Kara took a stroll through the ship her eyes moving to the numerous people running around on the deck, with Lina back things were fully back to normal. The Captain herself was in her cabin looking over something or another leaving everyone to their own devices. Kara walked the deck her eyes moving to Mia who was getting some practice in. The woman would raise a pistol and fire it straight ahead; in the next moment she would appear on the other side and cut the bullet in half with her wheels. She slowly raised her body and mentally marked how soon the bullet reached her before restarting the process. It was a common practice she did as a warm up to her usual activities.
Lina's ship was essentially a mobile fortress for them, a home away from home. Mia said Jack snooped a little bit but since he didn't go below deck he didn't see anything necessarily troublesome. The ship was confusing to navigate though, getting below deck took an immense amount of effort, even for those who knew how. Eventually Kara made her way downstairs stopping as she passed an open door. She peeked inside to see Nikos sitting on his knees in a room full of candles, surrounding him on all sides. She blinked and the candles in the room were no longer lit, faint tufts of smoke coming off the now extinguished flames. Her eyes moved to Nikos his hand resting on the hilt of his sword before a small sigh escaped from him.
"…not good enough."
Standing up he started to light them once more and Kara left deciding not to get in his way.
She continued through the ship her eyes moving to Kaim, he was doing a handstand in the middle of ship, occasionally he lowered his body only to bring it back up.
"198…199…200."
Kaim would grin before bringing one hand behind his back and restarting the process, Kara's gaze went to the crate resting on the top of his feet as he continued doing his warm ups.
"1…2…3…"
Kara decided to move on not wanting to question what was inside it, and figured he didn't want to be disturbed right now anyway.
Continuing down the hallway she came to pause hearing fighting, she followed the sound of clashing metal stopping a fair distance away as Tari and Nina sparred with one another. Kara leaned against the wall watching the two women fight each other, their blades colliding with the other creating an almost melodic sound as they kept moving in tune with the other, almost as if they were dancing. Her eyes moved to their own only to see the two of them had their eyes shut, judging the distance of the others attacks by a hair. Tari swung her sword in an arc Nina barely dodging it, when the wood behind her splinted the two opened their eyes.
"…y-you o-okay?" Tari questioned.
Nina gave a small nod and the two shut their eyes and continue, Kara left deciding not to interfere
She expected Ria to be napping somewhere as she always did but was surprised to see she was spinning her sickles a little bit away standing on one leg, she would continuously rotate them around her body with her eyes cut, pieces of fruit rested on her random parts of her body as well. After a few seconds past the orange on her shoulder would fall to the ground in two pieces, the pear on her knee was next, than the apple on her head. Though the fruit were cut cleanly she reached her hands out and quickly caught the sickles glancing over at her shoulder, seeing the smallest tear in it.
"…focus."
She muttered the words to herself and went to grab more pieces of fruit.
Everyone was doing what they normally did before a fight, the same old practices, warm ups. It seemed normal from a first glance but Kara could tell everyone was in their own way bothered. With all this business being thrown around and the Renegades breathing down their necks they were in a bad place, even if they survived this fight the next one could easily be their end. There was nothing in their future but more fighting and more betrayal. They kept themselves distracted with the usual, doing what they always did to keep from losing to their own feelings, their own dark thoughts.
Seeing this she recalled a conversation she had a little bit ago.
Before all of this
It seemed Stardusk had patterns just like they did.
That was the general thought of Kara as he watched Stardusk, that was to be expected on a ship after all. She would sometime sit and watch Sara train, on other occasions she'd watch Luro sit and take apart guns only to put it back together, shoot it and repeat the process. Zilia was either read or writing something at all times of the day. Each person did something to pass the time, even their own patterns hadn't shifted too much though they did everything below deck to stay out of Stardusk ways.
With that being said staring at Alicia seemed to make the place almost feel like home, the two were different in many ways, but Nikos would always meditate by himself and he took care of his swords with the same fervor, seeing Alicia do the same thing sometimes made her giggle. She'd always watch Nikos when he did so and seeing it brought back memories.
It was almost sad that they were all enemies, she was sure they could find some things to speak about at the very least. With that being said she didn't think expect their relationship was going to change but a conversation wasn't a bad thing.
That being said she wasn't going to interrupt her meditation so she decided to wait until she was finished to actually approach.
"Miss Tashigi," Kara said walking closer to Alicia. "May we speak for a moment."
She kept a couple person distance from the woman, not out of caution but she was aware some Stardusk prefered space, she found Zilia disliked when she was a two person distance from her, so she gave Alicia three.
