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“So stiff,” said Jun, rubbing one of her hazel eyes and yawning. “Relax, already. I’m not going to harm your Rainlords.”

“You say that, but as I recall, your empress has little love for them.”

“Yeah, well, that’s nothing to do with me. Plus, I’m on vacation. I don’t fight when I’m on vacation.”

“You’re always on vacation.”

“That’s quite reductive, mister. Not to mention untrue. You’ll give the young Water Dragon here a bad first impression of me if you keep up that kind of talk.”

“If you were really concerned about such things, then perhaps you should have aided us in the fight with Abolish. Or with any of the rescue operations that occurred thereafter.”

“Hey, I’ve helped plenty of folks during my time here. Just because you couldn’t see it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. You’re not all-knowing, Graves.”

“I know,” said Graves.

“I know,” said Jun at the same time. Then she broke for a laugh.

Graves did not look nearly so amused, but he also said nothing more. Perhaps he didn’t feel like repeating himself and was instead thinking that it would be better to simply let her revive the conversation on her own. She’d have to tell them why she was here, one way or another.

Or at least, that was Zeff’s thinking. It was hard to know what to make of this strange woman, but he was beginning to see a striking resemblance with Leo the Bull Leech. He wondered if she was going to bring him up--or if she even knew the man was here with them.

He could only imagine what kind of odd relationship those two might have. As far as Zeff had been able to tell, Leo had been just as affected by Graves’ psychic meddling as everyone else, but he was already getting the impression that Jun here might be more resilient and difficult for the Pale Hawk to deal with.

“...I’m only teasing you, dear,” she said. “Boy, you Vanguardians really do all have sticks up your butts, huh? Is that the glue that holds you together? The true source of your camaraderie?”

Still, Graves chose not to grace that with a response.

Which was probably the right choice, Zeff felt. He couldn’t think of anything to say here, either.

She gave a curt sigh. “Alright, fine. If you’re going to be like that, then I’ll just come out with it. I’m seeking a new alliance.”