Beyond The Star Sea

Arkay made eye contact, smiled, and firmly returned the handshake. One of the things his father had drilled into him before he died was how to give a proper handshake. Make eye contact, smile, firm--but not too firm--hold, and two or three shakes. Simple.  "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Nesta. Hopefully we'll find a chance to talk later, outside of business."

Releasing the Molzon woman's hand, he turned to Carlie and Galan. "Hm... yeah, couldn't hurt to help Galan dress to impress." Nothing fancy, of course, just a nice... business casual getup, which was pretty much what he himself went for, usually.

"Hm... alright, I'll take you to my usual guy. He's, uh... a bit flamboyant, to put it one way, but does damn good work. Quick, too. That, and he does give me a discount," said Arkay. "So... would you prefer the scenic route or shall I show off a bit and get us there in an instant?"

Flamboyant? At those words Carlie imagined a very colorful character with interesting styles of dress and way of speaking. Of course, given the nature of things she could be wrong with this view in her head but it was among the first she thought of due to personal experience. Either way if they were a friend of Arkay's she was sure it be interesting which made her, and she was sure knowing Galan, curious.

"I'm fine with teleporting, we could always take the scenic route on the way back right?" At least that was Galan's reasoning, that and being curious.

"Same." Carlie moved slightly closer, her interest being a bit more peaked. "I'm sure some of this stuff may go over my head, but do you know how your telportation works? Is it something like Instant Transmission where you have to lock onto something? Or moving your atoms around?" The later kinda..we'll frankly creeped her out. Because technically wasn't moving your atoms killing you and putting you back together? Others argued it wasn't the case but it always bothered her for some reason, hence not liking to use beam transporters if she could help it.

Probably just being paranoid.

How his teleportation worked was something Arkay didn't have a definite answer for. He had hypotheses and ideas, but... nothing concrete. "I'll be honest... I have no idea. I know that if I can see a place, physically or psychically, it's just about impossible to prevent me from teleporting there. I also know that it's versatile enough to let me realm travel, with time to concentrate."

He placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "What's... weird is that even back home, teleportation is considered a pretty advanced technique. Usually, it requires a decent amount of concentration or required one to expend a decent amount of energy, yet I've never really had to deal with either of those. It was the first ability I developed, and the only issues I've really had are... making myself dizzy from reorienting myself too much using it and a few purely mental... hangups, early on. Hangups that I have long since gotten past, thankfully."

He grinned. "Heh, in any case, at this point, I might go as far to say that I'm the best use of teleportation in Meus Carus... or at least I've never met anyone better at it than me. Anyway... enough ego-puffing. Let's go, yeah?"

With that, the three dematerialized in a burst of light, appearing in what was, indeed, a tailor. All manner of clothing was displayed, from the mundane to the formal to the... flamboyantly indescribable. And behind the counter was the shopkeep himself, who was indeed... rather flamboyantly dressed. Having apparently sensed their arrival, he looked up and regarded the group, Arkay in particular. After a moment, he walked out from behind the counter, walked over to Arkay, and gave him a big hug.

"Well, if it isn't Ark the Lad! You're lookin' as delicious as ever," said the man, patting Arkay on the back.

Arkay laughed and returned the pat. "Hey, Stefano, it's been a while. How ya been?"


Stefano released arkay and shrugged. "You know me, Ark. I have my ups and downs." He peeked around Arkay at Carlie and Galan. "Oh, well did Ark make some new friends? Imagine that!"

Stepping out into full view, the man gives them an exaggerated--flamboyant, even--bow. "Stefano Caglirostro, the proprietor of Stefano's Sartorials.  I have to say I didn't expect Ark to show up so soon after his sister's departure, especially not with Carlie Mils and... her cameraman... in tow."

No surprise he knew about Carlie--Stefano was... surprisingly well-informed, at times. Him knowing that Galan was her cameraman was a bit weird, but Arkay ignored it because he had mentioned that his sister had jut departed. "Hm, who did I just miss? Sumire? Nerine?" It was probably the latter, since Sumire didn't have much interest in fashion, really.

"Why, Nerine, of course. Ahh, if only you'd been a bit faster... how she would have lit up the store at the sight of her beloved older brother!"

Arkay shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, yeah... I guess." It was a good thing they'd missed her, because there was a good chance she'd be able to see the... tension between him and Carlie and she'd totally try to play wing... woman.

Clearing his throat, Arkay changed the subject. "Right, uh, anyway, shame we missed her, but I'm sure we'll run into her later. Right now, we need your expertise... mostly for Galan, here. He's going to be asking out a woman he's fancied for... a long time, and he needs to look his best. And, uh, well, Carlie and I may need some new formalwear for something... coming up, to put it one way."

