Things had not gone well in the last battle, for their surroundings were bathed in a dreadful shade of crimson. It was not crimson because wonderful leaves fell from shedding trees. No, it was blood that splattered in some way against almost every thing. That included Corrin, who slew the final Kitsune with the dark blade of his Yato. As he removed it from the carcass, he heaved a burdened sigh and turned to observe the destruction around him. The crown of the bluff, where his army once fought a long battle against animals, had been cleansed of Kitsune. Dread had him overwhelmed.

Silas leapt from the back of his steed after riding up to his side. He seemed unsettled, but he made swift progress toward regaining his composure.

"Looks like we took care of them," he heaved. "But it cost the wellbeing of the majority of the army..."

He was correct. A brief tour of the bluff would not hide the many who sat themselves down, groaning in distaste at the sight of their injuries. Injuries ranged from mild cases, such as a handful of nicks scattered across their body, to deep gashes that spilled floods of red. Even poor Siegbert, who had only recently recovered from his previous encounter with Kitsune, once again sported fresh wounds. Lucky for him, though, he had a spotless Velouria at his side, running her tongue over each bite mark. Shigure uneasily tended to his pegasus, who bore more than a manageable amount of cuts and slashes. The healers, frantically running back and forth, were in over their heads. Almost every soldier called for them, moaning for relief.

While biting his lip, Corrin began to embark on his tour.

"It was a successful outing, but it could have gone a lot better," he grumbled. "Even one person more would do our resolve good. Having just two out of the picture has definitely made things harder for us."

Silas, being experienced in reading expressions, leaned forward to better his view of the other's face.

"You look like you're considering something," he observed, to which Corrin nodded briefly.

"I am," he confirmed. "But I need more time to linger on it. I don't want to decide anything without consulting others."

It was bad that the day, and their mild sickness, stole the majority of Soleil and Nina's energy. The ocean did not help either, for its every tide, which washed against the shore, was a soothing lullaby. It was a peaceful scene: the moon gazed down at them to cover them in a blanket of paleness, the darkness swaddled them in a comforter of security, and, to combat against the chilly breezes of the tide, the two slept near one another. Soleil was in such a deep sleep she didn't even notice when the side of Nina's head, thanks to her neck losing structure, fell on her shoulder. If either of them had even a hint of wake inside of them, the situation would have been handled far differently than simply being ignored.

But they did not have even a hint of being awake.

They were completely oblivious to the footsteps treading atop the sand, all homing straight for their sleeping bodies. They made no sound that could overpower Soleil's snoring, nor the tide's lullaby. When they conversed, they conversed softly, speaking in a tongue neither Nina nor Soleil would understand if they had awoken. Ever so slowly, they crept closer and closer. Muscular arms reached to their hips to retrieve ropes, all thick with unwavering threads. Those unwavering threads would very soon be applied to Soleil and Nina's wrists and ankles without evoking even the slightest of suspicions. Sure Soleil snorted a bit louder than usual, but it did not throw the intruders off. They continued on, and it went to favor them. Soleil and Nina's eyes remained clamped shut, even when they were lifted and carried away.

Of course they would freak out when they finally did come to.

Nina was the first to rouse with a yawn and a hefty stretch. Still sleepy, she did not care much when it came to her surroundings. Based off the snores she heard, she knew Soleil was near, and that's what mattered. Soleil could disappear, but the ocean certainly couldn't. There was no way the shore could run away. No way!

But the shore was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she found herself enclosed in an accommodation of sorts. Torches lined the walls, its center lit by suspended flames, and from vases rose a steady stream of lavender incense. The room, based off of sight and smell, seemed very comfortable... except for the blankets hanging from the walls. They were tattooed by tribal patterns of mills and mythological beasts of the wind. One told a story of a mystical blade wielded by a dragon from the depths. Another portrayed a field of sunflowers bowing before the power of a breeze. At first, she was intrigued by her surroundings... But her interest was born to die young. Very soon, the innocent feeling of intrigue fell to terror. With it on her throne, her eyes widened, and she rose to her feet.

