Quoth The Raven: "Where Have You Been?" [Possibly NSFW]

Zealot drug herself down the dusty streets of Death City, her dress was a mess of cuts and a few burns. Her hair was down in a long black mess and the only parts of her that seemed unscathed were her collar and the tiny blade clutched in her right hand. Over her left shoulder was the bag she had brought her things in to the estate originally. Upon reaching the gate to the mansion, the bruised and cut girl caked in dirt and dried blood gently pushed open the steel bars, slipping inside and nodding to a black bird on the fence, which quickly came to perch on her shoulder.

"Master Ace, Mistress Rin, are you home today?~" She cooed, leaning against the fence carefully to remove her shoes, so as to avoid dirtying the carpet. She began talking to herself in a low murmur as she did so, seeming quite content.

Somewhere inside, Rin was busy tidying up the pile of trinkets that had been mailed to her from the Washington branch, setting aside the ones specifically sent for Ace in some attempt to appease either him or her --- frankly, she didn't care. At any rate, she was busy enough in the front room of the mansion, unaware as of yet that there was anyone outside beside the waitstaff. Really, with Takumi in class, she was the only one on the property besides the employees, of which there were many.

With no response, Zel decided it best to head inside, holding her shoes in her right hand. The crow perched on her shoulder let out a light caw as they went inside. "Nobody seems to be home but the servants, huh? I guess I'll just draw a bath and leave a note out. Anything weird happen while I was gone?" She questioned seemingly nobody, heading towards her bedroom leisurely, to which the crow responded with another caw.

Sometime during her movements, or perhaps her speech, she caught the attention of the lone other Toromaki, whose bandages latched out, an instinctual reaction on the part of the meister. The aim was to go around the 'intruder's' throat, though, should Zealot have expected it, they could have easily been dodged. Rin loosened the grip slightly as her eyes focused on the woman and reality registered, reminding her that this was the strange, atypical Toromaki that she had met so long before. The sudden reappearance of the woman, as spontaneous as it had been before but far more relaxed, as though she owned the place, was unsettling. Granted, Rin herself had not laid claim to the Death City branch, either, but the trained lessons of her youth panged the repeated messages of her own pureblood superiority over the girl. "...Zealot?" She said finally, the word harsh but startled, guarded and concerned. The other woman looked a state, which seemed only to worry her further, for a multitude of reasons that she wanted not to dwell on.

Zealot's body was heavy from her injuries, and although her eyes registered the attack, she only managed to move a bit, her neck being wrapped in Rin's bandages. With a flick of her arm, the small tanto in Zealot's arm extended, the blade extending into a full nodachi. However, as Zealot's eyes met Rin's, the blade was dropped from her hand, shrinking again as it hit the ground. The raven took wing, looking as though it was going to lunge at Rin defensively, but it was quickly stopped as Zel gave it a weak hand signal. She choked out a few words. "I-I appologize M-Mistress... I didn't mean to... take arm..."

The word mistress did a multitude of things to the other woman's psyche, none of which she'd willingly recognize: superiority, dominance, a thrill, a tinge of confusion and one of intrigue, but most of all a curiosity at the amalgamation. "You're fine." Rin said reflexively, in that same cool, refined voice she was so well known for. Still, she didn't remove the bandages, still not fully trusting of this woman who had disappeared previously as quickly as she had come, with no explanation then and so far, none now. "Where were you?" She asked, the tone reminiscent of a parent scolding their child on curfew. Mentally, she winced at the realization, though her expression gave nothing away.

Zealot took a moment to glance to her bag. "I was off securing a thank you to Master Ace for bringing me in... I was also going to prepare something for yourself after I cleaned up... I apologize, it took longer than I expected..." She replied, slightly winded. The choker was pressing into her neck below the bandages, the studs making it difficult, but not impossible, to breathe. If she had wished, perhaps Tonbagiri could have cut her free, but she wouldn't dare cut something potentially connected to the mistress...

Potentially connected to the mistress...

The thought made her uncomfortable. What kind of meister could control freely an appendage like this? What if this mistress was a kishin egg too...? The thought horrified her. The potential of another mishap like that was mind-shattering to her. However, it's best not to jump to conclusions. Investigation first.

Slowly, she repealed her grip, securing the bandages by will of her wavelength back around the spool she'd be keeping at her hip, of late. Her eyes continued their collected scrutiny of the woman, taking the words easy and recognizing that this Toromaki in particular had, in fact, been specifically trained into the submissive state that she was now in. Something about her still unsettled Rin, but she was comfortable enough to no longer openly threaten her. "...he's not here." She said finally, shaking her head as she fought back the mental resignition that he might simply not return. She refused to believe such formulated lies; Ace would return alive and, grumpy, but well. "Go clean up and meet me in my room. We'll discuss this further, then." Her hand waved in a gesture that seemed almost commanding, though really it was more of well timed as one of the maids was making her round, "If you need anything, ask the staff."

