The Truth Shall Set You Free (Aristotle)

Sitting in her luxurious quarters, the expression on the face of the kitsune would slowly be becoming more stony as she read through the pieces of paper before her. They were nothing to do with her business but the information discovered was equally as important to the white haired woman. Trust was an important commodity between herself and her mentee, one that she believed that had been established having been together for quite some time and yet, here she was staring at letters which could end up tearing that to pieces. Just why had Aristotle decided to hide such communications from her? Whatever the reason, she was determined to know and now.

Sighing, she’d get up and quickly revert to her assassin visage, the one that her crew were used to and made her way out of her cabin, papers in hand. The look on her face was enough to stop any awkward questions being fired her way and for the one poor sod who tried to talk to her, he was met with a rather snappy and short answer from the Captain. She wasn’t going to be taking any bull today and walked past her busy crew without another word.

Her destination would be the specially made room that had been turned into a private cell for Aristotle. No, it wasn’t her bedroom but a room where she could practice a unique form of training. Only Shirayuki and her mentee were allowed inside, mostly due to the fact that the kitsune didn’t trust her men to keep their hands to herself. The currently red headed woman had left her there a short time ago in a little bit of a predicament, one that her blonde mentee had to get out of herself. Aristotle was becoming rather skilled at escaping and Shirayuki had to admit that the time would soon come to ramp up that particular training.

Considering her current mood, maybe now would be the right time.

A minute or so later, Shirayuki would find herself outside the cell and withdrawing a key from her pocket, she would open the door and enter, where her mentee would hopefully be training.

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It was a bit earlier of a start of her day than they had usually done. Every so often it seemed to be something just to help work into her mentor's schedule or simply to attempt a different form of her training. Though her training happened to just be a different form of training in the way that she was going through either. She had been a bit of a worrywart from prior conversations and with the line of work in which her mentor was in, she seemed to be a bit more in the concern for her mentee's protection than even Aristotle had been. Maybe that was just about their different outlooks in life, but that didn't really seem to matter much when it came to the decision to apply this alternate training. And honestly, it was a nice way to stretch some muscles she hadn't really stretched or even thought she had the capability to. To her mentor's surprise, she was a nimble enough to complete their sessions much sooner than she did, but she enjoyed making a makeshift workout session in between.

Today wasn't really too bad in terms of her training. In her opinion it seemed to be that Shira went a little easy and did a more simple set up almost like her plan was to have this be a bit of a warm up exercise. Not something she wasn't used to happening, but she shrugged and chuckled while trying to wriggle around on the floor of the room. It was nicely padded and well insulated when it had been renovated with a spare key kept tied to a string on the ceiling. if she were to escape her training bonds early, she could simply let herself out, but otherwise she remained locked inside to keep potential intruding parties out.

When the lock to the door had echoed a bit in the room, Ari stopped moving for a second to wonder why it seemed to be so soon after starting that Shirayuki would begin to walk inside. "One thecond." She tried to let out from a ball gag popped in her mouth to prevent her from cheating by using her teeth to get free. At that point, a free hand had slipped through some of the bindings and she reached behind her head, around her ponytail, and pulled the fastened back out and let it loosen, then drop down to hang around her neck. "Bonjour, Mademoiselle. You are pretty early today. But good timing!" She let out a little giggle, sitting up and beginning to calmly start to loosen the wrappings around her chest to ease her breathing a bit more.

It was in that moment that she had looked up to see the less than enthusiastic look being given to her. On top of that, her eyes settled onto the bunch of papers in her hand and faintly from the light of the room could see the bit of Mistrel handwriting. "...Why do you have those letters?" She said, giving no real intimidation by the stare given, but she would still continue to work on getting her legs free so she could stand up freely.

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“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Shirayuki replied dryly, eyeing her mentee with a shrewd look. “It was quite a surprise to me to find that you’ve been speaking with your mother so often, despite the misgivings you have about her. You should have told me, Aristotle, I don’t like secrets between us. You know that. I’m also not all that keen on the idea of her trying to mess with your head. No doubt that is what she’s trying to do, yes?” She remembered what her mentee had told her regarding her mother well and the currently red headed woman was more than willing to step in should things appear awry. Regardless of the circumstances that’d brought them together, Shirayuki had to admit that she felt rather protective of the girl at this point.

Noting the success that Aristotle was having with her latest exercise, the restraint slayer would click her fingers, resulting in the bindings to almost come to life and start wrapping around her mentee again. The gag wouldn’t go back in but the ropes around the girl’s arms and legs certainly would and just a little bit tighter as well. By the time Shirayuki’s little trick was done, her mentee would find herself in a rather more helpless position. That being said, the bindings weren’t excruciating and while they may have felt a tad uncomfortable, the blonde shouldn’t feel too much. Enough to keep her where Shirayuki wanted her though.

Kneeling down beside the blonde, she’d speak again. “I don’t like what I’m seeing from these letters. I’m concerned that she’s up to something and whatever it is will not be good for you. Part of our deal is that I do everything I can to not let you become your mother and I fear that the more contact you have with her, the more likely you will become just that.”

Shirayuki still looked unhappy but the anger had been tempered somewhat by the concern she had for her mentee. The woman didn’t know everything about Aristotle’s mother, only what the blonde had told her but it was more than enough to give the impression that she could be a danger, regardless of where she was. The kitsune had come across so many violent and untrustworthy people in her long life and frankly, she was hardly trustworthy herself most of the time. Still, she did have some scruples, even if they rarely ever came to the surface. She stuck to her deals and in regard to Aristotle, that meant taking care of her, even from her own family.

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There was a shift in the glint and expression of her worry and even a hidden away anger that Aristotle had in her eyes when she saw those envelopes in her hand. Sure, a couple of them were open, yet surprisingly most of the others to her mentors belief would be completely closed. Now, even as an apprentice type of forger, Ari had no real way to know how or to reseal an envelope to appear as though it had never been opened after the initial application. However, she didn’t exactly wait to answer either.

The blonde woman barely waited, letting one or two sections of her legs still tied with Shira’s style of knots before she shot to her feet and hopped over into the red heads face. It wasn’t often she got feisty or angered at all, but of all topics in her life, this was one of the few that got her heated almost instantly. The glare she shared was met with angered and concerned eyes from Shira and yet it did little to calm her annoyance. ”Do not DARE to assume that I keep in contact with this narcissistic garbage.” She started off, lashing out with a rather larger volume in her voice than she had honestly ever had with Shira. Then again, she never had any reason until now to be mad at her… business practice aside anyway.

Before Ari had a chance to continue, the bindings she’d worked quickly to slither out of came to life and undid all of her progress in seconds, tightening up even before the pressure of the punishing grasp made her drop to her knees. ”She sends me those letters, yes.. I do not how she knows where I am, but sometimes I wake up in towns on jobs of varying types and she will have a freshly written letter there.” Taking a moment to adjust her breathing and relax, a light sigh escaped the blonde’s mouth. ”I open them every so often to assure they are actually her authentic handwriting… or if I want a good laugh at her feeble attempt to sucker me into ploy. I know who she is, what she is. How she tracks me I assume is simply the curse of our family, but that is merely speculation on my part. How it gets there I never know. Even if I am awake all night, I may slip to the bathroom or shower and return to find it sitting on the bed, a pillow, or a nightstand. Never any sign of breaking in as I always set trace things to track if a door is opened without my knowledge, a window is opened, etcetera.”

