A/N: Hello! Yes I'm still here! Where have I been? on vacation. a lot of things happened in my life the past month and i'm sort of stabilizing after all these changes. nothing bad. all good. Yes I'm still writing my story. Wait! Actually, scratch that. I'm not writing my story. My good friend taee is writing my story. That's right, this chapter is actually part of a fic swap i did with taee we both decided to do for fun. She wrote this chapter and I wrote a chapter from one of her stories. The story i've worked on is called Touch and Go and it's the second (and final) chapter to her chung x eve story. Check it out! (though I'm not sure when she'll post it as she's adding final touches to it at the moment of this posting). Anyways, check out taee's stories, they're worth the read and have a really good narration style. As for the future of this story, expect the next chapter to be written by me and then the following chapter (ch 6) to be written by someone else for a secret santa fic swap I'm participating in!
Eve pushed open the door to a lively restaurant, the words 'The Cheese Wheel' etched simply onto the wood plaque dangling overhead.
"Cheese!" the black drone commented, adding nothing to what the others already knew, "There's so much! And wine, too! Fancy!"
"It has been observed to be a common combination of food and drink," Remy added.
"This was one of your recommendations, Moby," their queen noted in their neurolink, looking at the list of pins her drones had added to her positioning system. "With luck, we should be able to glean information from the patrons by the end of today." She then seated herself in the center of the room, not minding the couple that veered away from her table sharply upon seeing her. She disabled her decryption program that she had kept running all night to focus on her work ahead. Despite running the program, the strange static signal she felt remained largely indecipherable. The only thing she could discern from the signal was that it was Nasod in origin. What it ultimately meant, though, was something she would have to wonder about at a later date. She pulled up her blue text screen with the same message that she had been displaying for a while.
Looking for someone. Help appreciated. Please enquire.
The message itself was quite simple and easy to understand, yet as time passed, not a single person had approached her to discuss her need for assistance. It was disheartening-enough so that Eve even considered inserting an exclamation point at the end, perhaps even a few, if that's what it would take for others to take notice and take action. The extra punctuation began to seem more and more necessary as the minutes passed, since surrounding diners continued to avoid looking in her direction.
The minutes ticked by as she watched as the patrons came and went, receiving nothing more than a wary glare from the entire restaurant. By the end of the hour Eve had had enough and was about to proceed with the dreaded task when someone, finally, approached her.
It was one of the waiters. Eve noted that, after an entire hour of waiting, this was the first time being addressed by the staff.
"Slow service," Remy whirred.
"Excuse me?" the waiter said, uncertainty heavy in his tone as he addressed the Nasod.
Another blue text box appeared at Eve's side as a single word appeared: Finally.
The waiter ignored it, "Are you with someone?"
Eve blinked, tilting her head at the question. What did he mean 'with someone'? The message at her side was deleted as a new text message appeared.
What do you mean? As you can see I'm alone and I'm looking for someone.
"I think he's flirting with you!" Moby added excitedly.
"Your owner, maybe?" the waiter asked, earning a quizzical look from the three Nasods.
It was at that moment that the restaurant's doors were shoved aside. Rose stood at the entrance with Cleri trailing in on her heels. Rose spotted the nasod first but averted her eyes away swiftly and subtly angled herself in front of Cleri. However, the emissary peeked over the other's shoulder, and, zeroing in on Eve, gave an excited flutter of her hand and headed over, a gold box tucked against her arm.
Subtlety wasn't the woman's strong point, it seemed, as all eyes were on the newcomers coming in with an expensive-looking container.
Rose tugged futilely at her sleeve in a last ditch attempt to avoid the nasod, but after Cleri slid into the seat beside Eve, she could only grudgingly pull out a chair for herself from across the table.
Cleri set the box on her lap and folded her hands over it. "What are you here for, Ms. Eve? Are you looking for that person again?"
Eve tilted her head at the sign projected above her in answer, not anymore pleased than Rose at their presence here.
"Ah," the waiter chimed in, he motioned at Eve, "Is this one with you?"
"Huh?" Cleri looked at Eve then back at the waiter, "Oh. Yes. Yes she is. Why?"
Before he could answer, Rose sighed loudly behind them and flagged down the waiter. He moved to her side of the table and she, rather aggressively, tugged on the man's ear, whispered something to him.
