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[GodofGamingRWBY]

Monika

At first, Doc's response to her own observation caused the Major to raise her eyebrows in curiosity, even as a silence fell between the two women as they waited for Monika's coffee. Apparently she was rather close with her comment, which was a surprising in its own way. She didn't expect Kira to make friends with enemy troops, especially when she had a hard enough time making friends back at base... Though with how hospitable her captors were to her, it would make sense, if it wasn't so worrying. Coupled with the fact that she could feel her connection with her holy weapon slowly strengthening as she sat in the cafe, something that should only occur if her weapon was getting closer.

Though the instant Monika went on edge, suddenly more suspicious of the nature of this meeting, Doc interrupted her thoughts with her own question, asking about a name that Monika was fairly familiar with, even if she didn't want to be, "Yes, I am. Hard not to when she was one of the biggest killers on the entire continent" she replied as she glanced over at the other table, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, "... I'm guessing you learned that Kirari has something to do with Kira's situation?"

[Takosher]

Eilyth

"Thanks a bunch." Leah said, "I know I went overboard, but this cake really means a lot to me. And it means a lot that you made sure it got here safely."

Eilyth's tagalong had managed to glue herself to Eilyth's mother in the wake of the cake incident. A fitting punishment for Carys's earlier attempt to flee.

"If you're up for it, there's one more thing you could do for me. I promise there's no more heavy lifting." Leah said. She had an unusually serious look on her face, whatever she wanted to ask wasn't going to be more silliness.

[Chevaleresse]

Kirari

She stared at the cake for a moment, thinking. "I'm worried," she finally admitted, deciding to be honest. She plucked the cake off of Verna's utensil and took a small nibble off of it before continuing quietly. "Someone I know is here, and I'm not sure if they'll feel the same way you and Doc did when they find out about me." Not that she had a good read on how Verna had responded, other than that it hadn't driven the other meister away. Kirari wasn't certain Verna had a concrete understanding of it, either.

[Glass]

Silvia

The gears in Silvia's head were still grinding, trying to process what she'd just been told.
"...you're saying that Emmery has an aura of omnipotence?"

Jessie

Jessie still wasn't sure what to do. But she was pretty sure she could keep calm and quiet now, at least.
They were expecting her for the vote still. Damnit.
Jessie will return to the living room.

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Eilyth
Eilyth studied Leah for a moment. Her flipping the serious switch seemingly on demand was something she had long since gotten used to, but the ciphers Laurie had shown her earlier made it hard not to think about it in a new context. The lifting, as arduous as it had been, hadn't even taken much out of her, truth be told. It was annoying yes, purely by virtue of the packages odd shape and balance, but far from exhausting.
    Eilyth eventually seemed to settle on her response, shrugging nonchalantly. "Sure. What is it?"

[Takosher]

Monika

Doc hesitated rather noticeably. "Yes, Kirari was the one behind the destruction of Nerest." she said finally. Monika could tell Doc was choosing her words carefully, presumably the reason as to why would come by the end of the conversation. "We used Verna's power in an attempt to recover Kira's memory. It was an extreme risk, but Kira insisted. She nearly died, but it worked. She remembers everything now. In return, Verna asked for a date, which is what they're up to right now."

The direction of Monika's halberd was getting fuzzier as it neared. With how fast it was traveling she wouldn't even be able to feel it at all soon.

Kirari

"Oh." Verna said, oddly subdued. She glanced over to Doc and Monika. She looked worried at first, but then she grinned. "I'm sure it's fine. She's your CO, right? Did Doc tell you what she did after I caught you?"

