Guidance (Mae)

Dagda would slowly vanish in front of Mae's eyes, and a sigh of relief escaped the woman's breath as she walked over to Hiro... "You okay...?" She asked with a tone of concern as she gave him an analyzing look from top to bottom, making sure he wasn't hurt in any way, shape or form. "What was that thing?" Of course, moreso a rethorical question, seeing as he probably was just as clueless as she was on the matter. It certainly wasn't a shadow. Well, might as well get this out of the way now. "The name's Mae Iharu... We can talk later... I think it's best for us both if we get out of here as soon as possible." Maria was obviously still a concern, but... she couldn't do any looking here anyway. And if she was around, Mae would've known this by now. She clasped Hiro's hand before he could protest or make a move to do something else, and dragged him with her out of the Church and back towards her own appartment... At least there... she could feel reasonably safe. That is, unless the place was completely trashed by more of those... things. All hell was breaking loose, even now after two whole years. "Let's go. I know a place we can at least get some room to talk, and be reasonably safe."

It was gone.

“Phew!” Aria would say as she slumped in the air clearly exhausted from the fight. Hiro would hold out his right hand to her allowing the small demon to land in it and rest as he dismissed his soul bound weapon still clasped in his left hand. While the demon was gone, from the sounds that came in from the broken windows and the way the wind and earth shifted, Hiro figured encounters with demons were far from over, but what had led them here? And why so many?

The young man would frown as he kept a gentle grip on Aria who was now dozing in his hand. Perhaps he would’ve stayed in thought, but a voice pierced his trained of thoughts causing blue eyes to look over at the pink haired girl who was looking over at him with concern.

“I’ve had better days, but I’ll live thanks to you,” he would tell her with a small nod as the faintest of smiles appeared on his lips. “How about you?” he would ask in turn as he observed the girl in a more subtle manner than she did himself. While he did not know the girl, he could not deny the bit of trust she had gained from the encounter. After all, she could’ve easily abandoned him or let him die in that battle, but instead she had stayed at his side…even if he was a stranger. He could respect this strange aspect of the girl.

In any case, the small smile would fade as the man turned slightly to look around the church. The people here were safe, but scared to no end. Many hide behind the alter and were looking at them with wide uncertain eyes. They probably should leave before the people recovered enough to start making assumptions. His eyes would return back to the girl as she asked her question. He debated for a second about answering that before his lips parted.

“It was a demon…” he say in a tone only she could hear before trailing off for the moment. He figured his words might bring up questions, but honestly now was not the time to do explaining. They needed somewhere safe to go, away from civilians, but where was safe now?

As soon as he thought this the girl seemed to have the same idea as she introduced herself.

“Mae, I’ll remember that. I’m Hiro,” he would say with a light nod before opening his mouth to ask if the girl knew of a safe place they could go; however, before the words could escape his lips the girl made a rather bold move. She would take his hand (thankfully the one that was not holding Aria) without permission and begin to pull him along with her. Keeping a careful grip on Aria, he would stumble only slightly before catching his balance and moving to match the girl’s pace. While under normal circumstances, she may have gotten resistance from such an action, Hiro did not resist this round as he instead allowed her to hold his hand as he focused on following for now as he decided to trust the girl for now as they left the church and headed back into the chaotic streets.

"Phew, that's good to hear. I was worried for a second you got seriously hurt." Mae replied with a relieved sigh. "I... seem to be doing fine." She said thoughtfully, as the adrenaline from the fight earlier subsided. Not as much as a twisted ankle on either of them. That meant she had done a good job. Even after two years, the woman still had it in her.

"A Demon...? Well, that at least confirms the "Not A Shadow" theory I got going. But the explanations will have to wait. Right now, we should get out of here." Her eyes darted around the area, giving the place one last look for Maria before she left with the man. "Heh, likewise. Such a shame we had to meet in circumstances like these..." A slightly saddened look made it's way across her face. Had it not been for the demon, the two might never even had talked that much... but now, oh well. She had to make the best of the situation.

