"That went well..." Steel muttered sarcastically as he swam out after the others. Seems even they themselves had been annoyed with his attempt at diplomacy. Not that he had much of an angle to work with as it was. Oh well. As they were being escorted from the premises (For all the good it would have done them in this case), Ariel showed up just in the nick of time to get them into even more boiling hot water. "This." He said to Sebastian. "Every time. I know exactly how you-" He turned to find Sebastian was gone. "Of course." He muttered before swimming off. "Now we're toast. Not even the guy who actually knows about other worlds can give us a darned break and HELP, and now thanks to his little seafood puppet he's going to actively try to kill us." He rambled as he swam after the others.
Chrys quietly held out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. So she had been right. "Well, we had better get looking for those Dahlias." She commented as Zeno thanked her for her help. "It was very nice to meet you miss Lantana." She smiled and repeated her little curtsy from before. "I hope we get to meet again!" She waved as she walked after her friend. "Does that name mean anything to you? Your bond with the Master is stronger than mine so...has he mentioned it to you before?" Chrys turned to face Zeno and gave a nod in confirmation. "Once. Just yesterday if you can believe it. He mentioned her in a conversation we had briefly during your exam." She considered Lantana's specific words on the subject, and her hand nervously wandered up to scratch the side of her head. "Seems our line of inquiry has led us to something quite personal... what do you wanna do?
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Braden nodded along with Auburn in agreement. "I mean, my own semblence..." He scratched the back of his head before shrugging with a sheepish grin. "It's really not all that good outside of particular circumstances. It's probably not going to be getting us to the temple any faster." He was slightly curious as to what Blaine's semblence could be, if said person didn't know themselves. He also considered the personal implications of Auburn shrinking to minuscule size after growing so large, and wondered about Lazuli's semblence as well.
"I see..." Chrys put her finger to her chin in thought. "I suppose that's all we can ask you then... except for maybe..." Chrys paused momentarily, considering Lantana's earlier reaction to just hearing her name. "I suppose this isn't really relevant, but I'm curious. I understand if this is something of a sore spot for you, but... you said my name was similar to your granddaughter's. Could you... tell me what hers was?" She awaited Lantana's answer anxiously.
Chrys was nothing if not thoughtful. The mention of a name similar to hers immediately brought to mind the conversation with the master she had just yesterday. Chryssa. Suddenly Chrys felt that she had a pretty good idea of what was going on. Yet she could be wrong, it would hardly be the first time. So at Zeno's prompting, she continued. "Oh... Umm... well, I suppose, we were just a little curious as to why the Master has been visiting you. That is to say, the Light Chaser, the man in the black coat. If that's not too personal a question that is." That's right, she actually sucked at talking. Whoops.
Chrys held in a giggle at the woman's response to Zeno. She didn't want to be mean. It had been quite funny though. Stepping forward to spare her companion further suffering, Chrys gave a small curtsy sort of motion with the edge of her jacket. "Excuse us, ma'am. We're sorry to bother you, but we were curious and hoping you could answer a few of our questions."
Chrys honestly felt a little uneasy at first, but her fears were put to rest when Zeno assured her that they weren't going to go digging through the master's things. He was definitely right about unanswered questions as well. She had winced slightly at the mention of Dentro. It felt like it had been a long time, but it really wasn't all that long ago at all. None of them had properly grieved him, but Chrys wasn't even sure she had known him as well as she should have in the first place. Zeno was right. They should ask some questions around town. The townspeople had been scarce anyway, and it could lead to some other method of spending the time. Besides; Zeno's proposed image was quite an entertaining one. Giving no hint of any of her darker thoughts out loud, Chrys merely put her fists to her hips and raised an eyebrow, with only the barest hint of a chuckle at his words. "Lead the way then, oh fearless one."