Yava

The princess smiled. "That's absolutely wonderful! I look forward to working with you."

~~~

Yava's first experience with her new employer could have been going better. For all Solamon's talk of trust, she sure was a conniving person. Being bait was easy enough. Going out for girls night was something else entirely. Yava was starting to get the distinct impression that Sola didn't have many friends. The disguised princess had originally fielded the plan as needing Yava specifically because she couldn't participate, but she'd suddenly changed plans at the last second and now the two of them were out on the town together.

It might not have been so bad if Sola had taken Yava to a nice spa or something, but she was insistent that they stick to "criminal" venues where they might encounter their targets. Of course, she wasn't lying when she said she didn't know what she was talking about and had yet to find a single establishment that Yava would have described as criminal. They were all just run-down and cheap. Cheaper than Yava would have wasted her time stealing from in most cases.

Eventually, Yava had at least managed to convince Sola that a restaurant was a good place to look, since that's how she'd originally swiped the necklace. Sola had even had the courtesy to pick a fast food place instead of trying to find a restuarant holed up in a back alley or something. Although the fact that she considered fast food criminal was a little worrying in itself. She'd given Yava free reign to order as much as she pleased, so at least the thief got a good meal.

The two of them were sitting in a booth with the necklace hanging conspicuously out of Yava's purse, one of several poor-quality items Sola had purchased for her. Sola was fairly talkative when she had something to say, but that was actually pretty rare. Most of the time she was quiet and reserved, almost sad. Evidently meals were a time when she didn't have much to say, and the silence was deafening.

[Chevaleresse]

Kirari

"I haven't heard much about Monika, no." She could imagine Monika doing any number of things, though a part of her still felt guilty about not being able to make an escape for her and Miru regardless of how many of those things involved the woman hurtling headfirst into danger. "What was it?"

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Yava
The thief occasionally stole a glance or two across the table as she continued to tear into her meal. The food was cheap and greasy, but it was better than digging through bins any day of the week, and she was thankful to have so much for once. Reminded her of the days with Yorshka in a way. She had always taken good care of her. As good as a career criminal and closeted revolutionary could look after a gaggle of ne'er-do-wells and wayward souls, anyway. Even the sadness Yava could see in the Dame had a similar aura to Yorshka's. To this day she still wasn't sure where her late mentor had come from, or how she had gotten to the place she was when she found Yava, but part of her began to suspect maybe she had gotten tired of being trapped in a gilded cage.
     
The same type of gilded cage that it seemed Sola had spent most of her life in, from what little she knew so far. Yava had been mostly content to just let the silence ride so far, but... the awkwardness was beginning to become too much. Worse yet, she had no real idea how to breach it. So she simply did the one thing her power had taught her to, and went with the flow of events instead. Even if she already knew the likely answer...
    "So," She began innocently enough "do you usually... eat with company?"

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Monika

Once again, Monika's gaze shifted back to Doc in surprise, digging through her own memories to try and remember what Verna's power was. From the brief encounter she had with her, it seemed to have been a "safety nullifier", seeing as it allowed her own explosions to damage her fingertips. Which meant that something related to a Holy Weapon was deliberately blocking out those memories for a reason... Possibly for Kira's own safety. Most of the reasoning she could think of at that moment to support that theory weren't pretty, but so far fetched that she couldn't actually settle on one.

"... That was risky, I'll admit, but I'm glad everything seemed to turn out fine" Monika commented, brushing off the mention that Kira had nearly died in the attempt, "I imagine it must've been hard on you, helping Kira do that. But I sincerity appreciate it; I doubt there would've been much of a way for her to find out past hunting Kirari down personally."

[Takosher]

Cay

Cay probably would have suggested Faith herself if L hadn't, but it was apparent that the condition wasn't just a matter of agreement. This was the final stretch of L's trust that Cay had to cross. Without hesitation she nodded. "That's acceptable." she said, meeting L's gaze. There was nothing untoward hidden in her eyes. There was a hint of self-doubt, but such always plagued Cay. She was far from a confident person. If anything was strange, it was how strong her recommendation had been.

Kirari

