Elias could see how tired Lucian was, without him even having to say a word. It was simply the way that the pilot carried himself at this point that gave away how exhausted he was. The hacker winced at how blunt his friend was with him. Of course he hadn't been killed but he was sure that he would have been if Elias hadn't been in contact with Zachariah at the time. It was a spur of the moment thing but Elias had called Lucian to make sure he was alright and that had been his only indication that there was something wrong. What if Elias hadn't even tried calling Lucian? Dread filled his stomach and he felt himself grow ill with the thought. If he hadn't tried calling Lucian due to his excessive worry, then he could have very well lost the only person that mattered to him.<br/><br/>A slight frown touched his lips as he looked down, as Lucian scolded him briefly. His eyes took notice of the bruises around his wrists. The hacker's fingers moved on their own, brushing against the marks, knowing that those were because of his error. Guilt racked his chest and he moved his fingers away before the situation became awkward. "I know," he murmured with a slight pout. "I'm sorry, Lucian." He knew that there would be a time and a place to discuss all that happened. Elias was the type of man to let all of his fears and frustrations whenever he could. Now, the thing that they had to focus on was getting Shizu settled into her new place and resting. Elias was sure that Lucian would be given some time off from flying for now, which meant that they could enjoy their time together. There really shouldn't be a rush to go out and have a few drinks tonight, not with the current condition they were both in.<br/><br/>Elias smiled a bit as Lucian seemed to help coax Shizu into shaking his hand. It seemed that Shizu was one of the few people who could stand Lucian, so it was a big deal. In this day and age, many people tried to avoid people like the pilot but then again it could be that fact that Shizu hardly knew anyone. It was strange to meet someone who was just as, if not more socially awkward than he was. He watched Shizu was she seemed to squirm under the scrutiny of his eyes and how she kept her distance from the two of them. Elias partially blamed Lucian for making him try to be more outgoing. If not for Lucian, then he would never try talking to other people. When he did, he felt like he was getting nowhere with them but at least he was trying. He knew it would take a while for Shizu to warm up to him but that was fine with him. He knew that she would need some familiarity in this new country.<br/><br/>Would Lucian even want to be friends with her? Elias had merely been thinking about himself, wanting to make more friends and Shizu seemed like a good opportunity. Besides, he would be monitoring for her a while, so there wasn't anything wrong with trying to be her friend. Lucian, on the other hand, may just think that she was too much of a hassle then again Lucian had said the same thing about them being friends and look at where they were now. Maybe that would be something that they would have to talk about later on in the week. It seemed as if Shizu and Lucian were getting along well for the time being. Elias just assumed that things would have to work out on its own.<br/><br/>In all honesty, he wanted to see Lucian have a few more friends as well. It wasn't as if Lucian was popular amongst the few friends he did have and it was nice to see someone else aside from him being comfortable around the pilot. He knew how rough things had been for Lucian and Elias didn't want to say that his life was any better. His parents practically disowned him for choosing to stray from pursuing a white collar career. The thought of wearing a suit and tie everyday was horrifying to him. Though, things had always been rough with his parents, seeing how he was the only child and decided to have a more laid back personality than his strict parents. He had spent a lot of his childhood indoors thanks to his parents and the fact that he never could make friends well. But somehow, he had met Lucian and they hit it off. The pilot had gotten him to break out of his shell over the years and Elias was forever grateful.<br/><br/>Maybe the hacker wanted to do the same for Shizu. He wanted to show her that there was much more to life than being a recluse, though he was sure that she would want to explore. Many people used to think that Elias was a snob for belonging to such a high class family and never venturing out to make friends. It wasn't like he didn't want to; it had been he didn't know how. Everyone had given him this title, label of sorts and treated him differently. Not Lucian, he looked past that and treated him like a regular kid. Elias could still remember the school days when they got in trouble for being a distraction in class. Elias had gotten grounded when he got home but still, he had felt like a normal kid thanks to Lucian.<br/><br/>Even if there were times when Elias thought that things were falling apart between them, it all worked out in the end. He remembered how Lucian used to let out his anger on him and Elias took it only because he cared, not because he was afraid of the pilot. He understood how he felt and did what he thought was necessary, he allowed it all to happen. Maybe that hadn't been the best way to go about things but that was how Elias was. He never held it over Lucian's head when things got out of hand; Elias knew that more than a few times he had blown up on the pilot. It was hard to get him riled up, unless his parents were involved. But aside from their downs, their friendship had plenty of ups. Without all these experiences, they wouldn't be who they were today and Elias wouldnâ€™t change it for the world. Lucian was all he had and he loved him like a brother.