The Majura Art Gallery was a place of extravagance and fame. Known as one of the most famous galleries in all of Fiore, artists both new and old would work tirelessly in order to get their pieces accepted into its halls. Filled with paintings ranging from realism to abstract, and sprinkled about with sculptures of every different base imaginable, this building held something special for every taste imaginable. Truly, acceptance into the gallery was a guarantee of both fame and fortune.

Being a place of such notoriety, it was also a place with extremely tight security. Though the presence of physical guards were low, magical tools were scattered throughout the building. Lacrima meant to capture video and audio, scanners meant to take mana signatures, live tracking throughout the building; This place had security systems that would make the average knight jealous. After all, many who joined the force did so simply because they found the job of security to be cool. Jove was a bit of enigma.

It was unknown to most, including himself, why he still dredged through the trenches of paperwork and corruption. Being what some would call a good noodle on the force came without many friends on his climb up. Having just recently promoted to Captain, due in no small part to the capture of Erebus, Jove looked more tired than ever. Yet here he was, on his day off, standing inside an art gallery.

Wearing beige khaki's, a tight fitting black polo shirt, and black leather dress shoes, Jove stood in contrast to most of the other attendees. It was clear that he was nothing of an artist, and he was dressed more like a suburban father than a lover of the fine arts.

Yet he hadn't come without a purpose. Tucked under his arm was a large binder, and one peak inside would notice several smaller folders tucked within its binding. Jove had entered the building and made his way through some of the halls, admiring the pieces.

He had done something very rare for himself, and that was work outside of his normal hours. He had gathered evidence on several different individuals, something that he hadn't originally planned to do. Despite that, there had been a sort of pull towards the investigation. Lucifer had laughed, a mocking laugh that didn't necessarily mean he knew anything, but rather that he found amusement in Jove's struggle and extra hours on the job.

For some reason he had felt personally tied to this case, which wasn't necessarily rare. Despite his rough exterior, the Rune Knight was quite a softie. Still, this one was different. He felt not only pulled towards it, but as if he were personally involved. He had finished scraping together information from the Rune Knight Archives, a vast connection of both paperwork and Archive Magic Networks, and in his hands was the culmination of that information. None of it was secret. All of it had been publicly accessible, yet for the average person without Knight connections, such research could take years.

Which brought him to why he was at the Gallery. He had reached out to the girl who had requested his help. They had bonded a little further after the knight at the Swineherd, especially since she was now the only other person who could understand what a dick Lucifer could be. It was her who had suggested the meeting location, and considering she had alluded previously to being a thief, he found a weird sense of irony in that. He hoped he wasn't about to be used as an alibi, and otherwise roamed around the building until she found and approached him.

The afternoon sun dipped Majura’s gallery into a pool of golden and yellow hues and a veil of warmth hung over the modern building that stood out from the remaining architecture of the city. The thief stopped for a moment to gaze at the exterior before she entered the exhibition. Nuala wore a pair of knee-high combat boots and black pants that fit snugly around her lean figure. A matching bowtie and a simple, white dress shirt completed the look. Her long, purple hair was tied up in a high ponytail that swung in the opposite direction of her hips with every step she took.

Nuala accepted a glass of champagne at the entrance and emptied it in one quick go. “Thank you,” she told the waiter with a smile and proceeded further into the building. Her eyes searched the aisles and even though she had chosen this place with no shady intent, the woman couldn’t help herself when her gaze clung to a particularly beautiful piece of art – one that would without a doubt fetch a high price. The smile she had maintained up until now turned sour when Nuala was once again reminded that without the invisibility she had relied on for so many years, she was nothing but another petty thief and the Majura Gallery out of her league.

But Nuala hadn’t come here to dwell on such trivial matters. Tearing herself away from the painting, the woman walked further until she caught sight of her appointment. The knight was dressed in casual apparel that harmonized with his boring persona. There was no clue, not even a hint at the demon slumbering within the depths of his soul, his dark secret well-guarded. Nuala took one look at the binder he had brought and her insides churning at its sight. There it is, she thought bitterly. The answer to all my questions, brought to my doorstep by someone I basically just met. Nuala was by no means ungrateful to Jove, only upset at the fact that she had to rely on the kindness of a stranger to finally have some peace of mind.

