Chapter 25: Down Time
Location: Illium Nos Astra
Date: Thursday, July 20th, 2182. Afternoon Sunny
Deadline to Rannoch's patience - 27 days
"An astounding display of multilayered beauty." Yusuke declared as he gazed upon the painting in front of them. His keen eyes taking in every detail with almost casual ease. "It appears that nebulae were the inspiration for this particular painting… I admit I wish to look upon them myself. The ideas such a sight might give birth to would indubitably prove… fascinating."
"I feel I must agree." Haru hummed as she too glanced at the beautiful image of the sprawling star scape within its holographic frame. It was a painting, but it looked ready to jump off its canvas at any moment, such was its quality as soft pinks and purples swirled and mixed with golds, blues, and greens in a stunning panorama of the void.
The art gallery itself was quite old, as all things on an asari world tended to be, but like all of their buildings, small and gigantic alike, this place felt lively and vibrant in a way that no other building they've ever been in felt… at least not in a good sense. The depths of mementos had felt alive, but only alive with the terrors, darkness and despair of the human heart. The gallery was beautiful by comparison, its walls curved elegantly, support pillars carved and engraved with asari art, the figures alluring and feminine as was to be expected, but these figures looked quite alive in their own right, their robes billowing on unseen winds as the carvings paid homage to their ancient heroes and important figures throughout their long history.
"It seems that I still have much to learn… I wonder if it is possible to draw pictures that capture the light bending effect of a black hole? It would be quite the endeavor, though I must say I feel humbled in front of these pieces of art, even sensei would have been hard pressed to match them."
"You have sharp eyes." An asari in a beautiful, if practical, business dress complimented him with a smile. "Few humans appreciate the subtle beauty found in these paintings. Perhaps a side effect of your species' short life span."
"Perhaps, but I believe it is their lack of experience that hinders them, rather than some inborn weakness." Yusuke retorted as kindly as he could as he turned to regard her. "I have noticed many asari are just as blind to these things than my own people."
Her smile faded somewhat in response though she fought to keep it on her face. "Who might you be right Mr….?"
"Kitagawa. Yusuke Kitagawa." The young man retorted, his eyes narrowing towards her in mere contemplation to the uninformed. "Though I fear I have little interest in signing one of your contracts."
"You're wiser than you appear." The asari praised though whether or not it genuine none of them could say.
"It wasn't hard to figure out." Haru chimed in as Ann stayed silent, the tall blonde standing beside her friends with her arms crossed beneath her chest. "It was easy to deduce that you overheard what he said, thus you knew that he's an artist himself, then you began by trying to butter him up… on Ilium."
"Touche." The asari retorted shamelessly, a smirk forming as she shrugged carelessly. "Though you'd be surprised how often that gig works." Without another word she turned around and left them standing there, already on the lookout for new prey.
"You two also got the feeling that she looks down on humans?" Ann asked as she looked after the retreating form of the asari for a moment longer. "Or at least those species with a shorter lifespan?"
"It wouldn't surprise me." Haru scowled as she stood against a nearby support pillar, her back to the metallic beam with her arms crossed over her chest. The few dirty looks she was getting she chose to ignore, since they weren't important to her as she pushed away with a sigh. "Still, this is why we're here." She didn't elaborate, but she didn't have to as the others smiled and nodded their firm agreement.
"Come on." Ann offered and nodded towards a part of the galerie they hadn't been at yet. "We still got some more to- Uff." As she turned she accidentally bumped her chest into a young dark haired woman who stumbled back from the sudden contact. "Oh, gosh I'm so sorry." Ann cried out as she steadied the young human, who looked roughly their own age, perhaps a bit younger even as she smiled at Ann in clear forgiveness, her clear blue eyes only showing mild amusement at what had just happened.
"Don't worry about it, nothing happened." The young woman brushed her apology off. "Still, it is good to see a fellow human here. Nos Astra is beautiful, but sometimes I'd like to talk to someone who is more… like me, you know?"
"We've left Earth only recently." Ann told her honestly, an apologetic smile on her face. "So I can't say I do."
"I've never been to Earth myself." The young woman mumbled even as she suddenly tensed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Oriana, what's yours?"
"Ann, it's nice to meet you." The blonde replied with a bright smile.
"Haru Okumaru, it's a pleasure Oriana." Haru said with a respectful nod of her head, her hands clasped in front of her stomach.
"I am Yusuke Kitagawa." He bowed at the waist, one arm crossed over his stomach in one fluid motion.
Oriana giggled kindly at the display and cocked her head to the side, "Pardon me for asking but what brings you all out this far? You don't strike me as tourists."
"We're not in fact." Yusuke acknowledged gracefully. "My passion for art has brought me here. I've heard that there are many famous art galleries on Illium, I had hoped that by seeing them with my own eyes I might get struck with inspiration for my next piece."
