Sakiko nodded at Alpha's suggestion. She wasn't in the mood or had the energy to deal with Shada's violent jealousy at the moment either. The Mage began to walk in the direction that Alpha had pointed out, wondering what kind of shops and restaurants were there. She wasn't the type of person to take her time and wander about in town simply because she had money to burn. As a matter of fact, most of the smaller branches of Rauru Town were rather unfamiliar to her.

As the two Mages began to walk further down, they were met with small vendors selling goods on the streets. As a matter of fact, the shops began to become less frequent, replaced by almost a festival like surrounding. The streets became more narrowed, and the crowd more dense. There was also a cheerful festival music blaring out from some unknown source.

"'ss-cuse me, Miss! Wouldn't a pretty lady like you wanta take a look at this?!"

"Look here! Small figurines of all the Goddesses! A collection!"

"Cotton candy! Ice cream! Popcorn!'

Sakiko looked around, looking almost bewildered. She didn't know something so lively existed here before. However, her hunger could not be won over by such amazement. The Mage raised her voice so that she could be heard above the upbeat music, but as she never really raised her voice for anything, it was lost in the loudness of the 'festivity'. Not knowing what to do, but not wanting to leave the Sheikah alone there amongst the people, she grabbed his hand and walked towards a nearby vendor.

"Two...uh...."

The Mage looked beyond the jovial looking woman selling the food and to the board displaying the items that they were selling. They all seemed deep fried and unhealthy, none that Sakiko found to appetizing. Sakiko frowned, settling on what seemed to be the least greasy.

"Two hot dogs (Ooc: I didn't really know how to describe something so American in Hyrulian terms....^_^), please."

"Would you like some ketchup with that? Or mustard?"

Sakiko stared at the woman blankly. What was this..ketchup?! Sounded like something from the ocean, like kelp. The Mage turned to Alpha, lost for words and hoping he knew what was going on.

Alpha followed as Sakiko started down the road, making sure to stay within arm's reach in case she lost her balance again. They passed by dozens of shops and hundreds of people, and for a while Alpha was finally starting to relax; other than Sakiko, no one paid him any mind. Everyone just continued on their own way, not even casting the pair a second glance as they strolled along. They were just members of the crowd, walking from Point A to Point B, and no one else cared who or what they were. He rather liked it that way.

It was only after a little while, though, that this sense of anonymity faded away, much to the Sheikah's disappointment. As they continued, searching for a good place to eat, the shops and buildings died away to be replaced by stalls and street vendors, each one vying for the pair's attention and money. Alpha hardly paid any of them more than a second's worth of attention, more than a little annoyed by the manner in which they shouted out identifying phrases. More than once he heard someone call him a 'black robed Sheikah', and every time that clause was uttered he had the sneaking suspicion that someone was going to realize who he was.

The moment that happened, word would spread about 'the great adventurer Alpha' being spotted in Rauru - the ever increasing crowds ensured that - which would mean every Hakiem in Hyrule would converge on the location. He really didn't feel like having to put up with the nonsense of his 'fame' and worrying about assassins simultaneously.

Distracted by yet another overwhelming to desire to burn down a vendor's stand - though he restrained himself with the knowledge that if he did that, someone was sure to recognize him - he didn't notice Sakiko's bewilderment at the festivities taking place around them. He had to agree after thinking about it for a moment; had they stumbled across some sort of carnival or traveling troupe, or was this some sort of standard attraction in Rauru? He didn't remember seeing it when he'd first come to Hyrule and scouted the city out, though he did have to remind himself that that had been quite a long time ago.

Then suddenly her pale hand had grasped his own, leading him after her as she stumbled through the crowds. He reciprocated the grip, not wanting to become separated from her; in the condition she was in, that could quite easily become a problem.