“Hey,” she said with a breathy voice and tapped his shoulder. “Find something to your liking yet?” The woman asked and gestured around, her words seemingly barren of intent. She doubted the Rune Knight Captain would appreciate a gift like that, even if he did enjoy the arts presented in the gallery. The thief knew he wasn’t doing her a service but a favour and that eventually she would get a chance to repay it on his terms if she wanted to.

Jove stood eerily still as he stared at the piece before him, the image of a man screaming on a bridge. The whole world around him seemed distorted, and yet there were two others who stood behind him who seemed completely unaffected, as grounded as the bridge that all three of them shared. He heard her coming, and so even though her approach was from the rear he was not at all startled. Her voice was the only thing that separated him from the ever permeating silence, and yet he didn't respond right away.

His hands gripped the documents in his hand ever so slightly, though it wasn't enough to cause any sort of wrinkling or damage. Just enough to ground himself; to allow them to serve as his bridge.

"Why do you think artists create?" He didn't answer her question, at least not directly. His voice came out quietly out of respect for the gallery, though when paired with his currently isolated demeanor, it gave him a sort of ethereal distance.

"It's a rhetorical question, of course. I think even if you cornered such a person and demanded an answer from them, they likely wouldn't be able to give you anything concrete." His words trailed off, and his body turned towards her. His head lagged behind, as if ripping his eyes away from that painting was causing him physical effort. As he looked at her, he smiled lightly. It was a comforting smile which contrasted very much with his rather sad eyes. "I like to hope, though, that they do it because it was their choice. It was the path they chose to take, and one they found some sort of fulfillment out of. Feeling indebted to someone for them following the path they chose... There's no need for that."

Jove was a man who lived a degree of separation from the world around him. He often times felt detached, and as if forming any sort of connection with him would be nigh impossible. Despite this, he had chosen the life of a Rune Knight for a reason. He knew what the contents of the folder were now, and with every passage he found, he was struck with further sadness.

It was not as though he were immune to the empathies of man.

"I think, perhaps, we should take a seat."

He would step past her with a light nod, and as they walked, he brought the folder in front of him. He held it lightly with both hands now, as if it had suddenly become to heavy for one.

These people... He didn't know her connection to them exactly. Some of them were clearer than others, but all of them were clearly people who mattered greatly to her. That much was clear by her tone when she made the request, and the pain on her face when she tried to rescind it.

Making it to a nearby bench that had a decent view of multiple exhibits, he'd sit down first and glance up at her. "Are you ready?"

Nuala’s eye fell on the painting the Rune Knight had been observing for a while now and with mild interest, the thief began her observation. The title read Skrik – a word that meant Scream in a foreign language, its origin in one of the most northern countries she believed. It was, in Nuala’s humble opinion, an unsettling piece of art. The way the sun set dipped the clouds into a deep red colour and the figure at its center appeared to be in great distress put her at unease. Without knowing why Nuala sensed a sudden shift in the atmosphere; put off by the sweep of emotion she couldn’t quite comprehend, the woman turned away and looked towards Jove.

“I– I think it’s because they have to cope,” Nuala said a while after Jove had asked his question. “It’s how they express themselves, no?” The rogue could hardly speak for anyone, let alone this painter, but decided to share her thoughts freely anyways. She didn’t think the knight would judge her for this, or anything – Jove wasn’t like that. He gave her a light smile and when Nuala noticed that something about it didn’t feel right, her stomach churned and the corners of her lips turned downwards. She didn’t like what he said next, because it had a sense of foreboding to it that the woman had desperately been trying to deny for months now. Years even.

“Okay?” Nuala gave an uncertain nod and followed behind the blonde.

Jove was by no means an easy person to read, but the daemon was a fast learner. That, and perhaps he had allowed himself to open up to her a bit, offering her little bits and pieces of who he was every time they met; every action and service towards her a glimpse into his personality. Thus, her smile dulled when she saw the way he looked at her and clung to the folder that held the answers to so many questions. Nuala’s gaze clung to his every motion and when Jove took a seat, she gave the man a pained smile and took one as well. They had a proper view of their surroundings from the bench, but there weren’t any people close enough to overhear their conversation.

