An Impossible Pair

“Looks like a hobo.”

“He might as well been one despite having money, he has no set home,” John replied, “Which is curious that he’d ever tangle with Circe. Ms. Lefebvre came from a famous artist and she stayed with her family until she graduated from university. Then she supposedly just moved far from them and never contacted since. She had a job as a curator.”

“Had?”

“She had gone missing and Vaal was dead. Which only makes it further strange since the last member of their gang,” over the two profiles was a picture of a younger but whom Ty recognized as their leader, “is alive and playing games here in Greenguard. I don’t know how she addressed herself to you but her real name is Noita Vespar. By the close of this year turning 28. Unlike both of the former, seems like the type to be a gang leader. A kid child behavioral issues that became a delinquent not long after. Only anomaly is how quiet she got when she was legal. Likely when she met the other two and convinced them of this grandiose plan of thievery.”

“Let me guess,” Noita started, “You are feeling quite smug, elated even, of my arrest. And by now you have figured out my background and my partners. And oh let me guess, you think I’m some kind of manipulative bastard that fully deserves the hell you wish to have brought on my head.”

And what hell it would be. Inquisitor isn’t a name you earn from being gentle. However...

“I know the look. You are not the first person to look down on me and you won’t be the last,” she said, “but because I also know it will bother you to no end unless you are certain. Your impression is incorrect.”

“I beg your pardon?” earning the first words for the day from John.

“Your impression,” Noita leaned forward, with a smirk, “is incorrect. You really think everything lines up that easily? It hasn’t nagged at you once how seamless that is? I’m disappointed but if you just want to ride out the glory, by all means, go with that.”

“Sorry, reflex,” she replied. The smirk playing on her lips told contrary, “but you shouldn’t be throwing things to begin with. Trust me when I say that the minors is out of reach.”

“Vespar,” the other spoke as if he’d spit out venom he sucked out, “I heard that you finally crawled out from the labs. Didn’t think you’d be back so soon. But since you’ve been gone, I guess I should feel you in--”

She held up a hand, “That won’t be necessary. I’ve already been briefed and know about our in-house detective. So if you’re quite done, perhaps you can actually complete some cases rather than pester him.”

This earned her a glare that she ignored as she watched him leave. Eric then saw her attention come to him, “You know, you could always just throw it back. Not like you would get arrested.”

“It’s not like they don’t have a reason.”

A chuckle left her, “What? Just because you stained their reputation for some 10 odd years?” 

Eric gave her a measured look, his eyes darting towards where most of the offices where. It was less crowded than usual. Likely because of what happened last night. She watched before gesturing to his own office, “Mind if we get a little privacy?” 

As soon as the door closed, the amusement left her features as she sat in one of the chairs. Eric didn’t need to glance back at his monitors to see where her gaze flickered. All news feeds were still reporting on it and he had been pouring over feeds all night. The incident with the death toll climbing and a culprit that signaled a terrifying resurgence. The supernova that opened up the black hole that was the power vacuum the police believed was missed by now. 

The woman presented a key and placed it on the table. Eric took the key as she said, “Everyone wants answers and with the force spread thin, babysitting you has become an issue. So rather than confinement, higher ups have asked that you participate on a team investigating this case. Hopefully your...connections or what have you can give a lead.”

He placed the key in those for his cuffs. A dull click could be heard as they loosened and he could shake them off. But despite them coming off, the weight never left. Especially with her last words leaving stones in his stomach. Despite being a prison, this office was also a safe house. From those that looked for Lucius and from the retaliation of those that knew his fate. But with his freedom came a real chance of dying. He had been ready for that for a while...yet he couldn’t stop the chill from its looming presence.

“Why we do not time travel is usually for the simple reason...Tannim won’t let us.”

“And that’s ‘cause ev’ry time we’ve gone back, you’ve nearly.....bedded someone that we’d eventually know in the present.”

“Bedded is not the word I’d use.”

“Still is what happens.”

“Let us not discredit that your ventures into the past nearly altered the entire timeline altogether.”

“Alex deserved better than that and you know it.”

“But we cannot grant it unless we want the world destroyed before either of us are born.”

And those that are ahead have more or less been sworn not to tell those that have yet to go through it. Mainly because they’ve either experienced or have heard of the adventurers that did that...and that it ended up leading to worse consequences or something. 

So just imagine some of them listen to this adventurer excitedly chattering about this adventure they’d just came from and where they intend to go next. Because they’re so wrapped in their thoughts, they don’t see the glances going around the table. A few stay unfazed, a few are holding back fear or tears. Because they know this next chapter is going to be rough.

Aegis: Professor Jaania either hates you both or believes that two of you will blow away the scientific community

Rune: I lean towards the former because it feels as though we’re setting up for a double homicide.

Aegis: Double?