Alicia's eyes slowly opened as her mind returned to her corporeal mortal coil, sat cross legged on her blanket, greeted by the sounds of the waves stroking against the hull of the ship and a girl standing before her asking if she could speak with her. Curiosity didn't always get the better of Alicia, but the girl at least approached politely and though she had no intentions of speaking with the Ravens she supposed there was no real harm in some company.
The swordswoman motioned with her hand for Kara to join her, the blanket was rather large with plenty of space for more than just herself. "We may, please have a seat" she said softly, placing Shusui on the blanket beside her before laying a silk cloth over it as a show of good faith that she'd no intentions of harming her. Of course Runali was quite clear they were not to fight on the ship and honestly Alicia wasn't the kind to attack an unsuspecting opponent.
With a small nod and a smile Kara took a seat next to Alicia, she was happy Alicia was easy to approach for such things. Tari had handled all the research on her, so she only knew what she had openly shared, thinking on it Tari had warned her to never approach Alicia. She was positive there was some reason but all she could remember was counting the amount of expletives that were in the explanation...she couldn't count all of them even with all the Messengers hands, including Emil and Aira.
Putting that aside she couldn't pass up the opportunity, enemy or not now was the perfect time to sit down and have a proper discussion. It would be nice to talk with another lady for once, Tari hated long conversations and Zilia always looked so nervous when they conversed...and all she did was ask questions. She wanted to speak with Runali too but Nikos forbid it saying they'd get along too well and Kaim said no one could talk to Sara without paying him first, which she did, but he said she was busy...actually thinking about it she couldn't talk to anyone on the ship except Luro and Jack, but Ria always stared so intently whenever she tried to approach. She always felt death whenever she so much as glanced at Kadi so she wasn't going to humor that possibility.
Passing up this chance wasn't allowed, she had to make sure this conversation went on as long as possible especially since Tari didn't really
forbid it.
"I love your country!" Kara exclaimed leaning towards Alicia with a bright grin.
After a moment she realized she had scooted closer and slid back to her normal spot.
"Ah right distance sorry. Emil told me people from Yula Fei don't like extreme closeness. I apologize invading your personal space."
Kara gave a small nod at this before clearing her throat.
"P-perhaps I should try that again. I enjoy Yula Fei. Whenever we have free time I normally go either with Emil or Nikos. It's so peaceful, with the borders open I was considering getting a place there...specifically next to a particular place that sells clothes but it didn't go as planned. That's to be expected of course as many have lived there for generations but there's no point not trying something just because there's an impossibility. Also it was near the tree with the pretty blossoms and-"
Kara suddenly stopped talking realizing she wasn't really leaving a lot of breathing room in their conversation...if it could even be called that right now.
"A-ah sorry. I got a little excited...um...how is your day going?"
It was a sad attempt but she realized she had bothered to do that simple thing at the beginning.
Alicia was a little overwhelmed at first by the eagerness of Kara, her brows raised as she tried to follow the conversation before she settled into a small smile when the girl eventually apologised before asking her about her day. "No need to apologise, I'm glad you appreciate my home… it's certainly fought hard for itself over the years" she replied initially, "As for how my day is going, I suppose quite well. It's been an interesting time with you and your friends on board, if not somewhat tense but that's to be expected, how're you coping with our situation?" she asked curiously, intrigued for a number of reasons about why this particular Raven was interested in a conversation. If it were as simple as boredom she wouldn't be all that surprised, there was very little to do with everyone so close to one another and most of them would probably have a hard time settling with the others around.
Kara wasn't sure how to take the interesting Alicia brought up, but she doubted there was some hidden meaning there. She gave a small nod at the notion of it being somewhat tense, even if they exhibited niceties to one another at the end of the day, fighting each other in the future seemed pretty much inevitable. At the end of the day however that still didn't mean they couldn't have some civil conversations with one another, they weren't animals after all. With that in mind she tilted her head slightly at her question offering a small smile.
"Hmm we adjust as best we can," Kara said. "There was some initial worry...well except for Kaim who considers it time off but once Nikos informed us we should just treat it as field work we pretty much settled in."
Kara scratched the side of her cheek at this a small chuckle coming from her.
"Still I should be asking you that, this is Stardusk domain after all. Granted it has been nice to talk with the others, you guys are quite close, Luro and I speak to each other often. He told me something about 'needing a lass to listen to his troubles' so I volunteered...but then he told me the Captain would get mad so we should just talk instead."
Kara brought a hand to her chin clearly perplexed since that's what he had asked for in the first place.
"I've heard all manners of fun stories, and you guys are so open about your personal space. I trust the Messengers but having someone go in my room for 'that' would embarrass me...but he told me friends don't care about that stuff."
