The fight against the demons had ended. At least for now. It was not a victory in Haru’s eyes. Many gave their lives defending the town; Knights and brave adventurers alike. The town was in shambles and was probably going to take months to return to its normal function. The most daring of the locals who had evacuated the town entirely prior to the attack were making their way back. These were proud men and women, who knew how to contribute. Unlike some fools who thought they could hold their ground against the demons, these smart people left heeding the warning, and were now back to rebuild their town.

Just when he thought they had gone through the worst of it and now it was just a matter of recovering from the attack, he overheard a conversation between two fellow Lieutenants who walked by. “…disturbance in other towns…” “There’s more?! Where?” Haru blurted out, startling both. One of them turned towards him with a frown, but the frown swiftly turned to a soft smile upon realizing it was Haru. “Oh! Lieutenant Akimoto. Good work out there today. And yeah… Unfortunately, we have reasons to believe this isn’t an isolated case. Didn’t you read the notice they had put up?” he said, pointing at the large board with numerous papers pinned on it. Haru swiftly made his way to the notice board and began reading the latest one.



Attached to the notice was a mini map that marked the exact location where the gathering was to occur. After the things he saw that day, Haru wasn’t particularly in the mood to socialize. But not going would be disrespecting the martyrs. So, he decided to go, pay his respects, and hoped to leave as soon as he could. But… Things seldom went according to his plan.


The sky darkened and it was time to attend the event. Between the time he read the notice and sunset, he had met his old partner at the infirmary and invited her to the gathering as well. After all, he might not have the luxury to leave the party early like he intended. The Lieutenant was among the first to reach the location. There were a few others gathered around what looked like a large bonfire that wasn’t lit yet. They seemed to be setting things up. Haru walked closer to see if he knew anyone in the group, and if they needed assistance.

Kazimir was wandering around the town when he noticed the posting on the board. 'A call for all the knights to meet.' He had never heard of something like this but given the magnitude of the situation, it was to be expected. Rarely had he been called upon for something. The Knights seemed more loosely tied than he had thought when he first joined but this would be a good opportunity to get a better grasp on things.

He spent some time around town until the sun began to go down signaling the beginning of the bonfire. He stopped to pick up some basic supplies while he had the time. What good bonfire was complete without the right kind of food anyway.  

The walk up to the bonfire was long and his mind raced with what kind of knights would show up. He wondered how many would be pages like him. It seemed that almost all the knights he had gotten to know where higher ranks.

The fire was just starting to build-up. Perhaps he was a bit early. Looking around the area he noticed a familiar looking face. A face that reminded him of the glancing stings of a weapon on his shoulder. He came up to the Knight and called out, "That you Hatsuharu? I should have expected to run into you here?" He said politely with a smile.

He greeted him with a handshake if he would take it and then set down his bag and opened it slightly.  He gathered a few thin sticks around and reached down into his bag to remove some items of varied shapes, all of which appeared to be sweet. " So..What's going on? Glad to see you made it. Not that I had any doubt you wouldn't" His expression a little more serious, about the reasoning for the gathering even if he was happy to finally meet the other knights and catch up with Haru after his encounter.

Nothing in the world could have her calm down from just everything riling in her mind. She was a girl that always was thinking, regardless of what state she was in. She could not shut up her mind. Nothing would help.

A cigarette hung from her mouth, smoking slightly. It was near the end of its time. Almost out, she put it out of her mouth and placed it in the sand. Stomping it out with her boot, she looked around. She saw a notice on the board. It read with "Calling all Knights". Her fox ears perked with curiosity. Something to call all knights for? This was interesting. She read the full flyer and even the tiny print. Going to make an effort to meet new people and see what all of this was about.

When the time came, she set off for the designated area. It was around sunset and she already saw a few people there. She could make out Kazimir and gave a wide grin. "Hey, airhead" she called out sarcastically. When she would make herself known, LeeAnn would hug him randomly. She opened her red and black eye to see another orange haired guy there. Silently, she slipped down and looked at Kazimir then at the other knight, standing there awkwardly not knowing how to start this conversation.

Tail 7: 74/100
Event: 22/30

Waking up early that morning, instead of taking his usual walk up stream or around the forest, Ren was busy helping the other officials in clearing up the ruble and debris from around Orchidia. He had opted not to get rid of the corpses or clean their scattered remains from around town. Still, even cleaning up the shattered glass and fallen walls Ren could not escape the sight of mangled corpses, their entrails either crush or hanging from their open wounds. Any time he lay his pale blue eyes on the sight, his stomach turned and jerked from a mixture of sickness and sadness. How anyone could identify the bodies was beyond him. Although trying to live on without the person never to see them again was even a more alien concept to Ren. He knew one day he'd meet his family again so even being miles apart from them he knew that one day he could reunite with his brothers and sisters. These people, they could only meet again in death.

It was not until late evening when Ren saw the notice "A call for knights to meet." Felling obliged to read it Ren walked to the place mentioned, wondering who would be there. Since he had been in Orchidia the only knights he had spent time with were Holy knights. Thinking that he would not bring that up because of the tensions, Ren made his way there as the sun began to set behind him. Once he got there, Ren's saturated eye med one that was almost totally black. It belonged to a woman with long red hair which had ears coming out of them, feline ears that is. His gaze shifted to the other two knights that were there, one being around Ren's age and another older, who looked very familiar. "Hello." Ren greeted, moving his gaze around once more.

