KnightOfZaku: Not quite the direction I seek with their relationship, they will meet up in the future however.
Club Eden, That Night
Ramba Ral was not having a pleasant day.
Between the countless cat scratches on his face, and dodging angry mobs that would lynch him faster than you could say "Zeon" he wanted nothing more than too relax for once.
Ramba Ral staggered into the back alley where the Club Eden was located, running into a group of thugs on the lookout for any wandering Rals or Ral Loyalists. Seeing the haggard and tired man, they decided not to pester him, warranting that beating him wasn't worth the trouble.
As he approached the entrance, a young man in a far-too-formal green Munzo Defense Force uniform stopped him at the door.
"I'm sorry sir, I can't allow you to enter-" He began, only to get a good glance at the face under Ramba's fedora, and recognize the badly scratched and haggard looking Captain.
"Captain Ral?" The young officer stated in a low voice, "What are you doing here? Zabi Supporters are looking for you everywhere!"
Ramba merely grunted in acknowledgement, "Lieutenant Tachi…right? Didn't know you moonlit as a bouncer."
"No that's not it! I just volunteered since things looked kind of bad…!" He responded quickly, "More importantly, if you're going to keep doing things like this, then at least keep Crowley out of it…!"
At that, Ramba turned his head to Tachi sharply, "...If you know what's good for you, you'd keep your nose out of me and my wife's business." He replied harshly, causing the man to slink back and let him through.
Descending into the bar, he hailed the barkeep. "Whiskey on the rocks." He said simply,
The man behind the counter whistled, "You look like shit, Captain."
"Feel like it too." He sighed, spotting a certain blonde haired woman in a booth by herself, Ramba smiled and headed over.
"Hello Crowley, shouldn't you be at home?" Ramba asked,
"You know me." She took a sip of her red wine, "I won't be cooped up for the world."
"What about Adrian and Rosary?" Ramba asked, "Who are they with?"
"Both Astraia and Jimba are home," She shrugged, "They'll be fine."
"We should really be more worried about our children…" Ramba chuckled as he laid his head down in Crowley's lap.
Crowley's face turned sour at that statement, and she bit her lip. Ramba looked up at her and sighed, "I know, don't look like that."
"I can probably utilize my connections at the Port Authority to get them out." Crowley stated, and Ramba nodded his agreement.
"With the situation as it is, there's no way we can keep the children here in Munzo."
"I have a friend in the Defense Force," Ramba stated, "A fellow officer I've known for a while named Karl Sahalin that lives in the Achilles Colony, which is - by and large - away from the political drama. He'll take care of them there."
"What about your father?" Crowley questioned,
"He'll be headed to Earth." Ramba stated, "As selfish as it is, I don't want Jimba drawing unneeded attention to the children."
"Why not send the children to Earth too?" Crowley asked,
"Well…they are my children afterall, I don't want them going too far. Just knowing they're here and safe…that'll be enough for me." Ramba sighed in her lap,
"...We really are selfish." Crowley chuckled sadly, and Ramba only nodded.
Ral Household
Adrian couldn't fall asleep, despite the rioting seemingly having calmed down for the night, and so - for the second time that day, he found himself wandering the familiar halls of his home. The events of the previous day replaying themselves in his mind.
'Will they really be coming after us next…?' He wondered,
Suddenly, he heard panicked shouting and yelling coming from around the corner, as guards and attendants seemed to erupt from around every corner.
"Damn it!" He could hear his grandfather shout, "Who let her in?! Where is Ramba!?" After a reply that Adrian couldn't quite hear, Jimba yelled out: "He's out drinking with Crowley!? That useless…! Argh!"
Adrian walked around the corner, still in his pajamas.
"Grandpa…what's going on?" He questioned, drawing Jimba's attention to him.
"Adrian - my boy! You're awake!" Jimba reached out to embrace the boy tightly, "Quickly, get dressed. She can not see you in this manner."
"She…? Who is she?" Adrian asked,
"Kycilia Zabi." A young voice said from behind him, turning to face it, Casval was straightening a tie. Looking surprisingly mature for his age as his mother helped him shrug on a suit.
"She's quite intimidating, is she?" Casval mused, locking eyes with Adrian as if he was speaking to him personally.
"No matter, I won't be intimidated. Not by the people who killed father."
With those words, Adrian found himself crowded around a large wooden double door with Jimba and the majority of those present in the Ral Household at the time, desperately trying to listen in on what was happening inside.
