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[color=757163]Zarina materialized atop the now slain thresher corpse that remained afloat, partially kept afloat thanks to the hooks many of the ships had planted upon it. Her hand reached into some of the bulging guts by its jaw and drew the obscenely large buster blade as if it had always been her's. With a single hand, no less! Albeit with the help of the gift and the unnatural physical might helped too. 

With the grotesquely large cleaver over her shoulders in an all-too-cool pose, the partially transformed wildblood overwatched the vultures now plucking the corpse for winnings. Vivid, near-reptilian eyes glowing with a golden hue scrutinized all those that bothered to dumpster dive. Trinkets and baubles were fair game, but there remained hazards she trusted none with after the recent developments. Not even her own allies.

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It was a while after Zarina took her watch that she heard the thud of a chest dropping at her feet, the top flew open and a few loose coins clattered out. Leon stood on the other side as the kind donatdaer of such loot. [color=fff200]"A tribute for the fearsome dragon."[/color] His smile was apologetic. If Zarina had half the greed she jested to have then the problem would be solved, but the performer knew it wouldn't be that easy. A gift of gold was simply a consolation prize to the loss of her plan.

He stood there beside her and took in the Virangish girl's defined draconic features. This is the strongest he had seen them so far, even more than in the Forked Tower.

Zarina peered down at the chest. With a light tap of her boot against it, the bowels ripped open to present the winnings. One coin stood out, one she drew in her mind to compare with another coin she prompted into flight - a silver coin with the same face on both sides. [color=#E5E4E2]“A bribe.”[/color] she remarked, her voice quite nasally to accentuate the unimpressed nature of her reaction. [color=#E5E4E2]“Really, Leon?”[/color] she rolled her eyes and did not seem to have any qualms in pocketing that one valuable coin after a brief comparison. She hadn't rejected it, at the very least.

[color=#E5E4E2]“If you're going to say something about how you wanted to save lives-”[/color] she raised her hand and waved in dismissal. [color=#E5E4E2]“Save it, I already know.”[/color]

[color=fff200]"An apology."[/color] The performer squatted down and begun picking the scattered coins back up into the chest. [color=fff200]"But I won't deny you the sense of dignity. I'll put the rest toward something good for us all, I never had much care for money."[/color] He went to close the lid.

Leon paused, Zarina had beaten him to the chase. [color=fff200]"I won't bore you with the repetition, only that I doubted myself when I saw your plan having almost succeeded. I was ready to join you and ensure it's success. Then it started drawing again..."[/color] He put a hand on her shoulder. [color=fff200]"I wasn't sure if it had been sedated enough and I saw students nearby it, you most of all. Who knows of I made the right call, but I did it to save [i]your[/i] life Zarina."[/color] He retreated the comforting hand. He had no clue how the dragon would react to that. Not with flames, he hoped.

Zarina raised her foot and pressed it upon the chest's lid, closing it and preventing it from budging. [color=#E5E4E2]“I may act offended, that doesn't mean I'm above taking your advance.”[/color] attempts at veiling her smug satisfaction had failed. A sharp-toothed smirk reigned supreme on her expression. [color=#E5E4E2]“It will go to a good cause.”[/color]

Reptilian, almost snake-like, eyes peered toward the hand that touched her. No sudden movement or reaction of great aversion. Only an uncomfortable and frigid look. [color=#E5E4E2]“Of all people, Leon,”[/color] the blade over her shoulders was planted back onto the thresher's carcass and she leaned her shoulder against the flat surface of the massive cleaver, arms crossed. [color=#E5E4E2]“I'm not the one you should fear for. In the blink of an eye, I can be gone. With animal-like brutality, I can rip off a thresher's brain. No matter how small it may be.”[/color] she dedicated her gaze to the scenery she had charged herself with surpervising. [color=#E5E4E2]“I don't hate you. I'm not even truly upset. But I want you to do something to dispel a doubt I have-”[/color] there was no eye-contact as she spoke solemnly. [color=#E5E4E2]“Make sure your 'allies' are clean from the poison we've found here. Hurt them if you must. You do not want to appear as Revidia's dog. You do not want this to happen again.”[/color]

Leon held his hands up from the chest and gave a small huff of annoyance. He wondered if Zarina was getting a kick out of sending mixed messages. He rose back up. (If this gets posted, this chest exchange can take place before the other thing)

Leon shrugged. [color=fff200]"And yet I feared for you anyway. I'm sure you would have done the same for me."[/color] His tone was no longer apologetic but conclusive, it was what it was. He walked forward to stand beside her and followed her line of sight, feigning the same vigil the girl had dedicated herself to. 

