Roux was going towards the stairs when Sammy turned her around, a small grin on her face. She had felt it coming from a mile away. But she smacked her hand against her face when Sammy started asking question after question. And when she couldn't even get her name right, she sighed. "Again. Ouch. It's not that hard. Well...it sort of is sometimes, but point is, what would telling you how many times I died so for you right now, hm? It's not like I remember all two million three hundred thousand and forty-five times." She did. Every last one. "Eventually, you find humor in it. Do you know how long it takes to find humor in getting crushed, set on fire, terrorized by flaming bats, skewered, being terrorized by flaming bats while being skewered and on fire? How many times it takes? And now do you think I actually want to explain that to you?" She snorted.
"I don't know how many of us there are, but it's just one here now. Can't be at the same place at the same time sometimes, yadayadayada. Anyways, what I do know, is that we're all intertwined. Same guitar, different strings. Different sounds. Sometimes the same sounds, but different guitars, ya know? But at the same time, we're all right here. But in different places of right here with their own Sammys. Saying different things that end up being the same thing or eventually lead to the same thing. All intertwined in some fucked up, writhing ball of a paradox. Or a big ball or the same types of rubber bands, but all of them are either the same color, a weeee bit different, or another shade completely. But there's one rubber band that's all of them. I may not have the best life, but out of all of them, I'm the best me. The "better" that they always imagined themselves up to be eventually at some point in their lives, but never quite reach. Some are connected parallels that are so similar that at the point that they die, they do become that better. Sort of like a literal ego death or something, but the other way around. It's a headache sometimes. And then poof. The coin flips. I always found it ironic that I'm the only actual Roux though. But I've realized over a looooong span of time that it's sort of just our fucked up thing I guess." She scratched the side of her nose. "Anyways, back to music time—"

She headed up towards the stairs, only stopping for a moment, still feeling Sammy's confusion and frustrations. She didn't blame her. But at the same time, after hearing that she still wasn't what Sammy had wanted, she almost didn't want to care much at all. And after the many...many..many, things that she had seen and experienced, it would be easy enough as she continued up the stairs, drumming her fingers across the rails. "Dantdant dananan nana nananana~" She made electric guitar sounds to make her own music while she, despite everyone else, dances up the stairs. The sounds of the chaos and confusion around around her didn't sound too bad with a rocking guitar solo added in. At least not to her, anyways. And then she heard the others.

~

"Galiah....what the hell happened?" Edgar asked, being the only one out of the others that could do nothing as he heard that Sammy had been hurt, and the others leave. He couldn't exactly follow after them. But follow after them to what? That was the question that terrified him the most.

Sammy would hurry after Roux as she felt a sort of confusion in her mind. Her mind only raced more at what she was hearing. Was Raven one entity made up of a thousand other Ravens? Was this Raven a piece of her? She knew that she said she loved all of those Ravens, but she never would have expected it to be meant literal. As she would finally reach the stairs, she took Ravens hand into her and spoke, “Hey wait.”
She grabbed onto her hand, holding it in place as she looked at her. She didn’t know why she kept pursuing her. Answers? There was a million questions and each answer only added on to a new plethora of questions. She didn’t know why she pursued her so much. But when she would look up to see her face, she merely looked down at her hand and asked, “Uh, Rave… um… Roux… if you are all just like… one big bundle of the girl I knew then… you remember… that conversation about… alternate realities of you and how your other world you’d would be confused as to what to do with me? And if you do remember, uh… that… wasn’t a… joke… was it? Like....”
Why did she even ask a question like that, she thought. What good would asking a question like that do? Perhaps she just wanted some comfort, some proof that the Raven she knew was still there. That somehow there was a piece of the Raven near her still there and that maybe, there was others beyond that, others that she had experienced. And that thought only added confusion. But even still, she held onto Roux's hand. It was something more than answers. She was just unable to believe that there were more ravens, that such a silly question made in jest was so real. And if Roux was someone she had met who knows how many times, then was Sammy really falling for several Ravens at once

Galiah looked around the manor, her eyes moving around. And as she would hear Edgar’s words, she would speak. “Edgar, please do not panic for what I am about to say.”
She would step closer to Edgar, her hands resting on his cheeks gently as she spoke, “I do not sense Ravens presence within the manor. The others did not seemed panic and Sir Leonard said nothing of a death, but… she is not here. But I do sense… something else”

Yoon was confused to hear Leonard's words regarding being there for her mom. She didn't know the full details, nor was she aware how close the others were to her. That, and also she never thought of her mom as an emotional person that depended on the support of others. All she could do was give a hesitant nod, following behind Mason. But then she heard the noise from the other direction approach them, and she peeked to the side of Mason's shoulders to see Sammy and Raven walking perfectly fine... except something didn't look right either.

She caught a glimpse of the blood on Raven's shirt and the slight change of her appearance, gripping onto the back of Mason's shirt nervously. Leonard had said Sammy was shot, and she could see the blood by her leg....but... they were both... fine? At least, they appeared not to be in pain and were aware of their surroundings.

Roux smacked her teeth when Sammy had interrupted a good part of her music sounds when she grabbed her hand. "Whaaaaat?" She groaned when Sammy told her to wait. "Is it never enough?" She knew that another question was coming, and stood there with her arms crossed. And as Sammy called her a bundle of a girl she knew, she half rolled her eyes. But as Sammy brought up a conversation that they had about alternative realities, she scoffed a little. "Yeah. I remember. There ain't too many things I can forget." But at the second part of her question. "Pfft. Seems like there's starting to be more of a reason for it not to be one," she said with a scoff. And then she saw the others coming towards the stairs from where she was just above the middle step. She gave them a grin. It has been a long time since she seen them together. But one person was missing. Regardless, she greeted them in a way that Raven could on her best days. "Sup bitches."

~

"...." Edgar didn't know what to say at first. When Galiah told him that she didn't sense Raven, he felt his stomach knit ten times over after everything he had heard prior. It made him try to search for Raven's aura himself until Galiah said that she sensed something else. "Shit." He tried not to panic. "Alright .. alright..." Galiah's here...yeah... don't panic, she's right here, he told himself, his hands moving to grasp Galiah's while the rested against his face. "Can you...tell what it is?" He asked.

"It's.... hard to explain.... In a sense" Galiah responded, her hands leaning up to try and comfort Edgar's worries as best as she could. "But everyone is around her, and there isn't a struggle. No fighting, no nothing. It seems... In a sense... like a friend. So I suppose that isn't the worst thing. But it feels... familiar."
Galiah would look back down the stairs once more as she would then turn back to Edgar and speak, "Should we... go and check?"

