Karina was surprised that everyone agreed with her suggestion. She thought at least someone would have another opinion. Either way it was decided and everyone left, leaving her just standing there, a little upset that there ultimately was so few of them that couldn't go that it felt pointless to limit it. Now it just felt like they were sidelined because they weren't important enough for anything. Karina let out a heavy sigh before she finally just went to sit against a wall. As she did Kel walked up and asked to go check the place out for themselves and Karina just shrugged. "It is better than being the outcasts sitting out here. May as well." She said getting up again. "You have a whole group of keyblade wielder to choose from. Why can't you fill out your numbers from them?" Dawn asked as she sat back and listened to the conversation. She was the newest out of anyone here, she was sure, so she didn't know everything, but she could at least try and understand. "Or could you try and get some of these people back? I mean we have been dealing with the Red Society up to this point, but it feels like we are running in circles a bit. Lea got taken, but left Karina in charge. Karina ran from her responsibilities, again, and left Koa in charge, but in this it feels like we lost the main goal and are just running around because it is all we know what to do. Not anything against Koa, he is doing great for what he has, but there has to be more we can do."
Karina crossed her arms, she still didn't trust this. There had to be a trap somewhere in here. Either way everyone seemed to be moving forward and wanting a meeting with a select few people. Karina crossed her arms and looked towards everyone. Three SoS people, well that wasn't too hard. "I would say Beuce should go, maybe Luna and Aux would have the most knowledge on the others side." She pointed out. Karina glanced towards Kel. "No offense Kel, but that whole thing makes me think it isn't a good idea to have you going in there." She stated. Well it was good to see that Karina was doing well, but the one who had left with her was no where to be seen. That seemed a bit odd, but Dawn didn't waste too much time on it as she looked around to the group planning. "Koa, you are the leader, chose who you want to go with you. I advise not Finlay." Since joining she didn't get along well with the very loud man. She couldn't actually deal with him, he was just too... well he lacked finesse that they desperately needed sometimes. She figured for a planning meeting the only thought he would have was to run in guns blazing, that wouldn't work. There had to be better people for this.
Karina noticed Beuce and Aux return, but was too busy with the conversation with Luna to really acknowledge them. When that conversation was over and they started to head off once more, Karina found herself laughing slightly at the sight of the two of them. It certainly wasn't what she was expecting to see when Beuce originally left to go take Ven to talk to Kel, which the two of them showed up shortly after Beuce and Aux did. Karina however, had talked to a lot of people in the short amount of time they were in Traverse Town, so instead chose to keep to herself for the flight to Central Haven. Upon arriving, things seemed quiet... to much so. It was because it seemed safe that Karina summoned her keyblade to her side. "I don't trust this, it is too quiet." She whispered to the others, afraid that if she spoke too loud she would attract something that she didn't want. Last time they were here they were chased out by heartless. She glanced to Beuce's arm for a moment, then managed to put her eyes back on the surroundings. Certainly there were more somewhere waiting to jump them.
Karina crossed her hands behind her head. "It isn't like I give him a bad time because I am still holding him accountable for that stuff. He is just easy to pick on. It is rather entertaining to be honest." Karina admitted to Kaida as she let out a sigh. "I don't think my father is completely behind it, I know that he went out of his way to make things worse because he knew it would get to me. The judge was probably his choice. He wouldn't have made me watch if he wasn't entirely sure that he had the upper hand completely." Karina explained a little more logical thinking now though keeping her calm about it. "But it is fine. That place sucked, everyone is allowed to vent. I think I have done enough of it lately. I am okay now. Actually all things considered I am kinda happy." Karina admitted.
Resent her? Why would they do such a thing? Either way Karina supposed that she understood some of that sentiment given all the thoughts after the stuff with her father. "I assume you were doing something you needed to do and were not just hiding. So no, I don't resent you. That trial was bullshit and we all know it. If we resented you then you wouldn't be here right now." Karina pointed out to her. It was at least an attempt at making Kaida feel better, she didn't know if she was doing a good job, but at least she was trying to talk and actually listen to someone else's problems instead of focusing only on her own.
