Lost in the expanse of the night sky, Tōga languidly connected the stars before him into invisible constellations, his gaze tracing meandering paths across the dark canvas visible through the pristine hotel room window. Time seemed to stand still as he lost himself among those distant celestial orbs - spheres of burning gas and ancient light, separated from him by unfathomable leagues of memory and possibility. The infinity of space was mirrored by the uncounted potentialities that lay within this sky; yet here on Earthland, the paths forward were few enough to tally on one hand. A soft sigh, resonating almost as a purr in his throat, escaped Tōga's lips as he contemplated the contrast between what was and what could be.

Tōga tore his gaze from the hypnotic night sky, amber eyes landing on the once-sleeping woman now stirring awake in the rumpled hotel bed behind him. Profanities spilled freely past her lips as she emerged bewildered from slumber's embrace, body aching and contorting as consciousness slowly returned. Tōga watched her familiar form with a hint of amusement glinting in his eyes, wordlessly taking in her disheveled state emerging from beneath the twisted sheets. Her unrestrained outburst seemed to disrupt the pensive silence that had previously filled the shadowed room. Yet despite her evident discomfort and confusion, there remained an unguarded beauty about her as she moved with casual abandon, the last vestiges of sleep fading into alert wakefulness.

"It's alright," Tōga soothed gently, though in truth he did not know if Ursula retained any memory of him or their crazed night together, or even where she found herself now in her disorientation. He raised open palms toward her, calming any alarm as he beckoned her into a state of trusting ease. "Here, drink this – it's water," he murmured, moving slowly so as not to startle her still-bleary mind. With deliberate care he lifted the perspiring glass waiting beside the bed, condensation pooling beneath it atop the nightstand. Tenderly he offered her the glass, his movements flowing with patience and tranquility as if coaxing a frightened doe. All tension seemed to seep from the room as a wordless understanding passed between them, and Ursula's chaotic emergence into wakefulness was quelled under Tōga's pacific influence.

"You were drugged at the club – I gotcha outta there," Tōga explained gently, keenly aware that the disoriented woman had awoken into a precarious reality after her intoxicated night out. Like emerging from one nightmare into another, she now had to piece together the blurred fragments of how she came to this unfamiliar hotel room and bed. Fortunately, Tōga had intervened early after spotting the surreptitious dosing, swiftly whisking her away before further harm befell. The evening's events had left her with memory shattered like fragmented mirror glass...yet aside from the hangover's pounding headache, she had mercifully been spared any darker consequences thanks to Tōga's watchful protectiveness. Details could come later; for now, reassuring calm and recovery were paramount. Tōga observed her closely as awareness slowly returned to her gaze, patient and non-judgmental in the sanctity of the night.

---

wc:514

Tōga gazed upon Ursula's face, watching in fascination as the story of last night played out across her perplexed expressions. Her memories swirled within her mind, blurred and disjointed, like trying to read a book written in an indecipherable foreign script. The cocktail she had downed in the club now fogged her recollection, obscuring the details of that night behind shadows and fractured images. As understanding slowly returned to her eyes, Tōga could see her struggling to piece together fragmented moments - a whispered word here, a flashing light there. The threads of the tale lurked just out of reach, glimpsed only briefly before darting away, pages in a book blown open by a fleeting breeze then snatched shut once more.

"No need to thank me..." Tōga's words faded into the tense air between them, drifting off like fireflies blinking out one by one. He watched Ursula closely, knowing she must feel trapped here with a stranger in this unfamiliar hotel room. Though he had rescued her from the sinister clutches of the club and her would-be assailant, he knew she had every right to feel uneasy. After all, waking up with missing memories in the private quarters of someone she barely knew had surely neverbeen part of her plans for the evening. Yet despite her potential anger, confusion and distrust, Tōga hoped she would come to understand he had simply acted to keep her safe. There had been little time to think as he swept her vacant body from that den of wolves, determined only to spirit her away somewhere secure until the drugs wore off. They stood now in the eye of the storm - the club's chaos held at bay beyond these quiet walls, but the path ahead still unclear. He could see the questions churning behind her eyes, this mysterious hotel room now the sole setting she knew from the missing chapters of her night. Watching Ursula wrestle with faded recollections and newfound uncertainty, Tōga wondered if bringing her here had truly been the right choice after all.

