Darkness was still not as disconcerting to her as it was for others, but given Tsuru's aversion to it, she left it to him to turn on the light. Plus, she found herself craving the silly pleasure of watching him stumble around in her room as his hands caressed the wall for the switchboard. She didn't have to struggle, considering that she had navigated her room, while it was shrouded in shadows, several times.

The young Joyan made her way to the bed and perched herself on its edge, her legs remained planted onto the floor as she waited patiently, her neck arching so she could turn and stare into the brightness of her living room, waiting for and anticipating the moment when Tsuru's sillouhette would interrupt it. A hand lay on her thigh, idle, another curled around the back of her neck.

As she settled on how she was going to approach the conversation, she realised how this moment mimicked the one they'd shared in the hospital, the time they met one another after a good two years had torn their story apart. The difference was, she wasn't in pain this time and there was no one else here. The hand on her leg slowly inched towards the bow that fastened the tie of her gown. She fiddled with the silky fabric while rotating, so that her back was to the entrance of her room. Her neck craned as she continued to keep a wary eye on the threshold.

A smirk, seductive in nature and playfully sly in appearance, tugged at her lips, when Tsuru's rugged form walked through the threshold, a sideways glance kept him in her view as her deft fingers undid the ties that held her dress up at her shoulders. Her arms crossed to daintily hold up the the fabric in the front. The weave that was covering her back though, fell off her slender back and pooled on the bed at her waist, akin to an artist uncovering their piece. In a cruel way, the scars could be seen as such. Her pristine skin, sharply contrasting with the cursed slashes, was nothing short of a masterpiece by the tormented creatures that put them there.

She averted her gaze and drew a long breath, waiting for Tsuru to make of this what he would. She's learn to see the beauty in her misfortune, would he too? He never struck her to be the sort who would dismiss what they had because she was a little marred, they were warriors after all, so that was an insecurity she didn't have to deal with. When she felt the tender touch running over her flesh and then her wound, she couldn't suppress a gentle shudder, it brought with it a wave of goose-bumps.

'Angels and demons fight, I became the battleground.' she answered, just a little cryptically. Her hand stretched over her shoulder so her fingers could interlock into his, reassuringly. 'The second one is the work of a Seraph, its what thrust the power of the Grace upon me, allegedly to mitigate the curse of the first.' Her words were a whisper as soft as a dismissive sigh.

She noticed the intrigue in his gestures, while one of his hands remained entwined with hers, the other continued to explore the slices. She knew that he now had enough clues to know that she was no longer purely human. However, he seemed to have accepted that for the time being, his inquiry didn't broach the race itself, but sought more clarity on the one who had blessed her. She'd made her disdain apparent in her tone already and found her scoffing when at the word 'saved'. But it was his optimism that she found attractive and it was already dangerously close to fading...

She smiled sadly and turned to hold his gaze again, especially when his next question echoed her contagious scepticism. She was never someone who could successfully molly-coddle, today she wished she could, just briefly. However, even if she could've, logistically now would be the worst time. Tsuru needed to know as much of the truth as he could, he was a Captain-Commander now and from what Akira gathered from his demeanour, he wasn't really aware of what that meant. There were going to be so many more people wanting his head on a pike, alleged friends and unknown enemies alike.

'No evidence of the Church being involved, actually.' she started. She ducked under his arm and without breaking the loose hold of their hands, she twisted her body. Her leg slid onto the bed as she sat facing him, tugging on his arm to coax him into sitting in front of her. She was still clutching onto the fabric of her dress with one arm as she spoke. 'To be honest, I suspect there is more to it. This Seraph was no where as nice as you'd expect an angel to be.' she joked, mirthlessly.

His surprise made her chuckle. Lately, he was all too eager to expect the Church to be involved in anything unsavoury. It seemed she'd rubbed off on him in this regard too, either she had, or all the staunch higher ranking Rune Knights he was surrounded by had. In time he'd come to realise that the friction between the Knights had been put to rest in lieu of bigger dangers. Perhaps, word about the resolution of that conflict had still not reached him, unfortunately for her, that meant she couldn't boast to him about the covet part she played for that to happen, yet.

His impassive acceptance of the fact that the Seraphim was not nice, also left her smirking. Perhaps she was underestimating him and he was more ready for his new role than she assumed. It was probably wrong of her to doubt Pagni, he had a fairly sensible head on his shoulder... The shadow of suspicion was drawn from his closeness to that Baldanti fellow, which attested to slightly poor judgement at least in Akira's eyes. The man had redeemed himself somewhat by offering Captain-Commander to Tsuru instead of Baldanti though. However, he'd have to know that it did put a target on Tsuru's back, a political one that the swordsman wasn't capable of handling.