Zealot gave a light cough as she bowed before Rin. "Of course, thank you." Zealot replied, scurrying off towards the staff facilities to clean up. As she left, if one paid attention, her hand made an odd gesture at her side. Once she was all clean, Zel tended quickly to her minor wounds and put on a fresh dress. Her pet, however, insisted on following Rin to her room, attempting to perch atop the highest point should it be successful in getting in. When all was said and done, Zealot's injuries looked a lot less severe, being only minor scrapes and cuts.

Rin left her door open in anticipation of her cousin's arrival, as she had requested. It was hard to tell, however, whether she realized that there was a bird now perched on her bedpost or not, but the Toromaki didn't seem much to care if she knew. As long as the bird didn't make a mess, she wouldn't actually mind if she recognized that it was there. Her own focus was, instead, on picking up the paintings scattered around the room on various canvases and other, though less common, surfaces. She huddled them in a corner, since everything present was dry, and set about ensuring that the room was otherwise as immaculately clean as she kept the standard of the rest of the property.

The raven kept it's eyes locked on Rin, as though examining her, though did not make a sound. Zealot arrived rather quickly, gently rapping her fist against the doorway to let Rin know she was there. "Mistress, you wished to speak with me?" She inquired, not daring to turn the corner without permission, for fear of upsetting Rin.

The woman looked over from where she'd been examining the window, having noticed a small scratch on the outside that was wreaking havoc with the OCD level attention to detail she liked to ignore. "Yes, come in." She said, her voice more casual now, not as professional or defensive as before. In otherwise silence, she moved to the bed, taking a seat there and watching the woman, waiting to see if she would speak or if she needed to be prompted once more.

Zealot entered the room, standing a bit away from Rin and bowing once more. "I apologize again for taking so long to retrieve the gift. You see, I'm hindered on the battlefield, so I had a bit of difficulty keeping up with the enemy." Zealot began, falling silent for a moment before sighing. "However, I should not make excuses. If you wish to punish me, I will comply." She added, though the second bit seemed a bit... routine.

Her brows knitted at this, a clear displeasure at the girl's reaction despite the uncharacteristic, fluttering sensation in her abdomen and torso. She dismissed the feeling, crossing her legs and leaning forward where she studied the woman's face once more. "What did you retrieve?"

Zealot reached carefully into her bag, rummaging around until a gentle squish was heard. She pulled out a cement grey soul that glowed a pearly white, holding it out to Rin. "A meager offering to the master, but what I could manage alone in my current state." She replied, seeming a bit antsy. "I-If it's okay with you... I-I'd like to ask to hold onto it until he returns..." She added, turning a light red color.

Rin nodded, though staring at the soul left her uncomfortable, bringing about a feeling that made her akin crawl. It certainly helped to quell whatever the previous sensation had been. "Do as you wish..." She said, though her discomfort was still apparent. "Are you hurt?"

Zealot seemed genuinely shocked at the question. "N-No Mistress. They're only minor wounds. I played the defensive for awhile, and it's speed caused it to glance me a lot. They'll heal in a week or so." She answered, her eyes filled with a sudden spark of interest in Rin. She stood up straight, placing the soul away. "Though if you don't mind me asking... Can you help me to remove my necklace? I believe you accidentally tightened it with your bandages, and I cannot get it off myself anymore..."

Concern became evident enough on her face, though the flash was gone in the same instant that it came. Leaning forward, she beckoned the woman closer. Without a thought or the knowledge as to why her actions were actually poor one's, she reached around to fidget with the clasp, acutely, intimately aware of the distance between the two of them. All the while, she remained oblivious to the collar's true purpose, removing it and thus unbinding the witch it held at bay. As the choker fell loose, Rin's fingers trailed along the marks it left on the other woman's flesh, concerned that she may have, herself, caused some of the damage, naive.

Zealot felt a sudden rush as the collar was removed. The collar that had never been removed once since it was placed around her neck. She gently reached a hand up to take the collar from around her neck, tears welling up in her eyes, which she actively tried to hide, though failing. Her lips began to tremble like a deaf child hearing music for the first time before the corners of her lips turned up in a smile. Outside, a flock of birds could be heard passing over the house with MUCH commotion. Zealot threw her arms around Rin in an uncharacteristically abrupt motion, dropping the neck piece to the ground. She stayed here in silence for a moment, occasionally masking a cheerful sniffle.

The Meister stiffened temporarily in the freed Toromaki's embrace, unsure of the reasoning behind the contact. Still, she didn't shy from it, soon returning it gently, holding the woman to her and rubbing her back gently as she did so. The commotion seemed to startle her but otherwise go unnoticed immediately afterwards. Rin had no idea what she had done.

Zealot eventually released the woman, a big grin smile across her face. "Mistress, I'm going to put my all into your gift, okay? Whatever you want, name it and I'll do everything to get it done." The girl promised, motioning the crow onto her shoulder after picking up the collar. She stared intently at Rin, almost like an overjoyed pup that owes a debt to it's master.

