A Feather Stolen
Finding Idols
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"Come on Onyx, let me win at least one round!" Anoel whined, fingers twisting at and fiddling with a black dart.
"What? And forfeit my winning streak?" the patron asked incredulously. "Not a chance, girly."
Ano's lips pouted, but he could tell she was fighting back a smile. "Whatever oldy. I'll beat you next time. That's a promise!"
"Yeah, sure. When you beat me, you'll probably hold alcohol down better than I can," he returned, watching her take a couple more throws at the dartboard to rid herself of the objects. "Won't be for a long while though, kid."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bite me." Anoel gave a little laugh and jumped up, locking her pinky with the patron's own before giving him a challenging smirk.
He accepted the challenge.
"Go get yourself some water. Or milk. Or… whatever you drink," he finalized, letting her go after having her dangle on his hand for a few seconds.
"I can have soda, you know. It's close enough," Ano replied, something he smiled to. "And wipe that grin off your face! I'll be drinking alcohol before you know it!"
"Sure kid."
The little info-broker trudged off and left the group of guys she was hanging out with. But she couldn't help but turn around and call out to him when another challenger stepped up to his plate.
"Don't you dare lose to anyone before I beat you! Got it?!"
"Like hell I'll let that happen!"
Yeah, he's fired up. Ano's job is done there.
She happily crossed the room through a couple more groups of patrons, slipping between tables to get back to the bar. A couple hands pat her head along the way, but she knew whose they were.
She knew everyone in the bar, after all. It was her job to.
Anoel climbed into the stool at the corner once she got there, wiggling herself into place before resting her chin on the bar's countertop.
Niro was working the bar behind his dad, despite being eleven years old.
This was his job too.
His dad on the other hand silently made his way over to Ano, still cleaning a glass with a white cloth as he glanced to her.
An expectant gleam in his eyes.
After a moment, Anoel lifted her chin and let out a puff of air, squishing her cheek against her palm as she stuck her elbow to the bar top.
"Three murders. I'll write down the locations and suspects later. Our friendly neighborhood drug cartel down in the lower district's about to go under, so they're planning a major heist. They're gonna hit the city bank on Monday."
Anoel peeked up at him as she played with a straw, a chilled glass of a mixture of soda sliding in front of her. It was amber colored, clinking with fresh ice. Her favorite, actually.
She wasn't done though.
"Indigo's having a secret wedding affair, Alice found out so she's hired an assassin to speak his peace. Sex trafficking's at an all-time high due to a person of interest getting involved. And two separate weapons shipments are coming in tonight at docks 11A and 9B, an hour apart. One from Atlas, the other Mistral. In that order."
She dipped the tip of her straw into her drink and gave the mixture a little swirl, letting out a long sigh now that she was done.
When his gaze turned away for just a moment, she lowered her chin and turned a disappointed gaze down to the polished wood of the counter.
Muttering under her breath.
"And… no mention of Ly…"
Anoel's gaze turned back up at the distant sound of sirens. They weren't uncommon in Vale, but they were uncommon in vicinity to this bar.
Most avoided it. Probably because a lot of the enforcement officers were on its payroll.
The sirens blaring in the distance outside were slowly filtering in through the bar's walls now, growing steadily louder than the ambient noise coming from the patrons and music.
The crack of pool balls on one of the felt tables behind her matched the pitched screech of tires just outside.
It wasn't long before two police cruisers came to a full stop just outside the bar and began poking around the alleyways. Men pointing their flashlights around slowly rounded the building, looking at the rooftops and fire escape routes down the side.
They were chasing someone.
The slightest distortion of light underneath a pair of new patrons entering through the door caught Ano's attention in her peripheral vision as her eyes snapped toward it, but missed it before she could focus on it.
That little distortion…
Ano switched to heat vision immediately, watching as a slim blur crossed the room and made its way to the furthest wall from the door.
Hiding itself away under one of the empty booth tables in the corner.
Ly…?
Anoel slid herself from her stool and left her drink where it was. Most eyes were still focused on the police patrolling outside, so she slipped her way through and around the patrons sitting at their own tables.
Her eyes stayed locked on the heat signature, gaze scared to look away from it in case it disappeared again.
When she finally reached the table, she felt that familiar sense of heat she remembered feeling that day two months ago.
"Ly?" Anoel spoke with a soft crack in her voice, lowering herself down.
The girl's body flickered upon hearing the voice, giving Ano a small glimpse of her heavily breathing form before her cloak reformed around her.
She brought her finger up to her mouth and quietly shushed Ano. "D-don't tell them I'm here… please."
