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[color=C41E3A][i]"At the same time of Ash- ...Wait, no, it's Olivia's post."[/i][/color]

The mech continued to stomp its way through Pax Septimus with a feline-riding detective in hot pursuit. She looked quite small from atop the mech, even if it was only fifteen or so feet tall. 

[b]”Timekeeper! I’ll rescue you!”[/b]

Finn was hoisted higher into the air, and a hatch on the top of the mech opened up. Sharr popped her head out and looked up at the lad. [color=e3bbc6]”Oh, that can’t be comfortable.”[/color] She stretched out her hands. [color=e3bbc6]”Don’t be scared.”[/color] The mech dropped Finn into Sharr’s arms, and she pulled him inside the mech. Sharr slid down a ladder as the hatch shut and the two were safely inside. She released the boy and kept one hand on the ladder. [color=e3bbc6]”That should give us some privacy. How about you get strapped into the cockpit?”[/color]

[color=7F2A3C]"You better be knowing what you're doing, Aria!"[/color] Despite his hesitance, it [i]did[/i] seem like the woman wasn't here to shoot him or something for ditching GEMINI, so that's fortunate. Though he couldn't assume anything yet. Finn quickly moved to sit at the cockpit. He hadn't been in here since they had last worked on fixing the mech, so he couldn't help his curiously glancing around the interior.  

[color=7F2A3C]"But at least I should thank you for stepping in! I didn't think anyone would genuinely be searching for me."[/color] Not that the boy was wanting to be found right now.

[color=e3bbc6]”I thought finding you would be difficult, but you were just there. Luck must be smiling on you for us to meet completely by chance at such a moment.”[/color] Sharr giggled. [color=e3bbc6]”Well, I only needed the mech to make my escape. I think you'll need it now more than I will.”[/color]

[color=6ecff6][b]“Hey, long time no see.”[/b][/color] Someone called out from below. 

Soon as Finn heard that voice, he swore he could feel his heart jump. It couldn't be. It had been so long he figured she ether got killed or got sick of him. The boy hesitantly, almost fearfully, turned in the direction of...

[color=e3bbc6]”Ahh, I almost forgot. I ran into one of your friends earlier. She's presently in the co-pilot seat. Perhaps you recognize her voice?”[/color] Sharr grinned.

[color=7F2A3C][sub]"K-Klava...?"[/sub][/color] There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. He still couldn't trust Ari- Er, [i]Sharr[/i], but if there was still some hope that someone he had regarded as a mentor was alive this whole time?

[color=6ecff6][b]“Did you say something? I couldn't hear over the engine, Or maybe Miss smugs-a-lot's lead head is blocking the sound.”[/b][/color] Yes, that was Klava.

[color=e3bbc6]”This is what I get for helping a stranger.”[/color] Sharr shrugged her shoulders. [color=e3bbc6]”Anyway, I'll let ol' Rime Rose, Frost Maiden, Klava, whatever you want to call her, I'm sure she can explain everything.”[/color] She climbed back up the ladder. [color=e3bbc6]”Just outrun this feline riding delinquent. I'll keep the witch busy.”[/color] And with that, Sharr climbed out of the mech and dove off. Sure enough, Brittany changed course to go after the escaped Gemini reasercher.

Oh. Okay, uh, [s]Aria[/s] Sharr was leaving him to drive the plane so to speak. Cool. Hopefully he wouldn't cause [i]too[/i] much damage outside. Finn focused on piloting the mech, steering through more narrow and crowded paths to outrun their remaining pursuer. But something still ate at him.

[color=7F2A3C]"Klava, I-I thought you died. What happened?"[/color] He asked the maiden.