She found herself on a pile of pillows. They stole her balance as she attempted to scramble out of the pit, but she ultimately lost the battle. Like an animal in a cage, she took the next best option and furiously observed her prison in hopes of discovering a way out. There were no windows, to her dispirit, and the only door she found had been locked. It was no door she could pick, to worsen matters. It was an older style of locks that put the strength of a board on the other side against her. There was no getting out, no matter what she was to do.

And worst of all, Soleil was nowhere in sight.

No, no, no. That was only second worst. The worst part was the fact that her hands were bound together by a tight knot of rope. It played a hand in preventing her from escaping from the pit.

Her instincts, at first, demanded that she release a terrified scream, but she knew that would do her no good. Instead, her meticulous hands and teeth began working at the knot in hopes of gaining freedom. She happened to have experience in the art of undoing knots, having gotten away many times from local authorities in her Deeprealm, but the knot she encountered now was an entirely different ballgame. It was ridiculously tight, as if pulled by a brute that belittled Benny into the likes of a kitten. She was daunted at the challenge, but her strong will kept her from cowering.

With her hands usable once again, she found it easier to crawl out of the pillows and peek at the floor a few inches above her. It was solid ground, uncovered by any foundation or furnish. It was just plain rock, but clean rock, thank goodness. That wasn't what terrified her, however. She was terrified because, when she scanned the room further, she found the last thing she wanted to see: the source of the snoring she once thought was Soleil's.

It was not Soleil.

Instead, it was a hulk of a man branded by tribal patterns, burly as he was tall. He sat in the corner of the room, eyes closed, and fingers laced over his bare, and hairy, stomach. Instinct once again attempted to take command, and it succeeded. She ducked back down into the shelter of the pit, wide-eyed, but not bushy tailed. Terrified was a better way of explaining her expression.

Nina clung to her consciousness, however, which was a good thing. The man was, obviously, asleep, which was a prime opportunity to study her surroundings and formulate some sort of escape... if such a thing were possible. No wait, she was Nina; there was always going to be an escape.

She had to make haste and find Soleil too. After all, there was no telling what their captors planned to do with them...

She decided not to linger on the possibilities.

She started with the door, which she promptly investigated once gaining freedom from the pit. Her suspicions were correct, as proven by the fact that it refused to budge. The door was her only way out, seeing that there were no other openings in the walls. Digging her way through the adobe borders of the house would be a waste, for it was too thick and would consume whatever time she had to escape before her captor awoke.

Nervously, she looked around the room, where she woefully found little to work with.

The pillows that bunched in the pit could do much besides smother the guard and buy her more time, but the long run, and the risks, did not favor that sort of idea. If the man were to awaken before he passed, she had no way of winning a wrestling match with him. If she did manage to bring him down, any chances of the Wind Tribe being friendly to her would be demolished, seeing that she murdered one of their fellow brothers.

There was a rug, but it wasn't like she could conceal herself underneath it. It could, however, hide the body for a short time if she had to resort to smothering the guard, but she ultimately decided to keep the idea as a nuclear option.

The incense sticks protruding from the mouths of the vases would definitely assist her in starting a fire, but she wasn't sure of what good a fire would do. A fire could burn the things around her, but the walls and door, being made of brick and ceramic, would simply laugh at her attempts.

There were the vases that housed the incense, but the only thing she could do with them was break them, which was a process that would awaken her captor.

Wait... Her captor...

She rushed back over to the door, where she pressed her ear against it. There had to be someone standing outside, otherwise the guard inside would be stuck with no way out. If only she could just get him to open the door, bowing to the pretense that his partner was requesting exit... She'd then have the chance to slither her way out during all the confusion.

