer or-"

"We just need bodies, right now," Haven insisted to him. "Someone's gotta fill up all these tents."

"Rest up," Locke insisted to the man instead as he shoved to his feet. "I'll come back around tomorrow, to check on your wounds. And be cautious tonight, okay? During the meal? Refeeding is a thing. Pace yourself. It's going to be a long adjustment period, but if you stick around, I'll make sure that you get through it just fine."

Haven grinned at Jed, in parting, but just as quickly was following along her boyfriend who she deterred from his next stop in.

"You working on some bedside manner?" she asked as she made him go over to the porch, where Xay had set up coolers full of drinks. Unfortunately, and to the loud complaints of Richard, none were alcoholic. He'd actually gone out to remedy this himself, the older man had insisted upon that discovery, but so far hadn't been back and, well, they all just assumed he was getting drunk at a nearby bar and found themselves better for it.

"I was brought here to heal people up when they come back from Bosco," he answered simply as he took the bottle of soda when the woman pushed it onto him. For a flash of a second, his finger turned to some sort of flat, metallic sliver, which he used to pop the cap off his drink. Locke only downed half of it, in one gulp, before giving the rest to his girlfriend. As she took her own sip, he added, "I gotta learn how to comfort them and all that."

"I thought you were brought here to make sure I don't eclipse everyone else and just become the supreme ruler of Bosco."

"Yeah, Erza mentioned that too."

Someone did arrive at camp, around midday, when there was a big roast of weenies and other meats over the bonfire, but it wasn't Richard. Rather, it was Luka, all alone, without her men, but with her cap still perched on her head, walking with the same arrogance she had upon her ship. As she made her way across the ground, it was with little care for any of the things going on around her and, rather, crossed the property with purpose and bounded right up into the house without so much as a word to anyone.

"How much do you know about her?" Locke asked Haven, but when she shook her head, he sought out Shae, where she was speaking with some of those amassed, and questioned her the same.

"She's Astra's friend," Shae told him simply. "I'm hardly that close with Astra, honestly. None of us are, really."

"You're just all people, not a guild, yeah, I know. I've heard."

But Luka was still inside when Astra, finally, made her appearance. Even then, it was only to welcome those gathered, assure them she would be removing their marks, and explain that while anyone was welcome to stay long enough to get their bearings, the intent of their group was to overthrow the evil practices in Bosco; interested parties need only remain.

Following this however, she called out to Shae, Xavier, Haven, and Locke, informing them she wished to speak to them inside for a moment.

Luika, already, was sitting before the spread out map Astra had been obsessing over for the past day. But while Locke glared at the older woman, she only moved to roll up the map, offering over her shoulder, "We don't need that right now. I want to go over what was accomplished with the Ewings and what wasn't."

"What wasn't?" Haven complained as they all stood around the table. Tossing up a sparking arm, she insisted, "I fucking freed the slaves he was holding! What else is there?"

"Ewing," Astra replied simply. "And his family. You allowed them to live."

"What the fuck was I supposed to do?" Haven asked with a frown. "Kill them?"

Haven kinda of said it as a joke. Sort of. An outrageous statement, at least. But when she glanced around, she found only Locke and Xay seemed as incredulous as her.

"Are you serious?" the blonde asked, taking in their gaze. "You want me to fucking kill people?"

"We don't," Locke retorted, "do that."

"You didn't do that. In your little guild, fine." Astra wasn't fully giving them her attention then. She seemed nervous, to be having this conversation. As she fished her cigarettes out of her pocket, she took in a breath before saying, "Here? You're going to have to start."

"Fuck you." Haven snorted. "You want me to, what? Execute all of the Ewings? And then what, Astra? Huh? You want blood on my fucking hands when you wouldn't have any on your own."

"I'm part of this, aren't I? I took you there, didn't I?"

"You didn't stay," Haven insisted. "You didn't get your hands dirty. You ran away. You fled. You want people to do more than you're willing to do."

