The house smelled faintly of smoke and herbs when Mirielle eased her way in; she gave the kitchen's sole occupant a worried look and got a shrug in return. "Ghost followed Aerith home," Elmyra explained, in a low enough voice that the invocation of her name wouldn't wake her daughter up.

"Hn. Could be worse," Mirielle commented, and Elmyra agreed.

"Did you get it?" Marle asked from the living room, and Mirielle displayed her palm: letting the little gold cufflink she'd stolen from President Shinra's sleeve flash in the dim light. "Oh, clever girl," she said approvingly. "I'm almost done with the runes, then we can get this curse show on the road."