Akashic Arcana Still as the Ocean

0rganist

Eternal Wanderer of the Plains
@OmegaRper42

1:39 A.M


The tall figure seemed to become one with the dimly lit streets near the docks. The smoke from Rene's cigarette was the only splotch of white in the pitch black darkness that surrounded him; his steps caused the puddles of water to ripple and make his presence known to anyone surrounding the area close enough to hear. He hated doing dock patrol, mostly out of despise for the scum that would hang about the docks. Nothing boiled his blood more than the criminals that would get away with anything just because they knew how to hide in the woodwork.

With a small huff slipping from his lips he tossed the butt of his cigarette aside, the small sizzle of the flame meeting the water sounded soothing just for a second before his eyes fell upon a figure in the distance near the cargo crates. The sound of the waves slowly crashing against the beach and pier made the spotting of the figure the more eerie; his pace quickened as he slid his hands into his coat's pockets. His breath creating a small cloud of warm air in front of his face as he breathed quietly.

As he approached he caught glimpse of the female, she appeared to be just hanging around... at this hour?

"Hey," he said loudly enough to catch her attention, stopping far enough that the space between them was only about fifteen feet, "Are you okay?"
 
The woman in the light causally played with her hair the soothing sounds of the ocean making her sleepy. Just a few hours ago Aife had been in a warm bar drinking it up and making small talk with a rather strange but handsome bartender, Grimm. Moans from behind her makeshift seat caused her to snap out of a flashback just as quick as it was about to start. "Gee, just walk it off I didn't hit you that hard." The person she chided has several bruises that covered his face from a few jabs, his ribs also sounded bruised from his horsed breathing due to a causal roundhouse. He wasn't the only one. Behind him laid several dozens of criminals looking to mug or do worse to what they thought was a helpless drunk woman.

Her legs hung in the air as she rested her head on her arms. "It's really cold." Now wishing she brought a jacket that would cover her navel area but quickly dismissed the thought, after all she loved the mobility her fashion sense gave her. Just durable enough to defend but light enough to move.. Well the weights on her hands and feet were not light at all but she could still move faster than the human eye. Stretching her arms "Maybe I can get some money from these clowns for a hotel or something."

"Hey,"

She frozen mid-stretch her attention was not fifteen feet away. She couldn't see him all to well in the darkness, a closer look was needed and in just a second before he could finish the rest of what he was going to say Aife was already in front of him. "Heya!" She said rather warmly, "Names Aife whats yours?"
 
Ren looked at the woman puzzled by the way she seemed to act, was she drunk? Answering his own question with doubts, he took a small step back before offering a bow of his head as he cleared his throat before speaking, the smell of smoke still lingering about him, "My name is Rene, I'm the Captain of the Student Council Defense."

He was a rather emotionless looking man, his face showed a couple healing bruises along his jaw and cheekbones; his tired eyes seemed almost empty as he looked over her. The air felt cold around him which made him question the reason she was dressed in such a summer-esque fashion. With a raised brow he leaned closer to her as to examine her pupils, trying to determine whether she was under the influence of some substance.

"Why would you be out at these hours and by yourself?" he asked mindlessly as his light coloured eyes traced her face.
 
Her smile never faltered, in fact, it got even bigger almost like a child's smile on Christmas. Scratching the back of her head the metal claws making effective nails, "Oh Dang! I must have lost track of the time. You see I just got back from Japan and when I arrived some goons jumped me, I guess they thought that I was still drunk or something, that I would be easy pickings." She motioned towards the various bodies of beaten up goons. "We ironed everything out though, they won't be trying to jump anyone anytime soon." She was now walking in circles around Rene either trying to measure him up or just because out of a hyperactive need to move. It looked to be the latter with her face being as innocent and naive as one could be, but behind that was a very calculating girl trying to see if this man could offer her some fun if it came to blows.

