Just Another Heist (Tsumiko/Open)

As the light appeared at the end of the tunnel to their target’s location, a warm salty breeze kissed the Nobody’s face, giving him brief flashes of a blue faraway world, one that had always been beyond his reach. Once he made it through the threshold, he had to shield his eyes with his arm, blinded by the brightness of the setting sun that fell over him. Blinking a few times, his pupils adjusted, and the sight of blue-green waters came into view, stretching as far as he could see. In the distance, he noticed a tiny dot of land, a small island with primitive wood structures. It was just as he remembered, and yet it still stole his breath away to bear witness to its beauty. If there was one place he could live away from the guild, the words Destiny Islands would be said in an instant. The young man stepped out of the way of his portal, running a hand through his long moonlight hair as the wind threatened to tussle it about.

“Ah, man!” another emerged from the portal’s dark depths, a slender man with light brown hair and a cheery expression, stretching his arms up above his head. “That gets cooler every time you do that, Guppy.” He said, his olive eyes shining with trouble.
“It’s nothing really.” Raziel replied, having no idea just how ironic his words were. “Just a trick I’ve always had.”
“Beats taking a gummi ship.” the man looked around, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his tan cargo pants. “So this is it?”
“Yes. Destiny Islands. Beautiful, isn’t it?” when he didn’t answer, the Nobody quirked a brow. “Kaden?”
“Meh.” his friend shrugged.
“Meh?” Raziel repeated his words, trying to comprehend how anyone could look at the ocean and not be in awe. “What do you mean ‘meh’? Look at it, Kaden! How the water meets the sky… how the waves are synced in perfect harmony… their crash against the shore a song in itself.” he pointed to the palm trees nearby, their rich green leaves rustling from the constant gentle wind. “Even the trees are swaying to its melody.”
Raziel could have went on and on, getting caught up in the moment. There was something about this place that made his heart flutter. It had to have something to do with what little memories he had of his original home. Kaden cut him off before he could continue, knowing from experience just how long his crimson eyed friend could go on with his poetry tripe.
“Mm!” he said, loud enough to snap Raziel out of his current improvised verse. “So much cheese and I left my nachos at home.” Kaden snickered, pulling up the hood of his jacket.
Raziel shook his head, “You are… really not impressed?” he asked, feeling slightly hurt for some odd reason, as if his friend has insulted him personally. It was silly, and he knew that, and yet he couldn't help it.
Kaden crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a loud hum as he pretended to think hard. “Can I pick up this beach and sell it for munny?”
“Well… no, but—”
“Oh!” Kaden blinked then suddenly turned on his heels. "Meh.” Kaden laid his crossbow pistol over his shoulder and began walking up towards the docks, leaving Raziel to stand there completely bewildered. “This is all fine and dandy for you, Guppy, but my tastes are a little more sophisticated than that. If it’s shiny and glows? Now that, my friend, is pretty and will get me an even prettier sum of munny.”
The Nobody opened his mouth to say something more, but he couldn’t think of the right words to express his disappointment. “Really?” he spoke in a soft timid voice.
“No not really!” Kaden replied, not missing a beat. He turned around, walking backwards with a big grin on his face. “I can’t believe you bought that so easily.” once he reached the sidewalk, he stopped, waiting for Raziel to catch up. “You should have seen your face. Damn, couldn’t go on anymore! You acted so heartbroken, man. Jeez… you started to hurt me.” he said, chuckling. Jogging up beside of him, Nobody rolled his eyes at his own naivety. He should have known Kaden was just trying to get under his skin like he always did. “It’s pretty amazing. No joke. Would be awesome to get a place here, don’t ya think? Could have a big balcony where we can watch all the girls on the beach.”
Pushing his bangs out of his face, the Nobody smiled a little. “Yeah, I’ve always wanted that. N-not the girls part—I mean, that would be okay, I guess.”
“Topless girls.” Kaden smirked, watching as Raziel’s white face quickly turned a bright flaming scarlet. “And there, ladies and gentleman, is the red face that can be seen for miles. A universe record if there ever was one.”
Raziel placed a hand against his burning cheek, letting out a small growl. “Enough already.”
“Alright, alright. Guess we do need to get to work now. Uhhh… quota?” Raziel held up two fingers in response, telling him that they at least needed to collect 20k in Munny. Nothing unusual for them. "Sweet! An even split. That'll be easy. We can get done quick and then have some fun!”
“It’s never a good idea to stick around too long after a mission.” the Nobody warned, always trying to be the level headed of the two.
“Relax! You have portals and you can vanish into thin air. And I have my sleep darts. We’re good.”
“Yumi—“
“Can wait. It’s not like she has anything else to do." Kaden said, carefree and confident. Too much if you asked the Nobody.
It was no use trying to lecture him. Everything went in the ear and out the other when it came to warnings. Pulling his tank down over his daggers, Raziel nodded, pretending that he agreed with his friend. It was easier that way. Maybe he'd get lucky this time and not have to get Kaden out of a tight spot today. "Just be careful."
"Come on! I'm always careful." Kaden rethought his words the moment those red eyes turned into thin slits. Damn he hated it when he looked at him like that. It was downright creepy. "Uhhh so I'll be extra careful?"
Raziel's glare turned into a pleasant smile. "Better than nothing. There is a cove I scouted out south of here. Meet me there once you're done."