Their arrival went unimpeded, for the most part, though Alpha did nearly knock over people from time to time. Yet as soon as they arrived in front of the woman serving the food, her mind seemed to go blank as she stared at the menu, trying to order before she'd even looked everything over. The Sheikah glanced at the selection while she tried to make up her mind, not terribly impressed with the amount of grease he saw littering every dish. He didn't often dine on this kind of meal; normally he either made his own meal or ate in fine (though rarely fancy) establishments.

"Two hot dogs, please."

"Would you like some ketchup with that? Or mustard?"

Sakiko seemed at a loss once again, turning to her fellow mage with eyes that belied her sudden confusion over the terms. 'Has she never had ketchup?' he wondered, a bit bewildered himself by her apparent lack of knowledge on the subject. Maybe they should have turned around at the first sign of the festive setting, and eaten somewhere a bit more civilized . . . but it was a bit late at this point. "Ketchup on one of them, please," he spoke up for the first time in a while. He flashed Sakiko a smile. "You can try a bite of mine and see how you like it," he offered.

And then his ears picked up another vendor's cry. "Hey, black robed Sheikah! Care for a mask? This one looks perfect for you!"

Goddesses he wanted to burn something right now.

Sakiko cleared her throat in embarrassment at Alpha's offer. Although she hardly believed that it was anything beyond the realm of 'friendly companionship', she still had to find that taking a...bite out of Alpha's food was extremely intimate - for her, anyway. She coughed to hide a laugh - she would've never guessed before that Alpha's leadership included his extensive knowledge of greasy fast food and ordering without difficulty.

The woman followed Alpha's order, making the hot dogs right in front of them. Meanwhile, she began to chat about her normal customers...the weather...the usual activity of Rauru...Sakiko barely listened, trying to keep her mouth watering. Sure, it was pure fat and tremendous amount of calories, but as they say, hunger is the best appetizer. She dug into her pocket to pay as the woman handed her the the steaming sausages wrapped in what seemed to be bread.

Sakiko handed the hot dog to Alpha and was about to take a bite when the woman called out,

"Have a nice date, little ducklings!"

The Mage coughed loudly, choking on the chunk of meat. She was about to demand that the woman take back such a comment when out of nowhere she heard,

"Hey, black robed Sheikah! Care for a mask? This one looks perfect for you!"

Sakiko took a quick peek at Alpha. She shivered, seeing a clearly unpleasant expression on his face. The Mage bit her lips, the sudden selfishness of her own behavior becoming clear to her. Maybe this is kind of a date in some ways... I had practically forced it on him. She had also realized that he had not spoken at all during their quite long walk to this vendor. Because of her own need to fill her need, she had forgotten Alpha's. Although she couldn't say that she knew the Sheikah as much as she would've liked, she was already more than aware of his dislike for attention and crowds. By the vendors spotting them and calling out to them to sell items, Alpha was getting just that - attention.

She asked hesitantly,

"Does it bother you?"

After a small pause, Sakiko realized that her question didn't make sense. She clarified quickly,

"This whole...thing, I mean."

Sakiko secretly - and selfishly, she knew - hoped that he would say it was fine. What a rare opportunity it was to spend an entire day with this famous warrior -

Famous.

The word hit her like a lightning bolt, and with it came an idea. It was an idea so out of her character and desires, but it was an idea nonetheless. For an extremely strange reason, she didn't want to leave...yet. The Mage had a vague idea that if anyone recognized Alpha, they would crowd around him and create an undesirable effect. Sakiko pointed to the vendor that had called out to Alpha and suggested with a small smile,

"I've treated to you these...delicacies... and I am in want of what that man is selling there..."

"Have a nice date, little ducklings!"

Most people, especially men, in this kind of situation would immediately begin to complain that they were not, in fact, on a date. While Alpha certainly was in agreement with that line of thought, he knew how pathetic that tactic of speaking was: more often than not it ended up making both boy and girl uncomfortable, and only instilled in the questioner a sense that yes, indeed, they were on a date together. With this in mind, he ignored the comment completely, not even acknowledging that she'd said the words. Instead he just nodded his thanks as he took the hot dog from Sakiko, and chuckled as the girl took the comment in standard fashion -

"Hey, black robed Sheikah! Care for a mask? This one looks perfect for you!"