There was nothing that caught her ears from the outside, but that didn't discriminate her from trying to probe at getting at least something. She took her fist and played a few soft knocks, cautious not to make them too loud. What she received was something far greater than her expectations: the voice of a man from the outside. It was music to her ears... until she bothered to listen to what it was he had to say.

"Brother Souma, you should know by now that I am not to release you until you have payed penance for your crimes. You are not to come out until the quarter moon."

Her eyes widened suddenly, and she backed away slowly. A criminal? Now she really wanted to get out the soonest she could! If she were stuck in a locked room with a criminal, there was no telling what was going to happen to her.

Smothering the guy didn't sound like such a bad plan all of a sudden.

Whether she planned to do such a thing or not no longer mattered, for when she turned around, her eyes fell upon the corner on the opposite side of the room. There, the man she once thought to be her captor was rising, fully awake. Curses! That light sleeper must have been awoken by the sound of the guard. As one would reasonably assume, the sight sent a chill up her body, leaving a deadly sort of heat in its wake. It probably would not have done her any good, but she began backing away until she pressed against the wall.

Her eyes frantically searched the room. Anything could help her. Anything. All she needed was a reasonable plan. Nothing came to mind, for she was handicapped by raw terror.

The man rubbed his eyes, yawned, and stretched his powerful arms with a groan. Yep, she definitely wasn't winning any wrestling matches with that guy. He balanced on the border dividing large and giant, and his face certainly didn't hint at him being shallow minded. The second she saw his eyes fix themselves upon her, she knew that things were about to get rough. Very rough.

"Hm... I have a new cellmate," he grumbled. His voice was deep like the growl of a lion, and its vibration carried even into her own throat. She blinked awkwardly, reddening as she strafed her way around him as he approached her.

"L-Look here... I'm willing to cut s-some kind of... um... c-compromise with you if we can b-be on good terms..."

"Compromise?" The man scratched his chin. "What sort?"

"Erm... You know... I don't hurt you, you don't hurt me... W-We can be great friends, I b-bet."

"Hurt me? What can you do to hurt me?" the man inquired, his voice strained with confidence. His powerful form quickened its pace toward her, and when Nina went to distance herself another direction, he cut off her path with his broad shoulders. With no place to run, she had no choice but to slowly be backed into a corner, where she could feel his hot breath beating down on her. Each huff delivered a putrid smog of air into her face. If Nina had more freedom in the situation, she would have wiped away the mist that gathered on her forehead. Nonetheless, she made an effort to maintain an unintimidated facade, regardless of how convincing it was.

It wasn't convincing.

"L-Lots of things. I c-can do... lots of th-things to hurt you. Bet 'cha didn't know that..." She failed to look him in the eye, as was she unable to halt her quivering.

"Go on then. I love pain."

The room next door did not get quite as much insight on the action, even though the wall separating the two was surprisingly thin. Soleil was there, lost in a world of oblivious slumber with her hands tied together, but her body spread like butter. Everything was so pleasant at the time... that is until, in the room beside hers, Nina threw a punch in the man's throat.

For a punch coming from a girl so weak (and a man who claimed he liked pain), there sure was a loud scream that followed.

The thunder made Soleil bolt awake, eyes wide and concerned. Her body could not pounce into action as it normally would have, for her hands were not readily able to provide balance. So, instead of landing on her toes, she slipped on the pillow beneath her and landed splat back on the floor. Next door, light foot steps thumped across the room in attempt to flee from something. It was followed by the shattering of a vase.

"That hurt!" exclaimed the lion, whose steps boomed after the other's. Several crashes more followed, as did another voice.

"Y-You said you liked pain!" More thumps sounded, but those meant little to its audience. Soleil's head peeked up from the pillows it was once buried in, and the fire that consumed her chest was what forced her to continue scrambling until she found her liberation from the pillows. It took some doing, such as shifting into awkward positions with her knees and elbows, but she emerged from the pit and began tumbling on the clean floor, where she rushed to bring herself onto her feet. The soonest she could, she worriedly pressed herself against the barrier between she and the ruckus.