Stefano glanced at Carlie and Galan, giving them both a once-over. "Hm, yes... at first glance, I think a style similar to yours would suit him. Maybe a bit more casual... as for Carlie... hmmm" He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Acorians can be a bit of a challenge in this business, since you have to coordinate with their fur as well as everything else. Not the most difficult species to tailor for, but... they're certainly up there. Still... feel free to look around and if anything catches your attention, I'll get right to adjustin it to your bod and you can try it on. As for you, Galan boy, follow me..."

With that, Stefano gently guided Galan over to the... more normal-looking men's section and began trying to get him set up with some duds. Arkay, and Carlie in all likelihood, both had more experience with this sort of thing, so they were left to their own devices

"Hm. Stefano's a bit unique among tailors, since he has the power to manipulate cloth and... other wearable materials... makes adjusting things a snap. I'm sure he'll be able to get to get Galan looking good enough to knock Lina off her... feet," said Arkay, sounding... a bit unsure about the 'feet' part. As a cow-based Acorian, for all he knew, she had hooves or... something. "So, going to peruse the selection, or are we just going to stand here and watch Galan be uncomfortable?

Carlie watched as Galan was dragged off into his doom, slightly bemused by the whole thing. Part of her wanted to and see him squirm but the other part of her decided he had enough teasing for the time being and let him have it. There would be more then enough time to give the young man a hard time and in particular when/if they started dating.

The fact Arkay's friend knew of her camera man was slightly odd but not too strange she gave too much further thought about it. She had a great many reasons to be paranoid and trust her gut when it gave her that get out dodge feeling, but this wasn't one of those times. "I'd say leave him be. I think we got the 'teasing quota' about done for today."

Carlie began looking around idly until she found something, deciding a bit of friendly small talk. "I didn't peg you the type of guy to have a regular tailor to go to, but same time not surprised. Did you walk in or someone recommend him to you?"

To Arkay, Galan looked a bit... flustered and maybe even overwhelmed at the moment. Given his line of work, fashion probably wasn't high on his list of priorities. There was, after all, no real point in wearing a nice suit while filming in a war zone or other unpleasant places.  Comfortable, practical clothing was best, especially since he wasn't going to be on-camera. But in this situation, it was best to go all-out. Sure, he had a 'feeling' that Galan would do fine with Lina, regardless, but... the effort might be the difference between a 'yes' and and enthusiastic "Yes!" and... the latter would definitely help build Galan's confidence. And one needed confidence when it came to women... especially older women.

...

Ahh, he'd do fine. Stefano would get him set up and looking like a million--no, a billion--bucks.

Turning his attention back to Carlie, he began idly perusing Stefano's inventory. He didn't really need anything for the date--he was already a bit overdressed, really--or the... investigation, so he mostly checked out the women's dresses. And he was totally not imagining how Carlie would look in them when he was asked about having a personal tailor. Totally.

"He was a recommendation. Not many people know about him, but he's... not only good at what he does in the normal sense, but..." He pointed to the suit he was wearing right this very moment. "He uses his magic to 'treat' the clothing for certain customers, making it into... essentially, into a very comfortable, good-looking suit of armor. I'm pretty tough, but given my line of work, why take chances? Plus, I just like to look good."

He paused. "...on that note, we should probably get the clothing you wear normally 'treated' by Stefano. When I can, I like to add that... extra layer of protection between my clients and danger." Wasn't always possible, of course, but his 'better safe than sorry' approach to things is precisely what had earned him his stellar reputation. Those who fail to prepare are preparing to fail, as his father used to say.

Carlie was surveying around the shop to see what she could find that would both catch her eye and something that would feel right for this occasion. She didn't have to over do it since it wasn't a place she actually cared for though for the sake of the mission she may as well go the extra mile. Art collection shows weren't always bad, just this particular one she didn't have much interest in; Sumia did more so then she did.

As she looked she did find something akin to a blue ball room gown which caught her eye as she lifted it up from the rest of the dresses she saw hanging up. She liked it. It did accent her figure and was fancy enough for all the stuffy people that would be intending so she fit in enough, she supposed.

She turned to Arkay at the last part. "Reinforce magic? That's pretty useful; I don't really see it as much around here or most places. But to answer your question I'm fine with it, if it helps me stay alive then more power for it. I kinda like living and it suck for me to, you know, die."

The dress that had caught Carlie's eye had caught Arkay's as well. Blue would look good on her, he thought. It complemented her fur color quite well and... ahem, other reasons, as well. All-in-all, a good choice if she went for it. Still, his mind was focused on other things at the moment, so he didn't really say anything about the dress. Mostly, he was concerned about how to tighten the security around Carlie without being overly suffocating. There were a few ways, but they'd take some time to set up... besides reinforcing her clothing, anyway.

"Yeah, it's a... very specialized form of that type of magic," said Arkay. "I've never quite tested the limits of what his reinforced clothing can take, because I... well, with my reactions, speed, and, ya know, ability to teleport, I tend to not get hit when I fight. Still, I know that against your run-of-the-mill firearm, it's more than sufficient."

