Arc 1, Chapter 5: Legal Assistance Required

"Come on Jotou!!!" Fumeko yanked Jotou by the arm, leaning back.

"It feels weird!" Jotou held onto a pole with her other hand, straining her muscles.

"It's just going to the bathroom! I wanna go together!"

"Please stop! I'd rather use a bush outside! I don't wanna use the girls' bathroom!" Jotou cried out.

"What do you mean!? You are a girl! Why, are you, so, adamant, about not coming with me!?" Fumeko was at the end of her heels.

"Because I'm a guy!" Jotou shouted out before- "SLAM!" She banged into the pole she was so furiously holding onto… "Ow…" stars fluttered around her eyes.

"Wait, what?" They stood in front of two doors in the Adventures Guild—the two restrooms. Night had taken over and lamps of yellows, lit by magic, illuminated the building.

Jotou was given a new nightgown by the guild while Fumeko wore a black one she had; both of them covered by robes on top. They were upstairs, where all the rooms seemed to …share the same two bathrooms.

Jotou groaned, rubbing her forehead before squinting back to Fumeko, "I forgot to tell you one important detail… In my old world, I was a guy…

Weird, I know. I haven't had the need to use the bathroom and now, I don't know which one to go in…" Jotou admitted, a little red in the face.

Fumeko grabbed her arm again, "Well, you're a girl now, come on!" Jotou widened her eyes, that poll got too far away! Fumeko dragged her into the women's restroom by the heels of her feet…

'NO!!!'

_

Back into their room in the guild, the one they would have to share. Fumeko's large sack of belongings rested on the side of one of the beds, tied together by a rope. Jotou entered, skin flushed red and shoulders slumped with glazed over eyes.

"See? That wasn't so bad. Nobody gave you any looks or anything. Now what would've happened if you used the guys' bathroom, huh?" Fumeko threw her robe onto one of the two small vanities at the ends of the white beds.

"Where I come from, people shower in private… Not all together in public… Also, it would've helped to ease into the 'culture', if you didn't stick near me and told me how to bathe in front of everyone! I still have common sense…" Jotou walked over to her bed.

"You said you don't know what being a woman's like. Besides, you're acting like you were butt naked and there weren't cubicles, that's why we wear towels. What kind of person would I be if I didn't help you?"

"Someone who respects privacy!" Jotou raised her voice, yet it still remained elegant.

"You were in a room full of bathing women, why are you concerned about your own privacy? What in the world were you going to do?" Fumeko sassed, jumping into her bed face first.

"I would've avoided, the situation, in the first place; before I was dragged in against my will!" Jotou raised her voice even higher. "KNOCK! KNOCK!" Heavy knocks came from the wall.

"Sorry!" they both yelled over… Jotou sighed taking off her robe and sitting on her bed. Was she really in the body of a woman? That reflection she saw in the mirror... her eyes would've popped out of their sockets... Jotou glanced at her palms...

"Anyway," Fumeko faced the ceiling with her hands rustling into her brown hair, "What're we doing tomorrow? Chasing another velatos seems like the best lead to figure out what happened to you, right?"

Jotou held the basic clothes given to her by the guild, made up of yellows and whites. "I'm not sure," she rubbed her new garments. "We need to head to the station tomorrow first anyhow…

As for me, from all that John Princely's given us, I know next to nothing. He was kinda sober, but way too depressed to tell me anything. I at least know I have no next of kin here. Other than that, we have nothing."

"Maybe the family has something to do with it? We could investigate into that. Or ask John Princely."

"I mean, we can try. I don't think he's gonna get over the death of his daughter in a week. We might have to give him time before we go interrogate him again. As long as everything goes well tomorrow…" Jotou could only hope.

"I have a feeling it will…" Fumeko drifted into slumber, having a bed under her this time.

Jotou fell onto the bed as well, pulling the sheet over her. 'Here I am, going to sleep in someone else's body, with a roommate I barely know. I died without even a first kiss… I wonder what Daiyu would say.' Jotou chuckled in her mind, reminiscing her old life…

_

The two of them stood at the front desk, Moren Mataya standing behind them, as well as some guild members backing him.

The commissioner, Wellers, and a few Krialin behind him on the opposite side of Moren.

"I can accept whoever into the Adventurers Guild and not be charged with having criminals in the organization! Come on, do we need to pay a fine? We'll pay it!" Moren reached for his pouch above his sheathed sword.

"I can't allow that; Anastasia Princely, or Jotou Howllett, are both technically still under arrest and under suspicion. Fumeko Namora has to serve her time for several crimes," Wellers had the papers ready.

"Okay, why does that mean they can't join my guild?" his gruff tone inquired back.