Kara smiled a little at his before continuing.
"I spoke with Zilia but...she seemed a bit on edge...which makes sense but it was a nice conversation. Regretfully I can't speak with anyone else but Tari won't stop me from talking with you, just warns...I'm not sure why this is delightful. Do you do stuff like this everyday?"
The Feian swordwoman blinked as she listened to Kara explain her interaction with Luro, having a feeling she might be able to guess what he might have meant but choosing to keep the information to herself for the sake of decorum. She gave a simple nod when Kara mentioned they were adjusting, though she tilted her head slightly at the mention of Tari having warned her about engaging in conversation with her. "Sometimes, with a crew like ours sometimes I don't always have the time to spend alone, though I find the time here and there" she replied with a small smile, looking from Kara down the end of the ship to see if she could pick out the other Stardusk. "You mentioned before that Tari gave you warning about me, does she believe I'd hurt you?" she asked curiously with a small frown, "Because I have no intentions of going against the orders of my captain" she added with a genuine tone.
Kara gave a small nod of understanding at Alicia's comment of alone time, she knew all too well how hard it was to get it sometimes. The other Messengers were respectful but sometimes their timing was so impeccable she almost wondered if it was purposeful, but that was a thought for another time. Instead she merely gave a small nod to Alicia before speaking once more.
"Well I apologize for taking a little bit of your alone time," Kara said before focusing her attention forward. "Thank you for speaking with me."
At the comment of Tari Kara brought a hand to her cheek a small sigh escaping from her, she may have spoken a bit too much about that, but Nikos did say they were required to share things, it made her lower her guard able to have a proper conversation as well. She looked over at Alicia and gave a small shake of her head.
"No it's nothing like that, I wouldn't have come over if I expected that response from you," Kara said. "Tari…Tari hates you Miss Tashigi."
Kara lowered her hand from her cheek, it was a strange fact but it wasn't exactly hidden.
"You're the living embodiment of everything she can't stand…as if someone had taken everything that irks her and made it into a person. Which of course isn't fair, as you're clearly a decent person…but that's just how she feels towards you. The more she watched the more hate accumulated…she's always so collected when it comes to targets but you Miss Tashigi…she can't control herself. Even Nikos had to tell her to calm down and not let her emotions blind her."
Kara blinked before quickly raising her hands.
"Ah it's not because you're Feian or anything. She doesn't dislike Yula Fei or its people. She's not that kind of person!"
Kara realized she had said that a bit too loudly and clearing her throat regained her composure.
"It's just those feelings she has towards you that made her say that. That's why I knew it was fine to talk to you, you haven't shown any signs of cruelty towards us only space."
Kara let out a small sigh bringing a hand to her chest.
"I may have gotten a little over excited there my apologies, I didn't want to offend or anything. So no I don't think you'd hurt me or go against your Captain's orders, just as I don't wish harm upon you or to go against Nikos' orders."
Alicia smiled and shook her head a little, "No need to apologise, if I didn't want your company I wouldn't have asked you to sit with me" she replied truthfully. Admittedly it was somewhat of a custom to afford politeness to others when approached, especially with something like simple conversation and company so it was unlikely Alicia would have turned Kara away.
Listening as the girl continued to explain about Tari's hatred of her she couldn't help but find her curiosity and interest peak further, a small frown spreading across her features as she looked to be in thought about the reasons behind her hate and what it could be about her personality that could provoke such an emotion. For a moment she thought back to the Feian captain she'd fought against in the Undersea's dream world, a victim in a battle she'd asked for to save the crew. Was it such actions that drove Tari's hatred, or was it something else. Alicia simply sighed, "Well, Tari is her own woman so she is free to think of me how she pleases. Although I can't say I'm not curious to what it is about me that provokes that reaction from her, I do try not to offend people where possible" she replied with a small smile containing a modicum of amusement.
Her amusement at her own demeanor in response to others faded when she picked up on Kara's change of pace, letting forth sighs which expressed that perhaps there was something on her mind. "You seem troubled Kara, if there's something you'd like to get off your chest I'll gladly listen" she offered.
Kara couldn't say she knew absolutely where Tari's hatred came from, but knowing a bit of the woman's history she could only take guesses. She wasn't sure if that information would really provide any answer to her question however, and she wasn't sure if it was a question or inquiry. It seemed like a question and she was required to answers those, and Alicia had made it clear she didn't mind their conversation so there was no reason to decline. After a brief moment Kara gave a small nod deciding to say something, but she was stopped by Alicia's sudden politeness.
