Emette surveyed the landscape, the wind blowing her white hair behind her. She frowned, noticing some rather calm cockatrices not too far away. If it wasn't obvious before, something was definitely in the air now. She rubbed her arms as she followed Aloa, who continued as if nothing was wrong. In a way, Aloa's determination was admirable with no signs of stopping. The viera truly were a force to be reckoned with--which begged the question of why someone so spiritually in tune with Ivalice would be out here doing so much on her own.

Aloa came to a stop as she knelt down once more. As Emette was about to question her, she took notice of the mounds in the sand. Likely monsters waiting to spring up on them. As she readied for a battle, Aloa shook her head at her, uncovering one of the mounds closest to them. She was shocked to see the Yensa there, still. Emette would kneel down as well, inspecting it carefully.

"[color=plum]Recall how mist effects the body,[/color]" Aloa said as she would stand. "[color=plum]Its wickedness is far stronger than I thought. And yet...we haven't reached the heart.[/color]"

"[color=mistyrose]What madness...[/color]" Emette would stand as well. "[color=mistyrose]Does it seek to drain Ivalice of all life?[/color]"

"[color=plum]Chaos needs no reason to function,[/color]" She reminded her, placing a hand on her hip.
[hr]
It wouldn't open.

At first she had assumed that Shion herself had simply locked her in, but after trying to get out, Emiri discovered the handle was jammed. She was trapped, with no amount of calling or knocking getting anyone's attention. Likely, a majority of them were out on the balcony, leaving only the possibility of either Jaakuna or Savayna noticing. Of course, knowing Savayna, she was likely to still be beating some sense into Jaakuna. Letting out a groan, she gave up for the moment and would simply sit on the floor.

The closet was dimly lit, small, but big enough she could sit comfortably. It looked more like some sort of place for records; she suddenly wondered if it was okay for her to be around such things. She couldn't hear much of what was happening outside, but the quietness was comforting. She was alone with her thoughts for the first time in a while, and if she was going to stay stuck, she may as well sort through them.

Of course, frustration was foremost in nearly everything she thought about. Once again, she had let herself walk right into the enemy's plans. Admittedly, she never imagined Keiran working for Levi of all people, though perhaps his so called loyalty to Venat was one of convenience. Technically, Levi [I]was[/I] the one who created him. But while she somewhat expected a betrayal, perhaps she thought he had changed his mind. She absentmindedly rubbed her arm where the markings had appeared, and shuddered. Was she just going to always be in the way? Was everyone right?

'[color=mediumpurple]Why don't you just do us all a favor and kill--[/color]'

[I][color=pink]Yourself.[/color][/I] Emiri was certain of Cassandra's words.

[I][color=springgreen]Well, dying would certainly solve a few problems. But it'd cause a lot, too.[/color][/I]

And there was the other issue of [I]that[/I]. Taking in a deep breath, Emiri closed her eyes in concentration. [I][color=pink]Welcome back.[/color][/I]

[I][color=springgreen]Well, are you going to listen to her or not?[/color][/I] The voice chided her. [I][color=springgreen]I'm sure if you look around you can find something nice and sharp. I don't think anyone's noticed you're in here, so...why not?[/color][/I]

[I][color=pink]You're a very crappy conscience.[/color][/I]

[I][color=springgreen]You're the one thinking about it! So if you're gonna bitch about it so much, then just do it![/color][/I]

Emiri opened her eyes, her hand reaching into her boot. An old habit she couldn't break, and as she pulled the slim dagger from it, she held it in her hands. The voice had a point. If she was going to sit around and complain, if she was just going to continue getting in the way, there really wasn't any point. She sat up properly, holding her dagger in her hands and pointing it towards herself. For some reason, there wasn't any fear. Wow, did she really hold herself to such a low standard?