The two friends went their separate ways, ready to steal whatever from the people of Destiny Islands. It was just another mission, and the morals of what they were doing never crossed their mind. This was what they had been trained to do. What they were born for. They were worthless and good for nothing else, and it was a blessing that they could even manage this. Stealing the possessions of others was nothing serious, and it was for a good cause... whatever that cause was. It had all been indoctrinated into them, and so they followed the ways of the guild without question, Raziel especially. He had been all alone when they found him and they gave him a home. Of course, he was grateful to them. It was his debt that needed to be repaid, and he accepted that. Besides, he was happy. Kaden was always there to make him smile and there were others in the guild he cared for as well. He couldn't imagine leaving any of them. This was his life.

The mission was easy. Each house was small and homey and filled with plenty of stuff that could be fenced easily and for a decent price. Yumi would have no problem selling the stolen items in Traverse Town and the guild master would be even more pleased. He or she... Raziel had never seen his mysterious leader without their long robe and mask, but he was a favored thief, given the title Specter for his ability to phase through walls and vanish without a trace. Whatever the guild master wanted, regardless of how well protected his target was, the Nobody could usually get it with no issue. Yes, he was jewel in the guild master's crown.

Once his backpack was almost filled to bursting, the Nobody wanted to make one more run to top off his quota. There was nothing wrong with making a little extra on the side. Yumi wouldn't complain as long as she got everything promised to her, and he could keep a few shiny trinkets for himself. It was a win win. There was a larger house that came into view, one that appeared a little nicer than the ones he had been in. He had been saving his one for last, hoping to find something truly exceptional to put on display in his own apartment. Just to admire in his free time.

The house didn't seem to be empty, and though that would usually be a problem for a normal thief, it was nothing for Raziel. Fading into his surroundings, he would slip in undetected, moving through the house like a ghost until he came into a bedroom. He'd very carefully shut the door closed before stepping out of stealth. The Nobody would snoop around, cleaning out all the jewelry he found and even some music related item. It really was a nice score. Unknown to him, he was in the house of one of the very first people he had met.

It really was a nice place for a heist, and usually Raziel didn't take the time to sit back long enough to admire the houses he broke into, but this one was impressive. The large window overlooking the ocean was definitely a nice touch, bathing the room in the sun's farewell glow. Not to mention, there were so many things that aligned with his own interests. Simply out of curiosity, he picked up one of the many crumbled up papers and examined the contents inside. One of the residents was working on a song or a music score that they weren't satisfied with yet. Raising an eyebrow, he could see they were close to something genius.

