Moving Mountains [Goblin]

[Paladienne]

Orphen felt far more energetic for this early in the morning than he thought he ought to be.

He chalked it up to nerves.

New place, new faces, new everything.

It was so far from what he was used to that he was full of nervous energy, but he couldn’t tell if the nervous energy was good or bad energy. He’d gotten the call only a few days ago - or was it a week ago? - that he was being reassigned from Haviah to Samariel. He’d known better than to ask why. Why else would he be suddenly reassigned without warning? But he had asked, at least for the most basic of information that he was certain he’d be able to obtain, and he’d been told that his particular skill set was needed for a special assignment. And not just any special assignment. It was a special assignment that would determine whether or not his move to Samariel would be a permanent one. A part of him was thrilled by that; he’d been trying to find a new venue for a long while now, seeking something so elusive he couldn’t put a name to it. He was also justifying his desire to move with a dozen reasons that sounded like crap to even his own ears, even when he answered the few questions he could answer. He knew what he was really doing was running away from something he didn’t want to watch happen, happen. To sever something he’d become so accustomed to that he knew he wouldn’t quite know what to do with himself when it was gone.

But that was neither here nor there, and not what he was here to focus on.

Orphen was here to work. To prove that he could do this job from anywhere. That his skill set was needed here. To that end, he had to present a good image and leave a good impression. He knew what kind of image and impression he left at first glance - he was a Starstrider elf of House Procyon, with light robin’s egg blue skin with ice blue shading around his lips, white hair with silver highlights, and a body meant for quick movement, so most people didn’t think he could do much - but first glances were often misleading, and he tended to capitalize on that.

Maybe that was why he was really up so early. To make sure his new boss and co-workers, should he have those, didn’t get the wrong idea about him.

Or maybe it was because of the instructions he’d been given, a vague listing of only a single room number and a building’s address. He’d decided he’d try find the place as soon as he arrived, so that he could get there with enough leeway for time that he wasn’t marked as tardy and had a black mark on his name before he’d even begun his job.

Of course, saying and doing were two different things.

He’d arrived at his assigned temporary housing with barely enough time to throw his bag on the single-occupant bed and make sure that the utilities were working, then change his clothes into suitable attire for one’s first day at a new job, brush his teeth, brush his hair, and get to what would be his new headquarters on time. There was no exploring, no getting used to Samariel, no acclimation whatsoever. He was working blind, and he knew it. He chalked it up to being tested; he’d survived worse tests, after all, and had remained in one piece. He could do it again.

He reminded himself to thank Bragi at some point, because without his partner, he likely wouldn’t have ended up with this assignment.

Because he was so early, it afforded him a few extra minutes to get the layout of the new place, to observe the people that were within the building, and then to interact with those few people, as far as introducing himself, acquiring whatever he needed to be able to move freely around the building, and then heading off to find the room that he was meant to obtain his briefing in. He was, honestly, curious about why his particular skill set was needed, but those details and the details of the mission hadn’t been part of the call telling him to pack up and go. Those would be delivered upon attending the briefing.

Was this the room?

This was the room.

It was the right number, and it was far enough away from the more heavily trafficked areas that it practically had ‘secret meeting’ written all over it.

But then, for all he knew, he was about to walk into a janitor’s closet.

His stomach gave an odd little flip as he reached out to knock on the door of the boardroom. “Excuse me.” he called through the door. Excitement rushed through his blood, the same little thrill he felt each time he started a new adventure. He took a deep breath to calm himself, trying not to look too eager.

Upon hearing the command to enter, he opened it and stepped through, closing the door gently behind him before turning and saluting those already in the room. His violet and cobalt eyes quickly flicked over everyone - or lack of ‘everyone’ - there, taking in details and filing them away for later review. He saluted. “Pilot Echo Orphen Lyre, reporting for duty.”

[GoblinFae]

Life was settling into a new routine again. There was still the series of missions and the oily feeling of trying to fit into your skin again, the piercing headaches and the full-body exhaustion that came with altering and sifting through existent and nonexistent memories. But, there was also the someone to come home to, the shared dinners, the nights of laughter, and the endless war of pranks.

