Tala

She looked at Koga when he walked over, and she just watched him. Now was going to come the slap upside the head right? It wouldn't have been the first time he's done that. But that hadn't happened, instead, she was being hugged. That was slightly confusing, but she took it. "Yes I am Mas, I hurt you worse than I have before. That makes me a villain, the bad guy, the one who doesn't deserve to be forgiven."

There was more that could have been said, but she didn't say it. She just thought about Yuki and pulled herself away from her brother, shaking her head. "No, I don't. There are things that I have to do to get him to talk to me again, and there's no way that I'm meeting those conditions." She gave her brother a small smile though, "I'll be fine, I always am, remember."

That denial was strong, but, she was determined and stubborn. "And don't you dare try to talk to him for me, got it." There was a soft, but stern, tone to her voice with that. She didn't need her older brother fighting her battles for her.

@Koga

"He... he was mad. Called me pathetic, called me the villain, and he's not wrong." There was more to that, but she didn't want Koga to know about it yet. She didn't want him to think that he had to accept her apology and her guilt just to make it so that Yuki will talk to her again. That... that wasn't how she wanted to fix things this time, or ever again really.

"I am sorry Mas, I just didn't want to see you hurt, and instead, I managed to hurt you more. Hell, I hurt Yuki again too, so I honestly don't expect him to want to talk to me anymore." She looked at her hand and sighed as she reluctantly slid the ring off of her finger, putting it into her pocket. "I'd understand if you don't want to see me again either. I messed things up beyond repair this time I think."

She looked at Koga, a strong facade clearly on her face trying to not break. "Just promise me one thing? Talk to her. Give her a chance to actually explain things."

@Koga

She stared after him as he brushed past her. If he didn't hate her, then who did he hate? She was figuring that at this point, he had to hate someone, and she honestly wished that it was her, because at least then, she'd know that someone innocent wasn't getting the hatred.

But it was the question that came that made her sigh. Was he going to believe her was the question. She had a feeling that what she did, didn't look anything like what she was about to tell him, and that much bothered her a bit, but there was no changing anything. "You've been hurt enough. Even before I made sure that they weren't going to hurt you. I saw the note, and I knew that she was just going to run off again when she saw you go after her. There was no redeeming her, at least, not until I saw how she treated herself."

He wasn't looking at her, so there was no point in trying to make him look at her. She had gone and messed up, and it was high time that she admitted that. "I know I messed everything up, I can see that. But I can also see just how you actually meant to her. I've seen her not sleep, Mas. I've seen her actually disassociate herself with the world. Perhaps only because all she did was stay in an inn." Now was the golden question on if he believed anything that she said, and honestly, she wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

@Koga

There was nothing in his face, that wasn't right, nor normal, and just plain... scary? Yeah, scary. She was very surprised though that he hadn't thought about striking her down, she was right there after all. This really wasn't her brother anymore. She just stared at him, trying to find some trace of her brother that was hopefully still in there. But, she wasn't finding anything, at least, not until she showed him the note. "If you know what it says, then perhaps you should stop beating yourself and Noctua up about it. This isn't her fault, it's mine. If you're going to blame and hate someone, make it me." Alright ladies and gentlemen, the world is obviously ending because Tala is trying to fix what she broke. That's not normal, and this can be easily seen.

But, she also meant it, and she was going to find some way to make sure that her brother doesn't fall into some dumb pit of despair. That would be bad for all parties involved. But, she took the note and put it back in her pocket. She just stared at him, hoping, praying, wishing that she had gotten through to him. She just had to wait and see now didn't she?

@Koga

He didn't hear a damned thing that she just told him. She just stared at him and shook her head. "You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?" She ignored the coat, she didn't need it, she had one that had been doing her perfectly well since she got it. Leaving Akame where the wolf was, she walked over to Koga, and just stared at him. That was when she noticed it.

