"We don't have to tell them… All this… mouth-watering food… could be poisoned!" Fumeko jumped forward.
Lexi chuckled, "Why'd we need to poison you? I promise, it's not poisoned; Zach didn't cook it."
"Hey, shut your mouth, my cooking's great," Zach glared at her.
'Do they not have another part to their affinity or are they leaving that part out?' Jotou pondered, "From what I understand about an affinity, is that they all have some sort of quirk for each person?
Are we conveniently leaving those out? Because those would be the actual 'weaknesses'," Jotou crossed her arms.
Zach looked to her with a grin, "Ha, of course we do. My wind can only manifest and create projectiles; anything outside of arrows or boomerangs I can't make."
"We don't need to share those details, neither do I expect you to," Okod replied.
"What?" Zach turned to him, while Lexi stifled a laugh.
"Ignore him, something he thinks is pretty walks into view, the entire plan goes out of his head. So?" Okod awaited an introduction while Zach crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat.
Fumeko looked up to Jotou, actually resisting the temptation of the food calling her name.
Jotou softened her brows, "Jotou Howllett, you can call me Jotou," the chair in front of her scratched back, "Affinity offensive," she walked inwards, "Lightning," she sat down directly across from Okod.
Fumeko watched the blonde announce and take a seat… She sighed, "Fumeko; shadow, mobility," she pulled the chair back and sat to the left of Jotou.
"That's how you ended up the tree," Lexi remarked, "Lightning huh? Quite rare, isn't it Okod?"
"Why are you guys acting like you don't know every single thing about me already?"
"Just trying to make conversation," Lexi shrugged.
"Well, not every single thing. I don't mind getting to know a little more," Zach's attempts at flirting were countered by the steak on his plate.
His steak twisted and contorted, turning into a steak-coloured snake that bit him on the hand, "Ow! Lexi!" he shouted across.
Lexi giggled, twinkles of dark lilac shadow appearing at the tips of her fingers as she dispelled it and the steak-snake became steak once more.
Jotou looked at her. 'Not a flaw on her face… It's like it was sculpted from marble… That's how they've been disguising themselves huh?'
Jotou then looked at Fumeko who was looking back to her, "What are you looking at me for?" Jotou queried. Fumeko was silent, as she pointed to the food with her eyes.
"Swear to hell…" Jotou muttered under her breath, "Eat, why am I gonna stop you? If it's poisoned, we have a pretty good lawyer."
Fumeko gave a childish glare, "Thanks for the concern," she sassed before grabbing a knife and fork. Not even a second passed before she was already digging into her meal with vigour.
"I promise you, we feed her well," Jotou remarked to the Lexokodac.
Okod sliced into his steak, "I am curious," his knife seemed to gleam to the touch, "If you're not here for a visit, then what exactly are you here for?" he took a bite, staring right across. Was he even blinking?
"To put it simply, to form an alliance between us," Jotou started, catching Lexi's and Zach's attention. Okod had his hands on cutlery, but they rested on the table as he listened intently.
'Alright, pitch it good Jotou.' She sat up straight, making sure her bangs were controlled whilst Fumeko chowed down next to her, picking out the food from the various plates.
"The Velatos Case is now getting out of control. People are dying; take my friend's case as example of what could've been. I've seen a velatos eye to eye and have destroyed quite a few.
I'm lucky to say the least, but the point is, without some sort of grand stand against them, they're gonna evolve beyond comprehension and we're gonna be outmatched soon enough.
We need to exchange what we know and what we've found out. Work together to finish this threat once and for all so that nobody else has to have their fears be the end of them," loud and clear she spoke.
Lexi looked over to Okod. So did Zach, "What do you think?" he asked.
The uncaring eyes remained, a little glimmer shining over his pupil as he stared, "What's in it for you? You seem quite adamant about this."
Jotou knitted her brows, "For me? Peace of mind. I don't want to see the friends that I care for be fodder. The way I see it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain from this deal."
Fumeko chewed slower, looking over to Jotou as she spoke. Her words were fuelled with some sort of drive. Jotou no longer felt like she 'wanted' to convince them. No, it was a 'need' to.
"And I get that adventurers don't particularly care about saving every single life or for the greater good, but seeing that this is your home and you've protected it time and time again.
I have information that could help and you may have it to. I'm willing to take the risk and even if you don't have any information, we can still be allies and fight this fight together," Jotou was unintentionally leaning forward.