Astra was lighting up then, cigarette dangling and lighter drug up to her mouth, but her eyes were on Haven, smoldering and angry. Locke, even though he wasn't wholly against anything Haven had just said (or her tone) felt like he had to at least intercede a bit.

"We're not," he insisted, "killing people. Purposely killing people. How do you so easily jump from whatever stupid attempts you were making before to out right murder?"

"Murder?" Astra plucked the lit cigarette from her mouth as she said, "Is it murder, Haven? To kill Ewing? And his wife? And his daughters? When they perpetrate what they do? After what he did to you? Tried to do to you? That's murder?"

Locke frowned, looking then to his girlfriend. "What did he try to do to you?"

But Haven only continued to glare at Astra as she said, "I fucking freed the people he was holding captive. That's enough."

"It's not," Luka finally spoke up from where, as the only one seated, she was leaning back in her chair, "enough."

As Haven turner her eyes of accusation onto her though, Shae spoke up, looking rather uncomfortable though she did nod her head in agreement.

"It's not," she said. When Haven turned to glare at her though, Shae insisted, "You did a good job, fine, yes. You rescued people. But Ewing's just going to get more of them."

"And," Haven insisted, "I would rescue them again. And again. Until-"

"The see the err of their ways?" Astra snorted. "You're the one told me it's a foolish thing to even try, right? Convincing the civilians they were in the wrong? And you wanna try and make the ringleaders believe so? It doesn't work that way and you know it."

"You got lucky," Luka offered simply. "I heard some of them talking. About what all went down. Ewing was out and you struck. Good. Fine. If he were there and you had to lead your revolt, then what? The low number of causalities you had is fine, but so what? Will hardly be how the rest are."

"What the fuck do you know?" Haven retorted to the woman, but Luka only laughed, humorless and dry, as she slammed the front legs of her wooden chair back on the floor.

"Nothin'," she agreed. "Just do deliveries."

"There's other ways," Locke said simply then, more to Shae. "We can...run them all off. The masters or whatever. We'll go from estate to estate and-"

"What would happen," the woman retorted, "if someone went from guild to guild here? Destroying them? The capital would step in. We don't have the support of the people in this. At all. The kingdom. If we're going to do this, there's going to be deaths. You had to have known that going in."

"There's a difference," Haven interjected, "with people dying in the heat of combat and executing someone once you've won."

"What have you won?" Astra questioned her. "Haven? What? I'm not undercutting what you've done, but it's hardly even blip on what we still have before us. And I am not angry that you didn't execute the Ewings. I'm...unsure if that would have even been the right move. Luka and Shae, you're both right, he will only acquire more slaves and… But once we kill one of five main families… We have to prepare. For that. It's coming, it will have to, but that would be all out war. A declaration. Right now, we have an isolated incident that Ewing will attempt to cover up."

"You need to get word in, then," Shae told her. "To those being held by the other families. Even in the lesser. There was a slave uprising and escape. The Kingdom will hide it, but word travels fast. You'd be surprised. We have one or two others happen-"

"I'll go back in." Haven spoke without thinking. All she'd just gone through would haunt her for awhile, but she felt challenged, before, about the execution thing, and was ready to jump in again, to prove herself. "Right now. And-"

"Ewing," Astra replied, "knows you. Now. If he didn't before, now he always will. And I don't know if he thinks that you were a part of the uprising or not, but both you and I have to lay low from Bosco for awhile before of it."

"I'll go," Shae was quick to say, before Haven had a chance at a rebuttal. "No matter how many of these fucker I have to kill. Wherever you think is best next. I'll...go and do whatever Haven did and-"

"You'd wanna hit another providence," Luka offered with a shrug. "But that would involve moving away from the coast. Not an easy escape. Or, you keep it in the providence and hit a lesser house. Ewing will be on high patrol though, having all the lesser houses running checks. It would be difficult to get someone in-"

"I'm still," Haven cut in, "going back. To wherever."

"I just said-" Astra started, but she choked, on her smoke when purple tiles appeared before Haven and then, there she was, staring back at herself. An exact copy.