Sammy was prepared to say something more, she wanted to say more. But as she would see the others coming, and with Mason hurrying over as best as he could, Sammy would keep a hold onto her hand and speak to her softly, "Roux... I want to speak to you again... Alright? There's things I need to know about you... Well, you as Roux, not as Raven... Can we talk later, please?"
And as she would pull her hand away, Mason would rush over. "Sammy, Jesus Christ. What happened to you? Why is your shirt gone? Why the hell are you bleeding?"
"It's a long story" Sammy said with a groan, "Can you heal the wound. I think the bullet passed but it really sucks fuck to walk"
"Uh.... Um, sure, uh... Really... really wish you'd stop getting shot there" Mason said, but as he remembered that Raven was there, he would turn to her and speak, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't... I didn't mean to bring up any old memories best left away. I-I was- I joke a lot to cope, yo-" But he would stop when he saw the blood that coated Roux's own shirt. "Oh shit, Raven, did you lose too much blood. Uuuuuh, Uuuuuuh, I-I don't know if my magic is good enough for that, b-but I can try. J-Just sit down, take deep breathes. Water, can we get some water" He turned to Leo, "Leo, can we get some water"
"Calm down, Paul Bunyan" Leonard said as he walked by, "She's better then Sammy is right now. Probably another one of her mood swings. Just focus on healing the blonde, will ya?"
"Yeah, what Leonad said" Sammy suggested, "It kinda fucking hurts"

Yoon was a little taken back the way Raven greeted them, being that no more than an hour ago did she seem to act the complete opposite. She hadn't been greeted like that since... since Jackline brought Raven over after her corruption incident. The confidence in her beamed, and she was intimidated by it. Even more so knowing they were or had been hurt considering all the blood splashed on them. She waved with an awkward smile. ".....hi...." She thought it would be offensive to say 'hi bitch' back. She was even more confused hearing Leonard say that Raven was better than Sammy. Clearly she was wounded, but she couldn't tell where given that the gunshot wound had healed. "...a-are you g-guys okay?" Yoon built the courage to speak now. "I-It sounded scary out h-here––"

"Uuuuuh, lets see" Sammy said, having to remember what happened, "Raven..." She paused as she had to remember the name again, but stuck with it knowing it would be a mess to explain, "She suddenly unleashed some crazy magic, some crazy dickhead with bad skin and shitty clothes came and tried stabbing us, nearly killed Leo, nearly, uh... killed me." She made sure to leave out the part where Sangeon was held hostage. "And then I got shot in the leg and the guy threatened Leo. Basically, he's heading to Alaska tomorrow as well. So he should probably say his goodbyes cause he'll be gone for the week"
"It's not like I'm going away completely" Leonard groaned, "I'll still keep in touch with Kyung-ha." He would turn to Yoon, "While I'm gone, I hope you'll be keeping up with the training in Samantha's stead. Kyung-ha will need something to take her mind off the attack on the manor. You know how high strung she can get"

Roux leaned against the rail and crossed her arms at Leonard's little comment about a mood swing, but she didn't bother saying anything back, only gave him the finger. Mostly because she already planned to have a little answer back for that. "Roux", she corrected every time someone called her Raven, eventually rolling her eyes when at the way that Sammy went about explaining things.
Her head turned to Leonard when he told them that he wouldn't be gone for long, and she let out a sly chuckle. And as she stepped further up the stairs. "Have a nice flight, Double O Failins," she quipped, give him a pat on the shoulder that was much stronger than expected as she passed by him. She stopped briefly before passing by Yoon. "But to answer your question myself, I'm good. Appreciate the concern." She gave Yoon a smile, and as she could feel how intimidated Yoon seemed to be by her, she added as a flirty joke, "Don't worry. I only bite as hard as you'd want." She gave her a small nudge, and laughed as she continued on her way to the hall.

~

Edgar wasn't sure when Galiah asked if they should check with the others. Though Galiah had just told him that what she sensed seemed to be friendly rather than what he had immediately thought, and still did, he didn't know if him going would be a good idea with his handicap. And so if Galiah had to fend off anything, then he knew that he would only be weight that she didn't need distracting her. And he hated it. "If you can check...then...then be careful. Please, please, please, be careful. Just in case. Alright?"

"Hey" Sammy spoke up when she would hear Roux's flirts toward Yoon. There was even a blush on her face as she would hear it. Was she actually getting jealous from a comment by what was essentially a different version of Raven
"Sammy, calm down" Mason said, his hands waving over her ankle as his aura was unleashed slowly, her wound would start to reverse from the moment the hot bullet collided into her leg. "And also, please stay off your leg for a bit. You need the rest. And it's better if you get some rest for the trip tomorrow"
"Fucking..." Sammy said, wanting to say more, but she couldn't. She would look to Mason with an annoyed expression, but she would let it slide away with a sigh and spoke, "Thank you, Mason, Really. I'm going to just.... rest up a bit. When you get the chance, have Ra... Roux, I guess, come by. I... need to speak with her"

"Alright" Galiah spoke as she held onto his hands, pulling them down so she could plant a kiss onto them. "I will be right back. Please... do not go too far".
She would make her way down the stairs quickly, and as she would, it wouldn't take long before she would come face to face with Roux. She looked over her and then up once more, and without even asking who she was, she would step closer, looking at Roux in the eyes. "You appear much like the Keeper Raven, but you are not her at all. I can sense that there is something different within you, something that separates you. I wish to know who you are, for you have come at a most inopportune time and we are in need of answers"

"Oh get out my face elf, I just had to play the 1001 Damn Questions game with Sammy and I'm not tryina to do it again," Roux said bluntly. Her hand landed on the elf's face with a small smack and steered her out of the way. "A Keeper is a Keeper is a Keeper and I'll make it simple. Fuck with it or don't, ya get me? Cool," she said while continuing down the hall and towards the room that Edgar had been left in.

Yoon stiffened when she was nudged, this nudge being quite different than the one given to her earlier. Her lewd comment formed a blush on her round cheeks, pigmented enough that encouraged her to place her cool hands on her cheeks to calm them down. She couldn't help but glance back at Raven as she walked by with the raunchy chuckle of hers, her eyes giving perplexed blinks. ButIdon'twanttobebitten–– She couldn't help but think how weird and painful it must be for someone to bite her hard. She also remembered reading somewhere that a human's bite is much more dangerous than any other animal, which she found interesting. Roux? Yoon repeated to herself. Like the sauce thickener? Her mind couldn't help but to associate things with food. But then she cringed when she heard Sammy's grudging comment for being flirted with in the first place, her eyes shooting wide. "I-Idon'twanttobebittenbyherIpromiseI­don­tev­enl­ike­gir­ls–­–&q­uot­; She awkwardly blabbered to defend herself, not wanting to put herself between their relationship. She decided to focus on Leonard's words of advice and request while he was gone, not sure as to why he was going to Alaska in the first place.