Of all things that she developed habits of over her years, there was a habit she did have of placing faint, unnoticed things at first to make sure she wasn’t going crazy or being stalked. A pencil seated on the lip of the inside of a window, a piece of paper slipped in the crack between the door and door frame should someone try to enter. Never a full piece, but enough to show itself to her and be visible on the floor if disturbed by someone not her. ”I think reapplying the binds is a bit excessive to me, Madam Shira. I know you are looking out for me, but I am not a child!”

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“Aren’t you? Considering your naivete, I question that. If your mother is able to contact you regardless of where you are then what’s stopping her from taking further action? What could be letters today, could be men tomorrow. This isn’t a game, Aristotle and a woman like your mother isn’t going to stop hounding you until she is stopped, one way or another. You’re not safe from her and your training is not complete. Yeah, you’re getting stronger all the time but if a mage of my calibre comes after you then what the hell are you going to do? You’ll find yourself in far deeper trouble than you can imagine and being sold off would be the least of your worries.” Shirayuki countered, her anger returning yet as always, it was as cold as ice. Her tone seeming to lower rather than increase in volume. “For all we know, she has knowledge of this ship and knows exactly where we’re going at all times. That is unacceptable.”

Sighing, the redhead would shake her head and continue. “This can’t go on, Ari, we need to do something about it soon. She’s a threat to us and our way of life.”

Looking at her bound mentee, the mentor would tilt her head and add after a few moments. “If I have to drag your mother here and keep her chained to the wall then I’ll do so. There’s no limits to what I’ll do in order to keep what I have, what we have. I’m not going to allow her to interfere with my business or our lives. I don’t know if I’m getting soft in my old age or what but whether you like it or not, I do care and she’s not going to do you any more harm.”

As she held the letters in her hand, she’d speak yet again. “Surely you want to see the back of this kind of crap too, no?”

The curse that Aristotle spoke of was a rather unpleasant thought for the kitsune, causing her to briefly dwell back on her own past. There were people out there who thought that being a member of her kind was a curse and while Shirayuki had long since gotten over such doubts, there was a time where she’d not been quite so self assured. Her relationship with her mother wasn’t exactly great either, which only furthered the sting of her mentee’s situation. The last time Shirayuki had seen her mother, the currently red headed woman had told her quite frankly where to go. Anora was quite a foul woman too.

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Ari simply grew quiet for a moment as Shira scolded her and placed the harsh truth’s on the table to her. The same truth’s that began her own escape training to begin with were simply reinforced. At first, she fought back verbally with the incessant need to go through these practices, however being reminded how easily she could have ended up in the scenarios that people she takes away could be, that reality was quick to settle in. Not that she was happy with it either. ”How she manages to contact me through letters, I cannot fully figure out. My logical conclusion is the curse given my precautions and my already lack of sleep.” She replied, sighing softly as she tried to continue explaining.

At the mere mention of bringing her mother to the two, she shot up on her knees and vehemently shook her head. ”No no no! Jamais! She can never come here or out in public until the curse is eradicated! No matter how skilled you are in restraints and what you can do, do not give her a single lick of a chance to do anything! All she needs is a sliver of a millisecond and she will do anything in her power to escape and become the menace she once was!” Her protests were littered with a quaking fear of intimidation and fear. Growing up with knowing the things her mother had done in Minstrel was a core fear that could happen to her. She never wanted to be like that, never to do the things she did. She strived to be positive, friendly, helpful. Shira on the other-hand could definitely see and maybe hear the fear that resided in her denial of her method.

”Listen, Madam Shira… if you are this adamant about seeing her or making me do so, then I suggest we go to the facility she is being held in, in Minstrel. If you wish to see the snake in a secure den, then I will direct you to the prison.” Resolved in knowing that Shira might not drop the issue until she gave an answer she wanted or that she would want her to do something to absolve the woman of guilt or fear, Ari knew that she simply had to face the demon head on. With her mentor beside her, she might have the strength she needed, but even the thought of seeing her face-to-face was already bringing her a lot of nausea. ”And if that’s the case, I’ll need to soak for a little bit to get the rope marks off of my skin. I will not let her use anything of the training to lead me to reactions.”

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Deciding to refrain from answering until Aristotle finished, the redhead would simply watch her mentee, noting the fear that started to radiate from her body. It wasn’t a pretty sight to behold and Shirayuki felt such fury that her mentee was made to feel like this due to her own mother. There was a time where the slayer wouldn’t have cared about the feelings of anyone she knew, caring only for cold hard cash but her time with Aristotle had changed things. Now she had someone to care for and it had such an odd effect on the kidnapper. To think there had been a time where she’d almost sold the blonde off like any other captive. Truthfully, it was a thought that made her kind of sick now.

When the time came for the mentor to speak, she would snap her fingers, releasing her mentee from the ropes, before speaking. “How we handle this is for you to decide. She’s your mother and you’re the one who’s suffering the most. Sooner or later, you’ll have to face her but whether we do so now or not is up to you. I believe that the longer we leave it, the worse it will be and the more chance these mind games of hers take a more insidious turn. I will do my utmost to stop myself from freezing her solid or turning her into a bondage model but expecting me to remain civil is something I can’t promise. She’s a risk to me as well and this curse rubs me wrong.”

She would give Aristotle the time she needed to figure out what she wanted to do. It wasn’t a decision to be rushed and who knew what damage the woman could do to Aristotle if she wasn’t in the right headspace. That being said, the redhead wanted to see some progress made in the matter and if the blonde could stand before her mother and stand her ground, then the kitsune believed that it would do so much for her confidence. Perhaps then the fear that gripped the girl would fade away.

Shirayuki would kneel again, placing a soft hand on the cheek of her mentee. “I’ll be with you in there, if that’s the decision you make and I won’t take my eyes off you for a second. If I feel that you’re being overwhelmed then I’ll cut the meeting off then and there but god help me, if she starts talking too much shit, I’ll form the biggest gag I can and force it in.”

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As if her body reacted on its own, the moment the snap of Shira's fingers forced the bindings around her body and joints to release her, they slumped down and began to relax. She didn't move at first either as she simply wanted to try and relax herself and get her emotions back under control. Having this liberty of emotional freedom over the last decade or so had been a little rough, however she didn't seem to care much for trying to revert back to the darker days of her teenage life. Yet here Aristotle was, about to enter a lion's den of sort and she had to brace herself for every tactic under the sun. She had to apply those cold, straightforward type of resolved expressions much like Shira had given her earlier. Was it a front at that point? Maybe so. But doing so was something she needed to do if she were to survive this meeting and both women here knew that.

It was a little lucky to her that one of those opened letters would give the information that the ship would need in order to find it, but whether or not she was truly prepared for this was a different story for sure. "Try living with it. It's not all sunshine and rainbows like I seem to be with it, you know..." She commented, giving a light scoff to the comment and shrugging. "One of those notes I do clearly remember has the address to the facility in it or on the envelope. The earlier ones were from before we met. I can't say why i kept them... maybe I thought there was a part of her that genuinely regretted and wanted to apologize but I was to anxious to read them and find out or too bothered by my anger and hatred of who she was to open them. Whatever the case, you're welcome to read them if you want. If you think anything is relevant to know, I trust you will tell me even if you think I shouldn't know."

