"Oh Calypso," an unfamiliar, feminine voice says from behind Emile. "I'm not here for you. I could care less about you." the voice says sweetly.
That voice...the mere presence of whoever that is behind him…
Emile is terrified.
Both of them stay frozen, staring at each other in fear, unmoving as the man on the ground bleeds out in front of them.
The false sweetness disappears from the woman's voice in her next sentence: "Something of mine has been taken away from me." she says, displeased. "What can you tell me about that, Emile Solflare? Be honest with me and I won't reunite you with your dead priestess." the woman says, the glee returning to her voice.
Calypso gulps.
Emile shivers. He knows he can't beat whoever that woman is. Her mere presence terrifies him to his core, he can't move. He can't even look at her.
Shit.
Episode 20: Can't Catch a Break
Shit.
Shit shit shit shit shit shit SHIT.
How does this woman know his name? How does she know C-?
Oh.
Emile takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly before addressing the woman. "You're a member of Revenant Beasts." he states.
"Indeed I am." the woman says patiently.
Emile feels Novem trembling beneath his kimono.
A woman - a scary woman - is looking for something that was taken from her...why is she in Zaflior? Why is she interfering with our investigation into Marcel Skarsguard? What could a man obsessed with a teenager take from someone so powerful?
"I-I don't…" Emile gulps. "I don't understand," he says. "What did you lose?"
The woman stays silent and Emile would have thought that she left were it not for the force of her presence behind him.
"...I see." the woman says. "You don't know."
Emile exchanges a look with Calypso, frowning at the look on her face. Panic, yes, but she almost looks like she knows what the woman wants.
"Then you'll live to see another day." the woman decides. "You and your...creature."
Emile's heart drops and he feels Novem freeze.
"Just know that this Marcel Skarsguard interfered in my getting back what I lost. If I find him first…" Emile hears the glee creep back into the woman's voice. "I'll take care of him for both of us."
Emile musters up enough courage to ask: "What's your name?"
"You should get that man to a hospital. I didn't lethally hurt him but if you let him bleed out any more than he has…" the woman laughs, ignoring Emile's question. "I wanted him to suffer but it seems like I'm done here. I don't care to see his death through - I have better places to be. Go on, take him to a hospital or whatever." the woman says. "I really don't like when my possessions go missing." she says darkly and just like that - the pressure of the woman's presence is gone.
Emile lets out a deep, shaky breath and sets to work. He pulls Novem out of his kimono and puts him down on the ground, "Novem, go tell the hospital we're coming." Emile orders. Novem nods and runs as fast as his little legs can take him.
Emile looks down at the man to get ready to pick him up but he notices something off. His eyes widen. "What the hell?"
Calypso snaps out of her daze, jumping at the sound of Emile's raised voice. "W-What? What's wrong?" she asks.
Emiles shakes his head as he unties his kimono and pulls it off. "Th-The spikes - the needle things that were in his neck, they're gone - he's bleeding even more!" he panics as he bunches up his kimono and holds it against the man's neck. "Calypso. Tiger. Now. Quickly!" Emile orders.
Calypso nods, understanding, and seconds later she's in the same ten foot tall tiger form from earlier. She lays down on all fours so Emile can pull the man and himself onto her back. Once they're both settled, Emile gives directions to Calypso, and she starts running (safely).
Emile smiles reassuringly at the man growing paler by the second. "Don't worry, we'll get you to the hospital and they'll fix you right up. After that, we'll finish our conversation from before." he says and lightly taps Calypso with his foot. "We need to talk, too."
Calypso whines.
Back in Veneto…
"I hate you."
"You and A-" Mana clears her throat. "You and Rina are the only ones not being dressed in formalwear." she says. "Now you are."
Rina leans in closer to Mana, whispering harshly as the masked servants fit a bright pink poofy dress on her, "Akane's going to kill me for wearing this under her name."
"You can't be stalked if you're dead."
Rina does a double take, surprised that something like that came out of Mana's mouth, but then she realizes whose voice she heard. "Ah - Mary." she blinks. "You switched."
Mary nods as she rubs her temples, her head sore from forcing the switch.
