Shed Light in the Darkness

Akumu walked down the hall back to the main guild building, thinking over the upcoming conversation with her brother. After knowing him her entire life, it wasn't hard to determine the course of the conversation, especially considering he always found a way to make sure she controlled the direction of it. She figured it was because of how quickly she shut down when she got uncomfortable, and while she didn't like that he had to adjust to how she felt, she also didn't want to admit to all of what had happened at the resort. As she spotted Itari resting on one of the couches, she headed over to him. She stakes her claim on the other side of the sofa, resting in the corner and pulling her knees up to her chest, resting her chin over them. "Ask away, you curious devil," She states, keeping her features completely neutral to feign her indifference to the topic that lie ahead of them. Truth be told, she did want to share her trip with Itari, as she knew her own happiness would make her twin happy as well. She also knew that she would only talk about the easy going moments, so it would give her time to reminisce over the time she spent there.

Itari flashes a coy smile towards his sister, smug in the fact that Akumu always seems to indulge his curiosity, even if only for a brief moment. He could tell that she was a bit more joyous than usual, the way her eyes seemed to sparkle with hidden words, and the fact that the corner of her mouth was fighting back the slightest smile. Itari decides to play it relatively safe, wanting to get Akumu to open up at her own pace, so he just simply asks, "So what happened on your trip?"

Akumu squints at her brother's smile, not quite sure how to receive such an action. "I read a nice book on the train ride over, then had coffee and a muffin. I went for a walk along a beachside trail and had a picnic. I got a lacrima phone," She pauses for a moment, skipping over the next few events. "I went to the restaurant you told me about. I relaxed in a hot spring. Then I went to bed and read the book on the return trip." As she finished, she focused back on Itari again.

"Oh I am glad you went to that restaurant, did you like it?" Itari says with a warm tone, thinking fondly of the memories he shared with Izar on their job together. He wondering if Akumu had thought about his request to join up with Izar and create a team within the guild. Surely it would be a good experience for them, and Itari was hopefully that it would help get his sister out from behind a book and into the real world. "Wait, you have a lacrima phone now? How did you afford that? Considering I have only seen you leave the guild a handful of times."

Akumu nods to his first question. "It was quiet and the sushi was pleasant," She states, steering her thoughts away from Izar as best she could. Her trip, without Izar, actually seemed to have been rather boring, though relaxing all the same. Quite different from the emotionally taxing day she had spent there, she thought. At his next question, however, Akumu realized that leaving Izar completely out of the picture would be impossible. If she tried to lie to Itari, she sincerely doubted he wouldn't pick up on it, no matter the effort she put into it. "It was a gift," She states, which was the truth, even if it wasn't the whole truth. However, that excuse could only give her a few seconds, as she Itari's follow-up question would be, "From who?" With great hesitance and willpower, she would look her brother in the eye and tell him it was Izar who had given her the phone.

As if on cue, Itari gracefully maneuvered the conversation in the direction that would yield the most information from his sister; fueling his investigation into what has lifted his sister's mood so much. "Oh really? You must have charmed someone quite a bit if they were nice enough to purchase one for you. Who did such a noble deed, if I may ask? Think they can hook me up too?" He asked with a joke, hoping to lighten the mood and take away from the feeling that he always got when he asked Akumu how she was doing. It somehow always felt like he was interrogating her, what with her brief answers with a tone that made it sound like he was pulling teeth. He shifted in his chair as he curiously saw his sister fret over her next answer.

Akumu really didn't want to answer the questions Itari had thrown her way. And in all honesty, it probably wouldn't take all that much to get him to give it up, but that would only be a temporary fix. If she did make him drop it, it would only make him more suspicious and he would eventually spring the question on her later. "Izar," She finally announced after a long pause. "Izar gave it to me. He wanted to be able to reach me if he or I were away," She states, hoping the blush that was beginning to burn at her ears would remain there. It was silly, she knew, to be embarrassed over something so trivial, but as Izar had mentioned, it was the small things that affected her life the most. "We also talked a bit about forming a team. I think discussing it en masse would be in our best interests so that we don't rush into it," She adds a moment later, the topic change allowing her to push her feelings to the side, and hopefully any of Itari's follow-up questions as well.

Itari sits in silence as he absorbs his sisters words, a blank expression plaguing his face as his brain slowly puts together the pieces. Izar bought her a phone...while she was on vacation at a resort I just visited...with Izar...On a job where we won tickets to go back that same resort... Tickets Izar said he was going to use with a special someone... And... "Oh my gosh you're the special someone?! Woah, woah, woah!" He shouts, pushing himself up out of the chair and pressing his palms against the side of his head in order to keep the thoughts he has contained. His body shifts from side to side as he looks around the guild room, his face contorted into something between anxiety, concern, anger, and confusion. "We will get back to the team thing, but right now I need to go have a stern talking to with Mr. Cosmos here. Izar! Where are you! Izar!" He shouts out as he takes off towards the staircase. He quickly backtracks and grabs Akumu by the wrist, pulling her out of her chair. "You're not off the hook either, you have some explaining to do to. To think that you would keep secrets from me! Ah the audacity! I knew you had probably met someone new, by the whole 'happy, but I'm hiding it' routine you had; but the fact that it was someone I told you I thought could be my best friend! We jus-- Ah. Geez. -- Izar, where the heck are you!"

Akumu shifts uncomfortably in her seat when her brother falls silent, stubbornly keeping herself from picking at her skin just to avoid her brother's concern. When he suddenly shouts, Akumu scrambles up to her feet, moving to smack her hands over her brother's mouth. "Itari ple&mdash;!" She begins, though as he begins to move in place, she is not able to keep him quiet. Then he starts running through the guild building, shouting Izar's name as Akumu stands there in defeat, wishing for this all to be some strange dream. Itari latches his hand around her wrist then, pulling her along as he continues to search for Izar. "Itari, would it not be more efficient for me to just call him?" She asks, stopping and refusing to budge even an inch more. "Look, I know it wasn't right for me to keep it from you but it's not..." She trails off, trying to find words that would ease her brother's concern-fueled rampage through the guild. "We're still figuring things out ourselves. I didn't want to get your hopes up in the event that things..." She stops again, though this time for an entirely different reason. Sighing, if only to get the weight such thoughts put on her chest, off, she looks at him expectantly. "I'll give him a call in my room and then we can talk." Itari relents at that, allowing her to go back to her room to grab her phone. She took it from its spot on her nightstand and took a deep breath in as she dialed Izar's phone number. It only took a few moments before he picked up and she simply told him to come to the guild rather than try to explain the situation. She came out of her room and went back to where she had left Itari. "Please don't make a scene," She requests, though she figures its a bit too late for that at this point.

Itari stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his face wearing a scowl as he grumbles out. "Psh, make a scene...as if anyone would pay attention...No one thinks about Itari. No one pays attention to Itari. Ha, make a scene..." The rest of his nonsensical pout was drowned out by the ambient noise of the guild as Itari turned towards the door to await the arrival of his so called "best friend".

