[b]"Heads up!" [/b]

Lin's head immediately turned at Rika's voice, eyes catching a canteen soaring through the air. Catching it with outreached hands, a smile of thanks came to the young girl's face. Bowing her head to the assassin, she unscrewed the top and began to drink the water within. Becoming refreshed almost immediately after the liquid graced her dry tongue, a small moan of satisfaction vibrated from her throat. Prying it away after a few seconds and sighing in relief, Lin's attention turned to Shizuka and Ace just as Rika moved to take a seat on a sturdy crate nearby. Emotions were flaring all around her; some of the Arabian people were relieved at the Empire's decisive defeat, but among her friends she had felt emotional disturbances, some small, others larger. From Ace she felt confusion and doubt, from Rika irritability and anger, and lastly Alem. Lin's focus was directed towards him for several short seconds. As calm as he appeared speaking with Osa and Okal from afar while the Mercenary, Yu, rested under the shade of a nearby abandoned market stand, there was darkness that threatened to overwhelm him if left unattended. Yet somehow even on the verge of releasing his aggression, he remained still and focused on the task given to him. She couldn't pinpoint what kept him together, but she was thankful that whatever it was was there for him. 

[b]"I say forget it, Asahina ran off like a moron and gave a perfectly good victory up only to make it a minor one. That stupid bitch,"[/b] Rika's eyes narrowed, making her beautiful emerald eyes momentarily darken without the sun to reflect off of them. It was a pain working with others, a pain made absolutely unbearable when they actively jeopardized an easy assignment.[b] "We're better off without her."[/b]

[b]"You don't mean that,"[/b] Lin began, approaching the disturbed and unhappy assassin before her. Leaning down, the girl placed a hand on her bare shoulder and grasped it firmly in the hopes that Rika would look her in the eye. Thankfully, she did. [b]"She might have gotten scared. Not everyone is as fearless as you, not everyone can laugh at the peril. She'll need us."
[/b]

[b]"If she needed us, she wouldn't have--"[/b] Rika's voiced trailed off. Looking at Lin long enough was showing her that disturbing that innocent stare wasn't going to help her any better than sitting around. Asahina was a moron, but she was a moron who was going to need help getting saved. No one could be as accomplished as her, it couldn't be denied that individuals like that were few and far between. Alem was the closest thing she had to an equal in her eyes. [b]"Okay,"[/b] she surrendered any will to stay bitter,[b] "fine, you're right, I admit it. We need to start discussing this. Ace, Shizuka, look alive."[/b] gathering their attention, she stood up and put focus on Osa, Okal, and Alem who had come over to join them. 

[b]"Allow me."[/b] Someone had spoken before Rika nearby, yet Rika was the only one to recognize the voice. Approaching the group from behind was a familiar face to the assassin; as young as she was in physical appearance and an attire of a typical schoolgirl with a dark fuku, the stare her eyes gave them implied wisdom and danger the likes of which they'd never seen. Aeva took in the various reactions and got a good look at the group before her. Assumptions had been made previously, yet it was good to measure who they were in front of someone who knew more than they. Some held curiosity, others guarded themselves in subtle ways. [b]"Rika, good to see you again." [/b]

[b]"Sup,"[/b] Rika brought her hands to her hips, surprisingly keen at her arrival. [b]"I have the feeling you've been monitoring us this entire time though."[/b]

[b]"Correct. Congratulations, all of you, on defeating the Empire and liberating this world ...some of you worked much harder than others, but the important thing is that you've gotten results."[/b] Aeva brushed her black hair aside and diverted her attention off to the east, where moments later a disturbance could be heard. [b]"Don't mind that, Pepper is just cleaning up for us."[/b] the dark woman looked to Ace with a disappointed expression.[b] "Don't call yourself a leader if you cannot formulate a plan when things change. Agrabah is won, it's time you move on. Head to the Caribbean." [/b]