There was joy in her days again thanks to Ren's constant presence in her home. But, even she knew it would not last forever. He might think it could, but Jain was very aware that he could not hide from his fears and problems forever. She encouraged him in her own quiet way, hoping for the best and loving him dearly as the friend he had rapidly become. Time would tell how the dice rolled and the coins fell but she had faith he would heal and one day return to his own life again, his time with her a small blip on the radar of life.

Jain was quick to brush such thoughts away while at work though. She had enough things to deal with without bringing the quirks of her personal life into it as well. Today for instance had been one of her busier ones. She had just gotten back from an overnight information collection mission. It was nothing big and had been simple enough for her to slip in and out without anyone paying her any mind. She was still in her street clothes and had only just finished her debriefing too when she had gotten the summons for a new assignment.

There was no use stalling to change so she had arrived as she was. She had just completed relaying all of the information to her superior when a knock at the door interrupted them. Straight-backed and quietly, Jain eyed the figure before her, taking in every detail and mentally filing it away for further assessment.

His suit was in stark contrast to her own tight, ripped jeans and oversized sweatshirt that kept sliding off her shoulder. She took it all in, his height, his coloring, the way he saluted so stiffly and formally only to come to realize he had not only noticed her, but was doing the same.

Interesting. So few people ever did. Further observations were interrupted as she heard her boss introducing her to Orphen and offering him the seat beside her. Jain's eyes followed his movements before focusing once more on the Commander's voice detailing out her new mission.

"The two of you will be collaborating on your next mission, Pilot Dau. While not a Seeker, Pilot Lyre's set of skills will be crucial in assisting you in obtaining information regarding the McKennedy involvement in our most recent string of leads. If all goes well there is the potential that the two of you will be working with each other more in the future. I expect your traditional excellence in the field, Jain. I know it is out of the ordinary for you to have a partner but obtaining this information in as delicate a manner as possible is critical."

"Of course, sir," she acknowledged, lifting her chin slightly as the rest of the details buzzed about in her head. She would have to work out further details with Orphen before they proceeded but the job itself should be relatively simple. It was necessary to infiltrate a popular celebrity's home and obtain documentation regarding their involvement with a known terrorist group. It was believed that the pop singer was backing a growing operation as a guise to fund the terrorists.

In the back of her mind though, Jain was already beginning to plan things out. She would of course need to discuss it further with Pilot Lyre. But, she saw herself as lead on the case and was not going to set them up for failure by not being assertive. She had all the time in the world to be passive in her home-life and love-life, work was NOT the place for that though.

"-briefing sent to you already. Dismissed," her boss's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Jain fluidly moved to her feet. "Thank you, Sir." She nodded curtly to him before looking to Orphen. For one moment she simply stared up at him before nodding with her head towards the door and exiting, expecting him to follow.

"Have you eaten, Pilot Lyre?"

[Paladienne]

Impressions had been made, of that much he was sure.

But what kind of impressions remained yet to be seen. After all, they hadn’t interacted yet beyond exchanging looks.

But his quick assessment of the woman before him left him uncertain and feeling standoffish.

Clearly, he was overdressed.

And just as clearly, he couldn’t deny that she was impressive.

She obviously knew he’d seen her and had given her a quick assessment. She seemed startled to see him, an emotion quickly hidden under a mask of indifference.

Well, two could play at that game.

“Yes, sir,” was all he said when offered the seat beside the woman in the street clothes.

Orphen had already deduced that whatever assignment that had been handed to him, it wasn’t typical, and that there was a reason there were only him, the Commander, and the lady in the room. So, therefore, when the Commander mentioned the fact that he and the woman beside him - Pilot Jain Dau - were going to be partners, he couldn’t honestly say he was surprised. Still, it was somewhat bitter to discover that he wouldn’t be working this mission alone, as he’d always done before.

Well, that wasn’t quite true.