Ano's small heart lurched in her chest as she heard Ly's voice. It was her. Her eyes glanced away for just a second, following the gazes of everyone else to the police standing just outside the bar's door.
They were just stationing themselves outside.
Anoel's small form crouched down and crawled under the table, silently positioning herself in front of Ly's invisible form to give her a confused look.
"Why would I tell them?"
Ly demonstrated a surprising amount of skill with her semblance as she reached inside her coat and pulled out an item sealed within a glass container. The girl made it visible to Ano after holding it up as her cloak retracted from it and revealed a priceless wooden statuette inside.
"Kerillian wood… How did you…?" Anoel tilted her head as her eyes glanced back up to Ly's invisible face.
Niro's dad had been after the artifact for the past week, but it was hidden behind an uncomfortably high amount of defense and security.
Ly managed to steal it.
"I-I snuck in and took it…" Ly murmured worriedly as she placed it back inside her coat. "I-I didn't know it would be this important…"
She made it sound easy.
"That's-" Anoel's breath hitched for a moment in disbelief as she stared at Ly's heat signature, bewilderment glistening in her eyes. "That's actually startlingly impressive."
"What do I do…?" Ly asked, desperation seeping into her tone as her semblance began flickering again. "I-if I run, they're just gonna chase me again… and I can't s-stay here forever…"
The girl took a deep breath as she sat herself on the ground fully, bringing her legs into her chest and wrapping her slender arms around them as she buried her head into her knees. Her invisible cloak finally dropped as cerulean eyes peeked over her knees, gaze staring at the door.
Anoel honestly wished Ly could stay here forever…
But maybe she can at least help her with what's going on right now.
"You're safe in here. This is the one place police refuse to enter without permission from the owner," Anoel spoke quietly.
Her hands fell to the floor to shuffle herself closer to Ly, moving just in front of her with a determined gaze resting in her eyes. If not a little shy, too.
"But I need to ask you to do something first. To make them go away."
"W-What?" Ly replied bluntly, lifting her head slightly as her legs relaxed a little.
Anoel took a breath before holding it, meeting Ly's gaze with another tilt of the head as she leaned forward. "First, I want a hug. I missed you."
A red flush appeared on her cheeks as Ly froze. "Y-Y-ou want me to h-hug you? Because… you m-missed me?"
Ano just nodded with a small smile. "That's exactly what I want."
Ly's eyebrows furrowed. "You missed me… why? I don't get it..."
Anoel just cocked her head the other way, an innocence in her eyes. But she held a sad longing in them alongside it. "You've been gone for two months… I haven't stopped looking for you."
Lylac blinked once in confusion, her gaze falling to the floorboards for a moment before she took a slow breath. "I… have…? I-I didn't think it was that long, I…"
Her voice was filled with uncertainty and disorientation as she trailed off. Her bright cobalt stare boring into the grain of the wooden floorboards.
Ano's gaze softened in wake of those words as she leaned forward even further, resting her small hands on Ly's bent legs. "I want to help you. So please, will you let me?"
Ly's eyes trailed up Ano's arm and met hers, hesitating for a moment before slowly and reluctantly nodding.
Anoel's own head dipped in a tiny nod in return to that, her smile coming back to her. "Now can I hug you? I know how to make them go away."
The blonde thief nodded again, lowering her legs and shuffling forward in an invitational gesture.
Ano's smile widened at that. The small info-broker lurched forward and threw her arms around Ly's sides, her light frame falling against Ly's own as she buried her face into her neck.
She really missed her.
Ly slowly reciprocated the action and brought her arms around her upper back, her blush deepening but she ignored it in favor of somewhat enjoying the moment of embrace.
Anoel's grip only grew firmer as she sunk her face further into Ly's warm shoulder, not wanting to let go. Even as her heart throbbed painfully in her chest.
She was hoping Ly would go along with her plan after this, but she knew she wouldn't like it. So she was taking what she could get while it lasted.
After a minute went by, Ano had to force herself to slowly start to let go of that warmth. Her arms began to grow loose as she took in a small breath through her nose.
But Ly's grip didn't loosen at all. Ano felt the girl's eyes close, her hold actually tightening to keep Anoel against her.
S-She… didn't want to let go either?
Anoel eventually cracked her eyes open after another minute passed, gently lifting her head from Ly's neck. The girl was still dirty, a musky scent flooding her nose from Ly's sweaty skin. But she didn't care.
She just wanted to hug her before she went away again.
"If you're away for any longer next time, I'll just have to kiss you when I see you again. To make up for lost time," Ano murmured quietly, retightening her hold.