The call rang out again, from the same vendor in the same annoying voice, drawing his attention away from the women. A scowl crept over his features; he didn't need to be pestered like this.

"Does it bother you?" He found his gaze drawn back to Sakiko as her question surprised him. "This whole...thing, I mean."

Well, he normally had little problem with crowds. As long as he wasn't pressured or forced into positions where he made a spectacle of himself, it wasn't too difficult for him to just blend in with the large groups. Crowds were useful that way; one could enter them and become one of their number without difficulty, throwing off pursuit. Crowds where he might be recognized, however . . . that led to the exact opposite result.

So really . . . "I'm fine with it, so long as you're the only one aware of my identity," he explained with a wink.

And then . . . suddenly it was like Sakiko had changed somewhat, given herself over to a new and curiously disturbing new air. Her voice changed as well, as if she had transformed into a commanding figure that reminded him somewhat of nobility . . . in a good way. Her arm shot up, finger stretching out and pointing to a vendor behind them as she calmly stated, "I've treated to you these...delicacies... and I am in want of what that man is selling there..."

'I thought that our agreement was that I'd come with her and she'd buy my food . . . and this isn't really that much of a delicacy . . .' Still, a smirk covered his lips; Sakiko certainly was an interesting girl. With a flourish he whipped back his cape and bowed to her in dramatic fashion. "But of course, my lady!" He turned to see which shop she was wanting to visi-

The Mask shop?

His smile turned rueful.

"But of course, my lady!"

Sakiko turned around quickly to hide her awkward cross between a smile and a raising of the eyebrows. So that's what his cape was for all along. Had she been facing him for a moment longer, she would have seen the quick transformation of his dazzling smile to one of regret. But as it was, she didn't see and therefore she still had the courage to drag the unwilling Alpha to the dreaded Mask Shop.

The man beamed, as if satisfied that his obnoxious shouting had proven effective. He grinned toothily at Sakiko, who was now taking a look at all the goods that he was selling. It was not only a shop of masks, but also one of hats and glasses that were shaded in black. She stifled a smirk that threatened to bloom into a smile as she held up a beanie and large sunglasses.

"Alph-"

She stopped herself, knowing that if she said his name, his identity could be given away. Sakiko, hiding a smile, called out to Alpha,

"Alfonso, why don't you get yourself these?"

She murmured quietly so that only Alpha could pick up on what she was saying,

"It'll help you hide your face."

Ooc: XDDD alpha in sunglasses... hahahaahahhaa....

'Alfonso? That's the best name she could come up with?!'

He repressed the urge to glare at the girl; regardless of how much he disliked the name, it was still a hundred times better than the alternative. She'd almost called him Alpha, catching herself at the last moment, and he couldn't help but be grateful at her ability to stop herself midword and correct the 'mistake'. Still, he wished she would have stopped a syllable sooner; there was a much wider variety of names starting with a simple 'Al-' that would've been much more suitable.

Oh well, too late now.

"It'll help you hide your face."

Well, he couldn't argue with that, though sunglasses wouldn't do much to cover up his most noticeable feature. The scar lancing across his forehead and down his cheek was a telltale sign of his identity; Ganon and Dark Link's wars against Hyrule served as the only reason that he had been able to pass unnoticed thus far. Many people had scars from those attacks, but if anyone took careful note of his scar's unique length and style they'd probably figure it out.