He paused for a moment, then added: "So, you know them better than I do, so... think Galan has a chance with Lina? I... get the feeling he'll do alright, but that may just be me being an optimist. Or maybe my psychic powers have started giving me premonitions about other people's relationships." He chuckled at the thought, though it... was entirely possible for that to happen, actually.

"I wonder how long it last for? He could make a killing out of that of clothes that are both nice to look at and combat tested. It be a niche not too many can claim to get on since with a lot of stuff you tend to have sacrifice something far as the looks go to be practicability sake." Carlie was surprisingly intrigued by this and she wasn't sure why. A gown reinforced or not wouldn't be the best to fight in but the protection aspect couldn't be denied.

The last question took her thought process elsewhere, but she answered soon without missing a further beat. "Honestly? Definitely. The two really get along, and I think there's always been some type of mutual attraction there, just things in the way before anything more could come of it until more recently. Lina's a lot of woman though, not sure Galan will know what to do with all that at first." She said, her voice laced with amusement.

"I remember my first date, it was fun but there wasn't any chemistry so we just stayed friends. I learned a lot about dating since like all things with that its a learning experience. What about you if you don't mind me asking? Was your first girlfriend slash date more positive or negative?" She was curious but of course he didn't have to reply if he didn't want to and she'd understand. It also would tell her a bit more about him of what his first girlfriends was like..though of course she assumed it was long ago so they had changed a lot into present but still.

"He does make a killing off of it, as far as I know. Has a contract with the local police force and everything." Sumire had actually been the one to introduce him to Stefano, after she'd learned about him with her... work with the police. She'd told him that he needed to take every precaution to ensure that Hisako doesn't lose her father, too. And... she was absolutely right. Thankfully, he and Stefano had gotten along great. "And... well, there are several, ah, recharge options, I guess. By default, he does the recharging--and he makes a lot of his money off of that--but there's other options, such as using excess kinetic energy or absorbing ambient mana or... whole bunch of other things. Those cost quite a bit extra, as you might have guessed. In the long run, they're cheaper, but... sometimes ya' have to make do with what you can afford, yeah?"

Arkay allowed himself a smile at Carlie's estimation at Galan's chances. And her comment about Lina being 'a lot of woman', which he'd kinda figured out just from seeing her picture. "Yeah, I definitely noticed that. She's got to be at least as tall as I am, maybe even a bit taller. Nothing wrong with that, of course."

Next, came the question about his first date. Stroking his chin, Arkay tried to remember his first date and... really couldn't recall all that much. His first girlfriend, though... that he could remember. "My first girlfriend... heh, well, you could say that I'm pretty savvy when it comes to student-teacher relationships. I actually went after her on a dare, we... clicked, and we had a fun time together, but in the end, it... just didn't work out, and we separated on good terms."

A... peculiar, inexplicable feeling came over him. Pretty 'savvy' on student-teacher relationships? What had possessed him to use that phrasing? Odd, for some reason that way of wording things felt familiar... huh, weird. Must be his imagination playing tricks on him.

"So yeah, I'm rooting for Galan, since I've sort of been in the same position... except I was her student at the time." He chuckled at that. She'd been hesitant at first, but, as always, persistence paid off.

A student at the time? There was supposed bad teaching ethics involved into that sort of thing so she could understand why they were hesitating but other then that the news didn't bother her. Not unless of course Arkay had been a little kid or something at the time which was a whole other kettle of fish.

"Me too. Think they'll both be fine." Carlie was satisfied with what had gotten earlier so for now she was done; it was just a matter of waiting for Arkay. "A bit off topic but curious back at home on your earth, is there any native non human races?"

Arkay was pretty much finished browsing. He had plenty of outfits to wear for just about any occasion, so today's visit was... really more like treating his new friends to something nice. Stefano was still busy with poor Galan though, so it'd be a few minutes until Carlie could get her dress adjusted and enhanced.

The question about non-human races was unexpected, though it was a reasonable thing to ask. Meus Carus's Earth was a cosmopolitan place, with many different races living together... knowingly or not. Naturally, an inhabitant of this reality might wonder if the same held true for other realities.

"It was mostly humans, even in my time, though once contact with Halzara was established in world--yeah, a Halzara exists there, though it's very different--some Halzaran natives began emigrating, mostly Arkons. As I said, Alus exists in my reality, but it's a country that exists on Halzara, rather than a planet. In any case, besides that, there are, or maybe were, dragons, but as far as I know, they went extinct something like seven hundred years before I was born. Vampires... still exist, but unlike here, vampires back home are... almost all inhuman monsters, so they'd been hunted to near-extinction by my time. Yokai--such as Fox Demons--exist, mostly in east asia, but they're adept at disguising their true nature and pretty reclusive, so nobody's sure how many there are. Same for Elves, though I recall most fled to other realms once humans started becoming the dominant species."