Over the years, he’d worked with several partners, but always only once or vicariously, in the fact that he ensured their own mission’s success. But in the last decade or so, give or take, Orphen had always been a lone wolf, given somewhat of a free reign to deal with his assignments as he saw fit. Now that he was going to be partnered up for this particular mission, it chafed.

But his wasn’t to argue, nor to debate what was already decided.

So as he listened to the Commander’s voice describe their task and what they were to do, Orphen silently studied Pilot Dau without actually looking like he was studying her.

Ignoring the clothing, she seemed to be a no-nonsense, critical thinking, alpha female. She didn’t seem about to turn anything over to him to deal with, nor did she seem like she would be willing to even hear his input about the mission. Physically, she seemed able-bodied, spry and hardy. There seemed to be an underlying... something... to her, that Orphen couldn’t quite put his finger on yet, but could tell that she wasn’t letting it interfere with her job. There were subtle laugh lines around her mouth and eyes, hardly noticeable. There were signs of sadness, too, of tiredness, of hope and of faith.

All in all, she didn’t seem impossible to work with, only difficult. But, Orphen surmised, even lone wolves would sometimes band together to do what a single wolf could not.

He turned his attention from Pilot Dau to quickly review the information he’d been listening to so that he wasn’t caught unawares. They were going to infiltrate a certain celebrity’s home in order to obtain information on their involvement with a known terrorist group. On the surface, it seemed simple enough, but Orphen often knew that ‘simple’ never was that. He had enough experience to know that the simplest of things could very quickly become difficult to downright near impossible, but then, that was likely what he was there to handle. Or so he believed.

When they were dismissed, he rose from his seat a half beat after Pilot Dau, his mind already whirling with thought, ideas, half-baked plans. There weren’t very many details in regards to what exactly his role would be, but judging by what he’d seen in Pilot Dau’s expression as she’d gotten up and headed toward, and then out, the door, she already had decided she was going to be the lead in this, and he could very well shut up and like it.

Well.

Orphen didn’t like it, but he also wasn’t as young and brash and stupid as he’d once been. He well knew the value of acting passive, especially when someone already had their mind made up.

He followed her, a half-step behind and to her right. It was a position that didn’t necessarily tell her that he was accepting her authority, but rather letting her have it for the time being due to her experience in this type of situation and his lack of it. Of course, the moment their roles were reversed, there was no doubt that he would force her to accept that he was the authority.

That, too, was conveyed by his chosen position behind her.

“Have I eaten?” he asked, repeating her question back to her. “No, I haven’t. Why, are you offering?”

[GoblinFae]

She paused at the start of his answer, turning slightly so as to wait for him to catch up and fall into line with her. Like any soldier, Jain did not like someone at her back. But, more than that this was her colleague not her pet or her servant. If they were going to work together and converse about the mission then she needed him at her side. She needed to know he would have her back as much as she intended to have his.

The answer itself though caused a faint curl of her lips, no more than a blink of the eye really before she was turning her head to look up to him and resume their walking together. "I am indeed offering, Pilot Lyre. Unless of course you would consider that an insult."

One lone brow rose at him in a silent question. The rest of her expression remained neutral, although there was a general amicability about her nature. She was not trying to be difficult for difficulty's sake. "I feel it might be easier to hash out some details and get to know each other's strengths over a meal rather than locked up in some stuffy office. If you disagree though," Jain shrugged, causing the shoulder of her sweatshirt to slide further down her arm, "then by all means go ahead and say so. My office is just around the corner." She motioned in the opposite direction where they were headed but paused in the hall to await his decision. In the mean time she adjusted the sleeve again to cover both shoulders. While he was dressed for a day in the office she felt like a rebellious teenager two steps away from ditching class to hit up the local diner for greasy burgers and fountain drinks.

