Rise of the Monarch

Spoiler:

The short pink haired girl wearing the futuristic visor and a green collared sailor uniform turns to face Rayden, her lizard tail swaying slightly as she moved. With a minuscule move of her head that was barely visible as a nod she greets the armored man.

"My name is Billyasvayle Von Ainzenstein, it is a pleasure to meet-"

A ringing sound was heard coming from the girl's headset. She raises her hand and presses a button on the side of the visor.

"Yes sir?"

Just call her Ai for short, Rider's voice spoke from the speakers as if he had psychic powers and knew exactly what was happening. Ai simply sighed and tapped her finger against a button hanging up.

"My master has requested I accompany you to the sweets shop," Ai states. Her expression never seemed to change and her voice was almost robotic. "My mini van is parked nearby. Are you ready to depart?"

As Mirai made scolded Rider for making impositions to her punishment, she had kept her eyes closed and her arms crossed. However, upon hearing the word "bunny cakes" her eyes clapped open again.

"B-bunny cakes?" Mirai said. A light rose tint came to her cheeks again, but she quickly turned away from Rider. "Fine, tell Rayden he can get those, too."

Her cheeks were puffed up, frustrated by the fact Rider was using cute things against her. She decided to brush away the thought by turning to Caster with a bored yawn.

"Aw, you don't juggle? That's a shame," Mirai said, though not really interested. She picked a card third from the left: the Queen of Spades. "I was looking forward to see flaming bottles and chainsaws. Very well, this will do, too."

She memorized the card she took carefully, every single detail of it from the woman's face to the intricate pattern of her dress. She then turned to Rider as she handed Caster the card without showing its face.

"So, did you really settle for a dirty motel when you left, Mr. Rider?" she asked.

"Well I wouldn't call it dirty," Rider smiled as he put away his pocket watch after sending his assistant the orders, "It was decently well kept. It was also more like an inn really. They offered free breakfast so that was a plus. It certainly was a good catch considering the last minute hunt for lodging. My assistant is just too good for me."

Rider looked at Mirai with a pleasant look. "You were staying at a rather well known hotel were you not? Things there must have been much more glamorous. Must be quiet a burden to have to downgrade so. At least you have good company. If ever you need anything you can count on me."

Rider states this with a bright smile and a slight tilt of his head making his ears bend to the side slightly.

Caster was a bit aggravated by the fact Mirai was ignoring his simple card trick, but continued anyway, letting her continue to talk with Rider. Putting the card back in he shuffled the deck and kept his grin. "So you wish to see things on fire?" he asked while turning his hand with the deck in it so his palm was up.

Suddenly the cards ignited into flames, and the deck turned to ashes in Caster's hand. "Oh! What a shame! How would I finish the trick with no cards?" While finishing his rhetorical question he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Mirai. "Unless..."

Reaching behind her ear, Caster yelled "Aha!" before excitedly pulling out a Queen of Spades with burnt edges. "How to you do that? Amazing!" he laughed, acting as though Mirai purposely hid the card from him.

At Rider's suggestion, Mirai's cheeks burned brighter, but she turned away, trying to focus on unpacking, which Rayden had done most of.

"The hotel was...fine. It was a pity you couldn't make it, but I'm sure you had your reasons," Mirai said, still calm as ever. "Any how, yes, the setting were in is less than glamorous, but I should have that fixed up in no time. I'm not picky, necessarily, so don't worry about that."

And then, finally able to glance at Rider, she let out a satisfied smile.

"Well, I'm glad the chasing is over, then."

She finally turned her attention to Caster who had just set his cards on fire. She was a bit surprised, but Mirai didn't let it show. When Carter pulled the card out of her ear, she smiled again, though not very warmly.

"Interesting," she told the young magician. "Wanyu couldn't pull that off. Anything else?"

"Anything else?" Caster thought out loud as he pulled open one side of his jacket, fishing his wand out from the inside pocket. It was easy to tell by his face that he was pleased with her smile, but not satisfied. It was obvious that for the moment he was much more concerned with his act then his teammates conversation.