He himself engaged in music, playing the guitar and singing in his leisure. The muse had come to him slowly after leaving the world of his birth. Kaden had entertained the thought of starting a band with him more than a few times, but Raziel always said it would be difficult in their line of work. That was only a half truth, however. The real problem was that playing in front of a crowd of people would be terrifying. Playing the guitar for Kaden and his fellow thieves was hard enough. A whole group of strangers was out of the question.

Not quite there yet. Close, but it needs something more, doesn't it? he thought, humming the tune softly to himself, wondering what could be added on. Seeing a pen on the desk, he picked it up into his hand. An outside perspective never hurts. he scribbled down a few notes that he thought could work, ones that would be pleasing to his ears. Once he was satisfied, he smoothed the paper out as much as he could. There. Maybe that will help their creative slump.

Moving on, he came across a very nice violin. That was definitely going on the keep list. The craftsmanship was excellent, and he couldn't wait to try it out. Granted, he had no idea how to play it, but that wouldn't stop him from figuring it out. Holding the instrument at his side, he opened the drawer of one of the nightstands and began shifting through its contents. A glimmer caught his eye, and he felt his "heart" leap up into his throat. Was it a gem? Alas, it was a false alarm. The sun had simply cast a glare on the picture frame sitting in front of him. It was a happy family of five, nothing he would ever pay any attention to normally, except there was something interesting about this one. Examining it more closely, Raziel became fixated on the photo, the woman in particular.That hair... and those eyes...

That was when the door opened, revealing the silver-blue haired siren herself. All Raziel could do was freeze like a deer in headlights, his softly glowing red orbs wide with shock. Never had he been so distracted in a burglary that he had lost his senses completely. How could he let his guard down so easily? Not only was it a blow to his flawless stealing streak, but it wounded what little ego he had as well. Not that that was what was currently on his mind at the moment. What was even more surprising was that she didn't scream and panic. That's what confused him the most, and frightened him to a certain degree. That wasn't normal, right?

As she referred to the violin, he looked down at it then back to her. What was he supposed to do? Shouldn't he run? As much as his mind was telling him to do just that, he couldn't find it in himself to do it. Curiosity had him in its grasp, and there was just something about this woman that he knew was familiar. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, there was a quick and dull pain in his head, followed by some of his very first memories. They were hard to remember and most of the time he completely forgot about his awakening, but he had them now.

"Endless halls of white... each room a reflection of itself." he said, softly. He held out the violin to her without thinking. "You... you were there."

She knew his name. It really was her. Raziel placed a hand on the back of his head bashfully, his pale cheeks suddenly turning a bright red. "I uh y-yeah." he said, taking a cautious step back as she started to reach for him. Was that a genuine smile on her face? Either she was truly happy to see him or she was imagining all the vicious ways she could punish him, the latter of which sounded nothing like the songrstress at all. How could she not be mad though? Surely she wanted to do something horrible to him. It was only logical. At least, that was what he believed.

The Nobody wasn't sure what to expect and keeping a small distance was better than none. Whatever happened, his body was ready to bolt if things got out of hand. Being face to face with the siren like this, he wasn't sure what to say, and the longer the silence dragged on the more awkward it became. Would an apology help? If he had known this was her house then he would have avoided it and moved onto the next one. He cast a quick glance around the room, noting each thing that he had taken. There would be no issue with returning what he had snatched up. This last run had been for fun, after all. With or without Tsumi's items, he would fulfill his quota for the guild.

Hesitantly, Raziel pulled his backpack off, setting it down on the floor and removing her things, stacking it up in a pile at her feet. "Sorry..." he kept his head down like a scorned puppy. The guild looked down upon stealing from each other, but outsiders, friends or not, were fine if you could get away with it. Raziel had no friends outside the guild. He was never supposed to run into this problem, yet here he was. Even if it was unknowingly, he still couldn't help but feel bad, but why? Everything he had been taught told him that he was doing nothing wrong. So, why did his chest ache with this new nagging feeling? As for the other places he had robbed; that was fair game. Why was this different? It wasn't supposed to be.