There was still a spark in her eyes, a faint glimmer of hope that made her seem alive and somehow almost human. Nuala gave a slow nod. “I’m ready.”

For the first time, Jove felt something akin to fear from the younger demon lass. She had always been so quick to carry herself with a sense of separation from what happened around her, that much was clear from just the couple of interactions they'd had. Things were different now though. She knew that he held information on the three individuals whom she requested, even if she couldn't quite know what that information was yet. Anxiety seemed to thicken the atmosphere, and as both of them took a seat, Jove faced her head on. His eyes would lock with hers, and perhaps in this moment, his stony lack of emotion would serve as a rock to escape the current of emotions which were certainly flowing through her at that time.

He let his vision wander, figuring it best not to coax her to do anything other than what made her comfortable at that moment, though it didn't take long for the indication to continue to come. As she stated her readiness, he simply nodded and opened up the folder within his hand. He took out an image, printed on paper, of Kenzo Valens. "The Espada," he began, checking her face for indications of recognition. "Luckily he was easy to find information on. High ranking member of Blue Pegasus, devoid of magical capabilities. He actually had an entire folder dedicated to him. He was last seen in Stella, participating in that Ball held by Empress Devine."

He let silence fall between them again, giving time to process. "We never detected him coming back across the border. Our border control is very advanced- We actually made Stella pay for it." It was an offhanded comment. A piece of information which held no place in their conversation, but would hopefully act as a lifeline should she need it. "This means he either used his connections to come across the border without tripping our alerts, or he never returned from Stella. Regardless; He's a big name. We'd have gotten word if he had died or been attacked. Our best bet is he is currently on mission for Blue Pegasus. Nothing to worry about." He finished with a light smile, one that felt genuine rather than forced. He wasn't attempting to lure her into a false sense of security, but rather he truly meant what he said. It was a piece of good news, even if she missed him terribly.

"Are you okay to continue..?"

“Stop that,” Nuala said with a scowl and waved her hand in Jove’s face. “Don’t coddle me, just spit it out.” Not to say that the thought of them being gone didn’t make her stomach churn, but she knew better than to publicly mourn them. Nuala was immortal after all – she’d lost people before and with every passing year, she was growing more and more used to it. Her expression hardened visibly and with slender fingers she began combing through her thick, purple ponytail. First was Kenzo and much to her delight he was alive and well. The two had grown close over the years and although neither of them ever bothered to put a label on their relationship – for all that it was and all that it could have been – they did seem to care deeply for each other and Nuala huffed with relief at the news.

“Figured,” her words were cut short. “He’s undefeatable, that one.”

He was known to slip off the face of earth every once in a while and reappear in the most random locations, so this didn’t come as much of a surprise to her. That’s enough, she quietly told herself, guessing that Jove was the kind of person to bring good news before bad ones. That’s better than none of them surviving, the daemon reminded herself and nodded solemnly. Losing every single one of them would have been the worst case scenario, but even then Nuala would have been able to bear it. The people she surrounded herself with weren’t the type to die of old age after all.

“What about the other two?” Her eyes locked on the Rune Knight and she had completely zoned out of her surroundings.

She was strong. Stronger than she ought to be, perhaps, for the situation at hand. The words came out with a cold undertone, and for a moment Jove couldn't help but empathize with her. Perhaps he was being too gentle, making her feel as if he viewed her as some delicate flower which needed nurturing. There was no offense taken from her request, of course, but rather an internal note made that for some it was better to rip the bandage off quickly.

As he gave her the news of Kenzo, there seemed to be a level of relief which flashed before her eyes. The breath she had been holding, intentionally or otherwise, slipped through her lips as the stress escaped from her shoulders. Her whole body seemed to become free of the tension which had previously gripped it. Rather than watch her, making her feel as if she were being analyzed, he simply place the image down on the bench beside him. Without delay, a second image was pulled from the folder. He would aim it towards her, again checking for recognition that he had found the correct individual she was looking for.