<br/><br/>Somehow, he hoped the Shizu could join their happy little circle. He had always wanted to dote on someone like a sister; after all he spent most of his time with grouchy men, like Lucian. He smirked at the thought before Lucian suggested that they rescheduled their night out. On that note, a large yawn left the hacker and he nodded in agreement. "I was actually going to say the same thing, but I don't think sleeping will help you with your looks," Elias teased mildly, unable to resist. He frowned a bit at the kidnapping remark and didn't hesitate to give the pilot a punch in the side to remind him that it was still a touchy subject. Sometimes he wondered why he put up with his smart ass comments but Elias really didn't mind it...most of the time.<br/><br/>When Lucian suggested that they leave, Elias nodded in agreement then looked at Shizu, who had been quiet for a while now. A part of him wanted to ask if she was alright but then another part knew that she was probably just as tired as they were. "Alright, let's get going before the Beauty turns into the Beast," Elias said with a chuckle, referencing to Lucian. It was nice to be able to pick at one another, even after all that had happened. Elias led the way to his car and muttered something about it being a mess, but he was sure no one really cared at this point. He was slightly nervous to show off the work he had done on Shizu's new home, he really hoped that she liked it. Once everyone was settled down into the car, he took off.<br/><br/>----------<br/><br/>Shizu watched how they interacted and smiled slightly. It was much different than how Ivan and Azrai interacted with one another and it was slightly refreshing. There was hardly any tension between the two of them and they seemed to flow well with one another. She briefly wondered if she would be able to connect with someone like that. She was sure that now that she had the freedom to go out and meet people she could, but it was all a matter of getting the courage up to talk to people. It was something that caused her to feel a bit uneasy but this was what she had wanted. She had wanted to be on her own, to be free. So she would just have to work on it a day at a time.<br/><br/>She nodded her head as Lucian suggested they leave and she followed after the men, knowing that they would be parting after they dropped her off. This would be her first night alone, as a free woman. She honestly didn't know how to feel about it. It was almost surreal to think that she would have a place to call her own. As she settled into the car, she felt her heart flutter a bit as they took off to the direction of her new home. She fiddled with her hair nervously as the car ride was silent; the exhaustion was thick in the air. At least she didn't have to sit in the car for hours. The drive to her new place was rather quick or maybe her thoughts had caused her to ignore the time it had taken. Elias pulled into a parking space alongside the road, stopping in front of a decent looking building. "Are you ready for your new place?" He asked turning to look at her. She nodded slowly though she was too nervous to put her confirmation into words.<br/><br/>They all seemed to take their time to get out the car, a yawn even escaped her and she felt a bit sore. She was actually looking forward to sleeping for once. There was a jiggling sound that caught her attention and she glanced over at the hacker, who had a pair of keys in his hand. "These are for you," he said handing the item to her, though he wouldn't tell her that he had a spare set. Whenever the time came to stop monitoring her he would have to go in and take out the cameras when she wasn't home. Shizu took the keys, staring at them in her palm. "Those are keys. They lock and unlock your door, so no one will break in. Uh, not like anyone would around this neighborhood, it's really safe," Elias explained frantically.<br/><br/>"I understand," Shizu said, still inspecting the keys though stopped as Elias began to lead them up the stairs to her home. "If you have any problems, I left some numbers by the phone in your house. This is only a few blocks away from my place, so I can be here as soon as you need me," Elias reassured her with a smile. Shizu nodded with a gentle smile, taking in the information. After two flights of stairs, they arrived in front of a door. "Well, this is it," Elias said with mild anxiety, not knowing how she'll react to his decorations. Shizu looked at the door then the keys in her hand, putting two and two together, she struggled with figuring out how the key went into the lock but eventually she figured it out.<br/><br/>Opening the door, scarlet eyes danced around the place, not really needing the light to figure out where everything was. Elias switched on the lights and Shizu blinked a bit to get adjusted to the change. She glanced around as they walked into the living room; there was a nice beige sofa and a coffee table. There was that black box...er...television that was neatly placed in the corner on a stand. She continued to move around, walking into the kitchen, noting the pale green walls and mahogany cabinets. Everything was very simple and pleasing to her as she continued to walk around. A small smile was placed on her lips as everything reminded her of nature, which she loved. She was honestly glad that Elias hadn't made it overly feminine as she truly never liked bright colors.