He scratched his chin and tried to recall any others. "There are Nevadians, an off-shoot of humanity. They're, um... sorta like saiyans, I guess. Powerful, with a combat-oriented culture. As far as aliens go, all of our encounters have been brief and hostile. Unfortunately, most of the major alien powers in our galaxy seem to be, well... imperialistic or predatory. Heck, a race called the Draconians actually attacked us during a tournament meant to entertain... billions. Ya know, show off the best, brightest up-and-coming heroes of humanity--of which I was included, at the time--and give the population something to talk about. And they just sucker-punched us with a sneak attack. Ultimately, said best-and-brightest repelled them, but... it did not endear Draconians to humanity at all."

A less rosy reality than here in Meus Carus, but things were as they were, and there was no changing that. At least not on short notice.

"Oh, Galan, now you're lookin' sharp!" came Stefano's voice, as he herded Galan back to Carlie and Arkay. As Arkay had expected, Stefano had gotten him dressed up in, essentially, a more casual version of what he was wearing. Business casual... times two? Heh.

"Heh, you're not kidding. You're gonna knock Lina off her feet, lookin' like that," said Arkay, grinning. He was, in part, teasing a bit, but he did think Galan would earn that enthusiastic yes now. "Anyway, I'll be paying, so you should get Carlie's dress adjusted and... toughened up."

Stefano cocked an eyebrow at the latter, then nodded. "Mmmm, of course. And you, Ark? Not expanding your wardrobe this time?"

Arkay shook his head. "Nah, I'm just here to foot the bill."

"Aw. Well then, Miss Mils, please step into the dressing room and put on the dress, so I can adjust it," said Stefano, eyeing the dress Carlie had chosen. "Ooh, nice choice. Looking to impress someone, maybe?"

Carlie was once again reminded in some ways how different his world was from hers, it sounded in some ways more dangerous and less stable. She knew other universes existed within this world of course and some of them were far less pleasant places to be, but in general she'd much rather live here then most anywhere else.

Humanity, or at least Arkay's version hadn't had the best first contact with other races which to be fair to what he mentioned they weren't the friendliest. It wasn't to say there weren't there own share of bad actors and groups; there was once the Planet Trades and whatever else for gods sake. The main difference was the ratio, where back there it seemed more races were more hostile. If Acorians had been there they likely wouldn't have fared well, at least not without hardening and potentially losing a bit of who they were.

As an race, Acorians were actually naturally peaceful. Certainly not perfect as they had there share of internal conflicts and even wars, but far as average went that was indeed the case. If they had encountered some of the races Arkay mentioned they might not be alive to tell their own stories, though same could be said about some of the less friendly races here as Acor had its run in with them before.

Carlie was going to bring up something in regards to elves as she was curious as well as the vampire comment until Stefano came in with Galan. She pushed it to the back of her mind for now, instead smiling at the young man. "Heh. Good on you, how you feeling the suit?"

"I like it..its really not that much different from what I normally wear." It was true and he was grateful for it.

Stefano announced it was time to get dressed up which interrupted her response. "Sure. I'll be right back. As for impressing someone? Maybe. Depends if they notice." That person being Arkay and he definitely had noticed if she picked up things well enough.

Carlie stepped into the room with her ball room gown, coming back moments later. "So..its slightly tight on the waist but other then that its fine. I'm really liking this look."

Arkay had noticed... hoo boy had he noticed. She cut a rather striking figure in her new gown. The way she carried herself with a certain poise--certainly the result of being in front of a camera so much--and... well, on a more primal level, her more than ample assets made  her quite appealing. She'd definitely be turning more than a few heads in a few days' time.

As Arkay admired Carlie's beauty--in a respectful, non-leering manner, of course--Stefano whipped out an old-fashioned tape measure and began, well, measuring in preparation for his adjustments. After a few brief moments of this, and a further couple moment of internal deliberation, he reached out, his hands glowing with a slight light, and Carlie's dress adjusted itself gradually until that tightness was gone--in fact, it was a perfect fit for her, now.

"Now... the finishing touches..." The glow around Stefano's hands brightened as he began to weave the reinforcement and protection spells into Carlie's dress. After a moment, the glow subsided, his work apparently done. "There you go. Mmm, should be enough to protect against most of the nasty stuff you could run into, though obviously it's only gonna protect where it covers. Mmm.... oh!" Stefano turned to Galan and cast the same spells on his new clothing. "There you go, Galan-boy Now then, the bill..."

With that, Stefano went to the counter and began calculating the bill. Arkay had a discount--especially on the 'extras' so it shouldn't come out to too much, he figured. And Stefano's prices were reasonable to begin with, since... sartorial matters were his passion.

"Heh, you both look great. Galan might want to wear his new duds on the way home, but, Carlie,but I think you might want to change back to your normal clothes," said Arkay as he waited for Stefano to finish. "Unless you want every other man catcalling you, of course." The last part was said with a smirk, but to be fair... she would draw a lot of attention in this dress, no matter where she was. Well, from people who were attracted to Acorians, anyway.