Her eyes had widened when she felt the gentle touch of her mentor's hand on her cheek. The genuine care that she had shared over wanting to be there felt reassuring. Truly this was getting to be less like a double-edged sword than she had initially thought it to be. Living with the guilt innocent people were being sold away or kidnapped for profit wore on her, however the beginning of their time wasn't on the best of terms anyway. Maybe she'd made an impact on her and just failed to realize it. Before even Aristotle had realized what she'd done, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the disguised kitsune. Tightly squeezing while her head rested on her shoulder. "Merci, Madam Shira. For not just this, but everything you've done for me. I know it might not seem like much, but you've been more like a big sister and a mother all in one and it just... I don't know how I could ever repay you for this." Her grip would hold for some time, either until Shira herself wanted to break it away to get started on their travel or if Ari herself would do so for the same reason, but several shed tears would inevitably be seen by her when it would happen.

But these were simply ones of joy.

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There were a few humorous moments where Shirayuki just knelt there, unsure about just what to do about her mentee hugging her. It wasn’t something that the kitsune was all that used to do and frankly, the only time she normally embraced someone was when she was fooling about with a captive. Yet, here she was, being hugged by a young woman who a short time ago, had simply been another possible source of revenue. Oh, how times had changed and eventually, Shirayuki’s arms would wrap around Aristotle as well, drawing her in close, a shield from all the negativity that the blonde girl was soon about to face. The bond between them was strong, far more than Shirayuki had realised but just this once, she wasn’t bothered by it. Aristotle was her responsibility and now more than ever, her mentee needed her.

When they finally broke apart, Shirayuki would notice the tears and say softly, a rare smile crossing her features. “Look, I know that you don’t like what I do and that’s always going to cause tension between us. I get it and I’ll do my best to shield you from it as best I can. I’m not going to force you into the same way of life as me and I’ll never force you to take part in my napping activities if you don’t wish to. That’s your decision to make.”

Briefly pausing, she’d then resume. “That being said, if you need anything from me, whether it be to do with your mother or something else, then I’ll do my damnedest to be there and get it done. I don’t know what you’ve done to me, Ari, but I don’t feel like the same kitsune that I was before I met you. For the first time, I genuinely care about someone and she’s kneeling about six inches away from me. You got heart, kid, more than anyone I’ve met. Don’t lose it.”

Standing up at that point, she’d offer her hand to her mentee. “Now, let’s prepare ourselves for what’s bound to be an unpleasant experience. I’ll have us set course for the coordinates that your mother’s letters speak of and while we travel, I’ll look over the rest of her…letters. Just in case.”

She’d much rather have just burned them but the kitsune was wise enough to know that there may be useful knowledge within. It was just a matter of finding it within the crap.

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Feeling that warm return of a hug felt like a range of emotions that she wasn't ready or familiar with feeling. As a child, she hadn't been given that same form of affection by her own mother if at all. Maybe on her birthday or by some means of a reward for her doing something towards whatever dark goal that she had set out for the young Aristotle to learn from her. She thankfully had been halted quite a bit from her father's intervening, but there were still some impressionable moments in the Minstrellan girls life that she had to remember far too often. Things and secrets that she repressed or just chose to forget could resurface today, but it wasn't anything that she was worried or prepared for having revealed. "I am a bit resolved to your 'career' choice at this point. I have no say in who you are or what you do and I believe it's hypocritical for either of us to do so, which is why i think I just respect your choices whether I condone it or not."

Listening to Shira continue on, blaming her for having essentially shifted a bit of her personality brought a small smile to her face. The blonde giggled even her once weepy eyes seemed to shift to a pair of shining gems of her normal bright, chipper personality. Happy to have this odd, yet tight fitting bond that she had formed with her was entirely unique and it felt secure. Her mother scarred her ability to form friendships and relationships all her life, but just like Shirayuki, few have been able to crack through her shell and get to know her before she'd dropped the shell of herself overall to her normal self-- or rather the person she wanted to be. But those would all be stories to share for another time.

"Just remember we made that deal, you know Madame. You have my full permission if you need to in order to restrain my curse, then you can freely restrain me to your hearts content to help me regain the control I need to beat the curse." Being helped up onto her feet with the help of her mentor's hand, Aristotle began to think about it for a moment, tapping her finger to her chin in thought. "You know... maybe it IS smart we take training a little on the slower end. Picturing the idea of cursed escape artist me being able to slip your bonds while you are not around is a possibility and I would not want to hurt anyone on here that has not slighted me before." It was true that some or most of the people Shira had employed on her ship, the forger never really had any intention of harming anyone that didn't deserve it.

However, with a simple nod of her head to the idea of Shira reading through her letters, Ari took herself to another room nearby and secured it shut with only Shira having a key to it. Once locked away to her own liking, Ari prepared her soak and got inside, ultimately beginning to think on the upcoming meeting, inevitably pulling herself into a ball in the tub while the negative thoughts and subsequent scenarios began to play out in the blonde's head. Legs bent at the knee, tucked to her chest while her chin rested on her knees and arms wrapped gently around her legs, she sat in silence, trying to let the lavender scent of her bath water try to calm her nerves even a little.

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The words of her mentee still in her mind, Shirayuki would soon enough leave the cell as well, locking the door behind her, before making her way towards the control room. She wasn’t looking forward to having to read through the no doubt irritating letters that Ari’s mother had written but the kitsune was determined to do so, wanting to take any opportunity to possibly find some clues about the woman that was causing such harm. She was a lunatic, the kidnapper knew that and probably one of the most dangerous women that Shirayuki had met. How strong was the cursed woman? Well, going by Ari’s words, incredibly and even before they’d even set out, Shirayuki was already on guard.

Her trip to the control room was uneventful and as soon as she entered the room, the members of her crew within would snap to attention. They were a lazy bunch for the most part and Shirayuki would no doubt soon enough be looking for a few new members but for now, her current bunch would have to do. At least they had left Aristotle alone for the most part, which was the most that the Captain could’ve asked for. With a few simple words to the helmsman, she would have him set course for Minstrel and without another word, she’d leave, heading back to her quarters to read through the gibberish her mentee had been sent.

Unfortunately, it was as bad as she’d been dreading and it only took a couple of minutes of reading once she was back in her quarters for the frown to be back upon her face. The woman spoke in riddles, a confusing mess of thoughts and idle questions that could confuse anyone. They made the woman out to be a complete crack pot and the more Shirayuki read, the worse it all became. There were moments of clarity, weaved within the white noise but they were difficult to find. She couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Aristotle, who no doubt had been forced to live an entire childhood under the woman’s thumb. The worst moments were the veiled threats, promises that soon enough the woman would come and claim Aristotle back as hers. Promises that angered the kitsune beyond belief. The cruel witch truly did want her daughter to become as twisted as she was, a scenario that Shirayuki would do anything to prevent.

When her irritation reached a peak, Shirayuki would angrily toss the letters aside and stand up, before walking over to the window and staring out. It was a beautiful day and the ship easily traversed through the sky without any issues. Yet, the beauty did little to soothe her frustration but an image of a middle aged woman wrapped head to toe in unforgiving bondage did.

