She's a Pirate

(This topic takes place after "Call of Determination" in Olympus, and also therefore after "An Angel Falls" in Radiant Garden.)

In Port Royal, there was a relatively tense air. Cutler Beckett's war against piracy was in full swing, with him taking root in this town of the West Indies, and by all accounts, he appeared to be winning. As such, there appeared to be a much tighter grasp on the law here in this den of illicit behavior than before.

As such, it was probably not a great idea that this young woman had stopped in, dropping by one of its many taverns. She did not have a ship of her own as of yet, and would probably need to commission one. Due to the nature of the worlds and her own magical ability, she had been forced to take on a new form for the sake of the worlds' order... but unfortunately that meant foregoing a hood. As such, her entire face was on display, including the marking and her blue-streaked hair. Furthermore, the outfit that she was wearing didn't leave a ton to the imagination either, her figure easily seen.

Azumi Tamashī was doing her best to recover from what she had learned back in Olympus. The fact that she was a figment of someone's sick imagination, that everything she had done was part of some game. She normally would have gone straight into her hunts once more, but Master Riku's reluctance to have her along made finding her way into the dark very difficult, and she didn't know much about how exactly to find the master of the Unversed. Lacking those options, there was only one real way to deal with her grief. And that was--

"'Ey, lass," came the voice of a man behind her. "Needin' a drink, 'r some comp'ny?" A hand reached for her, touching her waist, where the corset was keeping it all together. He didn't get much further than that, as her hand grabbed his without even looking, focusing in on some of his fingers, yanking the arm around so that he was off balance in surprise, and twisted them until he fell back on his knees, facing behind her toward the other tavern patrons. Without showing much in the way of emotion on her face, and barely looking except to get a better grip on his dirty hands covered in grime, she pulled back further, further again, until she was close to a break, the man begging for mercy to her. Finally, she let go. As he started to come to, anger coming up on his face, she kicked to the side from her stool, knocking him into another stool and causing him to groan, thinking better of going further toward her for the time being.

Anyway, her manner of dealing with her grief was readily apparent. "Another," she told the barkeeper, and he slid her a mug down the bar before she caught it, tipping back her head to drink from it before tossing him some coins.

She wouldn't be against having company, but only from those she actually knew, and provided they had a reason for her to leave before she actually became drunk.

It was strange, to suddenly gain wings, to losing them again. A feeling that Rikka had never expected to feel and yet here she was, in Port Royal, a world that was closer to her own home than most worlds. She hadn't expected to be turned back to a human along with the outfit change but it might be for the best. She already stood out in most worlds with her wings but a world like this one, it would be dangerous to stand out so much. Though she had to admit, she did like her pirate captain like outfit.

Since Rikka was in a world of pirates, something she had to do was go and get a drink. So she found the nearest tavern and walked right in. Many of the people in the tavern turned to look at her as even in this world she stood out a bit with her Asian features and blonde hair. None of this had her attention as when she scanned the tavern her eyes landed on someone she knew.

Seeing the state that she was in, Rikka strolled over and sat on a stool next to her. "You know if you are going to be drinking, it's much more enjoyable when you have company and I don't mean any of these men." It was worrying to see Azumi in her current state, so Rikka hoped she could figure out what was wrong and stop her from going overboard with the drinking.

Azumi heard the crowds go quiet as she drank, or at least quieter than usual. It was unlikely that it was coming from her nonchalant takedown, so she listened for who it might be, though she did not feel any kind of threat coming her way in the way her paranoia warned her at times. As such, it definitely wasn't a dark presence...

... then a familiar face sat down next to her, albeit with a new outfit and lacking the wings she had last seen. Well, that would explain it. A good looking newcomer, much like how she had her own reception, but the hat the blonde was wearing may have given the impression of authority.

Listening to her piece, the marked woman just slammed down the mug, more as a statement to those around than out of any frustration. Even drinking, she knew her way around a crowd, on account of her experiences.

