"The only way to attract the Jester's attention is if we split up and tackle her most frequented spots," Claire said, placing a wide view map of Kathuz on the shore. It illustrated a detailed yet sophisticated and cluttered map of the city, as well as a side view of an underground ravine. Claire highlighted three locations with a red marker, pinpointing them with a cross to signify their importance.
"That means you three need to split up to tackle these locations," She pressed her finger against one of the marked locations, eyeing Ryo, Natia, and Jinrai. "This is the Meister's Casino. It's famous for its underground fighting ring, where betting on skilled fighters is almost 24/7. The Jester frequents this place for entertainment purposes, and it's rumored to even have her lair deep inside. You'll need a VIP pass to enter, of course, and how you obtain that is up to you while you're inside."
"Seething Vipers don't get a VIP pass?" Ryo asked.
Natia smacked his shoulder and irritatingly rolled her eyes. "Get serious!" She shouted.
"No, but considering how you are disguising yourself as a member of the Seething Vipers, there will be, without a doubt, people who deeply respect you inside. You can use that to your advantage, but there are no guarantees of ultimate success. How you handle it is entirely up to you."
Ryo's experience with a casino was entirely limited. He swept his eyes toward Natia and Jinrai, who remained vigilant on the mission objective.
Claire pinpointed another location highlighted with her finger. "This right here is the Kathuz Valley Canal," She explained. "The Jester would frequent this area to keep watch over her guards taking control of the laborers that dedicate their lives to mining and trading with the people above. I've been eyeing this place for a long time, thinking that this is where the plague started. But I can't be sure."
Natia sunk her fingers deep into her thighs, thinking about the innocents impacted by the plague. Ryo took notice of this, believing that she wanted to take the mission.
"This is the last place," Claire said, pointing to the final location. "This is the one job that I volunteer to take. This is a penthouse in northern Pisces that's holding a cocktail party. The Jester could be there, considering all of the fliers in the city are aiming at promoting it. However, VIP guests can get inside, and I've already got a VIP pass myself."
"That sounds interesting," Jinrai said, smirking at Claire while adopting a sensual pose with his legs clenched together. "And, what might you be wearing to this party, Miss Waters?"
"This guy..." Natia muttered, shaking her head in embarrassment.
"Err, well, I don't have much of a broad fashion sense," Claire said, nudging herself while eyeing her current outfit. She pointed at the map locations once more. "That means that you three need to decide who goes where. Two of you need to stay and work together." She said.
"I'll take the-" Both Ryo and Natia both spoke up at the same time. They eyed each other awkwardly and sensed each other's passion to save the people in Kathuz. Jinrai made note of their miniature interaction with each other and grinned widely.
"Now, why don't you two work together and tackle the casino?" Jinrai suggested. "I think the canal belongs to me. If it's the place where the plague seemingly originated, I'd want to dip my toes in that mystery for myself. Besides, the big mission is for big ol' me."
Natia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, only pausing her arrogance to glance over at Ryo. His silence was an indication that he accepted his request. She sighed and realized there was no other way. "Okay... fine," She accepted. "What do we have to do?"
"First, you need to dress for the occasion," Claire stated, surveying her eyes on Ryo and Natia's casual attire. "Ryo, you'll need something formal, perhaps a suit would do nicely. And Natia, you'll need a dress. You two need to head somewhere to buy your clothes. Once you two are ready, then you'll be able to use your Seething Viper badge to gain entrance into the casino without anyone batting an eye."
"We really have to dress for this?" Natia groaned, rolling her eyes. "I guess it makes sense if we have to blend in..."
"All eyes will be on you if you don't," Claire mentioned. "Are you willing to risk that?"
"All right! I'll get a dress, damn it," Natia yelled, snatching Ryo's arm and yanking him out of the shore and onto the road. "Come on! We haven't got all day."
"Have fun, you two!" Jinrai chuckled.
The morning breeze brushed against Natia and Ryo's faces as they approached a set of cemented stairs leading to the roads above. The road made Ryo reminisce about the first mission they had embarked on where they needed to shut down a signal tracing Lucine Vicio Melodia's location. This time, they were alone on a mission of their own.
Natia released Ryo's arm and turned her back away from him. "Have fun you two, have fun you two," Natia mocked, twisting her voice to imitate Jinrai's infuriating vocalization of his unfiltered mind. "I swear, after we're done with this, I'm gonna force him in a dress. See how he likes it."
Ryo rubbed his tightened arm to alleviate Natia's grip on it. "We better get a move on, then. I think the plaza closest to Sunlight will give us what we need."
"Wait a second." Natia froze.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Ryo asked, approaching her from behind. He alerted himself when Natia's eyebrows furrowed up with her lips clasped together firmly. "Are you okay?"
"Where are we supposed to buy a dress?" Natia asked, genuinely confused by the thought of it all.
"Huh? What do you mean? Have you never had to buy your clothes before?" Ryo asked.