For context:

She was late to the gathering. Solemn groups of various Knights already surrounded the fire that was lit in the clearing. Around it were candles, some lit and some unlit, as a tribute to those lost, no doubt. She ambled among the crowd, a lonely soul... Her eyes subconsciously searched for familiar faces, with as much apprehension as there was longing.

Finally she spotted Tsuru. She was ready to make a beeline towards him, he was standing among the smaller groups. But she stopped in her tracks when she noticed the company he had. With him was... LeeAnn. She cringed almost wanting to earth to split open under her and gobble her up. Their last interaction had forced the Shimada to defend the church after learning that the institution had treated the woman heinously. The Shimada licked her lips, this could end poorly...

With them, was with the fellow Tsuru and Aki had worked with on that mysterious case in Hargeon, the one they had to unfortunately leave unsolved back then, that very promising recruit... She had a knack for placing memories and names together rather well, but it was two years ago so it did take her a moment. She sifted through her memories to find the name, Kazimir. The last among them was a face she had never seen before, which left her rather curious.

This is the test, Akira. Her thoughts egged her on. She had to keep up her pretence and yet do her duty. Avoiding everyone she ever knew wasn't going to work. She steeled her heart and began walking towards the group, her injury caused her to be slow which hopefully covered for her hesitation. 'Quite a turnout.' she said, almost dully, as a way of drawing attention to her arrival. Following which she added 'Tsuru. Kazi... she paused and cleared her throat before the last name, 'LeeAnn.' The young girl acknowledged each of them with a nod and a rather strict air of professional formality. Finally, she offered her hand to the last dark haired man. 'Akira, and you are?'

Even though they managed to close the rift Theo still could hear the voice from that day telling him what to do but it seemed like he was the only one that could hear the voice though if he told anyone about it they probably ask him to take some time off or send him to the hospital. As he made his way through the office one of the Apprentices came up to him and informed him about the party "A party? Sure I don't see why not." it was something that could help him get his mind off everything that was going on with him as of late.

As he arrived at the party he saw Leeann and Kazimir along with some of the other knight's it was nice to some familiar faces Even though we could have made matters worse it's good to see everyone so happy, something Theo wished he could do for himself. "Mr. Leeann Mr. Kazimir it's good to see that you are doing well!" he greeted them with a smile and wave. Though he did hear about some of the higher up's being here hopefully their like Alice and are super nice.

'Their only holding you back Theo so just let them go.' he tried to ignore the voice the best he could but it became louder and louder What do you want from me!? he asked it only to receive no reply. Theo just wanted to enjoy his time with his comrades for as long as he could.

Kazimir was getting more used to these random hugs from LeeAnn. Odd at first but comforting now. "Hey LeeAnn. My favorite hot-head," he replied with a smile. Seeing her awkwardness, he introduced the two of them, "This is Lieutenant Hatsuharu." Once she let him go he returned to roasting his snacks on the fire, before more knights began to arrive, one after the other. 

A young man with dark hair approached them with a pleasant greeting. "Hello, I'm Kazimir, It's a pleasure," he said as he extended his hand to the man. 

Two more familiar faces followed. One of them was a woman he had met two years ago but remembered well. Akira from the Hargeon investigation. "It's good to see you again Akira. I hope the last two years have been kind to you," his reply was a little off as he had a strange feeling from her. She was a lot more formal than he remembered, but at least she didn't sneak up on him this time. He also wondered if Tsuru had given her the update on the other reason they had traveled to Orchidia but this was not the time or place to discuss it. There was enough tribulation today.

The next two to arrive were people he knew all to well. They had shared in battle together and met each other in a moment of atrocity from the demonic invasion. It was pleasing to see them here and know that they were well and recovered. Theo greeted them with enthusiasm and Jolyne was more timid than he expected from her show on the battlefield. "It's good to see you are both doing well and recovered from the fight," he said to them with a warm smile.

He then whirled around back to the fire, "ooops, almost forgot," The snacks he roasted had slipped his mind, as did many things at times, but they were still in good shape. He took a couple off and smashed the marshmallow between chocolate and gram cracker. Seeing that Jolyne appeared to be the most nervous and he recently fought alongside her and Theo, he started with them. 

"S'more," he said as he held one out for each of them. If they took them he would load up some more while trying to stay in the conversation and hopefully not forget again. He knew LeeAnn wouldn't mind waiting. At least he hoped not.

LeeAnn would blink and just look at the orange haired Rune Knight in front of her. Instantly, she heard he was a Lutienate. Immediately, she posed for him as a formal greeting. Getting off of Kazimir's shoulders, she looked at Hatsu with a formal pose. "Seated Knight, LeeAnn Nakamura at your service Lieutenant she stated to the orange redhead. Though, it was not too long when other people would start appearing. Slowly, she started to grow even more frightened. She did not know what to really think for the time being.