Izar sat his things down on his couch as he looked around his home which was much barer than the hotel room had been. He let out a quiet sigh as be walked to his kitchen and began rummaging through it for ingredients to make himself breakfast as he and Akumu had not eaten before boarding the train. He wondered if he should have at the very least offered to make her breakfast though, his offer most likely would have been turned down as she needed to get back to Itari, who had most likely been searching for her the whole time. Perhaps this was for the best though, their date had ended well and he liked it that way. He had just scrounged something up when he felt his pocket begin to vibrate, ''Hm? So soon?'' Izar thought as he pulled the phone from his pocket, answering it with a friendly "Hello?" figuring it would be Akumu telling him Itari was ready to discuss the forming of their team. Izar realized he shouldn't have been surprised as Itari had seemed quite excited about the idea, most likely jumping at the chance the moment Akumu agreed to the idea. Izar's smile faded as he heard the tone in Akumu's voice, it concerned him greatly, simply telling him to come to the guild. "Alright, I'll be there soon." Izar said, knowing better than to try to ask her anything. He hung up before quickly putting up the lazily thrown together breakfast he had created and racing toward the guild hall. He reached the guild in about five minutes, entering through its front doors and finding both Itari and Akumu standing off to the side, neither of them looking too elated. Izar walked over to them, "Is something wrong?" He asked.

Itari scoffs a bit at the obvious question, for anyone who could remotely read body language could see the tension held in the posture of the Renato twins. Itari steps towards Izar, as to signify his intent in this coversation. His mind was flooded with the thoughts of betrayal. The secrecy held between two people he holds dear; and over what? Fear of judgement? That he was still unsure about, but if he were to ever form a team with someone, Itari knew that honesty and open communication would be essential to their success. The fact that they have both hidden something so very important from him, put him on edge and made him filled with both shame and distrust. "You need to explain what has been going on here. What have you guys been keeping from me." His voice had a sense of controlled emotion; a calm, steady flow of delivered lines. His body, however, remained in its closed off stance, crossed arms shaking with withheld feelings.

Izar watched Itari move toward him, the mans posture was much different from the easygoing, somewhat eccentric man he had come to know. He seemed a bit on edge, something was obviously bothering him. This concerned Izar, as he figured that, of all people, Itari could keep a positive attitude in any situation. When Itari spoke, Izar felt himself tense up in a similar way that he had when Akumu had brought up his becoming friends with Itari. Izar quickly averted his gaze from Itari's, turning to look toward Akumu for any sign of what he should do. She didn't look at him either, leaving him to come up with something all on his own, Izar trained his gaze back on Itari, wishing he at the very least knew what it was Itari had already found out. Though, that didn't really matter as he highly doubted he could lie to Itari to begin with. He hadn't lied to him before, only left out key details in his story. He had spoken of a girl he cared for, and what he intended to do with the tickets the two had worked for. Izar had no right to be the one to tell Itari, Akumu had been the one who had wanted to keep it a secret to begin with, therefore it was only right that she tell him when she felt ready. Unfortunately, she was being denied that choice, Itari having somehow put the pieces together and now confronted Izar with it. He took a deep breath in through his nose before letting out a 'I guess the cat's outta the bag' sounding sigh, " I have feelings for your sister," Izar stated calmly despite the fact that his heart beat like a drum in his chest. "Over the past few months her and I have been in a relationship. We decided to keep it a secret because, we didn't want others prying in as we ourselves were unsure of exactly what we had. Don't you remember what I said, Itari? When you asked if I had a "Girl"? I told you that I would like to think so, and that it was complicated. That was one hundred percent true, I didn't know what Akumu and I were back then and to be completely honest with you, I'm still not sure. Only a week ago was she willing to call us a couple." Izar explained. "That being said, I understand that you must be hurt, to have had to figure this all out by yourself instead of being told by one of us. I'm truly sorry you had to find out this way, but I want to assure you that we had every intention of telling you before we became a team. Akumu brought it on the train ride back here, she wanted to tell you about us to avoid a situation exactly like this one."

Akumu stared down at her feet, feeling shame build up in the pit of her stomach. It was horrible of her to keep this from Itari, especially considering she knew the friendship he and Izar had. It was also horribly wrong for her to allow Izar to explain the story, as this could have been avoided if she hadn't been so stubborn and selfish in the first place. So, as Izar came to a conclusion, she decided to intervene so that the whole truth could be conveyed. "I was the one who said to keep it hidden," She states, bringing her gaze up towards the two men. "In hindsight, that was not a decision made in anyone's best interests, but, at the time, it had seemed like the right thing to do." She sighs, kneading her hands together just to keep herself busy. "There's a lot that I don't understand when it comes to what Izar and I have and share, and I didn't want to bring a third party in, even if that meant excluding you. I just wanted to figure things out on my own. I see now that I closed more doors than I opened, in the process. And for that, I hope that my apology can make up for it." She takes a deep breath in, exhaling as she silently counted to three. "I am very sorry for keeping this a secret," She states, shame, though sincerity, clear in her tone.

Itari keeps his deadpan face as he looks between the both of them, visibly seeing the chagrin flooding their eyes. He takes a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders in the process, before he speaks. "I understand that relationships can be confusing, and defining such a thing is not an easy task between two people, let alone adding others into it. But you say this was solidified a week ago? And I am just now figuring it out on my own? You can understand my heartbreak at having to deduce such an important thing on my own when there was numerous occasions you could spoke to me about it, right? I wanted to form a team because I trust the both of you. I feel I can tell you guys anything, free from the judgmental eyes of those unworthy of such confidence. But withholding something because you feel notifying a third person will complicate an intimate and personal experience between the two of you, is something I don't personally understand, but is none the less hurtful to me." His arms fall to his side as Itari begins to open up and calm down a bit.

He turns to his sister and places a gentle hand on her arm, looking her in the eyes. "I apologize for shouting earlier Akumu, I, by no means, want to throw you into the spotlight if you'd rather remain in the shadows. But there is a difference between privacy and secrecy, don't you know? You shouldn't keep something that you hold dear a secret. You should be proud of the person who holds your heart, and show them off to the world. That does not mean you need to tell them what you two do; that is to remain private." Turning back to face the two of them, he continues, "If we are going to form a team with one another we need to have open communication. Hiding things will only bring trouble down the line, and that could be the difference between success and failure. I still want to form a team with both of you, but I don't want to always be second guessing myself if there is some hidden agenda going on."

Akumu's own body loosens up when she sees Itari relax, though the guilt still stayed, tying knots in her abdomen. She found solace in her brother's honesty, and while his words did sting, she also knew he was dealing with pain. The trust he thought he could put in them had been fissured, and all for nothing in the end. She couldn't offer comforting words, she couldn't understand or even begin to compensate for what she had done. Though, she made a promise to herself right then to make sure that something like this didn't happen again.