Shutting her eyes, she moved to stab herself, only to get interrupted at the last second. [I][color=springgreen]Try not to get any blood on the papers, we wouldn't want to inconvenience anyone,[/color][/I] The voice told her cheerfully. [I][color=springgreen]Oh, you think Nadeline will name the baby after you? No, wait, that'd be too cliché. Hmm...well, if you're dead, then Jaakuna can marry someone worth his while! And then world peace can be achieved![/color][/I]

"[color=pink]Gee, thanks![/color]" Emiri huffed out loud. "[color=pink]What the hell is wrong with you?![/color]"

[I][color=springgreen]No, what's wrong with [u]you[/u]?! Seriously, you really think taking the coward's way out is going to do anyone any good?![/color][/I] She suddenly found herself on the receiving end. [I][color=springgreen]What happened to not running away anymore?! Do you have any clue how much you'd hurt your friends if they finally got that door open only to find you dead in here? Listen to Shion! Get your shit together! Put on your big girl pants and say 'fuck you' to the world! Yeah, you've made mistakes, but it's not about what you've done, it's about what you'll [u]do[/u] from here on out![/color][/I]

Something about the way the voice spoke was oddly familiar. Why couldn't she quite put her finger on it? "[color=pink]If I get myself out of here, you're telling me who you are,[/color]" She stated as she stood up.

[I][color=springgreen]Yeah...no, it's jammed from the inside, you're not going anywhere until someone else gets you out.[/color][/I] The voice corrected her as she stuck the dagger onto the gap in the door, trying once again to get out. [I][color=springgreen]But that's the spirit! Keep it up![/color][/I]

"[color=pink]Why won't you just tell me who you are?[/color]" She asked as she struggled with the handle once more. "[color=pink]Why go the 'mysterious' route?[/color]"

[I][color=springgreen]Don't worry, we're going to meet soon,[/color][/I] That definitely threw her for a loop. [I][color=springgreen]Listen, they're coming for you again. You mustn't run away--things are going to look bad, but it'll all be okay.[/color][/I]

"[color=pink]How do I know I can believe you?[/color]"

[I][color=springgreen]There's no way to know. But I'm serious! Oh, don't turn the dagger that way, it'll--[/color][/I]

A painful sounding 'thunk' was heard. The handle wouldn't even move anymore. [I][color=pink]Uh oh.[/color][/I] Panic ensued, though she resorted to banging on the door.

[I][color=springgreen]Have fun with that~[/color][/I]
[hr]
Grant was entirely confused to the reasoning behind Wesley's laughter, although he resigned himself, something else occupying his thoughts. "[color=darkorchid]Not that I doubt Shion's power or anything, but I have to wonder why exactly Venat wants to get rid of Shion so badly. Now that she's passed on the Sigil, you would think his first course of action is to get rid of Jaakuna. Furthermore, it's as if they don't care about Emiri anymore, either. What exactly are they planning?[/color]"

"[color=coral]How do you know he wants to get rid of her?[/color]" Nadeline asked him, frowning.

"[color=darkorchid]Oh, right--I thought Igeyorhm had come for Jaakuna, but I was mistaken. He said as much,[/color]" He explained.

"[color=coral]And...he just told you?[/color]" She asked, surprised.

"[color=darkorchid]He isn't their most intelligent. His fighting is as entirely different story--I fear if Wesley hadn't caught him off guard, we may have been in trouble even with my awakening,[/color]" He told her, hand to his chin. "[color=darkorchid]I hate to admit it, but he's going to cause us trouble the next time we cross paths--or rather, he's going to cause quite the commotion in Archades.[/color]"

"[color=coral]We should head there ourselves![/color]" Nadeline insisted. She stopped as she heard her father whimper. "[color=coral]Oh, Father, don't take it personally, it's just--there's so much that needs to be done![/color]"

Taking in a breath, Grant had to brace himself for the repercussions of what he was about to say. "[color=darkorchid]She has a point. Wesley and I should get going, I'm sure we can still catch a flight to Archades,[/color]" He said, crossing his arms.

Nadeline looked just about ready to hit him. "[color=coral]Excuse me?[/color]" She confronted him immediately. "[color=coral]My hearing must be leaving me, what do you mean 'Wesley and I'?[/color]"

"[color=darkorchid][i]You[/I] can get a flight to Rabanastre,[/color]" Grant remained steady, surprising her. "[color=darkorchid]You heard me, if Igeyorhm is going to Archades, I'm sure there's going to be another battle. Actually, with the conclusion of the treaty, there's going to be nothing but fighting from here on out.[/color]"

Karolina placed her hands on Nadeline's shoulders. "[color=orange]He's saying that it's time for you to focus on yourself,[/color]" She told her soothingly.

"[color=coral]I can handle myself just fine,[/color]" Nadeline countered. "[color=coral]Not to mention Reia is in Archades as well. You're not getting rid of me yet.[/color]"