King Triton, it seemed, had never actually learned politics. Not that Steel could blame him. If he was "Ruler of the Seas" that meant there was effectively no competition. No neighboring kingdoms with which to negotiate trade, no wars to prevent or win. ...And clearly the man had absolutely no lessons in tact. Before Steel could even get a word in, the teams own particularly tactless individual made quite clear to Triton exactly what she thought of his little outburst. Frankly, he didn't disagree with her in the least. He knew that she probably had reacted based on a situation that was so similar to her own personal one, but overall she had only reacted to Triton in kind. She had treated him completely fairly. He had been a jerk, and she wasn't going to take his crap. It was unfortunate then that so many actively unkind individuals ended up in positions of power, since it demanded not that people treat them fairly, but with respect that they might not even deserve. And so they were in the tight position of now having insulted the King. He most certainly had done nothing to deserve their respect so far, but his station demanded they approach the situation with caution. Since that was out, he was just going to follow Karina's lead. But he was going to do it his way: with brutal and and sarcastic practicality. It might not be appreciated, either by Triton, Karina, or any of the others. However, it might just be what saves their life... or at least lets them do their job. "Now, now, Karina..." He said as he placed a hand on her shoulder, silently urging with his eyes to please go along with him, or at least not lash out just yet. "I'm sure the 'King of the Seas' is just being cautious. One has to consider many things when one is king, but surely he would never actually go so far as to assume the nature of individuals one just met based entirely on unflattering rumors." He was looking at Karina, true, but it was being made quite clear to everyone that it was really Triton who he was talking to. "I mean just look at that weapon of his. Surely he of all people knows just how badly things can go when a powerful weapon is in the wrong hands." He shrugged at her. "But hey, you're absolutely right: If he wants us to leave, we'll just have go. Destroying the monsters and trying to make sure the Princess doesn't get kidnapped will just have to be shelved. It's a bit sad really, but hey, 'the customer is always right' huh?" Steel's narrow eyes very accurately expressed his feelings right now: He wasn't really going to take Triton's crap either, but he was willing to look the other way if Triton let them do their jobs, completely putting aside his feelings of this awful first impression for the greater good. "I can't really defend him on the whole 'raising your daughter' thing though. I mean that's really up to him, and I think we'd all like to intervene to an extent. Yet at the same time, you're the only one who really has the right? I mean, I guess I could but really that's just... a whole new can of worms."
Chrys woke up the sound of knocking on her door. Amidst the early morning haze that filled her mind, she recognized Zeno's voice. It seemed that he wanted for the two of them to go out and do something. That was actually kind of ridiculously common. As he had said, the others were either the type to spend their free time practically or quietly. Zeno on the other hand, had never really been the type for that. Chrys herself had lived her life as a princess entirely on a mandated schedule and so could see the charm in doing something different with ones time. That didn't mean she had the slightest idea of what to actually do though. So without even realizing it, the two had formed a sort of partnership on their off days. Zeno would come up with something to do, and Chrys would be more than happy to accompany him on whatever escapade he cooked up, no matter how crazy. Shaking her head, Chrys climbed out of bed and got ready to go do... something. Half an hour later she found Zeno by the fountain just as he said he would be. "So what are you scheming today?" She grinned as she approached.
Steel couldn't help but chuckle at Karina's response. "Yeah, probably. Seems that trouble has nothing better to do than hunt us down no matter where we go." Luna seemed to momentarily bring up a comment along the lines of who all was on the lists, but Steel swam ahead of them a bit if only to keep Ariel and her friends within view. The red-headed mermaid had really helped them out by teaching them how to swim all the way down here. If she hadn't, he probably wouldn't have had enough supplemental memories to learn on his own like he had when he had first woken up. The others probably would've taken a bit of time too, though he's sure between all of them they could have come up with... something. "We should probably get moving." He shouted to the others. "Don't want them to get concerned and come back. No point in giving them a reason to ask us questions. One's we really can't answer I might add."
Steel nodded in agreement with Aux's assessment. So far, he had kept up with his usual facade of silence, having mostly not spoken since Aux questioned his Identity. Even throughout the helpful instruction that Ariel had provided. He thought at least providing his name would be polite, but the opportunity seemed to pass before it even came. On top of that, he wasn't even sure who all had recognized him. Aux clearly hadn't, Luna seemed to recognize his voice, and Beuce and Karina hadn't said anything. Though on the other hand, Karina had referred to everyone other than Aux as her "Friends" and hadn't questioned who he was at all. Not to mention that even if he kept himself awful covered up under that cloak, one probably tended to get at least a passing glance at the face one was punching to dust. Yes, the bond he and Karina shared was truly something. "Well, we'll hardly make our jobs any easier just floating here." He spoke up. "Come on guys, let's go find some more trouble." He muttered the phrase in sarcastic sort of supporting tone.
After having been dismissed by the master, Chrys and her fellow students parted ways with him. She herself began heading towards the hotel she had stayed in the other night, planning to get a full nights sleep now that the exam was done. The exam was done. She and the others had passed. They were all masters now, even if they still had more to learn. Collapsing onto her bed, she thought about just how far they had come. She was closer than she had ever been before to finding her brother, and to saving her home. As she thought of everything she had overcome so far, her mind turned towards some of the people she had met along the way. This in turn brought to mind the princesses of heart... Pocahontas mainly. She winced as she remembered what happened when they had brought her to the master. One thought led to another, and Chrys was reminded of the very similar thing that had happened to Tinarah. As she drifted off to sleep, her thoughts wandered further to the other keyblade wielders that currently stood against her and the master. Aria, Boreas, Illiana... Torrin. Her fist clenched briefly with thoughts of her masters words, that he was proud of the good nature she had proven herself to have and that he could not prevent Dentro from being who he was, before her eyelids fluttered shut and sleep took her.