The small, comforting gesture from Itari calms her and makes the meaning of his words much clearer. There was no need to hide the calm and sweeter parts of any relationship, regardless of the type or nature, as it simply wasn't wrong of her to feel love or affection towards someone else. She nods, slow at first then more assured, at what he says. "I won't, on Tajitu's name and grace, lie or withhold the truth from you ever again," She vows. "I want to be part of a functioning team where I can depend on, and be depended on, by you two, no matter the situation. And I would like to earn back the trust and respect that you held for me so that I can be part of a team like that."

Izar too felt himself loosen up after seeing both Itari and Akumu beginning to relax, the tense situation seemingly having been defused for the most part. He nodded as Akumu spoke, waiting for her to finish before giving his own apology. "I'd like to apologize as well. It was wrong of me to accept your friendship while going behind your back the way I did, there is no excuse for my actions. And whether or not I meant to hurt your feelings is irrelevant as that's what I ended up doing anyways. I'm sorry lying to you, Itari, and I know a mere apology cannot fully make up for what I've done. Which is why I would like to continue repairing our friendship by forming a team with the two of you. In hope that I too, as Akumu said, can be part of a team where we can depend on one another no matter what situation we find ourselves in." Izar said, extending his hand out to Itari in the offer of a handshake. " What do you say, Friend?" A friendly, albeit a bit nervous, smile adorning Izar's features.

Itari looked at the gesture of the man before him with a half cocked smile, as he extended his own hand to return the handshake. After the shake, Itari's eyes light up with his usual excitement, pushing back the shaking depression he felt into the depths of his mind. A place that held all the trouble of his past and present, that he himself fears to face. With his sadness locked away again he loops his arms over the shoulder's of his best friend and his sister. "Aww I could never stay truly mad at you guys, no need to beat yourselves up about it!" He laughed out, a toothy grin painted on his face once more. "Well now that we have the air cleared, everything all out in the open and such, how about that team idea? I see you both are still up for it, so how do we go about this little shindig?"

Akumu senses his brother's hesitance, feels the too rapid shift of his emotional state. As he loops his arm around her, she bites her tongue, knowing he doesn't want to speak about it right now. So she does the best she can, tapping a quick rhythm on his hip with her fingertips. Hardly noticeable at all, and it would mean virtually nothing to anybody but the twins. Growing up, they had learned morse code so they could speak freely without having to worry about their parents' ridicule, and while she didn't enjoy having silence forced upon her, it was useful then and was still useful now. I am here, her small touches spoke, though that was all she gave him, refocusing all her attention on their small group. "Anything is alright with me," She states. "Perhaps something to tie in our balance of magics? Or the path we wish to take?"

Izar was shocked by Itari's sudden change in mood, so much so that he almost flinched when the man pulled to two of them in for a hug, such a mannerism being quite reminiscent of Akumu's. Perhaps he's more like his sister than I originally thought... Izar thought to himself as he felt the taller man's weight on his shoulders. He looked over to Akumu, who seemed to notice the all too sudden change as well, but her silence on the matter was enough to see to it that Izar would not bring it up either. When Itari brought up them forming a team and how they should go about it, Akumu was the first to speak up, suggesting they choose a name first. Izar pondered of the idea for a few moments, slipping from Itari's grip as to allow himself to think more clearly. After another few minutes he comes up with nothing. "The Guild's rules state we have to complete a job together before we can officially be recognized as a team." Izar says, "Though, I'm not sure if that rule applies to us. I mean, I've been on jobs with both of you before, and you two have known each other your whole lives. I'd say we have a pretty good understanding of eachothers strengths and weaknesses at this point." Izar continued, walking over toward the job board. "But perhaps going on a job anyways would be for the best, maybe we can think of a cool name while were out there?" Izar said looking over the jobs, "What do you all think?"

Itari's face falters when he feels the taps on his hip from his sister, decoding her message quickly. Akumu had always been one to look out for him and his well being, concerning herself with his emotions far too much. Itari hated the fact that he had burdened her in such a way, and so has done his best to always repress his emotions, only showing those people deemed favorable during his times of anguish... He quickly taps out a message on Akumu's shoulder, signaling ''Thank you. I'm ok.'' Truly grateful for his sisters concern, but not wanting to give her any more to worry about than she already had confessed to him, he released her from his grasp and begins to walk over to the guild job board. "I think a job sounds perfect. We may know eachothers strengths separately, but our chemistry as a team can't be computed by separate trials. We gotta get out there all together and put it to the test!" Itari pulls out a devious smirk, coupled with a wink. "Although I know you two have chemistry already..." He laughs out, unable to keep his amusement under control at the obvious embarrassment of his two partners.

Akumu sees the shift in his facial features, and though she quickly decodes his message, she doesn't believe the validity in the taps. However, knowing her own issues with conveying her care and the already thin ice they were treading on, she decided to drop it. She sighed softly as he lifted his arm off her shoulder and went over to the job board to survey the requests others had put up. She follows soon after, piping in a quick, "Trial and error," in response to Itari's first statement. As he continues on, Akumu wastes not a single second in punching him in the arm. Not enough to bruise him of course, but it would hurt quite a bit. "Shut up," She states, though it sounds much more like a plea than her normal demanding tone. Her ears are hot with embarrassment and she purposefully avoids even glancing towards Izar. She focuses back on the pieces of paper hanging on the wall, glancing over the descriptions. She stops on a B-Class job entitled Darkness Falls and begins reading it in detail. The name Oshibana makes her want to just forget about it altogether. However, she also doesn't want others to go without their mother. She sets her jaw and points at the flier. "I want to fix things before they fall apart completely," She states, looking towards her brother to read his reaction.

Izar's began to blush slightly at Itari's words, though he couldn't help but smile a bit at Akumu's response, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. He moves out of the way as Akumu approaches the job board, allowing her to look over the full list of jobs they had to choose from. Izar sees her reaction upon reading the flier of a B-Class job. He glances over her shoulder to get a better look at the job, doubting even the horrible events the flier spoke of would have been enough to have made her tense up the way she did. Izar's assumption was confirmed when she turned to Itari, her eyes seeming to search for a reaction rather than an answer as she pointed at small paper. "Is something the matter?" Izar musters up the courage to ask, feeling like there was something important he was missing.

Itari's rubs the spot that had just been punched in pain, laughing it off shortly. His mouth soon falls into a straight line though, as he reads the description of job Akumu suggest. The depths hidden in the back of his mind bubble up once more as he sights what caused his sister's demeanor to skip. "That's our old home town... As much as I would despise to return to such a place that houses such a horrible man, I agree that we can't let something this atrocious go on...I vote we take this one, if we leave now we can make it before the sun sets and another person is taken. What do you guys say?"