"After you got knocked out," Verna began, ignoring her own role in the matter, "she beat General Camilla in a fight. She and your other friend had the chance to run away. But after ordering the other one to run away, she surrendered herself. I don't think someone like that would ever hate you, at least not for very long."

Monika

The halberd felt everywhere and nowhere at once. Strangely, it felt most like it was above. Such a thing was impossible, of course, not even Neridus had cracked flight yet. It was probably just the proximity messing with her instinct. Whatever direction it was coming from, it had almost arrived.

"I'm still not sure it was the right decision." Doc said before she could stop herself. She sighed. "I guess I should explain. No more beating around the bush."

Monika could no longer sense her holy weapon. It was close enough to count as being in her presence again.

Unaware of Monika's weapon fast approaching, Doc continued, "I don't know how to tell you this gently. Kirari isn't just involved with Kira. Kira is Kirari."

An explosion rocked the outdoor cafe. Kirari, Verna, and several other bystanders were flung from their seats. Aside from a few scrapes and bruises, they would all be fine. Doc and Monika were much closer to the blast. Doc was flung several feet and a loud crunch indicated that something had definitely broken. The metal bird that had accompanied her dropped from the sky, indicating that she'd been knocked out. She wouldn't be getting up without medical attention.

Despite being just as close as Doc, Monika was fine. The explosion hadn't so much as singed her. A quick glance at the source confirmed the obvious reason why. Her halberd had embedded itself in the pavement, still glowing bright orange from the heat it had gathered reentering the atmosphere.

It wasn't entirely unheard of for holy weapons to up and fly to their meisters, but it was unheard of enough that Monika had never encountered the idea before. Holy weapons were mindless entities, they couldn't fly themselves. And despite many meisters trying, none had discovered the ability to actively summon their weapons. The few who had attempted to study the phenomenon unanimously believed some third party was involved in the act. Perhaps fate itself, as such movements only happened when danger loomed. In other words, it was as much a miracle to them as it was to Monika.

There was one other person who managed to be unaffected by the blast. A strange woman with blue hair and mismatched green and white eyes. Having just entered the cafe right as the halberd landed, she'd protected herself by stitching an emergency barrier out of her own skin. Wordlessly, her needles snatched up the nearest person and took their skin as a replacement. The victim screamed in pain and terror, but the woman seemed completely unfazed. Her head turned in a stilted, crooked movement to face Monika. Her face was utterly expressionless, devoid of any humanity. If there was somehow still any doubt as to her identity, that inhuman stare made it clear. Marionette, in the flesh.

The flesh of her now deceased victim.

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Monika

For only an instant, Monika's expression dropped in pure shock at the reveal. Unfortunately, that instant was the only chance she got to process the information before everything around her exploded. It took only a few moments for Monika to process that, merely through looking behind her and at her glowing, red hot Holy Weapon. It was still surprising that her weapon would arrive at this point, especially in such a manner, clearly having gone and collected heat on its own. She read reports on phenomena like this, where a Holy Weapon would automatically return to its wielder, but it was extremely rare, something that most considered a miracle... An event that only occurred when its wielder was in danger.

Taking a moment to glance at the rest of the cafe, Monika's new suspicions were confirmed when she saw the one person unharmed by her weapon's entrance, casually tearing apart a nearby person for replacement parts for the skin that had been burned by the explosion. Though consistently surprised by the turn of events, Monika didn't waste a second upon recognizing the threat, immediately spinning around and tearing the Halberd from the pavement, a small wave of fire trailing behind its movements.

How in Nerys' flat ass did Marionette manage to get here? Why was Marionette, of all people, here?! It made no sense, yet here she was, staring her down with a cold, inhuman gaze, and in what was probably the worst place for Monika to fight her. Crowded with too many injured people, preventing Monika from using her powers yet giving Marionette plenty of room to abuse hers.

"Just my luck..." Monika muttered to herself, beginning to circle around the cafe's perimeter to get a clearer line on her new opponent. She knew how dangerous Marionette's powers were, and there was a small chance she herself would be able to do much. But, as the only other individual with a Holy Weapon, it fell to her to distract the monster so the civilians could escape. The problem is, she still didn't know what Marionette was here for in the first place.

[Takosher]

