The morning sun peeked over the horizon long before she was aware of how long time had passed since she left the Inn during the twilight. Connor's words were the final line; her emotions unable to cope with very much else. She needed a break, even if she was uncertain where and how to manage such.

The forests weren't the optimal location, she carrying that inherit fire power. It made things tricky, where flammables were concerned. But, considering her mind had waltz a different path than the one she currently walked, no sort of heed was given. Maybe she'd catch herself before engulfing the lush landscape, after all.

"E-heheheh..."

Mismatched eyes danced as she quietly walked, the foliage above weaving enigmatical patterns, her eyes carrying their own mind. Her own memories decided to swim elsewhere to the various activities through days previous, completely leaving her void of awareness. Between the guilt that held her like rough, tightly knotted twine, and the regret that carried through with it, she could almost feel as though her body was unwillingly wanting to give out.

But she'd refuse giving it that chance. She had already broken down once. And in front of Connor, of all people. That was one thing she wanted to push from her mind; from her life. It was enough that it happened.

"H-hohohoh!"

Again, a noise invaded her ears. This time, it wasn't something so subtle and fading with the wildlife. No, no. Rather, it was rather apparent in its tone. Fluid, as though a man had been cooing amongst the backdrop of green surrounding her. Her steps quieted, her mind snapping to the present; something was out there?

"Yes girls. Keep going!"

Rapid, owlish blinks ensued at hearing words spoken aloud. "What the?" she commented quietly to herself, incapable of producing any other kind of reaction when being hammered by such a ? crazed sentence. Perking her head, like a hunting dog attempting to catch a scent, her eyes drifted about the scenery in search.

"Geeeeh!"

Mismatched eyes narrowed at the subsequent sound, lips curling into a smug grin. "There you are?" she whispered to herself in commentary, moving with tip-toeing steps in the direction of what had been produced. Or whom was producing it. She could almost guarantee a whom?

Foliage was brushed aside, the gentle rustles matching that of a breeze snagging the leaves in a tender grasp. She was content to focusing solely on keeping that fiery aura intact; the idea of being caught not suiting her at the moment. Especially if she were to burn the environment. And she watched. Just ahead of her, not even thirty feet or so, a man was crouching in a similar fashion as herself. She couldn't make out any features the man may possess, crouching away from her as he were. He was looking into what was a similar bit of lush green that she was ducking cover within, the distinct sound of pouring water heard further ahead; something like a waterfall. Its flowing current, capable of making any lone person feel the urge to use the bathroom if focusing on it for any length of time was a calming addition to fried nerves. She gently shook herself to a startling realization that she had trailed from this observation of the man, if but briefly.

His arms were raised, seemingly groping at his temple, displaying signs of being in pain. Yet the continuous giggles that bubbled were evidence enough that such was not the case. And if he wasn't in pain, crouching as he were? she broke free from the camouflage that encased her, moving into the open. "Excuse me, sir. Are you all right?"

"Ah!" came a startled cry, risen hands drifting to cup over his mouth. A small, bronze ornate spyglass slipped into view, rolling some odd feet to one side in plain sight. It gleamed in the sun, even were Ayaka incapable of seeing it, at first. That only screamed 'Look at me, I'm so beautiful!'

Brows, already curved to thin points, furthered at the started cry, the inanimate-now-animate spyglass, and the small, gaping holes that were present in the foliage that the man was just within proximity of. She could briefly make out the tinge of blue coaxing a relaxing painting of nature as it clashed with the peephole of green. Mismatched eyes drifted towards the man, a rather plain-looking old man with a pointed hat. His various garbs confused her slightly, with his Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants. He seemed barefoot, but she could briefly observe he had on a pair of geta. Bright green eyes stared over at her.

"Nn? what are you doing?" she queried as she stepped better into plain sight, hands resting comfortably on her hips. She had the accusing look of any natural person when catching somebody in an act they really shouldn't be doing. Yet, funny enough, she hadn't any idea of what he was doing. Nor accusing him in the slightest when questioning his activity.

Fumbling hands skipped across the surface of the ground just before him, pulling that spyglass up and into hand. and then shifted it entirely out of sight. He didn't seem baffled at her question, let alone her sudden appearance, and vaguely shrugged it off as a fluke. Shifting on one leg, he pivoted around to continue whatever it was he was doing previously; that gleaming spyglass clearly observed now resting comfortably against one eye. "Leave me alone, kid. Can't you see I'm busy?"

Busy? Busy? He's sitting there. Or better yet, squatting there like a real goon, looking at water. Her eyes drifted upwards at a sudden fit of giggles that merrily sounded within the air, this time much more feminine and clearly coming from further ahead. Teeth slowly met as realization sunk in: This guy was watching women! Unsuspecting women, at that! Mismatched eyes narrowed as she stalked his direction. "You're busy, huh? Funny way of showing that," she stated shrewdly as she stepped parallel to him, leaning down and through the brush to observe various women, complete in bikinis, enjoying a morning swim. Or bath. That she couldn't be sure of.

A faint crimson color lined her cheeks as she pulled back and up, turning down to witness he had a similar coloring lining his cheeks. And? was that drool?! She moved to swat him upside an arm. "Damn perverts!"