[color=6ecff6][b]“I’m sort of a badass. You thought I’d let furry Sofron kill me?”[/b][/color] Klava relinquished control of the mech as soon as Finn took over. [color=6ecff6][b]“It was a closer call than most. Sofron and I took a dip in the ocean, and it was a little cold. We probably should have died, but he’s just as badass as I am so we were able to make it back to shore. We talked a bit and we both decided we were too good for our former employers, which is when I met the goat man y’see. After that, well, I think we both know what happens after that, eh?”[/b][/color] 

[color=7F2A3C][i]"You're working for the Bookman too?!"[/i][/color] Finn seemed to brighten up, immediately catching on to what Klava was implying. For once in a long while, the boy genuinely grinned. [color=7F2A3C]"That's great! We can actually work together again!"[/color]

[color=6ecff6][b]“We’re freelancers, we get to work with whoever we want.”[/b][/color] Klava unbuckled her harness. Finn couldn’t see her, but he could hear her scrambling up to the hatch. It popped open and, without revealing herself, she lobbed a snowball out of the hatch. 

[b]”Whoa!”[/b] Sammy’s cat swerved to avoid it, but the snowball detonated and caused everything nearby to acquire a layer of frost. It didn’t freeze anything solid, but both cat and rider were quite slippery now. This was to say nothing of the ground. [b]”A complication![/b] The teenage detective was struggling to stay mounted, but her feline was struggling to maintain traction. The cat fell on its side, Sammy rolled off her mount, and the two slid to a stop while Finn made his escape. 

[color=6ecff6][b]“I was the one who told you to work for Gemini. Figured you’d be back in the faction dating pool sooner rather than later.”[/b][/color] The hatch closed and she swiftly returned to her seat. [color=6ecff6][b]“Speaking of dates, that all worked out okay for ya? She was still alive last time I checked.”[/b][/color]

[color=7F2A3C]"...You don't wanna know.[/color] He sighed, grimacing. Would've told her how it really went, but at this rate, he couldn't really bother. Did he really just not understand how any of it worked? Or was he just misread, like usual?

[color=7F2A3C]"If I'm gonna be honest with you, I don't think I'm cut out for...well, dating and stuff. Betty deserves better than something like me. And I'm starting to think I don't really feel any romantic attraction in general?"[/color] Finn confided to Klava. [color=7F2A3C]"I'm not sure. Probably not gonna be sure for a while."[/color]

[color=6ecff6][b]“Your balls haven’t even dropped yet. You still need to start your playboy arc once you hit eighteen. Just ignore your parents and keep experimenting until you find something that works, mkay?”[/b][/color] Klava finished buckling herself in. She had never really thought too hard about long term relationships. People changed too quickly, and today’s heartthrob was tomorrow’s icky ex. [color=6ecff6][b]“Probs best to to keep your distance for some time, yea? Don't get tied down to someone if you’re going to play around with goat guy’s sort. Hopefully Gemini doesn’t harass Bets too much on account of you doing this.”[/b][/color] Maybe that wasn’t the right thing to say to someone who perpetually hated themselves, but there were no undo buttons in life. 

If there were, she’d have suggested Finn tap his a few times. 

[color=6ecff6][b]“So now that you’re the proud owner of a giant war robot, where are we going?”[/b][/color]

Finn hummed in thought. [color=7F2A3C]"Well, Bookman said they've already arranged for me a place to stay, so guess I gotta look for it."[/color] The boy shrugged. [color=7F2A3C]"Also maybe somewhere to park this damn thing. Wanna keep trying to tune it up to where no one notices it used to be built with tractors, hah."[/color]

[color=6ecff6][b]“Yea, I know the place. It's probably the same one that he offered me. There's a huge parking garage right beside it, so we just gotta shake everyone that's following you.”[/b][/color] Klava looked at her radar on the HUD. [color=6ecff6][b]“Which must have just been that cat riding highschooler.”[/b][/color]

[Color=7F2A3C]"[i]Cat riding[/i]...?"[/color] Finn trailed off, the way that was describe seemed a bit jarring to him, then sighed. [color=7F2A3C]"Espers are weird. Right, let's get outta here!"[/color]