"Does milady like flowers?" he asked with a grin, excitedly jumping slightly in his seat at the question. From the other side pocket he pulled out a cloth napkin, twisting and folding the fabric into the shape of a rose. Then, tapping it with his wand, he leaned in and kissed the petal with a wink.

Slowly the fabric froze and he handed the ice rose to Mirai. "Wallah!" he said softly and smirked. "A rose for milady."

Mirai touched the ice rose and made it shatter with a single touch.

"One does not give roses during a frost, be they ice or not," Mirai said bluntly. Mirai crossed her arms. She let out a small yawn, a crystal tear forming at the edge of her left eye as she did. "I'm terribly bored now. I do wish those sweets would get here faster."

Mirai left Caster's side and began going through one of her suitcases which carried thick volumes of books. She rested down on her bed and began reading.

Caster frowned, standing and clearing his throat as he regained his normal happy composure. "I see, well then. Does milady enjoy... rabbits?" he smirked and gave Rider a slight wink before cupping his hand as if hiding something and waved the wand in front of his palm.

"There there. She wouldn't be interested in you. Entirely too boring." the magician groaned sadly and continued to wave his wand, keeping his palm hidden.

Mirai flinched a bit, but only slightly lowered the book from her face. She looked at Caster blankly, but in all reality, she was now intrigued.

"Keep talking," she told Caster. "Let me see another trick of yours..."

"You wish to see my rabbit?" Caster grinned widely as he pulled his hand closer to himself. "Hmm... I'm not sure, milady. He is so easily frightened..." After a pause of consideration he slowly shower her his hand.

In his palm was a ghost-like apparition of a tiny rabbit, made of winds moving and making low swooshing sounds. "Wallah. My rabbit." Caster winked.

Mirai looked at the rabbit, transfixed. She tried to touch it, but felt nothing but the small stirring motions of air.

"Now..." Mirai said as she continued to stare at the ghost rabbit calmly. "That's a nice trick. You...you don't have real rabbits, do you? Well, then again, that's ridiculous since no pets are allowed in the dormitories."

Mirai finally left the rabbit and sat up again, though there was the smallest melancholy in her face.

"A girl can have many things, but not everything..." she sighed. "Thank you for showing me that, though. You're now upgraded to my least hated person in the room."

Caster couldn't help but laugh at Mirai's comment, blowing the air in his palm and letting it slowly disappear as he bowed. "Thank you, milady."

Standing straight again, he fixed his jacket. The way Mirai spoke made him sigh and he gave a genuine smile. Unlike when he was doing his tricks there was a certain warmth to him now, not like the energy he let off when performing. "If you ever want to see that trick again I would love to do it for you." he offered gently.

Mirai gave off her pleased smile and nodded as she went back to reading her book.

"I'll tell you if ever," she said. She tried tor read again, but found she couldn't. When she looked at the time, it was close to five o' clock and sunset. No wonder I'm sighing like this... she thought to herself. Standing up from her bed, Mirai let out a small stretch.

"Please excuse me, gentlemen," Mirai said as she took her parasol and started heading out the door. "I...have something to do. If I'm needed, don't hesitate to page me. When I get back, we can talk about the class schedules and how we're going to fix this room's arrangements once and for all. Good day."

Rider watched as Mirai left the room silently. Something was off about the girl which put a frown on Rider's face for the first time that day. Rider paused in thought for a few seconds before wheeling his wheelchair towards the door. He stopped in front of it and turned his head to look at Caster with a bright smile. "I'm going to be off on an errand myself for a little while. Stay here if you wish and wait for Nile."

With that, Rider pushes the door open and wheels himself into the hallway and heads in the same direction Mirai went.