"Wouldn't be opposed," she admitted to the voice that sounded not unlike a beautiful chorus, putting an elbow up on the counter as she turned toward the wingless angel. Her voice wasn't angry, wasn't outright kind either. If anything, she seemed tired and generally upset, though not sad. "You follow me here? If not, what do you drink?"

If she was willing to talk, it was unlikely to be something she could just say around. If so, well... they were in a bar and she could be confused for being drunk anyway given the oddness of what she had to talk about, so it was up to Rikka which she preferred.

"A beer is fine to start." Rikka said as she waved down the bartender. Throwing some coins down on the counter she got her own mug and took a deep swig before turning back to Azumi.

"No this is just coincidence. I figured in a world like this, one has to go and get a drink, wouldn't you agree?" Rikka said as she looked over Azumi. Like herself Azumi's outfit had changed to fit the local. Rikka felt it fit her and took a moment to appreciate her. "Though I will admit I don't mind it even though we last met not that long ago. You are still the only other Converger I have met so it is always nice to see a friendly face."

Rikka took another drink of her beer as she took another look at Azumi. Something had obviously happened to her though she had no idea what that was. If it was driving Azumi to drink then Rikka for the time being would keep an eye on her. Rikka figured for the time being she wouldn't push her on what was bothering her.

"So why did you come here? I hope it isn't for the booze as I've had better. I will admit when I heard of a world that was set in the age of piracy I couldn't really resist taking a visit." Rikka said with a small chuckle as she smirked at Azumi. "In my world you still have plenty of romanticized stories of pirates and I've read more than my fair share of them. I had hoped this world was like that but from my time walking through town showed a vastly different story."

If Azumi noticed Rikka checking her out, she didn't show much of a reaction. Instead she nursed the drink a bit as she listened, before taking a swig. She had been listening, however, though she didn't respond to her openly.

"I take it you never found out everything you were built on was a lie." With that, she finished the mug. "Didn't care about the quality. Needed to get away. From everything."

The fire hadn't really gone out of the young woman, but she seemed to be smoldering from within, burying something deep within under some pain of loss, or perhaps self-loathing or directed hatred. What exactly she was hoping to accomplish was unclear, but from the sounds of what she had said, she appeared to just be trying to forget.

There was a tangible silence between the two of them, aside from the general uproar around the tavern as usual. Eventually, the woman with streaked hair spoke once more. "Where are you from? What do you know about these places?" She was aware she could easily just be told a lie, but wanted to gauge how much her companion knew about the way of things. She likely hadn't intentionally held anything back, but it was good to check just in case.

Rikka silently drank her beer as she listened to Azumi. From her talk with Merlin, Rikka had learned a lot about the whole Convergence deal, including the fact that her own home was called the Realm of Reality. The angel knew that kind of knowledge would cause problems to many natives of the Realm of Waking and it seems that Azumi had learned about that fact. It wasn't something Rikka could understand, being from the Realm of Reality herself.

With a large swig of her drink, Rikka got off the stool and glanced over at Azumi. "Come on, let's find someplace nicer to talk. My answer will be easier to give somewhere more private." Rikka said as she started to make her way out of the tavern. This kind of discussion wasn't suited for a tavern, not to mention Rikka wasn't sure how Azumi would react to her answer. Going someplace quieter would cause less of a commotion than a bar. Not to mention it would give Rikka some time to figure out how exactly she was going to answer in the first place. Azumi was not in a good place mentally and Rikka did not want to cause the first person she met as part of the Convergence harm.

The marked woman nodded silently, standing up from her stool and walking with the blonde, momentarily wingless angel out the doors, ignoring the looks from the various patrons. Even the most sober of them just went back to their drinks, games of chance, or discussions quickly, anyway.

Azumi was not overly affected by her drink, walking normally with her posture as normal. The majority of differences may have been seen to Rikka herself, but primarily due to seeing her full head, minus the cloak, for the first time, including her ponytail and general appearance barring any equipment. She did look sad, but not overly so. More than anything, she just seemed tired aside from being upset, not knowing what to do with herself or what to believe.

The two continues out in relative silence, down the dirt path off of the street passing various people, from soldiers to residents. They were looking for somewhere without people who could listen in and potentially either throw them in a cell near the fort in the distance, or otherwise go mad, unless they were lucky enough not to be heard.

