I guess that I am in deep trouble...

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Dan was hiding in a tavern, in a dark corner. He was running away of those law enforcers for days now. They killed his men, they took his merchandise. He was alone again.
He raised the collar of his shirt, trying to hide his face more then anything else. He sat deeper in his chair, making himself at ease. He was hoping to meet someone who could help him to raise "The Mob" again, to take back his HQ. The word was spreading that he would offer the equivalent to his bounty as a payment for the help.

Dan ordered a full tea pot that he managed to get for free, using his charms to seduce the maid. He sipped on it thoughtfully while he was waiting. "If no one shows up, I'll need to hire someone myself. Although, I'm a generous man when we talk about payment. I would laugh if a girl would show up for the job, it would make it more interesting though."

[Rising]

Cloak had only recently arrived in Cancer, from a relatively sheltered life in Haviah, and she was already enjoying herself immensely. Who would've thought that pickpockets could be so bold? More fools them, she'd had to shoot at one to try to seem slightly tougher than she was. Her hair felt strangely feminine, braided as it was, and she hoped that its colour didn't make her look old. Not that this showed in her demeanor. She strode through the corridors with an impassive expression that was driven to look fierce from her new 'tattoos', looking around for somewhere she might be able to settle in a bit. She had found herself quarters that seemed secure enough (stolen them through hacking while the owner was out, in fact), but she had little idea of where she was yet.
 
Abruptly, she noticed a diversion in the stream of people towards a door that, on second glance, was accompanied by a sign declaring it a tavern. She guessed that was the kind of place people congregated here, and decided to step inside. Cloak knew she was drawing a few eyes as she slipped past the other entering patrons through conveniently opening gaps, although her appearance wasn't that uncommon. It was probably more the smirk and the slink that had crept up on her while she wasn't paying attention. Leaning against a counter, she raised an eyebrow at a maid, then surveyed the tavern. Who was that hiding in the corner? Fugitives always did have the best 'gossip'... The maid came over with a drink, and she grabbed it with a murmur of "I'll pay on my way out.", before heading over to greet the strange man in the corner, albeit a little warily.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Dan looked at the women as she entered and headed to the bar. Something was telling she wasn't from around here. Maybe the hair or the tattoos, or maybe because she stared at him. He kept his composure, a hand on his unique gun.

She sat in front of her. He gave her a smirk even though he wasn't in the mood."You don't look like the kind of people usually hangin' around me. Let me introduce myself; My name is Dan. Who might you be?"

One of his hand was on the table and the other was hiding under the table, covered in bandage. A muffled metallic sound came from there. His gun was ready.

[Rising]

Cloak twitched nervously at the ominous noise. Was this really a good idea? He seemed sort of friendly though, and she didn't feel threatened enough to run, although she surreptitiously loosened the holster of her working blaster gun. Up close, the guy was quite striking, with eyes that made her feel a little uncomfortable, despite knowing that her mind was fairly psychic proof. Simultaneously reinforcing and slightly dropping her persona, she slouched slightly as she listened to his introduction.

"I suppose not... Who might these people be, then?" She shrugged a little, then continued immediately. "I understand if you don't want to say." Flashing a confident smile at him, she shifted to face him more directly and introduced herself in firm tones. "I'm Kaliya Tarsi, but you, you can call me Cloak."

She assumed a persona of easy confidence, and let her interest in what he would say next enter her eyes.

"So, what's a guy like you doing cowering in a place like this?"

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Seeing her twitch at the sound of his trusty colt .44 dragoon told him she wasn't a foe. Putting the hammer back to rest and in its holster, he smile and stared in her eyes.
"Those who orbit around me usually call themselves "The Mob", and no I am not cowering. I am waiting for some of my crew to come back." he started with extreme calmness in his voice."I hold a dangerous business you see, some could call me a fool or mad... But they don't because they are scared of me. Are you?"

He held silent, waiting for her guest to feel uncomfortable. He then gazed away, like he was bored. "By the way, you should keep calling yourself by your true name, it is so beautiful... As her bearer. So allow me to call you Kaliya." he said, full of charm. He then took her hand and kissed it.