"Thank you for the company Ms. Ai but the van shall not be necessary. Milady hath allowed me the use of my vehicle and I would not squander such an opportunity." If I manage to use Black Knight conversation would be kept to a minimum. I shall not give up that opportunity. Rayden gives another small bow to Ai. "Thank you for the offer but I must humbly refuse. Though if it pleases thee I would not mind following the van or allowing thou to join me on Black Knight." 

"That would be unnecessary," Ai said mechanically, "You may use your motorbike Mr. Rayden. I will follow you using this." Ai points at the ground where a metallic skateboard was lying. A ring came from her headset and some words zipped through her visor screen far too quickly for a normal person to read.

"Understood," Ai murmured as she slid her visor up, "I will also be picking up bunny cakes at the sweet shops seventy miles from here after our first stop as requested from Ms. Mirai. The order has been given to me so you are free to choose to come or not. Let us go then."

Without waiting for a reply, Ai stepped on the board and started skating off. It may have been couincedental but she was heading towards the direction of Rayden's motorbike.

Rayden began walking toward his motorcycle and arrived moments later. Milady asked for the macaroons nothing else. It would be unwise to disobey her order. Rayden takes a seat on his vehicle and starts the engine after storing his weapons in their respective holders. Though it pains me to let a young lady go on an errand on her own I am indebted to milady and my duty to her comes first. Rayden starts to drive off making sure Ai is following behind him and heads in the direction of the shop Mirai asked for.

Ai was already waiting next to the motorbike when Rayden caught up. She waited until he started driving before taking off herself.

Despite being on a skateboard, Ai is actually ahead of Rayden for a good while. She seemed to soon slow down purposely and continued riding her skateboard right next to Rayden.

"The speed limit is approximately Thirty-two miles per hour for motor bikes," Ai stated, "At this pace it would have taken us an hour and twenty minutes to arrive at our destination forty miles from here but considering the other speed limit signs along the way it will take us roughly an forty minutes to reach our destination 40 miles from here. Would you like to converse along the way?"

Ai had a rather blank look on her face making it hard to tell what she really even wanted or if she even cared.

Mirai walked solemnly through the mostly empty corridors lifting the skirt of her dress, her heels hardly making a sound as she went by. Her expression was blank, absent, as if her soul had been taken away. If anything, she looked like the ghost of a girl from an old fashioned painting, haunting the halls.

However, she did not stop at the halls and she began heading towards an old abandoned staircase. A red banner and a sign that red Do Not Enter told one not to go there, but Mirai simply lifted the banner and continued upwards.

What laid before her was a spiral of stairs that twisted upwards and zigzagged and were followed by more stairs. It finally led to the entrance of something else and an even more complex set of stairs. It was extremely dark, but at the end seemed to be a door that led to the twinkling sunlight.

Mirai continued, not fatigued at all, until she reached an empty rooftop overlooking the lake. She stood at the very edge which had no railing or anything to stop her from falling. Her hair blew in the wind, sparkling like gold thread. Mirai looked out into the sea and a single tear dropped from her left eye. Finally, she opened her palms and put them together and began to sing a song.

When she finished, she looked down to the clashing waves.

If I had a wish granted...it'd be that we could play together again...

Rayden glanced over to Ai and thought about how long the trip would take them. It would be rude to have milady wait so long. Feigning ignorance of what she just said Rayden tapped his ear signaling that he could not hear what she had just said. He follows this signal by pointing forward down the road and then pointing directly up trying to signal an increase in speed. After putting his hand back on the bike Rayden began to increase the speed at which he was going and headed down the road.

Without showing much concern about the silent treatment, Ai kept up her pace with Rayden without a word and they continued heading down the road.

After minutes of silence, Ai surprisingly was the first to break it. "Do you think you will get along with the master?"

Meanwhile, Rider had followed Mirai a long distance silently without notice.

If it weren't for the JubJub Bird, the crippled faunus would have had trouble with the stairs, but when the little girl climbed to the top, Rider transformed his SNARC into the huge mechanical bird and flew to the top and went back to its normal form as he soundlessly lands just in time to see a tear drop from Mirai's eye. As she sang, Rider listened silently far behind her, his expression becoming saddened. Her voice was beautiful but at the same time it was sad.