"I know that you do-" Sammy was about to say to Yoon, but when more frustration came from her, she just let out a sigh and rolled over, "Whatever. I'm tired and I got a bullet in me."
"Had, actually" Mason felt the need to correct
"Yeah, sure, had" Sammy commented dryly. "I'm gonna go lie down and scream into a pillow for a good hour"
Mason felt a bit of unease from the whole thing, turning to Yoon again and speaking to her, "Hey, Yoon, you go on ahead and see your family, alright." He suggested and stood up. "I uh.... need to check on Edgar real quick". Before Yoon could ask what was happening, Mason was already hurrying back up the stairs

Galiah was more surprised when she felt herself being moved despite how sturdy the elf was. She was even more so by the fact that once she was moved, she would turn to see Roux heading up the stairs to where Edgar was. She followed behind her and asked, "I do not play games, miss. I have no time when a Keeper is in danger. Now answer the questions. I do not wish to have to get them out of you but I will have no choice"

Yoon nodded when she was suggested to go check on her family. She hurried down the staircase, pausing momentarily when she saw blood on the floor along with the shattered windows and damaged pieces to the walls of the manor. The Keeper gulped, knowing well that her mother was probably fuming with the status of Constantine’s home. She always kept things tidy in the communal area and in individual rooms, never being able to recall a time she spotted dust anywhere. Her pace slowed slightly, and she was hesitant to open the door to her room. When she did, she was surprised to see that both her brother and mother were in the room’s bathroom, her ears being able to hear the running water of the shower. She saw from a distance how her mom squatted over the bathtub, swishing bubbles into the warm water to prepare for her son.

Sangeon on the other hand was waiting behind her. He looked… sad and scared with how disheveled his hair was. But when he heard the doors open to their room, he instinctively flinched. Upon realizing who it was, his watery eyes opened and he rushed out the bathroom to hug his sister.

Yoon caught her brother in midair, shocked by the action of being hugged so tightly and cried on her shoulder. Her brows raised with ultimate concern and confusion, stroking his hair as he sobbed to her. He usually never displayed such affection to her, always bickering and playfully stating she was too big to hug just to spite her. “San, w-what happened? A-Are you hurt?”

“미–미안해,” Sangeon apologized in their native language. “I-I’m so s-sorry N-Nuna,” He cried.

“Wh-Whaaa––? What are y-you talking about? What happened out th––”

“––I-I’m sor-sorry––” He sniffled with his congested nose, “I'm––" he heaved, "I'm s-sorry I always sh-shoot you with nerf g-guns––i’m sorry I shooted a-at you all th-the time I-I didn’t know it was that s-scary and a-awful, I-I won’t ever d-do it again!” He promised her. "Ididn'tknowitwasthatscaryimsorry––­&qu­ot;­

“What?” Yoon’s brows furrowed in confusion. She recalled the times she had been caught off guard with Sangeon shooting his spongey bullets at her, many that had little suction cups that stuck on her face or back. She would always repay the action by smacking him with a pillow or disconnecting the Wifi to mess with his video games. “I don’t care if you shoot me with nerf guns, even though it’s really, REALLY annoying.” She gave an effort of a chuckle, but seeing the tears in Sangeon’s face worried her. And then she looked at her mom for a response, almost getting lost in the void behind her soft brown eyes and wistful frown.

"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever you say Elf. You only thing you're gonna be getting out of me is, oh yeah, nothing." Roux said, slightly annoyed. "I wouldn't advise trying to fuck around with the idea of that either, unless you want the shock culture of finding out." When she reached where she felt the similar presence that she was looking for, she blatantly kicked open the door, having to dual down the amount of force she used. "Yo! Boom—" she paused when she heard the yelp of absolute fear come from Edgar, who she found ended up finding in the corner of the room looking as if he has given to much plasma from his blood. Her mind immediately thought back to where she had been, finishing absentmindedly. "...er..."

Edgar had stood up quickly from the corner upon hearing the door burst open. His back against the wall. He turned his head towards the door, pinpointing the familiar voice, barely paying attention to the subtle differences in it. "R-Raven? Raven, that you?!"

Roux had paused while looking at Edgar's eyes. "What the fuck is wrong with your face?!" She started laughing, but it wasn't like the laugh that she had given Sammy. This one was more like she had remembered something last second. But then she found herself being surprised as Edgar stepped towards her, stumbling and all. "Hey man, blind people shouldn't be—" She was even more surprised.

Edgar had wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Jesus Christ, Jesus fucking Christ—" His words were mixed with fear and relief, already having expected the worst. He hugged her, trembling some. "I thought...I thought —" He couldn't bring himself to say it, especially as he felt a sort of moisture across his chest that dampened his shirt with blood but was unable to tell what it was exactly.

Roux had stiffened in the arms that hugged, and without much hesitation at that. But the arms around her had a familiarity to them, and the worried voice was only a little different from the younger one she was used to hearing. But they both had the same worry that they always did when it came to her or Sammy or Yoon, almost like a parent, or an older brother. A half smile came to her face as she finally hugged him back. "Don't worry. I'm okay, man."

"The others, what about the others?" Edgar asked, pulling away slightly with his hands on his shoulders to steady himself, still feeling as if he were gong to be sick.

Roux had to look up at him since he had always been on the taller side, right behind Mason. "They're alright I guess . A little distraught maybe...or...heavily, depending on who it is, but Sam's being healed and all of that jazz. Other than that, no one died. Well, except me but that doesn't count."

"Raven this isn't the time to be joking around!" Edgar said sternly, sharply, shaking her slightly by the shoulders he held. And that's when he noticed cool she felt to the touch. Cold. But what bothered him even more was that he didn't see how she was being so calm about it all! But it was due to the fear that had rooted in as the vague scent of blood tickled his nose.

"Relaaaax," Roux said to him. "The threats gone for now. Just sit down, and I'll get you a hot towel and some water cuz it looks like you're gonna sweat yourself to death dude. So just hang tight. And please, try not to stress yourself into a heart attack while I'm at it. Got me? Take a breather...we're good."

Edgar was unsure, definitely hesitant. "Alright...okay...yeah.." He nodded repeatedly, having to reaffirm the words as he was guided over to one of the chairs and eased down into it.

Galiah would follow behind Roux as she entered the room. Of course she was going to, she wasn't going to leave a total stranger inside the room of her lover. She was far more cautious when she saw her approach, but also more confused when Edgar had gone and hugged her in front of her. She didn't know just how scared Edgar was. Not since the first time he had his visions. As Edgar started to panic, she would move passed Roux, disregarding whatever comments she would make and place her hands onto Edgar's shouldes. "Edgar, it's fine. Whatever the threat was, it's gone now. It doesn't appear like anyone was hurt. You can calm your nerves now"
Soon Mason would hurry into the room, panting a bit as he normally would from having to run any distance and would enter, looking around the place with a bit of concern, "H-Hey. R-Roux, or Raven, or... or whatever this c-character is this week" He spoke through panting, "Please, I need see if you need to be healed. You look really beat up and stuff. G-Gotta be safe"

Soon Leonard would make his way down the stairs, hearing the faint voice of Sangeon as he would apologize to Yoon. He didn't know what he could possibly say at this point. The poor kid was in hysterics. He was just as scared as anyone would be after a situation like that. He would soon make his way back to Kyung, sitting on the chair and resting his head in his hand as he commented, "Sammy's all healed up. She's a bit confused and a little out of it right now, but she's at least healed up. As for Raven... It's the same with her. Impossible to tell"

When Edgar felt Galiah's hands on his shoulders when Raven's had disappeared, he laid his head against her chest and listened to her heartbeat. Paired with the elf's body heat, it brought him a great sense of comfort along with her being present there. He felt as if he could have started to size off right then and there until Mason had barged in, which caused him to sit up immediately in alert. But when she heard it was him, and what he said, he calmed down only a little since it was him.