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The bathroom continued to be in an eerie silence for some time. Simply seated in the same curled up position she had been in since she got into the water had tapered off for nearly a half an hour now. The marks that were previously on her arms and body were long since gone. Her worry of them being seen by others and worrying or judging her now were erased and her mind could be clear of that notion or anticipation. Yet, that wasn’t the thing that kept her as still as a statue. It wasn’t the reason she felt so necessary to isolate herself aboard a ship in the middle of the air headed to another country.

Her mind wandered between the thought of what could happen during her visit and the letters from which she had received but almost never read. What could be hidden within the ones she had never opened? Could she have had a break from the curse? Been a different person in a time of rational thought begging for her help in a ditch effort before the curse would regain its control? Did she feel remorse and want to seek her forgiveness? Or was she just the same bitter, self-centered, power hungry maniac that was locked away within the confined walls of her new home for the rest of her life.

Maybe she’d like to hear from her old companions. Summoned beings from the curse that had since abandoned their allegiance with her for Aristotle. Not that it was something she wanted originally, however even the more gruesome looking and violent tempered ones saw something about her they felt proved her capable. It wasn’t her place to ask, but to know she had something to rely on before she met Shirayuki had been quite a relief to say the least. And Ari could safely say that looking up to a hulking demon with a rage addiction and a rather hands on shadow beast was not in her bingo card of companion attributes.

”Going to face the beast head on, are you deary? Quite a bold act for a cowardly lapine, don’t you think?”

A sultry, venomous voice echoed in the room. The mere sound of the strange voice shocked her from the sulking position she was in to look around. Not a single thing was present in this room currently but the blonde herself.

”Détends-toi, ma chérie. I am not that selfish little whelp of a mother you have, I promise you that. In fact, I have had my on you since you were a mere little sprout.”

Her heart was racing with panic, standing up in the bath while she looked around. Something felt off— alarming even. She couldn’t very well go get help or anything given she had no idea who was there or why she would think to run out there bare skinned and all. ”Then who or what are you? If you’re going to peek at me during a private time, you should have the courtesy to show yourself.” Her noted comment caused a echoed chuckle of amusement to fill the room. Not that a single person could hear her but Aristotle anyway. The entire time, her eyes peered back and forth, over and over until she spotted a pair of purple glowing, glaring eyes looking at her though the mirror, but when she turned around nothing was there. It was as if she was presenting herself to her view solely through that. ”You’re one of those creatures through the curse, oui?”

Aristotle had asked with concern and insinuation, but it didn’t go over as she had really anticipated it to be. The eyes in the mirror continued to silently look onward, only angering the girl more. What more was that she seemed to be speaking into her mind since her hearing aide equipment was left in her room.

”Worry not about me, child. But if you want to get under her skin, mention my name. Tell her ‘Jezebel’ paid you a visit. If you want to watch that manipulative sociopath crack, I will gladly watch it happen. We’ll meet again, ma chérie~”

The eyes soon faded from the mirror, leaving the room to fill again with silence. What did she mean by that? Whatever it was, it had to be related to the curse if this creature “Jezebel” had kept her eye on Ari for so long. Well, until then, she’d have to worry about being ready for their arrival. Grabbing a towel from the bar nearby, she would wrap her body with one and make her way to a dry area to change into her clothes and then step out of the locked room, headed to her own room to grab her hearing devices and some ID to get into the facility.

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What her mentee wouldn’t know was that just around the corner, Shirayuki would be standing, her slayer enhanced hearing having picked up some of the bizarre conversation. Just what on Earthland the blonde girl had been talking about was somewhat of a mystery but the kitsune couldn’t help but be concerned. If her mentee was already talking to herself now, what would happen when she actually came face to face with her mother? It wasn’t a nice thought and as Shirayuki sighed and walked away, heading back to her quarters once more, she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

It didn’t take long before she was back and with the country they were heading towards approaching, Shirayuki would take a few moments to try and relax before what was no doubt going to be a difficult encounter for both Aristotle and herself. In order to ease her own worries, the red head would open a door that led from her quarters into yet another cell. The room, however, was occupied by a rather exotic woman who was bound from head to toe. This woman was bound to Shirayuki, in more ways than one and as the redhead briefly approached and tickled the feet of her tied pet, a muffled giggle would be the response. The kitsune had never expected such a creature to be quite so dirty minded but Shirayuki had to admit that the demon, named Lady Krampus, was a useful companion and a fun one too.

Shutting the door behind her, the eyes of the redhead would briefly sparkle, before she took a few steps closer still, to relieve herself of a little tension.

By the time she was finished, the ship had come to a stop, meaning that the time for herself and Aristotle to disembark had come. With a cheeky slap to the backside of her pet, Shirayuki would retighten the woman’s bonds, before heading on her way, feeling rather more comfortable now. Krampus merely grunted in response, happy in her little world, one which she had never dreamed possible when Shirayuki had first captured her.

Heading towards the ramp of her ship, she’d come to a stop once she reached it, waiting for her mentee to arrive. She made no effort to rush the young woman, knowing that Aristotle had more to be concerned about than her. Shirayuki briefly considered changing her form but given what could well happen, she figured that a tougher look would be more suitable.

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While Aristotle had stopped into her room to grab her hearing aides and her other necessary items that she had known she would need in order to visit the facility, the blonde quickly looked to the door and then moved a small shelf aside to reveal several passport booklets and blank ones in various colors. She looked through a couple of them before she found the suitable option and smiled to herself and set the shelf back in quietly and then closed the door to it. As she passed by it, Ari paused at the sight of her full body mirror and quietly stared at it for a moment. Who or what exactly was that voice she spoke with? Sure, it wasn't the first time she had a telepathic sort of communication with a summon. In fact, it was a convenience given her disability and making it easy to work in jobs and any other possible options. However, her issue was that those who she did this with were already connected beings. This "Jezebel" was one she'd never heard of before, nor did any of her currently mutual companions told her of them before.

A question for another time, perhaps.

When Ari emerged from her room, fully dressed in her new outfit, she had realized they were set in Minstrel quite quicker than she anticipated them to have arrived. From there, she had seen that Shira was already by the ramp and thankfully she had not changed her form, so this made it much easier. "Ah, Madam Shira! Here, I made this for you. I am sure you have one already, but it's also just to see your opinion on some of my work." She held out the passport for the kitsune to take. If or when she would look at it, Shira would see a very realistic looking Minstrel passport. Fluent and perfect spelling, font, stamps. Even down to the "hidden" counterfeit protective measure met perfectly. All in all, if they solely looked for this significance, they would just wave it along. Even to go a bit further, they would see her details filled out perfectly. It wasn't her best work, but she was still working her magic beyond artwork at this point.

"I know I still need some more work, but that last painting I made that you sold helped me get some new material to try and make these." She wondered if this was really something she sought to be worthwhile, however something about it didn't really bother her. She was very close knit to whom she sold to, what she sold, or what she made. Knowing it could sink lower if she wanted to make more money some day was a fearful thought in her head, however Ari just worried about pulling her weight while being sure that something good could come out of these tasks. Of course, her prior passport work was for more common Fiore versions for some occasional workers of Shira's or some detained workers when needed. But those were just barely above scrutiny. These seemed much better tailored than her past work. At least on the way to the facility she could give a little advice and criticism where needed.