The other Astra though didn't have her same posture and, throwing up an arm again, she insisted, "I can be whoever the fuck I wanna be! And I can do this through those damn marks too."

Her transformation magic had surprised everyone, but it was Xay, who'd been silent, letting the women (and Locke, hash it out) who began to jump up and down.

"That's so cool!" he insisted with a bright grin. "I wanna go too! If they are! To Bosco! The three of us will-"

"Haven's not going anywhere," Locke, once again, came in with his serious tone. As his arms folded over his chest, purple tiles appeared before the second Astra only to reveal Haven once more, who promptly punched his arm. Through a grimace, he insisted, "Not without me."

"I haven't said anyone," Astra, recovered, remarked with a glare, "is going anywhere."

"You don't exactly tell people, do you?" Haven retorted. "When they're going somewhere? Or when they're staying?"

Having to turn her head, Astra took a puff of her cigarette, silent for a moment before saying, "I'm not ready. To send anyone back into the field. When it happens, it happens. I just, for now, want us all on the same page. We need more members. Understand? I don't know when we'll be ready, for a full on assault, but we'll have to be able to go up against Bosco. When the time comes. If we can get uprisings to start inside the kingdom and then begin liberating it city by city…" She shook her head. "I'm getting ahead of myself. Of course. Right now, I want you all to assess the people we have outside. In the tents. They're a good start. Those who can help. And I want you to all know I'm going to keep up my tabs and connections, in Bosco, and plan our next more. But for now… Rest. Haven. And prepare, the rest of you. Tomorrow's a new day."

There felt like there was more to be said. But Astra just smoked and while Shae and Haven both eyed one another, no one else seemed to be able to find any words. It was then though, from outside, they heard some commotion.

"Piss poor party you got going," Richard's loud voice carried from outside. "Much rather get pissed, eh?

And he'd...adequately shopped for such a thing. He came carrying two crates, in his burly arms, stacked atop one another, with bottles of alcoholic drinks. As he set them by the coolers, the others streamed out of the house and the potential members, weary, came over as well.

It was a strange transition, as Luka faded into the night, no doubt back to her ship and Astra took to standing up on the porch, smoking and observing. Haven felt a slight pull, when she saw Xay snag a drink for himself, but resisted the urge to tell him to put it back. It wasn't her place. Shae stood nearby, silent, but watching the others as closely as the blonde.

The sun was setting now, as the scent of the bonfire and roasting weenies had to compete with ale, and the night was young, but it felt poignant, in a way Haven wasn't familiar with, as a hush fell over everyone and they were existing, a lot of them, all at once, together, no doubt thinking of the same thing, or at least tentatively. She imagined some people were considering their families, how to get back to them, if they should get back to them, while the rest of them thought of Bosco, in some way or another, and Haven didn't like crowds much. Or at least, it never ended well, when she was around one too long. Drinking and carrying on. But there was hardly enough alcohol to get drunk off and she only felt slightly buzzed.

Richard went up the steps of the porch, just for a moment, and Haven watched as Astra whispered something to the man when he leaned over, before nodding at her words. Then he was bounding right back down the steps, a wide grin on his face as he called the others to attention.

"I think I've introduced myself to most of you here, huh?" he called as he looked out at all of them, that same, aloof grin on his face as always. But his eyes, they constantly seemed to, looked far more serious. "Bearded guy at the dock, greeted ya all? I meant what I said there. We fed ya and put ya up for the night and, if you wanted to head out on your own way, we gave ya the chance. But those of you who came back here with us, who are here with us right now, And we want ya with us. For the long haul. You wanna head out tomorrow? The next day? The one after that? How could we say no. But you'll stay here with us… See, it's bigger than us all, ain't it? What's going on there? In Bosco? I remember bein' a little boy and hearin' 'bout how, if you're out too late, out too far in the sea, then… The slavers'll get ya! And it was scary, I'll admit, but you grow older and it don't seem to real, does it? From here, in our safety and our protection. It'd be easy, wouldn't it? To go back to your lives now? Oh, you'd wake up sometimes, thinking about it, what happened over there, and all cold with your own sweat, cryin' for your gods. But you'll find sleep again. 'course you will. Longer you go from it, the more you forget. Harder to remember.