"In what honor are you granting of of your presence?"

[Rising]

Cloak averted her eyes a little to avoid his piercing gaze, smiling to herself at his willingness to share the information and remembering what little knowledge she had on his group. She raised a hand to bring her braid over her shoulder, trying to judge what kind of person he was through his demeanour and words. Cool, collected, almost too calm for everyday conversation, defensive about cowardice - did he have a thing about honour, or just courage? -, waiting for crew, so either loyal or desperate... From the hiding she'd say desperate, but she got the feeling that he was loyal to his crew. Always a good trait. Danger... Was less than a problem, though any signs of actual insanity or foolishness would make her clear out. Was she scared of him? Not now that he meant her no harm, no. She could work with this guy. The silence was a little tense, as though he was trying to make her uncomfortable, but she wasn't going to answer a question like that without knowing how he'd react.

Looking away. Was he bored? She let an easy smile cover her lips, shifting to the side slightly as if to get more comfortable, trying to get a better view of his face. Ha, her true name, still she murmured a thank you as he continued, attempting to look simultaneously capable and charming.

"Oh, I just noticed you all on your lonesome, and thought you might like a bit of company..." Her smile was easy and her eyes warm. "Or perhaps a little help with collecting that crew of yours." Her eyes were suddenly glinting sharp, and her smile transformed into a smirk. "You may call me Kaliya if you wish, though I'd prefer to be introduced as Cloak. The name chosen is the more powerful, I think, although I'll grant that Kaliya is pretty."

She was a bit worried that this was pushing it, almost refusing his charm although in truth she was pleased and warmed by his smooth flattery. She had heard of the recent enforcer-Mob clash, and suspected he might be recruiting. She wasn't opposed to that.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Dan ran his hand through his hair, thinking. Was she analyzing him? Maybe. He didn't cared. His gazed came back to her, appreciating every facial feature she had. Are those tattoos fake? Why would she spoil such a beautiful face? And why does she keeps looking away, it was almost insulting! Her manners where showing she had some kind of respect for him, that's perfect. She was hiding something though but what, that was the real mystery here.

He looked over his shoulder, checking if someone he knew was there. Nope. Back to her then. He tried to place his hand near hers, waiting to see her reaction. If she didn't mind, he would move it closer until she either let their hands touch or take it away. He was curious, he wanted to know everything about her. Why would he look lonely, but yes he would like company of a fine lady like her all the time. Maybe they could become more than co-workers, but only the future would tell him.

"Maybe they are all dead..." he sighed, "The last time we met with the force of law wasn't glorious." He waited, looking disinterested, for the information to sink in. He knew she was gathering intel about him and his mighty gang. "I could make a good use of a pair of ears like yours. Maybe today is the birth of a splendid relationship."

Suddenly, he heard something over his shoulder, a officer! "Why not continue this fine conversation elsewhere? Maybe my hideout? Stay calm, they didn't find it!" He said, his rock-solid calmness broken by the presence of the Redcoat.

He gently took Kaliya's hand, inviting her to play her role in his grand escape. He walked out, looking incredibly calm even though his stress level was breaking records.

[Rising]

Cloak shifted her hand over towards his so that their fingertips were lightly touching when she noticed him move his hand near hers. Contact was a show of trust, and trust was a valuable commodity in a place like this. She met his eyes for a second, reading a kind of curiosity and interest, then smiled, glancing off to the side again. The people in the tavern seemed to be behaving a little differently, but she couldn't read why without paying more attention, and she needed to focus. Still, she could smell trouble. Hopefully it was just a brawl.

Dead then, they hadn't shared that bit of lethal force with Libra. Might be worth knowing if Cancer were concealing things like that on a regular basis. She felt a little sorry for him, although she had no real experience with death. Both in terms of friends and commodities that was a harsh blow. Why had they lost, though? That was a question worth keeping in mind; if she was going to stick around then she'd need to address the issue. A pair of ears? He underestimated her. Or at least her potential, she would confess inexperience. Splendid... He seemed genuine enough, but she would have to be careful not to be taken advantage of - this was Cancer, after all. What would he give, as part of this relationship?