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Raising a curious eyebrow, Shirayuki would take the offered passport from her mentee and look through it, giving the creation a thorough examination. Her mentee was rather skilled already when it came to such things and the kitsune would readily agree that Aristotle was improving all the time. The young woman took pride in her work and Shirayuki could see that from the passport alone. Aristotle was an artist and her skills were on full display with the document. So much so that when she was finished scrutinising it, she had to offer her companion a smile. “It looks almost the same as my other one, to be fair, you did a great job with it.” The picture in particular looked rather stunning.

The kitsune looked like a thug in her work appearance but that was precisely the point. She had no intention of revealing her true form to anyone but Aristotle and her casual one didn’t seem to be fitting either. From what she’d been told, the blonde girl’s mother was a real piece of shit and nothing she’d read in the woman’s letters made her appear any differently. This was going to be a rough confrontation and the kidnapper had no intention of appearing intimidated, weakness was not the order of the day here.

Leading her mentee down the ramp and onto the dock, Shirayuki would allow her mentee to lead the way, as Aristotle was no doubt more familiar with the area than she. Yeah, the kitsune worked for the nation in the way but she barely actually spent any time in Minstrel. It was quite a snobby place in her opinion and while she’d sold a few people here from time to time, the nation wasn’t a regular port of call.

As the pair walked, she’d ask in a lower tone of voice, recalling the unusual one sided conversation that she’d heard Aristotle having with herself. “Are you fully prepared for this? I know that you told me that your mother would be tightly confined but I imagine she’s going to try and fill your head with even more of her confusing words. I did read the remainder of her letters and I confess that half of it was beyond me but from what I gather, she’s adamant about this bloody curse taking control or whatever the hell it does.”

Despite the seriousness of her words, she’d gently wrap a comforting arm around Aristotle’s shoulders. “It won’t though. No matter what she says. I promise you that.”

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The words of approval and praise in her work brought a bright smile to her face and practical sparkles of glee in her eyes. Giggling and giddy from the approval quickly stifled to compose herself. Normally, she would celebrate with a little more pep and volume to it, maybe push herself to ask questions, however Ari and Shira were essentially on a job at this point and there had to be a certain boundary kept to her cheerful self and her serious self. ”Merci, Madam! I know I still have some work to do, but to know it can meet even some of your approval is an assurance that I’m on the right path!” She replied, looking to her actual, valid id to reassure herself that she had it for the facility sign in check.

It seemed that the way Shira had started to trail slightly behind her mentee had given her the notion that she wanted her to take the lead. Of course, Minstrel was her stomping ground. She grew up in the snobby little country most of her life and it was a great place, but it definitely had its faults. As they had made their way closer towards an area with a large, towering facility in the distance, Aristotle paused and turned to a food stand and made an order in another language. The vendor traded two sandwiches for some jewels and a cheerful well wishes before she even answered her question.

”The last thing I am worried about is that wench trying to turn me or my head towards her side. I have spent half my life loathing her, our ancestors, and everything about it. I will not let her get under my skin so easily at all. Which brings me to the food. We won’t get anything when we get there, so I figured I would treat you to a little local vendor delicacy! If you aren’t a fan of fish, I still hope you give it a try! I hate fish, but I always get one here when I visit because they make it so so so good!” Almost immediately following, she would take a big bite and the childish sounds of joy filling the air from her excitement was so blissful to her while they made their way up to the entrance.

The process to get into the facility would take a little longer than anticipated. The two would be checked, searched, and then finally escorted to a private visiting area. Seated together with only a few other empty tables and a guard at the door they were let in, her heart was slowly starting to race with a bit of nervousness and wonder what she had come to look like in this place after so long. It wasn’t until the door opposite to them had opened that she began to feel an air of fear and nervousness hit her stomach. Those eyes peering in the darkness of the doorway casted felt like it shot straight through her strong acting facade.

Age did her no good either. Definitely looking like a middle aged woman, the curse did well to hide any sign of fading hair color. Deep, black strands pulled back and into a low hanging bun that could be seen a little from her left side. Her eyes held almost like there was no soul in there, which she wasn’t very much surprised. The years truly took a turn being in here, but honestly that was the least of her concern. Somehow, Ari’s mother was not restrained at all, but for standard cuffs and chains between them. Being undone from them, a guard escorted her over and waited until she was seated before moving to his position at the door. ”I thought the asylum kept their psychopath’s in straight jackets.” She remarked, bothering not to even say hi or anything.

The look on the woman’s face soured a little. Sure, she had minimal restraints, but her prison attire was a full body suit, leaving no skin but her head free. When she placed her hands on the table, trying to reach out to hopefully take her child’s hands in her own, she smiled. ”My dear, sweet little kitten. You look so beautiful now.” The woman spoke in such a sweet tone that it gave Ari a jolt of pure chills down her spine. She had somewhat frozen up just hearing her voice again. Her mind recalling the childhood of her being influenced to travel along her families antics to get power and go mad with it. ”My my, and who is this enchanting woman you brought with you. Don’t tell me you’ve replaced your own dear mother!” Her voice was laced with a thick accent, directing that question to Shira now, though with her new attention garnering a look of observation and intent.

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To be fair, the delicacy was rather nice and while Shirayuki couldn’t react too much due to keeping her tough girl persona intact, she smiled just a bit. Aristotle certainly knew her home country well and before they left the stall, the kitsune would lean over to the vendor and request that a few of them be sent to her vessel, handing over a fair amount of cash to the seller. After what was about to happen, she was going to likely need something to take her mind off of things and a delicious snack might just help.

She was pleased that Aristotle seemed to have gathered her resolve although the red head couldn’t help but still feel a tad concerned. After the heart to heart that they’d just had with one another, Shirayuki was feeling rather protective and should Aristotle’s mother start talking nonsense then the restraint slayer was more than willing to live up to her moniker. If her letters were anything to go by, she loved the sound of her own voice, which made an interesting contrast to Shirayuki who loved the utterances of one that was sealed shut.

By the time the two had gone through the whole process of entering the prison and were seated, Shirayuki was on her guard. For her criminal such as herself, this was quite frankly one of the last places that she probably should have been, now that she thought about it. That being said, her own resolve was rock solid and it was necessary for this particular meeting to happen. The sooner Aristotle faced her mother, the sooner that her mentee and herself could work on figuring out what the damned curse was all about. The blonde’s mother clearly had the information but would she divulge it? God only knew.

Shirayuki’s eyes would instantly move to the woman as she approached and took a seat, a look of disdain crossing her features. The red headed kidnapper had seen her fair share of cranks in her time but the woman before her looked like a right one. This wasn’t going to be an easy conversation and as she talked to Aristotle, Shirayuki’s eyes never left her, a cold look that could’ve flash frozen many a person. The woman wasn’t even bound, a fact that Shirayuki naturally caught onto fast.

Noting the lack of response from Aristotle, concerned that fear was already creeping up on her. Shirayuki would simply say, trying to sound comforting, or as much as she could in the face of the woman before them. “Remember what you told me at the dock.”

When the woman turned her attention to Shirayuki, the dark mage would respond. “Someone who thinks that you need your head plugged into the nation’s power grid.” After a moment, she would add. “I’m also the one who’s going to be designing the new restraints for this facility. I’ll make sure yours are as uncomfortable as possible.” It was an incredibly dry attempt at humour from the kitsune but one that could be taken quite seriously judging by her expression.