Karina gave a slight glance over her shoulder as Kaida began to talk to her while leaning on the back of her chair. Karina was still trying to process the comment about knowing more about the trio than they knew about themselves when Kaida came around front to better converse. Deciding it was marginally easier to just answer the last question, Karina let out a sigh, "both, I guess. I keep running through the events of the last twenty four hours in my mind, and yet I can't seem to make one logical thought about any of it. So in that sense I suppose you can say I am thinking about nothing at all." Karina explained to Kaida. "So what brings you to my space of nothingness instead of exploring the town?"
Well she didn't necessarily do the greatest at explaining things, but soon Beuce, and it seemed AJ went to take to Ven to find Kel, Karina did not feel the need to go with them. She would probably end up saying something stupid anyways knowing her. She was at least trying to be nicer, at least she didn't say what she was actually thinking. She could have said much worse things than calling Ven a dog, besides it was the best way of explaining it. Either way they were gone to figure things out and Karina sat back down in the ship and began playing with her necklace mindlessly. There was a look of contentment on her face that she didn't usually wear. The three kids were still on the ship, but last time those conversations went only so well. Instead Karina decided to just stare off into space, waiting until someone else tried to talk to her, instead of her talking to them. It would be easier that way.
Well there was a bit more to the story that Karina knew, but not well enough to feel comfortable telling Ven what happened. She let Beuce sum up what most of them would know, having not been there for any formal discussions on such things, before she answered his questions. "You were playing puppet for Nequa. I am not entirely sure what they did to you, but you had no issues attacking my and another group of non-keybladers when you were told to attack. You just did whatever you were told like a dog." Karina explained as she crossed her arms. "But you clearly aren't as dead inside now, so that is something I suppose." She added with a shrug. Didn't mean she trusted him, but he was less iffy than before at the very least.
Karina's eyes narrowed for a moment as she saw the boy was now awake. She had not had a great track record with the boy, even though she knew that he wasn't himself then. Now the kid at least didn't seem like he wanted to kill them, but Karina still had to try and let go of the past. Karina waved at Ventus as she tried to figure out what to even say about it. "Yeah, they did some weird stuff to you and you were evil for a while but you don't seem evil anymore." Karina added on as a point to make. It probably wasn't the best thing to say, but she didn't know what else to say. "But talk to Beuce, he is the better person." She then added, not bothering to even pretend to be a good person.
Scared, that was a good way to put it. Even when she didn't want to admit it, she knew that it was true. This entire journey was driven by fear, the fact that she was running from her father. However now she didn't feel scared, at all. Right now she felt safe, in Beuce's arms she felt safer than she had ever felt before. While a small itch in the back of her mind wanted to say they couldn't keep her safe, the truth was, she knew that she was. There was no room for those thoughts in this moment when it was just her and him. The hug ended far too soon as Beuce mentioned they should return. He also mentioned the fight ahead and Karina looked towards Beuce's glass arm. It was trying to fight off the heartless there that he lost his arm... It was also after that where this whole journey of emotions started for her. When Beuce took her aside and treated her to ice cream, and talked to her like a normal person. She hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but now she could put her finger on the spot where it began. "Yeah, lets go take Central Haven back. I look forward to having a place that we can return to when we need a break." Perhaps not a home, but a least it was some place to relax. "Also never call me that again, it sounds weird, like an old married couple." Karina laughed, and it was a real laugh and smile. She felt happy, and Karina discovered that she enjoyed this feeling. She wanted to feel it more, and she hoped that with the help of Beuce, it would be possible.