"Keep in mind, I specifically said, that I would look through the regulations and until then you can offer them residence. Officially, you cannot grant them guild membership and only take them in as guests."

"Their names are already officiated under the guild; you can't undo that unless they want to leave themselves. Do you?" he looked to the two.

Jotou and Fumeko stared back and forth like they were children in their parents' argument, "No…?" they both replied.

"Which makes the Adventurers Guild of Kria itself come into question. We will need to search inside the guild undisturbed to find any more criminals such as these that you may be harbouring," Wellers stated.

Moren pointed back and leered, "You're throwing your weight around."

"Enough of this nonsense, you two are coming under the custody of the Krialin and put into questioning. Arrest them."

"Wait, wait, wait, I can't be arrested! I, I, uh…" Fumeko definitely had an excuse.

Jotou's blonde hair began to rise like a cat's, "I don't even know what I'm doing here! I woke up in a coffin! How am I guilty for anything!?"

As the Krialin approached with handcuffs, heels clacked into the doors of the station. A woman with velvety red hair in a navy-blue trench coat walked in, "Hold on a minute!" she paused everyone in the room.

Her hair reached till the end of her hips where, most noticeably, there was a crimson, wolf-like tail coming out of the coat. Her eyes a brilliant blue and skin white and smooth without a flaw, as her smile glinted two little fangs beneath.

She appeared no different than a human other than that; until they looked her in the eyes to see her ears were not at her sides and two wolf-like ones poked out at the top of her head, sharing the same crimson complexion.

"By the law of Kria, anyone arrested has the right to a lawyer. If these two are under arrest, they can request me to be their attorney and we have the right to discuss in private before being questioned," she held a folder in her arms as she gave a grin.

"Abomination!" someone's voice echoed from somewhere in the room, as everyone swivelled their heads to see who…

The redheaded woman's ears folded in as she growled a bit; she closed her eyes but exhaled and put a smile back on.

The commissioner sighed, looking back to the woman and the two of them, "Do you take this… woman… to be your lawyer?"

Jotou and Fumeko stared to the woman who was smiling; twinkling her eyes at the pair. And then glanced to the commissioner, "Yes," they synced.

The woman let out a chuckle, walking past the commissioner and Moren. "I assume you know where the interrogation rooms are Ms Kinoshita?" Commissioner Wellers asked.

"All too well commissioner," Ms Kinoshita signalled with a hand for Jotou and Fumeko to follow her; the commissioner looked as if someone had thrown his lunch in the toilet.

She shut the door to the interrogation room and turned on the lantern which glowed a white hue—a single table set in the middle. She placed down the folder, sitting up straight with ears pointed up.

"Thanks Ms Kinoshita…" Jotou sighed, "We thought we were goners there."

"You're welcome. I'm Hotaru Kinoshita, legal adviser; you may call me Hotaru," she gave her card to Jotou.

"Yeah, thanks for the save Hotaru. But what are we gonna do? The commissioner seems pretty adamant about our arrest… unless… do you have blackmail material!?" Fumeko jumped.

"Uhm… No," Hotaru pushed the folders aside, "Please, sit."

"Now," she placed her hands on the table, "I can solve both your cases very easily, right now. If you would accept my help that is," Hotaru turned to Jotou who looked to be the older one.

"Wait!" Fumeko put an arm in front of Jotou before she could speak. She covered her mouth, whispering into Jotou's ear, "I know these types of people Jotou. She'll help us then we have to pay with our… bodies…" Fumeko hushed, terrified.

Jotou processed the statement… then squinted, "She's a lawyer," she said aloud to the room.

Fumeko pulled Jotou down and whispered again, "That's what she wants you to think. Think about it, two pretty girls like us come to her for help. Next thing we know, we're married to some noble," her eyes were fixated on Hotaru, slowly moving back to her seat…

"You're not very quiet with your whispers," one of her ears bent, her tail slowly swooshing behind her.

Jotou shook her head and rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry about her, I don't know where she gets her… conspiracies…" she side-eyed Fumeko. "However, I do know you expect something in return at the very least."

Hotaru smiled, "You're correct in that. The city pays my fees, but that's only if this goes to court. The way I free you two, doesn't go through that process, so-"

Before she could finish, Fumeko slammed her hand on the table, jumping up towards Hotaru, "AHA! See! She was going to sell us off as brides!"

… … …Jotou put a hand over Fumeko's eyes, gently pushing her head back to her seat, "Please continue…" Jotou replied to Hotaru.

"I'll, focus my attention on you then…" she sat up straight, facing Jotou, before, "Please let me join your adventuring party! Please! Please! Please!"