Vale Grand Bazaar [Open, Ongoing]

Kurono continued walking as paramedics and more police officers began to arrive on scene. They had all been ordered to ignore her, and they were following those orders. That could've gone better. She thought as she continued down the covered road, Although there were some interesting characters there. Let's see which one is the most observant. She took a small piece of paper out from her pocket and swiped a pen from a nearby stand. She scratched out a message on it, folding it up and letting it casually fall to the ground. I imagine that faunus (xHavenx) is the only one who can see me right now, but we'll see. She thought as she exited the bazaar.

There was a car waiting for her, and she got in, shutting the door behind her. "You could've executed that more cleanly." The man sitting next to her said as he started the car. "It seems like everything ended alright, though."

Kurono nodded, keeping her eyes faced forward, "Indeed. I also stumbled upon some interesting people. We'll see soon enough." She said as the car accelerated away.
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Back in the bazaar, the police advanced on the group and, joined by reinforcements, corralled the kids into a group. They holstered their weapons upon finding out that some of the kids attended Beacon. "Alright kids." One of the officers said, "I suggest you stay out of trouble, but other than that, you're free to go." He then added, "Oh yeah, and please don't run around telling everyone what you saw here, alright? It is easier for everyone that way." The officer looked at the kids, then over to the passed out child, who now had paramedics fretting over her. He looked over at the body of the faunus, too, and wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Can we get a clean up crew out here?" He called to the other police, I don't get paid enough for this crap.

Cheshire's nose wrinkled in disgust but he remained quite once Baskerville and Helsingr were returned to him. Cheshire decided to just go back to the dorms for now and leave this be.

Just what the hell is going on around here?

Xarias surrendered to the cops just as Fei ran off, taking his handkerchief with her. Too bad he didn't attend beacon or he could have had a chance to get it back, he thinks about visiting it in a bit just in case they need some hunting done. The cops let them go, probably thought he was a student as well because of his age.

Judgmental idiots, this must be a government operation. Not that I could do anything about it.

He decided to let it be, deducing that since authorities are involved that means he has no reason to snoop in any further and there must have been a pretty good reason for what happened. He just shrugeed it off and decided it wasn't any of his business and since he wasn't being payed to do anything about it he might as well let it be. The sun was lower now but Xarias felt a trickle of sweat run down his forehead, it may be later in the afternoon but it was still a hot day. He reached in his pocket for his handkerchief only to remember that he "lent" it to the girl earlier. He sighs as he takes his hand out and notices his stomach grumbling.

I better get some grub, maybe some of that fried stuff earlier is still there. I need some good food to get my mind off what happened today.

By now, Haven's emotional expression had turned neutral. None would be able to tell happiness from him; none would be able to tell sadness from her. Not for sure, at least. He gave the authorities a quick glance as one of the officers separated from their group, handing him his rightful weapon back. No specific action was processed in thanks. All that the lad did was reach out to take his blades, sling it back over his shoulder by the chain, and then look off and past the crowd.

Just as he caught a glimpse past the sea of officers, his eyes narrowed even further as he saw the smallest part of a shadow scale across a wall, disappearing moments afterward as its creator trekked deeper into an alleyway. His ears were given a flicker, straining themselves in attempt to hear the slightest bit of sound of footsteps while the person walked away but, alas, any steps he would've heard were only drowned out by a mass of voices echoing throughout the area, courtesy of the authorities scattered about and making the square the true crime scene that it was destined to be.

While everybody did what they did, however, the hybrid’s curiosity began to tick over and over within his intellect, eventually driving a groan from his lips. It would soon shift into an annoyed growl, and it would then signal the start of his own venture through the crowd. He slipped through the officers and paramedics, refraining from messing with anything that they were doing. Eventually he would find himself on the other side of the human barricade, his eastern flank facing the alleyway that he aimed to inspect.

Frosted voids would be directed back toward the scene --- though only for a couple of moments. With a shake of the head the Faunus would turn heel, his chains faintly swinging as he began walking down the road with much caution. Of course, he had done exactly what the unnamed assassin had expected at least one person to do. Should an experience like this occur (well not exactly like it, but somewhat similar I guess), Haven was the type to do some post-recon, scouting around the area and looking for small details.