During the walk, she seemed somewhat lost in her thoughts. She was used to deception, and from the brief discussion with Master Riku, she had seen little of that, if anything. He seemed straightforward, unlike her and her experiences. She also did not blame Master Aqua, who did not even know the name of the Heartless, having taught her to call them the dwellers in darkness (or "dwellers," as Azumi had opted to abbreviate them), so it was unlikely she had cosmic knowledge of what was out in the light. That, and she was relatively straightforward and open except where it was too painful to speak about, not to mention the person the shock trooper trusted more than anyone. Was Azumi part of some grand story, a tale of war, horror, and transmission from one world to another, one written by people to play out as a game? She knew what she had to go talk to Master Yen Sid. She had been given coordinates to his tower, after all, and he would know more than she ever could, on top of being the person she had to go to in order to help find her best friend and surrogate sister. But what about--

Hearing the sound of falling water in the distance snapped her out of her reverie, as they walked along a wooden bridge. It seemed that Rikka had the right idea, as she noticed while getting closer. The din of a nearby waterfall would drown out their words, and it was off the beaten path anyway, meaning most wouldn't even bother coming to hear them. Sure, it would be a bit more difficult for them to hear one another, but she was willing to speak up if unheard, and her senses had been trained extensively through her years in the dark.

The area where they stopped was at the edge of that waterfall, a small outcropping of rock next to it to lean on, if nothing else. There was also a place to sit more comfortably in greater privacy behind the waterfall itself, but to go there would mean getting wet. Whether Rikka intended to go under, or to stay outside... either one would be up to her. In any case, Azumi was willing to hear her out, and to hope she could keep her preconceived notions in check.

(Up to you if they go under the waterfall or not, Sorin.)

The walk was silent, which was fine for Rikka as she could think about her response to Azumi. It had been something in the back of Rikka's mind since she learned about the Convergence. The fact that people like Azumi had just been characters in stories and games that Rikka had watched and played were now living breathing people. And it seemed like Azumi had learned about that and was having trouble coming to terms with it. Rikka couldn't blame her, after all it was something people don't think about.

The wounds of the waterfall broke Rikka out of her thoughts. She could see there was a cavern behind the waterfall which would provide even more privacy for the two of them. Rikka took Azumi's hand and pulled them underneath the waterfall. The cold water doused them for a second but Rikka ignored it as getting a bit damp was a easy price to pay for the privacy.

"Sorry about that but I figured this would be the best place for us to talk." Rikka said as she took off her hat, glad that her clothes in this world were much darker than her normal clothes. Rikka sat down on a rock her hat still in her hands. At this point Rikka was stalling for a little more time before she got into the rather deep conversation with Azumi.

"Well to go back to what you asked earlier...To put it simply I am from the Realm of Reality as the people here tend to call it. To me it was just...Earth. Then again things like other worlds were just parts of stories that I knew. This world is one of them, Pirates of the Caribbean. It was a series of movies, about pirates rather obviously. I only watched the first three which were a trilogy but not the ones afterwards." She was rambling a bit but she made sure she told Azumi the truth.

Azumi had been the first person, Rikka had met after arriving due to the Convergence. She had saved her life and helped show her the ropes. It was a debt that Rikka intended to repay and lying to Azumi would not do that.

"When we first met I had no idea about any of that. While I do recognize the story that the Heartless and Radiant Garden are a part of after speaking with Merlin, I don't know anything about your world." Rikka finally finished as she looked up at Azumi, waiting to see how she reacted.

As they went under the waterfall, Azumi winced a bit at the cold temperature, her hair and clothes being briefly soaked. She went through quickly, trying to minimize it, but given her outfit included a white top along with the red corset on the outside, it unfortunately did not hide everything. Still, they were alone, and she was in no mood to consider any impropriety. Instead, she kept her arms crossed to keep warm as she listened to Rikka.