Roux had been turning to leave to grab what she had stated for Edgar when Mason ended up in her way at the door way. "No thanks big guy. I'm good on the jazz hands, but thanks anyways Goliath." She managed to reach up and ruffle his hair as if he wasn't an entire head and shoulders taller than she was, though she herself was slightly taller than the Raven they knew as well. She slipped passed him and out into the hall, and started kicking up her music sounds again as she was on her way back downstairs, but stopped by the bathroom to grab one of the smaller towels as well beforehand.

Ooooo.... kay" Mason said in a sort of confusion. He remembered that Raven would have sudden bursts like this, like the time before she and Sammy went out to the restaurant a few days ago. And of course, when he remembered the talk he had with Sammy, he would follow just a bit, "Uh, hey, um.... Roux, I guess. Uh, Sammy said she wanted to talk to you in her room. Uh, you know, when you get the time, no rush, but before tomorrow when she leaves for Florida, you know?"

Galiah kept her arms around Edgar now that they were alone. Her body instinctively hugged his head and pressed the side of his head against her bosom, keeping him close to her as she let out a soft sigh, watching as the other two would walk out into the hall, their conversation soft and hard to hear, at least hard for Edgar, as Galiah could hear just fine. But she wasn't paying attention to what it was, she had other thoughts in her mind. She would plant a kiss on Edgar's head and speak to him, "You sensed it too, did you not? That is something different from the Lady Raven we knew. Similar, almost a perfect match, but it's not the same."
As she held Edgar close, feeling a bit of fear herself now, she would speak, "When she came into the room, she called you by another name. I believe it was... Boomer. Is that a title of sorts? I've heard Lady Raven describe Sir Leonard as one, but... It didn't seem the same when she said it to you"

Edgar didn't say anything at all while Galiah spoke about about there being something different about Raven. But of course, he was listening. He had definitely felt that something was different, but to him it was odder. Because it felt more like Raven than even when he had talked to her this morning.
But as Galiah brought up the way that Roux had called him a Boomer, he became still. And then he couldn't help but to start chuckling. "It's one of those terms that younger people use to pretty much describe older folk and their "old people ways"." He shook his head, remembering when he and Raven had been talking this morning. "But with her, it's that she uh, apparently thinks I have, and I quote, "old person tendencies". It's kind of funny, honestly."

~

"Oh, I bet she does. Tell her that I'll think about maybe, possibly, almost but not quite consider that," Roux replied, playing air drums as she really didn't slow her pace at all, or even really look at him. It was like she was in her own little world, and Mason was just a person that she was allowing to come in. And once he got into a certain distance of her, he would start to feel the thumping of the music in her head as she would start to slightly bop along more to it.
"And please. Put emphasis on the "maybe, possibly, almost but not quite" part~ Please and thank you!" She skipped along. "Do the air quotations too, Mason!"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh" Mason could only say as he was unsure of what to even make of that response. He knew that Raven would become a totally different person when she had one of these mood swings, but he had never had the... pleasure? to talk to her up front when she was. And now that he was, it didn't ease his confusion at all. He was only starting to realize why Sammy had so many questions, and he could tell that she was not in the question answering mood at the moment. He just looked to his phone, seeing a message from Sammy that read
"Well?"

"Uuuuuh"
"Not sure"
"Yes?"
"No?"
"Maybe?"
Sammy would let out a sigh, sitting in her room now with her freshly healed but still numb leg swinging off the bed. She hadn't even bothered to put on a shirt. In fact, she had completely stripped out of her shorts as well since it was spattered in blood and sat on the bed in her black lace underwear and sports bra, looking at the phone with even more annoyance. She texted back
"Yeah, that sounds right"
She would toss the phone onto the side, giving a groan of annoyance, "Great. Get to go to Florida and now all this shit is happening" She said to herself, hands resting on her face as she let out an annoyed sigh. And as she sat there, deep in thought, she remembered when she had first found out about Ravens past, and about her struggle. Or rather, who had first found out. And as she sat up on the bed, she would give Edgar a call

Galiah would look to Edgar, and though he couldn't see it, there was a look on her face of uncertainty. She held her hands against him more as she spoke, "I don't think she meant it in that kind of way. The way she came in and she said it... It was like she was referring to you by name. Like your name was indeed Boomer. I must have misheard it, but it just... It was odd."
As Galiah stood there, she pulled Edgar into a hug, "I'm not sure what to make of any of this. I don't know if she is Raven, or if she is the Keeper of the Unorthodox or... Or something. If so, she... certainly fits with the title. I am so... confused Edgar. Confused and tired. Samantha and Leonard and Mason will be leaving for tomorrow, and I don't know what we will do without everyone here. It will be... so different. But I thought tomorrow could wait for changes, but... Things are just happening so fast and in abundance. It's... more than I would have thought."
As she spoke, her arms tightened around Edgar ever so slightly, pulling him closer, "But I promised to protect the Keepers and that is what I will do."
But Galiah would suddenly jump up when she would hear Edgar’s phone, looking around in worry and even prepared to fight. It had been the first time she heard his phone

Edgar let out a long and exhausted sigh, and he held Galiah close against him. "It's like a normal day is too much to ask for sometimes." And honestly, he didn't think it would be in the cards for them any time soon, and he could feel the dread of Sammy taking a flight back to the states. Especially after what had happened today. In fact, now he had a reason to strongly suggest that no one went at all.
But then how would they get Jackie back if no one was able to go? But if someone went, who's not to say that whoever had attacked wouldn't be waiting for them? Because what terrified him was whoever it was had somehow slip passed not only Leonard and Kyung-ha, but had made it so far into what was supposed to be their safest place left, who's to say if they weren't waiting there.. His head began to pound, and as he started to voice his thoughts to Galiah, his phone had started to ring a regular tone. He cringed, feeling around in his pocket before pulling it out, and tapping the power button, which muted the sound of it, thinking it was another alarm that he forgot to turn off when they rung throughout the day. He had them set to give him a pretty good idea of what the time if day, and it just so happened that like his alarms, his ringtones were set to default. And so he mistook it as just that.

~

After grabbing a towel from the bathroom, Roux headed along on her merry way downstairs, hopping two at a time while doing a bit of a dance, each step she took being dangerously to the edge of each one as she would land on the tips of her toes. Once she reached the bottom, she jumped down onto the floor and continued to the kitchen.

Sammy looked at the phone, letting out a sigh in frustration. She really didn’t want to put on anything at the moment, and she certainly didn’t want to have to wander around for answers that she wasn’t even getting from the source. But as she thought back to Rouxs words and how none of it made any sense, she cursed under her breathe. “God fucking dammit”
With some reluctance, she pulled herself out of bed and headed to her draw, throwing on the first pair of clothes that she could find, something she never did. A basic t shirt with a band logo and some black shorts. And as she took her phone, she would step out of the room and first head toward where Leon was, wondering if he had ever seen anything like this. She would open the door and speak, “Hey Leon? You good? You aren’t scared from all the noise are you?”

