THE JAILOR AND HIS MERCY † social, open

"I won't let you execute this man," came the steady voice of Lacey Botticelli as she stood in front of the handcuffed and chained figure positioned in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Miss, please step aside, this man is dangerous.  He was behind the massacre on Twenty-Second Avenue, two weeks ago."

"You can't just kill him, though," she protested, refusing to move despite the two Rune Knights who wordlessly fell into ranks at their captain's sides.  She could say for sure that one man's gauntlets had clanked as his fingers twitched towards his sword.

"He admitted to committing the crime, and it is too risky to transport him.  We have him subdued at the moment, but nothing is for sure," the officer tried to explain to placate the black haired mage, his face set in an expression of steadfast patience, trying to ignore his comrades' restless movements.  By now, a small crowd had formed at the scene.

"You can't!" The young woman folded her arms and stood with her legs spaced apart to evenly distribute her weight; it was like she could stand just as unyielding as a turret and able to argue this point all day without conceding her position in either way.  However, the two junior knights seemed offended by what they supposed was a challenging stance.  From Lacey's left front, a man with unruly hair and stubble just as uneven, drew a gleaming rapier and raised the needle-sharp point to rest against the center of the suddenly still female's throat.

"We can.  I'd like to see you try to stop us," the man corrected her with glittering ebony eyes.  Lacey opened her mouth to tell him this was wrong, but as she did so the tip of the weapon gouged into her skin and drew thin rivulets of blood to run down the blade and her neck.  He had apparently deliberately pushed it forwards just a tad after seeing her intention of speech, for some kind of threatening purpose.  The second Rune Knight spoke up at that point, saying, "You're not from around here, I know every person in this part of Crocus."  His eyes betrayed his suspicion as they took in her bleached pale skin and warm winter jacket~ to hid the tail~, hat, and boots.  Lacey's scarf had come undone when she had moved to block the Rune Knights' path, leaving her throat exposed to be aimed at.  Still, the article of clothing didn't need to be wrapped around a person's neck to be able to discern snowflakes and a certain nation's white and blue square flag woven into the abstract wool pattern.

"Come from Iceberg, have you?" the second guard continued as his brain processed those bits of information.  "I'll have you arrested for obstruction of justice.  And crossing the border without paperwork or even identification," he said.  Underneath her fluffy dark hair and hat, two pale tanuki ears twitched as she told the man tersely that she was perfectly documented and legal.  Still keeping the weapon poised against her pulse, the first guard roughly dug in her pockets and purse, yanking out anything that seemed to have some kind of information on it or be related to travel in any way.  "Not any more you aren't," his friend said with a smug smile.  He snapped his fingers, and a miniature campfire burst into existence right there on the pavement; clearly this man had a bit of magic, at least.  Or he was willing to waste his power on conjuring showy things.  The other knight dangled her passport over the flames as their officer averted his eyes with a grim set to his mouth, and Lacey felt a surge of pity for all three of them.

"There are witnesses," she gently reminded them all, but the second knight was already shaking his head at her words and scattering the crowd with a few shooing gestures.  She was nobody, while he was clearly known to the residents here, just like he had stated earlier.  There was reputation at work as he waved around his hands and suddenly almost everybody was gone.

"If anyone has a problem with this, they can speak up now," he called loudly and with a lazy coloring to his tone, eyes still locked mockingly on Lacey.  She realized that the criminal had been forgotten, which wasn't wise anyways, and now this public affair was about her as an outsider.  He didn't expect anyone to challenge his decisions.

Advent had been walking through Crocus town a smile on his face for a large city filled with people it somehow didn't bother him due to the streets being filled with flowers and trees, it also didn't help that the corruption his magic brought had been tended to recently so he felt more like his old self. Eventually the long white haired youth stopped hearing the commotion that was happening "A criminal is being executed because of something he confessed to?" he whispered to himself scratching the side of his head as he tried to take in the information leaning back against a nearby wall "hmm.." he was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he hadn't realised that the crowed had been dispersed and that the arrogant knight was trying to throw his weight around.

Eventually Advent found the information he was looking for within his scattered and otherwise chaotic mind as he heard what seemed like a challenge before pushing off the wall and walked forward. His appearance showed he wasn't from anywhere in Fiore given his taste in style but that could have been put down to the fact his eyes where covered in black material but the fact he was also shoeless might make someone mistake him as a homeless vagrant but hearing the man's words he took it as his cue to enter the dance "I have a problem" he stated bluntly not fully understanding why on earth he was getting involved but then it did click somewhat instantly. This knight was acting like a bully towards someone and that's something he couldn't allow. "She has a right to voice her objections, not to mention just because someone confesses to a crime doesn't mean they actually done it... after all you could pay or blackmail someone into taking the punishment" he said with a shrug coming a stop pulling the girl behind him.

"You must feel like a big and strong man pointing your sword at a woman, trying to take away her legal status I believe is also an abuse of power in every nation if you do not have proper cause and the fact she is trying to point something out doesn't class as that... lets see how your reputation is by taking on an disabled teen that is unarmed... I don't mind taking the hit if it shows you for the pompous, smug and arrogant little man you truly are." he stated almost as if he was bating him to take the hit knowing just how bad it would look.