"Nina?" she exclaimed, furthering her pressure on the wall. Her voice, however, was drowned by the melody of another shattering vase, along with the angered roar of Nina's cellmate.

"I'll kill you for that, dammit!" Another crash. It made the ground shake.

Though she did not get the confirmation of the other prisoner's identity, Soleil was too much on edge to bother taking her chances. Nina was in there. A man was going to hurt her. It was her obligation as both a friend and retainer to get in and stop it the soonest she could.

Soleil's initial action would be attempting to free her wrists, which were housed by a knot far tighter than she figured it would be. A minute's worth of struggling, and listening to Nina flee around the room from her rampaging pursuer, left her utterly fruitless, for her rigid fingers could not jam themselves into, and thus work out, the binds. A frightened yipe had her slam herself against the wall in hopes of testing its density.

Said wall, to her surprise, was not made of stone as she expected. It was a light material layered for additional strength, but was it strong enough to withstand countless barrages from a hurried Soleil? It would take work, but she was happy to presume that a hole could be hers to create.

"Nina! Nina, hang on! I'm coming!" She continued to ram against the barricade, but nothing prevailed. If only her kodachi had not been taken, she could carve herself a way through. No kodachi meant slower work, which adrenaline demanded she hastened. A boost of energy came in handy, for it powered a nasty kick she delivered to her foe. A dent would be formed, and it pleased her greatly. She found what would work.

Soleil couldn't come quick enough, however, for on the other side, while continuing to dodge and scramble her way around the room, Nina realized that the bear-man was gradually beginning to piece together her patterns of evasion. His movements were hinting at forming countermeasures, and it was just one countermeasure that could devastate her. In attempt to spice things up, and thus prolong their chase, Nina littered her wanderings with vases she snatched and hurled toward her opponent. She only discovered he was not as unsuspecting as he let on, for he saw through her actions as though they were panes of glass. The ceramic simply shattered at the right of his foot after he sidestepped.

There came a point where she ran out of room to run, so she had no choice but to wait for him to draw near again. Her speed made it easier for her to slither underneath him and dash to the other side of the room, but the process had long expired. Panic kept her from realizing that. Before she could dive beneath his legs as she had countless times before, the man at last had his chance at victory. His heavy foot slammed down on the slack of her clothing, halting her in her tracks beneath him. While she grasped at attempts to scurry away, the man bent down and effortlessly took her captive in his thick palms. Those palms, powered by fury, laced around her neck before slamming her against the wall. The wall wasn't the soft wall Soleil was powering her way through. It was the rock. Nina could not decide if the agony which spread across her back was worse than the constriction of her throat, but she was confident in the fact that she couldn't breathe was the worst.

Her gaze, fearfully verdant, stared angrily into the man's eyes as its vision began to cloud. With what breath was left in her, she released a snarl, and her hands, while growing limp and weak, clawed at the sheet of tree bark that was the skin of his forearm. It did nothing to falter his grip on her, which was strengthening with time. The more she moved, the less she felt like resisting.

It was a good time for Soleil to finally stumble through the wall after one final pound. She tripped over a fragment of debris, but quickly regained her steady and observed the room. Those observations stopped the moment she laid eyes on the two, for she immediately began rushing toward them with a shout:

"Put her down!" Upon arrival, she sent her hands, still tied against one another, against his ribcage. Unlike scratching his forearms, the attack did have him release his prisoner, but at the expense of having Soleil as his new opponent. She was more than glad to take him on, however. She coaxed him with a cocky grin as she distanced herself. "Come on, pudgy. Fight against someone who can actually take a hit."

As if he were a bull, she enraged him, for he cracked his knuckles and spewed snot from his nose with a forceful huff. Behind him, Nina slid to the ground, coughing and wheezing.

"I'll kill you slower than her for that," he growled.