"You're an artist?" Oriana asked as her eyes seemed to sparkle. "I had no idea! I rather enjoy artwork myself, although I only have real skill in the musical forms, violin mostly."
"Truly?" Haru asked, instantly intrigued even as Oriana blushed and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly in response. "Are you any good?"
"I've been told I am, but I know I can do better." Oriana told them modestly and offered a shy smile.
"Improvement is ever an elusive goal, but that you seek it says much about you Lady Oriana." Yusuke said with a vastly approving smile pulling at his lips. "Even so, don't let your desire for it become the only thing you pursue. There is beauty to be found everywhere, so long as one keeps their hearts and minds open to the possibility."
"This coming from the guy who tried to blackmail me." Ann whispered so quietly only Yusuke could hear her, who blushed and pulled at the collar of his shirt in clear embarrassment at what she'd reminded him of.
"Oh don't worry, I have plenty of things to keep me busy." Oriana was quick to assure him, not aware of what had just passed between the two friends, before turning to Ann, who only smiled innocently as she raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
"Like what?" The blonde asked brightly.
"Oh...right, I volunteer a lot when I'm not busy with my academy studies or my family aren't taking me on outings together. They're good people, I wouldn't know what I'd be doing without them." The bright, vibrant gleam in her blue eyes was matched only by the warmth and joy they saw on her face as Oriana started to walk with her hands behind her back, head tilted towards the stain glass ceiling high above them. "And despite my complaints, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
"That at least we can relate to." Yusuke said gently as their minds turned to the home they'd made in recent weeks. Before that, they'd found a home in each other as Ann, Haru, and Yusuke shared a glance with each other before Ann gently nudged him in the side. Following her subtle gestures against his back, out of Oriana's sight as she continued walking, Yusuke, with as much casualness as he could muster, turned and returned the silent gesturing even as he said, "In any event Ms. Oriana, we must bid you good day and good luck. If you come around the Citadel though, a very close friend of ours has opened up a cafe we frequent quite a bit. Cafe Le'blanc to be precise."
"Oh? I'll have to keep it in mind. Thanks! And the same goes to you guys." The black haired young woman offered in thanks, her eyes sparkling. It was only after they'd gone out of earshot that Oriana paused, glanced over her shoulder, and hummed thoughtfully. "Something about them felt...weird." Shaking her head in gentle denial just as quickly, she continued on her way.
Amidst shouts of the same, the trio watched Oriana leave before Haru smiled quietly even as her eyes fell on their target across the way. "She was nice."
"Yeah, and she was kinda pretty." Ann admitted, much to Yusuke's quiet amusement, which she promptly answered with a jab to his side with an elbow. "H-hey! That's not what I was saying!"
"You don't have to worry Ann." Haru assured her with a mischievous smirk. "We won't tell Akira… though I doubt he'd complain if you-"
"N-no! Stop it." Ann told them as her was overtaken by a furious blush, though it faded somewhat as the blonde frowned in concentration. "I- Uh… Didn't she seem kind of familiar though?"
"Huh?" Haru asked, confused at the sudden change in topic, and the serious contemplative expression on Ann's face.
"I don't know." The blonde admitted with a frustrated huff. "I feel like something about her was familiar, like I had seen her or… perhaps a family member of hers once."
"Wait…" Yuske paused, and held his hands out to stop Ann and Haru from going further without him. "What are the chances…."
"What are you-" Ann stopped as her mind flashed back to her conversation with Amanda a few weeks back, and the picture she'd given them all regarding a former ally of hers. "You're thinking she's somehow related?"
"Maybe. The resemblance is uncanny. If that's the case we might want to keep an eye on her moving forward." Yusuke let his arms drop in any event as he started towards their target once more.
"We should inform Joker once we've returned… I don't think I trust the extranet here." Haru muttered as she glanced around. "This isn't information we should tell him about in an email… or over an open comlink."
"Just make a note of it for now, we can try to look into it later." Ann said just before Yusuke pulled out a genuine pencil and a notepad. "And of course you'd have that in your backpocket." She teased, her gaze holding only approval for her friend's readiness.
"A good artist always comes prepared Lady Ann." Yusuke answered without so much as blinking as he turned to look at her. "Though I do admit that it seems almost strange to use a notepad in this day and age."
"I think I like it better this way." Haru noted with an uneasy shrug. "Honestly these omni-tools seem all too similar to the smartphones we're accustomed to, only even worse."
"I'm sure Futaba would have a conspiracy theory about being spied on through smartphones." Ann said with a roll of her eyes. That didn't stop her from glancing at her right arm with something akin to mild suspicion though. "Blegh..and now I'm doing it."
"Given the ease with how Futaba hacked our phones it is difficult to trust our secrets to anything of an electronic nature." Yusuke noted idly as he continued to make notes, his eyes slowly wandering through the gallery. "Is it just me or do a lot of asari stare at us?"