Standing back up, he swung the backpack filled with loot over his shoulder, avoiding the siren's gaze. "Tsumiko." he dared to look at her from the corner of his eye. "Your name is Tsumiko." Her name had always lingered in the back of his mind. The day he escaped Castle Oblivion, he promised himself that he would remember the name of the kind girl who had helped him. A vague memory, but it was a promise all the same."It's been um... a really long time."

Are you really trying to make small talk? Are you insane? he tried to reason with himself, but his legs weren't moving.

The sound of heavy stomping met his ears and he shifted closer toward the window out of instinct, but held himself back as he noticed Tsumiko close and lock the bedroom door. What was her angle? Maybe she was trying to protect him? As much as he liked that idea, he couldn't risk it either and continued to stay on his toes. That was what had kept him out of the hands of authorities--people who didn't understand his craft--so far. The Nobody kept telling himself that he had the situation in control. If a threat presented itself, he'd "ghost" out of there in an instant. Thinking of Kaden, he took a more laid back stance, returning to his former spot by the nightstand, the window still at his back. When the songstress asked for the truth, he couldn't find any reason not to comply. There was no way of lying his way out at this point. Besides, he was lousy at telling fibs anyway. It was a thief perk Kaden had mastered, and thus, Raziel had always let him do the talking. If only his friend was here now.

What would he say? Oh, I know... Run! That's probably it.

"The jewelry... trinkets and little bobbles uhh... the violin, among other things. I liked them." he shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "So, I picked them up to take home." he shook his head. "I had no idea you lived here." he tried to smile, but it faltered. He was too nervous. "Uh and here I am. And you're here... and whoever was stomping is also here." he eyed the window again and back to Tsumiko. "Never had this happen before." he confessed.

"Daughter?" Raziel blinked, his mind officially blown. Tsumkio was a mom? Looking at her, he would have never guessed. She had hardly changed in age since he had seen her twenty years ago. The Nobody, on the other hand, had continued to grow and appeared to be in about his late twenties to early thirties. On the inside, he was just a big kid.

The rouge stared at the spot she patted to on the bed, and then quirked a brow as she asked the value of everything he had stole. Hesitantly, he sat down beside of her and decided he would give her an explanation to the ways of thieving. It seemed like she didn't understand the rules, and she deserved that much since she won this round. "Well, they did lose the game." he said, describing his craft as he had been taught by his guild master. "It's complicated for those that don't play, and many don't understand. Of course they'll be upset. They just have to practice more and they'll get better." He leaned back on his hands, relaxing a little more as he continued to speak. "This was the first time we were assigned to bring the game to Destiny Islands. They have a lot to learn. There were more than a few houses that weren't even locked. The game is all I've ever played. I'm not much good for anything else and... uhh well it helps other people like me." he looked out the window, gazing at the last few rays that were vanishing from the horizon. "It's our curse. Sometimes, I just start taking things without thinking. I find things I can't even remember taking. I'm just that good a player, I guess." the last thing she mentioned, peaked his interest. "Trade?" It wasn't the first time he had heard the term, but he wondered how it could apply here.

Raziel listened to what Tsumi said, tilting his head to the side as she described how the game of theft would effect the islands. All of his life, at least what he could remember, he just followed whatever the guild said. Why? That was another question he had never asked himself before, one that maybe even Kaden hadn't even thought of. It was just life, and this was all that he knew. The Nobody didn't understand anything else. When he was found twenty years ago, he was nothing but an empty shell; and unfortunately, he had been discovered by the wrong kind of people. Through time and repetition, the young man had been molded into a proper tool for his guild master, a member who was ignorant and did whatever they asked. That was what Raziel had become. However, he was happy, and so he didn't think anything was really wrong. If Tsumi asked him to stop and change right there, he would run. He didn't want to lose Kaden or Yumi (even if she was grumpy 24/7). It was his life and he cared for his friends. Still, what the songstress said did make him think.

