Tsu Rauni's Story

"Already have," she purred, leading him to the desk. There was a rather normal human man sitting there, wearing a formal suit of bright orange. After letting him know her name, Ione was passed two thin plastic cards. She passed one to Vega. "Please enjoy your stay," the nunkeian man told them, slipping Vega a tiny, amused smile that told Vega that he definitely knew what he'd be up to.

Or what he definitely thought he would be up to, anyway.

As Ione made her way to the room, looking back to see if Vega followed, a woman passed her to bump shoulders harshly with Vega. She staggered back with a flinch, eyes closed tightly. The lady was a slight little thing with skinny limbs. She had a head of snowy white hair cut in a pixie. From her head sprouted two thin, scarlet horns that faced forward. She wore a dress that matched that started from the neck, with long sleeves, and ended just before her knees.

"... I... am so sorry!" she squeaked.

Vega was once again surprised by Ione's promptness. She surely has a way with words. That or she just has a magnetic personality about her. Either way Vega was thankful she was around. He mostly would have drifted and found accommodations in any old place. Although he had some money it definitely wasn't enough to pay for even an hour for these suites. It was then he was handed a plastic card. By the look of his smile, Vega didn't take long to deduce what she spoke. She knows how to use her assets well, or make it seem she will be in this case. While Vega was adrift in his mind, the image of Ione passing through his mind for the moment. He would be brushed against by a strange character.

The woman seemed a bit adrift herself. Also a bit mousy as the woman quickly apologized. "Uh, "He paused for a moment, "It's fine no harm done." He spoke as he gave a dismissive wave of his hand. He then turned to Ione, not really expecting much else. As he began to move for his room.

The woman tried to sidestep Vega at this point, one hand brought up to her cheek. However, both Vega and the girl would probably find that they had stepped in the same direction.

"Uh... sorry..." she said again, meekly, hand over her mouth. "I'll just-" She sidestepped again. "Ah..." And scurried off as fast as she could.

Ione watched after her with a quirked brow. "Well," she mumbled, before taking off with Vega. "You made her beet red, Vega. I don't even think you were trying."

Vega only shook his head in confusion. What just happened? Whatever the case it would be best just to continue on. Moreover Vega didn't want to keep Ione waiting. It was after the strange woman left Ione spoke. Vega didn't even give a smirk as he looked ahead. "Yeah whatever." He then looked towards Ione. "Besides how would you know if I was trying?" Vega then gave a small chuckle, as he turned away and smirked. It was then his hand wandered down the side of his pants he noticed something amiss. Wait a minute? Somethings wrong.

Vega then frantically patted down his pants and searched his pockets. He then took a deep breath as he turned to Ione. "We need to go back, we need...", then he paused as his eyes widened, "That girl!" Vega spat. He looked behind them and unfortunately didn't catch sight of her. Without reason or explanation Vega quickly ran for the door. Luckily he managed to catch sight of the girl. "There you are." He spoke to himself as he went to chase after her.

______

Meanwhile, a man stood by the side of the building As his steely blue eyes surveyed the surrounding area. His mission, his agenda is that of surveillance and insurance. His detail has entered the nearby building, and figuring it was a hotel, he would have the pleasure of a smoke break. The uncommonly tall man, wearing warm clothing despite the weather outside, drew a white cigarette. Then followed a silver lighter as the lid went ca chink! Then the embers rose to show a small flame, for which he lit his vice. He smoked his cigarette as his frame stood like a statue. His only movement, taking the cigarette in and out of his mouth. Then he noticed the woman. She was running, how peculiar. Then Vega was seen running out moments later. Gulbrand noticed right away he was after her.

As he watched him run on by the mysterious man tossed the cigarette aside. Then with a large, black booted foot stamped out the smoldering ember. He was on the move as he kept his distance. His movements were swift though he did not muster a run. At the moment he would need to follow Vega; the Syndicate apparently has some hopes for the boy. Though he understands...they wouldn't hire him if they didn't have their...reservations.

The girl kept running for a ways, but once she had examined what she had picked out of the man's pocket, she scoffed and twirled the item around her finger, stopping just outside. She stuck out her bottom lip and walked backwards. "If I knew all you had was keys I wouldn't have tried. Whaddya expect me to do with these!?" she growled, tossing the keys back at him. All the sweetness and shyness from earlier had vanished completely. "Next time carry more valuable things in your pockets! Make it worthwhile!"