Such anxieties only peaked when she looked into his violet eyes. She saw her reflection in them, looking far more vulnerable and tender than her usual self. He sought to tame a wayward strand of hair, by putting it in its place. She leaned into his palm, inviting and deepening the kiss that followed the intimate gesture. It drew away her breath, her words and her worries. And yet, this small shared joy felt so precious and priceless, she didn't even want the memory of unfortunate events and anxieties tainting it. She didn't have the power to undo the past, but she could rid the night of its effects. She pulled away from the enticing embrace with some difficulty, a small sacrifice for a better night... hopefully. 'I'm going for a shower.'

Sliding off the bed, she sauntered towards her bathroom. Pausing at the threshold, she looked over a shoulder yet again. 'You coming?'

She'd stirred and woken a while ago. Childishly, she refused to face reality and sought to hold onto the moment they were sharing for longer. She'd never thought she'd be a victim of those lovelorn concepts, the sorts that boasted of relationships, where star-crossed lovers wished for a night to stretch endlessly for them... She was wrong. She twisted to fit the mold that he made and sighed softly. It was probably past midnight, but still not into the wee hours of the early morning.

The piece of the moonlit sky that she could see out of her window attested to that. It must have been enough to wake him too, or maybe, like her, he too was simply clinging to the comfort and peace of the night. She hummed in response to his gentle caress and scooted closer. She was more oblivious than she had allowed herself to be in a long time, which meant she was vulnerable. In retrospect, given the climate of the environment it was stupid of her to not remain wary.

The gentle breath she drew next, felt odd. It stung her insides like cold draft. She gasped and sat up swiftly. She noticed something akin to a light film of whitish smoke rising from under her bed. Visibility was already poor as she waited for her eyes to adjust. This substance billowing so quickly, like the steamy mist that hangs in the bathroom cabinet after a hot shower, didn't make matters easier, but it was fair to assume they weren't alone. She instantly felt sluggish... Weakened. Instinctively, her hand reached for Tsuru's, he was more perceptive than she was.

She fixed her sights onto the one thing she could see with clarity and the one person that bought her the most reassurance. It was a questioning gaze, because she knew the capabilities of the amulet she'd gifted him, he must have known of the third presence a little before the smoke engulfed them. This had to have been a calculated risk then. His digits pressing onto hers was reassuring, although it wasn't an answer. She couldn't allow herself to doubt him... But the voice of skepticism whispered relentlessly.

His hand left hers almost as soon as it had found her. She saw a small yellowish flare and let out a small, surprised and very uncharacteristic squeal. She'd detected the note of the flammable in the scent of that smoke and that spark could destroy her room, not to mention hurt them, or worse... Suddenly, she was acutely aware of the missing orb atop her head and the fact that she didn't have room to leap away from the incoming damage. Luckily, Tsuru's self-preservative instincts kicked in on time and the magic was dispersed.

The Shimada leaped towards her cabinet to pluck out her wand, leaving Tsuru to counter-attack. The thud of a person against a wall caused her to swivel and finally lay eyes on the assailant, under the blueish glow of Tsuru's saber. Even with that light, she was difficult to spot, her black fur was just waiting to be swallowed by the shadows, to disappear into the darkness. Her voice was husky and possessed a sort of sultry quality that evoked an unexpected stab of jealousy from Akira. 'I came here on my own, I detest traitors like you, fraternizing with her. Don't you know the Church is the enemy.'

After what they'd just shared, she wondered if such derision towards her would elicit Tsuru's temper. She didn't want to wait until it was too late to stop him. 'Wait, I don't want blood spilled in the house... Besides, why should we have to waste our time...' she said in an off-handed manner making her intentions plain. Now that the threat had been contained, the fear that surged through her heart dissolved. She brandished her wand so that the gold of the weapon caught the light of the saber and gleamed under it. 'Let's go up to the roof.' she recommended. The Tsuru she knew didn't have the patience for interrogations and she hadn't developed the cruelty for it, the wand did make matters so much easier. She intended to get all the information they needed, before simply asking the poor neko to eliminate herself.

'Follow us to the roof.' The Shimada commanded, telepathically. She ensured that Tsuru heard her voice in his head too, so he knew that the neko would no longer need to be assisted up the flight of stairs.

Luck probably wouldn't favor the two like this again, though. She made a mental note to use whatever means necessary to make Tsuru understand the gravity of his new role amidst the Knights and the dangers it precipitated. If time and circumstance allowed, she also intended to ensure that he perfected his newfound magic. From the little she'd seen of it, if mastered it was probably going to be more effective, than the one he possessed previously.

