Your Mission, If You Choose To Accept It (Mint & Aiden)

"Hmmm....," Aiden says quietly, almost to himself. "That is strange. Almost sounds like some sort of a test except for the part about it lasting for a year. Seems far too long a time to be gathering data. It appears that they didn't want you dead or even necessarily seriously injured otherwise I would suspect vengeance as a motive. A year is a long time to fail at killing someone unless you're completely inept. They obviously wanted you aware of their presence but not their identity. Perhaps it was simply intended as harassment - or a game - but for what purpose? "

"And if it's been five years they either found what they wanted, decided to use a different set of tactics, or satisfied their initial desire, whatever that was, or simply lost interest. Although I highly doubt that last one.

Musing further. "I wonder if they decided to send you flowers instead. You catch more flies with honey and all that..."

"If they didn't want me injured they had a funny way of showing it. Even then I had trained with Uncle Bleys a bit and precious little of Shadow could threaten me, not that they didn't try. Once I finally walk the Pattern maybe I'll seek out a rematch."

Mint carefully suppresses this line of thought, not wanting Florimel to catch a glimmer of it. Parties, fun, athletically talented Rebmans who want to play Pirate... think of those things and my dear Auntie.

"I think I feel the first tingle of a contact."

I'm not sure how, but I think thinking of Pirate Sex helped.

Assuming that Florimel answers, Mint will say "Greetings Aunt. I find myself late for the party. Might I pass through my cousin and then join you myself?"

Florimel appears. "Of course, Mint dear. Do come and meet the newcommers."

"Well, I have met the twins..."

Mint passes Aiden through the contact.

...but I haven't yet encountered..."

Mint steps through.