Monika and Kirari

Impossibly fast, Marionette closed the gap to Monika. She stayed just outside the halberd's reach, which conveniently seemed beyond her own reach as well, but with how fast she was Monika still had to be wary. Monika was certainly faster, but the way Marionette moved gave her pause. The monster wasn't just fast, her body itself seemed to move more quickly. She couldn't outrun Monika, but she would certainly win out in the contest of reflexes that was close combat. And that was without considering her Flesh Knitters.

"Get out of here."

A solar projectile smashed into Marionette from the side, sending the monster sprawling. Verna was on her feet, panting heavily. The fist she'd used to punch her weapon was clenched tight enough to whiten the knuckles and she was shaking uncontrollably. Whether she felt fear or rage was unclear, but either way she was feeling a lot of it. And she was channeling all of it into facing down Marionette.

"Hurry up and go, Kirari. Run." Verna said firmly, "I'll kill her."

Marionette raised herself to her feet easily. She now had a large hole scorched in her shirt and her side had been burnt rather badly. Yet her face was still empty, as though she didn't even feel it. Verna's holy weapon returned to its orbit and she took up the best approximation of a ready stance she could muster after being knocked to the floor by an explosion. She might not have been in top form, but Monika had an ally.

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Monika

... Well, scratch that. Monika was one of two individuals capable of facing Marionette right now. That was good.

Giving Verna only a brief moment to glance and nod in her direction, Monika sprung into action, dashing to the rising Marionette as fast as she could, making sure the monster was somewhat outside her halberd's reach to give herself enough breathing room, before raising her hand in Marionette's direction, a blast of heat erupting from her palm. Verna was the best at actually damaging Marionette, and while Monika wished she could provide defense, it was simply a style she wasn't all that good with. Instead she'd have to pressure Marionette, keep her off her feet, and give Verna the openings needed to strike her.

It was risky, yes, but neither of them would win without support from the other.

[Chevaleresse]

Kirari

She hesitated for a split second. Kirari wanted to help. Almost every person she cared about in this world was here, and facing what was almost certain death. Marionette was a monster even greater than she had been; she couldn't just stand by and let Monika and Verna face the danger for her. She couldn't let everyone down a third time. And yet. . .

"Don't die." She nodded and turned to put distance between her and the creature. Her pale skin flushed as anger and shame alike welled up within Kirari. It may have been her reality for years, but she hated feeling powerless. Being powerless. All she could do was make herself something neither of those two had to worry about, and hope she could find another meister as she fled.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

L

L merely nodded in response, the words left unspoken. The young woman held her ground, and while it didn't exactly clear her of what L thought, the major was now sure Cay was at least serious about it. Even had her long time partner had an ulterior motive L respected her ability to met her eyes and reaffirm her stance. She would believe in Cay's words as Cay did, even if they were fake. Cay strongly believed in something even if it wasn't the words she had said... and L would support that. Two were settled in an instant... that left the topic of the medic and further if a 4th personnel asset was required or wanted for their squad. L leaned towards wanting a 4th if Emmery was to tag along... she wanted at least 3 additional members she could always rely upon when the need arised.

L webt back to her typical sleepy self as the seriousness died doown for the time being. She continued speaking, her voice soft and lethargic as they knew their major. "With that matter settled... we have a few more decisions to make. Firstly the matter of medics. I personally believe that we will need at least 1 and a true one at that. Either Miss Risa or Miss... Dalton?" L couldn't truly remember the name given, the holy weapon and it's function however did remain in her mind. "Personally, my bets are on our Water Meister here. Her inexperience isn't a worrying factor for the raw potiental. Given I've probably trained more meisters then anyone else in this army through practical means... doubly so." The two would know, L had made sure to train both of them properly when they ended up working beneath her. Her claims perhaps bold, but difficult to refute from their positions. L finally sipped at her tea, the wonderful taste of mint ever better than the smell for once. She nodded ever so slightly in satisfaction before continuing. "Further, we should discuss if we are in need of a fourth at this time. My personal instincts would tend towards yes... but I would like your thoughts." The Tiny Major rested her chin inside the palms of her hands once more, leaning on her desk.