"I have to buy my own clothes?" Natia replied.
"Yes, you have to buy your own clothes!"
"Hey, don't raise your voice at me!" Natia shouted back as her heart fluttered sheepishly. "My stepfather was the one who always bought my clothes. I never needed to do any of this on my own!"
"You don't know how lucky you got it, then," Ryo stated, folding his arms. "Come on. I'll show you where we can do all this. I know a guy."
Ryo and Natia activated their nanosuits and soared through the skies back to the Virgo District. For Ryo, it certainly was reinvigorating to fly through Aries in the morning. For once, he wanted to enjoy his time on the surface as much as he could before having to return to the underground where everything was congested and sickening. It wouldn't be for long, he thought. Not until Jinrai and his team managed to defeat the Jester.
"Where are we going?" Natia spoke through the communicator.
"You'll see," Ryo said.
Ryo and Natia touched down near an alleyway where the average human and alien civilian wouldn't be disturbed in their daily activities at the sight of them flying. They deactivated their nanosuit and entered through the alleyway's gap towards a tropical-colored vista where a massive plaza invited them to shop. It was the same location where Natia confronted Ryo for the first time about his past, and where they battled each other until Ryo emerged victorious.
"This is the place where I kicked your ass in." Natia voiced out.
"Funny, don't remember that happening," Ryo said, approaching Haufert's gift shop. Several children sped by the two, slipping through their walk path with action figures in their hands. A golden retriever chased after the two after Ryo approached the steps, leaving Natia behind after the dog brushed its fur against her legs. "Hey, are you heading in?"
"N-no," Natia nervously inquired, looking at the golden retriever that passed by her. "Just tell me when you find out where we can get a dress around here."
She really wants me to do everything for her, Ryo thought. He entered Haufert's gift shop and found the red-cyclops alien owner replacing a sale banner. It was a sale off of all accessories by a maximum of forty-five percent, if they had a stamped card that the plaza handed out frequently to passerbyers. Ryo closed the door behind him and the bell chimed to introduce the new customer inside the store.
Haufert turned around, signaled by the bell. "W-well," The red-skinned alien blinked, greeting Ryo with its fragile hand in a wave. "A c-customer t-that I r-recognize. H-how's t-that g-guitar p-pick h-holding u-up f-for y-you my d-dear b-boy?" He asked.
"It's..." Ryo could not ignore the fact that the guitar pick was out of commission with April's memories of her musician days over. "Holding up nicely." He lied.
"G-good," Haufert stammered, approaching Ryo. "W-what can I-I d-do for y-you t-today?"
"I wanted to know where I could buy some formal clothing," Ryo asked, looking around his antique store. "I don't come here often, so I thought you could help."
"F-formal c-clothing?" Haufert stammered. "B-but of c-course. D-dressing l-like a k-king, I p-presume...? I k-know a p-place w-with a r-rough s-selection o-of outfits y-you c-could t-try." He blinked, and Ryo remembered how each blink was audible, like water splashing against a surface.
Ryo followed Haufert outside of the store and he pointed to the opposite side of the plaza with his elongated fingers. "Y-you're b-better off t-trying t-the t-tailoring s-shop there," He croaked. "T-They h-have e-everything y-you n-need. T-they are n-new to A-Aries, b-but t-they are n-nice."
"Thanks, Haufert," Ryo said with a firm smile. "I'll be sure to pay you back soon."
"A-anything f-for my l-loyal c-customer," Haufert said, waving at him as he descended the stairs. "C-come again s-soon."
Ryo finished descending the stairs to the gift shop when he heard Natia giggling from the corner of his eyes. He witnessed the golden retriever piled on top of her body licking her cheeks uncontrollably. The other two children laughed along with her, stroking the dog's back as they cheered for Natia. He smiled at the moment, believing her time with the three was invaluable.
"Ryo!" Natia gasped, for each opportunity to breathe was cut short when the golden retriever nuzzled her face with its golden fur. "Get this thing off of me!" She giggled nonstop, holding the dog closely with her arms. "Actually, don't. This thing is so cute!"
"Are you having fun?" Ryo said, approaching her without following her orders. "Looks like you're having a good time."
"Kids!" The two children's parents called for them from far away. The golden retriever heard its owner's voice and scurried off away with the children to reunite with their family.
Natia remained on the grass face-up with her body recovering from the dog's adorable assault. Ryo kneeled and extended his hand out. Natia's expression went from bright and bubbly to full-fledged seriousness. She brushed the dog's fur off of her black tank top and straightened her short hair. "Well, now that that's over..." She began, catching her breath.
"You enjoyed that," Ryo said, grinning at her. "I know you did."
"I've never seen such a big dog before," Natia abandoned her tough-girl act and resorted to complimenting her moment. "I never grew up with them before. I feel like I've been missing out."
"Pets are cute, but they're a whole new level of responsibility," Ryo said, pulling Natia up from the grass back to a standing position. "You would need a lot more time on your hand to take care of a dog if you really wanted one."