All of a sudden he jumped, his demeanour changing instantly to one of alarm. His grip on her hand was gentle, but fleeing like fugitives didn't seem the best of ideas to her. Reaching into her belt, she withdrew a hat, simultaneously nodding the maid she had spoken to earlier towards the officer that she had somehow missed right in front of her.

"Don't you want to bluff it out? If you wear the hat and we dance a little, he's unlikely to recognise you - he's looking for one fugitive, not a happy couple. The maid will distract him, then we'll quickly make our way out through the door. Or we can run, your choice."

Quickly, she mapped the easiest routes around the officer through the tavern, to use if they ran, and a place to leave the maid's payment if they didn't. Allies were always useful, after all, especially people who worked in taverns. Cloak cursed her lack of knowledge as she realised that she couldn't figure out the best routes from here to her companions hideout; she would have to trust him not to lead her into a trap.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Accepting the hat, he nodded at her idea. They would dance, for a first impression, you couldn't get better to judge someone. As they danced around the guard, a tear of sweat pearled from his forehead. The guard was so near. He tried to focus on his dance partner.

She was beautiful, really. A lady like her was rare, here, on Cancer. Why did he liked her like that? Another mystery he couldn't answer there and then. Her body was firm and her skin was soft, which was more then pleasing. Even though she hid some of her traits behind makeup and false IDs, she was her type. Dan locked his eyes in hers with a charming touch, trying to see the guard in the reflection of her eyes. If she see in that stare some kind of seduction technique, he would see her twitch. When they got near the door, he brought his face near hers.
"I already payed the maid for you, I was hoping some of my men came but you came first, I'll take that as a divine favor!" He said with a mellow voice. "I hope you trust me enough, I'm about to do a stunt I wouldn't try if I wasn't forced to."

As the guard looked at them, Dan tipped his hat to hide their face and kissed Cloak with passion. He liked it though and would do it again. As the guard looked away, a bit disgusted, he leaped through the door taking his new acquaintance with him.

"That was close!" he said, walking fast to get as far as he could from the bar.

[Rising]

Oh good. She tried not to find the idea of a confrontation terrifying, but she still had the remains of a desire not to get caught to preserve her reputation hanging around. Plus, her luck had difficulty kicking in when others led, so her chances of getting away seemed slight. It was difficult to run through unfamiliar territory. Cloak suppressed a smile at how he looked in the hat, glad that it was at least black, and suited to his manner of dress. It just wasn't quite 'gang leader' material, which was the whole point she supposed. Then she pulled another smile over her lips, youthful and happy, and focused her eyes on him, hopefully like a girl in love. She felt a bit weird, really, dancing with a stranger on her first day in Cancer, but then again, Aedolians weren't exactly known for their hatred of the activity. Cloak was quite good at dancing, if she said so herself, and after a second she pulled out the tie for her braid, letting her long white hair spill free over her shoulders. She had crafted this persona to look tougher than she really was, and now she needed to soften it. She also tugged covers over her blasters with one hand, keeping dancing throughout. She was probably being paranoid, but it couldn't hurt.

Cloak reckoned she could see honest appreciation in his eyes, which was fair enough, because she had taken a moment to check him out when she first approached. His eyes met hers, but sadly the gesture was betrayed by the flicker of his pupils. He was trying to catch reflections. Good luck with that, her contacts were chosen to reflect as little light as possible; that could give her away in the dark. Somehow the floor was squeaking, and she had to suppress cringes at the sound, even though she wasn't trying for stealth. Already paid for her? Was he being chivalrous, lying, or stealing a possible ally? He didn't seem the type to maintain relationships with tavern maids, but who knew? She would leave something anyway, if less than she would've. She was new here, and couldn't really afford to accept random kindness, because who knew what was behind it? Preoccupied with this line of thought, she almost missed his next two sentences, catching only that he might be religious - or just making a variation on a pick-up line - and that he was about to do something.

