Mirany rolled her eyes for what was neither the first, nor, she thought unhappily, the last time at Gideon's undue self-important blathering. She returned her attention to her maps, vaguely noting the others' arrival and their familiar banter in the back of her mind until Nero spoke to her directly.

 	[color=ed1c24]"While I appreciate your efforts as usual, I think we're going by airship. Although, a topographical map could be a good idea come to think of it."[/color]

	She blushed as she looked back down at the table. [i]Of course we're not [b]walking[/b] there, you idiot.[/i] Even after three years, she was still unused to the perks of being a member of the Kingsglaive. Airships. Weapons. Food. 

	Mentally she shook her head. Now wasn't the time to hold a pity party for herself over her poor upbringing. It was then she noticed the cheeseburger and lemonade Dianthe had brought her. She smiled. Dianthe still didn't know what her favorite food was, just like the others, but somehow she had figured out that Mirany adored lemonade. She directed her small grin at the redhead as she picked up the plastic cup and took a long sip from the straw.

	Nero began speaking through a bite of his pizza and Mirany turned her attention to him. She took a few bites of her cheeseburger as she listened, but didn't finish it. It wasn't really her thing, but she wanted to show Dianthe she appreciated the gesture.

	As Nero continued to speak, Mirany realized she had forgotten to change into her uniform. [i]It really has been a while. I've gotten sloppy.[/i] Sneaking quietly to the locker room, she dressed quickly while listening to Nero's loud voice echoing from the meeting room. He was just finishing up his speech when she returned, strapping her dagger to her side. Everyone stood, and Gideon piped up again. Mirany braced herself.

	[color=fff200]"Right then, let's be on our way. Incidentally I'd like to remind everyone that I'm still leading in kills/knockouts by seven, so, you know, step it up for this one."[/color]

	She didn't even bother rolling her eyes at that one.

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	Mirany polished her dagger to occupy herself on the flight, studiously ignoring Gideon's obvious glee at being on a mission again. She didn't look up from her work while Nero gave the re-briefing on the gravity gauntlets, though she listened intently, relieved that he was refreshing her memory. Beyond the circuitry she encountered on a near-daily basis through her job, she was pretty unversed in the world of technology, having lived on the streets for so long. Wires and switches she could understand; having them physically in front of her meant that she could see just how everything connected to make a light turn on. But the so-called "intuitive" controls of today's gadgets and gizmos--these were foreign to her.

	Finally, they reached the airspace over the palace courtyard and it was time to exit the airship. Mirany's heart fluttered anxiously in her chest. She didn't relish the thought of just hopping right out into the air and falling hundreds of feet, even if she did have a magic glove that controlled gravity. She gave a last glance at Blair sitting across from her. Her face was unreadable as always, but Mirany thought that maybe she was a little nervous too, and the notion was oddly comforting. Resolved, Mirany put away her polishing cloth and resheathed her dagger.

	After Nero and Gideon propelled themselves out the airship door with typical bravado, Mirany unbuckled herself from her seat and stood. Nervously, she readjusted her gauntlet and walked to the open door. Pulling her mask over her face, she took a deep breath and stepped out into the open air without hesitation. Her stomach did somersaults in her abdomen, but she steadily kept her body ramrod straight as she dropped from the airship. She felt her braid lift from her neck and sway violently in the wind. She scanned the courtyard as she fell and selected the knight directly across from the door as her target. She shifted a bit in the air, directing her descent toward the guard. She gauged her distance, waiting, then snapped her fingers abruptly. She kicked out at the back of the man's head as soon as she reached him, knocking him out cold, and neatly landed beside his crumpled figure in a crouch. Looking up, she saw that Nero and Gideon had taken care of the guards on either side of the wall. She stood swiftly and jogged over to join them.