On the other hand, Kazimir seemed to greet them. Her eye darted to him just seeing that sweet smile. He was always so kind to others. The ways of society and life could not touch him. Despite all the hardships he went through, she really could not know how he was able to stay so trustworthy.  LeeAnn saw new faces and then Akira. She hid behind Kazimir and hugged him from behind acting like a little kid. The mentioned of their last meeting and flashes of what she had said about the church. The sight of people just gave her anxiety. Using Kazimir as a shield from people would make her look weak, but showed a sign of shyness.

Event: 25/30
Tail 7: 81/100

The Pages working to get the bonfire up stood up to greet Haru when he got closer. He gave a quick wave to put them at ease and allowed them to carry on. They were almost done and didn’t seem to need his help. So, he hung back and watched as they started the bonfire.

In a few minutes, more Knights came in. Among them, the first one that Haru recognized was Kazimir. He greeted him with a handshake and Haru responded in kind. He was glad that the Tempest mage had survived the fight without much wear. Their spar did give the Lieutenant much faith on Kazimir’s capabilities, but nothing would have prepared anyone for the rabid demons they fought that day. “Good to see you are still in one piece,” he said, patting Kazimir’s back gently after the handshake.

While Kazimir was busy cooking the snacks he brought, he was suddenly assaulted with love by a… Neko? No… He had seen Nekos before. This one was different. Not wishing to be rude, Haru stopped staring and looked away for a moment, only turning towards the two when Kazimir introduced the girl. “Lovely to meet you LeeAnn. At ease,” he said, smiling. He still hadn’t gotten used to the respect he gets because of the rank within the faction. Most of his time as a Lieutenant was spent solo under his master.

The sun had finally set and the fire was compensating well for the rapidly dropping temperature. More Knights made their way into the clearing, with a few joining the little group Haru was in. He did not know most of them personally, but he greeted them nonetheless. He introduced himself to both Ren and Theo when they joined, and seeing how Jolyne was a bit nervous, he was extra polite with her to ensure she was comfortable. “Rough day for you all too?” he asked. “Buckle up. We got s’more,” he added with a chuckle, as he helped himself to one that Kazimir offered. He really was fond of sweets.

Haru took a bite and almost choked on it when he heard Akira’s voice. He did invite her, but had also told her not to push it if she was not well. Attending the event was surely not worth it if it was going to hinder her recovery. Nevertheless, he was happy that she was there. Coughing to clear his throat, he turned to see his ex-partner. His lips turned into a smile the moment his eyes met hers. “How’s the wound?” he asked. His voice was a lot gentler when he spoke to Akira. Of course, he wouldn’t notice that, but it would be obvious to those around him.

Meanwhile, the crowd simmered down suddenly as an old regal man walked in. The stars and medals pinned in his shirt made it obvious that he was a Captain-Commander. And given that they were called in by one, it would be safe to assume he was Germano Pagni. Behind him was a man with a permanent scowl on his face—who gave an even meaner look towards Akira as he walked past the group. Haru followed his gaze and when he found out he was looking at Akira, he gave her a questioning look. It was the classic look he gave her whenever she pissed off someone she shouldn’t have.

She resisted the urge to scoff at the remark Kazi offered, the one about time being kind to her. She just chuckled instead. 'I suppose.' The assorted cohort seemed to have attracted the attention of more Knights, perhaps it was that damn orb on her head. It was two blondes to be precise, a young man and lady. Everyone knew at least one other in the group, it was a chain of acquaintances looking to share their experiences, no doubt. At least, most of them looked well... small mercies. Akira shook her head slowly, realising how much she was going to miss this.

She extended quick introductions to the blondes and muttered something about her rank, her voice soft enough to almost be missed. She didn't care to highlight it much, given that it would hold little relevance now. The girl seemed so shy. Aki couldn't help but raise her eyebrows ever so slightly, in amusement at the stuttering, she wondered what made the girl so anxious. Quite in contrast to her, was the blonde guy, who seemed almost... chirpy. Too chirpy perhaps... Given the solemn occasion. Perhaps, he was setting an optimistic tone, there was a dire need for that after all.  The homage to the fallen morphed into a gathering for the living. Being alive, was something to be grateful for, even to celebrate. Soon bonfire treats were being offered, Akira supposed that there was always s'more room for food and joy.

The concern from her ex-partner made her role so much harder. She had to physically step away from him to create the mental distance she needed to carry on. 'Thank the Illumin that we all are here and in one piece, especially me, I owe my life to Him and the Church.' she said almost pointedly after clearing her throat. It also would serve as an answer to her partner's question. this time significantly louder than before. She drew inspiration from the lighter ones around her to fill her words with optimism. Neither being hopeful, nor being religious came easily to Akira. Her gaze flitted to the woman with the eye-patch, almost tauntingly as the girl clung onto Kazi. Come on, help me set the tone and make my break... Aki thought, hoping to make this process like ripping off a bandage, there were likely to be confrontations given the controversial relationship between the Knights and LeeAnn's justified hatred.

Her comment, or perhaps just her presence had pissed off quite another creature altogether, Captain Baldanti. He worked under Pagani and had always had something against Akira. The Shimada had never figured out what she did to earn his ire. For the moment he walked on, but she could feel his cold steely stare linger on her. Like he was waiting for some sort of an opportunity. She rolled her eyes at his luck, she was probably going to end up digging her grave with him.