It didn't take long for the bill to arrive--it was a bit more expensive than he'd been expecting, but still way below the competition, especially for what one got. Arkay paid, and... that was that. "Heh, thanks Stefano. I'll be sure to stop by later with Hisako and have you tailor a dress for her,  with all the frills and ribbons we can slap on it. And maybe some actual bells and whistles."

To this, Stefano chuckled. "Nerine's way ahead of you, Ark. Did I mention that Hisako with with her when she came by earlier? Oh, they picked out and customized the cutest little outfit your little Hisako. Nerine really does dote on that girl; why, she's practically the girl's mother at this point!"

Arkay's gaze drifted to the side at the mention of Nerine--his sister--being, essentially, Hisako's mother. For a moment, he looked... uncomfortable? However, it faded soon, and his gaze returned to Stefano. "Ah, so she beat me to the punch. Heh, typical of her. Still, I'm glad she's turned out to be such a doting aunt. Anyway... Carlie and I have some, uh, further business to take care of later, so we'd... better get started on that. No time to chi-chat."

"Aw. Well, you two enjoy your date, then."

Stefano knew him too well, it seemed. Or he was just predictable when it came to women. Not much difference, really. "...right.  Anyway, Carlie, Galan, shall we?" He motioned to the exit. It wasn't that he was in a hurry, just that Stefano's comment about Nerine had made him feel really uncomfortable for some reason. Couldn't quite place his finger on just why, though.

Carlie was noticing something and if she was, then so would Galan. When the subject of his sister came up and more specifically being like a mother figure to Hisasko he got rather uncomfortable. Ininital thought was he was just werided out by the other implications to all that implied. The comment was innocent enough that it could of just passed by, but she didn't know he and Stefano's relationship.

What wasn't said was often times as important as what was. The little nusances that went with the subtext was completely lost on the young woman. Since she didn't know that, she could only think or make educated guesses on what little she knew. Course..part of it none of my business I guess but still..

Arkay gave a friendly reminder that it wasn't the best idea to go walking around in her current attire which she forgot she almost had on. Somehow.

"Wouldn't do to have too many people bug eyeing me on the date. I'll be right back." She excused herself into the back room, coming back moments later with her new set of clothes in a bag after it was neatly folded away.

Galan seemed to take a cue of gracefully exiting center stage at that point. "I'll catch up with you guys later. There's one or two things I want to take care of."

Carlie smiled back at them. "No worries. Try not to get your suit dirty too soon."

"I'll try. Later."

She watched the young man before turning back to Arkay. "I noticed you seemed uncomfortable when your sister was brought up. You okay?"

While it had been his idea, Arkay was a bit... disappointed that Carlie had to change out of her new dress. She really did wear it well, and he certainly enjoyed the eye candy. Still, didn't want thirsty assholes heckling her during their date.

He was also a bit... dismayed that Carlie had seen his discomfort about Nerine. Or, well, the implications behind what Stefano had said. It was pretty much indisputable that Nerine was the closest thing Hisako had to a mother figure, and she was... surprisingly good at it, especially considering her nature as a succubus. And they had been mistaken as a couple out in public before--especially when Hisako was with them--but... hm, the thought didn't fill him with revulsion like you'd expect, but it did make him feel... ahhh, he couldn't really describe it, other than 'weird'.

"He's not wrong in saying that. When Senara died, Nerine gradually settled into the role of Hisako's mother... figure, and she's... uh, she's really good at it, actually.  Neri and I are close. Real close. By far she's the sibling I'm closest with, and I couldn't ask for a more supportive, loving sister. It's just... I've sometimes gotten the sense that..." He paused for a moment. "...I can't really describe it. Just that our relationship has a completely different feel from, say, my relationship with my other sister, Sumire. Beyond just being closer, I mean."

Arkay sighed. "I'll figure it out, eventually. Let's just go have ourselves a nice meal and relaxing walk, yeah?" While he was normally a candid person, this was a subject he didn't want to dive into right now... and he was starting to get hungry, too. Their time with Stefano had taken... longer than it had seemed, and it would just about be lunch hour once they got where they were going. Well, unless he picked Carlie up and ran at full speed, but the authorities really... really hated random jackasses creating sonic booms in populated areas. Completely understandable.Still, as they walked, Arkay kept his reactions heightened a bit, staying on the lookout for anything... amiss. That precognitive flash earlier, even though it was vague, was definitely something he wouldn't ignore.

"So... I'm curious, what's Acor like?  I sort of get the feeling that Acorians tend to prefer more relaxed, rural settings than giant metropolises. I'm fine with either, personally, though if I had to choose... well, I'm a guy who has to block out people's stray thoughts, so cities are even noisier for me than they are for everyone else. Countryside... I can enjoy some peace and quiet. Plus, I'm sure my giant demon wolfdog would just love some wide open spaces to run in, ya know?"