[Paladienne]

There it was. The first sign of annoyance. He saw it in her body language, the way she stopped and waited for him to catch up with a slight hint of impatience. Well, that was a good sign as good signs went. It meant that she wanted to work as equals on this endeavor, and that she wanted to know if she could trust him. He took that last step forward, moving out from behind her to beside her, folding his arms over his chest.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t consider it an insult, just... interesting.” It took Orphen a minute to leash his natural instinct to smirk at her. After all, this wasn’t a pissing contest and they weren’t children. He’d already managed to irritate her, and it wouldn’t be doing either of them any good if he were to irritate her even more. So he swallowed his instinctive comment and tried to brush off the manners he’d been taught. “You’re right; figuring out details and getting to know each other over a meal is definitely preferable to sitting in a stuffy office. I’d prefer it, in fact.”

A small, genuine smile appeared on his face then, his eyes lighting up a little bit. “Going out is perfectly fine. I never refuse an offer of free food. Anyway, I haven’t exactly had a chance to explore yet, so I’m in your hands, Pilot Dau.”

His eyes were drawn from her face, however, to the way she pulled at the sweater’s sleeves, to the way she held herself as she tried to make herself look as professional as possible, and he realized that what she was wearing wasn’t hers, so to speak. It was part of whatever persona she had played long before today, and, like him, who hadn’t even had time to unpack before this meeting, Pilot Dau hadn’t had the time to change. Orphen couldn’t be completely sure, but he was certain he wouldn’t want to go out with someone dressed in a uniform while he was looking like some ragamuffin who was trying to look rebellious.

Well, maybe he could try to show her he wasn’t a complete jerk.

“You said your office is just around the corner, right?” he asked. “Do you keep a change of clothes in it? If you’d like to see about getting out of that, I don’t mind waiting.”

[GoblinFae]

"Do you like spicy food, Pilot Lyre? I know a good restaurant not far from here that serves really good curry. Unless of course you prefer sushi. It is Samariel after all." Jain smiled softly, no hint of malice or disdain in her expression, for she felt none. Her eyes though were ever watchful and ever calculating. It was in her nature to observe and catalogue every detail of every little bit of information she encountered. Now was as good a time as ever to take in what she could glean about her new temporary partner given how closely they were now expected to work together.

Mention of her attire made her stiffen ever so slightly. One brow raised again as her lips pursed into a thin line. Did he have a problem with what she was wearing? Was this his way of saying he was embarrassed to be seen in public with her? Did he deem her unprofessional? There was no way for Orphen to know after all that she had just gotten back from a mission and had had no time to change clothes. there was no way for him to realize that this was not her usual attire and in fact was not something she was overly fond of.

Internally she sighed slightly at the thought of crawling into her bed back home and snuggling down in soft pjs, the faint sounds of Ren's game playing in the next room over as she dozed off to sleep. It would be some time before she could get home still it seemed. Such was the life of a Seeker though and a Shadowman at that. She knew it and she still saw no reason not to stand by it.

None of that though answered the question that Orphen was still waiting on her reply for. While she had sent her mind whirling in opposite directions, he was still standing there waiting for her. "Thank you for your concern. However, I would feel more comfortable if you kept your thoughts focused on the details of our mission, rather than my attire. Unless of course you are uncomfortable and wish to change? I don't mind waiting if that was your original intention, Pilot Lyre."

[Paladienne]

There was a flash of genuine hurt in his cobalt eyes at her words, at her snap refusal and at her tone of voice. It wasn’t quite the same, but it was close enough to trigger that childhood memory, that deeply ingrained reaction that he couldn’t stop from feeling even though he wanted to. The flash was there and gone, but there was no denying it.

It’s just like when...

No. Orphen told himself forcefully. Don’t go there.

That had no bearing on this situation now. There was no room for that here.

Despite that, it didn’t stop the icy flash from going through him lightning quick and leaving him with an ancient wound, reopened once again after it should’ve been healed a long, long time ago. But Orphen hid that, stuffed it into a dark place and shut the door on it, and instead turned his attention to why Jain would assume his comment about her clothes, and his subsequent offer, would have been made out of spite.