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There was an eerie smile of sorts that formed on her face and she didn’t seem nearly if at all intimidate by Shira’s comments. In fact, she looked nearly amused by the idea of her feisty attitude. Her look shuffled between Shira and then Ari while wondering what her reaction was going to be to the kitsune’s reply, but honestly there wasn’t any sort of shift at all. Frankly, she felt almost sandwiched between her mentor and her estranged mother. If ever there felt a need to be worried over something happening, it would be in this moment right now. ”If… if I wanted to replace you, I would have done so years ago. I’m sure papa would have picked a real woman to make him happy rather than slowly being sucked dry by some toxic vampire like you.”

At first, her words were a little shaken and riddled with nervousness, but as she remembered the suffering that not only Ari went through, but that her father did as well, it felt a bit easier to get back to normal. “My, someone sure has grown up since I last saw her. Now, tell me my sweet Aristotle… Have you read my letters? Are you curious of why I am not mummified and carried around on a dolly or stretcher? I bet your lady friend would like to know more since she hasn’t taken her eyes off of me. Perhaps she smitten for a little old lady like me~” She didn’t stop staring at her daughter. While making attempts to show she wasn’t interested in Shira, she surely took her jabs and still heard her.

“This suit I wear completely voids all magic from use, no matter the type, strength, or anything. Shower time is in a room that is designed to do the same but for obvious reasons, we cannot wear our suits then. However, our bond, ma chérie~ They cannot take my motherly love for my daughter from me.” Her voice came off as calm and resolved, oddly enough. It was hard to pinpoint her exact reason as to why she was this calm, however something didn’t seem to add up to Ari during this. She was far less pushy and obsessed with the curse than she had been in the past.

“Now, little kitten. Onto business I suppose.” Immediately her tone shifted and she spoke purely in Minstrellan. Caring not for if Shira understood it, it was an odd air that grew between them. “If you keep denying your heritage, you’ll never see the power that is hiding away inside you. You’ve read my letters, so surely you know about your aunt and cousins progress, yes?” This was a test. If Ari read any letters, then she would know that there was an air of a lie. But instead of even trying to lie, the blonde simply scoffed and dismissively began to twirl a bit of her hair around her finger. ”As if I care about them? And if you dare to use them as a threat against me, I’m sure someone will take great joy in your suffering here in your old age while making sure they don’t do anything to me.” She started to allude to someone, never even looking Shira’s way after saying so. It wasn’t that she wasn’t looking to gauge even her reaction, however she couldn’t put her in the middle of this either.

Even this seemed to catch her off guard a little. She’d quickly grown calmer and more collected. There wasn’t anything readily manipulative in her grasp and even with a sweet seeming smile popping onto her face, Ari’s estranged mother couldn’t help but seem curious over the implication. “Well then, if this is not supposed be your little bodyguard here, why don’t you tell your sweet mother who this person is? Surely your cowardly father or any of the deadbeat weaklings on his side would do anything but sabotage the hard work we put in with your gift.” That phrasing. Calling her curse a gift immediately lit a flame in her. Never once did she consider this to be anything but a nuisance or a constant fear that could creep back up on her. Yet, all she would do was glare in silence and try to pick her next words carefully.

She needed to save her ace in the hole for later. Not all of her hand should be seen yet.


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Deciding not to interrupt, Shirayuki would listen intently as the two women exchanged words, keeping her gaze for the most part on the dark haired woman. It was obvious that the kitsune didn’t believe a word that was being spoken by Aristotle’s mother and she talked in exactly the way that the redhead had expected her to. She truly did want to just gag the woman then and there but out of respect for her mentee, refrained from doing anything like that. This woman was a threat and Shirayuki was unshaken by anything that was said, her expression business-like.

To hear Aristotle speak of someone other than herself who would help her stand up to the girl’s mother was an interesting tidbit and Shirayuki couldn’t help but ponder if that had anything to do with the conversation she’d heard previously. Just what was going on in Aristotle's head? Was the curse actually already having an effect that Shirayuki hadn’t noticed? A worrying thought but one that the red haired woman kept to herself for now. Perhaps she’d bring it up later.

The change of language was interesting as well but what would be notable is that Shirayuki didn’t once behave as though she couldn’t understand. Languages were a useful skill in her line of work and the kidnapper could understand every word, regardless of the language. What intrigued her was the fact that the woman decided to change it at that point rather than from the start. It was only then that she uttered a brief few words, in the same dialect as the two women were speaking in. “A heritage which will turn her into a psychopathic old crone isn’t much of one at all.” Her distaste was clear to see but other than that, she said nothing for the time being.

To hear Aristotle’s mother speak to her daughter as though she actually cared was rather sickening in truth. The woman didn’t mean a word she was saying as far as Shirayuki was concerned and she was glad that Aristotle could see that too. The old harpy was truly gone mentally but she kept her guard up nonetheless, in case the old bat actually said something useful.

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It didn't come as a surprise to Ari at all when Shira had spoken up for herself in their shared language. She had expected that and known of her ability to grasp the little times when she would talk and have small words or phrases simply blurted out in minstrellan rather than the common language. She never really bothered to ask her mentor if she'd known her language at all since they met. It seemed to her that she was adverse in multiple languages so it was much simpler in her head to just be more natural when she spoke and it made communication much easier. Giving a little bit of time that she had come to know or learn that she was able to understand their entire conversation was a bit more amusing when it came to the little facial expression of a response that her mother had given in return to it. "It seems even 'the help' can comprehend more than one language."

With a coy smirk, she would turn her attention to Aristotle and let out a light sigh. "I need you to understand in time, this defiant little attitude will blossom into something more.. fruitful. You're only delaying the inevitable, Aristotle. I may be locked away in here, sealed away for the rest of my life for now, however... how many of your other relatives will come looking for you? Waiting for you to step into the country to watch your every move. How long will your little friends bonded by the contract of the curse going to protect you over the much stronger, influential ones? If you do don't go willingly, my dear... it will only get much harder strapped to a table and fed the darkness." She began to grin, leaning in towards the pair across the table while her body remained calm the entire time. "After all, your aunt once thought that way too. Until her big sis had to step in and teach her the right path in life. But I thought my own flesh and blood would have better aspirations." Sitting herself back, getting that little bit of information out had felt almost like a weight off her shoulders, but almost a tick of intimidation laced within her story.

Her attention momentarily shifted to Shirayuki, who she shot a glare that would paralyze most people. Surely, if she could use her magic than that attempt would certainly be something more likely to happen. "You bite your tongue, you little whelp. The affairs of my family will gift her with power and everything she could ever want in life! What more could a person want than to be the absolute strongest and control the world? Envelope it in chaos, pandemonium, and sit upon the high throne knowing every little living being bows to your every breath and word?"

Frankly, hearing the fact she would do that to her own sister just to push for more power in some way even if it meant to use her like a scapegoat in the future was more sickening and angering than it was fearful. "So that what this was about. I should have known better..." Ari reached up and pulled the hearing aides from her ears and set them down on the table before sitting back in her seat and folding her arms at her chest. "I am not indulging in your antics any further. I don't know if you recall, but i AM deaf. And frankly, I would rather be deaf than to hear your bullshit any longer. If they want to go through me... we'll I'm sure someone else would have a problem with that." She spoke, glaring at her face with a small smirk on her face. She didn't look away, simply watching to read her mothers lips, but that moment would certainly give Shira the room to say anything she would like now that she could without her mentee hearing any of it.