"If you can hit me," she corrected him with a wink, which sent him after her. She ducked at every punch he threw and, when the opportunity was open to her, took a few counterstrikes to his face and throat. The process continued until Soleil's back was to the pit of pillows, into which she was mindful not to fall. They danced around the border of the bed, exchanging dodges and blows. Once or twice, Soleil sustained a punch to the chest and chin, but so long as he did not strike her weak spot, the arm that was recovering from an arrow wound, she took each as though it was nothing... at least it looked like nothing. The outside said the blows did not affect her, so testified the grin that refused to fade, but the inside was not quite the same story. Each hit burned to the point of slowing her technique.

In an attempt to stall for time, she shuffled to the side and gave the man a swift, but powerful, kick. The speed and unexpected nature of the action stole his balance and shoved him into the pit. Upon landing, he growled and was instantly scrambling to recover himself. His opponent, unbeknownst to him, was plotting a far more sinister move than giving him time. Her feet readied to pounce on him, but they were ultimately stopped by the sound of her name.

"Soleil!"

She looked up to find a weakened Nina rushing toward them, a vase in tow. Her heaves were congested and unhealthy, as were the bruises that gathered around her neck. The determination in her eyes had her stop at nothing, even when it came to hopping in the air to launch the contents of her hands to the man's face. The impact came perfectly, for the moment it landed, the vase collapsed into pieces against his nose. Oil splattered across his face and the pillows surrounding him.

To their surprise, and partial relief, the man did not move after that. He remained still, the air of danger disappearing with him. For what felt like forever, the two stared, waiting for him to rise and angrily wipe the shards from his bloody face... But he did not, no matter how long they stood.

When she deemed the moment safe enough, Nina at last collapsed onto her knees, where she continued to cough and quiver. After a brief glance at their enemy, Soleil abandoned her post and skidded to her side, where she scavenged for anything she could do to assist. The condition of her palms kept her from offering anything that was effective, so she was forced to settle with giving her comforting pats on the shoulder.

"Don't push yourself." Her tone soothed over the sounds of coughing.

"Easier... said than done..." Her quivering fingers took Soleil's wrists and began to pick at the knot until it unraveled. The moment her job was complete, she collapsed. Her reliance on having Soleil catch her was well founded, for when her face started homing toward her stomach, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her torso and began to gently pull her upward. Once her jaw settled on her shoulder, Nina closed her eyes and relaxed. As her shivering deadened, she used what strength was within her to return the embrace.

The sun was gorgeous that day. Perhaps too gorgeous, for it was beating down on anyone who had the misfortune of prolonged exposure. It was a day in misery, toiling in the merciless heat of summer. At first it was nice, but all were quick to retract their claims, especially when it came time for drills.

All Nina knew was that she didn't want to go out of her tent.

It had been two days after she was migrated (forced) into the army, and seldom did she find herself grateful for it. What she'd give to go out on her own and join a gang of well-intentioned thieves and saunter back to what she did best: stealing from those dastardly rich folks and donating to those in need. Like heck she could just escape from the army, however. Niles, her father, had her under strict supervision. If he wasn't keeping an eye on her, someone else, such as his partner Odin, was.

One could only imagine the grief and agony which was Nina once she was drug out of her tent and suggested (forced) to take up a bow. She often humored the thought of putting an arrow in someone's back and making a run for it, but she was not confident enough to put those plans into action so soon. She had not enough knowledge, therefore power, to know for sure if the climate was ripe for escaping. Until she did, she had to lay low and act as unsuspicious as she could. She happened to be very talented in that department.

She groggily made her way to the yard of the castle, grumpy as a cat without its milk. Her ever watchful eyes spied upon those who had her surrounded. They ranged from female to male, short and tall, lanky and stout. The best part, perhaps what lightened her mood just a smidgen, was the tall and stout boys going against each other with their swords, target practicing with stars, and maneuvering their steeds in meticulous directions while performing meticulous tasks. Going to drill practice was new to Nina, though, so she did not have long to drool over them. It was necessary that she studied each and every fold of her environment, for she never knew when the information could come in handy.