"Not at us, or at least for the most part." Haru commented with a smile and pointed her index finger at Ann. "At her… I hear that maidens are even worse than boys in puberty."
"Something you picked up from our asari professor back on Earth?" Yusuke asked, to which Haru blushed but nodded in response. Putting his notepad and pencil away, he merely put an arm around her shoulder and said, "It sounds like quite the experience… perhaps I should ask an asari to meld with me when I get the chance."
"No!" Both Ann and Haru shouted, both thoroughly blushing by this point before Ann was quick to add, "You remember what she said right? Chances are the first asari you ask will think you're propositioning her or something. And considering they're naturally biotic, I'd rather not have to explain to Joker how you got a broken neck."
He quickly reconsidered his earlier thought, his eyes wide with mild panic at the image Ann had provided for him. "Ah….a very good point."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Haru silently thanked Ann's quick thinking before breaking away from the pair, flashing her two partners in crime a quick series of hand gestures behind her back as she went. "Okay Haru, here we go." She whispered to herself, glad she'd gone with the decision to splurge on some very fine clothes from their accumulated war funds as she approached the asari they'd targeted for their latest hiest.
Ann and Yusuke stayed behind as she gave them an obvious sign to wait for her, it was meant to be obvious. Something their target could pick up on, the fact that her two friends obeyed immediately wasn't lost on anyone watching and gave the impression that she was the leader of their group. Like a rich woman ordering her staff to stay behind with a flick of her wrist. "Problem with the help?" The asari asked, to which Haru huffed, feigning annoyance perfectly.
"Other than my father insists they follow me everywhere, not really." The dry sarcasm was thick if strangely foreign on her tongue, but Haru pulled it off rather well in her opinion as she touched up her cinnamon colored hair with one hand.
"Ah, family politics." Arlena T'ronae nodded in understanding, her bright green eyes mustering the heiress's curiously. "Though I wonder, what do you want from me? I doubt that you approached me by chance."
Turning to more fully regard the asari, Haru allowed a thin little smirk to pull at her lips. "I didn't, if my father forces me to be accompanied at all times, I might as well make use of them. I asked them to compile a list of potential business partners here on Ilium, and your name was one among the first Ms. T'ronae."
"Oh? Who was first if you don't mind me asking?"
"The Dantiuss family." Haru informed her with a smile as she registered the distaste on the woman's face at the mear mention of one of her closest and hated rivals. "They however have a… somewhat dubious reputation. I have no intention of losing money simply because I'm associated with them."
"And so you came to me." Arlena smiled back, her own lips, a dark purple against her lighter blue skin, curling up in a matching smirk.
"Correct, from what I've been able to gather your own reputation is essentially spotless, which either means you're a saint, or you know how to take care of business quietly. One way or the other, it sounds more useful to me." Haru had to struggle to put on the cold pragmatic facade she was busy projecting despite the fact that she had seen it a thousand times as her father used it. Only with him it hadn't been a facade, it had been his true self and the times where he had appeared kind and caring had become the mask.
"Some people would say talking about such things in public is a bad idea." Despite this, Arlena seemed visibly intrigued as she folded her hands behind her back, her dark purple asari styled dress hugging her willowy form quite beautifully as she pondered Haru's proposition. "Then again, most of those same people wouldn't suspect such a young woman like yourself to show such initiative or daring."
"My age and gender usually lead people to assume that I'm harmless." Haru admitted, and it wasn't a lie. She often appeared to be so gentle and kind that many people thought her a pushover. There had been exceptions of course, such as the Phantom Thieves, but usually people tended to underestimate her. "As for the public space… I believe it is far more unlikely to be listened to here, when this our first meeting instead of one of your indubitably bugged rooms. I'm hardly naive enough to think that your opponents don't try to spy on you."
"Hmph." Arlena scoffed, but the amused gleam in her green eyes said she was enjoying this back and forth immensely as she reached out to run a hand across Haru's cheek. Despite having to hide her disgust at being touched by such a vile person, the girl merely smiled a little wider. She could practically feel the Ann's anger radiating behind her, let alone Yusuke's cold fury and indignation. She had no doubts that because of her own personal trauma the blonde took great exception to others simply forcing physical contact onto her friends. Haru though had no such issues, and bore it without complaint even if she'd have preferred Yusuke by far over this snake. Soon enough it was over and Arlena merely nodded her head. "If it makes you feel better, we can talk further in a more...intimate if public setting later this week. I'd be quite intrigued to hear what you have to say, Ms. Dantiuss."
"I'll be in touch then Ms. T'ronae. Have a pleasant day." Haru said in farewell, a genuine smile on her face.
"You too." She replied, glancing over one shoulder before walking away, never realizing Haru had put a bug on the asari's back, courtesy of Futaba's genius handiwork.
Walking back to her friends, Haru was all quiet smiles as she pulled up the program Oracle had prepared for this very occasion. "-ust some human girl, looking to get into 'business'. She intrigued me though."