"Uh huh," the waiter nodded, his eyes never leaving Eve. His brow climbed higher up his forehead as she explained something to him and he ended with a quiet "oh" before standing.
"And a plate of your cheapest cheese, too," Rose added, "Not exactly rolling in cash."
"Of course, ma'am. And thank you for clarifying."
Eve, Cleri, and Rose silently watched as the waiter left.
"A-are you having any luck so far today? Has anyone come up to you?" the emissary asked after a moment. From her disheveled hair to the way she was catching her breath, Cleri had been rushing around quite a bit.
Eve shook her head.
"Why don't I help you ask some people?" Cleri asked earnestly.
Eve's face remained as blank as usual, which the other interpreted as some kind of approval, and half stood up to speak to some nearby patrons. She didn't succeed either, all of those she asked backing off quickly when they noticed Eve. Nevertheless, Cleri continued to try. Their food arrived as well as a jug of water at Rose's request. The entire time Cleri went from table to neighboring table to bring their attention to Eve who could only sit there with her large sign, complete with exclamation points and a combination of letters and symbols that closely mimicked happy faces. Cleri had suggested she add those and originally Eve was against the idea but her black drone agreed with Cleri's reasoning that it would make her sign appear more approachable.
"They don't talk to machines," Rose commented after a while as she chewed a green tinged cheese.
Faced with Cleri's quizzical look and Eve's characteristic blank one, she elaborated.
"They don't talk to machines here in Sander. Nasods are seen as subhuman. More like a utility robot instead of a person."
Why? A blue message read.
"A combination of things, really," Rose explained with a lazy shrug, "As I've said before: this is Sander. Everything in this city, even human lives, has a price tag on it. The same applies to you. And since you're not even human, you're more of… a tool than anything else."
Eve's eyes narrowed at the less than subtle jab. What did you call me?
Rose leaned back, hands up defensively, "I'm not lying. I'm just stating the reality of this place."
It then dawned on Eve what the waiter meant when he asked her if she was "with someone". The waiter thought she belonged to someone; as if she was some object to be owned. The realization brought on a surge of anger in Eve's chest that didn't manifest in her expression. Only her two drones floated away from her slightly as her hands balled tightly into a fist. The next time that waiter chose to approach their table she would make an example of him.
"Mistress," Remy interjected hesitantly, "Remember our situation. We are not here to stir a social uprising. We're here for something far more important."
Eve turned her wrathful gaze towards the white drone but the glaring red display that hung around her peripherals was enough to defuse the anger building within her.
60%, it read. It was still slowly climbing. The waiter came by with a fresh jug of water for Rose and regarded the Nasods with an indignant snort and muttered a barely audible complaint regarding how they were taking up space before leaving.
Beside her, the shorter girl slumped in defeat and resignedly snagged a few pieces of cheese off Rose's plate, offering Eve some.
Eve shook her head, though she thanked her for help and the offer, to be polite.
Though the interaction between Eve and her drones have gone largely unnoticed by the others around her, Cleri was quick to pick up the tension that surrounded Eve. She looked agitated. Not in any way her facial expression revealed but rather in the way her body seemed stiff and the way she anxiously tapped her heel against the floor. Cleri then noticed the cloth flower pinned to her chest. "T-that ribbon is pretty. Where did you get it from?"
Eve blinked and looked down at the ribbon pinned on to her black one piece.
Cleri watched as the tension seemed to slowly fade from the Nasod. Whatever it was she was thinking about, it seemed to cause her to momentarily forget what was causing her anxiety.
A text screen appeared as a message was slowly typed out.
It's a gift from someone I've grown rather fond of.
Rose squinted at the accessory, setting down her block of cheese, while an excited look spread over Cleri's face and her hands fluttered in her lap.
"Is it from the person you're looking for?"
Eve shook her head.
No, but his presence would be appreciated.
"Is he family? A friend? A… A lover?"
Rose grunted at the third question. Eve glanced at the blonde for a long moment and watched the markswoman lean forward, clearly interested in her answer.
But being posed this question, Eve found herself… unsure. The person who had given her the ribbon was far more than a friend. Maybe they were a close friend.
Moby chirped in protest at her train of thought.