If the currently wingless angel was expecting any anger, it was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she just took a deep breath, sighing as she slumped down on a seat right next to her. She was silent for a short while, eyes closed, head bowed. She just let the emotions rise up and fall within her, bottling them up the best that she could. She could use this later, another time.

Rikka Masami had been the first person she had seen in the Realm of Light, barring children in at most their early teens, who had not attempted to run her out of town or attack her as soon as they saw her face. Not only that, but she seemed to find her looks attractive, a sentiment that shocked her even as she returned it in kind without saying much. Sure, she had heard as much more than once in the military, but since then she had considered herself a freak of nature, a weapon aimed at whoever she needed to destroy held in check by her best friend.

All of what she said made sense. The talk about Realms, about otherworldly creatures, about magic and all of that... it made sense. She couldn't quite grasp the specifics, but even she knew some ways of using the dark, more now that she had spoken with Master Riku.

... Before she had run away to "self-medicate" in a pirate haven instead of pushing through.

Finally, the woman spoke up. "... I've never been to Earth," she admitted. She opened her eyes, but looked at the ground still, fidgeting a bit with her hands. "The Hive is there, but no reason for me to visit. I hear it's nice. One moon, blue oceans." Realizing she was talking to someone who would have no idea what she was talking about, she explained. "Headquarters of the United Nations Space Command. It's... a little complicated, and probably past your time. Given your talk, and the technology I've seen, it doesn't look like there's technology on the level of what I've been around yet in other worlds, so I doubt they've reached the 26th century."

Then she looked over, a bit calmer by the time she had finished. She wasn't entirely taken in with the woman around her age, one who had not lived her harsh life (partly of her own doing), but she was willing to at least attempt to give trust a shot in this case. First, though, she needed to know something. "... Does that help at all? Is this all... Is someone playing some game with me that caused all of this?"

(Essentially, she's asking if she's a character from a known game series, or if she's not a known entity.)

Rikka listened to Azumi. Internally she was glad that Azumi didn't seem to be raging or breaking down from her response though Rikka still wasn't sure how well she was actually doing. After all she could still be bottling up her feelings but there wasn't much Rikka could do if that was the case. For the time being she would continue to be forward and truthful with Azumi about all these Realm and world business.

"I'm sorry, none of that rings any bells." Rikka replied as she shook her head. "It sounds like science fiction to me, most likely a first person shooter. Ah I mean that is what your world sounds like. Those kinds of games never interested me, so I'm sorry I can't tell you."

"But I really don't think this is just a game anymore. From what you've told me of you world, it couldn't be more different than the worlds around here. They would have never actually crossed. This whole Convergence changed things. I think of it like breaking the restraints of the game. Everything that happens from now on is off the rails of what was supposed to happen in the game. For someone like you Azumi, everything that you do now is your own choice." Rikka just said what she believed. It wasn't too well thought out in her own opinion as she had to come up with it on the spot but she hoped that it would help Azumi.

"Why don't you tell me more about your world? While I might not be able to help you much in learning about what happened, I can ask others like me. There is likely someone out there that will know about your world and you can get your answers."

Aside from the unintended insult from the use of the term "science fiction," Rikka's explanation helped to calm the woman down. She was not world-famous wherever there were games, at least not to the degree that she would be recognized by a non-player, so that put her at ease a bit, but it was the comment that she was in charge of what she did that helped the most. Azumi remained silent for a moment afterwards, digesting that as well as remaining on alert just in case of any intruders.

"I... I'm not entirely sure what makes up a 'world,' now. From a bit ago, I saw a lot of different technological levels, not to mention I haven't been home in years, and my job involved a lot of space travel. Do you mean a planet, or an entire... whatever this would be?" That aside, she didn't wait for a response, knowing what it likely would be. "But I'll try my best."

Collecting herself, she started on her home. "I came from a planet called Jericho VII, a human colony in the Lambda Serpentis star system. We have four moons, green oceans, and a lot of palm trees. Or we did, anyway." She pushed onward. "We're run by the..." She corrected herself, not knowing what had happened on her homeworld since she had left. "I work for the United Nations Space Command. Last I heard there, the year was 2531 in the common era, late February. But I've been away for years... or weeks, or months..." Again she moved on. "We fight an alien empire that calls itself the Covenant. I was stationed with the UNSC Spirit of Fire, and we had gone to... somewhere after we had been chasing the same fleet to Arcadia from Harvest..."