Akumu nods, feeling dread settle over her. Could she stop herself if she saw him again? Did she have it in her to leave him alone when darkness consumed the entire city? These dark thoughts threatened to consume her, and only as she looked up at the two men was she able to remind herself that staying by their sides was more important. She had no idea what kind of trials they would face on this job, but when the lights cut out, there was a chance she would be the only one able to guide them. "Let's not waste time then," She says, ripping the flier off of the board and walking over to the bar counter. After getting it approved by the barmen, the group then traveled to the train, purchased their tickets, and boarded shortly thereafter. Akumu sat near the window, slipping off her shoes and tucking her legs beneath her. She looked over to Izar then, steeling her nerves. "Like Itari said, Oshibana is our hometown and I don't have many pleasant memories of the childhood I spent there. Our father was a terrible, terrible man; He was manipulative, cruel, and there was no end to his tyranny. Anywhere we went, everything we did, was controlled and orchestrated by him. Our mother didn't care what he did, either. Most of the time she was so blackout drunk she actually forgot the horrible things he did to their children." She sighs, her hands locking together in her lap. "I hid it all, I pushed it all away. I did everything I possibly could to make sure Itari never found out about the truth of his supposedly perfect nuclear family. And it lasted for years. I took everything. I threw myself under the bus every time just to make sure Itari would keep smiling. It was all I had to keep my spirits up in the midst of a torture worse than any childish nightmare I'd ever had. And then Itari&mdash;" She cuts off, her throat closing up and her eyes welling with tears. She shuts them tight, though she can't push it down no matter how hard she tries. "I made the same mistake now as I did then. I thought hiding things would make them better but it didn't and it still doesn't. I'm so sorry." She croaks out, voice soft and low, though she's managed to keep her tears from falling. The same cannot be said for the blood that spills from her thumbs now, though, trickling down her fingers and coloring her pale skin red.

Izar turns to Akumu upon hearing Itari speak of their hometown, she stood there in silence for several moments. He was just about to reach out to her when she suddenly snapped out of her trance, quickly agreeing to take the job as she ripped the flier off the board. Izar watched helplessly as she walked away toward the bar, he didn't know what to do or even if there was something he could do. They quickly made their way down to the train station in silence, Izar switched his glances between the two of them, favoring Akumu as she seemed the most bothered by returning to her hometown. They found their seats on the train, Izar having saved her a window seat as he always did despite the fact that she rarely glanced out of it. The heavy silence remained for several minutes after the train took off before Akumu's eyes rose to meet his own and began speaking. Izar listened to her words carefully, absorbing each and every one of them as he felt his heart dropping. He gripped the arm rest to his left to the point that his hand turned white, said hand and arm shaking as a mix of anger and sadness flooded him. Izar looked back up to her when he hears her cut off before continuing to speak in a cracked voice, seeing she had closed her eyes, no doubt to hold back tears. Izar quickly glanced down at her hands, having learned of her dangerous habit yesterday. Though, this time he failed to notice it before she had drawn blood. He reaches over, gently placing his hand over top her's, wrapping his fingers around her left hand. "Hey now, it's okay Akumu. Listen to me, you're okay, everything is going to be okay. Things aren't like they were back then, back then you were just a child doing the best they could. It's not like that anymore, you don't have to bear this burden alone, me and Itari are here for you one hundred percent." Izar said in a soft, hopefully reassuring tone. "Please look at me." Izar said, waiting a moment for her to comply before continuing. "I'm here for you." He said, looking her straight in the eye before pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and offering it to her.

Akumu doesn't realize Izar's moved at all before she feels his hand envelop hers, a soft warmth emanating from his palm and into her skin. She's reluctant to allow it, and she simply stares down at the hands in her lap, ultimately deciding it isn't bad, so she won't fight it. She feels as her magic activates on its own, traveling to her wound and sealing her skin once again with sutures of darkness, which then disappear as they are replaced by her skin. She runs her thumb along the side of Izar's hand, though she convinced herself that she only did it to test the elasticity and feeling of her skin. She feels Izar's gaze on her and she feels so ashamed of how weak she is. However, when she looks into his eyes and sees the concern, pure and unabashed, that filled his gaze, she is taken aback, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. She nods her head, unable to speak for the moment. In her daze, a few tears had slipped down her cheeks, a glistening trail across her skin. She takes the proffered handkerchief in her free hand, wiping the tears away and turning her sight away from Izar. She looks over at her brother and finds that reading his expression is harder than it normally is, which worries her to no end. She's being kept out, and while she knows she's done the same to him countless times, she can't help but feel betrayed. "Child or not, the past has already repeated itself once." Her tone is kept short and clipped, though it doesn't reflect the dread hat fills her heart when she realizes how many different ways the past could find a way to kick her while she was down. She gives the cloth back, then rests her hand on top of Izar's, squeezing his hand lightly. "I don't want it to happen again."

Itari watches the exchange, his eyes flicker with something almost demonic as he sees the tear fall down his sister's cheek. A tear of pain that should have been long forgotten, but has once again resurfaced in the face of this new disaster. Albeit it was cute to see that Izar was so kind and considerate towards his sister, and from his past time spent with him, there was no doubt that Izar was a good guy and could bring a bit of happiness into his sister's life, yet he still felt the ting of betrayal welling up inside him. He understood that it was wrong to feel such things, as the guilt his two teammates felt was enough burden for his eyes to see, but seeing history repeat itself right before his eyes left him distraught. The fact that they are returning to such a place where the pain of the world was kept secret from him from the one he loved most was ominous and left him with a sense of deja vu. ''Have I really done nothing to grow as a person? Am I still stuck in the body of my younger self, filled with the nonsensical naive ideals that there is light still left in this world? Am I doomed to be stuck in this repeating past because I am blind to what the world is truly like? His eyes are glazed over, lost in his own world of words, before he snaps out of his daze to hear his sister's last words. '' Itari nods his head in agreement with his sister; there is no way he would let such sadness plague another family if he could have any say in it. His mind was racing with possible explanations to these disappearances, but he knew he shouldn't worry over something if he didn't have all the details. He would just have to wait and see for himself; although he felt great comfort knowing that he now had Izar and Akumu by his side. "Let's go shine some light on this situation, yeah?" He says with a cheeky smile and a thumbs up, his defense mechanisms back in place as he lets out a slight giggle at his own pun.

Akumu considers her brother's emotional state, not by her magic, but by what she can see. Through everything, she thought it would be second nature by now, but Itari's gotten consistently better at layering everything. He shows only what is appropriate for the situation, keeping anything else beneath the overwhelming blanket of those emotions. He chooses to show things that cover a wide spectrum, laying it on thick to ensure nobody can read him. It's her fault too, everything always is. Had she been open and shared the burden, she wouldn't have to spend so much time just trying to understand her twin. The return of his confidence leaves Akumu struggling for something to hold on to and identify, for a truth between the others. ''How many situations are still left in the dark now? And how much more will we hide after this?'' She wonders, a scowl pulling at her features. She pulls her hand from beneath Izar's, squeezing his hand once before releasing her grip. "Hiding now will do us no good. Questioning anything in the middle of the mission can only harm us. I promise that I will be open about anything that happens after it is dealt with, not before or during. The risk is too high and the time constraint will make it even harder." Her eyes flicker between Itari and Izar, uncertainty coloring her forest green gaze darker. Hesitation would not help her but the tension she felt between herself and her twin was bogging her mind. ''Keep it together. Being a leader doesn't mean you have to hide the darker parts. Honesty and communication are key.'' She feels both her own voice and her brother's resonating in her head. He is beside her no matter what and she has to believe that, now especially, when things have gotten rocky again.