"You kissed him," he argued, "That's something more than what friends do."
"But they haven't professed their love for each other," Remy countered, "From my understanding, it's common practice for two individuals to announce their commitment to one another before calling themselves anything more than friends. The mistress and the gifter are strictly friends, am I correct?"
The black drone tilted to the side, "Is it really? Shouldn't it be obvious at a certain point even without a formal announcement?" He then turned to Eve, "Mistress? What do you think?"
A single word appeared on the text box that answered the questions of the entire table.
Lover.
"O-oh my," Cleri put a hand over her lips as she visibly tried to contain her excitement from the revelation. She spoke shakily afterwards, "I hope you two can meet again someday." The emissary glanced upwards at her, offering her more cheese again. Eve hesitated for a second before accepting her offer.
"Then who's it from?" Rose asked, bordering on impatient.
Eve's message box was cleared as she tried to formulate an answer for Rose. At first she wanted to tell her it was none of her business but as she tried to identify who she was talking about… she found it strangely difficult. In her memory, all she could recall was actions and a face. She wasn't even sure if this was the same person in her head but she knew of the kindness they expressed towards her. Something was wrong.
Cleri jolted in her seat, lips forming a silent scream. She whipped her head around in a panic, searching for something. "M-my box!"
The chimes above the door jingled cheerfully as a figure cloaked in tattered rags slipped out onto the busy streets. Moby chirped and whistled, "Mistress Eve! It's that person! I saw them come up to us!"
Eve relayed the message to the other two, albeit with much less enthusiasm.
Cleri shot out of her seat, overturning it accidentally. "Go after them!"
"...Is it okay to just leave you here alone?" Rose furrowed her brow.
"Please do. That box matters much more than myself."
Despite Cleri's assurance, the blonde still wavered, glancing outside at the fast disappearing thief, then back at the emissary.
Seeing them unable to come to a decision, Eve gave it a moment of thought before dispelling her sign, exasperated, and gave the order for Moby and Remy to locate the thief, bolting out of the establishment herself a moment later. After few seconds of weaving through the crowd, shoving when necessary, Moby chirped again, leading Eve down a narrow alley, just in time to witness the heels of the thief's boots vanish around a corner.
Feeling that it'd be more efficient and easy to track their movements if she were at a higher vantage point, Eve boosted herself up on top of the roof of the nearest house with the two drones' help and continued the chase, tracking the thief's path through the alleys. She occasionally flung a few nasod spears to restrain them, but they dodged each one by a hair, movements too trained to belong to a casual pickpocket attracted by something gold and shiny.
With wave of her hand, a line of portals appeared on the cobblestone ahead, and another row of nasod spears emerged out of the ground. To her surprise the thief sprang off the wall and vaulted over to safety without so much as missing a beat and was clearly unfazed by the sudden appearance of spears erupting from the ground. Ahead of them, the path forked yet again and before she could see which path they chose to take, the thief dropped something and smoke exploded outwards, obscuring her vision. Eve rapidly fired off twin lasers to tear through the smokescreen, but by then the thief had already disappeared.
"In the house on the left!" Remy clicked. Eve motioned for Moby to give chase, while she busted open a window on the third floor and entered the building. The interior was dim and gloomy, completely silent, until the familiar whirring of the droid's machinery and the quiet tapping of feet swiftly ascending a staircase reached her ears.
The thief let out a cursed under their breath upon spotting her, reaching the landing and suddenly skidding to a halt. They then whipped around, landing a solid punch the startled Moby, sending the poor droid hurtling towards Eve and cutting her off mid-lunge. Eve stopped to catch Moby, and the thief used the opportunity to leap out the third story window in a shower of glass. They hit the ground running, seemingly unaffected by the fall. Tucking the dizzy black drone under her arm, Eve called Remy over to fly them down. With only one levitating amongst the three of them, it was more of a barely controlled fall, the stones still fracturing a bit under Eve's feet when she landed.
As they ran, little by little, she closed the distance between her and the thief; the jump from the third floor must've done some damage to them after all. Right before they were about to emerge from the side alleys onto a wider, more populated road, Eve summoned more weapons from her arsenal and sent them at the thief. This time, because of their closer proximity, the thief was barely able to dodge the spears, and they slipped up, scrambling for purchase. They were so close Eve could pick up the sound of them breathing, but she still couldn't reach. If they assimilated into the crowd again, she'd have a hard time finding them, as Moby was currently out of commission. Luckily, Rose appeared from nowhere, kicking down the thief with controlled fire spitting from the bottoms of her shoes.