It did not embarrass her to admit that she was impressed by the women as well. Some were powerful, such as the one who swung around a silver lance as though it were a feather, and another who scored bullseye after bullseye with her bow. One girl, who was busy screaming at her horse to move, caught her eye the most. For the sake of entertaining herself, Nina stayed and watched for a few good minutes until she got bored and carried on.

The target range was the best place for her to start, so that was where she intended to begrudgingly head. However, after shoving through groups of armored bodies and accidentally stepping into the javelin range, she was stopped by the sensation of a palm on her shoulder. It was a strong palm with a firm grip, most likely a boy's. The feeling terrified her, and sweat already began to gather at her palms as she whipped around. No, no, not a boy! She couldn't talk to boys to save her poor life!

"What do you want?" she growled, only to pause seconds afterward. Instead of meeting the dignified chin or stubby hairs on the face of a boy, she instead saw gentle chocolate eyes and lush eyelashes. Long pink hair cascaded down her back, and her body hid behind the tough leather of her uniform.

On her visitor's face spread a grin.

"Hey! You must be the new girl. The one we stopped from robbing that fancy villa?"

Once, Nina housed surprise. Now, it was irritation, so she swatted the stranger's hand from her shoulder.

"Yes, that's me. Do you need something?"

"Not really. I just wanted to meet you face to face after everything I've heard. Rumor has it you're a real troublemaker, miright?"

"Yeah..." Nina began to trudge away, only to have the girl hastily trot after her.

"Oh, sorry if that hurt your feelings. Honest."

Rolling her eyes, Nina quickened her pace. What an annoying girl; she kept her from doing her work. If her father found her chatting instead of doing what she was told, which was practicing like everyone else, she would surely get it later on.

"You're forgiven. Can you leave me alone now?"

"Why?"

"I need to get to the archery range before my father bites my head off."

The girl smiled again as she picked up on speed as well.

"Oh, the archery range. Well... I guess I could leave you alone, but I would hate to do that when I know you're headed the wrong way."

She caught Nina's ear, and she paused and looked around her shoulder, frowning in the meantime.

"What do you mean? The range is right over there!" She directed her attention to the land ahead of her, where several lined across the field furiously spewed arrows. Their skill was not that of an amateur's. It was advanced... almost too advanced for Nina's liking. Though the evidence was right in front of her, the girl furiously shook her head.

"No, no, no. That's the range for the higher quality bows, usually steel or stronger. The targets over there are tougher, so they can withstand more attacks than the targets at the other range." She approached Nina, took her bow, then gave it a pseudo-studious examination. "Looks like Lord Corrin wanted you to start off with a bronze bow. Definitely not strong enough to get an arrow in one of those targets over there."

Scowling, Nina snatched the weapon back and observed it herself. Moments later, she was growling.

"Dammit. My father knows I can use a better weapon than this shoddy piece of junk. Why didn't he tell this Corrin person when we were in the armory?"

"Whoa, whoa. You don't sound too happy, spewing profanity so early in the morning."

"Yeah. I'm not in a good mood, in case you haven't noticed. Does it look like I want to be here, caught up in a war I don't have any business being caught up in?"

The girl pooched out her lips, her cheeks reddening beneath the brutality of the sun as she slowly gave her a nod. Her smile grew richer.

"Oh, I see. You're not adjusted yet," she motioned for her to follow as she began walking away. Having no superior options, Nina followed at a distance. "What you need is some time to get to know everything around here a little better." To Nina's surprise, the girl gracefully offered her gloved palm, submissively cupping it toward the sky. She dipped her head subtly. "A cup of tea always soothes the nerves. Care to go to town and share one with me?"

Nina was unamused.

"When we're supposed to be sparring and drilling? I don't think so."