The older man winced, pulling to one side as she swatted at him. "H-hey, hey! What do you think you're doing? I'm doing crucial reconnaissance here!"

A skeptical stare was offered, not buying it in the least. "Funny way of showing it!" she stated again, another round of swats being delivered. "Shouldn't you be back at the old folk's home getting another round of pills for this crude obsession!?"

Perverts generally made a habit out of this; don't have to tell her twice.

"Old folk's home? Aren't you creative?" Turning his head back to peer through the brush, he could see the ladies stepping from the pool of water, and began drying themselves off. They were about to depart. "Oh great, look at what you did. Now they're leaving!" cheerlessly.

Ayaka snorted, head inclining as she turned away from him. To further her appearance of having a powerful stance on this kind of behavior, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. It stated she couldn't care in the slightest.

A gloomy sigh escaped the male as he clambered to his feet, fingers replacing the spyglass within that bright shirt of his. "So much for that round," he said, drubbing the ground with a foot.

Ayaka's arms fell to either side, feeling the hopelessness of this man in pounds as he seemingly shrugged off being found-out. Not to mention it seemed he was preparing for another glimpse elsewhere. "Don't tell me you're going to look at some more? One trio isn't good enough for you?"

The man paused, eyes lifting to acknowledge the girl with a few bobs up and down; drinking in her presence. "You've got a little?" patting with the side of a fist to his chest in indication. "And some?" turning to indicate his rump. "So, I suppose I could?"

Her eyes went into saucers at the implication, turning away once again with a quiet, feral growl. "I don't think so! The only thing you're going to be laying eyes on is pure red, when I burst those little eyeballs for even thinking about it!" She was shrill; thankfully those girls weren't being subjected to the peeping tom, at this point. That'd really ruin his fun.

A wince to the shout, but quickly recovering with a simple laugh. "All right, all right. Don't get your panties in a wad. I thought I'd offer, since you seemed insulted."

What hopelessness? she frowned, eyes turning onto the man. "Yeah, because peeping toms are disgusting!"

A gentle chuckle continued as he turned to move on off, pulling a mages satchel into hand before doing so. It was clasped about his waist, dangling freely at the base of his spine. "It's not my fault they wandered into view while I was training. I thought it appropriate to take a break, and catch up on my research."

Wide eyes remained so as she watched him begin to step away from their position. It took her but several seconds of startled blinks to recuperate, and follow after. "Wait, training? Don't tell me an old guy like you works out in the forests like it's a gym?"

A boisterous laugh, something that he clearly did at nearly all times of the day and night, sounded from him as he caught her question. It always tickled his fancy when any person, but especially a lady, considered him some old geezer. "Of course not! Mage's don't train in the physical arts, anyway. Even if I do have such a physique," he admitted proudly.

Again, she blinked rapidly at the answer. "You're a? mage?"

Caked in mud, and other things from nature's arsenal that she really did not want to find out about, Ayaka returned to the city. A few days in the wilderness did wonders to clear a mind, even if, for the most part, the pains of previous days lingered deep in her chest like a clawing feline.

Passing through from the northern boarders of the city itself, she briskly made for the inn. It was one location that she commonly wound up at for its ability to drift trouble; persons; and creatures of all calibur in one easy-to-find location. It was going to be the last place she flitted about at, in hopes of catching if but a momentary glance. Of anything.

"Connor," she called his name into the square radio that served as communication between the two. Outside of the jurisdiction of Maho's sublime force, there couldn't have been a worry in the world for the two of them to be caught. "I'm going to need you to meet up with me outside the city's limit. Take one of the transports that should be located the nearby storage building next to the Villa." In reference to the one that Alex swiped with Ayaka in tow some years ago, when they had first met.

A turbo-charged vehicle that fueled itself off of leylines, those stringy, plausibly invisible stretches of magic that shifted through the air; perhaps the very thing that allowed such powers to flourish, to begin with. It was top of the line when it came to moving from one place to another, like a pair of wings that birds discovered shortly after birth. Because it looked no different from a delivery van, at that, it served as the ultimate means of moving those ancient statues, as well. She could remember how one could barely be crammed into the tight space, rendering it a movable sardine can. Connor would just have to find means, she figured.

"We're leaving this city behind us. There's little left for us," she continued. Truly, that was the case as well. Her father-figure had been dropped, and one of her friends whom she had hurt couldn't be found. Maybe it was for the best. "I'll explain in full when you arrive. We're going to another facility near the school, and set up camp. We'll recruit, and we'll start our own insurrection before those Newborne do."

Ideally, those same Newborne that her brother was leading to the very doorstep of Maho. She did not understand them, or what it was they were hoping to accomplish. But they possessed a kind of guarantee she had been feeling without; and if any one thing in the universe could meet her head-on to assist, it would be them. Lead the horse to water, and then steal the damn trough before the horse finds means of drinking.

A war was on the horizon, with siblings, rivals, friends and foes meeting face-to-face in some twist of whimsical, magical fate. A wonder how any one person was going to survive? but one must try, no matter what. Lest they find themselves without an actual purpose to live on for.