He didn’t believe he’d read her wrong. No, he was quite confident that he’d read her motions and micro-expressions correctly. But there was no going back now and trying to change what was said. The only thing he could do was try to diffuse whatever insult she’d perceived, since she’d so forcefully reminded him they weren’t there to be friends but to work together.

No more and no less.

So he swallowed the centuries’ old feelings that had never quite went away and lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m perfectly fine the way I am. I wasn’t quite expecting what I’d be walking into when I arrived, so I dressed in what I felt was appropriate. I’m sure you understand.”

Orphen dropped his hands then, gesturing for her to take the lead. “Either is fine with me. If there’s somewhere special you’d like to go, then why don’t we go there?” It wasn’t like he couldn’t find anything to eat no matter where they went, anyway. He offered her an easy smile, then, as if that was the answer she was looking for. “If you aren’t adverse to making the all important decision, that is, Pilot Dau.”

[GoblinFae]

Jain caught a small bit of her cheek between her teeth and bit down, letting the pinch stay her tongue. She was tired and uncomfortable with the situation but that was no reason to take things out on her new partner. That word left a bitter taste in her mouth that she didn't like. It was not as if she had never done work with others. It was just that she felt she did it best alone.

"Not at all," she replied softly, with a slight nod of her head. Jain brushed passed Orphen to lead the way again. She walked like a ghost through the halls and out the building. Each step she took was quiet and her head was tipped forward slightly, so used to being ignored and unseen. It was too much effort to make herself readily memorable to every stranger or acquaintance she passed.

Once outside, she slipped on a pair of shades, plastic rimmed and vibrant neon-pink while waiting for him to fall into stride beside her. "Since you've left the deciding up to me we'll go for a curry but," she paused to point in the opposite direction, "should you be looking for sushi later, the best place to go is around the corner past the winding ponds and on the right. It's a tiny little place but so worth it."

She sighed then before putting on a smile and taking him a few blocks north to a place she and Ren had been favoring quite frequently of late. The door jingled to signal their entrance. A waiter immediately greeted Orphen, completely ignoring Jain. "Table for one then, sir?"

[Paladienne]

Sushi, huh? He’d have to remember that. Orphen rather enjoyed trying new things, and despite the fact he’d had sushi before in his lifetime, things like food trends tended to change in the blink of an eye. “Curry’s fine. It’s been a while since I’ve had that.”

He studied her as they walked, doing his best not to be obvious about it. She clearly didn’t like that he was there. Didn’t like the fact that he was her partner. Didn’t like the fact that she was no longer working alone. Ironically, he could commiserate with her. He’d always worked alone. The few partners he’d had he’d never truly interacted with like he would with Jai- Pilot Dau, and in the end, he moved on and continued on alone. His life was his and his alone, and he shared it with no one. He’d never thought about sharing it with anyone. He was sure Jai- Pilot Dau would be like his previous partners - a brief span of time until the mission was complete, and then he would be moving again, on another mission, and she would forget him - but while she was his, he intended to do what he did best, watch her back, and make sure he didn’t step on her toes.

Which, by her expression - or lack of it - he’d already done just by being by her side.

When they reached the restaurant, Orphen was surprised that the waiter greeted only him. Couldn’t the fool see he wasn’t alone? Couldn’t he see Jai-Pilot Dau?

Why didn’t Jai-Pilot Dau say anything to correct the fool? She was standing right beside him, her expression blank, as if she was used to being ignored and unnoticed. Stung on her behalf, Orphen started to respond, then stopped. He quickly reviewed what he’d observed about her during the briefing and during their walk to this restaurant, and a strange sense of understanding dawned on him.

Oh. I get it now.

This was her gift. This was why he had been placed with her for this mission. With her ability to remain unnoticed, even by someone staring right at her, and his ability to manipulate people’s actions just by speaking, they were dangerous individually, but they would be a doubly dangerous team. That is, if she could stand to work with him.