"No need to worry about that. The man in charge is so old he can barely pay attention to two things at once. I go out to town all the time and have never gotten in trouble."

Her words must have been convincing enough, for a while later, the two found themselves hiding from the sun under the parasol at the tea parlor. The stranger girl seemed overly delighted by the turnout, and Nina... Nina wasn't quite sure what to think at the moment, for her attention was too busy wandering around, making sure there was nobody sent by her father to spy on her. There was quite a crowd flowing past them, so there was only so much she could take in. When she felt comfortable enough, she slowly brought her cup to her lips and took a quaint sip.

"The tea's good," she commented modestly.

"Isn't it? The people at this café know just how much sugar to put in; any more and it'd be enough to kill a hummingbird, but any less and it'd be no different than drinking hot water. Have all you want, it's on me." Across from the table, the stranger propped her chin atop a fist, staring at her visitor happily. "I'm Soleil, by the way. Daughter of Laslow. And you? I heard your name around camp once, but I think it slipped my mind. Let's see, what was it? It started with an E... Epi- Epo-, no, Erpa-"

"Nina," she corrected, her tone stiff with distaste. It made Soleil slap on a sly grin as she eased closer to the table, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"No way. I heard your name starting with an E. Are you tricking me? Trying to see if I'm as scatterbrained as they say?"

"No. It's Nina."

"Nuh-uh."

Nina was taken aback by her approach at arguing. It reminded her of an immature child, yet for some reason, the longer she lingered on it, the more it made sense. It was as if some sort of genius hid behind the absurdity. Either that, or something in the tea was getting too close to her head.

She chose to take part in the profoundness.

"Uh-huh."

"Liar."

"Are not."

"Are too."

She had not yet built up the endurance to withstand a long debate with someone as hardheaded as her opponent, so it was only a matter of time until she decided to cave in and allow Soleil to emerge victor. With a groan, she leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes in the meantime.

"Fine. It's a nickname."

With satisfaction, Soleil gladly took a sip of her tea, smirking in the meantime.

"Thought so. Now that we've got that out of the way, what's your real name? Don't worry, you can tell me. I'm great at keeping secrets." She was unaware of how the question would alter Nina's face so vividly, for her brows furrowed and her eyes darted away. The coyness brought a blush to her audience's face. That flush was something Nina did not see.

"Éponine," she grumbled before drowning it in her tea. Upon relieving the cup, her tone strengthened. "But if you want me to respond to anything you say, my name is Nina. Got that?"

"Sounds like there's a long and complicated story behind it, so I won't pry." Soleil continued to smirk as she offered her palm for a shake. When the other took it, she gripped her hand tautly and allowed it to bob up and down without any sense of rhythm. "Nice to meet you, Éponine." She immediately received a dirty look, which evoked a hearty laugh from her throat. Her cheeks grew rosier. "Ha! Just kidding, Nina. I wanted to see what you looked like when you get mad. Gotta say you're pretty cute..."

The comment made Nina's hand retract as she cooled herself. What anger she had subsided, only to be replaced by the sensation of being weirded out. She chose to direct her feelings on a couple that was sitting at a table a little ways down the isle. One was a lady who was of little importance, for she was overshadowed by the hunk that sat across from her. He had a nice bush growing from his chin, finely combed hair and eyebrows, and glossy eyes the same shade as the tea at which he sipped. Like Soleil, he had a hearty laugh.

In reference to the man, Nina cocked her flushing head to the side in hopes of directing Soleil's gaze.

"If you want cute, take a gander at him over there. What would you give to see him and his friends play a friendly game of stoolball?"

When Soleil looked, Nina was surprised to see that she wasn't amused. With a shrug, she easily averted her gaze to replace it on her.

"He's okay."

"Okay? What do you mean he's okay?" As if in a frenzy, she surveyed their surroundings again, then, once she found what she was looking for, motioned for her to look a different direction.

