AEDOLIS > The Rest of Aedolis

Moving Mountains [Goblin]

(1/3) > >>

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.”

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page