For all of the things that Karina was mentally preparing herself for, this was not among them. She found herself unable to come up with something to say. For everything that was going on, all the things said, she didn't have any way to reply that seemed right. There was a slight blush to her cheek as she finally found herself looking up at Beuce, meeting his eye contact. "I...I was terrified of what my life would be without you... any of you." It seemed like a good place to start, though her voice was still quiet, shaking even. After another moment Karina stood up straight and walked a little closer to Beuce. "And I am terrified of him coming back... Terrified that my father will take everything I built here. I am starting to know what it means to actually like someone, and as soon as I did he showed up, tried to make me marry someone else." By this point her hands were shaking and Karina knew that this was something different. "And when you hugged me..." Karina couldn't believe that she was letting herself start to cry. She didn't know how to explain what she had felt then. She didn't remember the last time someone held her like that, maybe when she was really young from her mother, but even those were vague memories.
As they arrived at Traverse Town, Karina didn't find herself particularly interested in doing anything, even as the three kids that they had met in Monstro approached the ship. Karina looked to the one called Riku, almost assessing where he might be now with his journey. She still worried he would take the wrong path, but didn't dare say such things to him as he seemed more concerned with the other little boy. Meanwhile Beuce was tapping on her arm. Apparently he wanted to talk, and Karina's heart squeezed as she feared the worst after all the weird things that had happened recently. Between admitting her feelings and the strange reception to that, then telling her father they were engaged, she couldn't imagine this talk going over well, but it was better to get it over with now than wait and stew on it any longer. Karina took a moment to calm herself before she started to follow Beuce out of the ship and into a nearby alleyway. As she rounded the corner, Beuce was already sitting on some boxes, as Karina found a spot against a wall to lean, keeping her eyes averted. "Alright, lets get this over with." It was best to rip the bandage off quickly and just get it over with. She didn't want to let it drag on. She just needed to know how she felt so she could shut it down as quickly as possible and get back to work because that was all she could do.
Karina was left a little baffled at how this man spoke to her. It took most people a while to want to speak to her like that, and on top of that he barely knew her to be coming up with these sorts of... assessments of her. She couldn't help but just look at him baffled for a moment before finally opening her mouth to speak again, only for him to finish what he was saying and stood, ready to leave. Karina couldn't look him in the eye, couldn't fathom how one was supposed to respond to something like that. It took her a long moment to speak, and when she did it was under her breath. "I know." That was what made it so painful. She had slowly tried to open up, but all she achieved was making things weird with Beuce and opening herself to fear that she didn't want to admit she had. This whole experience reminded her how easily everything she built could be taken away. She had opened herself up to people, and because of that nearly walked into a situation she would have regretted. It almost felt easier if they didn't care about her, because then she wouldn't feel like caring about them. If she didn't care about them there was nothing to be taken away from her, but as it stood now she stood to lose everything. Everything she built could be taken away from her, especially if her father changed his mind and decided to come at her with his full force. It was a risk she didn't want to take and yet here she was. So yeah she was defensive and a bit closed off and she didn't want Quill's help with that, because this was safe.
Well that sounded like a bit of a backhanded compliment. Sure it was true, but she had not expected him to say it so outright. With a sigh she just nodded. "Yeah, they are pretty great, the best people I have ever known." She admitted as she let out another sigh. She didn't think he would hold her fathers actions against her, but when he mentioned it was when she got worried. "Well thanks for not." Karina answered rather dryly, though she didn't think it was needed, either way it was out there now. "As for the dress, my father had to threaten me to wear it, stupid engagement dress according to him, but thanks to these friends I don't have to go through with it. For the record, whatever my father did to you was lessened because of that ship. You don't want to know the punishments that were handed out back home. But at least he is gone. Apparently they fired my father, it serves him right." She stated rather coldly.
