[H1][color=f7941d]Mara[/color][/h1]

Thinking too much..? Was dancing really just letting go of herself? Was it just like this..? All Mara knew was fighting, was swinging her scythe like dancing? It spun her around, kind of like what Eleyna was doing to her. Now that she knew that, Mara felt the restricting pressure and nervousness fall away. She closed her eyes and imagined her weapon in her hands; not having the weight was going to throw her off, but she also would be able to go faster. Mara could see a vast battlefield before her. She rolled her head, loosening the tight muscles. Repeating the process through her body, just as she did every morning before practice.

If you looked away, you might have missed the small yet sadistic smile that crossed Marmalade's lips. Before her was not the crowd of onlookers, but a gang of enemies that she needed to defeat. Her arms went up, arced to the right to create a powerful upward slice. The rest of it came naturally as she slipped out of battle and into a calm but enthusiastic dance. Elayna had been right. She had been thinking too much about what she was required to do. Despite making a show of her combat skilled, Mara was actually having fun. This dancing business wasn't so bad after all. The crowd was equally surprised. Some tension still lingered, but most of it had melted away. Finally, they saw her as more than a fish girl. More than an abomination. As an equal.

[H1][color=0072bc]Kest[/color][/h1]

Kest was much faster than the grunt wielding the dagger, able to parry his attacks with ease. The other one was much quicker. The punching dagger he brought with him was simple and straight; there would be no way he could attack with his weapon. He gritted his teeth as he began to tire. Why wasn't that kid he brought helping them?
[color=0072bc][b]An opening![/b][/color]
Just as he blocked the rapier with his own blade and moved to connect his fist with the attacker's stomach, some kind of sonic wave erupted from the girl they were fight for. He and his adversaries covered their ears, unable to handle it. Once it had gone, Vera saw to the rounding up of the thugs. 

A new person entered the area, and after some chatter, approached him.
[color=0072bc]"Yeah, not a problem."[/color] Kest said as the noble and the girl walked back toward the event. He looked at Murasame as she passed by. She looked so.. familiar. Who was she? He paused for a moment and stared at her as she walked off. He continued to watch her as he made his way over to Veragwen. 
[color=0072bc][b]Who was that girl?[/b][/color]

At Veragwen's question, Kest broke his focus and looked at her. Now that the question had been asked, he felt a sharp pain on his side. Feeling around, he winced as he found the shallow cut. He hadn't even noticed the man with the dagger get to him.
[color=0072bc]"I got hit, but its just a scratch. Besides, what man could resist coming to the aid of such a beautiful woman?"[/color] He wanted to sound tough for her, but the truth was: it hurt. A lot.