"You aren't actually in there anymore, are you? I know that things have gone bad, and I'm to blame, but really, this isn't you at all. You don't just challenge me and lose that fast. You don't just willingly attempt to hand me the reigns to your damn life. I know I've messed up a lot of things for you in the past and I royally screwed this one over, but still, to see that you've willingly let Noctua out of your life like this, that's not you. I bet you didn't even notice the pain you put Noctua in when you left her did now, did you? Or the pain that you're causing yourself by not even attempting to talk to anyone about anything. I know that our way has been to fight things out, but you can't do that with her. I'd say she's too soft, but, you know, she's probably given up."

The fact that she's standing here, within slapping distance now, lecturing her older brother on his actions after what she did, was a miracle. She knew that there was something that he would want to read, that would probably get Tala slapped, but someone or something had to knock sense into this man. So, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a note, handing it to him.

@Koga

He didn't believe her at all, she could see it not only in his eyes, but the mere fact that he didn't answer her at all. When he stepped away from her own attack, she easily saw his attack coming and was able to move a little to make it swing wildly wide. It was her nickname that made her cringe once more, along with the still irritated tone in his voice. She sighed lightly and straightened herself up. If he wanted her to truly try to win, then so be it.

She didn't need to do much, she was fast, and small, and she used them to her advantage. He had six inches on her, he always had, and just the mere fact that she hadn't even tried, proved that he remembered her speed in these battles between them. Fine. He wanted her to try, to make sure that he didn't win, then so be it. She didn't like it, but she rushed for him, aiming her blade right for his left arm, and it hit.

The duel was over, and the winner badge above her head. "There, your duel is over, and as I said, I'm not going by your terms, nor mine. I can tell that there's no getting through to you to be able to actually try and make amends. Fine. Tell Yukiro that I'm sorry I failed, and if you see Noctua again, I hope she doesn't see this side of you again. If you left her looking like this, it's fully broken what was left holding that woman to you."

You know that strong face that Koga puts on when he isn't so deep in his anger or anything, well, that was the very face that Tala had on her face. The very face that was proving that she was going to stay as strong as she could. Akame, knowing that the duel was over and that her master was distraught, walked over to Tala and gently nudged her. But Tala couldn't even be bothered to make sure that the wolf knew that she was alright, and instead, just stared at her brother, her eyes locked with his.

She did do one thing though, and she unequipped the armor that he had thrown at her, and she threw it back, it landing in front of his feet this time.

Returning to Koga:  T1 Perfect Light Armor <<Shaded Coat>> [Evasion // Evasion // Regen]

@Koga

She stared at the duel invite, a single strike duel. She was still staring at the invitation when he spoke again, and she could actually be seen physically cringing from the anger in the words. Yeah, she messed things up really bad. She sighed though and pressed accept on the invitation. "Even if I win, I'm going to leave you be brother." But then, she had a feeling that he didn't believe her at all right now, she has said that in the past after all. But, if he could drop the anger for just a moment, he would be able to realize that there was no joy or anything in her voice for this.

She felt horrible, and while he and Yukiro might not believe her, she knew the truth, she just needed to find a way to prove that she felt horrible. "If I win, you tell me how I can make any of this up to you and Noctua. If you win, you won't have to see me again." She made her own amendment to the end of the deal before the count-down finished, and she made her move. She didn't bother with sword arts, it wasn't worth it, but she knew that if Koga thought she was trying to purposely throw the fight, it would just anger him more.

So, she tried, and she missed, because her heart and mind just wasn't in this fight. She watched as her blade missed that targeted area of her brother's right leg, only for her to end up behind him instead with the katana just showing that she wasn't into this, but her hands gripped tighter onto the hilt as she turned to try and see if she was about to lose this or if she was still in the duel.

