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[b][Location][/b] Near Arosa City, Estren
[b][Time][/b] Saturday, 11:30 PM
[b][Interactions][/b] N/A
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[i]Tonight is the night.[/i]

Liza sat perfectly relaxed in the soft-cushioned chair in a lavishly furnished room, her hands folded neatly in her lap. The lights were off and a small pouch rested on her lap, packed with everything she needed for the night. Every inch of the room was covered, keeping every surface perfectly insulated from everything else. Her eyes were softly shut and her breathing was calm and measured as she waited patiently for the clock to strike twelve. It was a countdown to the final act, and all that was needed now was for the star of the show to take centre stage.

Three weeks she had been building up to this moment—three weeks of preparation, of cleaning up trash, of breaking cages, and of ensuring there was no room left for error. All that was left to do now was to wait. It was a pleasant feeling, being in complete control of something, if one that was remarkably fleeting at the best of times. Still as a statue, Liza waited without a hint of discontent, counting down the seconds until her mission was finally over.

And then it would be on to the next–

The clicking of a lock drew her attention away from her thoughts, and her eyes fluttered slightly, though she didn’t rise from her position. It was showtime. A minute or so passed before the door to the bedroom slid open and someone stepped in, his back turned towards her as he fiddled with something he was holding. He didn’t notice her yet, not that it would have changed anything.

[colour=SlateGray]“Are you well, [i]Andersen-san[/i]? I understand the sea can be [i]rough[/i] on the unprepared.”[/colour]

The man started, dropping the bag held in his hands as he pressed himself to the door, his eyes trying futilely to find her in the pitch darkness of the room. With a soft smile, Liza reached over to turn on the lamb on the table. Her eyes opened slowly and she stared silently at him as he blinked the spots from his eyes. When his gaze finally landed on her still form, he sucked in a breath.

[colour=ffffff]“Who–”[/colour]

[colour=SlateGray]“Who am I?”[/colour] she interrupted smoothly, unzipping the pouch in her lap and removing a syringe from its interior, [colour=SlateGray]“I [i]suppose[/i] you could say.... I am a [i]consequence[/i] of your actions.”[/colour]

The man’s eyes darted to her hands as she removed the cap and placed her pouch to the side. His breathing quickened at the display and his muscles tensed.

[colour=SlateGray]“Do not worry. It is no [i]less[/i] than you deserve,”[/colour] Liza said gently, remaining seated, [colour=SlateGray]“And you will not [i]feel[/i] a thing.”[/colour]

Andersen immediately burst into motion the moment the words left her mouth, but she was faster. His hand was barely on the door’s handle before Liza appeared behind him, emptying the contents of the syringe into his neck with a single, precise movement.

Taking a few steps back, Liza watched him fall and then go still, [colour=SlateGray]“Apologies, [i]Andersen-san[/i]. Fleeing would only make things [i]worse[/i].”[/colour]

With a soft sigh and a gesture, the unconscious body rose into the air and moved behind her as she made her way over to the bed. She laid him across the mattress and reached into her pouch once again, then paused as she noticed something in his coat pocket. She hummed curiously and pulled out a flyer. Her eyes roamed over the print for a moment, and then neatly folded the paper before slipping it into her pocket. The Festival of Lights. It was still ongoing and Andersen had apparently been planning to go. Had, being the operative term here. It was convenient, then, that she had decided to do this now and not when he would have been surrounded by crowds as far as the eye could see. There was only a day left since she spent so much time preoccupied with other things, but it wasn’t too late yet. She still had another 24 hours to attend, if she so pleased.

.... It was a thought.

For now, though, she had a crime scene to clean.[/colour]


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[b][Location][/b] Arosa City to Landow, Estren
[b][Time][/b] Sunday, 04:30 AM

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In the end, Liza decided to attend the festival.

She didn’t do much on the way to Landow. She remained awake but relaxed, watching the scenery pass by from the car on its way out of Arosa City. It wasn’t a long drive by any means, so she wouldn’t have had much time to rest regardless. She had no intention of participating in any events while there, so she had simply entered the festival as a regular civilian. It was still mostly dark out when she arrived in Landow, the sun barely beginning to crest over the horizon, if even that. It was just as well; she preferred to blend in as much as she possibly could, and that was easier to do when the sun wasn’t up. However, trying too hard to seem unremarkable would just end up making her look out of place in a place like this.

To that end, she had chosen to dress nicely for the occasion. Disregarding her usual practical fashion, she had dressed in one of the more traditional attires of her homeland mixed with more common articles of clothing. Her nails were painted black and the barest hint of makeup adorned her features. Her hair was short enough that it didn’t require much work to style, and the only accessory she wore was a single earring with a ruby embedded within. A hint of nervousness would not be out of place for someone in her position attending an event of such magnitude for the first time. Such a response would not find its way through her countenance, however.

The ceremony began with the Regalia of Gaia, a young woman from Accadia. She dealt with the attention well, better than Liza herself would have. It was a.... unique feeling watching someone so similar to herself basking in the attention of thousands. Familiar and yet ever so different. She would never be in the limelight; it was her antithesis, and that was just fine by her. Fame was a curse.

Tradition was engraved in her being, so it was almost second nature for Liza to place an offering at Leviathan’s shrine, and then the others after that. She would have made one to her patron, but he was never much for public reverence. It was all so artificial, the way they made a show of it all. It was human nature to be greedy, to take a mile when given an inch. Cetra was a great example of that, though it wasn’t exactly something that concerned her. There were better things to have on her mind.

Liza gazed up at the sky with a tranquil smile as the sun began to rise.

[colour=SlateGray]“A [i]beautiful[/i] sunrise for a [i]beautiful[/i] day.”[/colour]

Today was a celebration, after all. What was the worst that could happen?[/colour]