"Why?"
"Mana was about to act up." Mary deadpans, pointing towards a wall mounted clock. "Rina is scheduled for a shoot in five minutes." she says.
"Ah, I understand completely." Rina nods.
You are absolutely no fun. Mana says miserably.
It's like I said when we first arrived at Phoenix Fire - you are physically and mentally a child. Mary says smugly. You protected me when we were imprisoned with Revenant Beasts and now I'm protecting you from doing stupid shit.
Language!
Mary rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to Rina. The masked servants have finished with her dress and makeup and are now putting the finishing touches on her hair. A thought comes to mind, "You don't seem all that shocked or surprised to hear a different voice come out of this body." Mary says to the masked servants.
Masked servant number one waves her off, "We've seen a lot of things in our time working for the Master." she says. "Master generally likes to hire Mages as his models so we've seen a lot of...magical things."
Rina hums, "Oh? Like what?" she asks curiously.
Masked servant number two giggles as she steps away from Rina to observe her handiwork. "Well for one thing," she starts and gestures to Mary. "this was pretty up there." she says. "But I don't think anything really tops Master's and his siblings' Magic. It's…"
"...something else." Masked servant number one finishes.
Mary frowns, confused. "What do you mean?" she asks.
"Master Nicholas and his siblings use a unique kind of Magic." Maked servant number two says. "It's…" she tilts her head as she adjusts a hair on Rina's head. "It's hard to explain, perhaps you can see it in action when his brother returns from Zaflior." she says. "There! All done. Feel free to return to what you were doing before."
Mary smiles and thanks the masked servants and Rina silently follows behind her.
"So do you remember where Alistair said he and Ken would be?" Mary asks as she leads the way back to the main room. "I can't remember if it was the bar or the arcade-" Mary abruptly stops when she turns to look at Rina and sees the ghostly look on her face. "A-Akane?"
"We…" Rina lets out a shaky breath as nervous beads of sweat run down her temples. "We need...to…" she leans against the wall as she loses her breath.
"What's wrong, Akane?"
Rina clutches her head, mumbles something incoherent, and passes out.
"AKANE!"
Rina!
Alistair glares down at the odd man using his lap as a pillow. "You're doing this on purpose."
Yuki yawns. "I don't know what you're talking about, fire bird." he says. "We're being paid to hang around and I want to lay down. You're taking up the entire couch." Yuki says.
"I'm taking up one cushion because I am one person. You're taking up all three cushions including the one I'm sitting on." Alistair says dryly. "Move it."
"Now, now, Mister Alistair," Ken laughs lightly, sitting on the couch across from them. "The photographers are eating this up!" he says, pointing to the herd of photographers in front of the men. "And as Mister Yuki said, we're being paid to lounge around in fancy clothes." Ken reminds him as he takes a sip from a glass of wine. "It's only fair that you sit there comfortably and let them take photos, no?"
Alistair grumbles but doesn't complain any further.
Yuki smiles, pleased, and gets ready to drift off to sleep when a familiar nun's voice pulls him back. "Yuki, Phoenix Fire, may I have a word?" Victoria says as she approaches them. She shoots a look at the photographers. "Alone." Victoria says and clears her throat.
The herd of photographers scramble away, intimidated by the tiny nun (wearing a dress that a devoted nun would pray for forgiveness for even looking at).
Alistair instantly shoves Yuki to the ground and dusts off his lap.
Yuki pouts. "Boo."
Ken laughs and turns to Victoria. "Is something wrong, Miss Victoria?" he asks.
Victoria looks down at Yuki. "You, you're back with me." she says and looks between Alistair and Ken. "Akane came down with something and Mana brought her back to your hotel rooms. She asked me to let you know and to ask one of you to go join her." Victoria says. "Yuki and I are going to take a walk around the building. We'll let you know if anything...comes up." she says, trying to choose her words carefully.
Alistair's and Ken's faces drop.
"What happened?"
Alistair bursts into their hotel room, "Mana? Rina?" he calls. "Are you guys here?"
No answer.
Alistair frowns. "Was that woman lying…?" he mutters to himself as he checks the bathroom. He shakes his head as he opens the door connecting the girls' room to his and Ken's.