"Oh no it's nothing like that," Kara said shaking her head. "I'm okay well to an extent. I'm the newest Messenger so I always worry I'll mess up well I do mess up but everyone's always supportive. Even when I was late introducing myself no one got mad or yelled at me. Nikos and the others told me it's okay but…I still want to do my best for them, but I'm bad at controlling my emotions sometimes so I worry I'll cause trouble for them…that's all."
Kara raised a hand at this as that was the biggest thing that weighed on her mind.
"For why she hates you…it's because you're you Alicia Tashigi," Kara said. "That's my guess. Tari grew up around dishonest people, seeing someone like you…probably makes her uncomfortable. You also do a lot of good for people, and you're considerate too, engaging a future enemy in polite conversation…yeah thinking about it, it's because you're you."
Kara smiled a bit.
"Haha now that I think about it. That means Tari must really pay attention you, I mean the more things you hate about someone the more you have to look for right?"
Kara laughed a little at this before realizing she was talking about her again.
"Ah I'm sorry, I keep bringing up Tari. Um…we can talk about someone else. Emil's a sweetheart, I mean he's not here but he's still a Raven uh…Zilia's nice…oh wait but I have to fight her…um…w-why don't you pick someone?"
Alicia gave a small understanding nod as Kara voiced her concerns about being the newest member of the messengers. It made her wonder how such a polite girl had come to join such an organisation in the first place but she decided to withhold that question for the moment as she considered her words before responding. "You remind me a little of my younger sister, she too held anxiety about failing to reach her potential… so I'll share with you a little of what I told her back when we were many years younger" Alicia adjusted herself a little as she thought back to all those years ago. "Mistakes allow us to grow, to become the people we were meant to be. If everyone was perfect we wouldn't need each other" she said with a small smile. "Your friends are supportive because they are eager to see the woman you will become and they wish to walk that journey with you. Don't be afraid of it, embrace your mistakes as opportunities and in time you will see that it was all worth while in the end".
It'd be up to Kara whether or not she could take anything from that, but Alicia hoped it'd help at least a little. "As for Tari, that is unfortunate. Perhaps I might be able to avoid killing her… although that decision is more hers than mine" she exhaled before nodding at Kara's suggestion. "Well, you know quite a bit about me. So let's start with you, where do you come from Kara, and why is it you decided to join the Ravens?" she asked.
Kara remained silent as she listened to Alicia, she smiled a little at the comparison her gaze moving to the deck as she offered her a bit of advice. Though she didn't look at her, it was clear she was listening to her words intently; she folded her hands together and offered a small nod here and there before ultimately closing her eyes.
"…you remind me of Nikos. He always know just what to say too," Kara said looking at her. "Ah but I respect Nikos a lot I don't mean to be rude in comparison."
Kara raised her hand at this giving a small nod to Alicia.
"I appreciate the advice…really. I think it's all in my head, your advice only seems to cement that point too…I'll put some more thought into it…no…I'll put more action into it."
Kara gave a firm nod at this her gaze moving back to Alicia as he brought up Tari. Her eyebrows lowered slightly and she turned her attention back to sea suddenly finding it hard to look at the woman. She knew Tari would fight to her dying breath…and that reminder worried her more than anything else. She knew at the end of it all, one of them had to be left standing, that was part of their job…but it didn't make it any less painful to think about it.
"I suppose so," Kara said leaving the matter at that.
When she was brought up Kara quickly shook her head raising both her hands up at the very idea that Alicia wanted to learn more about her. She was the last Messenger anyone needed to hear about, compared to the others she was boring…but she had asked and answering it was a bit of a requirement.
"Well I'm not that interesting…but if you want to know," Kara said folding her hands onto her lap. "I come from a small island, the kind you won't find on a map since no one really pays any attention to it. I ran a farm with my parents, I intended on taking over once they got older, maybe marrying and settling down but ultimately that didn't happen."
A small wistful smile found its way onto her features at the memory, there were so many fond moments from her home, she had to return there sometime.
"Why I joined…I disliked what was in front of me," Kara said. "I saw an endless winding road after I left home, and I wondered what lied at the end of it. Most of the time it was bodies, lives I haven't saved, lives that were saved. It was during that time I met Nikos, 'there's more to the world then what you can see, let me show you another side, you can decide what to do from there' is what he told me. I felt…whole I guess. Like a place for me to be, my worries, my fears all seemed so tiny when I took a step back and really looked. I wasn't forced to make any decision, I just had to listen to myself…and I liked it here so I stayed."