"Huh. I um n-never really thought about it like that. Another game? There is one I heard of, but I-I don't want to hurt people. Ka-umm I was told it's messy business. Lots of umm... blood." he grew uneasy even thinking about assassination. There were some of his comrades that took such jobs, the same ones Kaden made sure he stayed away from.

The Nobody sighed, moving his hands back over into his lap. As he did so, however, he accidentally brushed over Tsumiko's hand. The boy didn't even blink as his fingers tried to wrap around the wedding ring she wore and attempted to slip it off. Raziel kept talking as he did so, watching the sunset. "Maybe I could explain to--err, I mean, uhh... could think about it more." talking about his fellow thieves probably wasn't the best idea. Sure, he had been caught, but there was no need to tell her that he ran with a whole gang of people just like him. At least not yet.

He smiled a little as she talked about her song. "Oh, it was no prob." he said, finding his cheeks start to warm up for some reason. "Just something I do when I'm bored and have nothing to do. Don't know why though, but then there are a lot of things about myself I don't know." What if he did try something new? Music was fun and made him feel a connection to his lost past. That wouldn't be so bad. At the mention of returning everything he had stolen, he froze, watching the woman with wide eyes. Once she explained giving him something of equal value in return, he quirked a brow. "Would... w-would that work?"

The Nobody mulled it over for a bit. This probably wouldn't be the last time he'd be assigned to steal from this world, and as long as he met his quota... that's all that mattered, right? He couldn't see anything wrong with it. Then he could get to know Tsumiko more, and maybe even meet her family. It was a tempting offer. And maybe, just maybe, she could help him learn more about himself. It was a long shot, but he would try it. "Hm... I guess that would be okay. I've never been told I can't make a trade like that." he would look at her. "You don't mind if I come back? Because, I may have to at some point and have to do what I did today again, but uh... if this trade works, it might be okay?" he said, sounding uncertain.

Raziel gave his head a brisk shake after failing to slip off Tsumi's ring, giving her a sheepish grin. It was like his hands had a mind of their own. Of course, he never tried to control them before because he didn't need to. It just made his job easier. For the first time in his life, he could see how annoying it could be. As he looked down at her ring, he began to tap his fingers nervously against his lap like he was having some kind of tic. Now that he was in a situation that he had to resist his impulses instead of embracing them, he found it rather difficult.

The Nobody clasped his hands together to keep them from twitching. "A journey?" his brows knitted together as he pondered her words. It was true. Though he had lived a good life since being taken in by the thieves and cutthroats, he wasn't any closer to finding out anything about himself. For the longest time, he had been content with never knowing his past. Who he was now, that was his life. What happened before didn't matter... partly because he couldn't find any clues. With the guild--and mostly Kaden--he built a new life and made new memories. Raziel had accepted that he would learn nothing about himself, but now, sitting here with the girl who had helped him in Castle Oblivion, his mind wondered back to those first coherent thoughts he ever formed. Who am I? Where do I come from? Why am I here?

"Maybe getting away for a while wouldn't hurt. A vacation? Is that what it's called?"

The songstress stood up, walking over to a cabinet that the Nobody had not had a chance to inspect before he was caught. It was probably a good thing too, considering what was on that forbidden shelf. The chaos that could have caused... When she returned to his side, bearing the beautiful enchanted orb, those crimson eyes of his grew wide, and a mesmerized, "Oooooh..." slipped past his lips. The Nobody cradled the sphere in his hand, holding it as he would a newborn babe. Then it began to glow and a lovely voice filled his ears, singing with such grace that he thought his heart stopped. It was one of the most beautiful treasures he had ever seen. Oh, he couldn't wait to show Kaden! There was no doubt that a jewel like this would sell for a large amount of Munny, way more than he was contracted to acquire. There was a problem, however. He didn't know if he could find it in himself to part with the wonderful sphere, until Tsumi offered him a second one. The Nobody nodded eagerly He'd cooperate forever if he could just keep one of those song filled miracles.