It surprised Karina when someone else sat down and talked to her that wasn't Beuce. She figured everyone else was too busy with other things. The tapping caught her attention of who it was, though it didn't persist as the man started to actually talk to her. Karina looked back half heartedly as she studied the newest member that they were apparently bringing along with them. She didn't think she knew his name, but he remedied that pretty quickly, leaving Karina no choice than to be civil and try to hold a conversation. "That is because we are no military group." Karina started by stating, she wouldn't be here if it was. "As my dad so lovingly put it we are a group of *kupo*up's, misfits, and outcasts that are just doing what we must because what else is there for us. And then there is Luna. I don't know why she hangs around us still, but I suppose we need an anchor." Karina tried to correct the man's thinking as she rubbed her face with her hands, feeling the wear of dealing with her father now and his accusations about all of them. Karina let her words hang in the air for a moment before opening her eyes again. "You can say my world is particular... Well I suppose it is as much my family as anything else. If my father wasn't who he was then I would have never had to learn Morse code." She supposed that she should explain, but Karina found no appeal to doing so. That being said he managed to reach out to her when she was locked away, she supposed she owed him that much. "The man who ran the security, locked up my friends and all that... Well that is my father. I am Karina Xares, the outcast misfit criminal daughter of General Alex Louis Xares. He leads the military on our world... which is about all that the world is. The code was learned because my father didn't trust anything being written down. If there was a transmission and he wasn't there, I was expected to memorize it word for word and then go report to him. Haven't had to do that for a while though." She explained before turning to look back out the window. "Anyways, welcome to the group. There are some good people here, and as long as you don't treat this like a military I am sure you will fit in fine."
Karina couldn't help but sit there and watch as everyone said their goodbyes. Karina knew that not everyone had someone to say goodbye to, but she had a bitter feeling towards those who did. She found their joy or trepidation to leave something worth envying. For the first time in a long time she had seen her family, her brother and it had not gone the way she wanted. She felt like she had to leave, get away from her family. There was no loving goodbyes for her. Instead Karina quickly made her way onto the gummie ship while others finished and sat quietly just watching out the window, waiting to leave. Waiting for the nightmare that had been being on that ship to be over. Karina didn't care about any pitstops or anywhere they were heading next, as long as she was away from her family once again. She didn't need them, she had proved that. She needed her friends and said as much to her father, she just wished it was easier to walk out. Easier to believe that they were all she needed when she saw some of them, including Aux, having tearful goodbyes. Even Steel who left seemed to have his purposes, but here she was... she hated it.
Luna approached after Aislinn finished stating her intentions. Aislinn smiled broadly as she turned to face the young woman, and instantly gave her a big hug. "I am so glad that you are safe.... I was worried about you and Kel both. After everything you confided in us, the last thing I wanted to do was leave you, but I had no choice." Aislinn stated before letting Luna go. "And unfortunately I can't come with you now." Her mind was made up, but Aislinn glanced over at Luna's family, then back to her. "But you all are plenty strong without me. I will take care of things here, and you have to promise to keep everyone in shape there, and to keep your head held high, regardless of circumstances." She didn't know how Luna was doing now with the whole princess of heart thing, but she knew that she was strong. Luna would be able to manage it, and Kel was around to help so she wasn't too worried. There was a difficult battle ahead, but Aislinn had no doubts that Luna would let her light shine through despite them.