Still, disguising his Sheikah nature couldn't hurt, that much was certain. But the beanie . . . he shot Sakiko an odd look, smirking and yet a little unsure. "Honestly, I don't think having a hat suits me, but sunglasses wouldn't hurt." He glanced at her, though, before he made any move towards that money he'd mentioned he had on him. "Sure you want to be seen with someone wearing such large sunglasses, though? They aren't exactly the most stylish pair in the world." That was an understatement; their large size made the pair look rather touristy, and he did not care to be labeled a tourist. Especially since in places like this, that tended to only garner more attention for one's self.

Sakiko found Alfonso's - erm, Alpha's - plain dislike for all this quite hilarious. She, of course, did not do anything to indicate her discovery for laughter in all this as she didn't want Alpha's mood to get any worse. The Mage nodded, handing him the sunglasses with a smirk that was meant to be a reassuring smile.

"It doesn't bother me, Alfonso. pfft..."

She let out a soft laugh, which sounded more like an outtake of air. She immediately felt a bit ashamed of it as she could see the insecurity in his eyes. Smoothing over her usual calm expression, Sakiko waited for him to pay, chewing on her temporarily forgotten hot dog. It tastes just fine without that red mush all over it.

Turning her head this way and that, she began to look around with an almost curious look on her face. Amongst the huge stream of people, she saw a metallic box standing off to the corner. She raised her eyebrows - usually, if it was selling an item, it would be attended by at least one person, wouldn't it? And yet, she saw small kids flocking it and poking at it for awhile, and walking off from the strange box with a loud cry of frustration.

Her curiosity grew each second, wanting to know what wonders such a box contained. Turning to Alpha, she asked apologetically,

"Sorry to drag you around, but would you like to take a look at the box, there?"

With a roll of his eyes, Alpha reluctantly picked up the glasses and slipped them over his eyes, deciding that while they were indeed rather large, they probably didn't stand out nearly so much as he'd thought they would. It probably had to do with all the black he was wearing; black hair, black cape and hood, black shirt, black pants . . . even his boots were the color of night. Dark sunglasses didn't mar his image in the slightest, really. "Well then . . . as the lady says, I suppose," he said with a humored sigh.

Reaching underneath his cape, he lowered his head so that none would notice the brief sparkle of violet that emanated form his scarred face, then abruptly withdrew a bag that looked exactly the same as the one Shada had taken from him hours ago - though this one was about half the size of his standard wallet. It was opened in a flash, and after a few moments of shifting through - an action accompanied by a large amount of jingling, which unfortunately attracted the ears and eyes of several other vendors - he withdrew a pair of blue rupees and tossed them to the man.

Now sporting his new shades, the Sheikah turned around to find Sakiko already glancing around for somewhere to go next. He took a moment to bite into his own hot dog, wondering if the lady might have put a bit too much ketchup on it; the bun was a little soaked by the crimson sauce, and he preferred bread to be . . . not-soggy.

Little he could do about it now, though. He was halfway through the 'meal' when Sakiko gestured off to the side. "Sorry to drag you around, but would you like to take a look at the box, there?"

He looked where she was motioning, his eyes instantly being drawn towards along the path that Sakiko had been looking. "It's no trouble at all," he said with a reassuring grin as he glanced over the metallic box; it was too far away for him to make out any details, and he didn't frequent places like this often enough to know what it was. "And yeah, it does seem like something to check out. Let's go."

Taking her hand in his own without any forewarning, the Sheikah wove through the crowds with practice ease, leading Sakiko over to where the strange block of metal waited.

"Wa-"

Sakiko felt herself lurch forwards a little as Alpha led her towards the box. Of course Alpha was gracefully weaving through the influx of people, but Sakiko could not say the same for herself. Shoppers roughly bumped against her, a mass of limbs colliding with her arms and legs. She tightened her grip on Alpha's hand, afraid that this fragile link between them could be broken. His hands are really warm. Saki blushed sheepishly at the fact that holding his hand was oddly comforting. But maybe that's because mine is so cold...

As they neared the strange box, Sakiko noticed that it wasn't solid metal. The sides were composed of steel walls, but when she looked down upon it, she noticed that its top was made of glass. Inside were all sorts of little trinkets, including small stuffed animals and -

herbs?!