<br/><br/>She continued to inspect the place, taking in everything slowly. She walked into the bathroom and bedroom, noting that none of the furniture was too much or less. It seemed that Elias had really tried hard to please her simple tastes and she wondered if he knew what she liked. Then again, he was probably playing it on the safe side with decorations. Everything in the apartment was a calm color, reminding her of the forests that she loved back in Japan. It was a very comforting feeling and she stopped in the middle of the living room and looked at Elias. The poor man was practically fidgeting under the worry that she would dislike something about the place. "I really like it here," she said gently and could visibly see him relax as she spoke.<br/><br/>"Really?"<br/><br/>She nodded as she offered a reassuring smile. "I really do," she murmured. "Thank you...I really appreciate all that you have done for me."<br/><br/>Elias shook his head. "It's no problem really." He was relieved that she liked the place and probably would have been devastated if she found something that she didn't like. With that feeling off his shoulders, Elias felt a bit better but knew that things were only just beginning. "Do...Do you think you'll be fine?" He knew that she had a long day and was still trying to get used to everything, he would feel bad if he left and she was feeling uneasy.<br/><br/>She thought about his question for a moment. "I assure you I will be fine, it will just...take some time to get used to, I suppose." She looked between the hacker and pilot. "You both should go rest; I promise I will be fine."<br/><br/>Elias wanted to really make sure that she would be alright but knew that it would probably annoy Lucian if he tried to hang around any longer. "If you need anything, please call, alright?" Shizu nodded her head as she followed the two of them to the door. "Thank you, for everything," she said to the two of them, a small smile on her lips. Elias smiled and waved, knowing that there really wasn't much he could say. He was never good with saying goodbyes, even when he was heading home after hanging out with Lucian. They just made him feel awkward. Once they left her place, Elias let out a slow breath as they headed towards his car. "Do really think she'll be okay?"<br/><br/>When they left, Shizu made sure to lock the door and she turned to look around her place. It was pretty quiet in here but she had wanted some time to herself right? She moved through the place, figuring that it would be best to rest for now but she felt anxious. She was finally by herself but she wasn't really sure what she was supposed to do now. She had spent most of her life in isolation and all she had wanted was to be free. But now that her freedom was here, she was lost. She didn't know how to cope with being on her own. Sure, she had said that she would be fine but really she was terrified. She had no idea what she was supposed to do. She had no idea where to start with her new life.<br/><br/>Walking into the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked different than she had expected. No longer was there a look of fear in her eyes. It was almost as if she was becoming normal. Aside from the sweat and grime that covered her, she could see that she had changed since she had left her village. Her fingers ran through her hair, knowing that if she really wanted to change she would have to change her appearance as well. It would be good, that way no would be able to find her easily. She moved around the apartment searching for something sharp. Finding a knife in the kitchen, she went back into the bathroom and grabbed a handful of hair. She took deep breaths bringing about some form of courage within her being to actually cut her hair. She didn't want it too short, but it fell down to the middle of her back so, chopping some of it off would change her a bit, right? It would make her feel like her own person, her stepfather had rarely let her hair be cut.<br/><br/>She wanted to erase all that was her past. Pulling the blade through her hair, she let the cut hair fall to the ground. One side of her hair fell to her collarbone; it was too late to turn back now. Once she finished, she cleaned up her mess and decided that she didn't want to sleep. She sighed as she explored what was all in her apartment though she simply just sat down and turned on the television. She flipped through a few channels until she found that one she had watched in Azrai's apartment. Resting her head on knees, she smiled a bit as she watched it. Even though she knew that it was best not to think about him, she couldn't help it. She still worried that he wouldn't be fine with what she had done to him. She worried that he would be angry with her decision. Maybe that was how it should be; if he was mad...he would forget about her or something like that.<br/><br/>Things happened this way for a reason right? She fiddled with her shorter hair, knowing that she would probably let it grow back or maybe she'd go shorter. She knew that now was the time to start finding herself and truly enjoying her freedom. She wished that she had been able to talk to Azrai face to face, one last time. With a small sigh, she continued to watch the television trying to get comfortable in her own place. She still had this fear that someone would wake her up from this dream, it was unreal to her. It would definitely take some time to get used to; she only wished she had someone to help her cope through these emotions. She was paranoid that someone would come and take her away. She was scared to be on her own for the first time in twenty-one years and she was lonely, she had no one to talk to. She knew that Elias and Lucian couldn't stay with her; they had their own life to tend to. She should have expected all of this, but it still caught her off guard. She knew that these feelings wouldn't last for long, but she for now it would take time.