There was something a lot more to the story judging by what was said and his body language. From what she could gather there was definitely something there even if Arkay himself either didn't know it or couldn't admit it. If it was what she was thinking of, then it really wouldn't have surprised her all that since it wasn't as uncommon in certain circles.

The Succubus part added another layer? So she was adopted then? Arkay had Succubus ancestry but for all intents and purposes was human, so she assumed Nerine was adopted. She didn't know of course that wasn't the particular case here.

For now she let it drop. It was his mind and inner world and she had no right to intrude on it, especially as they only knew each other for a short time.

"If you're talking about the land? It's..honestly not that different then earth environment wise besides the different fauna and animals of course. We do like the more rural areas, in general. Only issue is as things expand and the population grows those areas become more scarce. The people are generally pretty friendly so its not a bad place to live. Got its issues, but which place doesn't?"

There was something else she was curious about, and this was a good time as any. "While we're asking questions I have some of my own. You mentioned dragons, elves and vampires so I was wondering just to compare notes what they were like? Here elf is actually a magical off branch of base humanity, vampire is really more a racial catergory."

Arkay was thankful for Carlie not pushing the subject. As said, he'd figure it out... eventually. Just not right now, when he had a job to do. Keeping his employer safe was priority numero uno right now.

Acor sounded... nice. Perhaps after all this was over, he'd buy some property there. Nice... country home, cozy, but big enough for everyone to live comfortably in. Hisako was a real explorer, at times, so she'd probably love the countryside just as much as Verina would.

Next, she wanted to know about vampires, elves, and dragons. Alright, he could answer that... mostly. "Elves are... not my area of expertise. They may be related to humans, but may not. They are incredibly gifted with magic, as you'd expect, and they can have offspring with humans, so... even if they're not an off-shoot, I suppose they're similar enough to the ones in Meus Carus. Vampires... vampires are bad news. Strong, fast, tough, potent magical abilities, inherently predatory... just not something you want to deal with. I've met a few vampires here--both the undead type and, uh... what are they called... primogen, I think? Both are way nicer than the ones back home. Thankfully, vampires are pretty rare. Dragons..."

He paused, thinking. "They're popularly believed to be extinct on my Earth, but I personally think they just went underground. Ya know, shapeshifting in a human form to fit in with the populace. There are some worlds where they're still living openly, though. I..."

Another pause, as an amusing revelation hit him. "Heh, ya know, I actually know of vampire and dragon that ended up becoming a couple. Or, well, former vampire, I guess, since he got cured. Unlikely pairing, especially since they were from entirely different universes, but I'm glad they were able to find happiness in each other."

"Any more questions? I'll be happy to answer, if I can."

"So vampires from your time are basically more like humanoid monsters then people from what you said. Kinda makes sense, I mean like with a lot of things where it originates from determines a lot but not everything.."

It was the last part that truly caught Carlie's interest, part of her job and part because of the romantic in her. "Hm. This vampire and dragon you mentioned, can you tell me a bit about them? They sound like some interesting friends of yours. I'm guessing this dragon was from one of the universes where they still live openly but could be wrong."

"Mostly, yeah," said Arkay. "Not always, though. Some fight against those predatory instincts and manage to retain their humanity, but unless they get cured, it's just a matter of delaying the inevitable. It truly is a curse, even though it does make you stronger, physically and otherwise."

Next came a question about that dragon and (former) vampire couple. "Ah... well, they weren't friends, just... people I ran into during the course of my, ah, job back home. Remember how I told you about my classmate Alice, who went insane and concocted a plan to declare war on heaven and hell, only to be stopped by a small group of heroes? These two, Friedrich Reinhardt and Tala... Grey, I think, were a part of that group. Tala, regretfully, fell under Alice's control for quite some time, but Friedrich was... instrumental in stopping her plans. They didn't actually get together until... I think 2 or 3 years after all that?"

They came to a stop at a crosswalk, and he took a moment to recall any details about the couple that he could. "Heh, well, from what I know, it wasn't a whirlwind romance. Both are mature, reasonably calm individuals... I mean, Tala's a schoolteacher, and with how kids can be... gotta have an even temperament and the patience of a saint to last long in that career, yeah? And Friedrich... hm, he's an old soldier. Don't get me wrong, he can loosen up and have fun, I've heard, but he's a very calm, thoughtful guy, for the most part. Heh, teacher and soldier... kind of a weird pair, but last I heard they were happily married and expecting their first child together. That'd put their family at... three children. The one they were expecting, one from Tala's previous mate, and one that she'd adopted."

Finally, the light indicated that they could cross the street, and so they did. "Actually, come to think of it, the adopted child was a dog demon, so I suppose those exist in my world, too. Or, well, Tala's world."

They were getting near the restaurant he'd picked out for their date, finally. "Hm, so I've been wondering. A lot of species in Meus Carus--and back home--have innate powers, like Nosferatu and their shadow powers... do Acorians have anything of that nature?"