So she was pretty unprepared for the kiss. Her immediate reaction was to ask what under the sun he thought he was doing, but then she guessed that the guard had looked over at them, so she leaned in a little and kissed back, lifting her hands to rest against his shoulders. Passion, she could manage, and she would confess that she quite liked this form of distraction. She could almost sense it when the guard looked away, so she stepped quickly to leave some money on the bar, with no time to give the maid a significant look, before letting herself be pulled out of the door. He was walking a little faster than she tended to, and she had to slip into what she called her 'loping walk', which wasn't quite suitable for a young lover, but sure made people get out of her way. Or maybe it was the famous fugitive by her side? She couldn't stop a surge of amusement at the idea that had this happened in Haviah, the guard would likely have been a voyeur, so that idea would have backfired massively. Just showed how you had to adjust to new surroundings.

Close? For him, maybe. There had been at least two alternative exits, and she was quick and small, with a weapon almost designed for causing distractions. She was also an unknown - she could probably have simply slipped away when she noticed the danger. She had decided to stick around though, hadn't really considered leaving alone, so she supposed that hypothetically, if they were a group, it would've been close.

"I know what you mean, although I don't think he was looking for you, unless we missed his back-up. With any luck he doesn't suspect a thing. Any chance of you telling me where we're going, specifically?"

Wait a second, that 'forced' comment had just caught up with her. She may not have been her sister, to make people fall in love with her left, right and centre, but she had similar features! Not that she wanted him to like kissing her, it could get in the way of business, but there was a small matter of pride here. Maybe she needed to reconsider her priorities... Getting to safety, getting to know Cancer, and negotiation before stupid matters of pride. With that in mind, she diverted her attention away from Dan a little, to survey her surroundings, once more letting a persona cover her face. Fierce and impassive, hadn't it been? Well, now she was fierce and loyal, attached to another person, though still slightly impassive. She tied her hair back up in a simple ponytail, unwilling to let it enter her vision.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Dan presses the pace again. He wanted to put as much as he could between him and the law. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Cloak tying her hair again. And behind her an ocean of strangers. And behind that, well, he could only speculate that the guard was looking stupidly at everyone in and outside the bar. He looked back at the woman,  was she ready for his universe? Maybe after a few months she would start to understand what he meant by dangerous. You are not the king of smugglers for nothing after all.

He stopped at a corner, waiting for  Kaliya to catch up.  He pointed the direction they was heading to with a smile.
"My headquarters over on my dock. I will tell you everything you want when I'll be sure that there is no wandering ears around us."
He grabbed her hand, guiding her through a set of alleys. At the end of one, there was a door, looked by high security system. Retina and digit scan. Dan unlocked the door and held it while the lady walked in. "No tricks, they are all dead." he let in a sigh.

What was on her face? Her charming smirk again, isn't that cute. Looking deeply inside her eyes, maybe a bit of fear? He wasn't lying after all.

[Rising]

Oh for the dragons' sake, did he have to go so fast? It made her feel like he was attempting some sort of power play with it, which was ridiculous. At least he was waiting for her, although she supposed that he didn't want to yell the location of his headquarters where everyone could hear him. Slightly tired of not knowing, Cloak looked over in the direction he had pointed in, but she still didn't have enough information to make a guess. His headquarters, on his dock, eh? Interesting claim to make when all of your men were dead. Not that she was about to challenge his claim, but he had to keep in mind that defending it would be easier said than done. How had the Reds managed to catch all of them at once? For the time being she had no time for his smiles, focusing on the alleys she was being led through, the doors opening and closing around her, the people moving through the streets.