Izar moves his hand back into his own lap when Akumu moves hers away, interpreting the final squeeze on his hand as a thank you of some sort. He stared down at his hand, dried and faded droplets of her blood still present from the self inflicted wound he had been unable to stop her from opening stared back at him. While he hoped his gesture had brought her at least a bit of comfort, he hated feeling like that was all he could do. He'd never felt so useless before and it ate away at him because he was supposed to be there for her and he had no idea how to do that. Itari's obvious discomfort succeeded only in deepening Izar's feelings of uselessness as he had no idea how to help him either. He had no idea what kinds of emotions Itari was hiding away or just how badly he felt betrayed by his and Akumu's secret. They weren't even in Oshibana yet and Izar knew that taking this mission was a mistake, he should have shot down the idea the second Itari mentioned it had been their hometown. There were plenty of powerful mages in Koma who could have taken the job, feeling no pain or bad memories at visiting the town. Izar looked up when he heard Akumu begin to speak, nodding despite only understand most of what she was saying. He wouldn't speak though as he had an itching feeling that it was not his place to. Izar causally checked his watch, knowing they would arrive at the dreaded location soon as it was not far from Onibus to begin with.

Itari heeds his sister's words, nodding his head in agreement as he stretches out his arms in tune with the screeching sound of the train's brakes against the worn tracks of the station. Itari looks to his teammates who are already standing as the train halts, grabbing the quick carry on bag they managed to pack before leaving. Itari follows suit, knowing the urgency of the situation as he follows them down the traincar's hall, glancing out the window and estimating that they had only an hour or two before dusk would fall and the real trouble would begin. Hoping off the platform behind Akumu and Izar, Itari breaks their concentrated silence with a question of his own. "So what do you guys say our course of action is? Ask around? Set up an observation site? I feel either would be appropriate if we are going to catch whoever is behind this. We," He says, gesturing between him and his sister, "know this town better than anyone and I bet you we could guess the likely place any kidnapper would target."

Akumu ponders over her brother's questions for a few moments, considering the possibilities. She doubted there would be useful information on anything since there were no visual accounts to go off and the people's other senses would be unreliable anyway, as they were untrained, in shock, and afraid. "We would be better of setting up an observation spot first. If we have time afterward we can ask around but there's a high chance we won't find anything if we do." She looks around the station, remembering the last time she had been here. She pictured the slightly younger version of herself, constantly on edge and waiting for something to threaten the fragile happiness she had found. She lightly taps her fingers on the side of her thighs to keep her anxiety at bay, taking deep and slow breaths at the same time. Leading herself through the city seemed all too impossible at this moment, let alone two other people. "Dark Moment, assuming that's the spell they use to cast the city in darkness, only covers an average of 25 feet, though when more energy is put in, more distance is covered. However, making it bigger takes more time, and therefore preparation for its casting is necessary. I know it'll be hard from a distance, but look for people with their eyes closed and with their arms held like this," She pauses to demonstrate the position, her hands shaking as she does. "The darkness blooms out from whoever is casting it, so the magical signature will be most prominent around them. They can't move for three seconds to ensure the spell is kept stable, and it stays active for fifteen seconds. Their eyes glow red, so be on the lookout for that." Her gaze flutters around the area, unable to keep focused for fear she'd be jumped or attacked or taken away. What if her father had some relation to this? What if he was doing this to ensure she'd come back? What if this was all a plan to get her back in his clutches again? Would he use her as ransom once he caught her, guaranteeing the other women's returns if he was allowed to keep her? What would he do when Itari begged to be taken instead? Her hands balled up into fists, grief and frustration building up within her. "Please promise me you'll leave if something goes wrong." She still keeps her gaze anywhere but the two people she was talking to, too ashamed and paranoid to try and look them in the eye at the moment.

Izar nods when she explains that asking around would prove fruitless. His eyes beginning to dart around when Akumu begins telling them the signs they should look out for. Considering the amount of magical power it would take to cover the entire city in darkness based on the range of the spell Akumu had described, he knew that whoever it was they would be facing would have to be very powerful to achieve such a feat. The fact that they had so little to go on worried Izar, the tension radiating off his two teammates did little to ease the stress he felt. He took calm, slow breaths to insure that he remained composed. The last thing he needed is to allow the other two to see that he was nervous as they were most likely tens times worse off than he was, having returned to the town that haunted their memories. Izar himself was unfamiliar with Oshibana, having only passed through a few times. He cursed his inexperience with the town, knowing he'd have to rely on his partners to guide him when he was unsure if either truly could without being overcome with emotion. He glanced at Itari, unable to read the blonde haired man for the life of him. His gaze then fell upon Akumu who was much unlike her normally composed self. It was as though he could cut the tension radiating off of her alone. He opened his mouth but quickly closed it, not knowing what he could say to help calm her down. He didn't want to just say something without thinking, lest she lash out at him and only fall deeper into whatever horrible place she found herself in. Izar's thoughts were interrupted when she spoke up, Izar felt his fists clench as he listened to her. ''What the hell are you saying? I can't leave you behind and Itari sure as hell won't either.'' He thought to himself, trying to figure out how to translate that into something better. "Akumu, you said it yourself earlier this morning that, and I quote. 'We'll be able to handle the challenges that come our way, we've got more than enough power between us.' I firmly believe that to be true, and I think you need to have more faith in your own words. I know things must be hard on the both of you right now, but we're all here for eachother. Leaving either of you behind isn't an option for me, surely you must know that." Izar said, moving to step into her line of sight. "No matter what happens or what stands in our way, we'll stand and face it together. All three of us."

Itari mentally scoffed to himself, ''Surely Akumu hasn't told you everything then Izar. Don't worry, you will learn soon enough that this spell isn't the only darkness that plagues this town. He lives here...and to us that is more fearsome than the red eyes that peer through this Dark Moment.'' Though he did have to shake his head in agreement that he would never leave his sister behind. Not when they were little. Not now. This is why he learned Light Magic, this is what he asked the phoenix for. He wanted the power to cast away all the darkness that lay trapped in his mind, slowly decaying and hitting him with it's toxic fumes, as if it were telling him, "I am home now. I have the power once more." It was this light that he held in his heart that he wanted to use to guide himself out of the black, so that he can shine brightly and guide others along their way as well. If he was going to achieve his desire, the one that his Master gave him the gift to achieve, he was going to need to overcome this obstacle before him. His eyes are set ablaze with determination, although the slow drip of fear and pained memories did it's best to extinguish his light. ''I have to stay strong. I have to be the one to help Akumu this time. I have to...'' He thought before letting out a heavy huff and slamming his fist into his palm. "Alright, let's get things clear here. No one is leaving anyone behind. We are a team, which means we have each others back. Got it?" He says and points a finger at his sister with a stern look on his face to help bore through the mug of self doubt and anguish she wore. Straightening back up he places his hands behind his head as he thinks of a good vantage point for them to make base. "Now there is this old church where you can get atop the walkway that encompasses the steeple's bell. That is probably the best view get an aerial of the central homes of the city, as well as the bordering suburbia. How about we go there?"