"I'd call that a mission accomplished." Yusuke beamed as Haru just as quickly set the listening device to record before putting the program to sleep for now.
"Did she have to get all touchy feely though? Ugh...I hate people like that."
"If it's any consolation Ann," Haru began to scrub at the same cheek Arlena had touched, "it wasn't exactly pleasant for me either."
"S-sorry…" Ann sighed as she looked to the side, anger still burning in her eyes though she did her best to get a hold of it.
"Don't be." Haru said with a gentle shake of her head. Nothing else needed to be said about that particular subject as far as she was concerned. "Come on, we have an entire planet to explore. We might as well enjoy ourselves while we wait for something we can use."
"It might be a good idea to inform Morgana and the others about what's transpired." Yusuke pointed out even as he looked through the gallery once more. "Though I would have liked to stay a bit longer."
"Go ahead." Ann offered with a smile and shrugged. "I'll tell them, and you two can spend some time together."
"Oh! Thank you Ann!" Haru beamed before bowing her head, her gratitude palpable let alone visible to all involved.
"Meh don't worry about it." The blonde waved off her gratitude with a smile. "It seems strange but…between all that has been going on, we barely have time for ourselves anymore. So go ahead, have a great time, I'll try to keep Morgana in line."
Without another word spoken she left the art gallery, content to know that the couple would have a chance to just be themselves. Though she forgot all about that when she found the others, it wasn't particularly hard between the coordinates they'd supplied along with the crowd of cooing asari that had formed around them. Morgana's voice was clearly audible as he enjoyed the attention.
"Mmhh, yes scratch there… ahhh that's good." Their feline friend ordered softly even as satisfied purrs followed his demands.
Knowing that Morgana couldn't be understood by anyone who hadn't been in the Metaverse, Ann blew out an exasperated sigh at the sight. "Leave it to you to find someone to dote on you." He was too caught up in the moment to notice her, but she fixed that when she gently pushed her way through the crowd. "Sorry, my stupid cat is spoiled rotten."
"Oh, he's yours?" The asari girl who'd been scratching Morgana between his ears asked when she looked up to meet Ann's amused gaze.
"Yeah, unfortunately."
"Lady Ann!" Morgana yelped, his ears shooting straight up with alarm. "I didn't expect you back so soon."
"Sorry, he just seemed so lonely though." The asari replied, but Ann waved her off with a smile.
"Yeah, I figured." Ann told him as she rolled her eyes at the cat and offered an apologetic smile towards the asari at the same time, hoping that she didn't seem like a madwoman talking to her cat. "I hope he hasn't been a pain in the butt"
"Oh no!" The girl gushed with sparkling eyes. "He's just been too precious!"
"Mwhuahahaha!" Morgana cackled, only to wilt under Ann's disapproving glare.
"Trust me kiddo, you don't want this foodbag under your roof without knowing what kinda trouble he can get up to. Let's go Morgana." She grumbled out as menacingly as she could before giving the girl and she assumed her parents an apologetic glance. "Still, thanks for keeping an eye on him until I was able to find him again."
"Oh don't worry about it, hopefully we'll see one another again." The asari answered with a light blush on her face, though her eyes were no longer fixed on Morgana but rather Ann.
"Lady Ann… you're stealing my spotlight." Morgana grumbled as he walked beside her. "Couldn't you have waited a bit longer… it was just getting good."
"Oh? Then how many people did you get to scratch and pet you before her?" Ann challenged him with an amused eyeroll.
"Not that many! And turians fingers are too sharp." The cat complained immediately. "One krogan tried to eat me… I think. And I almost got abducted because they thought I was a stray."
"How did you get out of that one?" Ann asked as Morgana hopped up to her shoulder.
"Mwhahaha, I used my incredible Phantom Thief skills to escape easily." He boasted as he puffed out his chest as best he could.
"More likely he ran like his life depended on it." Vezna chuckled as she, Seja, and Arya made their way towards the blonde.
"Vezna!" Morgana whined, "Were you spying on me through your scope?!"
Vezna smirked and crossed her slender arms over her lightly armored chest. "Yes, yes I was." She admitted shamelessly. "Though your little hacker also kept an eye on you… she sent me a message to bail you out should you get caught. Gotta say, that girl can get a lot done while shoveling fast food into her mouth."
"You have no idea." Ann had seen Futaba eat. It was rarely a pretty sight. She just hoped that the hotel room wouldn't look too bad once they returned.
"Ugh...still, I thought you guys were busy shopping?" Morgana complained with a whiny yowl.
"Already done." Arya said as she held up a heavy bag full of food. "We also got a few souvenirs. Thanks for the money by the way Ms. Takamaki."
"It's just Ann, but you're welcome." Ann said with a shake of her head.