[color=fff200]"My allies?"[/color] He had to take some time to think about what she meant. He thought of the other Revidians on the mission, then realised that one hadn't been among the looters at all. [color=fff200]"It's a generous statement to consider Trypano my ally. Myself and Rikard made a pact with her to ensure the weapon's destruction. But I suppose she has a short memory when it comes to allegiances, I don't trust her to have kept that promise. Its fortunate we will all return to the same place when we leave Zengali."[/color]

Before Zarina could reply, Leon raised a hand to cut her off. [color=fff200]"Food for thought, Zarina. Do you think that this weapon would be entrusted to an expedition around Mezegol if it were the only copy?"[/color] He turned toward her and looked into her eyes with certainty and resolution. [color=fff200]"Do you trust me, Zarina? Despite all this, do you still believe in me?"[/color]

[color=#E5E4E2]“No, I'm willing to bet they have a festering supply.”[/color] answered Zarina as she turned her gaze to meet Leon's. [color=#E5E4E2]“I trust your heart, less so your head.”[/color] cold frankness came with unflinching eyes. A mixture of disappointment and frustration, directed at the universe rather than Leon himself, was the concoction that created such an emotionless reaction. [color=#E5E4E2]“The fact that they likely have copies of the stuff made the plan all the more important. It WILL appear again. It WILL spread. And we don't have a proven weapon against it, other than the same old.”[/color] a nasal sigh escaped her. 

[color=#E5E4E2]“That bitch - the creepy one - was willing to let my friend die in order to study some disgusting slime. She is not a friend to anyone. A book you can most certainly judge by the cover.”[/color]

When Zarina confirmed her trust, Leon seemed satisfied and allowed himself a smile. Even if it was backhanded, it was good enough for him. With a wave of his hands, he put a sonic bubble around them and went back to talking business. He thought about bringing up the fact that Zarina had also been willing to give lives to study a slime today. But what did that achieve? How did that benefit his goals? [color=fff200]"Zarina, I don't trust Trypano for more than just that. If she has taken off with the weapon, she stands to support a regime that would take the lives of thousands. She will see justice for it, I swear that."[/color]

After his vow, there was a short pause as he pondered something. [color=fff200]"Another thing to consider: if you retrieved the slime, what if you couldn't find an effective cure in time? The Sovereign Pact could get the weapon and now it is just a normal part of war, both sides will use it because they fear the other will use it first... Right now, it's contained to a small secretive group, but undoubtedly they take their orders from someone."[/color] Leon looked at Zarina and smiled sweetly for outside eyes, but the subject matter gave it a conspiratorial look. [color=fff200]"Would it not be better for the weapon to be disposed of before it sees the light of day?"[/color]

Zarina cocked her head, and then an eyebrow. [color=#E5E4E2]“What are you getting at, Leon?”[/color] her tone seemed challenging, but her gaze oozed of curiosity. [color=#E5E4E2]“Such a secretive group would be ... Hard to reach. I would wager that getting such people out of the picture would have bigger implication for the world than the removal of a bad, bad plague.”[/color]

It was the kind of subject matter that justified the sonic bubble he put around them. Leon's expression was performative, he wore a kind smile while he spoke of dire subject matters. To the outside eye it could have been perceived as a private conversation for personal reasons.

[color=fff200]"Being hard to reach tends to happen with secretive groups, but I'd wager we both have a pretty good idea on who calls the shots. Even if we somehow stopped the weapon here, another would take its place, and another. A man who condones such things remains in power so what happened here is just a battle in a greater war."[/color] He placed a hand on her shoulder. [color=fff200]"Imagine if that man was replaced by someone kinder who would want this all to stop. Someone more popular to gain the support of the people. Someone, frankly, hotter."[/color] He gave Zarina a wink at the final jest to make it clear that that 'someone' was himself.