If vampirism was more a curse back at Arkay's home then say a racial category like it was here in Meus, then the obvious question remained where had it come from in the first place? All signs pointed to something supernatural and malevolent so she'd have to ask about that, assuming he knew.

The comment about there being Dog Demons in his universe was a interesting aside, though to be fair the same could be said by the facts humans were there among others. Whether Dog Demons originated here first, came to Arkay's or another didn't matter but it was all rather interesting to the young woman.

"We aren't a real combat species, but I am stronger then a normal human. For example I can lift roughly fifteen times my own weight so I'm stronger then I look. We can make plants grow better, heal soil and talk to animals it the crux of our powers.  Oh, and disease detection and healing." She added in as things came to mind. "It's not healing like some other races have, its more say, speeding up the process a bit. For example a broken bone can be healed in just days instead of months or weeks. Useful stuff, just not suited for fighting too much."


Something else did occur to her, Carlie was pretty sure she hadn't mentioned them. "I do have some basic hand to hand training too, I learned from my younger brother. He doesn't look the part, since he's tall and such but he's younger. Name's Riley, he's a martial arts instructor back at home, not just the arts but Ki, just not the kind you see the Planet Trade use. When he comes around here I'll have to introduce you, he's a really good guy think you two get along."

Acorians not being a combat-oriented species was something Arkay had strongly suspected--after all, there would be no need for a him or her previous bodyguard if that were the case. Still, the powers she described were not useless by any means--on a societal scale, they were in fact far more useful than the powers other species possessed.

"Hm, an interesting set of abilities... and as you say, very useful, especially on the societal scale. Sure, being able to sling fire or electricity is neat and all, but it's way better to be able to feed your people because your crop yields are just a bit higher or keep them in good health."

Arkay took note that she had some basic hand-to-hand training. While he  intended to stick very close to her and keep her safe, like any competent bodyguard, it was reassuring to know she wasn't completely helpless if the shit hit the fan. His own hand-to-hand skills were... passable. Well, by the standards of your average person, his skills were actually pretty good--he was definitely no mere brawler--but by the standards of those that had dedicated their lives to perfecting their technical skill, he wasn't anything special. Of course, with his, to most opponents, overwhelming speed, reflexes, and agility, he could usually dominate physically inferior opponents. And that was without using his psychic powers.

Still, late, it might do him some good to get some lessons from Carlie's brother. Not only would it help him if his powers were nullified--thankfully a rare occurance--and he had to rely on more mundane skills, but... it would be good to endear himself to Carlie's family if things went well, ya know? "Riley, eh? I'm looking forward to meeting him... eventually. I'm pretty familiar with how Planet Trade goons use ki--very basic--but I'm curious about how Acorian ki styles operate. Heh, maybe I'll even ask him to give me a few lessons--couldn't hurt to expand my horizons, yeah? And... I'm sure my brothers would enjoy that too, since they're primarily ki users. Once they get back from, uh... wherever." Truthfully, they often disappeared for months at a time, having adventurers elsewhere. He worried, a bit, but they were Arcadia graduates, so they were more than capable of taking care of themselves.

Just as he finished speaking, they reached the restaurant--a nice little cozy Earth cuisine place. Yeah, same stuff as yesterday, but Carlie lacked the psionic faculties to fully appreciate Molzon Cuisine--another favorite of his--and he had no idea whether she'd enjoy other sorts of food.

...probably should've asked that. Ah well, hindsight was 20/20.

Out of caution, before they took a seat, he did a surface thought scan of each of the patrons. Nothing too intrusive, of course, and, ultimately, no one in the restaurant was there for any reason than to eat. Satisfied, he claimed a table with a nice street-view--pulling  out Carlie's chair for her, as a gentleman should--and then took a seat. Soon enough, a waitress brought over two menus and asked if they'd like anything to drink. As he wasn't a drinker and soft drinks just... weren't healthy, Arkay settled for just some water.

"Well then, let's enjoy ourselves, yeah?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lina stepped off the shuttle, stretching her sore muscles after that long, long trip. School was out, for now, and since she'd finished up her preparations for the beginning of the next year--in quite a timely manner, she might add--a trip to visit Carlie, Sumia, and cute lil' Galan seemed in order. Just... on a teacher's salary, she couldn't really afford to travel 1st class.

After getting everything in order with the port authorities, she set off towards Sumia's place. She'd only visited a few times before, but she knew the way by heart. How could she not? Ahhh, it would be great to see everyone again! Er, well, if... they were home. Oh boy, should've called ahead, but she'd just impulsively decided to make this trip. Ah well, she had the means and permission to enter Sumia's place, and since Sumia never went too far these days, she could just let herself in and relax until one of the gang showed up.