Orphen’s eyes slid to Jai-Pilot Dau and studied her for a moment, as if he were waiting for her to say something and make her presence known. When she didn’t, he returned his gaze to the waiter and allowed an easy, friendly smile to appear on his face. “A big table, if you don’t mind. I’ve been stuck on the rail for hours, so I’d appreciate the ability to stretch a little.”

[GoblinFae]

It would be a lie to say she did not find a small stray glimmer of amusement from the entire situation. She was more than used to the complications that arose from her gift. Being ignored and missed was part of the job. She and Ren had even developed a bit of a game around it all when they were feeling particularly mischievous.

Today was not one of those days. While there was that telltale flicker of confusion before realisation that she had gotten very good at recognising over the years, Jain was in no mood to play the game today. She crossed her arms and sighed exasperatedly.

"Excuse me it's a table for two actually," she finally stated, causing the host to startle and stare at her wide-eyed. "Forgive me I didn't see you there!"

"No worries. The table?"

"Right, right!" the man muttered, shaking his head as if shaking off a strange fog.

Jain stared at Orphen without saying a word before following the waiter to their table and quietly settling in. Only once the elf was seated did she finally comment. "Kind of you to to remember that I exist and get us a table accordingly. I think our partnership will go swimmingly from here, don't you?"

[Paladienne]

Well.

At the very least he’d gotten his answer to his unasked question, but it had been at the expense of whatever camaraderie had started to blossom between them. Pilot Dau didn’t hide the fact that she didn’t like him, that she didn’t want him around, that she’d rather he wouldn’t be here with her. He could’ve come out and asked her directly, but he’d wanted to confirm for himself what he’d observed about the host’s behavior when it came to his new partner, and he’d - obviously mistakenly - assumed that Jain had intentionally allowed it to happen.

Orphen was no stranger to having read a situation wrong. Usually he didn’t make such mistakes, since making mistakes in his line of work could very well end up getting him and anyone he was working with or for killed.

He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Once seated, he stared back at Jain, his blue eyes focused on her face, his face expressionless. She had every right to be angry, and Orphen accepted her anger. He leaned back in his chair, his hands falling idle in his lap. For a moment, he organized his thoughts before he spoke, but when he finally did give voice to his words, they were carefully chosen, meant to avoid more insult and to try to fix what he’d broken. “Forgive me. I’m not used to working with someone, and tend to let things happen so I can observe how things play out when given a certain situation. I shouldn’t have done that.”

He finally looked away from her, to the menu that was placed in front of him, still expressionless. “I didn’t forget you existed. I noticed that the host ignored you as if he didn’t see you, despite the fact you were standing right there before his eyes. I assumed that you didn’t want to be noticed, not that it was simply a natural thing that you did, something you could control. That’s why I asked for a big table, something two people could sit at comfortably. I was wrong to assume, and I’m sorry.”

[GoblinFae]

Jain pursed her lips tightly together, exhaling heavily as she mulled something over in her head. She was tired, she was irritated, and she was completely unprepared for having a work partner. Maybe if it had been someone she knew, someone like Cabe or Ren...or Jesse she would have been able to muddle through it and be okay. But, this stranger was pretentious and an asshole. He made apologies for situations he created and could have easily amended by simply NOT behaving poorly. He stomped on all her toes in such a short amount of time and yet insisted that it wasn't intentional even as he constantly tested her.

What had she even done to deserve a partner like this? Had she really good and well fucked up? Jain hadn't thought she had been doing poorly. Surely after Jesse's death she had still managed to keep her head above water. Was she really screwing up that badly that she hadn't even noticed? Was that what this was all about? She needed a handler to keep her in control now too? Or was she meant to be the handler keeping track of some washed out burnout Pilot? That certainly would explain his attitude if nothing else.

Fine, then. She could do this. It was just a job. He would work on this mission with her. They would succeed and then she would move on and he would return back to where he came. Easy. She could do this.