Rider was unsure what to do but simply sat back and listened. He wasn't sure what to do even until the end when she finished singing and looked out into the ocean. He thought about for a moment before sighing and turned his wheelchair around to head back. Sometimes it is better to be left alone Rider concluded in his head reluctantly.

His wheel accidentally rolled on a pebble causing it to fling with a snap like a game of tiddly winks and clatter down the stairs loudly.

Rider jolted realizing he had just given his position away and froze in place and held his breath as if that was going to help him turn invisible.

Mirai whirled at the sudden sound, her eyes wide and something that looked like hope in her eyes.

"Will?" she said desperately. She followed the sound but what she found was none other than Rider, standing very still.

Whatever had sparkled in Mirai's eyes turned into a hardness. She didn't even look concerned as to how Rider had fallen. Her bangs shaded her eyes, but one could still make out a cold stare of hate.

"What are you doing here?" she said sharply. She couldn't seem to absorb that someone had been there. That someone had followed her and had seen what she had been doing. She looked at Rider again, still glaring with dead eyes. "What are you doing here?"

And then, with her fists clenched and her shoulders tightened, "Answer me!"

Rayden kept his eyes on the road bet felt the need to answer Ai's question. "So long as he respects milady, then I see no problems arising between he and I." After he answers her question Rayden returns to his usual silence although with a slightly more serious face than before. If he does disrespect milady in anyway he shall have to answer to my blade. After Rayden's own thoughts he begins to grow impatient and speeds up once again. 

((OOC: Describe the shop whenever you're ready. You're better at those things than I am."))

The Treat Shop was a small dainty shop with a rose pink awning and crystal glass doors. Through its window one could see macaroons in small decorated piles and boxes, more macaroons and pastries on the inside and sets of dainty tables and chairs.

When Rayden would park, he'd be greeted by a young woman with short blonde hair and blue eyes at the counter.

"May I help you?" she'd eventually ask.

Caster sighed to himself, sitting back down on the bed and staring at the ceiling as he spoke to himself. "They all seem alright, eh? A little rough around the edges, but I think this turned out for the best." Nodding reassuringly to himself, he pulled a picture of himself with his parents, all in their performing outfits, and set it by the bed.

His attention then turned to his gloves, running his thumbs along the thing tubing and continuing to speak. "It's odd, being away from home. Everyone cared for each other, but looks like it's be against the world right now." The question was turned to the picture as he let out a happy sigh.

"I'll do my best." he nodded and looked to where each of his members were standing. They all seemed so professional, confident, sure of what they were doing. "Please let that be enough." he sighed before going back to his gloves and waiting.

Upon being greeted by the woman Rayden removes his helm, keeping it under his arm, forms a warm smile and gives a slight bow to the young woman at the counter. After his actions Rayden clears his throat in preparation for the "obstacle" known as speech, "Why yes Miss, thank you kindly. I would like to purchase three orders of your raspberry macaroons." It would be wise to bring extra in case milady should desire to partake in more of her treats later in the day. 

The light blond headed girl gave Rayden a wry smile as she heard the order.

"Purely raspberry, eh?" the girl said. "These wouldn't happen to be orders from Miss Cinq, would they? She's the only one who requests pure raspberry orders and I daresay it's been a while since she's last ordered here. You're probably confused, but none of that. Just tell her Avril says 'hi'."

She gave Rayden a quick wink before carefully taking a pink box with a white ribbon full of raspberry macaroons. As Rayden payed, she tried to see him from his helmet.

"Just so you know," she told Rayden. "Mirai's a sucker for nice eyes. You should wear your helmet less and give her some nice glances."

She laughed quickly after this and gave Rayden a pat on the back as if they were longtime friends.

"Thanks for shopping, sir," she said. "Hope Mirai sends you back for more."