While Karina was glad to see Shiro, and still curious about the man who managed to communicate with her, so much was happening that she found herself taking a step back. She needed the time and space to clear her mind, though she did wish that it would come easier. She couldn't help but watch where the captain took her father, couldn't help but wonder what was going on behind those doors. Her father stormed out through the doors containing his disdain as he marched straight out of the auditorium pushing a guard out of the way as he did. That couldn't have been good. Karina couldn't help but smirk slightly as she watched her father, the way he was fuming with anger, enough to break that face of peacefulness and finally let his violence out, at least slightly. She found herself trailing him out, just to see what he would do next, how far he was willing to go. He stormed to the nearest elevator and pressed the UP key. He slowed down his breathing until he returned to his level headed state. His head edged to the left. "I can actually hear you staring." He bluntly replied. "I suppose you must be having a lot of gratification. Best to get your vindication now. Seeing as how you'll never get any from me." "You can hear me staring, that is impressive. You really must have messed up then." Karina stated bluntly as she watched her father from a distance, slowly gauging his movements, preparing for any movement towards her. "I wonder what you will do now, that control has slipped from your hands once more." She mused, but not in a joyful voice, but one of almost concern. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with. I lost access to a powerful resource today. But as any tactician does, I adapt and move on. Whatever is necessary... is what I'll do." The elevator door parted as it arrived. He turned to his daughter. "You're more trouble than you're worth. Too stubborn for your own good... i release you." His dismissal of her was very cold and sudden. "So go off on your little escapade and fight to your hearts content. But just remember that any good soldier knows that a war has to end. And the winners will write the story. I wonder if they'll mention you," he callously replied. "Well that is the difference isn't it?" Karina couldn't care less of her fathers dismissal. It meant nothing to her that he gave up on her, it was actually more of a relief. "I don't care if I will be mentioned. It doesn't matter, but you.... it will kill you not to be mentioned in some form, won't it? You have never been good at taking no for an answer." She stated taking a step forward before the doors could close. "But know this, if you are mentioned, it will not be in favour. You will not be the hero of the story, those roles go to people like my friends. They are some of the best people I have ever met. And though I may have lied about my relationships, I will tell you this, I like Beuce, nothing you can do will change that. As long as that is true, I would not have, and will never bend to your will and marry someone else." Because no one else could make her feel as cared for as he did and she didn't know why, but she wanted her father to know that. "Ahh yes... your 'friends.' I was able to collect enough information on your group to surmise they will only take your so far. Lets look at your heroes shall we?.." he tried to recall in his head the characters from her group. "Kaida is a member of the order, but holds little authority from it. Faust is a wandering thespian of tricks. Luna is a princess that will make you a constant target. Ananta and Andrew are part of their individual extinct race, and their observed interactions confirm as such. Castur is a care-for-nothing renegade. Aux is reformed criminal at best and Beuce... is a king without a kingdom. It only makes sense you be his queen. That way you can rule over nothing. Just as you always have." "As unspectacular as they may be, their paths give them all the more reason to fight. We both know I am no queen, so Queen over nothing suites me quite well, lets me have the freedom to live my life how I want to live it." She stated before turning away from her father to return to the group so she could do just that, live her life the way she wanted to, and she could do it with her head held high. It felt good. Well that wasn't much help from Shiro, but Aislinn found herself looking at the group, looking at Xares as he marched out, watching as Aux spoke with his sister. "I think... I think I need to stay. By the looks of things this ship is going to need some help, and the guard might need a bit of a... woman's touch." If Xares was gone then someone would need to take over leading things, and while Aislinn didn't think she could just walk up and get the role, but she could work towards change that it would need. She could leave leading their world faction to Adrian and could focus on this one thing. "By the time you come back, I will make sure things will be better." She looked to the group and vowed. She needed to stay with her family, but this would give her purpose on the ship.
Arriving at the police station Jaycob sat at his computer starting to rapidly type things into the computer trying to figure out if there was any information on friends of Rex. Perhaps between the information they had received during their briefing, and what was on file they could track down someone to at the very least start questioning. The entire thing though was vague and just a shot in the dark, even Jaycob with his vast computer skills didn't know if he could do anything here. That being said he wasn't about to express that to anyone else, instead he put on a cocky smile and cracked his knuckles. "Just watch this." He stated confidently before suddenly alarms started to go off. "There is a shoot out. I should be there in case it escalates too much. Lets go. We can get back to this later." Jaycob stated to the others as he made sure that he had his own gun and badge on him before setting up a scan and running off towards his car, his police car instead of his casual one. "Perhaps some action will help clear our minds a bit, look at things from a better angle." Jaycob continued to suggest as he ran to the door.