Long brown hair, amethyst eyes, fair skin. Eyes that looked far too cold to be attached to a smile so warm. An entity who could bring both love and death wherever she stepped. If someone knew her, the recognition should be instant.

"Kaiser Bo, the Chaos Vessel. Once guild mistress of Daeva Eye, and one of the most monitored existences by the Council and therefore the Rune Knights. Luckily, the information on her was extraordinary." He'd place the image down over Kenzo's, the picture facing Nuala so that she could look at it if she so chose. "Last known location: Myras. Witnesses saw her with the Guild Master of Blue Pegasus; with two major players in the same location, it gives us a high degree of certainty that it was her."

With that said, Jove allowed for eye contact between himself and Nuala to be made if she wanted it. If not, his gaze would simply go past her, so as to not force her into an awkward encounter during this trying time. "That was over a year ago, with no witness accounts since." There was a pause, though it was brief. "That said, we place survival at a 93% chance. Kaiser's magic was known to be highly destructive, and with her power and durability the chances of her being taken out without a fight are non-existent. If she had engaged in some sort of life-or-death battle, we'd be well aware of it. Our belief is that she is currently lying low, or working outside the normal channels of supervision."

The news was neutral. The chance of her survival was high, but Jove knew nothing about the demoness sitting next to him. Would she be content knowing that someone significant in her life was alive if she couldn't confirm it herself? It was a question she'd have to mull over herself, and at another time. He had learned his lesson about moving too slow with her; the final picture was removed and placed before her.

A blond haired young man, vibrant and full of life, looking to his immediate side with a bright smile as if caught in mid laughter. Poking out was an orange looking dog with a nearly human expression, looking shocked towards the camera.

"Finn Mertins, the God of Death."

Jove shifted in his seat, turning his gaze a bit away from hers as he looked into the documents still within the folder. His eyes scanned quickly, following the text that was there. To one who didn't know him it might seem like he was underprepared, maybe even doing his best to decide how to explain what he knew to the woman before him. In reality, he was trying to find the way he felt most comfortable breaking this news.

"Approximately one year ago today, Finn Mertins body was identified in a local ravine around eighteen minutes after his estimated time of death. There had been reports that he had been stricken with a curse, perhaps some sort of dark magic, the details are hazy. Judging from the evidence, it seems..." He trailed off, as if the words escaped him. He closed the folder slowly, sighing and dropping his head slightly. "Evidence points to suicide. I don't know who he was to you, but he was well known throughout the Rune Knights as someone who often aided in the brighter parts of our work. I'm sorry for your loss."

Placing the folder down on top of the three pictures, Jove simultaneously offered her the information within as well as covering up what may have been the most painful of the three images. "He is survived by his brother, Jake, who was informed shortly after. Jake provided us with his contact information; he is apparently a father now, living with his wife and six children in Joya. He wrote in his letter to us that a woman may eventually come to the Knights in order to try and track him down, but yours was not the name given. Do you know a Seira, by any chance?"

Nuala’s eyes widened visibly at the sound of Kaiser’s name. The vampire was well known around the country, having gathered a considerable amount of infamy over the years. Since the disbandment of Daeva Eye however rumours of the immortal sorceress with mass destruction magic had ceased and she hadn’t heard from her former mistress in a while. Still, things were going much better than Nuala had anticipated. “Myras, huh?” The daemon gave a solemn nod. “Yeah, that seems about right. Vampires are rather difficult to kill, so for all we know she could be holding a longer nap somewhere – not that time means anything to her.” When Jove made eye contact, Nuala shrugged and gave him a funny look.

“What? That’s good news!”

He didn’t seem so sure, but he was only the messenger after all. Nuala found the amount of information the Rune Knights seemed to have gathered on her guild mate rather curious though – it wasn’t much and most of it was known throughout the country anyways, simply due to her rather imposing presence, but she hadn’t expected them to actually mark down her locations. A frown crossed her face and Nuala couldn’t help but wonder how much was known about her.