She took a breath, realizing she was over-explaining, though she did feel a bit better being here with the angel. "... and I probably lost you halfway into that. I'm not used to talking about what my world, my work, was like with people who... well... don't know much of anything about the first thing regarding it. Is there anything you would want me to explain better, or is that good enough?"

(She's also open to Rikka talking about herself, too. Or any other topics you think would be good.)

Rikka stayed silent as she listened to Azumi speak of her own world. It definitely sounded something out of science fiction but despite her best efforts, Rikka could not place anything she said with a game or movie. It was likely for the best though as Rikka did find it strange to speak to the likes of Merlin or Cid since she knew the stories that they were from but with Azumi it felt much more natural. Even if Azumi was some kind of soldier fighting off against an alien empire, it was easier for Rikka to see her as just another person instead of a character.

"No I got a good understanding of what your world is like." Rikka replied.

"You are definitely in the future compared to my world. We're still in the early twenty first century. The idea of living on other planets is still just fantasy. I don't remember if I said it but I was just a student, looking to get a degree. I haven't even decided on what I would be majoring in just yet." Rikka spoke as she thought back to her home. "I was just living in a dorm I shared with my sister, Yuki, when I found myself here. And Yuki is probably worrying herself sick over me. She always says I get on her nerves whenever I try to get her to be more responsible but I know how scared she would be that I went missing. I wish I had some way of letting her know I was okay..."

Rikka hadn't intended to go that far in talking about her sister but once she started she found that she couldn't stop. Maybe it was because Azumi opened up a bit, it became easier for Rikka to. Or it was just something she had been holding in for some time and wanted to let it out. In any case Rikka spilled out her worries to the first person she had met in these worlds.

The woman listened to the angel, feeling a little more at ease. Of course, she was never completely normal, but times like this were a little closer. What would it have been like to stay in school, to go to college? She had been told she was intelligent, but that only could go so far. Even the books, history and otherwise, she had read to keep her mind off of her gruesome tasks had only done so much.

From what she heard, the talk of the twenty-first century made it seem a lot nicer than the records she had looked into seemed to portray it, or what she knew of them. It seemed a lot more chaotic... but then again, it was impossible to tell how her own century would be viewed in a few decades. Provided humanity survived that long, anyway.

When attention turned to Rikka's sister, she listened closer, knowing it was more important. The history of an entire planet was useful for intel, but learning about individual people was much more focused, much more... intimate? Regardless of the terminology, she just let the blonde sitting with her speak, taking in what she had heard. "If she's anything like you, she's probably strong enough to bear it." She wasn't exactly the best at these kinds of compliments, but she tried her best.

That said, she looked at the ground. "I didn't have any siblings. Or don't. Or... whatever the term is. Probably was enough of a handful as it is." She knew better than to expand on that one, just continuing onward. "But there is someone I spent a long time with, just the two of us against everything else. I guess she's like a sister. Sister in arms, if nothing else. I..." A sigh. "I just need to get her back. I left her back there, and I promised I wouldn't." She swallowed, trying to keep herself from having too much of an emotional outburst. She had to keep that in check, just in case it was needed later. "I was looking for a tower. Belongs to someone by the name of Master Yen Sid. He should know how I can go get her, save her from my mistake." Another moment to collect herself, as she realized she was unable to even do that. "Or I should be, anyway. After hearing the truth, I... got a bit sidetracked."

If "going off to drink heavily" was a sidetrack, she wasn't entirely wrong.

"Thank you. I know she is strong, I can be a bit over protective of her at times." Rikka said giving Azumi a small smile. It was a small compliment but it did make Rikka feel a little better regarding her sister.