"It's a hotel room I got for us," Tōga began, though his own words rang hollow. He struggled to explain himself under her questioning gaze - how could he make her understand when even he scarcely believed the night's events? "I knew taking you to a hospital would raise alarms, so I brought you here to sleep off the drugs safely." Her eyes clouded further at the mention of hospital and drugs, blurry snippets of the night flickering through her mind. He could see the gaps where memory faded to black, and he rushed to fill them..

“I’m Tōga, a Rune Knight --- I was investigating a string of disappearances and drugging’s and kinda stumbled upon the club you were at,”

---

wc: 463 [977]

"Oh, yeah sure!" Tōga exclaimed as he sprang up from his seated position, responding swiftly to Ursula's request to see some identification. It was an understandable ask given the circumstances—she had awoken disoriented in an unfamiliar hotel room with a virtual stranger who claimed to be her savior from a seedy club the night before where she may have been drugged. Though not new to the Rune Knight duties, Tōga found himself on unfamiliar ground having rescued someone under such questionable conditions. Feverishly patting himself down, he rifled through pockets and compartments on his person in search of the badge that would offer Ursula some form of reassurance.

"Aha, found it!" Tōga exclaimed triumphantly as he pulled from the depths of his overshirt a gleaming medallion identifying him as a Major of the Rune Knights, a prestigious position denoting his high rank and acclaim. Though he cared little for the status, in that urgent moment, the badge served as a vital form of verification to assuage Ursula's doubts and fears. With an earnest expression, Tōga presented the medallion to her, hoping it would offer some comfort and confidence in his intentions after the distressing events that led to their puzzling yet providential encounter. The engraved emblem represented his pledge to protect and prove his capability to provide her safe passage until the mysteries surrounding them could be further uncovered.

"I understand this is likely overwhelming for you," Tōga offered gently as he perched on the window ledge, hoping to convey some sentiment of empathy to the clearly shaken Ursula. "I can step out if you need time to process everything or just have a moment to yourself - no pressure at all. But at some point, when you're ready, we will need to discuss what happened last night." He assured her he would not encroach on her space uninvited; she could shower, sleep, or simply sit with her swirling thoughts and emotions. Tōga had a duty, yes, but not at the expense of Ursula's comfort. Though their chance encounter at the club had led to an enjoyable evening, his role now as a Rune Knight demanded he piece together events and pursue the perpetrator - not only for Ursula but for all those targeted. Still, the mission could wait; for now, offering this rattled young woman even a small measure of agency and compassion took priority. When she was steadied, they would unravel the mysteries together.

---

WC: 407 [1384]

Tōga's features softened with warmth as Ursula seemed to find refuge in a growing ease with his company. His badge had granted specifics - a name and title - and done enough to temper her suspicions, allowing some seed of comfort to take root even amidst vulnerability and chaos. That was all the earnest Rune Knight had hoped for, his empathetic brown eyes still gently settling on the lovely young woman who had suffered such a grievous betrayal of trust. This fleeting moment of connection kindled a flicker of respite as she oriented to this unfamiliar situation. Tōga hovered nearby, a patient, reassuring presence should she need further support - whether more information or just silent understanding. For now, building even tentative trust took precedence over pressing for details; there would be time enough to illuminate sinister shadows.

"Oh yeah, Ursula-chan!" Tōga smiled, softly running his lightly tanned fingers along his nape beneath the pink, spiked tresses. "It's nice to put a full name to the prettyface." A light laugh escaped to hide the flush spreading across his cheeks as delicate fingers suddenly encircled his arm. He looked down to see Ursula gently reaching out to brush his wrist, catalyzing a spark of connection. Her initiative surprised and moved the Rune Knight, still adjusting to their unexpected collision of fates the night prior. Though much remained uncertain between the strangers tossed together by ominous chances, the tender gesture kindled warmth and forged the first fragile strands of understanding. For now, in the stillness, the mysteries paused their swirling, two minds meeting in a quiet moment of resonant humanity.

"Oh...okay, I'll stay," Tōga softened, settling back against the window ledge. His gaze tenderly took in Ursula's splendor emerging before him. Content without agenda, he allowed minutes to meander, letting the intimate room's quiet spell provide a sanctuary for Ursula to steady after the chaos that flung them together.