His empty gaze did admittedly give her the bit of the creeps, it could also be that he did seem to be taller than her which while not very rare was still something that she found fascinating. "Damn your tall.... Also seems like your no stranger to danger." She sing-songed the latter. One would think just by her cheery mood that she was on something, almost as if she was reading his mind she also said. "I'm not high I'm just jolly."
 
Ren's eyes drew towards the men sprawled unconsciously on the concrete floor near the crate he had found Aife sitting on. His eyebrow slightly raised in curiosity as she proceeded to circle him like a hungry wolf around a deer, yet, his body posture did not change; He stood still, his senses trying to pick up every sound she would make as she walked around him.

He pulled another cigarette out of the carton he kept in his coat's pocket and placed it in his mouth before lighting it with a zippo lighter he flicked open with the same hand, taking a small drag before he spoke, "I'm a Captain of the D.D," he stopped as he took yet another drag, "it would be rather absurd to be in such a position and look like I'm made of untouched porcelain, no?"

His eyes met hers as she remarked her current state of mind, jolly not high. "I'm glad you realize how bizarre it is to run across a half dressed female that casually picks on men and joyfully teases at a stranger," he said with a voice that hinted that he was perhaps teasing her, however admittedly it would be hard for anyone to tell with Ren's tone and accompanying emotionless expression.
 
Cocking her head to the right side of her body, clearly confused at the, "it would be rather absurd to be in such a position and look like I'm made of untouched porcelain, no?" line. True it might have been a figure of speech for something but for the life of her she could not figure out what he was trying to say. "Yeah.. I guess it would look rather bonkers." She decided it was best not to dwell on the manner. Rene's still formed as she surveyed him told her that he had very acute senses and was confident he could take her despite her display of speed when he first got her attention. But even clearing fifteen feet in under a second wasn't her limit.

She scoffed at the accusation of her dress, it was a playful scoff Aife wasn't one to lose her temper and to an extent, she knew that her fashion sense was weird but half dressed just seemed silly. "My you have a perverted imagination," She said in a sly cute voice, true she was teasing him now but she always figured her teasing wasn't spiteful or mean. Just in good fun. "Half-dressed? My, I'll have you know that this is just my battle suit. This is top of the line fabric, made of enchanted leather making it as strong as iron and as flexible as paper." Seeing his emotionless gaze, interpreting it as unamused she just shrugged "But if you say its half dressed than I guess there is one thing left to do." She extended her hand and then dramatically zipped her top. She then stood triumphant in a 'Tada' sorta of way.
 
Ren's lips curled into a small smile, which was something that not happened very often if at all, as she explained the complexities of her gear promptly finishing her sentence with a rather peculiar stance almost as if she were looking for some sort of praise from him.

"I would recommend heading back to the dormitories," he said before finishing his third cigarette of the night, sliding his hands back into his pockets right as he tossed the cigarette butt aside. "Unless you plan on picking another fight with some poor drunk bastard?"
 
Aife enjoyed the fact she got the clearly hardened man to smile at her antics, anytime she could make someone smile or be in awe of her abilities she considered a win. Her strangely yellow followed the cigaret butt, with her enhanced perception she could see it as if it was frozen in midair the sparks from the cigaret seeming like little red stars surrounding the grounded up cylinder. Seeing things in slow motion, seemed to make one appreciate the beauty of things, the unseen art of everything around them... But to Aife it was just stagnate, slowly dying inside and out unable to live up to the fullest potential because it waited... Aife struck the butt mid-air but maybe to Ren it would look like the Cigar just exploded due to a magical power she had. "Sorry." Still smiling sweetly but clear her tone became more melancholy. "Best not to litter the waves. Environmentalist's would be on your ass if one found this out." Walking towards the crate her wallet still on the edge but she mumbled something out, something she didn't intend to be audible. "Well. Drunken goons are rather boring anyway, I need a real challenge to test my metal."
 
Rene's eyes drew to Aife as the cigarette he had tossed seemed to explode in mid air; hinting at the kind of magic the yellow-eyed woman may be capable of. Maybe her magic was based on matter-distortion? The answer to that he did not know, but it was not worth asking, really.