She was glad that her advice had landed with the girl and was hopeful that in time she would come to realise the meaning in it. Being compared to Nikos was unexpected though she hadn't really had a conversation with the man enough to know what he was like, though she half expected they would struggle in each others company… or at least there would be plenty of uncomfortable silence. Either way she took no offence to it and simply moved on, giving a small nod in response to her reaction to Tari, which she couldn't blame her for. Whether they liked it or not they were going to fight and someone would have to die, perhaps it was Alicia's wishful thinking in imagining there was another outcome or option available that didn't involve her having to take a life.
Alicia decided to leave that thought alone for now as she listened to Kara's explanation on how she came to be a Raven, finding herself having a somewhat similar experience in how she came to join the Stardusk. "That's a nice story" Alicia replied, "It's not too different from how I joined with the Stardusk but I imagine you already know about that" she said with a small amount of amusement. "It is funny how life works sometimes. I was only meant to travel with them till we reached the next island… then in the blink of an eye I have a very peculiar family and it's years later" she chuckled softly.
Kara gave a very small shake of her head, not towards Alicia's comment on her past, as she appreciated that but more on her knowledge of the woman herself. Alicia was Tari's target, all that information ultimately went to her. At Alicia's comment of family Kara looked over at her, watching the woman's expression for a moment. Her hands gripped her clothes as she watched her, there was plenty to say, a hundred things that came to mind but ultimately she smiled and gave a small nod.
"It is funny isn't it," Kara said. "Almost astonishing how things can turn out."
She turned and looked down at her hands for a moment, recalling the faces of her comrades, their smiles but she shut her eyes pushing the thoughts that threatened to surface aside.
"I'm afraid I don't know how you met them…well not through Tari. Luro was the one that told me. Tari didn't share it with me; felt it wasn't necessary though she gave me your info if I wanted to check myself. I just chose not to. When it comes to my target I'll do my job to the fullest but looking at someone's secrets, background and history who isn't my bounty seems…invasive."
Kara brought a hand to her cheek considering what she did know about Alicia, her first introduction to Stardusk wasn't what she looked into that much she knew.
"Emil knows though, originally he wanted your bounty but Tari stopped him. He was so mad, his angry face is adorable…"
Kara trailed off for a moment a small sigh escaping from her as she lowered her hand.
"It's hard to see my life without them now…Miss Tashigi…no matter how this ends…I won't hold anything against you. I have to protect those I care about…and I think you feel the same. I can't speak for the others but…I understand what you're protecting…just a little."
Alicia was actually surprised to learn that not all of them had collectively explored each of their information, though she supposed she'd assumed on how they'd work so she really shouldn't be too surprised. "I see" she replied before considering Kara's position a little more indepthly, understanding the other side of the fence just a little bit more. "Regretfully, I don't think I can say the same. I can't say I won't hold it against you simply because none of us wanted this fight, if we had things our way we'd see you to the nearest ship or island and part ways with a friendly hand wave" Alicia replied, looking out towards the ocean as she spoke, her tone conveying her regret of the situation. "But we both know that isn't on the cards and so both sides must ultimately do what the situation asks of them" Alicia sighed, "So much of my life has been spent fighting, perhaps their will come a time were a resolution can be found without having to draw blood". She paused and let her mind wonder to her future confrontation with Tari, fantasising and outcome where both could simply walk away. "That being said, should you have survivors I won't pursue them. On the island I allowed my fear for Hanako's safety provoke my temper which is not a feeling I'm familiar with".
Kara offered a smile at Alicia's words, she was a nice person, plenty of Stardusk were nice people. Nikos had told them Stardusk pirates were different when they took them as bounty, she wondered why the others had agreed so wholeheartedly with him but sitting with them now, speaking with them she understood all too well. It was really hard to see the Stardusk as typical pirates; I think that was why most of the Messengers took them. It was more than a challenge, they saw something else in these people, something they couldn't see in the typical pirates.
Carabis was a bigger bounty than Runali, but Nikos had told her once that the bounty of the subject isn't as important as the change can come from their absence. To meet Stardusk, stare them in the eye and see the people they are up close and personal, through fists, sweat and blood.
"…I don't think that's possible in this world," Kara said raising her view to the sky. "So long as one person has a piece of land, and another person has another piece of land, eventually they'll end up fighting each other. It's just in our nature to have conflict."
A small smile found its way on Kara's face and she closed her eyes.
"…yet small moments like this. Enemies standing with each other, talking, accepting. You see this and wonder…why are we trying to kill each other? Are my ideals so important I need to force another to believe them, is my anger so great I have to bring harm to another. Is it stubbornness…foolishness or just habit…"
Kara sighed and lowered her head.
"Each of us are here for a reason, neither side will back down so we've come to this. In a different world…in different circumstances we probably could have been friends."
Kara brought her hand to her cheek offering a small smile
"Oh did I just say something fancy? I'm acting like a proper big sister, Emil will be so happy. Maybe he'll let me pinch his cheeks."