"T-this..." he could hardly find the words to speak. "This is worth far more than anything in my pack." he smiled. "You got a deal!" Raziel slipped the backpack off his shoulder and willing handed over the load of stolen goods.

The Nobody watched Tsumiko, giving a few light nods of his head to show that he understood. There would be no risk of him handling the spheres carelessly. Already, he was thinking of ways to keep them safe from harm. The one he would keep for himself would be set on a pillow to be placed inside a cloth casing that would also sit on a pillow and then put that inside another soft casing. Those musical orbs were not going to be shattered on his watch.

As Tsumiko took his hand and placed it over the sphere, Raziel tried to follow her instructions, focusing on the melody lying within. Calling on a little magic was the last key to turn, and there were only a few spells he knew how to use. The best of which was his skills with lightning. Maybe that would work? Closing his eyes, he called upon his natural element, summoning tiny sparks to caress over his hand and over the sphere. Hopefully it wouldn't shock Tsumi in the process.... or cause the orb to explode in a rain of glass shards. Electricity was unpredictable, and Raziel still had trouble understand his limits.

"Like this?" he asked.

Once more, Tsumiko's lovely voice filled the room, and Raziel found himself smiling. Maybe it wasn't the most ideal of magic that could be used to activate the spheres--lightning that is, but it worked. That was something to be glad for. Aside from the weird black and white barbs he could summon, lightning oriented spells was the only thing he could ever cast. No matter how many times Kaden had tried to teach him how to enchant his daggers with a different element, he could not do it. His friend just laughed it off saying he was sucky teacher, and it was probably true. Kaden was too energetic to listen, let alone teach someone else. Either way, Raziel was content. It's not like he was a mage anyway and what spells he did know served their purpose.

A few strands of silver hair stood up on top of his head after the songstress removed her hand, reacting to the static of his spell. "Oh um..." he tried to think of what to say, taking his time as he very gently placed each song sphere in the pouches given to him. "I'd love to!" he realized how eager he sounded. Too eager, in fact. Oh god, she probably thought he was a creeper.  "As long as you don't m-mind that is." he felt his cheeks start to heat up again as he saw her tilt her head. Tsumiko was really pretty, he had to admit. That long ocean hair and those eyes... just like starlight.

And married... with kids. he reminded himself. Don't be weird.

He composed himself, clearing his throat a couple of times. "That sounds fine. When I get assigned to come back--whenever that is, I'll uhh stop by for a bit." the Nobody stood up from the bed, securing the pouches on his person. What was he supposed to do now? He looked back towards the bay window. "Um I guess I'll be heading out then... Oh! C-could you just keep this between us? Please?" he bit his lower lip. Maybe that was too much to ask.

That wink and the agreement to keep their meeting a secret only made the Nobody's face burn brighter. The illusion of his heart made it feel as if it were beating hard within his chest. It was best he got out of there soon before he did something else stupid. His pale face was going to remain red forever if he didn't. He took a minute to think, wondering what Kaden would do. Between making an impressive leap or walking out the front door, he would obviously choose the former. It was fun and "swoon-worthy". Raziel began walking backwards towards the large open window, smoothing down the rest of his hair that was still fighting to stand up. Now, he just had to play it smooth. Calm and confident.

"Well, slipping out like a ghost is kind of my thing. I do have my rep--" he reached the window sooner than he had expected and nearly tumbled out. Catching his balance, he couldn't even look at Tsumi as he embarrassed himself once again. "So uh... later, Tsumiko." and with that he vaulted out the window, turning invisible before he had even touched the ground. From there, he transformed back into an enigma, leaving nary a trace of his presence in the sand.