Couging up salt water, Steel was barely keeping his head above the surface. His main two thoughts were 'Man, what a stupid way for a water sub-type to die.' and 'I'm really going to stink of wet fur when this is done.' He could here some of the others shouting above the waves, but just what they were saying was lost in the noises of the storm. Before too long, he was hurled towards Aux, and the two were sucked beneath the waves into some sort of rift. As they drew closer and closer, Steel could only hope that everyone would come through alright... When he came to, the first thing he really noticed was the sand beneath him. "That's gonna be a nightmare to wash out." He moaned as he pushed himself from the ground. However that quickly led him to notice a second thing: he was completely underwater. Judging by the sights above and around him, the ocean floor. Further, it seemed he was a merman of some kind. His fur, muzzle, and paws had vanished to be replaced with the face, hands, and skin he had in hi human form. Where his legs should have been was a dark blue tail and fins with a black underside. Pulling a strand of hair down from the water above him, it was blue as it used to be. "Guess there's only so much blend can make look normal." Nearby he could hear someone shouting about a hat, so he headed that way, since it was either one of the others or the quest flag. Sure enough, he was greeted with the sight of... "Oh, hey princess! ...You alright there Aux?"
Chrys listened carefully to her master as they watched the others go about their exams. She was slightly surprised at how open her master was being all of a sudden. To learn of Chryssa, and the Light Chasers hopes, as well as to hear him say that he felt proud of her. It was all kind of adding to the pile of things she needed to process that was slowly overwhelming her. However, since this was her master, and he was being quite so sincere with her, she took these things off the top and swept the rest of the pile under the rug for the moment. However, even having done that, she wasn't quite sure what need be articulated. She told him as much. "I... don't really know what to say... but thank you Master." She smiled at him, feeling quite a bit more at peace in that moment than she had in a long time. She knew it wouldn't last, but for now, she would sit and watch the exams with her master and tomorrow could worry about itself.
Chrys was as shocked as any of them when her Master lowered his weapon. She should have known better than to doubt his ability to take the blow though. Now she was feeling an altogether different kind of shock. She had done it. She had passed. Chrys had hardly doubted her abilities or her master, but it was still a rather big deal to suddenly realize that, yes, she was in fact a Master herself now. Especially since her own master had not ceased in the emotional whiplash to deliver this particular piece of news. She continued to process this from the sidelines, where she was now waiting to watch the exams of her four friends begin.
"Well... I guess... it was the orbs that fixed it... somehow... I went for them instinctively... or something." He was still processing that actually. In the meantime though, Ananta seemed to have missed what he mentioned earlier. "Winter of course! My sister. It's her castle up north." (31/31)
"Yeah, that's pretty much why." He waved his hand in a more dismissive manner. "I don't think that'll really happen anymore. It's a lot more stable now than it used to be. As for the sleet, I don't think it really bothers her, but she's the only one who actually lives up there if I recall correctly... which I might not." (30/31)
"The whole is called the 'Eye of the Storm'. Like I said before, it always rains there." He chuckled. "Fitting really. It always feels like a spring day around home; sometimes a temperate one, sometimes colder." His eyebrows raised briefly in a moment of consideration. "Except up north at Winter's castle. It's freezing there, but it sleets instead of the normal rain it sleets." He shrugged. "Not even snows or hails. Sleets." (29/31)
Well, she had apparently pulled 'Magical Reactor from his head, so he really didn't understand why he needed to explain any of this. Nevertheless... "Yeah, that's a better example than you think actually. It's a shard of something greater, and it still holds a connection with the whole." He remembered some of the explanations she had given him before, and the shard of the mother crystal seemed like a reasonable comparison to an eye of the storm replica. (28/31)
Steel's thoughts momentarily wandered once more... Spoiler: Conqueror's Respite 4/? "It came to our attention that the essence of our fellow Artisians had come to rest..." Leonidas trailed off and shifted his gaze out to sea. "...On that Island..." Steel and his siblings followed his gaze to see the island he spoke of. It looked relatively normal, but he felt as if something was... off. That in itself was strange since this was all memory based projection, but perhaps it was the memory himself that told him that the island was different. "The Edge." Leonidas stated briefly. "The Edge... of this reality: Where the world we remember bleeds into the world of hearts... I've often wondered since I discovered it; are all worlds born that way? Is this reality truly so malleable? Or is it just in between that many others?" Leo shook his head in dismissal. "...But whatever the matter, after careful research into that island and several related factors, we determined it would be safe to... experiment." Steel froze, his mind instantly catching on to what his friend meant with little effort. "Leo... our bodies, did you... make them?" The subsequent silence was all the answer he needed. His current self was no different than the former: a monstrous geist haunting a shambling lab experiment, the very substance of which was barely corporeal dark matter. His hand reached unconsciously to his eye. Was he still just a monster, after all this? (27/31)