"Yeah, guess being a criminal pays well." Arya jibbed at them as she rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath when Ann rested a mild look on her, daring her to go on. "I said it didn't I? I'm not happy with this, and the fact that you're lining your own pockets while you do stuff like that makes me wonder if that's perhaps your main reason."
"Hmm, I thought that Ms. Kirijo would've told people why we do what we do. It's simple, you can either believe us, or you don't." Ann offered her as her blue eyes burned into the asari. "Whether you do or not doesn't matter. We'll do this with or without you. We're taking you along as a courtesy, and because Akira insisted we could use the extra hands, and he wasn't wrong."
"Gee, and now I feel welcome." Arya huffed as she crossed her arms in front of her, clearly none too happy about any of this.
"Than maybe don't piss off our hosts?" Vezna offered with an eye roll. "I'm not happy about moonlighting as a thief either, but you'd have to be blind and deaf not to see that this is personal for them. So… perhaps a bit more tact, eh, Arya?"
Arya sighed and let her shoulders slump a little. "I'm sorry, and you're right, I'm not blind to what's going on…I guess I just wish there was a better way to do this."
She perked up though when Ann put a hand on her shoulder, her earlier frown giving way to a sympathetic if thin smile. "If there was another way, we'd gladly go for it, but we've learned the hard way that this is the only one we can rely on."
"So, what have you got?" Morgana asked in an effort to bring the conversation back on track.
"We're listening in on her private conversations right now." Ann said as she tapped the side of her ear, where a hidden earpiece resided, further concealed by her voluminous blonde locks, "This will either give us an edge in her Palace, or get us into trouble for invasion of privacy at the very least. Probably both if we're ever caught. Still, we might also get new targets for later."
"Stopping Rannoch takes priority, but if this does lead to helping the beleaguered quarian people, then I'm willing to let this continue." Seja chimed in, before holding up a hand when Morgana started to open his mouth to protest. "Having said that, stopping T'Ronea will make me sleep easier since what that cognition trapped in that wall said has been bothering me immensely. I get that it wasn't a real person, but if I understand this correctly, then T'ronea has done all that and more to their real world counterparts. I can't in good conscience allow her to continue." That at least her own friends could agree with as Arya and Vezna nodded their heads in silent agreement. "Where's Haru and Yusuke though?"
"Meh, still hanging out in the gallery." Ann said and pointed a thumb back the way they'd just been. "I figured they could use some time to themselves."
"I see." Seja replied, her thoughts on the matter unreadable as she nodded her understanding in any case.
"Lady Ann is so kind!" Morgana praised and blinked up at her with huge blue eyes, perfecting the image of an adorable tabby cat. "She always takes care of everyone! You never have to ask her fo-"
"What do you want Morgana?" Ann cut him off impatiently.
"Was I that obvious?" The cat frowned and lifted his right paw to his mouth in contemplation. "I have to work on that."
"Well?"
"I've been waiting all afternoon for you guys." Morgana declared with a serious nod. "I need something to eat and drink! Otherwise I can't help you fight."
"How you managed to fool all those people is beyond me." Seja muttered, a small if amused smile on her face. "But alright, just tell me what to get and I'll get going."
"I hope you have a notepad on that omni-tool of yours." Ann told Seja as she leaned back to watch the scene unfold. The cat wasted no time in ordering his food, and Seja soon paled at the amount he demanded. "You're just lucky that you're not a normal cat, anything else would've become fat and round as a bowling ball by now."
"There'd just be more of me to love." Morgana declared haughtily and waved his front left paw at Seja. Giving her the sign to get moving even, she did even as her friends that were just as shell shocked, accompanied her. Once they were out of earshot, he turned to her, all signs of amusement or haughtiness gone. "You think we can trust them?"
"They might not like what we do, but I think so." Ann replied softly. "And trust me, I get where they're coming from, but we know what we're doing, especially these days. Still...I meant what I said, if there was another way, one that we could trust to succeed, I'd be all for it."
"Yeah, I know, but convincing them will be the tricky part." Morgana pointed out.
"Let's hope one of them doesn't call the authorities on us before then." Ann countered.
Location: Citadel, The Wards, Zakara Wards
Date: Thursday, July 20th, 2182. Evening 'Sunny'
Deadline to Rannoch's patience - 27 days
"Here you go, just the way you like it." Akira said and placed the coffee in front of him.
"I bet you say that to everyone." Nihlus snarked back as he took the coffee with a smile. "Ah… though you certainly didn't lie."
"If I did Mr. Grumpy over there would never let me hear the end of it." Akira said as he pointed a thumb towards Sojiro, who was busy cleaning up a spill made by a previous customer.
"Mr. Grumpy isn't deaf either you know? And I taught you everything you know about making coffee." Sojiro grumbled good naturedly from one end of the cafe's metallic countertop.
"That's true." Akira agreed as he leaned against the counter and sent Sojiro a smile."You made sure that I knew how to make a good cup…and how to make sure the ladies like me."