Sakiko pressed her hands on the cool glass, a sudden wave of excitement flushing her face. Yes, indeed! There were small bags of herbs, not to be found anywhere in Hyrule. Just think of all the more potions and balms she could make. She felt frustrated, wondering how to buy these items. She began to look around the metal box, and found a small slot where one could fit rupees inside. Sakiko dug around in her pockets, extracting one rupee and rolling it carefully inside the small hole.

"Ding Ding Ding!"

As if on instinct, Sakiko jumped away from the sudden noise, which seemed to have come from the box. The metal claw started to move forwards, trembling making small whirring noises. At the same time, a bar popped out near the slot, its handle cushioned and rubbery, as if it expected to be held or used in some way. Shocked and not knowing what to do, she pushed on the responsibility to the man in sunglasses.

"Alpha, do something!"

Without warning Alpha grabbed Sakiko by the hand and yanked her away from the spot she'd been standing in, pulling her further away from the box and closer to the side of the street. The Sheikah wasted no time explaining as he continued pulling her away, but the reason for his suddenly frantic movements weren't from fear - no, the reason would become obvious in but a moment:

"Alpha?!"
"The Sheikah's here?"
"Where is he?!"

Yes, in her moment of shock, Sakiko had cried out her fellow mage's true name, announcing to the entire area - and likely soon all of Rauru - that the adventurer Alpha was present. The cries went up at once, spreading like a wildfire, and droves of people suddenly massed forward in an attempt to find and locate the so-called hero. And as the people stormed forward, Alpha and Sakiko suddenly found themselves packed in tight alongside those trying to make their way to where the Sheikah's name had first been shouted.

Alpha had been pressed right up next to Sakiko, hiding his face behind the sunglasses and her long, silver hair. "Ah, the main reason why I hate crowds," he whispered to his fellow mage, his lips only a few millimeters from her ear. "Do me a favor: don't move, and don't speak." He chuckled before muttering what might have been an afterthought, "I probably should've done this an hour ago."

His hand reached up, covering his scar as it rested against the back of her head, so tightly had they been pushed together. The other arm he wrapped around Sakiko's waist, making sure that they wouldn't become separated. And as he did so, he began softly muttering a chant, speaking in a tongue that Sakiko had likely never heard before. "Miisa corrum vito naras venitalga wei shikold . . ."

The place was becoming a verifiable nightmare for the adventurer, with people starting to fan out in search parties for the Sheikah. Even so, it was only a matter of time before someone noticed a man wearing all black, even if he was hiding himself in the silver strands of Sakiko's hair. Had Alpha not reacted so quickly, people would have probably already identified her as the one who had originally called out his name, and that would have landed her in worlds of trouble . . . probably the same boat Alpha was in right now.

And then it happened. A man came up from behind, poking Alpha in the side. "Hey, it's you, isn't it? You're him! Alpha!"

People turned as one, all eyes falling on Sakiko and the man holding her by the waist. All at once the chanting in Sakiko's ears ceased, and Alpha released her, turning to face the man as though he hadn't a care in the world. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm not the great Alpha! He's got some massive scar on his face, right?"

". . . oh yeah, right. Sorry about that."

And indeed, if Sakiko turned and looked at him, she'd find his scar that normally marred his face and threw it off balance . . . had vanished.

"The herbs-!"

Sakiko stared at the back of Alpha's head, shocked. Who knew that he was so fearful of the strange box that he would actually run away from it? And he fought so many monsters too...who knew? She opened her mouth smilingly to laugh at him when she heard voices gawking out, calling for Alpha. Wait - how did they know? She didn't realize that she had accidentally called out his name, and was still trying to find out the source of the civilians' excitement when she felt her body press against Alpha's.