"And who is it that you think could be of any worry to me or anyone else in our family?" There seemed to be a glint of worry, as if she had been hiding something that she had no real practice in hiding away after so long. Maybe she'd been able to drop her guard or simply reading people all her life finally gave her the skill to pick out the signs.

Almost... just a little more prodding and surely the voice could see this all unfolding as well. Both an experiment and an interview in one... clever.

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For Shirayuki, it was becoming a test of patience and while the kitsune was generally able to keep her cool without too much fuss, this woman had an awfully effective method of getting under her skin. She should have expected it from Aristotle’s warnings, not to mention the letters but still, the blonde’s mother was awfully good at talking bull. The redhead felt rather proud when Aristotle had reached her limit and decided to cut herself off from the woman’s vitriol herself, without Shirayuki having to intervene. Whether it’d been wise or not coming here had been a question the kidnapper was beginning to ask herself but seeing the blonde girl take the reins of the situation seemed to be an answer in itself. It appeared that Aristotle had managed to get over her fears for the time being.

Aristotle’s mother did seem rather rattled by her daughter’s threat, something that the kitsune certainly noticed. Clearly, the middle aged woman wasn’t as confident as she appeared to be on the outside and despite her supposedly wise words, there was fear there. The question of who Aristotle was referring to was a mystery to the redhead but she trusted her mentee enough not to question her now. Perhaps they’d discuss it later, once this unpleasant situation was done.

With her mentee deafening herself, Shirayuki would speak up, the woman before her actually reminding her of her own mother. “Whether she chooses to embrace or deny this power of hers has nothing to do with you and if you were any kind of mother, you’d accept the decision that she makes. Why would she wish to become you? Stuck in a prison and sounding like one of a thousand lunatics who fill the cells of every prison in this world. She deserves so much better.”

The kitsune paused briefly and spoke on. “She’s not going to become you and I’ll do everything in my power to stop it from happening. I’m no angel but I’m damn well better suited to taking care of her than you are. I bet you don’t know about her other gifts, do you? No. You’re just obsessed with turning her into a power craving addict. She despises you and so do I. The best place for you is here although I reckon that you need more than just a magic sealing suit to wear.”

Despite the tension, Shirayuki mused to herself that perhaps she should have a word with the guards on the way out regarding that.

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Honestly, blocking out her mother’s voice had been the most relaxing part of her entire visit while. Aside from her pulling her newly grown spine out and albeit slapping her in the face with it, Ari was able to just sit back and watch her mother engage in a bit of conversation with Shira judging by her attention shifting from her own daughter to her mentor showed that Shira wanted to take advantage of her being unable to hear her. Frankly, this wasn’t something she was that interested in learning of right now, however it didn’t strike the prisoner as intimidating.

”Stirring the pot until it’s done cooking, are we? I can’t tell if you’re better or worse than she is. Though I’m enjoying the build up, chérie~”

Thankfully the spectral style voices were deaf to her, but even then her mother didn’t take notice to the voice. It seemed to her that even the creatures from the curse could choose who heard them and who remained ignorant and unaware of their presence. ”You think she wants to or not is not up to her. Many of our ancestors or even some more current girls in our family at one point weren’t interested in being washed over with the glorious sensation of our curse. I wouldn’t expect some little ingrate like you to understand our superiority. Soon enough, you and the rest of the world will. And I will rightfully take my place atop the world as its’ rightful ruler.”

It was at that moment that Aristotle sat up in her seat just a little bit, garnering the attention of her mother briefly despite her gauging Shira’s reaction. If there was one thing her mother couldn’t resist, it was professing herself as this future queen and goddess of the world. She would never mention it in letters as the facility could view that as her rallying for potential escape attempts or jailbreaks. However, with a very calm demeanor, Ari picked up her hearing aides and placed them back into her ears one-by-one. Humming softly to herself while she did so. This was more to give a bigger show to the others unknown spectator, but all the while the mysterious one being even more amused. Besides, hearing her mother freak out was something she could never miss out on.

”That is just what I needed to see for myself. Reassuring myself that you were here for nothing more than yourself.” She started out, bracing herself now to wonder exactly the kind of reaction she would get from the hat of emotions. ”You will not speak to her like that again or I will break your jaw and let them wire it shut incorrectly. Unlike you, she is more of a mother than you have and will ever be. In fact, I am sure if I asked right now, maybe Jezebel would be the same.” Her fixated gaze had paid off nearly immediately.

The mere mention of her name made her eyes shrink. That proud, arrogant facade shriveled into slight panic, fear, and shock. ”H-How do you know that name? Who told you that?” Her voice was starting to get a bit shaken, even looking around in almost a paranoid sense for the sight of something to be watching… but nothing. ”That is none of your concern now-” A harsh thud of her mothers hands crashing palm open onto the table with her shooting up, staring now exorbitantly different surprised the previously calm forger. ”I am your MOTHER and you WILL tell me this instant how you found her! I have been searching for Jezebel for nearly my whole life! Your grandmother was the last one who ever managed to contact her and praised her powers! I demand to know everything about her!” Both guards stepped immediately to the table, glaring at her to not try and do anything else, less they end up getting physical and remove her by force.

Aristotle simply smirked and shook her head, standing up from her own seat and pushing her chair in after stepping aside from it. ”You don’t get it, do you. If she’s some all powerful thing, then she isn’t going to just be readily available to every piece of garbage in this family. I hate to insult her, but she’s a little like you. She will pick someone who will fulfill her needs and in return can grant them her abilities. She isn’t a tool for your own deeds. There’s nothing of value for a low life insect like you. I wonder how she’d feel if I started calling her ‘mom’ next~” That seemed to set her off as the immediate next action her mother gave caused the guards to restrain her and place a mask over her mouth. Within seconds, she seemed to be completely incapacitated. ”Sa la vie~” She mused aloud, waiting for her mentor to join her before they would eventually be escorted out of the prison visiting hall and be returned the items they couldn’t bring inside.

Once they had gotten outside of the facility, Aristotle almost. Couldn’t hold back laughing loudly. ”Man, I can’t believe she actually broke out like that after all. And here I just thought she would be argumentative and demand more and more information. But I guess that place doubles as a psych ward~. And best of all, you don’t have to worry about the restraint system. Maybe you can steal a mask of theirs at some point too.”

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One look at Shirayuki’s face would tell that she was rather more pleased with the situation now. To see Aristotle’s mother be hauled off in such a way brought her a great deal of satisfaction and the kitsune had to admit that the guards were rather effective at their jobs after all. As good as the redhead? Well, she was never going to admit that, was she? She’d learned a fair amount from the encounter and was overall comfortable with how things had been left. Most of all, she was happy with how Aristotle had handled the entire situation and she couldn’t help but feel proud.

As she looked into her bag of valuables that had been returned to her, Shirayuki couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at her mentee’s words. “I tried to charm one of the guards on the way out but he refused to supply me with one. He did, however, give me the name of the company that makes them so I’ll have to inquire into that later. I didn’t want to risk actually taking one in case I found myself ending up in a cell myself. I doubt they could catch me but miracles do happen.”

She fell silent for a bit, walking beside her mentee before speaking again. “You handled yourself well in there and after the first minute or so, I couldn’t sense any fear from you at all. I’m glad that we had our heart to heart before meeting her rather than after. I thought for a minute that she was actually going to attack you at the end there. You did a great job of setting her off.” The confidence that Aristotle had shown was more than what the kitsune had expected in truth but it was a pleasant surprise for sure.