Both feet of his would be brought to a slow stop as he found himself staring earthbound, right next to one of many deserted shop stands. His ears would be given a flicker once more, his head tilting in a small sense of curiosity at the same time. He relaxed his knees, bringing his figure into a low crouch to the ground.

Several moments would pass as he stared down at the object before him; a napkin, which was oddly folded in a semi-neat fashion. He could see that one of its folded layers was lifted, thus giving him sight to what he assumed to be text within. A moment of thought would be taken before he reached his right hand outward --- ever so slowly --- and grasped it. He would go into a gradual freeze soon after beginning to unfold it, the sound of a distant engine catching his attention.

A low, silent breath escaped through the crossbreed’s lips. His head shook, his facial expression finally shifting into a more…disapproving look. The lad’s attention would soon be drawn back to the held object, and he began opening it again. Son of shit, man…

The Note Read:

If you are reading this, it seems your curiosity has not yet been satisfied. Your skills intrigued me, and I believe you can put them to good use. I would like to talk to you, one on one. Meet me at this spot a week from today. Do not tell anyone, and come alone. All will be revealed then, and you will have a choice to make. You have great potential, do not let it be wasted.

A tenebris, lux serviamus

Argent watched, tight lipped, as the officers simply waved them off. Still, as of now, he could do nothing but watch. They were still policemen. Still, officially, government employees. Fight them and he'd be more than expelled probably. Probably Jade, too. He thought, turning around with a grunt. He didn't like keeping his front from the 'enemy' but what could he do? "Jade. I think we're done here."

For several moments after reading the text laid before him silently, Haven would simply remain within his current stature. He kept in a crouched position, holding the note still while staring at it blankly. Within a matter of time, however, he would release a loud groan, tearing the message in half, crumpling its soft remains within the palm of his right hand. A moment would be taken to grasp one of his earlier lighters from within his coat, the smallest light flickering from the top of it before instantly transferring off and over to the other extremity. His hand combusted into a raging pyre, tongues of fire lashing out in all directions. This caused the pieces within his hand to char, soon turning to nothing but soot and ash. "Dammit, why did I walk into this..." the hybrid muttered, running his extinguished hand through ashen-ebony hair.

A glance would be taken over the lad's shoulder as soon as he had disposed of the notice. Chilled eyes would then be directed skyward as he divided his flames onto both hands, enlarging them by the second. Once they were a decent side he created a strong blast with each individual fire, the force of the both of them causing him to launch up and into the air. He came upon the halfway mark of one of the buildings around him, securing his right foot upon one of several windows. As fast as he did so he would kick off, allowing his parkour skill to be apparent as he leaped off and toward the other building creating the alley.

Normally, without using his aura, he would then grasp hold of the rooftop and haul himself up with ease. However, seeing that he was being a fire conductor right now, he decided to do something else. Another strong blast from each palm sent the boy up, streams of flame blasting in his tracks and soon disappearing into nothingness. Both heels of his would light down upon the rooftop seconds after this happened, and he would extinguish his "engines" as soon as he had landed. From the rooftops he would go into a sprint, jumping over necessary gaps and jumping over necessary obstacles as he made his way off and away to his newfound destination: Downtown Vale. May as well take a visit to see his family while he was in the area...

...Might as well. This may be my very last chance to see them... Haven thought as he felt the air pulsing through his hair and into his face. A low sigh would escape his lips, though would be lost in the trail he created behind him. What I'm about to get into may be a trap, after all...

Kurono gazed out the window, watching the city pass by the car, "Ahem..." The man next to her cleared his throat. She looked at him, seeing a single golden eye gazing at her with interest, "You should have asked me before you contacted one for recruitment." He said, his voice slightly modified by the mask he wore, "This one must be pretty special for you to disregard protocol."

She returned her gaze to the window, "He has great power, but he wields it recklessly." She answered, short and to the point. He may have a touch of insanity, but I imagine he does not fail easily. She thought.

"There must be something more." The man said, "There are a lot of hunters and huntresses, but not all of them are suited for Project 7. Keep in mind how difficult our initiation is."

"I went through it too, remember." Kurono responded, looking back towards the man, "I can tell this boy is unlike other hunters. He uses his passion, rage, whatever you want to call it, to fight."

"There are many people who have something to fight for, Kurono." The man replied, "You cannot simply recruit all of them."