The architecture here was a mess, with no clean lines to be seen anywhere, but she felt great approval for it - the number of good hiding places was absurd. The lack of surveillance felt liberating, and Cloak felt a sudden urge to take advantage of her newfound freedom, restraining herself with difficulty. The setting may have looked easier for a thieving spy, but its inhabitants looked anything but. Slight elvish figures equipped with enough weaponry for an army mingled with half-mechanical scarred giants, all with the same jaded expression. Now she saw her mistake in her disguise. She needed to be grungier, poorer and more bitter. Not to mention acting less like she was on a sightseeing trip. There was no point changing this particular persona now though - she'd been seen by too many already. She'd make a new one when she had a chance to return to her quarters. Dan seemed keen on physical contact, as he led her through the alleys by the hand, although he could've just been making sure she didn't get lost. She didn't think she'd have much trouble, she didn't have a wonderful mental map, but she didn't need one. Her ring was recording where she was going, and she almost always guessed correctly when navigating anyway.

Cloak stood to the side slightly as Dan opened the door, wondering how tough it was, and what other entrances there were. It might be worth checking the ability of the walls to repel weaponry, as no amount of security would help if a hole could be blasted as an impromptu entrance. It was a swinging door, instead of an electronic sliding one, so it was probably harder to hack. She was glad that he had decided to hold it open for her, as she wasn't sure how much it weighed. She hadn't been worried about tricks. Foolish, perhaps, but her luck had never let her down before, and she wasn't getting that vibe, although she didn't like the idea of getting trapped in here. She thought there was probably another exit though, and if there wasn't, the locks on the inside were likely less stringent. She couldn't help but tense up, loosening her joints and shifting her balance so that she could respond quickly if he attacked from behind, although she doubted he would. It was still nerve-wracking entering a strange headquarters with a near stranger standing behind you. She knew that she was smirking again, with more edge this time, and that her movement had grown more sinuous. Her response to possible danger was to be prepared to fight or bluff; the smirk was mostly for bluffing. It was also her default expression, though.

Lifting her head cockily, she slipped into the room, staying near the edge through habit. She turned to face him, tipping her head slightly to one side.

"Aren't you going to come in? Nice place you've got here. Very... Spacious."

Spacious, empty and inactive. Dead. This was going to take some resuscitating.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Dan closed the door behind him, walking toward her guest."This is the storage room. We were picking up cargo when the Redcoats attacked. And now that I am alone, I fear that this room will be "spacious", like you say, for some time."

He took Cloak on a guided tour, showing her each and every room in the hangar. When thy got to his office, he presented her with a heavily decorated chair, inviting her to sit down. "The doors and walls are reinforced with diamond nanorods. You will notice the door behind me, it is the same as the one By which we came in. The lock with powerful magnets and a ancient latch locking system. Make yourself at home, this is the safest place in the universe." He said with a satisfied smile.

His banded hand was resting on top of his mahogany desk. Beside the desk and the chairs, a bed could be found imbedded in the back wall.

Dan was admiring his companion traits once again, searching for a clue about her mental state. She wasn't the only one gathering intel on the other. He adjusted his bandages, trying to not let her see his red and scaly hand, slowly transforming in a claw. He looked embarrassed when his hand slipped and revealed itself. With disgust, he quickly banded it back.

[Rising]

That had been a little overwhelming. A tour of every single room in such a short space of time - she could hardly remember what they were all for, let alone where they were. She hoped her ring had caught all that, because she'd been too busy monitoring for exits. Cloak had no doubt that there were some, no stronghold would be complete without secret exits, but she hadn't been able to spot any with much certainty on her brief look through. There was a join in the ceiling near the mess that looked promising though, she had a good feeling about that.

Her smirk had grown more smiling as she regained her confidence during the tour, and she didn't hesitate to take the chair when it was offered. Fancy furniture, here, if a bit old-fashioned for her tastes - as in, the desk was made of wood. Real wood, from the looks of it, although she was hardly an expert. It seemed a bit odd to her to have one's office and bedroom combined, but maybe he was married to his work. That seemed true enough from what she'd seen of him. Diamond. Hmm. A suitable level of security - not likely to be broken unless someone with the wrong abilities came along. Or the right abilities, if they managed to recruit them. She'd have to keep an eye and an ear out. Okay, so the door was not to be messed with. She wouldn't pretend to understand it, and until she did, she'd try not to use it either. Make herself at home, here, in his office with a bed in it... Now that could be interpreted as a proposition.