Well with her brother now escorting her mother away, Karina was left a bit shaken. She didn't really know what to do with X-ray, but she didn't think he was worth killing, at least not yet. Other than that there was a bit of a void of silence, despite the chatter of children in the background. She felt bad for her mother, but more than that she felt like any hope she had left for her family was gone. She still had some hope for her brother, even as it died over time. Now however it was squashed out. Despite the loud, familiar voice, when Shiro burst into the room, she barely looked up. "Good, take this guy. He is part of the Red Society. I am sick of holding him down." She stated eyeing Kel a bit. She didn't fully know what happened, but was glad that he was here, it was just someone else to fill the void. They had to go, they had to do something. "Lets find the others." She quickly stated before looking back to Iso. "I trust you can take care of yourself from here. We should go." With that Karina stood up, leaving X-ray for Shiro to handle. She just started to walk, not actually knowing where anything on this ship was, she just needed to clear her head. Get to the elevator and then keep walking until they found the others, which she supposed would also be somewhere in the prison, but Karina had heard enough to know that there was some sort of central meeting place. Perhaps there. If not she could only hope the others would guide her, but she couldn't sit around and think any longer. Being filled in on what happened when they regrouped was helpful, but unsettling at the same time. Karina couldn't help but keep eyeing Kel, seeming a bit put off by what she had heard. It might have been stated that it wasn't his fault, but she couldn't help but still feel a bit hurt by it. She didn't like the pain she was feeling, not by any of it, so Karina found herself falling into silence, keeping a bit of distance until she could shut off her emotions again. They didn't need to see what was going on in her mind, no one did. Even as they were called to a more private meeting she couldn't be bothered to speak, that was until Karen spoke. "You are a emotional bias *Kupo*. Nothing about your trails were fair and I don't care what you say, I heard it all, I was also kept from testifying on behalf of some of those you judged even though I could tell you what you all know now. Your systems are corrupt, and it all comes down to him." Karina stared down her father, as he glared at her back before getting escorted away to be spoken to alone. She didn't care what was going on. She didn't care if he lost his job or didn't get punished at all, as long as he was off her back. Thankfully she had a chance to change before this meeting, so at least she wasn't staring him down in that stupid pink dress anymore. For once she didn't feel small around her father, maybe that was because her friends were around her, or Beuce. Maybe it was because her father seemed to be the one in trouble for once. She did not know, but she it was a slight weight off her shoulder, knowing that her fathers presence wasn't about to crush down on her and make her break more. "Since your family affairs affect our group." Aislinn replied plainly before running after AJ to the docking bay, where they had apparently just missed Kel and Shiro, and instead tried to convince AJ to return to the summit area where she figured the others would eventually show up when they finished their search. There was no use in running around on a wild goose chase, and chance running into a greater group of The Red Society that they might not be able to handle themselves. Chances were they were gone anyways. By returning to the summit room, Aislinn found Zeke standing not with Nathan, but Iso. She knew the woman less well than Nathan, but enough to approach her and thank her for taking care of her nephew. Aislinn ducked out of the meeting for a few minutes to make sure to get Zeke to his parents, making sure to run back before Adrian could give her too long of a lecture about what happened. She would have to deal with that at some point, but not yet. For now she had a meeting to attend, which quickly lead to a second one. Having not been with the SoS group for a while, Ailsinn didn't bother stepping into the conversations much. That being said, when the captain asked if anyone was willing to stay and help fix the chaos, and Aislinn looked conflicted as she looked to the rest of the SoS group. "Well I came this far to find you guys, make sure you are alright. Do you think you have things handled on your own. Things might be a mess here right now, but I still trust this ship and its intent. I trust it with my family." Aislinn spoke, but she did glance back to the door, trying to hide the bit of worry on her face. "With that being said, if you need more help, I am willing to join." She left the other part unsaid, but Aislinn was sure that they understood where the other part of her heart lay.