Mae didn't even think about the fact that she was holding his hand the way she did, and just pressed on towards her apartment. Crossing over streets, hiding from other demons that were attacking, taking every step cautiously as to not grab any unwanted attention. After at least 20-30 minutes spent sneaking around, they finally made it to the apartment complex that Mae lived in. Even Old Town had been shaken quite hard by this... Right now, she had to at least talk a bit to Hiro, as he seemed to know at least a little bit about what was going on... Or so she hoped. The two rushed up the staircase, until they reached a door with Mae's Name written on the letterbox. She (finally) let go of Hiro's hand, and started fiddling with her keys before opening the door. "Now then." And before Hiro could say anything more, Mae dragged him inside, and locked the door behind her.

Hiro would shake his head in response to the first set of words knowing for a fact that the girl had been a big help in keeping him out of harm’s way. Sure, his body felt beat up, but that was a normal feeling for the young man these days. In any case, he would find himself relaxing only slightly when the girl said she was okay. That was a relief. The last thing he wanted was for the girl to be injured, so it was good to hear she was okay. In any case, the chat would shift from injuries to demons; however, thankfully the girl didn’t push the matter any further for now.

They need a safe place away from civilians who were already wound up and unpredictable to discuss such a topic. Besides….speaking on demons within a sacred place was a bit uncomfortable for the man. He wasn’t sure why, but some part of him thought the topic might offend whatever spirits rested here. An odd quirk of his perhaps, but one that the man kept hidden well as he allowed himself to be lead out of the church and back out onto the streets.

As he followed behind the girl, his eyes drifted here and there taking in the sights all around. He watched as creatures he thought wouldn’t bother crossing over to the other side attacked innocent bystanders or attempted to carry others off. What the hell was going on? What had disturbed the balance so much that every demon around decided to come to the islands? Could whatever this was even be fixed? And if so is that why he was here….Or had the demons followed him over?

Tch!

He would push away the questions that threaten to tilt him overboard. While he wasn’t sure when he’d get the answer to the questions, he knew now was not the time to ponder them. Right now he needed to focus on simply not tripping over the ground. Tearing his eyes away from the sights around him, he would follow the girl for their strange trek through town, pausing when they needed to hide before picking his feet back up to run again when it was time to move.

It took them almost 30 minutes to get to the place they needed to be and after climbing some stairs, they came to door. It was at this door Hiro’s hand was freed. While the girl worked on getting the door open, Hiro’s eyes turned to the area they were in. Some doors were closed and untouched, but others were broken or had marks on them suggesting not so happy endings; however, before he could fully take in the rest of the area, he was being grabbed from behind and shoved inside the next room.

Stumbling inside, Hiro would glare at the girl with disapproval as she locked the door; however, the scowl and agitation would only last for a second as he turned to face the room before him. He would move in only slightly taking in the simple decoration all around. Living area, kitchen a door that led off to somewhere and a second door…probably a bathroom and sleeping area. He would move in a bit more pausing when he saw the mask on the wall.

“…”

The man would look at it with an unreadable expression. So did this mask mean the one in red from before had more allies that liked to dress in that odd suit like he did, but more importantly…how much did that one tell said alleys about himself or the rally?

Blue eyes would move away from the mask as he kept that note in mind. This could be problematic, but he would ride out the wave calmly enough for now. He would drift into the living area before finding a spot to settle in. As he sat on the floor, he would carefully place Aria on his leg for now to let her continue to rest. Once that was done, he would turn blue eyes to the girl waiting for her to lead the conversation. He honestly didn’t know what to do in this situation without a prompt to ground a direction for the chat.

"Sorry I just dragged you in like this..." Well, she was stressed out, okay? She wanted safety, and the sooner they both got inside here, the better she felt about her current situation. She would inspect Hiro curiously as he got himself aquainted with her livingspace. The fact that his eyes decided to first focus on the mask was no suprise. Most people that visited Mae for the first time stared at it too for a bit, so this was definetely nothing new to the girl. While he was looking at the mask, Mae stepped inside and collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. She hadn't summoned her persona in a little bit more than two years now. She had forgotten just how physically and mentally straining it was to do... Sure, back then, she had gotten used to it pretty quickly, but nowadays? After two whole years? She felt almost as out of it as she had been after her awakening. Not on the verge of passing out, mind you, but if left un-attended, and if she had nothing important to focus on, she would most likely had fallen asleep right then and there.