@Koga

Familiar Name: Akame
Description: A pure black wolf with red eyes and a red collar.
Familiar Mastery Skill: Fighter Rank 1
Acquired Thread Link:

Training Thread Link:

Town was starting to come into view as she thought on how to make her amends. "Do you think they'd accept a dinner on my bank account?" Akame stopped in her tracks and looked up at Tala, the look of disbelief in the wolf's red eyes. "I know! I'm trying though. I don't entirely do the whole 'making amends' thing. I'm not that kind of person, but I know that I need to become that person. I just... don't know how." She sighed as they started to walk again, crossing the threshold into the safe zone of the town. Tala didn't want to be in the snow anymore, and her shop was on the first floor of the game, so she had to go to the teleporter. "I bet we can find some amazing food on the first floor, come on." Akame followed Tala, watching the girl carefully, even when they were enveloped by the blue light of the teleporter.

Thread Summary:

The walk to get out of the snowy forest wasn't an easy one. Each time she thought that she had gotten on the right track to get out of the forest that she found to be a maze, she was lost once more. Tala grumbled and looked at Akame, "I swear, I'm not lost. You're lost." The wolf barked a laugh at Tala, which seemed to make Tala smile just a little. That was progress, but even as she walked, she still wondered once more on how she can make amends with Yukiro, Koga, and yes, even Noctua. But, as she walked, and avoided trees with Akame's help, she was coming up with nothing really. This is why she was the vindictive one, she could just manipulate someone into doing her bidding, but she couldn't manipulate them into accepting her apology. That was the part that seemed to be bothering her the most.

After walking for a few minutes, the pair stopped in a clearing of some kind. There was no sign of animals nearby, but there were some softer plant life things that Akame could potentially attempt to attack instead. Akame had done two successful attempts on something that could move, so how about something that was standing still? Make sure that the wolf's aim stayed true? That seemed like a good idea, and she knelt down by the wolf. "Alright Akame, no animals this time. I want you to attack that bush, it doesn't move, and this will determine if we need to practice more or not." The wolf tilted her head for a moment, but moved toward the bush. Once Akame was within distance, she watched as the wolf pounced on the bush, and even came back out with a squirrel fading to red dust between her teeth. "Good job Akame, let's head home." If Tala even had one.

Though, she didn't have time to dodge the fox's next attack, but that was alright, it was barely chipping away at her health, which seemed like a good thing to her. She didn't mind minor hits, thank you mitigation for the help. As she charged a new sword art, she watched the fox, and attacked when she thought that it was open. She almost missed, but adjusted at the last moment, her blade hitting the fox right in the chest. The fox soon turned to red dust as it floated away, and Tala sighed. She didn't even bother to look at the loot that she got, she could do that later. Right now, with the fight over, she felt the thrill disappearing. The thrill that made her feel normal. She sheathed her katana and looked at Akame, "Come on, one more successful training attempt, and we can both get something nice and warm for dinner." This caught the wolf's attention as she basically pranced over to Tala.

Akame was being a good wolf and staying far out of the way, but her presence also seemed to direct any other critter foot traffic into a different direction. That was nice, it meant that Tala only had to focus on this fox instead. So, she watched the fox, and almost missed the attack that was coming for her, almost. She still saw it and was able to move to the side, just in time to charge her sword art and hit the fox at the same time. She stared at the fox's health bar and tsked. "Really, you're really going to try and hold out?" She shook her head as she moved a few paces away from the fox, trying to judge what it was about to do next. She couldn't exactly tell, and that was bothering her just a little. But, she could adjust, training with Masato for years taught her how to adjust.

This fox wasn't white, so it was actually easier to see its movements, that was already a huge improvement over what she had dealt with. She knew another way to help herself focus though, and she went through the songs that she had in her mind, and she started to hum along to one of her favorite songs to train to in the real world. She didn't feel like her normal self though, and that was still the sad part, which could be seen when the fox clawed at her leg, thankfully, not a lot of damage was taken by Tala. But in her retaliation, since the fox was still so close, she was able to hit the fox in return, watching its health drop into the red now. Soon, soon this fight will be over, and she won't have to deal with it again. She'll just have to go back to figu- no, don't think about that.