Galiah looked to the phone, unsure of what to make of it. It was far different from hers, far more superior. And as Edgar spoke his mind, of his fears and insecurities of just what was going to happen, Galiah wrapped her arms around Edgar and pulled him down, planting a kiss onto his lips softly and holding herself there in an attempt to give him some comfort. After a minute of holding their kiss, she would pull back and respond, “I won’t let any harm come to you. You or anyone else

Bang! The sound of the door suddenly being kicked open again took Edgar's attention from the elf as Roux came back
"Kay, I'm back," she said as she came back into the room, it not taking her long in the slightest to grab a cup of ice water and damp hot towel. But then she stopped at what she saw. "...Since fucking when?!" But a grin grew across her face quickly. "You sly dog you," she said with a proudness in her voice, but would crack and started to laugh. "You and Elf? How in the literal hell?!"

Edgar was flabbergasted. He didn't even know what to say at first, a feeling of awkwardness coming over him, and he didn't know why. There was this weird sense of familiarity, or an even weirder sense of dejavu.

~

"N-n-n–no..." The cockatoo squeaked from a huddled squat, it's body stiff and it's eyes wide with fear, along with the few droppings that were left along the bottom of its cage. It wasn't scared by any of it, no. It was terrified.

Galiah turned to Roux when she had returned with the water and towel, only to catch the two in their act of intimacy. She turned with a blush on her face, but she would let out a sigh and speak, “I believe the feline is out of the burlap, as you humans like to say. Not sure what cats have to do with it, but yes, it is so”
And at the question of how, Galiah stepped forward and retorted, her cheeks still red from the blushing “Romance finds a way, Lady Raven. I’m sure many question yours and Lady Samanthas with all the strange going ins, yet you two are still strong”

“Shit” Sammy said as she would see Leon cowering in fear. She had little understanding of domesticated birds, but she had to at least try. She opened the cage and gently took the bird out, holding it in her hands and petting at its head to comfort it, “hey, hey, it’s fine, Leon. It’s over now. I made sure of that. I… I need you to be strong, Leon. I… have some crazy questions to ask you”
She would sit down on Ravens bed, petting at Leon slowly to try and ease his worries, looking at the poor thing as it shakes in absolute fear

"I wam-want m-my d-dad and m-mom—" Leon said. "I-I want to g-go home.." The bird sounded as if it wanting to cry, trying to, but couldn't.

~

Roux shrugged. "Good point. Counter point, we weren't illegally blind—HAHA—wait, would it be magically blind? Could we make that a term now? We're totally making that a—" she joked with a lack of sensitivity to the subject.

"Raven!" Edgar growled.

"Edgar," Roux said in an almost insulted way. But then smirked. "Or was she like, EDGAR!" She moaned his name in a half assed imitation Galiah before she started laughing full on.

"Really?" Edgar scowled through clenched teeth. "Would you cut it out?!"

"Finefinefine," Roux said, and Edgar would feel a minor numbing buzz in his hand and arm as it would lift for her to place it in. "Water."

Edgar was in disbelief when he felt his fingers lock around the cold glass, and he had to grab it quickly with his opposite hand as even when he had gained feeling back in it, it still was a bit numb.

"Towel," she tossed the towel carelessly in Galiah's direction, be for snapping her fingers and pointing at the both while walking backwards. "I'm out."

“Hey, hey don’t worry Leon” Sammy said, holding him softly in her arms as she looked down at the creature. In a strange way, she felt her frustration subside while looking at the bird. Not completely gone, but she felt a sort of sadness for the bird. She understood his fears, and his worries. To be in the middle of all that chaos, it reminded Sammy of a time like that long before she started to get an understanding of it all. She kept petting at Leon’s head softly as she spoke, “I promise no harms going to come to you, okay? Nothing is going to hurt you… now, please. If you can, I’d like to ask you something. If you are willing. I won’t force you if you are… not in the best mood too”

“I- I sound absolutely nothing like that” Galiah scoffed in embarrassment and almost offense. “This is most unlike you, Lady Raven and I demand that you cease your petty antics this moment”
But she was taken by surprise when the towel was thrown at her, managing to catch it, but only catching a glimpse of Roux as she went out the door. She would turn to Edgar, sensing his frustration from the whole thing and would place the towel over his forehead, letting out a puff in anger. “I sound nothing like that” she said softly for Edgar to hear”
As she wiped any of the sweat or nausea from his brow, she asked, “I believe now you understand. She’s no different from the day before she and Sammy left for the city. It’s like those things you humans use to turn illumination on and off. A…. A light switch, that. She is like a light switch. Constantly flipping up and down and up and down, and she’s not allowing the room to settle on light or dark”

“W-What?” Yoon was in disbelief after the summary her mother gave her of what had gone down while she was upstairs. She didn’t sugarcoat anything or try avoiding the severity of the situation. “Th-That’s why he’s going to Alaska?” She looked at the ground in attempt to find answers. “Where… Where was that Operator thingy anyways?”

“Kitchen.”

“I-It was in the kitchen this entire time???” Her brows raised. “And you didn’t see it?”

“No.” She said. “I thought the last of it had been destroyed in Florida.”

“A-And that’s why that guy almost killed us all? Almost killed Sangeon?”

“People died because of it, Yoon. I kill a lot good people.”

“Th-That doesn’t mean h-he can just come in here and—“ She paused. “I-I thought you guys were work buddies w-why would h-he—“

“It is every man for himself now. The resistance has fallen. I caused it to fall.”

“W-What about that S-Sarah girl, o-or Abel?” She asked, still not used to his new name.

“Off the radar. Captured. Most likely dead.” The mother concluded. If Makveli had died, that means he didn’t succeed in the rescue.

“…” Yoon didn’t know what to say. She felt her world collapsing, knowing that two people near her age and much more skilled were gone. “S-So if Leonard… if Leonard gets back that i-information, he’ll leave us a-alone?”

Kyung-ha shrugged. “I dunno anymore. Maybe, maybe not.”

She left Yoon behind to help bathe her little brother when Leonard made himself present. However she didn’t want to discuss things in front of her children, so she brought the conversation outside their door. “Nice to hear some good news.” Kyung-ha spoke regarding Sammy’s healed leg. “What of you? You still in pain? I… I still have some Vicodin left.”

“I’ve had bigger headaches. And you probably get em even worse” Leo spoke as he shook his head slowly, finally managing to clean himself up, adjusting his toe and brushing his hair back into place with his hands. He would turn to Kyung however, a tad surprise she was offering some help but he knew it was better not to push her. Especially now. He just turned to Kyung Ha and asked, “How are Sang and Yoon? She’s probably confused out of her mind. And I can’t imagine how Sang is feeling about this whole thing. Poor kid”
Leonard leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, looking down at the floor. If he was just a little more cautious, or a bit faster, perhaps Sangeon wouldn’t have been in any danger. Even if he was safe now, the thought of someone like a kid being in any danger never sat well with Leonard. And the look was clear as day on his face, even for Kyubg. And as he would sit in silence, he looked up at her, “How about you? I know you didn’t get messed up, but… still, all that after what you were told.”