"Then consider that your first lesson in working with me, Pilot Lyre." Taking a deep, calming breath, Jain smoothed her hands out on the table and continued in a gentler tone. "No one notices me on the first go around. It's my gift. Try not to take it personally. If we're going to work together successfully then you're going to have to get used to this behaviour. And we're going to need to work together whether we like it or not. The mission takes priority over our own sentiments towards working solo or in pairs as we've been assigned. That goes for both of us, self included.

"Now then," she straightened in her seat and set her small tablet on the table. "How do you usually begin assessing priorities for your mission? I like to make a gameplan before I go in. Improvisation isn't my favourite thing in the world without several backups organised first."

[Paladienne]

She didn’t like him. That much was obvious in her body language and expression. She didn’t like him, didn’t want him there, didn’t want him around her. He doubted she hated him, but if he kept acting like he did, then that was where her dislike was bound to go. It didn’t take long for him to make people hate him; it was liking him that was more difficult to do. But, at the same time, he didn’t need Pilot Dau to like him in order to work with him. It would help, but it didn’t need to be done. So long as he stopped stepping on her toes, he was certain they would get along just fine for the duration of the mission. Besides that, after the mission was over, they both could go their separate ways and never have to deal with each other again. Orphen knew that she could agree with that - do the job, succeed at the job, separate - and so he could agree with that as well.

They weren’t friends.

They didn’t need to be friends.

They just had to work together for however long it took and do their best not to kill each other in the meantime.

He listened to her speak, nodding slightly at her words. She was right; nothing mattered more so than the mission, and getting the mission done, regardless of how each of them felt about it, or about each other. And Orphen had had a number of partners over his long years since becoming a Pilot, and not all of them he’d liked or had cared to work with ever again. But he’d gotten the mission done despite his personal feelings. As long as she was willing to work with him, then he could work with her. They could make this partnership work for the duration they needed to make it work.

As she finished with her final questions, Orphen’s face became impassive as he considered her words. He didn’t want to answer her flippantly, and he didn’t want to answer her with uncertainty. There was how he worked, and then there was how he had to work when dealing with others. They were two different things, and while sometimes they coincided nicely, more often they clashed and he was forced to adapt, as much as it went against the grain. She already had a poor opinion of him, too, and he didn’t want to give her more of a reason to dislike him.

When he answered, it was with carefully measured words, truthful and honest, and he focused on her eyes as he spoke, so that even she knew that what he was saying he meant.

“I prefer to do a bit of reconnaissance on my target before I engage. Learn his or her habits and schedules, where they like to frequent, the people they like to hang out with or be seen with. As I’m generally immersed within their world, the more I know about them, the better it is. Considering we already have that information, it wouldn’t be too difficult to insinuate ourselves into the routine and schedule our target keeps.”

Orphen shifted in his seat, finding himself hoping she didn’t think he was being pretentious by jumping forward a little instead of keeping to the bare bones of a starting plan. “Knowing what it is they like to do, or are even obligated to do, then, would be where I would start. Once I know where they will be at a given time, I usually scout the building or buildings. Entrances, exits, security. How I can get in and out without being seen, or if that’s unavoidable, the quickest route to the target and the quickest escape route. If I can set something up beforehand to ease entry and exit, then I’ll do so. If I’m working with someone, as we are in this situation, then we can assess our strengths and work out a plan that will allow us to compliment each other’s skills. If you’re stronger in a certain area pertaining to our mission parameters, then that’s what we’ll plan for you to do. Same if I’m stronger in a certain area. I try to keep the improvisation as minimal as possible, but I do leave room for it. I can have a hundred plans for how things might go - if I do A, then B will happen - but all it takes is something I haven’t accounted for to force an adaptation.”

He leaned back in his chair and kept his eyes on her face. “I don’t relish flying by the seat of my pants if I can avoid it, but that doesn’t mean I can’t. If there’s one thing I’ve learned doing this kind of work, it’s that you have to be prepared for anything and everything, and find a way to survive when you’re not.”