Kara lowered her hand looking over at Alicia remembering what she had told her.
"If you have survivors I can't promise the same…I'm sorry. I'd like too but…my job."
Kara scratched her cheek a bit actually feeling a little bad but she didn't want to lie either.
"For your temper that's why Tari did it," Kara said. "She knows you're not familiar with it, she knows you're not good at confronting it that's why she pulled at it. That's our job to pull at the bits of you that even you don't know about, the parts that can be exploited….but what bothers me is why she did it. I mean Emil stands no chance against Hanako, Tari told me that herself. She sent him in knowing that, in fact the report says they were eating together last I remember. Nikos…was not happy to hear about that…but he did tell him we're in a ceasefire so how can he be so upset at Emil."
Kara puffed her cheeks a bit this crossing her arms over her chest.
"…I don't get what's going through her head this time, she's never acted like this. It's like she's…looking for something from you. Like she needs to confirm something. Nikos and Aira understand what she's doing but neither of them wanna talk about it. They just say it's a 'Tari' thing telling me they'll tell me if we survive."
Alicia was expecting that kind of reply, she'd learned enough about these people to know that even if they survived their duels they would be pursued regardless, but then the Ravens likely weren't the only ones in the world looking to challenge them to a fight, of that much she was sure. "I taught Hanako to the best of my ability, not just in how to wield her sword but also in the virtues and morals of our people and my family. I would expect her to have opted for a peaceful resolution until she was left without a choice, so it doesn't surprise me to hear they're eating together" Alicia replied with a small smile. The swordswoman had trained many students in the past alongside Satia and her father, but Hanako had exceptional talent and appeared to be a fast learner which hastened her climb in skill and ability.
Both of the Tashigi sisters had come to adopt Hanako into their family which is part of why Alicia's temper had been provoked when her safety had come into question. She didn't fear for Satia, partly because Satia wasn't a pirate so she doubted the Ravens would pursue her but also because Satia was also an incredibly strong swordswoman whom had also improved and learned a lot over the previous years. Unlike Alicia however Satia had a fiery temper which she often pushed forwards as a strength rather than a weakness, although the younger Tashigi had grown wiser and calmer with age. "Perhaps Tari expects to find evil within me. If she's grown up in an environment such as the one you explained, and detests me for my… how you say, qualities. Perhaps she hopes to find something in my that justifies my execution, of course this is just a guess".
"Whatever her reasons, your reasons as a whole. It does feel me with a degree of disappointment" Alicia tilted her head slightly, "You're all friends and correct me if I'm mistaken but you all seem to care for each other. You all have talents, strengths and of course weaknesses which are your own… but you would risk it all, for as you say, ideology" Alicia shook her head a little, closing her eyes before looking back to Kara. "It seems like such a waste of life and potential, you could all be so much more than this, make the world better if you willed it so. But then again, I am sitting in a very different position to you and carry with it a different perspective. To you and your friends, this is worth the risk" Alicia lightly shrugged, "I personally do not think so though".
When Alicia offered her guess Kara gave a small nod having come to the same conclusion herself. It made sense if one thought about it, but Tari wouldn't do this much just out of hatred over her person. There were plenty of people that had the qualities she hated, but she didn't point a weapon at them. She wanted to know what about Alicia bothered her; it went beyond who she was but that reason was only known to Tari. She eventually put the thought aside knowing she wasn't going to find a real answer in her own musings, she did chuckle at the idea of Emil sitting with his target and eating. He was probably making an irritated face as he ate from his bowl, glancing over at her every now and then while trying to put off 'evil' vibes to try and scare her away, and she had a feeling that Hanako wasn't reading it.
The very idea of it caused a small giggle to escape from Kara, he was being adorable out of sight and it bothered her that she couldn't see it.
Kara tilted her head at Alicia when she brought them back up, a small smile finding its way onto her face as she mentioned their ideologies and their 'potential'.
"I'm disappointed too you know," Kara said puffing her cheeks a bit. "You guys are so nice, you're good at all kinds of stuff and clearly watch out for each other. Goodness I'd buy a restaurant for Jack tomorrow if he'd retire from Piracy I love his cooking. Yula Fei loves you as well, I doubt you'd have much trouble getting steady work, you even have a school and Zilia's a really good doctor…really good! Everyone here has so much potential and yet you're pirates, I just don't get it…but then again I am in a different position. Maybe it's just worth the risk. I don't think so though."
Kara looked over at Alicia pretending to be mad but eventually she smiled at her stretching her arms above her head.