Delayed but most likely not too far gone, Judina slowly would arrive to this meeting of the other knights, Even if it made her feel uneasy. Judina did not do well in large groups of people she really did not know of had known enough to talk to, It was the starting to open up part that made her nervous.

Major thing is she did not show a sign of it at all, She had to be better the off chance of dealing with this, She was more comfortable then when she went to one of her close friends weddings, She was in a dress then and felt weird, This time she was in her normal outfit, Even putting aside the armor.

Mostly because she still felt like she was recovering from all that metal working she did to improve gears, It did take a lot out of her, she had been asleep most of the time up until the the early afternoon. She had spent time mediating, Hearing of sit gathering, It was good for Judina to meet the people who worked on the front line and anyone else who she would be working with one way.

Wearing mostly dark blue, Even wearing the long dark blue robe she worn when she started as a rune knight, Her red plated boots as well because she had no other foot wear, nothing covering her hands, her metal crown as well as her hair draping down her back as normal. Just wrapping a scarf around her neck to just feel like she was prepared for winter. Even if she hated winter the most.

She took her time walking to this event, It was something she was still trying to figure out, How to socialize with people she had yet to know, She couldn't nor did not want to be in work mode while here she needed to be normal, That did not happen often anymore.

Haru gave him a pat on the back and he responded by pointing at the cut in his robes he had yet to fix, "It was dangerous but the demon's weren't as fast as you are with that sword." He hadn't worried about Haru for a second, knowing his strength and all the tricks he had tucked away. 

As the rest of the knights showed up Akira arrived and seemed to stir something within LeeAnn. Her hug almost bumped the melting marshmallows into the fire and part of himself. His eyes widened as his face came closer to the flame, but a sigh of relief showed that he and the treat were safe. He turned around to face the rest. She hugged him from behind now, separating herself from the others. It was odd how fiery he could be and yet still so timid at times. A quality both endearing and unsuspected. 

Kazimir shook his head at Haru's pun with a smile and it turned into a small laugh as Jolyne flatly asked about it. "My pleasure Jolyne, I'm glad you like it feel free to have as much as you want." Jolyne had shed of her shyness and became a bit..bubbly. She devoured the s'more with the same vigor she used in bashing through the demons. 

An interesting group had indeed gathered, but once Akira arrived there was a change in the atmosphere. He wondered what Haru meant by a wound and even more curious was AKira's love of the church. He had not remembered her as such a religious person. "I had not pegged you for the religious sort," he asked while turning over LeeAnn's hand and putting a s'more in it as it was still wrapped around him. He knew the comment would put her on edge. 

It was not long before the man responsible for the gathering appeared. Kaz met the two captains with a salute but said no words. They would not want to hear from a page yet, he assumed. The hanging tension intensified as one of them scowled at Akira. Whatever was going on here ran deep.

Theo looked around and saw that most of his group from the fight was present but he kept his distance from them as he didn't want to talk about the events that transpired though he did see some faces that he hadn't seen before. I guess we can relax for a moment and breath he thought watching who looked like Kazimir make s'mores something he wishes he thought of doing but he wasn't even sure if coming was the right call, to begin with. The smell of the s'mores passed by his nose Man that smells so good but I can't have two cheat days, he thought pushing the thought to the back of his mind.

He found that it be a lot harder to avoid the others then he thought so he made his way over to Jolyen who was in the middle of a conversation with some others two of which he had no idea as to who they were but they seemed to alright if Jolyen was with them. "Hey Ms. Jolyen, Mr. Kazimir its good to see you both." he held his left arm as he talked to them trying to be positive and happy like normal but they saw him during the battle he was a nervous wreck and was so indecisive about a simple order that was given to him. TK found prayed that it would not try and talk to him once again "I...umm hope we can work together again sometime." this one event had made him scared to face others.

Theo could feel his stomach turn as he thought about that day and how he allowed a disembodied voice to control him but then again this voice could have just been a side effect of the goblins and the rift after all.

It was like time had froze for her. The laughter and the chatter faded into just mumbles and echoes. Noise dissipated into nothing my hallow sounds. Her gaze was looked onto Akira for a good few minutes like a deer in the headlights, terrified and scared stiff. No matter how much she wanted to move, her body would not give into her demands. It was as if someone else was controlling it. Her mind felt disconnected from her shell of what was LeeAnn. Finally, panic had struck when the mention of Illumin was named. That's when it struck like a giant clock banging noon in the town square.

A joyous event to others right now was more of a dread for the young redhead. Only Kazimir noticed these things about her. No one else was aware of her mental condition. Dianoisged with PTSD after her kidnapping almost ten years ago by the church, she was never the same. It only gotten worse for her since then. Her grip on Kazimir's robes grew tighter then before. Her eyes squinted shut having flashbacks of before.

The panic and guilt on her mother's face. The tools. The symbol of Illumin. The masked individuals surrounding her. The light emerging from the magic circle. The screams from her mother to stop hurting her. LeeAnn felt it all happening again. Reliving the old memories, It would not stop. Silently, she slowly started to fall on her knees, dragging Kazimir down with her. No matter how much she wanted this to stop, it would not.