Ideas on who this replacement could be ran through her mind. It all seemed like a web of possibilities, many of which had their flaws but also their upsides. Then, of course, he used 'hotter' as a qualifier. The dullest of stares took shape upon the dragon's visage. [color=#E5E4E2]“You? Really?”[/color] she scrutinized his form from top to bottom. She then tapped her thick nail upon the forearm he had extended toward her shoulder. [color=#E5E4E2]“Are you even Revidian?”[/color]

[color=fff200]"You have such little faith?"[/color] Leon was beginning to get tired of Zarina's mean mugging and his smile started to fade. He retracted his hand back and faced the scene of the thresher's remains. [color=fff200]"It's simple enough really, I just need to marry-"[/color] He caught himself with a grimace. [color=fff200]"Well, I'll find a way. If it is a matter of the people's support, I already have it and I'm Revidian enough... I don't plan to let the possibility stop me. I have the ability to change things, Zarina, my goal hasn't changed since the Forked Tower. This is the route for me to do it."[/color] 

[color=#E5E4E2]“I devoted my faith to a God that ended up being a guy in a big parka playing games in the trials. And I'm also not in the best of moods.”[/color] Zarina's eyes took in the gore that Leon had been watching, emphasizing the source of her discontent. [color=#E5E4E2]“You alone won't make it. The great and mighty Hugo tried, and look what happened to him.”[/color] her crossed arms tightened around herself. [color=#E5E4E2]“So I'll be skeptical. For your sake. You've got enough Yes Men. It's the least I can do as your genuine ally.”[/color]

[color=fff200]"Well there's a big difference. I hop around and play games in the Trials and people only have [i]more[/i] faith in me."[/color] He chuckled the thought away. [color=fff200]"But your right, Zarina, I can't do it alone. I'm not even entirely sure you can help with this, but I told you anyway... I need you on my side and I don't want to let something like this get in the way of it. So trust me that justice will be done."[/color]

Leon shifted his eyes toward Zarina and tilted his head slightly to her direction. [color=fff200]"We have an entire world to change, let's not stop that here. I don't think I'll get far without you staring me down on the occasion and letting me know my wrongs."[/color] He explained with an amused tone.

[color=#E5E4E2]“Here's not the place for the details.”[/color] reminded Zarina as the vultures were piling up their bounties. One was missing, as expected. [color=#E5E4E2]“But I'm with you.”[/color]

[color=fff200]"I am happy to hear that."[/color] He said sweetly.

[color=fff200]"Now!"[/color] he announced in a far more playful and upbeat tone. [color=fff200]"As much as I trust you, I would rather minimise the risk of waking up with a knife in my back. So, we were [i]actually[/i] talking about your love life this whole time. Me, being the nosy romantic, was prying into your fling with that Tarlon girl, Miret, was it? And of course, you were unimpressed by the poor timing, didn't want to talk about it, and told me to stay out of it. Agreed?"[/color]

[color=fff200]"You may slap me if you think that'll sell it better."[/color]

The moment Leon finished and brought up even the the word 'slap', Zarina immediately seized the opportunity and raised her fist, arm bent in a ninety degree angle, to collide with his nose. Yes, she intended to potentially break it. Luckily they had binders up the wazoo. 

[color=#E5E4E2]“Great idea. Don't bring her up again, though. I'm still moody over it.”[/color] she warned with a faux-smile that was supposed to denote a another layer of fakeness. Although, truthfully, she did feel he had deserved some of it, tasteless comment or not.

Leon had extended his head forward a little to received the slap. He did not expect a punch in the nose and he recoiled back at the impact. [color=fff200]"Ow, ow ow,"[/color] he spoke through hands that cupped his mouth, [color=fff200]"I had meant a pretend slap, Zarina..."[/color] He hunched over and expended some binding magic before rising again to a face that is perfectly fine.

[color=fff200]"Honestly... this face is worth more than Zenobucks, you know."[/color] With a huff, he adjusted his clothing. Traces of blood on his hands indicated that it wasn't Zarina's blow being poor but more Leon's proficiency in cosmetic binding that had his face come out alright. 

Then, when the silence took in, Leon realised it probably wasn't right to bring up. [color=fff200]"... I'll keep her name off my tongue. But don't be afraid to let me know when you need help. I'm quite the asset in that regard and I do owe you a few favors."[/color] With that he rose a hand, clicked his fingers, and the sonic bubble dissipated.[/color]