She backed away off the sidewalk, near the edge of a drop off, and gave him a wink. She then flipped over the railing, falling down, down, down into the depths of Zanzaria, where she disappeared.

Ione came out after Vega, inquiring. "Where did she go?"

The chase ended a little early than he expected. When Vega caught up with her she tossed back his keys. He quickly grabbed them in mid-air with both hands as he looked down on them. After a quick inspection he quickly looked up to the would-be thief. He attitude was very much different from earlier. Obviously she's a professional. Vega only stared at her as she began to back up. H e wasn't sure what she was planning until she did it. "No, wait!" He suddenly shouted as he saw her fall. It was then Ione appeared from behind him.

"Where did she go?"

"She just fell...," Vega muttered not looking towards her. Vega then walked towards the railing and looked down. He couldn't see the white haired girl at all. She was gone. Why would she do that? Vega thought to himself. Vega then looked towards his keys, while there was no monetary value, they were sentimental. Among other things. Vega placed the keys back in his pocket and turned away from the railing. He then came up to Ione and spoke, "Alright lets get back to the hotel."

-----

Gulbrand stood up against a nearby wall. Watching the whole event. He then lit a cigarette and took a puff. It seems he would have to wait a little while longer.

"So what do you think, Ven? More than suspicious, right?"

On a precarious ledge upon one of many of the skyscrapers, two people were perched. One, the young white-haired nunkei woman that Vega had come in contact with earlier. The other was a stranger, the one who'd been called Ven, with a black cowl concealing the bottom half of his face. He was wide-shouldered and strapping, an obvious trait even beneath a jacket and rough, long pants with buckles down one of his legs.

There was something of a gold-colored monocle on his left eye, which extended back to his ear and curved around it for support. There were several lenses, one in front of the other, trained on Gulbrand.

"Hm." The stranger cracked a smirk, one that made the young woman uneasy. She shifted her position to lean away from him. "Keep an eye on him," Ven said. "He doesn't look like a Supremacy officer, so maybe we can get our hands on a Rebel."

"Gotcha."

Warren Aulare departed his private vessel and made his way across the busy port. He didn't look too out of place here. He was always smartly dressed.

As he made his way through baggage and other departments the white haired man tapped at a device on his wrist. It was leading him in a specific direction, having detected a concentration of a specific type of energy. It wasn't too easy to come across, and he wasn't sure it was what he needed, but it was one of his best chances towards success.

After all, he already had the first piece of the puzzle delivered. He just had to go and pick it up.

"Ahhh..." Ara said, taking a long drag on her cigar. "That's the good stuff. They sure roll their tobacco well here in... where the hell are we again, Abra?"
Abraxas paused for a moment to think, stroking his scaly chin with a gloved hand. "I'm pretty ssssure this place is called... Missssrana? Yeah, I'm pretty ssssure it'ssss that." He took an appraising look at the port around him, with its tall chrome spires and geometric patterns. "And wherever thissss issss, they've got ssssome damn good architects."
Looking around, he noticed Janet and Sara approaching them and nudged the teenaged girl next to him. "Yo, they're back. You'd better ssssnuff that out before Sara sees." Ara did what he told her to with a quick, practiced efficiency; neatly dropping it to the floor and crushing it with a large, well-worn leather boot.
"I have rented our ship to be docked here for one week, and we have enough currency to last that amount of time," Sara said as she came over to them. Taking out a large purse, the woman split a large amount of coinage between herself, Abraxas, Ara and Janet. "We will rent a room at a hotel, and then continue on our mission."
"What was our mission again?" Janet asked, hands stuffed in her pockets. "It feels like its been two years since we left Rorian Grand."
Sara gave the urchin an exasperated look. "We had learned that Abraxas' bow was made by the friend of Ara's grandfather, a master artisan and weaponsmith. They had been working on plans for what I presume to be some sort of powerful weapon, but the artisan took the plans with him when he left Blackrock. We are here to retrieve the blueprints and / or get him or someone else to help build it, and then presumably use it to defeat the C.O.R.e. legions who have taken over Blackrock. We are also going to gather information on Abraxas' bow, and its peculiar properties."
Janet shrugged her shoulders, her straight black hair bouncing along to the movement. "I guess we'd better get going then. Lead us onward, oh fair leader!" This last part she said with a sarcastic cry of elation, a sly smirk upon her lips. Abraxas, once more, found himself attracted to the woman's force of personality.
Grumbling under her breath, Sara trudged along through the port as a light drizzle began to dampen the ragtag foursome's clothes - but not their spirits.