But she had to keep herself awake. The girl forcefully kept her eyes wide open, as she waited in silence for Hiro to do something else. When he finally settled down on the floor, and gave her that expectant look, as if he wanted her to speak up first, she abided. "Ahem... well... Where to even begin...?" Mae said, with a troubled look on her face. "So, you've seen demons before, Hiro-kun?" That was the first question that came to the girl's mind. Ever since he had mentioned what that... thing was, Mae's head had not stopped trying to figure out what it all meant. Yes, they were attacking Azores... but why? Did Hiro know something about that? Well, there was one thing she was certain of now, at least... "With how things are... I guess we'll be stuck together for a while, huh..." Not that she really had any qualms with it. Hiro was an upstanding guy, from what she could tell. He had fought alongside her against that demon, when he could've taken the opportunity to run away while Mae would've covered him, and yet... he had stayed. That was worth a lot in the girl's book. She had an ally that could most certainly be depended on. She wouldn't let anything happen to him and his... friend, on her watch.

An apology to his glare caused Hiro to look down with a light nod.

“Forgiven,” he would tell her in calm tones before he turned his eyes to the interior of the room to get acquainted with it. As he was observing his surroundings, Mae came in and collapsed on the bed. As she did this, Hiro’s eyes would move over to the girl a bit concerned. Was she going to pass out? It wouldn’t be surprising. The ordeal that had occurred was unexpected and tiring even for him. While he had to put in a physical effort to survive, it seemed as if the two ladies were more tuckered out than himself. Maybe that was because they used magic and he didn’t...that or perhaps the adrenaline in his body was still too high to realize just how tired he was. It was hard to say, but he would leave Mae alone for now as he returned to observing the place. Once he was done, he sat down on the floor not sure exactly what to do next.

If the girl did go to sleep, should he stay or leave? Hmmm…maybe he should ask before she actually fell into a deep sleep. Blue orbs would drift back to the girl his intent to ask his question; however, the words wouldn’t come when blue orbs met the girl’s strange colored eyes. Not knowing what to say, he’d watch her with a gaze that challenged her to speak first and thankfully she got the message. Good. He didn’t have to worry about fumbling over words for the moment. Even when the girl started to speak, he would remain quiet until it was his turn to answer.

“Mmm,” the man would begin as he placed his right hand on his leg and leaned against it being careful not to disturb Aria who still dozed on his other leg.

“You can say I was pretty much neighbors with them. They are definitely a common sight for me,” he would tell her with a nod as his blue eyes lowered as he thought. “It’s a bit troubling seeing them here though…” the man would say with a frown that matched the expression on the girl’s face. Why? Why had they crossed over? He wasn’t certain of the answer and that bothered him even more. He would continue to ponder this, his eyes only returning to the girl when she spoke her next words. To this, his expression became serious.

“…I don’t exactly have a place to go to…” he would begin as a light frown would appear on his face as he thought. He wasn’t asking for pity or anything. He was simply stating a fact. A trend he would continue as his lips parted again “So I suppose so unless you want me to leave,” he would tell the other honestly.

It was true Hiro had nowhere to go; however, he would not stay where he was not wanted. It was honestly up to the girl how long she wished for him to stay or not. Sure, the streets weren’t friendly, but being out there would be just like it was at home. The only difference was that he had humans to throw into his normal day equation. Even with the extra, he could manage if necessary. In the end, he wouldn’t be bother by the idea staying if Mae was cool with it. It could save them some trouble in the long run if they knew exactly where to find the other. So there were some perks with such an arrangement.

Meanwhile, Aria would turn in her sleep on his leg. She curled into a small ball to make herself more comfortable before relaxing and dozing off again...or at least attempting to. The small demon would be woken up as she heard a strange sound in the room. Sitting up startled she looked around the new surroundings disoriented for the moment until she saw Hiro and the pink haired girl...and settled a bit. She was still safe....good.

Hiro on the other hand took the situation a bit better than his winged friend. Sure, the sound was unexpected causing him to tense a bit when he first heard, but when he discovered the source of the sound he'd relax slightly before Mae excused herself to talk on the phone. Staying where he was for a moment, he could hear chat coming from the bathroom; however, he wouldn't pry as he carefully picked up Aria and got to his feet. He would drift over to the window and peak out the window a bit to observe the situation outside.

As he did this, Aria slipped out of his grip and flapped her wings. She would level herself with his shoulder before settling on it and relaxing once more.