There was something else though that needed to be brought up and the woman’s green eyes would turn to look at her mentee. “So, who’s this Jezebel that the two of you were talking about? I couldn’t get an awful lot from the conversation regarding her but I assume she’s someone you’re both fully aware of. Is she a member of your family or something?” She was fumbling the dark up to a point but she didn’t feel too worried. Aristotle spoke of her as more a help than a hindrance, which helped ease any concerns that the kitsune might have.

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All in all, the experience of this visit was more disappointing than anything else for Aristotle. She had her suspicions that her mother would never have changed over the years and it seemed aside from donning an older face and a new hairstyle, she wasn't anything more than the snake she knew her to be. As scaley as a belt or purse made right from the remains of a slain creature, yet arguably less valuable than even the cheap knock off versions of those too. She had let out a bit of a light sigh once they'd gotten around to chatting about the whole experience, chuckling a little at her mentor's failed attempt to schmooze a guard into giving her one of their masks. Shaking her head lightly, a faint shrug of her shoulders just made her picture it a little more and find the imagery a bit funnier to her than she first thought. "If so, I would have said it to be a more worthwhile. I apologize for dragging you along and wasting your time, Mademoiselle. I should have done this by myself."

She had seemed to be a bit less than excited over this whole visit. Perhaps she thought something could have changed given her inability to use magic for so long that maybe she could have thought her way to being unable to do anything else but reflect. However, it instead seemed to show that narcissistic sociopath's only think for themselves and her mother was no exception for that rule at all. Her eyes peered over to her red headed mentor as she had congratulated her on her ability to remain calm and composed, even to simply shut down her attempts to get into her head. Truthfully, Ari wondered if she could have done that on her own at all or not. Maybe just having Shira there gave her that little boost she needed, but for now she would just have to keep pondering on that thought.

What made her raise her brow was the ask of who Jezebel was. Asking if she was just someone from their family, but honestly she couldn't very well see that being the case even if she thought from an outside point. "Truthfully, madam.. I have no real idea. I remember the name brought up as a child once or twice from her mouth, but otherwise I don't recall if she was family or not." Despite her own real curiosity, Aristotle seemed pretty composed and a lack of interest to be frank.

"Then I suppose that is my queue for an introduction." A voice chimed in from the air. A pink cloud of smoke mixed with the darkness of shadows would form a short distance in front of the two as a feminine figure would appear from within it. Her hair seemed to be short and in the style resembling a flame of sort, meanwhile she had two tail like appendages with two medium length blades attached to them. "I am the curator of the gallows, the voice of temptation, Jezebel. A very long time observer of this girls family and very minimally involved for my own sanity." Her eyes flickered from Shira to Ari, almost completely vanishing from sight in a puff of purple smoke and shadows. "See, I am within my own right one of the most influential beings in our realm. Consider it akin to you mortals as having a key that can open most if not all of the doors in this town."

Reappearing behind Aristotle, Jezebel's free arm gently placed around the girls waist while her other curiously twirled a bit of her blonde hair around her finger. "Interesting~ Not a trace of the curse in these strands. Truly, you're much like her. And trust me, that would be a grand compliment if you knew who she was." Quick to her appearance and inspection, Jezebel's eyes darted to Shira and with a large step, would place distance between herself and Ari. "You do care deeply for this child and I respect that. I intrude purely to assess whether she was dying her hair to hide its influence or if she genuinely was worthy of my time and talents." With a light chuckle amidst a pause, she would keep her attention shared between both women without a care for outside influence.

"Assuming you wanted me to purposely drop your name, you're referring to someone in my family who you last dealt with? And for that matter, why now? What exactly can I do for you?" Those chain of questions made her smile a little, looking to Shira and simply giving a "one minute" signal to the blonde. "You know, intruding on others conversations, even one sided variations is very rude, little fox. I have been watching the relationship between you two blossoming for some time and I have to thank you. Your influence and character building has made me see that she is rightfully the one who is deserving of my influence." Seeming a bit puzzled by her phrasing, Jezebel turned back to the summoner and gave an attempt at a curtsy.

"Long ago, your great grandmother was much like you. She'd been fed the same garbage passed amongst that side of your family for generations. Suckering in rich, corrupt people to gain the luxury and ability to grow in the underground for years started fruitful, but that woman... she didn't like the results of her family. They were very neglectful, self obsessed, and in turn, their own daughter took to making friends with the creatures. Her abilities even at a young age were no joke and she did well to make it look like she was JUST above average to avoid suspicion. Her attempts to turn the tide of your families curse was sadly brought to an end by her own husband when he and the rest of your family found out her attempts by a very manipulative son they had. My guess is your mother attempted to go a route in which she would plant a seed of corruption in your father, but when that went awry and she was imprisoned, I.. may have removed that little hint from his mind and kept my eye on my little experiment. Truthfully, your mother is among the worst I have ever been around and seeing them try to build this family empire using us as pawns does not sit well with many of us. Some simply want bloodshed and violence so they will actively obey in return for it."

A smile and a gaze of amusement shined on her face, checking on the reactions of both women while she caught her breath for a moment. "You on the other hand are genuinely a sweet and caring individual. I have hardly seen the big lug take to a human in a protective nature, but courage and bond between summoner and the summoned is key to building stronger ones... Which is why I am here today. After the show I witnessed, I wish to offer my services to you, Aristotle Lambros. I will guide you to your goals above all else, so long as you do not stray and turn against me and the fox." She would hold a hand out, palm up and look the deaf woman right in her eyes. "You may take a moment to discuss or think it over, but please do consider the offer at hand, cherie."

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There was a lot to take from Jezebel’s speech and Shirayuki’s ears were ringing by the end of it all. It seemed to be a day where speeches were coming from all directions and while the redhead generally wasn’t too fond of them, at least Aristotle’s new ally made some kind of sense. The kitsune knew a fair amount regarding mystical creatures which given her own nature, was only natural. This being seemed to be a spirit of some kind, maybe akin to one used for summoning or something. Shirayuki couldn’t say for sure, as summoning wasn’t a form of magic she was versed in but it made sense to her. Did the redhead completely trust this woman? Well, she hadn’t lived as long as she had by taking everything she heard at face value.

When the time finally came for her to pipe up, she’d look to her mentee and smile softly again. “After what I saw today when you faced your mother, I trust you to make the decision that is right for the both of us. If you want to make a deal with Jezebel then go ahead and do so, I will still be here to help you in any way I can going forward. Our promise still remains, I’ll keep an eye on you always and should I see that the curse is overcoming you, I’ll have you wrapped up like a package before you know what hits you. Remember what you said though when we first met, that above all else, you’ll never become your mother.”

Turning to Jezebel, she’d then say to the spirit. “I do care, as you say and while we haven’t known each other for all that long, she feels more like my family than my own do. Aristotle’s life is always going to be challenging, just by being with me, let alone with the added strain of the curse but I’ll be there to face them all with her. She’s adapted so well to everything that has happened so far and I’m certain that she’ll master what you and your fellow spirits have to offer, should she wish to accept your deal.”

That was what it was when it all came down to it. A deal.

(377 Words)
(14022 TWC)