Her hands started to shake. She felt her throat grow dry and the lack of air. Quiet gasping was heard from her, only Kazimir and anyone close could hear, but it was faint. She felt like a fish out of water. The kistune tried as hard as she could to not make a scene. She held the snack in her hands and silently tried to eat it. But, her stomach would not comply. LeeAnn hid her face from everyone when she got up and went to the nearest bathroom. There she could cry. She did not want other fellow knights to show up and cause a scene. LeeAnn there cried and shaking, out of control of her own body.

Sometime had passed, she felt safe again. It had been a half hour since she disappeared. Kazimir was probably worried sick. LeeAnn got up from the girl's bathroom floor and cleaned herself up. Once she appeared again, she hid her face with her hair and sat behind Kazimir like a shield.

Event: 28/30
Tail 7: 86/100

The main thing now Judina had to wonder is whom to interact with, Judina did not really remember any of these people she thought she knew one, But the most part Judina was unsure about what to do to start interacting with one of them, Most of them seemed to already have groups of their own, So she felt fine with that at least so she would go and get something to drink, Which would be her for the most part, Cluelessly walking around in which she would just act like she knew what she was doing, it would make her feel less awkward.

Judina however would continue watch over the people these over knights where all slightly interesting in how they look and kept themselves. All vastly different, Makes her wonder if really in these times she really needed the armor she wore, but quickly go rid of that thought and just continued walking realizing how nice this robe she wore for the longest time put away and then wore now again it felt nice and lighter but never regretted her choice what changing her outfit to that armor, it just was not needed today, But bast and large thoughts put aside.


So slowly now choosing to just walk towards the general group of other knights she felt no need t just kind of watch, maybe she would by that time piece together what to say to any one of them when she finally when over by them but for the moment she had no idea for sure, It was the moment between while she would figure out would be the hardest for her, Even not noticing the situation that was going on. After all being lost in your own thoughts about how other things for the moment, not clued in yet.

Haru was glad to hear that Kazimir didn’t have to face any demons that were too much for him to handle. The Captains that dispatched the squads have done a decent job at gauging their strengths and he was thankful to them. When Kazimir pointed at the tear in his robe that Haru had caused with his sabre, he grinned and apologized.

The Lieutenant didn’t expect the need to explain his silly joke. So, when Jolyne asked for the explanation, he found himself stuttering and scratching his head. “Uh… S’more. Some more- Nevermind,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. He really didn’t want to spell it out, especially since Jolyne had just gotten out of her shy bubble and he didn’t want to bring up the demons again.

Haru didn’t miss Akira’s step backwards when he took one towards her. And what was even more shocking was the outright declaration of her devotion to the church and Illumin. Upon hearing Kazimir’s assumption, he couldn’t help but add to it. “She wasn’t religious. It is as if the church injected the belief in her while they tended to her wounds from the fight against the demons,” he muttered. He held the gaze of his ex-partner, as if daring her to deny it. But it was soon broken when he noticed that LeeAnn had gotten extremely uncomfortable.

He watched as she knelt to the ground, pulling Kazimir along with her. “Hey! Are you okay?” he asked, taking a step towards her. But by then, she was up and away. He wanted to follow, or at least ask Kazimir to check on her, since he seemed more familiar with her. However, by then, Pagni and Baldanti had entered, attracting all pairs of eyes to them.

Haru promptly saluted the two as they made their way to the centre of the crowd. Pagni began his speech. A short one, but essentially giving the same message that his call letter had conveyed. After that, the group was asked to hold a minute of silence to honour the fellow Knights who were killed in action that day.

When the minute came to an end, Pagni left the crowd and Baldanti took over. His very first sentence the moment his Captain-Commander was out of earshot was a slight against Akira. “Hail Pagni, indeed! Now, he is a true Captain-Commander. Unlike some who snaked their way to that position,” Baldanti spat, not even having the decency to look away from Akira when saying that.

Kazi politely stated that he didn't think the Shimada's beliefs would align with the church. It was a fair assumption, given he'd only witnessed a far more practical side of Aki and they'd never ventured towards the subject of religion. It was usually an avoided subject, given that people could have rather intense view on it. Her eyes snapped to her ex-partner as he took the liberty to answer for her, falsely too. While the accusation was not something she'd put past certain members of the church, it wasn't fair to slap it around so generically on the poor healers who had truly worked to try and help her, in such a manner.

'Not true. They saved me, I'm more than grateful and that certainly has caused me to be ever more faithful.' she responded, her gaze now holding Kazi. Her eyebrows shot upwards as his companion slipped to the ground. It felt cruel to be eliciting such a disturbing reacting from a fellow Knight. Even though Akira had done nothing, it would seem her words were enough in themselves. 'It seems, LeeAnn doesn't quite approve...' she muttered, a bitter edge to her words, which was not really there in defence of the church, but could easily be misconstrued as such. She huffed lightly when Tsuru put in his own inquiry about the girl's well being.

When LeeAnn excused herself, Aki truly felt miserable. So much collateral damage and this wasn't even going to be the worse of it. Aki had to purse her lips and work at maintaining a poker face, any slip of empathy could shatter the act, in fact, she turned away, to gauge the others, just as they were greeted by the Captain-commander and his subordinate. She truly could enjoy Pagni's presence, he'd always regarded her as an equal, despite the difference in their age. He was a rather practical man, dedicated to his duties and respectful of the system. They needed more like him, as much as they needed free-thinkers like the Shimada. Someone had to enforce the rules, even though they needed change. He looked positively taken aback at all the hailing. His chuckle was dismissive, and Aki couldn't help but crack a smile at the man. He returned a small smile that sung of regret. Not everyone hated her and not everyone wanted her gone...