Okod glanced back down, the knife scraping against the plate "Multiple sources have said that you claim to be from another world. Am I correct?"
Jotou leant back, "Yeah? What's that have to do with anything?"
"I'm just curious why all of a sudden, some stranger to this world wants to have such a noble cause. And why someone who can't even be hit by a velatos would care so much.
It was clear when you said your friends at first; then it became some moral high ground. Why act like a saint who speaks for the people? I have everything to gain?"
Jotou's hands clenched on the table, feeling the sweat within her palms. Her legs tensed up a bit and her eyes narrowed, "If you don't wanna take that risk, all you had to say was no."
"Then you would've asked me a reason for my denial. You're going to try and convince me no matter what I say; I see it in your eyes."
Zach puffed up his cheeks and let out a breath, leaning away from his food to look away. Lexi frowned, but her eyes glanced between the two in amusement.
Fumeko noticed Jotou's silent glare—the slight bits of static that went over her blonde hair. She started to eat slower, trying to get herself to end her brunchtime.
"So, I was hoping for a convincing argument," Okod finished.
One little spark arced between Jotou's fingers, "What more convincing do you need? We have information that you might not and you might have info we don't have.
Besides that, is an alliance so that we can work together and end this whole velatos business once and for all. I'm not asking to shake hands and go grab milkshakes.
The mayor asked to back you too as he did with us. We declined and we know you did too. So, at least from that I can assume we have some common ground in ideology. Am I correct?" Jotou said with a sneer.
Okod for once seemed a little more displeased, "That may be true," he took a sip of another cup of coffee, "I can also assume that you just want the easy way out and be done with all of this.
I have no issue with that. However, what's to guarantee that I can't get information from somebody else that I would get from you?
A magician picked up from Zayexiwovu's Circus who is an expert in illusory magic. A Krian lawyer with a Luxinorian name, known to keep her nose near the guild at all times and a healer.
The Thundering Blade, using master level spells to leave carcasses of velatos lying on shore and breaking entire buildings to the detriment of herself. Not to mention, letting the entire city know where she is.
Only this rat seems to have little that we don't know. Even so; she applied for the detective position within the Krialin without even a day of work, after she had arrived from Burnetrout.
The Burntish girl also with a Luxinorian name, that eats a lot and has been charged with criminal offences and can't cover her tracks. What good's a detective if everyone knows your next move?"
Okod took a break to quench his thirst. Jotou glared, her fists tightening and tightening… "Hey," she gulped the last of it down, "Leave me out of this! Jotou's giving you a good deal here; no need to be a dick about it," Fumeko defended with a crack in her voice.
"A good deal? Let me know, is the information you're about to provide about the talking velatos that you faced that night in the guild?" Okod added.
Jotou's eye twitched… 'Think before you talk, think before you talk…' "One piece of info… though I don't know how you could possibly know that."
The cup hit the saucer, "Exactly," Okod connected his fingers in front of his lips, "The information you provide will come to us with some delay.
Your entire convincing argument, is that I may get that information a little faster? Face it, you need this alliance more than us. We seem to be doing just fine without your harem of a reckless party."
She took a deep breath, then smiled… Fumeko looked to Jotou's smile with a little concern…
"One, I don't have a harem. Two," the chair screeched back, "I bet you still haven't figured out that healing magic hurts a velatos," Jotou looked ahead.
Zach's eyes squinted whilst Lexi's widened. "What stupid healer told you that?" Lexi doubted whilst Okod's stare grew more intense.
Jotou grinned, "Father Keel by Kria Beach; he himself is the reason we took down that gigantic whale. Based on the expression of your friend's faces, you didn't know that despite having months to figure this case out.
You're as useful as the Ordinate's research lab. Giving away that you didn't know so easily; talk about reckless," Jotou gripped the table, wrinkling the tablecloth.
"Three, I hate steak; so, it seems like you don't know everything, do you?" she jested. "Face it," she stood up straight.
Fumeko had an unsure expression… Should she be doing what Hotaru would do in this situation?
"You could've just allied with us, gotten that information and we could be on our merry way. The dinner, the presentation and the show of magic and info you have on us;
You just think you're better than us. It's honestly pathetic how much effort you had to put in trying to show off. And moral high ground?
You act all respectful and then throw me in the mud. I'm just an ego boost so that you can put us in our place and keep thinking you're all high and mighty.
Guess what? We have a lot more info but I guess you can wait for your little gremlins to bring it back to you. So keep sitting on your ass like a spoiled brat!"