"This is the first one I've tried to recruit, Cassius. Right now this boy is a club, but Project 7 can hone him into a fine blade." She said, "Once you meet him, you'll understand."

The man opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. He turned to face the front of the car, which was now pulling into a garage. The driver turned the key and shut off the vehicle, its occupants getting out and walking up a set of small wooden steps to enter the house.

{Timeskip, 1 week, Sunday - Week 8}

As if his mind was somewhat linked toward the man's as he spoke with the assassin in another part of town, Haven just happened to be thinking of how some had the drive to fight and live on for people. Some for their friends; some for their beloved. The situation was similar for the lad, as he always kept his focus for fighting clear within his mind:

His younger sister.

Earlier that day, the crossbreed had taken another visit to Downtown Vale, seeing as he was once more in the area. The previous time he had come home, he had forgotten to give his kin the pendant that he had bought her that day, primarily because he was a tad on the stressed side from what had happened that day. Of course, his family had found out what had happened several days after the event and had been bothering him about it nonstop, though he constantly insisted that matters were fine. Little did they know that he was lying, and that he may very well disappear for good. He kept this thought to himself the week prior to the current day, as well as through the visit he had taken some hours ago. The sole reason he had went today was to drop off the accessory he had gotten for his sister and, after hinting toward uneasy feelings that he was currently having --- which may or may not have gotten her curious --- he had departed.

Now, he was well on his way to the location he had been directed to appear at a while ago. He strode along, his hands in his pocket and his gaze directed earthbound and at the sidewalk beneath him. His weapon was slung over his right shoulder as it often was, hanging by the chain and connected by the base of the handles. The chap didn't exactly plan to use it unless something...unexpected were to happen.

And due to the recent event that had just occurred...? Hell, he had the right to remain cautious.

Kurono watched as the boy approached, He came. She thought, That's a start, although somewhat predictable. Her elbows were on the stand, one foot propped up against it behind her. She looked past the boy, as well as around her, And it seems he is alone too. She decided to wait and watch the throng of people pass her by. The memory of last week's killing had long since faded, and the mood around the bazaar was back to normal. If anyone recognized her, either they didn't show it or they were too scared to do anything about it. She checked a nearby clock, Right on time too, interesting.

Various thoughts sped throughout the teen's intellect, creating a rather uneasy feel within his well being. For once a somewhat...unsure (for lack of better term) expression could be seen across his face; his eyes were a tad on the dulled side, and just looking at his face would cause one to think that something was up. This was due to the fact that he was in a deepened realm of thought. Eventually he would take a look to his right soon after arriving at his destination. The first thing --- or person, rather --- that he saw would be the familiar face that he would've rather forgotten by now; the face of the assassin.

He remained silent as he walked up toward the building, ceasing his stride for a moment as he came up to the base of the stairs. Inactive, frosty eyes would be locked upon the first step for a few moments before he finally took the first movement upwards and began to go up. "So..." he began slowly, composing himself within seconds. The expression seen both in his eyes and his face would be replaced by his normal, emotionless stature in an instant.

By the time that he had regained himself, he found himself looking at the female now toward his side. His ears flickered ever so slightly before he continued on. "...What is it?"

Kurono looked sidelong at the boy, Interesting, it seems he can hide his emotions. She thought, Although he is still way too easy to read. She spoke slowly, "I know you think I mean to harm you," She said, "But I'd like to assure you that isn't the case." She paused for a moment, then said, "Now, I assume you want to know the story behind the faunus from last week, otherwise you wouldn't be here. The man I killed the other day was a White Fang operative, and he had been found smuggling weapons into Vale for the rebels to use. I was ordered to kill him by my superiors, men and women who are a part of the Valish government. Obviously, I was unable to disclose this information at the time. Before I continue, do you have any questions?" She said. She knew that someone could easily fabricate such a story, but she made it quite obvious that she was telling the truth.

Haven remained silent as the other spoke; partially due to sheer politeness, and partially because he was focusing on what his...'host' was telling him. He stared at her for several moments, soon bringing himself down to sit upon the top step of the stairs and directing his gaze earthbound. The way that the lass spoke did sound convincing...perhaps even the slightest bit sincere and truthful. He still remained a tad cautious, though allowed himself to ease with time. "Killing somebody supporting the rebels... I...guess that's reasonable. I mean...it's still much more extreme than what other people could've done, but it does hold some reason..."