Lacey drew a sharp intake of breath when her arm was suddenly touched from behind.  She cringed slightly away and glanced around, surprised to see a blindfolded young man standing there.  Since he seemed to be trying to direct her to move around to be located on the other side of him, away from the Rune Knights, the dark haired mage tilted her head slightly and followed his pull until she was there.  Her ears caught only half of the sudden barrage of provoking words that the stranger handed out like pieces of candy; the girl couldn't help but wonder if he was actually trying to convince the guards to stab him.  Quickly moving around to instead stand at the side of the young man, she lifted up her hand to press her cold fingers against the shallow puncture wound on her neck.  Bitter Cold washed over the injury and within moments, it was healed completely and a frosty aura originating from the magic use began to spread through the nearby air.  

That's nice, she immediately thought as the chill relaxed her muscles, rather than tightening them up.  Returning her attention to the going ons, the female re-wrapped her scarf securely around her neck and smiled with a rather half-here expression on her face that was reminiscent of how a person would during a lovely dream.  It hardly fit the situation except in the opinion of the girl's mind.  "Thank you for stepping in," she said to the ivory headed stranger, "Fortunately, though, nobody will be taking any hits here."  It was convenient that by now the pain from her healing had subsided and all was perfectly well.  "If you could return my papers now, good sirs, that would be appreciated," she continued smoothly with the same genial and peaceful countenance.  The two junior Rune Knights spluttered for a moment before their captain grabbed the mage's documents and handed them to the young woman with an apologetic expression.  In response, the black haired girl only bowed slightly before she let her eyes flutter shut momentarily.  Soon, a freezing gust of wind came swirling down the sidewalk and snuffed out the fire which one knight had conjured; after this was done, all three of the guards left and she was then alone with the blindfolded stranger.

"My name is Lacey Botticelli," she introduced with a bow before realizing that the formal act of politeness was likely lost on him.  Instead, she put out her right hand at a distance where it would possibly brush against the man's if he did not move, thus alerting him to her desire for a hand shake or some other type of greeting and connaisance.  "I hail from Iceberg," she added with a soft smile, her left hand coming up to finger the fluffy wool of her scarf.

Advent was glad that the girl wasn't fighting or struggling against him trying to protect her on this matter because the last thing he needed was more issues to deal with. He heard the sharp intake of breath as he felt the fact she had cringed by his sudden touch and he would be the same but then he had never done well with touch himself but that was for a completely different reason so was truly apologetic to the other and would try and remember to apologise for what he had done, but the chances of that happening right away where slim to none and slim left the building a while back.

He took note as she moved beside him shortly after but said nothing of it as she no longer had a piece of metal placed against her throat. He never thought of it as throwing out insults but rather using logic to make him the target over the girl that stood beside him. His head tilting to the right, his white locks falling to the side as he did. He couldn't prevent himself from grinning an almost somewhat dark and mischievous grin feeling how he had unsettled them as the sputtered "You heard her boys, give her back her property." his voice was calm but again it had a slightly dark undertone to it. When he was sure that the papers had been handed back his head straightened to match his body the grin changing to a small smile as they dashed off.

When the men left he himself turned to start walking off in search of where he would find his next experience but stopped mid step as the woman talked. "Lacey" he said for a moment his fingers going to his nose scratching it for a second "Lace isn't that what you use on women's clothing in some cultures?" he asked innocently finding it strange that she would be called such a thing but this whole continent had been confusing to him to be honest. "Iceberg...?" he seemed not to fully understand and it was apparent all over his face "I'm Advent and I don't come from an iceberg or here" he finally stated after a few moments of intense thought on what was going on.

The young woman blinked in surprise as stranger mused out loud about her name.  She even went so far as to smile lightly in response, afterwards parting her lips to clarify on his thoughts.
 "Yes, some cultures have clothing with lace, and it is used for other things as well such as decorations and other things involving fabric."  She paused to think of how best to explain before deciding a slight correction might be in order anyways.  

"I believe some men wear lace too, although here in Fiore it isn't a popular textile from what I have seen so far."  Neither was it particularly prevalent in her old village back in Iceberg, where warm clothing trumped all.  Nonetheless, Lacey was guilty of wearing lace on some occasions anyways, purely because she believed it was lovely and also enjoyed the irony with her name.  The dark haired mage unbuttoned her heavy winter coat and let the shoulders slip off, the garment falling to the ground.  She didn't mind if it got dirty, since she had already been traveling for days on end and would have to wash it or put it away for storage anyways.  The snow loving female was now in Fiore, the bright summer country, after all.  

"This is lace," she explained, gesturing to her dress underneath the coat.  It was blue lace, woven in sections of stripes and panels, and she wore a cream colored slip underneath.  Leaning down to pick up her coat, the young woman finally was graced with the pleasure of knowing this blindfolded stranger's name: Advent.  "Pleased to meet you, Advent," she replied with a small smile.  "I have yet to meet another person who originates from Iceberg aside from while in the nation itself," she continued in response to his latter statement.  It was indeed a country, albeit a rather empty and frozen wasteland of one.

There was a bigger problem on the horizon aside from pleasantries, though.  "What are we to do with him?" she asked Advent in a conversational manner, tilting her head to the side and therefore gesturing towards the man who was still chained and standing in the middle of the sidewalk.  He seemed fairly oblivious to their conversation and had his eyes closed; still, he was a dangerous criminal and the possibility of him escaping and killing a lot more people was all too real in Lacey's mind.