"Ideologies brought us together…but that's what makes us stay. It's the same for you guys right? Piracy ultimately brought you together…but you guys are pretty bad pirates. You just help people all the time, I mean when's the last time you stole from a ship? I think the last pirate thing you guys did was Kane'arteum. I'm sure you could pick a different line of work and do the same thing."
Kara lowered her arms holding them out in front of her keeping her attention forward.
"We're all different people…each one of us fighting either for the person next to us, or something we gained with those around us," Kara said looking back over at Alicia.
Kara offered a small smile to the woman and lowered her arms resting them in her lap.
"The tiniest difference in our ideals…and we're enemies. Yet we're both too stubborn or proud to change. I find it a waste myself…but neither of us will change. You won't put your weapon aside and I'm no different."
A small laughed escaped from Kara and her gaze lowered to her hands.
"The funniest thing…is this all occurred because of the actions of one person years ago. Because two people met who probably never should have," Kara said closing her eyes. "A silent war waged for years reignited by goodness knows what…"
Kara opened her eyes though she kept her gaze low, she gripped her clothes tightly at the very prospect, she like a few of the others had only waited a few months, but the others had waited years for this moment. Patiently watching, biding their times with hands gripping their weapons, there was no way they'd back down after all that…she felt the same.
"In the end both sides have just been pulled into an old conflict that never resolved. Loyalty keeps some around, revenge for others, but ultimately this war started without us but it can't end without us."
Kara closed her eyes before quickly opening them and placing a hand on her cheek looked back over at Alicia.
"Oh did I just say something nice there? Ohhh where's Emil when I'm like this! He'd always glare and go 'That wasn't nice' but I could always tell he'd be lying. I wish I was in Miss Hanako's place now. I want to eat with Emil…."
Alicia gave a small amused smile at Kara's response. "Actually I don't consider myself to be a pirate, although you're quite right we aren't very good at it" she replied as her smile grew a little at the thought of it. "Runali and the others stepped in to help me save my home from a warlord threatening to destroy Yula Fei, it is a kindness I can not repay in a single lifetime… although it's true my loyalty was earned before that due to the actions and kindness conveyed through their actions which I'd witnessed leading up to that event" she replied. "I'm not here to be a pirate, I have no interest in being a pirate. But they're my friends and I'll support their ambitions for as long as they'll let me". It'd been some time since she'd thought back to that event, the day that ended with the death of her father. The thought caused her smile to fade a little before she decided not to dwell on it any longer.
"If Runali woke tomorrow and ordered us to kill and steal from the undeserving, I'd probably part ways with them. But I have only seen good things come of this crew and it's my privilege to be apart of it" she exhaled a long breath. "I suppose the attack on Kane'Artem wasn't something that could be perceived as good, but you must understand they are a big part of the reason why I still have a home, while there's still a school for my students. I'm sure you would feel similarly in my position". She smiled a little again when Kara commented about saying something nice, giving a single nod of her head, she would have wished her well to see her brother again but to do so would mean Zilia's death which wasn't a thought Alicia could entertain. "Hopefully Hanako is keeping herself out of trouble, while she is an excellent student she does have the habit of rushing into things at times, in no small part due to her age I should think".
Kara gave a small shake of her head at the idea of understanding; she gave a small wave of her hand trying to indicate it was fine.
"I don't judge you for that Miss Tashigi. You're not wrong either I would have probably done the same though I know I'd get chewed out for it. We know what Stardusk have done for you; it's understandable you want to stand by their side."
Kara waved both her hands at this; there was no judgment from the woman herself. Most of the Ravens had few issues with Stardusk that weren't their charges. Nikos felt no ill will towards anyone but Runali and Luro, and the others were the same, Nina, Ria, Kaim, Tari they held little hatred towards the remaining Stardusk.
"We only have problems with our charges. That's the end of it. Personal feelings shouldn't get involved in our line of work so disliking all of you would break that rule. Ria and Nina read with Zilia...I can't join though Ria said no Kara's allowed in their book party…guess it's cause Zilia can't concentrate when I'm nearby."
Kara had noticed the small change in her smile but decided not to press her on the matter, she didn't dig too deeply into Alicia's history but it was probably something sensitive. When she spoke of what would make her leave Stardusk Kara looked over at her arm, towards the tattoo on her wrist. She'd follow Nikos to hell and back but there were lines even she wouldn't cross, thankfully he wasn't that kind of person and she was sure Runali was the same. Alicia was a very strange pirate but she supposed it took all kinds, pirates who didn't want to be pirates existed, Zilia was like that too.
When she brought up Hanako a small chuckle escaped from her, though hearing her mention reckless she sighed and lowered her head.