Silence would befall the teen once more as he slipped back within his realm of thought. He propped both elbows upon his knees as he sat, intertwining his hands and cupping them together. The bottom of his chin would rest upon the top of his knuckles soon afterwards. "So...if you do speak true as of now," he started off his second part of speech, allowing his 'mature' and 'creative writing' aspects of his well being become apparent from the way he would speak, "all of this was for justice. Justice that was a tad on the sloppily-executed side if I may be completely honest, but...justice all the same. Huh..."

He brought his gaze back up, locking clear, azure voids with the one he knew as the assassin from a week prior. "Had I known that everything was all apart of a governmental assignment, I would've refrained from intervening within the event. Heh...I suppose that apologies should be addressed from this recent event, Miss...?"

The way that the hybrid trailed off would hint that he had no questions as of now, excluding one.
It wasn't so direct, though the student was asking for this..."agent's" name, if she didn't mind telling him at least.

Kurono thought about saying something about the manner of the man's death, but decided it was necessary, "Kurono...Kurono In'ei." She said, "Anyway, the agency I work for...or rather, the agency I serve, is called Project 7." She paused a moment, then looked at the boy, "The reason I'm here today is to offer you an invitation. Your skills are...interesting...and I believe you can put them to good use by being a part of our organization." She said, "If you are interested, I can tell you more, however, not in such a public setting." She looked around a bit, then back at the boy, waiting to see if the boy showed that spark of curiosity he had displayed before.

A small, polite, and somewhat toothy smile would spread across the boy's lips a little while after this 'Kurono' had finally given her name out. He nodded, chilled eyes veiling over briefly as he heaved himself back up upon his heels. They would open once more as soon as he secured his position, and he would turn himself around so that he was fully facing the other. "'Right, then...guess it's nice to meet you, Kurono. Since I was the one who requested introductions, I'd like to think it's my turn. M'name is Haven Kyoujii; student at Beacon, as you may recall. And, eh...as promised..." The teen lifted his right hand, striking it across his chest and laying it upon the area where his heart would be. After doing so he would bow ever so slightly, giving in to a respective custom seen within his nationality background and, if he had thought correctly, the agent's as well. If he guessed wrong about her nationality, well...he'd simply be following in his own customs alone, then. "Watashi no shazai; my apologies for the way I interrupted your mission several days ago."

With those words the ashen-haired crossbreed would straighten his figure once more, letting his hand fall back toward his side before slipping it into one of his pockets. "Now, I guess that the offer to protect the Kingdom within a force in the government is a pretty good option, should I pass the test and all...I mean, it's only common sense that you'd have to pass some kinda test to obtain a place in that sort of hierarchy, yeah? But-" Haven paused, silencing himself as he remembered Kurono mentioning that she could reveal more information, should the setting be shifted. "Er...sorry, began to rant. Tends to happen a lot, to my disliking." A hand lifted, brushing through ashen-ebony hair and scratching the back of one of his nicked ears. Aaaaaah...this is why I don't like talking...

He stepped to the side, his coat faintly swaying in his tracks before settling down to a minimal movement. The gesture was meant to show that the lad had no problem with his 'new acquaintance' shifting the scenery. "Oh, uh...lead the way. I'll save my question for later; I don't mind waiting."

Kurono simply looked at the boy for a moment, It seems he is truly interested. She thought. She closed her eyes and stood up straight, opening them again as she did so, "Follow me, then." She said, and began walking down the covered road, away from the bazaar. They moved against the tide of people that were streaming towards the center of the bazaar, but Kurono paid no mind to the people she passed, Now he'll meet him, and hopefully see what I see in him.

Having decided that he'd rather not take any chances of stuttering and dropping himself into another, personally awkward situation for himself, the Faunus simply gave a nod before making his way down the stairs in Kurono's trail. Silence would loom upon him still as he found himself entering a more populated area while following his guide's steps, narrowed eyes watching some of many passing faces as he walked against the direction they were headed to. After a minute or two he would bring his gaze earthbound, hands slipping deep within his outer layer's pockets as he watched the ground below, all while making sure that he didn't lose the agent through the waves and waves of people that bustled about.