Akumu was overwhelmed with her feelings and the feelings that Izar and Itari conveyed. Both of them would probably be unaware of the minute magical signature that they exuded when they were backed into a mental corner, but it was like a flashing, blaring signal to the woman who's magic depended on and fed off of negative emotions. Both Itari's and Izar's gazes on her make it increasingly obvious they won't leave her behind, but that doesn't make her any less determined to make sure they do. "You might not have a choice in the matter." She states curtly, forcing her anxiety down in favor of covering it up with her bubbling anger. She could control that better than anything else, or at least guide it into something productive. "Don't do anything stupid for my sake. Innocent people are more important than I am," and so are you two. She wouldn't dare say the last part, as she knew neither of them would accept it and they had better things to do than argue about her worth. "But I probably can't trust you dolts to do the smart thing so I guess that means I'll just have to make sure we don't get separated." She gives them a small smile that never travels to her eyes, and she can only hope they drop the topic with the somewhat reassuring phrase. As Itari continues on with ideas for bases, Akumu pictures the church building, though that brings images of her brother standing on the walkway with it. She had excused several bruises on that walkway, mostly because her sleeves had slipped up and revealed a few that looked far too reminiscent of fingerprints. She blamed it on a typical bully at their school and she wonders if her brother had thought that was weird since every bully at their school cowered in fear when Akumu glanced in their direction. "The church would be a good place to start. The two-story cafe on the eastern side of the city might be a good option too. While we're looking one of us can ask locals for their accounts on the disappearances."

Izar gave a quiet nod at Itari's suggestion hoping that the subject of leaving anyone behind would be dropped there. His hope was shattered when Akumu spoke, telling them they might not have a say in it. Izar felt a bit of anger rise within him when she told them that others were more important. He clenched his teeth, careful not to let his anger show on his face, keeping it straight and nearly emotionless, though he had no doubt that she could tell how he felt. He again watches helplessly as she pushes down her emotions, placing a mask of a smile over her face. Regardless of how much she had tried, the mask was not a full face one. Her eyes conveying a much different emotion. Izar loved seeing her smile, it would melt his heart every time he managed to get one out of her, but not this time. The falsehood of her smile made his heart ache, It isn't real. He thought to himself as he looked at her with a gaze that clearly told her he wasn't buying it. He closed his eyes for a split second, averting his gaze from her. He wouldn't press the matter, not only because he didn't want to cause her anymore stress than she was already under, but because on the train it was agreed that they wouldn't question each other during the mission, meaning he was completely helpless to do anything but trust her and hope that she'd be willing to talk once the town's problem had been resolved. He turned toward Itari, silently telling him to lead the way. He wouldn't dare speak until he had calmed down, lest his voice crack and alert the others to his emotional state. The walk allowed Izar to calm himself. Regardless of what Akumu had said, he would do whatever he had to do to protect her and Itari. There was always a choice and he would choose to protect the people he cared about no matter the cost. Izar looked up the tall tower-like building that stood before the three of them. "Yeah, this looks like a great spot to get a birds eyeview of the town." Izar said, holding his hand up to his forehead to block out the sun that threatened to blind him. He turned to look toward the two, "You sure we're allowed up there though?"

Itari smiled towards his friend, "Of course. Akumu and I have been here many times before, sort of like our refuge.The pastor here is a kind soul and would be very accepting of our reason for being up there in case we do get caught. But the church itself isn't very active at dusk, so I doubt we will run into any of the clergymen who would question us. Now come on, it's getting close." Itari says, noting as the sky began turning into its mural of orange and yellow. The three mages walk inside the tower of stained glass and worn out stone, being met with the smell of burning candles and the tinge of musty prayer books. Itari leads them behind the pews, traveling along the wall until they reach a wooden door situated along the wall behind the grand piano. Opening up to a spiraling wrought iron stair case, they make their way up the creaking passage to the top of the bell tower. Itari steps out of the towers belfry onto the guarded ledge and overlooks the city. "This should work really well, don't ya think?" He says, his eyes flashing old memories as he looks out at each location of his hometown.

Akumu follows her brother silently, the tension rolling off of Izar threatening to crush her. She almost reaches out for his hand, but the slowly approaching nightfall stops her as her mind completely shifts to the mission ahead. As they enter the church building, which she might have considered more of a home than her actual home at some points, she begins reliving the better parts of her childhood, picturing the smaller Akumu and Itari running up the staircase, just out of reach. When they reach the top, she banishes the images from her mind, focusing instead on the landscape before them. "It will serve its purpose well," She says nearly absentmindedly as she surveys the ground, especially around the long shadows cast by the buildings. Spotting anything suspicious is nearly impossible as she is overwhelmed by images of herself and Itari running through the streets. "God dammit," She curses beneath her breath, closing her eyes tight and taking a deep breath in and slowly letting it out. She refocuses back on the town, taking slow and steady breaths to keep her memories at bay and only look at what is there.

Izar follows the two up the stairs, looking around at the dusty old church that had once been the only safe haven for his two partners. His eyes wandered back forward as a ray of afternoon sun began pouring in from an opening at the top of the stairs. The three stepped out into the afternoon light. The setting sun in the distance reminiscent of an hourglass quickly ticking away the limited amount of time they had before another person would be taken. Izar began to scan the streets below, unsure of exactly what he was looking for. They had no idea what the dark mage whom had threatened the mayor looked like, or even if it was said dark mage who was causing the disappearances. The only thing they had was Akumu's ability to see in the dark, meaning they'd need to be quick when the lights went out. His ears twitched when he heard Akumu curse under her breath, turning to glance at her with a bit of concern in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated as he knew a 'are you okay?' would be a stupid question, of course she wasn't okay, she was back in the place she'd given up nearly everything to escape from. He sighed inwardly before placing a hand on her shoulder, he knew words would be usless so he hoped his gesture would be enough to quell whatever memories were distracting her. "Itari, anything catching your eye?"