Baldanti made up for his senior's seeming neutrality. She could sense trouble as he closed in on the assembled group, once they had completed their moment of silence. She narrowed her eyes, as they locked with the accuser. 'Sounds like you know how something like that would work, but not well enough... considering...' she responded icily, shrugging to imply he hadn't managed to seize that rank-up for himself. The man was quick to a retort too. 'You rose too soon and fell too hard. Don't you know this gathering is for Rune Knights only, besides you seem to be cosying up to the wrong sorts of Knights, it is making people here uncomfortable.' She knew it wasn't beyond him to use someone else's sensitivities to his own advantage. 'My paperwork hasn't come through yet, so I'm still Captain-commander to you. Besides, I'm surprised you haven't joined hands with the wrong sort of Knights, last I checked you were petitioning against allowing darkness magic users and the dark races within the Rune Knights a vehemence.' This was true, it was particularly aimed at getting the Shimada kicked out. He didn't succeed and now it probably wouldn't matter even if he had, considering the state of her magic.

It seemed apparent that Hatsu noticed something was wrong with the kitsune. Many of the other knights seemed to notice too, but she stay silent. Her head pounded, aching from the tension in her muscles from stress. Before she could answer or say anything, she left the scene to calm down.

Her physcologicl disorder, PTSD, was unpredictible sometimes since he was interwined with anxiety and depression. The trigger was the talk about religion and the holy knights. That itself was a trigger. Sinking to the bathroom floor, she shook in a fetal position trying so hard to control the emotions and thoughts. It felt like someone else was forcing these thoughts into her. She needed a distraction. The thoughts of thinking of her brother and Kazimir flooded in. She remembered Hikaru telling her he was so proud of her and her father teasing her. The overall good feeling helped numb the pain and thoughts about that traumatic event that took place almost ten years ago.

The Nakamura grabbed the sink's edge to help her up from the ground. Shakingly, she walked to the door and back to Kazimir's side. LeeAnn had noticed two more higher ranking officers shown up. Ones she had never heard of before. Though,it was possible they knew about her since she was a special case and daughter of two high ranking Knights. She knew her Uncle Simon was still in the Rune Knights, but was not here at the current moment. LeeAnn sat back down and noticed they were talking about Akira and how high she rose the ranks.

The subject and hints about religion hinted about. It again caused LeeAnn to tense. She could hear them converse about the subject which did not help her maintain a calm state of mind. LeeAnn put her head between her knees and held it there for a little bit. She could not help but start crying from the flashbacks of being back at that horrible place and screaming.

Finally, she snapped.

"WILL YOU SHUT UP ABOUT THE DAMN HOLY KNIGHTS AND RELIGION CRAP! MAKE IT STOP....make it stop" she cried. She stood up pissed and crying, her chest heaved up and down. Her hands were shaking and scared what might happen to her how she talked to them, but she did not care. Nothing mattered! She wanted all of this to stop.

"The fucking church does not care about anyone or anything but to cleanse people of sin! Well I will tell you all...they are nothing but lying, horrible people that torture innocent civillians. How is that saving people? I am living proof..." she yelled, in a mix of anger and anxiety. She looked at Pagni and Baldanti, who were surprised and angry with how she acted. She payed no mind to them and sat back down, hiding in Kazimir's GI uniform. They all got a taste of her temper and what she was really like. She was in a mood of "who cares what they think" idea in mind.

Theo greeted him as politely as ever. After what had happened in the battle Kazimir was concerned for him. Wondering if there were any lasting effects or if it had just been a power of the demons. He tried to hide his concern as he  understood TK probably didn't want to talk about it given the slight nervousness in his response, "Good to see you as well Theo. I'd fight crime or demons at your side anytime," extending a hand to shake Theo's.

Another curious looking knight approached that he had not seen before but she maintained a safe distance. Until she moved in closer Kaz wouldn't make any gestures other than a welcoming nod.

Kazimir only shook his head at the silly situation between Jolyne and Haru but things quickly turned when He addressed Akira. His response was blunt and matter of fact. It most have been a grievous wound to cause this much of a change. He instinctively looked at her trying to decipher where the injury may be. "Well...I hope your injury is no longer a problem for you." Akira's demeanor was biting as she almost poked at the pain LeeAnn felt and the concern from her former partner.

Kazimir felt LeeAnn's grip tighten suddenly and then her collapse behind him. He knew of her condition and his concern for her rose. With it so did his annoyance at if Akira meant to elicit such a response. He placed a hand on LeeAnn's but kept eye contact with Akira. His gaze was not as warm as it was calculating what this moment was about. "Healing of the mind is often harder than the wounds we are dealt," his words as much for LeeAnn as they were to Akira and whatever the church had garnered from her.

he would have moved to check on her after a few minutes but his superiors arrived and beckoned them to listen to their speech. It was a necessary one but Kaz was never a fan of sitting through them. What followed was a tedious dance of rune knight politics between Aki and the higher up. There was plenty of bad blood there and it all felt petty in the grand scheme of the rune knights mission. He would like to have stuck up for Aki but she herself was in a place he was unsure about mentally.