"Yeah...I can see that," Edgar said with a groan as Galiah wiped at his face. He was quiet, tinges of red around his ears and neck from embarrassment of the situation. But he sort of smirked. "But you're right, you sound so much sexier," he said jokingly. But as he thought about their many times within the shower, the sounds of their lust in bed, he couldn't help the arousal that came with it. But it being at such a moment, he shifted some in attempt to make it less noticeable."

~

Meanwhile, Roux was continuing around towards the attic, and wasn't really paying attention to anything until she heard chattering from somewhere. She looked towards Raven's—her room, down the hall. "Huh..."

-

The cockatoo's feathers ruffled as it peck at them, and with its nee found freedom, it began to fisp around frantically in a quite sudden action as it spotted who was at the door. It began to soar around the room before landing violently on the headboard.

“E-Edgar!” Galiah spoke, lightly slapping at his shoulder to a degree that was barely noticeable, but she puffed up her cheeks in embarrassment and also a bit of bashfulness. “W-well… you moan too, so there” she stuck her tongue out at him, a method of mockery she learned from Sangeon whenever he would do it to Yoon. But even still, she continued to wipe at his head and reply, “But only you are permitted to hear those noises”

“Woah, Woah” Sammy spoke up. “A-aren’t they supposed to clip you before they buy you” Sammy spoke in a sudden surprise at Leon taking flight. She ran around the room trying to catch him, her heart racing as she worried about him hurting himself or running off. “Leon I promise, there’s no noise and no danger. Please control yourself, I really need your help dude. It’s about Raven… I think. So can we please just calm down and talk”

"And what about me exactly are ya gonna be talking about? And to a bird at that ya weirdo." Roux's voice came from the doorway where she stood leaning against the doorway. "And his name is Jeff. Not sure where you got Leon from." She eyed the cockatoo as it made nervous movements from where it was before her eyes went back to Sammy. "Actually, what're doin' in my room anyways? Aintcha supposed to be somewhere getting ready to for Florida or somethin'?"

~

"Then I guess that means that only you are permitted to her mine. I don't see anything wrong with letting my lover know that she can please me well, and incredibly so, may I add," Edgar replied, amused by her bashfulness. As the elf continued to wipe at his face, he asked after a moment, "What do we do now that the others will be gone tomorrow's?"

“If it were any other time, I would think of ways to please my lover, perhaps try and find all sorts of things that make him tick” Galiah whispered the desires in his ear as she was behind him, her arms resting on his shoulder with a loving tone before she teasingly pulled away and returned to planning, “But aside from that, I suppose we just need to focus on getting you stronger. We and you referring to you and Yoon, of course. After all we still have two other Keeper. As for Raven… we’ll have to keep an eye on her”

Sammy turned to Roux with a bit of surprise, remembering that Leon specifically didn’t want his name uttered. And in a bit of a panic, she would finally catch the bird and reply, “well… well fucking Duh, of course his names Jeff. I was referring to Leon… ard, Leonard the agent. I just thought it would be funny to have this parrot going, “yo fuck you Leon” when I left, since parrots can do that. Ya know, one last bit of fuckery before the trip and uuuh”
And as she would relive she was babbeling, she would sit on Ravens bed, her hands resting on her cheek and greeted her. “Hey what’s up”
At Rouxs question as to why she was here, she added, “I just came to check on you, just figure some stuff out. And I know, I k ow, you said no more questions, but I mean…. Ya know, your my girlfriend but also not the one I knew this morning but the one I knew at the club and I just gotta know how many times I’ve seen you and I’m rambling again- Point is…. Last question. I promise. Just… how many times have I fallen in love with you or any other Raven… or Roux… or Ravioli or whatever. Just… how many of those times have I gotta with her, when we were at the club, when we were drinking at the apartment, when we were at the arcade, when we went on that date Jackie was fucking with, or the one at the noodle shop, or the dance in the sand pit or watching Godzilla movies… how many times have I fallen for all of you?”
And as she sat there in silence, letting the question stew in her mind, she let out a sigh and whispered under her breathe, barely audible enough for Roux to hear. “Jesus Christ this is fucking insane. What the fuck am I talking about?”

“Hair too long.” Kyung-ha spoke absentmindedly when she glanced at him combing his hair back to fix himself up. “They… they gonna be oke,” she said in reference to Yoon and Sangeon. “It’ll take some time, but they gonna be oke.” But when he asked about her own well-being, her eyes squinted as if telling him to never ask dumb questions again. She still responded, however. “I’ve been better.” She spoke truthfully.

“I guess that wasn’t the best question to ask” Leonard said as he leaned back with a sigh, a hard and suffocating silence now filling the room. He looked down to the floor, and then back to Kyung before he asked, “You know, if they find Jackie…. They could cure whatever the hell it is you got. Hell she could have done it when she was here. So… and if I’m asking too much feel free to just ignore me, but… why did you not ask for her help. I know you don’t like help of any kind but you still got responsibilities, a family, and all that. And it was slowing you down for so long. I mean not sure what the hell it is now, maybe the god of this world is a sick fuck who just wants you to feel healthy before he strikes you with something worse. But just… why are you always rushing to death when there are people that give a damn about you, Kyung?”

"What ARE you talking about?" Roux said, able to half hear what Sammy said, but took a small peak at her thoughts. She leaned her back against the doorway. "Man, sounds like you're having a really hard case on your hands with some questions I already answered huh? Aw." She gave a little chuckle. The looked at the cockatoo out if the corner of her eye. "Mmhmmn...." And then her gaze focused directly on Sammy again. And then she saw the birdcage, and a mischievous grin came to her face. "Nice." And then her eyes went back to Sammy. "Alright, check ups over Ms. Maybe Maybe Not. As you can see, still here, still queer. Huh..wonder if we got any beer 'round this place..." She said, trailing off subject in thought.

~

It was when the elf whispered her sweet desires into his ear, Edgar couldn't help the erection that came next. And he would stir some and sit up straighter in the chair as Galiah went back to planning. God...I love this woman. But as she went in to mention keeping an eye on Raven, his brows furrowed in confusion. "O...kay..— But yeah. Getting better at this stuff still is on the agenda. It has to be." But then his brows furrowed as he realized that how much difficult that would be for him now.