Itari is a bit distracted, his mind too occupied on the strange occurrence in the town square to register fully what is going on in the visual exchange between his teammates. His eyes are narrowed in on a man in a rather dusty cloak, his features covered in a huddled stance as if he was cold. That isn't what Itari finds off about the man, recalling the homeless population that the church they were stand atop of would provide meals for on every Sunday; but what he finds odd is the rather peculiar movements he is performing. His hand was flicking back and forth in a pattern too strict to be anything like a tremor, the movements were calculated and timed, and then Itari sees it. A bright flash comes from this cloaked figure's hand. His keen vision allowed him to easily pick up on the light from miles away. ''A signalling mirror! Of course!'' Itari thinks to himself as his eyes quickly scan towards the direction in which the figure's hand is points. About twenty degrees east, Itari notices a figure in a similarly dressed cloak sitting down as if they were a beggar as well. The flash catches his eye once more as this new figure shifts his hand to reveal a compact mirror similar to that of the first figure.

Itari extends his arm and points with his index and middle finger to the two cloaked men. "There. There are two figures using a signalling mirror. I can't quite make out what they are saying, but they are definitely doing something akin to morse code..." His expression was narrowed and focused, making sure he doesn't lose sight of these suspicious figures.

Akumu flinched when Izar laid his hand on her shoulder, tensing up as she continued to scan the ground. She was pathetic, didn't deserve any form of pity since Itari was able to handle everything just fine. She grew restless, unable to focus on anything without her mind flooding with unbidden memories. She lightly shook off Izar's hand, mindlessly bending the shadows around her as she stalked over to another spot on the walkway, trying to find something out of the ordinary. Her brother begins talking, however, and she stops, directing her gaze over to where he was pointing. She watched the slight flickering movements of their mirrors, trying to keep from just racing over and ending the whole thing before it can begin. "I get the feeling the man in the center is in charge of orchestrating the blackout. Judging from what I can see of their conversation, they're waiting for at least one other person." ''Leaving Itari here on lookout would probably be the wisest decision, especially considering they probably need all the people in their gang to perform the spell properly. But, if they initiate it with just the two people present, then that means the other person does the kidnapping, and that leaves us with nobody to go after them but me, and I have no idea where they are.'' She looks between her teammates and the people at the square, trying to determine the best plan. "I'll tail them, alone. Worse comes to worse, I can absorb their spells and snag at least one of them as a hostage. You two need to focus on finding the other person. If we can at least figure out who they are and disrupt the kidnapping tonight, then we'll be able to trap them tomorrow. Hopefully in broad daylight, but if not, we'll catch them in the act." She looks between them, though by the firm set to her jaw, she doesn't seem to want to negotiate the plan at all. Something as mindless as fighting would be easy for her, especially when the people she was fighting had no clue she could turn their own magic against them, and at far greater strength.

Izar's eye and mouth opened slightly wider in shock, feeling utterly rejected as she simply shook him off and began walking away. His hand remaining in the air for a moment before he places it at his side, balling it into a tight fist as his eyes become downcast. Goddamnit! he thinks to himself, remembering the warmth of her head resting on his shoulder earlier that morning and comparing it to the cold isolation he felt from her now. Her words from the day before began clawing their way to the surface of his memory, '' 'you have absolutely nothing of mine while I have everything of yours. You can't hurt or help me, you can only watch me struggle.' '' His stomach began to ache, twisting in a way that made him feel like he might throw up as he witnessed firsthand just how true her words had been. He was utterly useless to do anything but watch her writhe in the agony her painful memories caused her, ''What kind of partner am I? To be so helpless when she needs me the most. I don't know what to do!'' He thought as be brought up a hand to wipe away a stray tear that had escaped his glassy eyes. Itari's voice snapped him back to reality as he heard him speak of some suspicious looking men. Steeling his nerves, he turned the two of them who were looking out over the other side. Izar's eyes traveled to the spot Itari was pointing at where he found the cloaked figures preparing for something. Izar listened as Akumu spoke but he didn't dare look at her. Her plan wasn't awful, but the thought of her going alone worried him. He didn't speak up to protest though, knowing it would do no good. "Just be careful. If you run into any trouble then contact us and wait for backup. Please, don't do anything reckless." He said in a low, almost begging sounding voice.

Itari nods his head along with Izar's words, noticing a rather defeated stance emanating from him. He turns to his sister and speaks with a soft tone, "I trust you..." He starts. "Remember though, we are in this together." He know his sister if a far better tracker than any of them, and her ability to consume darkness magic is of the most use, so it really is a brilliant plan. But Itari knows the pain his sister is hiding, as he was busy keeping his own walls fortified from the rage and sadness flaming within him. So he worries from the idea that his sister will be alone with something as strong as their childhood memories haunting over her. And with no idea what amount of power the enemy holds, let alone how many there truly are, it can be seriously dangerous to not have a clear head during this job. "Izar, I will keep watch on the two I have already spotted and try to figure out their message, you scan for any others while Akumu heads down to trail them. Sound ok? Although we should probably get a move on, because if they are signalling one another, it means something is happening soon." Itari says as more of a question towards the group at their makeshift plan.

Akumu grits her teeth, ignoring the crushing feeling of Izar's emotions as they rolled off of him in waves. The frustration and dejection hollow her out but she couldn't move to make it better either. She knows she can't fix it with a simple gesture at this point, it's built up too far for that, and she's far too unstable on her own to try and talk it out with him. So, she decided she'll focus on the problem that she can solve, the one involving bashing bad guy's faces in and forcing everything down until it eventually needed to bubble over again. She almost retorts that she never makes stupid mistakes or that she's never reckless and that she knows she's not alone but the nagging voice just tells her to keep her mouth shut, nod, and fulfill her mission. It worked before for so long, so it could work for these few hours. She steps over into the shadow cast by the steeple, breaking her body down into the darkness and peering through with eyes of ruby-red.

She quickly adjusts to traveling in this form, finding where where she needs to go and begins traveling along the shadows until she gets to where the men are. She hides in the other man's shadow, though it seems he senses it due to their similar magic practices. Just as he turns around to check, she flies over to the shadow of a tree. He turns back to his friend and continues to message, and Akumu returns to her corporeal form. "Darkness Phoenix's Tail," She whispers, a long tendril flowing out from her palm. It slides along the ground and wraps around the man's leg. She retracts it rapidly, knocking him face first into the concrete. He raises up to his knees and shoots a ball of darkness at her, but simply raising her hand is enough to ensure the projectile does nothing. She retracts the tendril again and his head hits the ground once more. "Don't move," She demands as she walks towards him, though he's so close to unconsciousness that he couldn't if he tried. She bounds his hands and feet together with a tendril. "Try and manipulate them and I'll impale your head through your eye," She states. The man he had been communicating with looked to be frozen with shock, and she lifted her hands. The shadows he hid within were manipulated to her whim and collapsed onto him, crushing him with an intense weight. "I have more than enough nerve to crush every bone in your body until it gives out on you, but as long as I get the information I desire, I might let you off with a broken spine. Who the hell do you work for and what are they trying to accomplish?" She asks, her anger causing the men's constraints to tighten around them. "Go to hell," he states, his face contorted in clear discomfort, if not pain. "Already here. Now where the fuck is the person you work for? Or will I have to kill one of you before I finally get what I need?" He still doesn't respond, and Akumu uses the shadows to throw the him against the wall. "Fine. Stay quiet then. Maybe you'll take my partners more seriously. Regardless, we'll get what we want and you will be lucky to survive the night." She walks over to the guy, smashing her fist into his temple, knocking him out instantly. She does the same to the other man before wrapping them up in cases of darkness. She sighs, sitting down on the ground and tucking her kness up to her chest, resting her forehead on them. The mournful voices of those who had lost their wives, mothers, and daughters had invaded her mind the moment she became a shadow and it took quite a bit to remain in that state for even the few moments she had used it to travel. It took even more magical strength than normal to use it against the people who had caused it, and while she wasn't drained, she didn't want to do it anymore. "I'm sorry, Taijitu. You wanted me to use your strength to guard against sadness and pain and I'm too afraid to do it. Please forgive me." She rises back to her feet, lifting the men through her umbrakinetic connection, carrying them back to the church where Itari and Izar waited.