As she walked, various passerby's gave her looks. Some were startled, not used to seeing so much woman, others were disdainful looks from assholes, and... a few were accompanied by catcalls or compliments. Lina paid them no mind... except for the more polite compliments. What person wouldn't appreciate a genuine compliment, after all?

Finally, after what seemed like hours walking, she reached Sumia's house. Oh, it was just as she remembered it... such a nice home. Much better than her place, that was for sure. It was just a shame that it... wasn't as lively as it used to be. Sumia had pulled through, of course--she was a tough gal--but... losing family never lost its sting. Still, that was in the past and it was kinda pointless to dwell on it; she just had to put on a smile and... hope she was home. Ha ha.

Well, here goes nothing!

Lina took a moment to straight out her clothing and then rang the doorbell.

Galan found Sumia's house very empty when he came back to get dressed down which wasn't surprising considering Sumia had went to go on her first day of the job taking care of Hisasko. He was sure she'd be good with it, she had always been with kids as long as he knew them not to mention once having her own and helping raise Carlie.

 Though now with the house empty and no one to interact with he'd find himself bored but there were things he could do in the mean time himself to pass the time depending on his mood.  Sigma was a nice enough place depending on the area, but it definitely wasn't a place he'd think he would want to live on the long term if he had a choice.

 A knock interrupted his thought process. 'Wonder who it is?' Not Sumia since she had her own way in as did Carlie so it had to be one of her friends or something related to that.

He didn't expect to see Lina of all people but he tried to play it normally. It wasn't like he didn't have plenty of conversations with them regularly so why the nervouness?

"Hey Lina, didn't expect to see you here. Sumia is out but will be back later, and Carlie is here too on a date. Did you want to come in and wait for them?"

Oh? So it was Galan that answered the door. How great! Within seconds she had scooped her former student up in a hug. "Galan, it's been so long! Ahaha, you're just as cute as ever." She had always been a... huggy person with her friend and family, though she restrained herself with her students. Galan, however, was a former student, so he was fair game. Plus, she knew he enjoyed it--she had caught him, ahem, staring before. It didn't bother her, really... teenage boys were like that, and he had always been polite. And cute.

Releasing Galan, she let herself in, if only because just standing there with her luggage would be awkward. She placed said luggage next to the couch and sat down. "So, Sumia's out, and..." She paused. Had... she heard that right? "...wait, Carlie's on a date? Really? With how much she works and... ah, well, ya know, that, she hasn't really had many of those in a long, long time. I really hope all goes well and we have some cute 'lil mini-carlies running around soon!"

"And what about you? Have you found a cute girlfriend yet, or am I going to have to stop teasing you about snatching you up one of these days and actually do some snatching?" She was partially teasing him... she'd found him cute as a student, but certain factors--notably, being with someone at the time--had kept their relationship strictly philial. And it would have been a fairly serious breach of ethics in her book, but... hm hm, Galan was a former student, so 'snatching him up' now wouldn't be an issue.

While Galan's mind had at least partially turned to mush at being hugged, he didn't, at least, make a complete and utter ass of himself. There was faint blushing which was to be expected by being hugged along those lines of a woman he had it really bad for. Before Lina had gotten here he had various scenarios played in his head along with what he'd say in response. It didn't always go as smoothly in these thoughts but at least he already knew where it was going.

Reality came knocking literally and told him that wasn't so much of a replacement of the real thing.

Not at all. Especially the last comment.

Never the less, Arkay had said the key to things was confidence so he'd do that. You only lived once right? Save for those who didn't.

"Funny you say that because I was going to talk about that. I don't have a girlfriend, right now." He corrected. "..Uh, anyway are you hungry? I could always fix you something if you like."


..Just maybe not right out the gate? Let them in the door literally and metaphorically first.

Hm? Something about Galan's tone made it seem like he had been about to say something else. Might have just been her imagination, though. Or... perhaps wishful thinking, if he had been about to ask her out. Asking just like that would've... hehe, well, it would've definitely been proof positive that he was inexperienced, but she certainly wouldn't have said no. Confidence was sexy in a man, at least for her.

Setting that aside, he offered to make her something to eat. Hm, yeah, it had been a long trip, and she hadn't really eaten much of anything in transit. Airline food... yuck! Well, okay, spaceline food. Couldn't really be an airline if there was no air, haha. Still, something to eat sounded good...

"It was a long trip, and I'd definitely love to get something in me," said Lina, her grin belying the fact that she was teasing Galan (again) with a double entrendre. "Heh, so, girlfriend issue aside, how have you, Carlie, and Sumia been? It's been forever since we've all had the chance to get together."

There'd be time for that later, once Carlie and Sumia got back--the former from her date and Sumia from... her errand, whatever it may be. Hehe, maybe Carlie could introduce her date, as well. Between her work and... certain events in the past, her friend had become really choosy about dating--not that she could blame her at all--so this guy she was on a date with must be something else. But, as Carlie's friend, she had to meet and grade the guy herself, just to make sure he wasn't a disloyal jerk or creep.