When Shaula finally reaches the square again, she sees a lot of people slowly exiting from the square exit which would lead to the apartment complex where Ajax is right now. She still doesn’t know what that fire is and she wants to see Ajax again. However, she notices the guards are not just waiting around.
As she walks through the crowds towards where Barden, Prisca and Angelidis are walking, she notices many more undercover guards trying to get closer to them. Barden was quite smart in ensuring that all of the statue march protesters exited through the same passageway.
By forcing such a large group of people together and positioning himself in the middle of this crowd, he is able to make a barrier against the fully armored guards. Even if the undercovers do manage to get through the crowds towards him, his confidants would be able to spot them and prevent them from getting closer.
Shaula tries to do what the undercovers are doing, moving towards where Barden is walking with Prisca and Angelidis beside him. He’s being shielded by his people as if he were the pope himself. A few of Barden’s confidants notice her moving with agility through the crowd.
When she tries to approach Prisca who is a few meters away from her at this point, someone stops her.
“Can I ask what you’re doing, young lady?” A beastkin woman asks.
However, before she can answer, Prisca calls her over, finally noticing her.
“It’s ok, Sutty, she’s with me.”
Shaula passes by Sutty without difficulty and starts walking besides Prisca and Angelidis. Barden keeps a close eye on her. It is obvious to him who she is. Sutty and Leon also notice his look and keep the strange human woman in their periphery. Shaula meanwhile watches the surroundings for the movement of the undercover guards, doing her own part to protect Barden and his entourage.
Prisca speaks to her nervously.
“Hi, Shaula… that… that was something, wasn’t it?” She blushes slightly, embarrassed by what she decided to say upon seeing Shaula again.
“…Yeah. Really was a high octane performance right there.” Shaula smirks, keeping her eyes to her surroundings while acknowledging Prisca’s statement. Although the peach haired beastkin girl doesn’t understand the phrase “high octane”, she feels like Shaula is quite proud of herself.
Angelidis looks at her with admiration, getting to her left side while Prisca talks from Shaula’s right. Though Shaula doesn’t see the nervous expression on Prisca’s face, she does hear her heart rate slowly speeding up.
“Shaula… are you…” However, she decides to whisper her question right into Shaula’s right ear. The chestnut haired woman feels Prisca’s warm breath on her ear and blushes slightly before clearing her throat.
Angelidis notices this slight bit of body language. She knows that Prisca wants to ask her as well: “Are you a noble?” However, it’s the little things that make Angelidis wonder if Shaula truly is a noble, or at least whether she was raised as a noble.
The noble has a popular stereotype within all cities of the Federation; a stereotype shared mostly by demihumans but also some human commoners. The heroic nobles would be people who are emotionless due to their near divine status, yet depraved to a very high degree, and incapable of feeling sympathy towards “inferior” creatures like demihumans or even human commoners.
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Most demihumans view nobility as bogeymen, at least subconsciously. She has never once seen Shaula in this light. The young human woman lives, breathes and loves just like any other commoner would. Ajax is her beloved friend. Angelidis actually feels she might have learned more about what friendship should be like after seeing Ajax and Shaula’s specific dynamic.
Shaula’s is not at all depraved either. Even right now, she just blushed when Prisca’s warm breath touched her ear. Angelidis cannot imagine a noble blushing, ever. Finally, she has never, not once, shown herself to believe that Angelidis or her demihuman friends are inferior.
She has no racial pride, yet she has quite a lot of pride in herself and in Ajax, so it’s not like she’s incapable of being proud. She’s just not proud of being born into a certain race.
“Am I a what? *Sigh*” Shaula pauses, while considering how best to phrase her next few words. “Listen. I did you a favor just now, Prisca.”
She says, somewhat serious now.
“I might have needed to have said this before I did you the favor, but I’ll say it now. No questions, alright? At least, not about this. If we ever cross paths again after today, maybe I’ll tell you what I know. But… Well, at least I can say that I don’t have a specific goal in mind except getting back home.”
Angelidis is surprised by this. Shaula had, for the first time, mentioned her goal. Returning home? Why would she not be able to travel back there? Though, it’s clear to her now that her story about being from a village out in the middle of nowhere is likely concealing a lot. She probably can return but… maybe she isn’t allowed to be accepted back yet?
Or, maybe she’s going to return and take her stuck up noble family’s inheritance for herself, when she’s strong enough. That would be pretty cool! But, wait, I don’t think Ajax and her are siblings, right? How does he fit into all that? Is he… her knight? Ooh!
While Angelidis fantasizes a backstory for Shaula, Prisca wants to say something but holds herself back. However, Angelidis, noticing Prisca’s refusal to dig further into things, doesn’t do the same. She places her arm around Shaula and pulls her into her bosom.
“Come on, Shaula, tell me at least? I’ve known you longer than Prisca, let me hear the truth, please?”
Shaula squirms a bit in Angelidis' embrace, but she doesn’t push Angelidis away. Shaula has acknowledged Angelidis as a friend. She’s not about to refuse to acknowledge her own heart at this point. Though, she would have preferred if she was just slightly less touchy feely.
Is this what Ajax feels when I try to hold hands with him or hug him? Huh… I should cut him some slack in the future.
She remembers one evening in particular when it was just her, Rita and Ajax at his home. She had wrapped her arms around his abdomen and put her head in his lap while watching whatever tv show he was watching that day. He really looked like he wanted to say something but she didn’t know why.
It felt so natural being close to him in that way.
“*Sigh*… What would you say if I told you I wasn’t a…?” She asks, somewhat exasperated. She doesn’t finish her sentence, since she doesn’t know who’s listening around her. She can already feel Barden glaring at her, for whatever reason.
“Hm. Then, I’d have you teach me what the secret to your magic was. If you’re willing to teach it, anyways. But, come on, you're not going to confirm it for me?” Angelidis pouts.
“No, I’d rather not.”
“What if I promise to show you my favorite menu item at my favorite restaurant?”
“House special at the Astrid bar?”
“…Huh, I guess you really are my friend.”
Huh, I guess I am, Shaula thinks to herself, both worried and excited. You’re my first friend on Omicron, aren’t you…
She smiles slightly, Angelidis unable to notice it.