"What about him over there? I'd say he's even more handsome than the last one... ehe... Imagine the sparks that would fly if he were friends with him."

"Nah."

"What? Well... What about that one over there?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Geez! Are there any guys around here you find cute?"

Soleil responded with a simple shake of the head, which was followed by an unexpected swing in the mood. Her rich brown eyes fell back on Nina in the form of a leer. Nina's discomfort levels rose again, and for good reason:

"I like girls. Boys just don't tickle my fancy."

The statement was all it took to have Nina rise, even though her tea wasn't finished. She looked down at Soleil, whose smile had dropped into a brand of confusion (almost concern), as she cleared her throat.

"I think we're done here," she said. "Thanks for the tea. In return for buying, let me know if you need any money down the line." As she prepared to walk away, however, Soleil bolted up from her seat and held out her hands in attempt to get her to stop. Nina did stop, but that was out of hope that she would release another one of those throaty bellows and confess the ordeal to be another joke... But she didn't. Instead, she hopped in front of her, eyes widening.

"S-Something wrong, Nina? Was it something I said?"

"For starters, girls aren't supposed to like girls. Don't you know that?"

"Of course I know that. Stealing from fancy mansions isn't right either."

"At least I stole from a fancy mansion so I could retrieve the money that'd been swindled out of poor people's pockets. What's your excuse?"

"I can't help what I like- it's just the issue I have to work my way through. Everybody's got issues. You aren't leaving because I have an issue, are you?"

Nina squinted.

"No, it's not because you have an issue, it's because of what the issue is and how you're acting upon it. Don't think I didn't know what that leer you gave me meant. You were thinking about getting intimate with me. That's the whole reason why you asked me to go get tea!"

Soleil, both flustered and puzzled, blinked.

"I-Intimate?"

"Yeah. Intimate."

"You don't mean..."

Nina approached her slowly, scowling, frowning, jabbing her upper chest with an index. She paused when she was in close enough proximity to whisper. The whisper would be drowned by the many voices and shuffles and clangs and bangs that surrounded them, but only its only listener could clearly hear its message. It made her face turn red hot, hot enough to fry an egg on her cheeks. In denial, she furiously shook her head and regained her space.

"N-No... No, no, no, that's not what I was after. Honest! I just think girls look cute, that's all."

With disbelief, Nina's shoulders dropped.

"So you like girls..."

"Uh-huh..."

"But you don't want to romance them."

"No way."

"And yet you gave me that look."

In attempt to fend for herself, Soleil shook her head even harder.

"Don't take that personally. It's just something I do. There's never much thought put into it."

"Why do you do it then?"

"Well, it's..." Her shoulders, once square, dropped, and she stared oddly at the ground. Her eyes clouded with the conflict that raged on in her mind. "It's something I do. I've done it for years. I know why, but it's just kind of... I prefer to keep it to myself, really..."

Nina sighed, closing her eyes roughly as she crossed her arms.

"Okay then. Look, you seem like a nice person, but harassing girls like that makes them uncomfortable. If you can't learn to control yourself, I'm going to be keeping my distance." She turned around to walk away, where she was swallowed by the crowd in the neighboring street. Soleil went after her in hopes of explaining herself further, but the moment she squeezed her way into the river, Nina was nowhere to be seen. Like a specter in the night, she had disappeared, leaving Soleil to pause in the midst of the current, awestruck.

"Nina..." she whispered to herself after being shoved aside by a few pedestrians. "The first person to ever ask me why instead of just pushing me away..." A smile softly crept across her lips. Suddenly, carrying on with her everyday business didn't seem so bad anymore, even in the wake of what would otherwise be a day-destroying rejection. She hadn't known Nina for an hour and she already made her think the hardest her skull could in a long, long time.

Why was she? Why did she do what she did? Why did she have her issues?

Who was Soleil?

For the rest of that day, out of respect for her newfound acquaintance, Soleil didn't talk to a single girl.