Mae gave a relieved smile when he told her that she was forgiven. One less thing to worry about for her. "Oh? Well... are they all bad...?" She asked with a worried look on her face. She certainly hoped not. That would just be bad for everyone. Someone must be leading these Demons to Azores... speaking of which... why Azores?

Mae shook her head at his response. "You can stay with me. It's quite alright, Hiro. You're a nice guy." She said, turning over on the bed to face him, her head gently resting on the white pillow. "Hehe... I've had people sleep here before, so it's nothing new." Well, she couldn't just let him sleep on the streets. Mae couldn't bring herself to be that cold... Not to anyone. "Say... Hiro... How tall are you...?" She asked, sort of randomly. Thinking back on people sleeping over here, she had to make sure that he was small enough to fit the spare futon she had. Because she wasn't going to share bed with him! That would just be strange and awkward. Even moreso than with Sharaku, someone she knew fairly well.

Mae almost fell out of her bed when the phone rang. Standing up, she gave Hiro an excusing look before she headed towards the bathroom. About five minutes later, she returned, with a slight smile on her face.

"...Sorry it took so long. A friend of mine called. You might know him... Sharaku Rikei. Ring any bells?" She sat down in front of Hiro, as she stuffed her phone back into her pocket. "Regardless, he's coming here. He was just at the Beach in Penecia to check the waters... where the demons seem to be coming from... And it's not looking too good. He'll fill us in more once he comes here." She would then give Aria a curious look. "Hey there~!" A light smile made it's way to her face, trying to greet the little demon.

It seemed that his willingness to forgive caused the girl to relax. While it was true the action did ruffle his feathers a bit, did the girl think he really would hold a grudge over the error? Huh. Curious. In any case, his attention would shift from the small curiosity to the question asked.

“I don’t think bad is the word for them. You can say they are very much like us. Sure their forms and rules may differ, but each one has a personality and some can even be spoken to if they are calm enough. We just happened to get the more unreasonable of the bunch,” Hiro would respond back to the girl easily enough before he gave a light frown. “Do you think maybe something from two years ago started this and was just waiting until now to make itself obvious?” he would ask...did his sins from back then cause this too? He hate to think his narrow view did this and yet...Now that he could see clearly he had to wonder if this wasn’t all connected in some way. Was someone or something planning this invasion from the beginning…and if so why here? And did he only help what was going on? He ponder this for a while before looking up at the girl as the subject shifted to where he could stay.

Ah. So she was okay with him staying then; however, he had to wonder at her logic. She would let him stay because he was a nice guy? How did she figure that from just a few moments of interaction? A curious creature, but he had to wonder was it: Foolishness, kindness, or just giving him the benefit of doubt that led her to do this. Did it really matter? Not really. At least he didn’t have to worry about sleeping with one eye open all the time and that was something he could appreciate easily enough.

“Thank you for your kindness. I’ll do my best not to be a burden,” Hiro would say giving her a light bow from his sitting position; however, he would look up from that bow as she asked a rather odd question. He would look up into her eyes searching them for clarity before blinking a bit as he thought about that question. He never really measured his height, but if he were to guess….

“A little over 5 feet,” he would say easily enough. “Why?” he would ask as an expression of curiosity came over his face. Why did she suddenly need to know that information? Was it relevant to something? Or was it just a random question? He would ponder the question until the phone caused quite the stir in the otherwise calm room.

As Mae looked like she was about to fall off the bed, Hiro tensed a bit with every intent of attempting to help the girl should she actually begin to fall; however, thankful the girl was able to catch herself and get to her feet. Relaxing, he let her leave the room to take a call, taking the moment to get up and check the situation outside.  

He would watch the chaos in the streets below for a while before he heard the bathroom door open again and Mae came out. Drifting back to his spot, he pause as he listened to her speak.

“Sharaku?” he would repeat before following suit and sitting again. “Yeah, I’ve met him once or twice in life. Didn’t seem like a bad fellow,” he would say before pausing as Aria decided to speak. "No he was a pain in the ass," she would begin seemingly not forgiving him quite yet for what happened at another meeting, but just as quickly as she was angered she was sighing as she clasped her hands and looked upward with a dream like smile. "But he is so beautiful. So beautiful."  The demon would become quiet lost in her own thoughts as Hiro shook his head at this as began by brushing that moment away.