The Nobody rushed towards the cove, the same place where he had asked Kaden to meet up with him. Hopefully, he wasn't sitting there worried about him, or worse... ran off and got distracted. Just the thought made Raziel bite his lip. He was in no mood to go hunting him down. If he wasn't there, he was going to leave him... not really. He could never do that to his best friend. No matter how frustrated he may get with him sometimes.

It was well into nightfall by the time he had reached the cozy sea cave. The moon was rising higher into the sky, casting its glow upon the gentle waves that caressed the dark rocks. His sneakers squeaked against the wet ,slick, stone as he entered, and he took extra care not to slip and fall. There were several tide pools of all shapes and sizes throughout the place, crawling with different kinds of interesting sea critters. The rouge really wanted to spend more time here when he had the chance. He loved how the ocean's song really echoed through the tiny cavern. It made his heart leap and squirm like nearly everything on this world did. As he moved by a pool, he had a strong urge to take off his clothes and jump in, but he had no time for that now. He and Kaden needed to get their items to the fence in Traverse Town. Yumi was sure to be throwing a fit.

Maybe next time I could come here with Tsumi. That might be nice. he thought.

"Kaden?" he whispered into the darkness. The moon did well to keep most of the cave lit, but there were still plenty of shadows in the corners. There was no answer. "You better be in here." still nothing. "If you're trying to scare me it's not going to worrrr--ahhhh! What is that?!!" the Nobody nearly fell flat on his ass when he saw a weird tribal creature jump out of the darkness, whooping and hollering all kinds of nonsense that quickly turned into a familiar laugh.

"Booga booga! Haha! You're such a pansy even when you're expecting it." Kaden snickered, pulling off the tiki mask. "You like it? I'm going to try it out on Yumi. Think it will work?" he grinned.

"I think she will break your face." Raziel growled, seriously considering the act. "If I don't decide to do it first." he suddenly gasped, feeling for the spheres in his pocket and sighed when he realized they were still there.

"Where's your bag?" his friend asked, frowning when he didn't see the albino carrying anything on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it." Raziel held up the pouches holding his two treasures, with a smirk. "What I have in here is worth more than any bag of simple goods."

Kaden shrugged, adjusting his knapsack more securely. "If you say so. For your sake, I hope those things are stuffed with jewels. Ready to get off this rock?"

Raziel nodded, holding out his hand. Barbs of white and black appeared, twisting around until they formed the dark gateway that would lead them back to Traverse Town. Kaden stepped on through, disappearing into the darkness. Taking one last look at the serene world, Raziel followed behind him. Whether he was order or found the free time, it wouldn't be long until he returned to Destiny Islands.

When Raziel returned to Traverse Town, he and Kaden hurried to the guild's fence as quickly as possible. There they found her down by the lamppost in the second district, stemming in perpetual fury. The Nobody felt as if she were burning a hole through his head the moment her eyes found him. Yumi was a salty young woman of cherry red hair and blue eyes. She never had anything nice to say to anybody and kept to herself. No one went out of their way to see her aside from business reasons. Raziel always wondered what made the woman that way. What was she so mad about that she just couldn't get over? He wanted to know, but he was too afraid to ask. Yumi gave them a mouth full, cussing up a storm, and putting Kaden in his place before he even attempted to scare her with the tiki mask. It pretty much played out how he had imagined. His best friend could talk, but when it came to Yumi, he ducked his head. Not that Raziel could blame him. She was scary!

She almost went off again when she realized that the Nobody had no bag of stolen wares, but he quickly showed her one of the music spheres before she could explode again. After closely examining each one, her mouth dropped when Tsumi's beautiful voice filled the street. The next thing she asked was where the hell had he gotten these? Raziel laughed, nervously, saying that he found it in a cabinet on the islands. It was kind of the truth, but Yumi wasn't really buying it. He added in that he could bring more, and she didn't care if he was fibbing or not after that. Tsumiko's spheres fetched more than a decent price on the black market, and Raziel was praised for acquiring such a good steal. It all worked it out, and for that he was relieved.