"I can walk you on your way back," he mumbled as he spun on the ball of his foot, giving his back to her as she headed towards the crate he had found her sitting on, "not to protect you, mostly to protect the people that may cross you," he said again in a tone that perhaps hinted at teasing.

Ren's headed the way he had come from, the dark street embracing him as the temperature felt colder than it did before. The crashing waves became a little muffled as the air softly blew by, "Have you considered joining the DD? If you actually want to fight someone worth fighting, that is the place to go." He didn't want to sound like he was marketing the Division, but her comment (though muffled and barely audible) sounded almost as if she was bored with fighting drunks and anyone else that would take her bait.
 
Aife this time didn't smile, finding the comment a little insulting she instead frowned. "Hey! I don't start my fight unless its someone that is strong. they just sorta... happen. Besides, their not hospital ready." A groan from the pile started to say something. "You bitch..." Suquintly this man was next to Aife who was stretching her legs, that little comment he made earned him a small punch to the face knocking him out cold. "Hay! Watch your fucking language you bitch boy!"

Aife paused mid-stretch, clearly in deep though over the not so well done marketing. "hmmm. What would I be expected to do?" She asked while slumping on a nearby light post intrigue on her face.
 
He smiled at her response once again, this girl proved to be as entertaining as she looked. Rene turned around just enough to look at her with interest in his eye, "Fight one of the captains for your exam, and if you make it in, you get to basically be a cop. Fight bad guys and what not, train with your teammates... all that great stuff you seem to seek..." he said before turning around at walking away knowing full and well it would take her less than a second to catch up.

"I personally love a good fight," he said quietly as he looked up at the cloudy night sky, "...but it's not often I get to do exams, I prefer to not do them."
 
Aife was known for her impulsive decisions. To call her brash would be an understatement, she was utterly impatient when it came to certain actions. Yet there was the rare occurrence when she felt she needed to take a step back and carefully assess the situation. For about 6 seconds. The prospect of being able to train with powerful students and keep the school safe sounded too good to pass up. The part about Exams went in one ear and out the other as she instantly appeared to the side hooking her arm around his. "You really know how to persuade a lady." A joyful grin spread across her face again the light from the lamps making her seem to sparkle with excitement.
 
A small hint of red crept across his nose, yet another unusual response from the emotionless Captain. Though, admittedly it was not everyday random girls he came across at the harbor would hook their arm around his own, which threw him off.

Clearing his throat he proceeded to talk, "I really was just answering your question," he looked down at her, "however, I'm sure that you would be a nice fit in the DD, at least you have the determination that it takes." The latter is really what mattered, entering the Division was the easy part, lasting in it is what presented the actual challenge. Even Ren himself often questioned his reason for remaining in it, but the mere respect he felt for Bjorn was enough for him to remain within the Division.

"I'm surprised you didn't apply earlier or even showed interest in it," he broke the small silence that had built. The awkwardness slowly setting in with the quiet night atmosphere.
 
The red that appeared on the hard looking face made Aife giggle a little. Just by engaging in close contact with Rene she had managed to make the man, who seemed every bit as hard-boiled as... Well a hard-boiled egg. "Yeah. Loads of tenacity in this body," Pointing at herself with her thumb. "Ever since I was a brat I've been rather energetic.... Will there be any medical checks?" The change in tone was almost like a whip-lash. She figured that they would give her something resembling a physical, in fact, it was something those who signed up for any police duty had to do.

"Ah... Hehe. Don't laugh... But I didn't sign up before because. I kinda, sorta didn't know what the DD was." Some humor in her tone crept up, along with an honest sheepishness. She had heard the initials before but never once bothered to ask what it meant. On instinct, she grasped his arm tighter her chest slightly pressing against his arm, hoping that would distract from her previous questioning of medical checks. Aife didn't feel like going into a history listen to why... She wanted to hold it off for as long as she could.
 