Soon enough the lad would notice a gradual decrease of the pitter patter created by the walking of many people at once, as well as the abundant levels of talking. His eyes were brought up the slightest bit, and it was then that he fully noticed that he was being taken away from the bazaar. A small, barely noticeable shrug would be processed, though directed to no one in particular, as he simply continued walking on.

After a few minutes, they emerged outside the bazaar, the afternoon sunlight still shining bright. Kurono looked across the street, seeing the black car they had used before. She checked behind her to assure the boy was still following, and then proceeded across the street. They approached the car, but the windows were tinted heavily, so neither could see inside. Kurono walked up to the rear of the car, placing her hand on the handle of the back door. She then brought her other hand and rapped lightly on the window three times before opening it. Kurono saw the outline of a man in the back seat, and figured she would sit in the front. She held the door open and looked at the boy, gesturing with her head towards the car, "Get in." She said lightly.

Haven would comply, giving a small nod before stepping behind the door and ducking in to take a seat. Once he settled himself in he slid his blades from over his shoulder, gently laying them across his lap. He would roll the shoulder that had carried Silver Sanctum for the whole time, relieved of the lack of pressure laid upon it now, before looking over to his side and at the man sitting nearby.

If it weren't for the fact that the lad had a mature, polite aspect to him, he would've just continued staring and making the moment awkward. However since he did have a small side of him that was like this he turned his figure a tad, extending a gloved hand over toward the man in greeting. "Is it safe to assume that you work with her?" he asked while watching whether or not the other would meet his hand.

Kurono closed the door behind the boy and walked around to the front of the car. As she opened the door, the driver started the vehicle, the engine purring with life. She closed the door behind her and the car began rolling down the road. She simply gazed out the window, watching the city pass them by.

The man reached out and shook the boy's hand firmly, "That is correct." He said, "My name is Cassius Laelius, it is nice to finally meet you. I have heard some...interesting things about you." Although neither of the men in the back could see it, Kurono's face visibly reddened at this remark, but the blush was short lived. Cassius reached up to the side of his mask and pressed a button on the side of his bionic eye module,flicking through a few different vision types, "It seems that you want to know a little more about our...organization, correct?" He said while he looked closer at the boy, Hmm, he seems to be in good shape. And he has...what...lighters? Interesting. He pressed the button once more, And he also has quite a strong aura.

As soon as the handshake was brought to an end Haven would relax his hand, reeling it away as he released Cassius'. "Haven Kyoujii; nice to meet you, too," came the low, polite greeting from parted lips. A small, nearly inaudible chuckle would escape into the air soon afterwards, having clearly heard one of the first things that the older man had said. Heard some interesting things, eh...? Curiosity sparks within the mind...

Despite the thought that had been whipped up within his intellect, Haven continued on as if he was thinking about nothing. "That's right, yeah," the boy said in reply, giving yet another nod of the head to show approval. After saying this he would give a silent gaze toward the man, blinking and beginning to feel a tad awkward as he went through with his inspection. His thoughts remained to be kept to himself, however, thus making it seem like he was simply looking and waiting for the other to begin speaking once more.

Cassius took another moment to examine the boy before speaking, "Right, so I imagine you want to know about Project 7 first." He said, "We are a fairly small force of agents working for the Valish government. Normally, our recruitment process consists of training kids while they are still just that, kids, however we are having a bit of a manpower shortage at the moment. But I digress. Our job is to find, track down, and...remove, threats to the security of the Kingdom. Each and every operative is a trained killer, a sharpened dagger aimed at the hearts of our enemies, and very rarely do we fail in our duty." He paused a moment before saying, "Recently, our duty has been to deal with the White Fang and their allies. However we do believe there is a more imminent, more looming threat than that group of murderers. As a result, we are forced to resort to more unconventional recruitment methods, hence, why you are here." He looked up towards the front seat, "As for the mess the other day, we were sending a message. The Bazaar had a number of known White Fang working there under the guise of shopkeepers. The public killing has assured that those men know we are after them, and it sent them into hiding." He looked back at the boy, "Not the most conventional tactic, but it bought us time to grow our strength before, hopefully, dealing with them for good."