"Hah, as if you needed the help." Laughing heartily in turn, Sojiro nodded his head towards the well dressed turian and asked, "So what brings you back this time?"
"Business unfortunately." Nihlus sighed, but something in his tone had Akira's ears perking up as he glanced in his direction, "the people I work for detected an attempted hack into their servers." Sojiro, somehow, much to Akira's relief, didn't flinch an inch as Nihlus continued onward. "They didn't get far at all, and I advised against taking any serious action unless something more pronounced is done, but chances are good if whoever did it tries again, I might not be able to hold my superiors back again."
"I see." Akira said with a soft nod, understanding the warning for what it was. He'd tell Futaba once he was sure they couldn't be overheard, and then… they'd make sure that if they had to try again, they wouldn't be tracked. "I hope that didn't ruin your hot date with that woman you mentioned."
"Heh, no it didn't, but it did delay it a bit." Nihlus admitted, the subtle tension that'd mounted between them fading for the most part as he took another sip of his drink. "Still, I think it goes without saying the hack originated somewhere in Zakara, otherwise I wouldn't be here, and the time coincided with my visit here."
"So you naturally thought poking around here would lead you to the one responsible." Akira smoothly replied while pointedly ignoring the glare he could feel on his back from Sojiro. "Wish we could help you Nihlus."
"Hmm...well, if you do notice anything strange, don't hesitate to tell me. The next visit might be from someone who doesn't have my restraint." Akira only nodded, while Nihlus hinted at the possibility they suspected what the other person was.
"I understand, I apologize for the inconvenience. Hopefully you won't have as much trouble on future visits." Akira retorted, recognizing the warning for what it was.
"As do I young man. I've come to enjoy our talks together if I'm being honest." Nihlus replied, and just like that, the tension faded away almost completely. "Still, harmless curiosity is not a crime, but some in...my line of work have a much narrower view on certain matters. Some just don't like humanity period. Keep that in mind should my mysterious hacker make a comeback."
"We will." Sojiro chimed in next, his tone casual enough, but Akira heard the very subtle note of steel behind the words. Nihlus heard it to, but didn't comment on it as he walked out soon after, plastic coffee cup in hand. "I hope you're not planning to do anything stupid after a threat like that from what I'm starting to believe is a Spectre right?"
"No, but I plan on talking to Futaba, she really needs to be more careful." Akira said quietly with a sigh. "Still, it was nice of him to let it go this time… something to keep in mind for the future."
"Ugh...why do I even bother." Sojiro grumbled, but he had to admit Akira had a point. "Still, if he really is a Spectre, and he's letting this little incident go as a one off, you might be onto something. But it goes without saying that if something happens to any of you, I'd be a wreck."
"You wouldn't be the only one." Akira agreed, mind immediately flashed back to Charles palace and their catastrophic first clash with him and the apparition of the assassin.
"Yeah, I figured… sorry for dragging up bad memories." Sojiro said after a small pause but Akira waved him of.
"Don't be, mistakes shouldn't be forgotten. We have to learn from them, otherwise we repeat them and next time we might not be as lucky."
"Well aren't you mature all of the sudden?" Sojiro noted with a wry grin and patted his shoulder in approval. "Now, heads up, looks like we got another customer." He turned out to be right as the soft chime of a bell alerted them that someone had just entered the cafe.
"Excuse me, could I ple-"
"Well, look at that." Akira noted with a smirk. "If it isn't Diana Prince."
"Huh?" The Alliance marine came to a stop, and blinked at him stupidly for a few moments.
"Don't remember? I don't blame you." He assured her, obviously enjoying her confusion. "We met once before on Earth, I wasn't too happy with a certain political figure, and you were the only one who gave a damn."
"Son of a bitch." 'Diana' chuckled as recognition finally dawned on her before she crossed her slender if muscular arms over her chest. "Looking good kid, what the hell are you doing all the way out here?"
"Oh you know, seeing the sights, serving coffee, making sure the boss is happy." He said idly, amusement rolling off him in palpable waves.
"Why do you think I have all this grey hair?" Sojiro grouched from the sidelines even as he greeted the newcomer with a kind smile and a wink.
"Being full of bulllshit too." She quipped, chuckling all the way to her seat at their back and forth. "And why do I get the feeling that you're part of the reason why Charles is currently out of business?"
"Woman's intuition?" Akira quipped right back as she gave him a coffee order to fill. "Though I admit, you're the first one to see through me." Humor glinted in his eyes as he told her this and the Alliance soldier merely laughed in response, shaking her head as she did.
"Heh, don't get me wrong, some of the stuff he admitted to during his last conference was blood curdling, but now that you bring it up, you're the most likely suspect with how pissed off you were when I found you." She only smirked when Akira gave her his most innocent glance over one shoulder.