The Mage trembled involuntarily, feeling his warmth transfer to her cold body. All the other bodies crashing against her own were lost to her; she could only feel his chest..his face... she was glad that they didn't land face-to-face with each other.

"Ah, the main reason why I hate crowds. Do me a favor: don't move, and don't speak."

Her ear tingled at his soft breath, his face so close to her. She took in a sharp intake of air as she felt his arm wrap around her stomach. Sakiko's head started to spin and she kept reminding herself to breathe. It didn't help that she couldn't understand what Alpha was saying to her - or was he saying something to her? She wasn't sure - his soft whispers were lost in the noises of the desperate crowd.

"Hey, it's you, isn't it? You're him! Alpha!"

Damn.

Sakiko's heart sunk, knowing that their day would come to an end. It was over. When will she see him again? Never...probably. Not out in somewhere like this, anyway. She closed her eyes as the pressure of Alpha's hand was gone from her waist. Is he going to run...?"

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm not the great Alpha! He's got some massive scar on his face, right?"

The pale girl turned even more pale, wondering if the wrong person had been holding her this entire time. Anger blazing in her eyes - whoever had been pressed against her was going to die a painful death - Sakiko whipped around. The sight that greeted the silver haired Mage was the last thing that she would've ever expected. Her lips parted slightly - they had been shut tight for so long that it made a smacking noise - as her eyes gazed at the Shiekah.

He was...

Sakiko felt like her mind had gone blank. The only thing that reminded her that she was still standing and living was the fact that her heart was beating wildly against her chest. Her hands trembling, she slowly raised them towards Alpha's face, gently picking up the sunglasses that hid half of his face. She let them drop to the ground, the lenses landing on the rough pavement with a small thud.

He was...

Her gray eyes met his crimson ones, wondering if this was the man she had spoken to just a mere seconds before. It was almost surreal; as they stood still in the bustling and busy streets, people walked briskly to avoid them. And yet, the Hylian could not see anything, anything but him. She let out a breath of cold air, wondering what it was that she was feeling. Her hand reached out once more, and she softly ran the tip of her fingers over where his scar had been.

"I..."

His scar had apparently vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of its existence behind as far as the eye could tell. It was an important distinction to make, as Sakiko was likely to realize as her hand reached up and brushed against his face. For although his face appeared smooth and unmarred for the first time she had ever seen him, her sense of touch would find things rather different: her fingers could still touch the source of Alpha's curse, her digits feeling the wounded skin and its coarse roughness.

As a fellow mage, it shouldn't be too hard to understand what he had done. Illusion magic was a highly coveted skill to have mastered, though it was very difficult to use effectively - it required a good bit of concentration to cast, and continual focus to maintain. But it was very useful as well; as the Sheikah had just shown, entire crowds could be thrown off if you knew what kind of illusion to generate. Indeed, even now the crowds were continuing to dissipate, entire groups forming search parties to fan out and find the elusive adventurer.

But Sakiko had stumbled upon a relatively unknown fact about the Sheikah: without his scar, he was verifiably gorgeous. The cursed mark marred his face and threw it off balance, making it a bit difficult to look at; without it, he was rather handsome.

Still, it seemed that only his face had been changed; the Sheikah was still the same as ever. In fact, as the sunglasses clattered on the ground and Sakiko's eyes met his own, Alpha replied to her trembling and stuttering with a simple, "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with you?"

Sakiko's glazed eyes regained their focus the instant the words fell from Alpha's lips. She dropped her arms to her side quickly, turning away so he wouldn't see the strange look on her face. He had asked that exact same question just a few hours before, when she had stepped out of the shop. And thinking of that incident, she was roughly shaken into realization. Of Evan..of Aurel...of her past wounds.

Of course, she had made a promise to herself before that she should not feel anything for anyone, especially... she trailed off from her thoughts, recalling the mad drumming of her heart. It was not allowable; absolutely unthinkable. Indeed, even if she had not made such a resolution with herself, it was much too soon to be thinking of anything else.