Nothing.
Alistair's frown deepens and he gets a deep, unsettling feeling.
Victoria may be annoyed with me but she wouldn't lie about something like this when she knows there's a real danger… Alistair thinks to himself. If Mana and Rina aren't here…
…
They didn't make it to the hotel.
Just as the choreographers get Akane calm enough to pose for the camera without looking angry, Ken walks into the pool room with a grim look on his face.
Akane's expression instantly turns angry again and the choreographers let out a cry of despair.
"Miss Rina, please-"
Akane brushes past the choreographers and photographers and stalks up to Ken. "What happened?" she asks.
Ken glances at the team standing nearby, staring at 'Rina' in confusion, and catches Akane up to speed in a low voice.
Akane frowns, looking about as confused as the team behind her. "Huh? She just-?"
"Ken! Akane!"
Ken and Akane freeze at the sound of the latter's name being called and turn around to look at Alistair like he's grown three heads.
"Have either of you seen Mana or Rina?" Alistair asks, panting.
Akane blinks. "Did you run here?" she asks.
Alistair holds up a hand, telling her to stop. "Have either of you seen Mana or Rina?"
Akane's expression shifts again, an impossibly higher level of anger on her face. "What do you mean have we seen Mana or Rina?" she grits her teeth and clenches her fist. "Ken just said Rina and Mana were supposed to be at the hotel."
Alistair shakes his head.
"You mean...they never made it?" Ken asks.
Alistair shakes his head.
Akane lets out a deep breath, visibly trying to calm herself. She pinches the bridge of her nose: "Somebody get me a change of clothes before I go around punching these masked fucks in a bikini." she says.
Ken nods and jogs up to the team still looking confused to talk to them.
Alistair stares warily at Akane. As usual, her hair is sparking with embers, evidence of her anger. But there's something else there, it's not sparking as much as he thought it would.
Ah.
Alistair notices it as Akane stares at the floor with her fists clenched. She's trembling.
She's scared.
Earlier, after Victoria had parted ways with Mana and Rina…
Mana frowns worriedly as she walks away from Victoria, Rina on her back.
What caused Rina to pass out like that? She felt warm when Mana initially picked her back up but now she feels normal. She can't be sick, so what-?
"Excuse me, Miss, are you two alright?"
Mana makes a move to turn around but Rina suddenly startles awake and clamps a hand over Mana's eyes.
"Wh-?"
"I'm sorry." Rina whispers in her ear and lets go of Mana's face.
Mana blinks, confused. She frowns but doesn't say anything else to Rina. Mana turns around to face the voice and smiles apologetically. "I'm sorry about that. What were you saying?" she asks.
The voice belongs to a man with dark red hair and brown eyes. He's wearing expensive, fancy looking clothing and there's something...odd about him. He gives Mana a strange feeling.
Something changes in the man's expression when Mana turns around to face him but whatever it was, he keeps it to himself. He puts on a friendly smile, "My apologies. I saw you carrying your friend there and I wanted to make sure everything was okay." he says.
Mana nods as she feels Rina tense.
Something's wrong.
Be careful. Mary says.
"Yes, we're fine, thank you." Mana lies. "We were just wandering around looking through the rooms." she says, tightening her grip on Rina's legs.
The man raises an eyebrow. "Are you quite sure?" he asks. "She seemed to be unconscious before I interrupted your walk."
That strange feeling Mana is getting from the man gets stronger.
"She was just resting her head. Is that so bad?" Mana says defensively.
The man doesn't say anything for a minute. He just stares at the two of them until, "What are your names?" the man asks.
"M-Mana!" Rina stutters out.
...Huuuuuuuh?
Mana feels Rina wince and the girl whispers another apology in her ear.
"Mana." the man nods and turns to the real Mana. "And you?" he asks.
Mana panics and says the first name that comes to mind: "Rina." she says.
The man's expression shifts again. "Ah." he says. "Rina."
Mana pales.
I screwed up.
PF x AH x SS
A/N it's short
but i was rushed
for mary's creator's birthday
that i missed
but
here
happy birthday
:catch: