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[sangreine]

[A timid face peeks around the corner of some building, no attention paid to the exact location or the fact that she's laughably terrible at being covert. A Chiropteran Queen reduced to a trembling escapee, fearing the very shadows she should embrace.]

[Taking her leave of Diva and Karl's mansion had been strangely, unexpectedly easy, even as Saya's heartbeat jumped into her throat at every imagined sound, every shifting shadow. She even bumped a table, upsetting several knickknacks in what surely must have alerted someone -- and yet a few frenzied glances about had revealed nothing. Perhaps they weren't keeping as close an eye as she'd thought?]

[The thought does nothing to keep her calm, but she has to at least try. Finding out whether Charlie was okay, and Setsuna, everyone who had been at risk simply for knowing her... it's worth the risk. It would help to have more a plan than "sneak around and try to glimpse them from afar" but the newly reborn aren't much for strategy. She dares not even use her device.]

[Skittish already, it takes only a minor sound, a glint of light, for her to turn and blindly flee. It wouldn't be surprising at all if she were to run directly into some random passerby.]

Comments

[beyourarmy]

[Just so happens she does, running right into one of the people she had been concerned about. Not that Setsuna is the best at looking where he walks at times.]

[Before the person he's run into could step back, Setsuna gently reaches down to catch her arms, eyes going a little wide. He honestly wasn't sure when he would ever see her again.]

Saya? What are you doing out here? Did they - [He wanted to ask if they had let her go, but it seemed too unlikely.]

/o/

[sangreine]

[Her stammered apology isn't quite fast enough, and her own eyes go wide with her name spoken in that so-familiar voice. Shock, yes, but more urgently: fear.]

[Saya looks him over, reaching out and patting down his shoulders and chest, seeking injuries. In her near-panic, she's forgotten how quickly he heals.]

You're okay. [Her eyes well up and only then does she let herself pitch forward, arms thrown around his neck.]

[beyourarmy]

[Not a single injury to be found. Setsuna watches Saya with confusion.]

Of course I'm o-

[His words break off when Setsuna can feel her so close, still surprised by any little thing. Even Saya hugging him. He has to hold her in return, just to make sure she's real.]

Saya, do they know you're out here?

[sangreine]

[Against his shoulder, her head slowly shakes.] I have to get back before they know I'm gone. [She clings tighter to him, the very thought enough to make her crave the security she's found in his arms, from the very first day she awoke. But this is an interlude only, a brief respite from what is really her life. A monster beset by her own forgotten memories.]

[She slips away with slow determination, her full will carefully focused into the unwinding of arms, a single step backward.] I just wanted to see you. [While not precisely her intent, it's true enough.]

[anunluckypenny]

[Penny (no master of sneaking about herself) spots Saya and, as she tends to do, approaches her with a smile.]

Hey there!

[sangreine]

[Gone is the enthusiastic girl who was so thrilled to help Penny with a group Thanksgiving, drowned beneath layers of harsh reality. Still, the last thing she wants is for yet more people to get involved in the savage world she's coming to call her own, so she does her best to smile. Act normal.]

Hello. [Saya makes sure her back is against the wall, as hidden from view as she can be without looking it.] How are you?

[anunluckypenny]

I'm good, thanks.

[It's evident that something's off with Saya, but Penny doesn't feel that she knows the girl well enough to pry. Casual concern, however, is acceptable.]

Is everything okay, Saya?

[sangreine]

[Oh, so evident. Saya is as awful at hiding her feelings as she is at -- well. Hiding.]

[So she dodges the question.]

I'm just looking for some people. I got a little mixed up. [aka, lost]

[worldofourown]

[ He's behind her without sound. Almost without motion. But her blood will surely sense him. ]

...In the mood for hide and seek?

[sangreine]

[Like a sheep called for slaughter, she nearly locks up when she feels him. But, she decides in a glorious burst of ire: no. She is no lost lamb to be docilely herded.]

[She spins just as his stance settles, eyes flashing in stark defiance even as cold fear skitters over her oversensitive nerves.] I'm going back when I'm done.

[For now, that's truth. Will it be in an hour?]

[worldofourown]

I never doubted that. [ He doubts everything she does. She's not her true self yet. That puts her in a spotlight of fierce scrutiny. ] But surely I can tag along? Hm~? [ He offers her an arm. A perfectly polite, old-fashioned gesture that's at odds with his sneering smile. ]

I give up on decent prose tonight ;;

[sangreine]

[Half-incredulous, she stares at his arm. More of this feigned act, when he's stated clear as crystal that he wants to kill her. Twisted games wrapped in faux courtship.]

Why? [Disgusted barb or genuine question, even she can't decide.]

[valentineluke]

[Soft brush against subconscious's circumference.

What??!!

Running a few errands, taking in the City's holiday decorations; own fault for letting his guard down. At least he noticed it while was still some distance from his present location.

No outward sign of Luke's alarm. Long ago trained himself to keep a cool appearance when 'personal warning system' got tripped.

Pretending to study a window display, he cast his senses fully outward. Trying to pinpoint the presence's erratic path so as to move in the opposite direction from it - her.]

[sangreine]

[With a phantom Karl on her tail, Saya's path is not only erratic, but fast, blindingly so. Darting from alley to alley, shadow to shadow, changing direction on a dime.]

[Her flaring red eyes will surely give her away. But by then she'll be too close to avoid.]

[valentineluke]

[He can be just as fast, or faster. When tracking her fails, Luke puts his high speed ability into use. Best to chance an exit now.

May catch a glimpse of pale gold and white figure before it vanishes into thin air.]

[sangreine]

[She dashes right by, no mind paid to anyone that may have previously been there. Her focus lie elsewhere, with matters darker and closer to heart.]

[nosympathy]

[Given Xhex's symphath side there's no way she could miss the frazzled emotional state of the girl as they almost collided--not that Xhex would have let that happen in the first place.

It would have been easy to just keep walking, ignoring the girl. But she reminded Xhex of too many of the women who worked at Rhev's club when they first came in--fearful of every shadow, noise, the ghost of whatever haunting them. Damn.]

Are you alright?

[sangreine]

[Saya's too guileless for lying by anything but omission, and with her frantic eyes and panting breaths it's difficult to manage such.]

[So instead, she'll try to dodge it, sparing a glance over her shoulder.] I'm -- lost. [...True enough.]

[nosympathy]

[She would recognize a lie to begin with, Xhex wouldn't care though--everyone had their reasons, their secrets, it was just a matter of what those secrets cost you.]

I'm still kind of new but...where were you trying to get to?

[sangreine]

It's not really a place... I'm just looking for some people. [She glances around, as if one might come around a corner, but she looks frightened at the prospect rather than relieved.]

But, thanks. I haven't been here long either, it's sort of hard to figure it all out.

[charring]

[Charlie's out with most of her pets. The only one that's missing is Necromancer. He's at the stables, hopefully, unless the barn and pens turned to sugar again and he ate his way out.

Anyway, yes. Sitting outside her shop with her animals, Charlie's filling out paperwork to make sure people get their money on payday. She glances up when Saya bumps into an npc passerby and grins.]

Saya. Wow. Hi. What are....how'd you get out?

[And are you staying out? Please say you're staying out.]

[sangreine]

[Ack, given away by clumsiness! But she is glad to see Charlie up and about and looking so -- Charlie.]

[A little smile,] Hi, Charlie. Are you -- I mean, how are you?

[charring]

[To answer Sayas asked and unasked question in one go, Charlie grins at her.].

I'm fine, Saya. [Gwaine bounces over to say hi in his enthusiastic puppy way, Phantom follows and Petrichor perks up. They recognize and clearly adore Saya.]

I think the animals miss you.

[sangreine]

[Saya smiles softly and reaches down to pat them.] I miss them too. All of you.

[Still looking at the ground, her voice wavers as she tears up.] I'm sorry, Charlie.

[byherscore]

[ The curtain twitched as Diva looked outside, watching Saya flee across the yard. Yes, sister dear. Run a little faster. Run as fast as you can. Let the stage be set and the hunt begin.

Saya won't get far.

Diva won't let her. But only a tiny bit more will she wait. And then...

Her lips curl up as she allows the curtain to settle. Time for that later. They had all the time in the world after all. They were queens from a different era. Nothing could stop them. ]