Ano felt the burning sensation in Ly's cheeks become hotter as it spread to her face, hearing her breath hitch slightly as it did.
She was easily embarrassed. It only made her want to do it more.
Because it was so cute.
"Niro's dad has been looking for that. He'll buy it off you. And he has influence over the cops outside, so he can tell them off. You don't have to leave yet," Anoel whispered softly, her nose brushing against Ly's small collarbone near her shoulder.
Ano felt Ly shake her head, the grip around her starting to loosen as the girl silently opened her eyes.
"O-Okay…" her gentle response was spoken breathlessly as she finally let Ano go, blue eyes focused solely on hers.
Anoel didn't pull away immediately. Even though the musky scent was unpleasant, she wanted to take it in for just a few more seconds before she left it. She wanted just one more thing to help her remember more of the girl in her arms.
When she finally leaned back, Ano sat against her heels and met the gaze looking at her with reassurance.
She couldn't help but just stare for a few seconds. Ly's cheeks were still pink.
Pink looked good on her.
"Let's go then," Anoel eventually said. "He won't mind."
Ly shuffled forward slightly before righting herself and following Ano as they both crawled out from under the table in the booth. Both girls slowly standing as Ly pulled out the statuette from her coat.
The two made their way back to the bar mostly unseen. The attention on the cops waiting just outside the door had dwindled by now, so a couple curious eyes turned their way.
But none in suspicion.
Anoel could feel Ly's eyes trailing to the floor, her hand holding the idol close to her chest as they walked. She was hiding away from those gazes.
"You don't have to worry about them," Ano said. A reassuring gaze peered over her shoulder as she looked back at Ly. "They won't say anything."
Ly quietly hummed a reply but refused to return any of their looks. It was obvious she didn't like drawing attention to herself, despite the big white coat and luminescent blue eyes.
But, she was still a thief. Thieves hated the spotlight. Too bad she was with Ano… the info-broker sucked at not drawing any toward her.
Ano's eyes glanced back to the bar to see Niro's dad looking toward her, his eyes flicking to Ly for a moment before his gaze turned to the front door.
The cops were still waiting outside.
He met them at the end of the bar when Anoel helped Ly into a stool, the girl climbing into one herself to reach for her drink.
"She has something you've been looking for," Anoel explained. One of her hands drifted to the side as she leaned over, pulling her soda she left here from earlier and sliding it in front of Ly.
If she wanted any.
"I get the feeling I'm not the only one looking for it," he replied, drifting his gaze to the uniforms outside again before bringing it back to Ly.
The girl just slowly placed the glass box on the table, wooden figure untouched just inside.
Then she dropped her hands into her lap like she'd get in trouble for just touching it. She looked like she felt really guilty about taking it.
"How'd you get it?"
Anoel slipped her hand back into Ly's on her lap, but she kept her gaze on the man in front of them. "She can turn invisible. She just walked in and took it. She couldn't get out without detection, unfortunately."
He quirked a brow at that, keeping his gaze on Ly's downturned face. "Not a lot of people can do that. Very few, actually."
"Mhmm. But she won't do anything until those cops go away," Anoel spoke firmly.
He didn't seem too surprised to hear that. "Does she know how rare that statuette is?"
Ly finally looked up at him and shook her head before her eyes fell to the wooden idol in front of her in curiosity.
"It was made in Kerillor. Their wood had special properties," he spoke evenly, keeping careful watch over her reactions. "People would kill for even a small quantity of the material."
"R-Really?" Ly questioned, her eyes widening slightly before her shoulders shrank down. She looked like she didn't like the sound of that.
He didn't answer her. Not immediately.
Ano watched him turn around and face the cops in the window, their gazes meeting his through the glass. He gave a small shake of his head, something that looked dismissive somehow.
The officers didn't hesitate to step away from the bar and go back to their vehicles.
And then they left.
Ly's eyes widened in bewilderment at the sound of the car engines dissipating away, her gaze drifting to the windows for a few long moments before turning back to the man in front of them.
He took up another glass to start drying as he brought his attention back to the two girls sitting side by side.
"Thirsty?" he asked indifferently, bringing his eyes back to Ly's own.
"I-I don't have any money…" she replied honestly, interlocking her fingers in her lap.
"I can pay fo-" Ano's mouth snapped shut when his gaze drifted to her, his hand waving her off. She just mumbled to herself in response to it.
"Compliments of the house. A hot meal, a cold drink. And then we talk business. The menu's up there, and Anoel's there to help you if you need it."
After he spoke his mind, he turned away to go back to tending to patrons while Ly was left to try to make a decision.
Ano was there to make it easier.