Back up on the church tower, Itari had his eyes focused on the men, ensuring that they stayed in their position while Akumu moved in close. Once he saw his sister within range he cast his gaze towards his purple haired friend. He opens his mouth to say something, wanting desperately to cheer up his teammate, because after all, it wasn't his sadness to bear. Itari knows that Izar cares deeply for his sister, and just wants to help, but burying himself in her pain will just make them both suffocate... and what's worse is Izar is probably clueless as to the whole situation! Itari wants to clear the air; give his friend some knowledge so he can at least fight against this darkness with the women he loved dearly, but Itari was struggling himself talking about the pain of their past. He voice finally croaks out an inaudible sound, getting the attention of Izar, before speaking, "H-hey man...listen, I know what's going on here is probably the worst possible thing to have be the first job of our team," He forces a quivering smile and a small laugh, trying to ease his nerves. "But you really can't beat yourself up over what Akumu is feeling... Now I know from what you've said that you don't really have any idea why this place holds such bad memories for us...so I just w-wanted to give you some heads up; ya know, so you don't screw things up with my sister." He nervously laughs again, letting out a long staggering sigh, his breath hitching in his throat.

"So Akumu and I grew up in a very strict house. Get good grades, respect your elders, use your manners; that kind of household. But our parents...they were... they were a bit more... more strict than other kids parents were. Well I guess it was mostly our dad. Makes sense why our mom left, ya know..." Itari starts as he casts his eyes down, rubbing the back of his head as a nervous habit. He lets out a small huff, "you know for a while I almost thought my name was 'worthless leech'...has a ring to it, huh? Well Akumu had the worst part of it...she was always sticking up for me. Taking my chores when I was running late, explaining to dad what happened, always covering my back in school and stuff...she is really great, ya know?" Small drops begin staining the ground on which Itari was standing on, "Well one day I was coming home from a run to the grocery store and.. and I go into the house... it was dark, and I... I could hear noises from his room... and so I peek in and I see... I see... I see our dad s-s-slap Akumu straight across the face." His voice cracks as he sniffles; the tear stains on the ground becoming more and more frequent from Itari's hidden face. "And, I didn't know... I-I-I didn't do anything... she told me later all the th-things he had done... worse things... And I didn't know...four years! Four years she had endured this pain! This pain f-f-for me! Because I couldn't be the good kid I was supposed to be..."

Itari covers his face in shame at his inability to control his own emotions; the wall he had been building starting to leak at this moment. He wipes tears away with his hand, his breathing rapid and shallow. He does his best to compose himself, his swollen red eyes glancing up to meet the gaze of Izar. "That is why this place is hell. Our own personal hell... the man who caused her so much pain still lives here... and I'm sorry Izar, I can't tell you exactly what she is feeling, she barely tells me. But I can tell you that the guilty, depressive, spiteful, inexhaustible rage I feel for that man after what he did to Akumu is nowhere near the emotions she is feeling right now..."

Izar listened to Itari's words, about half way through he found himself shaking in a mix of anger and sadness. He wasn't sure what Itari hoped to accomplish by telling him these things, the knowledge of exactly what he and Akumu had endured only making him feel worse about not being able to be the pillar he needed to be to help bear their burden. But Itari didn't seem to understand that it wasn't just how she was acting today that was causing their problems. It was something he had been noticing lately, her tendency to bring him in only to push him away. The kiss on the cliff side followed by their argument in the hot spring, their interaction this morning followed by the cold shoulder she was giving him now. It was a cycle that scared him to death. One in which he felt like a yo-yo being pulled in only to get tossed back out, holding onto a thin string for dear life until she pulled him back in again.

Izar shook away his thoughts, knowing they were for him and Akumu to discuss some other time. Right now he needed to focus on the mission like he had promised to the both of them. He swallowed his emotions and put on a soft smile, looking up at his friend who too was doing his best to stay strong. "Thank you, friend. I'm sorry for making you talk of those things you'd rather not remember. I'll do my best to see to it that the knowledge you've given me is not wasted. I'd like you to know that just because I have feelings for Akumu does not mean I'm not here for you as well. You're my friend, Itari, and you mean a lot to me. I know this entire situation must be painful for you as well, and I know you're doing your best to hide it. I want you know that I'm always willing to talk if you feel ever need to. Don't ever hesitate, I have all the time in the world." Izar said, turning to see Akumu heading back toward the church. "It looks like Akumu brought us something, what do you say we go see what it is?"

Akumu stops in the space between the church and the building next to it, allowing the caskets of darkness to fall away from the criminals as she leans against the wall. She tries to make it casual, but her sagging shoulders seem to tell a different story. As Izar and Itari come up to view the two she had captured she stares hard at the motionless bodies, not daring to look either of her teammates in the eye, at least not when she still heard every wail and sob echoing in her mind. "They're as useful as a bag of rocks," She states, keeping her tone as closed-off and clipped as it had been before she went off to capture them. Forcing the rising bile down, she addresses them again. "Spot anything? I tried to coerce these two into talking but they were stubborn. If I just had better&mdash;" She stops, her hands balling into fists. "The people are all in fear; they're angry and sad and hurting but most of all they're very scared. If I could just control myself, I could use it to fight the people who had caused it, but it's like trying to use dry brush to put out a fire. It just feeds more negativity, in me, in the atmosphere." Night had finally fallen over the city, and while Akumu should feel at her peak, she feels like she's hit a whole other level of rock bottom. Perhaps it was just a mental thing, and she just couldn't bring herself to use other people's emotions so flippantly, but whatever the case, trying her magic again was the farthest thing from her mind. "With two of their guys out of the picture, I doubt anything else will happen tonight. We need a place to rest and plan." She knows sleep won't come easy, for any of them, so even mentioning the word is pointless. However, staying outside is just ridiculous and there's no way she can operate without laying down for a few hours, even if that's all she's able to do. They also need a place to deposit their two captives, as holding them out in the open like this most definitely won't appeal to any passerby.