”Anyway.. so he is coming here, huh? I see,” he would say not exactly concerned about the guy traveling outside. Maybe it was just him, but there was something about the guy that suggested if need be he could probably take down a demon or two without trouble. However that last part of what was being said got a frown from the man.

“The ocean, where all life is born from... Ironic they would come from there, but that begs the question: what unlocked the door to let them in?” Hiro would fold his arms biting his left thumb in thought for a moment.

Meanwhile, Aria who had been sitting in Lala Land on his shoulder, would look over at the pink haired girl as she spoke. She would watch her for a bit as she pulled herself out whatever day dream she had before leaning forward with a grin on her face.

“Well hello, doll. How are you?” she said seeming to be okay with the girl…for now. How that board would change when the other came would be…interesting to say the least. Hiro just prayed that whatever happened would end up smoother than last time.

"Hm... Well, let's hope we can find some of the more reasonable ones in the future then, eh?" Mae replied with a light chuckle. She'd like to avoid fighting if she could, because really, senseless violence brought you nowhere in life.

"It's possible... As much as I hope it isn't, that would make some sense." The thought had crossed the girls mind before. What if these demons were related to Thesis and Ananke somehow? Or was there another party working on this...? "Well, related or not, it's still an issue. And a big one at that. I've fought for the safety of Azores once before, and I'm not afraid to do so again." Mae had always been one for defending those who couldn't defend themselves. Just like two years ago, she fought with her friends to stop the primordials from doing their thing. She could do this again...

"Oh, Geez... There's no need to thank me, Hiro-kun. Ehehe..." Mae said with a timid smile and a faint blush as she scratched the back of her neck. "I can't just let you sleep on the streets during times like these, now can I? That's just not right... So, make yourself at home. And don't worry, You won't be a burden." Oh, so he was around Ayane's height... Then this would do nicely. "Ah, well that's perfect." Mae replied, with a clap of her hands as she stood up, and headed for the wardrobe. After a bit of struggling with something, she finally managed to pull out the Futon, which was just the right size for Hiro. "Tadaa~" Mae exclaimed with a wide grin as she carefully dropped the Futon on the floor. "Something for you to sleep on tonight. It's kind of like a sleeping bag." And what do you know, it fit Hiro like a glove. She'd rather not go through the whole Sharaku experience with an almost complete stranger, so this came as a relief to the woman.

"Heh, I'd like to think I'm pretty close with him, and he's nice. Comes with a lot of good advice." Sharaku was indeed a wise one for his age. One of the many reasons why Mae was so fond of him. His insight on all manner of things was helpful to the girl, and had been so numerous times in the past. When Aria spoke up about Sharaku, Mae grunted with a frown. Sure, she wasn't together with Sharaku, but still... hearing someone talk about him like that made her a bit... agitated. Perhaps it was jealousy? Or something?

"Indeed. The subways might be out of service right now though, so it'll take him a while to get here." Indeed. Considering the state of things at the moment, it wouldn't suprise her one bit. "Yeah... That worries me too. Maybe there's someone here in Azores that opened the way for them?" She replied with a contemplative look. "Makes sense, when you really think about it, no?"

"I'm doing... okay, all things considered. Things sure could've been a lot worse. What's your name?" She asked the demon with a gentle smile. She couldn't really shake hands so... a finger would do, perhaps? Maybe?

“Well, assuming it is not only hostiles that were released…which I would find hard to believe with so many on the lose, we should be able to find some that can be reasoned with and maybe even convinced to fight for us. We’ll just have to try and see if an opportunity presents itself,” Hiro would say as he thought about back home. While it was true it had been rough over there, there were occasions where demons would simply pause to chat or observe him for a bit. Some were even kind enough to wait until he woke up and had his wits about him before attempting to kill him. Demons were indeed a strange bunch.

“Is that so? Can you fill me in on what happened back then?” he would ask. True he did know about some of it, but his knowledge was on the ending rather than what had led to that beast being summoned. While it might’ve been trivial maybe there was a clue in the past that could help them with the present. Perhaps a bit far-fetched, but who knew. Clues hide everywhere.