Rikka wasn't sure of who Azumi was speaking of as even now, her knowledge of Kingdom Hearts was not complete and that doesn't even take into account the all the other worlds out there that could have influenced it. Still it sounded like someone that Azumi cared about a lot that she wanted to save. Rikka could emphasize with Azumi there. "I know of Yen Sid. He is a powerful sorcerer and a former Keyblade Master if I remember correctly. If anyone can help you save your sister then he can." Rikka told her as she put a hand on Azumi's shoulder. "And I understand that learning what you did, you would need to take some time to process. I'll stay with you until you are ready to head to Yen Sid. If you need it, I can go with you."

Azumi gave a small smile in return. It didn't really reach far on her face, but she was trying. As she heard about how Rikka knew about, though perhaps did not actually know, Master Yen Sid, she listened a bit more, it being something she needed to know.

She took a deep breath as she heard the offer. It was a relief, having someone, anyone, she could genuinely rely upon. "... Thanks. It would really help. I... Well, it would help, if nothing else, to have someone to support me on this. I don't have a lot of people like that. Even Master Riku wasn't someone I really could call on, and I need to work with him. Even if I could go to that king's castle, I doubt they'd hear my case if they have a similar hatred of the dark."

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I just need a few minutes, then... then sure, we can go. If there's anything you want to take care of here... well, let me know." She was quiet for a moment, before she spoke up once more. This time, the subject was lighter, but still odd. "Not used to changing clothes when I didn't intend... Kind of needed that hood." Looking over at the angel, she smiled a bit again, less forced. "You seem to take it better." The trooper didn't mention, but she found herself liking the appearance of the woman beside her. She hadn't noticed her figure was like that entirely, unsure how much had been just the way in which the armor was shaped. But she wasn't one to bring it up first in any case. "Do you need it to cast that light? What about your wings?"

Rikka merely nodded when Azumi asked for a few more minutes. It really made no difference to Rikka when they left so she can wait a bit longer. After all Rikka came to this world on a whim.

"Thank you though don't put yourself down so much. You are a very attractive woman Azumi. You really don't need that hood to hide your face." Rikka told her. It was the honest truth from Rikka, as while many would feel uncomfortable about the mark on Azumi's face, Rikka did not. "Honestly I feel you should try going a bit more casual. I don't think you need to hide yourself. After all there is nothing wrong with showing off a little."

"As for my light I can still feel it and can call upon it. My wings however seem to be gone on this world. I don't remember the exact reason but in many worlds people are changed to fit in better. Like for example there is a world where we would be transformed into mermaids. On this world it seems like for most people it is just an outfit change. Though it feels so strange to suddenly lose my wings despite only having them for such a short time."

The woman had no hood to hide her face anymore as a soft blush came up on her. She was used to being told she was good looking, especially in the armed forces. However, being told it by someone who was much better than she was, and who was genuinely nice instead of trying to get to her, was still something to get used to. Instead of speak further, she coughed into her hand, covering her mouth to pretend she hadn't been embarrassed. "Um... Thanks, I guess. I... Well, I landed in Traverse Town when I... got out. From what I hear, that's a place full of refugees from the dark. For probably understandable reasons... it didn't sit well that I was wearing their enemy's symbol on my face." She smiled a tiny bit as she recalled one person. "A few dwe--I mean a few Heartless attacked. They were surrounding this one little girl, around five, maybe six, maybe more? She was brave, and smart. Didn't even question for an instant when I told her to do exactly what I said. She didn't seem afraid of me, just called me 'the one who came back.' Too young to remember what happened, seems like. But once I brought her to her parents again, they ran me out of town, made damned sure I knew how people should treat me. They weren't the only ones; anyone who saw that marking did the same.

"It's been the same in other places. If they know what this means." She motioned to the mark. "Then they send me running in case I draw in others. From the sounds of things, enough sapient people with these marks are dangerous that I don't blame them. This is pretty much a mark of shame. A warning to stay away. I wear the hood so I don't get run out of town altogether. And... well, this armor is enchanted, lets me fight better. Maybe it's a crutch but... I'm not sure."

Notably, however, she hadn't outright said she refused to show off, or to get an outfit that could allow it. She didn't even seem to acknowledge that fact, comfortable with her friend.