<br/><br/>She had wanted to sleep it all away, but found it impossible, so she stayed awake, staring blankly at the screen. It was at this moment she wished she had a bottle of sake. It would be a celebratory drink; even she didn't feel that cheerful about it. She let out a sigh, glancing at the time, it was getting closer to a new day, the first day of her new life yet she was wallowing in self pity. She should be happier but couldn't find it in herself to be that way. Her freedom should have made her feel invincible or something like that. Instead, she felt lost. She didn't know who she was at this point and didn't know where to begin. Well, she did cut her hair in order to signal the start of her new life. She looked back at the flicker screen as a new show came on and let out another sigh.<br/><br/>So this was freedom, huh?<br/><br/>---------<br/><br/>It was a bit surprising to hear Azrai open up about his thoughts on Shizu, even if it was a little. Ivan knew the man like he knew himself and to see him open up without a drink in hand was strange; though he could tell that Azrai was uncomfortable with being in this situation just as he was. At least Ivan had gotten all the information out that was necessary. Maybe later on in the future, when they went out to have a few drinks, Ivan would open up about Shizu and her last few moments here. The hesitation that she had and the hurt that was on her face, Ivan knew that Azrai probably didn't want to hear it all but Ivan felt like he should. He could tell that Azrai was just as hurt as Shizu had been; he wanted to give the man some kind of closure, if that was even the right word to call it. The feelings had been mutual, that much Ivan knew.<br/><br/>There was a slight wince from Ivan as Zachariah mentioned cutting back the amount of missions that Azrai would be having. As much as it pained Ivan, he knew that it was necessary. He had seen firsthand how quickly Azrai's temper could get out of hand, until that was all settled Azrai would have to be monitored. Ivan wasn't too fond of monitoring people; he usually left that up to Elias or someone else. However, this was a different situation and he would only want Zachariah or himself to look out for Azrai. He trusted Maverick but he wasn't really tough or patient enough to deal with Azrai. Ivan carefully watched Azrai as he took in their leader's words and it seemed to devastate the man, which Ivan could definitely understand. But this was all for a better future for Azrai and he could only hope that his friend would understand it.<br/><br/>Besides, Azrai still had some injuries that needed to heal completely before he went out on the field again. He wouldn't be of any use in the state that he was in right now. He was sure that they would argueâ€¦erâ€¦discuss it later on in the week. Ivan wondered if their friendship would be damaged because of this conversation and the situation that Azrai was now forced into. Would be feel any resentment towards Shizu? If it hadn't been for the Oni blood then his aggression would be normal. Ivan was the one who had initially agreed to the conditions so....Damn, his head was hurting just thinking about all that was happening. He was expecting Azrai to disagree with something that Zachariah had said to him but instead he said nothing about it. It was probably because he was too tired to argue, hell they were all too tired to argue about anything. Save that for another day.<br/><br/>Ivan briefly wondered if he should keep in touch with Shizu while they figured out how to deal with Azrai's condition. He was sure that she would have some useful tips but he didn't want to bother her too much, she needed to be on her own from now on. It wasn't like she needed to be involved with the organization anymore but...she could be useful. He better not try to think of things like that, it would just complicate this even more. He knew that Shizu deserved a nice and peaceful life. Even if she was being secretly monitored, she would be living the life that had been promised to her. Even Azrai seemed content with how things ended up, not that Ivan wouldn't try to get it out of him later anyways.<br/><br/>Ivan agreed with what Maverick had to say, it went without saying that the decision they had come to while Azrai lay dying was the best option. He was alive and moving around at this point, so it had been worth it. Ivan caught a yawn himself, feeling how tired he truly was and knew that he wouldn't be able to function that much longer. "I agree. I think it's about time we all call it a day," Ivan said in a tired manner. He rubbed his temples, feeling everything slowly start to wind down. "Let's let everything settle for now, I just want to sleep," Ivan admitted, knowing that he should have rested earlier when Zachariah had first suggested he do so. He regretted not taking that window of opportunity. He glanced over at Zachariah. "Is there anything else we need to discuss before tossing in the towel?" As much as Ivan wanted to rest, he would do anything that Zachariah needed him to before he took the luxury to get some shut eye. He knew that watching Azrai for a while would be a task but it wasn't like he minded, he was constantly around the stubborn grump anyways.