Hiro would raise an eyebrow at the girl’s next set of words. “Ah, so you fought in the battles back then? That explains much,” he said as many questions about the girl –namely her powers – were cleared up. A vet from the past, eh? Well, Fate had finally been kind to him for once and gave him a blessing rather than a curse. What a pleasant change from the norm. Speaking of norm was it normal for people to turn red when embarrassed about something?

Hiro would blink at Mae not exactly understanding why thanking someone made them embarrassed. Was she perhaps humble and that is why that happened? A curious thing, but one that Hiro would push away as he gently scratched his cheek and looked away feeling a bit uncomfortable for a moment.

“Okay,” he would say unable to find a better word at the moment. Her kindness was a bit overwhelming due to the fact he was not quite used to such actions; however, he appreciated it nonetheless. Awkwardness aside, Hiro would look over at the girl when she said his height was perfect before she was moving to get something. After a few moments, she’d return with a bundle in her arms. This bundle she would place down on the floor before him. Neh? What was this?

Looking from the bundle, he would look back at the girl and give her a light smile as she explained the bundle.

“Ah. I see. Thank you then,” he would say before examining the bundle. He unrolled it to see how long it was before carefully rolling it back up. From what he could gauge he would be able to fit right in it. Nice. Well at least he had something to keep himself warm if he needed it and while he didn’t admit it out loud, he kind of like the idea of having a bed of his own no matter the form. Aria on the other would frown at this.

“You realize I will not be sleeping on the ground with ya buddy?” she would say to Hiro and then flapping her wings, she would fly over to Mae with a grin. “I am gonna sleep with you okay?” she said with a grin that made it hard to tell if she was playing or not.

“Really?” Hiro would respond back with a deadpan expression. Was she really going to do this after someone was being kind to them?

“Yup. A girl like me wouldn’t be able to get any beauty sleep at all,” Aria would say as she shook her head at Hiro before refocusing on Mae. “Surely, you understand, right Mae Pie?” Aria would say as she looked at the girl with an innocent grin.

Lovely. Now she was giving out nicknames. Hiro would shake his head at this, but wouldn’t make any real effort to stop Aria either. She wasn’t harming anything yet, so he saw no need to get involved yet.

“Anyway, I can agree the guy is quite a interesting piece of work. I am afraid I haven’t had the pleasure of getting to know him like you have, but I am glad you two are friends. How long have you known him?” Hiro asked curious his eyes drifting up to the girl just in time to catch her becoming…agitated? Did he say something wrong or…no wait. That wasn’t at his question. That was thanks to Aria’s comment from earlier, wasn’t it?  As if to confirm this, Aria who was still in the air gave the girl a cocky smirk before floating over to sit on Hiro’s shoulder. He could feel rather than see the hostility the small demon held for the girl….She had found competition and now he was stuck in the middle....again. How nice…and to think that the thing of this competition was on his way here. Hiro honestly began to feel bad for the guy.

He was certain that Sharaku could handle two crazy girls, but at the same time….if they were to discuss business, such nonsense couldn’t occur. They’d never get anywhere at that rate, but it was not like he could seal Aria off this time either. She already bit him in the ear for doing so at the beach, so to perform the action again with someone else for her to lash out at?

…

This was going to be a long conversation, wasn’t it? Mentally bracing himself for whatever was to come out of that when Sharaku arrived, he would try to push the worry away for the moment though.

“Yeah, I think the trains stopped when the demons appeared. I guess I got lucky and got to on the last few before it all went down. I am not sure of the underground, but hopefully it fared better than up here.” A small hope, but who knew. There were some demons that liked the dark…so it was no telling if any had taken up residence there….

Hiro would blink as he folded his arms in thought on that one.

“Perhaps, but if that is the case, then who would do such a thing? Do you recall anyone suspicious from two years ago? Or perhaps something?” he would ask as he looked back up at the girl to see what her thoughts were on the subject.

Meanwhile, Aria who had been sitting quietly on Hiro’s shoulder for the moment, would push off from her resting spot as Mae held a finger out to her. Not seeing it as a form of greeting, but rather another perch, the demon would carefully balance on the finger as she looked up at Mae innocently enough.

“Well that is always good to hear, Mae Pie. As for my name, I am Aria. Pretty fitting no?” she said with a grin playing nice for the moment despite marking the girl as the competition.