"What about me seems suspicious?" He questioned, wide doe eyes blinking at her from behind his glasses. Though the innocent image was somewhat ignored by the smirk that was playing at his lips.
"It's your unassuming facade. It just screams troublemaker." She grinned right back before growing serious just as quickly. "Seriously, while I kid, whoever did that to Charles deserves a medal for bringing to light so many tragedies. Last I heard, the authorities were uncovering the truth of all of what he'd done, although any ties to that terrorist group, Cerberus, have so far been pretty well hidden."
"You seem pretty well informed if you don't mind my saying so." Sojiro added from the side.
"Perks of being an amazon princess." Akira quipped with a shrug as she rolled her eyes at him.
"Perks of being an N7 ranked and certified badass." She corrected him.
"Meh, close enough." He decided with a shrug, a smile finding its way upon his face after he put her coffee in front of her. "Now then, Ms. certified badass, what would you like? I'd recommend trying our curry, it is to die for, alternatively we also have coffee which is to die for… we're currently working on the rest of the menu."
"So… coffee and curry huh?" She said as she picked up the glass of coffee that'd been put in front of her.
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Sojiro asked with a frown as he looked up from the datapad he'd been reading. "I'll have you know I serve the best curry on the Citadel."
"You and every other place I've been to." She quipped, but hummed before shrugging her shoulders. "Still, at least with you two I'd believe you at least come close to the boast, so lay it on me."
The gleam that filled Sojiro's eyes as the light reflected off of his glasses was hard to ignore as he confidently said, "Prepare to eat your words. Akira, warm up the stoves."
"On it boss." Akira cheered, all too happy to oblige.
Suddenly unsure of her choice of words, 'Diana' could only blink as the two set to work with gusto. "Oh boy, what did I just set into motion?"
"We're merely accepting the challenge Ms. Prince." Akira casually threw over his shoulder as he helped Sojiro get things situated for a fresh bowl of curry.
"You- You're aware that my name is not really-" She began, only to get interrupted.
"Shhh." Akira shushed her with a playful glint in his eyes. "It's more fun this way."
"You are one strange kid." She retorted, chuckling despite herself.
"Thanks." He said right back as he handed a few ingredients to Sojiro as he got to work on his own part of the meal. "Normal's overrated anyway. What are you doing out here though?"
"Sorry kid, that's classified."
"You've been waiting to use that one haven't you?" He playfully accused, a theatrical sigh leaving his lips as he did so.
"What can I say? I'm a fan of the classics." She mused as she watched them work, the slight smile never leaving her face as she did so. "Unfortunately it's also true since I only just found out about it myself, but my CO's a good man, and I'm looking forward to whatever comes out of this little project."
"And here I was hoping for a story while we cook for you."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I like watching my servants work in silence." As the two man turned to look at her with raised eyebrows she chuckled weakly. "That was just a joke, really."
"Uh huh." Sojiro grumbled as he rolled his eyes. "Great, a new kid on the block."
"Heh, give it time, once we got some curry into her, you'll have a new patron, that should cheer you up."
"Not every patron I have cheers me up." Sojiro growled softly as he increased the heat of the stove further. "Like that asari matriarch that comes by every Monday and just talks and talks and talks about everything she's ever done."
"You're learning something aren't you?"
"You're not listening." Sojiro refuted and glared at Akira meaningfully. "She talks about everything she has ever done."
"Oh." Akira grimaced a little as he realized what Sojiro was hinting at.
"Yes, oh." Sojiro grumbled back, a visible if slight shudder rolling through him. "Seriously, I don't need to know about her sex life."
"Yeesh, sounds rough." 'Diana' winced sympathetically. "Speaking of asari, I had a rather...fun break with one fairly recently. I could probably tell you a few stories that'd make you blush."
"He doesn't need any help being a pain in my neck." Sojiro grumbled good naturedly as he turned, having set the curry on the stove, now they just needed to wait. "Heh, but I can imagine well enough. I take it you let her down easy?"
"I was tempted to pop the question." She hummed thoughtfully, before just as quickly shaking her head. "But meh, soon as we parted ways I realized it just wasn't meant to be. We had fun but that was all it was."
"Meh, well you'll find someone if you look hard enough Ms…" Sojiro trailed off as he looked to Akira for help on her name, only for him to shrug. "Really? Mr. Gentleman himself doesn't know a lady's name? Some gentleman you are."
"We were having fun with the nicknames." Akira countered with a shrug. "And honestly, I wasn't expecting to see her again after our chance encounter back on Earth."
"He's got a point." The woman replied after taking another sip. "Mmm...but since you asked, the name's Alexandria Shepard, most people just call me Shepard though. Granted, most of those same people put a Commander in front of that."
"Alright, Alex it is then." Akira said flippitanly as he hummed softly. "Though I'm not sure…. Diana might sound better."
"You're messing with me, aren't you?" Shepard muttered as she shook her head at his antics.