So, that angry hissing snarl sound? Yeah, that was the sound of a now angered mother fox. Tala didn't have a moment to try and get away from the fox to not enter a fight, because the fox leapt at her quickly. But, Tala saw this coming and was able to quickly, but almost too narrowly, escape the talons of the angered fox mother. "Well, we learned that lesson, where there's a baby, there's a mother." Akame growled but stayed out of Tala's way, which worked in Tala's favor because right as she charged the fox, her blade turned teal, and she hit the fox. She watched as a good chunk of health left the fox, and she was happy about this. Perhaps, just perhaps she might be able to win this battle. She just had to keep her head in the battle, and not on anything else. So that is what she did, she kept her focus on the fox, and her other surroundings by the point. Who knew what else could join the fight?

The walk had turned quiet, all except for the sound of the pair walking through the snow. It was almost as if the floor knew that she was in a depressed mood, because it had started to snow and get colder. That was just perfect. She might not have to worry about getting killed by a monster, she'll just sit here and die from freezing to death. She didn't want that to happen though, that would hurt Koga and Yukiro both, right? Or would they both just find it to be a blessing? No more troublesome Tala in their lives. No more little girl to just mess everything up. She scoffed at herself, but couldn't even think of something to state that she was wrong. Great.

Akame growled lowly, staring at a baby fox, and Tala just waved her hand, "Attack." She didn't care about the monsters at this point, let things be. She watched as Akame pounced on the small fox and ultimately killed it with a single bite. "Good girl." Things were going perfectly with her training, at least, until there was a snarling hiss that came from the tree line.

With the ring no longer attempting to gather her attention with its beauty, she felt like she might be able to hold a thought and not lose it to think about the man that she lost. She sighed as she pushed herself off of the tree and lightly placed her hand on Akame's head. "You know, I'm used to making Koga mad, but I think I pushed it a little too far this time. I just don't know how to fix any of this." She looked down at the wolf then, and thought for a moment, "You wouldn't have an opinion on the matter would you?" Akame just tilted her head to the right in confusion, which just made Tala sigh once more. "Right, I'm asking a wolf that can't talk back to me. There are moments I wonder if you even know what I'm saying." A growl. That just made Tala roll her eyes, "Go ahead and be mad, join the rest of the group." She just started to walk away then, hearing the paw steps in the snow behind her, which told her that Akame was still following her.

It's funny how these things are figured out, only when it all slaps you in the face with no clear solution on how to fix any of it. Only, Tala wasn't finding it funny. She was finding it heartbreaking and, well, world shattering. She just wanted to find a way to at least be civil with the others, but she had a feeling that that wasn't going to happen either. A quick and sharp bark from Akame pulled Tala back into the moment, just in time to stop before she was to walk into another tree. Perhaps she should just sit down and think? Because with her thinking, the trees seem to like to just pop up in front of her, asking for her to walk into them. She sighed lightly, turned and leaned her back against the tree. "Thanks Akame." She looked at her ring, and shook her head before taking it off, taking off her glove, putting the ring back on, and the glove over the ring. Maybe that might help?

She heard something around her and stopped, only to see there was another fox nearby. She half thought about attacking it, to see if it was going to help her feel better yet, but she shook her head and kept walking instead. She knew exactly how that was going to work, she was just going to end up failing, because her mind and heart wasn't into the fight. At least, not that kind of fight. Akame looked from the fox to the retreating Tala and whined softly, knowing instantly that her master wasn't feeling right. The fact that she has only had this wolf for less than a day, and she knew how Tala was feeling, showed leaps and bounds in Tala's mind. But that wasn't going to matter to others, she needed to figure out how she could fix any of this. But, the more that she thought on it, the more that she knew that there wasn't a way. She's lost everything and everyone.

She knew that sitting here and feeling sorry for herself wasn't going to get her anywhere, so she, instead, stood up and started to walk. If she got lost, so be it, it wasn't like she had anything, or anyone, to go back home to right now anyways. As for Yukiro's request of making amends, she just didn't know how to do that exactly. It wasn't like she'd be able to fix her brother's relationship for him, though, she has learned one thing, she just needed to let him be. She knew that watching him hurt was just going to hurt her as well, but she was just going to have to deal with that, wasn't she? She sighed lightly and looked at Akame, "Thank you, Akame, for listening to me back there. It means a lot." The wolf looked a little confused, but took the praise either way and simply pressed her body against Tala's leg. Comforting, right? Not for Tala, it wasn't helping.