So instead, Sakiko muttered darkly,

"I was just examining your skills in magic."

She walked towards the box briskly, determined that she should forget what had happened and focus on getting those herbs. This time prepared for the sudden whirring and trembling of the machine, she fished out another rupee and slid it inside the slot.

whiiirrrrrr

Sakiko grabbed the bar that had popped out, supposing that this was used to control the metal claw. Indeed, as she jerked the bar left, the metal claw jerked left. When she had barely got the claw to dangle over the bag of herbs, she pressed a large button on top of the rubbery handle of the bar. The claw began to descend, slowly latching unto the pouch.

The Mage watched intently, waiting for the pouch to be handled safely unto the side of the box, where she assumed the herbs would slide out easily. Instead - and to her great disappointment - the claw's extreme trembling caused the herb to fall out of place.

"I wouldn't have expected them to make it so easy..."

Grumbling, she slid in another rupee, except it ended in the same result.

As soon as he [unwittingly] repeated his words from earlier, the Sheikah could only watch in surprise as Sakiko's countenance abruptly shifted, her curiosity vanishing by simply stating, "I was just examining your skills in magic." Just looking at her it was obvious that that wasn't the real root of the unwavering focus she had held on Alpha's face moments earlier, but if there was anything the mage understood . . . it was secrets. The need to keep them and respect them were especially high on his list, so he stayed silent as she turned and hurriedly walked away.

Still, there was something interesting about her sudden change - it seemed she had reverted back to the dark, uncertain aura she'd been giving off when he'd first run into her while chasing after Shada. He shouldn't have let it bother him, but for some reason he found himself staring after the silver haired mage for several seconds before bending down to pick up the nearly-forgotten sunglasses and following her back to the metal box.

Sakiko . . . she was something of an enigma, and while the Sheikah respected that - after all, could he say anything different about himself? - it stirred up his natural desire to uncover and solve the mystery she represented. He wasn't sure whether he should be surprised or annoyed by that, but . . .

He arrived just as the claw gripped the bag of herbs, starting to lift it upwards - and then dropped it back onto the pile of things hidden in the glass. His crimson eyes narrowed at the game that seemed impossible - try as she might, Sakiko seemed unable to get a solid enough grip on the bag. The immense amount of shaking caused by the machine ensured that nothing would be able to stay in-between the 'fingers'. Was it rigged to do that, he wondered? Or was the machine just too old and rickety to help itself?

"Doesn't seem to be working," he muttered, rubbing his chin as he looked over the contraption. He looked up to Sakiko. "Either we need to figure out how to get it to stop shaking, or we might as well just leave it be."

Still, his voice belied that he didn't want to just leave it here - it was another mystery that they'd stumbled across, the mystery of how to succeed at this little game. And unlike the mystery of Sakiko, he expected this one could be solved pretty quickly.

"Hm . . ." An idea occurred to him. "We could always use magic. Not to force the thing to succeed, but just to calm down the machine a bit. Stop the trembling."

"We could always use magic -"

Cheat? Sakiko stared at Alpha, dubious. She was about to protest that it would be equivalent to stealing, and what would become of their 'reputation' if they were found out when he continued,

"Not to force the thing to succeed, but just to calm down the machine a bit. Stop the trembling."

She looked back at the claw satisfactorily - of course Alpha wouldn't suggest such a thing. I'm glad. As soon as her mind whispered this to her, Sakiko clenched her teeth slightly, wanting to erase what she had just thought. Why did it matter to her what he suggested and didn't suggest? Why did it matter to her that Alpha was the great and noble hero that she had always pictured him to be?

The Mage fiddled with her money bag, noticing that if she was to disregard his idea, her determination to succeed would definitely eat away at her rupees gradually. Being a conservative woman, she gestured at the box with her arm.

"All yours. You should test it out after you fix it up, though... it just may be my lack of skills for all I know."