"Of course." Akira confirmed as he sent a glance at the curry. With a grin he pulled a plate from the cupboard and began to fill it with the meal. "Here you go."
"Heh, at least you admit to being a troll." Shepard snarked but nodded her thanks before she helped herself to that first bite. Ignoring their expectant looks, Akira waited for the inevitable as she rolled the curry around in her mouth before swallowing it down, her eyes widening at the taste. "Damn...looks like I would've lost that bet. I suppose I owe you two an apology for doubting you."
"Or you could just enjoy the meal and continue to tell us how great it is." Akira offered and vaguely pointed in Sojiro's direction. "He loves to hear how great his curry is."
"My daughter's practically obsessed with it." Sojiro chuckled, smiling fondly now.
"Heh, as are the others and I." Akira pointed out as he smiled at the older man. "Guess there are worse things to be addicted to."
"You're not wrong." Shepard agreed as an uncomfortable grimace passed over her face before it just as quickly faded away. Hidden beneath a huge bite of curry, as she let out a moan of approval at the taste, the sound surprisingly sensual.
"Is this a bad time?" Sae asked as she stood in the open door, her eyes taking in the moaning marine uncertainly. "I could always come back later?"
"You're fine." Akira assured her and pointed at Shepard. "Diana Prince aka Alexandra Shepard meet Sae Niijima, best defense attorney this side of the outer rim."
"And now you're quoting Star Wars." Shepard said with a roll of her eyes as the blush in her cheeks slowly faded away. Turning to Sae, she nodded her head in greeting before saying, "It's nice meeting you Sae."
"Likewise Alex." Sitting down next to her, it didn't take Akira long to get a cup of her favored coffee in front of her. "Mmm...thanks Mr. Kurusu. So what brings you to the Citadel?"
"Back to work for me." Alex hummed before nodding her head towards Akira and Sojiro, "but if those two keep this curry coming, I might end up getting too big for my uniform at this rate."
"Oh the media would just eat that up." Akira mock gasped. "I can practically see the headlines, 'Local Cafe overfeeds N7, gets too fat for duty.'"
"You do realize I can outrun you right?" Shepard quipped even as she dared him to say anything else.
"I don't know, I can run pretty fast." He mused with a smirk. "And I'm not even the runner of our little group. You should see Ryuji some time, I bet he could outrun you easily."
"Hmph, guess it's a good thing I'm not above using stun rounds cause I could just shoot you in the back."
"Woe is me, why are all the women in my life so headstrong and prone to violence?" Akira bemoaned, gasping in mock horror as he did so.
"Yeah, wonder why that is." Sojiro mumbled beneath his breath, the subtle glance he shared with Sae saying plenty on its own.
"I've got nothing. Pardon me while I wonder why I stuck my neck out for you." Sae quipped dryly.
"Because you knew it would be worth it." All the adults in the room practically jumped in surprise and whirled to face the blue clad girl that had appeared behind the two women.
"Lavenza, good to see you." Akira greeted her, eyes twinkling with humor.
"You told me I could come by… is this a bad time?" The small girl asked as she cocked her head to the side, her eyes never leaving the N7 in front of her.
"No, take a seat, I'll bring you your curry as soon as possible." Akira assured her with a gentle smile as he reached over the counter to ruffle her hair with an affectionate smile. Lavenza blushed and playfully batted his hand away before she went back to staring at Shepard.
"Where in the world did you come from?" Shepard asked as she looked around with some measure of alarm. "I didn't even hear you!" The blue clad girl merely smiled in response as she continued to stare at Shepard intently, like she could see something that most others could not. Akira knew in her case, it was most likely even true. "What? Uh Akira? Little help here?"
"She's...a friend, but she's a bit...odd sometimes. I promise she's harmless though." Akira was quick to assure the marine, but he too couldn't help but wonder what had Lavenza's attention.
"Hmm…" Whatever it was, Lavenza wasn't telling as she took a seat on Sae's right, away from Alex. It was only when Akira came to her side that she whispered, "Fate has much in store for that one, Joker."
"Good to know." He mused and shook his head. He shouldn't be surprised, he really shouldn't be. After all, she'd fit right in with the other women in his life. His omni-tool chimed and he sent a glance at the display, a grin forming as he chuckled. It seemed like he'd have a meeting with a reporter soon.
End Notes: Nomad-117: So, we decided that instead of just murder rushing through the Palaces, or… well they're less palaces then the really big ones they've faced thus far, but the point remains, they'd do stuff in real life as well. To get further information, keep up the cover of being nice and innocent, talk with people that would want to talk with them like a certain turian spectre. Aside from that they of course also just try to live their lives if you will. They're still human at the end of the day and that means that they too enjoy the chance to kick back every once in a while and do nothing. Next chapter we'll have a bit more murder mayhem of Shadows and Rulers coming up. Hope you enjoyed, see ya around.