"Emil is the same way…he's a talented fighter but he always acts without thinking just jumping into everything figuring it'll all work out somehow…it's worrying to those who care about him you know."
Kara pumped her arms raising her head before punching the space in front of her repeatedly.
"Grrr it makes me so mad. I worry all the time but he just does it again and again. I know I gotta be patient since he's younger but hmmmmmmm."
Kara cut herself off lowering her arms, she couldn't stay mad at him for too long and she knew it, not with that adorable face.
"Ah we've been talking for a bit now haven't we? I'm sorry I didn't mean to take up so much of your time. I should return to the others, I'm sure Ria's napping in Zilia's books again. If I don't grab her she'll be impossible to find till morning."
Kara stood up and brushed off her dress offering a smile to Alicia.
"Thank you for the conversation Miss Tashigi."
"Think nothing of it, I rather enjoyed your company" Alicia replied with a small smile, inclining her head forwards respectfully with a single small nod. Once Kara had taken her leave Alicia softly exhaled, closing her eyes before looking out towards the horizon for a moment, contemplating on the conversation a little. Eventually she would close her eyes once more and return to meditating, deciding to let the information sit for a while. Much had been brought to light with how the Ravens worked and the intent behind why they'd chosen to engage them, it was… an interesting if not unfortunate discovery but nonetheless a situation they would all be forced to deal with. Still though, the swordswoman could only wonder who would be left standing at the close of the curtain and what would happen with the result. Only by defeating Tari would she have her answer to that question.
Present
Kara stood in front of Lina's cabin, her hand raised slightly toward the shut door. She moved her hand forward to knock only to pull it back. With a sigh she started to walk away when the door to the room opened, Lina arching her brow at her before making a motion to come inside. Kara responded with nod and closed the door once she entered.
"…it's weird to just stand outside my door without knocking," Lina said returning to her desk.
The Cabin itself was a simple one, maps lined the walls along with an array of compasses and knickknacks Lina had collected on her travels. A small chair rested in the room that Lina would sometimes sleep in if she was working late, though her actual room was somewhere else.
There was a single desk in the center of the room, a large one with a map of the sea on it, Lina leaned over the map lifting up nearby papers and moving small figures around. Kara knew Lina was keeping a tab on all the ships at her disposal moving and adjusting them as need be. There was even one for Lady Luck, which she grabbed and moved after picking up another piece of paper.
"What do you need Kara?" Lina asked her eyes remaining on the paper in her hand.
"…why are you doing this?"
Lina lowered her paper at Kara's question, the Captain giving the woman her full attention at this point as Kara folded her hands together in front of her. The two met eyes Kara doing her best not to break away from the cold woman's gaze.
"Why do you want to know?" Lina questioned.
"…because I don't know. I know why every one of the Messengers fight…but you and Mia…we don't know why you fight."
"Do you need to know my reasons to put your life on the line at my orders," Lina said moving a hand to her hip.
"No Ma'am," Kara said with a small shake of her head. "I just want to know."
Lina remained silent her eyes moving to the map, resting on the figure of Lady Luck. Her question wasn't an unreasonable one, and she couldn't blame Kara for asking it. She was sure the other Messengers had the same question especially after all they went through because of her own judgment.
"Survive."
"Huh?" Kara questioned.
"Survive your fight…and I'll tell you," Lina said.
"…we're fighting to kill Ma'am. That means coming back is...probably not going to happen."
"I know…if you manage to kill Stardusk…and come back alive. I'll tell you everything, at that point they'll be no point in staying quiet about it anymore anyway. I'm afraid I can't answer your question right now though. I want you guys focused on your fight without additional distractions…understand?"
"Of course Ma'am," Kara said bowing slightly. "I'll take my leave."
Kara turned and walked out of the room, she opened the door and started to leave.
"Kara," Lina said.
Kara turned fully to face Lina who walked up to her, reaching her hand towards her she placed a hand on the woman's head ruffling her hair a bit.
"It's okay to have doubts," she said smiling at her. "I trust you guys to do your jobs and come back alive. I'm sorry to keep secrets from you…know that that I don't do it because I want to. You guys aren't just the 'first' hunters to me. Each one of you are your own people, research or not I like my people coming back alive."
Kara stared at Lina and with a smile brought a hand to her stomach and bowed again.
"Of course Leader. I understand completely," Kara said.
"Good," Lina said turning away from her. "I have to go back into Boss mode with my scary face so get going okay."
Lina grinned at Kara before returning to her map and looking back over her reports. Kara gave a small nod and closed the door before making her way back to Tari and Nina.
"Lina's protecting what she has…I have to do better. Everyone's working hard I can't fall behind."