Cloak couldn't help but notice when Dan tried to surreptitiously adjust the bandages on his left hand, revealing what was beneath to be bright, burning red, scaly and twisting into a claw. His embarrassment was almost palpable, so she just met his eyes matter of factly. Beyond curiosity as to how he got it, she wasn't really bothered by his injury - so long as she didn't have to look at it. She wasn't really used to looking at ugly things. She waited until he had redone the coverings, noting that he seemed disgusted by his own limb, and wondered with a sinking feeling what medical facilities were available here. If he didn't like it, why did he still have it? She really hoped she didn't get too injured, although she was sure her dad would help her if she went back home.

"In the universe, is it? I might have to contest that; you see, I've scouted the Citadel in Haviah before. Maybe you've heard of it? Dragons can all read minds, making it a real challenge to even get close to the top levels, and you don't want to hear about the rest of it. I'll give you the safest place in Cancer though, for now." Her face was lit by a slightly teasing smirk that suited her slanted eyes. "So, shall we talk business? From your earlier statements I'll assume you mean to recruit... And maintain business and territory rights in the meantime. What, exactly, do you mean me to do?" She maintained a light manner, playing with her ponytail with one hand and looking at him with a tilted head and slightly arched left eyebrow, her habitual smirk on the smiling side.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Dan waited before talking, not sure of whIch side she was. Staring in her eyes again, he saw a hint of confidence in her eyes. Did she find that weak spot on the ceiling? He could place a bet on it. But no one knew about the emancipation grid surrounding every walls.

He ran his hand through his hair, giving him a disinterested look as she talked about business. The key here was to test her loyalty and her interest in this affair. He intentionally gave her enough intel about his base to sell to one of his enemies. Looking at her, he could tell that the idea was in her mind.

"So you want to work with me? How can I tell you won't betray me and sell everything you know to someone?" he said, one of his knife appearing in his hand. His eyes locked into hers, they were cold and severe. "How do I know that I can thrust you?"

He stood up and locket every door he could find.

[Rising]

Now that was a difficult change in atmosphere to miss. What was he getting at? He had seemed disinterested a minute ago, and now he was questioning her under threat of a knife! Hah, if he thought she was a threat, then he shouldn't have turned his back on her to lock the doors. She was tempted for a second to attack, all of her instincts screaming at her not to let herself be trapped, but she reminded herself that she had been in a similar position before. It simply wasn't practical for him to trap her here for very long, and if he thought she was going to die easily he had another thing coming. Still, no need for such extreme expectations yet.

"I never said I wanted to work with you. I was rather under the impression you wanted to work with me." Her eyes flicked to the knife, then back to meet his. "Perhaps I was wrong."

It wasn't as though she didn't want to work with him, but if she let him intimidate her then that would be the entirety of their working relationship, and she didn't work well when miserable. Maybe she shouldn't have followed him after all.

"I haven't been here long enough to be selling anything. If I tried to sell you out to anyone they'd take the info and either kill me or leave me in the dirt. Not the most inspiring declaration of loyalty, I know, but really, honey, what can you expect? You're not exactly promoting it right now."

Well, that was a calculated risk, all in all. She didn't bother readying her blaster, instead reminding herself of where she'd put her gas bombs and mask, flexing her muscles slowly. If things got ugly she'd do it her way. She really hoped he was bluffing. At a guess? He was testing her. Loyal guy wants loyal followers, right? Didn't mean she was going to deal with it nicely.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Dan planted his knife in his desk, standing up. He saw Kaliya reach for something on her belt, and he didn't wanted thing to turn ugly. He walked behind his guest, abandoning his severe face. When he walked behind her, Dan ran his hand on the back of her neck.