"But imagine it. I bet you can, right now. 'fore you go away and lose it forever, just imagine it with me, huh? What it was like? When you thought you'd never have this again? Never taste this again? Being able to go, to do, whatever you want… There's people over there who still feel that way. Who, without your help, will always feel that way. I ain't guiltin' ya into goin' back. Can't say I would, after all you've all gone through. But…what if you did? What if you helped us change Bosco? So you don't have to worry, wake up cryin' to your gods, about how you don't wanna go back, you never wanna go back. We wanna make it to where nobody ever does. And it's only with your help that way can do that."

There were some nods in the crowd, some who turned away, after Richard spoke, but Haven, even though she'd hardly finished her drink, found herself yawning some, into it, and Locke only nudged her arm gently before nodding to the barn.

While the other mingled and drank, discussing the possibility of joining up, the newest (for now) arrivals found themselves settling back up in their loft in the barn. Haven, once more, fell into his sleeping bag, but Locke only chuckled, cuddling right up to her.

They could still hear the others, outside, especially Richard and his too loud voice, but as Locke rested his head against the side of hers, Haven only sighed, shutting her eyes.

"Have," he whispered though, getting a slight grunt out of her. "It's not too late, you know? To go back and tell Erza this group is fucked and we'll have to do this all a different way. She'd understand, if you explained it right."

"It is too late though, Locke." Haven, with a yawn, lifted a hand up into the air, clenching her fist slowly. "We've already started. You know I don't walk away from things I've started."

"Yeah," he agreed dryly. "And that's what got you killed."

"That's what led to me getting revived and unlocking a new power." Haven's arm fell slowly. "The gauntlet wasn't what I was chosen to do, Locke. This is. I can feel it. I can't walk away from this. Not now. Not ever. You won't be able to either, once you travel across the border. See how things are over there. Astra's fucked. Bosco's fucked. But I'm fucked too. I can't make you see things, the way I see them, but… Just believe me. I don't want anything to get in the way of our future now. But we can't have one, I won't let myself have one, until I make sure that everyone stuck in Bosco has a chance at one too."

He was silent for a moment, letting this fall over them, before whispering, "You want a future with me?"

"Shut up, Locke. Fucking idiot."

"Marry me?" he questioned. "Have a kid with me. Two or three. Be together for the rest of our lives. All that?"

"You're so annoying."

He shifted away from her then, falling onto his back as well, to stare through the hole in the rafter, up at the stars. Softly, he agreed, "I want our future too, Haven. And I know this is part of it for you. But I won't watch you die again."

"Who's dying?" she questioned. "I'm gunning for Queen of that country before this is all over."

Locke made a face, giving in then as his eyes slipped shut. "What would that make me? King?"

"No," she told him simply. "Just the same sucker you always are. I'm the fucking King. And Queen. My own best soldier. Military general. The only person you can trust to do a good job, after all, is yourself."

Locke rolled his eyes. "Consort then. I'd be your consort."

"Concubine, maybe."

"Haven-"

"I'll be in high demand, Locke. I'm a king. A queen. You don't marry for love, you marry for power. Queen of Fiore won't know what hit her."

"I'm glad you're feeling better, at least," he offered before, turning his head, he asked, "You are feeling better, aren't you, Haven?"

She frowned, laying back then as she thought about his words. Rather than just answering foolhardily, she found the truth falling out easier that night as she said, "I dunno, Locke. I...feel better when I'm with you. At least."

He was quick to shut his eyes, knowing giving her any sort of luck would result in a quick denial and moment ruiner. Still, he did say, "Then I guess I better stay by your side. Whether you go back over the border or not, huh?"

"You are my doctor. If you advise it-"

"I," he assured her, "require it."