He sighed before continuing, "This is where you come in. I am offering you a chance to serve your kingdom as a part of Project 7. Not many people get this invitation, and in fact, I believe you are the only instance of a civilian being invited to join us." He thought about this for a moment, "Now I imagine that you have other things, such as school and family, that you must attend to. Also, this is an important decision, and you should think carefully about your answer." Cassius finally came to a stop, realizing that the boy might need some time for the information to sink in.

Roughly halfway through Cassius' speech Haven had crouched over a tad, propping his elbows upon his knees, intertwining his hands, and laying the base of his chin upon the tops of his knuckles, assuming the position that he had been in before he was brought to the car. His gaze remained blank and was locked onto the back of the seat in front of him but, despite how much it looked like he was lost in the subject, the Faunus was listening all the way and was just thinking about what he was being told. Clear, seemingly mindless voids would soon veil over, casting a shade of a darkened oblivion within the lad's vision as he continued his thought process. He backed up a little bit, allowing one certain thought to cross his mind. They train kids while they're still early on in their childhood...? the hybrid would think silently, opening his eyes and briefly casting a glance over to Kurono. And since he said that I might be the only civilian who had been offered a spot, she must've been one of the child recruits... Probably didn't have much of a normal childhood that most kids have had. Guess that explains why she seems a bit on the serious side... he blinked, beginning to shove that thought from his mind. Aaaaand this is coming from the guy who began talking like a fancy poet at age nine. Man.

Once more he would veer off from his thoughts, leaving no trace or hint as to what he could possibly be thinking about as he faced Cassius again. "Funny you should mention that bit at the end...I actually had a question concerning it." Chilled voids would be directed out of the window that the crossbreed himself sat next to, watching the passing buildings and civilians. "If I were to accept this offer...would I be separated from what I know now?" A small, inaudible sigh would flow out silently from the boy's respiratory system. "Would I have to drop out of Beacon? And more importantly to me...would I have to be disconnected from my family?"

Though he hadn't said this verbally, he also added the word Again to his last sentence within his mind.

Cassius rubbed his chin, thinking a moment, This is an incredibly special circumstance. He thought, Nothing like this has been done before, so I suppose I have to set the standard. He himself was lost in thought for a minute, his brow furrowed as he ran through the options presented to him. They certainly needed the recruit, although at this age it would be difficult to separate him from his family and friends. He let out a soft, "Tsu!" In frustration under his breath, It's so much easier when they don't know anything but Project 7, but this could also be turned into an advantage. Another moment passed before he answered, "Because this is a special situation we have here," He said slowly, "It would be pointless to rip you from your current life, as it may even come to be advantageous for us. You would have to still pass our initiation tests, and we would have to be able to contact you at all hours of the day, meaning you'd have to drop what you are doing to answer the call."

Kurono heard this from the front seat, and was very careful to keep herself from lashing out. The only outward sign of her aggravation was a clenched fist on her lap, which neither of the men in the back could see, So he gets to carry on a normal life while the rest of us know nothing but the agency. She thought somewhat bitterly.

"I'd have to take the call no matter what I'm doing..." Silence would befall the chap as he thought again; this time for a much shorter period than he had taken a minute before. "I'm...I'm fine with that. Now that I think about it, it wouldn't make much of a difference as things stand for me right now." As he said this, a sudden, slightly cold expression would be seen across his face. He straightened his posture, laying both hands of his upon the central handle of his weapons while they were jointed. "I don't need time to think about it. I'll gladly accept the terms you've laid down..."

As he said this, an idea popped into the lad's mind. He followed along with the mess of emotions he had been feeling within for the whole experience, a small, lighthearted smile taking the place of his scowl, and the fierceness he held within his eyes replaced by just the slightest spark of gentleness. "...On, uh...on one little condition," he said, hushing his voice before speaking. He leaned in and pushed himself closer to the back of his seat at the same time, gesturing to Cassius with his hand to do the same thing. This 'condition' that he was about to suggest was something he wanted to keep between the man and himself, and wanted to keep a little surprise.

Cassius looked at the boy with curiosity, What the devil could he possibly want? He wondered. Normally you don't make demands of a government agency... He decided to entertain the boy's thought out of pure curiosity, I suppose the worst that could happen is I refuse him. He figured. He leaned only slightly towards the boy, making it clear that he wasn't all too fond of the idea. He saw the boy's face change from serious to suddenly having a warmth that he hadn't had the second before, And we'll have to work on his pokerface, He thought idly.