"You must think me so terribly rude for calling on you this late at night, but I have a matter I must urgently discuss with you." A womans voice could be heard from within the room, was that Kycilia herself?
"If you're going to look down on me like a child, I will simply leave." Casval stated simply, beginning to move towards the door.
"Straight to the point I see," Kycilia sighed, "I'll keep this simple, the chaos outside is a direct result of the Ral Family's actions, especially after their assassination of Sasro."
Adrian balled in fury, 'She's lying…! It's all because the Zabis killed Deikun like father said…!' He thought to himself,
"Despite this, we are willing to compromise with you and them." Kycilia stated, "If you and your family return to your home with Lady Roselucia, then we will calm the riots, and won't pursue action for Saasro."
"He mustn't accept it!" Jimba hissed, "They'll isolate the Deikuns and then kill them in their sleep!"
Several attendants had to hold him back to prevent him from charging into the room as the conversation continued.
"Even if it was the Ral's who killed Sasro, and you hypothetically do forgive them. Then can you ask me to forgive the Zabi's for assasinating my father?!"
The declaration stunned the audience and Kycilia alike, catching them all of guard and making them all go silent.
"Why you…!" Kycilia stated frustratedly, and Adrian could hear the clacking of handcuffs and angry footsteps and loud shuffling, as well as a small yelp from Casval.
'What? What happened?!' Adrian tried looking through the crack, but they had seemingly gone to a corner of the room that none of them could see.
Adrian could only make out faint whispering, and wondered what was happening.
A few seconds later, Adrian heard the sound of something being clicked, and footsteps rapidly approaching the door.
He quickly backed up, alongside the others at the door.
Sure enough, Kycilia stormed out, glaring at the assembled crowd before departing the household entirely.
Shortly after, Casval wrung his hands which Adrian noticed to have circular marks, clearly from cuffs being forcibly placed.
Casval glanced at Adrian silently, before walking off.
"Please, Master Casval! Reconsider this!" Jimba begged the young man,
"I am grateful for your hospitality, Jimba Ral." Casval began as he hefted a suitcase, "But for the betterment of Side 3, I must return like Kycilia said."
"They will kill you!" Jimba pleaded,
"I will take that risk." Casval replied, brushing past the man and the Ral Family attendants. Astraia bowed to him politely and left.
Rosary and Artesia had gotten rather close over the course of the night, and to say they were sad to see each other go was an understatement, the two girls were virtually in tears over losing their newfound best friend, only separating after being assured they'd be able to visit each other.
Inevitably, Casval and Adrian found themselves alone as Adrian helped Casval pack, and Adrian couldn't help but ask Casval something.
"Why did you accept to go back?" Adrian asked him finally, breaking the silence between them.
"Why…?" Casval mused about it, staring down at "Because doing otherwise would prove them right, that I'm just a kid who doesn't know anything…"
"My family can protect you and your family…" Adrian said hesitantly, but Casval shook his head.
"I shouldn't burden you with something I should do myself," Casval stated, "Thank you, however. Maybe we will meet again."
With that, Casval Rem Deikun's and Adrian Ral Hamon's first encounter came to an end.
And with it, the end of an era in Side 3.
Adrian lay awake that night, reminiscing on his conversation with Casval.
'Because doing otherwise would prove them right, that I'm just a kid who doesn't know anything…'
Adrian rolled over in bed, staring at his sleeping sister.
'...I want to protect them…' He thought to himself, 'I want to be more like Casval.'
Suddenly, Rosary's big blue eyes opened, meeting her brother's with a smile.
"Adrian, are you awake?" She asked, and Adrian sighed.
"Yes, I am." Adrian replied,
"Do you think we'll be okay?"
Adrian's red eyes widened in surprise, "...Why do you ask?"
"There is a lot of scary men outside…they were outside last night too." Rosary stated, "Are they here for us…?"
"..." Adrian said nothing at first, but finally with a small voice: "...yes."
"Will they hurt us…?" Rosary asked innocently,
"No, they won't. I'm sure that dad-" He paused for a moment, some of Casval's words played through his mind.
"I shouldn't burden you with something I should do myself,"
Adrian changed his words at the last second:
"I will protect you." Adrian resolved,
"...You promise?" Rosary's eyes sparkled innocently, and she reached her small arm outtowards him, with a pinkie finger extended.
"...I promise." Adrian met her pinkie with his own, closing his eyes as he wrapped his pinkie around her smaller one.
"Adrian." Rosary began again,
"Yeah?"
"They're here."
Without further warning, a brick was thrown through their bedroom window.
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