A week or so later, Raziel returned to Destiny Islands with his guitar in tow. This time, he was coming for a visit. Well, a civilized one at least. He had found a stretch of time where he could sneak off without any of his comrades questioning where he had been. Kaden was on another date with some random girl he would probably bring home and... yeah, it made living in the same place very awkward sometimes. It was much easier just to be out of the apartment until Kaden was finished with his fun.

As he reached the small Darkson mansion, he almost headed for the bay window he had climbed through before. No, this time it was probably better to actually use the front entrance, he decided. He was coming to be a guest, not a thief. The Nobody repeated the statement several times to make sure his sticky fingers got the message. Raziel took a deep breath, hesitating before knocking lightly on the door... unless it was open then he would just walk inside.

Raziel flinched when the door opened, already growing red at the thought of seeing the songstress again. What if this was a bad idea? Maybe she was just being nice before and didn't really want him to come back. No, that couldn't be. Tsumiko didn't seem like the kind of person to lie, and if she was then she was very good at it. Not that that would have mattered. Raziel was horribly gullible.

He could easily disappear and runaway. Ah, but it was too late now. She would know it was him! His rushing thoughts came to an abrupt stop when he came face to face with Destinie. He kind of just stood there with his mouth gaping open for a moment. He hadn't been expecting someone else to come to the door which was stupid considering she did have a family. Raziel mentally kicked himself for that. There was nothing familiar about the teen at first until he noticed one of her eyes was just like Tsumi's.

So this must be her daughter.

He cleared his throat. "Uhh.. erm is Tsumi--I mean, err your mom, right?" on the inside, the Nobody was banging his head against a wall. "Y-yeah um is she home?" he asked, growing more awkward by the second.

Raziel gave a soft sigh of relief as the young woman invited him inside. It wasn't as awkward as it could of been, but it was still pretty bad. At least it got better right after, though. Stepping in the foyer, he gave Destine a nod and began to take in the room. He hadn’t had the pleasure to inspect this part of the house from his last visit, and it was probably a good thing. The décor was lovely, and his fingers twitched in anticipation. There were many trinkets and shiny bobbles that caught his eye, some that he would love to display in his apartment. A part of his mind begged him to touch something, to at least hold a tiny treasure in his hands or even better, borrow it and then bring it back, but he resisted. Those internal urges disappeared when the daughter returned with her mother and another boy. He looked a lot like the other girl. They must have been twins.

The rouge waved, “Yep... I’m here. Heh. I hope I'm not intruding. If you're busy, I can leave.” he rubbed the back of his neck, offering the twins a nervous grin. “Wow! Nice to meet you both.” He was still trying to wrap his head around the songstress actually having kids. “Uh you have your… mother’s eyes. I mean, you have one of her eyes. Not literally, of course. Like you aren't holding them in your hands hahaha! Y-you know, the color is the uh same. One of each… so I guess that makes a pair, so you really do have her eyes. Just um separately. Uhh...”

Stop talking. he bit his lower lip, taking his own advice. He kicked himself for sounding like a moron. Her kids were sure to think he was some kind of weirdo now.

Raziel slipped his guitar case from his shoulder and set it down at his feet before sitting down next to Tsumi. She mentioned the song she had been working on, the same one he had decided to scribble his own ideas on his last visit. "You finished it?" he smiled, glad that he could help her out of the creative slump. "That's great! And w-what kind of accompaniment? I brought my guitar just in case, or I could umm... sing." he blushed at the thought of singing in front of Tsumiko. The woman was a professional singer, and it made him more than a little self conscious. "Or both. You're the expert. What would go best, do you think?" he added.