Natia sputtered. "Who cares? They're cute as fuck," She said. "Anyways, did you find out where we can get our clothes yet?"
"Yeah," Ryo said. "The man at the gift shop said-"
Natia's stomach gurgled and grumbled right before Ryo could finish his sentence. She pretended as if it was someone else, oggling her surroundings and minding her own business. However, there was no one around her to even blame it on. "Wasn't me." She muttered.
"It was you, I heard it," Ryo said, rolling his eyes. "You really just won't admit to anything, will you?"
"Ugh, fine, it was me," Natia admitted, mouth slanted sideways unsatisfied. "I'm hungry."
"Let's go somewhere to eat then," Ryo said, observing his surroundings and scanning the plaza. There was a long extended arch giving shade to the public where more shops and restaurants were located. "Let's check out over there."
Ryo and Natia entered through the arch, standing side by side. They passed by many different breweries and bars that were open to the public, serving famously made beer and wine. Certain clothing stores were also in check, making him remember his school uniform at Seiya Elementary. He realized that if he wanted to find a suit to fit him, he would have to think bigger than his simple school uniform.
Small groups of young men and women were piled in front of the stores, enjoying the food they purchased from its dining restaurants and drinking to their heart's content. While moving, he continued to glance back while his mind began to wander astray, feeling as if he had been separated from the enjoyment for far too long. He had spent more time by himself wandering into danger than settling down during a peaceful moment.
They turned right into a small alleyway revealing a narrow district, reading "Kagura" on the side. He stepped in and noticed how suburban it was; not many people were moving around throughout the plaza. He examined his left and noticed an old lady selling off multiple pawned and used goods, including rare appearing antiques and trinkets. He stepped forward, noticing a golden-colored lucky cat meowing and beckoning for him.
"Come on in!" Her raspy voice called to him. "I've got some ancient trinkets you can buy! Help yourself to an assortment of what I have! You'll-" The lady stopped and stared beside Ryo, focusing on Natia. "Natia? What are you doing here? I've never seen you in these parts of town before!"
"Hey, Miss Inki," Natia greeted with a much lighter voice than usual. "I'm just... walking around."
"Oh? Is that your friend?" Inki leaned forward to get a closer look at Ryo's tall stature. Her eyes were barely visible as wrinkles cemented her face because of her old age. "My, what a handsome fellow you are! Are you one of Natia's friends?"
"Yeah," Ryo said, trying his best to blend in. "We're just passing by."
"Passing by?" Inki exclaimed, turning around while hurriedly gathering some antiques from a cardboard box. "But I've never seen Natia around with a friend before. She would always visit me every weekend and she would always be by herself, wandering and daydreaming while her stepfather shopped by himself."
"Every... weekend?" Ryo asked, turning her head to face Natia. "But you said that you've never been here before."
"Natia, how could you lie to him?" Inki was appalled by Natia's dishonesty, slapping the back of her wrist with her fragile palms. "I remember when you always stopped by my store and you would play in the back with your dolls. And I also remember you cuddling with my son every single morning when you came by here-"
"Okay, okay, that's enough..." Natia nervously intervened, hoping to end the conversation. "I remember those times, all right? Now, I have to go."
"You know what it is?" Inki mentioned, approaching Ryo and looking up at him despite her short stature. "She doesn't visit me anymore because she's not lonely anymore. She has friends like you that will walk with her. You won't imagine how hard it was for her to leave my store. She was like a black sheep on a farm."
"I... wouldn't know," Ryo said, facing Natia again who covered her face in humiliation. "Thanks for telling me that."
Inki tapped on Ryo's arm and rubbed him, applying slight pressure. "You're welcome," She said, gripping firmly. "I am so happy that you found a friend, Natia! Thank you so much for being there for her."
"Uh, you're welcome," Ryo replied, appreciating the elder's kindness to heart. "We'll come back some other time. Thanks for having us."
"Yes, thank you very much..." Natia interrupted, snatching Ryo's arm again and pulling them out of the situation. They moved behind a crowd of other people and stopped to take a breath. "I know what you're thinking, and I don't want to hear it. Let's hurt up and find a place to eat." She ignored.
"No, I want to hear about it," Ryo insisted. "Why did you lie to me about you visiting here in the past?"
"Because..." Natia shook her head and turned away. "I didn't want to think about the past."
"But-"
"Can we talk about this later?" Natia asked, flustered beyond the point of return. Her body language was clear to Ryo that she was clear about her decision. Her legs were crossed and twisted with each other, and her hands were gently placed on her shoulders and legs as if she was bare naked. Her eyes also strayed off to the side, hoping no one else would witness her exposed past upfront except Ryo.
Ryo noted this and accepted it. "Okay," He said. "Let's go get some food."
He was curious to explore Natia's past, but was too afraid to dwell too deep within. This was the closest that he had ever been with her, and he was worried that this was nothing but an inevitable barricade.