"Well, that's good," Tōga affirmed, his amiable smile lingering as he returned the Rune Knight badge to his pocket, releasing a pensive breath as he mentally revisited the prior night. "I wish I had more details to share. We started dancing and your symptoms kicked in so rapidly. I couldn't identify a potential perpetrator. But recalling who manned the bar last night shouldn't prove too difficult." Brow furrowed, Tōga retraced his memories, navigating the flashing, blaring fragments seeking clues - visions churning of figures through smoky air, garish neon splashing over anonymous faces now indistinct, music and heartbeats blending to a pounding roar. Like grasping at lost dreams upon waking, facts remained ephemeral...for now. But beneath furrowed contemplation, Tōga's eyes continued emanating patient warmth - still an anchor in shared adversity as delicate ideas and hopes took new form in Ursula's emergent courage.

“But we’ll figure it out, and make things right,”

---

wc: 486 [1870]

Old habits die hard, as Tōga was reminded yet again when he slipped into the familiar comfort of his native Joyan speech patterns, laughing with chagrin, "Oh, my bad! I keep forgetting not everyone is familiar with Joyan customs." In truth, this entire situation went beyond normal, straining even Tōga's usually unflappable equanimity. Ursula, still regaining her senses after the attack, had suffered a crime, the details of which continued to elude. Both she and Tōga grasped at fragments of memory from that night, seeking to piece together a coherent narrative, yet neither could summon much more than vague impressions, their recollections as diaphanous as smoke. They would have to be content with each other's limited perspectives as they supported Ursula through her recovery and sought belated justice.

"I think we both helped each other out, so don't beat yourself up," Tōga consoled, hoping to ease Ursula's distress. His case had slammed into a brick wall, and he would be lying if he claimed to have uncovered any promising leads thus far. Yet their serendipitous meeting affirmed his reasons for being in Stella; that club would be their scene, the epicenter from which to unfurl this mystery. Now was the time to commence the meticulous work of peeling back layers in search of clues that might explicate the shadows obscuring what transpired that night. Tōga settled in for the slog, resolved to redeem meaning from the hideous crime inflicted on this woman who had stumbled unexpectedly into his path, two strangers now bound by the gossamer threads of memory in their joint quest for long-delayed justice.

"True, but people like that are creatures of habit," Tōga mused, finding a glimmer of hope even amidst the darkness shrouding their situation. "Since we didn't report it and the club was overflowing that night, I reckon it's safe to assume we didn't raise any alarms." He clenched his fist with rising conviction as the glimmer ignited into fiery purpose. "Bold enough to spike your drink out in the open, yet daft enough to slink back to the feeding ground night after night - I bet they’re stupid enough to try again there tonight." Certainty steeling his nerves, Tōga met Ursula’s eyes with blazing resolve, ready to snare the unsuspecting monster who viewed that pulsating club as its own personal hunting ground.

“I’ll go back tonight and scout out. I’m sure something will turn up.”

He paused.

“I understand if you don’t want to come – you’re more than welcome to stay here tonight,”

---

wc: 419 [2289]

Tága's soft smile remained as Ursula's memory continued to return in fragments, the puzzle pieces of recollection slowly connecting to fill in parts of the picture. The use of honorific titles followed the eastern customs of Joya, traditions Tága clung to dearly, yet he realized some compromise was needed if true inclusion was his goal, especially with someone who had been in an altered state the night he originally explained the meaning behind the formalities.

"Honestly, it wasn't all bad," Tága quipped, "You seemed to be enjoying yourself, but we can blame the drugs for you picking such a silly guy like me, hahaha." Before the ill effects of whatever toxin Ursula ingested fully took hold, her delight and desire appeared focused on the dragon slayer who was at the club solely for reconnaissance. Though the night spiraled into darkness and terror, what transpired earlier read like a fairy tale - a princess finding her prince, even in the most improbable of venues. Tága sensed their meeting was not mere happenstance, yet the emotions Ursula displayed, though tainted, could not have stemmed fully from artificial means...right? Lingering over the fragments of memory, Tága wondered if traces of genuine affection had emerged unbidded, or if it was all just a cruel trick of chemistry.

When Ursula resolutely decided to accompany him that evening to the club to unravel the mystery of the doctored drinks, Tága could only beam and nod. "Okay, we'll head out in 6 hours. Get some rest - it's going to be a long night," the Rune Knight declared. He was pleasantly surprised to see Ursula had no intention of fleeing from her demons, but rather looked to stare them down unflinchingly. It was an admirable quality, this staunch bravery in the face of inner turmoil. Tonight would provide the chance for this formidable mage to face the shadows that had haunted her, and hopefully illuminate the path forward. Tága admired her courage and was honored to stand by her side on this mission to rectify past wrongs and bring justice to light.

---

wc: 344 [2633]
- Thread end