He looked at her with curiosity as she had brought up the medical exam, it wasn't much of a big deal and it was usually performed by one of the doctors that the Academy worked closely with. However it was not a question most new recruits asked right off the bat, which is what made him look at him questioningly, "Yes, the medical exam is done prior to the main exam," he answered cautiously as if trying to catch her reaction to his answer, "It's not a rigorous exam by any means, just blood work and the basic physical material."

Ren noticed as the young woman held onto his arm tighter to her, the warmth of her skin basically radiating through the thick material of his coat; The feeling was enough for his gaze to go back to their path. He was no one to question Aife over her interest in the medical exam, and even if he wanted to push it, he wouldn't know the results anyway. That would be information only disclosed to Bjorn unless it were of absolute importance... which he doubted it was. After all, Aife was the same girl that took on a group of men by herself.
 
'Stupid stupid stupid!' She mentally chastised herself, the topic of the medical examination only seemed to sour her mood a little more even the smile she wore was dimming slightly. Sure a blood test would not be enough information for them too.... Know. What she has, she really didn't like things that even remotely brought it to her attention. Her trips to the nurse when it is needed always made her feel blue and sicker than she was. No one really knows how to cure a shortened life-span.

"Oh. Is that all? Curiosity and all, it sounds absolutely. Peachy'. " It was clear to anyone that had eyes or ears that the topic of medical history deeply troubled Aife, in fact it was akin to her as a very mild case of PTSD. But, still invasive of her personal life when the topic of doctors came up.
 
The shift in her tone of voice caught Rene by surprise, had he said something wrong? He replayed what he had just said in his head for a moment, allowing for their steps being the only thing breaking the silence that had formed. He struggled with what he could've possibly said to have the spunky Aife drop her jolly tone.

"I apologize if I said anything that displeased you," he apologized without noting the shift in her tone. It was typical of him to have his apologies distributed almost as a requirement rather than an actual regret, "it was not my intention; I thought I was merely answering a question."
 
Even the impulsive and let's face it tone deaf Aife could pick up on how she just sounded. 'O great, you are really going to do this again. With a stranger who is offering you a kick-ass job.' Her tone quickly changed as she let go of his arm and faced him with a pleasant smile yet apologizing smiling; walking backward as she faced him. "No no no. You didn't sa-- Didn't-- mean anything of it." She fiddled with her fingers the metallic clinking mixed with the soothing sounds of the ocean. "It's complicated." She finally admitted. "Just that medical stuff is kinda a, touchy subject for me." Saying no more she latched back onto his arm as if nothing happened. "It's friggin freezing."
 
Ren looked at the smiling female with his ever emotionless features facing her as she explained her reaction, the clinking of the metal claws that covered her hands filling the silence that had formed between the two momentarily as even the sea seemed to have quieted down as the night progressed.

"To an extent," he replied to her reasoning, "I understand. Doctors aren't my favorite either, I dread visiting them. Let alone letting them touch me." It was strange for him to throw random facts about himself out, but it felt necessary to an extent as to try and comfort this girl who seemed to

He pursed his lips as he slid his arms out of his coat, the cold air making small goosebumps creep up the side of his forearms as he offered it to Aife, "If you plan on entering the D.D you need to be top shape and usually the sniffles are not top shape."
 
Aife stared at Ren as he was voicing his own disapproval of doctors, her face matching his in the sheer lack of emotion it held. Thinking about what he just revealed to her she only nodded in understanding. "You know I hate the most about the doctors. Shots. Just the waiting and anxiety, it gets to ya." Chuckling a bit at her own joke hoping that it could get rid of the tension she felt growing ever so slightly on this topic.

Seeing him take off his jacket and offer it to her made her strangely start to feel warmer, especially around the face. "Thanks... I guess. You not afraid of the sniffles?" She joked as she put the jacket on over her. It wasn't too big or too long and felt very warm, possibly from Rene's own body heat. "Right D.D here we come!"
 
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