“Of course. As much as I am your lover and care about my dear human, I still must ensure that you and the keepers are at the peak of their potential. It would be a problem if we were to faultier in your work, make things just fall asunder so quickly. We must stay focused, Edgar”
She would pace around the room as she spoke, her words bouncing around the room as Edgar would hear her voice from different places, until she was behind him once again. “After all, if I am to lose you, how can I enjoy our time together. The sweet words you speak to me. The times that you hold me.” Her hands rested on Edgar’s shoulders, squeezing them in a massage manner. It would be only a moment before her hands slide down his chest, her head resting on his shoulders now since she was seated. “The times that you kiss me and call me yours. How your hands work like I was one of your canvases creating art. And then I make those moans that you enjoy so much. Isn’t that right… Edgar” she would moan his name in his ear, just leaving it quiet enough that no one else would hear

Sammy looked at Roux as she had just answered her questions, and yet so much… nonchalantly. Sammy wasn’t sure what to even make, but she knew she had met this Raven before. She just knew it. And as Roux would sit there talking about so much, Sammy would rush over and pull her over, only to pull her into a hug, holding her close to her as she just held her there. “I don’t know what’s going on, Raven- Roux” she corrected herself. “I’m so fucking confused and scared. Of course I’m repeating myself. What else am I gonna do? I just… I just don’t know. But if there are other Ravens, like all parts of one whole Raven, then… then I just love every one of them. They’re all a part of a girl I love. And I guess… in a fucking weird way that… that goes for you”
And as she would say it, she would groan into the crook of Rouxs neck in a bit of bashfulness and frustration. “Ugh, is that weird? Is that fucking weird? Is that disloyal? I just… I just love Raven okay. Any part of her I love. But I just don’t fucking know, okay Roux? This is fucking crazy. You’re fucking crazy. And I guess I’m crazy too, so…. I just don’t know. I just…. I dunno, I guess I love you, La Roux Raven. Is that… is that the correct thing to say?”
Sammy wasn’t sure even as she said the words. But as her eyes would look to Roux and hold her there, she knew there was so much familiar. The softness of her hands, the freckles on her face, and this was just another one of those times from the same girl that she loved, but in a literal sense. And as she would still question herself, she tighten her hug on Roux, not wanting to let go of her

“I no ask for help from Jackline because I no want people—I no want magic in my fucking head. Just like I no want doctors messing with my head, I no like it.” She said, which explained why when Kore took over her body she was more than just pissed off. That, and she also didn’t like the idea of being vulnerably exposed by being put to sleep and stripped naked and shaved on a metal cart. She also knew her chances of survival from the surgery was low. “I no cheat death. When it comes to me I will not beg for mercy. I will happily join our fallen friends if they allow it.” Kyung-ha was never the type to ponder her death or regret her destiny. Many times she had already died, and awoken the next day to start over. And over. “Besides, if any one of them miraculously removed it, it would just grow back. It would take years, yes, but I no ever want to go through that same pain again and become a ticking time bomb. And I no want to be indebted to someone either, no want to feel I owe anyone anything ever.” She emphasized, already having to deal with the debt she had towards Leonard. “The only people who I care about and who care about me are my son and daughter. Yoon is able to take care of Sangeon now. I already train them to be independent––they know they cannot rely on their mother forever.”

“Ouch” Leonard said at the last comment, about the only people she cared for and the only ones that cared about her. But he merely gave a dry chuckle and remarked, “Guess that makes sense. Never was too fond of any of that magic stuff. Well, until it didn’t really give you a choice.”
Leonard would give another sigh, brushing his hair again with a groan, “Dammit, maybe my hair is getting a bit unkempt. I hope Alaska has some good barbers”
Leonard looked back to Kyung after he made a comment of his own and sighed, “Well hey, for someone who’s apparently at a terminal level of it, you’re looking pretty good. That wasn’t me flirting, just saying. So try to keep going for a little bit longer. Enjoy the time you have with them while you’re still here. Let them know that they really mean everything to you. Those two deserve that, and so do you. There, is that a last request you can keep? If so, just do that and we can call it even.”
He said with a side glance, before he would sit up from the wall and reply. “Fuck, I need a drink.”

Kyung-ha's eyes barely glanced at Leonard's when he said that she looked good. She had oddly been feeling good lately, too. She felt other things, new things she thought she had lost sense to a long time ago. She wasn't experiencing the same migraines or waves of nausea, and she couldn't remember that last time she collapsed or seizured. She wasn't sure what was the doing of all this, heavily doubting that it had just magically disappeared since the only person who knew was Mason, and even he couldn't heal Edgar's eyes. However, she still experienced some dizziness, some insomnia, and some nausea––not knowing that it was actually the side effects of taking medication she no longer needed to, which to her confirmed she was still sick. This was all just simply the calm before the storm.

"I can keep that request, I suppose." She said with crossed arms. When he exclaimed he needed a drink, she couldn't agree more to that herself. But she knew the second the alcohol hit her lips, she wouldn't stop in attempt to forget this all. That, and also she still had to clean the damage done on her superior's property. She decided to comment on something he mentioned earlier. "You looking at best barber to exist." The woman said casually regarding her previous job. She was trained with sharp weapons, and so she dabbled in haircutting. She was trained in precision, and so she opted for nail painting. She was skilled with a human's anatomy, so she took on chiropractic. All ways to implement her training in the normal world to finance her two children safely. "I cut your hair."

“Alright then” Leonard spoke. “Then consider your debts paid in full” he would turn to her with another weakened smile, knowing he wouldnt get much from her. It was the response that she made that got more of a reaction from him. Leonard would turn to her with a bit of surprise, even blinking a little. Not that she was a professional in cutting hair, he was fully aware of what she did after she retired from the unit and had her first child. What surprised him was how boldly she proclaimed it and how willing she was to offer her services. “You’re going to cut my hair?” He felt the need to ask, as if he was hearing voices in his head. But as he looked to her, he gave a chuckle and agreed, “Alright. I’d like to see what you can do anyway. Best to look professional on a job, after all”

"Roux La Raven—again, it's not that hard Samantha," Roux gave a exaggerated groan as she corrected Sammy for the fourth time during the entire time she rambled. And even after she had been hugged, she made very little attempt to actually hug her back. As she was held there, she only looked at Sammy, blinking her eyes once every couple of long seconds after feeling her hold tighten. It had been a while since she had actually felt a hug like it. It was uncomfortable even, at first. "But, truth is , I dunno. If it's disloyal, if it's weird, or even if it's right. What I do know, is something else that connects all of us is that if it comes down to it, we'd rather see you with a better us than utterly fail as someone you loved. It's kinda if an agreement we all made subconsciously. Including me. But since I'm the best of all of the others, that's only to a degree. Which is ironic, really." She shrugged while still in Sammy's hug. "....okay, now I no longer want beer, but some orange juice with some lemon in it...sooooo.. yeah. Want some?"