[GoblinFae]

She listened intently as he spoke, drinking in every word as her eyes never once left his face. Every syllable he spoke was committed to memory, processed, and categorised for future planning purposes. Memory alteration might have been her "superpower" but memory retention was her gift. They say the devil is in the details and if there was anyone who could not only process large amounts of information in their head all at once and shred it down to barebones, it was Jain Dau.

Only when Orphen was done speaking did she finally blink and bob her head, although whether it was in acknowledgement to him or whatever thought had been running through her head, remained to be seen. "Then that's how we proceed. I do best with digital visuals prior to extraction. Once in the field though all bets are off."

'And this is why I work best alone.'

"I can deal with a plan in place but human variables although creatures of habit tend to be too chaotic to ensure that a plan will run perfectly from beginning to end even with the contingency plans in place. Up until this point my work has predominantly relied on solo infiltration, collection, and extraction. I'm not very memorable and easily overlooked making me perfect for missions such as these..." she trailed off eyeing him up and down again but keeping her thoughts locked tight and to herself.

'...which begs the question of why the hell you're here.'

[Paladienne]

He didn’t miss the emphasis she put on solo. He couldn’t blame her for stressing that. They both worked better on their own, without anyone interfering. Without anyone being their constant shadow, or looking over their shoulder. They didn’t have to be responsible for anyone but themselves. Orphen didn’t exactly relish the idea of working with her either, but he would do what he had to do. What he’d been ordered to do. He also understood that Jain was probably feeling as if she were being subtly told that she was inadequate and she couldn’t be trusted to handle this mission on her own. Orphen, on the other hand, looked at the mission in a different way. The fact that he was here meant that the mission was one of utmost importance. Their superiors wanted nothing left to chance. With his power to alter people’s perceptions of the world around them and Jain’s ability to move about unnoticed, very few things would go wrong that they couldn’t plan for. The only mistakes that would happen would come from themselves, and Orphen wasn’t in the business of making mistakes while on a mission. And from what she’d said, Jain wasn’t in that particular business either.

He watched her eyes drift over his form, from his pale hair to the part of his body that was visible above the table and back again. Her face was impassive, and he couldn’t get a sense of her thoughts from her expression, or lack thereof, but he could infer what she was thinking based on her words.

Orphen knew he would have to choose how he replied with care.

“Based upon what our mission is,” he began slowly, almost spacing out each word, “it stands to reason that it isn’t as easy as it sounds. It isn’t just a simple ‘go in without being seen, find this, get out’. Our... friend... is what I would consider high value. If we’re to find anything worthwhile, then we have to ensure that he isn’t expecting anything but a normal day to day routine. That means ensuring you will be overlooked even if he’s staring right at you.” Orphen paused, his eyes drifting shut for a moment as he ordered his thoughts. When he reopened them, he stared directly into her eyes without blinking. “Like you, my work up until now has been similar to yours - solo infiltration, collection, extraction... assassination. A big part of it also has been ensuring other operatives have been able to attain their goals, by which I provide distraction, outright or subtle. I’ve also been used to fix problems.”

He let that sentence hang, allowing her to think what she would. Considering her own line of work, whatever she thought wouldn’t be that far off the mark. Orphen folded his hands together and balanced the sides of his palms on the table’s edge.

Orphen continued, “Once we’ve had more time to look into the details concerning our mission, we’ll be able to better formulate a plan. A plan that uses both our strengths to their utmost, and a plan that will allow for us to compensate for each other’s weaknesses. As you said, you’re not very memorable and easily overlooked. I, however, am not.” His lips quirked slightly in a small, sardonic smile before he resumed his previous stoic expression. “Similarly, my ability to entrance others with my voice and get them to do as I wish will allow for you to easier infiltrate places you might not otherwise be able to enter without some form of bribery, trickery, outright murder, or the stars and planets aligning in the correct patterns.”

He blinked at last, offering her a little smile. “I’m not here to replace you. I’m not here as a sign you’re incompetent. I’m not here for any negative reason you might think of. Trust me. They wouldn’t be so subtle. I’m here to help you. Think of me as your shadow. Your big, deadly shadow that will do his best not to step on any more of your toes.”