“Do you mind if I keep her picture?” She asked and then took it without waiting for his response.

When Jove moved on to Finn, her demeanour changed entirely. Their relationship had been complex and their interests often clashed, but she liked to think that they were close. He’d always been the mysterious type, much like herself, and while neither had shared much of their past during their time together, she never considered him anything less than a friend. Nuala took the picture and furrowed her brows. Perhaps she had been wrong about how well she had known the swordsman after all. “He looks so young,” she said wistfully.

"Happier too."

At the news of his suicide, Nuala held her breath. “That’s–,” she began and shook her head vehemently. “That’s bullshit,” she said quietly so as to not disturb the other visitors of the gallery. “Not that it matters now, I guess.” Her vision grew hazy when Jove pulled her out of her trance with a rather unexpected question. “Seira?” She shook her head again. “I’ve never heard that name before, and he never mentioned someone like that. Oh well,” she gave him a helpless shrug, sighed deeply and stood up.

“You helped me a lot. I owe you a favour – or money, if that’s what you prefer.”

Nuala seemed to take the news of Kaiser positively. It was a sign that she had shared a close relationship with the terror of a few years past. There was something strange in the plethora of people whom she seemed to keep close to her heart. A mercenary who tried to stay good when possible, a vampiress who seemed to keep few close to her heart, and a boy adventurer who seemed hellbent on being a hero. Truth be told, there was nothing external that he could find that would link these three, save for a brief stint in Advent World by the two males.

Yet these thoughts all came in quick flashes, lasting only seconds as he continued through the information he had compiled for her sake. "Not at all," he said in response to her request. The images were simply printed off from copies the Rune Knights had of interesting individuals being tracked. To let her keep them would be of no issue at all.

What was an issue was the final name.

As he read off the information, she became slightly more sullen. It made sense, and confirmed that she was indeed close to all three even if at varying degrees. He dragged her from the mental gymnastics of trying to make sense of a young mans death, and as she denied any knowledge of the girl, Jove sighed and nodded. "I see."

There was a silence that settled between them when she gave an offer of compensation. He stared blankly ahead, staring at the plain white wall before them with the same intensity he stared at the painting previously.

"I like to think," he began, words carried upon a deep sigh, "that people do things because it was their choice. That regardless of where their path takes them, there's some solace in the fact that they did it their way." He stood up, pressing his hands into his pockets and looking back at the painting they had spoken about previously. "That said, there are some things that just never make sense. Decisions that are made by the struggles of the world, or of someone's mental health. That's no longer their decision. Seeing things like that is one of the only things that actually make this job fulfilling. Most knights may have lost their way, but I think people have an innate sense to do good in their heart, even if their actions aren't good in practice. Life is full of nuance like that."

Jove wasn't inept. He could articulate his thoughts in most scenarios, but it also became difficult to communicate things like wanting to make a positive impact in peoples life. To help them feel as if they could be in control of themselves again. Something about saying it out loud, he thought, made it feel so self serving. "I know they weren't all the answers you wanted, but most people never have someone asking about them. I think all of your friends would be happy that you did."

Nuala’s lips thinned into a line; her throat pulsed with unspoken words, but instead of speaking her grief, she decided to carry it within her until the end of her days. Her memory of Finn would fade over the years, but he would never truly cease to exist in her mind. And perhaps sometime, somewhere else, they would find each other again. Nuala found comfort knowing that in defiance of her soulless self, a part of her would always know a part of him. There lay a sense of belonging in Finn that Nuala could never quite explain. He felt like the home that she never came back to.

She had been scared then, but regret would lead her nowhere now and never back to him.

A frustrated sigh escaped her and Nuala offered Jove a weak smile. “Ah, probably. I hope so,” she said and huffed a laugh, standing up and stretching her aching limbs. They weren’t supposed to hurt and she hadn’t realised how stiff she had been. “Anyways, this place is giving me all the wrong ideas and I’m not trying to get on your bad side just yet.” A grin spread across her face and clear mischief tinted her words. She motioned for him to follow her as she walked out of the gallery.

“So, how many vacation days do Rune Knights get?”