Sammy would pull herself away from Roux to look up at her with this confused look on her face. She stared at her, utterly confused at just her statement. And she just felt some need to… giggle, laugh. It reminded her of those times Raven would just absentmindedly ask for something, and she couldn’t help but laugh, and pull Roux into another hug. “Sorry, Roux. Just… you are Raven, so… ya know. But hey, there’s no better Raven. Any Raven is cool to me. Nerdy Raven, Club Raven. I’ll take any. Guess right now, I got the wild one… yeah, I can take that. And we’ll… yeah I think I can say with confidence that I love you, Roux… still gonna be a struggle to remember the name”
Sammy held Roux tighter, just letting out a sort of sigh, like her confusion was slowly easing out. It didn’t. Far from it. But she at least felt some comfort. “Hey, Roux” she asked. “I know I promised no more questions but…. What was with the kiss and the fangs. I’m not gonna become a vampire am I? Cause thatd be sick but… kinda inconvenient for the Florida job. Oh and what’s with the bats. I don’t remember the other Ravens doing that. Oh and is it possible to get multiple Ravens here at once, ya know for… science… and kissing”.
It was clear that Sammy had so many more questions, but at least she was slightly at ease. And as she would ask she would answer. “Oh, right, juice. Um….. we got apple”

"Or on your deathbed." Kyung-ha commented morbidly without any traces of joking in her. Much like Yoon, she sometimes lacked social cues with her dark humor. "Oi, I cut hair and clean up beard of yours." She said. "But first," she stood up from her lean against the wall. "First we get your plane ticket." She prioritized. "Samantha already take care of hers with that Heektore guy," she mispronounced, "Maybe see if Operator AI still functioning enough to transfer fake one to phone. See at least best flight departures to meet time efficiently."

Leonard gave a bit of a dry chuckle at Kyungs comment, finding her morbid comments a bit of her character by this point. “Come on, give me a bit more credit. You’d think differently if you saw the people I’ve dealt with before”
But at the mention of needing a ticket, he gave a sigh, “guess I can’t take a cruise ship to Alaska this time. It would be a good idea to forge one just to avoid any purchases coming. Should tell Samantha to use cash only. No cards, and make sure she Carrie’s a burner phone. I think I’ve got like…. Twenty seven in my suitcase to spare.”

"I know if we buy ticket it's going to be a lot, and I mean a lot of money. Better to see if we can forge it somehow. If worse comes, at airport we steal someone's ticket with a similar destination. Choose safest layover spots." She planned out far ahead for different circumstances as she began to guide the way to the kitchen. "Have to get similar timing ticket with Samantha, no want to have to go to airport more than once and risk going out too much."

"....." Roux looked at Sammy as if she had said the most offensive thing since ever. The music in her head came to an abrupt stop, and every last question that Sammy had asked you to that point had been put on the back burner. "Hold up—fucking apple juice? Samantha, I want something tangy and refreshing with some sourness, not watered down excuse to end up having to piss like a race horse. We're all adults here. Well...except the obvious toddler but that's beside the point, which is that OJ, besides alcohol, is the adult juice morning beverage. That's like, universal or somethin'," she snickered.

“Seriously?” Leonard replied at the idea of money. “Kyung I’ve got tons of money set aside.
Before this I had pulled at least five hundred grand. Course I had more, Constable work is lucrative when you know what you’re doing. But once I turned coat, my bank accounts were completely frozen. Didn’t want them getting too suspicious so I only took out a small amount at a time for over ten years. Enough to make it look like bills, insurance and such. You eventually learn living is more important than money. Course if Sammy needs some cash I can offer some for the Florida trip. But only enough to get by while there. Like thirty grand.”
As they were heading into the kitchen, Leonard would already help himself to the kitchens selection of drinks, setting aside a bottle of vodka, and taking out lime and cranberry juice, pulling out some of the ice from the freezer and tossing it all into a shaker. As he shook it, he spoke, “Samantha said she’d be leaving at 7 in the morning. See if there are any flights to Alaska then”

“Uh… I’m sorry, w-was that too much?” Sammy was about to apologize about the harem of Ravens thought that came to mind. Not that she would mean her apology, but she would at least say it. But at the comment of the apple juice, Sammy blinked a bit in confusion, it only snickered, “God you’re weird. Yeah I think Leonard bought some. That guys always up mixing drinks for some reason. Course he’s gonna have spare OJ, my guy”

Kyung-ha froze when Leonard brought up how much money he retrieved. "Five... F-Five hundred grand???" The woman was in complete shock. "With one five and 5 zero's???" She had to confirm if she had heard right. "Five hundred grand and you eat McDonal and live off same suit???" Her brows knitted inwards, not being able to ever fathom having that amount of money. It wasn't as much as her husband made, but it was still high. She remembered having to sell all her jewelry her husband had given her when they were together to first rent out an apartment when she arrived in the U.S.

She told herself to not get distracted by asking more questions, needing to focus now on seeing if the machine still worked and to what extent it could help them. She approached the counter as Leonard fetched something to drink, inhaling deeply before placing her small hand onto the scanner where Thube once was.

Roux smiled at Sammy for a moment as she would hear her laugh again and call her weird, smirking shortly afterwards. "You really calling me the weird one here, Bird Whisperer?" She retorted to her early statement jokingly. She stepped backwards, pulling away from Sammy's arms, only for her hands to trace from her shoulders, down her arms, and to Sammy's hands where she took hold of them and pulled her along to go downstairs. She walked backwards for a moment, biting her lip softly as her gaze remained attached to Sammy's before she turned around.

~

The counter flickered on, the counter opening immediately to give her access since she had already logged into its systems before. It's blue scape rose against the countertop with its projective glow.

"Access Granted. Welcome, Kyung-ha Park."

"It was the easiest way to save money" Leonard said, looking down as he would continue shaking the contents within the shaker, "I knew I was going to turn on the agency. Course, they were the ones who turned on their whole system, but call a spade a spade. Point is, I planned this for a long time, I needed to save money. Some days I'd wear the same suit with only a twenty five cent wash. Sometimes if I couldn't even afford that, I'd just have to bring my briefcase of shoe polish, and a sewing kit to sew up any holes in the shirt. And some days I wouldn't eat at all. Can't say it was the most fun ten years, but the results don't lie"
As he would speak he would finally take the top off the shaker and pour the pink liquid into a small glass, the sweet aroma of the beverage hitting his nostrils like a burst of energy as he took a sip of it, the faint burn of the alcohol mixed with the smooth flavor of the juice hitting all the right spots. Bit as he would take a sip, his eyes would turn to the Operator and he would comment, "Well then, guess I can at least save a bit more cash"

"I dunno, aren't you named after a bird, Miss Roux" Sammy said with a smile on her face. "And the way I see it, I got you chirp chirp chirping all the damn time. But please, keep it up. I do like the sound of your voice. Bought as much as you do" Sammy would snicker as would follow her down the stairs. She wanted to tell Roux to be careful going down there, to not trip on herself. But she had a feeling she didn't have to. And she would stare at Roux's eyes as well, feeling a bit of stinging on her cheeks as she looked at her with affection. She was still so confused, but she knew that this was still a part of the woman she loved. She knew that what she felt was still there for her.

Kyung-ha's shoulders discreetly sunk in when she heard the similarities of the machine's voice with her superior's, especially when being called by her name. Her eyes only briefly glared at Leonard regarding his comment on 'saving money' considering how much he had already saved. She then looked at his cocktail drink with a raised brow, surprised he was a vodka cranberry fan, which now sort of built on her superstitions between him and Thube and whatever "friends with benefits" situation they had on. She didn't let her mind wander too far, instead switching her attention back on the operator. The short woman cleared her throat. "Search for quickest routes to Anchorage, Alaska, departing 7AM tomorrow. Avoid layovers in California, Florida, Nevada."