"I won't hurt you, don't worry. It was a test!" he said, behind her. He bent himself to put his face next to hers, side to side. "I was wondering what would've been your reaction when captured." He then kissed her cheek softly, trying to stunt her again.

He went to unlock the door and invited her to go away if she wanted to. "I won't find any ressource like you in this parsec though." he said in a charming voice.

[Rising]

Ugh, at least he'd put his knife down, but she was still fully aware that he could snap her neck with as much ease as he'd caressed it. So now he told her not to worry? Who tested people like that? She'd guessed, of course, but it was almost like he was judging for being less noticeably loyal than he was! She was close to scowling as he put his face by hers, yet more intimacy unsuitable from someone who'd just locked her in a room and pointed a knife at her! She calmed down a little as he continued, feeling that she'd done well in that regard. He then continued to kiss her on the cheek, and she wondered how used he was to threatening people, to judging people, that he continued afterwards as though nothing had happened. Well, she was no fainting upper caste brat, she could deal with that.

She stayed facing away from him on the chair as she heard him unlock the door, allowing her to leave. An incomparable resource was she? Oh, the charmer. With the door unlocked, it was easier to calm down, and her smirk grew cockier as she regarded her situation.

"Well, I thank you for the compliment I suppose." She said smoothly, rising from her seat with a completely casual air, and walking out of the door, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder and letting herself slink a little as she left.

Halfway down the corridor she paused, and looked at him over her shoulder with a devilish smirk.

"Aren't you coming? I thought you didn't trust me, after all, and I'll need to leave to pick up my stuff."

Ah, the joy of fooling someone. If he was fooled, but she wasn't about to spoil her sense of achievement by looking too closely at him. She needed a bit of power of her own to balance them out again.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Looking at Kaliya walking away, something piercing his heart. What was that strange feeling taking over as he looked to silhouette? He never felt that way for a someone he met for the first time, was it the famous "love at first sight" that everyone is talking about? Nah, why would fall in love so blindly anyway! Yes she was useful and she had a personality that he like...

He shook his head to focus back on what was happening. Was she-- Was she inviting him to follow?! He did anyway. Walking her back to the door, he asked "Where and what is that stuff? I know you don't live around here."

[Rising]

Cloak couldn't help feeling a little smug as she saw him shake his head in confusion. Tricked! It would've been fair enough for her to leave, considering that he had threatened her, but she wasn't one to be judgmental. To each their own. She'd just have to try to get him to treat her with a little more respect. Her smirk grew into a slightly mischievous grin as he followed, then took the lead through his warren-like headquarters. Clearly, architecture wasn't a strength of anyone around here, although it was better presented than many of the places she'd seen around Cancer.

"I may not be from here, but that doesn't mean that I'm homeless and moneyless."

She walked on a little, considering his assumption that she had nowhere to go in Cancer.

"I picked a place up for myself when I arrived, with perhaps a little disregard for the law, and I'll warn you that I had to get a charming young crewmate to help me bring my stuff across. I may not be the best at travelling light."

She wasn't kidding about her stuff, although the crewmember had been more on the distinguished side. Still pleasantly chivalrous though, which was useful in someone you wanted to help carry your bags. She had a rule of no more than she could carry, in a fix, but that didn't mean she was comfortable carrying it. Disguises didn't come light, and neither did half the equipment she had for detecting and breaking through security, her favourite bugs, or any of her other assorted technologies and miscellaneous stuff. She also had a stash of jewellery to sell if things went bad. Coming from an upper caste family had its advantages.

She'd left a trigger on the door so that her ring would alert her to anyone trying to get in, but it seemed that her unwilling landlord had taken her advice and gone to stay on his ship. He'd likely be pleased to have his quarters back so quickly, although she wasn't quite so happy about losing his jacuzzi. Cheerfully, she waited for him to open the door, as she still wasn't sure how it worked, and took the time to rebraid her hair and replace her smirk with a blank expression. She couldn't decide whether to risk revealing her ring by taking the lead through the alleys, or let him lead and then muddle her way to her 'borrowed' quarters.