For the time being, she fetched and equipped her trustee orb, as an extra safety measure. Given the fact that Tsuru's magic was not reliable yet, if the assassin tried to pull anything sneaky again, Aki intended on employing the innate power of the Divinitas, so the two Knights could remain unharmed. While there was conviction in the words of the dark-furred neko, Akira's suspicious nature had never allowed her to believe things at face value. The draw of the power from the weapon that she'd been entrusted probably played a part in intensifying this mistrust, simply because learning the truth, or confirming it had just become that much easier.

Tsuru had taken his own extra precautions by cuffing the cornered assailant. Perhaps he thought it necessary after he realized that his risk had been a close call, maybe the gesture was an apology. Aki shook her head, warily watching the woman, to see if she possessed the mettle to fight the command that echoed in her mind, or not. It was the latter, like it usually was. Like a drone, the cat like creature walked between them, on padded feet. It was a real pity, Akira had no intentions of letting her walk away alive. Her manners and skills must've made her quite efficient at her tasks and missions. Today she'd just had the misfortune of picking a victim who stacked against her almost unfairly.

The Shimada was no cold-blooded murderer, but to attempt attacking her and Tsuru in the sanctity of her apartment touched a nerve. This frustration was strengthened, because the danger contrasted so explicitly with the joy she'd just experienced and earned. After feeling invincible, it was a bad time to be reminded of her mortality. Little did she know, that the truth she was about to learn, would accentuate this emotion to new highs... and leave little of her victim.

When they reached the roof, Aki reached for Tsuru's arm and gingerly pulled him towards her, away from the cuffed criminal. This was just to ensure that there was no interference when she plunged into the consciousness of her target. She was still learning the powers of her wand and she wasn't bold enough to use it with that confident callousness. Regardless, the sweetness of such an easy victory over a possibly violent soul bought an arrogant smirk to her face.

She drew a long breath, as though diving into someone's mind was not too different from diving into a deep body of water. The Shimada closed her eyes and cast the spell, till recent memories of the female began rewinding in her mind. She sifted through them with a natural efficiency, looking particularly for significant interactions. When she finally witnessed the truth, it left the Shimada seething. She plucked herself out of the malleable mind of the neko assassin and looked away, from both her to-be victim and her love. When her eyes fell back onto the neko, she was briefly a different person. One who had given into a base instinct yet again.

As her wand bearing hand fell, her palm rose, almost as thought it wasn't under her control. Frustration fueled the attack that surged out of her fingers. When it was over, the dark-furred creature had been thrown into the wall at the far end of the roof, with blood soaking through the several holes in her garments and body, further darkening the black fabric and offering an ominous sheen to the clumping pelage.

She took a step backwards. In an attempt to physically dissociate herself from the perpetrator of such violence. Her attacking arm fell to her side slowly as she exhaled deeply. Her shoulder too drooped briefly. The neko had no chance, still relatively subdued from the command that Akira had used on her, the poor creature couldn't even attempt to dodge the large invisible beam that struck her. Perhaps, it was the helplessness of her victim that made this justified act feel more like a crime.

She shifted her weight from one leg to another, contemplatively. The young Joyan had half expected Tsuru's magic to incapacitate her spell in its track, like it had the time she'd attacked the vase in her home. Would it be fair to glean that the lack of his nullification meant that somewhere in the realms of his subconscious he condoned this? Given that he was the only witness, his judgement certainly mattered the most, but it wasn't the lawful purposes that concerned her when she sought it.

In retrospect, she found herself hoping he had nullified her spell. Her instinctual act had shady undertones. She had the power to defend her actions if need be, but it wasn't about what was legal. This display of rage contested what she believed to be moral and ethical. But, for Tsuru's sake, she didn't want the sensitive information she'd just learned, out. With a long draw of air, she straightened herself again. She had to come to terms with what happened and approach the possible consequences with her head held high. While it may be inappropriate, it was still with good intentions. She allowed her gaze to rest and linger on the evidence of her unbridled anger, much like her partner as he asked his question.

More lies.

'She was after us, so I took care of it.' Her words were technically redundant. Tsuru already knew this. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be alone or not, but quietly seeking comfort in Tsuru's arm may not have been an option. Any other alternative, especially if it involved him prodding her with questions and her having to carve out convincing lies, sounded cumbersome and avoidable. She paused and looked over her shoulder yet again, a third kind of gaze regarded her partner coolly. 'You were witness to her attempt.' she stated simply. Her meaning was plain, her act was in self-defense. As she paced, she had to come up with a way to not implicate Tsuru. They'd been outsmarted so professionally... and she'd played right into his hands.

I've only made his job easier.