(If there's anything else to go over, up to you.)

Rikka could see the embarrassment on Azumi's face and that made her smirk slightly. Unfortunately hearing the story made her frown. Azumi was right in that people were uncomfortable having a Heartless symbol on her face but they should have recognized that Azumi was helping them. People could be stupid when they are upset and afraid. If there were proper guards around they could have protected that little girl and stopped those people from running Azumi off. At least in an ideal world, as Rikka knew that there was a very good chance any guards likely could have joined the mob in their attack on Azumi.

"Then we'll just have to show that you shouldn't be judged by that mark. You never gave it to yourself and likely can't remove it so you just have to get people to understand that. From what I remember Yen Sid is is well know to Keyblade users. Same with Merlin on Radiant Garden. If you can get them on your side people will accept it. Of course there will always be a few who won't but they will be in the minority." Rikka suggested.

Rikka stood up and stretched, unintentionally giving Azumi a little show. Looking back at her Rikka asked "Think you are ready to go? Or maybe we could grab another drink if you want. It's up to you."

By the end of Rikka's comments, Azumi had more or less relaxed. She had a point. It would be very, very hard for her to convince people, but perhaps she could. If she could convince a woman like her, someone with divine power... Perhaps she could convince others. It would take a lot of effort, and it wasn't likely to work, but at least someone actually believed it. Someone who...

Okay, she had to try not to stare at the blonde bombshell in front of her as she stretched. But maybe that level of confidence... that could help.

Taking a deep breath, Azumi stood as well. "I think so. I just... I needed that. And as I said... you can come with me. We may want to take separate ships, just in case, though."

The ODST stepped up to her. "And... I'll think about what you said, about my look. But I'll need to get new gear that I can use, and... well, something to replace my hood if I need it. I figure I can make something but... I'm not very good at knowing what I am making until I've made it."

(Up to you how much you think is left.)

Rikka looked over at Azumi and smiled, glad to see she was taking what the angel had said to heart. After all, if Rikka said someone was beautiful then they were. She wasn't going to needlessly hold back from telling someone the truth. It was a start and soon, Rikka was hoping she could get Azumi into wearing much more casual clothes. Though Rikka would need to go and find such clothes for herself as well. Wearing armor all the time was so uncomfortable.

"I'll be happy to accompany you Azumi. If you want to take separate ships that is fine." Rikka said. Taking her own ship was no big deal to her, as it's not like she has to pay for gas for it. "And that sounds like a good start. Once you save your friend maybe we could go and get drinks again. This time for fun."

"Now then it's time we should get going." Rikka said as she made her way back out from underneath the waterfall. She turned back and waited for Azumi to follow her. Azumi was the one who was taking the lead her and Rikka was fine with that for the time being. Once things have settled down then Rikka was looking to start pushing just how far she could go with Azumi. If this just ended up a friendship or maybe something more was still a big unknown for the angel but she was excited to find out.

Azumi nodded, giving the slightest of smiles in return, following her. She had no idea if it meant a date, but she wasn't going to avoid it if so. She was just surprised she would be liked that way by her, if that were even close to the how she felt.

Actually, should she check the... no, no reason to use that, not now.

"I'll see you out there." Azumi kept walking, heading toward their exit. "And... thank you again."

(If you want, this can be the end of it. Hope you liked it.)

Rikka smiled as Azumi thanked her and went to the exit. This little trip turned out much differently than she had expected but for the angel it was much better than what she had planned. Now that Azumi knew the truth about the whole Convergence deal, Rikka wouldn't need to talk carefully around her about it. She even seemed to have gotten an understanding about the whole thing. It made Rikka happy to see that she was no crushed under the truth of this universe.

It was just a shame that this trip turned out to be so serious. Not just the conversation about Convergers but also Azumi's current goal. Hopefully once they managed to save her, Azumi could relax a bit. Rikka could use that time for an actual date.

With a small spring in her step, Rikka followed Azumi through the exit, to her own ship. She would travel with her to Yen Sid's Tower where the old master could hopefully help Azumi find her friend.