The wind mage felt the rising tension as LeeAnn had returned and it was building up within her. Their words kept pushing a boundary she struggled against until it exploded forth like a volcano. His first reaction was to do what he could to stop her, calm her, or ease the situation. But it was pleasant to see her standing up for herself and not recoiling from the jabs Aki threw at her earlier.

Her outburst pulled everyone's attention to her and she ended but finding her way back at his side. Kaz gave a heavy hearted sigh and put his hand on top of her head between her ears. "Captain you'll have to excuse the outburst. The church is a difficult subject and emotions are high in the wake of the demonic attacks. We all handle our stress differently Sir." He hoped he could at least not bring down to harsh a reaction on her. He simply stood supportive at her side.

Despite his words he hoped that the new Captain-Commander at least didn't hear what was going on. He didn't want to bring the attention of so many powerful people onto himself. Not out of nervousness but wanting to avoid any sort of fiasco and being brought into any convoluted situation for a simple Page.

It seems the situation had turned, Maybe then again Judina expect better language then swearing. Maybe Judina was also being a bit more overly polite about things and well manner as she was normally. So she would not include herself into this moment even if only knew one out of the rest of them, But sometimes Judina was the time to step into these situation. Even if being blind and clueless to what the problem was Judina was a bit of the type to go first ask later, Both good and bad in this current situation.

So Judina would walked to where everyone else was and just like that she had gotten herself into this. No idea why or clueless about it. Judina just said."Alright, What is going on here?" She asked almost more like the situation of why everyone was yelling."No one should be yelling at one another here."She carried on her words, The normally assertive was going to try and see what could be done here. She did not sound annoyed or mad, But she would still seem a bit exhausted still Judina much like everyone else might have been tired form other things just as much as demon fighting.

But the stubborn woman she was, She only still just slightly tired but carried on anyway."Nor do I think anyone should be yelling or swearing at one another when this is a meeting of Rune knights were are partners here one way or another."This was just how she was. Partners and helpers Ranks were not in her mind nor did she care about them.

Judina seemed to have simple intention about stepping in here, Then again she did seemingly just step in from seemingly no where, If she were actually thinking like a smart woman, She would realize she could have done it better.

Things derailed out of control rather quickly. Akira went on defending the church and her belief, and every word she uttered about the Holy Knights seemed to worsen LeeAnn’s state and eventually she snapped. Baldanti’s words didn’t help matters. His prime target was Akira and LeeAnn’s reaction helped him bolster his accusations. The man conveniently ignored her statement about his petition and instead shifted the focus towards how she was mentally torturing the Kitsune. He turned towards Kazimir when he apologized for LeeAnn and nodded as if he understood. “Of course! It was her doing, after all,” he added, looking at Akira scathingly.

By then, the whole crowd’s attention was on them. Everyone was at a standstill, watching the group and wondering what was going to happen next. Haru knew what was going to happen next and didn’t want it to happen. He wasn’t sure how much she had changed over the years, but the Akira he knew was neither patient nor tactful. In the meantime, Judina walked up and asked everyone to get along. He hadn’t noticed her until then and was happy to see that she wasn’t harmed during the incursion. The situation didn’t allow for a proper greeting, so he settled for an acknowledging nod.

Kazimir’s hope was in vain. Pagni had heard the commotion and was already on his way. He heard Judina and smiled at her, before frowning at Baldanti and Akira. “I’m shocked the two of you—one a Captain and another a Captain-Commander—don’t have the grace that young girl has. Must I remind you all what we are here for?” he asked, looking sharply at Baldanti, who immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, Sir,” he said, but still couldn’t help but stare at Akira.

Haru wasn’t sure if Akira was going to apologize and drop the subject. So, he jumped on the opportunity to do it for her. “We’re sorry too, Sir,” he said, bowing slightly. He then turned to Akira. “It’s best we leave,” he muttered. He didn’t have the courage to ask her to leave. She may be in a very volatile state recently. That didn’t change the relationship they had—or still did.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently ushered her away from the crowd. The Lieutenant wasn’t angry. Not until what Baldanti said when they were walking away. “Yeah! Side with the traitor,” he muttered, to most people’s shock. Akira was accused of many things, but never of treachery. Haru turned sharply, his eyes flaring in shock and anger. And as usual, he lost control of his actions as his hand reached for his blade.

Pagni didn’t miss a beat. “THAT’S ENOUGH!” he bellowed, breaking Haru out of his rage. “Out! All three of you,” he said through gritted teeth. Baldanti huffed, saluted grudgingly and stormed off. Before Haru could apologize, Pagni walked up to him and threatened in a calm voice. “If I ever see you even think of using that blade of yours against another Knight again, I’ll personally sign your dismissal,” he said. The Lieutenant gulped. “Now, off you two go,” he said before turning towards the rest of the crowd and smiling at them.

“Terrible times bring out the worst in us. We shouldn’t give in…” and so he began another speech, addressing the crowd. Soon enough, he had made everyone forget about the little incident and made them rally together as a united faction. He wasn't considered one of the greatest Captain-Commanders for no reason. Haru wasn’t there for the entirety of it. He had already walked away as fast as he could, angry and ashamed.

