Aaron's Home

Regenard looked down at Izanami.
"We'll take you home as soon as we get out of here, love, don't you worry," he said comfortingly.
His eyes then shifted to Aaron.
"Show me," he said.

"Regenard, what are you planning to do with her. Because I'm afraid I won't let you hurt her. If you're not going to, no worries, but I don't know you well enough to predict your motives," Ceadda called out.

"Don't worry, lass, I won't let him hurt you."
He smiled at her.

Regenard looked at the Merc.
"I wouldn't be here if I was going to hurt her," he said solemnly.

Gaia felt slightly calmer. The man standing infront of her seemed like he could be trusted. But his words confirmed her fear of Regenard finding her. She examined the man, he was fairly attractive and he had a kind air about him. She couldn't help but smile a little, despite the dread in her stomach.


Aaron ran inside. "Follow me!"

"Okay. But she's obviously terrified, so forgive my momentary questioning of your motives," he said with a stern look at Regenard.

Regenard stood behind the Merc. He took off his cape and draped it over Izanami's shoulders.
"Hold on to that for me, lass, and do come inside," he said, walking into the house. He stared at Gaia through his red lenses, and slowly lifted his mask.
"It's been too long, Gaia."

Though Gaia was afraid, she glad to have people there for her. What was left of her arm was bleeding, the wolf had gotten her pretty good. She looked up at Regenard. "Not long enough." she scowled as she struggled to stand. She was weak. She stumbled into the unfamiliar man. "I-I'm sorry" she said quickly and redirected her gaze back to Regenard.

Izanami stooped low and plucked her gun from the snow, her other hand hanging onto the cape draped around her shoulders. She sighed softly and followed Regenard inside. She hadn't expected him to comply to her wishes to go home without so much as a word of persuasion. Did he regret bringing her?

"Little soldier boy," Izanami wiped her face clean, "come marching home."

Ceadda caught her and gave her a reassuring look.

"It's fine, lass," he said.

He stood there, supporting her while she focused on Regenard.

Regenard tore his shirt open, revealing a bullet wound in his shoulder and several cuts from Cadet knives.
"They still burn, you know, Gaia. And you'd best bandage that up. I'd recommend using this," he said, and he held up a red ribbon, stained with blood.

Gaia shook her head. "No, I don't want your help," she paused and glanced at the new man, she was thankful for his support. "I don't want that ribbon, either." she looked at him and her face soften. "You deemed me unworthy when you left me to die in the sewers, don't even try to pull that "I sent her to you" bull shit, I read what you wrote to Ohanzee and that was a complete lie." Gaia practically spat the words. she felt herself growing angry. She looked at the unfamiliar woman. There was a lot of people in the room. She didn't want to speak anymore. She didn't really have much to say.

"You'll have to tie that off with something, dear. If you won't take that, I have something in my satchel you can use. But either way, you need to clean that up and bind it," Ceadda said.

He knew he was the stranger here, but he wasn't about to lose all his compassion just because of a madman's war.

Izanami blinked slowly. She knew these matters didn't concern her.
She turned on her heels and walked outside, cocking her rifle and waiting by the front door. If anyone asked, she'd simply tell them that she felt exposed from the front door and knew that someone needed to cover it. She was ready to aim down her sights at anything that moved.
She began to hum again.

Regenard stared at her, his amber eyes glinting. He lowered the ribbon and ran it through his fingers.
"Oh, but Gaia. I didn't leave you to die. I don't leave people to die, I let them live. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have wiped out every single Cadet in that base that you trapped Ohanzee in, and I would have killed you right there, like a real soldier would do. If I wanted you to die, I wouldn't have made sure you could have made it out of those sewers alive," he said, "And Izanami, don't leave the building. It's not safe. Patrol of Cadets to the south."

"Regenard is right. I'd come inside and close the door, Izanami," Ceadda said.

He stood there. He still didn't know enough of what happened to decide if Regenard was right, or if Gaia's anger was justified, so he stayed out of it.

"I'm fine." Izanami called, a hint of bitterness in her throat.
She didn't care if the entire patrol shot her dead. She needed to get out of that situation inside. It didn't involve her. And she would give back a bit.

Gaia was shaking with anger. "Just kill me already," she scowled at Regenard. "Look, I'm literally useless now." she wriggled what was left of her arm. "I've got no arm, I can't fight." She felt slightly embarrassed now. "Why are you even here?"

Regenard's face lightened, and his voice grew calmer.
"Because I promised I'd find you," he said. He turned to the Merc.
"Go help Izanami. We both know she won't be able to take them out, and I promise I won't hurt Gaia."

"You already know if you hurt her in the slightest, I'll kill you. So I'll take your word for it," Ceadda said. He turned to Gaia, "Don't worry dear, if you need me, just call out."

He walked out with Izanami. The patrol was small enough to where he could finish them alone, but he knew Izanami couldn't. He got his rifle ready, in case engagement became inevitable.

"If you need some mindless bloodshed, Izanami, I'm behind you," he said to her winking.

"I don't need help."
Izanami was growing stubborn slowly, her mood sinking for no apparent reason.
She had come to embrace the feeling of being alone.
What was her issue?

Gaia frowned. Regenard had gained some real emotion back. Gaia looked at the woman and realized, Regenard liked her, a lot. She didn't want the other man to go. She pulled away from him and stumbled to the couch, collasping onto it. "Well you should all leave because i'm useless now."

"That isn't true," Regenard said, sitting on the ground. He took his knife and set it in Gaia's hand.
"And you've always got your voice."

"Upset at Regenard, are we?" he chuckled. "Izanami, the man wants you here. But he won't admit it to you. You're not alone. I promised you long ago I'd be here for you. And I'm sure he is, because despite his normal emotionless attitude, when he's talking to you, he goes from apathetic bastion of hatred to a more happy apathetic bastion of hatred."

He smiled at her. "If you want to engage some cadets, be my guest. But I won't let you do it alone. I'm only here because of you anyways."

Gaia dropped the knife. "What's my voice going to do? All I use it for is complaining and pouting. That can't really get anyone anywhere." she smiled a little. She didn't look at Regenard though. She had betrayed Ohanzee and him, she felt terrible about everything.

Regenard chuckled.
"Look at where it got a young me," he said.