Eve, seeing that the thief was down, slowed her pace and walked over, Rose picking up Cleri's golden box that the thief had let go of because of her attack.
"...Good chase," Rose said to her grudgingly, like it hurt to admit. Eve nodded.
Cleri caught up with them a minute later, heaving for breath and lifting her glasses to wipe away the sweat that'd gathered on her face.
"M-ms. Rose, y-you know so many shortcuts!" Cleri then looked around again. "W-where did…?"
The three look over to where the thief had presumably fallen, only to find an empty space and quite a few wary onlookers.
"...They're not worth the effort," Rose said, handing the box back to Cleri, "They're a dime-a-dozen. Catch one thief here and five more will take their place."
A blue text box appeared over Eve's head. "That one evaded all my attempts in subduing them. They seemed far more skilled than your average thief."
"Yeah well they didn't evade mine," Rose reminded her, tapping the toe of her rocket-propelled boot against the ground.
Cleri gave a short bow in gratitude, and turned to Eve. "Thank you so much. Um. C-can I ask why you decided to help….?"
Eve considered her words, remembering how she'd clearly told the girl the other day that she had no intention of interfering in others' business. "I just remembered. Someone I know, if he were in that situation, he would've helped."
Cleri looked eager to inquire further, until someone approached the trio, clapping.
His clothes are fine and high quality, and his dark hair and face seems to shine, lacking the overall dustiness everyone seemed to have in Sander. He was probably a noble.
"You did well. That kick was magnificent," he looked over the three of them, quietly appraising each of them, "Forgive me for not recognizing you three sooner. It's hard to discern when one of you quite literally barrelled through my office chasing after that thief."
Eve quickly noted that this noble came from the direction she had run through. The third story jump the thief pulled must have been through his office. That was her fault.
The thief needed to be apprehended. The destruction of your property was unavoidable.
"A Nasod…" the noble's eyes narrowed but he continued, addressing Cleri and Rose "I couldn't help but notice you two are part of that group that caused a ruckus in the castle. You wanted to meet His Greatness, am I correct?"
Cleri affirmed it, then added, "But there are three of-"
The noble cut her off, "If you'd still like to meet with His Greatness, I have a job open for you that could attract His Greatness' attention. It's a job of incredible importance, and it requires a certain skill."
"You mean it?" the emissary asked, baffled by the offer.
"Hang on, Cleri," Rose replied, "he's a noble. A Sander noble, to boot. What's your angle, kind sir?"
The noble raised his brow warily at the blonde, "Familiar with our kind, are you? Well, I can assure you mine is purely for mutual benefit. You've found yourself face to face with one of His Greatness's top council members. One who has his ear, if you will. Do this for me and you not only benefit yourself but you also further His Greatness's will… a favor even He cannot ignore."
"And you benefit from this, how?" Rose asked, still uncertain about this man's offer, "You talk about benefiting the city but surely you're getting something out of it in return. I know how your kind likes to weave promises into your own personal goals."
The noble snorted, "Is that what you think?"
"If you're not going to tell us then we won't accept."
"Rose…" Cleri protested.
"Last time I blindly accepted a deal like this I was screwed over. He spills his plans to us or we walk."
"Whether you accept or not is none of my concern, really. I can simply ask others for help. You just seem most capable," the noble insisted.
Cleri spoke up again. "T-then, if we accept, then help Eve in return." She motioned at her friend.
Eve blinked in surprise, and the noble looked over at her for the first time since he'd arrived, wearing an obvious expression of slight disdain.
"Cleri, that's hardly worth anything," Rose protested.
"I disagree," the emissary responded and turned to the noble, again, "We'll help. Just promise us an audience and to help Eve with her search as well."
"...Alright." His face twists into something sour.
"A name would be nice, too," Rose added.
"Hm?"
"You claim you're a top council members of Sander. Who are you?"
The noble smiled broadly, "But of course. Where are my manners? You may refer to me as Thironin."