She was trying to maintain a very precarious balance of severing ties, highlighting her allegiance with the church and through all this trying not to cause irreparable damage. The presence of LeeAnn made that much more difficult. Especially considering her attachment to Kazimir. Kazi alongside Tsuru were proving to be somewhat of a glue, holding together the assimilated crowd of Rune Knights. It pained Aki to know very few of the other. At least today gave me the opportunity to make note of some more of the worthy candidates among the faction. The Shimada came to realise that a fair few of them had fought the attacking demons and she was glad to know none of them had sustained any grievous injuries. She'd have asked solemnly about the fallen, but that conversation never had a chance to blossom amidst all the friction.

She chose not to rise to Kazimir's well-veiled bait once LeeAnn excused herself. With icy politeness, she did let him know that she was intimately familiar with both sorts. Tsuru could attest to that, but she had to admit from what she'd heard from LeeAnn, the fox probably had had it worse... So she chose not to broach the subject anymore, not until Baldanti came and made matters worse. Before he had a chance to retort to her challenge, LeeAnn made a... powerful re-entry. Even the Shimada was taken aback, she sighed softly having had no intentions to take away from the event to such a degree. She cleared her throat and wondered if she should apologise, but there Baldanti was lathering the blame on her.

Everyone heard LeeAnn's outburst and Baldanti's accusations, Akira felt oddly uncomfortable. She knew she should just turn around and leave, but that felt like such a blow to her reputation and to her ego. Never had she thought doing her duty would mean letting Baldanti get away with his sick and sly ways. An armoured lady accurately pandered that they were all comrades... The Shimada's demeanour softened briefly, only for her to realise that soon, she wasn't going to be. From the look of acknowledgement, she gathered that Tsuru knew this lady too...

She took a step closer to the Captain, wordlessly holding his gaze and pouring in as much of her rage into it. as she could, till Pagni stepped between them. The fellow Captain-Commander elicited a weak sounding apology from his subordinate. She was not one to disrespect usually, but her sight snapped to Pagni. No apology was issued from her lips. 'He needs a leash.' she muttered, under her breath and through grit teeth, there was enough commotion for the words to get lost, but not on Pagni.

Tsuru spoke for her yet again, it was his turn to play victim to her smouldering gaze. But he seemed rather immune to it, finding it more pressing to make an exit for her. But when she was insulted yet again, she noticed the way his form tensed. It was as though her aggression has seeped into him, now that it had, she felt an overwhelming urge to make sure he didn't get caught in the crossfire like LeeAnn just had. Her hand reached out towards her ex-partner, but it was Pagni who shattered the tense moment with something akin to an order.

She swiftly pulled her hand away from Tsuru, hoping most people missed the interrupted gesture. It seemed the commotion created was definitely enough to make the cut. Painful as it was to let Baldanti walk away with something of a win, she had to put her personal feelings aside and remind herself that this was a choice, more specifically her choice and for the greater good. 'Whatever. I get it. Not welcome here.' she said, clearly enough to be audible, should the chatter fade. She offered one last cursory glance, which paused briefly and impassively on Kazi's and LeeAnn's faces. She then turned to leave. Perhaps she shouldn't have been as surprised as she was, but Tsuru followed, she wished he wouldn't, he was going to end up making matters worse for himself. Baldanti lurked in an attempt to bargain with his superior, no doubt.

Another knight had appeared whom he did not know and tried to quell the spike in emotions that took hold of the situation. Her words were concise and clear. It made sense and Kaz still wasn't completely sure where she had come from. Nonetheless the appearance of an impartial party may be just what they needed.

Unfortunately it did little to dose the burning embers within the knights. It seemed things were going okay enough and Akira along with Haru began to excuse themselves. LeeAnn was still recovering from her own outburst just moments ago. Baldanti didn't miss hsi chance however, with a quick snappy comment that sent Haru fuming. The knight nearly pulled his sword from his hilt.

In an instant Kaz wondered what would this confrontation lead to. He had to contemplate if he would try to stop Haru's attack or stand idly by. In the end it was Pagni that interjected and put a halt to the commotion. A good thing as Kaz had made no attempt to intercede in the moment. He could tell there was a long history between the higher ups and he didn't want to get brought into it so soon.

Haru and Aki excused themselves after some words from Pagni and a brief glance from Aki. It was a bit cold when it came to Kaz and LeeAnn. He still wondered what exactly happened to her but hopefully Haru would bring her back. Then again, he barely knew her and perhaps this was just the type of person she was. Given the strong flare of emotions that came to light it was probably not the best choice but he tossed her one last s'more with a nod. Haru was with her and had not given up on her so there was no reason for the wind mage to either.

As they left, Kaz waited through Pagni's speech, paid his respects to the fallen and got ready to leave. He nodded at LeeAnn to see if she was ready to. Before he left he walked over to the armored woman and extended a handshake to her, "Thanks for coming in back there. Things were getting tense. I'm Kazimir," he looked away from her a second back at the fire and toward LeeAnn, "Unfortunately I have to be going. perhaps we'll see one another on mission sometime."

He walked by TK, Ren and Jolyne saying his farewells and knowing this would not be the last time he saw them.

-exit-