Rune: Theano’s a scheming bastard, I’ll give him that.

[Aegis] That’s your idea of setting things straight?

[Rune] You know as well as I there’s nothing ‘straight’ with me.

[Aegis] I can see that since you were FUKCING MY ROOMMATE

[Rune] To be fair, I did enter the room arguing. ...It just so happens law students are better than I thought at arguing back. Would it help if I said I’m sorry? And gave you the keys to my hotel room for the rest of the trip?

[Aegis] No. But an order of pizza with cinnamon twists would.

Ty raised a brow. She wrested with the annoyance of entertaining Daeris versus her curiosity about her words. A small nibble on her cheek, she asked, “What’s the difference?”

“I don’t get caught much less arrested,” came with a fanged grin. 

Noita shrugged, “She is right. Although,” she stood before looking over the 3D printed structure, “she failed to mention while I may go in cuffs, I never quite make it to the station. Nor why it is I have to go be arrested in first place. Are you certain about your under a minute lockpicking?”

“Wanna test it out?”

Example of the former is with the Fire War. Because I sat there and thought, "how did this stuff not fuck up the fire natural features?" My answer: "It doesn't." So we got these losers trying to divert lava flow and ash.

Example of the latter is the rescue of Galanoth. When he bring up the helmet to keep his mysteriousness, Rune is just, "everyone else is shorter than you so we all have seen what you look like. Hell the only one who probably hasn't was Tannim and we just remedied that."

Also adds some other scenes like Tannim getting to treat Rune who straight almost died from hiding his wounds from Fire War. He figures out about the binding but that's not even the bulk of their conversation. It was like a moment of reconciliation and laughing about them being 'uncharacteristic.'

Going all in with this verse and because it’s nagging me, I decided to do if Noita had a palace and using this handy meme for helping arrange thoughts. So here goes!

What does my muse palace look like

It is actually more like a secluded island. The way in is through a cavern-like area that is labyrinth of booby traps. But then you’re able to get into the actual building, which looks more like fortified manor. It technically looks nice but it just comes off as creepy. There’s probably at least one convoluted key puzzle, think any Japanese horror game, that has to be done in order to reach the ‘inner sanctum’ or the stash pile. 

Long story short, her palace is a thieves’ den.

The keywords to get into the palace

Noita Vespar (Sakuya Marufuji also works). Forest. Den.

What their treasure is within the palace

In the palace, like expected of a thief, it takes the form of a jewel. Or at least that was initially believed. The jewel is actually part of the treasure that Noita had divided to lure the phantom thieves into a trap. The actual treasure is an ornate sword she carries, with the jewel as a piece that makes it complete. It is in line with her wrathful self, which used the sword to strike down intruders in her palace.

What the treasure take form after being taken out of the palace

A book that has been well-loved and contains various...interesting listings that look like spells or notes with some that have been inserted in that show a different writer. It is only really understandable if Noita was asked about it, which it was her grandmother’s grimoire. It was considered her solace to all the bad things that happened in her life and thus why she treasures it more than anything else.

How the shadows look like

The shadows look like various costuming of cutpurses and assassins ranging from brigands to fellow phantom thieves.

What their shadow self look like + how they behave

Initially the shadow self looks just like a shadowy figure. She difficult to see and track within the palace. But when actually confronting the phantom thieves, Noita’s shadow self has an outfit more like S.hao J.un from the A.ssassin’s C.reed series. Her sword rests on her right hip. 

The shadow self plays an eyes and ears everywhere sort of villain. She actually comments through the palace on the phantom thieves progress every so often. Because of the brutality of the labyrinth (with smashing rooms of doom and all) and the shadows, Noita is sadistic and enjoys making things more frustrating or difficult to traverse. One of the most notable things is her lack of tolerance towards whom she deems as ‘traitors’ and will execute them with her sword where other shadows and even the phantom thieves can witness. 

Which sin they represent the most

“I dunno, I think ‘a punk’ is going to turn heads anyways, especially with a record like yours.” Amara gave her an easy smile, leaning against one of the vending machines as he did so. “I passed some guys earlier and the latest one is ‘tried to stab another student in the eye’. But anyways, I don’t think anyone’s going to make any leaps in logic if they see us together. After all,” a warm chuckle left him and his smile brightened, “they might just think I’m some crazy guy trying to flirt with you.”

“You’re right, you sound crazy,” Noita told him. She pretended to browse through the selections of drinks, “and that makes it troublesome. I might just have to make good on the amateur eye surgery just to dispel any ideas that flattery works on me.”

@for-a-prxce

“You know, it’s hard to remain low profile if we actually are seen around together,” she quipped as soon as they were alone near the vending machines. Noita crossed her arms as she gave Amara the once over. She spied the small button on the jacket with a two, showing they were the same year, and that obnoxiously brightness to him.