The Noble blinked several times, at a loss for words over the whole ordeal. To her, she'd merely helped to release a too-tight accessory, but it was evidently more than that to Zealot. Or perhaps there was something else that she was grateful for? Rin frankly had no clue, and certainly did not have a want or need for anything, especially on a material level. What was there to ask of the girl? What could Rin Toromaki possibly want from her? Shaking her head, she made several attempts at a proper answer, failing each time and eventually shaking her head. "Zealot, I don't... I don't have anything to ask of you..." Even as she said it, she was studying the woman's neck, catching the subtle indentations and marks left behind by years of wear from the binding device, her eyes tracing the curves of the flesh. She didn't notice the subtle, almost errotic biting of her lip as she did so, too busy analyzing the now bare area in an attempt to understand what was so significant about it. Uncomfortably, she shifted her legs, holding them loosely together at the knees while she leaned forward, touching the skin once more with barely noticeable fingers.

Zealot gave a slightly red in the face expression as Rin placed the hand on her neck. The biting of the lip and her posture certainly told Zealot a different story than her words. Was the Mistress really that kind of person? Well, that was alright, so long as she wasn't a kishin egg... But was it really okay for trash like herself to serve such a perfect Toromaki specimine in that way...?

Fidgeting in place for a moment, Zealot took a deep breath, composing herself before locking her eyes to Rin's, something she had been avoiding for awhile now. The hypnotic red eyes seemed almost inhumanly fixated Rin, almost aglow with a newfound vitality. She took a step forwards, leaning a bit towards Rin as she did so.Zealot gave a slightly red in the face expression as Rin placed the hand on her neck. The biting of the lip and her posture certainly told Zealot a different story than her words. Was the Mistress really that kind of person? Well, that was alright, so long as she wasn't a kishin egg... But was it really okay for trash like herself to serve such a perfect Toromaki specimine in that way...?

Fidgeting in place for a moment, Zealot took a deep breath, composing herself before locking her eyes to Rin's, something she had been avoiding for awhile now. The hypnotic purple eyes seemed almost inhumanly fixated om Rin,

"If you want something from me, it's okay to ask, Mistress. I'm here to serve you... All of you..." Zealot whispered gently as the crow flew to perch on the outter doorknob, the force of the landing gently drifting the door to a light close. A tender smile was embossed upon Zealot's lips. The girl seemed to have found some kind of new confidence. Almost as if, so long as it was for Rin, Zealot really would do anything... it was the same tone she had been directing at Ace since she'd gotten here.

Outside the room, the crow remained perched on the doorknob, cawing at any servant who dare approach the door.

Rin's own eyes, known for their own, hypnotic allure were searching the woman's as though she'd fallen into some sort of spellcast. She swallowed, trying to sort out what was going on in herself while simultaneously, as usual, over analyzing everything. It was funny, in a way, how the closeness was bringing to light the striking details of Zealot's appearance that proved her heritage. Of course, the hair and eyes were atypical of their lineage, but Ace's own were harsh, amber depths, now far from the red tones that currently felt like they may swallow her hole. Something in her mind swirld, a strange conflict she was both familiar with and distant from at once, confusion and understanding blurring together as something finally clicked over what the almost tangible sparking in the room was the cause of. Realization clicked like a crack of thunder as Rin was busy noting the unearthly beauty of the woman that, sure enough, was definitely of her own bloodline, pigmentation aside. Every curve and detail was a breeding advantage of a true Toromaki, the entirety of her shape and the innocent, striking appearance that conflicted with the raw power so apparent beneath the surface. If she had thought to use her Soul Perception, things would click into place even further, but right now, she had her own things to deal with.

Startled, stuttered exclamations tried to fall through her lips, and embarrassed, unsure denial slipping away and falling lost to the wind. She'd not noticed the door closing, and was only able to break the hypnotic gaze in order to look at such. Her face flushed deeply, finding in it's blushing depths hints of lavender beneath the pink burning red. "I... I.... Zealot..." She was failing miserably, a comical gesture, really, given her normal self. When she met the girl's eyes again, she could swear that they were closer.

Gently, Zealot moved closer yet again, placing her arms around Rin's shoulders in embrace. She placed herself squarly onto Rin's lap, her dress ruffling as it made way for Rin's legs. "At least let me do this much for you..." The girl requested, silently moving to press her crimson red lips against Rin's own. She had never kissed someone of the same gender before, this would be her first time.

Normally, females didn't do much for Zealot, however, that was all shelved by Rin. From her soft silver hair tZealot gave a slightly red in the face expression as Rin placed the hand on her neck. The biting of the lip and her posture certainly told Zealot a different story than her words. Was the Mistress really that kind of person? Well, that was alright, so long as she wasn't a kishin egg... But was it really okay for trash like herself to serve such a perfect Toromaki specimine in that way...?

Fidgeting in place for a moment, Zealot took a deep breath, composing herself before locking her eyes to Rin's, something she had been avoiding for awhile now. The hypnotic purple eyes seemed almost inhumanly fixated on Rin. From her smooth and pristine skin to those eyes that seemed to be a match for even Zeaot's most captivating illusions, Rin was the perfect Toromaki specimine that Zealot had hoped to find when she got here, and that was more than enough to make Zel want to do this.