She hadn't made it back far once her brother came storming up. She knew the coat that he threw at her, and she reluctantly picked it up. She looked at him, before looking at the jacket, unequipping her current one, throwing the new on one, and unequipping her necklace. She felt naked without that accuracy, and she had a feeling that this wasn't about to go in her favor. He hadn't even said her name, and she knew what was about to happen.

She knew that look, she really had royally messed up, and bad. This wasn't good really, and she knew that all too well. Between the reunion, if it could be called that, with Yukiro and now Koga being this angry with her, she just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Akame on the other hand, could tell just how mad Koga was and started to lowly growl at him, before Tala lightly touched her head. "No Akame, you're nor trained, and he's too angry to care what gets in the way it seems like."

On her hand was her engagement ring still, though it carried more weight than she wished to admit right now. Making sure that everything was ready to his standards, she looked at her brother. "Rules?"

@Koga

As she sat there, recuperating from the failed fight with the fox, she saw something walking in front of herself and Akame. She focused for a moment, noticing that the thing was a squirrel that was alone. She looked at Akame and gently patted the wolf's head. "Attack." Akame looked confused for a moment, but did get up and stalked over to the squirrel, pouncing on it soon enough and biting it. Of course, Akame was a wolf and that was just a puny squirrel, so the squirrel died with the attack, but it was still a successful one, which meant that they were one step closer to being able to go to bed for the night. "Good job Akame. Come on, I bet we can find more things for you to attack." The wolf seemed to give off a low bark, not wanting to startle whatever it was that she would be able to fight in the near future.

Alright, she needed to try this again, so while the fox was still catching its bearings, she quickly started to limp run away. She seemed to succeed this time, and that was a great thing. Because the moment that she knew she was safe from being attacked again, she just sat down by a rock and sighed. "You know Akame, life sucks." The black wolf laid down beside Tala and whined softly. Tala nodded, "I know, at least I have you. And look, I've already gone crazy since I'm talking to a thing that can't talk back." Akame looked at Tala and growled lowly, apparently not liking the fact that she just got called a thing. "Sorry, sorry. I shouldn't make the only friend I have made." Tala sighed, just sitting there letting her wounds heal. Today has been quite the day, and it didn't seem to be over for her yet.

Her arms were still tingling from that failed hit, but he sheathed her weapon. She looked at Akame and whistled, an action that gained the fox's attention as well. But it was the wolf that she wanted the attention of. "Let's go Akame, run!" She tried to dash away from the fox and to, y'know, run away and not have to fight anymore, but that didn't happen. Instead, she tripped over the roots of the tree. "Oh you've got to be kidding me!" She shouted to no one in particular, only for that to soon turn into a scream as she felt the fox's teeth dig into her right thigh. "You are so, so, lucky that I can't seem to hit anything but trees right now!" She ripped her leg from the fox's grasp and scrambled to her feet. Only bad problem, putting weight on her left leg right now hurt like hell. This wasn't good.

Alright, she was ready for this. She was going to kill this fox, because it was just plain annoying and in the way of her being able to train Akame. When she finally caught the sight of the arctic fox, or at least, what she thought was an arctic fox, she lunged forward, her blade glowing a deep teal color with her frustration and anger right now.

Only, it wasn't the fox that she hit, but a tree. She felt the vibration of hitting the tree through her arms and down to her toes. That wasn't a pleasant sensation, it reminded her of being a kid and missing Koga and hitting the fence instead. She growled lowly though, turning just in time to make the fox fly past her, its own attack missing her. "That's what you get for making me hit a tree!" Alright, so she was getting a little mad at the fox, but she knew that she wasn't going to be able to defeat it with her luck right now.