She fell asleep not soon after that, Haven did, and Locke was the one that time, to be certain not to wake the woman when he climbed down from the loft and ventured back towards the house. The others were still drinking and carrying on. Shae, even, called out to him, but he only continued on into the house where he knew she'd be, where she seemed to always be; scheming.

Astra seemed surprised, when he knocked at the girls' bedroom door, and when she answered, seemed to be with a bit of unease.

"I need," he told her darkly, "to talk to you."

"Right now?" she questioned. "Everyone's right outside and-"

"Right," he insisted, "now."

"Me and your girlfriend have already spoken."

"I don't," he insisted, "care."

Astra sighed, loudly, but as she took a step back, to allow him entrance to the room, Locke only came close enough to glare in her face.

"We could do this," he insisted to her, eyes dark, "without you. Astra. My guild… If I went to my Master and insisted that we needed to sink all of the guild into this, if they all got involved… We wouldn't even need you."

She was taken aback by this claim, frowning some, and found the only recourse to be retorting, "Then do it, Locke. I-"

"No." He even shook his head. "Because this ain't their fight. This isn't any of their passions or interest. Maybe they'd care, the more they learn about Bosco. I'm learning to, anyways, and I haven't even been yet. But this has to be done delicately, right? And by people who know things, huh? So that, even if you destroy the main families, it doesn't all implode in your face. Alright. I get that. And I don't even think that you're an evil, fucking psycho. I think you do care about freeing people, from your kingdom, and righting your wrongs. That's great. But you've crossed my girlfriend, once, just to what? Prove a point? Throw your weight around? Don't fucking do it again. Because she might let it go, she might know how to work with people she hates, but I don't. I can't. If you do something to hurt her again, leave her vulnerable and without protection…"

"You'll," she challenged, "kill me?"

And he let out a huff then, a large one, through his nose, but Astra was undeterred.

Instead, she told the man simply, "You're right. Locke. Anyways. About your guild. I'm sure they could wreck havoc on Bosco. Fine. Maybe even take down the kingdom. Yes. But then what? It's just like you said, this has to be done delicately and by people who care and wish the best for the kingdom. Not people with no knowledge of the history, no ability to lead what remains after the last, big overthrow. But tell me then, Locke, are you passionate about it? Do you care about it? And it's people? Are you like me? Or even your girlfriend? Were you wronged by it and now want to make sure others aren't as well? Willing to put your life on the line to save the life of others? Or are you here just because of her? Haven? Because honestly, Locke, I'll tell you this one last time, if you're hearts not in this, if you're mind's not, then give up. Go home. Wait for your girlfriend to come back to you. Because this kingdom will destroy you if you're not strong enough. And from what I've seen so far-"

"Shut up," Locke finally cut her off, still glaring. Still, he looked off as he said, "Just don't fuck Haven over again and we won't even have an issue, alright?"

The woman nodded though, as he turned, she only insisted, "She doesn't need you to defend her, Locke. Or fight her wars. But you already know that, don't you?"

He knew that he didn't want to be around Astra any longer.

When he got outside, Xay was on him immediately, clearly having drunk his fair share and insisting that they hang out. Shae was nearby too, clearly wanting to talk about the night's events. But it was Richard, who came to toss an arm over the man's shoulders, that got his attention the best.

"Quite the night, ain't it?" he insisted as he walked with the other guy, tugging him close. "Almost magical. Already got some people to agree that they are definitely stickin' around, to see what we got to offer them. This is just the beginnin', eh, Locke? A new one. A fresh start. A second chance. We'll be a real group again in no time. And then..."

Locke ducked out of the other guy's hold, letting him stagger off to go bother someone else, but he found his gaze fixed, over at where the barn set, no signs of stirring from within. It to it though, before he went to rejoin the party, allowing his girlfriend his rest, that he agreed, "And then."


Alright, so that's it for the kinda introductory arc. Kinda get a feel for the tone and main set of characters. We'll have a revolving door of minor characters throughout, but the core group's not gonna fluctuate much. Onto the next, which is A Call to Arms.